cars
Brake Rotors
Thanks to Pete for sorting me a set of brake rotors for the race car :D
First Racing Update of 2008
I know it's been a long time since I blogged about my racing, that's kinda because it's all been on hold, I've not known what to do about the race Fasty/daily Golf situation.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love the fasty and I will finish it one day, but for now I've gotta concentrate on the daily that gets me to/from work!
Kat's going to be racing with the VWDRC in 2008 so I think I'm going to take a season out, to help her get her feet and all sorted before starting my racing again proper in 2009, the VWDRC are a great bunch and I can't really keep myself away! It should also give me a bit of time to save some cash and get going on the race car. Hopefully I'll be feeling a bit better then after my treatment comes through.
I think I'm going to do Santa Pod's Easter Thunderball and see how I get on, the rest of the season will depend on that... We may even see an appearance racing at Big Bang or Bug Jam depending on how I feel.
I took the Golf to RNJ Motorsport in Northampton for a bit of treatment and for a new MOT and the good news is that it passed, it's on the road for another year, thanks to Rob.
Rob's work is highly recommended by me, he's a great engineer, if you have any retro or classic car and you're looking for a place in the Midlands to take it, RNJ Motorsport are great.
Anyway, that turned into quite a long update post so I'll leave it at that!
See you at the track in 2008!
Big Week
Well, the first meeting of the DIGGSML Environmental SIG went very well, we managed to work out some ideas and produce the beginnings of a DIGGSML implementation which was an excellent result for three hard days of meetings (in a windowless room in true DIGGSML fashion).
I hired a car last night, tried to get the awesome looking Shelby GT-H but sadly missed the boat a little bit as by the time I got to the rental car station Hertz were all out of cars! Never mind, Dollar to the rescue in the shape of a zero-mile '07 Dodge Charger. It's no Shelby, the 2.7 V6 is a little breathless when you need it to kick, but it's fun enough, at least it's nice and comfortable even if it is a bit heavy on the gas (-I'm starting to even talk American now, what's going on?!) at 25mpg, but at $2.83/gal that's not the end of the world.
Roger and I spent the day traveling up to Gainesville, FL to visit DIGGSML Core and Geotechnical group member Dr Mark Hoit and DIGGSML developer Erica Hughes at University of Florida and that meeting went really well too, we've identified some things that need to be looked at but in general it was really good to meet Erica and hear comments and thoughts from someone else who's implementing DIGGSML in the real world!
We've agreed some extra functionality and content to go on the DIGGS Blog and it's looking like a really good site with all the major parties in the development of DIGGSML involved with creating content and writing features.
I'm actually writing this post from a hotel room just outside Ocalda, FL after dropping Roger at the airport and then back-tracking nearly 100 miles up the Florida Turnpike to visit the Big Daddy Don Garlits museum for a bit of rest and relaxation. Had an awesome rib dinner from Sonnys BBQ but it's real warm here and I've still not properly adjusted, I just seem to want to sleep at strange times and there's only Law and Order on TV so I thought I'd post up here with some news of the trip.
Anyways, gonna do the Garlits museum tomorrow then look at times and stuff, see if I can get over to Cape Canaveral to see Kennedy Space Centre on the day the shuttle lands, maybe try out the new simulator that's supposed to rock big style.
I'm flying back Saturday night, so I'll head back to Orlando tomorrow night, grab a cheap room on I-Drive and see if I can get round Universal Studios or somewhere on Saturday morning before the red-eye back to London on Saturday night! Kat's been a star this week, she dropped me off last week and she's picking me up from Gatwick on Sunday morning, then we're heading over to Essex for Sunday Lunch with some friends that I'm really looking forward to catching up with, seeya Sunday guys.
It's gonna be a busy couple of days but I think it's gonna be a good one, if I could only get a few hours sleep...
Want That One
As reported on VWVortex (http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publish/vortex_news/article_2007.shtml)
Well Volkswagen has pulled a fast one (literally) and decided to unveil a W12 powered, rear-wheel-drive, mid-engined GTI at the tuner/drunk/party fest in Austria known as Worthersee.
...
- VW claims a top speed of 202 mph
- 6.0l W12 12-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine mounted in the back seat of the GTI
- 650hp and 553 lb-ft. of torque (!)
- with the flared fenders the car sits over 6 feet wide and only 4.6 feet tall
- 19" wheels with 295 rear rubber and 235 front rubber
- the fenders are flared 3.15" at the rear
How much do I want one! What an absolutely awesome vehicle, proving that VW truly are at the forefront of performance car manufacture.
If you're reading VW, PLEASE put it into production!
There's even a video of the unveiling on YouTube
Here's the VW press release
PRESS RELEASE:
Volkswagen Golf GTI W12 650
Showtime at the WörtherseeLeave conventions behind and let ypur passion awake - since the beginning these were the roots of the GTI idea. Until today they got more than 1.67 million drivers into their spell. Long has the Golf GTI been an icon. A mark for itself.
Since 1982 Golf GTI celebrate it annually in the Austrian Land at the Wörthersee. Thousands come.Volkswagen placed a Golf before them: the Golf GTI W12-650 showcar. This sports car is a inclination before the GTI friends at the Wörthersee, people for whom the GTI is a myth.
Stronger, broader, faster
A Golf was never stronger, broader or faster. It seems that the Golf GTI W12-650 comes directly from the racing course. A Golf that runs like the Pace Car of the 24 hours of Le Mans. Its name means: W12-Zylinder, 650 HP (477 KW with 6.000 rpm). A Showcar, not more, not less. Nevertheless it shows what enormous potential the Golf has to offer.3.7 seconds, 325 km/h, 750 Newtonmeters
Its 6,0 Liter Biturbo engine is longitudinal and placed directly behind the driver and the front seat passenger. The Golf GTI W12-650 differentiate itself in this way from the classical central engine car. A 6-speed automatic transmission transfers 750 Newtonmeters (at 4.500 rpm) to the rear axle. It catapults the Golf GTI W12-650 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds. With a maximum speed of 325 km/h the Golf GTI W12-650 leaves behind nearly all of the world's supercars.Width 1.88 m, 235er tire in front, 295er tire in the back
Automotive engineers and designers united under Volkswagen Golf GTI W12 650
its 1.88 meters (series: 1.76 meters) spread and 1.42 meters (series: 1.50 meters) flatten body. The chassis components of the Golf GTI W12-650 were adapted directly from supersports cars. The wheels are of course made from a light alloy and because of the gigantic wheel dimensions a specialy engineered tire had to be made.70 millimeters lower, 160 millimeters broader
The goal was clearly defined - despite the partially dramatic technical changes the study should
remain completely clear that this is a Golf GTI. Therefore as much parts as possible were taken from tha classical GTI like: the headlights, the doors, the front hood and the tail lamps. The axles were pushed 70 millimeters into the body.The largest problem was to supply the 6-litre central engine with sufficient air and to produce sufficient drift at the rear axle without watering the silhouette of the Golf GTI W12-650. Therefore the C-columns were re-designed in such a way that they lead air to the engine. The rear side windows run inward, so that two channels develop between the disks and the C-columns on the left and on the right to drive air to the engine.
The Carbon fiber roof is a diffuser
Innovative building of the body also prevented that the lines of the Golf GTI W12-650 to get ruined by a putting on a roof wing. The study carries the wing inward. The roof is part of an enormous diffuser, which provides sufficient drift to the rear axle. It's made from carbon fiber and leads air under the normal tail spoiler.Interior with racing ambitions
The leather is Alcantara. On the middle range of the armatures are Three rows of auxiliary instruments. Transparent "Flip UP" switch guards for central functions like the disconnectible ESP look like taken derectly from the race track.Fire extinguishers are integrated in the place of the glove compartment to also remind us of the race. Because of weight reasons "stripped" the door linings are complete; only lattices are used, which grant a complete view of the interior mechanics of the door.
Megasquirt
I'm in the process of building my own Megasquirt equipped Golf, the Megasquirt kit is half built but sadly the car has been crashed!
I'll post up any updates here, in the mean time here's some Megasquirt links.
