Autoblog

VIDEO: Old Dirty Bastards - The glory of Group B

Alex Nunez — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Performance, Videos

The gorgeous insanity of Group B - Click above to watch the video

You know, there's a reason people talk about Group B racing - and the drivers who participated in it - in practically hushed tones. After all, we're currently in an era where motorsports news is just as likely to be about ever-more-restrictive regulatory efforts or the deranged hooker fantasies of the F1 illuminati as it is about, you know, racing. But during Group B's brief, crazy tenure, it was the regulations that fostered the lunacy, giving us unforgettable, insanely-powered cars and legendary drivers.

Of course, immense power and infinitesimal margins for error meant that the dangers were high -- for the drivers, obviously, but also for the spectators, who were, in their own ways, as bonkers as the factory pilots they idolized and flocked to see, forming masses of humanity that routinely spilled onto the circuits as the hyper-powered rally cars flew by. Eventually, those dangers led to tragedy, which, in turn, led to the abrupt end of the Group B era. But it's not easily forgotten, and every so often, someone posts a reminder why.

Follow the jump for eleven minutes of heaven, edited together (miraculously) without a lick of crappy, distracting music. The only soundtrack you'll hear is the one coming from Group B cars engineered to explore the limits, piloted by drivers who routinely (and expertly) exceeded them. It is, in a word, beautiful. Thanks to Danijel for the tip.

[Source: YouTube via MyCarVid]

Continue reading VIDEO: Old Dirty Bastards - The glory of Group B

VIDEO: Old Dirty Bastards - The glory of Group B originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Paddy Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen revisit the Mini Cooper experience with JCW Cabrio

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Convertible, Videos, Mini

Rauno Aaltonen and Paddy Hopkirk take a Mini JCW Cabrio up a Monte Carlo Rally route - Click above to watch video

Alec Issigonis' Mini began production in 1959. By 1960, there were half a dozen works teams entering the car in the Rally Monte Carlo. By 1964, Mini had won with the pilotage of Irishman Paddy Hopkirk, and in 1967, the automaker won again with Rauno Aaltonen at the wheel.

Those two gents got behind the wheel of a modern Mini JCW Cabrio (top down in the snow!) and tackled the Col de Torrini again, in the process sharing a few thoughts on the cars and the racing. We can't say we'd want to be in the back seat, but it's terrific to watch and to remember where Mini and the checkered flag really got to know one another. Follow the jump to see the vid.

[Source: Mini]

Continue reading VIDEO: Paddy Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen revisit the Mini Cooper experience with JCW Cabrio

VIDEO: Paddy Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen revisit the Mini Cooper experience with JCW Cabrio originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why you reportedly won't be seeing Chevy's Camaro doing the NASCAR roundy-round

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, GM

There are people who have been waiting to find out if Chevrolet's new Camaro is going to be doing the NASCAR rounds and ovals, and yesterday General Motors' head of motorsport issued the answer: No. Why not? Because GM wants the Camaro to look like a Camaro when it races, not like that NASCAR Mustang that was rolled out a week ago.

GM's Mark Kent said that because of "the need to have templated bodies in that series, we felt that by forcing the Camaro into the Nationwide templates that we were compromising the body lines of an iconic car." Instead, Bumblebee could be headed to the KONI Challenge series or drag racing with the NHRA. No disrespect to NASCAR, but they'll be places where you can see racing Camaros instead of racing stickers.

[Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Why you reportedly won't be seeing Chevy's Camaro doing the NASCAR roundy-round originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda Performance Development kicks off Grassroots Motorsports Initiative

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Acura, Honda

Following BMW's move into providing factory racing parts for amateurs, if you're a licensed racer in a Honda, you can now buy racing products directly from the Big Red H. Honda Performance Development is making the move into privateer support by opening Honda Racing Line, a membership portal that will "include and array of products and services for Honda and Acura customers who compete in amateur and professional racing."

You can buy parts once you become a member of Honda Racing Line. To do that, you need to show membership in a nationally recognized sanctioning body, and you need to show race results - actual finishes - from two races in the past year. Get over those hurdles, and your name could join those of Andretti-Green and Patron Highcroft in the hall of legends. You can check out the full press release after the jump.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Honda Performance Development kicks off Grassroots Motorsports Initiative

Honda Performance Development kicks off Grassroots Motorsports Initiative originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: #5 Ford Racing Fiesta rolls at Pikes Peak

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:26:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Ford, Off-Road

Ford Racing Fiesta at Pikes Peak - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Details surrounding the crash are scarce, so all we have right now is one lone report from a friend on the ground saying that the #5 Ford Fiesta crashed during a practice session yesterday, and that Andrea Ericksson was unharmed in the incident. We're working to secure some photos of the crash, so stay tuned as the story develops.

UPDATE: Apparently a misfire on the #5 Fiesta caused Ericksson to lose it into a corner and he wound up on his side. The vehicle is being worked on now and it appears it didn't suffer any serious structural damage. Excerpts from Ford's release with an interview with Ericksson are posted below the fold.

Continue reading BREAKING: #5 Ford Racing Fiesta rolls at Pikes Peak

BREAKING: #5 Ford Racing Fiesta rolls at Pikes Peak originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comeback Kid? Jacques Villeneuve reportedly wants back into F1

Noah Joseph — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

Jacques Villeneuve knows what it's like to win. After emerging victorious in the Indianapolis 500, the CART title, the Formula One World Championship and narrowly missing the chance to score the triple crown with Peugeot at Le Mans this year, the son of legendary racer Gilles Villeneuve finds himself without a ride for next year as the Speedcar Series in which he'd been competing teeters on the verge of bankruptcy. But JV's got a plan. He wants back into Formula One. And he reckons next season will be the perfect time for him to return.

Even with Max Mosley's radical proposals cut back, next season is shaping up to be vastly different from the Formula One of two or three seasons ago. In-season testing is almost entirely eliminated. Fuel stops are being cut out. Slick tires are back and electronic aids are gone. And there are three new teams joining the grid for next season. All these factors, according to Villeneuve, means that there will be an even higher demand for experienced drivers than usual. Will anyone bite? Only time will tell, but he figures it's high time.

[Source: Autosport]

Comeback Kid? Jacques Villeneuve reportedly wants back into F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: One-make Lotus Elise racing is crowded, thrilling

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Australia

Click above to see the video of Dean Evans going from 16th to 1st in one lap

It is the lap every driving simulator player dreams of putting together - except this one was real. It actually happened way back in 2005 (but has just come to our attention now and was too good to pass up), when Sydney motoring journalist Dean Evans drove in one of the Lotus Trophy Races that supported the Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercar race in Australia. We hope the other drivers were taking notes, because Evans doled out some serious learnin.'

Starting in 16th, Evans has said that the track was greasy from rain, his car wasn't even the most powerful one in the race, and his right mirror was folded back because of some tight racing off the line, but not a single panel on the car was bent. He won the race by 14 seconds. With apologies for the video quality, follow the jump to see Evans put on a clinic.

[Source: Car Domain]

Continue reading VIDEO: One-make Lotus Elise racing is crowded, thrilling

VIDEO: One-make Lotus Elise racing is crowded, thrilling originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 May 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:20:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Tokyo Motor Show, Supercars, Lexus, Toyota, Rumormill

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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Red Flag: Race of Champions moves to China

Noah Joseph — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, China

2008 Race of Champions - Click above for a hi-res gallery

Still think of the Race of Champions as an elitist European event? Think again. Organizers have announced that that the annual face-off is scheduled to head to China this year.

The Race of Champions, for those unfamiliar, is a year-end event in which the top drivers from various motorsport disciplines - including F1, rally, touring cars, Le Mans...even motorbikes, drifting or the occasional NASCAR pretty-boy - compete against each other in a series of heats on varied machinery around a dedicated track built inside a major sports arena. The event crowns two winners: the solo Champion of Champions, and the Nations Cup in which drivers pair up to represent their home countries. After a decade in the Canary Islands, the race was held for three consecutive seasons at the Stade de France before moving to Wembley Stadium for the past two years, but a new arrangement will see this year's race held in Beijing at the Bird's Nest stadium built for last year's Olympic games. Previous champions have been predominantly rally drivers (including three titles for Sebastien Loeb and two for Mattias Ekstrom), while Germany's contingent of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel have taken the national honors. Who will be crowned champion this year? Tune in on November 3-4, only two days after the Formula One season wraps up in Abu Dhabi (assuming they can get the Yas Island circuit ready in time) to find out.

[Source: F1-Live]

Red Flag: Race of Champions moves to China originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW Motorsport division to sell dedicated racing components?

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW

BMW has an M Division that creates masterworks like the M3 and the automaker also has a Performance Division that creates accessories for those of us that might want an M3 but need to think of other things, like the kids' college education. Now it's been revealed that BMW has another division coming: a Motorsports Division that will sell racing components.

The revelation came at the end of an interview with Stephen Zoepf, the Accessory Development Manager at BMW Performance. Zoepf said the Motorsports arm will create competition parts from "bodies in white, to higher capacity brake pads." Of course, he couldn't comment on specifics, but to have BMW provide factory-engineered racing-spec parts is a huge present to every track-day BMW-phile. It won't give you the cojones to pilot the M3 GT4 above, but you might be able to look and sound like the guys who do.

[Source: BimmerFile]

BMW Motorsport division to sell dedicated racing components? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New SuperCar Challenge for PS3 under development

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Videos, Toys/Games

Click above for high-res gallery of SuperCar Challenge screen caps

System 3 has a follow-up title to last year's Ferrari Challenge: SuperCar Challenge. The new game will offer 40 cars to choose from, not all of which are Ferraris this team. The roster will include such cars as the Aston Martin DBR9, Lamborghini Murcielago RGT, McLaren F1, Maserati MC12 and, of course, a supercar or two from Maranello like the Ferrari FXX. You'll be able to race them on 20 real and fictitious tracks and the graphics of each car have been improved with better polygon counts, texture details and buffing. Multiplayer capability can link 16 drivers at once, sim players will get good handling and tuning options, and there'll be an arcade mode for folks who just want to tear up the pavement. The AI has also been redesigned to be more consistent, and there's a "Legendary" AI setting meant to challenge the best drivers.

It will be available exclusively for the PS3 this Spring. While you wait, check out the high-res screenshots below and the video about the game's innovative camera angles by clicking here.

Gallery: SuperCar Challenge

[Source: Gamers Hell]

Continue reading New SuperCar Challenge for PS3 under development

New SuperCar Challenge for PS3 under development originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even NASCAR not immune from economic woes

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Hardcore NASCAR fans might not recognize their favorite sport when the season picks back up on February 15th at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. Chrysler, General Motors, Ford and Toyota have all cut back funding 20 to 30 percent, and once strong teams like Petty Enterprises have merged with rivals and closed up shop. What's more, fewer fans will be able to afford a weekend at the races, and that equals less revenue.

Still, Brian France remains optomistic that the 2009 season will remain compelling. Top-shelf drivers like Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch will be back to battle for the championship and there are still 50 teams that have signed up to race at Daytona in 2009. Come what may, it's a virtual guarantee that NASCAR racing will go on, though perhaps with a bit less sparkle, flash and income than in previous years.

[Source: Detroit News]

Even NASCAR not immune from economic woes originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva Preview: More details on Alpina B6 GT3 come to light

Chris Paukert — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, BMW

Click on the image above for a high-res gallery of the Alpina B6 GT3

More images and details of Alpina's B6 GT3 racer have hit the web, and it looks like despite spending two decades away from motorsports, there are no flies on the leading Bimmer tuning haus.

Based on BMW's 6-Series coupe, the B6 weighs under 3,000 pounds and gets a supercharged 4.4-liter V8 that gives more than 520 horsepower and 535 pound-feet of torque. Backed by a six-speed X-Trac sequential gearbox, the car is reportedly capable of hitting 62 miles-per-hour in 3.9 seconds en route to a top whack of at least 177 mph (a speed it has already reached in testing on the Nürburgring).

The B6 GT3 will debut at next month's Geneva Motor Show before going on to scrap with Aston Martin, Porsche, and Ferrari on circuits around the world. Alpina will field its own team (it is reportedly considering a number of pro drivers), but privateers will also be able to buy their own B6 if they fancy going it alone.

Gallery: Alpina B6 GT3

[Source: WCF]

Geneva Preview: More details on Alpina B6 GT3 come to light originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forum Thread of the Day: "Ticket for going too slow"

Alex Nunez — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Police/Emergency

If you're looking for a good, amusing read, head directly to OrlandoForums.com where hilarity has unfolded at the expense of one particularly dumb street racer and "Honda Enthusicit" who used the website's "Ask an Officer" section to inquire about how to fight a ticket for going too slow.

Unfortunately, the genius in question couldn't resist bragging about how he had been street racing when pulled over going around 90 miles-per-hour, and that after a long traffic stop, the officer wound up citing him for driving too slowly. Racerboy then noticed a discrepancy on his ticket (the posted limit was not the same as what he was cited for), which he figured he could fight in court and maybe get off totally scot-free. Because not getting busted for street racing wasn't enough. Cut to post number 4 on the thread: the "Ask an Officer" response from user M Davis, a local police officer, falls into the category of "priceless" and the OrlandoForums thread is spreading like wildfire to enthusiast forums all over the place. 28 pages and counting.

Hondaej2nr, the original poster, is not the most popular guy in Central Florida at the moment. Thanks to Jared for the tip.

Note: We've pulled the OrlandoForums thread links because the forum crashed (sorry, guys). The hyperlink above is a Google Search link. From there, you can check out any number of other forums that picked up the thread.

[Source: OrlandoForums.com]

Forum Thread of the Day: "Ticket for going too slow" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2009: Hands on with D-Box and Simcraft racing simulators

Chris Tutor — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:14:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Motorsports, Podcasts, CES

They're more than glorified game consoles with force-feedback steering wheels strapped to a lounge chair. Costing as much as $44,000 apiece, they're racing simulators, and we got to play with a couple of them at CES.

Simcraft says its $44K model is meant for training real race car drivers, like Indycar driver Sarah Fisher, who stopped by CES on Wednesday to show off the company's Apex SC830. The U.S. military is also using the high-dollar simulator to train its soldiers to drive in the tricky sands of Iraq. D-Box's top-of-the-line GP Pro 200 is a much more affordable high-end racing simulator. It'll only set you back $14,000.

Both are PC-based and both offer much more realism than your Laz-E-Boy being moved around by your little brother. The SC830 is definitely more hardcore, with the seat and displays mounted on a tubular-steel frame. The GP Pro 200 sits lower, is more compact and looks less complicated than the Simcraft. But how do they drive? Click through to the jump to read our impressions and for more photos.

Gallery: CES 2009: Hands on with D-Box and Simcraft racing simulators

Continue reading CES 2009: Hands on with D-Box and Simcraft racing simulators

CES 2009: Hands on with D-Box and Simcraft racing simulators originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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78-year old's Nissan Pulsar impounded after AU street race with Skyline

Michael Harley — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Nissan, Australia, Humor

A 78-year-old Australian man with a need for speed had his car impounded after being caught racing at 170 km/h (105 mph) on a winding road east of Melbourne on New Year's Day. It seems John Belfield, the senior citizen under the spotlight, is a member of a local Nissan-Datsun sports car club. The club was holding a social run for its members on January 1, and Mr. Belfield was in attendance with his sporty Nissan Pulsar.

When prodded during the drive by a 36-year-old fellow club member in a Nissan Skyline, Belfield couldn't restrain himself and took chase. While it isn't clear who had the lead when the police intervened, the local constabulary did nab both drivers and promptly impounded their cars based on Victoria's "hoon laws" (a series of laws that covers certain types of speeding, burnouts, street racing, screeching brakes, etc...). The violation, according to police records, makes John Belfield the oldest person to have his car impounded under the law... an accolade, of sorts. In his defense, Mr. Belfield pointed out that he is a skilled driver who races cars. We doubt that got him off the hook, as it has never worked for us when we're in our Pulsars. Thanks to Sam for the tip!

[National News AU]

78-year old's Nissan Pulsar impounded after AU street race with Skyline originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HUMMER ends sponsorship of Rod Hall Racing

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, SUV, GM, Hummer

Click above for high-res gallery of our time embedded with Team HUMMER

The swan song (or would that be swan hummer?) has come for HUMMER's involvement with Rod Hall Racing. HUMMER has announced it's ending sponsorship of the team that has brought it numerous race championships and victories. Last year's accolades include first in the stock full class in the Baja 1000, and season championship honors in SCORE's stock mini and stock full class, and the Best in the Desert series.

With General Motors a little light right now on the cash front, and with HUMMER up for sale, the move had to be expected. We had a chance to ride with Chad Hall in last year's Baja 500, and we can tell you that the Hall family and the trucks they drive are first class. The H1 and H2 SUT trucks are up for sale, so if you're keen to get in the dirt with some proven tech, there's probably no better place to start.

Gallery: The Baja 500: race day with Team HUMMER Racing

[Source: Hummer Guy]

HUMMER ends sponsorship of Rod Hall Racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi R8 GT3 will have coming out party in Essen

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res image gallery of the Audi R8 GT3

Audi has created an R8 that looks like it would rather kill things than win races, but knowing Audi it will probably just stick to winning. The customer-team specific R8 GT3 will be officially unveiled at the Essen Motor Show, which begins November 28. The car gets more than 500 horsepower going entirely to its rear wheels since GT3 rules give a big no-no to all-wheel-drive systems like Audi's quattro. The German will be testing its mettle against equally hot racers like the Aston Martin DBRS9 and Jaguar XKR GT3. To Aston and Jag, though: you might want to hide your young. And for those of you who make it to the Essen show, you should also look out for the Audi R10, A4 DTM, RS6 Sedan and TTS Coupe. Check out the release after the jump, and the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: Audi R8 LMS

Gallery: Audi R8 GT3 - spy shots

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi R8 GT3 will have coming out party in Essen

Audi R8 GT3 will have coming out party in Essen originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Singapore GP Preview

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

Click above image to watch the video

This weekend Singapore will host Formula 1's first night race, and SPEED TV has created a computerized lap of the course narrated by Mark Webber taking you through the 24 corners. Perhaps the best part of this brand new track in a brand new host country at a brand new time of ~~day~~ night is the knowledge that there are three spots for overtaking, which hopefully means this will be more than just a two-hour parade lap. If nothing else, McLaren might be packing a surprise. Follow the jump to check out the video. Thanks for the tip, Andy!

[Source: Speed TV via MotorWorldHype]

Continue reading VIDEO: Singapore GP Preview

VIDEO: Singapore GP Preview originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi wins everything... add European Le Mans Series to the list

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi R10 in action

If Audi was a greater beneficiary of the "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" adage, they would have trounced Mercedes and BMW in sales long ago. The house of the four rings took the 24 Hours of Le Mans, then they claimed the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), and now Audi extends its arms once again to grab the European Le Mans Series championship (LMS) trophy.

In fact, by finishing first and fourth at Silverstone with two Audi R10s, Audi takes the driver's title (Alex Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller), the manufacturer's title, and the team title. It's only real competition was Peugeot, which walks away empty handed even though it won four of the five LMS races, had two cars on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and had pole position for every race. Next year's battle for Franco-German supremacy should be even better. Make the jump for Audi's press release.

Gallery: Audi at 2008 Le Mans

Continue reading Audi wins everything... add European Le Mans Series to the list

Audi wins everything... add European Le Mans Series to the list originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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