With five weeks to go to the second running of the Knysna Hillclimb, entries for the event have surpassed all expectations by passing the 100 mark. The inaugural event in 2009 attracted 47 entries with most of them coming in the final two weeks before entries closed, but this year there has been a steady stream of entries flowing in, with the centenary mark being reached last week.

“Talk in motorsport circles warned us that we should expect a good entry, but we have been overwhelmed by the number of entries and all round positive response to the event,” says organiser Ian Shrosbree. “Not only have we received such a good entry, but we have had enquiries from all over the country from spectators wanting to attend the event. The Simola Hotel is already sold out and a number of other establishments are also fully booked.”

The entry list boasts a number of former motorsport champions. While last year’s winner and multiple South African Champion Sarel van der Merwe and rally champion Enzo Kuun are yet to confirm their participation, another former multiple SA champion, Geoff Mortimer, will be driving a very fast Mitsubishi Evo9. Mortimer is one of South Africa’s most versatile motor sportsmen with circuit, rally and off-road championships to his name.

Group N Champion Robbi Smith will be reunited with the car that is synonymous with many of his racing exploits – a BMW 325iS. This car was at the height of the South African Group N wars in the late 1980s and early 1990s going head-to-head with the Opel Kadett Superboss and Ford XR6.

Multiple enduro and off-road motorcycle champion, Jade Gutzeit will also compete in a Skyline R34. Gudzeit competed in the WesBank V8 Series for a few years and is just as fast behind the wheel as he is on a motorcycle.

Franco Scribante will enthral the crowds in his racing Ferrari F430, as will Wilhelm Baard in his specially prepared Nissan GTR. While he never won a championship, Baard was a front runner in Group N in the heyday of the formula and will be one of the favourites to set the fastest time up the hill. Current WesBank V8 competitors Desmond Gutzeit (Skyline R32 and Chev Ute), Darron Gudmanz (Nissan GTR) and Martin Van Zummeren (Nissan GTR34) will all also be serious contenders for overall glory.

Let’s not forget two of the fastest cars and drivers from last year; Anton Cronje, who lost out on the King of the Hill title to Van der Merwe by just 0.3 seconds last year, will return in his 380kW Subaru Impreza in an effort to claim the crown. Making Cronje’s attempt even more impressive is the fact that he will be competing in the last round of the Super Saloons Championship at the Midvaal Raceway in Meyerton on the Saturday. He will leave the circuit directly after his last race to drive through the night to be in Knysna for Sunday’s elimination rounds and final.

The second very fast car is Thouca Mechanicos’ AMG Mercedes. The car is said to be the most powerful Mercedes in the country. Mechanicos finished fourth fastest last year and is determined to improve on that this year.

For more information about this year’s Knysna Hillclimb visit www.speedfestival.co.za.

Following on the success of the inaugural Knysna Hillclimb in 2009, the scenic Western Cape town of Knysna will host its second annual motorsport hillclimb on the weekend of 22-24 October 2010.

Drawing competitors from across the country, the 2009 event saw a wonderful mix of 47 modern and classic cars compete for the honour of the King of the Hill title. It was an accolade eventually won by South African motorsport legend Sarel van der Merwe who took the honours by just 0.3 sec as he reached speeds of over 240 km/h.

This years event will be held on a slightly lengthened 2 km section of public road running up to the acclaimed Simola Estate and Golf Course. With more interest in this year’s event, the organisers have decided to add an extra day to the program to accommodate all the entries, which will once again cater for modern, classic and historic road, sports and race cars.

Pre-entries include historic cars such as two 1961 LDS Formula 1 cars to be driven by Brian Tyler and Fred Philips, a 1952 Formula 2 Cooper Bristol driven by Rod Green, the Dave Alexander 1934 Riley Ulster Imp and the 1952 MG Single Seater of Roger Lewis. Official entries will open on 1 July. Modern and exotic cars already entered include a Ferrari F430 race version, Porsche GT3 RS, Nissan 370Z, KTM X-Bow and an Ariel Atom.

With the event extend to three days, pre-qualification for new contestants will take place on Friday the 22nd October. Participants from 2009, plus special invites, will be guaranteed entries for Saturday (23rd) and Sunday’s (24th) racing.

While the pre-qualification is in progress, the guaranteed entries will kick off their activities with a drive through Knysna at lunch time (13h00 – 14h00) on Friday followed by a public viewing of the cars in the afternoon (14h00 – 16h00) at the Knysna Yacht Club and Waterfront.

Practice and qualifying runs will take place on Saturday and Sunday morning, before the finals on Sunday afternoon. Track activity will be from 9am to 4.30pm on Saturday and 9am to 3.00pm on Sunday.

As per the inaugural event, the goal of the event is for it to contribute to the Knysna community via not only attracting visitors to the town, but also by contributing to local charities. The Knysna Municipality and Knysna Tourism have once again embraced the event and given it their full support and backing.

For further information, supplementary regulations and entry forms visit www.speedfestival.co.za.

Most of you are probably familiar with Vicki Butler-Henderson, the presenter from the British TV show Fifth Gear. Last weekend she managed to secure a second place in one of two GT Cup rounds of the Ferrari F430 Challenge, which took place at Brands Hatch.

Vicki drove the fastest Ferrari F430 after a difficult qualifying session, which took place on Saturday in the rain. The Fox Motorsport Ferrari F430, run by FF Corse and driven by Vicki, finished second in the first 25-minute race and third in the next.

“I have achieved a lifetime’s ambition to race a Ferrari, and to come home with a couple of trophies is beyond my craziest hopes! The car is a dream to drive, the team is so talented and I’m eternally grateful for the chance,” says the Fifth Gear presenter. “It was sweaty work, but enormous fun.”

Vicki has been racing since she was 12, but has never competed in a full championship season. One of her most successful one-off race wins was in the Maserati Trofeo in 2004.

Adapted from ZerCustoms

Ferrari unveiled the brand new 458 Italia at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show yesterday. The 8-cylinder two-seater berlinetta with a mid-to-rear mounted engine is a milestone in Maranello’s manufacture of high-performance sports cars. The Ferrari 458 Italia’s technological innovations inspired directly from the race track, and Michael Schumacher’s contribution right from the early stages of the project, speaks for a vehicle ready to fulfil the expectations and ambitions of even the most passionate clients.

With its newly developed 4,499 cc V8 engine, which produces 425 kW at 9000 rpm, the F1 dual-clutch gearbox and a 1 380 kg dry weight, the Ferrari 458 Italia boasts an extraordinary weightpower ratio of 2,42 kg. The 0 to 100 km/h sprint is dealt with in less than 3.4 seconds and the maximum speed is around 325 km/h.

Ferrari took care of 458 Italia’s superb vehicle dynamics by reaching an ideal weight balance for a mid-to-rear engined sports car – 58 per cent rear, 42 per cent front. The evolved electronic control systems also guarantees the vehicle optimal performance in all driving conditions. The new suspension and the more direct steering ratio, ensures the car is extremely responsive whilst maintaining superior ride comfort. Ferrari 458 Italia produces only 307 g/km of CO2 and has a fuel consumption of just 13.3 l/100 km (combined cycle).

Adapted from AutomobilesReview

We’ve already shown you around the outside of Ferrari’s new 458 but here’s a closer look at the inside. Plus, we’ve found the first pictures of the fastest Ferrari ever on the move.

Debuting at Frankfurt in 3 weeks the pictures provides the most detailed look yet at the 458′s instrument layout. According to Ferrari the new layout represents a significant step forward in the concept of the ergonomic interface between driver and car.

Changes mean the 458 has eliminated all steering-column mounted controls, with the indicators, full beam, flash and windscreen wiper functions now being activated by buttons on the steering wheel. Behind the steering wheel lie a number of secondary functions, such as the stereo, while the gearbox paddles are now longer, making shifts even easier from any steering angle.

The right-hand section of the dashboard incorporates controls for the infotainment unit and sat-nav. While on the left-hand side you’ll find buttons for choosing the video setting of the TFT screen and the on-board computer interface.

Driver control of the Vehicle Dynamic Assistance (VDA) means you can control the operating parameters of the most important areas of the car – engine/gearbox, tyres and brakes. The driver is able to choose from three different VDA settings – Race, CT Off and CST Off – allowing the driver to correctly identify the best operating conditions for the car. There are also three status settings on display: WARM-UP (operating temperature too low), GO (ideal operating conditions) and OVER (one or more components are no longer at their optimum level and need cooling).

Of course, Ferrari already assured us the design and feel of the interior have been enhanced with the help of Michael Schumacher and the above described dashboard layout is “the direct result of racing practice.”

Adapted from 0-60Mag

Just the other day, Ferrari introduced the all-new 458 Italia to the world for the very first time. In true Ferrari fashion, the F430′s replacement was shown in the Italian firm’s signature red color. And even though your typical Prancing Horse fan wouldn’t have it any other way, we’re pretty sure that there are many customers out there that would prefer the 458 Italia in a different hue. The same thought passed through the mind of FerrariChat poster ‘JimF’ who decided to use his photoshop skills to create a gallery of images of the mid-engined supercar in numerous colors. Check them out below.

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Source: CarScoop

Ferrari has unexpectedly released the first official photos and details for its latest model, the all-new Ferrari 458 Italia, which is set to replace the current F430 as the brand’s iconic mid-engined V8 sportscar.

This new model represents a dramatic leap forward in Ferrari design and innovation, marking a genuine departure from the current range – including the recently released California.

The Ferrari 458 Italia has been named not only by the traditional figure representing the displacement and number of cylinders but also for its homeland – combining a synthesis of style, creative flair, passion and cutting-edge technology, characteristics for which Italy as a nation is well-known.

Far more than a facelift or overhaul, the Ferrari 458 Italia is a completely new car from the ground up, boasting an all-new engine, design, aerodynamics, handling, instrumentation and ergonomics.

Its Pininfarina design is like no other Ferrari seen before, with a compact, aerodynamic shape, underscoring the concepts of simplicity, efficiency and lightness that inspired the project.

The radical bodywork is also functional, providing downforce of 140 kg at 200 km/h and includes small aeroelastic winglets which generate downforce and, as speed rises, deform to reduce the section of the radiator inlets and cut drag.

The new V8 engine boasts displacement of 4499 cc and is the first direct injection engine to be mid-rear mounted in a Ferrari.

The engine delivers peak power of 425 kW at 9000rpm, setting a new power per litre benchmark for not only Ferrari but also the entire market segment, along with maximum torque of 540 N.m at 6000 rpm.

This is mated to the new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which sports new gear ratios to complement the power and torque curves of the new V8.

Perhaps the most amazing figure however is the consumption, with Ferrari paying specific attention to cutting emissions with the Ferrari 458 Italia producing just 320 g/km of CO2 and fuel consumption is 13,7 l/100km – the best in the entire segment.

The engineers also focused on weight reduction as means of improving both economy and performance, with the Ferrari 458 Italia boasting a dry weight of just 1380 kg – with 58 per cent of it residing over the rear axle.

This has resulted in exceptional performance with zero to 100km/h acceleration reduced to less than 3.4 seconds and a maximum speed in excess of 325 km/h.

The suspension features twin wishbones at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear tuned for maximum roadholding and superlative handling.

The integration of the E-Diff and F1-Trac has been optimised to the point where longitudinal acceleration out of corners has been improved by 32 per cent compared to the previous model.

The braking system features a prefill function whereby the pistons in the callipers move the pads into contact with the discs on lift off to minimise delay in the brakes being applied – this combined with the ABS has cut the 100-0 km/h braking distance to a just 32.5 metres.

While the interior is being kept under wraps for now, Ferrari has promised an all new layout and revolutionary ergonomic interface where the main controls are all clustered on the steering wheel.

Adapted from CarAdvice