Cooper Cars Diesel

Dan Gurney talks about the new DeltaWing

Earlier this month, racing legend Dan Gurney, Highcroft Racing boss Duncan Dayton and American Le Mans Series founder Don Panoz breathed life into the DeltaWing concept car when they announced that France's Automobile Club de l'Ouest will allow it to run in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2012.

Gurney's All American Racers plan to take the Ben Bowlby-designed DeltaWing from the drawing board to the racetrack. The revolutionary car, designed originally for the Izod IndyCar Series before IndyCar chose to go with a new Dallara chassis, has half the weight, horsepower and aerodynamic drag of the traditional Le Mans prototype car. But it also has half the fuel consumption and half the tire wear of a LMP, its backers say.

All American Racers will build the car and Dayton's Highcroft Racing team will field the DeltaWing at Le Mans in the 56th starting position reserved for cars boasting new technical innovations.

Gurney talked recently about the project.

Q: How did your assault in the '60s on the Indy 500 with the rear-engined Lotus come about?

A: I was racing in Europe quite a lot in the late '50s/early '60s and had seen the end of the front-engine Formula One era and the transition to the rear-engined car. It was certainly a more efficient package, and John Cooper really led the transition with Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren as his drivers. It was obvious to me that once that transition had taken place in Europe, it was going to happen at the Indy 500. If it was going to happen no matter what, I thought I had better be part of it. The most innovative guy from a design perspective back then was Colin Chapman. I offered to pay his way to come to Indy in 1962 for my first Indy 500 where I drove Mickey Thompson's rear-engined car. He agreed to come over and we then had an introduction to Ford, and that is how the Lotus-Ford assault began in 1963 with myself as a teammate to Jim Clark.

Q: Not everyone welcomed that dramatic change back in the '60s. Do you see some similarities to fans' reaction to the DeltaWing?

A: When you have established favorites like the front-engined roadsters and all of a sudden a major change happens, it is human nature to probably be a little unhappy about it. People don't always welcome change, especially when you have a home-team attitude and here comes a group from somewhere else who had the capability to beat your guys. That had all the ingredients of a pretty bitter rivalry, and, of course, the track owners loved it because the fans went crazy over it. If our initial predictions for the performance of the DeltaWing are correct, there is a possibility we may [see] something pretty similar.

2012 Mini Cooper Coupe Review - Cars New Release

MINI will add to the line-up by introducing the 2012 MINI Cooper Coupe . MINI 2-seater is claimed to be present as sharp as a go-kart handling. The design will present dramatic. The stern style of a classic car gran turismo. MINI Coupe stand 29 mm lower than other MINI. MINI equips it also with active spoiler – first applied – in order to expedite the flow of air. Spoiler able to extend automatically at 50 mph. MINI immerse Electric Power Steering and DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) as standard, DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) with optional EDLC (Electronic Differential Lock Control). However EDLC features become standard on the MINI John Cooper Works Coupé). This first 3-box car MINI will be offered in 3 petrol engines and 1 diesel engine. Everything is configured 4-cylinder. MINI John Cooper Works Coupe armed by 1598 cc engine, twin-scroll turbo, powerful 211 hp at 6,000 rpm and torque of 260 Nm at 1850-5600 rpm. 0-100 kpj completed in 4 seconds, maximum speed 240 kpj. Fuel consumption 14.1 MPA. MINI Cooper S Coupé has kitchen runway 1598 cc, twin-scroll turbo, 184 hp at 5500 rpm, 240 Nm at 1600-5000 rpm. Acceleration 0-100 kilometers per hour in 6.9 seconds. 17.24 MPA gasoline consumption.

MINI Cooper Coupé rely on mechanical heart 1598 cc, 122 hp at 6,000 rpm, 160 Nm at 4250 rpm. Acceleration 0-100 kpj completed 9 seconds. 18.52 MPA gasoline consumption. While MINI Cooper SD Coupe holding 1995 cc engine, turbodiesel, common-rail, 143 hp at 4,000 rpm, 305 Nm at 1750-2700 rpm. Acceleration 0-100 kilometers per hour achieved in 9 seconds. Consumption of diesel 23.26 MPA. MINI Cooper S Coupe and MINI Cooper Coupe adopt BMW’s Valvetronic tenologi Group.

6-speed manual gearbox will be standard for all MINI Coupe. While the 6-speed automatic transmission became optional for the MINI Cooper S Coupé, MINI Cooper Coupe and MINI Cooper SD Coupé. MINI has not been informed when the Coupe will be marketed. However, we can be sure will come out as the model 2012. Well, if you are lovers of the MINI, this coupe model could be attractive options.

Popular Science

Diesel progress engines & drives

Century of Trains

Best Life

Rallye Sport Fords, The Inside Story