Ken Block, Chris Atkinson Spank A Vintage Ford Escort In Woods

What do you get when you combine one Rally America star, one factory WRC driver, and one of the coolest two-wheel-drive rally cars ever built? A bunch of grown men giggling, that's what. Strap in, kiddies. More »

Lucky Rally Duo Survive Wrath Of Mother Nature

European rally driver and co-driver, Rajd Elmot and Osuch Szczepanski, saw their car impaled by a branch during the 2009 Rajd Elmot-Krause race. They didn't realize how luck they were until they watched this in-car camera footage afterward. More »

Let's See Captain Sullenberger Land This

Take a rallying Ford Focus RS, add one part Mikko Hirvonen, one part Jarmo Lehtinen, toss over frozen Norwegian roads and serve cold. More »

Nice Price Or Crack Pipe: $39,500 For A 1984 Renault R5 Turbo?

We're on a four-straight Crack Pipe roll, with 68% of you directing the $37,995 Ferrari Mondial to take its sorry self to Booth Number Two. Will today's car be the one to break the streak? More »

Minnesota, 1960: Corvairs Battle For Ice Racing Supremacy With Caravelles And 356s!

My grandfather was quite the rally and ice-racing fanatic back in the 1950s and 1960s (running mostly Porsche 356s and Saab 93s) and now I've got a couple of his 8mm movies, shot in 1960. More »

56 Teams Battle For The 1958 Alpine Cup: Coupe Des Alpes!

An Alfa Giuletta duking it out with a Volvo 544 on a 2,450-mile race across the Alps in 1958? Well, sometimes there are more important things than slaving for The Man on a Monday afternoon! More »

Ove Andersson, Rally Hero: 1938-2008

Ole Andersson, the Swedish-born racer best known for his Toyota-based European rally teams, died yesterday when his 1957 Volvo crashed during a vintage rally event in South Africa. Mr. Andersson began his racing career as a driver in 1963, and by the early 1970s he was running his own team, racking up plenty of podium time (including the 1975 Safari Rally, which he won at the helm of a Peugeot 504). It's a tough blow for all of us to lose this master of rally hoonage, who piloted such Jalop-approved machines as the Celica, Alpine, and 504. [Reuters, The Guardian]

2008 Subaru Impreza WRC Comes Together In Front Of Our Eyes

We've always been big fans of the yellow and blue, and the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRC entrant is no exception. And if you were curious, there's a decent amount of work needed to take your stock 2008 WRX and convert it into a rally monster. See above. After all that work it's nice to see the result isn't this, though the Impreza could use 800-inch chrome rims. [SWRT]

What Would You Convert Into A Rally Car?

The photos today of the Ferrari 308 GTB rally car combined with the VW Thing (which rallied against the Allied Forces) got us thinking again about rally cars. Anything can be a rally racer, whether AWD/FWD/RWD or even 6WD. From the diminutive Kia Rio to the insane Suzuki Escudo, anything can be rallied. Anything... More »

Minnesota, February 1967: Let's Go Racing!

Those crazy Minnesotans aren't going to let a little 20-below weather stop them from taking their Saabs and MGAs out for some racing, you betcha! My grandfather, a proud St. Paul native, was serious about rally madness and ice-racing lunacy back in the 50s and 60s, and he'd probably still be doing it today at age 91 if his eyesight were a little better and he still had the ol '356 (or the Corvair... or the Dauphine...). He's handed over some of his racing memorabilia to me, including his Curta Peppermill and some of his old Twin Cities Sports Car Club newsletters. Here's the February 1967 TCSCC newsletter, which shows how those tough-guy Minnesotans pretended they weren't freezing their nodules off in ludicrous weather conditions. Uff da! Yeah, it's not as cool as the 8mm movie film I have of actual races, but I haven't had a chance to get them digitized yet. More »

Woodland Creature Costs Pastrana Victory At Sno*Drift Rally This Weekend

More »

Waving to the Masses: Driver POV From Rally de Wallonie 2005

There's nothing like a good rally driver-POV video clip to kick a lazy Tuesday into the troposphere. This, from Belgum's Rally de Wallonie in 2005 shows a Porsche GT3 996 being piloted by a driver unafraid to wave back at the crowd following tricky cornering maneuvers. That's what we call rally spirit. Oh, and no crap Euro synth pop to ruin the whole thing. [Thanks to Travis for the tip.]

Group N Spec Mitsubishi Evo X: To Be Course Cars for WRC Japan

Tis the season for the new Mitsubishi Evo X to invade our consciousness like a reoccurring yen for BBQ-flavored potato chips. Whatever your vice, Mitsubishi's latest news is its latest evo, in Group N rally spec, will be pressed into duty as course cars for the upcoming WRC rally stop in Hokkaido, Japan later this month. The cars are fitted with a full roll cage, purpose-built running gear, brakes and close-ratio gearbox from Ralliart. The new Evo will be properly homologated for FIA World Rally competition (naturally), with the first rally models to hit the international circuit by the second half of 2008 or early 2009. Click through for press release. More »

A Tribute to Colin McRae

With the magnitude of this weekend's loss becoming clearer with each passing news story, we kept busy by cutting together some footage from Colin McRae's career into a Jalopnik tribute clip. We only wish there could be more.

Polizei on the Londino

Herr Roy and his compatriot Mister Ross are off to galavant about the Old Country again, this time in an unmarked, mystery-Polizei vehicle (we're guessing that it might be a Continental GTC, but have no conformation from Ross nor Roy on that at this point). The event? The Londino, a transnational treasure-hunt/tour of sorts where men and women of a certain stature travel from London to Portofino merely on a series of hints. If one of the tasks is to bring back Jeff Ott, a la Paul Curran's legendary Benicia treasure hunt immortalized in Cometbus, we'll poop. We'll poop twice if they actually pull it off. [Team Polizei]

Herr Roy Goes to E-Town

During Alex Roy's long association with Jalopnik, we've come to regard his M5 as something of a piece of folk art; a snot-beat, pricey machine that's likely done more of what it was designed to do than just about any other E39 built. Herr Roy, of course, is a showman, and while his steed of choice is generally considered one of the finest cars of the last three decades, it's still a seven-year-old blue sedan. But somehow with the addition of antennae, stickers and Albanian goat-track dust, it becomes something else. It's almost a parody of the CSL Batmobiles in a way, but just as deadly in its own right. Alex and our pals Jeff Musical, Emil Rensing and Rob Ferretti took the M5 and a few other chips of the Bruce block down to Englishtown for the VW/Audi show at Waterfest over the weekend. It was bad enough that Roy showed up in a Bimmer. Worse? Rensing brought his F430. [Team Polizei]

Some Stratos Goodness

The Lancia Stratos, of course, is one of the most completely, totally and amazingly stupid-rad cars ever built. We have no idea what the narrator is saying besides "Lancia, "Stratos" and "Bertone," but in the end, it matters not. Just look at the goldurn thing and feel warm, fuzzy and altogether too happy that humanity managed to build such a device. Also, scope the Stratos show car in motion. Jeepers!

Hoontastic XL7 Seeks Pikes Peak Pwnage

Mister Rod Millen, Monster Tajima has your 1994 Pikes Peak Hill Climb record in his sights and he's picked one of the most astonishing Suzukis this side of a turbine-powered Gixxer to make his run at your 10:04:06 time. Featuring a whole bunch of race-spec equipment, not the least of which is its twin-turbo, thousand-horsepower GM V6. We're ascared of this machine. Incredibly ascared. [Suzukisport via Autoblog]

Clarkson vs. Herbert vs. McRae

Here's an obviously old bit we'd never run across before — Clarkson arranges three Ford products on the starting line at Silverstone — a Cougar, Colin McRae's WRC Focus and Johnny Herbert's Stewart F1 machine — and gives himself a flying head start with Herbert leaving in the tail-end position. Watch and get stoked.

Volvo is Latin for 'I Roll'

Somehow we think that when the good people at SKF launched the Volvo brand eighty years ago, this sort of rolling wasn't exactly what they had in mind. Nevertheless, the stout Swede handles this spill with aplomb.

Two-Stroke Screaming Song of the Saab

The best thing about two-stroke Saab rally cars, besides the Scandanavian dung-beetle styling, is that they sound like they're moving at roughly five to eight times the speed of light when they're well, not exactly going that fast. More »

The Majesty of the Safari Rally

When we were at the Detroit Auto Show last January, we marveled at the Lancer GSR that'd carried Jogander "The Flying Sikh" Singh to victory on the '74 Safari Rally, wondering how on earth somebody would bomb across Kenya in such a machine. But bomb to victory he did, as have many others since 1953. Sit back, relax, gape in awe and play spot-the-Stratos. – Davey G. Johnson More »

It's the Ken Block Monster Air!

A bit over six months ago, we ran a shot of Ken Block's 171-foot insane-o Subie-leap for the Stunt Junkies television programme. After watching this clip, we would not want to be the man's spine. Even if you've already caught the episode, this flight — exceeding the Wright Brothers' first powered trip into the air by 51 feet — is totally worth watching again. – Davey G. Johnson More »

Jalopnik Flickr Finds: Motor Racing in Angola, Africa

Building a race track in Angola seemed like a smashing good idea back when dashing playboys and ne'er do wells cashed in on the benefits of colonialism by way of fancy motor cars. Racing around public Angola roads and the purpose built street circuit was a welcome sunny holiday from the usual drab weather euro-fare. Engine overheating was a minor annoyance compared to eventual decolonization. Ensuing civil war has prevented the return of motor racing to the sandy dunes, but the imagery from the past lives on thanks to a photoset from Nite Owl. – Mike Bumbeck More »

Beat on the Berlina 2000

While looking for a parking space in order that we could make a stop at Rockaway Beach our favorite store full of robots and the like, we spied this well yet exquisitely worn Alfa Romeo Berlina. Melee and other badges indicate road rally action. The miles look as if they have been, and will continue to be a heap of fun. Bonus points for the blue tape racing stripe. – Mike Bumbeck More »

Morley Family Releases Statement Post-Gumball Verdict

The Morley family has a released a statement of facts regarding the Macedonian trial of Nicholas Morley, which seems to jibe with what we've sussed ourselves about what went down the day before the 2007 Gumball 3000 came apart at the seams. According to the original accident investigator on the scene, as well as an investigator from nonprofit British organization TRL, Morley was traveling at or under 47 mph and would have had 1.6 seconds in which to stop from the point that Vladimir Cepuljoski pulled out in front of his Porsche. The full statement after the jump. More »

Isle of Manly, Isle of Manta

Besides siring the legendary Colin, Jimmy McRae was quite a rally artist in his own right. His weapon of choice? The Opel Manta 400. The course? The Isle of Man. Rally geeks and Mantafarhrer unite! – Davey G. Johnson More »

Trial Of Gumball 3000 Driver Expected To Wrap Up Today

Despite the family of the victim reportedly forgiving driver Nick Morley for causing the deaths of Vladimir and Margit Cepuljoski, the trial is soldiering on, pitting defense forensics expert against prosecution forensics expert. According to Macedonian internet news agency makfax,

"Court's expert Mile Popovski, whose report served as a basis for the indictment, reiterated his findings that Morley exceeded the prescribed speed limit thus causing the accident in which Chepunjoski spouses were killed.

More »

Gumball 3000 Driver Forgiven by Victims' Family

The UK's Daily Mail is reporting, with typical Fleet Street flair, that the Cepuljoski family has forgiven Gumball 3000 participant Nicholas Morley, who as y'all likely recall, crashed into a MkII Golf driven by Vladimir Cepuljoski that had pulled out in front of his TechArt Porsche 911, resulting in the death of Cepuljoski and his wife. According to a statement released by the family during Morley's trial:

"We ask this court to release young Nicholas. It was ill-fate that made our son and father make that fatal mistake and join the main road without stopping his vehicle. We have experienced a terrible tragedy, but we feel that it would be another tragedy to keep this young man in prison. We think he has suffered enough and his conviction would offer no comfort to our grief."

Morley's trial should conclude Monday. If convicted, he faces 14 years in jail. – Davey G. Johnson More »

Rally Ho! Peking to Paris Motor Challenge

Today is day four of this year's Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, and participants are winding their ancien régime racers along the foothills of the Grand Tetons Altay range. They're heading along a dusty trail from Erenhot, China to Sainshand in southeastern Mongolia, on a route that would choke a Lamborghini to within a kilometer of its life. Thanks to the intrepid colinjmbrown, we can get a look at some of the old iron horses as they were preparing to set off on the nearly 12,000 mile trek. If they don't meet with some catastrophe or other, the cars will pull into Paris's Place de la Concorde on June 30. Here's hoping they have plenty of yak dairy products and axle grease. – Mike Spinelli More »

The Clamp Came Down in Georgia: Bullrun Lunch at the Cop Shop

Pal of the Jalop and the first woman ever to be arrested on Bullrun, Annabelle Frankl was taping and riding shotgun when a whole gang of the the ralliers (including their #144 Z06) were pulled over with the drivers taken off in the paddywagon. While Annabelle and Nick aren't paddies (rather Brits of Hungarian extraction), Miss Frankl went and picked up some burgers with all beef patties for the jailhouse rockers. Vomitation was not reported, although we imagine there was a bit of nausea involved. Traffic stop before the jump, aftermath after. – Davey G. Johnson More »

The Mongol Rally!

We sense the tension around here regarding pricey rallies like Bullrun and Gumball, but here's one everyone down the the spirit of tha Jalop should be able to get behind. The recipe? London to Mongolia, pick your own route, the relatively-inexpensive entry fee benefits charity, cars are limited to 1 liter of engine displacement, and you're encouraged to sleep in your car. Herr Roy, start shopping for Isettas now — we hear Rawlings has got a Reliant Robin with a lift kit and 33-inch tires in the works. Tispol to have fit. – Davey G. Johnson More »

European Authorities to Crack Down on Rallying

Following the death of a Macedonian couple earlier this month on the Gumball 3000, European cops are urging a ban on Gumball 3000, Carbon Black and Cannonball Europe. Tispol-affiliated officers plan to share information about the rallies and their routes with each other in order to stop the events, much in the way German Police officers halted the Gumball in Germany. It'll be interesting to see what effect the coordinated effort has on this summer's Cannonball, scheduled for July, as well as its impact on rallies run in the United States. If we needed any more evidence that the Golden Age of Rallying is kaput, Tispol's clampdown is it. – Davey G. Johnson More »

Wacky Hatch! MG Metro 6R4

We admit it. We never met a gonzoid hyper-rally car we didn't like. And while we're complete and utter suckers for purpose-built, design-the-thing-and-homologate-it-later machines like the Ford RS200 and Lancia Stratos, any car with the stones to compete in Group B earns our respect. As such, we've never had a whole lot of love for the Austin/MG/Whatever Metro, but the 6R4 is entirely different pot of meat. Built by Williams, it featured a hybrid construction of plastik und schteel, a midship-mounted V6 instead of a turbo mill with fewer cylinder and well, is simply one of the most gonzoid hatchbacks ever built. We would be proud to call it friend, even if its roadgoing relatives were an affront to the dignity of British motoring, as well as its progenitor, the fabulous Mini. – Davey G. Johnson More »