Autoblog

Yes, racing is a sport, even NASCAR. Talented people always make difficult things look easy, but wrestling a vehicle traveling well in excess of one-hundred miles an hour would beat down most mortals in short order. Wired has put up an informative rollover-fest that gives credence to the idea that while us auto writers might be the walking embodiment of a Boston Creme donut, professional racers don't share our gooey center. Driving race cars to win takes dedication on many levels -- time and money are biggies -- and success is unlikely if the mind and body are not as finely tuned as the chassis.

To capture the checkered flag, drivers toil in an environment that's hot and loud, and controls require strong, sure inputs. This ain't your two-finger cruise up the interstate in air-conditioned pleasantness. A regimen of weight training is necessary for the physical performance, while we really like the fact that gaming helps train the eyes and brain to process high speeds. What we don't like is that crunches are apparently necessary. How are we going to be taken seriously in a room full of auto journos if we're all trim and good-drivery? Thanks for all the tips!

[Source: Wired]

click above for a HUGE gallery of concours entrants

For the second year in a row, the Assistance League of Southern California (ALSC) presented a pretty exceptional Concours d'Elegance for the greater Los Angeles area right in the shadow of the historic Rose Bowl. While Greenwich needed two days to present all of its automotive gems, LA managed to pack its 300 or so cars onto a golf course adjacent to the Bowl and made it a one day affair. Last year's featured marque, Ferrari, was again well-represented with an alloy 275 GTB/4, a trio of 330 GTCs, Dinos, Daytonas, a Lusso, Boxer, 308, and a familiar 375 MM to name a few. Rolls and Bentley had a strong showing that included a jaw-dropping custom Hobbit-door Roller that is owned by the nearby Petersen Museum.

Sports and GT cars from Porsche, Jaguar, Lotus, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Morgan, Austin Healey, Jenson, Facel, Mercedes, Renault, Lancia, Fiat, Maserati, AC, and Lamborghini lined the fairways and greens. There were plenty of Woodies and other American and European classics from the '40s, '50s and '60s with their full figures and exaggerated fins. Even a few dream cars from Desoto and Hudson showed up. American muscle also had a decent turnout that included the mandatory Corvettes and Mustangs, as well as an AMX, Chevelle, and whole flock of Cobras among others. A stellar display of race cars really makes this show a standout. A fleet of go-karts, tons of midgets and sprint cars, an LSR motorcycle, Keke Rosberg's F1 car, a March GTP car, a Trans-Am Benz, and something from just about every other form of racing was on display.

But the concours circuit really thrives on the classic and vintage cars. Packards, Delahayes, Bentleys, Duesenbergs, Cadillacs, Lincolns, Model Ts, Auburns and the like were particularly well-represented with examples plucked from some local private collections and museums, many of which have appeared at Pebble Beach over the years. Although not quite on par (despite the golf course setting) with top-tier shows like Pebble, Meadowbrook and Amelia Island, for such a young show, the cars and people they have managed to attract are first-rate. The show's official site is available by clicking here.



All photos Copyright ©2007 Frank Filipponio / Weblogs, Inc.

You might not be familiar with British car builder Ginetta, but it's been around since 1958. The latest offering is the G50, a wide, low-slung, lightweight coupe the company plans to build a cup race around. With only 800kg (1,750 pounds) to push around, the mid-mounted, 300hp, 3.5 liter Ford V6 should make this one sexy-fast ride.

In 2005, Ginetta was bought by LNT Automotive, run by veteran racer Lawrence Tomlinson. He says the first 30 real versions of the virtual renderings you see here are already in production and should be ready for sale in early 2008.

Tomlinson said the first 30 G50s are a good mix of "cup, road and GT4 cars." The company's press release (read it in full after the jump) promises the cup series will be set up to keep costs down with 10 race weekends, a "substantial prize fund" and guaranteed TV coverage. "We've designed the G50 as a stepping stone for GT drivers," Tomlinson said.

Projected cost for the G50 is around £35,000. But don't get too excited. Although we have no official word, there's no reason to think you'll be able to buy one in the States.

[Source: Ginetta via Carscoop]

This video brings the term "street racing" to a whole new level. We had told you about this commercial while it was being filmed in the beginning of February, but now we have the final product to share. In what was reported to be the most expensive television commercial ever created, Shell filmed a variety of historic Ferrari Formula 1 cars blasting through the streets of some of the world's greatest cities. The crew visited Rome, Monaco, Rio, Sydney, New York and Hong Kong during the month-long shoot. Called "Circuit," the two-minute ad celebrates 60 years of Shell and Ferrari working together (Free stickers work, too!). The incredibly vivid commercial is the brainchild of Partizan's Antoine Bardou Jacquet and producer David Stewart. The YouTubed version of the ad is available after the jump and the original better-quality clip can be had by right-clicking on the image above. Stickers are nice, but this is something very special. Make sure you turn your speakers up for this one, folks.

Thanks for the tip, Anis!

[Source: Shell via Partizan]

Only in Vegas. Madame Tussaud's unveiled their latest ghastly likenesses; we're not sure if the fact that the subjects are still alive makes it more creepy. The work is uncanny in its accuracy and lifelike look, and if you're in Vegas, Tussaud's is a veritable family attraction. The reason for the paraffin-ization of the left-turning legends was the kickoff of this weekend's races at Las Vegas's own Motor Speedway. The flesh and blood Petty and Earnhardt were on hand for the debut of their inanimate doppelgangers at the Neon Garage, though we're not sure if they'll be paying any visits to the exhibit's permanent home at the Venetian. They could roam the exhibit halls and catch glimpses of such luminaries as John Holmes (we're not sure if it's all of "Wad," or a partial model) Siegfried and Roy (before or after the mauling, again, not sure), and of course Fat Elvis. Good times, good times. Now, where's that buffet...

[Source: TCC]

One of two remaining Auto Union D-Types is scheduled to be sold in Paris by Christie's this coming February. The shiny silver streamliners were commisioned by Adolf Hitler to showcase the technological superiority of the Reich. Even now, they're impressive and cleverly engineered using a mid-engine layout with fully independent suspensions and supercharged engines. Considering that these cars were designed and built in the 1930s, they're absolutely insane. Uber designer Ferdinand Porsche developed the Auto Union racers and they showcase some common Porsche touches, like swing axle rear suspensions and torsion bars. Piloted by drivers like Hans Stuck and Tazio Nuvolari, the big streamliners racked up many victories in various hill-climb and Grand Prix competitions. Nearly all D-Types were casualties of World War II. This 1939 racer was discovered disassembled in Russia, where it had been taken for reverse-engineering. It was reassembled and is expected to top the current most expensive car record-holder, an 1$11 million Bugatti.

[Source: Ananova.com]

If a Porsche 959 is just too commonplace or not quite raw enough to satisfy your primal rally-car lust, how about a Ford RS 200 Evolution? Where as the German vehicle was much like a well-dressed triathlete with social skills, Ford's entry into the Group B madness of the 1980s had a personality more along the lines of a serial killer.

Cosworth was put in charge of squeezing serious power from the turbocharged 2.1L four-banger, and it succeeded to the tune of something in the neighborhood of 650 HP in the Evolution models. Combine that with the weight distribution afforded by a front-mounted transmission (odd for a mid-engined AWD car), and the RS 200 Evo could supposedly scratch its way to 60 MPH in just over two seconds. The distinctive bodywork was designed by Ghia, while a significant number of parts came from the Ford of Europe parts bin.

200 of the vehicles were originally built, with 24 later receiving the conversion to Evolution status. In other words, if something like this strikes your fancy, we'd suggest not passing up the chance.

[Source: Autoweek Classifieds]

Ford Motor Company has decided it would like to see more women driving race cars, so it's doing something about it. The Blue Oval has begun the Ford Female Driver Development Program, which currently counts 18-year-old Stephanie Mockler (shown) and 17-year-old Alison MacLeod as participants. Ford's ultimate goal is to these young ladies progress into more competitive series and someday win the Holy Grail of racing for female drivers in the U.S. – a NASCAR Nextel Cup race. Can you believe it hasn't happened yet?

More and more women are joining the ranks of racing, as this Wikipedia page that hosts 47 names attest to, but it hasn't been fast nor easy for any one of them. Just like Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball, these females have had to work extremely hard to crossover from fan to female racer and owe a lot those who went before them like Janet Guthrie, Shirley Muldowney and Lyn St. James, among others.

While Danica Patrick is every racing fan's favorite femme fatale at the moment, we're fairly certain she won't be the only lady in pit row for long. There is, however, a slim chance that she might be the first female to win a NASCAR race.

(For Ford's press release on its new program, follow the jump)

[Source: Ford]

The organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans have announced that the race's premier class, the LMP1 prototypes, will be restricted to coupe-style cars starting in 2010. The Automobile Club d'Ouest (ACO) announced the change in the run-up to this weekend's running of the endurance racing classic.

Although the current regulations allow for both coupe and roadster body styles, different specifications for the two body types have given the roadsters the performance edge. The Bentley EXP Speed 8 shown above was the last hardtop to win the race, in 2003.

The rule change is intended to make the cars in the headline class look more similar to road cars. (You see lots of waist-high winged coupes on your morning commute, right?) Rules for the smaller LMP2 prototypes will be unchanged, allowing open-top cars.

The change will also affect the American Le Mans Series in the U.S. and the Le Mans Endurance Series in Europe, both of which run to ACO rules.

[Source: SpeedTV.com  Photo courtesy Bentley]

Porsche 911 GT3 just not hot enough for ya? With the demise of the GT Carrera, it might be of interest to Porschephiles that the automaker has unveiled an even hotter version of the 977-based GT3 dubbed... wait for it... the 911 GT3 RS. Well, for the European market, at least... something that we're not happy about over on this side of the Pond. Porsche likes to think of it as its purest street-legal race car out there, but we think of it as BADASS, with its exclusive close-ratio six-speed transmission and weight savings of 44 lbs. The less-is-more dictum sees the GT3's naturally-aspirated 3.6L six-cylinder pounce on 60 mph in 4.2 seconds from a dead stop. It might be street legal on the outside, but on the inside, it's all race car -- roll cage, racing harness for the driver, fire extinguisher, and alacantra-clad racing seats.

The new RS will be available in four colors -- Black, Silver, Orange or Green, sporting either black or orange wheels depending on the exterior. Check out the company's new microsite for the hot-shoe here.

We've got dibs.

[Source: Porsche, via NoonzWheels and GermanCarBlog]