Some may consider Red Bull’s Formula One race cars some of the ugliest race cars out there, but no one can deny their abilities. Last year, Red Bull pulled in 12 wins, 27 podiums, and 18 pole positions. They may not be the prettiest, but they deliver, as will the RB7’s successor, the RB8.
The Red Bull RB8 is the continuation of the RB7, but modified to obey the new FIA regulations. The company has only provided a few details for the new racer, such as the addition of a new nose and an updated rear end. The chassis benefits from further aerodynamic refinements and we’re assuming the engine has been tweaked here and there as well.
"The restriction nose height which is a maximum height just in front of the front bulkhead hasn’t really changed the chassis shape very much. We’ve kept more or less the same chassis shape, but had to drop the nose just in front of the front bulkhead. The exhaust allowed us to run a high rear ride height, it’s much more difficult without that to sustain a high rear height so we have to go back down and have to redevelop the car around that lower ride height," said Adrian Newey.
Ayrton Senna won his last world driving championship in 1991, driving the McLaren MP4-6 with a Honda V-12 engine. Senna won seven of 16 races that year, a feat he’d never again duplicate. At the end of the 1991 season, McLaren tore down one of Senna’s MP4-6 cars and gave some of the parts to artist Jay Burridge, who in turn created a sculpture he describes as “the world’s largest Airfix (plastic model) kit.” The art will be offered for sale at an upcoming Coys Auction, to be held at Germany’s Nürburgring on August 13, 2011.
Whether you love or hate the idea of a historically significant race car being transformed into wall art, there’s no denying that the piece is unique and would be a stunning addition to anyone’s collection. Much of the car is missing, such as Senna’s seat and steering wheel, and the Honda V-12 engine is another glaring omission from the sculpture. Coys describes the piece as using “Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4-6 from his last season as world champion,” but it’s not clear on whether the chassis used in the display was Senna’s primary car or a backup car.
If you’re interested in bidding, be prepared to part with a significant amount of money to acquire this particular piece of sculpture. Thanks to the success of the Ayrton Senna biopic, “Senna,” any memorabilia relating to the Brazilian driver is in high demand. Pre-auction estimates have the sculpture selling between $50,000 and $80,000, but as anyone who’s ever attended an auction will tell you, there’s no limit in a bidding war.
Press release after the jump.
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Strap on those safety harnesses and get your couch ready for the race! Okay, so there won’t be any real racing, but Ferrari has created a 1/1 Scale Full Size 2011 Ferrari 150° Italia steering wheel replica for all you serious collectors out there. The bad news is that there will only be 250 units built and each one of them comes carrying a $ 2,245.97 (€ 1,898) price tag. It’s a big price to pay, but you’ll be the proud owner of a replica of the steering wheel used by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa in the 2011 F1 Championship.
The 2011 Ferrari 150° Italia is a full size steering wheel replica hand built from genuine carbon fiber. It is fitted with moving buttons, paddles, and switches, and come with a red leather base and a clear dust cover.
The wheel weighs a total of 14.5 kilos and measures 45 x 42 x 42. Each one of the 250 limited edition pieces comes with a certificate of authenticity and a unique numbered plaque on the base.
Once ordered, the 2011 Ferrari 150° Italia steering wheel replica will take 30 days to be delivered.
Many people are only interested - or privy to - the end result of many different things. For example, no one really cares how the cake is made as long as it tastes delicious. The same can be said for Formula One. As fans, we root for our favorite team or driver and hope that they come across that finish line first. Most of the time, we don’t know how they got there or how much it costs to get there.
Our latest installment of our Car Infographics series cracks that mystery right open with a breakdown of Formula One vehicles by numbers. For example, we discovered the engine of a F1 vehicle costs around $214,300 while the monocoque comes in at around $117,900. The tires may only cost $650 per set, but then you have to take into account how many sets the vehicle will go through in its lifetime (it’s about $291,200 worth if you’re wondering). Add the one time purchases to the accruing costs and estimates come in at about $6,868,000 for the lifetime of the F1 car. That’s definitely not chump change in our books.
This infographic also sheds some light on the performance numbers of a typical Formula One car. For example, a typical F1 vehicle can sprint from 0-60 mph in just 1.7 seconds and continue on to 124 mph in just 3.8 seconds. The sprint from 0-186 mph can be achieved in 8.6 seconds. That is all done with a 2.4L V8 maximum engine size.
Check out the rest of the infographic to get a more detailed breakdown of Formula One and remember to check back with us for our next installment in the Car Infographics series.
Tag Heuer has been rather busy this year coming up with several special editions to celebrate their partnerships. So far, we’ve seen the Tag Heuer Monaco V4 Titanium Chronograph, the TAG Heuer Limited Edition Indy 500 Centennial Chronograph, and the TAG Heuer McLaren MP4-12C Chronograph. Their latest ode is the limited edition Formula 1 Gulf Edition Watch which celebrates the timepiece company’s partnership with both Monaco Gulf and Formula 1.
The special edition timepiece is based on the steel 44mm wide Tag Heuer Formula 1 Big Date watch with a Swiss quartz movement and a time, subsidiary seconds dial. It features a black dial with a light gray cross-hatching pattern and contrasting Gulf racing stripes in orange and blue, as well as the orange and white Gulf logo. The Formula 1 Gulf Edition is available in either a steel or rubber strap.
The Tag Heuer Formula 1 Gulf Edition Watch sells for somewhere in the $1,000 range.
