Autoblog

Australian go-kart driver plays in traffic

George Kennedy — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos, Australia

From the files of "wouldn't it be cool if..." comes this case of mistaken vehicular identity. See, the driver of this go-kart must think that he's piloting an actual street-legal motor vehicle. That has to be the explanation as why someone would be crazy enough to take a go-kart on busy city streets. The poster of this video was on his way to Sydney, Australia's Kingsford-Smith Airport, when he spotted this very brave - or very stupid - individual. We're leaning towards the latter.

At one point, the kart driver appears to either nearly lose control of his diminutive vehicle or intentionally try to spin it, in either case, he almost careens into oncoming traffic. This video should serve as a reminder as to why we have sensible traffic laws and regulations for motor vehicles. Apparently the Sydney police agree, and are reportedly keeping an eye out for the driver. We hope this guy made it to work safely, but really, this is a little ridiculous. Fair warning: There is quite a lot of accent-tinged foul language in this one, so it might be Not Safe For Work.

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Australian go-kart driver plays in traffic originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eGarage makes kids and karting look epic

George Kennedy — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

Meet Curtis. Curtis karts. Curtis has fun karting. Through the work of Christopher Kippengerger, Curtis karting looks kind of epic.

An installment from eGarage, a self-proclaimed automotive storyteller website, "Kart Kids" uses slow motion and high production values to make the youngsters racing look like F1 drivers. F1 drivers... whose parents work on their karts shirtless, and have the checkered flag waived by an overweight man in a tank top. Good stuff all around.

Curtis, who is nine years old and has been karting for two years, provides a very succinct explanation of grip. In his words "The way grip works is when its hot, the wheels melt a little bit, and you go into the curve it will be a little softer, and it sticks on the ground and then you have grip."

We could not have explained it any better ourselves. Scroll below to see all of the through-the-roof production values that make karting look like the most important thing to ever happen.

Oh yeah, and in explaining traction, Curtis leaves us with his own bit of commentary; "It's easy..."

Continue reading eGarage makes kids and karting look epic

eGarage makes kids and karting look epic originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Racing Dreams documentary premiering on PBS in February [w/video]

Dan Roth — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

Racing Dreams is an award-winning documentary that follows the racing exploits of three go-kart racing youths chasing an entry into the world of NASCAR. As we reported before, when Racing Dreams took the podium at the Tribeca Film Festival, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson got behind this project as executive producer, and now this documentary is making its broadcast premiere on Thursday, February 23 at 9 PM on Public Television. The PBS documentary series POV (Point Of View) will also stream the movie on its website for a month following the debut.

The idea of a karting documentary may not sound immediately captivating to anyone but the most hardcore of racing fans, but the story of Annabeth Barnes, Josh Hobson and Brandon Warren (11, 12, and 13 years old, respectively), has a track record of surprising viewers. It's more than just the story of how entry into professional auto racing of any sort increasingly starts even before adolescence, it talks about how the experience of fierce on-track competition colors the already-bewildering arrival of adolescence. Indeed, racing isn't the kind of subject matter you'd expect to find on PBS, but director and producer Marshall Curry has woven a story that's been rewarded with honors at many film festivals around the United States. Racing Dreams is a story about life that happens to have racing figure into the plot. Check your local listings to catch the documentary on your PBS station, and after checking out our gallery, you can watch the trailer and read the official press release, both posted after the jump.

Continue reading Racing Dreams documentary premiering on PBS in February [w/video]

Racing Dreams documentary premiering on PBS in February [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caterham going karting

Noah Joseph — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:34:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, MISC

Anything you can do, we can do better. Or at least, also. That seems to be the guiding principle over at Caterham these days vis-a-vis its progenitors at Lotus. Or maybe it's the other way around.

Both Caterham and Lotus lay claim to the iconic Seven, that bare-bones, less-is-more ugly duckling of a sportscar loved by purists around the world. Both British automakers also produce what can best be described as racing cars for the road. Both have F1 teams to call their own, both have GP2 feeder teams, both operate one-make sportscar racing series for its most enthusiastic customers, and now both are gearing up to field their own karting teams as well.

Lotus announced its karting program just a few months ago, and now Caterham has followed suit. The team's karts will be designed and developed in-house (presumably with some input from an experienced kart producer), and will be fielded from 2013.

Unlike the Lotus effort, however, which will field karts in established series, the Caterham karts will be used in a new dedicated one-make championship, giving aspiring racing drivers a clear channel to advance through the ranks all the way up to Formula One entirely with Lotus. Er, we mean Caterham.

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Lotus aims to get 'em young with new karting program

Noah Joseph — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus

Sports recruiting keeps starting at younger and younger ages. While professional-league scouts used to hit the college games, these days they're scoping out the high school fields. And not just for graduating seniors, either. That's certainly the case (minus the school teams) in professional motorsports, where the drivers are getting younger and younger, too.

These days, major teams are securing future talents at earlier stages than ever, with many F1 constructors - like Renault, Red Bull and Ferrari - operating their own (often extensive) young driver development programs. But while most look to feeder series like Formula BMW or GP2, Lotus has just staked its claim at an even earlier stage with its new karting program.

In partnership with Jefra Racing of Treviso, Italy, the Lotus Racing Karts program is the first factory-backed team in the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship - a common starting point for aspiring young racers. For the 2012 season it will field two karts - a Colin C30 and a Jimmy C32 - in the KF and KZ categories, and will come complete (as pictured above) with the trademark JPS-inspired black and gold livery as featured on the Lotus Renault GP cars and the latest special edition Evora.

The karting program is just the latest - and earliest - step in the rapidly expanding Lotus motorsport division that has already taken Hethel into such series as Formula One, GP2, GP3, IndyCar and various classes of GT racing. Details in the press release after the jump.

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Lotus aims to get 'em young with new karting program originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The next Lewis Hamilton? McLaren signs 13-year-old karting champ

Noah Joseph — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

Eighteen years ago, a young Lewis Hamilton walked up to Ron Dennis, introduced himself and told the McLaren chief he wanted to drive for him one day. Thirteen years later he was, and the year after that he won the world championship. It was a turning point in F1 teams recruiting young talent, and one that McLaren is keen to continue.

With other teams launching similar programs, the Woking-based outfit has announced the McLaren High Performance Programme. Such a program could by itself refer to just about anything, from the onboard computer in the new MP4-12C to the three-legged race at the company picnic. But here it refers to the team's young talent program, and along with it McLaren has announced its first new recruit.

Nathan Aston is only 13 years old, but, after winning the Formula Kart Stars Cadet championship, has been signed to a new dream deal with McLaren - not unlike the deal that Ferrari signed last year with 11-year-old Canadian karting champ Lance Stroll. Give it another few years - okay, maybe more than a few - and we could be seeing the two of them dicing it up for the F1 world championship. In the meantime, you can follow the jump for the full press release on McLaren's latest hire and the program in which he'll take part.

Continue reading The next Lewis Hamilton? McLaren signs 13-year-old karting champ

The next Lewis Hamilton? McLaren signs 13-year-old karting champ originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 125cc shifter karts lap Laguna Seca

Zach Bowman — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:36:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Racing

Shifter karts at Laguna Seca - Click above to watch video after the jump

Few forms of motorsport offer up a more pure driving experience than going tire to tire in a shifter kart. Likewise, of the many storied and excellent tracks of the world, Laguna Seca holds a special place in the the hearts and minds of racers of all stripes. Combine the two for the first time and you've got a recipe for unbridled awesome. Laguna Seca had been off limits to 125cc shifters for some time due to pesky noise regulations, but with a new air box and a larger exhaust silencer, the pint-sized racers have only just managed to squeeze under the 92 dB rule.

To celebrate the occasion, one racer was kind enough to strap a camera to his machine before taking to the course. As a result, we can all tag along for the ride. If you're short on time and just want to see the shifters dance down the infamous Corkscrew, jump ahead to about 1:30 in. Hit the jump to see the full flick for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Jason!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: 125cc shifter karts lap Laguna Seca

Video: 125cc shifter karts lap Laguna Seca originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Showdown: Rossi versus Alonso, winner wears red

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari, Motorcycle, Racing

In what's sure to be a competitive affair, MotoGP star Valentino Rossi and Formula 1 ace Fernando Alonso are scheduled to go head-to-head in a race for ultimate Italian bragging rights. One thing's for certain: the winner will wear red.

On January 10th, when fellow Italian brands Ducati and Ferrari share the stage to show off their racing wares at the annual Vrooom event, the so-called Challenge Exhibition will pit Rossi and Alonso, along with the rest of the two teams' drivers and riders, in go karts specially prepared to drive on the ice and in 4X4 Fiat Pandas on an off-road course.

We wish there was a little two-wheeling on the schedule... we know Rossi is more than capable on four wheels, but we're kinda curious how Alonso might fare with only half his normal contact patches. In any case, feel free to place your bets in the Comments section.

[Source: Visordown]

Showdown: Rossi versus Alonso, winner wears red originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harrington's half-size classics to start pint-sized car nuts early

Dan Roth — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Mercedes-Benz, Toys/Games

Harrington Group's replica Mercedes-Benz 300SL - Click above for image gallery

Want your little car nut to stand out from the neighborhood pack of wheeled terrors? Go for one of these fantastic looking half-scale classics from the Vietnam-headquartered Harrington Group, and wave goodbye to mediocre renditions of roadgoing vehicles as little Bobby (or Bobbie) cruises in style. These replicas use composite for both the body and chassis, and the detailing is good enough that they look convincingly like the real thing. Until, that is, someone steps into the picture and you get a scale reference. The company claims to have distributors in the U.S. and U.K., as well as Canada and the Netherlands.

A range of gasoline engines brings real internal combustion thunder and the sweet smell of exhaust to the party. Engines start at 50cc and can go all the way up to a terrifyingly irresponsible racing kart unit. Automatic and manual transmissions are available and there is enough room for adults to ride along with their six-year-old and up progeny. Seats and pedals adjust, too, so when Junior is asleep, you can sneak out for a spin without feeling like a circus bear riding a tricycle.

Interestingly, Harrington Group also makes restoration products for real classic cars, including stainless steel reproduction bumpers and interiors for the Volkswagen Beetle, Citroen 2CV and BMW Isetta.

Fisher Price's Power Wheels are extravagant enough that there's a healthy trade in used battery-powered backyard buggies. Harrington has yet to respond to an Autoblog request for pricing information, but these cars are likely to be significantly north of the $250-$400 you'll spend on a tricked out Power Wheels at the local big box store. Available models are Porsche 356, Mercedes-Benz 300SL, Jaguar E-Type, Willys Jeep, and Bugatti T35, along with mini scooters that ape Vespas of yore. Put one of these under the tree this (fast approaching) Christmas, and you'll see what the face of bliss looks like. Thanks for the tips, all!

Gallery: Harrington Group's Children's Cars

[Source: Harrington Group]

Harrington's half-size classics to start pint-sized car nuts early originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Karting comes to Gran Turismo 5

Zach Bowman — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Videos, Toys/Games

Karting in Gran Turismo 5 - Click above to watch video after the jump

Despite our best efforts, we're getting pretty excited about the arrival of Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 5. After suffering through years of the company (and the interwebs at large) crying wolf with launch dates, it appears as if we may finally have the game in our hands by the end of this year. There's also some word that the release will coincide with the second coming of various deities. By now, chances are you've heard all about the new race modes available with the next chapter in the simulator franchise, including the addition of NASCAR, but here's one that took us by surprise.

A video has just recently cropped up on YouTube showing what appears to be a kart race in GT5. We haven't heard one way or the other whether we'll be able to slide a shifter through the corners of our favorite Gran Turismo tracks or if this was just some sort of one-off ditty built for a demonstration. That doesn't stop us from hoping for the former, though. Hit the jump to see the video for yourself.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Karting comes to Gran Turismo 5

Video: Karting comes to Gran Turismo 5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari's 11-year-old wunderkind beats F1 driver in karting competition

Noah Joseph — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari

Lance Stroll in the Ferrari karting challenge, Montreal - Click above or below for high-res image gallery

Montreal has some great karting tracks. The French-Canadian metropolis, after all, is a veritable motorsport mecca, playing host to Formula One (among other series) on a more regular basis than any other city in North America. So it should come as no surprise that, while Ferrari was in town for the Canadian Grand Prix last week, they took the whole team out to one such facility for some suitable R&R.

Among those participating were the team's star drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, along with Lance Stroll, the 11-year-old kid the team had signed to a driver development program the day before. So how did the young prodigy fare against the seasoned veterans? Well, after beating out the rest of the team personnel (including, we'd assume, at least one of the Scuderia's many test drivers), Stroll finished second in the ranks, beating out one of the grand prix drivers.

Ferrari, somewhat understandably, isn't saying which - Alonso or Massa - Stroll defeated in the friendly competition, but given that Massa is still an avid karter, we'd suspect it was Alonso. It's worth noting that with his more relevant experience and lower body weight, the young Stroll had a bit of an advantage. But any way you cut it, that's some fine work. Official announcement after the jump.

Gallery: Ferrari karting challenge, Montreal, June 2010

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari's 11-year-old wunderkind beats F1 driver in karting competition

Ferrari's 11-year-old wunderkind beats F1 driver in karting competition originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari signs 11-year-old to development program, renews Massa contract

Noah Joseph — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:21:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ferrari, Canada

We don't know about you, but when we were 11 years old, most of us here at Autoblog were dreaming about one day driving a Ferrari. Never in our wildest dreams could never have imagined being signed to a contract with the Scuderia. Not at that age, anyway. But that's exactly what's happened for Lance Stroll.

An eleven-year-old racing prodigy from Montreal, Stroll has already been kickin' butt and taking names in pro karting series at home and around the world. He's won several karting races and titles, and was named Rookie of the Year and then Driver of the Year by the Fedération Sport Automobile du Quebec. Not bad for a kid who hasn't even reached his Bar Mitzvah yet.

As part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, Stroll will be joining a rapidly growing roster of older drivers - including several European feeder formula champs - being supported by Maranello in their budding careers. Stroll's contract was announced in the ramp-up to the Canadian Grand Prix which returns to his home town of Montreal this weekend.

Against the backdrop of aspiring drivers being recruited by Formula One teams at decreasing ages, Ferrari's program was launched after Felipe Massa was sidelined last season and the team struggled to find a suitable replacement. Massa's contract, incidentally, was also officially renewed for another couple of seasons, confirming earlier reports. Both announcements can be found after the jump.

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari signs 11-year-old to development program, renews Massa contract

Ferrari signs 11-year-old to development program, renews Massa contract originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cornell's SAE Baja buggy helps us get even with would-be alma mater

Tim Stevens — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

Cornell's SAE Baja Buggy - Click above for high-res image gallery

How much horsepower do you need to have fun in a car? More is usually better, but sometimes less is okay too. Sometimes even none is enough - if you have gravity on your side. When you're running off-road through mud, rocks, up hills, crashing off of whoops and flying over jumps, you certainly can't rely on the attraction of physical bodies to get you around the course. You need power. Cornell's Baja SAE buggy admittedly doesn't have much, driven by a lowly 10-hp Briggs & Stratton that wouldn't look out of place on a lawnmower. This most certainly is not a lawnmower.

Cornell's team of students past and present have built an impressive chariot to cradle that engine and a driver. CAD modeled, CNC hewn and carbon fiber-skinned, nearly everything on the kart is a one-off created by the sort of technology that drives Formula One. When an offer came in to come drive the thing, we jumped right in - right in to a mudbath as it turned out. Won't you join us?

Gallery: Cornell's SAE Baja buggy tour and test drive

Continue reading Cornell's SAE Baja buggy helps us get even with would-be alma mater

Cornell's SAE Baja buggy helps us get even with would-be alma mater originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Introduction to Karting - Part 7

Tim Stevens — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

WRAPPING UP

The leaves have long-since changed and most have fallen off. There's a chill in the air and the odd snowflake, too. The summer motorsports season is at an end, and it's time to think about putting everything into stasis for the winter. With a kart, this requires a bit of work: freezing temperatures and race hardware don't tend to get along. But, even if you have a spacious, heated garage there's still some prep-work and general maintenance you should know how to do. In this final installment of An Introduction to Karting we'll walk you through tearing down and cleaning the kart, answer some questions received from readers, and mix in a little more race footage from the final event of the year.

Continue reading Introduction to Karting - Part 7

Introduction to Karting - Part 7 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Introduction to Karting - Part 4

Tim Stevens — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS

If you have the money, there's nothing like a sweet, freshly painted beauty that's been buffed, shined, and carefully assembled by the skilled hands at your local kart shop. It only came out of its box thanks to a check you signed, the first time it hits the track will be with your rump in the seat, and the first time it gets spun into the kitty litter it'll be due to your lack of grip/road/talent. Unfortunately, not everybody has the bank account for that, having to do a little extra work themselves to get onto the track. That's us.

If you've been following along in our An Introduction to Karting series then you learned a bit about the sport, came along with us to driving school, and most recently got a strong a dose of budgetary reality. Now it's time to find a kart. Read on to find out where to look, what to look for, and how to get it ready to race.

Continue reading Introduction to Karting - Part 4

Introduction to Karting - Part 4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Introduction to Karting - Part 2

Tim Stevens — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

RENT YOUR WAY TO GLORY

Welcome to the second installment of our Introduction to Karting series. Hopefully the first piece piqued your interest with tales of tiny machines pulling 3 g in the corners then hitting 60 in under three seconds on their way up to over 140 MPH. (Well over, as it turns out; one commenter indicated he hit an indicated 156 this season.) That kind of performance is unequaled outside of top-level formula motorsport, yet is available to anyone with some disposable income and a passion for going quick.

However, karting isn't for everyone so suitably endowed. The physical demands placed on a kart racer are hard to comprehend until you're in a fast turn, holding your breath because you can't inhale, feeling like your head is going to fly off and land somewhere in the pits. Chances are it won't, but whether or not you can withstand that while maintaining a good racing line and keeping an eye on a swarm of opponents is an important thing to find out before breaking out the charge card. The best way is, of course, to try it, and given the big up-front cost to buy a kart, a rental is the way to go.

To get our first real experience we signed up for an afternoon's racing school. We walked the track, worked with multiple instructors, got a lot of advice, had an impromptu race, and stuck it out for way more seat time than was probably advisable for a newbie. How'd we do? Read on to find out, and see some videos of our on (and, occasionally, off) track antics.

Continue reading Introduction to Karting - Part 2

Introduction to Karting - Part 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:58:00 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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KubiKart: F1 driver teams up with Birel for custom line of karts

Noah Joseph — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Celebrities

Click above for a gallery of Kubica's karts

If you want to be world champion, especially a multiple world champion, you're going to need your own line of karts. Schumacher has one. So does Alonso. They've both won the F1 title multiple times, and Robert Kubica would undoubtedly like to join their ranks, so he's teamed up with Italian kart-makers Birel to offer his own special line of equipment.

Early in his career, the Polish driver was the official pilot for the Birel factory team, which gave him his leg up into the world of motor racing. He's come a long way since, climbing all the way up to Formula One with a shot at winning the title one day, but fast as he is, he's not so quick to abandon his roots. To that end, he's both launching his own RK karting line with Birel, and managing a team of aspiring drivers in the top level of world karting competition. We're sure to see some serious up-and-coming talent rising out of the initiative, but by then Kubica hopes to have made his mark in Formula One. Follow the jump for the full press release, and check out the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Birel RK karts by Robert Kubica

[Source: Birel]

Continue reading KubiKart: F1 driver teams up with Birel for custom line of karts

KubiKart: F1 driver teams up with Birel for custom line of karts originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay find of the day: Jet-engined go kart (w/ videos)

Alex Nunez — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 18:52:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Click image for gallery

Wanna make a wheeled vehicle more interesting? Affix a jet engine to it. And that's just what the owner of the go-kart you see above did. Powering the kart is a mil-spec JFS-100 engine -- the type used as a starter (JFS = jet fuel starter) for the larger main engines on aircraft such as the A7 Corsair attack plane. In addition to the jet engine, the kart's got a push-button afterburner setup that ups the ante by creating "extra thrust, noise, and spectacular fire and smoke effects." Cool!

Instruments include an EGT gauge and an RPM Meter, all neatly organized in front of the driver. There are no hard performance numbers for this little missile, but we'll assume it's plenty fast, and the owner says that it's stable at speed and handles exceptionally well. If you're able to arrange for local pickup in Inverness, UK, it can be yours, too. The bidding opens at £5,000.

UPDATE: Videos added after the jump

[Source: eBay UK via Engadget]

Gallery: Jet-Powered Go Kart

Continue reading eBay find of the day: Jet-engined go kart (w/ videos)

eBay find of the day: Jet-engined go kart (w/ videos) originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Jun 2007 18:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Davidkart vs. Goliath GTR

Noah Joseph — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Videos

What's faster, a kart or a Viper? That's the question Nurburgring wunderfrau Sabine Schmidt asked and answered in this ten-minute segment on her German television show DMAX. (You remember Sabine... she's the girl who dragged Clarkson's sorry old ass around the 'Ring in a diesel Jag.)

To make the plum even sweeter, we're not talking about any ordinary Viper or any ordinary kart here. The Viper is the GTR race version based on the first-generation super-snake, and the kart, as far as we can gather (we've yet to launch Autoblog German) is one beast of a suped-up shifter kart with a 164-hp 1100cc motorbike engine.

No contest, you say? The Viper'll win it hands down? Not so fast (no pun intended). Power-to-weight is the name of the game, and even with a quarter the power, the kart doesn't weigh nearly as much as the big American muscle. It's a close race... you'll have to watch to see which crosses the finish line first. Blitzschnell!

[Source: 0-60mag.com via Motorpasion]

VIDEO: Davidkart vs. Goliath GTR originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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