Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of us having fun in the Fun Cup

Our normal definition of "fun" doesn't involve making a last-minute trek across the soul-sucking expanse of I-5 in California... twice... in less than 12 hours... through a monsoon. But in our illusive pursuit of fun, that's exactly what we did to get some seat time in a Fun Cup car: a tube-framed, mid-engine, FRP-bodied track car that could be the next big thing in amateur racing.

The Brookes of England are dedicated Renault fans. Family patriarch Steve woks at a Renault dealer, son James drives a previous-generation Clio 172 Cup, and his brother Will drove a Clio, too. The family was planning to buy a name-stretching but route-shortening Renault Clio Renaultsport 197 F1 Team R27 until Will unfortunately succumbed to injuries incurred in a road accident last September and sadly passed. A family friend contacted Renault, which has arranged for a special version of the car that will be delivered to the family in Will's memory.

The car will be the last of 500 R27 edition Clios built, and will be finished in a unique Glacier White paint job instead of the standard yellow. The F1 Team R27 edition, which is now finishing its production run, was the first to feature the tightened Cup suspension on the new Renaultsport Clio 197 that is now available on the standard Clio RS.

Press release after the jump.

[Source: Renault]

It's been all the rage in motorsports recently: Formula One refugees hopping the trans-Atlantic to race in NASCAR. Juan Pablo Montoya has found considerably more success than Jacques Villeneuve (even Michael Schumacher was offered a drive), but they could have some company soon.

Recently interviewed by ESPN, F1's elder helmsman David Coulthard said he would consider racing in NASCAR in the future. The Scottish driver is now entering his 15th season in F1, having started with Williams and driven nine seasons for McLaren before brokering Red Bull's purchase of Jaguar Racing from Ford. If DC did decide to make the switch, Red Bull's NASCAR team (pictured, right) could potentially provide him with an "in".

Although once a competitive driver, Coulthard has slipped to back-marker status over the past few seasons, and may soon have to face retirement from F1. If he does, NASCAR could offer a challenging alternative – joining his long-time friend Jacques in stock cars – because DC stated he was less keen on the idea of racing in IndyCars.

[Source: F1-Live, photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images for Puma]

Those who have followed the post-Talladega Nights stream of Formula One refugees fleeing to NASCAR will be happy to learn that former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has been awarded Rookie of the Year in the Nextel Cup.

The announcement of Montoya's citation comes right after the series' season closer at Homestead, where Jimmie Johnson took the title after a hot season-long showdown with teammate and title rival Jeff Gordon.

Montoya becomes the fourth Rookie of the Year for Texaco/Havoline Racing, who, in their 21 years in NASCAR have also sponsored star newcomers Davey Allison (who got the award in 1987), Kenny Irwin, Jr. (1998) and Jamie McMurray (2003). Montoya's award also calls to memory the Rookie of the Year award which fellow former F1 driver Robert Doornbos took this year in Champ Cars with Team Minardi USA, which likewise crossed the ocean to oval tracks for this past season. They're coming for you, Ricky Bobby.

Press release after the jump.

[Source: Chip Ganassi Racing]

Team-mates and title rivals Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson at Homestead

We'll freely admit that we don't give NASCAR much coverage here at Autoblog. It's the most popular form of motorsport in America by far, but push come to shove, there just aren't any big oval-track racing mavens on our staff. The F1 fans among us couldn't help but take notice when the grand prix drivers started streaming in to stock cars, but beyond that....

[Source: AutoWeek]

Click on the pic above for more images

Want a cheap racing car? Using one of the cheapest cars on the market would be a good place to start. That's the idea behind the Dacia Logan Cup, a series of racing mods available for the budget automobile.

The Logan Cup clearly draws on the expertise from its parent company's in-house motorsports and tuning shop Renaultsport, applying the same formula used on hot versions of the Clio and Megane, but to a much smaller scale. The Dacia Cup is available in three different versions for track, road rally and off-road rally racing. The running gear remains stock to keep the ease and cost of acquisition and servicing down to a bare minimum. Depending on the version, the Logan Cup is then fitted with all manner of racing-spec equipment from roll cage to Bilstein shocks and from rear wing to racing harness.

The packages will be available from Renault and Dacia dealerships wherever Logans are sold – that counts out the American market, for one – and can be used in a variety of low-level racing series, and the manufacturer is organizing regional one-make racing series around the world. The idea is so simple, it just might work.

Check out logan-cup.com for more info and gallery below for more small pics of the small racing car.

For European customers who just can't wait for the sportier Abarth version of Fiat's hot-selling new 500 super-duper-mini, aftermarket supplier MS Design has got a package that could help bridge the divide. Unfortunately it's just an appearance/aero package, but it certainly looks ready to take to the Monte Carlo rally.

MS Design fitted this look-at-mini-me Cinquecento with a front spoiler, side skirts and rear apron, plus a (relatively) large rear wing below the rear window to supplement the stock one above. MS also equipped its 500 Cup show car with Eibach springs to support the 17-inch powder-coat multi-spoke rims and a new exhaust to boot.

While it may not have any engine mods, MS Design has given the stylish 500 yet another new interpretation. Put the kit on one equipped with the range-topping engine from the kart-tastic Panda 100HP and you may have a winning package.

For more 500-tuning goodness, check out H&R and Aznom.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Ferrari is apparently running out of F1 teams to supply with engines, so it's looking to other racing series altogether for new customers. For the current season, the Maranello-based team had to have the rules bent so that they could supply their engines to not one but two additional teams on the grid (Spyker and Toro Rosso). No wonder then that half of the cars that finished in the points at this past weekend's penultimate Chinese Grand Prix were powered by Ferrari.

Like other single-seater racing series, A1GP, the self-described "world cup of motorsport", uses the same chassis and engines for all the teams. Lola and Zytek have been supplying the cars and power respectively, but with contracts up for renewal, rumors started to fly when Ferrari's sporting director Stefano Domenicali was seen at Silverstone during an A1GP test session. Ferrari has now confirmed that they're in negotiations with the series' organizers.

Rumor has it that the engine deal isn't the only thing A1GP chief Tony Teixeira is discussing with Ferrari, as insiders tip the South African businessman as a potential partner in Scuderia Toro Rosso, which would effectively become Ferrari's B-squad in the developing "super team" saga.

[Sources: F1i.com and autosport]

After 17 years, Nigel Mansell is returning to the wheel of a Ferrari. The former world champion will be driving an F430 GT for Scuderia Ecosse in the second round of the 2007 FIA GT Championship, held at the same Silverstone track where Mansell scored three celebrated grand prix victories.

The old dog can apparently still learn new tricks – at 53 years old, this will be the first time the champ will be racing sports cars. Driving alongside him will be one of Scuderia Ecosse's team drivers, either fellow British pilot Andrew Kirkaldy or Canadian driver Chris Niarchos, to be confirmed before the race this Sunday.

Although he evidently welcomes the new challenge, Mansell's remains understandably apprehensive about his prospects: "The Ferrari is fun to drive, but it remains to be seen how I will get on in a race situation, as ex-F1 drivers tend to go out with a target on their backs!"

The race looks set to gather quite a crowd. In addition to Mansell's participation, the Silverstone race will also mark Jaguar's return to GT racing.

[Source: Auto Express]

DaimlerChrysler would like to see more of its super-luxe Maybach limousines at local country clubs and has launched a new marketing campaign, principally in Europe, to promote its brand in the golf world.

The campaign includes a sponsorship deal that places legendary professional golfer Nick Faldo as a "brand ambassador" (a marketing maneuver popular with luxury brands), and the launch of the Maybach Golf Cup tournament. Faldo says he's "delighted to be so closely associated with a brand that shares the very same values as my own," which he cites as being "the absolute pinnacle of motoring style and technology." This makes us wonder if he's some sort of golf-playing Transformer, which would be really cool. Faldo has won over 40 worldwide tournaments and was appointed captain of the 2008 European Ryder Cup team.

The Maybach Golf Cup, meanwhile, is open to existing and potential Maybach customers, starting with four European qualifier tournaments in Spain, Russia, Austria and Germany before culminating this December with the finals in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Part of the tournament includes a special hole-in-one prize of an SLR McLaren, whose program is grouped together with Maybach's under CEO Klaus Nesser, pictured above (right) with Faldo (left) as the endorsement deal was announced.

Press release after the jump.

[Source: Maybach]