Tags: Bobby Rahal / C111 wankel / Concours / Ferrari / Isotta-Frachini / Jaguar XK120 / Laguna Seca / Lotus / Mercedes-Benz / Monterey / Pebble Beach / Rolex Cosmograph Daytona / Shelby GT350 Mustang / Stuart Schorr / Vignale

PEBBLE BEACH 2015: SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS!

- Senin, 17 Agustus 2015 No Comments

Staged on the scenic fairway of the 18th hole of the Pebble Beach Golf Links, the grand finale of the Monterey Classic Car Week - the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance - hosted 200 outstanding collector cars.

After another scorching day at one of the most sunny Monterey Weeks of recent years, the Concours judges finally delivered their verdict on the coveted ‘Best of Show': the ‘24 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A owned by Jim Patterson of Louisville, Kentucky took the top award.



This beautiful classic was acquired by Carrosserie Worblaufen, Switzerland, around 1931 and used as the basis for a Sport Cabriolet they had planned for the long-wheelbase chassis. The result was displayed at the 1933 Geneva Motor Show after which it won the Grand-Prix d’Honneur in Cannes in 1933. The well-balanced proportions of the chassis, with its long hood and low windshield, belie its true size. It gives the appearance of a close-coupled body on the long wheelbase, enhanced by the dual rear-mounted spare wheels. This magnificent car has had only four owners since new; it lived a quiet life in Switzerland and France before being shipped to North America in 2014.

Among the stunning automotive treasures on display on the 18th fairway were precious examples of motoring history: Alfa Romeo to Talbot-Lago, plus a special celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Shelby GT350 Mustang. The iconic early-1970s orange Mercedes-Benz Gullwing C111, originally built to test a Rotary (Wankel) engine, was a consistent head-turner surrounded by rare grand classics. Industry public relations executive Stuart Schorr, above, found it to be one of the most appealing cars on display.

One of the outstanding stories of motoring collaborations involves the creation of the Shelby American version of the Ford Mustang. When Ford asked Carroll Shelby in the early-mid 1960s to look at creating a performance version of the Mustang, no one expected the results to be an automotive legend. The Shelby Mustang GT350, launched in 1965, became an iconic game-changer for the Mustang on the street and racetrack.



Of the five immaculate ‘65 Shelby GT350s on display at the Concours (plus three 1966 models), one was entered by a racing legend: Bobby Rahal. The three-times CART Champion acquired the car after it had been left in a field for 27 years. After a two-year restoration, the 289/305 Mustang is now back in its glorious original state.

Following the Concours win of a Ferrari in 2014 – a ‘54 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe belonging to Jon Shirley – the organizers had planned a feature display for the ‘Prancing Horse’ marque in 2015.

Among the stunning, mostly red, Prancing Horse displays, is a particularly interesting former racecar - once driven by Mike Hawthorn. The ‘53 Ferrari 250 MM Vignale Spyder is now owned by Kurt A. Engelhorn who has great joy in entering historic rallies and races, including here at Laguna Seca. “The car was restored before I bought it, but it is very driveable and a great deal of fun,” said the owner who lives in Switzerland.



For Mr Engelhorn, classic cars have been a passion for some twenty years and his collection is varied from a Lotus 7 to the Jaguar XK120 that broke a record in Belgium on the Jabbeke Highway in 1953 in the hands of the company’s Chief Test Engineer, Norman Dewis. The car achieved a remarkable speed for what was essentially a production car, of 172.4 mph (277.4 kph).

“Next year I hope to return to Pebble Beach with an original Ford GT40 which is currently under restoration” he continued. “Pebble Beach is a very beautiful event for me and my wife comes with me as she loves to play golf.”


For the many thousands of visitors to have taken part in the very special occasions that make up the Monterey Classic Car Week, 2015 will go down in history as the best yet. Another measure of its success is the prospect of raising some two million dollars for local charities, a figure that is nearly double that of past years.

 Sam & Emily Mann's '37 Delahaye 145 Franay Cabriolet, above, thrilled spectators and judges alike. As the Official Timepiece of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Rolex maintains its shared motivation: a passion for endurance, innovation and tradition, with total success.



For more information about Pebble Beach and other Rolex-sponsored events during Monterey Classic Car Week, please visit  http://caracingnews.com/gallery.aspx?eid=356&year=2015&clid=0&ctid=100

Tags: Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge / Dave Pericak / Flat-crank V-8 / IMSA / Multimatic Motorsports / Mustang / Shelby GT350 Mustang / Shelby GT350R / Shelby Mustang

SHELBY GT350R-C: GT350R MUSTANG REDUX!

- Rabu, 24 Juni 2015 No Comments

There’s no mistaking the wicked sound or aggressive looks of the all-new Shelby 

GT350R-C that Ford announced today would see its first official track time at 

Watkins Glen this weekend.

Ford Shelby GT350R-C, the competition version of the reincarnated icon, will compete in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, a showdown of the most popular – and accessible – performance cars from around the world. The GT350R production car was unveiled in January. Since its introduction, enthusiasts have eagerly awaited the debut of a racing version.

"Like so many Mustangs before it, the Shelby GT350R is a car born to race,” said Dave Pericak, director, Global Ford Performance. “We’re taking it to the track as the GT350R-C and we’re ready to see what it can do against the best competition in the world.”



Both production, right & below, and racecar versions feature the first-ever production car V8 from Ford with a flat-plane crankshaft. This unique layout – typically reserved for the world’s most exotic sports cars – helped create the most powerful naturally aspirated engine Ford has ever produced.



The race car features an adapted version of the advanced, fully independent suspension from GT350R – fitted with revised spring rates and antiroll bars, lower ride height, unique track-tuned alignment settings, revised bushings and cross-axis ball joints in the front.



Longtime Ford partner Multimatic Motorsports, designated constructor of the new Ford GT, will manage the race team. The squad will field drivers Billy Johnson, Scott Maxwell, Austin Cindric and Jade Buford for the GT350R-C debut at Watkins Glen.

“Ford is committed to the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and we’re very happy to be campaigning its product here,” said Larry Holt, team principal, Multimatic Motorsports. “We like the endurance format, and the racing is always intense. Strategy plays a big role; the cars must be fast and reliable, and there are always at least 10 contenders running door-to-door for two and a half hours. It is the perfect home for the GT350R-C.”

“American muscle cars have a storied history in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, and we eagerly anticipate the start of a new chapter with introduction of the Shelby GT350R-C,” said Scott Atherton, president of IMSA. “Mustang has earned icon status through its racing heritage going back to the competition Mustangs of the 1960s, and this new race car will undoubtedly add to the legend.”



For complete details, please visit http://racing.ford.com/series/more-racing/news/articles/2015/01/shelby-gt350r-mustang--the-most-track-capable-production-mustang.html

Tags: '15 Mustang GT350 / Carroll Shelby / Ford Racing / Mustang Racing Legends / SCCA / Shelby American / Shelby GT350 Mustang / Shelby GT350R

’15 SHELBY MUSTANG: ‘R’ IS FOR RACING!

- Selasa, 28 April 2015 No Comments

Ford pays tribute to Carroll Shelby’s original GT350 Mustang and builds 37 track-ready competition GT350R models.

The original ’65 Shelby GT350 and GT350R, above, established Mustang’s performance cred on racetracks around the world. The all-new Shelby GT350, featuring the most powerful naturally aspirated Ford production engine ever, re-establishes Mustang as a world-class sports car. Only 100 Shelby GT350s will feature a 2015 model year designation before production switches over to 2016. Of these, 50 will be equipped with the Technology Package and 50 equipped with the Track Package.

“Fans of the Shelby brand are among the most passionate in the automotive industry,” said Henry Ford III, Ford Performance marketing manager. “To honor the passion of our fans for Shelby GT350’s 50th anniversary, a limited run of GT350 models will be built in 2015; these cars will be highly coveted by both Mustang and Shelby enthusiasts alike.”

In 1965, Carroll Shelby, above, with '66 GT350 Mustang and 427 Cobra, developed and sold an FIA-homologated  GT350R competition model. This race-ready Mustang took to tracks around the world, competing in the most prestigious races and against the stiffest competition there was. In addition to winning the Sports Car Club of America’s B/Production national championship in 1965, 1966 and 1967, the car entered races throughout South America and Europe, including the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans.



There is heated debate among Shelby enthusiasts over how many ‘65 GT350Rs were originally built. While Carroll Shelby insisted two prototype cars and 35 production models were built, most records show only 34 production models received serial numbers. For 2015, Ford will make sure there is no confusion about the number of GT350R models constructed; 37 cars will be built in Carroll Shelby’s memory.



For more information on the latest Ford vehicles, please visit http://www.ford.com/new-cars/

Tags: Carroll Shelby / Ford / Mustang / Shelby American / Shelby GT350 Mustang

2015 SHELBY GT350 MUSTANG: LEGEND RETURNS!

- Senin, 17 November 2014 No Comments

All new GT350 Mustang comes standard with 500-plus horsepower V8, the most powerful naturally aspirated Ford production engine ever.

The original Shelby GT350 introduced in 1965 established Mustang’s performance credentials on the street and road racing circuits worldwide. It builds on Carroll Shelby’s original idea – transforming a great every-day car into a dominant road racer – by taking advantage of a dramatically improved sixth-generation Mustang to create a truly special high-performance car.

Ford engineers took an innovative approach with the GT350. Rather than develop individual systems to perform well independently, every component and shape is optimized to work in concert; balance is the key.



“When we started working on this car, we wanted to build the best possible Mustang for the places we most love to drive – challenging back roads with a variety of corners and elevation changes – and the track on weekends,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “Every change we made to this car was driven by the functional requirements of a powerful, responsive powerplant – nimble, precise handling and massive stopping power.”

Early in development of the GT350, it was decided a high-revving, naturally aspirated V8 engine would best suit a track-focused Mustang.



“The final product is essentially an all-new powerplant unique to GT350 – and one that takes true advantage of the new chassis dynamics of the Mustang platform,” said Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Global Performance Vehicles.

Powering the GT350 is a 5.2-liter engine, the first-ever production V8 from Ford with a flat-plane crankshaft, an architecture typically found only in racing applications or exotic European sports cars. Unlike a traditional V8, where the connecting rods are attached to the crankshaft at 90-degree intervals, this design evenly spaces all crank pins at 180-degree intervals. The 180-degree, flat-plane layout permits a cylinder firing order that alternates between cylinder banks, reducing the overlap of exhaust pressure pulses. When combined with cylinder head and valvetrain advancements, this permits better cylinder breathing, further extending the performance envelope of the V8.



The result is the most powerful naturally aspirated production Ford engine ever, at more than 500 horsepower, with a torque peak above 400 pound-feet. The track capability is enhanced by the output characteristics of the engine – the 5.2-liter V8 features an exceptionally broad torque curve. Combined with its high-revving ability, the flat-plane 5.2-liter V8 gives drivers an enormous amount of performance and flexibility within each gear of the lightweight six-speed manual transmission. A standard Ford-tuned Torsen limited-slip differential optimizes cornering grip and straight-line traction.



The new Mustang platform is the strongest in the history of the brand, with torsional stiffness increased 28 percent over the previous model. That stiff structure ensures the suspension geometry remains consistent, even under hard driving on back roads and tracks. Front stiffness is further improved on the GT350 with a cutting-edge injection-molded carbon fiber composite grille opening and optional lightweight tower-to-tower brace. The front track has been increased while spring rates and bushings have been recalibrated all around, with ride height reduced compared to Mustang GT.

Due to the significant speeds the car can develop, the GT350 features the most track-credible brake system ever offered on a Ford vehicle in terms of absolute stopping power, fade resistance and brake pedal feel. The brakes are two-piece cross-drilled iron discs mounted to aluminum hats. At the front are massive 394-millimeter rotors clamped by Brembo six-piston fixed calipers with integrated caliper bridges, while 380-millimeter rotors at the rear utilize four-piston calipers. GT350 makes use of extra-stiff 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels – 10.5 inches wide in front, 11.0 inches in the rear – shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires with GT350-specific sidewall construction, tread face and compound.



Ultra-quick responsiveness to changing conditions is provided by the first-ever Ford application of continuously controlled MagneRide dampers. The dampers are filled with a hydraulic fluid impregnated with iron particles. When an electric current is passed through the fluid, a near-instant adjustment of the suspension performance can be made. With wheel position sensors monitoring motion thousands of times per second combined with other vehicle data, changes can be made to each corner independently every 10 milliseconds for optimum handling performance. This is a system designed not just to make the car handle better but to instill greater confidence in even the best driver.



 “Everything we changed on GT350 is purely functional-driven design, with the goal of improving the overall performance of the car,” said Chris Svensson, Ford design director, The Americas. “We optimized the aero shape of the car, and then fine-tuned what was left to increase downforce and cooling airflow.” All bodywork from the windshield forward is unique to this high-performance model and up to two inches lower than a Mustang GT.



The new aluminum hood has been lowered and sloped, compared to the base Mustang, tightly wrapped around the engine for the smallest possible aerodynamic signature. Front and rear aero elements have been balanced to work together on the track. The fascia has been sculpted to provide the aggressive lower front splitter with maximum pressure and a ducted belly pan delivers significant downforce. The hood outlet acts as a heat extractor while also reducing underhood lift at high speed.



At the rear, much of the engineering was focused on creating an aggressive functional diffuser doing double duty to increase downforce and provide cooling air to an optional differential cooler. A subtle lip spoiler across the trailing edge of the deck lid increases downforce without adding excess drag.

The athletic stance of the all-new Mustang is further accentuated with re-contoured aluminum front fenders to accommodate the wider front track and wider wheel arches. Front fender vents work with vented inner fenders to draw out turbulent air in the wheel wells and smoothly direct it down the side of the car. The forward-angled grille is designed with individual openings to draw air through the radiator, high-pressure engine air intake, cooling ducts for the front brakes and, optional with the Track Pack, an engine oil cooler and a transmission cooler.



Like everything else about GT350, the interior has been optimized for driving, beginning with the specially designed Recaro sport seats with a unique cloth. Hundreds of hours and many prototypes went into a seat that is both comfortable in daily driving and capable on the track. A flat-bottom steering wheel makes it easier for the driver to get in and out, and is more ergonomic on the racetrack. Gauges are upgraded to reflect the enormous performance capability of the car. Chrome and bright finishes have been reduced or eliminated to prevent sun glare that may distract the driver.



The advanced technology inherent to Mustang has been deployed for duty in the Shelby GT350. An all-new integrated driver control system allows selection of five unique modes that tailor ABS, stability control, traction control, steering effort, throttle mapping, MagneRide tuning and exhaust settings, depending on driver preference, to achieve maximum performance.



For more information on the latest Mustangs, please visit

http://www.ford.com/cars/mustang/