Cars & Coffee – 8/6/11: Kenny from the Block

Cars & Coffee - 8/6/11 Photos

Yes, Ken Block was back at C&C today, with a whole film crew in tow, apparently shooting a series of video clips that will take them from the show to a meetup with a certain BMX racer also sponsored by Monster, to lunch, for a cruise down PCH and on to the DC store. A glance at the script had Ken using the SYNC system in his Ford, so it's quite possible we may be seeing some of this footage in a Ford ad too.



The car that Block brought this time wasn't his personal Focus RS street car, but rather his X Games-fresh Ford Fiesta RS WRC Rally, Gymkhana And RallyCross Car. The thing looks like a remote control car that's been scaled up. There is hardly anything inside it that won't contribute to gathering, managing or scrubbing speed. Block calls it his "hybrid function hoon vehicle."



According to a recent write-up on ZerCustoms, it is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo Ecoboost engine built by Pipo Moteur, which develops 600 hp and 665 lb-ft of torque. The engine sends its power to all four wheels via a Sadev 6-speed sequential transmission and an all-wheel-drive system developed by the same manufacturer. Ken's H.F.H.V. Fiesta weighs 2755 lbs and comes equipped with 355 mm Brembo WRC brake discs and 4-piston calipers, a Reiger WRC suspension system, a Cosworth engine management, a custom-built Garrett turbocharger with a 45 mm restrictor, and a dual-core intercooler.



This very special Fiesta rally car sits on 17-inch Speedline wheels with Pirelli P-Zero rallycross tires, when set for this type of racing, while Ken sits on a Recaro Ultima seat. When Ken uses his new Ford Fiesta WRC for Gymkhana, he has to adjust the dampers, spring rates and height, and put a set of 18-inch Fifteen52 tarmac wheels with Pirelli Trofeo tires. The Fiesta also gets shorter gear ratios

and an adjusted engine management map.



For stage rally, the new Fiesta WRC needs a new suspension and engine management setup, 15-inch O.Z. gravel wheels with P-Zero rally tires, 300 mm brake discs and real, functional headlights. They also have to move its radiators from the trunk to the front and to cover the side air vents.



It's really a clever design, and looks like it would be a hoot to drive. Honestly, letting Block take us for a ride would probably be even better.



While the Fiesta got the most attention, those who wandered beyond it got to see three different Lancias, a Fiat Multipla, a lightweight E-Type racer, a black Carrera GT, a Datsun 510 Wagon, Porsche 550 Spyder, some great looking BMW 3.0 CS coupes and a super widebody Camaro. Well, maybe that last ne was worth missing. Follow the link above to see the whole gallery.

Supercar Sunday - 7/31/11: Ferrari v Lamborghini upstaged by Zonda R

 

 Supercar Sunday 7/31/11 Photos

Lured by the Ferrari v Lamborghini showdown planned for this last Sunday in July, I decided it had been way too long since I had made the drive up to Woodland Hills for Supercar Sunday and got my butt outta bed for the first time in almost a year. It was a wise decision.

Not only did I get to see about 1,000 interesting collector cars on display, I also had a chance to catch up with at least a dozen friends I hadn't seen in a long time. That alone made the trip worthwhile, but the surprise unveiling of a Pagani Zonda R made it incredibly fortunate.

The Pagani Zonda needs little introduction, but these amazing boutique supercars are extremely rare here in the States. Never officially imported, a couple have found their way into private collections, and a few have been displayed at various shows and races around the country. I consider myself lucky indeed to have seen a handful of them between SEMA, SCS and Goodwood, the impression they leave in person akin to meeting Lewis Hamilton or Michael Schumacher - that sudden thrill you get from realizing you are in the presence of a legend.

Auto Gallery, who generously underwrites SCS, has been named an official Pagani dealer, allowing it the privilege to sell the Zonda's replacement, the Huayra when it goes on sale soon. As if seeing a Zonda isn't enough to make friends who weren't there hate your guts, the Zonda they helped bring to the show this weekend was actually a Zonda R, the race version that holds the lap record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife for production based cars. Its 6:47.5 time bested the Ferrari 599XX by eleven seconds and the new production car record holder the Porsche GT2 RS by...wait for it...thirty seconds.

Horacio only built a few of these race cars so not everyone will get to see one in their lifetime. Without DrivenWorld publisher and SCS organizer, Dustin Troyan, I may have missed my chance. Dusty's hard work, along with the generosity of the car's owner, Auto Gallery and Century Towing allowed me to cross another vehicle off my bucket list.

Seeing the car up close reveals why Pagani has such an aura about it. The shape is alien yet beautiful and the engineering prowess of the company is immediately evident. The carbon fiber is laid perfectly, and close inspection reveals the titanium threads woven into the cloth to add flexibility to this normally brittle substance. Every detail is not only functional, but designed in such a way that you feel there must be some artists in the engineering department. Why can't every carmaker make their vehicles this beautiful and capable?

If you click the link above to view the gallery, you'll notice that at least half of my photos are of the Zonda R, but pry yourself away from those and you'll also see why shows like Supercar Sunday are so much fun. How's this for eclectic? When was the last time you saw a Toyota Crown Deluxe coupe? Never? How about a Kurtis Kraft 500? There were at least three there today. A Ram Air GTO Judge wagon? Maybe not factory, but a really cool sight. Other rare and wonderful sightings included a Renault R5 Turbo, Ford RS200, '73 Carrera RS, Continental Mark II, Morgan Aero, Hurst Camaro, Maserati 3500GT, Riley Elf, two yellow Ultimas, three BMW Z8s, Qvale Mangusta, and a few Lamborghinis and Ferraris.



The marque of the Bull was represented by dozens of Gallardo variations, a few Murcis, a pair of Miuras and a handful of Countaches. Prancing horse lovers were treated to scores of 3X8s, Maranellos, 355s, Modenas, 430s, 458s, Stradales, Scuderias, and Testarossas. Favorites included the 330 GTS, 550 Barchetta, 575 Superamerica, and a lone F40. Not a bad turnout by any stretch of the imagination, but overcast skies and a few scattered showers may have kept some of the even more exotic stuff at home. We're not greedy though, so an F40, two Miuras and a Zonda R were just fine with me.

New Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 World Premiere Geneva 2011 - Carjam Car R

New Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 World Premiere Geneva 2011 - Carjam Car R

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Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Photo Leak Part XLVIII

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