AUTO MANIA: by Dr. Iain Corness [email protected]

Austrian GP this weekend

Red Bull Ring.

The Austrian Grand Prix returns to the Effwun calendar for the first time since 2003. The circuit has had a revamp from Red Bull since then and Red Bull Racing will naturally be hoping they can get their first win on home soil in 2014. With Ricciardo’s win in Montreal last week (albeit when Mercedes faltered) hopes are high in the Red Bull Racing garage.
The “Ring” has seen many configurations of the track, mainly to slow the cars down, as speeds of up to 256 km/h for a lap average were being recorded.
The grandstands and pit buildings were demolished in 2004, rendering the track unusable for any motorsport category.
In late 2004 and early 2005, there were intense discussions concerning whether the owner of the circuit, Red Bull, would find another use for the site, or return motor sports to the venue. There was a circuit extension proposal using part of the old Österreichring; however, Dietrich Mateschitz publicly announced that he had no intention of wasting money on a race circuit.
Despite what he had avowed before, late in 2008, Red Bull began their €70m reconstruction of the track.
With the reconstruction, the Red Bull Ring has hosted the DTM Series, F2 and the FIA Historic Formula One Championship.
In July 2013, Red Bull announced that the Austrian Grand Prix will return as a round of the Formula One World Championship in 2014. This was confirmed on 4 December 2013 when the 2014 Formula One schedule was released and included the Austrian Grand Prix to be held on 22 June 2014.
The telecast of the race begins at 7 p.m. Thai time and we will be watching in front of the big screen at Jameson’s Irish Pub (Soi AR) and get there around 6 p.m. for something to eat and a convivial drink or two before the race starts. Come in a koala suit and barrack for Ricciardo and I’ll get Kim Fletcher to buy you a drink or a eucalyptus leaf or something.

True Visions race meeting at Bira this weekend

TBX Escort.

Another race meeting at the local Bira Circuit this weekend June 21 and 22, with the promoters now calling themselves S1R, having previously been True Visions Bobby Hunter. All very confusing. The usual spread of categories from Touring cars, Retro cars and onwards to pick-ups.
We will be running the TBX Retro Escort up against the BMW’s and Mark Titterington’s obscenely quick Toyota DX. Look upon it as a picnic race meeting, and come and see us in the pits.

Excuse me, have you seen an E85 pump round here?

E85

The debate over alternate fuels has continued unabated since 2007. The number of options that are being bandied about just means to me that nobody really knows which way to turn. The technologies are all there, but there is no consensus on the way to go.
That scenario has plagued the world now for decades. Remember the debate over Betamax or VHS? VHS won in the end, only to be supplanted by CD and then DVD and now Blue Ray. So now in the fuel options we have LPG, CNG, E5, E10, E20 and E85 ethanol to electricity and hydrogen fuel cells. Which one is the ‘Blue Ray’ of energy delivery for the automotive world?
One man who should have had a better understanding of the true global picture was General Motors Research and Development chief, Larry Burns. On a recent trip to Australia, Burns urged stakeholders in alternative energy technologies to stop fighting among themselves. Putting forward what he considers to be the voice of reason, Burns stated that in GM’s view there was no one solution to the looming fuel crisis and that various energy technology backers should recognize this. “If this issue is as serious as it appears to be, then we can solve it,” said Larry Burns. “But we can’t solve it by being paralyzed by all these different parochial views.”
Undoubtedly he is correct that there are many parochial views on this subject. Different countries have been leaning towards different solutions. Brazil has gone to Ethanol (including E85), Europe is tending towards diesel and Thailand? Well, we seem to be backing every horse in the race, even to the situation where PTT is promising several E85 pumps before we have any real numbers of E85 compatible cars. Currently, I believe there is one E85 pump in Pattaya, as I write this. So if you have an E85 car, don’t stray too far from home. (This situation reminds me of the famous Bristol Brabazon plane which was built at an airport whose runway wasn’t long enough for it to take off, and they had to build a new runway as well!)
Larry Burns said the various backers were creating a distorted picture of the viability of various alternative technologies that was detrimental.
“What’s happening is that people who like natural gas over-promote natural gas and overly criticize all the other (alternative fuels),” he said.
“The people who like ethanol overly promote ethanol and overly criticize all the other ones. The next thing you know, you’ve got all these people digging their heels in, thinking there’s a single answer and that’s the only thing you should invest in. In fact, we must invest in all of them.”
So which fuel type will win out in the end? I still lean towards battery power as an expensive delivery system does not need to be instituted like that required for hydrogen, ethanol and the like. Everyone has a power point at home.

Looking for a 1973 RS Carrera?

Rare 1973 RS Carrera.

News came through about a 1973 RS, with matching numbers, that had been stored for the past 24 years. It was also snapped up for STG 500,000 before it was even advertised.
Reaffirming its position as one of the UK’s specialists for the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, Autofarm has sold a two owners from new RS that it has tended for the past 31 years. Strong demand for the car and Autofarm’s extensive network contacts meant the car sold for over STG 500,000 before the Porsche specialist had the opportunity to market it publicly. Carefully stored and not used on the road for the last 24 years and having just been prepared by Autofarm’s Mike Evans, who has worked on the specific model for the past 38 years, chassis 0899 provides the chance to experience an RS just as it would have been in 1973.
Originally supplied new to an Italian customer, the left hand drive M472 specification car was driven to the UK in 1983 by its second owner. Used until 1990, then put into storage, it underwent a renovation and engine/gearbox refresh by Autofarm in 2002, returning to its dehumidified chamber until last year. The engine has just had its first service since the rebuild, underlining the ‘as-new’ driving experience.
“Demand remains strong and despite not marketing the car publicly or even getting it onto our website, we already had a number of very keen purchasers, eager to acquire a desirable, matching numbers car that we have known for over thirty years,” says Autofarm’s founder Josh Sadler. “Such provenance is rare, especially given that many were driven hard in competition and have been messed around with.” Sadler, revered in Porsche circles for his encyclopedic knowledge of the RS retains a log of many of the RS cars, charting the history, modifications and owner changes. “We always knew they were special, hence we decided to log them right from when we started Autofarm in 1973, when these cars were new. We couldn’t predict the rocketing values however; otherwise I would have put more old racers we had away in our store!”
Chassis 0899 is the latest Carrera RS 2.7 Autofarm has been able to offer for sale. Recent examples include the former Porsche Club Championship winning and Circuit of Ireland RS, a Touring specification RS owned by an eminent High Court judge and maintained by Autofarm for 32 years. Autofarm has confirmed that a further Carrera RS 2.7 is to be offered for sale later this year.
The RS, a pure homologation special, was originally intended to be a run of 500 cars but demand ultimately led to 1590 being produced by Porsche. Typically lighter than the 911S and sporting a ducktail spoiler and fiberglass splitter, it offered 210 bhp from its 2687cc engine, delivering 0-60 in around 5.5 seconds. In original factory specification, Chassis 0899, from the Second Series, was built for the Italian market as a simple base specification Touring with no options. It still has all its original major components including its Fuchs rims with just the addition of a limited slip differential and period pattern door mirrors being the only upgrades fitted in the 79,000 miles it has done.
I raced against a black RS in the early 80’s and it was offered to me for A$70,000. I was sorely tempted, but with late 70’s Porsches on the market for half that sum, I said no. One year later it sold in NZ for A$250,000.

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I mentioned a car that was pushed over a cliff to show how strong it was. I asked what was this car? It was the original Citroen Traction Avant, because the people did not believe that the monocoque construction could be strong enough.
So to this week. Italy got their first one in 1924. England got its first one in 1958. What did they get? Think speed!
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected].