Rob Owen
South Yorkshire, UK
- 141 comments
- 27 likes given
- 34 likes received
Car nut, motorsports fan and hopelessly under-funded track day go-er.
@Dawsaurus You just listed a whole load of subjective things about how YOU feel these super tourers are supposed to look and feel, yet claimed that someone who has a different opinion, who actually owns and has modified one to suit THEIR feelings has "ruined" the car. Don't get me wrong, I probably would never own an RS6 (if I had the money) nor would I fit 'bags to it as thats not my thing, but you can't claim they're ruined it by modifying it to their taste. Every car is compromised, FACT. Who's to say it wasn't supposed to be a super focused track car but Audi "ruined" it before it left the factory?
Great article Jonathan, really glad to see the BTCC back on Speedhunters. Are you planning on going to any other races this year? I didn't know you were covering Donnington otherwise I would have kept my eyes out for you as I was wandering the pit lines between Race 2 and 3. I even took a similar pic of the damaged Golf bumper but never saw the accident as I was down at the old hairpin!
I wasn't even aware SH had an affiliation with any of the BTCC teams until I saw the sticker on the broken bumper...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rob_owen/8720310574/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rob_owen/8720309768/
This is why I love speedhunters; the Mclaren F1 LM and a 1JZ powered Caddy, neck and neck for the lead of the poll. How's THAT for variety! Top month all round guys!
@Speed_Kiwi I'm SO glad that the 'Authopised' sign didn't just annoy me haha! Great post Jonathan, I think I'm in love with this place! I could happily do the most mundane job in the MPC just because I'd spend my day in awe of the level of detail and organisation in there.
Anyone covering the Berg Cup this year? Loved that coverage last year.
@ComJive Yep. Hi. Mostly because nobody cares about an SX4 or a Grand Vitara. Its no different to any other spaceframe or silhouette racer ever made, only this one is uglier and does a worse job of resembling the car its supposed to advertise. I'm not hating on the car or its capabilities though, just saying its a poor resemblance and looks fugly.
VAG scene is maybe something I could do. I couldn't in all honesty vote JAP as I'm already a massive fan (even if I do drive a Renaultsport). I actually think its been your posts over the last couple of days that have swung my vote Paddy. I'd always seen but never appreciated the level of perfection people strive for in this scene, I'd always seen it as all a bit flash. Lately I've tried to appreciate the engineering and the thought that goes in to the builds instead, the Milestone 71 post was great, now if only I could afford a Porsche...
@Larry Chen @BrianYoung A weird, disturbing kind of beginning...
@Larry Chen @koknyol Ha, well in that case Larry; Mission Accomplished :)
Great write up Larry. I really enjoyed watching all the coverage over here in the UK (even in the middle of the night), I can't wait for the next round! Also, I hate to be the one to say this....but... I think you may have a slightly unhealthy obsession with Ryan Tuercks body, its OK you can admit it here, its a safe place and we're all friends...
Its an interesting point. As a current MK3 Clio RS owner its one I've discussed a few times with the launch of the Mk4 EDC model. There's obvious pro's and cons to each option. Personally I'd pick a manual, and given the sole decision Manual over Semi-Auto in a fun/weekend car the decision is a no brainer.... BUT, these cars aren't just weekend/fun track cars, in the real world and with my partner using it on a daily basis I'd have to go with Semi-Auto and take solace in the faster shift times. Any car designed to do both On-Track and On-Road driving is ALWAYS going to be compromised, the fact of the matter is that the technology for Semi-Auto has now reached a level it makes economic sense to only sell that option. Times are changing, and as more and more Manufacturers start to jump ship, its just a pill we're going to have to swallow. Besides, maybe I should spend the time trying to perfect my line on track rather than trying to not miss a gear...
Interesting first glimpse of the new Twingo/Renault5 /Smart ForTwo. I don't like the side profile, its too Fiat 500 for my liking, I do like the rear lights but all in all its pretty bland.
I do like the idea of a RWD little Renault city car, especially if the guys at RenaultSport get their hands on it. The RenaultSport Twingo is a cracking little car.
Personally I think this one is much more of an interesting Renault Concept...
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=27401
@Ryan Sage @byron h Good comments all round, as a UK resident I'd love to follow FD more closely, but with the live stream and the time difference it can be tricky. Having an on-demand stream or even coverage on the likes of Eurosport or MotorsTV over here would be awesome (though "proper" TV coverage I find tends to strip some of the rawness out of watching it that you get from the DriftStream). Maybe you guys could upload the streams after each race to the FD Site, as from what I've seen a lot on the site is limited or archived stuff. This all makes it a lot easier than trying to trawl through YouTube to find decent vids. Keep up the good work guys :)
Honestly can't wait to see this. Hopefully it will be realistic, I know they've used and consulted lots of racing drivers in the making of the film (including and also featuring Rob Austin). I'm still not really sure why they picked Chris Hemsworth (Aussie) as James Hunt though, when there's so many good British actors that could have done the job instead.
@tbtstt ahhh, so your the knowledgable chap that's been posting in the other Rallycross posts lately. Great write up Steve :)
Nice coverage Larry. Nothing is quite what it seems at this event by the looks of things. A fairly stock looking Integra and 4dr 3series racing against each other...ok, nothing special there..... then I see the numbers on the windows.... WHAAA?!
Also, thanks for clearing that up about the WRC shells :)
Great event report Jonathan, I'm really glad you went in to more detail about the races and big events. I really wanted to watch this, but Lydden is way too far from South Yorkshire for me to make it down there on the day unfortunately. Does anyone know if there's any UK TV coverage?
@tbtstt @DerFreibierfredPalindrom Any idea why they stipulate that WRC cars can't be used? I thought the shells were pretty similar, it was more the mechanical specs that differed?
It's called a vignette, its either caused by the lens or added in at post production. Its a common photography technique used to focus your attention on the centre of the frame and remove distractions from the peripheral. :)