Aston Martin will return this year to the FIA World Endurance Championship to compete in the eight round series, kicking off with the 60th anniversary edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring, on March 17. The company confirmed today that it will enter an updated version of the Vantage GT2, calling it the Vantage GTE. That car…
Lotus Motorsport and Alex Job Racing (AJR) will partner to compete for the GT championship in the American Le Mans Series, starting with the race at Long Beach on the weekend of April 14. The factory-backed Lotus Evora GTE will feature a black-and-gold painted car reminiscent of JPS Lotus F1 cars. The team will also be…
Dominating Le Mans during the 1920′s with its powerful, rugged, and reliable Bentley Blower, the British automaker from Crewe established itself as one of the earliest names in motorsports. This June, Bonhams’ Goodwood will offer a rare red 1929-32′Bentley 4 1/2-Liter for auction. According to experts, the Bentley is expected to reach bids as high…
Lotus is preparing for the Geneva debut of its latest Lotus Evora GTE with Formula 1 Champion Kimi Raikkonen in tow. While specs and information on the new Team Lotus F1 inspired sports car are limited, the Evora GTE concept revealed last year is already a winner in the looks department. Last year, our editor-in-chief…
Recently named the world’s best sporting event by National Geographic, this year the 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrates 80 years. The racing season may seem a long way off now, but to help set the mood the event’s organizing body, the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) has prepared a montage video of highlights throughout…
National Geographic rated the 24 hours at Le Mans race the greatest sporting event in the world, beating the Olympics, Superbowl and the World Cup for the top spot. Who ever said driving wasn’t a “real sport”? The race at Le Mans started in May of 1923 and has been an annual event ever since….
Toyota racing announced today that the TS030 hybrid powered race car will compete in the World Endurance Championship races. Originally Toyota racing had planned on entering selected races on the World Endurance Championship circuit, but citing unexpected changes faced by the championship has now announced they will be a full-time entrant. This means that the…
The German-based Kodewa team will be campaigning a pair of Lola LMP2 Coupes in this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Lola LMP2 race cars are designed and built in Huntingdon UK and will be powered by an engine provided by the Lotus Group. The Lola B12/80…
Audi is out to steal Toyota‘s thunder in the World Endurance Championship this year. The German automaker announced today that it will run two hybrid LMP1 cars for the first time in their team of four during the 24 hours of Le Mans. Details were scarce in the release, but we know that the cars…
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car endurance race, around 50 championship cars past and present paraded their way through the streets of Daytona. The oldest race car to make the parade was the 1962 winner, while the newest was from last year’s race. The parade went off without…
You might be familiar with the sound a Le Mans car makes while whipping around the track, but this year Toyota is going to change all that. For the first time in more than a decade, the Japanese giant is entering in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, set to start this June. Yesterday…
Toyota spilled more details on Tuesday of its plan to run a hybrid at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Last week we reported that the Japanese automaker would be entering such a vehicle, but there were no details on the powertrain or the plan surrounding the car itself. That changed when…
Peugeot announced its withdrawal from Le Mans effective immediately. While the diesel Peugeot 908 prototype won the 2009 24 hours of Le Mans outright, and has also earned 14 victories out of the 16 races in 2011, Peugeot has decided to terminate its endurance racing program in order to place greater emphasis on its sales…
The dominating diesels will have a fuel economy foe at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, thanks to a new hybrid race car from Toyota. Set to compete in the top-tier LMP1 class later this year, the first photos of the hybrid electric drive prototype have hit the net, thanks to a tweet by…
The publication Race Engine Technology has given Audi Motorsport the “Race Engine of the Year” award for their 3.7L V6 TDI powerplant. The engine, which was vital to Audi capturing its 10th title at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year, produces more than 540-hp through the use of a single turbocharger. Compared to…
A rare combination of Hollywood and racing history, the Gulf livery racing suit that Steve McQueen wore for the movie Le Mans was sold in a California auction for a steep $800,000. After fees and taxes are taken into account, the total sum is actually $984,000. With the exception of an automobile, this is the…
Porsche has put to motion an international Youth Development Programme to foster young drivers as the German automaker prepares an expansion of its racing involvement and its entry into the LMP1 class at Le Mans for 2014. Beginning with the coming 2012 racing season, two young drivers will receive the title “Porsche Juniors” and will…
Even though Audi hasn’t announced any details on their 2012 race program, including its driver line-up for the year, that hasn’t stopped them from making a grand appearance testing a pair of 2012 LMP1 race cars at Sebring Raceway. Two of their LMP1 cars were spotted at the track in Florida along with the 2011…
Porsche is determined to improve their hybrid technologies and the best place to do that is on the race track. For the 2012 race season, Porsche has further developed its 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car, and will be putting it to the test once again. Exactly where or when, however, has not been revealed….
The reduced downforce also required changes to the suspension settings with re-valved shocks and softer springs, along with a slight increase in ride height. In addition, as per Grand Am regulations, the European car’s traction control and ABS systems must also be deactivated.
One of the darkest days in motorsports is arguably June 11, 1955. On this day, at the Le Mans 24-hour race, on lap 35, Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR hit the back of Lance Macklin’s Austin-Healey 100 Special, and was sent flying into the crowds. When all the smoke and dust cleared, 83 spectators had…
It’s hard to believe Audi was able to improve their highly successful R8 LMS GT3 race car, but they’ve just announced that the R8 LMS ultra will be launched in 2012, with deliveries starting in March. Current R8 LMS customers have won a combined 115 races and 12 national and international titles in just three…
Toyota has announced its three-man tea of pro racers, who will pilot the brand’s hybrid LMP1 car in the 2012 Le Mans and other races. The list includes former F1 driver and winner of the 2009 24 Hours of Le mans (under Peugeot) Alex Wurz, Team Oreca pilot and last year’s 12 Hours of Sebring…
In the world of motorsports, it’s nearly impossible for a new team to come out of the box and be competitive. So what is a novice group that is looking for success to do? Simple, partner with one of the most successful teams in the sport. That is exactly what Toyota is doing by partnering…
