The Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster, just look at it! I doubt when Enid Blyton penned her well known kids books that she had a 678bhp Italian supercar in mind. But, such is the outrageous nature of the Zonda, that it could very well have been dreamed up by one of her audience.

The Zonda has always had a bit of fantasy about it, almost as if it is a child’s creation that found its way into a grown up’s world. Crazy curves and massive power make it all look a bit ungainly it has to be said. But somehow, a bit like Serena Williams, it all just works and the Zonda has etched its name into the history books as one of the most effective hypercars ever made.

Which brings us to the Cinque Roadster. As the name suggests just five examples have been thrown to the kiddies with the promise that they could do whatever they wanted to the already brilliant Zonda.

Some red crayon got spalshed about, you know, to make it go faster. Raw carbon fibre gets a pretty good airing. Just because it looks cool. And it has all been finished off with a lairy paint job and massive fat wheels.

In adult, that means the extra pace is courtesy of over 500kW and a plain greedy 780Nm supplied by the AMG enhanced Mercedes-Benz 7.3-litre V12. The carbon fibre helps reduce weight, and the 335mm rear wheels are there to give the driver at least some chance of taming the wild beast lurking behind.

No surprise, then, that all five models have already been sold. Global Financial Crises don’t exist in a child’s world.

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Red Bull Racing have recently launched a free app for the Apple iPhone. These YouTube clips, featuring a cheeky Mark Webber (kind of), give a pretty good intro as to what you can expect.

After mucking around with the app for a few minutes I have to say it is a must have for all F1 fans. Not only does it contain a bunch of photos, videos and stats for the Red Bull Racing F1 team, it also includes full qualifying and race results for all Grands Prix so far in 2009.

In addition to that the season points tally for drivers and constructors is all yours at a swipe of the screen. Also included are track layouts for all circuits on the 2009 F1 calendar.

Click here to launch the Red Bull GP page in iTunes.

[Thanks to Mick for the tip]

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Despite much economic doom and gloom, June 2009 was the third highest selling month for new car sales in Australia’s history. A total of 102,847 vehicles were sold.

Around 45% of those sales were to business customers, proving beyond any doubt that the Government’s tax incentives fulfilled their role.

FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar stated, “The surge in business sales is directly attributed to the Federal Government’s business tax break and these figures provide clear evidence that this has been a very effective policy measure.

“Our analysis indicates that the business tax break has led to an additional 10,000 vehicles being sold over the past three months. That is a 10 to 12 per cent boost to business sales and a five per cent increase for the total market.”

Despite a boom June overall sales figures for 2009, unsurprisingly, are below those recorded at the same time last year. Almost 90,000 fewer vehicles have been sold on a year to date basis, representing a figure of -16.1%.

However, there are some shining lights with Audi having its best month on record and one of the few manufacturers to be increasing sales in 2009. Overall sales are up 10% on 2008 figures.

Mazda also signed off on a record sales month, with the new Mazda3 proving a hit selling more cars in one month than ever before as buyers look to downsize.

Likewise MINI enjoyed a great month locking in its best results yet for orders taken in a single month since its relaunch in 2001.

Finally, Subaru had its best ever month for Impreza sales. This is a genuine surprise as the view at AUSmotive HQ is that the Impreza is a bit unsightly these days.

Lots of chest beating below from industry bodies and bragging manufacturers.

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Cycling fans are beside themselves in anticipation of the 96th running of the Tour de France which starts this weekend. And, for the sixth year in a row, Škoda will be beside the competitors.

Škoda will supply as many as 350 vehicles for the event, with 250 of those used by event organisers as TdF official vehicles.

The Volkswagen-owned company will also use the Tour to premiere its new mini SUV model, the Yeti, to the French market.

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In 2009 Audi is celebrating its 100th birthday. Making sure this anniversary doesn’t go unnoticed at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed Audi have installed this massive 35 metre monument.

The art installation features two cars at either end of the ’swoosh’—the 1937 Auto Union streamliner and the new Audi R8 V10. It was designed by Gerry Judah who is appointed by Lord March each year to create a new sculpture for the featured marque.

“I wanted to design something iconic because this year is Audi’s 100th anniversary,” explains Judah. “I drew about 20 ideas and some had elaborate bridges with vaulted arches but somehow they didn’t have quite the right style. I then had a flash of inspiration and designed this ’swoosh’ with a car at either end to represent Audi’s 100-year history.

“It’s made entirely of steel and although the design looks simple, it’s actually extremely complex, because the structure has to be rigid and completely balanced without the need for hundreds of supporting props.”

The sculpture weighs 40 tonnes and took about a month for 12 men to fabricate and install.

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This year marks Sir Frank Williams‘ 40th year in Formula One. In celebration of this remarkable achievement the AT&T Williams F1 team will be sending 13 cars to the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.

Current drivers Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima will be on hand at the wheel of the FW29 from a couple of seasons ago. Also making an appearance will be past Williams F1 World Champion drivers Damon Hill (1996) and Alan Jones (1980), along with former racers David Coulthard and Jacques Laffite.

Jones’ 1980 title winning FW08 will also blow off the cobwebs on the famous Goodwood hill climb course.

The clip above features interviews with Sir Frank, Patrick Head, Rosberg, Nakajima and others. More after the break.

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I reckon at the top of the stairway to heaven this would be one of the cars in the garage. The car in question, of course, is a McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’. Just 10 were made for competition in the 1997 FIA GT season and the example pictured above could be yours. That’s right, even before you get to heaven.

I can’t read Japanese, but I’m guessing the website advertising this motoring royalty is saying “konichiwa, if sir has to ask, then sir can’t afford it”, or something like that. Ooh, it makes me wonder.

I’m not sure about you, but I didn’t win the $90M lotto draw, so I won’t be buying my stairway to heaven just yet.

[Source: Top Gear]

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Formula One is living up to its billing as a real life Bold and the Beautiful with last week’s peace deal already looking dodgy. Apparently Max Mosley didn’t like being referred to as a ‘dictator’ by FOTA President, Luca di Montezemolo, and is considering going back on his plan to leave his role as FIA President in October.

Mad Max also reckons FOTA have been making misleading comments to the media about his leadership style and the reasons behind his departure. With his ego damaged Mosley got a bit red in the face and rushed off to write a letter to di Montezemolo which made his thoughts very clear, “If you wish the agreement we made to have any chance of survival, you must rectify your actions.”

Mosley continued in the letter, which was leaked to the media (ironically), “Given your and FOTA’s deliberate attempt to mislead the media, I now consider my options open. At least until October, I am president of the FIA with the full authority of that office.

“After that it is the FIA member clubs, not you or FOTA, who will decide on the future leadership of the FIA.” So there!

Looks like there is going to be plenty more puzzled stares to camera between now and October.

[Source: BBC | Thanks to Dylan for the tip]

Mark Webber spent last weekend watching the SBK round at Donington. While he was there he made a few wise cracks for the crew at Jalopnik. The above image was captioned by Webber with the following:

“Is that down under macho enough or shall I grab the girl in green with the umbrella?”

There’s plenty more where that came from as well. Maybe Mark can supplement his income with a few comedy gigs at Queanbeyan Leagues club during the off season.

At least Webber now has the luxury of cracking jokes at his own leisure, rather than driving one. Fingers crossed his maiden GP win is not too far away.

[Source: Jalopnik | Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images | Thanks to Dave for the tip]

Following the news of Volkswagen’s recent prestigious Advertiser of the Year award I thought it was worth giving this YouTube clip an article of its own.

This is the “Horst Schlämmer Quest” campaign, a viral marketing series that created a storm for Volkswagen AG in 2007. Created by Tribal DDB Hamburg the campaign won Best in Show at 2008 Caples Awards.

The five minute clip above talks us through the campaign and gives a good insight into the success attainable by clever viral ideas that cut through into mainstream media.

In yet another case of art imitating life, or in this case life imitating art, the GTbyCITROËN will be on show at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

This crazy, angular looking behemoth was originally created for the latest iteration of Sony’s iconic PlayStation game, Gran Turismo 5. Now, Citroën’s latest GT has come to life as this recent appearance on the streets of London shows.

In addition, the GTbyCITROËN is scheduled to make five runs up the famous Goodwood hill climb course during the event, with the first run planned for Friday morning (UK time).

Five-time FIA World Rally Champion, Sébastien Loeb, will also be on show attacking the hill climb in his C4 WRC on Saturday morning. Along with Dani Sordo, Loeb will also make a number of runs through the purpose-built Forest Rally Stage.

Check out a video of the GTbyCITROËN roaming the streets of London, in reality and in fiction, after the jump.

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Holy massive glass windscreen Batman! Take a look at it will you, it’s ridiculous. Not necessarily in a bad way, but ridiculous nonetheless.

Australian readers will have to wait until mid 2010 to judge for themselves, but right now you have to congratulate Citroën for honouring their roots and taking a hatchet to accepted car design wisdom. The obscenely large “Zenith” screen opens the field of view by an extra 80° to front seat occupants.

The compact class hatch is just 3.94m long and a narrow, but not tiny, 1.71m wide. Coupled with a relatively small turning circle the car will find its place in tight city streets. How very Parisian.

The car will launch in Europe this November and will enter the market with a bunch of electronic trickery and smart interior appointments. Initially, the C3 will be powered by a diesel four cylinder emitting less than 100g/km of CO2.

More detail closer to launch.

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Recently spotted on the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife was this Audi R8 V10. Okay, it looks normal enough, but what should we make of those front winglets? Not to mention the large fixed rear wing. Could there be an even more powerful, more willing R8 in the pipeline?

I hope so!

[Source: Spyshots.nl via Fourtitude]

An Aston Martin that is a rebadged Toyota city car? Are you mad?! That’s precisely what this clay model Aston Martin Cygnet concept is—a rebadged and restyled Toyota iQ.

Has Aston Martin’s CEO Dr Ulrich Bez got the munchies, or is he genuinely on to a good idea here? Does a city runabout wearing an Aston badge make proper sense? Dr Bez seems to think so, “Now is the right time for Aston Martin to take this first bold step to embark on this special project – made possible with the support of an organisation of Toyota’s stature and capability and the intelligent design and perfect city car package of the iQ.”

There’s not a lot of detail on offer, other than to say it appears as if the Cygnet could be used as a lure to attract buyers of Aston’s more desirable sports car models. According to Dr Bez, “The offering of a ‘Cygnet’ with a DBS, DB9 or Vantage is a unique combination of opposites and a novel transport solution allowing intelligent and sensitive mobility on an exclusive and innovative level.”

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These clips of the Audi R8 5.2 being thrashed about are a few months old now. Where have I been! You may have already seen them, if you haven’t take the jump and enjoy the magic.

After driving the R8 4.2 last year I felt the car could handle more power. And that’s exactly what the 5.2 FSI V10 has given the R8 chassis. Power is up over 100bhp from the V8 and the V10 exhaust note is no less inspiring, either.

So, on paper Audi looks to have made a winner. What do those that have driven the car reckon? The first clip is from Autocar, the second from Dutch title Autoweek—it’s okay there are English subtitles. Enjoy…

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