Spyker over Le Mans...

Here are some of the Snoras Bank Spyker Squadron's videos from the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans...


"Spyker Squadron team on the grid ready to start the 24hrs of Le Mans 2009. Victor muller is here to support the team. Jeroen Bleekemolen starts the race, Tom Coronel takes over after Jeroen's first double stint."
Spyker Squadron
More videos after the jump

Spykers at Spa

the Snoras Spyker Squadron sent us, and you my fellow tracktards, a nice postcard from this past week end's 1000km of Spa, the final preparation for Le Mans.

The first video has a turn by turn drive through of the glorious track. After the jump a more general piece, don't miss the Spyker Girls!

Spyker Squadron!

Let's go for a ride at the Circuit de Catalunya onboard a SNORAS Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R driven by Tom Coronel.

Check out that servo providing a mechanical throttle blip for the sequential transmission. A second video and the Spyker C8's details are after the jump.

2008 Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R specifications

Engine
- Make: Audi
- Type: V8 – 90 degree block angle
- Capacity: 4000 cc
- Power: approximate 445 bhp (but depends on restrictor size)
- Torque: 442 Nm
- Maximum revolutions: 8700 rpm
- Pistons: Mahle
- Valve train: Del West
- Conrods: Pankl

Transmission
- Rear wheel drive
- Hewland NLT 6 Speed Sequential gearbox
- AP-Racing carbon clutch

Chassis and suspension
- Aluminium space frame with integrated roll cage
- ATL Safety fuel tank of 90 liter capacity
- Fully adjustable independent suspension
- Moton coil over damper Adjustable shock absorbers with Eibach springs
- CNC machined Upright from solid billets of aluminium

Electrical system
- Bosch MS 4.2 engine management system
- Pi Sigma Data logging system
- Pit to Car radio communication system
- Tyre pressure warning system
- Electrical power steering
- Xenon Lights
- Race application wiring harness

Brake system
- AP-Racing.
- Twin-circuit brake-system with adjustable brake balance, 6-piston aluminium brake calipers at the front and rear with ventilated grooved brake discs
- Brake disc diameter, front 355 x 32 mm and rear, 378 x 35.5 mm

Wheels and tyres
- OZ racing wheels with central locknuts
- Tyres Michelin, Front 260-670/18, Rear 270/710/18

Sizes and weights
- Kerb weight: 1125 kg
- Wheelbase: 2580 mm
- Overall length: 4177 mm
- Fuel tank capacity: 90 Ltr
- Minimum ground clearance: 50 mm

Spare a kind thought..

Let's pause for a second and have a kind thought for the unglamorous end of the F1 grid... These poor saps usually get written off and serve as comic relief for the broadcast color commentators (anyone remember "Johnny Carwash*"?). OK sure, they may not be the very best but what they have to work with is no Mclaren. At times, just holding the car on the road is victory for these guys.

Here is a qualifying lap with Adrian Sutil in the Spyker-Ferrari at the Hungaroring. The car is just a disaster, it understeers then is oversteers, it's nervous over the curbs....nasty...Contrast with Alonso's clip, a different universe. You can have both clips running at once and the difference is stunning...you just feel bad for Sutil.

On a track where the fastest time is achieved by diving to the apex early and hugging the shortest path, poor Sutil must dream of actually being able to hold his car on line, any line!





* Giovanni Lavaggi

A quiet Thursday night at the Place du Casino.

Our secret agent in Monaco sent us these shots from just another night in front of the Hotel de Paris. He deleted most of the cheap cars under $200,000...
Let's see...Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari's Enzo, F50 and F430. McLaren Mercedes SLR and SLR 722.
Morgan Aero 8, Lamborghini Gallardo roadster, Spyker roadster, Aston DB9 and a Lambo Murcielago...

Enjoy

Fernando's axis of oversteer

Tomorrow's qualifying will be exciting but I think McLaren and especially Alonso look to have, as I imagine Ron Dennis might say: "optimized our synergistic driver-car interface in conjunction with our technology partners".


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Heikki Kovalainen decided do a fireworks show to celebrate his success with Renault this year


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and Adrian "Air" Sutil shows Spyker's aeronautical heritage still alive and well.


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thanks to AEF1 for the rips

Who said NYC is not a car town?

Where else can you on the same day, feast your eyes upon a Spyker Roadster and (yes, you saw that right) a Honda Civic completely laminated in vinyl faux wood. YEAAAAH Baby!

Traction account overdraw

It does not take much and you are in the wall in Monaco. With comparatively little help from aerodynamics the traction limit of the cars is exposed for the knife edge it it is.

Some action from Thusrday free practice:

Here Hamilton disproves the British press' thinly veiled assertions of his divinity.


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Now you can see that perhaps Hamilton put a rear left on the curbing entering St.Devote and that caused the rear to step out, but Fisichella? It's hard to imagine it can be anything but brake fade or brain fade...


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And here Sutil in the Spyker gets is all wrong at the second Mirabeau. Doesn't take much.


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