Some argue that video games are a way people live out fantasies that are otherwise out of reach. Politicians sometimes jump on that as an easy target, but for one pro racer, gaming-turned-reality is a fairytale to say the least.

In case you haven’t already heard the story, Lucas Ordonez started his racing career by playing Gran Turismo, a racing simulator for the Sony Playstation. After winning a competition, he made the jump from virtual cars to the real thing. That was in 2008 and since then Ordonez has gone on to compete for Nissan in various races, the most recent of which was last weekend’s Nurburgring 24 Hours.

“It was a pleasure for me to drive with the guys from Japan,” he said. “I have learnt a lot this weekend and I have a new respect for the GT-R and this amazing race track.”

Endurance races like the one he just took part in work in shifts. Ordonez started driving at night and had a rude awakening during his second time behind the wheel, once the sun came up.

“After having such a good run it the night, my morning shift was a real eye-opener,” he said. “The temperature went up quite quickly and this really changed the handling compared to at night. It was still great to drive but it was mentally tough as I really had to concentrate and feel what the car was doing.”

Known to many as the “Green Hell,” the Nurburgring is one of the world’s most challenging courses and Ordonez will continue to push his limits as his racing career continues.

With the launch of the Lexus LFA and Toyota GT 86, Toyota seems to be back in the sports car game. And now the Japanese auto giant is proving its cars are more than just fun-to-drive and shiny sheetmetal, with each car winning its respective class at this weekend’s Nurburgring 24 Hour Race.

Partnered with Gazoo Racing, this is hardly the Lexus LFA’s first trip round the Green Hell, though while several past efforts proved disastrous, the luxury marque appears committed to erasing any memories by amassing trophies. Competing in the SP8 Class, the Gazoo Racing Lexus LFA topped the podium and finished an impressive 15th overall.

As for the Toyota GT 86 team, car No. 166 placed first in the SP3 class and 46th overall, with the second car placing sixth in class and 65th overall. In addition, another Toyota GT 86 from Toyota Swiss Racing managed a 78th place finish and first overall in the V3 class for stock vehicles.

GALLERY: Toyota GT 86 & Lexus LFA Nurburging 24 Photos

When the Ferrari P4/5 Competizione was first revealed to the world decked out in full carbon fiber, there was hardly any doubt in anyone’s minds that James Glickenhaus had a real winner with the bespoke Ferrari.

And now the P4/5 Competizione has set a new record, clocking in the fastest lap time by a Ferrari model at the Nürburgring during a qualifying session at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. With a lap time of 6:51, the Competizione bested the Ferrari FXX’s time of 6:58.16, which is impressive considering the FXX is a special-order race car as well.

Of course this isn’t an apples to apples comparison considering the FXX did it in arguably more ideal conditions. But it’s hard to argue against what Glickenhaus and his team have done in building the F430-based Competizione into one hell-bending, track machine.

And of course Glickenhaus was proud to see all his hard work come to fruition. As for the lap time? He only had one thing to say: “If Ferrari wants to come here and challenge it…”

We’re excited to see how the Competizione does in in the 24 Hour race.

[Source: Jalopnik]

BMW has been providing the official safety cars for MotoGP for the past 13 years, and this year it has decided to update mid-season with the new M6 Coupe, replacing its 1 Series M Coupe safety car.

The MotoGP M6 safety car will make its debut at this weekend’s Nürburgring M Festival sporting plenty of carbon fiber accessories including its front bumper lip, side mirrors, and adjustable rear wing. And since a partnership with Akrapovic was announced just a few months ago, we expect one of Akrapovic’s high quality exhaust systems to find its way on the M6.

After its debut at the Nürburgring, it will make its way to the M Festival’s M Corso event.

Painted and styled much like the JCW Countryman we saw in Geneva, MINI has announced its John Cooper Works GP today.

As the fastest MINI ever built, the JCW GP will go on sale later this year in a run limited to 2,000 units worldwide. This is the second time the company has offered such a car, but this version is by far better than the last, lapping the Nurburgring a whole 19 seconds faster for a brand-best time of eight minutes and 23 seconds.

To give that number some context, it’s faster than a BMW 335i Coupe (8:26) or the BMW E36 M3 (8:22), showing just how potent a package the new MINI JCW GP is.

Final performance figures aren’t available yet, but the company says they will easily best the previous 214-hp that the MINI Cooper S with a full John Cooper Works package had on tap.

What we do know is that the new JCW GP comes with a full body aero kit including a front lip, side skirts, rear diffuser and a carbon fiber rear spoiler. It also gets an exclusive powertrain, new brakes and a special chassis meant for track handling, which is complimented by the bespoke sport tires meant for increasing grip during performance driving.

Expect more details on the limited edition MINI JCW GP in the near future as its release approaches.

GALLERY: 2012 MINI John Cooper Works GP

With just over 500 hp on tap in the latest Nurburgring taxi, the Jaguar XJ Supersport feeds thrill-seekers adrenaline through a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine.

As the latest automaker to offer such a service, Jaguar decided to send the XJ Supersport, with Sport and Speed Pack options, to offer passengers a chance to feel the “Green Hell” as it’s meant to be experienced: with a wide open throttle.

Previously, we brought you a story about BMW offering the M5 in a similar capacity, but now Jaguar is copying the idea. While the XJ won’t be able to compete with the BMW’s 560 hp, the ride might feel a bit more thrilling because of it’s all-aluminum chassis. It’s likely to be more comfortable too.

When it was first released, auto pundits praised the XJ for its surprisingly nimble handling which is a direct result of the chassis design.

“Of these models, we found it’s the XJ Supersport that most often surprises journalists with its speed simply because they perceive it to be a large luxury car. The XJ is both those things, of course, but its aluminium architecture means it’s rigid and lightweight too, which make it a very good car on track. To underline that fact, our engineering team created this special Nürburgring taxi version in which our trained drivers can safely take passengers on very hot laps,” Jaguar Land Rover exec Frank Klaas said.

Driving fast on a track can be a lot of fun, but unless you’re well-trained it’s unlikely that you’ll come close to reaching the car or track’s potential.

Thank goodness for BMW’s Nurburgring Taxi program that offers the chance to sit in an M Division Bimmer and experience the Green Hell as it’s meant to be. This year the Bavarian automaker is introducing its F10M M5 as the taxi, which promises to be unbelievably thrilling. With its 560 horsepower 4.4-liter V8 and space for three passengers, this grown-up version of a roller coaster is sure to sell.

If the past is any indication, tickets will be hard to come by and only available to those with the fastest fingers. Sessions go on sale every Monday at 10 am CET and you can book times here.

[Source: M Power]

In celebration of the most powerful performance car it’s ever sold in the U.S., the 2012 Golf R, Volkswagen is launching a fan contest to reward one lucky enthusiast. 

“The Golf R has an incredibly loyal following of fans, and this is a way for Volkswagen to say ‘thank you’ for their passion and enthusiasm,” said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO of the Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. “We are delighted to reward one lucky Golf R fan with the ultimate enthusiast travel experience, including an adrenaline-pumping driving experience on a legendary track.”

Rated at 256 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque, the German hot hatch has a justified fan following which is something the automaker wants to recognize. Folks interested in entering need an iPad and can participate via the “Golf R Drivers Forever” app by summarizing, in 256 words or less, why they’re the ultimate fan.

The sweepstakes started yesterday and will continue through May 14, at which point a winner will be chosen and sent on a week-long trip to Germany. As part of the adventure, the winner will be sent on a track day to drive a Golf R at the Nurburgring circuit. They will also visit the VW headquarters in Wolfsburg and take a sightseeing trip to Berlin.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

The BMW M135i is undoubtedly making its way to production form for the European market soon. The M135i Concept gave us a look at the performance variant of the 1-Series hatchback, and it appears that the German automaker has taken it out to the ‘Ring for testing.

The M135i is expected to launch late this year in Europe packing a turbocharged 3.0L, straight-six with more than 300-hp. And if the M135i is anything like the 1M Coupe that America got, it should be a huge hit considering how quickly the order books closed on one of our favorite sports coupes ever tested.

Check out the video below.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Standing toe-to-toe with Bugatti Veyron, the Koenigsegg is harder to pronounce, lesser known, and more exclusive, arguably making this small Swedish carmaker the definitive supercar marque, full stop.

Continuing to raise the bar, the latest 2013 Koenigsegg Agera R now boasts an output of 1,140-hp. Since last September, Koenigsegg claimed a number of new production records, reaching 200 mph from a stand-still in 17.68 seconds, braking to a stop from 200 mph in 7.28 seconds, and finally a full cycle 0-200-0 mph run in 24.96 seconds. While the Bugatti Veyron Supersport holds the top-speed title at 268 mph, the Agera R sprints from 0-300 kmh (186 mph) more than 2 seconds quicker than the Bugatti. Mind-boggling numbers on paper, but what does that mean in real life?

From the Nurburgring pit lane access at Dottinger Hohe, the very end of a 2.2 mile long straight, a track-side fan records a top speed fly-by and receives a serious case of whiplash in the process, as the screaming 5.0-liter twin turbo V8 engine propels the Agera R to an insane 249.5 mph at the end of the straight.

The violent 250 mph pass is shown at the 1:40 mark. Hold onto your butts and check out the video below:

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Toyota is extremely proud of its new GT 86, and out in Japan, its motorsports partner Gazoo Racing has built a pair of GT 86s to compete in the famous Nürburgring 24 Hours race.

The race will take place from May 17th to the 20th and Gazoo Racing will also be fielding a Lexus LFA in the competition. Before one of the GT 86s compete in the Nürburgring race, however, it will make its way to the Japanese Rally Championship. Both custom Gazoo Racing Toyota GT 86s will be on display at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK from June 29th to July 1st.

It appears that the GT 86s will have around 200-hp and will be equipped with a six-speed manual for the race. We’re excited to see how well it does during the grueling endurance classic.

Watch a video of the Gazoo Racing Toyota GT 86 below

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Nissan is out to prove a point on just how formidable the Club Track Edition GT-R is. This year, the Japanese automaker will bring a production version of the Club Track Edition GT-R to compete in the 24 hours at Nürburgring endurance race. 

Nissan said that competing in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with a factory model GT-R will allow them to collect data to help improve the GT-R over the next five years. We’re sure that’s part of the reason, the other is clearly to prove how great the GT-R is in factory form.

Now skeptics will probably say it’s not a production model vehicle if Nissan so much as swaps its tires, but so long as they don’t touch the powerplant, suspension, or brakes with any modifications – it’s factory in our eyes. But no doubt Nissan is looking to play a little bit in the Europeans’ backyard, potentially trumping modified Porsches, BMWs, and Mercedes-Benz’s in a GT-R model that rolls off the dealership showroom floor.

Watch the video below of the Nissan team readying the GT-R for the race.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.