Autoblog

One Lap winners live-streaming this year's event

Aaron Richardson — Mon, 02 May 2011 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Nissan, Porsche, Racing

Live stream of this year's One Lap of America - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Doug Wilks and Leh Keen swept to victory in last year's Tire Rack One Lap of America at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT2. This year, Keen and Wilks have partnered up again, only this time they'll be piloting a Nissan GT-R prepared by Wilks' Topspeed Motorsports. Better than that, the pair will be live-streaming the eight-day event, thanks to an in-car webcam.

Besides live footage of every inch of the 3,000-plus-mile event, the pair will have Google Maps tracking their location, a blog and live interactive chat with viewers. All the interactive goodness is available on Topspeed as you read this.

With the power of the GT-R, already a proven One Lap winner, the Grand Am and ALMS driving skills of Keen and Wilks' mechanical expertise, Topspeed Motorsports looks poised to make another run at the top spot. Click past the jump to see Topspeed's live feed, or head over to their website for the full interactive experience. Thanks for the tip, Nathan!

Continue reading One Lap winners live-streaming this year's event

One Lap winners live-streaming this year's event originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Tommy Milner laps Laguna Seca in NFS: SHIFT 2 Unleashed

Aaron Richardson — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Toys/Games

Tommy Milner Need For Speed Shift 2: Unleashed lap - Click above to view video after the jump

Tommy Milner made his mark driving for BMW Rahal Letterman in last year's ALMS series alongside Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner. Together, they won the team and manufacturer championships in the ALMS GT Class.

Milner also managed to win the Dubai 24 Hour race overall in the Need For Speed BMW Z4. This year, Milner's behind the wheel of the Compuware GT2 Corvette C6.R, and managed 3rd in class at Sebring.

To promote Need For Speed Shift 2: Unleashed, Milner took some hot laps of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca driving a GT1 Corvette C6.R. Without any driving aids, Milner laid down a 1:21.709 lap, just two seconds behind the GT1 lap record of 1:19.304. Click past the jump to check out a video of Milner's lap.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Tommy Milner laps Laguna Seca in NFS: SHIFT 2 Unleashed

Video: Tommy Milner laps Laguna Seca in NFS: SHIFT 2 Unleashed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fanatec's latest Porsche 911 GT2 gaming wheel gives your virtual that much more reality

Noah Joseph — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: Porsche, Toys/Games

Porsche 911 GT2 gaming wheel by Fanatec - Click above for image gallery

No one ever said getting behind the wheel of a Porsche was going to be cheap. Especially not a 911 GT2. But if the $245k that the new GT2 RS road car would set you back strikes you as a bit steep, check out the latest rig from Fanatec.

The German gamewear concern has a penchant for making steering wheel set-ups for your favorite gaming platform, like the 911 Turbo and Turbo S wheels we're reported on previously. But the latest takes the cake.

Modeled on the 911 GT2, this wheel gets all the details down pat, and then some. The 12-inch rim is covered in hand-stitched Alcantara, and three force-feedback motors are there to provide as darn-near-real an experience as we've ever seen.

It can work with the XBox 360, PlayStation 3 or your computer, but like the car it's modeled on, it don't come cheap: $250 is the retail price for the wheel alone, which can be hooked up with pedals and shifter if you've got those already. If you don't, the full $500 Clubsport edition gives you the foot gear and a variety of shifting choices, including paddles, a sequential lever and an H-gate. Check it out for yourself in the gallery below.

Gallery: Porsche 911 GT2 gaming wheel by Fanatec

[Source: Fanatec via Engadget]

Fanatec's latest Porsche 911 GT2 gaming wheel gives your virtual that much more reality originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari 458 GT2 looks ready to swallow the competition whole

Noah Joseph — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Spy Photos, Coupe, Ferrari, Racing

Ferrari 458 GT2 - Click above for high-res image

As impressive as it may be in its own right, when Ferrari introduces a new V8 supercar, you know there's more to come. A Spider version. A Challenge racer. Probably a CS/Scuderia-style hardcore street version somewhere down the line. And yes, a GT2 racing version. That appears to be what we're looking at right here.

Once a top-tier Le Mans contender, Ferrari's sportscar racing program is largely limited these days to the GT2 category, leaving the likes of Peugeot and Audi to compete for top honors in the LMP1 category and its own sister-company Maserati to fight for GT1 victory.

Itself a replacement for the 360 GTC that came before, the F430 GT2 has been a wildly successful racer, winning its class in both the American Le Mans Series and the FIA GT Championship. But its days are numbered as Maranello has been working on its replacement based on the new 458 Italia. And this is our first proper look at it.

As it stands now, the 458 GT2 has a face that looks something like a jack-o-lantern, but some simple black trim around the maw will surely go great lengths towards rectifying that. And besides, if this machine proves to be as giant a leap forward over the one it replaces as the 458 Italia street car is over the F430, its rivals will only be seeing the back end of it, anyway. Top tip, Alex!

[Source: Axis of Oversteer]

Ferrari 458 GT2 looks ready to swallow the competition whole originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Stratos GT2 racer reportedly in the works

Noah Joseph — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Toys/Games, Design/Style, Lancia, Racing

New Stratos GT2 by Amalgam - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you're looking for the bragging rights with four wheels, getting your hands on any of a number of exotic supercars - most of them hailing from Italy - will undoubtedly do the trick. But if every kid on the block already has one, you'll need to go with a coachbuilt custom. Still not enough bragging rights? Then a racing version is in order.

That's what Jim Glickenhaus did with his custom Ferrari P4/5, commissioning a second Competition model to follow the road car. Now Michael Stotschek is following the same route with his new take on Lancia's fabled Stratos. The Pininfarina-designed New Stratos road car just made its debut at France's Paul Richard HTTT circuit, and already reports of a racing version are popping up online.

While the original Stratos cut its teeth on the rally stage, the new model is reportedly being prepared for circuit racing in accordance with GT2 specifications. The work is reportedly being carried out by Danisi Engineering, which has previously worked with the likes of Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Iveco and Pininfarina on a variety of racing machinery, from touring cars to Dakar trucks.

Few details are available at this point, but high-end model studio Amalgam has already got a 1:8 scale diecast model on its way, and as you can see from the images in the gallery below, some serious aero modifications are apparently in the works for the racing Stratos. Thanks for the tip, Chris!

Gallery: New Lancia Stratos GT2 by Amalgam

[Sources: Italiaspeed, Amalgam]

New Stratos GT2 racer reportedly in the works originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: McLaren outsourcing GT2/GT3-spec MP4-12C racers

Noah Joseph — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, UK, Racing

McLaren MP4-12C GTR renderings by Jon Sibal - Click above for high-res image gallery

Could you imagine McLaren making a supercar and not racing it? Of course not. Even though the Woking, England-based outfit might have envisioned the original McLaren F1 purely as a road car, history naturally had different plans for it - and with spectacular results. So we were hardly surprised back in March when reports began coming in that The House That Bruce Built was planning a competition version of the new MP4-12C.

As was the case with the F1 and indicated by those earlier reports, McLaren's plans, according to AutoWeek, involves teaming up with independent racing garages to turn its road car into a racer. In this case, that firm is said to be CRS, a British outfit that's racked up a considerable number of victories in GT and open-wheel racing. But CRS will hardly be going it alone. Reports have McLaren's own people working on the design to be implemented by the outfit.

Lest you think there will only be a handful of MP4-12C competition cars on select tracks, reports have CRS building a fleet of some fifteen GT3-spec versions and another batch of GT2 machines that could find their way to Le Mans by 2013.

Gallery: Rendered: McLaren MP4-12C GTR

[Sources: AutoWeek, JonSibal]

Report: McLaren outsourcing GT2/GT3-spec MP4-12C racers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All 500 examples of the Porsche GT2 RS have been spoken for

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS - Click above for high-res image gallery

A limited-edtion, 620 horsepower sports car is quite an enticing piece of machinery. Porsche is building just 500 examples of its 2011 911 GT2 RS and - unsurprisingly - they're all spoken for. The twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six powered 911 can run from 0-62 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds. If there's enough room, the car will keep accelerating until it hits 205 mph. It's an amazing piece of German engineering and the price tag is an equally amazing $245,000.

Want to see one in action? Stop drooling all over the images in the gallery and take a look at the video after the jump.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL
[Source: Porsche, Youtube]

Continue reading All 500 examples of the Porsche GT2 RS have been spoken for

All 500 examples of the Porsche GT2 RS have been spoken for originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GT1 class to be eliminated from next year's Le Mans

Noah Joseph — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Amidst all the hubbub surrounding this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, race organizers ACO have announced that the current GT1 class would be integrated into a new GT2 category for next year.

After having effectively scrapped its own GT1 class last year, the ACO welcomed in the new generation of sports-racers built for the FIA GT1 World Championship into the iconic 24-hour race. As it turns out, however, 2010 will be the only time these entries will have been allowed into the race, as the ACO moves to eliminate the category once and for all, replacing it with a two-tier category based on the current GT2 regulations.

The move reportedly enjoys the support of winning drivers in both categories, including the Chevrolet Corvette team's four-time class winner Oliver Gavin and Aston Martin's Tomas Enge, who see the excitement shifting to GT2 in recent years.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Darrell Ingham/Getty]

Report: GT1 class to be eliminated from next year's Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Switzer R911S is a GT2 RS turned up to eleven

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 16 May 2010 15:36:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Luxury

Switzer Performance GT2 R911S - Click above for high-res image gallery

Supercar tuner Switzer Performance wants to know why you would jockey to be one of the 500 trying to get a 2011 Porsche GT2 RS when you can have a Switzer GT2 R911S with more power for less money. Instead of the 620 horsepower from the factory GT2 RS, Switzer's car has a "(conservative) 911 hp on tap" and a racing suspension designed by JRZ Suspension Engineering, whose cars won their classes at last year's Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. That 'base' car undercuts the $245,000 Porsche GT2 RS by $46,000.

If you want more, opt for Switzer's Carbon edition for $239,000, which swaps steel for Seibon-designed carbon fiber body panels. All the info is in the press release after the jump, and all the eye candy in the photo gallery below.

Gallery: Switzer GT2 R911S

[Source: Switzer Performance]

Continue reading Switzer R911S is a GT2 RS turned up to eleven

Switzer R911S is a GT2 RS turned up to eleven originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 May 2010 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Porsche 911 GT2 RS trailer has us saying "&^%!"

Steven J. Ewing — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS trailer - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Honestly, most of the phrases that come to mind when describing the 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS involve some sort of non-FCC-approved dialogue. But then again, can you blame us? Certainly not. And after reading the specs and seeing B-roll footage of the meanest Porsche around, we're having a hard time keeping the drool off of our keyboards.

620 horsepower. Rear-wheel drive. 3,020 pounds. $#*%^!, indeed. Hit the jump to watch Porsche's latest trailer of the GT2 RS, and try to keep the expletives to a minimum.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Porsche 911 GT2 RS trailer has us saying "*&^%*!"

Video: Porsche 911 GT2 RS trailer has us saying "*&^%*!" originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 May 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: B-roll footage of Porsche 911 GT2 RS is just fine with us

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 12 May 2010 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS B-roll footage - Click above to watch the video after the jump

We'll admit it - the 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS gives us the willies. There's something about the idea of 620 horsepower packaged into a 3,020-pound body that sends shivers down our spines, but we'd be liars if we said we weren't dying to get some seat time. (Or 'Ring time. Whatever.)

Only 500 of these beasts will be produced, retailing from $245,000 when the first deliveries begin this October. And when you consider that the GT2 RS is the most powerful street-legal Porsche available today, we doubt that enthusiasts in the top tax bracket will have any trouble scooping up all 500 examples in relatively short order. For now, Porsche has just released some B-roll footage of the hardcore GT2 doing what it does best on the track, and we highly encourage you to see for yourself, after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Video: B-roll footage of Porsche 911 GT2 RS is just fine with us

Video: B-roll footage of Porsche 911 GT2 RS is just fine with us originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 May 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 One Lap of America: No. 3 Porsche 911 GT2 outlasts all comers

Chris Paukert — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Racing

2010 One Lap of America - Click above for high-res image gallery

This year's running of the One Lap of America wrapped up this weekend after a tidy 3,480 miles, and after a one-year absence from the top spot on the podium, a Porsche 911 has emerged victorious. The No. 3 GT2 (shown above) of Doug Wilks and Leh Keen outlasted all comers, including the No. 4 Nissan GT-R of Catesby Jones and Jose Collado that finished in second place, and the No. 5 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 of Danny Popp, Todd Rumpke and Jeremy Herzberg.

As you may recall, a GT-R took the checkered flag last year, but persistent spark plug issues in the orange-and-gray #1 prevented a repeat performance in 2010. The massively tuned No. 39 BMW 325is of Anthony Magagnoli and Kevin Kreisa was impressively consistent, coming through in fourth place after the carbon fiber-bodied #23 Corvette Z06 of Danny and Kyle Corcoran suffered catastrophic engine failure on a transit stage to drop out of the top five. The failure was particularly unfortunate for Danny Corcoran, known as "Mr. One Lap" to his fellow competitors, as he was participating in his 20th - and likely final - event.

Other standout performances included the heavily modified #54 Honda Civic Si of Jonathan Weir and William Chan, with that car beating out far pricier machinery to finish eighth overall, winning the Econo Car class in the process. Also posting solid results was the No. 124 Mazda5 of Richard Fisher and Jason Saini (ringing up in 15th place) and the No. 20 Porsche Panamera Turbo of Bill and Todd Treffert. The bone-stock Panamera was but a couple of weeks old and barely broken in, yet it turned in a robust performance, including a launch-control aided quarter-mile time of 12.08 seconds in Tulsa, the sixth quickest time among all cars.

This year featured a robust crop of first-time One Lappers, suggesting that, despite America's continued difficult economy, America's toughest road car challenge has a bright future ahead of it.

For full race results, check out OneLapOfAmerica.com, and for event-by-event coverage, visit our friends at MotorTrend.com.

Gallery: One Lap 2010: The Weekend That Was

Gallery: One Lap of America 2010: Day One

2010 One Lap of America: No. 3 Porsche 911 GT2 outlasts all comers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 May 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked! Porsche 911 GT2 RS coming this September

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 03 May 2010 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche

We don't have much in the way of details, but a singular shot snapped at a dealer event yesterday shows that the baddest Porsche 911 ever to grace the tarmac is coming this September.

According to a tipster, the GT2 RS will carry a price tag of 240,000 euro when it arrives later this year and will supposedly pack enough power to topple the Carrera GT. Earlier reports indicate that the revised GT2, recently caught testing at the Nürburgring, will put out over 560 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque. However, it's safe to assume those figures will be increased In RS trim and we can expect a fully-adjustable suspension, roll cage and possibly some active aerodynamics. The press introduction is apparently scheduled for May 14th, so official details on Porsche's newest rear-wheel drive road warrior should be forthcoming.

UPDATE: A forum member at TeamSpeed has some preliminary stats from the launch in Leipzig. The new GT2 RS is reportedly packing 620 hp and will come in nearly 200 pounds lighter than the current GT2. The 0-62 mph time is pegged at 3.2 seconds with a rumored 'Ring time of... wait for it... 7:22 - the same as the Dodge Viper ACR.

[Source: TeamSpeed, GermanCarBlog]

Leaked! Porsche 911 GT2 RS coming this September originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 May 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Porsche 911 GT2 facelift caught 'Ring running

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Porsche

Porsche 911 GT2 spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery

Our spies have just captured the slightly revised Porsche 911 GT2 doing what it does best - storming around a track (the Nürburgring, specifically). The removal of foglamps and a more pronounced chin spoiler set the hardcore 911 apart from its lesser Turbo brethren, and rest assured, the big GT2 wing is still intact.

Official details haven't been released just yet, but we'd expect the GT2 to use the same twin-turbo flat-six as the 911 Turbo S. This means output will be around 530 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, but remember - the GT2 should be significantly lighter than the Turbo. GT2 models ditch all-wheel drive for a rear-drive setup, and the interior is stripped out for even more weight savings. (Hey, Porsche - if those black prototype wheels don't weigh too much, we'll gladly take those, too.)

The GT2 looks like it's in the final stages of testing, so we wouldn't be shocked if the production model showed up at a certain European auto show (*ahem* - Paris) later this year.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Porsche 911 GT2

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Porsche 911 GT2 facelift caught 'Ring running originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Sebring 2010: BMW's Dirk Mϋller talks about hour 1

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW, Racing

The #90 BMW M3 GT2 - Click above to watch video after the jump

The last 24 hours have been tough for Dirk Mϋller, one of the drivers of the BMW M3 GT2 in the American Le Mans Series. After setting the fastest GT2 time in qualifying on Friday for today's 12 Hours of Sebring, his time was disallowed because of an issue with his car during tech inspection. That meant the #90 car was pushed down to the 13th spot on the GT2 grid. To make matters worse, the #90 M3 smacked a wall during the morning warmup and missed the recon laps before the race.

As a result, Mϋller had to start the race from the pits after all the other cars pulled away. He spent the opening laps making his way through the crowd of GT Challenge Porsches before tackling the GT2 field. By the time hour one was over and he came in for the first pit stop, Mϋller was running fourth in GT2. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Video: Sebring 2010: BMW's Dirk Mϋller talks about hour 1

Video: Sebring 2010: BMW's Dirk Mϋller talks about hour 1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corvette C6.R GT2 livery looks... sharp

Noah Joseph — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Chevrolet, Racing

Corvettes look sharp. Racing 'Vettes, even sharper. A competition-spec ZR1? Now we're talking.

After dominating the GT1 class seemingly for longer than we can remember, the Corvette Racing team is dropping down to the GT2 category for the 2010 American Le Mans Series. There they hope to find the competition, dominated by Ferraris and Porsches, even fiercer, and indeed they did for the latter part of the 2009 season. This, however, is our first look at the finished new car.

The shot above was snapped at the garages of Pratt & Miller, the racing outfit contracted by GM to develop and run the racing 'Vettes. Although the color scheme is the same yellow and black that's instilled fear into the hearts of most every other team on the grid, the 2010 C6.R, as you can see, gets a decidedly sharper paint job.

The bodywork is otherwise styled after the roadgoing Corvette ZR1, built atop an aluminum frame (instead of the GT1's steel), with steel brakes (in place of carbon-ceramic) and a downsized 5.5-liter V8 (replacing the 6.0- and 7.0-liter units employed in previous iterations). The season can't begin soon enough...

[Source: BadBoyVettes.com]

Corvette C6.R GT2 livery looks... sharp originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari F1 veterans Fisichella and Alesi team up to contest LMS GT2

Noah Joseph — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ferrari

Jean Alesi at Fiorano testing an AF Corse Ferrari F430 GTC - Click above for high-res image gallery

There are plenty of racing series around the world that attract big names from Formula One. Le Mans endurance sportscar racing ranks high among them, but the former F1 pilots usually go to the top-tier LMP1 class. Sometimes the GT1 class draws some big names, but this year it's the GT2 category that's drawing two drivers familiar to F1 fans: Giancarlo Fisichella and Jean Alesi.

After 14 years on the grid with six different teams, Fisichella was called up to Ferrari to fill in for Felipe Massa last season. He's been kept on as a test and reserve driver for the Scuderia this year, and though had hoped to secure a race seat (with Ferrari's blessing) for another F1 team this season, none proved anxious to sign an aging driver who could be called back to Maranello at a moment's notice. Instead, he'll be contesting the full Le Mans Series calendar in Europe behind the wheel of a Ferrari F430 GTC for AF Corse, a team which shares close relations with both Ferrari and Maserati. After a career devoted to formula racing (with a couple of seasons in touring cars), the foray into sportscar racing will be a novelty for Fisico.

Joining him in the cockpit will be none other than Jean Alesi, who tested for AF Corse back in October. The former grand prix winner was always a favorite among the tifosi, and since retiring from Formula One has tried his hand at stock cars in Asia and touring cars in Germany.

Alesi and Fisichella will be supported by Toni Vilander, the Finnish driver who took the FIA GT2 titles in 2007 and 2008. AF Corse will field two additional F430 GTCs in the Le Mans Series, one driven by Gianmaria Bruni (another former F1 driver, GP2 race winner and Le Mans class winner) and FIA GT2 class winner Jaime Melo, and another by the returning race-winning Argentine pairing of Luis Perez Companc and Matias Russo. Details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Jean Alesi tests Ferrari F430 GT2 at Fiorano for AF Corse

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari F1 veterans Fisichella and Alesi team up to contest LMS GT2

Ferrari F1 veterans Fisichella and Alesi team up to contest LMS GT2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: New Matech Ford GT for GT1 racing looks and sounds gloriously evil

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Europe, Videos, Ford, Racing

2010 FIA GT1 Matech Competition Ford GT - Click above for video after the jump

It wasn't that long ago that Ford was selling a genuine supercar, one that made no excuses as it took on the world's best. The Ford GT had one foot in the past and one foot in the present, with its '60s GT40 good looks and somewhat more modern 5.4-liter supercharged V8. Altogether, some 4,000 or so GTs were built during its production run. Sadly that program ground to a halt in 2006 and nothing has come along from the Blue Oval to replace it. Still, the GT lived on as a great platform for tuners and racers.

One race team that has grown particularly fond of the GT is Matech Competition, and the Swiss team has already raced it to championships in FIA GT3 racing in Europe. The retro roadcar was never intended for racing, but like its forebearer, it is once again hunting Ferrari and Porsche racers on Europe's most famous tracks. After successes in GT3, the GT has shown it might be ready to move up in class. While the small independent Robertson Racing has run a GT in the GT2 class of ALMS for a few seasons with mixed results, it's Matech once again that will take on the next challenge - GT1.

For 2010, Matech has developed their GT1 version of the car that builds on lessons learned during the 2009 campaign when the team ran a prototype in the same class. Although similar in overall looks, Matech tells us that the two cars share no parts whatsoever. With an all-new formula for 2010, that's not very surprising, but 2009 was a development year for the teams. After the jump you can read the press release regarding the car's initial outing, and better yet, there's a video of it in action. The clip is painfully short but will give you goosebumps when the car sprints away. Besides its wonderfully melodic tone, the car looks plain badass, definitely up to the challenge being brought by GT1 competitors like the Nissan GT-R, Reiter's Murcielagos, Aston Martin DBR9s, Maserati MC12s, and our local boys the Chevrolet Corvettes. No wonder the clip is titled "Matech Symphony No.1." Top tip, Johannes!

[Source: Matech Competition]

Continue reading Video: New Matech Ford GT for GT1 racing looks and sounds gloriously evil

Video: New Matech Ford GT for GT1 racing looks and sounds gloriously evil originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corvette Racing boss Doug Fehan confirms new 5.5L V8 for Sebring debut

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Chevrolet, Racing

Corvette C6.R GT2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Back in August when General Motors introduced the all-new GT2 class Corvette C6.R, it ran downsized 6.0-liter version of the 7.0-liter V8 from the long-dominant GT1 car. At the launch, Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan told us the 6.0-liter was just an interim engine. With revised GT rules on tap for 2010, GM was already planning a brand-new engine for its race Vette.

Unlike the 6.0/7.0, which is a ground-up race engine that only shares basic architectural dimensions with the production small block, the 2010 C6.R's V8 is a new 5.5-liter unit that will indeed be derived from the production engine found in roadgoing Corvettes. In fact, the 5.5-liter race engine will be built at GM's Performance Build Center alongside ZR1 and Z06 V8s.

Fehan has confirmed that the 5.5 is running on the dyno and will make its race debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March. We don't have any additional details on the new engine yet, although we were told earlier that it is based on the next-generation production small-block, which we expect to see in the Corvette soon.

Gallery: Mid-Ohio 2009: Corvette GT2 racing

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Corvette Racing boss Doug Fehan confirms new 5.5L V8 for Sebring debut

Corvette Racing boss Doug Fehan confirms new 5.5L V8 for Sebring debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Panoz ditches proposed LMP1 program in favor of new Esperante successor

Noah Joseph — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance

Panoz Esperante GT-LM - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's been a while since we've heard anything from Panoz Auto Development. The American sportscar manufacturer came onto the scene in the late Nineties with their AIV Roadster, and later went onto create various road and race versions of the Mustang-based Esperante. Around the same time company founder Danny Panoz started building cars, his father Don Panoz also started the the American Le Mans Series, vaulting the family business from automaker and race team to race series organizer.

In the past few years, Panoz has crafted several Le Mans prototype racers and even some Indy/Champ Car chassis. The company has achieved limited success with its front-engined LMP1 program, but the Esperante GT-LM racecar made history when it took GT2 class victories at both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in 2006. More recently, the company had been focusing its energies on a revolutionary new front-engine LMP1 design called Abruzzi to compete with the field of mid-engine rivals. Reports from the motorsport world, however, now indicate that Panoz has aborted the Abruzzi project in favor of a new GT2 program. But as we all know, GT racers are based on road cars, and that's exactly what Panoz appears to have in the works.

According to Autosport, Panoz decided against a purpose-built racing prototype in favor of a road car, and from that they plan make a racing version. Exactly what the car will be like is up to speculation at this point, but we're looking forward to finding out.

Gallery: Panoz Esperante GT-LM

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Autosport]

REPORT: Panoz ditches proposed LMP1 program in favor of new Esperante successor originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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