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BMW develops ‘Origin’ film season with Picturehouse Cinemas (w/VIDEO)

Steve Davies — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:14:45 +0000

The BMW brand has been synonymous with films ever since the groundbreaking ‘The Hire’ film series of 2001 and 2002, which ignored convention and created the phenomenon now known as online films. Eight short films by critically acclaimed Hollywood directors, were viewed by more than 100 million people and set a benchmark that remains just as untouchable almost a decade later.

BMW has had a long association with the big screen from appearing in James Bond films through to supporting art house pictures from up-and-coming directors and producers.

To celebrate the launch of the new BMW 1 Series, Mark Kermode presents the Origins Film season – a selection of films showcasing great works from the silver screen and exploring the roots from which they originally came. From real life crime epics to classic rites of passage tales, this season takes a fresh look at some movie highlights from the last forty years.

The film season which starts on 19 September, 2011 has been timed to coincide with the advertising campaign that uses the ‘Origins’ theme to underscore the variety of model variants in the new 1 Series.

Just as the new BMW 1 Series Sport and Urban models embody different interpretations of one classic design, the film’s curator Mark Kermode has chosen four pairs of films which explore a single unifying theme in distinct ways.

The theme ‘A Life of Crime’ is explored with screenings of the classic gangster movie ‘Goodfellas’ and Jean-François Richet’s ‘Mesrine: Killer Instinct’ – two films about men seduced by the mythology of crime. Other themes including ‘Rites of Passage’ and ‘Tricks of the Mind’ are personified with films such as ‘Y Tu Mama Tambien’, ‘The Graduate’, ‘Memento’, ‘Adaptation’, ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and ‘Quadrophenia’.

Teaser

New Porsche 911: Is this now the best car in the world?

Steve Davies — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:32:58 +0000

Whether or not you’re a fan of Porsche’s most enduring model, it’s impossible to ignore just how influential it has been in the world of motoring (and motorsport). At 48 years young, it might be getting on a bit and yet it shows no sign of stagnating. The 2010 911 GT3 R Hybrid became the world’s first hybrid to compete in an international GT championship. But the crowning glory of Weissach’s most iconic car is the role it plays as a benchmark for every other manufacturer to reach and (try to) beat.

So when Porsche released details of its new 911 earlier this week, you can imagine the attention it must have received in the boardrooms of Maranello, Gaydon, Munich and Stuttgart.

The salient points which will have gained most attention from their rivals include:

Wider, lower, more spacious and lighter..

The wheelbase of Porsche’s new 911 is 100 millimetre (approx. 3.9 inches) longer than its predecessor whilst the car’s overall height is reduced, but perhaps more telling is the fact that it’s 45 kg lighter than the outgoing 997. The front track has also been extended which further emphasises the visual impression of the 991 being a lower and wider car.

Despite the increased footprint, the new 911 is significantly lighter, thanks mainly to the extensive use of aluminium-steel in its construction.

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An interior reminiscent of the Porsche Carrera GT

Most observers have referred to the 991′s Panamera-inspired interior, however Porsche take a different view. They say the new 911 takes its cue from the Porsche Carrera GT supercar with its centre console rising up to the front of the dashboard and the high-mounted shift/gear selector located close to the steering wheel in typical motorsport fashion.

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The alchemy of Porsche Intelligent Performance

al·che·my – noun /ˈalkəmē/ – the practice of trying to transform common materials into gold.

Whilst it may sound a bit far-fetched to describe Porsche’s achievements with its new 911 as magic, I was struck by the similarities (at least metaphorically) with witch-craft in the Middle Ages.

Take the following for example: the entry-level 911 Carrera now comes with 10 bhp more power at 345 bhp, despite the engine size being reduced from 3.6-litres in the 997 down to 3.4-litres. With the PDK transmission it accelerates from 0-62 mph in just 4.6 seconds (4.4 seconds with Sport Plus) and yet consumes a mere 34 mpg – 6 mpg less than it’s predecessor. Also, at 194 g/km CO2, it is the first Porsche sports car to make it below the 200 g/km mark. See what I mean about the witch-craft?

Before you conclude that the 3.4-litre Carrera is the token ecoModel in the range, take a look at the Carrera S with its 3.8-litre boxer engine that now produces 394 bhp (up from 380 bhp in the 997) accelerates from 0-62 mph in 4.3 seconds (4.1 seconds with Sport Plus engaged) and yet consumes only 32 mpg with CO2 emissions of 205 g/km.

These stunning figures are achieved by systems and functions such as auto start/stop, thermal management, electrical system recuperation, new electro-mechanical power steering, the world’s first seven-speed manual transmission and a special ‘sailing’ mode in conjunction with the PDK transmission.

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Porsche have also developed new active control systems such as the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active roll stabilisation system, which is available for the first time on the 911 Carrera S.

Despite these improvements Porsche have chosen to price the new 911 at a 3-4 % increase over the outgoing 997, although they have not as yet confirmed the new car’s standard level of specification. In Germany this translates to 88,038 euro for the 911 Carrera and 102,436 euro for the 911 Carrera S (incl. VAT), which is bound to give Aston Martin plenty to worry about.

So is the new 911 the best car in the world? Well I can’t think of another car which balances the seemingly contradictory elements of performance, emissions, dynamics and usability within such a well honed package. It’s certainly not cheap, but this might just be all the car you’ll ever need.

Gallery

First official pictures of the New 2012 Porsche 911

Steve Davies — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:18:13 +0000

The first official images of the new 2012 Porsche 911 have leaked out this afternoon, showing the new front and rear lights which until now had been hidden behind some cleverly contrived camouflage (designed to make the 991 look like the outgoing 997 model).

The all new Porsche 911 – codenamed 991 – will debut at the Frankfurt motor show next month and reach customers by the end of 2011.

The 991′s styling is evolutionary but significant changes have been applied under the skin. First and foremost the 991 is 56mm longer, 65mm wider and 11m lower than the 997, with most of the extra length being added to the wheelbase.

As with every 911 model since its inception in 1963, the 991 continues to be propelled by a rear-mounted flat-six engine powering the rear wheels (with 4WD versions of higher-powered models, as with the 997).

S models will be powered by an updated 400 bhp version of today’s 3.8-litre engine found in the Carrera S, but the entry-level 991 will receive a 3.4-litre engine, downgraded from the 3.6-litre powerplant currently found in the 997 Carrera. Despite the reduction in capacity, power is said to have risen by almost 10 bhp to 350 bhp. A Hybrid powered version will also join the range.

The 991 draws many of the styling cues from the Panamera, most notably within the interior where it receives the inclined centre tunnel and Panamera style switches. But it’s still clearly a 911 and although larger than the 997 is substantially lighter.

Most of the visible changes to the 991 focus on its rear-end – with a narrow strip of lights blending into a prominent body-width panel containing the retractable rear spoiler.

No doubt we’ll soon receive the full technical details together with a sassy promo video, so keep an eye on our Twitter feed @DriversRepublic for further news.

Gallery

Honda Racing produces 4-part BTCC documentary (w/VIDEOS)

Steve Davies — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:37:28 +0000

Honda Racing Team has produced four short documentary films on its participation in the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. Each film will focus on what drives the Honda Racing Team to achieve success in one of Britain’s biggest and most exciting race series.

The first documentary, produced by leading short film label, Future Shorts, will be released in late August, ahead of Rounds 19-21 of the BTCC at Knockhill.

To give you an idea of what to expect, we’ve got hold of a trailer for the series of shorts..

The team is heading to Snetterton this weekend (6/7 August) for Rounds 16-18 of the championship with its driver pairing, Matt Neal and Gordon ‘Flash’ Shedden, currently in first and third position in the drivers’ points.

At the halfway point of the year the team are looking to extend their championship lead over the remaining 15 rounds.

Neal explains: “Our Civic is one of the best handling cars on the grid, but you can always keep refining things and that is what we did at the test. We were chipping away at the suspension settings trying to find an extra edge. Although there has been a seven-week break in the championship, our team never stands still in the quest to make the Civic even stronger.”

A rule change from the championship bosses will peg back Neal’s and Shedden’s cars and force them to run with less turbo boost pressure this weekend but Neal says that the homework done by the team should keep the car at the front.

Snetterton – a new track for the BTCC

The Snetterton circuit has been completely remodelled since last season and now features a new three-mile configuration with a demanding infield section. ‘Flash’ Gordon says that the challenge will be ramped up for everyone.

“It is like going to a totally new track,” says Flash. “It has new sections that are twisty, but there are still the long straights and they will play into our hands.”

“My prime target is to cut the gap to Matt at the top of the points standings. The championship has been so tight and competitive this season and we have already seen that it can alter dramatically over the course of any given weekend. If I can leave Snetterton having narrowed the gap to Matt and made Honda one-two in the drivers’ points, then I will be happy.”

The first of the weekend’s three races kicks off at 12.10am on Sunday and the entire day’s action will be shown live on ITV4.

Countdown to the new 5-series saloon – teaser video

Steve Davies — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:39:37 +0000

BMW will be revealing the new F10 5-series saloon at 20:00 CET (7pm UK time) on Monday 23 November 2009, but then you knew that didn’t you? We’ve seen spy shots of the new M5, and of course the 5-series GT has recently been launched so it would be reasonable to assume that the saloon will bear a passing resemblance to the GT.

In the meantime we have this teaser video to pore over and analyse, although I’m not sure that we can read too much into what looks to be a car-shaped Christmas tree decoration.

Anyway, enjoy.

Click on the image below to open

Here are the first pictures of the all new Nissan 370Z.

Steve Davies — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:35:26 +0000

Full details of the car will be released on 19th November, but the pictures suggest that it’s considerably more compact then the 350Z and it has a real aggression about it – although interestingly they’ve resisted the temptation to draw design details from the phenomenal GT-R.

View more pictures and read the FULL ARTICLE

Then let us know your thoughts..

Lamborghini reveal New Estoque

Eds — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:34:13 +0000

After teaser shots, mass speculation and ‘leaked information’ here is Lamborghini’s Paris Show star.

It’s called the Estoque, is front mid-engined, all-wheel drive and could be powered by anything from the LP560-4’s V10 to a turbodiesel or even employ a hybrid system. The press information mentions nothing of the LP640’s V12, suggesting that the Estoque hasn’t been developed to accept the V12 that can trace its roots back to the Muira.

The press release for the Estoque on the one hand says the four-door car ‘represents one of the several possibilities for a third model series within the Lamborghini product line-up’ – ie that it’s nothing more than a concept. But it goes on to claim that the Estoque ‘establishes a new category of sports sedans… has exceptionally refined power delivery, razor sharp precision handling… and is the perfect addition to the range of Lamborghini super sports cars.’ It also mentions that the Estoque meets safety legislation and is entirely production feasible.

Despite being a saloon car in concept it has some pretty radical dimensions – it’s 5.15 metres long (16.89ft), 1.99 metres wide (6.5ft) and just 1.35 metres high (4.43ft). The concept runs on 22-inch rims at the front and 23s at the rear. Inside are four individual sports seats. Pricing details and production plans are still unknown, but we’d expect it to sit well above the Porsche Panamera (Lamborghini like the rest of the VW Group is now essentially under Porsche’s control) and hope to see a production version at Geneva in March ’09.