Showing posts with label Brian Long. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brian Long. Show all posts

Thursday, 23 November 2017

Plenty of Porsche!

You know how much we love all things Porsche here at Veloce, so today's blog post is a bumper Porsche post, packed with plenty of news, books, and photos to keep you entertained!

First off, at the beginning of last month, members of Porsche Club Great Britain (PCGB) came together at the 2017 Porsche Charity Day, to help raise over £12500 for Chestnut Tree House, a children's hospice based in Sussex. Formed in 1961, PCGB is Europe's largest Porsche club, and organises a host of events throughout the year. 
Held at Goodwood on the 7th of October, the charity event was also supported by PARR Porsche and Vroomphoto, and coincided with the club's popular track day. Thirty-six cars took part in the main event, while 150 gathered for a lunchtime parade around the historic circuit. The combined efforts of the Porsche community, and the extra involvement of PCGB, helped to increase the total from 2016's benchmark of £8000.


"In 2012, when the three of us were sitting at Goodwood Circuit's Aero Club Café and came up with an idea for raising funds for Chestnut Tree Children's Hospice as a one-off event, we never dreamt it would evolve into the day it has." Said Porsche Enthusiasts Jonathan Trees, Tony Clinch and Andrew Wilson. "Each successive year has grown and has now raised over £37000 for the Children's Hospice. This would never have happened without the continued growing support from everyone involved, so a big thank you. We would also like to thank Parr Motorsport, Porsche Club GB and Vroomphoto who have so kindly donated their time and have helped make the event what it is today."




"Porsche Club GB is proud to have supported this year's event and offered sincere thanks to all those who were so generous with their donations," said PCBG general manager Chris Seaward. "We look forward to working with Jonathan, Tony, and Andrew in 2018 to build on the momentum of this year." 

It's always great to see people raising lots of money for charity whilst doing something they love!

Remember a few weeks back when we had Roy Smith join us at Veloce HQ to sign copies of his new book Powered by Porsche – the alternative race cars? Well, the good news is, you can now purchase your own signed copy! Just add that you would like a signed copy in the comments sections when you got though the checkout on our webstore, and we will supply you with a signed bookplate as part of your order.

Roy has also supplied us with this new image of one of the cars that features in Powered by Porsche – the alternative race cars.

Martin Ridehalgh, Keith Martin, and Roy Smith with the Dulon Porsche

The car is the Dulon Porsche, which features on pages 127 and 132 of the book. It dates from the 1970s, and is awaiting the return of its Porsche 906 engine that is currently in build at Autofarm. Martin Ridehalgh was the driver in period of the Dulon Porsche, and its current owner and driver is Keith Martin, well known in Historic circles for racing a Dulon in the Masters series. 

And as if Roy Smith's latest book isn't enough, another new Porsche book has recently been wheeled off the press: Porsche Boxster & Cayman. Written by prolific Porsche maven Brian Long, this book is the definitive history of the 987-series Boxster and Cayman lines. Covering all variants from 2004 to 2012, this tome is packed full of information and contemporary illustrations sourced from the factory, it is the perfect guide for enthusiasts, historians, and those looking for authenticity.




With Christmas just around the corner, either of these books would make an excellent gift for the Porsche fanatic in your life. And, if you fancy going that extra mile for that special someone in your life, you could do no better than Brian Long's in-depth look at the entire history of the air-cooled Porches – The Ultimate Book of the Air-cooled Porsche 911. Limited to just 911 (what else?) copies, this elegant – not to mention hefty – volume comes in its own slipcase; a truly special gift for that truly special person in your life! Available only from the Veloce website.




Thursday, 16 November 2017

What goes around …


Whether through its practical cars and SUVs, or the evergreen MX-5, Mazda is a pretty familiar marque to most road users. Many of you will also be aware of its rich motorsport history, too, being particularly famed for its use of Wankel rotary engines, both in its road- and track-going cars – and, of course, for winning the 1991 Le Mans 24 Hours with its rotary-engined 787B.


Mazda's rotary engines have always had a reputation for compact power (and a bit of a thirst), and have been used in a number of different models, going back to 1967. The RX-8 of 2012 was the last consumer vehicle to be powered by one of its super-smooth rotary engines.

Of course, concept cars rarely make it to the road as-is – if at all – but a peek at the specs are quite promising … and, to top it all, Mazda filed a patent in early 2016, for a direct-injection, turbocharged, rotary unit, which could top the 400hp mark … surely more than 'generator' spec?

Recently, Automotive News reported that Mazda is once again developing a rotary engine, and it could make it into production cars as soon as 2019. Actually, Mazda never stopped working on its rotary engines, it just scaled back development. So, will we start to see these high-revving units back on the roads? Well … sort of …

Most of the big automotive developments, these days, centre around new powertrain tech, so it’s probably no surprise that Mazda are investigating using rotary engines as generators for hybrid EVs. Mazda has form here, with its battery-powered 2013 Mazda2 concept car, which used a tiny 330cc rotary as a generator.

EVs and hybrid market share is increasing all the time, and will soon outstrip sales of traditional internal combustion (IC) engine cars, but, whilst they’ve come-on in leaps and bounds over the last few years, current electrical storage capacities are only just getting close to providing the range available from even modest IC engines – at least, not in a manner that most mortals can afford.

Because of this, ’range-extending’ is the name of the game for EV and hybrid vehicles, and this is where a Mazda rotary can help. Having a small-capacity, light, and – compared to a traditional reciprocating engine – simple rotary, generating power for electric motors, means longer ranges, fewer emissions, and, hopefully, cheaper vehicles.

So, whilst we haven’t seen the end of Mazda’s rotary offerings just yet, they won’t be returning in quite the same guise as before. But, there is still a glimmer of hope for such a vehicle. The Tokyo Motor Show concept RX-Vision, shown in 2015, teased a possible return for the rotary engine that could actually make it into production, and even compete favourably with such cars as the Alfa Romeo 4C, Jaguar F-Type, or Porsche Cayman. 



So, whilst we’ll likely see rotary engines make an appearance in Mazdas relatively soon, it may be a little longer before we see a Porsche-bothering rotary powered Mazda on the roads … but keep yours eyes and ears open … Mazda are still working on it …

If you’re a Mazda maven, or a rotary votary, we’ve a fine selection of books to whet your appetite …


From Brian Long, comes RX-7 – Mazda’s Rotary Engine Sports Car. This is a new edition of the definitive international history of Mazda’s extraordinarily successful Wankel-engined coupés and roadsters. It covers every RX-7, up to the end of production and introduction of the RX-8, and is packed with advice on buying your own RX-7, plus coverage of the RX-7 in motorsport, and production figures – not to mention plenty of colour photos, including advertising and sales literature. Japanese Performance had this to say: 

"Lavishly illustrated with 425 photographs, Brian Long’s definitive history of the RX-7 provides an in-depth insight into this mega Mazda. A ‘must have’ tome to grace the coffee table of any Japanese sports car enthusiast."

SKU: V5133 Format: Paperback Spec: 25x20.7cm • £32.50 • 216 pages • 425 colour and b&w pictures ISBN: 978-1-787111-33-2 UPC: 6-36847-01133-8 More info…

Marc Cranswick's Mazda Rotary-engined Cars – From Cosmo 110S to RX-8 is a complete history of Mazda’s rotary-engined vehicles, charting the challenges, sporting triumphs, and critical reactions to a new wave of sports sedans, wagons, sports cars ... oh, and trucks. As Evo magazine says: 

"A valuable asset to anyone who considers themselves a fan of either rotary engines or Mazda as a brand."
SKU: V4943 Format: Hardback Spec: 25x20.7cm • £40 • 192 pages • 233 colour pictures ISBN: 978-1-845849-43-6 UPC: 6-36847-04943-0

And finally, our very own Drive Guide Guru, Julian Parish, is no stranger to rotary engines, having extensive ownership experience of an RX-8. He has put his real-world experience and knowledge into Mazda RX-8 – All models 2003 to 2012, The Essential Buyer's Guideso if you're looking to buy an RX-8, either a first gen or second gen, including the R3, you'd be crazy not to read this first. Practical Classics' opinion: 


"Gives you expert advice, essential if you’re considering taking the plunge."

SKU: V4867 Format: Paperback Spec: 19.5x13.9cm • £12.99 • 64 pages • 100 pictures ISBN: 978-1-845848-67-5 UPC: 6-36847-04867-9

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