Rally - Doing business

According to Dumfries and Galloway Council, the Scottish, Merrick and Galloway Hills rallies generated in excess of half a million quid for the local economy last year. So encouraged are the Cooncillors they are toying with the idea of creating their own three-round regional championship. Now there’s an idea we can all get behind. Full story here ...

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2015/02/05-feb-new-rally-championship/

Rally - Safety film

The Chuckle Brothers were spotted out in the wintry wilds of Inversneckieshire recently filming a promotional video for their new nationwide hilarity tour of the nation’s bothies, shebeens and railway station toilets. The content of this video film is of an unsettling nature and could shock those of a sensitive disposition.  Be warned and be careful, and keep the weans away frae the screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8UreaaGB9U&feature=youtu.be

In all fairness the finished film will be worth the watching as it features the ‘Idiot’s Guide’ to staying safe at rallies. Please note the use of the word ‘Idiots’ as in those who go spectating unprepared, and not ‘Idiots’ as in those playing a starring role! Or I could be wrong.

I can’t wait for the finished ‘professional’ edited version. It might take some time.

Road - New Corsa VXR

Vauxhall has a new Corsa VXR coming in March. The 202 bhp, 1.6 litre turbo motor will be good for 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 143mph

New dampers from Koni provide ‘Frequency Selective Damping’ (FSD) which adapt to the car’s movements, ensuring that body control is maintained when the car is driven fast, but ride quality is optimised at lower speeds.

For the first time, Vauxhall is offering a two-stage switchable electronic stability programme (ESP) and traction control (TC) with the Corsa VXR. In Competition Mode the traction control is inactive, while the ESP is relaxed to allow less intervention. For track use, the ESP can be fully disabled.

And there’s more.  Vauxhall will offer an optional Performance Package, which includes a Drexler limited-slip differential, larger 330 mm-diameter Brembo front brake discs, 18-inch alloy wheels and more focused FSD damper settings.

Rally - Mull's new sponsor

Beatson's Building Supplies have agreed a five year deal to support the Mull Rally. Natural progression? From caramel logs to building bricks?

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2015/02/04-feb-mull-rallys-new-sponsor/

Road - New Focus RS

There’s only 325 days left till Christmas - Ford has just released details and pics of its new, all wheel drive Ford Focus RS. The 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine is claimed to produce “well in excess of 320 PS”.

Developed by a small team of Ford Performance engineers in Europe and US, the new Focus RS is the third generation of Focus RS cars, following models launched in 2002 and 2009. It will be the 30^th car to wear the legendary RS badge, following such technology trendsetters as the 16-valve 1970 Escort RS1600, the turbocharged Sierra RS Cosworth of 1985 with its radical aerodynamics, and the four-wheel-drive 1992 Escort RS Cosworth.

The Ford Performance AWD system is based on twin electronically-controlled clutch packs on each side of the rear drive unit. These manage the car’s front/rear torque split and can control the side-to-side torque distribution on the rear axle delivering the “torque vectoring” capability, which has a dramatic impact on handling and cornering stability.

A maximum of 70 per cent of the drive torque can be diverted to the rear axle. Up to 100 per cent of the available torque at the rear axle can be sent to each rear wheel.

The AWD system has been tuned to deliver exceptional grip – with lateral acceleration exceeding 1 g – and class-leading cornering speed and acceleration out of a bend. With neutral and adjustable limit handling it has and the ability to achieve controlled oversteer drifts on the race track.

Apparently Ken Block was a consultant on the new car!

The original 215PS Focus RS from 2002 featured a 2.0-litre turbocharged power unit and an advanced limited-slip differential. The second generation model sent 305PS through its front wheels with a ground-breaking RevoKnuckle suspension design.

Obituary - John Morrison

John Morrison, 1925 - 2014 ... The name will mean little to the current generation, but to the old-timers amongst us, John Morrison was a highly respected, well liked and much admired club competitor throughout the 1960s and early 70s. He was a true clubman who could cut it with the best when time and finance permitted. I didn’t know him personally, but I knew of him. He was already a well established character on the scene when I first started taking an interest. He lived through interesting times too, as rallying was moving from plot-and-bash and timed tests, to private roads and special stages. There’s a bigger tribute here:

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2015/01/31-jan-obituary-john-morrison/