Is the Porsche 911 the Perfect Rally Racing Supercar?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Porsche 911 is one of the more versatile supercars on the market. Since it first hit the market, the 911 has been involved in all sorts of private and public racing events worldwide. What makes the 911 such a great off-road rally vehicle? Everything.

The Porsche 911 and it’s history of racing

French driver Christian Vailhe drives his Porsche 911 during the 20th Tour de Corse Historique rally | Pascal Pochard-Casabianca/AFP via Getty Images

The Porsche 911 first hit the market in 1964 in Porsche’s hometown of Stuffgart, Germany. Since its inception, the 911 has participated in all kinds of races. It has also won races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, World Championship for Makes, and the East African Safari rally. Porsche even made the 911SC back in the late 1970s, spawning a race version, the 911 SC RS.

These are some of the rally-inspired and rally-capable projects involving a 911 that are out there right now. Earlier this year, Driving.ca spotted a Porsche 911 992 Safari driving at the Nürburgring. Racing is basically in Porsche’s DNA, and this new Safari is an ode to that. It seems that Porsche is taking the Safari trend seriously and might be working on a mixed-use car based on it.

The rally-ready Porsche 911 (992) Carrera 4S 

According to Autoevolution, the Porsche 911 SC Safari won the East African Safari Rally back in the 1970s. The race was 5,000 kilometers and took place in Kenya. By the 1980s, the 911-based 953 and 959 won the Paris-Dakar rally. Enter the people at delta4x4. The delta4x4 group was famous in the 1980s for Dakar-related shenanigans, is working on something new.

This one involves a custom Porsche 911 (992) Carrera 4S ordered by a German entrepreneur. He wanted to drive the 911 992 on the road and run the rally route for fun. This meant being able to get from Germany to Dakar on the streets. While all delta4x4 has released so far are renderings, this 911 will be pretty legitimate when it comes out.

Delta says some modifications will be a reinforced chassis, custom spotlights, a roof rack, and a ground clearance of 250mm. That probably means upgraded suspension as well. The first look at the new 911 is available on the delta4x4 YouTube channel, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Porsche doesn’t approve of the safari option from Singer ACS

The people at Singer combined efforts with Tuthill Porsche to create a Porsche 911 off-road racing buggy. The All-terrain Competition Study (ACS) is a project between the two brands that set out to break down all the barriers. The client wanted an air-cooled 911 that could handle the most intense terrain around the world.

This particular 911 pays homage to the 1980s rally Porsche 959 Safari. It is about as ridiculous as it sounds and might be the coolest option yet. However, the Singer ACS Porsche 911 is one of “the most extraordinary things I’ve ever seen,” Top Gear noted on YouTube. It wasn’t long after Singer announced this build that Porsche was seen testing an in-house production version. We love competition!

As you can see, the Porsche 911 is ready for any adventure you want to throw at it. Plus, if Porsche is testing a version at the Nürburgring, perhaps a few of those factory specials will hit the market.

RELATED: The Porsche Cayman GT4 Isn’t Practical, but It Beats the BMW M4

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Sneezing While Driving Is More Dangerous Than You Think

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Most people associate car accidents with drunk driving and hazardous weather conditions. However, a startlingly high number of car crashes and fatalities can be attributed to distracted driving. Hands-free technology can help alleviate this problem, but many drivers still admit to texting while driving. Even things that might seem harmless, such as snacking while driving, can cause deadly accidents. But what about things you can’t control, like yawning or sneezing?

According to The NewsWheel, the latter has caused a surprising number of injuries behind the wheel.

How bad is sneezing while driving?

If you’ve ever sneezed while driving, you know it can distract you for at least a couple of seconds. This can be even worse if you experience other symptoms, such as runny eyes or nose. You might need to hunt for a tissue or napkin while trying to drive. Even wiping your nose on your shirt or sleeve requires you to avert your eyes from the road.

The NewsWheel cites a few studies that show the dangers of sudden sneezing. One UK study reported that your car travels 50 feet when you close your eyes to sneeze. This translates to 2,500 accidents a week and nine fatalities per day. Another report says as many as two million drivers have crashed due to sneezing, the Daily Mail reports.

Deadly accidents caused by sneezing

The Washington Post documented several fatal crashes due to a simple sneeze. One led to a deadly rollover accident in Australia, and one caused a woman to lose control of her vehicle. A sneeze once sent a truck driver smashing into 10 cars, thankfully with no fatalities.

Although it might be over in a split second, a sneeze can hinder your visual and cognitive abilities. Most drivers catch their sneezes in their hands, leaving their car unattended. Sneezes often come without warning, but try to hold them back until you stop your vehicle.

What are the most common driving distractions?

Texting continues to be the most dangerous driving distraction, killing over 3,000 motorists or passengers in 2019. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the average driver averts their eyes from the road for five seconds while reading a text message. Even if you glance at the road before looking down at your phone, an obstacle can appear in just one second.

Drivers can also be distracted by talking to other people in the vehicle. Kids often become bored in the backseat, getting noisy enough to grab their parents’ attention. If your pet isn’t properly restrained in the car, trying to keep them under control can also lead to an accident.

Eating is another common distraction for drivers, but the simple act of consumption isn’t the most dangerous part. The real danger lies in grabbing the food, unwrapping the packaging, and using utensils while driving. There’s also the possibility you might eat too fast and start choking behind the wheel.

Though not as common, some drivers also try to perform basic hygiene behind the wheel. It’s not uncommon to see someone brushing their hair, applying makeup, or even changing their clothes at a stoplight. Although your eyes could still technically be on the road, your hands should always be on the wheel.

And while those large touchscreens may be approved for automotive use, they can still distract certain drivers. AAA found that most drivers try to configure their infotainment systems for a whopping 40 seconds at a time. If your touchscreen is slow or outdated, the added frustration can also lead to aggressive driving.

So although sneezing while driving is dangerous, it’s not as common as some of the above distractions.

RELATED: Americans Admit to Some Scary Driving Habits in New Survey

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This is How Michael Schumacher Dominated in Formula 1

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Lewis Hamilton is the current driver who is dominating Formula 1. His recent seasons showcase him breaking all kinds of records and matching others including the most championships. Those records were set by the legendary Michael Schumacher. No one dominated the sport like Schumacher, especially while driving for Ferrari in the early 2000s. He was unstoppable even in sub-par cars. His career began in 1991 racing for Jordan and retired from his first race at Spa Francorchamps. 

From that point, he would go on to win seven world driver’s championships with Benetton and Ferrari. Some of his moves on the track were ruthless and competitive to a fault, but there’s no doubt he was one of the fastest ever drivers. Through it all, he managed to secure countless records that stood for more than 10 years.

How Schumacher setup his car to dominate

Michael Schumacher driving his Benetton at the 1994 Spanish Grand Prix | Mike Hewitt/ALLSPORT Getty Images

Schumacher had a unique way of setting up his car. Fundamentally, he would carry as much speed as possible into a corner, turn late into the apex, straighten the car, and accelerate out of the corner. It sounds basic, but when factoring in that he almost never took his foot off the throttle, it suddenly becomes more difficult. He did this by setting up his car to enact more oversteer. While this setup was nearly impossible for other drivers to handle, Schumacher had the reaction speed to swing the car around a corner by constantly blipping the throttle.

Over drivers who were legends of their own time tried driving Schumacher’s car, to no avail. Jos Verstappen described it as “ultimately twitchy at the rear. Its wings and tires all working towards huge front-end grip and a comparatively loose rear end.” It helped that Schumacher had a sixth sense of where the grip was. The car would stall, like an airplane, and spin like a top. Schumacher could control the slide and position his car in a way that was perfect for the corner exit.

Ferrari had the tire advantage

Michael Schumacher driving his f2002 at the hockenheimring
Michael Schumacher drives the #1 Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Ferrari F2002 Ferrari at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany | Darren Heath/Getty Images

Another advantage Schumacher had was his tires. In the early 2000s when Schumacher was dominating in his Ferrari, teams could pick between either Bridgestone or Goodyear tires. Bridgestone, as it turned out, catered to Ferrari especially, thus tailored tires to fit Schumacher’s driving style since he was the winning driver.

What changed after Schumacher retired?

michael schumacher mercedes crash at hockenheim
Michael Schumacher stands after crashing during the second practice session at the Hockenheimring circuit | THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP/GettyImages

His first retirement from the sport was after the 2006 season, two years after his Ferrari dominance had come to an end. He returned in 2010 to usher in the new Mercedes AMG team, which took the place of Brawn GP from the previous year. He raced for three years for Mercedes, then duly retired for a second time. His races at Mercedes weren’t nearly as explosive as they were at Ferrari, most likely due to the fact that modern F1 cars prefer much more planted rear ends. This made Schumacher’s legendary setups archaic, and not effective. 

There are different schools of thought as to who is the best F1 driver of all time. Many of the fastest racing drivers prefer oversteer, but few had the reaction speed that Schumacher had, that his setup required in order to be effective. He has said he prefers a neutral car, one that doesn’t oversteer or understeer but does the best with what he has. Perhaps with how neutral modern F1 cars are now, from 10 years ago, he could have the car he always wanted.

RELATED: This is How F1 Teams Interpreted the 2021 Rule Changes

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How Did This Company Create a Tesla Cybertruck Camper Before It’s Been Released?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Tesla’s latest vehicle, the Cybertruck, is just on the horizon, and fans are excited to get their hands on one. Unfortunately for those fans, the all-electric pickup has been officially delayed until 2022, but that hasn’t stopped enthusiasm for it. In fact, despite the delay, a company has already built a camper for the Tesla Cybertruck. Here’s how. 

Tesla has officially pushed back the Cybertruck’s release

Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Cybertruck in November 2019 | Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Not that long ago, Tesla had plenty of good news for fans and shareholders. The EV maker was doing great when it came to sales, but then came the bad news. The Tesla Semi was delayed again, and CEO Elon Musk strongly hinted the Cybertruck was also delayed. There was nothing ambiguous about the Semi’s pause, but Musk didn’t go as far as to say the Cybertruck was officially delayed.

That was until recently, when Tesla officially delayed the Cybertruck until 2022. It’s not entirely clear why the automaker halted the pickup’s release, but it’s probably because of production issues. Tesla probably needs more time to iron out the kinks before mass-producing as many pickups as customers want to buy. But despite this delay, a company recently unveiled a camper designed for the Tesla Cybertruck.

How this Tesla Cybertruck camper came to be

Interestingly, the company behind this unofficial Tesla Cybertruck camper isn’t actually an RV manufacturer. The company is called Stream It, and it hopes to disrupt the RV industry the way Tesla disrupted the auto industry. Stream It is actually a tech company that specializes in using artificial intelligence, Jalopnik reports.

With the help of its knowledgeable and creative employees, Stream It designed a Cybertruck camper fittingly called the Cyberlandr. As far as anyone knows, Stream It doesn’t have an actual Cybertruck to play with. Instead, the company based its design of the Cyberlandr on the truck’s specifications. 

According to Jalopnik, this also means that if Tesla changes the Cybertruck’s design a bit before production, Stream It will have to do the same. But because Stream It was able to design the Cyberlandr already, this will probably mean only small tweaks to the Cyberlandr’s design. Despite this, Stream It claims it has already received considerable interest in the Cyberlandr. The camper retails for $50,000, and Stream It says it has received $80 million worth of pre-orders.

A look at the Cyberlandr camper

At $50,000, the Cyberlandr would more than double the price of the Tesla Cybertruck. But at the same time, it would add quite a few features to make the truck ready for adventure. For example, the Cyberlandr will have the usual components of a camper. Expect a living room, a bathroom, and a bedroom — all supposedly fitting in the bed of the Cybertruck, Jalopnik notes.

Not only that, but the Cyberlandr fits the Cybertruck in other ways. For instance, the camper is made of stainless steel, like the exterior of the truck. Additionally, the Cyberlandr will be loaded with smart features, making it as smart as the Tesla pickup. Jalopnik says that common camper features — such as lighting, faucets, and thermostats — will be voice-controlled in the Cyberlandr. 

On top of that, like the Cybertruck and other Tesla EVs, the Cyberlandr should be able to receive updates. Jalopnik notes that Stream It’s AI specialization also plays a role in the camper, though it’s unclear how. Regardless, the Cyberlandr might become available as soon as the Cybertruck comes out.

RELATED: Tesla Cybertruck and Semi Delayed, but for Different Reasons

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