Autoblog

Lotus custom channels the Esprit of Ayrton Senna

Noah Joseph — Tue, 01 May 2012 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Lotus

These days it seems like the dream of a new Lotus Esprit is getting nothing but further away, while the troubled company responsible for it applies the classic black and gold livery to everything it produces - and many things produced by others. But there was a time when the original Esprit was a mechanical wonder to behold, and the JPS livery was championed by arguably the greatest driver who ever lived.

That driver, of course, was Ayrton Senna. And to mark the 18th anniversary of his death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, a German outfit called Cam-Shaft Premium Wrapping has created this special edition in his honor. Instead of starting with the original four-cylinder Esprit, though, Cam Shaft went with the later turbo V8 and laid over its black paint a series of gold decals evocative of the iconic livery which Senna sported on his 1985 Lotus 97T, including a reproduction of his signature on the panel in front of the door.

The German firm didn't stop there, however. They gave the Esprit new turbos, an intercooler and cats to drive output up from 354 horsepower (stock) to 492 hp, drop the 4.9-second 0-62 time down to 4.3 seconds and increase the top speed from 282 km/h to 305. They also fitted it with a new six-speed gearbox to replace the old five-gear unit, upgraded the brakes with AP Racing four-pot calipers on 330mm cross-drilled discs and fitted it with a chassis control switch similar to a Ferrari manettino.

A fitting tribute to the legendary pilot? We'd say so, and you can see for yourself in the high-res image gallery above and the press release below.

Continue reading Lotus custom channels the Esprit of Ayrton Senna

Lotus custom channels the Esprit of Ayrton Senna originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 May 2012 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ayrton Senna's rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction

Zach Bowman — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Auctions, Europe, Celebrities, Specialty, Racing

Motorsports history buffs take note: an important piece of racing nostalgia has come up for auction. The Toleman TG184-2 Formula One Car Ayrton Senna drove in his rookie season is available for bid in the Silverstone Auctions Spring Sale.

This is the car that carried Senna to his second-place "victory" in the rain-drenched 1984 Monaco GP, as well as third and seventh-place finishes in the British and Canadian GPs, respectively.

Silverstone Auctions hasn't announced what the vehicle is expected to fetch. The Toleman has been completely restored, and the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine behind the cockpit is in top running order.

The auction will take place at the Silverstone circuit in The Wing building on May 16th. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Continue reading Ayrton Senna's rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction

Ayrton Senna's rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazing mod Egg chairs in your favorite classic racecar liveries

Zach Bowman — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Etc., Design/Style

These days, you only have a Ball chair in your office if you're an evil genius or confused enough to think it's still 1962. The clever artists at Racing & Emotion Design are out to change all that, though. The company has taken it upon themselves to slather the spherical seating, as well as an "Egg" style chair, in some of the world's most famous racing liveries.

Want to kick back in the same style as the Gulf Porsche 917? No problem. What if the Pink Pig is more your style? Racing and Emotion Design have you covered. The French designers have even worked up a chair in Ayrton Senna's helmet livery, as well as the colors found on the racer's Lotus 97T. In all, there are 21 separate liveries to chose from. We're particularly smitten with the BMW 3.0 CSL piece, though the various Gulf liveried thrones are likely to be sure winners.

Unfortunately, we won't be dragging one of these home to the lair anytime soon. The chairs each cost around $3,788 at current conversion rates, which means we'll just have to control our death ray from the comfort of the couch. Head over to Racing & Emotion or Classic Heroes to take a look at the full range.

Amazing mod Egg chairs in your favorite classic racecar liveries originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Senna back on Netflix Instant Streaming, available for rent in iTunes

John Neff — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Celebrities

The award-winning documentary Senna has been elusive for many American fans to see. It's had a limited release in theaters on the coasts, and even popped up in Netflix's Instant Streaming queue for a few accidental days, but otherwise us Yanks have had to watch from afar as everyone's been drooling over director Asif Kapadia's masterpiece about the life and death of Ayrton Senna.

That ended last week when Senna officially became available as a digital download. You can now watch the film on Netflix Instant Streaming (again) or rent it on iTunes. So far they're your only options if you live in North America, as owning this motion picture biography of the greatest Formula One driver who ever lived isn't an option until the DVD drops on March 6th, and there is no release date yet for a Blu-Ray version in the U.S.

Senna back on Netflix Instant Streaming, available for rent in iTunes originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Senna races to the top with best documentary debut of the year

Noah Joseph — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings/Financials

Still haven't managed to see Senna? Then you are, first of all, missing out, because it's one of the all-time great racing films in the history of cinema. You're also part of a narrowing group of outsiders, as moviegoers flock to see Asif Kapadia's masterpiece in greater numbers than any other documentary this year.

According to Indiewire, Senna, which opened at just two theaters (one in New York and one in Los Angeles) brought in a whopping $73,497 on opening weekend. That's split between $40,713 in LA and $32,784 in New York, according to reports, for a handsome average of $36,749 per theater.

Those are numbers worthy of the greatest driver in the greatest era of the greatest spectacle in motor racing the world has ever known. And as befits the late, great Ayrton Senna whom the film depicts, it doesn't look like it'll be slowing down any time soon.

Senna races to the top with best documentary debut of the year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ayrton Senna's title-winning McLaren MP4/6 up for auction in unique art installation

Noah Joseph — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Auctions, Design/Style, Racing

Every year, F1 teams design and build a new set of cars to start the new season. So what happens to the old cars? Well, that varies, but when the car in question just won the championship, it's usually kept intact. Sometimes the team keeps it for posterity, sometimes they gift it to the driver who'd just won them the title, sometimes they end up in museum or private collections. But not this one.

After Ayrton Senna won his third and final title in 1991, McLaren dismantled the MP4/6 with which he did it and gave the parts to an artist named Jay Burridge, who in turn transformed the car into the art installation you see here. Looking like a giant model kit, it would be enough to turn heads on its own even if it weren't such an historic specimen. And now it's going up for auction.

Coys is the house that will handle its sale, the Nürburgring is the location and August 13 is the date. That's when Coys expects it will fetch between £30,000 and £50,000 ($50k-$82k). Which on the one hand seems like a lot, but on the other seems like a bargain considering the car it was built from. Follow the jump for the press release.

Continue reading Ayrton Senna's title-winning McLaren MP4/6 up for auction in unique art installation

Ayrton Senna's title-winning McLaren MP4/6 up for auction in unique art installation originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive clip from SENNA, opening next week in U.S.

John Neff — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Celebrities

The documentary SENNA, about the life and racing times of Formula One legend Ayrton Senna is coming to U.S. theaters on August 12. Unfortunately, it's very a limited initial release - just two theaters, one in L.A. and the other in New York City. The film will have a wider U.S. release in the following weeks, though will still only appear on a fraction of the screens that typical summer blockbusters do.

You can read our review of SENNA in anticipation of the film's release, and its makers have given us access to an exclusive clip to show you. In this clip, Ayrton and his arch rival Alain Prost are being interviewed. It's the early days of their driving together for McLaren, and the inherent conflict of having the sport's two best drivers compete on the same team is clearly evident, even in such a brief clip.

If the clip after the jump whets your appetite, you can check the movie's official Facebook page for theaters and showtimes to see if SENNA is coming to a town near you. If you're more the stay-at-home type, you can already pre-order the two-disc documentary set from the Official F1 Store.

Continue reading Exclusive clip from SENNA, opening next week in U.S.

Exclusive clip from SENNA, opening next week in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SENNA documentary announces dates and cities for limited release

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:40:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Event Alert

Did you miss the chance to catch Senna in theaters? Did you also miss it when Netflix accidentally allowed you to watch it via their online service? Stop punching yourself in the face because Senna is heading to theaters around the country for a limited time. This means you have no excuse to miss the flick this time around. Get your butts to a theater in one of the following cities on the following dates:

August 12th: New York and Los Angeles
August 19th: Chicago, Philadelphia, Cambridge, San Francisco, Berkley, D.C., Detroit, San Diego, Miami, Nashville, Dallas
August 26th: Atlanta, Minneapolis, Denver
August 29th: Seattle
September 2nd: Indianapolis, St. Louis

If you're a Formula One fan who happens to live in NYC, you have another event worth adding to your calendar. City Winery is hosting a live viewing party of the British Grand Prix. During the event, organizers will share an exclusive peek at Senna. If you're interested, be sure to head to the City Winery web site and make reservations.

SENNA documentary announces dates and cities for limited release originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stream Senna on Netflix... NOW

Damon Lavrinc — Sun, 01 May 2011 16:44:00 EST

On the 17th anniversary of Ayrton Senna's death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Netflix has added Senna to its Instant Watch selection. Get yourself in the mood with our initial review and Top Gear's tribute (after the jump), before settling in for the night. Top tip Tony!

Continue reading Stream Senna on Netflix... NOW

Stream Senna on Netflix... NOW originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 May 2011 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Movie Review: Asif Kapadia's Senna

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Celebrities, New Car Reviews

Three of the qualities that Senna brought to F1: massive talent in good conditions that became ethereal talent in the wet; total devotion to winning; and an intimate connection to God.

It would be a challenge to contain the full and complete life of even a moderately interesting man in just 104 cinematic minutes. If a man has lived in more than two cities, held more than three jobs and dated more than four women, the gift of that man's life probably can't be wrapped in an hour and four minutes of celluloid. Those paltry numbers don't even form any kind of template: Franz Kafka didn't merely spend almost all of his life in Prague, he spent almost all of it living in his parents' house and working a single job. Good luck fitting his tale into just 6,240 seconds.

So how, then, is one to condense the days of Ayrton Senna da Silva, the Formula One pilot whose talent ignited observers, whose turmoil ignited ratings, and whose love for his country ignited Brazil itself? Director Asif Kapadia attempts it in Senna, and while it could not do everything, what it does reveal about dreaming and stubbornness and tenacity and fallibility and talent and death is something you will certainly wish to see.

Continue reading...

Continue reading Movie Review: Asif Kapadia's Senna

Movie Review: Asif Kapadia's Senna originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Street Spirit: Race car artist draws inspiration from graffiti

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Design/Style

Xander Walker turns Ayrton Senna's McLaren into Street Art - Click above for high-res image gallery

In the film "Exit through the Gift Shop", we get an inside look at the world of street art as told to us by Banksy and Thierry Guetta (aka Mr. Brainwash or MBW). This film has received rave reviews and is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It also serves as the inspiration for Xander Walker's Straßenversion (street version) art work.

Mr. Walker combines graffiti art with his love for motorsports. The result is affordable street art depicting vehicles that hold a special place in the heart of many racing enthusiasts. We'll let Xander explain how he does it:

Creating the stencils themselves can take a few hours. after that I spray paint the different layers onto 50lb acid free paper (14 x 17"). I paint them in my garage allowing about 15 minutes for the paint to dry before painting the next layer.

I started making these in late November. I have long been a fan of street art, and the idea came to me after a long McLaren MP4/4 photo and info Internet binge which coincided with my seeing the film "Exit Through the Gift Shop". I initially thought they would look great painted around parking lots of race tracks around the world. I made a stencil and tried out a test print on paper. I thought it looked good, and I put it up for sale at a low price just to see what would happen. Someone bought one almost immediately.

Street art and is inherently anti establishment. Auto racing to me is also inherently anti establishment. People get killed, and it can be a generally wayward, thrill seeking lifestyle. I find the stencil medium to be well suited to capturing the 'outlaw' spirit of Ayrton Senna and motorsport in general.

The pieces range from $25 up to $50, and each is a hand-signed, limited-edition example. You can check out the rest of Xander Walker's work at his online store, and view high-res images in the gallery below. We'll be sure to save some of these for Autoblog's 2012 Holiday Gift Guide...

Gallery: Automotive icons turned street art

[Source: Strassenversion.net, Strassenversion Store]

Street Spirit: Race car artist draws inspiration from graffiti originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Senna documentary debuts at Sundance

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

Ayrton Senna biopic trailer - Click above for to watch video after the jump

When Ayrton Senna died at 34, he left a gaping hole in a sport that's cherished by tens of millions around the world. Seventeen years later, the documentary about his life entitled Senna has finally been shown to crowds at the Sundance Film Festival after a long gestation period, and the early reviews are glowing.

Screenwriter and Executive Producer Manish Pandey shared with the Sundance audience that he already showed the film to Ron Dennis, current chairman of McLaren Automotive and former boss of the successful McLaren Formula One racing team. Dennis is a tough man, known for being emotionless and extremely efficient with his time. However, after watching Senna, Dennis reportedly cried for 10 minutes and then spent the next two hour discussing the most un-tamed racing driver the world has ever known.

Follow the jump to watch a trailer for the film. With any luck, this documentary's showing at Sundance has already bagged it a distributor for wider release in the U.S.

[Source: LA Times, YouTube]

Continue reading Senna documentary debuts at Sundance

Senna documentary debuts at Sundance originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Japanese trailer for Ayrton Senna documentary

Jeff Glucker — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:50:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Racing

Ayrton Senna biopic trailer - Click above to watch video after the jump

Ayrton Senna da Silva was born on March 21, 1960. To our knowledge, he won his first competition when he cut his umbilical cord before his doctor could. In reality, he began his karting career at age 13. He jumped to single-seat race cars in 1981 before finally reaching the holy land of Formula One in 1984. He was just 24. Four years later, he captured the first of three world championship titles, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest drivers of all time.

Watching Senna drive, especially in rainy conditions, was like watching an artist create a masterpiece. As you already know, tragedy struck when Ayrton Senna died in an accident during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola. Senna aficionados will soon get the opportunity to learn more about their idol, thanks to a forthcoming documentary. A Japanese-language trailer has been released for the upcoming biopic, Senna, the first officially-sanctioned feature-length film about the Brazilian driver who, to this day, remains sorely missed. Click past the jump to watch it.

[Source: YouTube via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Video: Japanese trailer for Ayrton Senna documentary

Video: Japanese trailer for Ayrton Senna documentary originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Heroes on Heroes - Hamilton, Button visit McLaren's crypt

Zach Bowman — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Celebrities, Racing

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren crypt - Click above to watch video after the jump

Objects have a way of moving through time in a way that we as mere humans can only dream of. Given the proper storage environment, limited humidity, a little care and a lot of good luck, a car can sail through the decades without a scratch. While owners fade to dust and the powers that brought them from vision to reality wander from memory, the vehicles themselves continue on just as they were in the moments of their highest glory. If you've been very, very lucky, you just might have experienced something like the video after the jump.

While we doubt too many people get private tours of the McLaren storage center, it's entirely possible that you've had a one-on-one moment with a special car of some kind. Maybe it belonged to an uncle, grandfather or parent, or maybe you reached out and touched a famous racer while the museum guards weren't watching. Either way, it's easy to feel the weight of years slip off so that you might make a connection with another point in time.

A new video has cropped up showing Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton as they poke around in the McLaren garage, and what they find is something more than special. Hop the jump to see for yourself.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Heroes on Heroes - Hamilton, Button visit McLaren's crypt

Video: Heroes on Heroes - Hamilton, Button visit McLaren's crypt originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autosport: Drivers vote Senna as greatest of all time

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 09:14:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Autosport recently held one of those this-has-to-be-about-creating-controversy polls to find the greatest F1 driver of all time. But this was more like the Screen Actors Guild Awards than the Oscars, in that it was 217 Formula 1 drivers -- going all the way back to 98-year-old Paul Pietsch, who raced in the 1930s -- doing the voting. From among all their peers, the group chose Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna as the number one F1 stunner.

Still, there are plenty of "What?!" moments. Ayrton we're solid on, and only three drivers from the past two decades made the top ten, one of them being Fernando Alonso at the number nine spot. But seriously -- Lewis Hamilton at number 17 ahead of Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, and Kimi Raikkonen? Jensen Button at number 30 ahead of Alan Jones, Guiseppe Farina, and Phil Hill? We say, "Hmmm..." Have a look at the list yourselves, where you can vote for whether a driver should be ranked higher or lower. Hat tip to Marien.

[Source: Autosport | Image:AFP/Getty]

Autosport: Drivers vote Senna as greatest of all time originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 09:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In Bad Taste: Ecclestone calls Senna's death "good for F1"

Noah Joseph — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Believe it or not, nobody has put a muzzle on Bernie Ecclestone yet. After having publicly praised the likes of Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein, the Formula One chief has made headlines once again by characterizing the death of Ayrton Senna as "good for F1."

Clarifying his comments, Ecclestone noted that while it was "unfortunate" to have lost the three-time world champion widely remembered as history's greatest driver, the publicity his death generated ultimately helped the sport attract new followers.

As if the remarks couldn't have been any less sensitive or more revolting in their own right, they were shockingly made to the press in Senna's home country of Brazil - where the 2009 world championship was tied up this weekend - after meeting with the late Senna's sister Viviane and her son Bruno. The late great's nephew is reportedly being closely considered for a race seat next season with either Campos or Manor, two of the new teams joining the grid for the 2010 championship. That is, assuming Bruno can bear the thought of working with someone who characterizes the death of his family member as good for business.

[Source: F1-Live | Image: Clive Rose/Getty]

In Bad Taste: Ecclestone calls Senna's death "good for F1" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Introduction to Karting: Part 1

Tim Stevens — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

Introduction to Karting: Part 1 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Michael Schumacher. Ayrton Senna. Jeff Gordon. Alex Zanardi. Danica Patrick. All great drivers and all learned their trade in buzzy little racing karts with no suspension, no downforce, minimal protection, and arguably more grins per dollar than any other motorsport in existence. The underpowered machines at the local putt-putt course give karting a bad reputation; a 2.5 horsepower motor in a 300-pound chassis rolling on ten-year-old tires is a $7.50 distraction for kids. But move up to a machine that can do 0-60 MPH in under four seconds, hit 125 MPH on the straight, pull 3 g on the skidpad, and do so for well under $10,000 -- that's serious.

Karting is the safest, cheapest and, arguably, best avenue into motorsports for those with the desire to compete, yet lacking the financial means to get into a top-tier series. Sadly, it's also a dizzying sea of classes, chassis, engines, tires, tracks, rules, and affiliations, some of which are tightly controlled by global organizing bodies. So finding the right way in and getting the most for your money can be tough. That's where we come in.

Autoblog is going karting, jumping in as rookies and making some rookie mistakes so you won't have to. We'll tell you where to start, how much you'll need to budget, where you can save some bucks, and where you should just take a deep breath and hand over the credit card. This is the first in a series, an introduction to the sport that will give you the basics of where to start looking. In subsequent pieces we'll cover driving lessons, go kart shopping, talk setup, and finally go racing. So, without further ado, let's get rolling.

Gallery: Famous karters

Continue reading Introduction to Karting: Part 1

Introduction to Karting: Part 1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Ayrton Senna documentary starts rolling

Noah Joseph — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Truly great racing films are few and far between. Steve McQueen was responsible for more than his fair share, Grand Prix has its charm, and we're sure there'll be plenty more classics mentioned in our comments section below. But the pantheon of motorsport pictures is set to grow over the course of the next couple of years. First came word that Tobey McGuire signed on to play (and produce) the late, great Phil Hill in The Limit. Now reports emerge of another potentially great film to put the "motion" into motion pictures.

Although details are few and far between at this stage, the as-yet-untitled documentary on the life of Ayrton Senna is scheduled for release some time next year. The film is being orchestrated by British director Asif Kapadia, produced by Working Title Films (the studio behind such contemporary hits as Smokin' Aces and Frost/Nixon as well as several of the Coen brothers' films) and benefits from the full cooperation of the Senna family and the Ayrton Senna Institute. Before you go scratching your head raw trying to figure out who will play the gone-but-not-forgotten three-time world champion F1 driver, we'll point out that the film will be constructed from original footage, including some never-before-seen reels of the champion.

[Source: NYTimes Wheels | Image: Pascal Rondeau/Getty]

REPORT: Ayrton Senna documentary starts rolling originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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