The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the most successful race car the German automaker has ever offered. Porsche has sold 2,200 GT3 Cup units and is the most popular choice amongst racing teams all over the world.The GT3 Cup currently competes in 19 Porsche brand trophy series worldwide and runs in various GT race series and at long distance events. The GT3 Cup is based on the lighweight 997 911 GT3 RS sports car and features a 100-liter FT3 safety fuel tank.

The tank is now suitable for an even wider range of endurance races thanks to the increased capacity. Power levels remain almost identical to that of the GT3 RS with 450-hp and a racing exhaust system. Different rims are available to suit several different types of racing and blade-type anti-roll bars are standard at the front and rear of the car with seven adjustable positions.

Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes are also featured on the 911 Cup, that reduce the weight of the car by approximately 20 kilograms. Inside the cockpit, the controls for the info display are positioned on the steering wheel which contains six switches.

The GT3 Cup will be delivered to racing teams in September for 2012 and 2013 racing seasons, and will cost 161,750 Euros ($230,235).

Rumors surfaced late last month that Toyota Motorsport in Germany was developing a Le Mans GT race car based on the Lexus LFA. Now photos have surfaced of what is believed to be the upcoming Lexus LFA GTE racer that will be a future competitor in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There are of course no concrete details behind the LFA GTE and what it will be packing in order to compete with the likes of Ferrari and Porsche.

The LFA has had some success on the track, taking a class win in a class for most stock vehicles at the 2010 Nurburgring 24 Hours. It really remains to be seen if the LFA will be a potent platform for race teams worldwide, but a successful entry into the 24 Hours of Le Mans will go a long way.

GALLERY: 2012 Lexus LFA GTE

[Source: MotorsportsRants via Jon Sibal]

Jaguar hasn’t won at Le Mans since 1990, or when the XJS was just starting to get long in the tooth. But parent company Tata is interested in a return to the prototype class, with an LMP1 car of its own.

Hopefully Jaguar will replicate any of its seven past wins, the most recent with the XJR-12. ”We are monitoring developments in motorsport around the world,” said a spokesman for Jaguar, whose parent company Tata Motors is crunching the numbers necessary for a return. Jaguar already competes in the GT2 class with the XKR.

No concrete information has been given on the plan, or even a date for anything, but at least their head’s in the game now. And it’ll be interesting to see them battle it out against Porsche’s own hybrid-fueled return to LMP1 for more cross-continental rivalries!

[Source: Autosport]

In this latest episode of Corvette Racing’s Track to Street, the spotlight is shone on the mechanics who are all too often forgotten about on race day. The car and drivers receive all the glory but its the team of mechanics and engineers that perfect the ins and outs, so that the car and driver are a well oiled machine.

In this 3 minute video, the mechanics share their insight and experiences on racing, with the crew chiefs stressing the importance of organization. The crew chief also explains how crucial communication is, so that every member of the racing team is aware of their duty on race day. It is easy to forget that the team has jobs to do before, during, and after the race.

Check out the video after the jump!

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Porsche has more overall wins than any other automaker at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the German automaker plans to add one more victory to its list in 2014. That’s the year Porsche has announced it will re-enter the series in the top-tier LMP1 class, with a new factory-backed prototype race car.

“Motorsport was always an essential part of the Porsche brand” said Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG. “So for us it was only a matter of time before we returned as a factory to the top league of racing. Porsche’s successes in Le Mans are unrivalled. We want to follow up on this with the 17th outright victory.”

Porsche’s last success in the LMP1 class at Le Mans came in 1998 with the 911 GT1. Since then the team has had a successful LMP2 Class run in the American Le Mans Series and even raced those cars at Le Mans. Recently Porsche has had success with its 911s in the GT Class category and has been testing a new GT3 R Hybrid. That hybrid technology could become the backbone of the LMP1 program with Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport, commenting that, “the integration of our hybrid technology in the vehicle concept is one possible option.”

The automaker has released the below video on its YouTube channel, highlighting its success at what is likely the world’s most famous racing event. Watch the video after the jump:

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The famous 1991 24-Hours of Le Mans winner, the Mazda 787B will be featured at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Ex-Formula 1 driver and Le Mans veteran Mike Wilds and current Mazda works driver Mark Ticehurst will be racing the 787B up the hallowed Goodwood hill for the festival this weekend. The race car returns to mark the 20th anniversary of its famous victory in the demanding 24-Hours of Le Mans.

The 787B will race brands like Aston Martin, Porsche, Lotus and BMW in this year’s Britcar Dunlop Production GTN Championship.

Mazda’s 787B made history in 1991 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by becoming the first Japanese car to win the event. It’s victory lap was also its last as after 1991, rotary engines could not participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Mazda is still the only Japanese car manufacturer to win Le Mans.

The 787B is powered by a 700-hp rotary engine which has a top speed of 210mph.

The 787B will also join the MX-5 GT race car which is powered by a 275-hp 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated engine featuring a six-speed sequential paddle-shift gearbox, carbonfibre doors and polycarbonate windows. The car has a kerb weight of just 850kg and can accelerate from 0-60mph in just three seconds.

Gallery: Mazda 787B

German driver Andre Lotterer will be racing one of two Lexus LFAs that will compete in this weekend’s race, marking the fourth consecutive year that the Japanese supercar is competing in the Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race.

Lotterer just won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the number 2 Audi R18 TDI and has also successfully driven for Toyota and Lexus in the Japanese Formula Nippon and Super GT Champtionship. He will be racing in the number 119 car with Juichi Wakisaka and Takayuki Kinoshita.

The body and chassis of the LFA race cars are almost completely stock putting them at a significant weight disadvantage to many of the other race cars competing. However, Lexus is hoping to take a class victory as well as a top-10 overall position in the race. The LFA finished top in its class last year, but the two previous years it didn’t finish the race.

The Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race starts on June 25th.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Automotive giant Toyota has achieved just about everything it has ever set out to do, however there is one goal that has eluded this Japanese car firm thus far, winning the Le Mans 24-hour race.

Since this famous, annual race began in 1923, Mazda is the only Japanese car company to have won this prestigious race (in 1991). Toyota had tried to conquer the ‘Circuit de la Sarthe’ in both 1998 and 1999 with the GT-One (pictured), and while they had an extremely quick race car, its fuel consumption and some technical issues prevented it from getting to the top of the podium.

The latest rumors now suggest that Toyota will be back at Le Mans next year with a new LMP1 category racer, and it will feature hybrid technology. Race car constructor Dome is said to be building the car for Toyota.

There is no official word yet on Toyota’s entry and all Vincent Beaumesnil (sporting manager of Le Mans and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest) has said thus far is:  “We are in contact with many manufacturers who are interested in LMP1, not just Toyota.”

So only time will tell if Toyota truly is once again going after the Le Mans crown. We’ll keep you posted on this developing story.

[Source: Autosport]

Marking the 20th anniversary of Mazda‘s victory in the world’s most demanding endurance race, the 24 Hour of Le Mans, Mazda has brought the winning Mazda 787B back from the dead.

Mazda’s 787B made history in 1991 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by becoming the first Japanese car to win the event. It’s victory lap was also its last as after 1991, rotary engines could not participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Jonny Herbert, who was behind the wheel 20 years ago, donned his nomex and racing helmet once again to hit the track. Mazda racer and TV star Patrick Dempsey also got a chance behind the wheel. Watch videos of the outing, plus an overview video of the 787B car’s 20th anniversary celebration after the jump!

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Are you a racing enthusiast? if so, you may be interested in the ultimate Corvette prize package. In recognition of  Corvette Racing  just winning the 24 hours of Le Mans, Chevrolet will be giving away a 2012 Corvette Grand Sport Convertible ($62,715) to a lucky winner. The winner also gets to travel to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, on a five day, four night vacation in June 2012. The winner will also receive air fare for two, hotel accommodation, and $800 travel allowance.

In order to register, the applicant has to log onto http://chevrolet.promo.eprize.com/corvette/ and answer a few simple questions to be entered into the draw.

The draw will be held on July 1st 2011, and the winner will be randomly selected. The winner will then be notified by email or phone.

Time is running out so register soon!

Audi’s Le Mans participation this year was all forms of glorious, from insane crashes to a triumphant podium finish. But mixed in with the excitement of the actual 24 Hour race was the debut of the 2012 Audi R8 GT Spyder. Sporting 560-hp and 398 ft-lbs of torque from its 5.2L V10, the ragtop Audi goes from 0-60 mph in a mere 3.8 seconds, this time with its top down.

And of course we’re loving that Audi showed off the matte blue finish on the Spyder – a color we’d consider if we were so fortunate as to be able to afford one of the just 333 units being made.

GALLERY: 2012 Audi R8 GT Spyder

Honda is truly out to prove a point that CR-Z owners can have their cake and eat it too. This isn’t the first time we’ve spotted Honda’s CR-Z Racer, created by Honda Performance Development (HPD). The vehicle debuted at SEMA 2010 and hit the track at the Thunderhill 25 Hours. And now it’ll show its stuff in front of a huge crowd at one of the most famed races in motorsports, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The CR-Z Racer still features the standard 1.5L hybrid powerplant but HPD has added a turbocharger giving the CR-Z 200-hp and 175 ft-lbs of torque. Clearly Honda’s goal is to market the CR-Z to both performance enthusiasts and those looking to save money with maximum MPG while still having a stylish coupe. This HPD CR-Z racer truly shows off some racing solutions specifically targeted towards hybrid vehicles. We’ll be very curious to see how it performs out at Le Mans in its demonstration laps.

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Racer

The Nissan Leaf Nismo RC will perform two demonstrations, Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon at the Le Mans Vers Le Futur, in celebration of the 79th anniversary of the event (June 11-12).

It will be interesting to see how electronic vehicles like the Nismo RC shape the world of motorsports while attaining zero-emissions.

Check out the video after the jump!

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This weekend’s famed 24 Hours of Le Mans race will have full coverage thanks to Speed TV and Corvette Racing. Though only 17 hours of live coverage will be done on television, Corvette Racing and Speed TV will be hosting an additional seven hours of content, including a live stream of in-car coverage from one of the Corvette Racing machines. The No. 73 Chevrolet Corvette will play host to the live stream as it seeks out its seventh class win at Le Mans.

As one of the most prestigious and demanding events in all of racing, the extensive online coverage will be commercial free and will also include links to an in-depth video tour of the legendary Le Mans circuit in the No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R. Undoubtedly though, the spotlight will be on drivers Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia as they try to get their seventh class win.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans will begin at 9:00 AM EST on Saturday. The live stream can be found at http://www.speedtv.com/corvette.

Several weeks back Mazda announced it would return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year, showcasing its 787B race car, which took the overall win back in 1991.

Now the Japanese automaker has announced that driving the car will be done other than McDreamy himself, Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey. While best known for his acting, Dempsey is more than just a gentleman racer having competed in motorsports for years and even founding his own racing team. While rumor is his Grey’s days are over, perhaps he should look to a full time career in motorsports, after his third place finish at this year’s 24 Hours of Daytona showed just how skilled behind the wheel he is. Dempsey will squeeze the “at speed” laps into his schedule, racing his Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8 at Watkins Glen the week before, and then heading to Watkins Glen for the next round of the Grand-Am series.

“I’ve been a member of the Mazdaspeed family since 2007,” said Dempsey.  “I race a three-rotor RX-8 in Grand-Am GT competition, and Mazda allowed me to drive the amazing RX-792P at Mazda Raceway last year. I love the heritage of the sport, and to be given the chance to drive THE car that scored the highest-visibility win in Mazda’s storied racing history is indeed an honor.”

With that win back in 1991 Mazda became the first Japanese automaker to win outright at Le Mans, a record Honda, Toyota or Nissan have yet to match.

In addition, Johnny Herbert, who helped drive the 787B to victory in 1991 will also take laps in the 700-hp four-rotor race car.

GALLERY: Mazda 787B

Nissan has announced that its Leaf Nismo RC Concept race car concept will be making two demonstration runs at the Le Mans Vers Le Futur, in celebration of the 79th anniversary of the event (June 11-12).

The 24 Hour of Le Mans is the world’s most renowned endurance race and is held on the Circuit de la Sarthe, 120 miles west of Paris. It is considered the toughest, most grueling endurance race in the world. Nissan believes its Leaf racer will provide a glimpse into the future at Le Mans when put in action for the first time outside of Japan. The Nissan Leaf NISMO RC made its debut at the New York Auto Show earlier this year and has been praised for bringing new meaning to the term ‘Racing Green’.

The Nissan Leaf Nismo RC is a car solely built for racing based on the first all-electric production vehicle in the world, and was the first-ever zero emission racing spec production vehicle.

“The 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours has provided us with a great opportunity to show the world that Nissan is at the forefront of automotive innovation,” commented Darren Cox, Chief Marketing Manager (Crossover and Sports Cars), Nissan Europe.

There will be two demonstration runs performed by the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC. The first will take place at 9:15PM on Thursday, June 9th, and the second at 12:10PM on Saturday, June 11th local time.

Possibly one of the most infamous Porsche race teams in the world, Flying Lizard has paid homage to Porsche racing history with their newest livery on their first-ever two-car line up for this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Their #80 911 GT3 RSR will be campaigned in the GTE Pro class while their #81 car will be in the GTE Am class. Three drivers will be appointed to each vehicle for the 24 hour race with Jorg Bergmeister, Patrick Long and Lucas Luhr in the #80 car while Darren Law, Seth Neiman and Spencer Pumpelly will be in the #81 racer.

The livery was done by Troy Lee, famous for amazing paint styles on helmets and sports an orange-and-blue scheme that pays homage to the 1970 J.W. Automotive Gulf 917 Kurzchecks that were made famous by Steve McQueen’s Le Mans. Unique to the scheme are the names and flags of all the drivers who have taken overall victories at the famed Le Mans race while campaigning a Porsche.

Overall the scheme is very eye-catchy and should look great out on the track. The contrast of the two race cars is a real nice touch.

GALLERY: Flying Lizard’s Le Mans Porsches

[Source: Car and Driver]

It’s been over 100 years, and French watchmaker Saint Honoré has blessed the world with some unforgettable designs. Now, they’ve turned their sights on car racing and created a watch to go along with their new obsession – the Haussman Forty 7-24 watch.

Letting you put the spirit of Le Mans on your wrist, this chronograph boasts impeccable styling. The dashboard of a race car is reflected in the silver-tinted dial, which features round counters, brightly colored hands and a tachymetric scale that goes up to 407 km/h (that’s the fastest speed ever reached in the Le Mans). It also features the number 15 in orange, which pays tribute to the start time for the mythical 24 Hours races, (15 hours: 3 p.m.) and automatic Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement that can been seen through a transparent crystal.

The Haussman Forty 7-24 watch is self-winding and has a 44-hour power reserve. Its 3-counter chronograph system offers the hour, minute and small second functions and it comes with super cool straps in black, honeycomb rubber and special leather with holes and orange overstitching.

Saint Honoré’s two racing driver ambassadors, Stéphane Sarrazin for Peugeot and Christophe Tinseau for Pescarolo, have already been sporting the Haussman Forty 7-24 at the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. We’ll let you know when and where you can pick yours up when the information becomes available.

[Source: Born Rich]

Marking the 20th anniversary of Mazda‘s victory in the world’s most demanding endurace race, the 24 Hour of Le Mans, Mazda has brought the winning Mazda 787B back from the dead.

Since winning in 1991, the Mazda 787B has been on display at the Mazda Museum in Horishima, Japan. The car has been carefully restored since its last 1991 post race overhaul, to open for the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans. The 79th annual race begins Saturday June 11 at 3 p.m. Additionally, the 787B will also take part in the Driver’s Parade through the Le Mans City center on Friday 10.

The 787B was powered by a four-rotor rotary engine that produced 700-hp. The 787B was the first and only Japanese car to win the 24 Hour of Le Mans. After 1991, rotary engines could not participate in the 24 Hour of Le Mans.

As part of the 20th anniversary celebrations, members of the 1991 Mazda team will also return to Le Mans. The winning driver Johnny Herbert (England) will be joined by 1991 Mazda drivers David Kennedy (Ireland), Pierre Dieudonné (Belgium) and other team members.

Gallery: Mazda 787B

Michael Waltrip is said to be racing at Le Mans this June, becoming the latest in a succession of stock car drivers to try their hand at the grueling 24 hour race.

Together with Rob Kauffman and Rui Aguas, Waltrip will pilot a Ferrari for Italian outfit AF Corse. Waltrip will test the car at the Paul Ricard circuit in France during an off-week from NASCAR racing. Although Waltrip is being given the chance of a lifetime to drive at Le Mans, his priorities remained clear when he told the Sporting News “I wouldn’t trade my chance to race here at Talladega for a chance at Le Mans, which kind of tells you I might be a bit of a redneck, but getting to go there and see that is going to be really cool.”

[Source: The Sporting News]

Audi will apparently produce an R8 GT Spyder, defeating the purpose of the lighter, more performance-oriented R8 GT, but opening up a whole new market for their supercar, and those more concerned with looking fast than going fast.

The Spyder will likely pack the same 552-horsepower 5.2L V10 as the coupe, but be limited to 193mph, as opposed to 199mph in the hardtop. The Spyder will also likely be limited to 333 units. Roughly 220 pounds will be cut from the car’s weight thanks to an abundance of carbon fiber parts, thinner glass and a revised braking system. Audi will preview the car at Le Mans in June, with a proper unveiling at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

[Source: Autocar]

Steve McQueen is eternally cool. And that’s what makes TAG Heuer Meridist’s newest phone so hip. Answer the call for cool with the Gulf Meridist, a cell phone that’s inspired by Steve McQueen’s character Michael Delaney in the 1971 film “Le Mans.”

Adorned with Gulf Oil’s signature light blue and orange color scheme, this luxury mobile phone is covered with a black body finish and its PVD surface treatment ensures it won’t get scratched up.

But the cool doesn’t stop there. Its rear battery cover is black rubber that sports two orange and blue stripes. Just above the cell phone’s rear camera shutter, you’ll find the Gulf logo above the rear camera, and the TAG Heuer logo appears just below the front crystal sapphire screen.

If you’re thinking to yourself: “I am pretty cool, but I could be cooler,” you’ll want to get your hands on the Gulf Meridist mobile phone soon, as there are only 400 of these limited edition models being made.

[Source: Born Rich]

With the anticipation growing for Audi‘s R18 LMP1 race car to hit the track competitively, Audi is probably wishing it’ll happen sooner themselves. After losing out at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Audi may be looking forward to getting the R18 out on the track in order to replace the current R15 race cars.

Two of the R18s were first test-driven at Sebring along with an R15 as a control car and all ten Audi racing drivers were involved in the testing program. Currently they’re on their way to Europe and will be torn apart and analyzed by Audi Sport in Ingolstadt.

Their next appearance will be at the famous Le Mans racetrack and will compete for the first time in the six hour race in Spa-Francorchamps.

Official press release available after the break.

GALLERY: Audi R18

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The lines between reality and virtual reality are getting blurred, as proven by Lucas Ordonez. He went from racing cars in the virtual world of video games, to actually competing in an LMP2 racer provided by Signatech Nissan in the 12-hours of Sebring, and actually finishing 2nd in the race. The 25 year-old Spaniard will now head to France to compete in this years 24-hours of Le Mans. Not bad for someone who only used to race sitting on a sofa.

GT Academy’s American chapter is now also looking to find their next star, and are hoping to turn the process into a reality TV show. More than 52,000 contestants signed up for this competition, and the list dwindled down to just 32. These virtual racers then went on to compete in further tests in Orlando, Fl. but only half have advanced through. So now the ‘Sweet 16′ virtual racers will go to the Silverstone racetrack in U.K. to compete in the final competition. These new tests will test a person’s physical fitness and actual skill in a race car.

There will be only one winner, and we wish all of the contestants the very best.