Autoblog

Rally driver James Girvan killed in competition [w/video]

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Videos, Subaru, Off-Road, Racing

Jimmy Girvan and Mike Ramsay head out for stage one - Click above to watch video after the jump

James "Jimmy" Girvan, former Scottish Rally Champion, has died as a result of a crash at the this past weekend's Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally in Scotland. According to the BBC News, Girvan's Subaru Impreza collided with some boulders then was thrown into the surrounding trees. Mike Ramsay, Girvan's co-driver, had to be cut free from the vehicle but he escaped with a minor arm injury. Jimmy Girvan, 56, was pronounced dead at the scene. After the tragic accident, race organizers shut down the event, which itself serves as a memorial to legendary driver Colin McRae who was killed in a helicopter accident in 2007.

We have video footage of the rally cars heading out from the first stage, including Girvan's red Subaru Impreza. It was the last stage he finished at the event before his crash in Stage 2. You can watch the video after the jump, with Girvan and Ramsay pulling up to the starting line around the 1:20 mark. Our deepest sympathies go out to Girvan's family, friends and colleagues. Thanks for the tips, all.

[Sources: BBC News, YouTube]

Continue reading Rally driver James Girvan killed in competition [w/video]

Rally driver James Girvan killed in competition [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DiRT 2 will honor Colin McRae in-game

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:35:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Lifestyle

Former WRC driver Colin McRae died just before the game bearing his brand, DiRT, was released. That game didn't get a chance to honor the 1995 WRC champion, but the game's sequel, DiRT 2, will make up for that. In addition to a host of off-road events that you can run in a variety of off-road vehicles, there will be a Colin McRae Memorial Cup that you can qualify for. Other drivers in the game will also be heard talking about McRae, and he is "the central figure in the narrative." As a step to pay tribute it is commendable, and it's good to see that Mr. McRae hasn't been forgotten.

[Source: Joystiq]

DiRT 2 will honor Colin McRae in-game originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prodrive selling very first Subaru WRC car from 1997

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Motorsports, Subaru, Specialty

Click above for a high-res gallery of Prodrive's first Impreza WRC car

Prodrive helped make its name - and a whole lot of World Rally Championship fans - with its race prepped, royal blue Subaru Impreza race cars. Now the very first one of them, piloted by no less than the power duo of the late Colin McRae and Nicky Grist, is for sale. Introduced at the Rallye Monte Carlo in 1997, the car is privately owned now and can be yours for £85,000 (about $123,000). While that's a lot for an old Subaru, something tells us that as the years roll by, this car will prove to be a very large bargain.

The 1997 RDH tarmac version of the Subie wears chassis number PRO-WRC-97-001, and now bears the registration number P18 WRC. It has been thoroughly rebuilt by Ireland's McKinstry Motorsport, since no matter how much you like Colin McRae, Pierro Liatti, and Kenneth Erikkson, you probably don't want to deal with the stressed-out pieces of a steed they have ridden hard. If you're interested, Prodrive has all the details, and the pics are below.

Gallery: First Prodrive Impreza WRC

[Source: Prodrive via Auto Fiends]

Prodrive selling very first Subaru WRC car from 1997 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colin McRae tribute convoy reaches 30-miles long

Justin Gardiner — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Subaru, Celebrities

Click above for high-res gallery of Colin McRae's tribute

Oh, those Brits. When they're not ~~faking~~ making corn circles they're writing a rally legend's name using 1,086 Subaru Imprezas as pixels. This, of course, was the finale to the weekend long celebration of Colin McRae's life, which saw over 1,100 Scoobys converge on Prodrive's test track in Warwickshire. Precisely how many cars took part in the ensuing 30-mile convoy is unknown, but if you don't have anything better to do right now, you can have a go at counting them in the video after the jump (and look out for the near miss at 6:42). Even the local constabulary showed up in a WRX pursuit car.

The half-mile-long sign you see above broke the Guiness World Record for, err, writing signs with cars by a cool 800, but more importantly Colin's fans raised over $80,000 for the McRae family's chosen charities.

Gallery: Colin McRae's tribute convoy

Continue reading Colin McRae tribute convoy reaches 30-miles long

Colin McRae tribute convoy reaches 30-miles long originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DiRT pulls ads featuring Colin McRae

Chris Shunk — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 08:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Subaru

With the rally racing world still mourning the death of 1995 WRC champion Colin McRae, game maker Codemasters has decided to pull advertising featuring the deceased driver. The very successful game, Colin McRae: DiRT, used McRae as its spokesman in Europe, but not in the States. Management at Codemasters came to the decision to pull the ads after consulting McRae's family, which is the decent thing to do.

McRae's death was a crushing blow to all who knew him, and the news that three others, including Colin's son, also passed only made things worse. Codemasters did the obvious and right thing in pulling the ads, but we hope McRae's name stays on the cover of the game as tribute to his vast contributions to rally racing.

[Source: Joystiq]

DiRT pulls ads featuring Colin McRae originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Sep 2007 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Days After: Mourning Colin McRae (1968 - 2007)

John Neff — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

A little over a day after a tragic helicopter accident has claimed the life of famous rally driver Colin McRae and three others, including his 5-year-old son Johnny, fans and members of motorsport alike are paying tribute to the legend with kind words. With perhaps the most fitting gesture so far, the Scottish Subaru Impreza Drivers Club formed a parade of Subarus outside of McRae's home in Lanark, Scotland, leaving a makeshift shrine and a note that said, among other sentiments, "May you enjoy going 'flat out' in God's special stage." Well known drivers in other types of motorsport also followed the career of McRae, and those who have commented on his death include Formula One driver David Coulthard, legend himself Jackie Stewart, and MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi.

[Source: Reuters, Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty]

Gallery: Mourning for Colin McRae

Continue reading The Days After: Mourning Colin McRae (1968 - 2007)

The Days After: Mourning Colin McRae (1968 - 2007) originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Sep 2007 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Colin McRae dies with son in helicopter crash

Damon Lavrinc — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 17:11:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

The Times is reporting that former World Rally Champion Colin McRae has died after the helicopter he was piloting crashed into the ground near his home in Strathclyde. Also on board was his five year-old son, an unnamed adult male and child. According to reports, there were no survivors.

People close to McRae assert that he was as adept at piloting a helicopter as he was behind the wheel.

More is available from the Times Online here. We'll update this post as more information is available.

Thanks to all who tipped in.

UPDATE: More information here and here.

BREAKING: Colin McRae dies with son in helicopter crash originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Sep 2007 17:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McRae Enduro: Dakar doesn't stand a chance

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:34:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

It's obvious that the fast-paced risks Colin McRae endured during his time behind the wheel have set the tone of his retirement. The term "retirement" is a total misnomer however, as McRae has kept himself busy consulting, marketing and developing his own line of rally machines. The R4 is so close to completion that McRae has taken on another project dubbed the Enduro.

Much like the R4, its purpose is to offer privateers an entry-level means of competing in cross-country rallies, approved by the FIA's T1 regulations that cover everything from Dakar to other Baja-style campaigns.

The machine was developed in conjunction with MDV Specialist Engineering and is made up of a space-frame chassis in which a Land Rover-sourced, turbocharged diesel 2.7-liter V6, tuned by Roush, produces 240 HP and 383 lb.-ft. of torque. Power is sent to the all four wheels via a six-speed ZF transmission equipped with a non-variable LSD in both the rear and center.

As with the R4, McRae envisions the Enduro competing in a one-make series, named the Pirelli McRae Enduro Trofeo, which will include three FIA World Cup events and three Baja series campaigns. Pricing is expected to be around 150,000 euros when it's finally offered up next year.

[Source: EVO]

McRae Enduro: Dakar doesn't stand a chance originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Ken Block jumps a Subie waaaaay too high

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Subaru

We just saw Subaru's new lineup of rally drivers at the LA Auto Show last week, but little did we know we were in the presence of insanity. Ken Block, driver of the #43 car was on hand to show his team some support as they announced the contract extension of Travis Pastrana. It's hard to believe now, because Ken looked like a relatively normal guy, but he is certifiably insane. Who in his right mind would take a rally car, even one as capable as the WRX, and launch it 130 feet through the air?

Tipped to this story by 0-60 magazine, we managed to track down the YouTube video to show the jump in extremely poor quality, but in an attempt to prove that the still photos accompanying the story don't get taken for fakes. It seems cable fixture The Discovery Channel put this jump together for Stunt Junkies, "a TV Show where each episode revolves around a fearless feat never performed before," according to 0-60. Stunt Junkies shows how stunts are done, taking it from concept to completion. This particular episode is tentatively set to air in February. Click through the read link to hear what Block had to say about the jump, the X-Games, and fellow rallyers Colin McRae and Travis Pastrana. And to see some killer still shots too!

[Source: 0-60 Magazine]

VIDEO: Ken Block jumps a Subie waaaaay too high originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Dec 2006 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WRC loses the Loeb, gains the McRae

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times -- bicycling is dangerous. Possibly even more dangerous than piloting a turbo-charged, all-wheel-drive hatch through the tree-lined corridors of a World Rally Championship stage. We meant to leave this little nugget of information on Sebastian Loeb's answering machine, but alas, we were too late. The Citroen hot shoe broke his arm during a cycling accident and is unable to drive his Xsara in the World Rally of Turkey this October 12-15. A pity really, as Loeb is currently in first place for the driver's championship, towering over his nearest competitor with a 35-point lead.

Citroen however has called out the big guns, in the form of ex-racer extraordinaire Colin McRae and long-time co-pilot Nicky Grist. The three-time World Rally champion will pilot the Xsara during the race in Turkey, although his participation in future races has not been ruled out.

We know McRae is still on top of his game, with his last run in the WRC back in 2005 for Skoda and his recent antics competing in the X-Games, it's evident that he is in top form. Rumors are also beginning to circulate that he may make a full-time return to the WRC in 2007.

[Source: Channel 4 and WRC.com]

WRC loses the Loeb, gains the McRae originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Oct 2006 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai heads for X Games glory

Stuart Waterman — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hyundai

With this year's 12th edition of the X Games adding rallying to the competition for the first time, multiple U.S. ProRally champion Hyundai Motor has announced its support of Paul Choiniere and co-driver Jeff Becker in the nine-stage event.

Choiniere and Becker will pilot their Hyundai Tiburon against 11 other teams, including WRC ace Colin McRae and Subaru rally pilot (and X Games motocross legend) Travis Pastrana.

The event includes eight road stages in the Los Angeles area, and a ninth Super Special stage at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Choiniere and Becker's Tiburon has been fitted with AWD and is driven by a 298-hp, turbocharged Hyundai Beta engine. Hyundai's rally cars are prepped by Libra International Racing, owned and operated by rally legend John Buffum.

The X Games rally event runs from August 2 through August 5, and will be televised in the U.S. by ABC and ESPN, with the Super Special broadcast live.

[Source: Hyundai]

Hyundai heads for X Games glory originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jul 2006 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Live shots of Colin McRae's R4 rally car

John Neff — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Misc. Auto Shows

Finally some shots of the R4 rally car designed by Colin McRae himself for a single-make rally series have surfaced. The car debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend, but shots from that event have been surprisingly hard to come by. We've already told you about the R4 at length here, but to reiterate it's got a 340-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that's mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox. In that form it can hit 60 mph in five seconds, although more powerful versions of the engine are already in the works. McRae designed the £130,000 rally car especially for a single-make rally race series of which we know very little about at this time.

[Source: Autocar

Live shots of Colin McRae's R4 rally car originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Jul 2006 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Goodwood debut for Colin McRae R4

Stuart Waterman — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Hatchback

Rally superstar Colin McRae unveiled his eponymous R4 high-performance rally car at this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The road-legal competition car is being developed by specialty builder DJM Race Preparations.

The R4 prototype will begin testing in August, with production of the final version slated to begin in the first quarter of 2007.

The R4 chassis is custom-built around a steel rollcage, with carbon-fiber bodywork front and rear, and a steel-covered cockpit area. Double wishbone suspension is fitted front and rear, managed by Proflex dampers.

The R4 prototype is driven by a 2.5-liter normally aspirated four-cylinder powerplant from Millington Racing Engines, putting out 340 hp at 8,700 rpm (damn!). 0-60 times of around 5 seconds are expected. Power is delivered through a DJM sequential six-speed gearbox, to a buyer's choice of RWD or 4WD configurations. More competition-oriented powerplants are being considered for the R4, including a 2.2-liter twin-turbo and a 3-liter V6 twin turbo, with the latter capable of 750 hp in competition trim. Only serious enthusiasts need apply - pricing for the 340 hp version is expected to start at around $240,000.

Fuzzy live shots of the R4 are here, but the computer-generated renderings are clearer. We'll update with pics when we find some good ones.

[Sources: 4Car, ColinMcRae.com]

Goodwood debut for Colin McRae R4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Jul 2006 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colin McRae-designed rally car to debut at Goodwood

John Neff — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 11:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Misc. Auto Shows

One of the most successful drivers in rally history, Colin McRae, has designed his own rally car that will be put into limited production after its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. The Prodrive Subaru Impreza rally car pictured helped make McRae a household name, along with the videogame Colin McRae Rally that has graced all manner of game machines.

4Car reports that the car was designed with the privateer in mind and will feature four-wheel drive, a 2.5L engine and a unique spaceframe chassis. Not much else is known about the rally car, like which partners McRae has collaborated with to produce it or where the financial backing comes from, but we'll get our first look at the car this weekend at Goodwood, and hopefully more info to fill in the gaps.

[Source: 4Car]

Colin McRae-designed rally car to debut at Goodwood originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jul 2006 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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