Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VIDEO: Lexus LF-A supercar burns it up at the Nürburgring 24]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/29/video-lexus-lf-a-supercar-burns-it-up-at-the-nurburgring-24/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/29/video-lexus-lf-a-supercar-burns-it-up-at-the-nurburgring-24/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/29/video-lexus-lf-a-supercar-burns-it-up-at-the-nurburgring-24/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above to video of the Lexus LF-A burning down the house Nurburgring after the jump

There were two Lexus LF-As entered into last week's Nurburgring 24 Hour race prepared by the Gazoo Racing Team. This is what happened to one of them, car #15, about two hours from the end of the enduro. Just one of a jumble of cars that didn't finish the race, Gazoo hasn't explained what happened to the car, but a rather toasty engine fire took the car out of the running. The other car, #14, finished in 14th in its class (SP8) and 87th overall. Whenever the LF-A does show up as a customer proposition, buyers will know it has been through the ringer and thoroughly vetted. Follow the jump to see the vid.

Continue reading VIDEO: Lexus LF-A supercar burns it up at the Nürburgring 24

VIDEO: Lexus LF-A supercar burns it up at the Nürburgring 24 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>24 hours of nurburgring24HoursOfNurburgringLexusLexus LF-aLexusLf-alf-amotorsportsnurburgringnurburgring 24Nurburgring24supercarFri, 29 May 2009 10:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Lexus LF-A to race in 24 Hours of Nürburgring, but is it still on track for production? ]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/21/lexus-lf-a-racing-to-production/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/21/lexus-lf-a-racing-to-production/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/21/lexus-lf-a-racing-to-production/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Well, it looks like Toyota is committed enough to the Lexus LF-A to at least race it again in this year's 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Just like last year, the rumored on-again, off-again for production luxury supercar is set to tackle the Green Hell in another 24 hour endurance run. That certainly lends some credence to rumors that the company is still considering it for production. The last we heard they were planning on showing a production version of the LF-A in Frankfurt Tokyo.

While we have grown somewhat tired of all of the speculation, the car remains formidable, at least on paper and in the flesh. Driving it will prove or disprove our feelings, but what's not to like about a sexy 600 horsepower, V-10-powered supercar that should offer some of the same driving thrills as a Ferrari Enzo for one third the price? Racing it for 48 hours at the 'Ring can only improve the durability and aid in finetuning. GAZOO Racing is prepping the car for competition this year with just a few minor tweaks to the basically stock platform.

Lexus is also using this as an opportunity to give some young employees a bit of experience developing product under pressure. That will likely help with future product development as well. Hopefully, we will see a production vehicle in October, but until then, we look forward to seeing it under the whip in May. There's a press release from Lexus after the jump.

Gallery: Lexus LF-A Concept


Gallery: Lexus LF-A Racecar at the Nurburgring


[Source: Lexus]

Continue reading Lexus LF-A to race in 24 Hours of Nürburgring, but is it still on track for production?

Lexus LF-A to race in 24 Hours of Nürburgring, but is it still on track for production? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lexus LF-A.

Toyota's campaign of the Lexus LF-A racing prototype at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring wasn't lacking for drama, with a serious crash that took place during the night-time qualifying session followed by some technical issues on race day. Details haven't been released as to what caused the crash, but the damage to the driver's side rear quarter panel was enough to cause the vehicle to limp back to the pits, where KGP spies snapped off 15 shots of the LF-A before it headed back to Toyota's 'Ring workshop.

The V10 nestled deep into the engine bay proves that Lexus is going for a front-midship layout for its first supercar, and judging by the extensive use of carbon fiber in the cracked body panels and underbody diffuser, keeping the LF-A as light as possible is a top priority. Despite the race-ready interior, KGP's shots show an office very similar to that found in the LF-A concepts we've seen at shows, with a massive central tunnel to house both the transmission and a substantial amount of the engine.

The following day, the LF-A got out to the starting grid, but after an hour of racing, smoke began pouring from the rear of the racer, diagnosed later as an oil leak. The pit crew worked feverishly over the ensuing two hours to get the LF-A back out onto the track to finish a total of 106 laps, with a fastest lap of 9:19.757 on lap 85, and placing 120th overall.

Gallery: Lexus LF-A Racecar - Exterior and Interior


[Source: KGP Photography]

Lexus LF-A snapped post-crash, more details revealed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 May 2008 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>24 hours of nurburgring24HoursOfNurburgringbreakinglexuslexus lf-alexus lf-a spy picslexus lf-a spy shotsLexusLf-aLexusLf-aSpyPicsLexusLf-aSpyShotslf-anurburgringspy shotsSpyShotsTue, 27 May 2008 15:56:00 EST<![CDATA[VW releases second pic of Scirocco racer]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/05/vw-releases-second-pic-of-scirocco-racer/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/05/vw-releases-second-pic-of-scirocco-racer/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/05/vw-releases-second-pic-of-scirocco-racer/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above for a high-res gallery of the Scirocco racer.

Volkswagen is taunting us again with another shot of its 'Ring-bound Scirocco, and this time, we get to see the race-ready hatch in profile. VW has been testing the Scirocco in the run up to the 24 Hours of Nurburgring race that's set to begin on May 24, and according to VW Motorsport Director, Kris Nissen, the Scirocco is living up to expectations. With 300 hp provided by its 2.0-liter TFSI engine, Nissen says that, "the new Scirocco was in its element from its very first lap around the Nordschleife." It's a grueling test and we're looking forward to how the Scirocco fairs later this month.

Gallery: Volkswagen Scirocco Racer


[Source: VW via Carscoop]

VW releases second pic of Scirocco racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 May 2008 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>24 hours of nurburgring24HoursOfNurburgringnurburgringsciroccovolkswagenMon, 05 May 2008 17:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Official: Toyota to campaign Lexus LF-A in 24 Hours of Nurburgring]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/21/official-toyota-to-campaign-lexus-lf-a-in-24-hours-of-nurburgri/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/21/official-toyota-to-campaign-lexus-lf-a-in-24-hours-of-nurburgri/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/21/official-toyota-to-campaign-lexus-lf-a-in-24-hours-of-nurburgri/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lexus LF-A racecar.

Toyota has confirmed that the Lexus LF-A will campaign in the 24 hour Nurburgring race this May in an effort to shake down the new supercar before its launch next year. Toyota has no intentions of winning the grueling enduro, instead, it's using its unconventional entrant into the race to aid development of the super coupe and gain feedback for the production car.

The LF-A was recently spied making laps around the 'Ring outfitted with a new GT-style wing, bigger wheels, brakes, a revised aero kit, more carbon fiber and a full roll cage -- all of which confirms that the mule is more than just a production prototype. It's an impressive tactic that shows Toyota is serious about its first entrant into the supercar fray, and proves that the Nissan GT-R might be causing serious bouts of panic around Toyota HQ.

Thanks to Ben for the tip!

Gallery: Lexus LF-A - spy shots


[Source: Toyota]

Official: Toyota to campaign Lexus LF-A in 24 Hours of Nurburgring originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>24 hours of nurburgring24HoursOfNurburgringlexuslexus lf-alexus lf-a nurburgringlexus nurburgringLexusLf-aLexusLf-aNurburgringLexusNurburgringlf alf-aLfAnurburgringtoyotaMon, 21 Apr 2008 13:26:00 EST<![CDATA[VW to campaign Scirocco in 24-hour 'Ring race]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/18/vw-to-campaign-scirocco-in-24-hour-ring-race/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/18/vw-to-campaign-scirocco-in-24-hour-ring-race/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/18/vw-to-campaign-scirocco-in-24-hour-ring-race/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above for a high-res gallery of the Volkswagen Scirocco.

Volkswagen will use the 24-hour endurance race at the Nurburgring in Germany to showcase the new Scirocco's sporting credentials when the event gets underway the weekend of May 24 and 25. The race-prepped version of the low-slung, Golf-based coupe will be spitting out 300 hp from its tuned 2.0-liter TFSI engine. Volkswagen didn't reveal a lot of details about the Scirocco racer in its press release (after the jump), but you can be assured that serious suspension and brake tweaks will be accompanied by all the prerequisite safety equipment to make the Scirocco competitive in the 2.0-liter turbo class. And VW isn't skimping on drivers, either. The Scirocco will be piloted by two-time WRC champ Carlos Sainz and two-time Le Mans winner and 'Ring legend, Hans-Joachim Stuck.

Gallery: 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco


[Source: VW via WCF]

Continue reading VW to campaign Scirocco in 24-hour 'Ring race

VW to campaign Scirocco in 24-hour 'Ring race originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>24 hours of nurburgring24HoursOfNurburgringsciroccovolkswagenvolkswagen sciroccovolkswagen scirocco 24 hours of nurburgringVolkswagenSciroccoVolkswagenScirocco24HoursOfNurburgringvwvw sciroccoVwSciroccoFri, 18 Apr 2008 15:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Iron Man! Aston Martin V8 Vantage completes Nurburgring 24 in production trim]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/19/iron-man-aston-martin-v8-vantage-completes-nurburgring-24-in-pr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/19/iron-man-aston-martin-v8-vantage-completes-nurburgring-24-in-pr/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/19/iron-man-aston-martin-v8-vantage-completes-nurburgring-24-in-pr/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

AM V* Vantage at Nurburgring 24

"Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" is how the old saying goes, but maybe we can change it to "Finish on Sunday, Sell on Monday" in the case of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. That's because an almost-stock Vantage entered and completed this past weekend's Nurburgring 24-Hour race. The only modifications to the car were to address safety requirements and pit lane needs. The car had a roll cage, racing fuel system, fire protection, racing seat, and hydraulic jacks installed. Nothing else was touched. It ran on the stock engine and transmission, and wore stock bodywork.

Aston didn't exactly pack the driver list with no-names either. The group of four who piloted the Vantage was headlined by none other than Aston Martin's Chairman and CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez. He and three co-drivers completed 130 laps in the endurance race, finishing 4th in class and 24th overall.To further put that achievement into perspective, 220 cars started the race, many of them pure race-spec models.

The eyebrow-raising performance makes one think. If an almost dead-stock Vantage can run competitively in a 24 hour endurance race, imagine what a fully race-prepped car could do. Such a vehicle would make the already competitive, and growing ALMS/Le Mans GT2 class even more interesting than it has already become.

The entry of the Vantage at the Nurburgring 24 was a factory experiment, but the results are a very clear warning shot to other manufacturers:

On the racetrack, the DBR9's baby brother looks like its quite capable of holding its own.

(Press release, more pictures after the jump)

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Iron Man! Aston Martin V8 Vantage completes Nurburgring 24 in production trim

Iron Man! Aston Martin V8 Vantage completes Nurburgring 24 in production trim originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>24 hours of nurburgring24HoursOfNurburgringaston martin v8 vantageAstonMartinV8Vantagenurburgring 24 hoursNurburgring24Hoursproduction v8 vantageProductionV8Vantageurich bezurich bez nurburgringUrichBezUrichBezNurburgringv8 vantage nurburgringV8VantageNurburgringvantage finishes 4thVantage nurburgring 24VantageFinishes4thVantageNurburgring24Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:04:00 EST