Author Archives: Alexandru Cascatau

Dec 09 2009
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Car of the Week, Cars, Videos

Car of the Week – Volkswagen Golf GTI

The first and the last Golf GTI's - probably 2 of the best from the bloodline.

This week, although a bit late, we have one of those great originals in the Car of the Week section – the VW Golf GTI. This is a car that revolutionised the world of hatchbacks, the very first hot-hatch. The GTI badge has been taken since then by a million companies and all the other tried to emulate the brilliance of the Golf GTI but none of them succeeded.

As it is a bit special this week, we won’t designate a specific Golf generations as the winner but 3: The GTI Mark I, V and VI – all of them brilliant, all of them worthy of the mighty GTI badge. You might wonder why? Why not all of them? Why just these random numbers: 1,5 and 6. Well, let me explain why. First of all, the Golf Mk. I was the original, the very first hot hatchback, one of the fastest cars at its time. It’s just brilliant: practical, good-looking in a subtle kind of way and fast like stink. However the next generations, the 2,3 and 4, all become more civilised and slower, eventually ending no longer as a hot hatchback but just as a normal one with a bit more power. VW got their act together though and the last 2 GTI’s, the 5 and the 6 were absolutely brilliant. Not the fastest anymore, but the best overall. Being the fastest today with cars like the Renault Megane R26.R is very hard while trying to keep practicality, so bear in mind the Renault is a hot-hatch, but transformed into a track day car.

Clean is the word I would use to describe the style of the very first GTI.

The Golf GTI offers you quite literally everything: from tedious practicality to insane speed, all in this decent, quite cheap package. The most amazing thing however is that the Mk. I Golf is one of the longest lasting cars in history having being produced from 1984 to 2009. Yup, until this year they were still making them in South Africa. It’s that good. And the fast, hot version is the best. It handles like a dream as it is quite a small car so weight isn’t a problem. Even though it’s front-wheel drive it’s responsive and accurate and corners neat and flat. Just brilliant. The first one may have been cheap at its time and sold like hot cakes, but it’s already a classic today, and a good one will set you back quite a lot more than you’d think for such a small car. Anyway, this is one of the best cars ever made so it’s definitely worth a shout in our Car of the Week section.

You don’t believe me? Then watch Jeremy Clarkson being seduced by the Golf in this classic video:

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Dec 08 2009
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Car Launches, Cars

Dacia Duster Revealed

Prices haven't been released yet but expect it to be very good value for money.

More great news from the country I live in, Romania, Dacia has revealed their road-going crossover : the Duster. After announcing that they will race it in the Trophee Andros with ace racing driver Alain Prost at the wheel, Dacia has now officially revealed their biggest car yet.

It’s also Dacia’s first ever crossover and a project quite thoroughly developed. Development started with the Duster Concept released earlier this year and then the surprise announcement of it going ice racing. The Duster will be available in two-wheel drive as well as four-wheel drive. You will be able to choose from the 108bhp 1.6-litre 16V petrol engine or 84bhp and 104bhp 1.5-litre diesels. Quite asthmatic indeed but this car isn’t meant to be sporty or fast, it’s just made to give you exactly what you’ve paid for. It’s also quite a big car at 4.31 metres long and 1.82 metres wide but don’t think that it will be rubbish off-road as a result. Dacia say that it’s a genuine off-roader when equiped with 4wd  as it has 20cm of ground clearance, a 30 degree approach angle and a 35 degree departure angle.

Dacia hasn’t said yet if they will send this in the UK as Renault (the company that owns the Dacia brand) decided they won’t ship it to the UK. However, they stated that the fact remains a possibility and if it they were to start selling cars there, they would only offer the Sandero and the Duster, not the Logan.

The Duster surprises us with funky details like this carved boot lid, a thing you don't expect from a car made on a budget.

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Dec 07 2009
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Formula 1, Motorsports

Silverstone Gets F1 GP Deal

After all the controversy and scandal between Donington and Silverstone these months, it has finally been set: Silverstone will retain the F1 British GP for the 2010 calendar of Formula 1. It all looked lost for Silverstone as last year Bernie Ecclestone signed a 17-year deal with Donington Park to host the F1 GP’s from 2010 on. Unfortunately, Donington didn’t have enough money for the project so Bernie ripped their contract, talked with Silverstone and here we are today: It’s all official.

The deal will also be for 17 years as the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) announced the agreement today. The BRDC president, a certain Damon Hill said: “Everyone was well aware that the British GP is not just a sporting event, but it is dynamo of the industry in this country. Losing it would have been damaging and perhaps there would have been no coming back.”. Personally, I would have liked to see Donington on the calendar rather than Silverstone as it is for me a much better track with that something else that makes it great. Bernie threatened however throughout the year that a British GP isn’t necessary just to remind the guy’s who’s the boss but only to put that little more pressure on the circuit managers. Silverstone has also announced a modernization for the pits and the paddock.

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Dec 07 2009
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Car Companies, Cars, Motorsports

Subaru to Make Rally Comeback

The Japanese manufacturer Subaru has entered next year’s IRC – International Rally Championship. However, they will not register any factory teams but instead will allow privateers running Subaru’s in the championship to score manufacturer points. Alongside Fiat, Honda, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Proton, Skoda and Volkswagen from next year we will be finding Subaru there as well, making them the 8th team in the championship. After their WRC withdrawal, Subaru hasn’t had a factory team in any other rally championship but they now claim that the IRC is the way to go:  “The IRC provides an ideal arena to develop our customer competition activities. With approximately 1000 Subaru cars rallying around the world, this is a great opportunity for our customers.” said Subaru’s motor sport director.

There isn’t much else to say really, maybe this “entry” in the IRC is the first step in preparing a factory team for the championship, maybe they want to acquire precious data to set up their street cars better, with the chaotic motor sport climate lately, anything is possible. Anyway, we wish them good luck and a speedy return to the WRC as Subaru is was one good rally team.

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Dec 06 2009
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Cars

VW Jetta Name Confirmed for Small Sedan

It seems like VW will be using the Jetta name for a new compact sedan built in Mexico. Unlike the last Jetta, this one apparently won’t be a Golf with a trunk glued to its bottom but a bespoke car. Given the fact that the Golf Mk 6, the new Polo, and the new Fox look exactly the same, differing only in size, we can surely believe them that the new car will be bespoke indeed. In size. Apparently the new Jetta will arrive in June 2010 but it could get another name in Europe. The car will be first launched in the US and only then prepared for its European debut.

Another possibility for VW is to bring the Polo in the US. As Ford did it with the Fiesta and Mazda with the 2, so bringing the Polo to America sounds like the sensible thing to do as it is a good little car which can easily rival the other two. Whatever the plans of VW, now the biggest car maker in the world, for the US it will be interesting to see what they’ll come up with.

Source: Car and Driver via Autoblog

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Dec 04 2009
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Cars, Formula 1, Motorsports

WRC Ride for Kimi Raikkonen

WRC

Former F1 racing driver and world champion Kimi Raikkonen has signed with Citroen for 12 races in the 2010 World Rally Championship. He will get to drive the Citroen C4, a car that dominated about everything since it was launched. Failing to find a seat in the 2010 F1 Championship, the Finn has focused on his other racing passion: Rallying. He got to drive a Fiat Punto S2000 earlier this year, but unfortunately he ended his rally with a DNF. For 2010 he will be joining Citroen’s junior squad and his co-driver will be fellow countryman Kaj Lindstrom. Raikkonen said: “I always wanted to compete in rally, especially in the World Rally Championship at some point in my career,” and he thanked Red Bull, his sponsor, which helped him get there.

Source: GP Update

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Dec 03 2009
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Auto Shows, Awards, Cars

Green Car of the Year – 2010

With the nominees being posted a few hours ago on the blog, it is finally time to reveal the 2010 Green Car of the Year.

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Dec 03 2009
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Auto Shows, Awards, Cars

2010 Green Car of the Year finalists

The five finalists for the 2010 Green Car of the Year award have been announced at the LA Auto Show.

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Dec 03 2009
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Cars

Nissan GT-R Spec V is Coming to Europe

Nissan GT-R Spec V

Nissan has revealed that it’s stripped-out, hardcore Nissan GT-R will eventually go on sale on the old continent. Unfortunately, they will only sell 40 of them here. Mind you, with a price tag almost twice as large as the normal car and with so little modifications, it is improbable they would sell many more. First deliveries are set to start in April 2010 so you’d better get you cheque in if you want a piece of Godzilla. Just to remind our readers, the GT-R Spec V has the same twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 engine as the normal GT-R, producing 478 BHP. However, the hardcore version gets carbon-ceramic brakes specifically developed for this car, lightweight forged aluminium wheels, a carbon fibre rear spoiler, a carbon fibre grille and carbon fibre brake ducts and a titanium exhaust system. All these changes add up to make the Nissan 60kg lighter than the standard car.

Source: Autocar

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Nov 29 2009
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Cars, Formula 1, Motorsports, Videos

Video: Alain Prost Drives the Duster Ice Racer

A few weeks ago I wrote an article on the blog about the Dacia Duster Ice Racer that was set to race in the Trophee Andros cup. Well, the guys have been busy at work testing it, including former Formula 1 World Champion Alain Prost . As a result, we are now able to bring you some videos of the thing.

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