Lydia Walmsley on track for Porsche Sprint Challenge GB
While competing in the JCW Mini Challenge Championship, Walmsley relied solely on her parents and her mechanic Dave Barber for assistance with her car.The three-time JCW driver of the year will now have access to a driver coach and a wider range of track support with her new team.Asked about what this would mean for the involvement of her parents and Mr Barber, Walmsley joked: "They are certainly not redundant yet. The job's not over."She added: "I'm told the Porsche pretty much runs itself. They will still be supporting me and my Dad and Dave will still be running my car for me."But obviously we are under the Graves Motorsport umbrella now."
Despite the backing of Graves Motorsport, Walmsley is still on the search for sponsors to help with the cost of maintaining the Porsche."The jump from a Mini to a Porsche in terms of a budget is, as people would imagine, quite a jump," she said."I've got some amazing sponsors from last year who have continued with me and a lot of new ones for this season already. I can't thank them enough."At the end of the day, my sponsors get me to go racing, if I didn't have the sponsors, I wouldn't be racing."
Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Ordinary-looking Porsche 911 dupe goes on sale for £2.5m because of what's under bonnet
To the naked eye, the 2021 Ruf CTR Anniversary looks close to an exact replica of a Porsche 911, but further inspection reveals why it is set to go on sale for such a huge price tag While some car aficionados have become highly skilled at finding the kinks and quirks behind some of the finest motors in the world, there is something about this sports car that almost no one will be able to see. For decades, Porsche has calmly sat amongst the most prestigious names in motoring across the world, but now, the car brand are set to see a replica version of one of their motors being auctioned off for a price beginning at a whopping £2.5 million. It is likely that only those who have been lucky enough to drive the stunning Riviera blue 2021 Ruf CTR Anniversary will know what sets it apart from rest. Thanks to its 3.6-litre twin-turbo engine that produces 710bhp, the lucky buyer will be able to experience a car that can travel at a staggering 213mph. If that wasn't enough to attract car fiends, the motor is just one of 50 in existence and can accelerate from zero to 60mph in under three-and-a-half-seconds. But, its not just the car's high-powered engine that sets it apart from its competitors, it also boasts an extraordinary design both inside and out. According to the listing on the auctioneers website, RM Sotherby's, it says that the car's features are "uniquely specified", with its outer shell a luxurious "Riviera blue". Taking a look inside, you can see "special black buffalo leather" upholstery with the same "Riviera blue" embossed into the stitching. Meanwhile, the seats feature "signature 'lollipop' fixed-back Kevlar-carbon and pepita inserts." Additionally: "In line with his distinguished taste, the consignor not only ordered this CTR Anniversary in a one-off colourway, but also demanded every carbon fiber option available, as well as the ever-useful front-axle lift system, lightweight doors, Riviera Blue seatbacks, Riviera Blue seatbelts, and a black Alcantara headliner. "The car's Riviera Blue calipers of its carbon-ceramic brake system are tucked within custom-ordered light alloy wheels finished in Matte Titanium." Ruf CTR Anniversary first arrived on the scene a few years ago, when the brand debuted at the 87th Geneva Motor Show in March 2017. The Ruf CTR anniversary Riviera blue car is a tribute to the original model, which stopped being produced in 1996 after it had seen 29 cars built by the company during its nine years in existence. It is set to be sold by RM Sotheby's on Saturday (August 16) in Monterey, California, US.
Top Gear
11 hours ago
- Top Gear
This is Rezvani's carbon-bodied 600bhp retro Porsche
This is Rezvani's carbon-bodied 600bhp retro Porsche … and it's a manual! Rezvani takes a break from armoured SUVs to build 50 retro Porsches Skip 8 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 8 You may remember last year Rezvani announced its intention to give 992-gen Porsche 911s a retro restyling to pay homage to the old 935. Yep, the very same Rezvani that usually spends its time building 1,000bhp armoured SUVs that could survive the apocalypse. And would you look at this. They've only gone and done it. This is the very first Rezvani Retro RR1, built for a client in California and decked out in a full Martini-esque livery. Advertisement - Page continues below Quite the looker, isn't it? Rezvani said that apart from the doors, the whole body is now carbon fibre, and you'll notice it has altered the design slightly from its first renders to include brilliantly retro round lights. Based on the 992-gen 911, two different options will be available for customers who bring in their car for customisation. The one you see here is the RR1 600, which means it's based on a standard Carrera but with upgraded turbochargers in order to kick out at least 600bhp. The very first customer went with a manual gearbox too, and Rezvani has fitted a custom wooden knob among its many interior upgrades. Nice. Skip 10 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 10 There's also the option of the RR1 750, built on top of the 911 Turbo S and packing 750bhp, a PDK gearbox and all-wheel drive. Advertisement - Page continues below Both the 600 and the 750 also come with a custom Rezvani exhaust, and there's the option of fancy Ohlins TTX-Pro coilovers. Excellent carbon fibre turbofan wheel covers, too. Rezvani said it'll build just 50 examples of the RR1, with prices starting from $195,000, excluding the base car. Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
JOHN MURDOCH'S DRIVE TIME: We get behind the wheel of the new MINI Countryman John Cooper Works and discuss how Mazda is increasing the warranty on its new cars
The John Cooper Works' quadruple exhausts make it stand out from the crowd. In this instalment of John Murdoch's Drive Time, John gets behind the wheel of the new MINI Countryman John Cooper Works model and discusses how Mazda is increasing the warranty on all its new cars from the start of next month. The latest Countryman is the largest MINI to date and it offers lots of space and stacks of style as well as lots more MINI characteristics that you expect from the brand. In this third and latest generation of the Countryman there is room for four adults to travel in comfort and surprisingly it is larger than some of the opposition - including the Ford Puma. The John Cooper Works version I have been driving is the flagship of the range and its two-tone paintjob and and quadruple exhausts make it stand out from the crowd and its funky looks mean it gets lots of attention. This SUV version of the iconic MINI gives the driver almost 300bhp to play with as well as all wheel drive and sports suspension. The car may be bigger and heavier than before but the JCW version is impressively quick and is still agile and athletic. I liked its style and think it looks better than the regular five-door MINI. The steering is sharp and body roll is minimal, allowing you to have fun on twisty roads. The ride is not harsh despite the sports suspension and it always feels composed. The JCW is also very quick and 62mph arrives in just 5.4 seconds, making it faster than most hot-hatches and its exhaust just increases the fun. Its extra height provides excellent visibility and you can select from three driving modes, Eco, Mid for general driving and Go-Kart for when you want to dial up the fun. The 1.5 engine featured in the normal Countryman is ditched for this 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine which sounds sporty when revved and is responsive and eager. One of the main attractions of the MINI is its retro styling, both externally and in the cabin. The new interior is both premium and ultra smart, blending tradition with state of the art tech and new materials. A massive crystal clear round OLED touchscreen operates everything from climate control to sat nav and media. Gone are the switches and toggles of the past but some may still long for them - especially for heating control. Passengers now have greater comfort thanks to the increase in cabin size and head, leg and shoulder room is generous and compares well with others in the sector. Luggage space at 460 litres is more than ample and the rear seats slide forward to allow extra cargo room. With the rear seats folded there's 1530 litres of luggage space available. The two sets of twin exhausts produce a pleasing sporty sound on acceleration but at cruising speeds the JCW is very quiet and refined. The seven-speed DSG auto box is an ideal companion to the engine and makes driving a pleasure. As usual the price you pay for performance is economy and I struggled to get better than 35mpg during my time with the car, but it did not put me off this JCW version of the Countryman. There is a lot to like about the new Countryman and if you don't want, or cannot afford, the sporting JCW, lesser versions start from just over £29,000 and offer just as much style and space. Iconic, practical and family friendly, the Countryman delivers more fun than any other SUV or Crossover and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. FAST FACTS: Price: From £42,750. Mechanical: 2.0-litre, 4cyl, 296bhp, petrol engine driving four wheels via automatic gearbox. Max speed: 155mph. 0-62mph: 5.4 seconds. Combined mpg: 35.3. Insurance group: 33. CO2 emissions: 180g/km. Bik rating: 37 per cent. Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles. Overall rating (out of 5): 4.7. In other motoring developments, from the start of next month all new Mazda cars registered will benefit from a full six-year manufacturer warranty, while the mileage limit rises from the current 60,000 miles to 100,000 miles. Commenting on Mazda UK's new warranty, Mazda UK managing director, Jeremy Thomson, said: "It's great that we can now offer our customers in the UK a six-year warranty. "If you consider that just 21 per cent of cars registered in the UK year-to-date have longer than a three-year warranty, this is a fantastic reflection of our commitment to the quality, reliability and engineering of our cars." He added: "I'm delighted that our dealers can now sell our new cars with one of the best warranties in the industry and in the years ahead our excellent approved used scheme will benefit with customers able to buy previously owned cars with added confidence of a full manufacturer warranty." With a six-year 100,000-mile warranty that simply requires the car to be serviced within manufacturer prescribed service programme, mileage and time parameters - 12,500-miles or 12-months on the majority of cars - the new Mazda warranty will benefit fleet users with longer term periods and high mileage usage. The Mazda 2 Hybrid model is set at 10,000 miles. David Wilson-Green, customer service director, Mazda UK, said: "Our new warranty will be a great differentiator in an ever more crowded and competitive landscape. "It highlights our focus on customer service, whether that's retail, fleet or used cars, while for our dealers it represents a great opportunity to maintain customers in our network for longer in sales and service for years to come."
