Apparently, “left four and a half after crest” is code for ‘hold on tight!‘

Kym Illman and co-driver Kirrilee Gentleman were cruising along a late stage of the 2011 Targa Tasmania. Their Mitsubishi Evo IX was running well and Gentleman was shouting out the guidance so Illman could keep pushing. Apparently, however, the pair got mixed up on one crucial route point – a slow left immediately following a fast straight with a crest at the end.

As Gentleman tried to point out the rapidly approaching “left 4.5 after crest,” Illman was trying to clarify what he heard. They didn’t have time for that, however, because the car went light over the crest while traveling approximately 190 kilometers per hour (118 miles per hour). Again, left four and a half after crest!

“LEFT FOUR AND A HALF AFTER CREST!”

Brakes don’t work too well in this particular situation, so the Evo flew right through the turn, and wound up in the Tasmanian countryside.

“Sorry.”

Thankfully, neither driver or co-driver were hurt. The video cameras were rolling, providing footage from two angles. The first angle shows us Kym and Kirrilee’s vantage point while the second reveals just how violently the jolt shock the co-driver. Illman was wearing a HANS device while Gentleman, sadly, was not. Click past the jump to see the clip.

[Source: Youtube]

Continue reading Video: Mitsubishi Evo IX goes airborne at 2011 Targa Tasmania

Video: Mitsubishi Evo IX goes airborne at 2011 Targa Tasmania originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Targa Tasmania is a road-rally event that’s been running since 1992, taking place, as you may have guessed, on the island of Tasmania. In 2011, this five-day race began in the coastal city of George Town and ended in the capital city of Hobart. The event features both classic and modern sports cars, changing weather conditions and some truly amazing driving talent.

Targa Tasmania has played host to some amazing drivers (such as Walter Röhrl) and equally amazing machines (such as Eric Bana’s Beast). Porsche rather conveniently put together a video shot on the last leg of the 2011 Targa, and you can watch it by clicking past the jump. There you’ll see Porsche driver extraordinaire Röhrl and others talk about their participation in the rally, and you’ll also see plenty of footage of all the little Tasmanian Devils as they wind their way across the island before finally crossing the finish line. Enjoy!

[Source: Youtube]

Continue reading Video: Porsche provides a peek at the 2011 Targa Tasmania

Video: Porsche provides a peek at the 2011 Targa Tasmania originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thirty years ago, Walter Röhrl and his co-driver Christian Geistdörfer very nearly won the San Remo Rally, after a comeback that would have been one for the ages. Röhrl and Geistdörfer were up against a field of faster, more powerful four-wheel-drive cars in their rear-wheel-drive Porsche 911 SC, and somehow managed to pull within an eyelash of victory.

Unfortunately, a broken driveshaft forced the pair to retire, leaving Michele Mouton’s Audi Quattro to run away with the race. Now, exactly thirty years after their heartbreak in San Remo, Röhrl and Geistdorfer are back in their 911 SC for the five-day, 2000-km Targa Tasmania. The rally starts today, and you can follow Röhrl and Geistdörfer’s progress here at Porsche UK.

The car that Röhrl drove in the 1981 San Remo rally was thrown together last minute because he was without a drive until just before the start of the race. The ill-fated San Remo run was the car’s only outing in professional competition. For this year’s Targa Tasmania, the car was found in a garage and restored to its 1981 competition specification.

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche’s Walter Röhrl, Christian Geistdörfer team up 30 years later for Targa Tasmania

Porsche’s Walter Röhrl, Christian Geistdörfer team up 30 years later for Targa Tasmania originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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