The terrain is rather unusual for presenting a Dakar Rally team, but three weeks before the rally is due to begin in Argentina, Volkswagen’s racing division has descended on the Austrian village of Flachau. Even the gods relented at the last moment, sending snow from the heavens. Not the best road surface for the participants of the desert rally, which starts on 1 January 2010, to practise on, but certainly ideal for the team presentation. A fantastic atmosphere and plenty of fun are definitely what count for that.
Not exactly a dream come true, the conditions in the Dakar Rally awaiting Nasser Al-Attiyah, the driver from Qatar: a whole lot of sand, sweat and grime in the place of champagne and beautiful girls. But despite the hardships, the 38 year-old committed himself to rally sport many years ago. We document one of the most vibrant personalities from the current racing scene.
Drivers and co-drivers are often going for each others\' throats. Left, right, straight ahead? Or is the map upside down? In the Dakar Rally, arguments and mistakes simply aren\'t allowed to happen. Those who aim to win this race, the toughest in the world of motor sport, are advised to get to know the terrain and route inside out. The co-pilot and navigator is for the speed and success of the team just as important as the pilot. Which is why the VW team dedicates a whole week to give the navigators enough time to prepare for the still completely unknown route with the aid of maps and the internet.
Toughness and the wilds of nature! Roaring engines and a trip into the unknown in the true sense of the word! The Dakar Rally offers everything to get the heart of an adventurer beating faster. And in a few weeks it's again happening on the South American continent. We show the pressures the drivers must come to terms with in this mega-rally, and how they prepare for them!
9000 kilometres across some really rough terrain – that’s the challenge facing the rally drivers taking part in the “Dakar Rally” in January. Two weeks of stress and strain. The head of motor racing in charge of the teams is under enormous pressure too, but in his case it’s not confined to that single fortnight. All year long he has to put together a car drawing on a given budget; a car that will pose a genuine threat to the competition. At the same time he must organise and supervise: the safety of the entire team, the fitness of the drivers and co-drivers, the transportation of the equipment, and so on and so forth. Mhoch4 has accompanied Volkswagen’s head of motor racing Kris Nissen and seen the extent of the demands made on him on the eve of the Dakar Rally.
A rally racing success story from the Volkswagen team.
After victories at the Dakar Rally in 2009 and 2010, it has now presented its latest car in Trier. In Germany’s oldest town, state-of-the-art technology met historical surroundings in an impressive spectacle. Against the breathtaking backdrop of the 2000-year-old amphitheatre in Trier, Volkswagen presented the car that will defend the title at the 2011 Dakar Rally.
The vehicles can only be described using superlatives. And the same is pretty much true of the terrain in which they will eventually be deployed – in what is quite simply considered the toughest rally in the world. The 2011 Dakar Rally will be the ultimate acid test for a team that has twice in succession dominated the mother of all rallies and taught its competitors a lesson or two. The opponents of Volkswagen’s Race Touareg have no desire to let the team surrounding Carlos Sainz and Kris Nissen dominate the classic rally for a third year running. This is why the Volkswagen team must prepare more meticulously than ever. A faultless performance may be necessary to secure a third victory in South America.
It is an extraordinary challenge for extraordinary people. The Dakar Rally - the toughest automobile race in the world - has long been a great lure for adventurers and adrenalin seekers. 2011 marks the 33rd anniversary of the desert race and draws drivers from around the globe to South America. After having lost by only a small margin last year, one driver has high hopes for 2011.
At the home of the world-famous Monte Carlo Rally and on the Col de Turini, site of some of racing’s most memorable moments, Groupe Renault today announced plans for a new Alpine sports car, and unveiled the Alpine Vision show car.
“Motorsports and sports cars are deeply rooted in the DNA of Groupe Renault,” Groupe Renault Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn said. “Earlier this month we announced our return to Formula One with a Renault team, and today we are announcing Alpine. This is an exciting next step in our strategy to leverage talent and technology between road and track, and we look forward to reaching new customers in the sport premium cars segment.”
The show car Alpine Vision combines sensual design with outstanding agility, true to the great Alpine A110 Berlinette loved and admired by enthusiasts around the world. Alpine Vision is powered by a new 4 cylinder turbocharged engine, built by experts at Renault Sport, and its low weight will allow the car to achieve 0 to 100 km/h in less than 4.5 seconds - the target for the future production model.
Alpine will be managed by a small team of passionate experts within Groupe Renault, with one sole mission – to meet and exceed the expectations of the demanding sport premium customer. Michael van der Sande will lead as Alpine managing director, and Antony Villain will head Alpine design.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7762651-groupe-renault-unveils-plans-for-alpine/
MINI TAKES THE STATES 2018 (MTTS), the eagerly anticipated road rally for MINI owners hosted by MINI USA, kicked off this weekend from two separate locations on opposite sides of the country. Over the next five days, thousands of MINI owners will #DriveForMore to help raise money for charity partner Feeding America.
The two rally routes, each with more than 800 participants, started in Orlando, Fla., and Portland, Ore., on Saturday, July 14, and will meet in the middle at Keystone Report in Keystone, Colo., on July 20 for a weekend celebration of everything MINI. The bi-annual trek will cover more than 5,000 miles in total, traveling across America on state and county roads, stopping in 15 cities along the way.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8329551-mini-takes-the-states-feeding-america-2018/
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Southern Bike Night TV is a biker reality series about the times and life of a biker. SBNTV gives a one of a kind look into the motorcycle world never before seen. There has been no other camera or show that has until now been able to produce this type of perspective. This is a show made by bikers for bikers to show the brotherhood, camradery, and love for one another, community, country, and for the open road. This is a show about the life and times of a biker and the events, poker runs, bike rallies, and where he rides to after purchasing a bike.
