Motorsports auto news

Motorsports: James Glickenhaus claims fastest lap by a Ferrari ever on the 'Ring

According to the timing sheets for the Nürburgring 24-Hour race, the now-hybridized P4/5 Competizione set a lap time of 6:51 during qualifying. That would make it faster than the "Production-Derived Sports Car" record of 6:58.16 set by the Ferrari 599XX in 2010, and the fastest Ferrari-powered vehicle to ever run the 'Ring.

In case you don't remember, the 700-horsepower 599XX was also a purpose-built, track-only racer driven by a test driver. On the other hand, we don't have specs on the P4/5 Competizione to compare, but that doesn't make the achievement itself any less impressive. The only car ahead of the P4/5 Competizione in the not-street-legal category is the Pagani Zonda R, which rocked a 6:47.50. Glickenhaus himself told Jalopnik he thought the feat was "pretty cool" and that Ferrari was welcome to challenge it.

Motorsports: Record number of Shelby Cobras to take part in Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Last year, the Monterey Motorsports Reunion announced that the Shelby Cobra would be the featured marque for 2012 in honor of the company's 50th anniversary. It's shaping up to be quite the celebration. Earlier this month it was announced that no fewer than 45 competition Cobras will be racing on the track come August, with owners from across the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Canada in attendance. In fact, demand to participate was so high that several entrants actually had to be turned away.

Shelby Cobras won't just be on the track, though. The event expects at least 200 Cobras, real and replica, to gather in the infield car corral. Shelby and Ford Motor Company will also bring a collection of historic Cobras to display in the paddock. In other words, if you're a Shelby Cobra fan then start making plans to attend right away.

You can read the official announcement from the Monterey Motorsports Reunion below.

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Official: BMW rolls out new M6 safety car for MotoGP

It takes a fast and agile car to keep pace with MotoGP racing bikes. Fortunately the BMW M division is up to the task, providing safety cars (or what we'd call pace cars on this side of the Atlantic) to the race organizers of the top-level motorcycle racing series.

The most recent vehicles to perform the duties have been the 1 Series M Coupe and the X6 M crossover, but now BMW is introducing a the new M6 coupe to the mix. It'll debut in safety car guise as pictured above at the Nürburgring this weekend.

While it's unclear whether any modifications have been made to the 552-horsepower twin-turbo V8, the M6 MotoGP safety car has been upgraded with new spoilers front and rear, special lighting equipment and BMW's traditional blue, blue and red striping on a white body. And if we were betting men, we'd put our money on some upgrades to the brakes, suspension and tires, too.

Official: Mitsubishi previews bonkers i-MiEV Evolution for Pikes Peak

No, that's not a Mitsubishi i-MiEV in a fat suit, it's the automaker's brand-new all-electric race car, and it's set to take on the 2012 Pike's Peak International Hill Climb in July. This isn't the first time we've seen an EV enter the Pike's Peak challenge - Nissan commissioned a Leaf for battle last year, a car that set the bar for all future electric racers.

Mitsubishi says that its race car, dubbed i-MiEV Evolution, uses the same motor, drive battery and other major components as the standard, bean-shaped electric car that we haven't quite grown to love. Aside from the additional bodywork, the chassis has clearly been lengthened and widened, and the race car now uses an all-wheel-drive configuration rather than the rear-wheel drive of the standard i-MiEV.

To give you an idea of just how big the racer is, a quick glance of Mitsubishi's specs show that the i-MiEV Evolution's dimensions are within a few inches of the stock Lancer Evolution. We wouldn't be surprised if the all-wheel-drive system was sourced from the Lancer, as well.

Mitsubishi will also be bringing two more of its EVs to the Pike's Peak event, including an i that has been updated with a more aerodynamic front bumper and new safety equipment, as well as a bone stock model. Scroll down for the official press blast.

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Report: MotoGP champ Casey Stoner stuns with retirement announcement [w/video]

Reigning MotoGP champion Casey Stoner is just 26 years old, but has been riding in the FIM series since 2001 when he joined the 125cc ranks. Five years later, the Australian was in the headlining formula series with Honda, the year after that, in 2007, he won the title astride a Ducati. Last year, Stoner won it again with Honda, and even battling an issue with his arm this year, he's atop the standings and leading his rivals in practice sessions for this weekend's French GP at Le Mans.

But Stoner used yesterday's GP press conference to announce his retirement at the end of this year. The Australian says the sport had gone in a direction that doesn't interest him and that he simply isn't enjoying it enough to continue the sacrifices necessary to be competitive at the top level. Speculation is that he wants to spend time with his wife and daughter, and perhaps that he plans to drive in the Australian V8 Supercar series.

Fellow Aussie and MotoGP legen Mick Doohan said he doesn't believe just yet that Stoner will actually ride off into farm life. Even so, the fact that the current World Champion is unhappy enough to publicly announce the end of his career is a shock to the MotoGP world. Have a look below for a video news report on Stoner's announcement.

Continue reading MotoGP champ Casey Stoner stuns with retirement announcement [w/video]

Report: Bentley plotting Dakar effort with used VW Touareg racers?

Bentley is an automaker not without its own racing pedigree, but the bulk of that is anchored in the 1920s and at Le Mans, to which it returned in winning form in the earlier part of the new millennium with the Speed 8. The latest development could, however, see the Flying B marque enter into another class of motorsport competition altogether.

That opposite end of the endurance racing spectrum is the torturous Dakar rally. We first published rumors of Crewe's consideration of the possibility back in November, but according to CAR Magazine, those rumors are apparently kicking into high gear.

That much is owed largely to the emergence of the above-pictured EXP 9 F program, Bentley's concept SUV currently under development. Well, sorta. Bentley's parent company Volkswagen recently withdrew from the Dakar rally after winning it three times in a row - ostensibly to focus on its new World Rally Championship effort, but spurring rumors all the same of it transferring the team to another brand.

Given that the EXP 9 F is based (or would be, anyway) on an architecture related to the Touareg - the race model of which is what the VW team used to dominate the event - the facilitation of Bentley's take-over of the program could prove even more straight-forward than the manner in which Audi successfully supported Bentley's Le Mans team.

To wit, the boys from Crewe are said to be in the process of buying back all the Race Touareg rigs - complete with their 2.5-liter twin-turbo diesels producing 300 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque - that Volkswagen sold to privateer teams upon its departure, suggesting rather poor planning and perhaps only a passing resemblance to the eventual production EXP 9 F (which, incidentally, isn't expected to look like the concept above).

Video: NOS energy drink presents the mini-doc Keep Drifting Fun

Drifting's been off the front pages for a while, the latest reports having more to do with turmoil than tire shredding. As with most things, though, just because it's not headlining doesn't mean it's disappeared. NOS energy drink sent one of our favorite filmic chroniclers, Will Roegge, across the country to survey the drifting world. The result is a mini-documentary called Keep Drifting Fun.

And we do mean the word "documentary" - it's 30 minutes long. Although there's plenty of smoke and wall-kissing, its length gives us an opportunity to hear from drifters and organizers to find out what's behind the sport, as well as their own motivations, where drifters come from and why they drift. It looks at venues beyond the track, like tree-lined back roads in Houston and alleys in late-night El Paso, and we dig that it starts off with the protagonists themselves admitting, "Drifitng is so stupid," "It's pointless," and "When you boil it all down it's pretty silly."

The movie, on the other hand, isn't. Scroll down to check it out.

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Official: 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 features clever variable-RPM launch control

When you've got the most powerful factory V8 in the world, even the best driver can struggle with getting that power to the pavement. The 662 horsepower and 631 pound-feet of torque the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is packing can easily turn its rear tires into expensive clouds of smoke. That's why the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 is the first Shelby Mustang to be factory-equipped with launch control. "With so much more power and torque on tap from the new 5.8-liter V8," says SVT senior engineer John Pfeiffer, "launch control makes it easier for drivers to take advantage of the performance." What's different about the Shelby GT500s launch control is that drivers can engage it by just pressing a single button, and it's also capable of being fine-tuned for the best reesults.

Launch control is by now a familiar technology, with systems operating by holding engine RPM at a set point to help facilitate clean, repeatable launches. "Launch control is essentially a special mode of the traction control system that integrates the brake and engine management systems to keep the tires balanced on the peak of the mu-slip curve," explains SVT's Pfeiffer. In plain English, it's designed to send as much torque to the tires as they can handle. What's different about the system in the 2013 GT500 is its flexibility. "Most of our competitors' launch control systems have a fixed engine launch speed," says SVT Engineering supervisor Eddie Khan, but since "not every driver has the same style, and surface, tire, and climate conditions vary," he points out, "we've given Shelby GT500 drivers the ability to adjust the engine speed to achieve the best and most consistent performance."

Drivers can use TrackApps through the instrument cluster or tap a switch to the left of the instrument panel to enable the system. Through TrackApps, the engine launch rpm can be adjusted between 3,000 to 4,500 rpm with steps of 100 rpm. There are other tricks up the GT500s sleeve, too. Extinguish the traction control while using launch control and you'll get an rpm-only mode that keeps the brakes out of the picture to avoid sacrificing any possible speed. Launch control also works with the different stability control modes to allow some wheelspin when that's the fastest way out of the hole. "It's not as intrusive as some TC systems have been in the past," said SVTs Khan. "We'e given our drivers the ability to exert control over all the power and torque this Mustang can produce."

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Official: Toyota GT 86, Lexus LFA racers ready for N"urburgring 24 Hours

Toyota and Lexus are gearing up for this year's Nüburgring 24 Hours. The two companies plan to take to the track with a total of five entries, including four Toyota GT 86 race cars and one Lexus LFA. Prepped by factory tuner Gazoo Racing, the LFA will compete in the SP8 class while two of the GT 86 models will go fender-to-fender in the SP3 class. Those will be joined by two more GT 86 racers built by Toyota Motorsport and competing under the Toyota Swiss Racing Team banner in the V3 class for production vehicles.

Gazoo Racing has already had a little fun at the Nüburgring this year. While competing at two shorter events at the legendary track, the LFA took home two wins. This year's 24-hour endurance race kicks off this weekend, May 17-20. The even will be streamed online here and here. Scroll down for the quick press release.

Continue reading Toyota GT 86, Lexus LFA racers ready for N"urburgring 24 Hours

Official: Lola files for bankruptcy

Lola may not be a name recognized by the average consumer, but racing fans will know it well. The British concern has built and continues to build race cars that have spanned an enormous variety of series and disciplines since its founding in 1958, including (but not limited to) Formula One, Le Mans, CART and just about every formula feeder series you could think of, including Formula Two, Formula 3, Formula 3000, Formula 5000 and A1GP. Now, unfortunately, the company is filing for bankruptcy protection.

The reasons are pretty simple: too many expenses and not enough revenue, although tax credits it was due from the British government are also said to be partially to blame. As a result, the outfit responsible for - among numerous other accolades - five LMP2 titles at Le Mans since 2000 alone is entering financial administration as it seeks new investors.

Along with it, Lola Cars is taking Lola Composites, however the effect this might have on its concerns in defense and aerospace (among other areas) remains to be seen. As is the future of the SP/300.R track car which Lola builds for Caterham, or the countless racing teams that continue to count on Lola to build and support their sports prototypes. But with so many racing programs at stake, we can hardly imagine the company's considerable capabilities and expertise will go unclaimed for long. Scroll down for the official announcement.

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