Fun Stuff

And this is how to destroy a television show set in just a few scootering seconds.

They can’t, because the only surviving car - in which the four-time V8 Champion won his first title - is in the Bowden museum collection in Queensland.But one Carsguide reader can win the next best thing: a $15,000 one-off car cover honouring the GTHO and used to launch the V8 Supercar livery Moffat’s son James will sport with Team Norton DJR this year.Not many people would spend that sum to make their car look nearly 40 years older. However that’s exactly what Team Norton DJR did to unveil their new V8 Supercar.They wanted a car cover that would look like the XY GTHO, but fit perfectly onto the highly modified XR6 race car.So leading theatrical company George Aviet Staging - better known for their sets for the Wiggles, Hi-5 and Tamworth Country Music Awards – flew a team to Queensland to measure every centimetre of the V8 Supercar. Or at least, every part that was already built.“The challenge was working out how to make a perfectly fitting car cover for a car still under construction,” Aviet says. “And then there was the technical aspect of making it fit a V8 Supercar but look like a 70s Falcon.”After all the measurements were calculated, Aviet’s team hired a stock XR6, created mock spoilers and bodykit to match the DJR car – and swaddled the result in 500 metres of cling wrap to protect its own duco.Over the next fortnight, the GTHO cover was shaped, sewn and painstakingly hand-painted on the dummy car, panel by panel. The effort paid off and the result was a perfect fit.The inspiration for the car cover unveiling was the team’s primary sponsor, internet security software Norton by Symantec, which follows their function in ‘protecting the stuff that matters’.James Moffat says Norton and V8 Supercars share a similar concern for safety and rules. “There are rules governing behaviour on the race track, and there are also rules we should all follow when online,” Moffat says.“I know that if I do something irresponsible during a race, or stray off track, I could get hurt or cause damage. The internet is the same: if you stray away from reputable sites, ignore safety rules or act irresponsibly, there could be serious consequences.”So if the Number 9 XY GTHO Phase III was in your driveway, what 'stuff that matters' would the neighbours think you were protecting with it?This competition has now closed and the judges are considering the entries. Stay tuned, as we will be announcing a winner soon.Seven runners-up - one in each state - will also each win one of the $1000 prize packages. The competition closes on March 30 at 11.59pm AEDST. For full terms and conditions click here.

But one of the most famous paint jobs pencilled to be there will now be a no-show. It's the $15,000 one-off car cover sporting the shape and livery of Allan Moffat's 1971 GTHO Phase III Falcon. The good news is that while Clipsal fans won't get to see it this weekend, it's because they now have a chance to win it - and share in $8000 worth of great prizes. The GTHO car cover was commissioned by Team Norton DJR to unveil their livery a couple of weeks ago, with driver James Moffat teaming with his dad Allan to peel back the cover's famed Number 9 paint job and reveal the new one underneath. There had been plans to display the cover at Clipsal, but once Team Norton DJR agreed to hand it over to Carsguide for a competition, it was decided that the collector's item should stay safely back in the team's Queensland base to make sure it reached the winner without extra wear.Moffat, who went on to win the title four times, has autographed the cover. And he says he has high hopes for 27-year-old James. "It took me nine years to win my first title, and I was 33 when it happened," Allan said. "James is only 27 and he's in his second season of V8 Supercars, but there's so much more expectation these days." Team Norton DJR and Carsguide will offer readers the chance to win the cover with a competition that starts during Clipsal.See your Carsguide from Friday for details on how to enter.

When Jaguar started becoming successful with the XK Engine, the HWM Motor Company took the engine and created a car that ran in Formula One from 1951 to 1955. For 1951, the works HWMs grew up into proper F2 single-seaters, and the team’s European exploits continued over the next three seasons. Other young drivers to cut their teeth in the green cars included Peter Collins, Harry Schell and Paul Frère. But the beautifully built HWMs tended to be heavier than their opposition, and the Alta engine, ever more highly tuned to try to stay competitive with newer machinery, was becoming less reliable. So HWM then turned its thoughts to the sports-racing class, and in 1953 fitted a modified F2 chassis with a Jaguar engine and an all-enveloping two-seat body. Registered HWM 1 (later YPG 3), this first works HWM-Jaguar proved to be lighter and better handling than the C-type Jaguars. In the hands of Abecassis and others, it was very successful in British racing

Check out how he carves up the snow with these unlikely hot wheels. Colin Furze previously set the Guinness World Record for the world's fastest mobility scooter by reaching 115km/h on his converted wheels. It's not  stock standard of course. Furze spent three months upgrading the machine, adding a 125cc motorbike engine that allows it to scream past your average footpath dawdler. He was told by the Guinness Book of Records officials that he would qualify as long as the revised result still looked like a mobility scooter and used the same wheels.

With a blaring new colour scheme, the new $16,990 model continues a legacy dating back to the bike's launch in 1985, where it took race replica motorcycles to a new level. It was Suzuki's best-selling sportsbike in 2011 and is a direct link between the racetrack and the streets.Powered by a 750cc, 4 cylinder engine producing 110kW of power, the 2012 model features the latest Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) fuel injection system, delivering sharper throttle response along with improved fuel economy and reduced emissions.The Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS) optimises engine output and provides riders a selection of two engine maps to suit the conditions or their riding preference. The GSX-R750's chassis has been designed with an emphasis on weight reduction and compactness to improve overall handling and provide an ideal power-to-weight ratio. The lightweight twin-spar aluminium frame, made from just five cast sections and cast swingarm, delivers superb cornering on both the road and racetrack, with optimal rigidity and unmatched accuracy. The GSX-R750 features inverted, lightweight Showa Big Piston Front-forks (BPF), developed on the racetrack for even more supreme handling. For greater stopping performance four-piston Brembo monoblock front brake calipers and 310mm dual floating discs are fitted along with a single piston rear brake caliper with a 220mm disc. The full function instrument cluster features an analogue tachometer, digital LCD speedometer and LED indicators, with a stopwatch and lap timer.

Check out this guy on the lawnmower ... he might have the pillow in the wrong spot.

Adam Carolla and Matt Farah pit the Corvette ZR1 against the Mercedes SLS at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.The Mercedes SLS AMG weighs a little over 1678 kg and is powered by a 6.3L V8 producing 414 kW.This will allow the supercar to hit 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 317km/h.The 1,511 kg Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 does a bit better with its 6.2L V8 producing 469 kW.The extra horsepower allows the Corvette to achieve a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 322 km/h.  

Having opened the motorsport season in style, Autosport International fell quiet on 15 January 2012 following a spectacular weekend for racing fans at the Birmingham NEC.  “Autosport International 2012 has been our most exhilarating event yet,” commented Show Director Ian France.  “Outstanding exhibits have been complemented by fantastic live action and insightful interviews from some of the biggest personalities in the sport. We now turn our attentions to making next year’s show even more impressive.” Motorsport fans should reserve 17-20 January 2013 in their diaries for Autosport International 2013.

But in the run-off stakes, few fields do it better than the rally drivers. Spins, flips and water dips are all a par for the rally course.