You may remember us mentioning that a ‘track focused’ version was on its way, when we introduced the new 542bhp 2012 GT-R last month. What we didn’t know at the time was exactly how focused Nissan planned on making the GT-R, given it lacks very little apart from carrying a little too much weight.

But much as I’d like to tell you than Nissan had lopped 100kg off the GT-R in a move to match Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS, that’s unfortunately not the case (and I do realise that even 100kg would not be enough to out-RS Porsche’s GT3). What they have done is beefed up the brakes, tightened the suspension’s springs and dampers and fitted some nice Spec V-like Recaro front seats.

All right, maybe I was fibbing slightly about the weight-loss, the ‘Track Pack’ results in the rear-seats being removed and lightweight six-spoke RAYS alloy wheels being fitted (again, much like the Spec V), so it may be lighter, although perhaps not noticeable enough for Nissan to confirm a specific amount in their press release.

Nissan describe the upgrades as being “..for drivers who want an extra edge on the race track” and yet despite the changes, the GT-R remains fully road legal.

Externally the Track Pack is easily identified by those six-spoke RAYS alloys with gloss black painted centres, whilst the brakes behind these are cooled by additional cooling ducts built into the front bumper. These reduce the operating temperature of the front brake discs by as much as 100 degrees during track use, improving the stopping performance. Similar ducts, hidden behind the rear wheels, channel cooling air over the rear discs.

To reflect this GT-R’s harder edge, the suspension’s spring rates have been revised to be optimal for track use. Like all GT-Rs though, the dampers are adjustable to offer more comfort when the car is being used on the road.

Engine power remains the same as the regular 2012 model GT-R, which means 542bhp of power, 632Nm of torque and a 0-60 mph time of just 2.7 seconds.

Inside, the Recaro front seats are trimmed with blue bolsters and a new high-grip material to keep the driver in place during hard cornering and braking ( I thought that’s what the seat belts were for..). A ‘Track Pack’ emblem on the centre console identifies the model as a special GT-R, as does the additional £10,000 withdrawn from your bank account taking the price of the GT-R (with Track Pack) up to £84,450.

Orders are being accepted now at any one of the 21 Nissan High Performance Centres around the UK, with first deliveries expected from March 2012.

Gallery

The 599XX is a non-homologated race car – think of it as a very exclusive track day vehicle – which enables its most valued clients to participate in a track-based research and development programme for the brand’s 2012-2013 race seasons. On Ferrari specific track days, owners get to put the car through its paces, whilst Ferrari benefits through the collection of vehicle data. Oh, and of course the $1.5 million earned from selling each car.

Unveiled this week at the Bologna Motor Show, the 599XX Evolution Package now features improved chassis dynamics thanks to an active aerodynamic package integrated with the vehicles’ electronic control systems, and the adoption of new Pirelli tyres. The car is also more powerful than before with 739 bhp, and weighs 35 kg less.

The key to the aero package is an active rear wing design which represents a new aerodynamic concept called ‘opening gap’. The wing features two flaps, with profiles similar to those used in Formula 1, which rotate electronically to adjust the downforce between the front and rear axles in relation to vehicle speed and the manoeuvre being affected. The result is better performance in the corners.

The 599XX active rear wing is actuated automatically according to specific parameters which are integrated with the car’s other control functions (ESP, ABS, SCM and F1-Trac). As a result of this integration, all the electronic controls have been recalibrated with the ‘opening gap’ logic based on; steering wheel angle, longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration and vehicle speed.

A new aerodynamics package for the 599XX (functional rather than beautiful) includes a modified front splitter and a new rear diffuser featuring a larger surface area and redesigned fences and foot-plates. Total downforce at 125 mph is boosted to 330 kg when the flaps are open and 440 kg in the closed configuration.

The adoption of side exhausts allowed the engineers to increase engine power by 20 bhp to 739 bhp (again at 9000 rpm), while maximum torque has been increased to 700 Nm. When combined with a final gear ratio that’s slightly shorter than before, the result is that the car laps Fiorano in just 1 min 15 seconds compared to the standard 599XX which recorded a 1 min 16.5 second lap. To put that in perspective, the 599 GTO road car lapped Fiorano in 1 min 24 secs.

That Nurburgring Record

The original 599XX made the headlines back in 2010, when it became the first production-derived sports car to break the 7-minute barrier around the 20.832 km Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit. Its time of 6 min 58.16 sec has yet to be beaten, although it sounds like this new Evo Package version is just the right car to do it.

Powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct injection engine, the Astra VXR is the most powerful production Astra ever built.

Benefitting from a raft of bespoke chassis modifications, the VXR is transformed into a focused, high-performance coupe. Setting it apart from all other current Astras is a specially developed mechanical limited slip differential, which works on the front wheels.

Visual identifiers which distinguish the Astra VXR from the regular GTC comprise a set of specially sculpted front and rear bumpers, side skirts, an aerodynamic roof spoiler and two exhaust tail pipes in a trapeze shape. Inside, the VXR’s cabin gets bespoke performance seats with embossed logos in the backs, a flat-bottomed VXR steering wheel and upgraded instruments.

The UK is by far the Astra VXR’s biggest market in Europe, so sales interest in the car is likely to be strong. More details, including pricing and on-sale dates, will be revealed before it goes on sale next year.

Gallery

This is obviously something Chevrolet would like us to take note of, as it seeks to show that “There ain’t no substitute for cubic inches – and power”.

Like the coupé, the Camaro ZL1 convertible features a supercharged 6.2-litre “LSA” engine, producing 572 bhp and 556 lb-ft of torque (754 Nm). That compares ‘favourably’ with several well known performance icons, including:

2012 Aston Martin DB9 Volante – 463 bhp / 443 lb-ft
2012 Mercedes SL63 AMG – 511 bhp / 465 lb-ft
2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S – 522 bhp / 516 lb-ft
2011 Ford Shelby GT500 – 542 bhp / 510 lb-ft

Chevrolet announced yesterday that the 2013 Camaro ZL1 will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month, before going on sale in early 2012.

From Day One, the architecture for the fifth-generation Camaro was designed to accommodate a convertible model, which is said to give it coupé-like driving dynamics. Four strategic reinforcements enhance the already-stiff body structure to minimise the cowl and steering wheel shake common in convertibles. They include:

• A tower-to-tower brace under the hood
• A transmission support reinforcement brace
• Underbody tunnel brace
• Front “X” brace and stiffer cradle as well as rear underbody “V” braces.

Additional structural reinforcements in the ZL1 convertible are designed to improve noise and vibration characteristics, while also reducing unwanted ride and body motions. They include a hydroformed tube in the A-pillars, an inner reinforcement bracket in the windscreen header, a reinforced front hinge pillar and reinforcements inside the rockers.

The suspension of the ZL1 convertible uses the third-generation of Magnetic Ride. New, twin-wire/dual-coil dampers at all four corners enable faster response, with damping levels now adjusted up to 1,000 times per second making the system exceptionally responsive to changing driving and road conditions.

Chevrolet has also included its PTM system (Performance Traction Management) as standard which integrates magnetic ride control, launch control, traction control and electronic stability control, to enhance both acceleration and cornering.

The 2013 Camaro ZL1 (coupé and convertible) will premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month, then go on sale in early 2012.

Gallery

You might consider this inevitable, given that they’re working with the most successful F1 team of the last few seasons – but most brands would have used such an arrangement to boost their corporate hospitality offering or add a by-line to their newspaper or TV ads, but Infiniti have approached the opportunity quite differently.

We were recently asked to write a sponsored editorial about their latest video campaign – Infiniti M Hybrid race, we hesitated because the video on its own doesn’t tell a particularly compelling story. Take a look..

Sebastian Vettel pits a 359 bhp Infiniti M35h against Mark Webber in a 315 bhp Infiniti M37 S around the demanding Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Only when we stepped back and looked at the substance behind Infiniti’s message, did we see a story worth sharing – and it’s a story about the power of content marketing.

Display advertising – if it’s broke, why doesn’t somebody fix it?

Firstly some context. If you’re a regular visitor to SkiddMark, then you will be familiar with my view on display advertising. Back in the early 1990s when we first started using banner ads, we were seeing click through rates (CTRs) of between 70-80%. They worked remarkably well and many of us predicted that the Internet would overtake TV and print by the end of the decade. That didn’t happen. Partly because, unlike TV or print, the inventory of available online ad spots became almost infinite, but also because advertisers merely re-purposed existing content and then tried as many intrusive ways to get their ads seen.

Nowadays we see banner ads earning CTRs of 0.2% or less, with those irritating ones on Facebook and other social networking sites achieving as little as 0.08% – that’s 8 people in every 10,000 bothering to show any interest. Wowzer!

Yet despite the appalling efficacy of online ads, the sector is growing faster than ever before. This morning’s figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau show UK spend up 13.5% year-on-year to £2.26bn and for the first time online ad spend exceeded TV (27% versus 26%). Traditional media such as TV, radio and print saw growth of a just 1.4% in the same period.

So perhaps you’ll understand how ridiculous it looks to a veteran such as myself, to see more money being pumped into a medium that is less and less effective. In desperation to turn the tide, some advertisers are pushing out more intrusive forms of interaction (text links, web pages that interrupt the viewing experience and page takeovers), but these are counterproductive and only serve to annoy. With a few simple browser plugins you can already disable these ads, not to mention that people become increasingly ‘blind’ to them – sometimes deliberately so.

No, The future of advertising lies in taking the brand centre stage, becoming a content provider rather than a content divider. Brands have already found that with Facebook they no longer need publishers to act as mediators – people follow the music, whoever plays it, and brands are beginning to realise that when their outreach adds to the user experience then response rates rise accordingly (6-8% CTRs being more likely).

It will never return to those heady days back in the 90′s (there’s simply too much content and too little time), but as brands discover the power of content marketing at least engagement will be heading in the right direction.

Infiniti strikes a chord with F1 enthusiasts

Assuming that you’ve watched the video above, you’ll probably have concluded “yeah, nicely shot video, but it was never really a race”. Which is true and personally I’d like to see Infiniti letting two of the most down-to-earth and fun loving F1 drivers express a bit more of their playful nature, but it’s a start – and most importantly you chose to watch it and probably didn’t feel advertised to.

Both Seb and Mark have taken part in several more Infiniti videos, all of them content rather than advertising based – so as brands continue along this path (perhaps with our encouragement) expect more content-rich online experiences where entertainment, fun and participation replace the staid old monotony of the banner ad.

I’ve picked out a few of our favourite pieces of content from and around Infiniti during the past six months, but expect to see plenty more after Seb is crowned 2011 F1 world champion this Sunday.

Infiniti & Red Bull Racing: Anatomy of Performance

A film which dissects all the elements that go into producing Inspired Performance on the track, featuring Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, David Coulthard, Christian Horner, Adrian Newey and Infiniti’s Andy Palmer.

Feature: Making of the Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version

This 7-minute piece tells the full story of the creation of the car, from the initial concept stage, the production process and design, right through to its official launch at the Frankfurt motor show.

Red Bull Racing Showcar run in Austin, Texas

A remarkable piece of film showing ex-Red Bull Racing driver David Coulthard drive an F1 car in Austin, Texas where next year’s US Grand Prix will be held – driving the first ever ‘dusty’ lap of the track.

Infiniti M35h hybrid Guinness World Record

Tim Pollard from CAR Magazine takes the Infiniti M35h along to Northamptonshire’s Santa Pod Raceway, speeding it into the record books as the world’s fastest accelerating full hybrid.

Sebastian Vettel drives an Infiniti FX50

Red Bull Racing F1 driver Sebastian Vettel showing fans in China what an Infiniti FX50 can do.

Mark pushes an Infiniti to its limits at Rockingham

Mark Webber takes to the track in an Infiniti M37 Sport, while his passengers experience the thrill of a ride in wet and dry conditions.

Mark takes a journalist around Rockingham during a PR day for Infiniti, conducting the interview whilst going sideways. Brilliant!

Paraglider vs FX50S: The Duel

From the top of a mountain, twins Mike and Stuart race each other down to the foothills – one paragliding, one driving the FX50S.

SLOWNESS MAKES FASTNESS…the secret behind extreme performance

More of an advert than a content piece, but still worth a look. The message conveyed is “If you take time, scrutinise every detail, you reach the ultimate in performance.”

Disclosure: This article is sponsored in part by Infiniti, however all views expressed within are entirely our own. They asked us to talk about their latest ad – which we did – but we also chose to focus on the wider scope of their content marketing practice. Sponsored articles are accepted at our own discretion and only where we believe such additional focus or analysis will benefit our readers. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, then get in touch via email or using the contact tab on this page.

The video campaign ‘Jump for JOY’ was BMW’s attempt to highlight the character and fun-loving nature of their customers, but couldn’t resist having a poke at boring stuffy Audi in an extended version of the video (below).

The “Jump for Joy” commercial spawned an ‘extended’ version where an Audi A4 owner tries to copy his BMW-owning neighbours – unfortunately he botches the attempt and ends up crushing his privates in the process. Click through to 1:13 to watch the painful moment..

So, with Audi’s current promotion of the R8 GT they’ve obviously decided to return the favour. Produced by Tonic International of Dubai, the message is simple, “..forget all this marketing fluff from BMW, with the R8 GT Joy finally has meaning”.

Audi’s £144,000+ R8 GT is the car maker’s fastest and most expensive model, using a 552 bhp V10 FSI powerplant it can accelerate from zero to 62mph in 3.8 seconds and to reach a top speed of 197mph. And rarity will be one of the reasons for joy if you’ve bought an R8 GT, with a worldwide production of just 333 units they will be a special sight on our roads.

BMW have been slow to respond to the R8 since it arrived on the scene 4 years ago, with nothing even remotely close within its range, so it’s no surprise to see Audi making hay in their latest ads.

Download a copy for your own use by clicking on the links below:

[styledbox type="download" ]

• [download id="8"]
  (1600px x 1052px – Click to download)
• [download id="9"]
  (1600px x 1052px – Click to download)

[/styledbox]

]]> http://skiddmark.com/2011/10/iotd-audi-r8-gt-jooooy-finally-has-meaning-wdownloads/feed/ 0 http://skiddmark.com/2011/09/limited-edition-clio-renaultsport-200-raider-available-shortly/ http://skiddmark.com/2011/09/limited-edition-clio-renaultsport-200-raider-available-shortly/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:39:30 +0000 Steve Davies http://www.skiddmark.com/?p=25267 It’s called the Clio Renaultsport 200 Raider and just 50 are coming to the UK replete with matt Renault i.d. paintwork and a choice of just two colours – Stealth Grey or Diavolo Red.

This is essentially a makeover, rather than an upgrade – the only exception being the 18” ‘Interlagos’ alloy wheels, which are one inch larger diameter than the standard 200 wheels.

These are fitted with Bridgestone RE 050A tyres, as used on the Nürburgring record-breaking Megane Renaultsport 265 Trophy. Naturally, the acclaimed Cup chassis is standard featuring a lower ride height, stiffer springs and dampers, quicker steering ratio and red finish to the Brembo brake callipers.

The matt paint finish is contrasted by a gloss black finish to the roof, rear spoiler, F1-style front blade, rear diffuser and door mirrors, rounded off by more heavily tinted rear-side and tailgate windows and a limited-edition Raider badge.

Leather is used for the front Recaro seats, which are complimented by the zinc grey finish to the centre console and fascia inserts. Other changes include a white background to the rev counter and a numbered plate identifying the car’s sequence in the 50 unit production run.

Bluetooth, USB connectivity, automatic climate control and Renaultsport carpet mats are also fitted and customers can order their Raider with a no cost option of either Renaultsport Monitor – Renaultsport’s on-board telemetry system – or Carminat TomTom Live satellite navigation.

Order books for the Raider open at the end of October, when further details and pricing will also be announced.

Gallery

The headline facts are this – German investors have decided to build an alternative facility to the Nürburgring Nordschliefe, because as demand has increased the existing facilities such as the Nürburgring cannot provide the required track time for automotive engineers, driver training services and manufacturer launch events.

So the grounds of a former British/NATO ammunition depot are the venue of an extraordinary new test and private driving facility with the atmosphere of an automobile country club. The terrain is approximately 84 hectares and is located in the undulating forest landscape in the heart of Germany, 30 kilometres east of Paderborn, near Bad Driburg, in the southern part of the Teutoburger Wald.

Modelled on the likes of the Ascari Resort in Spain, the entire circuit has been designed from scratch by Hermann Tilke, the industry’s most experienced circuit architect. He is best known for renowned F1 circuits such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Malaysia, Istanbul, Shanghai and has now turned his hand to creating a New Nürburgring, “The natural ‘Nordschleife flair’ with high safety standards will continue to enthuse every driver. With various ideal lines, the corners allow for approximately identical lap times, while nature itself dictates the unmistakable signature of the test track.”

Walter Röhrl, the legendary rally driver and Porsche development driver has been involved in the project from its conception, “A dream! Here, we have succeeded in returning to the origins of motoring. At Bilster Berg, the unmistakable lay-out of the track is recognisable right away: harmoniously and dynamically, it offers unique opportunities to the drivers and makes them feel the car again. This circuit can take on major natural tracks like the Nordschleife or Spa-Francorchamps.”

Hans-Jürgen von Glasenapp, former managing director of the Hockenheimring GmbH, contributes his entire experience in running a motoring circuit as the managing director.

“The seclusion, the atmosphere, the track – it will be the German Goodwood! The terrain is unbelievable: we will build a track to FIA standards that will meet all safety requirements, to prevent anything happening during tests, development, driving programmes or incentives.”

Location

Bilster Berg Drive Resort is approximately 200 km from Düsseldorf, 150 km from Hannover and 270 km from Frankfurt. The nearest airport is at Paderborn some 35 km away.

Due to its prior military use, Bilster Berg doesn’t yet have a postal address but it’s nearby to Gräflicher Park Hotel & Spa in Bad Driburg.

Prices and availability

The circuit is on schedule to be open by July 2012 and it’s already getting booked up by car manufacturers, but Bilster Berg is also a resort for enthusiasts so they’re formulating several attractive packages that will differentiate it from the Nürburgring.

The company is currently inviting further investors to join the programme with the minimum sum of 100,000 Euros. One of the benefits being offered to shareholders is use of the facility during exclusive shareholder days with various cars and drivers (friends & family) using the facilities simultaneously. The planned circuit usage fee for shareholders is € 2,500 (incl. VAT) which buys approximately 80 days per year and is likely to be fixed for the first five full years of operation.

Garages can be rented in the resort which will provide for all-year-long storage, whilst maintenance support will also be available on-site by experienced motorsport partners (e.g. Heggemann, Raeder, Sautter), both for modern and historic vehicles.

For the time being, it’s not possible to visit the resort individually (unless you are a shareholder), so if like me you don’t have a spare 100,000 Euros kicking around, you’re most likely to experience the Bilster Berg when attending a manufacturer’s launch or driving event.

Can’t wait..

Track Layout

LFA test driver and professional racer Akira Iida recorded a lap time of 7:14.64 in a fully road-legal LFA Nürburgring Package car, running on standard specification Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tyres. In conquering the famous German race track from which it takes its name, the LFA becomes the fastest series production car around ‘ring.

The Nürburgring Package will be fitted to 50 of the 500 LFA that are being built, with customer deliveries from next year. It includes a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) front spoiler and fixed rear wing, track-tuned suspension and custom wheels. Compared to the standard LFA, output from the 4.8-litre V10 engine has been increased from 552 to 562 bhp, maintaining the car’s 3.7-second zero to 62mph acceleration time.

Factory tester and Gazoo Racing driver, Akira Iida, who set the lap record time.

The result was recorded on 31 August 2011 during a performance test on the Nürburgring Nordschliefe (North Loop), where the LFA has been extensively developed and honed since 2004, but Lexus have actually been developing the LFA over a period of ten years and the lessons learned from the programme have been indispensable in developing future models in the range.

The Lap

Priced at £330,000 (excluding local taxes) the V12 Zagato will go into strictly limited production of up to 150 cars in summer 2012.

Hand assembled at the company’s headquarters in Gaydon, the V12 Zagato is based on the highly acclaimed V12 Vantage and features a ’handcrafted‘ aluminium and carbon fibre body. Combining traditional craftsmanship and high technology, the V12 Zagato also boasts Aston Martin’s most dynamic bonded aluminium platform and the power of the company’s 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque.

The first of the two V12 Zagatos being shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show, finished in its distinctive green livery is the full endurance race car concept specification as campaigned at the Nürburgring. The car, nicknamed ‘Zig’ by the factory team features a full aerodynamic package including front splitter, dive planes, large rear diffuser and spoiler designed to make the most of the Nürburgring’s multitude of corners and lengthy straights.

The second of the cars, nicknamed ‘Zag’, was originally shown at the Villa D’Este last May before being converted into the same full racing specification as its sister car, ‘Zig’. Since the 24 hour race, Zag, has been returned to its original show specification which, although showing a racing car interior, has an exterior more representative of the exclusive road car currently offered for order.

The images show in this article, are conceptual illustrations released by Aston Martin of the road car variant that will go into production from mid 2012.

Gallery