FOTO: i am the speedhunter

[mil]

It’s been a couple of weeks since we last shared a traditional #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER round-up. We’ve been dealing with special themes recently, along with the cell phone only collection last week, but I’ve been really looking forward to this post. Amongst the hundreds of weekly submissions coming through, most of which are for our Black & White theme, I’ve been seeing glimpses of some amazing photography. Now, it’s time to finally share them…
(Above) Lisandro submitted a couple of very cool tracking shots of this Celica, but this was by far my favourite. How menacing does the car look amongst regular traffic? The framing of the car is key to this, along with vignetting and the time of day it was taken.

Vojislav has quite cleverly used this paint booth to light and frame the E30 M3 in front of his lens. By stepping back and switching off any other light sources outside the booth, he has created a striking image.

A long exposure during a night race always produces strong images. The trail from the – presumably – flaming exhaust just adds an extra element of interest to the photograph.

Stas submitted several super clean images to our Flickr page, but this was a personal favourite. I am a sucker for cars framed with foreground objects, but there are also the contrasting red/blue colours too.

You just cannot get better than that gorgeous light the sun offers as it sits around the horizon. It looks like he’s used a circular polariser too, which reduces the reflections on the bonnet and windscreen.

This super wide and long exposure shot from Roger is an interesting take on the start/finish line shot.

This is a perfectly captured moment by Marc of his son watching some 911s pass by beneath them. It’s a scene that doesn’t require anything except to be framed and clicked.

I really like this cockpit shot by Luke Sluder. He’s done a great job balancing the shadows and highlights, whilst the strong reds add to the image too.

Last year’s #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER award winner is back with this killer rolling shot of an Audi Avant. Black cars can be quite difficult to photograph (especially with regards to getting the exposure nailed) but Jordan makes it look too easy.

This is masterful colour control by Jessy. How great does that yellow look?

We don’t get a whole heap of rig shots submitted, but I’m delighted that Grzegorz sent this one in. Nice point of view, the car isn’t too distorted (which can happen when the rig is too short and you’re forced to use a super wide angle) and the colours are excellent.

A different Grzegorz this time, with a completely different type of shot but a beauty all the same. You can see it already printed in a fine art book on American automobiles. Brilliant.

The elusively named EB-Photo on Flickr submitted this interesting photograph to our group pool.

If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times, but car shows are the worst locations to get great shots. Christian has however decided to buck that theory and deliver this.



Go to the Nürburgring for a track day? As it’s one of the most challenging, dangerous, thrilling and addictive tracks in the world, how could I resist the opportunity? I think if I had passed up this chance, my Speedhunters status would have been unquestionably revoked. I would have hung up my car keys and retreated quietly to the garden shed…

I know it, you know it, we all know it: the Nürburgring is the stuff of legends. All sorts of stories surround it, from laps that seem to bend time itself, to films dating back decades which have intoxicated and teased us from afar – yes, I am talking about

Faszination

Faszination

.


But push aside the massive headline events, folklore and myth, hype and hyperbole and what are you left with? A track which you, you and even you can drive on. So why not? It’s up there on all of our wish lists: go to Bonneville, drive a car you can’t afford and go to the Nürburgring – or more precisely the Nordschleife. But there is far more to the latter than first meets the eye.

Paddy put together his take on things last year, when he gave us some history and showed us around. But driving it? That’s something different – very different indeed. It’s something that Darren Langeveld knows all too well, so twice a year he hires the circuit and sets up camp for all-comers to take up the challenge by organising the renowned Destination Nürburgring events.
I lived in the French Alps for a while and got used to a snow-laden sky, and I began to get flashbacks every time I looked up. Surely not the best of starts? I soon found out the weather seems to be of little concern to most people.

Not least because the beauty of DN7 (because that’s how many Destination Nürburgring events have been held) is that unlike a tourist lap, you get full pit garage facilities and the use of the VLN circuit, which is the Grand Prix circuit and Nordshleife combined. But that’s not what I’m talking about. There was an air of apprehension, and from more experienced drivers came anticipation. Excitement mixed with reserve. Respect.

The first thing to do was to sign on, and pick up transponders for those driving a vehicle…

…but yet another welcome cup of tea and some photography for me. Sorry Darren, I promise next time it’s no camera and a Volvo instead.

Walking out into the pit lane again, the sounds of engines idling were to one side and those at full throttle on the other. Given the conditions, this Caterham driver got a nod of respect as he went past, because we were looking at way below zero degrees centigrade with the wind chill factor.

Just about the only thing that the day had in common with any other track day was the variety of machinery. It’s something I love about these types of event: you never know quite what will turn up.

Like this Wiesmann. I’ve seen these cars at exhibition-type shows before, but never in the raw, in a pit. The muscular lines look really good in black: it’s a mix of retro and tech which works well.

This dedicated Ferrari track car is indicative of all that’s good about the genre. Forget parking up in front of a fancy restaurant barely having warmed the engine getting there. This is what we love to see as Speedhunters: stone-chipped exotica with camber and battle scars. Used.

No preening here, that time has passed and it’s far more important to check fluid levels and tyre pressures. Look after your kit and it’ll look after you. Because you’re going to need looking after.
Porsche.

And BMW.

This M3 boasted the Team Schirmer logo on its rear quarter, which denoted it was tuned/prepared by Tom Schirmer, a bit of a legend in BMW tuning circles. E92 M3 GT V8s are badass anyway, but this just took it to a whole other level.

This is not a question of fashion, it’s science and how to get around the track quicker than before. Did you spot the air duct intake?

In any other scenario the rear wing could look misplaced, but here it denotes purpose. One of these will lap in just over seven minutes.

And yes they do a Paddy McGrath edition too!

As day one drew to a close on track, I pondered why those two marques were so popular. I’ve often heard that normal aspiration is better for the Nürburgring…

…and that the circuit was built for the M3, but it just took a while for it to come along. I didn’t think two marques would be so dominant, but they really are and when you see them lap you quickly understand why.

But it was time for some beer, meat and sleep. In that order. Which is where the bigger picture around the Nürburgring becomes more apparent. Run by Martin and Heidi, the Burgstube is completely indicative of why this place is so magical.


Back in the pits and refreshed, I almost walk past a pair of Nobles. Almost. This is the kind of event where you have to remember where you are, and these two were the perfect reminder.

I was itching to get out on track, both to take pictures and experience the circuit for myself. Jochen from the excellent Frozenspeed.com had kindly offered to shepherd me around, as he did his rounds getting shots in for the attendees.
I came here two years ago almost to the day and the weather was hot – T-shirt kind of weather – and my track time was limited to just one all too quick lap. Sat in the passenger seat I got to take it in a little clearer: first the large, wide open expanses of the Grand Prix circuit, then as if we were slipping out the back door…

…and we were on the narrow Nordschleife, which is like your favourite back road with Armco barriers. Engine noise bounced around the forestry from above and below. It was like I was being poked by invisible fingers of sound.

Pulling up on the outside of a long right hander, the Alfa was parked behind the barrier and I started to move around.

While Jochen got his pictures I observed how different people adopted different lines. This MX5 was particularly committed; running slicks it looked like a lot of fun was being had. But then it occurred to me, just how many laps do you have to do to get to this standard? They say you either crash on your first lap or your fifth. Either you get carried away or you get complacent and think you know the way. When in fact that comes much, much later.

Like hundreds of laps later.

As many will tell you, it’s the elevation changes that surprise most people on their first visit. The Eiffel region in which the Nürburgring lies is one of rolling hills and valleys, so it’s just nature doing its thing.



And guess what was at the top of that hill? The Karussell: one of the most famous corners of all time, and one that there appears to be no warning of, if you don’t know where you are on the circuit.

There’s the smooth tarmac at the top, which some opt for, but the real corner is to be found on the inside.

Just look at the compression! It’s like being locked into a rollercoaster, and all the time you’re almost looking up to see the exit…


They won’t be back for a while either, because you don’t lap in the couple of minutes of a normal circuit. Your brain has to process mammoth amounts of track before you arrive again and try to get it right. Entry, passing and then exit. Just this one corner takes so much effort and there’s another eight kilometers (five miles) yet to go.


Sure we were there to have fun.

But there was literally no room for error. The grass and snow would only accelerate your exit from the land of grip to a world of pain and expense.

Hang on, a Porsche in Haribo livery? OVERLOAD.

You need to be prepared to come here and work at it. The guys from Spires Tuning had brought their alignment equipment along, and the Fiat 500 Abarth I showed you above was in for some attention. Owned by Prodigy singer Keith Flint, it sounded gutteral with a straight-through exhaust from the 1.4-litre turbo four-pot.

Also back in the garage was Phil Morrison from Driftworks, a man well versed in the art of changing driveshafts. What you might not know is that DW has a sister company called Track Culture. His E46 M3 company demo car was featured by Paddy a while back, and the S85 V10-engined machine certainly hasn’t gotten any less awesome over the years. As inconvenient as it was to swap out, Phil had to do this as the M3 needed to get him home the following morning. Trailers? We don’t need no stinking trailers!


Well, yes actually we do. As much as the GT3 is supposed to be a track car that you can drive home, sometimes a little calm and serenity is needed – especially after a mammoth four-day, multi-country track session.

So which is better for the Nürburgring? A BMW or a Porsche? I can’t call that, and to be honest whatever you do a lap in is fine by me, because you’re here doing it. And that’s the important thing.

[BURÄN]

solo naves ... .

[Ivan327]

[toerige]

que belleza, algun dia mi carro se mirara asi de bien en las fotos,

[edmundo8885]

[Irving]

buenos carros y excelentes fotografías.

[mx3Carlangaz]

Iniciado por Louder

no se que carro es, pero vean esas nalgas

¿Será un morgan? Esos ingleses que hacen de madera

[TEAM_SAML]

[arnoldo]

[El Barto]

[sethman]

lo mejor de euro

[TITIO]

[damnpunk13]

Iniciado por mx3Carlangaz

¿Será un morgan? Esos ingleses que hacen de madera

wiesmann gt


lujo de naves

[Ulquiorra]

Fuck! millonadas hay alli