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1950s Ferrari-powered world record hydroplane heading to auction in Monaco

Noah Joseph — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Etc., Ferrari

There are any of a number of places you'd expect to find a Ferrari: at the race track, on the auction block, in the showroom, parked in front of the swankiest restaurants in town... To see one in the water usually spells trouble, but history is not without its exceptions.

Back in the 1980s, Italian boatbuilder Riva collaborated with Ferrari for a rather Testarossa-inspired speedboat, but long before that, the House that Enzo Built lent its expertise and 4.5-liter V12 engine to Achille Castoldi to build the hydroplane power boat you see here.

Castoldi was bent on setting a new speed record on the water, and with this spectacular watercraft - dubbed Arno XI - he did just that. The Ferrari-powered vessel hit an astonishing 150.19 miles per hour at Lake Iseo in northern Italy on October 15, 1953. That's mighty impressive in its own right, but what's even more astounding is that the record stands in the 800kg category to this day.

To get there, Ferrari and Castoldi took the same Type 375 4.5-liter V12 engine that powered José Florian Gonzalez to his first grand prix victory at Silverstone, marinized it and fitted two superchargers to crank out more than 600 horsepower.

Now Arno XI is heading to the auction block in Monaco, where RM Auctions expects it will fetch around $1.5 million. Whether you've got that kind of cash or not - and whether or not Monte Carlo is in your travel plans for May - you can pull up alongside it in the gallery of high-resolution studio and archival images above.

1950s Ferrari-powered world record hydroplane heading to auction in Monaco originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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R/C car takes hydroplaning to a new level

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Toys/Games

"I can remember when my grandfather taught me how to skip stones. You know what he told me?"

"Always make sure the stone is flat..."

Yes, we all remember the classic scene from Speed Zone (also known as Cannonball Run 3 or Cannonball Fever) where the old man is out at the lake teaching his little grandson to skip stones. Just as he's instructing on how to throw the stone at the correct angle, the training session is interrupted by a red Lamborghini Countach that flies off a short pier, skips across the water and ends up safely on the other side.

No, it's not that easy in real life. Unless, of course, you do happen to have a vehicle with a relatively flat bottom along with the proper tires and lots and lots of power. Or at least the radio-controlled equivalent. Need proof? We suggest you see how it's done in the video after the break.

Continue reading R/C car takes hydroplaning to a new level

R/C car takes hydroplaning to a new level originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tread-depth test should defer to quarter, not penny

Dan Roth — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, First Drives

We've always found that our tires get squirrely in the wet before they fail the old penny test for tread depth. The Tire Rack, supplier of black round things and other accessories, are suggesting that the price of your safety has appreciated by 24 cents. For years, the penny test has been a quick way to turn a common item of pocket detritus into a tread-depth gauge. Hold Abe upside down, and if the tread clears the top of his noggin, you've got at least 2/32nds of an inch of tread. When tread gets down that low, however, things start to get hairy. 2/32nds is the minimum depth that warranties on the tires will be honored, but that doesn't make it wise to cruise around on rubber that tired. We were once treated to a nasty little bit of unexpected oversteer when taking an off-camber turn downhill during a rainstorm with tires that barely passed the penny test.

The Tire Rack is encouraging drivers to use a quarter instead of a penny. Using George's melon as a guide in the same way as the penny, the minimum tread is 4/32nds, double the penny test. It could be argued that there's a lot of miles to be had during that 2/32nds delta, but your life, and that of your passengers, is far more valuable than a few miles on a set of tires. In Tire Rack tests, the "quartered" tires had significantly better grip and shorter stopping distances in the wet. The hope is that awareness will increase and lives will be saved. There's no need to wear your tires so low - it's not like they're slicks - and it's one of the cheapest measures you can take to ensure the safety of you and your cargo.

[Source: Tire Rack]

UPDATE: The Tire Rack also offers up this video to show the difference in stopping distances between new tires, tires worn down to a quarter's measurement (4/32"), and tires worn down to a penny's measurement (2/32"). The difference between all three is pretty dramatic, especially the "quartered" and "pennied" that are separated by only 2/32" of tread life.

Continue reading Tread-depth test should defer to quarter, not penny

Tread-depth test should defer to quarter, not penny originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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