Tag: goodwood festival of speed

Fangio-driven Mercedes F1 car auctioned for record $29M at Goodwood

The Bonhams auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed is known for hosting some iconic race cars in its history. The race car in the picture above adds to that list, and how. This Mercedes W196R was driven by legendary F1 driver, Juan Manuel Fangio, to wins in the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix races. When the hammer fell at the auction yesterday, it was sold for $29.65 million, making it the most expensive car ever sold at an auction. With that sale, It also earned the honour of being the most expensive F1 car ever sold and the most valuable Mercedes Benz in the world.

Fangio’s wins gave Mercedes its first back-to-back post-war Grand Prix victories, and it introduced F1 cars to fuel-injection, tubular spaceframe chassis and inline eight-cylinder engines.

The most important historic Grand Prix racing car ever offered for sale.

– Robert Brooks, Bonhams Chairman

The Mercedes W196R came close to the record price for a car sold privately, with the current holder being a 1962 Ferraro GTO built for Sterling Moss that went for a reported $35 million in a private sale last year.

July 14, 2013
Bentley Continental GT3 debuted at Goodwood Festival [w/Video]

Bentley’s Continental GT-based race car was first unveiled in concept form at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. Now, the Continental GT3 has made its world debut in its final form at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the bigger than usual race car made a dramatic run in the famous hill climb event.

The Continental GT3 has an even more aggressive design than the original concept, with a new air dam and splitter extending even further forward and a huge rear wing now mounted to the trunk lid instead of the rear of the car. The engineers from Bentley’s skunkworks division have waved their magic wands and managed to make over 1000 kilograms of weight disappear off the base model. Even with the addition of the comprehensive aerodynamics package, that results in a sub-1300 kilogram weight. The Continental GT’s 4.0-liter V8 engine has been pushed to the back of the engine bay and paired with a carbon-fiber propshaft to drive the rear wheels. It’s now tuned to produce a mammoth 600 horsepower. The engine is mated to a new gearbox – an Xtrac six-speed sequential, with a limited slip differential and pneumatic shifting, controlled via steering wheel paddles.

A near-perfect weight distribution of 52-48 and double wishbone suspension at both ends of the car make it very capable in the corners, especially for a car of its size. Four-way adjustable dampers, hydraulic power-assisted steering and 18-inch OZ Racing Wheels also find their way on to the British race car. Stopping duties are handled by ventilated iron discs on all wheels, combined with six-piston calipers on the front end, and four-piston calipers on the rear.

The Continental GT3 will start testing later this year before entering the world of endurance racing in the FIA Blancpain Series in 2014. The competitive series was established in 2011 and currently enjoys five races taking place in Europe. Rival GT3 contenders will include the likes of the McLaren 12C GT3, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 and the new Lamborghini Gallardo GT3.

Teaser video:

[youtube id=”mtKqQg3GdWo” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

[Source: Bentley]

July 12, 2013
Meet the single-seater Jaguar Project 7 concept [w/Video]

This is the Jaguar Project 7 concept. It’s a one-off car based on the new F-Type convertible, and will debut at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s called the Project 7 in homage to Jaguar’s seven victories at Le Mans between 1951 and 1990.

The aluminium bodied roadster was created in just four months, and pays tribute to the Jag D-type with an inspired rear fairing with an integrated rollover hoop. The model has also been equipped with a new front bumper, an enlarged grille and a variety of carbon fiber components not found on the base F-Type. A rear wing, 20-inch wheels and Pirelli P-Zero tyres with a white sidewall make their way on to the road racer as well.

Project 7 has the kind of racing-inspired form that designers dream about. It has one purpose: to be driven fast and enjoyed. Jaguar sports cars are known for exceptional performance and clean design. Project 7 captures that spirit in its purest form.

– Ian Callum, Design Director, Jaguar Project 7

The Project 7 is powered by a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 550 HP (405 kW) and 680 Nm (502 lb-ft) of torque. It is connected to an eight-speed Quickshift transmission which enables the car to go from a standstill to 100 kmph in 4.2 seconds and hit an electronically-limited top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). The Project 7 also has a sports-tuned suspension, an electronic rear differential and a sinister sounding free-flowing exhaust.

The interiors have been done up as well. Elegant diamond-quilted leather upholstery and carbon fiber trim make the inside of the Project 7 a very nice place to be. Only one composite racing seat with a four-point harness is to be found, with the passenger seat making way for a bespoke helmet holder that secures a matching Project 7 helmet.

Watch the video below to see more of the Jaguar Project 7 Concept:

[youtube id=”sGBMSLvggqA” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

[Source: Jaguar]

July 10, 2013