It’s October 2012 and next years banger rallies are filling up fast so here’s a few tips for everyone when considering which car to choose!

When considering which car to take on the rally, think about the following…

Comfort

There is a reasonable amount of driving, ranging from motorways (including the famous German Autobahns) to tight twisting mountain passes (including the magnificent Stelvio pass) so consider which is the most important factor for you.

A Jaguar will cruise effortlessly along the motorways but will not be at its best through mountain passes. A mini will be great fun through the mountains but struggle to keep up on the motorways.

Perhaps a good compromise would be an Alfa GTV two litre. Great fun, agile on the bends and comfortable and nippy on the motorways plus the Alfa has that unmistakable Italian styling.

Alternatively consider a trusty Japanese saloon car, not as much fun as the Alfa but generally very reliable and reasonably economical.

Fuel Economy

There are lots of small engine cars available from basic Ford Fiestas to the Citroen Saxo. Both of these cars offer great economy with relatively simple mechanics. Remember to spruce up the car with lots of imaginative “add-ons”, this does wonders for the look of the car and the overall fun factor! If you fancy doing the rally in something completely different have you considered a classic Citroen 2CV? Great image, great fuel economy and unbelievably quirky and fun to drive!

Space and Image

Sometimes people put image and the fun factor above all else and we regularly see cars like the Toyota MR2 (both MKI and MKII versions) and the Mazda MX 5 on the rallies. These cars are true pocket rockets great to drive and fantastic looking and very quick! The Japanese heritage generally makes them very reliable but just remember boot space is extremely limited and cabin space can be a little tight too! A Honda Prelude (MKI or MKII) is another great car to consider, this offers great looks, good boot space, legendary Japanese reliability and a fabulous sporty driving experience!

All in all there is so much choice therefore my advice is do your research, buy your car early and run it around before the rally, up and down steep hills together with plenty of time in standing traffic. This ensures the brakes and the clutch are up to the job plus the cooling system can take the rigours of a journey conquering ten countries in seven days!

As always if you are unsure about any aspect of the rally or you want some advice on specific cars just give Paul a call on 07854 251890 or email us at contact@motoscape-rally.co.uk.

The Motoscape Team
www.motoscape-rally.co.uk

So the rally is over for another year. It’s been an amazing journey and we’ve all got some great memories. Without hesitation we can honestly say it’s been the most successful year yet, and it’s the entrants and their banger creations that have made it so great!

We had people from all walks of life from roofers, to oilrig workers to teachers and accountants and every one just got on like a house on fire. We had the young 18 year olds on their first jaunt abroad to the mature seasoned travellers now in their retirement years.

There were groups of guys determined to party hard, night after night (forget the challenges they say!!) to those who had planned everything to the finest detail with the intention of winning as many daily and overall prizes as possible. We had those who had turned up without even a map book of Europe to those who brought every conceivable spare you could possibly imagine (even though they had a German or Japanese vehicle which very rarely break down).

The rally is a great trip for couples too to experience a different kind of holiday! There were so many more couples this year on the rally, with Jake and Kelly from ‘Cake and Jelly’, John and Alison from ‘Veronica’s Fondeu’, Adrian and Chantelle from ‘Heaven and Hell’, Michelle and Michael from the ‘M&M’s’, Scott and Natasha from ‘Last stop this town’, Malcolm and Linda from ‘Old’un’, Darren and Emily from ‘Toots & Co’, Malcolm and Kate from ‘Focussed on Prague’ as well as Geoffrey and Ditta from ‘The B Team’.

There was the ‘West Lothian College’ team containing two staff members John and Robert bringing along two of their mechanic students Lewis and Jamie. Once again there were a lot of father and son teams and this year we had ‘Rafa Duchenne’ with three generations from the same family (father, two sons and grandfather) all from Zimbabwe.

Congratulations to this year’s rally winners too! Death Squad for best banger, Rafa Duchenne for winning the Venice Rally and The New Recruits for winning the Prague Rally, well done everyone!

We had three genuine classic cars along for the ride with the Triumph Stag containing Malcolm and Linda, the Triumph Spitfire of Nigel and Thomas plus the good old Union Jack covered Mini belonging to Katie and Leanne-Rose. If there are any potential future all girl teams, come along you will love it, just like the girls in the Mini, so don’t just think about it, book the trip of a lifetime in 2013!

Wales had a massive representation this year with 9 teams, ‘Team Y Cardis’, ‘Cardi Mountain Bikers’, ‘Yr ddraig goch’ (thanks guys for your in-car pub singer duet), ‘To be confirmed’, ‘The Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychw
yrndrobwllsantysiliogogogoch Fiat Club’ (Just glad we didn’t have to pronounce it), ‘Metal Medics’, ‘The Paraletic’s’ and last but not least ‘Little Britain’. Luke, our hats come off to you, (the wheel chair is certainly no barrier to entry) yours was the best fancy dress by far and congratulations guys on winning a daily prize with your hilarious photos!

The boys from Team Jeff also made a great video to show their journey on the rally, check it out below!

So this year really was a rally for all and we just want to say a massive, massive thank you to everyone who took part, we hope you all had a fantastic time and hope to see you again in future year!

Don’t forget, registration is now open for Motoscape 2013! You can register by visiting the link below!

http://www.motoscape-rally.co.uk/register.asp

Suddenly it dawned on everybody that it was the final day of Motoscape 2012. We’re not quite sure where this week has gone, it’s flown by! But the teams had to make it to the final morning briefing (some with sore faces from all the sluggin’) to find out what was in store for the day. As this was the last day of the rally, there were no challenges other than make it to Prague in one piece!

The journey from Sopron to Prague in the Czech Republic is around 245 miles, and most teams took the direct route to get straight to the hotel so they could spend the afternoon in Prague before the evening’s events.

Some teams wanted to visit somewhere different on the way, therefore they took a small detour and crossed over the border back into Austria to experience the 315 sq km Lake Neusiedl. It is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Austria and also a UNESCO world heritage sight. The lake is surrounded by a reed belt, which gives shelter to a unique variety of birds.

The drive from Hungary to the Czech Republic was a vast change of scenery from the mountain passes we had previously driven through into the rural landscape of the Czech Republic, which is completely different to the other countries we have visited on the rally. To top it all a fitting end to this years rally has to be a night in the world famous city of Prague, what more could you ask for!

Most teams got to the hotel in Prague in plenty of time to check the bar was fully stocked and to get ready for the night ahead and the final meal and presentation by the Motoscape team.

The Motoscape Team put on the meal and presentation in the hotel restaurant where teams got together one last time, had a few beers and found out the overall winners of this years rally before heading for a night out in the beautiful city of Prague.

What a great night for everyone to get together, and well done to The New Recruits for winning the 2012 Motoscape ”Road Trip to Prague”.

After the meal and presentation the teams hit the city to celebrate the end of an amazing experience, and one that many of the teams said they would love to do again next year.

Prague has something for everyone, whether you want to have a relaxing coffee in the old town, or you want to finish the rally with a big blow out at the cities best night clubs, you really can’t find a better place to end our European Road Trip!

We’ve all got some great memories from this years rallies and it’s been an amazing journey. We, the organisers, can honestly say it’s been the most successful year yet, and it’s the entrants and their banger creations that make it so great. We want to keep improving the rally every year so thanks to all the teams for their feedback, everything will be considered and we appreciate you taking the time to help us make it even better for next year.

Overall it’s been an amazing, hard working but enjoyable week, and we just want to say a massive, massive thank you to everyone who took part, we hope you all had a fantastic time and hope to see you again next year!

Keep an eye on your inboxes and stay tuned to the website for our announcement of when registration opens for Motoscape 2013! This years Motoscapers get first option on registration!

Thanks everyone!

Paul, Peter and Mark (Top Slugger)!

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