Ben Dodds
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Homepage: http://www.influx.co.uk
Posts by Ben Dodds
Big Cat Back in Le Mans
Feb 5th
Jaguar are celebrating 75 years on road and track with a return to the Le Mans 24 hour race, the British marque are entering with the GT2 class XKR.
Recently I saw Paul Gentilozzi’s XKR racer at the Autosport International Show, and people say the XKR GT2 will bear a strong resemblance although the livery may change.
The big cat have a great pedigree in this race, starting with the C-Type that won on it’s first entry in 1951 and then again in 1953. Since then they have won another 5 times, the 4th highest win count of any make.
The big cat have a great pedigree in this race, starting with the C-Type that won on it’s first entry in 1951 and then again in 1953. Since then they have won another 5 times, the 4th highest win count of any make.
The beautiful Jaguar D-Type won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1955, ’56 and ’57.
This, the Jaguar XJR-9LM, was a V12 powered Group C car that won the race in 1988. Here’s hoping the JaguarRSR XKR will do well enough in the GT2 class that a bigger, fiercer cat will enter the GT1 or LMP1 race very soon…
Big Cat Back in Le Mans
Feb 5th
Jaguar are celebrating 75 years on road and track with a return to the Le Mans 24 hour race, the British marque are entering with the GT2 class XKR.
Recently I saw Paul Gentilozzi’s XKR racer at the Autosport International Show, and people say the XKR GT2 will bear a strong resemblance although the livery may change.
The big cat have a great pedigree in this race, starting with the C-Type that won on it’s first entry in 1951 and then again in 1953. Since then they have won another 5 times, the 4th highest win count of any make.
The big cat have a great pedigree in this race, starting with the C-Type that won on it’s first entry in 1951 and then again in 1953. Since then they have won another 5 times, the 4th highest win count of any make.The beautiful Jaguar D-Type won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1955, ’56 and ’57.This, the Jaguar XJR-9LM, was a V12 powered Group C car that won the race in 1988. Here’s hoping the JaguarRSR XKR will do well enough in the GT2 class that a bigger, fiercer cat will enter the GT1 or LMP1 race very soon…
My Pics from PH and Autosport International
Jan 18th
As many of you will know, it was the Autosport International Show this weekend. I just thought I would touch on David’s previous post with some of my favourite road worthy cars from the show.
Ferrari California
This was the first time I’d seen the California up close and it is astonishingly beautiful. The 2+2 GT has a 454hp front mid-mounted 4.3L V8 that storms from 0-62mph in under 4 seconds. There are a few firsts for the prancing horse as well with this model, the first to feature that mid-front engine, the first to feature the 7-speed dual clutch transmission, the first with direct petrol injection and the first with a folding metal roof. Ferrari’s line up is growing on my each day with the 599, the 458 Italia and this, I truly am California dreaming…
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
I was first interested in the 8C when I saw this picture! There’s not much to say about the 8C other than it has searing performance and it looks great. Alfa have really showed they can play with the other Italian supercar big dogs, the 4.7L V8 launches it from 0-62 in 4.5 seconds and it’ll top out at 190mph. The only problem is the £100,00O price tag and the fact only 500 were built. If you are able to get your hands on one though, I would do it!
Noble M600
The £200,000 Noble M600 has been described as the most exciting British spots car for a generation. It is sensationally quick, 0-62mph in 3 seconds flat and 100mph in 3 seconds more. It has a suspected top speed of 225mph and has a better power to weight ratio than the Veyron, need I say more… Oh! I’m also a fan of the powder blue.
Jaguar XFR
I’ve got a lot of time for this car, I liked the XF when it came out so naturally the 503hp supercharged version has tickled my fancy. I like the interior of the XF as well, starting with the pulsating red start button, the sleek metal centre console and the bathing of blue light during darkness. Despite being the cheapest on the list so far by a long way at just under £60,000, it still has a 0-62mph time of 4.9 seconds and a blistering mid-range pace.
Lotus Evora Cup
OK so this isn’t quite road worthy but I had to use this picture of the Evora Cup to demonstrate my love for the Evora. When I first saw the Evora I wasn’t sold but now I’ve seen it in the metal I think it is an absolutely brilliant car. At just under the XFR at 45-50k with the same 0-62mph time I think this is a bargain supercar. Influx have recently included it as a future classic, and I totally agree.
Lexus LFA
At the other end of the pricing spectrum from the Evora and the XFR, here’s the Lexus LFA. Now I’m not sold on the LFA, sure it’s quite a nice looking and ridiculously fast supercar but how does it warrant the £350,000 price tag?! There is one thing I will give it though, it has an incredible F1 inspired engine induction/ exhaust noise, check it out here. Still… give me a California or an Evora any day!
My Pics from PH and Autosport International
Jan 18th
As many of you will know, it was the Autosport International Show this weekend. I just thought I would touch on David’s previous post with some of my favourite road worthy cars from the show.
Ferrari CaliforniaThis was the first time I’d seen the California up close and it is astonishingly beautiful. The 2+2 GT has a 454hp front mid-mounted 4.3L V8 that storms from 0-62mph in under 4 seconds. There are a few firsts for the prancing horse as well with this model, the first to feature that mid-front engine, the first to feature the 7-speed dual clutch transmission, the first with direct petrol injection and the first with a folding metal roof. Ferrari’s line up is growing on my each day with the 599, the 458 Italia and this, I truly am California dreaming…
Alfa Romeo 8C CompetizioneI was first interested in the 8C when I saw this picture! There’s not much to say about the 8C other than it has searing performance and it looks great. Alfa have really showed they can play with the other Italian supercar big dogs, the 4.7L V8 launches it from 0-62 in 4.5 seconds and it’ll top out at 190mph. The only problem is the £100,00O price tag and the fact only 500 were built. If you are able to get your hands on one though, I would do it!
Noble M600The £200,000 Noble M600 has been described as the most exciting British spots car for a generation. It is sensationally quick, 0-62mph in 3 seconds flat and 100mph in 3 seconds more. It has a suspected top speed of 225mph and has a better power to weight ratio than the Veyron, need I say more… Oh! I’m also a fan of the powder blue.
Jaguar XFRI’ve got a lot of time for this car, I liked the XF when it came out so naturally the 503hp supercharged version has tickled my fancy. I like the interior of the XF as well, starting with the pulsating red start button, the sleek metal centre console and the bathing of blue light during darkness. Despite being the cheapest on the list so far by a long way at just under £60,000, it still has a 0-62mph time of 4.9 seconds and a blistering mid-range pace.
Lotus Evora CupOK so this isn’t quite road worthy but I had to use this picture of the Evora Cup to demonstrate my love for the Evora. When I first saw the Evora I wasn’t sold but now I’ve seen it in the metal I think it is an absolutely brilliant car. At just under the XFR at 45-50k with the same 0-62mph time I think this is a bargain supercar. Influx have recently included it as a future classic, and I totally agree.
Lexus LFAAt the other end of the pricing spectrum from the Evora and the XFR, here’s the Lexus LFA. Now I’m not sold on the LFA, sure it’s quite a nice looking and ridiculously fast supercar but how does it warrant the £350,000 price tag?! There is one thing I will give it though, it has an incredible F1 inspired engine induction/ exhaust noise, check it out here. Still… give me a California or an Evora any day!
Panamera’s Family Tree
Dec 7th
A post on Influx recently is all about the Porsche Panamera, and how it might not be deserving of all the bad press it’s had recently. Whether you like the Panamera or not, one thing that is undeniably cool is the new american advert for the Porsche 4-seater.
Check it out, it has 50 of the most iconic road and track Porsche’s history has to offer… and despite the CGI graphics, this was really done!
The Italian Job
Nov 24th
When I say the Italian Job, most people think of Michael Cain, Mini’s and some breathtaking Italian scenery… Well this Italian Job has two thirds of those, it is a Mini car rally raising money for children’s charities. This Italian Job is a 10 day navigation time trial through various Italian cities that are featured in the film of the same name (original not the 2003 remake). The event has been running for 20 years and has raised well over £20 million for children’s charity KidsOut.
The 2009 Italian Job event saw over 200 Mini drivers and navigators, one of which was an Adrian Flux customer, Anthony Suckling, accompanied by his son and the Mini’s owner James. In return for sponsorship, the Mini was branded up with Adrian Flux stickers which you’ll be able to see below…
Anthony and James managed to raise a brilliant £2500 for KidsOut and came 13th out of 60 in the navigation rally, in their first attempt at the event. The 2009 rally managed to raise between £200,000 and £250,000. Anthony also told us that this provided many ‘money-can’t-buy’ moments, like driving around the old banked track at Monza.
The website says that ‘The event gives the opportunity to make new friends, explore new places and improve your driving/navigational skills. It’s about visiting off the beaten track places in your fantastic Minis and of course it’s a fun way to raise money for a really good cause!’
So I suggest if you have an old Mini and a spare couple of weeks in late October, you should really give this rally a go!
Road Trains
Nov 9th
It’s been in the news today that technology that will enable cars to travel in a ‘road train’, driving themselves. An EU project called SATRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) are set to develop and test a way of having up to eight vehicles travel together in a ‘platoon’.
The platoon is controlled autonomously by a professional driver in the lead car, who will monitor the status of the road train. This will allow the driver to take their hands off the wheel, so they can read, watch tele or use the phone. The road trains will be active, so drivers can join and leave whenever they want. If a driver wants to leave the train, they signal their intention to the lead driver and a bigger gap will be made to allow the car to leave.
This shows the third car leaving the train, the back three move forward closing the gap.SATRE are hoping this will be fairly inexpensive, vehicles will need to be equipped with a navigation system and a transmitter/receiver that will communicate with the lead vehicle, there will also need to be sensors linking up all the motorways. Road Trains are hoped to cut fuel consumption by up to 20%, journey times, congestion and reduce the amount of accidents.
A Load of Scrap!
Nov 4th
Although the scrappage scheme is mainly a good thing, people are buying new cars, there’s plenty of scrap metal around… One problem is that I can see a lot of nice cars, and potential classics being scrapped in favour of shiny new models. I had a trawl through a certain well known private car selling site and looked for any cars I could buy for under £2000, the minimum you’ll get on a scrappage deal. Here is a list of some of my favourite findings that could be in serious danger of becoming scrap metal:
1997 Alfa Romeo Spider Convertible
This car is simply beautiful! It has gorgeous curves, a good interior and a very reasonable 2.0 L engine with close to 150hp… and best of all, unlike the Alfa’s you can buy today, the number plate is in a conventional and better looking place!
1996 Fiat Coupé
A stylish Italian sports coupé with a curvy body and a stylish Pininfarina interior, still looking great 16 years after its introduction. Power is very respectable throughout the range, with the top 2.0 L 20V turbo version excelling to a massive 220hp.
1991 Jaguar XJS
A great Jaguar despite being overshadowed by it’s predecessor, the E-Type and it’s successor, the XK8. It has a smooth flowing body, and the typical mix of wood and leather interior typical of a Jag. Although sales struggled initially, it has become ever more popular with age and has matured like a fine wine. Although the economy is poor to say the least, about 10mpg in the earlier models, this car should be treasured.
1998 Rover Mini
There isn’t really much to say about saving the Rover Mini. This is one of the greatest stories in British engineering and it is sad to see the Mini being scrapped. A similar scheme in Italy saw thousands of Innocenti Mini’s being scrapped, we’ve got to hope that doesn’t happen here!
1990 BMW 3 Series (E30)
This is one of my favourites from the list, I love the E30. Altough there were plenty of E36‘s and a few E46‘s for under 2k, but I would be very sad if this car was scrapped. The M3 E30 is the real classic and anyone that scraps one of the those should be strung up, these great looking 3-Series also deserve to be savoured.
1992 Mitsubishi GTO
The GTO is a technically advanced Japanese sports coupe, and was created to rival the Nissan Skyline, Mazda RX-7 and Toyota Supra. With a 3.0 L V6 with 290hp in top spec and all-wheel drive, this car is undeniably fun. I would have thought that the only way this car would be scrapped is because it was wrapped around a tree, but there were loads of GTO’s available for less than the 2k mark, sad isn’t it?
1996 Mazda MX-5
My last choice is the MX-5, for simple reasons. It’s fun, nippy, cheap to run and you can even feel the wind in your hair! A real contender to be a true classic in years to come, unless of course they all get turned into little metal cubes like that poor little car in the advert!
Feel free to give me some of your suggestions…
Ich bin ein Frankfurter
Sep 24th
As you might know all the recent automotive news in coming from the Frankfurt motor show, so I thought I would share with you my highlights.
Maserati GranCabrio
I know I blogged about it not very long ago, but how good does it look in real life?
Citroën REVOLTe
This cool quirky looking concept bears more than a passing resemblance to the iconic 2CV. The interior is also very interesting with this concept, with woven black leather, crimson velvet and aluminium. Rumours are a toned down version of this baby town car is set for production.
Ferrari 458 Italia
One of the most hyped up cars has been the Ferrari 458 Italia. Personally I’m reserved about some styling points, I think the bonnet looks like it doesn’t fit to the headlights properly and I’m not keen on the sticky out rear lights. There are two things I love about it however, the gorgeous shape, especially the rear, and this incredible video:
Audi R8 V10 5.2 V10
Most cars look stupid with overuse of chrome, very few can get away with being totally chrome – although I think the Audi R8 pulls it off big time!
Lamborghini Reventon Roadster
Ok so you can’t really see the Reventon, but I think this Lambo frauline offers way more in the way of eye-candy.
Thanks to autoblog for the pics!
GranCabrio Set for Frankfurt
Aug 27th
Maserati have announced that the GranCabrio, the convertible version of the GranTurismo, will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 15th.
The GranCabrio will be the third prong in the trident carmakers line-up, the first open top four-seater in Maserati’s history. This car has breathtaking styling, developed by the well known Italian design firm Pininfarina, also responsible for the Ferrari Enzo, the Alfa Brera and the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti – need I say more!
If that wasn’t enough for you, the GranCabrio will use the 433 hp 4.7 l V8 lump from the GranTurismo S, although might be slightly slower due to the added weight from the extra bracing. Although performance figures haven’t been released yet, expect a 0-60 time of around 5.5 secs and a top speed of 180 mph.
The car will go on sale from early next year and unfortunately if I ‘ve got you excited you will have to part with around £90,000 to own one!
Also debuting at Frankfurt will be another gorgeous Pininfarina designed Italian supercar.
This will be the new offering from Ferrari, the 458 Italia their F430 replacement. This mid-engined beast will have a direct-injected 4.5 l V8 that blasts out 562 horsepower!
Keep your eyes peeled to Influx this month as next week the Italia theme will be launched.
I’m now off to book a flight to Frankfurt… Ciao Bella!