Motor Authority - blog Tag: ROC

Undoubtedly one of the most unique motorsports events out there, the annual Race of Champions (ROC) event sees drivers from usually incompatible forms of motorsport take each other on in a single race format - last year we got to see rallying legend Sebastien Loeb beat out champion F1 drivers Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard for a memorable victory.

This year, the ROC will be moving to a new location - China's famous Bird's Nest stadium, which played host to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and is now China's national stadium. Taking place over the course of two days in November, the ROC will be the first major event to take place at the... Undoubtedly one of the most unique motorsports events out there, the annual Race of Champions (ROC) event sees drivers from usually incompatible forms of motorsport take each other on in a single race format - last year we got to see rallying legend Sebastien Loeb beat out champion F1 drivers Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard for a memorable victory. This year, the ROC will be moving to a new location - China's famous Bird's Nest stadium, which played host to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and is now China's national stadium. Taking place over the course of two days in November, the ROC will be the first major event to take place at the stadium since the Olympics. According to International Media Productions, the company behind the spectacle, five other venues were in consideration but Beijing won out in the end due to its work with the Olympics. The news is significant in that it will be the first time ever that the ROC is being taken out of Europe - for the last two years it has been held at Wembley, England, and at Paris for three years before that. Which drivers will be returning for the race this year remain uncertain, but expect to see a good mix of F1 and rally drivers in there to make things more lively. Last year, KTM's formidable X-Bow was the feature car, but this year could see something new in place for the drivers - the new 1,130bhp/ton Caparo T1, anyone? Read More

If you want to go fast around a track, chances are you already know about the KTM X-Bow - but you may not know about the four new variants introduced today in Geneva. Even as the model range expands, however, KTM is drawing back production to meet the receding market.

The familiar KTM X-Bow is now the X-Bow Street - the everyday road-legal track-day car, and the least expensive of the bunch at €49,980 ($62,750). Its 240hp (177kW) engine and low 1,741lb (790kg) curb weight combine to make it the most efficient of the range as well.

Next up is the Clubsport, which adds a finer-tuned chassis and €10,000 to the price, though the... If you want to go fast around a track, chances are you already know about the KTM X-Bow - but you may not know about the four new variants introduced today in Geneva. Even as the model range expands, however, KTM is drawing back production to meet the receding market. The familiar KTM X-Bow is now the X-Bow Street - the everyday road-legal track-day car, and the least expensive of the bunch at €49,980 ($62,750). Its 240hp (177kW) engine and low 1,741lb (790kg) curb weight combine to make it the most efficient of the range as well. Next up is the Clubsport, which adds a finer-tuned chassis and €10,000 to the price, though the powertrain remains the same. It's still street legal, but it adds many race-car features, such as individually adjustable pedals, fire extinguisher and dry battery, double adjustable dampers and a mechanical limited-slip differential. All of the upgrades do add some weight, however, with the Clubsport tipping the scales at 1,774lb (805kg). Shaving weight is left to the Superlight model, which replaces the body panels with lighter-weight carbon fiber for real gains through added lightness. The features of the Superlight echo those of the Clubsport, but with significantly less weight: 1,730lb (785kg) at the curb. Lightness is one of the most expensive things in motorsports, however, and the price reflects that: the Superlight starts at €79,980 ($100,400). For a true race-car experience, you have to go for the GT4 edition, previously known as the 'Race', which as the name suggest is homologated to FIA GT4 standards. Extensive use of carbon fiber for aerodynamic and body elements offsets some of the weight added for homologation, but the car is still the heaviest of the group at 1,818lb (825kg). The GT4's price tag is a cool €82,900 ($104,000). Finally, there's the ROC, named for the Race of Champions - a special stadium-race held among the top finishers in motorsport around the world, from NASCAR to WRC to Formula 1 and more to sort out who's the best of the best. Features of the ROC are somewhere between the Street and Clubsport packages, with the LSD and adjustable pedals making for a fun and comfortable driving experience. Full ROC livery is also part of the package. Only 30 units of the ROC will be built, and its price reflects its limited status, at €69,980 ($87,900). Which brings us back around to KTM's decision to pull down production numbers. About 400 of the standard X-Bow have been sold so far, and KTM had envisioned output of about 1,000 per year. It has reduced its target to just 600 now, however, due to the fallen market. Nevertheless, the widened X-Bow range means there'll be something for everyone that wants to buy one, provided they can find one to buy.KTM X-Bow range Read More

Five-time World Rally Championship (WRC) winner Sebastien Loeb won today’s 'Race of Champions', held in London's Wembley Stadium. Loeb managed to beat out a veritable who's who of motorsport drivers to come away with the trophy, including seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher.

While Schumacher was taken out early on in the event, Loeb faced a tough battle from F1 driver David Coulthard in the finals. With a best-of-three format for the final, Frenchman Loeb took the honors in the first race to put the pressure on the newly retired F1 driver. Coulthard responded in spectacular fashion, giving the massive British crowd hope of a... Five-time World Rally Championship (WRC) winner Sebastien Loeb won today’s 'Race of Champions', held in London's Wembley Stadium. Loeb managed to beat out a veritable who's who of motorsport drivers to come away with the trophy, including seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher. While Schumacher was taken out early on in the event, Loeb faced a tough battle from F1 driver David Coulthard in the finals. With a best-of-three format for the final, Frenchman Loeb took the honors in the first race to put the pressure on the newly retired F1 driver. Coulthard responded in spectacular fashion, giving the massive British crowd hope of a home victory by piloting to victory in the second heat, driving the KTM X-Bow. In the end, a nail-biting finish resulted in Loeb taking the honors by just 0.3 seconds, giving him his third Race of Champions victory. Loeb commented after the race that "when you are on the start line, you want to win, but with this event there is not too much pressure. It’s a very tight track and you have to give everything you can." The track that Loeb is referring to is a tight and twisty, temporary tarmac track constructed atop of Wembley’s famous pitch. Meanwhile Schumacher, the seven-time F1 champion, performed flawlessly in the earlier Nations Cup events to regain the title for Germany, but was knocked out of the first round of the driver’s event after a mistake. American NASCAR driver Carl Edwards managed to make it to the semifinals of the Race of Champions, and even managed to beat out Schumacher in a head-to-head race. “That was a dream, and that alone was worth the whole trip,” Edwards said.2008 Race of Champions Read More