Autoblog

AB Road Trip: Crossing Mexico on the trail of La Carrera Panamericana in a Mercedes SLS AMG

Chris Paukert — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:09:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, South America

From Puebla to Oaxaca on the trail of La Carrera Panamericana in a Mercedes SLS AMG - Click above for high-res image gallery

With the increasingly well-publicized progression of drug wars, ransomings, robberies and, well, murders in Mexico, I thought it sensible to familiarize myself with the various government tourist advisory messages ahead of a trip retracing part of the route of La Carrera Panamericana, the famed Mexican road race that ran from 1950 to 1955. Regarded by many as the toughest and most dangerous race ever to take place, the perils of our run down memory lane were likely to be rather different than what was encountered in the '50s. Here are some excerpts of what we were told to expect:

o. "Toll (cuota) highways should be used whenever possible, rather than less secure free (libre) roads, where armed robberies and carjacking are more frequent."
o. "Large fire fights have taken place in many towns and cities across Mexico."
o. "U.S. citizen visitors are encouraged to stay in the well-known tourist areas."
o. "Mexican styles of driving and road safety standards are very different from those in North America. Police do not regularly patrol the highways. Be prepared for vehicles that fail to observe speed limits or indicate lane changes, and that do not stop at red lights."
o. "Thefts occur regularly. You should dress down, avoid wearing or carrying expensive jewelry, and carry only small amounts of cash... try to blend in."
o. "Be careful accepting food, drinks, invitations or rides from strangers or recent acquaintances."
o. "Road conditions vary and can be poor in some areas. Dangerous curves, poorly marked signs and construction sites, roaming livestock, slow-moving or abandoned vehicles, and other obstacles pose hazards."
o. "You are also strongly advised against borrowing a vehicle... drivers are legally responsible for their vehicle's contents, as well as for the legal status of passengers and the items carried by passengers."

Thankfully for you, dear reader, we aren't terribly proficient at heeding warnings, so a Mercedes-Benz invitation to borrow their spanking new (and clearly utterly inconspicuous) gullwing SLS AMG supercar and drive it through Mexico at a high rate of speed seemed downright reasonable and prudent. It also appeared to be an absurd amount of fun. Follow the jump to find out how it all shook out.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG La Carrera Panamericana Road Trip

Continue reading AB Road Trip: Crossing Mexico on the trail of La Carrera Panamericana in a Mercedes SLS AMG

AB Road Trip: Crossing Mexico on the trail of La Carrera Panamericana in a Mercedes SLS AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Isle of Man Austrian style: KTM joins the TT for 2010

Devon Brozek — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Motorcycle, Racing

2009 KTM RC8 R - Click above for high-res image gallery

When the first brave competitors sought glory on the Isle of Man in 1907, winning brands went by names like Matchless, Peugeot and Norton. Over one hundred years later, Austrian manufacturer KTM will take a chance to add its name to that prestigious list.

Known around the world as one of the most challenging venues on two wheels, the Isle of Man TT (tourist trophy) race is not only rich in history and heritage but also entertainment value. The 37-mile mountain course with its many real-world obstacles is not only extremely difficult but has also proved to exact high levels of concentration if competitors wish not to sacrifice man and machine to the tarmac. With straightaway speeds approaching 200 miles per hour, followed by bike launching bumps, berms and a collection of what we would call the most intimidating cobblestone walls on the planet, the Isle of Man is not for the faint of heart.

UK-based and KTM-backed Redline Motorcycles will take the flagship RC8R and pilot James Edmeades across the drink this June, marking the first time a KTM has skirted the island for competition in the Superbike, Superstock and Senior TT Races. The company hopes this orange streak will extend off the rock and legitimize the RC8's place in competitive road racing events... as well as the hearts of fans the world over. At the very least, KTM and Redline know it will be an historic occasion as they tread in the tire marks of a century's worth of dedicated enthusiasts... naturally, they just want to do their treading from the top of the leader board.

Gallery: KTM RC8 R

[Source: BBC]

Isle of Man Austrian style: KTM joins the TT for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scion to go road racing in KONI Challenge

Merritt Johnson — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Scion

Hit the image above for a high-res view

Four years after it first hit showrooms, the Scion tC will finally make a showing in a professional road racing series. And no, factory optioned and equipped vehicles being tossed around Long Beach by B-list celebrities cannot be considered professional. A tC has already been heavily modified to compete in the Formula Drift series, but the peppy compact's road race profile, outside the annual celebrity race of course, has been relatively low. This weekend though, Toyota's sporty little coupe will be moving up from amateur abuse to make its big time debut in Grand-Am's KONI Challenge Series. This week's race will take place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH and the tC will be part of the ST (Sport Touring) class.

The Scion's venture into the KONI series is being fueled by communications firm Jackson-Dawson, TRD and BGB Motorsports. Driver and team manager Dan (pronounced Don) Gardner has taken his Scion's setup through the NASA club ranks to prove its worth. Having already tackled that territory, moving onto a production-based national series is the next logical step for the team. In the KONI Challenge ST class, Dan and his tC will face formidable foes such as Mazda RX8s, BMW 330s and Acura TSXs. While Toyota may be competitive on the ovals, hopefully this one can do better on the curves than the company's F1 effort. Check out the gallery below for snap shots of the Jackson-Dawson Scion tC and hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: KONI Challenge Scion tC

[Photos: Brian Reynolds - CaliPhotography.com]

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Scion to go road racing in KONI Challenge originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dunlop Driver's Cup: Qualifying begins

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Once a year, drivers gather in a central location to test their skills in a myriad of motorized conveyances. The Dunlop Drivers Cup isn't just a day or two of on-track driving. Nor is it limited to four-wheeled vehicles. It's a five day long event that encompasses autocross, road racing, off-road driving, motocross and an ATV trek.

Drivers are selected for both their behind the wheel/handlebar skills, but also their physical prowess and the qualifying begins this September 11th. The winner of the stateside event will then move on to the Dunlop Drivers Cup World Finals sometime in 2007, where they'll compete in events across six different continents, with the final event being held in Africa.

A profile of some of the finalists can be found here, here and here, which are all definitely worth the read, especially for anyone considering entering in the 2007 event. We wish them all the best of luck on their upcoming journey and hope that Team USA trounces whomever they come up against abroad.

More information about the Cup and registration for next year's event can be found at Dunlop's website.

Click on through for some photos from last years event.

[Source: The Auto Channel]

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Dunlop Driver's Cup: Qualifying begins originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's official: Pontiac Solstice going road racing

Stuart Waterman — Wed, 03 May 2006 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, GM, Pontiac

Regular readers will remember the spy photos of a mystery Solstice hardtop we posted a month ago. Well, General Motors has made it official, the Solstice is going to compete in National-level Sports Car Club of America road racing. The Solstice racer will make its debut this weekend at the SCCA National event at New Hampshire International Speedway.

The upstart Pontiac will race in the Showroom Stock B class, alongside the Mazda Miata, BMW Z4, Acura RSX and Honda Civic.

You can get your own Solstice racer by ordering your Solstice with the Z0K Club Sport production order option package, which includes ABS, a limited-slip differential, improved power steering cooler and the FE3 suspension option (which will be standard on the Solstice GXP).

Racers will want a few extras before hitting the track, including the nifty racing-only hardtop, racing tires, rollcage, safety harness, etc.

[Source: GM]

It's official: Pontiac Solstice going road racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 May 2006 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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