Road - Bentley Boy

Having spent some quality time in a rather pricey and exotic car the other day, I have some advice for the manufacturers of Bentley motor cars.

You might not think that such a manufacturer would need any advice from the likes of me, but given my years of dedication to the cause of motoring journalism, I feel that I do have something of value to contribute.

The 6 litre twin turbo W12 engine in the Bentley Continental GT IS TOO BLOODY QUIET - if they fit an active exhaust I might just buy one. 

Then again I might not, even without the optional extras!
 
http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/car-reviews/22-oct-bentley-continental-gt-w12/

Road - Cheap thrills

From the highly desirable, but expensive, excess of yesterday’s McLaren P1 to today’s more affordable four wheeled fun. Caterham Cars has introduced a new entry-level sports car from the Caterham range, the Seven 160, powered by a compact, light, turbocharged Suzuki engine.

The new Seven 160 produces a ‘mere’ 80 hp from its 660 cc, three-cylinder, turbocharged engine, but this shoebox on skinny wheels will still accelerate to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, with a top speed of 100 mph.

Priced from £14,995 in component form, the car’s live-axle rear suspension, compact engine and low weight embody the pioneering spirit of early Sevens and represent a new entry-point to the Seven range.

It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but for the automotive purist who puts handling and fun above expense and comfort, this will fire more midges up your nostrils than anything else.

Wonder of the kit will fit in a Christmas stocking?

Rally - Galloway Hills

No-one will ever know how much time and effort has been put into this year’s Armstrong Galloway Hills Rally which takes place on Sunday. That’s because no-one kept a count of the hours spent, the sweat poured and the arteries tightening under stress. Had they done so, the south west would have been raided by the ‘gangmaster police’ refusing to believe that so few, accomplished so much, with such limited time and resources.

What they have achieved, especially with the Super Special, is quite simply unbelievable. It is a tribute to them and to so many other car clubs, officials, marshals and helpers throughout the country and throughout the year that so many of us can enjoy the best sport in the land.

From Tobermory, Inverness, Elgin and Aberdeen to the north and Duns, Jedburgh, Dumfries and Castle Douglas to the south, with Aberfeldy in the middle, bands of overworked, and unpaid rally enthusiasts roam the countryside continuously thoughout the year. They are seeking out new routes, testing new ideas and spending countless hours on the phone and computer negotiating with local Councils and Forestry folks, land owners and Police forces, not to mention the sport’s governing body, to organise and run these complex and huge events. For what? So that those with a passion to drive fast on demanding roads can do so in safety while deriving so much pleasure and in the process entertaining the rest of us mere earthlings who enjoy watching the spectacle.

On that basis, I urge you all to visit the Super Special on Sunday, at least once, to see what has been created. Almost the entire stage can be seen from the spectator viewpoint. This will be especially suitable for those who have never been to a rally before, a sort of gentle introduction to the dark art of rallying. There is a car park, viewing area and a mobile emporium for the provision of nutritional sustenance - such luxury, just don't expect the same facilities at 'proper' forest stages!

Not only that, the organising team from Solway, Machars and East Ayrshire Car Clubs have produced just about the best Rally Spectator Guide in the business, and it’s free, to download from their website.

And do you know something, I reckon this event could teach a certain other event far to the south next month about accessibility, value for money and sheer spectacle.

Full Spectator Guide available to donwload here:
http://www.gallowayhillsrally.co.uk/uploads/docs/2013GHR%20Spectator%20Info.pdf


Other wider information here:
http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2013/10/22-oct-galloway-entry-list/

Road - McLaren - MkIII

Looking more like a hospital operating theatre than a car factory, the first customer-spec McLaren P1 rolled off the production line earlier today. McLaren also revealed some of the performance figures which places this car firmly in the ‘supercar’ category.

The McLaren P1 will accelerate from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.8 seconds, 200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.8 seconds, and 300 km/h (186 mph) in just 16.5 seconds, while braking from 100 km/h to zero is accomplished in 30.2 metres. Don’t just dismiss that figure lightly, give it some thought. 30 metres is just over the length of two artic trucks!

The 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 generates 916 PS (903 bhp) aided by a lightweight electric motor, and top speed is electronically limited to 350 km/h (217 mph).

The electric motor offers a range of 11 km (6.8 miles) in full electric mode and the quoted EU combined fuel consumption is 34.0 mpg – just in case you’re worried about running costs.

But here’s the thing. Under ever more strict Health & Safety Euro legislation, each car comes with a small plaque on the dashboard. This advises those owners who are hell-bent on exploiting the performance that should they be wearing a toupe they must place on hand on top of their head when braking or accelerating hard. Honest guv, would I tell you a fib?

They wouldn’t tell me the price!

Rally - Bad weekend

Disappointing day for the Scots in Poole at Rallye Sunseeker. We wuz gubbed. John MacCrone and Phil Pugh were 7^th overall while Ruary MacLeod and Calvin Cooledge parked their Fiesta R2 in a ditch on the fifth test.

Gareth White and Keegan Rees were 5^th in the NGK Challenge with Ross Hunter and Josh Davidson 7^th and Steven Smith and Daniel Johnstone were 8^th.

We didn’t do so well at Otterburn yesterday either. John Paterson was tenth, Ian Watson 11^th and Jim Sharp 12^th. Billy Cowe smacked a gatepost and Ross Fernie parked it in an English version of a Venice car park – in the waatter, having slid off down a gully into the river.

At least we got something out of the BTRDA series. Cheer up though, Galloway Hills this weekend with something ‘special’ to see in Jock’s back yard. Only trouble is it’s a Sunday event. Cue for a song? – ‘I don’t like Sundays’? Oh, please yourselves.

Rally - Cole's 4th title

Unable to post anything from Otterburn today because as far as phone signals go this is a dead zone. However, I was going to put something up when I got to the finish hotel, but then the excrement hit the whirling blades of fate and events took their own interminable turn.

Damian Cole was hit with a 2 minute penalty for failing to stop when required to do so by an official Scrutineer who was conducting a turbo check. Cole said the official merely pointed ,but didn’t flag him down, although everyone else stopped. The Scroots hotfooted it round to his Eeziup to check and found everything to be hunky dory. But that wasn’t enough for some, they wanted him excluded. However as things stand he's the rally winner and the British Asphalt Champion - for the fourth time.

Naturally the rumour mill generated its own momentum with all sorts of claim and counter claim, accusations of favouritism and the flutter of pound notes. The Stewards upheld the CofC’s decision (G5.3) and results were declared final, but that might not be the end of the matter. Some see it as payback for earlier troubles in the year, remember the furore over mud flap sizes and Noise Checks?

The affair clouded an otherwise excellent rally with torrential rain showers soaking the range roads and then almost drying when the sun came out intermittently throughout the day. Steve Simpson retired with a cracked gearbox casing, Peter Taylor sailed off into the boondocks with no damage but stuck, and John Indri was forced to retired when a cam sensor came off. He struggled mightily to get it fixed but ran out of time. At one point he looked like a vet with his arm up the back end of a coo as he removed the seats and tried to fix the thing shoving his arm through a hole in the bulkhead!

But the hero of the day was Simon Mauger who finished the rally with no alternator, no wipers and no clutch and a borrowed battery. That man doesn’t know the meaning of giving up.

Top Ten:

1, Damian Cole/Elliott Edmondson (Ford Focus WRC05)   1:22:53

2, John Stone/Carl Williamson (Skoda Fabia WRC) +0:00:20

3, Simon Mauger/Brian Cammack (Ford Escort MkII)  +0:00:20

4, Michael Glendinning/Fiona Douglas (Subaru Impreza) +0:01:05

5, Darren Doherty/Stewart Merry (Subaru Impreza) +0:03:11

6, Alex Laffey/Jack Morton (Ford Fiesta S2000) +0:04:41

7, Alan Oldfield/Ken Bills (Darrian T90 GTR) +0:05:32

8, Barry Lindsay/Michael Lindsay (Peugeot 106 GTi) +0:05:39

9, Paul Bird/Aled Davies (Ford Focus 07 WRC) +0:06:06

10, John Paterson/Richard Wardle (Ford Escort MkII) +0:06:57