By now, you would already have read news that Virgin Galactic – the world’s first commercial ‘spaceline’ – has completed its first ever fully crewed space flight yesterday. And on board the craft called the SpaceShipTwo Unity was founder Sir Richard Branson, who also established Virgin Airlines (as Virgin Atlantic) 37 years ago. The craft, launched from the uniquely designed WhiteKnightTwo aircraft, travelled with four Mission Specialists and two pilots on board, as well as Branson as passenger.
Special Astronaut Edition of Range Rover
Two years ago, Land Rover was already preparing for this historic flight with the Range Rover Astronaut Edition created by the Land Rover SV Bespoke division. It is a special model that will be offered exclusively to Virgin Galactic’s Future Astronaut customers, which already number some 600 people who are said to have signed up.
The special edition of the Range Rover has exterior elements which include unique Zero Gravity Blue paint inspired by the beautiful effects of the night sky, plus a bespoke Virgin Galactic puddle lamp design. The aluminium door handles have the Future Astronaut community constellation design. Astronaut Edition badging also features on the tailgate and side profile finishers.
Exclusive features
One-off interior design features include a custom cupholder crafted from the spaceship’s front landing skid (from the first mission in 2018), ‘DNA of Flight’ logo graphic veneer, with additional personalisation options that include stitching the Future Astronaut’s initials onto the headrests.
Customers who buy the Astronaut Edition can choose either a P400e plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powertrain or a high-performance 5-litre V8 supercharged petrol engine.
Automotive partner since 2014
Land Rover has been the Automotive Partner of the Virgin Galactic team since 2014, providing vehicles for various roles before and after each mission. At Spaceport America in New Mexico yesterday, a Defender towed SpaceShipTwo Unity back to its hangar after the craft mission that took it about 80 kms up.
Even after you recover from COVID-19 infection, your quality of life may be affected and cause you to suffer for a long period after that. To avoid being infected, take the necessary measures to protect yourself as well as others – and get vaccinated.
After picking up pole position for Round 11 of the 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in New York City over the weekend, Sam Bird bounced back for a dominant win around the challenging Brooklyn street circuit, repaying Jaguar Racing’s efforts from a difficult Saturday that saw the team rebuild his car.
The win puts Bird atop of the Drivers’ standings with 81 points as the all-electric racing series heads to his home race in London later this month. However, on the other side of the Jaguar garage, the team was left frustrated missing out on a potential 1-2 finish after team mate Mitch Evans suffered severe damage to his car whilst trying to defend second position.
Evans’ misfortune led to a second podium for Envision Virgin Racing’s Nick Cassidy, the Kiwi rounding out a solid weekend in New York City after finishing third on Saturday. On the final step of the podium was DS TECHEETAH’s Antonio Felix da Costa, the reigning champion stealthily making his way up from seventh on the grid to secure vital points for his title defence as the series heads towards the final four races of the season.
The race around Brooklyn
Under grey skies, Bird got the drop on the field and sped into Turn 1, pulling a clean lead out of the tricky first complex of corners. Behind the Brit, his Jaguar teammate had a rough launch off the dirty side of the track, locking up into the first turn whilst defending from his compatriot Cassidy.
After breaking down in qualifying, Vergne’s day went from bad to worse as the Frenchman was unable to get his DS Techeetah off the line and was left stranded on the grid, bringing out the MINI Pacesetter Safety Car.
With the green flag out again by Lap 3, Bird wasted no time and immediately jumped to put some air between himself and Evans. After losing a place following a robust move from TAG Heuer Porsche’s Andre Lotterer for 7th, Alexander Sims (Mahindra Racing) was the first driver to make the dive to the outside at the Turn 10 hairpin, taking an additional 35 kW from the ATTACK MODE activation.
After qualifying down in 19th, Jake Dennis made some movements through the field to the just outside of the top 10, but the BMW i Andretti Motorsport driver’s progress was halted after clipping the rear of ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Edoardo Mortara and spinning the championship leader on Lap 7, the Swiss-Italian losing some vital positions in the process.
On Lap 8, the Jaguar duo, line astern, both dived for their ATTACK MODE. Bird was able to retain his lead, but Cassidy moved by Evans into second. With an extra 35kW of power under his feet, Evans quickly pounced on his compatriot with a clean pass.
With 15 minutes of the race in the bag, Bird looked smooth and control in the lead, pulling a gap of nearly a second on Evans and Cassidy, with the latter closely covering the rear diffuser of the second-placed driver.
A few laps later, Bird and Cassidy both jumped for their ATTACK MODE. In a perfectly choreographed piece of strategy, Evans allowed his teammate back through to keep Cassidy at bay with Evans working as a moving roadblock and allowing Bird to stretch out a gap of nearly 2 seconds.
With Cassidy having a power advantage, the Envision Virgin Racing rookie made his move on Evans to take second, sweeping round the outside before braking for Turn 6. With that place lost, Evans took his second and final ATTACK MODE to mount a challenge on Cassidy.
With that perfectly timed ATTACK MODE, Evans put in the fastest lap to leap up to the rear diffuser of Cassidy and dived up the inside for second at the Turn 10 hairpin. Behind the pair, after stealthily making his way through the pack, reigning champion Da Costa ominously clawed up to Cassidy for the final spot on the podium.
Rivals from the very beginnings of Formula E, Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler) spun Nissan e.dams’ Sebastien Buemi at Turn 6, the Brazilian coming under the watchful eye of the FIA and picking up a 10-second penalty for the offence.
On Lap 25, Bird continued to stretch his legs and run away with a lead over 2.5 seconds on his teammate, whilst a fight brewing build behind the leader. Da Costa attempted a move on Lap 27, engaging his FANBOOST but getting into the dusty part of the track it allowed Cassidy to hold the position with a daring defence. However, with the New Zealander appearing to be overusing his useable energy, Da Costa’s crew encourage the Portuguese driver with a message over the radio saying ‘we can get him’.
At the head of the pack, Evans was now facing pressure from not only Cassidy and Da Costa but now also the Porsche pairing of Pascal Wehrlein and Lotterer. Trying to fend off the pack the New Zealander clouted the wall on the outside of Turn 4, taking some heavy damage to his left rear suspension – immediately dropping back from second down to fourth after looking relatively in control of the pack.
Evans’ mistake left Cassidy in second now facing pressure from Da Costa in third, the experienced Portuguese driver trying to force the rookie to over-consume his useable energy in the final stages. With too much damage to the rear of his car, Evans was left in trouble losing places left, right and centre on the final lap. He eventually made it across the finish line in 13th position.
Next up it is London’s calling for another two rounds of the 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the Heineken London E-Prix on July 24 and 25.
Polestar has revealed an experimental version of the Polestar 2 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England this weekend, where it was raced up the hillclimb at the venue. While the standard Polestar 2 – which uses a fully electric powertrain – has an output of 300 kW (408 hp), the experimental model generates up to 350 kW (476 hp).
The project was proposed by the company’s CEO, Thomas Ingenlath, who wanted to push the boundaries of the performance fastback’s design and performance potential. “I challenged the design and engineering teams to play with Polestar 2 and come up with something that makes a strong statement for Goodwood. We want to flex our muscles and explore opportunities,” he said.
“For a few months, I have enjoyed driving another experimental Polestar 2, nicknamed ‘Beast’, around our Gothenburg campus, which inspired the team to come up with this version for Goodwood,” he revealed.
Besides the higher output from its two electric motors, the car has been given a stronger stance, with a wider track (+10 mm on each side) and 30 mm lower ride height. Widened wheel arches have been fitted, necessary to house the 9×21-inch wheels and 6-piston Akebono front brakes from the Polestar 1. The 275/30R21 Pirelli PZero Rosso performance tyres are also carried over from the Polestar 1.
The springs have been stiffened by 80% at the front and 40% at the rear compared to the original performance units, and the adjustable Ohlins DFV dampers have been upgraded to Ohlins 3-way performance dampers which are approximately 30% stiffer than the road and track originals. To further increase rigidity, the carbonfibre front suspension strut bar from a Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered has been fitted, complemented by a custom-fabricated rear strut bar.
“This car is what happens when we are given freedom to go beyond our limits,” said Joakim Rydholm, Polestar’s chief chassis engineer. “We already have such great handling and performance characteristics in Polestar 2 but when Thomas asked me to make something special for Goodwood, I was really excited to up the stakes.”
In addition to the mechanical upgrades, the car features updated front and rear bumpers. The car is finished in Snow Matte with a Magnesium Matte racing stripe, colour-coded front grid and glossy black mirrors. Bumpers and side skirts feature an additional colour-coded design accent. The wheels feature dual tonality of glossy and matte black surfaces.
Standard Polestar 2.
“It’s always exciting to push a little bit further. This is one of the benefits of being a start-up like Polestar – we don’t have a mould to fit into so we can experiment with fun projects like this,” added Maximilian Missoni, Head of Design.
Mazda owners and fans will know about ‘Jinba Ittai’ – that unity between the driver and the car, the way a rider and a horse can be ‘one’. ‘Jinba Ittai’ became embedded as a core philosophy for Mazda from 1987, during the development of the first MX-5. Tetsu Kasahara, a young engineer in the Chassis Dynamics Development Department at that time, recalls the term being used internally. “One day, Toshihiko Hirai, the first-gen MX-5’s Programme Manager, started printing ‘Jinba Ittai‘ on his business cards, and I think that’s how it came to be used externally,” he said.
Since then, Jinba-Ittai is a must for every Mazda and it is what makes the company’s cars special, especially to those who love driving. It’s not just in the sports models but in every model Mazda makes, including its trucks and MPVs. In some cases where models have been shared with other mnufacturers, eg the early Mazda3 and the Tribute SUV, Mazda engineers have made some small but effective modifications that have achieved Jinba Ittai for the brand’s models.
The importance of driving shoes
Just as the tyres are the crucial contact a car has with the road, the feet of the driver are crucial in the control and driving experience. In pursuit of the best possible Jinba Ittai experience for drivers, Mazda teamed up with Mizuno, a well-known sportswear company, to jointly develop driving shoes. Also involved in the project was Makuake Incubation Studio which provides new product and new business development support.
The driving shoes are said to provide the driver with a driving experience of light yet stable and comfortable pedal operation. For effective operation of the pedals, ‘dorsiflexion support upper’ helps to pull back the foot to the top. The reaction force of the areas that flex makes it easier to adjust the amount of pedal depression more precisely. Mizuno used posture control technology that it cultivated in the development of competition swimwear.
MIZUNO COB technology in sole
The shoes use MIZUNO COB, which enhances the sensitivity of the soles of the feet in order to communicate with the car and obtain a direct feeling of operation. MIZUNO COB can transmit more accurate information to the sole by adding unevenness on the upper surface of the midsole that is linked to the design of the outsole. It provides a direct pedal feel while ensuring the cushioning required for comfort. It therefore enhances Jinba Ittai during driving, giving the sense of unity between the driver and the car and enables smooth pedal operation in various driving situations.
Commenting on the shoes, a Mizuno designer said that if the shoes that connect the driver and the car are solid, human abilities will naturally be brought out. “Shoes are also an important factor in driving; after all, you can’t run well if you wear business shoes when running,” he explained.
First shoe project for Mazda Design
Mazda Design was involved in the shoe design as well, welcoming the challenge of designing a product they have never done before. As with Mazda vehicles, the form is fused with texture and functionality at a high level. The shoe has a black theme (with grey elements) in its design and each shoe weighs 270 grams.
Only for sale in Japan
The shoes, which are only available in Japan, will be on display at Mizuno stores, Mazda headquarters and Mazda dealers from tomorrow. However, deliveries to purchasers will only take place from March 2022. Only 1,350 pairs (in 4 batches) are available and with tax, the total price is 44,000 yen (about RM1,675).
To know more about the Mazda range of vehicles available in Malaysia, visit www.mazda.com.my.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship continues with Rounds 10 & 11 of Season 7 being run in New York City this weekend. As with the other rounds and a unique feature of the all-electric series, the circuits are created just for the event, mostly around cities. This weekend, the circuit for the New York City E-Prix will wind around the streets of Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighbourhood
The circuit is a familiar one and a favourite of the drivers, teams and fans alike. Its 2.320-km, 14-turn layout remains largely unchanged from Formula E’s last visit in 2019. The circuit, which goes around the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal site in the heart of the Red Hook area, is a real test – it is lined with many kilometres of unforgiving concrete. The drivers will have to familiarise themselves with the revised ATTACK MODE activation zone to negotiate, though, with the loop moved from the exit of Turn 5 to the outside of Turn 10 this year. This may sound like a minor detail, but optimising ATTACK MODE has proven to be crucial at previous races this season.
New race leader after Mexico
In the race for championship honours, 12 drivers now sit within 24 points – one race win – of Edoardo Mortara (ROKiT Venturi Racing) who leads. Eight found themselves in the same bounds after Round 7 in Monaco but as the Puebla weekend in Mexico showed, everything’s liable to change, and fast, in Formula E. Mortara rocketed to the top of the standings after following up a podium in the Puebla E-Prix (Round 8) with a long-awaited return to the top step in Round 9 to take the lead with a huge 40-point haul.
Nick Cassidy (Envision Virgin Racing) steered to his first Formula E podium in the second race in Puebla and Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s long wait for its first silverware of the year came to an end via a Lucas di Grassi-Rene Rast one-two in Round 8. That all meant the championship table saw a shuffle with a number of drivers joining the title battle, rather than any breakaways at the top.
The rivals gunning for Mortara
So Mortara’s huge points advantage means he’s the man with the target on his back in New York City. The Swiss-Italian went to Mexico 13th in the running and 30 points behind then-leader Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing). The Dutchman will be hoping for a better race in New York and he’s every reason to be encouraged following his 2019 win in the city – his most recent in Formula E.
Reigning champion Antonio Felix da Costa (DS TECHEETAH) may have struggled to secure the results they’d have hoped for in Mexico but both he and double title-winning teammate Jean-Eric Vergne left relatively unscathed, in pretty much the same situation as they’d arrived. It was a net gain for the champion despite his struggles, with the Portuguese sitting third.
Audi’s 1-2 saw Rast fire himself into fourth in the standings, Jaguar Racing’s Mitch Evans is fifth after a double points score last time out, while de Vries currently places sixth having led the Drivers’ running heading into Round 7 in Monaco after a measured victory in the DHL Valencia E-Prix Round 5 and that storming opening-round drive in Diriyah.
The official Safety Car for the current season of Formula E is the MINI Electric Pacesetter. It is developed from the new MINI Cooper SE and serves as a ‘bridge’ between MINI‘s historic motorsports legacy and its venture into electrification. The New York event will see the car being used for the fifth time this season.
More spectator involvement
Formula E blurs the lines between the real and virtual worlds of motorsport and there are other opportunities to engage with the championship in Season 7 even if you can’t be at an E-Prix in person. It’s the only motorsport event in the world that lets fans play an active role in influencing the outcome with FANBOOST.
FANBOOST for Round 10 remains until 15 minutes into the race, while voting for Round 11 opens shortly after Round 10 has finished. To give your favourite driver an extra boost of power, visit FANBOOST and the Formula E app.
Ford, in partnership with the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, is one of the three major manufacturers participating in the World Rally Championship (WRC). The team, based in Britain, has so far been using the Fiesta WRC rallycar but from the 2022 season, it will switch to a Puma Hybrid. The first event it will compete in will be the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally in January next year.
Replacement for Fiesta WRC
The new rallycar replaces the Fiesta WRC which has won three world championship titles since 2017. Since 1997, Ford has been working with M-Sport to compete in the WRC, and the partnership has a total of 7 world championship titles.
Based on EcoBoost Hybrid system
The prototype of the all-wheel drive Puma Rally1 has a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and plug-in hybrid system with 100 kW (136 ps) additional power and 3.9 kWh battery capacity. The new plug-in hybrid powertrain will provide competition-level performance as well as the ability to travel through towns, cities and service parks between stages using pure-electric power and therefore zero emissions.
The Puma Rally1’s hybrid system operates using similar principles to the Puma EcoBoost Hybrid road car. The powertrain captures energy normally lost during braking and coasting (regeneration) and stores it in the battery pack to power the electric motor. While this can be used to improve fuel efficiency, the rally drivers are likely to use it for a performance boost – as much as 100 kW for multiple boosts of up to 3 seconds during competitive driving.
The battery pack can also be recharged using an external power source at service points between stages, with a recharge taking approximately 25 minutes. Weighing 95 kgs, the hybrid system is liquid-cooled as well as air-cooled and housed in a ballistic-strength casing to resist the impact of debris and g-forces in the event of an accident, an important consideration in rallies.
In addition, FIA WRC Rally1 competitors must use a fossil-free fuel from the 2022 season, blending synthetic and bio-degradable elements to produce an E-fuel that is 100% sustainable.
Big technological advancement in WRC
“The new era of WRC cars is one of the biggest technological advancements in WRC to date. The introduction of the hybrid means that the cars will be more powerful than ever whilst also directly reflecting the powertrains within their road going counterparts,” said Malcolm Wilson, Managing Director of M-Sport who was formerly a work WRC driver as well.
The Puma Rally1 will replace the Fiesta WRC which the Ford M-Sport Team is currently using in the WRC.
