While it doesn’t appeal to all tastes, Targa racing can be fairly exciting and when there is a flaming Lamborghini involved it’s simply awesome. During the recent Targa High Country in Victoria, Australia Lamborghini Gallardo team of Jason and John White struck some heated mechanical issues. The duo had spent the final day of the event battling for the top spot with the near unstoppable Nissan GT-R of Tony Quinn. But the Whites had battled hard and were sitting just four seconds behind Quinn leading into the final stage of the Targa and were determined to close the gap.

Disaster struck halfway through the stage when the team noticed a fireball shooting from the rear of their Lambo. There was two choices: either stop halfway through the course, attempt to extinguish the flames with theon-board extinguishers and give up the overall win or push on for victory and professional fire assistance at the finish line. They went for it.

As the saying goes, ‘who dares wins’ and the Whites came out on top and managed to take down Tony Quinn by a full 10 seconds. At the finish, fire crews got busy on the Italian sportscar and managed to prevent it from complete destruction. Great stuff and good comeback to anyone who says Targa can’t be exciting.

To see the flaming Lamborghini in action click on the videos below.

There’s no easing off the throttle for New Zealand’s champion rally driver Hayden Paddon who has two goals at this week’s World Rally Championship finale in the UK.

The 24-year-old gets to secure his record-making World Production Rally Championship title simply by starting the three-day Wales Rally GB on 10 November in a Subaru WRX STI with factory backing.

But Paddon is set on a top ten finish in the British event, where the Geraldine-based Kiwi will be partnered by co-driver John Kennard from Blenheim. They will be driving a brand-new R4-spec Subaru rally car that was completed only days ago.

“We are going to push for a top ten finish; it will not be easy, but we will push hard,” says Paddon from Wales where he tested the just-finished car on Sunday 7 November.

“However the main objective of the rally is to get an indication of the performance of the R4 as it is still in its early stages of development and, with more homologated parts being approved for next season, it has the potential to be even faster. It’s also about getting some data and information from the event to help STI [Subaru Tecnica International (STI), the motorsport arm of Japanese Subaru manufacturer Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd] and Symtech Racing [Paddon’s Belgium-based team] to continue developing the car.”

The fact that Paddon is driving the new R4-spec Subaru indicates the regard in which he is now held by key decision-makers in the rally sport world.

Paddon says he has every confidence in the new R4 Subaru. “The Subaru is a reliable car and all the mechanicals such as engine, gearbox and diffs are out of our championship-winning PWRC car, which we know has been a proven package. It is going to be a matter of re-engineering the suspension geometry which is quite a bit different between the Group N and R4 spec, but knowing that the rest is sorted, we can just focus on that.”

The Subaru R4 is a development from the current Group N production car that Paddon has driven this season. Introduced by the FIA to allow two-litre turbocharged Group N cars to compete with existing Super 2000 machinery, the R4 Subaru is around 150kg lighter than the current Group N Subaru STI with more adjustable suspension with greater travel and better geometry and handling.

Paddon and Kennard start Wales Rally GB as ‘priority two’ or P2 drivers, starting amongst the Super 2000 competitors.

“We won’t be earning PWRC points – but no one can beat us there anyway and we have these goals with the R4 we want to achieve. It’s an advantage to be seeded further up the field and we’re aiming to get closer in pace to the SWRC guys. Although Rally GB is not a round of S2000 World Rally Championship, there are still some really good S2000 drivers here including some locals and the VW test drivers who are using Skodas. The gap between Group N and S2000 is not completely closed with the R4 but it is certainly a step in the right direction and if we can find the sweet spot with the car then we should be able to get much closer.”

Wales Rally GB runs from 10 to 13 November, covering forest and gravel roads in a wide area around Cardiff.

After the Welsh event, which wraps up the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship season, Paddon returns to New Zealand where he’ll participate in a week-long, nation-wide road show with sponsors Placemakers and Subaru. Starting in Auckland on 23 November, Paddon will visit many Placemakers and Subaru outlets throughout the country to end in Dunedin.

Then, in the second week of December, Paddon heads to the annual FIA gala – in India this year – where he’ll be presented with the silverware for his production world rally championship title.

Check out a video of Paddon’s first test in the Subaru R4 below.

A car taking on a helicopter in a straight-up drag race is a bit of a no brainer. The helicopter will win every time. But what if the car is Steve Millen’s hardcore Stillen R-35 Nissan GT-R?

It was a question no one asked but still got answered during the second day of the Targa New Zealand race. Other competitors and spectators witnessed the spectacle when the competing cars were paused at a pit stop.

Steve Millen was behind the wheel of his car while acrobatic racing pilot, Leigh Hopper, controlled the Eurocopter named ‘Squirrel’. The results are somewhat inconclusive but the car/helicopter drag race made two runs down the runway with a turn at the end.

Check out the video of these Targa NZ sideshow shenanigans below.

Targa NZ Day 2 Play of the Afternoon from Targa NZ on Vimeo.

Over in the States the Ford Mustang has never lost its appeal and one of the most desirable examples remains the classic, first-generation model.

But not every enthusiast can afford or even find a mint condition 1964-1966 Mustang so Ford is no selling new body-shells of the first-gen model. Available in the coveted convertible body shape the Mustang body shells start at USD$15,000. The bare metal shell uses modern steel and welding procedures, which makes it stronger and more durable than the original ’60s shells.

Naturally there is plenty of work left to do once you have a shell with the powertrain, suspension, brakes, electrics and interior trim all needed to be sourced and fitted. In the States all these parts can be purchased from suppliers, but for those on a budget a rusted-out first-gen Mustang would make for a suitable donor car.

Check out a promotional video for the Mustang body shells below.

Holden has gone back to the future, restoring its very first concept car – the 1969 Holden Hurricane.

The futuristic research vehicle described as an experiment “to study design trend, propulsion systems and other long range developments” has been restored to its former glory as a labour of love by a dedicated group of Holden designers and engineers.

Code-named RD 001; the Hurricane is a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive, two-seater sports car which incorporates a remarkable array of innovative features and technology, much of it way ahead of its time.

Features such as electronic digital instrument displays, station-seeking radio, automatic temperature control air conditioning, rear vision camera and an automated route finder were all showcased in this groundbreaking vehicle 42 years ago. Many of these technologies have only recently made their way into mass production, demonstrating Holden’s remarkable foresight into both design and engineering technology.

The Hurricane stole headlines and dropped jaws nationwide when it debuted at the 1969 Melbourne Motor Show.

The team that designed and built the original Hurricane employed some advanced technologies and techniques when it came to the powertrain. Powered by an experimental 4.2-litre (253 cubic inch) V8, this engine was a precursor to the Holden V8 engine program, which entered production in late 1969.

The Hurricane’s V8 engine featured many advanced design components such as the four-barrel carburettor – a feature which wouldn’t be seen on a production 253ci Holden V8 until the late 1970s. The end result was approximately 262hp (193kW), a towering power output in 1969 and one that ensured the Hurricane had the go to match its show.

However, perhaps the two most innovative features were the “Pathfinder” route guidance system and the rear-view camera.

The “Pathfinder”, essentially a pre-GPS navigation system, relied on a system of magnets embedded at intersections along the road network to guide the driver along the desired route. A dash-mounted panel informed the driver of which turn to take by illuminating different arrows, as well as sounding a warning buzzer.

The rear-view camera was also a ground-breaking innovation. Engineers using a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system with a camera mounted in the rear bumper feeding vision to a small black-and-white TV mounted in the centre console.

Former Holden Chief Studio Engineer Rick Martin led the modern-day Hurricane team in researching the vehicle’s components, systems and history in order to restore it.

RD 001 stands just 990mm high and has no doors in the conventional sense. A hydraulically powered canopy opens upwards and forward over the front wheels, combined with twin “astronaut type” power-elevating seats, which rise up and pivot forward, along with the steering column for ease of access.

Occupants are then lowered to a semi-reclining position before the roof closes over them.

The wind tunnel-tested fibreglass body consists of three segments; the canopy, the engine hood and body shell and was finished in an experimental aluminium flake-based metallic orange paint.

Safety innovations included a foam-lined fuel tank, integrated roll-over bar, digital instrument readouts, ignition safety locks, interior padding and a fire warning system.

The project to restore RD 001 began in 2006 and has been a genuine labour of love for some very dedicated Holden employees. The entire restoration process has been driven primarily by volunteer labour from Holden designers and engineers in their spare time.

But the Hurricane first entered Holden Design in less than immaculate condition. RD 001 had a residency in a trade school where apprentices practised their welding on the priceless concept.

After being returned to Holden in 2006, the Hurricane restoration project has taken many thousands of painstaking man hours to lovingly restore RD 001 to concourse condition.

Michael Simcoe added that the Hurricane holds a particularly special place in Holden’s history as it kick-started Holden’s long love affair with concepts that has since seen the likes of the iconic GTRX, Torana TT36, Coupe 60, the GMC Denali XT (which was requested specifically by GM for the North American market) and the award-winning EFIJY.

The Holden Hurricane will be on display to the public at the classic car show Motorclassica, held at the Melbourne Royal Exhibition Building from October 21 – 23.

Check out a video below and images in the gallery.

Most sofas never really travel that quickly. Sure they might reach a speed of around 1 km/h when burly furniture movers carry them into your house but they spend most of their tough lives doing all of 0 km/h. Well that really is nothing because the world’s fastest couch can go more than the legal speed limit and then some.

An Australian-based couch has just broken the world record for the fastest couch on the plant (yes, there really is a record). A team from Sydney have turned a rather ordinary brown two-seater into a machine capable of traveling in excess of 150 km/h. In fact, it recorded a top speed of 163.12 km/h to smash the previous record of 146 km/h set by an English man back in 2008.

The couch wasn’t alone in its triumph either, it shared the glory with a coffee table and a bowl of fruit. The couch was specially built for the world record attempt by Evolution Motorsport, a racing firm from Sydney.

The speedy sofa is powered by a Suzuki GSX 1400 motorbike engine and according to the project leader, Paul McKinnon the biggest challenge was battling the aerodynamic obstacles of pushing along a chunky piece of furniture. We aren’t aerodynamic masters but we’d guess that the coffee table isn’t just ornamental and doubles up as some sort of air splitter. Sneaky Aussies.

Bet your couch is looking pretty lame right now. To check out the record setting run, view the video below.

The world’s oldest running car has been announced for an upcoming auction. This holy grail for vintage car fans is a 1884 De Dion Bouton Et Trapardoux Dos-A-Dos Steam Runabout that has been owned by the same family for the last 81 years. It has had just four owners over its 127 year history.

The old De Dion can his a top speed of 38 mph and has a range of around 20 miles on a single tank of water. In fact, the steam-powered tricycle has completed the London to Brighton run four times and apparently participated in the world’s very first auto race. It was was the only vehicle to show up, but it turned in an average speed of 16 mph and stretched its legs out to a top speed of 37 mph over the 20 mile course.

In addition to the Runabout’s motorsports credentials, it’s also a successful show car taking out double awards at the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours show.

In total, only 20 De Dion tricycles were manufactured with only six remaining in existence. This is the only fully functioning example left,so its not going to be a bargain buy. RM Auctions are selling the old girl and expect the De Dion to be sold for between USD$2 million and $2.5 million.

If you want to know more about the 1884 De Dion Bouton Et Trapardoux Dos-A-Dos Steam Runabout check out the video below.

A brief video has been released online that gives an insight into the origins of the famed prancing horse on the Ferrari badge.

It turns out that the idea for the horse logo was inspired by a WWI Italian fighter pilot by the name of Francesco Baracca. It was Baracca who first used a prancing horse badge on the fuselage of his biplane during the Great War.

Apparently, Enzo Ferrari only spoke of the badge’s origins once and that’s how the story became known. To find out more click on the video clip below.

Jaguar has unveiled its latest concept car, the C-X16 before its official debut at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The concept is already touted as being a likely future production model that will sit below the XK in Jaguar’s current range. This concept is to spawn Jag’s affordable two-seater sports car that will fight Porsche’s Cayman.

Built to be a true driver’s sports car, the C-X16 is the smallest Jaguar in terms of length since the 1954 XK120. The concept rolls on a shortened platform of the next generation XK’s aluminium chassis structure and has a perfect 50:50 weight distribution between its axles.

Under its traditionally long bonnet the C-X16 packs a hybrid powertrain that includes a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine with 280kW of power and 450 Nm of torque. The conventional engine works in with an electric motor generator integrated into the eight-speed automatic gearbox that transfers power to the rear wheels.

The electric motor generates an additional 70kW of power and 235 Nm of torque from a 1.6kWh battery pack mounted behind the seats. The battery pack is charged through a brake energy regeneration system. This “Push to Pass” hybrid boost system is operated through a steering-wheel mounted button allowing for instant acceleration.

With the petrol and electric motors firing the C-X16 can sprint to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, from 80-120km/h in 2.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 299 km/h. Apparenlty, the concept can also travel up to speeds of 80km/h using electric power alone

The exterior design on the concept is the work of Jaguar’s Design Chief Ian Callum and mixes styling from the current XK up front, and the C-X75 hypercar concept at the rear.

“This car has been designed from first principles,” says Callum. “It is an evolution of the design ethos of past Jaguar cars and defines the agenda for a future of dramatic, innovative sports cars. Purity of line and intent is what Jaguar does best.”

In the cabin, there is an old school, aeronautical theme including a joystick-style gearlever and banks of toggle switches, which also pay homage to classic racing Jaguars.

Check out images and a video below.

Last month we brought you news of an American man who created the world’s only turbine-engined Batmobile replica (read news). It’s an amazing machine that’s entirely impractical and exists only to help play out the boyhood fantasies of its owner and creator Casey Putsch. But now, Putsch is done with his much-loved Batmobile and has put it up for sale on eBay Motors.

The Batmobile has a shape made famous by the earlier Keaton-era Batman movies and is powered by the same Boeing turboshaft engine found in the likes of a U.S Navy drone helicopter. The price tag is a very heavy $620,000 USD, that’s a lot of money to play dress ups.

For the huge outlay you get a hugely unpractical machine with power output of 287kW and a 1,270kg kerb weight. Will your neighbours hate you when you fire the beast up every morning before work? Yes, it will be obnoxiously loud. But it’s not always easy being the caped crusader.

Check out a video of the Batmobile in action below and click here to see the auction on eBay Motors.

The General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard fame and the Pontiac Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit are two of the most famous cars to ever reach our screens. These old school four-wheeled stars are famous for the rebellion they represented and the hours of footage of the bright orange 1969 Dodge Charger and the jet-black 1977 Pontiac Trans Am performing dangerous jumps and stunts.

To honour these famous machines a tribute video has been filmed that shows two replicas staging a chase scene. Drivers Sam Young and James Smith replace Bo Duke and The Bandit in their respective rides and pull some dirt-road shenanigans in these beautifully restored classics. The video title calls it the ‘best car chase ever’ which may be an exaggeration – it’s fairly tame really but good for a look.

Check out the video below to see this classic movie cars in action.

BMW has a long history that goes back more than 90 years beginning with aircraft manufacture. The exact meaning of the iconic BMW badge has been the subject of debate in recent times, but now BMW has released a video explaining what it’s all about.

The truth is actually very simple; the blue and white badge features the colours of the Bavarian state flag and is modeled on the logo of the predecessor company, Rapp.

The idea that the logo represents a propeller began because BMW produced aircraft engines before it made cars, but this is a myth.

To find out the truth watch the short video below.

The latest big budget Hollywood movie to reach NZ cinema screens is Captain America, a story based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Like many comic book characters Captain America is old school in nature with his comics first released back in the 1940s. But that hasn’t stopped the creators of the blockbuster film from building some unique retro vehicles for the period-accurate story.

Set in the second World War, Captain America uses a motorcycle to get around, but not just any bike, the most quintessential of American motorbikes – a Harley-Davidson. Designed as a modern interpretation of H-D’s classic WLA military motorcycles, Captain America’s custom machine begun its life as a stock Harley-Davidson Cross Bones model. Which is a good start considering the Cross Bones has spring-mounted solo saddle and springer fork making it the most suitable platform in H-D’s current range from which to begin.

A video clip has been released to show how the bike was developed and a couple of snippets from the movie, check it out below.

Few NZ Classic Car readers would argue that vintage racing is one of the most elegant and exciting forms of motorsport. Seeing classic machines back on the track and hearing the throaty growls of their engines is something special, but its not without risks. Older race cars are usually more tempermental and more difficult to drive than newer racers, the drivers are often older as well.

The latest incident to remind us all of the dangers of vintage racing comes from the recent Silverstone Classic. Morgan driver and ex-England footballer Luther Blissett took his roadster down a sharp inside line during a race, he clipped the track’s curbing which was enough to send the car tumbling. Rolling an open top race car must be terrifying but Blissett emerged unhurt, his classic Morgan didn’t look so flash.

To see the crash, click on the video box below.

Sir Stirling Moss loves his British cars but his lengthy career has seen him race special track cars from all over the world. Among the most notable are his links to Germany’s Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Moss recently made an appearance at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed where he turned up with one of his prized Porsches ready to run up the famous hill.

This particular Porsche is the 718 RS 61, which Moss once ran in the Targa Florio. He may have won the event in the Mercedes-Benz 300SLR, but Moss absolutely loved driving the Porsche. Moss liked driving it so much that he eventually purchased the car for his own private collection.

Before heading up the hill, Sir Stirling Moss had time for a quick interview, which you can see below. It’s a cool clip that really shows Moss’ passion for all things Porsche.

Ferrari won big earlier this month at the Silverstone GP. Team driver Fernando Alonso took Ferrari’s first F1 win for the season and also managed it on a historically significant occasion.

Alonso took the checkered flag for the Scuderia exactly sixty years after José Floilán González scored the team’s first ever victory at the same grand prix in 1951. That famous race was held on the same second weekend in July as this year’s race.

In an act of confident forward planning or just good luck, the very same car in which Gonzále took victory sixty years ago was at the race track. Alonso was given the historic race car and took it on a couple of hot laps, and even got it sideways coming out of a few corners.

This near-priceless 1951 Ferrari 375 today belongs to F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, who brought it along to the circuit for an historic demonstration and entrusted it into the skilled hands of Fernando Alonso.

Click on the video below to see Alonso and the Ferrari 375 perform the victory laps.

The Honda Civic has touched most of us in some way, whether from the drivers seat or riding shotgun with mates or partners. We all have some sort of Civic story. Honda is preparing to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its most famous model next year, but before then it has released a video titled “Heritage” that looks back at this automotive icon.

The video features a soundtrack from British house music trio Dirty Vegas and provides a glimpse at the history of this model. Since it debuted in 1973 more than 19 million Civics have been sold, it’s no wonder everyone has a Honda Civic story.

Check out the video below.

It’s impossible to know when the Batmobile madness will end, there is something about this TV/movie car that makes grown men go to extraordinary lengths to build one.

Having a real-life Batmobile parked in your driveway does have a certain appeal, but the reality may not always check out. Most Batmobile replicas sit on a junkyard chassis and are powered by a old GM-sourced 350 V8. It’s hard to emulate the Caped Crusader when there’s black smoke spewing out the back of your ride and you have to stop every 3km because the cabin overheats.

But not all try-hard Batmans are created equal. A man by the name of Casey Putsch decided he wanted a Batmobile to call his own, but he wasn’t ready to settle for second-rate. Much like Bruce Wayne, Mr Putsch has the means needed for the job, mainly because he’s the owner of Putsch Racing, an outfit that restores, designs and appraises all sorts of automotive machinery. To make his replica unique, Putsch has built what he claims is the only turbine-powered Batmobile in the world.

Under the long bonnet of Putsch’s Batmobile sits a Boeing turboshaft engine taken from a naval drone helicopter. The power output is rated at 287kW, which is ample for the vehicle’s 1,270kg kerb weight.

Away from the small engine upgrade, this Batmobile has received a suitable interior fit out. An Apple iPad has been fitted into the centre stack of the super hero car, which displays info on the avionics system and also supplies GPS information.

To see this marvel of modern machinery in action, check out the video below. It’s worth it for the sound alone.

It was a hard-tuned Toyota Celica that set the fastest time at this year’s Goodwood Hill Climb event (read news), but it wasn’t the most beautiful machine on the short course.

The most fascinating vehicles to go up the hill were the range of past F1 cars that tackled the event. These circuit racers ranged from a 1939 Mercedes-Benz W165 to 2010 editions of Ferrari, Lotus and Red Bull. Just the sound of these historic beasts firing into life is enough to give out goosebumps.

Don’t believe us, then check out the video from the 2011 Goodwood Hill Climb below for proof.

Being Jay Leno must be pretty sweet. Not only does this guy have one of the most enviable car collections in the world, but auto manufacturers are happy to let him swing by and sample their latest machines.

Volkswagen went one step further and not only let Leno take its latest Beetle out for a spin but trusted him with the keys to the oldest Beetle in the world – a 1938 model. Leno does what’s thought to be the first test of the all- new 2012 Beetle and puts it into context with a spin in the oldest Beetle first. The conclusion? Leno is impressed with both machines but says he’d rather drive the 2012 model on a daily basis. At least he’s honest.

See the video of Jay Leno test driving the two Beetles below.

Over the past 40 years, BMW has collaborated with world famous artists to create 17 art cars and each is a historic work of art. The cars are highly valuable but many of them have been raced, from Alexander Calder’s 3.0 CSL through to the latest M3 GT2 painted by Jeff Koons.

While some of the cars have gone on display in museums and exhibitions around the world, seeing all 17 in the same place is very rare. To mark the 40th anniversary of the art car program BMW has put the entire collection online through a new website. On the site each car gets its own exhibit and film that outlines its creation, all laid out in a high-tech virtual museum.

There is also a forty minute video that outlines the history of the program. We have a brief clip from it below.

To visit the BMW Online Art Car Tour Website, click here.

All of us must remember the old stop, drop and roll phrase that teaches kids what to do if they find themselves suddenly on fire. It was a tag line burned into our minds from a young age partly from fear but mostly from repetition and because its quite catchy.

It turns out that it’s not just Kiwis that stop, drop and roll Brazilian race car drivers are well versed in the technique as well. Just ask Tuka Rocha a keen driver in the Brazilian Stock Car Championship who found himself with a scorching problem. Rocha’s race car, a Chevy that’s oddly sponsored by Hyundai, became ablaze mid-race and turned into a uncontrollable fireball. Like anyone would, Rocha wanted out bad, so in desperation he kicked open the door and threw himself out. Rocha kept performed a few rolls and becomes overwhelmed with joy after his near-death experience, he celebrates for a moment before falling to the ground and needing attention.

Rocha turned out to have no serious injuries and is now on his way to internet stardom, as for his Chevy race car, that’s not so healthy. Check out the video below.

Last weekend the Goodwood Festival of Speed was the place to be for UK motoring enthusiasts with many of the world’s finest vehicles put on display. While the show cars we nice, for many it was the hillclimb action on the driveway of Goodwood house that was the real spectacle.

The 2.5km hillclimb was once a fairly casual affair but now it’s serious business and sees more than 200 retired Formula 1 cars, supercars and even concept machines attempting to reach the top in the quickest time. This year’s winner was a shock to many, it wasn’t a recent F1 car but a bright orange Toyota Celica. piloted by former British rally champion Jonny Milner.

It wasn’t Milner’s first attempt to win the hillclimb event and this time he came with an absolute monster of a car. So how did this old 6th-gen Celica take top honours? Well it’s not exactly stock-standard; the Celica is powered by a Corolla WRC four-cylinder fitted with a Garret turbocharger, a Rotrex supercharger and just in case – a nitrous oxide system. All up, this Celica pumps out over 600kW through all four wheels and has been lightened to a waif-like 1,050kg.

When you come packing this sort of heat it’s no wonder F1 cars are found wanting. A video of Milner’s 48.07 second winning run hasn’t been put online just yet but we have footage of an earlier 48.99-second run below. Click forward to 1:48 in the clip to see the Celica tearing up Lord March’s grass verge.

China has a long history of embarking on massive infrastructure projects dating back to the Great Wall. The country’s latest man made marvel is a collection of four of the world’s longest over-sea bridges. These lengthy bridges are part of the new Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway, which made its maiden trip yesterday.

This epic project first began in 2008 and has cost around US$33 billion to complete. Around 10,000 workers were employed to build the bridge. The end result means the high speed railway can take double the number of passengers than before and has cut the total journey time between Beijing and Shnaghai from ten hours to less than four.

The Jiaozhou Bay bridge, at 26.4 miles (42.4 km) is now the world’s longest bridge over water and the sixth longest overall. This bridge connects the city of Qingdao to the suburban Huangdao over the other edge of the bay. To get perspective the Jiaozhou Bay bridge is longer than a bridge would need to be to cross the English Channel.

Long bridges have become a popular solution to China’s congestion problems and now 11 of the world’s 15 largest bridges are located in the Asian country.

Watch a clip showing the Jiaozhou Bay bridge below.

The man credited with designing the much-loved McLaren F1, Gordon Murray has just unveiled his latest creation – the new Batmobile.

Built for the Batman Live World Arena Tour in the UK, Murray’s Batmobile has been met with harsh criticism after not meeting the expectations of caped crusader fans.

Clearly built for high-speed rather than heavy armour, this Batmobile has a jet-inspired fuselage and advanced cabin that fails to appeal. It’s body is made of a new type of “breathing” carbon fibre and has some familiar finned styling. The virtual wheels are ringed with LED lights and other fantasy features include a radar jammer, laser cannons and a carbon-ceramic afterburner.

In terms of power, Batman is covering his green bases with the new Batmobile powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and lithium-ion batteries.

View Murray’s original sketch in the gallery below and a short video clip of the controversial new Batmobile.

With the kiwi dollar staying strong against the greenback, many NZ-based American car enthusiasts are checking the eBay auction website in the states seeking out bargains. It’s hard to blame them either when there is some beautiful and unique metal for sale like this Ford Mustang custom shooting brake.

The Mustang wagon was an idea briefly considered by Ford but never got any further than a concept machine, that fact hasn’t stopped some enthusiasts have knocked together their own versions. This example was built by American Joe Ramp and it checks out nicely.

Ramp used a 1965 Mustang hardtop coupe as the base vehicle and proceeded to stretch out the roof and create custom rear side glass along with the fabricated D-pillars. As much of the stock body was retained as possible, so apart from the long roof it’s all Ford-built Mustang. To help shift around the extra weight Ramp upgraded the powertrain by dropping in a 5.0-liter V8 mated to a T5 five-speed manual gearbox. Power is put through to an eight-inch Ford rear-end and 3.00 gears. Custom control arms and upgraded shocks deal with any heavy loads in the rear.

This special Stang looks like a well-worked example of what Ford could have done. It’s listed on eBay by RK Motors of Charlotte, with a Buy It Now price of $59,990 USD. Currently, the bidding has has reached just $15,100 USD falling short of the reserve.

Click here to check out the auction on eBay.

Check out a short video of the car below.

When it comes to the top echelons of endurance racing Audi rules the roost, so long as its cars can stay on the track. At last weekend’s Le Mans 24 hour endurance race the Audi LMP cars were firm favourites – but it all didn’t go to plan.

After dominating qualifying to put two Audi R18 TDIs in pole and second spot on the grid, Audi was looking flash. But just one hour into the race, two-time winning driver Allan McNish found himself in all sorts of strife and completely smashed his pretty prototype racer. McNish was trying to work his way round his teammate when he encountered traffic and got connected with a GTE Class Ferrari 458 Italia. McNish and his Audi crossed rapidly through the sand trap and hit the barrier at a high speed, the R18 disintegrated sending carbonfibre, metal and tyres everywhere. Photographers and marshals scattered to get out of the way of the debris and amazingly no one was hurt – not even McNish who walked away.

McNish’s racing day was over, but Audi did still go on to take Le Mans victory through Andre Lotterer in the #2 R18 TDI.

Check out a clip of McNish’s high-speed crash below.

It’s not called endurance racing because it’s easy. But exactly how hard it is on both driver and machine is something few of us really realise. To educate the masses Audi has created a visually fantastic animated short film.

Called A Day in the Life of an Audi Driver the film features narration by the Audi Le Mans team driver Alan McNish who takes the viewer through some interesting facts about the famous 24 hours race. Winning Le Mans certainly looks like a tough task and Audi would know, its had victory 9 times in the past 11 years in both petrol and diesel-powered cars.

Check out the short film below.

When Aston Martin announced it was once again teaming up with Italian design house Zagato on a new project vehicle, fans of the iconic British badge got very excited. Now, the end result of this latest partnership has been unveiled and there is no room for disappointment.

Simply named the Aston Martin V12 Zagato, this curvaceous beauty was debuted at Italy’s Lake Como on the way to last weekend’s Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este. It was built in celebration of a 50-year long working relationship between Aston Martin and Zagato, the new model draws inspiration from its classic 1961 DB4 GT ancestor.

Apparently, the V12 Zagato draws its design cues from not just the DB4GT, but also from other collaborations including DB7 Zagato and V8 Vantage Zagato cars. Finished with a subtle double-bubble roof the hand-crafted aluminum body is painted in a blood orange hue.

“The V12 Zagato is an elegant yet brutal design which reflects the great balance between race performance and pure Aston Martin style,” said Aston Martin director of design Marek Reichmann.

“The original DB4GT Zagato was a true icon, powerful and graceful; the new design is a true representation of the spirit of DB4GT Zagato,” he continued.

Based on Aston’s V12 Vantage, the new Zagato is powered by the same 5.9 litre V12 engine with 380kW of power and 570Nm of torque. But significant weight-reduction measures make it faster than the standard V12 Vantage with a 0-100kph sprint performed in under 4 seconds. The standard V12 Vantage takes 4.2 seconds.

Aston Martin will compete two of the cars in endurance racer trim at the upcoming Nurburgring 24 hour race, but there will also be a limited run of road going V12 Zagatos as well.

Expect exact production numbers, pricing and specification to be released shortly.

Check out images and a video clip of the Aston Martin V12 Zagato below.

BMW showed up at last weekend’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este with a special machine to show off – it’s new 328 Hommage concept.

Based on the Vision Connected Drive concept machine revealed at the recent Geneva Show, this 328 Hommage concept has been built to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the classic model. The original BMW 328 was a success story for the German brand and was considered to be one of the finest-looking sports car of the 1930s.

BMW’s 328 Hommage is a speedster featuring a high-tech lightweight construction, giving it a kerb weight of just 780 kilograms. Extensive use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) on the concepts interior and exterior have made this extreme light weight achievable.

The interior of the 328 Hommage is trimmed in fine leather, with high-gloss black, polished aluminum and carbon fibre pieces.

For exterior design, the classic 328 design elements are obvious, there’s the vertically positioned double kidney front grille, the flat silhouette and wide-set tail lamps at the rear.

While no official info has been released on the 328 Hommage’s performance figures, apparently the concept is powered by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine. More details may be released soon, but with a 780kg weight even BMW’s most humble engine would give this machine seriously strong performance.

At this point, it seems unlikely that the BMW 328 Hommage will ever make it into production.

Check out a video clip and images of the 328 Hommage below.