Autoblog

Video: 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 looks and sounds evil, priced around $550k

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Racing

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 - Click above to watch video after the jump

The FIA GT3 European racing series is about to get a whole lot classier. Mercedes-Benz has been testing and tuning its 2011 SLS AMG GT3 and the car is now ready to claim top spot in your high-end racing trailer. Pricing for the racing version of the "standard" SLS AMG Benz is set at €397,460 (including 19 percent Value Added Tax) or a little over $550,000 USD. The SLS AMG GT3 was recently out at the EurosSpeedway Lausitz in Eastern Germany. A camera crew was on hand to capture the action, and the result is over 21 minutes of shameless automotive ~~pornography~~ action. The only sound is the car on the track, interspersed with the occasional pit stop.

If you're a wealthy privateer racer, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 can be ordered directly through Mercedes-AMG GmbH. Act now, and your racecar could arrive as early as February of 2011. What are you waiting for? There are two mega press releases and footage of the SLS AMG GT3 being put through its paces, after the jump.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

[Source: Mercedes-Benz, YouTube]

Continue reading Video: 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 looks and sounds evil, priced around $550k

Video: 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 looks and sounds evil, priced around $550k originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 roars online

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 08:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Mercedes-Benz, Racing

If you believe it's time you learned more about the SLS AMG GT3, you're in luck. The gateway to knowledge has opened via a microsite for the FIA-spec racer.

Detailed specs still haven't been released, but with the reduced weight it's apparent that the 6.3-liter V8 will get the growler up to sixty miles per hour in well less than 3.8 seconds, and, depending on the final drive ratio, we're told the top speed could exceed 180 miles and hour.

There's plenty more info at the link, so get to studying - seconds count, you know... Hat tip to Dictator!

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 roars online originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Competition-spec Ford Mustang to take on FIA GT3 European Championship

Noah Joseph — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Ford, Racing

Marc VDS Racing Ford Mustang GT3 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford's got a rich history of competing against European machinery on their own home turf. But while the GT40 (and the more recent reborn GT) and the Cobra cut their teeth on the old continent, the Mustang is another story. Ford wants the Mustang to compete overseas, and now a Belgian-Canadian joint effort is preparing to oblige.

Canada's Multimatic racing garage has prepared this new Mustang for the Marc VDS Racing Team, a competition outfit that also fields a pair of Ford GTs in the GT1 championship, as well as teams in Moto2 and rally raids. They'll be taking this Mustang to the FIA GT3 European Championship, where it will take on the best that the likes of Porsche, Alpina, Mercedes and countless others have to throw at it on some of Europe's finest racing circuits. It's already undergoing testing at Ford's Bedfordshire test facility (curiously not Lommel Proving Grounds in the team's home country) and will be piloted by a team of Belgian and Canadian drivers.

Will the VDS Mustang GT3 prove its mettle against Europe's finest? No telling just yet, but it sure looks the business. Check it out for yourself in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Marc VDS Racing Ford Mustang GT3

[Source: Marc VDS Racing Team via JonSibal.com]

Continue reading Competition-spec Ford Mustang to take on FIA GT3 European Championship

Competition-spec Ford Mustang to take on FIA GT3 European Championship originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:00:00 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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Porsche 911 GT3 R debuts at Autosport International

Noah Joseph — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Porsche, Misc. Auto Shows, UK, Racing

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you think the Porsche 911 is a common sight at country clubs and law firm parking lots, that's nothing compared to the ubiquity of Neunelferen that dominate the race track. And this is the latest.

Replacing last year's GT3 Cup S, the new GT3 R was initially released back in November, but is now set to make its public debut at the Autosport International racing car show in Birmingham, England. Stripped down and track-tuned, the GT3 R is a pure racing machine, with a 4.0-liter flat-six driving 480 horsepower through a six-speed sequential transmission to the rear wheels.

It's been homologated to FIA GT3 regulations, so expect to see it dicing with the GT3-spec likes of the Alpina B6, Reiter Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Audi R8 LM and upcoming BMW Z4 - to name just a few - on race tracks around the world once the racing season gets off to a start.

Follow the jump for more details and info on Porsche's racing program in the UK, and check out the images in the revised gallery below for all the angles.

Gallery: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche 911 GT3 R debuts at Autosport International

Porsche 911 GT3 R debuts at Autosport International originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIA GT Silverstone: new faces on track, old faces on the winner's stand

Drew Phillips — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Click above for a high-res gallery of the FIA GT race at Silverstone

The 2009 FIA GT season began this weekend, with plenty of new faces showing up in the starting grid. Matech is hoping that its new Ford GT will be a contender in GT1, as does Nissan with its GT-R, and in the GT3 category the Audi R8 LMS, Alpina B6 GT3, and Ferrari 430 Scuderia all made their FIA competition debut. It was the old faces, however, that eventually came out on top. In GT1, the tried-and-true Saleen S7R run by K plus K Motorsports crossed the finish line first, just ahead of the Vitaphone Team Maserati MC12 and a Corvette C6R. In GT2, the top spot went to the Prospeed Competition Porsche GT3 RSR followed by a pair of Ferrari F430 GT2s. Lastly, it was the two Morgan teams that held off a huge grid of 35 cars to each take a victory in the double GT3 races. The R8 LMS had a fairly successful debut, claiming a third place spot in the first race and a two-three finish in the second race. We've included two high-res galleries, one for GT1/GT2 and the other for GT3 for your viewing pleasure below.

Gallery: FIA GT Silverstone 2009

Gallery: FIA GT3 Silverstone 2009

[Source: FIA GT]

FIA GT Silverstone: new faces on track, old faces on the winner's stand originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 May 2009 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matech clinches FIA GT3 title with Ford GT, developing GT1 contender

Drew Phillips — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 11:41:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Ford

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Matech Ford GT racecar

A big part of us dearly wanted the Blue Oval to have a factory race program for the Ford GT. Visions of four straight Le Mans victories danced in our heads, and we're sure Corvette Racing would love to have competed against someone besides themselves the past few years in ALMS. Alas, production of the GT supercar ended near the end of 2006 without so much as a single competitive lap. In the past couple years, however, a few privateer teams have tried their hands, including the Black Swan Racing and Falken, which ran in ALMS this past season. While neither had much success taking on Porsche and Ferrari in GT2, Matech Racing's three-car program dominated the European FIA GT3 by winning more than half the races and capturing the team championship in only its second year. Building on that success, Matech has announced plans to move up to GT1 next year with an upgraded version of the Ford GT race car. Hit the jump for the press release and enjoy the high-res images from Matech's 2008 season in the gallery below. Thanks for the tip, Thomas!

Gallery: Matech Racing Ford GT

[Source: FIA GT3]

Continue reading Matech clinches FIA GT3 title with Ford GT, developing GT1 contender

Matech clinches FIA GT3 title with Ford GT, developing GT1 contender originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Dec 2008 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cessna crash kills two ex-Touring Car drivers

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., UK

Five people died Sunday, March 30th in a private plane crash in Farnborough, Kent in the UK. Aboard the plane were Apex Motorsport team boss Richard Lloyd, and former British Touring Car Championship driver David Leslie (pictured). Lloyd, who owned the plane, raced in the British Saloon Car Championship in the '70s, and then in the World Sportscar Championship with Porsches. Leslie was a long time driver in the BTCC for teams like BMW, Mazda and Proton.

Both men were killed when the plane experienced engine trouble just after takeoff and plummeted into a housing estate. Also killed were the plane's two pilots and an Apex Motorsport engineer who had been with the company just 12 days. They were headed to the South of France to set up the Apex Motorsport Jaguar that will be racing in the FIA GT3 Championship. Our condolences go out to the families of everyone on board.

[Source: The Times]

Cessna crash kills two ex-Touring Car drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche unveils GT3 Cup S racer

Alex Nunez — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Europe, Porsche

Click image for hi-res gallery

Endurance racing fans have a new Porsche to look for on the circuit this year. The automaker has unveiled the GT3 Cup S racing car, which can be used in FIA GT3 events. It combines a more powerful version of the 3.6L engine used in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup and the Carrera Cup series cars thanks to changes to the exhaust and engine management systems. The GT3 Cup S makes 440 horses and 317 lb-ft of torque. The intimidating bodywork is based on the GT2-class GT3 RSR instead of the more production-looking Supercup/Carrera Cup cars, and the GT3 Cup S also sports upgraded suspension components and bigger brakes. Cost of entry is steep -- €250,000 plus VAT -- but no one ever said racing was for the faint-of-heart (or wallet). Owners of '07 GT3 Cup cars can have their cars upgraded to Cup S spec for a price as well. While it's not as slinky-sexy as the new Jaguar XKR GT3 car, the Porsche should be seen in heavy numbers and on many podiums during the coming season. Press release and tech specs pasted after the jump.

[Source: Porsche]

Gallery: 2008 Porsche GT3 Cup S

Continue reading Porsche unveils GT3 Cup S racer

Porsche unveils GT3 Cup S racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matech Ford GT wins its first race in FIA GT3

John Neff — Wed, 23 May 2007 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Supercars, Ford

click above image for 45 more desktop wallpaper-size pics

No doubt followers of FIA GT3 racing were surprised at how well the Ford GTs from Matech ran in the first two races at Silverstone earlier this month. No one, however, was prepared for the can of whoop ass they opened up in Bucarest last weekend. Despite heavy rain at times, the two Matech Ford GTs were dominant, though not both at the same time.

The first GT3 race of the weekend was won by the #34 JMB Racing Ferrari F430, but the #43 Matech Ford GT driven by Thomas Mutsch and Martin Bartek finished second, the best result in the first three races of the season for a Ford GT. The second race of the weekend, however, concluded with the #44 Matech Ford GT driven by Stefan van Campenhoudt and Romain Bera crossing the finish line first, ahead of no less than three Porsche GT3s that were chasing it down. Romain Bera was driving the Ford GT at the race's conclusion and didn't realize until after the race that one of his rear tires had gone flat near the end. Despite that and the heavy rain, Matech left Bucharest with its first win and a solid second-place finish - an amazing result considering their program is about four months old.

We've got a gallery full of gorgeous shots from the Bucharest street race, and we threw in a lot of extra pics taken of the headlining FIA GT race, as well. We wish it were easier to follow the FIA GT series from the U.S., as watching such varied marques battling on the same track would be a dream come true, or at least better than watching NASCAR's CoT turning left all day long.

[Source: FIA GT3]

Gallery: 2007 FIA GT and GT3 race in Bucharest

Matech Ford GT wins its first race in FIA GT3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 May 2007 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford wants Mustangs to race in Europe, will face the Ford GT

John Neff — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Ford

click above image to view high-res photos of the FR500C and FR500GT for your desktop

As we've said in the past, the Mustang is Ford's ace in the hole. The current model is a bonafide smash hit, being recognized and revered the world over. So it makes perfect sense that if fans in other parts of the world can't buy the reigning pony car king, then at least they should be able to watch it race. Ford is expected to officially announce that it's already begun the homologation process for both its Ford Racing Mustang FR500C "Boy Racer" and Mustang FR500GT "Man Racer" to race in FIA GT4 and GT3 competitions, respectively. The FR500C has more than proven its on-track prowess in North American motorsports, where it currently is being run by many private teams in the Grand Am KONI Challenge Series. The more powerful FR500GT has yet to officially go racing, but there are hopes for a spec series to be run in conjunction with the 2008 Champ Car schedule. The homologation of both vehicles to meet FIA regulations is being handled by Canada-based Multimatic Motorsports, which developed the FR500GT in conjunction for Ford Racing.

But wait, the FR500GT will see a familiar face in the GT3 class when it does finally touch down in Europe. Matech Racing has just announced that it will enter three Ford GT cars in the upcoming 2007 season of FIA GT3 racing. While Ford is not officially involved, Matech is hoping to get some assistance from Ford of Europe in the homologation process. The promoters of FIA GT3 are extremely happy the Ford GT will be joining its ranks, and we're happy we may get to see some sibling rivalry before too long.

[Source: Ford, Jalopnik, Automobilsport]

Gallery: Ford Racing FR500C and FR500GT

Continue reading Ford wants Mustangs to race in Europe, will face the Ford GT

Ford wants Mustangs to race in Europe, will face the Ford GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguar XKR GT3 by Apex Motorsport

Alex Nunez — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:43:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Jaguar

Click to enlarge

Apex Motorsport is developing a race version of Jaguar's new XKR for the FIA GT3 European Championship. The new-for-2006 race series has seven races on the calendar for next year, six of which will earn entrants points toward the championship. Apex is nearing completion of the roll cage that will be affixed to the XK's existing aluminum chassis, and has just released a pair of drawings that show what the finished product should look like.

The development car is expected to undergo its first tests in December, and Apex apparently has a number of potential customers interested in cars for next season's competition. For our part, we like the renderings of the sexy new cat in racing trim, and hope that it looks as good in person.

(Rear view, press release after the jump)

[Source: Apex Motorsport]

Continue reading Jaguar XKR GT3 by Apex Motorsport

Jaguar XKR GT3 by Apex Motorsport originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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