Friday 10th June 2016

The point of pointless publicity stunts: PH Blog

From the Isle of Man to Pikes Peak and the 'ring - why there's no harm in shameless glory hunting

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Is there any point punting a ball into a seemingly open net as Subaru has by setting an (as yet) unopposed four-wheeled Isle of Man TT lap record? Absolutely there is! I love the discipline of motorsport and seeing manufacturers battle it out on (more or less) equal terms for the glory of victory. But I think there can be something equally inspirational in stunts like building a one-off car simply to do the spectacular and prove what you're capable of freed of regulation, as Subaru, Prodrive and Mark Higgins have done this week. 

Other Golfs available if you don't like this

A few have moaned that it's a hollow victory, given the only existing rival for the title of fastest car around the Isle of Man is ... a Subaru driven by Mark Higgins. Lighten up! Whatever the context, the sight of a specially prepared WRX STI blasting along what looks like an average British B-road at over 160mph is just fabulous, neck hair prickling stuff. 'Because it's there' has motivated some of humankind's greatest achievements. You can argue how far up the scale ragging a specially built car around a closed road course really ranks. But it sure looks cool. 

There's a video clip from Higgins' first lap on Saturday of the car blasting through a kink between two walls absolutely pinned, boxer engine at flat chat and sparks flying as it bottoms out through the compression. It's all of a few seconds of footage but I keep watching it over and over again, gawping in childlike wonder at the sheer spectacle. If I'd been there I'd have been jumping up and down, whooping like an idiot. Stuff like this reminds me why I love fast cars. Does it really need more justification than that? 

Maybe I'm just biased because, as a Subaru fanboy and owner, I get to savour a little reflected glory in 'my team' doing something amazing. I know rallying has moved on and it's unlikely we'll see Prodrive-built Scoobies in the WRC again. But, if nothing else, it's nice to know - were the rules to ever change - David Lapworth and his team at Banbury could seemingly return to building world-beating Subarus at the drop of a hat.

Was there a point? Does it matter?

Same goes for 'ring lap records. A lot of people get themselves very worked up about the supposed relevance of such things. But this recent run of front-wheel drive Nordschleife glory hunting has undeniably resulted in some fantastic cars, any of which I'd happily own. Moaning about the lack of seats, the price premium or unsuitability of 'ring suspension for the daily commute just seems a depressingly joyless response given there are plenty of cars with a full complement of seats and soft springing if those are your priorities. 

For those of us enjoying the spectacle of different engineering cultures tackling the same challenge everyone's a winner, whatever the time on the board. SEAT fans have the satisfaction of being the first to go sub-eight, Renaultsport enthusiasts have the moral high ground of being able to buy a car exactly like the one that set its benchmark time, Type R fanatics can revel in it inspiring one of the maddest hot hatches to ever enter the market while GTI Clubsport S advocates can take satisfaction in the calm, methodical engineering rigour that went into making a Golf go round faster than any of them. 

Because they can is good enough for us!

If it makes you feel good about the car you own and brand you feel allegiance to of course it's relevant, whether yours ever goes near the 'ring or not. 

So, cynicism parked, what's your favourite 'because it's there' feel good stunt? Loeb at Pikes Peak? Renault building a one-off Twingo from a mid-engined, V6 powered Megane Trophy chassis to do a few demo laps of the Monaco GP course? Lamborghini proving an 'old-fashioned' supercar can keep hybrid hypercars honest with an apparently opportunist 'ring lap? Share yours below!

[Source: Mark Higgins, via Twitter]

[big_rob_sydney]

For me, a lot of Ken Blocks antics rate right up there.

Better yet, he competes in the pros, so we have some kind of benchmark as to his wheel skills as well. All the better for it, and good positive stuff.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Or do it in an old Rover!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NEskpWsMkI

[roland82]

I totally agree with this article. Who on this website wouldn't under take a crazy one off project given the cash and expertise. It proves to us petrolheads that some of us have 'infiltrated' the higher ranks of car manufacturers.

Also Red Bull are the current kings of this in my opinion.

[JohnGoodridge]

That motoring show were/are also very influential in the popularity of the one off stunt.

The South American adventures were my favourites because I love the place and because Brit V8 heroes played against stereotype and won the day. Unless it was engineered that way of course.

[DanielSan]

Who can't love a publicity stunt of any kind that involves an awesome car driven in a truly balls to the wall style?

On another note, I think the TT attack idea Subaru have done this year should be a separate event. A fee different manufacturers, some big power truly mad cars all going for glory round a one-off challenge of man and machine. Someone organise it and I'll get a ferry booked yesterday!

[big_rob_sydney]

DanielSan said:

Who can't love a publicity stunt of any kind that involves an awesome car driven in a truly balls to the wall style?

On another note, I think the TT attack idea Subaru have done this year should be a separate event. A fee different manufacturers, some big power truly mad cars all going for glory round a one-off challenge of man and machine. Someone organise it and I'll get a ferry booked yesterday!

Sounds like Time Attack.

[Cable]

Thank you for eloquently putting into words exactly what I was thinking!

I have to admit, this Subaru, tackling the Isle of Man, has to be one of the most interesting, and downright bonkers, motoring developments I've seen in a long time. It's the closest thing I've seen to a modern day Group B or our very own Pikes Peak. I just hope that someone else has a go, to inspire competition.

Edited by Cable on Thursday 9th June 20:08

[DanielSan]

big_rob_sydney said:

Sounds like Time Attack.

My idea is entertaining though, Time Attack is slowly dying on its arse while the organisers keep making stupid rule changes and upping the costs.

[sumpoil]

I'm sure Higgins lap was awesome ..... and if he has another go before the end of the week, it'll probably be even more awesome ...... however, I don't know for sure because all I can see of it are a couple of pss-poor videos. After the (undoubtedly) huge amount of money that's been spent, is this the best that Subaru could manage? Why didn't they just let the ITV4 crew cover it? So far it seems to have been a pointless publicity stunt .... only without any of the publicity

[Gecko1978]

if you like pointless publicity google "drift the crown ridge redbull" no stop clock or time just a guy in an rx 7 driving up a very winding road...pointless yes...but very cool

[Ozzie Osmond]

sumpoil said:

all I can see of it are a couple of pss-poor videos.

Are you not familiar with Youtube??

[Charles Sweeney]

No such thing as bad publicity.

[InitialDave]

"building a one-off car simply to do the spectacular and prove what you're capable of freed of regulation"

This is what I like about it. I'm very interested in seeing what manufacturers and professional teams can do without any rules to hinder them.

[sumpoil]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Are you not familiar with Youtube??

Yes .... and all I can see are the same pss-poor videos; dodgy sound and awful editing. There are a few snippets taken by spectators but no coherent footage of the lap. Maybe there will be something better available after the second run .... perhaps they were worried it might be a spectacular failure, so they didn't cover the first run too comprehensively!

[Ozzie Osmond]

Try this one of a full lap from in-car footage. I thought it was rather good, from last year. Amazingly he was even quicker in 2016!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7gmbQ8KxM4

[ZX10R NIN]

As PR stunts go the TT Subaru is a great one lots of youtube hits plus Prodrive will sell more engine upgrades so it's a win win.

[canucklehead]

Not sure you can call Loeb's Pikes Peak run a pointless publicity stunt. He did win a competition there, y'know. yes, there was publicity generated, but he had to beat the specialists to get any good publicity. which he rather did, with gusto.

and Pikes Peak, like the TT, is a glorious holdover - a competitive event untrammelled by the strictures of modern day competition. both race on public roads, Pikes Peak goes one better than the TT by having an unlimited class where virtually anything goes. long may both live.