Homologation Specials || 1980 Renault 5 Turbo

The creation of the Renault 5 Turbo is one of our favorite stories of automotive augmentation, at once unique and stereotypical; it’s another somewhat odd-looking French car, another rally icon with econobox heritage. But the “R5 Turbo” was also an iconoclastic machine that diverged from its humble origins to a degree that was arguably unmatched until the infamous Group B cars that arrived in the World Rally Championship (WRC) years later.

After winning its debut at the 1981 Rallye Monte-Carlo on the eve of that new era, the rear-wheel drive R5 Turbo went on to perform admirably against the onslaught of all-wheel drive cars in the mid 1980s—especially so on tarmac-heavy rally stages, but its origins are rooted in the 1970s, when the then freshly christened WRC was being handily commanded by the French manufacturer’s Italian rival. Renault’s answer to the dominant Lancia Stratos was to transform its perfectly fine but homely hatchback into a wide-bodied rally fighter.

Bertone was tasked with designing the bodywork, the monocoque was modified to hold a turbocharged engine where the groceries used to go in the car’s front-engine, front-wheel drive relative, lightweight alloys replaced much of the steel shell, and production of the road-going homologation versions was underway at the turn of the decade. More than 40 years later, the rally and road versions of the R5 Turbo are rightfully regarded as part of the rallying canon.

In this film featuring a beautiful first model-year example, our host Sam Hancock pilots the wonderfully pugnacious little monster through the winding roads of Biella, Italy, talking about the car’s origins and its lasting impact.

Have a peek below.

 

tympanik. || A Dream (Full Album)

Sit back, relax and hit play.

 

Out There || Alex Olson

Skater, surfer, model, company owner, yogi—Alex can’t be pigeonholed as just one thing.

Zoom out to see the whole picture, from 917 back to his home state of CA.

Check it out below.

 

Picasso's Guernica || Great Art Explained

Guernica is the most famous anti-war painting in history, and Picasso’s best-known work. It has gone from a piece that was created in protest at the horrific bombing of a small village in northern Spain, to an icon and a universal symbol of freedom from ALL wars. Picasso said, “We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth”, and like so much of Picasso’s work it can be difficult to decipher the ‘truth’ in the political, artistic and religious symbolism.

In this short film we look at some of the more acknowledged interpretations along with techniques, composition and artistic inspiration. Guernica is a masterpiece that always leaves the viewer with more than they brought to it, and here, Great Art Explained, traces the work from its underwhelming reception when first seen in 1937, through to its status over eighty years later as one of the most influential and iconic works of all time.

Have a peek below.

 

Drew Dave || Late Shift (Full Album)

Hit play and enjoy.

 

KASHMIR || A Lost Paradise

In 3 weeks exploring Kashmir, Stanislas Giroux experienced an overwhelming contrast of beauty, hospitality, and tragedy.

This video is what he saw, in 3 minutes.

In the XIII century, Kashmir was described by Persians poets as Heaven on Earth.

Since the Independence in 1947, Kashmir initially decided to remain independent, choosing not to become a part of either Pakistan or India.

Since then, this Heaven slowly faded to a place where blood spilling is part of daily life.

But the Kashmiri people is the most welcoming and hospitable on earth, taking life in such an easy way, that is sometimes hard to believe that it's sadly a war zone.

Have a peek below.

KASHMIR — A Lost Paradise from Stanislas Giroux on Vimeo.

 

This Porsche 912 Is Fully Committed 

|| Short Film

“That car isn’t just me, it’s all the people I’ve interacted with to get to this place,” says John Benton. “I bought this car at 23 years old, I didn’t have all the answers…My car is the result of all those little journeys, here and there…”

Now, John has his own shop that caters to classic Porsches, but it’s really about how he got to this point—a journey happened in his beloved 912.

“I’ve heard people say that my car is me. You know, when they see it, when they drive in it, they’re like, ‘Man this car’s you, it’s so obvious’,” he says. “That wasn’t my intent, but it’s neat to hear from people—even strangers—you know, ‘you built this car, it’s so obvious’,” he says.

His car had been found, driven, taken apart, repaired, restored, and loved over his many years of ownership, and the 912 really was his companion. “It was my daily driver…and weekend race car…” with modifications to suit both. Now, its heart is a “Very high-revving, twin-spark 1.7-litre, fuel injected 616 motor…” but to list off specs would do a disservice to Benton’s passion for these machines.

“Everything I know put into a car…” he says. The only thing missing is his friend and former business partner, John Coffee, who died earlier this year…but not before completing his opus, a Datsun 240Z prepared for the Peking-To-Paris Rally. “John just hit a home run,” says Benton “…it’s his legacy.”

Check it out below.