Automotivetestdrivers.com’s Post

The Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport has been facelifted to appear more aggressive but doesn’t pack any more power than before. Still, 300 PS and 400 Nm gets the hot hatch from 0-100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, which is faster than the normal GTI.

2025 Volkswagen Golf R: A Comprehensive Guide to Specs and Features

2025 Volkswagen Golf R: A Comprehensive Guide to Specs and Features

First Avon ACB9 Tyre Test, Snetterton Circuit, UK, 16/08/24 Back-to-back tests prove that the performance and durability of the first Avon Motorsport ACB9 Formula Ford tyres built at Nova Motorsport’s new manufacturing facility in Portugal match tyres formerly produced at the Avon factory in Melksham The test is crucial as it is happening in the UK, which will be one of the tyre’s biggest markets. Snetterton has been chosen as the test venue because of the high demand the three-mile version of the track will place upon the tyres. Sitting in Garage 17 are two Formula Ford race cars, a 1971 Merlyn Mk20 driven by 2018 Classic Formula Ford Champion & 2020 Classic Formula 3 Champion Benn Tilley and a 1981 Van Diemen RF81 piloted by Simon Hadfield, CEO of Simon Hadfield Motorsport. Both drivers were selected by the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC) to provide an independent assessment.  At their disposal are two sets of Avon ACB9 tyres produced in the old UK Avon factory and two sets of new tyres produced in Portugal. The test is focussing on every conceivable parameter, with wear, pressure and temperature analysed after each 11-lap session. Benn and Simon’s feedback on tyre performance is also essential. They can tell the Nova Motorsport team how quickly the tyres reach their operating window, how consistently they maintain that window and discuss the quality of grip and the balance of the car. The drivers also reveal how much feel and feedback the tyres provide – essential for quick consistent laps.  “To ensure the drivers have no preconceptions, even on a subconscious level, we don’t tell them which tyres are fitted to each car for each session. That way we can ensure 100 per cent unbiased feedback,” explains Jack Price, Product Category Manager. “What we want to avoid is drivers telling us what they think we want to hear.” Both drivers have in-depth knowledge of Avon products as Simon explains. “I have been running on Avon tyres my entire racing life virtually, and never had a quality complaint. A car must be able to talk to you, unlike a video game, and an Avon tyre lets a car do precisely that." “Right at the sharp end, when the tyres are up to optimum temperature, there’s no difference between the original Avon tyres and the new ones made in Portugal. And from what Benn and I have experienced here today, it’s very clear that Nova Motorsport means business.” It’s time for the concluding independent critical assessment. Once again Simon professes, he cannot tell the difference between running on Melksham-manufactured Avons and the new Portuguese-made Nova Motorsport tyres. Benn has however noticed a tiny difference. Or rather his car’s lap-timer has. “On the Avon tyres my fastest time was 2:05.5, but on the Nova tyres it was 2:05.4,” he explains. “A tenth of a second may not sound like much, but that is precisely the margin with which I won the Brands Hatch Grand Prix earlier this month."

E1 all electric boat racing series returning to Jeddah to open Season 2 The UIM E1 World Championship, the all electric boat racing series that made its debut on the shores of the Red Sea last February, is returning to Jeddah this January 24 and 25 to open its second exciting season. It will be the first stop of an expanded calendar set to feature seven events across multiple continents. Electric boat racing with 150 kW motors The series is loosely patterned after the on-land Formula 1 and Formula E car events, where the emphasis is on the driver’s capabilities rather than throwing money at technology. Each team has the same one-design boat to work with – the Racebird – a 7 meter (23 ft) foiling hull built by Seabird Technologies and designed by their Founder and Chairman, Sophi Horne. Victory Marine and Mercury Racing provide a 150 kW (200 brake horsepower) electric outboard and Kreisel supplies the 35kWh batteries. High speed charging is done with stations provided by QiOn. The top speed is 90 kmh ( 50 knots / 55 mph), but since the races are also about precision and coordination, Simrad and C-MAP systems ensure navigational accuracy and situational awareness. https://lnkd.in/dKMDjF9A

🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨 Hyundai Motor Company (현대자동차) has confirmed Genesis Magma Racing will enter the #Hypercar category in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season campaign. Read more ⤵️ #WEC #Hyundai #Motorsport #Endurance #Racing #Sportscars

This is what 2025 will be about for me for motorsport. I have been racing with Rob Smedley Karting team since 2021. Rob's mission has always been to make talent to rise to the top in motorsport in a fair way rather than talent being selected because a diver has means. Rob and Ferdi Porsche have launched FAT Karting League to make these dreams for drivers a reality. Equal machinery and racing at a fair cost. The racing electric karts are all equal and owned by the team. No-one can put any budget towards the chassis, engine, team, tyres to get them to the top. When all is fair, the best drivers rise to the top. FACT. The biggest prize in karting history will be on offer at the end of 2025 - a fully funded seat in F4 for 2026. I very much have my eyes 👀 on this. https://lnkd.in/d-N9mSTM

IMSA GTP Race Car Homologations Extended Through 2029 LE MANS, France – As part of the annual press conference on the eve of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, officials from the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) today confirmed that the homologations for the Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) and Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) prototype race cars have been extended through the end of the 2029 racing season. Through a convergence agreement announced in 2021 between IMSA, the ACO and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), LMDh and LMH cars are eligible to race in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class and the FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class. “Endurance sports car racing on a global scale has never been stronger,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “Much of the success the WeatherTech Championship is currently experiencing has been driven by the shared platform we developed alongside our ACO and FIA colleagues for global prototype racing, and I’m confident the same can be said for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA WEC. In addition to extending homologations for the top prototype category, it also was revealed in the press conference that the current generation of Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) race cars – which debuted in 2017 – will continue through the end of the 2027 WeatherTech Championship season. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ewKxjxcE

VW Golf 8.5 TSI ‘entry model’ is coming to South Africa: The Volkswagen Golf is set to become more accessible in South Africa with the return of the more humble TSI model for the MK 8.5 range. Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) has reportedly confirmed to Car Mag that the Golf 8.5 1.4-litre TSI is destined to reach South African shores during the first quarter of 2025. When the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf first made landfall in South African in 2021, VWSA decided to stick with the performance variants only, starting with the GTI and later launching the R flagship version too. This was the first time that ‘regular’ versions of the Golf hatchback were not offered in the South Africa market. The previous Golf 7 range, for instance, was offered in 1.0 TSI and 1.4 TSI turbopetrol flavours. The new Golf 8.5 1.4 TSI is expected to offer outputs of 110kW and 250Nm, as per the Volkswagen T-Roc and Tiguan models in South Africa. The more advanced 1.5 TSI ‘Evo’ engine that’s offered in Europe is still not on the radar for the local market. The line-up, specifications and pricing for the new Golf 1.4 TSI will be announced at a later date, but it’s almost certain that VWSA will offer it in R-Line trim on the local market, although a lower-spec ‘Life’ derivative could also be on the cards. The Golf TSI won’t have much competition in South Africa, with the C-segment hatchback market having wilted in recent years as crossovers and SUVs surged in popularity. Its closest rivals will be the Toyota Corolla hatch 2.0 XR, which is priced at R566 800, as well as the Mazda 3 2.0 Astina, currently listed at R603 700. The new ‘entry’ Golf will also serve as an alternative to the Audi A3 Sportback, starting at R682 100, as well as the BMW 118 (from R731 395) and Mercedes A200 hatch (from R826 024). ‘Fresh’ from recent upgrades While Mzansi missed out on the pre-facelift eighth-gen hatchback, the updated Golf 8.5 was launched abroad in early 2024, coinciding with the model’s 50th anniversary. It came with a host of exterior upgrades, including redesigned front bumpers that differ between model grades, as well as new optional LED Matrix headlights and illuminated grille. The interior was freshened up too, most notably with a more user-friendly infotainment system, boasting new graphics and menu structure. It also brought new technologies to the party, including Park Assist Pro with remote parking functionality that allows owners to park in tight spaces using their phones. The local features list for the Golf 1.4 TSI will, of course, be announced closer to launch. Stay tuned. Interestingly, the new Golf 8.5 GTI and R models are not yet officially confirmed for the South African market, although they are said to be under consideration. Sales for the current Golf 8 performance models have been moderate thus far. – IOL Motoring The post VW Golf 8.5 TSI ‘entry model’ is coming…