Tag Archives: successes

Technology

The Biggest Strengths And Weaknesses Of America’s M1126 Stryker

While the Stryker is a confirmed automobile with quite a few successes in a number of theaters of warfare, it does have some weaknesses. There’s a tradeoff when an armored automobile is not outfitted with the thickest attainable armor. This allows maneuverability whereas buying and selling survivability, which is why you must by no means take a Stryker to a tank combat — they’re outclassed in firepower and armor, so they’re prone to all types of tank weapons.

Another drawback with the Stryker is frequent for armored automobiles — it is a rollover danger. When an armored automobile rolls over, there are quite a few hazards to the folks inside. They turn out to be indefensible targets, however greater than that, they will take a beating by means of the rollover and have problem extricating themselves from the automobile. Strykers have a excessive middle of gravity and floor clearance, so rollovers can occur out and in of fight, relying on driving situations.

Many Strykers rolled over in Iraq and Afghanistan as drivers tried to keep away from IEDs. Since IEDs can appear to be absolutely anything, drivers would swerve the automobile to keep away from trash on the aspect of the highway, whether or not it was harmful or not. Since IEDs have been the deadliest hazard in Iraq, this was a typical drawback. Fortunately, ample coaching and preparedness scale back the chance. While the Stryker has some points, its versatility out and in of fight makes it an efficient automobile that may stay operational within the stock for the foreseeable future.

BMW

January 1964: Historic victory for the basic Mini on the Monte Carlo Rally.

Munich/Monte Carlo. These days marks the sixtieth anniversary of one of the spectacular successes within the historical past of worldwide motorsport. With Irishman Patrick “Paddy” Hopkirk on the wheel, the Mini Cooper S received the general standings of the Monte Carlo Rally. Happiness? Coincidence? A quirk of destiny? Probably not, as a result of two extra victories adopted on the Monte Carlo Rally and quite a few different successes till the top of the Nineteen Sixties. Looking again, the explanations for this have been: trendy expertise, high drivers and new logistics requirements.

“Paddy Hopkirk’s victory in the Mini Cooper S in 1964 marked a turning point in the history of Mini. It proved that the classic Mini was not only a charming city car, but also a successful car in motorsport. This tradition and passion for racing is in our legacy and can still be felt in our models today. Motorsport has shaped Mini and will always remain an important part of our DNA,” says Stefanie Wurst, Head of MINI.

Blueprint for contemporary small vehicles.

At the top of the Nineteen Fifties, the rally greats largely moved in stately and lavishly motorized automobiles by English forests, over French passes or from Liège to Sofia and again once more. Austin Healey and Ford Falcon have been the benchmark on the rallies and dominated the scene. They weren’t actually appropriate for on a regular basis use. During this time, Alec Issigonis, on behalf of the British Motor Corporation (BMC), constructed the probably the most trendy automobile of its time: with its transverse engine and front-wheel drive, the basic Mini met the usual for small vehicles that’s nonetheless legitimate right this moment when it debuted in 1959.

An spectacular sports activities profession required a second good automobile man: John Cooper. He had achieved fame as a racing driver and wealth as a designer – and he was instantly satisfied of the sporting potential of the basic Mini. Cooper, who in his Formula 1 vehicles didn’t place the engine in entrance of the motive force, as was typical on the time, however behind him, summed it as much as his pal Issigonis, who noticed the basic Mini as extra of a automobile for everybody: “That’s a damn race car. Give it more power, improve the brakes and build the thing.” The underestimated underdog – a task that MINI has been completely happy to tackle many times in its greater than six decade historical past – was born.

64 years of the model, 62 years of motorsport.

The first Mini Cooper was created in 1960 – with a powerful 55 horsepower as a substitute of the 34 horsepower of the unique Mini from 1959. As early as 1961, the Mini Cooper, which was simply three meters lengthy, turned the world of high-speed drivers the wrong way up. From now on, even the much less well-off may tile throughout the nation no less than as shortly because the homeowners of pure sports activities vehicles and high-horsepower limousines. And on the rally trails and racing tracks, the little racers with their nearly delicate ten-inch wheels received the trophies.

The basic Mini Cooper was tailored for the rally routes of the time. Hardly any physique overhangs ensured a beforehand unknown impartial driving habits.

And because of the quite modest 650 kilos {that a} Rallye Mini weighed on the time, the power-to-weight ratio was fairly acceptable with the modest 55 hp. This development was to change into the origin of the well-known go-kart feeling.

In May 1962, the basic Mini entered the winners’ listing of a global rally occasion for the primary time. At the International Tulip Rally, which led from the Dutch municipality of Noordwijk to the French Riviera and again once more, Pat Moss, sister of the four-time vice world champion and 16-time Grand Prix winner Stirling Moss, drove the basic Mini Cooper within the quickest time over the route.

Finnish ice speedsters and virtuoso left brakers.

Also in 1962, BMC sports activities director Stuart Turner signed two abilities from the Nordic forests alongside Irishman Paddy Hopkirk: Timo Mäkinen and Rauno Aaltonen. The Finnish ice hustlers and virtuoso left-hand brakers shared a love for onerous acceleration – and but could not be extra totally different. Mäkinen was not a fan of many phrases and went down in historical past because the Flying Finn. Aaltonen speaks 5 languages fluently ​​and pursued motorsports with scientific meticulousness, which later earned him the title of rally professor.

From then on, Mini started to achieve for the celebs. No matter how hopeless a process appears, Mini has all the time confronted competitors all through its lengthy historical past. The ingenious primary precept of the car and the three high drivers have been vital pillars of success. Just just like the skilled logistics developed by Turner. He set new requirements by way of service group and was the primary workforce boss to ship ice spies to the particular levels. John Cooper continued to fine-tune the combustion chamber quantity and produced 90 hp within the mannequin now known as Mini Cooper S after the displacement growth to 1071 cc outlined for the 1100 class.

By the best way, the Mini Cooper S was visually much like any on a regular basis Mini. No sporty tailgate, not even a tachometer, as a substitute a skinny plastic steering wheel and spartan seats with out lateral assist. A shelf as a substitute of the dashboard, exterior physique folds and hinges. Thanks to the economical furnishings, a specific amount of house in a tiny automobile and an excessive economic system of house. In brief: a daring simplicity.

Behind each success there may be onerous work.

Even within the Nineteen Sixties, it wasn’t simple to win the Monte Carlo Rally with none prep work. In 1963, Rauno Aaltonen took his firstclass win on the Monte. And but the success within the general rating in 1964 was an enormous shock for the opponents – the competitors appeared too overwhelming. 277 vehicles took half within the thirty third version of what’s most likely probably the most well-known rally on the earth. The meticulous preparatory work and the climate situations with loads of ice and snow benefited the basic Mini. And so in a single day the underdog and frightened favourite not solely turned a crowd favourite, but in addition a motorsport legend.

Ice, snow and 34 hairpin bends over a size of 24 km.

It was the legendary “Night of the Long Knives”, the penultimate stage of the rally, that introduced the Mini Cooper S with beginning quantity #37 and the since well-known license plate 33 EJB to victory within the winter of 1964. During the take a look at on the Col de Turini within the French Maritime Alps, 34 hairpin bends need to be mastered over 24 kilometers – an actual problem in snow and ice at a move altitude of 1,600 meters. Hopkirk reached the end line simply 17 seconds behind his closest rival, Bo Ljungfeldt, within the rather more highly effective Ford Falcon with a V8 engine. Due to the handicap method in drive on the time to compensate for variations in weight and efficiency, the basic Mini was within the lead within the general rating. And he additionally defended his lead within the ultimate circuit race by the streets of Monte Carlo.

In the house nation of the basic Mini, the victory was in fact celebrated enthusiastically. Hopkirk acquired a congratulatory telegram from the British authorities and the Beatles have been among the many first to congratulate him. “There came an autograph card from the Beatles,” Hopkirk later recalled, which stated: “Now you’re one of us, Paddy.” An incredible reminiscence.” Hopkirk turned a motorsport hero in a single day and one thing just like the fifth Beatle.

A win will be luck, a successful streak is talent.

The basic Mini continued to dominate the Monte Carlo Rally in subsequent years. Timo Mäkinen received with an enormous lead only one 12 months later. The displacement growth to 1275 cubic centimeters additionally helped. Mäkinen was the one participant who remained freed from penalty factors over your entire distance. Despite tons of snow and ice, the organizers had scheduled a second evening journey by the Maritime Alps. Mäkinen and his Mini Cooper S have been unimpressed and received 5 of the six particular levels on the ultimate stage.

In 1966 the supposedly final triumph got here when the Mini pilots took locations one to a few. The race administration disqualified all three automobiles due to allegedly non-compliant lighting expertise – a expertise together with the attribute extra headlights in entrance of the radiator grille, which remains to be one of the standard equipment within the model’s vary to today. Even French rally fanatics have been embarrassed by the disqualification. It solely underlined the legendary standing of the basic Mini. From now on, Aaltonen, Mäkinen and Hopkirk have been thought-about the “Three Musketeers” – and gross sales of the basic Mini skyrocketed. In 1967 Aaltonen took general victory – and but the top of an period started to emerge. The following 12 months, Vic Elford received in a Porsche 911 – Aaltonen saved the consideration of the basic Mini with third place.

In 1970 it was lastly over. The Leyland Group bumped into monetary difficulties – an impressive chapter in motorsport historical past was closed. In July 1971, the final Mini Cooper S rolled off the meeting line.

Proven ideas and new fashions.

The motorsport successes of the early years formed the model into the brand new millennium. And the heritage is rigorously maintained and developed additional. Front-wheel drive, engines mounted transversely on the entrance, brief physique overhangs, agile dealing with and loads of house for passengers in a small footprint – elementary traits that have been transferred from the basic Mini to the brand new MINI, which has been obtainable since 2001, refined and remodeled into the premium section. New variants such because the MINI Clubman, the MINI Convertible and the MINI Countryman have been added – they’ll all be instantly acknowledged and skilled as MINI.

Only a number of car ideas have survived an identical time span because the MINI. Hardly another car has achieved such reputation. None of them has ever been carried out in such all kinds of variants because the MINI. Driving a MINI was and isn’t just pure transportation, but in addition an expression of your individual model. The basic of automotive historical past has change into a timeless, cross-generational, and class-spanning car.

MINI stunned everybody once more – its successes on the Dakar Rally.

And in fact, because the takeover by the BMW Group, motorsport and the title John Cooper proceed to play an vital function. In 2011 and 2012, MINI continued its motorsport historical past with the John Cooper Works WRC at chosen rounds of the FIA ​​World Rally Championship (WRC). From 2012, the MINI ALL4 Racing, designed particularly for marathon rallies, took on a particular problem: the Dakar Rally, the final word endurance take a look at for drivers, automobiles and groups. The efficiency and reliability of the MINI ALL4 Racing led to 4 consecutive Dakar successes from 2012 to 2015, adopted by numbers 5 and 6 in 2020 and 2021.

And as soon as once more the motorsport world had underestimated the little man who had all the time achieved such nice issues.

The model title John Cooper Works ensures excellent efficiency not solely on the racetrack, but in addition on the street. John Cooper Works tuning kits for sequence automobiles have been already very fashionable within the Nineteen Seventies – they emphasised crucial virtues each visually and technically. A convention that continues with the brand new MINI. There are additionally excessive athletes with the addition of John Cooper Works and an output of as much as 225 kW/306 hp.

Private motorsport groups proceed the custom.

The ardour for racing nonetheless exists and is now lived by non-public motorsport groups. In 2021, the Bulldog Racing undertaking was created in Nürburg which is devoted to basic endurance racing. When Bulldog Racing’s MINI John Cooper Works made its first look on the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring in 2022, the John Cooper Works defied all odds for 40 laps and was taken out of the race after an accident. The combative effort thrilled the followers and the purple speedster shortly turned a crowd favourite.

In May 2023, within the second 24-hour race, the Bulldog Racing Team achieved a extremely acclaimed second place in its class with a MINI John Cooper Works 1to6 Edition on the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring. As one of many few automobiles with a handbook transmission, the near-production model relied on basic MINI virtues: low weight, quite a lot of sequence and much more emotion. In 2024, the Bulldog Racing Team shall be racing within the “Green Hell” once more with a MINI John Cooper Works racecar.

On the best way to changing into a purely electrically powered model.

The way forward for the MINI feeling is sort of silent, domestically emission-free, however extraordinarily highly effective. The MINI Cooper and the the MINI Countryman have been confirmed already, whereas the brand new MINI Aceman, a very new car that sits between these two fashions, will observe within the first half of 2024. And the MINI John Cooper Works fashions are additionally being regularly electrified – a brand new chapter within the model’s greater than 60-year historical past.

BMW

BMW M4 GT4 writes a formidable success story in its first 12 months – Next steps in planning.

Munich. The new BMW M4 GT4 of the G82 mannequin collection celebrated spectacular successes in its first season within the fingers of BMW M Motorsport groups world wide. In whole, the automobile achieved greater than 180 podium finishes, together with greater than 70 class victories. Due to excessive buyer demand, BMW M Motorsport will produce 50 further items of the automobile, and plans for an EVO mannequin of the BMW M4 GT4 are already in full swing.

 

BMW M Motorsport groups celebrated victories and titles with the BMW M4 GT4 in Germany, Europe, Asia, and North America. The pleasingly lengthy record of main successes consists of: the SP10 class victory for FK Performance Motorsport on the 24h Nürburgring (GER), the SP10 general victory within the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), the title win within the GT4 European Series for Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport, the title wins for Turner Motorsport within the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, the title win for Auto Technic Racing within the GT4 America, and the title win within the GT4 Asia for YZ Racing with BMW Team Studie.

“What a debut year for the new BMW M4 GT4! We were confident enough before the season to assume that we could continue the successes of its predecessor with this car, but the large number of victories and title wins that our teams and drivers were able to achieve right away was even a positive surprise for us,” stated Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport. “However, we are not settling on these successes. Due to the high demand, we are currently producing 50 additional units of the BMW M4 GT4, which will be delivered to our customers in 2024. In addition, we have decided to develop an EVO version of the BMW M4 GT4 after the BMW M4 GT3. The goal is to make an already very strong car even better with the help of our customers’ feedback.”

Planning for the BMW M4 GT4 EVO is already in full swing at BMW M Motorsport. Details on the enhancements over the present mannequin will probably be introduced at a later date.

News

From the motorsport archive: on this day in 1968

In 1955, Jean Rédélé decided to name his new sports car company Alpine as a tribute to his successful performances in the Alpine Rally, where he drove his highly modified Renaults.

However, despite the company’s name, Alpine cars were unable to win the famous race held in the mountains of southern France. The cars often faced mechanical issues, which prevented them from achieving victory.

Eager to overcome this ongoing challenge, Alpine entered five factory-prepared A110s, along with 13 other Alpine vehicles, into the 1968 event. They faced tough competition from Renault-Gordini 8s, Ford Escorts, Lancia Fulvia Coupés, Daf 55s, Alfa Romeo GTAs, Porsche 911s, and more. Surprisingly, there were no Mini Coopers, but there were some unusual entries like a “simply hideous” truncated Citroën DS and a Vauxhall Ventora.

Unfortunately, the race was marred by heavy rain and fog during the first leg, resulting in accidents and failures for many participants. Out of the initial 64 vehicles, only 25 managed to survive the 845-mile journey from Marseille to Aix-les-Bains. At the front, three Alpines battled with two Alfas.

For the following 520-mile mountain loop, the treacherous conditions persisted, reducing the number of remaining competitors to just 16 by the end of the night. An Alpine led the race, followed by a Lancia and an Alfa Romeo.

The final leg involved a 955-mile journey back down to Antibes. The focus was on the intense competition between René Trautmann and Jean-Louis Barailler, who were separated by a mere 15 seconds. Meanwhile, Jean Vinatier was already 11 minutes behind. To everyone’s delight, Vinatier achieved victory in the glorious sunshine, redeeming the disappointment of previous years.

RollsRoyce

A DEFINING MOMENT: ROLLS-ROYCE MARKS ALPINE TRIAL’S 110th ANNIVERSARY

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars celebrates the 110th anniversary of its success in the Alpine Trial in 1913.
  • The original trial lasted eight days and covered a distance of 2,600 kilometers.
  • Rolls-Royce’s dominance in the event solidified the Silver Ghost’s reputation as ‘the best car in the world’.
  • Rolls-Royce reflects on the people, cars, and conditions that made automotive history.

“At the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, we design and hand-build what many call ‘the best car in the world’. That title was first bestowed on Rolls-Royce 110 years ago, following the Silver Ghost’s total domination of the daunting Alpine Trial in 1913. As custodians of this unique legacy, we proudly uphold the exceptional design and engineering excellence that made those early Rolls-Royces so successful. These exquisite examples of our founders’ art are a true inspiration; thanks to the skilled care and attention today’s proud owners lavish on these astonishing motor cars, we are still able to experience and enjoy their remarkable attributes. The Silver Ghost’s unequalled marriage of performance, strength, reliability, technological innovation, driver engagement and comfort provides a template for everything we do more than a century later.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks the 110th anniversary of its success in the Alpine Trial in 1913 – an event that holds immense importance in the Rolls-Royce legend. This challenge, which lasted eight days and covered 2,600 kilometers, established Rolls-Royce’s reputation as ‘the best car in the world’ – a title it still holds today. Rolls-Royce reminisces about the individuals, automobiles, and circumstances that contributed to this monumental moment in automotive history.

A DAUNTING CHALLENGE – AND UNMISSABLE OPPORTUNITY

Since its establishment in 1904, Rolls-Royce has quickly gained a coveted reputation for quality and dependability. This reputation was solidified by the faultless performance of the new 40/50 hp, later named the Silver Ghost, in the 1907 Scottish Reliability Trials. The Silver Ghost further demonstrated its superiority in the renowned 1911 London to Edinburgh Top Gear Trial and the Brooklands 100mph Run.

These achievements earned Rolls-Royce the reputation of being the best British car. However, for the ambitious and energetic managing director Claude Johnson, who referred to himself as the hyphen in Rolls-Royce, this was just the beginning. He aimed to conquer the European market and saw success in a prominent continental event as the key. The 1913 Alpine Trial presented the perfect opportunity.

PERFECTLY PREPARED

Johnson personally assembled a Rolls-Royce Works Team, led by Eric Platford, one of the company’s most trusted employees and a former mechanic to Charles Stewart Rolls himself. The specially prepared Silver Ghosts were driven by Curt Friese, the company’s representative in Austria, experienced Alpine driver Jock Sinclair, and EW Hives, a senior member of the Experimental Department at Derby and the first person to drive the Silver Ghost at 101mph.

Johnson also invited James Radley, an enthusiastic private owner of a Silver Ghost, to act as the team’s pacesetter.

The Works cars were meticulously prepared to withstand the challenges of crossing the Alps in spring. These challenges included extreme temperatures, high altitudes, steep gradients, and treacherous descents – all without the benefit of modern road surfaces.

The most significant technical modifications made to the Silver Ghosts included a new four-speed gearbox with a special low gear, reinforced chassis and suspension, a larger main fuel tank with a reserve tank, and a new starting system that could start the engine in under a minute even in freezing temperatures.

After successfully completing a reconnaissance mission in May, where the cars demonstrated their composure in appalling conditions, the team traveled to Vienna to begin the Alpine Trial on June 22, 1913.

DAY 1 (260 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 4,000 FT)

As the most powerful vehicles in the competition, the Silver Ghosts were the first to start, led by James Radley. Starting at 5.00 am, Radley completed the first day’s course in just over eight hours, followed 45 minutes later by the rest of the Works Team. No other cars came close to matching their pace, and the relatively straightforward stage saw the first retirements of the event.

DAY 2 (262 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 5,700 FT)

On the second day, the participants tackled Tauren Pass, the oldest road over the Alps, which rose 2,900 ft over just 12 miles with a maximum gradient of 27.9%. The weather and road conditions made the task even more challenging. However, the Silver Ghosts effortlessly crossed the pass at half-throttle, with Radley maintaining an average speed of 25mph and never going below 17mph, even on the steepest slopes.

DAY 3 (246 MILES)

The third day featured a relatively easy and mostly flat drive that ended at the shores of Lake Garda. The Rolls-Royce team led from the start, with Radley expressing dissatisfaction with the slow pace set by the officials’ car in the front.

DAY 4 (192 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 7,400FT)

The fourth stage took the teams over the Dolomites and included the highest point of the Trial, the Pordoi Pass. Despite heavy rain turning to snow, the Rolls-Royce team remained undeterred and secured the top four places for the day.

DAY 5 (205 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 3,500 FT)

Despite freezing conditions, the Works Team led from start to finish on a long drive through southern Austria, navigating steep, rugged roads with many hairpin turns, including the Wurzen and Perdils passes, until reaching the port city of Trieste.

DAY 6 (242 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 3,500 FT)

After a day of rest in Trieste, the teams faced the steepest pass of the entire event – the Loibl, which ascended 2,300 ft in just three miles – before reaching the final overnight stop in Klagenfurt. The Rolls-Royce team achieved another clean sweep in Klagenfurt. Radley broke the record for the ascent, completing it in just five minutes and taking a drink as he maneuvered the final hairpin turn to the delight of the spectators.

DAY 7 (260 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 5,000FT)

Between Klagenfurt and the finish line in Vienna lay the notorious Stubalpe Pass. The road included 125 gullies that drained water across it, requiring the cars to proceed at a walking pace. As expected, the Silver Ghosts encountered no issues and took the lead on the fast, final stretch to Vienna. Radley reached speeds of 70mph on three occasions as they passed through the village of Guntramsdorf.

However, as they passed through Guntramsdorf, Jock Sinclair’s Silver Ghost was struck by a speeding non-competitor car and forced into a telegraph pole. After repairing the near-side front wheel and tire, Sinclair limped into Vienna using only the third gear. This was the first and only time the team failed to secure the top four positions in the event.

UNDISPUTED CHAMPIONS

Out of the 46 starters, only 31 made it to Vienna. The Rolls-Royce cars’ exceptional speed, strength, and reliability made them the stars of the event and led to their drivers receiving prestigious individual prizes presented by Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria. Radley also received a special prize from the city of Trieste.

The remarkable performance of Rolls-Royce garnered widespread acclaim and respect within the automotive world. More importantly for Claude Johnson, it translated into increased European sales that soon matched those in the UK.

Rolls-Royce never again participated in the Alpine Trials after 1913, as the title of ‘the best car in the world’ had been won and remained unchallenged.

A LASTING LEGACY

The Silver Ghost is arguably the most renowned Rolls-Royce ever produced. The fact that many examples are still in perfect working condition and capable of repeating the extraordinary feats achieved over a century ago is a testament to the attentive care of their proud owners. These devoted enthusiasts play a vital role in preserving and celebrating this invaluable automotive heritage and serve as an inspiration to all who appreciate historic Rolls-Royce motor cars.

However, masterpieces like those participating in the commemorative reenactment also represent a broader legacy. Approximately 80% of all Rolls-Royce motor cars ever made are still in existence and actively in use, serving as a lasting and tangible tribute to the skill, vision, technical expertise, and unwavering pursuit of perfection exemplified by the company’s founders.

As the successors to this legacy, the team at the contemporary Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, which will celebrate its own 20th anniversary in 2023, are fortunate custodians of an indelible heritage. Every motor car crafted at Goodwood today upholds the standards of performance, strength, reliability, comfort, driver experience, and engineering excellence established by the Silver Ghost, values that have been recognized and respected worldwide for over a century.