New Zealand Classic Car has got Le Mans covered

10 June, 2015

As the world’s longest-running endurance racing event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans bears a prestige that can’t be matched. This year’s running of the event, held over the weekend of June 13–14, will once again see Circuit de la Sarthe taken over by the cutting edge of automotive design and technology.

We will be publishing coverage of the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans in our upcoming issue of New Zealand Classic Car Issue No. 295, on sale June 29. In the meantime, we’ve got a gallery and a video, courtesy of the Porsche Team, for you to browse in anticipation of the year’s largest international motorsport event.

Merry Christmas from NZ Classic Car magazine

The Classic Car magazine team is taking a few weeks’ holiday from the work computer and heading to the beach for some kickback time.
Merry Christmas, and have a wonderful summer holiday to all our readers, followers, and fans. Enjoy this special extra time with the family. We will be posting archive articles again in mid to late January.
Have fun, be good and be careful out there.

Two engines instead of one?

Popping two motors into a car is not only complicated, it doesn’t always end well. Donn Anderson recalls early attempts, including John Cooper’s ill-fated original Twini Mini built 58 years ago

For a boost in performance, better traction, and perhaps improved handling to some, two motors seems an obvious solution. It would also eliminate the need to develop a larger engine replacement from scratch, but would that outweigh the not inconsiderable technical difficulties?
The idea of using a pair of engines dates back at least 86 years to the Alfa Romeo Bimotor single seater racing car that was officially timed at 335km/h, or 208mph. Taking a lengthened Alfa P3 chassis, the Italians fitted two supercharged straight eight 2.9-litre and 3.2-litre engines, one in front of the cockpit, and the other behind the cockpit.