Tag Archives: T5

Formula One Ferraris – Goodwood Festival Of Speed

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In the final look at Ferarri’s at this years Goodwood Festival of Speed today I’ll be looking at the Formula One cars which covered the 15 year period between 1975 and 1990.

Ferrari 641, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

In reverse order, Ferrari managed to lure Alan Prost away from McLaren to join Nigel Mansell and drove the Enrique Scalabroni and Steve nichols designed 641 to five victories, to Nigels one, and second place in the World Drivers and Manufacturers Championship after an alleged rival settled the outcome of the drivers championship by deliberately punting Alain into a gravel trap in the first corner on the opening lap of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Ferrari 126 CK, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

Gilles Villeneuve drove the Ferrari 126 CK chassis #052 seen above to two of the most memorable consecutive Grand Prix victories I have ever seen at the 1981 Monaco and Spanish Grand Prix.

Ferrari 312 T5, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

A year earlier Gilles and team mate reigning champion Jody Scheckter struggled with the normally aspirated Ferrari 312 T5, Gilles drove chassis #048 seen above to a sixth place finish in the German Grand Prix which was one of just five points scoring finishes for the team in 1980…

Ferrari 312 T5, Rick Hall, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

… while chassis #042, seen with Rick Hall at the wheel above, was raced twice by Jody and once by Gilles during 1980 and failed to finish on each occasion.

Renault RS10, Ferrari T4, Goodwood Festival Of Speed,

One of the highlights of the 1979 season was Gilles epic dice with René Arnoux for 2nd place in the closing stages of the French Grand Prix, Gilles drove the 312 T4 chassis #041 and René the Renault RS10 chassis #RS10/03 both of which are seen above.

Ferrari 312 T, Rob Hall, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Finally in forty years ago Niki Lauda finally delivered the World Drivers and Manufacturers championships, for the first time since 1964, ably backed up by Clay Regazzoni driving the Ferrari 312 T, chassis #024 seen above being driven by Rob Hallwas driven to victory by Clay Regazzoni in the 1975 Italian Grand Prix and on it’s final appearance at the 1976 US Grand Prix West.

Thanks for joining me on this “Formula One Ferraris” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the last of a series of Formula Junior open wheelers. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Annus Horribilis – Ferrari 312 T5 #044 & #045

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After winning the 1979 World Championship with the cobbled to together Ferrari T4 I looked at last week Ferrari made a decision to change direction, in view of the fact that the recently discovered ground effects which manipulated air passing under the car to create aerodynamic down force with little cost in favored vehicles with narrow motors. During the 1979 season Ferrari had run with the 180 degree V12 the widest motor in the field and were also running the only transverse gearbox which further compromised the aerodynamics.

Ferrari T5, Brands Hatch

Ferrari took the decision to build a V6 turbocharged motor but it would not be ready until the 1981 season so in the interim they scaled down the bodywork of the Ferrari T5 in order to try and improve straight line speed which had been lacking in the T4 and also made a narrower version of the 180 degree V12 which had dire consequences on hitherto rock solid reliability. Jody Scheckter, who by his own admission had already achieved his goal in 1979 and decided to retire at the end of 1980 had a simply dire year trying to defend his championship scoring just two points in Long Beach and failing to even qualify for his last but one Grand Prix in Canada completely.

Ferrari T5, Brands Hatch

The #1 seen in both photo’s above during practice for the 1980 British Grand Prix is chassis #044 which was mostly taken to races as a spare car in the 1980 season both Jody Scheckter and Gilles Villeneuve raced the car with Gilles scoring the chassis best finish a 5th place in Canada.

Ferrari T5, Brands Hatch

Gilles Villeneuve managed to score a total of six points in 1980, the eight points total scored by Ferrari equaled a tenth place finish in the Championship, an all time low scoring only on point more in 14 races than in the 11 race in 1969 season when they finished 6th in the championship. The chassis above is #045 in which Gilles scored a best 5th place in Monaco and a further 6th place in Belgium. At the 1980 Canadian GP Gilles Villeneuve took the first attempt to start in #045 above but was involved in a first corner meleé which eliminated seven cars from the race. He then jumped in to chassis #044, which Jody crashed at during practice for the British Grand Prix, see middle photo and came home 5th.

Thanks for joining me on the ‘Annus Horribilis’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Hotel California – VW California

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Continuing the California theme started yesterday today we are looking at a VW California.

Production of the Volkswagen T5 Transporter began in 2003, this one is fitted with a 170 hp turbo diesel engine.

In 2001 Mercedes Benz bought out VW’s preferred camper van outfitter Westfalia leading VW to decide to design it’s own camper around the popular Transporter platform. VW call their camper the ‘California’ a name that was first used by Westfalia in connection with a VW camper in 1988.

launched in 2005 the California comes with an electro-hydraulic operated elevating roof, space for two beds, kitchen sink two burner gas hob, fridge and two kitchen cupboards with integrated drawers. Among a long list of options is the VW 4 motion all wheel drive system.

With Ford knocking on Ferrari’s lawyers doors with respect to the use of the F 150 name I wonder if Ferrari will ever be knocking on the VW’s lawyers doors with respect to the California name ?

Unfortunately thanks to a US ‘chicken tax’ on imported light trucks, which the already expensive T5 is classed as, you are not ever likely to see a VW California in the State from which it takes it’s name, the California is so expensive, £40,000 / $64,000 that only around 300 a year are thought to be imported into the UK.

Fancy seeing why the VW T5 is so highly rated in the UK ? Check out these two advert free clips of the T5 going head to head with the A Team van and over a timed run against the a much more powerful 204 hp Brabus (!) Mercedes Vito Sport X.

Hope you have enjoyed a couple of days in the California Sunshine wishing all readers of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ a relaxing weekend, don’t forget to come back now !

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