Aston Martin AM310 concept shows the next 100 years of Astons

A few days ago Aston Martin revealed their one-off AM310 concept at Villa d'Este, as a sort of foreplay for their upcoming centenary next year. The concept was entered in the Concorso d'Eleganza design-competition, a competition where Aston is a well-known name. In previous years they've taken home the pot with the incredibly sleek One-77 and the V12 Zagato.

According to Aston, the AM310 represents the next 100 years of Aston Martinry, and I'm a bit worried. See, the thing is, the AM310 misses the mark on both relevant levels. Let me explain:

I loved the Aston Martin DB7. I loved the DB9. I loved the V12 Vanquish and so on, but as time went by and models kept on appearing faster than I could pronounce the last ones, I didn't know what Aston I loved anymore because they all looked the same.. DB7, DB9, V12 Vanquish, V12/V8 Vantage, Virage, DBS V12, Rapide, One-77, V12 Zagato, it's impossible to tell the difference unless you've devoted your life to the art of recognizing different 21st century Astons. Thus we've arrived to our first argument, freshness: Nowadays Astons are as dull as a grey-painted drywall. The award for the laziest design department shouldn't belong to Porsche, but rather Aston.

The next argument is that Aston, as well as Porsche, simply got it right the first time. The shape is their heritage. They create pure, beautiful things, period. No need to follow fashion.

The man who designed that splitter should be put in jail for his crime

The AM310 would be acceptable if it would've tried to improve in one of those areas, either be something new or do the old thing with even more grace, but it didn't. It didn't go for anything a 100% and fell somewhere in between. It lost the purity of Aston-design by trying to be fashionable. It's not a timeless work of art because of the ridiculous go-faster bits, and it's not something new either. It's just a race-molested 21st century Aston-shape, and has nothing to it but a slightly raised hp-number, and even that comes with a "probably" attached to it. I hate it on so many levels. It's an Aston ruined to it's bare intestants. I really hope the designers at Aston come up with something new and more representable for the centenary next year.

-HS

Your thoughts on this monstrosity?

Renault plans on reviving the Alpine brand

In 1970 Alpine, a manufacturer that built really fast and lustworthy four-wheeled projectiles by combining Renault-engines and a little sheet metal, became monumental news for carenthusiasts as Renault incorporated the brand as a genuine division in their line-up alongside Gordini.

Now, in 2012 some more monumental news have leaked to the internet as Renault has serious plans of reviving Alpine. This is not a setup for classics-rape as the Gordini revival was with a few stickers on a Clio, but a serious take on bringing back a classic, paying high respect to the brand's heritage, no bullshit. Here's what they had to say at Renault:

"If we don't succeed in bringing Alpine back now, we will never succeed. We didn't want a Renaultsport with an Alpine sticker. We wanted to do a proper race car"

And a proper race car it is, promising 400bhp from a 3.5 liter mid-mounted V6 and a kerbweight of 880kg, I think that spells cornering heaven? Coming out of the corner in the real thing may get a bit watered down, though, because inside sources say that the production-version will most likely sport a 300hp+ iteration of the 2.0 liter Megane RS engine.

The name will be A110-50, referring to the 50th birthday of the original A110 this year, and here's how it looks:

Styling is taken from the, in my opinion hideous, 2010 DeZir concept, only adding racy bits to make it look even meaner. I'm not so sure about that face representing Alpine, it doesn't exactly take too much effort in looking good, but one thing I'm sure about is that it's going to be a game changer. More news and info will be available on Friday when it's revealed in Monaco.

Here are a few pictures of legendary Alpine creations for you to savour while anticipating the new A110-50:

The original A110 1600s

My favorite: the Alpine A310GT

The Alpine GTA

Gorgeous Alpine A310 '74

HS on: Driving veteran-cars

Last week I drove very slow. Not because I suddenly grew up and realized the potential dangers of speeding, but because last week I got my hands on a 1970's Mercedes Benz 220D, a car in which you can't break the speedlimit. Literally. With 60 old grey horses and weighing enough to have its own orbit the 220D gets you from 0 to 100 in... Well practically, it doesn't. Usually that spells "instant turnoff", but with the old 220D it's different.

The thing with speed is it makes you feel alive. Going 200km/h in a regular car is a bit scary, and that's the kick right there, fear. With the 220D you don't need to travel at 200km/h to feel scared because 40 is enough... It's engaging on an entirely different level, there's the steering, or the lack of it. There's the clutch, but is unusable. There's the front left wheel, but a suspicious clonking noise is coming from it and so on... And as confusing as it sounds, that, for me, is the appeal with old cars, they're intimidating, brutal and if nothing else, raw. Essentially I like them because they're frankly a bit scary, and the 220D is no exception. It starts as soon as you step in...

First thing you notice when you get in is the smell of the interior, I'm pretty sure it's death, but no worries I'm told, that's all part of the experience of driving a veteran car. Smell aside the interior is immaculate, velour seats of make 'extremely retro', more comfortable than my couch by the way, nice finish on the dashboard, detailing in chrome and so on, a very nice place to be all in all, majestic in a way.

"offensively self-satisfied smile"

Driving the 220D feels, well, majestic too, and takes you to an era when being rude signaled high status and wealth. Driving it there's always this offensively self-satisfied smile trying to take over your face for some reason. You don't care that it's an old diesel, you don't care that it's the symbol for illegal 3rd world taxi-drivers and you don't care that there's a massive queue behind you on the highway because it is such an indulgent experience. You don't get that in modern cars, you don't drive around in C-class with a smirky face anymore. The modern western world, tolerant, friendly and sensitive has made the cars conform in its image too.

I guess that's the thing with all veteran-cars, they are creations of a no longer existent world. Reminders of days when you could wear that offensively self-satisfied face and not be embarrassed. In fact, I think that smirk is the essence of veteran-motoring...



-HS

Agree?

A dream came true in the form of Forza Horizon

I've been contemplating this business-idea for a few years now; Why not do a proper open-world driving-sim? Public-road thrashing (in other words Youtube-racing) sure is a lot more exciting and relatable than race-track thrashing...

And as it seems as nobody is clever enough to figure that out and grasp the opportunity of making shitloads of money, maybe I'll do it. Except I won't, because I can't even program the microwave-oven to heat my soup, not to even mention programming a game. Thank God the people at Turn 10 Studios know their way around that...

There is a game called Forza Horizon being launched this fall that promises to leech my business-idea dry. I don't even have to get off my couch and learn programming to be able to drive fast without gaining unwanted attention from people in blue overalls, how fan-bleeding-tastic is that?

The game is an extension of Forza Motorsport 4, which in itself is stupendously good, so the potential is obvious, not much info has been released on it though. Now just to wait for some meat on the bones and gravy on the potatoes. I'm sure as poop excited!

By these news it's decided, I'm getting an Xbox 360. Countless nights of red-eyed racing-sim heaven, here I come, screw Sony.

Final nail in the coffin for Gran Turismo 5? I vote yes.


-HS

Video of the week: scaring co-drivers

We love rallying at The Petrol Blogger, especially when a Finnish man from the countryside is behind the wheel. That is usually when things either progress really fast or spectacularly into a bush... Either way the entertainment value is granted.

This week's video is a historical clip from the 1983 Manx rally, where Ari Vatanen, the Godfather of speed, demonstrates the immense power of having a Finnish nutsack. The funny in this otherwise so solemn and nostalgic video is located in the co-driver's seat. The co-driver is evidently scared a bit shitless by Vatanen's driving, to mildly describe it. Not even a case of aspergers will prevent you from reading the fear on this man's voice through the pace notes. It's cruel, but it's priceless.

The "Dear God" that the co-driver so accurately let's out of his mouth at 1:38 pretty much describes everything there is to know about this video...

Now, watch in awe:

-HS


Doesn't this clip just make you want to go out and break some traffic-laws?

The Nissan GT Academy: Ever dreamt of being a race-car driver?

If you're like me, a good-for-nothing nerd playing driving-games, frequently dreaming about travelling illegally fast in something really expensive, then listen up. This is your chance to prove mom wrong when she said "Get off the couch you lazy worthless piece of sh't! There's nothing to be achieved there!". Because now, there is. It's time to put on your PS3 once more and take to the racetracks of Gran Turismo 5...

A new season of the Nissan GT Academy is again upon us, and the competition is up for entries. For those of you who look like question-marks at this point, here's a short de-brief on the subject.

A few years ago, when Gran Turismo 5 was launched, some marketing guys who worked for Nissan were out drinking. Being nerds and all, they spent their night playing Gran Turismo and chugging Batterybeer.

As we know, the best ideas fly across the room just before the point of darkness and an eventual headache, so consequentially, just before the point of passing out one of the marketing-guys said "Wouldn't it be pretty epic if a really fast GT5 driver got behind the wheel of a real race-car and kicked all the real race-car drivers' butts?". Next morning he woke up to the eventual headache, but the idea stuck.

A while later the Nissan GT Academy was introduced. A unique opportunity for really fast nerds to become really fast racing-drivers. No-one believed it was doable, but those sceptics have been proven wrong over and over again. If you're not familiar with these guys already, just try googling Jann Mardenborough or Lucas Ordóñes...

The competition works like this: Gran Turismo releases 8 rounds of time-trial events in packs of two over a period of roughly two months. Every round consists of five events going progressively from easy to extremely irritating as the rounds add up.

The Nissan 370Z, the car chosen for the task

Rounds 1-7 are practice-rounds for you to hone your talent, but the last event of the last round is where the chickens are finally counted. A time-trial around a potentially impossible track (Nürburgring for example). Your goal is to be sixth fastest among all the contestants from your demographic competition-area(well, first, but in case you suck too much sixth will still do), and if you manage the top-six, you'll be sent off to Silverstone GT Academy for a mental, physical and automotive torture camp commanded by ex-F1 driver Johnny Herbert.



There you will be bread to a pure speed-god, and if you're one of the two fastest nerds attending the camp you're in for the Jew gold. You'll immediately be sent to get your racing-license, and your skills will be further developed. Eventually Nissan will consider you to be a driver in their teams at top level. Sounds pretty utopistic, eh?

You don't want to miss out on this opportunity, so pop in GT5, bring out blister-preventing bandaids for your thumbs and start playing!!

And if you still can't fathom the thought of a gamer-turned-race-car pro, watch Nissan GT Academy USA, a documentary about the Academy, and see the step-by-step process. The embedded episodes are just after the jump in this post. Also a thing to check out is the "Nissan GT Academy: Road to Dubai" documentary, same as the Academy USA, except about the european Academy. Very interesting stuff.

Disclaimer: content may include dodgy facts and bullshit. Mostly bullshit though.

Nissan Juke-R reaches production

Right about now is the time to form a neat line and start selling your house and wives, because yesterday Nissan announced that the bonkers Nissan Juke-R concept will reach production.

Here's a short recap to freshen your memory a bit:

the Juke-R was a showoff concept revealed half a year ago by Nissan. The reciepe was a Nissan GT-R, arguably the most insane piece of engineering on four wheels, crammed in a body of a pseudo-SUV/ womens' lifestylebox. When revealed it created a massive jaw-drop in the automotive circles due to the epicly magnificent unsensibility of the thing, and judging by that, the lead designer had to be aged about 10. Nobody thought it'd reach production.


According to Nissan the concept caused such "overwhelming pressure" in the streets of Dubai lately that they were forced to make it come true. The production-run is going to be very limited though, about 20 cars, and Nissan is only taking orders for the next four weeks, so you better be quick. The price hasn't been mentioned but according to Nissan it's "a lot". The equation is about a 100,000£ in donor-cars and four months of intensive labour so I guess it adds up to "a lot". My advice is, if you have "a lot" of money just waiting to be spent, don't hesitate. You want it.

The good news for those who are willing to spend is that the production-car will pack even more horses and tech than the concept because the production-car will be based on the 2012 Nissan GT-R instead of the 2010 GT-R as the concept was. In numbers that means power is up from 478hp to 545hp and torque is up from 434lb/ft to 459lb/ft. It's suspected that the 2012 engine, a 3.8 liter twin-turbocharged V6 with tweaked cylinder-heads, a reworked inlet manifold and new sodium-filled valves, will propel the little monster from 0-100kph in about 3,5 seconds where as the concept only got to about 3,7. Quite agreeable for a Juke. Quite agreeable for about anything, in fact.

The car will be built in the UK, in the same place where the concept was birthed and the first R's are due to roll out in late summer of 2012.

The Juke-R is definately something special. Something that escaped from the drawingboard of a diabolical maniac. A thing that wasn't meant to see daylight, a thing that wasn't meant to happen. It's a puppy with glowing red eyes and robot-intestants. It's the Darth Vader of cars. You don't see that every day.

Welcome to the dark side.

A Juke-R?

A Darth Vader? Damn it's hard to tell apart!

-HS

Can a camper-van be cool? The VW Transporter Doubleback

We don't do camper-vans here at The Petrol Blogger because we respect ourselves. The use of camper-vans is strictly limited to moonshine-breathed gypsies and family-fathers who never said no to their wife and were too scared to buy a Harley-Davidson when they turned 50. Neither of those aforementioned scenarios fit us here at The Petrol Blogger, so we don't do'em. Social suicide can be committed in much more stylish ways.

And that's what camper-vans essentially are; plain social suicides. They are as interesting and desirable as those depressing not-so-white-but-still-white-enough-to-be-called-white plastic garden-tables you find on discount in every cheapstore.

There hasn't been a single socially capable and/or stylish camper-van in history besides the original VW Type 2 "Kleinbus", but that was 60 years ago, and if you want to get there and back, a 50-something year old potential heap of massive problems is not the way to go. Not to worry though because now there's another one, and it's the original Kleinbus' grandson, or it's adopted brother from the UK, the VW Transporter Doubleback. As the name implies, it's a conversion provided by the company Doubleback for the VW Transporter. More specifically the 2.0TDI 140hp long wheel-base version.

A Transporter in town, a house-car mongrel in the wild

What makes this Doubleback so forgivable for being a camper-van is that, as the original Kleinbus, it doesn't look like a camper-van. It looks like a regular Volkswagen Transporter (and that's a plus because Transporters are arguably the sexiest vans out there). On top of not looking like a camper-van it packs all that is needed in a camper-van plus a little more. Want a double-bed? Check.

Its cool-factor rises yet more of the fact that it has one main gadget, namely an automatically expandable back-compartment. For those short 45 seconds as it expands, you can justify feeling just that bit extra-special and important; the opposite of what a regular camper-van would make you feel.

Does this sound all too good to be true? If so, then here's how you know it's reality: getting one from the UK-based company that does the conversion will set you back about 88,000 dollars (55,000£ if you're British). In all fairness as cool as the Doubleback is it will never reach the original Kleinbus in desirability. Very much respect for the expandable back-compartment, though.

Watch this video below to see how this wacky thing works in real life:

-HS


Does the gypsy in you wake up when you look at the Transporter?