Scouts to Drive Routemaster to Japan After Winning the 2013 Non Standard Awards – Hope They’re Prepared!
Performance Direct are delighted to announce that the team members of the Japan or Bust project are the lucky winners of the 2013 Non Standard Awards. The brave and enthusiastic group of young Scouts first come up with the ludicrous idea to drive a 1964 Route master bus from the UK to the 23rd World Scout Jamboree in Japan, in early 2011 and from then the project grew. Performance Direct will be helping them on their way with funding throughout the build up and execution of the project as well as providing moral support.
Due to depart in May 2015, 8 Scouts plan on traveling 40,000 miles through 23 Countries to their final destination – the Scouting Jamboree in Yamaguchi, Japan. This unique and adventurous idea immediately caught the eye of the Non Standard Award judges, and the team lead by Matthew Hart were called in for a preliminary interview.
In late April, Matthew Collett and the Non Standard Awards team made their way to Gilwell Park, the house, and former grounds, of Robert Baden-Powell the founder of the Scouting movement. Gilwell Park, at the edge of Epping Forest in Essex, was the perfect environment for The Performance Direct team to hand over the oversize cheque and seal the deal.
Representatives from Shelter Box, the charity that will be working alongside the team to provide essential equipment and guidance, were also there as support and to celebrate the joining of Performance Direct and the Japan or Bust team.
Performance Direct will be supporting the Japan or Bust adventure all the way through the journey; we will keep you updated with their progression and whereabouts!
For your chance of Performance Direct Non Standard Awards sponsoring you up to £10K to fulfill your motoring dreams please visit The Performance Direct website
Please click here to find out more and to support the Japan or Bust team.
The Innocenti Job
Oddly enough, the adventure that Jeff Ruggles and Matt Woods initially planned didn’t include a Mini or Italy. However, they somehow found themselves with both included in their trip. Jeff and Matt soon realised that to achieve anything they needed a significant amount of funding. So they turned to the Performance Direct Non Standard Awards, who are renowned for turning motoring dreams into reality.
The pair back in 2011 began by pin pointing a location in Europe and purchasing an obscure local car, which they then planned to drive back to Bath. They bought a 1970’s Fiat 126 from Poland to make the long journey home, however, during a test run they realised that this has been done many times before and it wasn’t as exciting as first thought.
Allard Chrysler Action Group Restoration Project
The story of the Allard Chrysler Action Group began when Brian Taylor visited the National Motor Museum in Hampshire back in 2006. A keen motoring fan, Motoring Writers member and a key player in many car clubs and shows, Brian had visited the museum in order to research the book he was writing.
It was while there that he came across literature about the first European dragster car and decided to explore its history.
Known as the first British and European drag car, ‘Ally’ was designed to race against the well established American cars, which were obviously miles ahead of the British when it came to drag racing.
Olympic Closing Ceremony features Non Standard Awards Winner Paul Archer – with the Spice Girls!
Performance Direct Non Standard Awards winner Paul Archer, from team It’s on the Meter who recently broke the World Record for the longest ever taxi journey, was seen again on TV in the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games – and surprise-surprise he was in a Taxi.
Sponsored by the Performance Direct Non Standard Awards, the team have already broken the world records for the longest ever taxi journey and the highest altitude taxi fare at Mount Everest base camp.
We were wondering what the boys would get up to next but we weren’t quite expecting their next endeavour to be in another taxi though.
Mercedes G-Wagen takes 500,000 mile road trip for 23 years
Today a press release from Mercedes lists the latest upgrades to the new generation G-Class. To add to it’s luxury, the G-Class is receiving drivetrain enhancements and what Mercedes refer to as ‘subtle visual changes’ such as a slightly different grill and daytime LED running lights. To accompany the standard G-Class priced at £82,945, a new 544 hp G 63 AMG version will also be released retailing at £123,115.
The new AMG version will be getting a unique AMG radiator grill, AMG wheel-arch extensions, an AMG sports exhaust, chromed exhaust, and 20 inch grey alloys. In-car enhancements include up-rated leather trim, illuminated door sill panels, and a Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system with DAB radio. While not impossible, it’s hard to imagine that many of the modern G-Class cars will find their way off-road and most will probably get used for school runs and urban driving.
It is all a very long way from what 74 year old Gunther Holtorf has tasked his original G-Wagen with. He is a man that took the 4WD off-road capability of his Merc very seriously. In 1989 he and his wife Christine set off for an 18 month trip across Africa but as they enjoyed the experience so much they simply never stopped travelling.
Motor Vision - Powered by
Guy Kendal
Mercedes 300slr has swing axles, just like a lot of other 1950's/1960's car's. Perhaps that what caught out a younger driver who's unaware of the consequences of lifting off the throttle at speed on a corner?
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Adam
'Put it on a pedestal'
Way off the mark there. You were obviously WAY out your depth!! These cars were made to drive and be driven hard, they are still raced today and still take a hammering, all in their stride.
There is no other classic of its age that can take the abuse a 300SL takes, phenominal cars and probably the best of all time.
Jaguar and Ferrari were using race bred technology in their cars, Mercedes took the engine/gearbox and driveline from their saloon car, took on the world and trounced them all!!
Only Mercedes could do that!!
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richard wosiek
If the paint shop knew their stuff then the shade would be blended in to match the shade of the rest of the car.
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richard wosiek
There's always one eh homersimpson.
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Russell
Reference rolling a Gullwing.
It didn't happen to me but I tried driving one over 30 years ago and found it a terrifying experience. The steering, brakes and tyres of the mid-50s could not cope and being cooped up in the cabin with pedals so close together and heaving the massive steering wheel about inches from your face with all the noise and rattles did not thrill me at all.
Still a great looking car; polish it up and put it on a pedestal. Maybe glide it around a smooth track, but stay off public roads.
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