Stunt driver Steve Truglia loops a Fiat 500 – Click above to watch the video
If there’s an automotive spectacle that rivals the jump in sheer visual excitement, it’s got to be the classic vertical loop (aka loop-de-loop or loop-the-loop). There’s just something special about seeing a car go vertical, then upside-down and back all in one swift motion that makes the crowds go bonkers… and Shell (purveyors of gasoline that they are) used such a stunt to good effect at the 2011 AutoRAI show in The Netherlands.
Waiting for you past the jump are a trio of videos that include different angles (in-car and out, plus a bonus behind-the-scenes look) of a specially prepared coupe tackling the famed vertical loop, which looks like a giant spoked bicycle rim more than anything else. Most of the videos are in Dutch, but the stunt driver, Steve Truglia, speaks English… so you won’t be completely lost.
A car show doesn’t necessarily need to be held where cars are made. One of the biggest shows of the year, for example, takes place in Geneva, Switzerland, where there’s no auto manufacturing to speak of. You might think the same of AutoRAI, the Dutch show that’s coming up around the corner, but you’d be mistaken.
Sure, Holland might not be the first country that comes to mind when you think about the great automotive countries, but the Netherlands is not without its exceptions. And while Spyker no longer produces in Holland (acting essentially as a shell company for in Sweden), Donkervoort is still very much Dutch. The company makes sportscars in the mold of the classic 7 but with a more modern approach.
Back in January Donkervoort took top honors in the GT4 class at the 24 Hours of Dubai with the pictured above, and to celebrate, they’re introducing a new special edition at AutoRAI. Based on either the D8 270 roadster or the D8GT 270 coupe, the 24H of Dubai special edition will pack extra carbon fiber bits. But while some of them are just for show, others are structural and add to the torsional stiffness of the chassis while cutting weight. Only 10 examples will be made, each individually numbered. for the brief announcement.
Welcome to the Netherlands, where the houses are all perfect – almost to a Truman Show level of creepiness – and everyone, without exception, drives a . Most people seem to own at least two. At least, that’s what the Netherlands looks like when a Ferrari club rents a bunch of vacation bungalows for a group gathering.
The video shows a solid collection of 575s, , 430s and 599s, with some 308s and a Boxer thrown in for good measure. Imagine the glorious sound that erupts in the morning when everyone leaves… for a walkthrough of the fantasyland.
Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-Cell – Click above for high-res image gallery
has dropped the curtain on its latest electrical wonder, the A-Class E-Cell. The vehicle is scheduled for a limited production run of just 500 units, with lucky lessees in Germany, France and The Netherlands expected to receive the majority of them. Unfortunately, a company spokesman that the A-Class E-Cell will not show up on U.S. soil. This Europe-only offering showcases Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to electric drive technology and will be produced at the company’s Rastatt plant in Germany.
The four-door, five-passenger, minivanish-looking E-Cell is based on the company’s standard A-Class hatchback. The electric goodies include a 70kW (peak output, 95 horsepower) motor that churns out a rather remarkable 214 pound-feet of torque and twin lithium-ion batteries that supposedly provide up to 124 miles of range between charges. Top speed is a highway-capable 93 miles per hour. Speaking of that electric motor and powerful battery pack, Mercedes-Benz has the following to say:
This makes the A‑Class E‑Cell an outstandingly assured and dynamic performer on the road, taking just 5.5 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 km/h.
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-Cell is set to debut at the Paris Motor Show at the end of the month, but you can to discover a whole lot more about it right now.
Want your little car nut to stand out from the neighborhood pack of wheeled terrors? Go for one of these fantastic looking half-scale classics from the Vietnam-headquartered , and wave goodbye to mediocre renditions of roadgoing vehicles as little Bobby (or Bobbie) cruises in style. These replicas use composite for both the body and chassis, and the detailing is good enough that they look convincingly like the real thing. Until, that is, someone steps into the picture and you get a scale reference. The company claims to have distributors in the U.S. and U.K., as well as Canada and the Netherlands.
A range of gasoline engines brings real internal combustion thunder and the sweet smell of exhaust to the party. Engines start at 50cc and can go all the way up to a terrifyingly irresponsible racing kart unit. Automatic and manual transmissions are available and there is enough room for adults to ride along with their six-year-old and up progeny. Seats and pedals adjust, too, so when Junior is asleep, you can sneak out for a spin without feeling like a circus bear riding a tricycle.
Interestingly, Harrington Group also makes restoration products for real classic cars, including stainless steel reproduction bumpers and interiors for the Volkswagen Beetle, Citroen 2CV and BMW Isetta.
are extravagant enough that there’s a healthy trade in used battery-powered backyard buggies. Harrington has yet to respond to an Autoblog request for pricing information, but these cars are likely to be significantly north of the $250-$400 you’ll spend on a tricked out Power Wheels at the local big box store. Available models are , , , , and , along with mini scooters that ape of yore. Put one of these under the tree this (fast approaching) Christmas, and you’ll see what the face of bliss looks like. Thanks for the tips, all!
Researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology (EUT) may be on the brink of discovering a breakthrough that will lead to reduced pollution and cleaner air for all. According to the EUT, a roadway made of concrete blended with titanium dioxide can effectively remove up to 45 percent of the nitrogen oxides that it comes in contact with. The titanium dioxide, a photocatalytic material, captures airborne nitrogen oxides and, with the aid of the sun, converts it to nitrates that are harmlessly washed away by the rain.
The EUT conducted real-world studies on a 1,000-square-meter section of repaved road in the Netherlands. Such testing showed that the laced pavement could reduce nitrogen oxides by 25 to 45 percent more than traditional concrete. As Jos Brouwers, professor of building materials at the EUT remarked, “The air-purifying properties of the new paving stones had already been shown in the laboratory, but these results now show that they also work outdoors.”
Additional testing is still underway and although the pavement laced with titanium dioxide does cost some 50 percent more than regular cement, overall road-building costs only increase by a marginal 10 percent. Costs aside, the advantages of the titanium dioxide are readily apparent, but the implementation of such a product requires repaving our roadways – a time intensive and costly endeavor.
We came away from the with the feeling that anything was possible. The season had settled into a blistering pace and drama had definitely begun to unfold. Departure from Mugello left many heads spinning as we saw defending champ Valentino Rossi following a nasty get-off and the subsequent end of Yamaha’s ownership of the top spot on the podium. We have a feeling that did not sit too well with the boys in blue, as Jorge Lorenzo showed up at Silverstone to put a punctuation on his championship points lead… a 6.743 second punctuation to be exact!
The race launch gave birth to a hungry pack of racers, and although Lorenzo held the top honors, there would be no runaway (at least not at first) as Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa gave early chase with the lead swapping between riders as early as lap one. As the laps ticked off though, Jorge had found his way to a comfortable lead, leaving the real battles behind him. Andrea Dovisioso and Randy de Puniet pushed hard to round out the podium, while a pair of patient young Americans named Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies lay in wait just outside the top three.
As the rubber boiled in and the laps wound down to just three, Dovisioso made his move pulling away from the battle with de Puniet. Just as this was happening, Spies also found his speed and was able to make another pass stick on the Frenchman, riding inside the top three for the first time this year. Nicky Hayden also managed to put his Ducati in front of de Puniet and would pass the checkers in the number four spot for the fourth time since . After suffering an extremely poor start and having to work his way up the ranks from the very last position, Casey Stoner pulled up the caboose of the train that would pass de Puniet prior to the finish line and round out the top five.
So there we have it folks, Jorge Lorenzo is taking care of business, both for Yamaha and for his championship hopes. Andrea Dovisioso is quickly becoming a solid runner up, and all the while Ben Spies finally found his groove and got a bottle of champagne in the process. We can only hope Hayden can break his fourth place curse one of these rounds. As for his teammate Casey Stoner… well, his results remain marginal at best this season, and it remains to be seen if that is going to change.
Next stop: the Netherlands. We can only imagine that it is still anyone’s game at Catalunya! Click past the break for the top ten results.
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