This video shows the French Formula One driver at the wheel of the new Dacia Duster crossover, rally driving the new car for its market debut. The Dacia Duster in the video has been designed for driving on ice and there’s plenty of sliding and drifting for the rev heads among you. The Dacia Duster is a low cost model based on the Nissan Qashqai and you can get a closer look of its style in this video.

Continue reading: Alain Prost drives Dacia Duster on ice

Renault will present the Twingo RS Light special version with reduced weight, which will become the basis of the rally versions of the car. The Renault Twingo RS Light has no air conditioning, additional air bags and other accessories which make it lighter and bring the price down to about 14,500 euros.

The R1 and R2 rally versions will be developed from the Renault Sport Light and will be ready in March next year. The R1 has a rally kit costing 10,000 euros and has a shorter shift, roll bar and some mechanical touch-ups to reach 140 hp. The R2 will have sequential Sadev five-speed shift, ZF autobloc differential, Marelli electronics, Ohlins shock absorbers, larger brakes and a 160 hp engine. This kit costs about 30,000 euros and the Twingo R2 will debut in December at the Monza Rally in Italy.

Renault Twingo RS

Source | Autosprint via Autoblog.it

Continue reading: Renault Twingo RS light gives life to Twingo R1 and R2 rally versions

Here’s the presentation video of the Renault Megane RS from the Ascari Race Resort. The driver in the video is Emmanuel Guigou, French rally champion for 2007 and 2008 and he really shows just how this hot hatch can be driven.

Continue reading: Renault Megane RS track presentation video

Here are some pics of the Citroen DS3 rally version testing to meet current guidelines for manufacturers under new WRC regulations for 2011. The DS3 R3 will be equipped with a 1.6-litre turbo engine, and you can see all the racing touch-ups required with internal roll-bar, lowered skirts, racing wheels and tyres, and large front air intake.

The Citroen DS3 will enter the R3T category where it should cross swords with the Abarth 500 R3T. We can’t wait for more details and official pics of this Citreon DS3 rally, and hope to see it churning up some dirt on the rally circuit in the future.

Citroen DS3 Rally

Source | AutoInternationaal and LeBlogAuto

Continue reading: Citroen DS3 rally spy shots

Ken Block and the Subaru Impreza look like quite a lethal combination in this video. In a display of pure Impreza acrobatics, we see the Subaru Impreza STI prepared by Crowford at 566 hp in a little industrial set rally car drive. With plenty of wheel spin and drifting going on, the top-notch video editing is part of the package. It looks like hard work though…

Continue reading: Ken Block drives the Subaru Impreza

The Italian company Nimik has produced an original remake of the Citroen 2CV van, once sold in Italy as the “Acadiane”. The Nimik name established itself in the rally sector for having participated in various races with Citroen models.

To honour the French brand, the Nimik Rally Team decided to assemble by hand a personalised 2CV van based on a Ferrari F355. Originally used as a team and promotion vehicle, Nimil took its creation to the My Special Car Show in Rimini. In the video above you can see how they managed to transform a Ferrari into a Citroen 2CV van…. or vice versa. If you wanted to buy this vehicle, it will cost you around 180,000 euros. Originality, it seems, has its price.

Citroen 2CV powered by Ferrari

Continue reading: Ferrari and Citroen all-in-one: Nimik builds a Citroen 2CV van on Ferrari F355

This image comes from the Netherlands and is of a new Lancia Delta in Martini Racing colours, the same livery as the celebrated ancestor, which dominated WRC rally championships from 1987 to 1992. This is a real photo and not a reconstruction, and we like the final result.

The rear wing is missing, but the alloy wheels are fully present, making us nostalgic for the time when the Delta name sparkled on the list of Lancia’s offering. The six world championships made Italians proud of their brand, and this image re-lives a dream.

Source | Autoblog.nl

Continue reading: Lancia Delta Martini Racing

The battle of two wheels against four takes place again, with Sebastien Loeb and Stefan Everts challenging each other on Mur de Grammont. Loeb is a famous WRC champion, while Everts is a legend in motocross, retiring in 2006 after ten world titles.

The stage of Mur de Grammont is one of the most difficult passages on the cycling circuit Tour des Flandres, and Loeb and Everts took it on recently, with a Citroen C4 and KTM. Under heavy rain, the two prepared, with a couple of test runs.

In the end, Everts on his KTM won by a mere 10th of a second ahead of Loeb and his Citroen. Below are a few shots from the friendly race, which looks anything but easygoing.

Continue reading: Sebastien Loeb and Stefan Everts challenge on Mur de Grammont

All I can say is, if I’m ever going to die, I do NOT want “Red Bull” to be the last thing that flashes before me. Anyway, this crazy video is of a rally crash with stunt motorcycle rider Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom at the Colorado Cog Rally in 2005.

After calls of “are you alive, are you alive”, the two seem unperturbed by their frightening crash.

Source | Fark

Continue reading: Rally crash video

The news that Subaru has withdrawn from the world rally championships is truly incredible, in fact it’s almost shocking. The image of the Japanese company is so linked to rally competition it’s hard to imagine a WRC without a Subaru Impreza whipping its way around the tracks.

The reason for the withdrawal has been put down to the world economic crisis which is currently having an effect beyond expectations if companies like Subaru pull out of their flagship racing competitions. In the words of Prodrive chairman, David Richards: “Subaru’s departure from the World Rally Championship is a great loss as it is one of the sport’s icons. The Subaru World Rally Team has created true champions such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns and its absence will be felt by many the world over.”

Let’s hope the crisis gets itself over with and we can see Subaru back in the dirt, showing what rally car driving is all about.

Source | Gazzetta
and The Independent

Continue reading: Subaru out of rally world championship: rally world loses legend

Our colleague from Autoblog.it, Michele, got himself a drive with Miki Biasion, world rally car champion, and has survived to tell the tale. The ride with Biasion took place in the Italian countryside with a lovely Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.

In the video of the Biasion drive with the Lancer Evo, Michele looks scared, as we imagine anyone would be in a car with 280hp driven by a world rally car champion. The video is part of the Rallymania DVD series being released in Italy through the Gazzetta dello Sport.

Biasion was said to be polite and open to answering questions, and ready to present the world of rally car driving. In the words of Michele “He’s a good driver”. It would be difficult to explain all the emotion of such an experience, and Michele says that along with the heartbeats and adrenalin, was sitting in the navigator’s seat with a driver who was totally in control, comforting and a nice guy too.

Continue reading: A drive with rally car champion Miki Biasion for Rallymania series

This is a great video with a stirring sound track, from the guys at Motorsportblog.it. It includes excitement from the world of rally cars, include vintage and black white footage.

Continue reading: Video: rally cars over the years