Le Mans

Design Talent Showcase – P1 Phenom Hybrid – Le Mans WingTire Concept

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  Here is an eye-popper of a design concept!  The racecar of the future packing micro turbojet engines on each side.  And tires made of carbon-fiber turbine wing blades.  Packaging of the driver within a central translucent pod / teardrop is almost the most subtle piece of this beauty. P1 Phenom Hybrid is imagined in partnership with Michelin and Embraer — tire and aircraft experts.  P1 Phenom is best in exploring how racing will look with jet propulsion: beyond axles and contact patches for traction. Cheers Carlos Carvalho! Follow him over on Behance here. https://www.behance.net/gallery/41172119/P1-Phenom-Hybrid-Le-Mans-(Michelin-top10) P1 Phenom Hybrid – Le …

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2017 Porsche 908 RSR 31

Part Two – 2017 Porsche 908 RSR Vision GT Hommage Meets 919 and 917K

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Part Two: The RSR!   The crew behind the gorgeous longtail 908 VGT design have a new beast for 2017’s fantasy-cars daydream. A skilled group of professional car designers has been working on a side project after work hours for the last few years.  When not designing vehicles for a Chinese car brand, this group led by Alan Derosier has created magic in the form of not one — but two Vision Gran Turismo fantasy concepts.  They took the VGT idea to heart and applied it to one of the most storied brands in racing history: Porsche.  For licensing and …

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1962 Ferrari 268 SP by Fantuzzi – RM Monterey 2016 Highlight

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One of the first-ever midengine Ferrari racers went across the block in Cali this August. Looks like it was a no-sale, curiously. A high bar was surely set: we’d estimating the reserve was around $25-million.  Perhaps 35. So it is still seeking a new home.  Home for its freaky beauty, snarky nose intakes and special-prototype LMP1 provenance. Sold or not, we’re elated to see this 1962 268SP in the sunlight in all its glory. RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2016 Lot 240 1962 Ferrari 268 SP by Fantuzzi Chassis no. 0798 Engine no. 0798 Gearbox no. 6 Estimate Available Upon Request Please note that Internet …

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2017 VLF FORCE 1 V10 – FULL Launch Details, Price and Auto Option for 218MPH American Beauty

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A new supercar is always a welcome surprise — and this one is like a gift that keeps on giving! The Force 1 V10 is the second launch model of rapidly-expanding VLF Automotive — a collabo and evolution on the VL Destino plans revealed in 2012. That car is now available for sale to owners as a Fisker Karma with an LS9 V8 engine swap instead of its previous turbo EREV powertrain.  A new nose and tail — now with quad square exhaust pipes — now tops out at 200-mph and delivers a 3.9-second sprint to 60-mph.  The unreal lowness of the four-seat …

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2015 Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo is Ready to Race

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The thrill of leading a race is a core Bugatti trait. Along with stratospheric pricing for any Bugatti new or old, the firm has always built itself on being the fastest. The best. The ultimate in automotive engineering, design and haute couture is about to have a new rival. An in-house rival for the Veyron glory, world records and completed production run. All 450 Veyrons have been configured, customized, personalized and delivered to owners around the world, however. So what is next? This concept Vision Gran Turismo debut today in Frankfurt shows the core speed fundamentals underneath the showcar. This …

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2015 Bugatti Vision GT in 60 Stunning Images – RWD Atmospheric W16 for LeMans 2016?

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The thrill of leading a race is a core Bugatti trait. Along with stratospheric pricing for any Bugatti new or old, the firm has always built itself on being the fastest. The best. The ultimate in automotive engineering, design and haute couture is about to have a new rival. An in-house rival for the Veyron glory, world records and completed production run. All 450 Veyrons have been configured, customized, personalized and delivered to owners around the world, however. So what is next? This concept Vision Gran Turismo debut today in Frankfurt shows the core speed fundamentals underneath the showcar. This …

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2015 Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo World Premiere – 300MPH Fantasy LM Racer Is Close To Reality

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The Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo bowed this morning — as a stunning masterpiece, of course! The full-scale prototype will be on the Frankfurt show stand mid-month, where this racing-focused redesign of the Veyron SS Vitesse will fill in for a next-generation Bugatti reveal. A Veyron-shaped machine is currently in hot and cold weather testing at the moment — quashing rumors of a Bugatti SUV or limousine as the Veyron replacement. This shared overall mid-engine look is all that we know from the test cars dubbed Chiron in some auto mags. In this regard, the currently-testing Bugatti is likely to be …

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RM Monterey 2015 - 1938 Adler Trumpf Rennlimousine 7

RM Monterey 2015 – 1938 Adler Trumpf RennLimousine – LM ‘Racing Sedan’ with Airship Aero

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The fantastic convergence of aerospace and supercars has a glorious history! This Adler Trumpf Rennlimo from 1938 represented a fascinating view of automotive aerodynamics in a time before effective wind tunnels or computer simulations. The learnings and design principles of aerodynamics were far more theoretical in the pre-jet age. Yet Adler designers brought great insights from airship and Zeppelin design into the car world to great results. This ‘racing sedan,’ as the Rennlimo translates, was the first closed-cockpit racer to take on LeMans. Just six were produced for sale, all with unique spindle and wing tweaks to the bodywork. The …

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2015 ALPINE Celebration Concept 18

2015 ALPINE Celebration Concept – Mid-Engine 2016 TT-Fighter in HD LeMans Lap

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Surprise reveal for the next chapter in Alpine sportscars! This 2015 ALPINE Celebration Concept is a mid-engine prototype that represents the first look at the brand’s move to a stand-alone marque in the RenaultSport fleet. Initiated as a collaboration with Caterham a few years ago, the plan was to acquire a low-cost and proven sports-car chassis from the English. Custom bodywork and RenaultSport engines would provide authentic French zing for the machine – which would become a halo sportscar for the entire Renault/Dacia lineup — worldwide. HD Le Mans Lap Renault ran into major troubles synchronizing its big-company safety, reliability …

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2015 Torino Design WildTwelve Concept

SHOCK! 2017 Ford GT Will Race LeMans 2016 – HD Track Test Video + 75 Photos

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Alternative headline grabbers?   FTW! New Vmax Bomber! Shock & Awesome! Stormin’ Normandy! Ford Libs LeMans for 6th Time in 2016? Now on to this heartwarming news: the 2017 Ford GT supercar will race in Le Mans next year, the 50th anniversary of the Ford GT’s first win in 1966. Since 1944, we add 1967, 68 and 69 to reach five overall American trips to Le Mans, France. Le Sarthe for Ford means nothing less than agony, ecstasy and a lasting legacy. The 2016 24-hour race one year from tomorrow will mark a high water mark in Ford Performance’s return …

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World Endurance Championship

LeMans 2015 – Toyota TS040 Hybrid Gets New Nose, More Power and New Suspension Setup

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  What the TS040 lacks in outright drama, it clearly makes up for with outstanding engineering and bulletproof reliability. Le Mans 2014 was one of the three World Endurance Championship races that the TS040 Hybrid did not win — but the team cleaned up by going 5 in 8 overall during the 2014 season. This dominance was enough to score Toyota the World Championship titles for the car as well as its drivers — which is certainly an impressive feat. The newly-renamed Toyota Gazoo Racing team wants to keep the winning glory in this 2015 season with the ultimate crowning …

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Nissan GT-R LM NISMO Testing in Sebring

LeMans 2015 – Nissan GT-R LM NISMO Stuns On Track With Vacuum Aero!

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Update: Observers of the GTR-LM at NCM Motorsports Park in Kentucky have confirmed the sound of high-power electric vans at speed around the track — answering a fundamental question posed below. __ Well, I’ll be damned! The shocking design and tech solutions of the all-new Nissan LMP1 car continue to mystify in the runup to LeMans 2015. The tech specs are out and included here, along with a fascinating video revealing one of the GT-R LM NISMO’s big secret weapons: vacuum aero. Nissan shows these full-length channels in the design in the below video, describing how the full-length piping helps …

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2015 Porsche 919 Hybrid Adds Black and Red LeMans Liveries in 917K Salute

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Porsche is extremely eager to show how fast and reliable its 2015 919 Hybrid is in the marquee endurance race of the year: LeMans. Just 18 days from now, a trio of Porsche 919s will battle a mad pack of Audi R19 racecars, the secretive 2015 Toyota LMP1 update, and an all-new contender: the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo. This front-drive Nissan is a real wildcard in the tech blueprint adopted by the other big three: rear-mid-engine with electric front-axle AWD. The Porsche 919 Hybrid looks extremely similar to last year’s car, but features dramatic updates under the skin. The core …

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1970 Alfa Romeo TT3 Spider 9

Racing Icons Series – 1970 Alfa Romeo TT3 Spider Was Lightweight Short-Tail Special

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Part Three of Six – Alfa Romeo Racing Icons Series   1970 saw the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 Spider evolve into a much shorter and much more brutal track attacker. Switchable noses include the lamp-free style shown here. A fairly brutal and chopped style appears at the front and rear of this Alfa racecar, with less of the glamourous design of the Sports Racer 33 that came before it. The changes worked on the racing circuit – with this Spider earning numerous race wins and ranking between Porsche and Ferrari in the top three points for the Le Mans season. …

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1968 Ford GT40 Gulf Mirage Lightweight LM Racecar 26

1968 Ford GT40 Gulf Mirage Lightweight LM Racecar – Most Valuable American Car Of All Time?

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When it comes to racing greats and the all-time automotive hall of fame, this Gulf GT40 is certainly in the top ten. This exact car was the first to win a race wearing the now-legendary Gulf racing livery. Until this GT40 crossed the finish line in first place at Spa, these iconic powder blue and marigold colors were just another racing stripe. This GT40 is also the most valuable American car ever sold at auction, and likely ever made. It is unlikely that any other American car has changed hands privately for a bigger sum. (But is the GT40 even …

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Amelia Island 2015 – 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe Is One of Two Survivors

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This Le Mans racer from Porsche is part of a 200-mph dream: Fast cars, evolving in hyperspeed. The 908 was an adapted version of the 907 – but altered to fit an all-new 3.0-liter boxer eight-cylinder engine. We believe this is chassis 908-019 (or perhaps 908-011) – which is thought to be one of two surviving short-tail 908 Coupes outside the Porsche Museum. The 908K stands for short-tail, which was ideal for tighter tracks versus the long-tail for the Le Sarthe LeMans track itself. This machine was a transition phase for the Porsche race crew. A rule change for 1969’s …

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2016 McLaren P1 GTR Meets 1997 McLaren F1 GT LongTail In Geneva 6

2016 McLaren P1 GTR Meets 1997 McLaren F1 GT LongTail In Geneva

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Updated 3.3.15 Seeing the 1997 F1 GT LongTail at the Geneva show really drives home how different it is than the original road car. A dramatically-flared rear fender and lower aero upgrade beside the doors is a big part of the upgrade, along with a giant front splitter and pointy rear end. 1997 McLaren F1 GT LongTail The 2016 McLaren P1 GTR is now in full racing mode. Scary-fast and ready to blast out of the pits at the Circuit de Catalunya later this year with the elite crop of owner-drivers who will join the ultimate racing experience. The P1 …

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986HP, ~2.2s 2016 McLaren P1 GTR Revealed Before Geneva and Catalunya Track Driver Program

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  The 2016 McLaren P1 GTR is now in full racing mode. Scary-fast and ready to blast out of the pits at the Circuit de Catalunya later this year with the elite crop of owner-drivers who will join the ultimate racing experience. The P1 GTR is significantly stripped and optimized for track duties versus its P1 road-going hypercar base-point, which was no shrinking violet itself when it comes to extreme performance. The P1 GTR is an in-house way for McLaren to bring its racing expertise to regular owners, with full pit-crew support and the chance to touch the P1 GTR’s …

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Nissan GT-R LM NISMO

2015 Nissan GT-R LM Nismo LMP1 Racer Makes Public Debut in Chicago – 40 New Photos!

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 The hot and heavy three-way battle among Porsche, Audi and Toyota in the LeMans Prototype One race class just got a lot steamier. Nissan just pulled back the silk sheets on its contender to World Endurance Championship racing: the 2015 Nissan GT-R LM NISMO. And boy does it go its own way to achieving massive speed and impact, while sticking to the very expansive fuel usage rules of LeMans racing. The biggest shocker is not that it is a hybrid twin-turbo-charged V6 making 1250-horsepower. It shocks with where that engine sits, and where it delivers its power. The engine lives …

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LMP1 3-Way Becomes Fourgy! 2015 Nissan GT-R LM Nismo Revealed With 1250HP, Front-Drive V6TT?!

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 The hot and heavy three-way battle among Porsche, Audi and Toyota in the LeMans Prototype One race class just got a lot steamier. Nissan just pulled back the silk sheets on its contender to World Endurance Championship racing: the 2015 Nissan GT-R LM NISMO. And boy does it go its own way to achieving massive speed and impact, while sticking to the very expansive fuel usage rules of LeMans racing. The biggest shocker is not that it is a hybrid twin-turbo-charged V6 making 1250-horsepower. It shocks with where that engine sits, and where it delivers its power. The engine lives …

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2015 McLaren 650S Le Mans by MSO Celebrates F1 GTR’s Race Victory 20 Years Ago

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  McLaren Special Operations just revealed their next project: a special run of 650S Coupes inspired by the McLaren F1’s Le Mans win 20 years ago. Monoblock five-spoke alloys and grey paint are part of the package, as is the legacy of the F1’s amazing achievement around LeSarthe in 1995.   2015 McLaren 650S Le Mans by MSO McLaren P1 GTR McLAREN SPECIAL OPERATIONS ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF THE McLAREN 650S LE MANS CELEBRATING 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF FAMOUS WIN 20/01/15 Limited edition model launched to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the McLaren F1 GTR victory at the 24 Hours of Le …

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2015 vs 2014 Porsche 919 Hybrid - LMP1 Racers Compared 5

2015 vs 2014 Porsche 919 Hybrid – LMP1 Racers Compared

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Porsche just rolled out its 2015 model-year LeMans P1 car for initial track testing at Yas Marina today, and we see a continuation on most aspects of the 2014 racer. Porsche is characteristically tight-lipped about what has changed since last year, but has confirmed that the turbo V4 powertrain will continue, along with three electric boosters. But while the 2015 car looks very similar to the 2014 contender, you can be sure that there have been extensive studies and engineering under the skin. It takes more than a quick look to find any clear changes outside, but we have identified …

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Racing Icons – 1991 Mazda 787B LMP1 Winner + Rotary Engine Timeline

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  Wondered where the ‘LM55’ name of the new Mazda Vision Gran Turismo came from? That was the racing number of the LeMans-winning Mazda 787B from the 1991 LeMans. The only Asian brand to ever win overall via the LMP1 class, this is a story of a racing achievement that still irks powerhouse Toyota, Nissan and Honda to this very day. The 787B is also perhaps the ultimate evolution of the rotary engine — since its evolution beginning in 1588 as chronocles below. Reaching such heights as winning LeMans was an epic moment for rotary power, and conincided with the …

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1952 Jaguar C-Type Le Mans Kettle Aerodynamic Recreation

RM Paris 2015 Preview – 1952 Jaguar C-Type Le Mans Kettle Aerodynamic Recreation

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1952 Jaguar C-Type Le Mans Aero XK120-based Recreation Paris 4 February 2015 1952 Jaguar C-Type Aerodynamic Recreation Chassis no. 667255 Engine no. F 2454-8

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Ferrari FXX K in 26 Amazing New Photos at Ferrari World UAE

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Thrilling news from Ferrari this morning! The new FXX K prototype has broken cover ahead of a public debut at Ferrari World next weekend in Abu Dhabi. Upgraded for hardcore track racing that may include the GT class of the Le Mans WEC championship, the FXX ditches all nods to road legality and comfort in its chase of pure speed. The overhaul is similar in theme to the McLaren P1 GTR but the FXX K is arguably even more extreme, more futuristic and perhaps more intoxicatingly changed versus the standard LaFerrari. This brings a totally new front end with extra …

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RM Arizona 2015 Preview – 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350

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RM Auctions is looking at a really stellar group of cars for the Arizona auctions in mid-January. It is a funky mix of exotics and Americana that will surely draw a wide swath of car collectors — all salivating at the prospect of driving one of these beauties home. Surprise for your author? Strongly preferring the 1970 Mustang Boss 302 Trans Am racecar to the production 1966 Shelby GT350 and (upcoming article) 1959 GT500 Convertible. The 1966 is still the true icon in the trio mentioned above, but seems a bit hokey these days. Actual performance by modern standards, for …

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2016 LaFerrari FXX K Revealed Ahead of Abu Dhabi Ferrari World Debut

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Thrilling news from Ferrari this morning! The new FXX K prototype has broken cover ahead of a public debut at Ferrari World next weekend in Abu Dhabi. Upgraded for hardcore track racing that may include the GT class of the Le Mans WEC championship, the FXX ditches all nods to road legality and comfort in its chase of pure speed. The overhaul is similar in theme to the McLaren P1 GTR but the FXX K is arguably even more extreme, more futuristic and perhaps more intoxicatingly changed versus the standard LaFerrari. This brings a totally new front end with extra …

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bentley speed 8

Hero Racecars – 2001 Bentley Speed 8 LMP1 Winner Laid Bedrock for Modern Flying B

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  You have to hand it to the Volkswagen Group for their skillful rebirth of the Bentley brand in the early 2000s. Long mired in Rolls-Royce’s shadow with shakey engineering expertise and wobblier cars, Bentley sought greatness by going back to its roots in grand style. This meant competing in LeMans – where Bentley had dominated for a few years in the 1920s with its supercharged Speed 8 models — innovative technology that delivered crushing pace when the blowers were attached to such enormous engines. Specific output in this era was barely 10-percent of what it is today; with a …

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Concept Flashback – 2008 Mazda Furai is 450HP, Rotary LMP2 Car That Met Two Tragic Ends

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What were the two tragic ends that met the Furai concept? One: Laurens van den Acker leaves Mazda to take the top design job at Renault, where he delivered the Clio 4 and cars like the Twizy — and has imprinted his influence on ever product since 2010. The tragedy for Mazda’s NAGARE design philosophy is that it was hard to continue van den Acker’s ‘Flow’ themes without the true creator’s presence. So, despite being globally celebrated after its launch in late December 2007, the Furai was fairly doomed from the start. Designed first, and engineered second — the fantastic …

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Update1 – 2016 McLaren P1 GTR – Pebble Beach World Debut in 75 High-Res Photos

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Updated 9.5.14   These are the P1 GTR on the concept lawn as well as the official studio photography from McLaren. In person, it is all about that rear end! The huge sewer-drain exhaust pipes are stunning, as is the rear wing emerging up and rear-ward with twin functional vertical planes and a huge high-speed spoiler a foot above and behind the P1’s original tail. The deconstructed look of the rear end makes people think there are no taillights — but we know the truth! 2016 McLaren P1 GTR Pebble Beach 2016 McLaren P1 GTR   McLaren F1 LM GTR …

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Hero Racecars – 1997 PORSCHE 911 GT1 Marlboro LeMans at The Quail

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For fans of anything remotely modern, The Quail Motorsports Gathering is far more enticing than the actual Pebble Beach Concours. Both are filled with wondrous cars that one cannot believe actually exist in the flesh. Cars like this 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 in Le Mans racing specification. So rare is this machine that a google search of its name comes up with far more Tamiya 1:24-scale models than it does actual racecars… This powertrain and design became the GT1 Evo mid-year in 1997, adopting the fried-egg headlamp style of the 996 Porsche 911s. The 911 GT1 is fantastic to experience …

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Gooding Pebble Beach 2014 Highlights – 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB4 Daytona Competizione

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When it comes to classic sports cars, any link to Le Mans is generally as good as gold. For this amazing machine, that gold is shiny and pure.  This Daytona Competizione is a factory-prepped race car delivered to Chinetti Motors at Le Mans a week before the 1971 race. The car came in 5th overall and later second in its class in the 1972 Daytona race — proving its worth on nearly every major global circuit. The racing upgrades make the car worth nearly 10X what a Daytona coupe is worth, however, with the estimate topping $5.5-million in pre-sale materials. …

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2014 Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 Racecar in 100-Plus Real-Life Photos + Tech Specs

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Full disclosure: this is the 919 design and aero prototype on loan from the Porsche Museum in Germany, and not one of the team’s actual Le Mans 2014 competitors. Even so, being touchably close to any racecar is enought to get the heart beating faster. In fact, even cropping these photos has made a big thump-thump in my neck! The closer my eye comes to the quad-beam lighting setup, the more exciting the car seems — even a static model.   Despite much respect for the Audi Motorsport team, the Porsche 919 Hybrid was the favorite on this sofa during …

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USA Debut – 2014 JAGUAR F-TYPE Project 7 Speedster! 3.8s to 60MPH, 575HP, 250 Copies Max

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Update2 Included here is the final US-specification of the Project 7 from Jaguar. Very, very impressive style in person — with far more visual aggression and intensity than even the F-Type R from all angles. The US car has a slightly taller windshield than the Euro models, but all are sure to cause quite a stir whereever they drive. The latest front bumper design is gorgeous, but the silver-painted grille shroud is very cheesy. We’d recommend the gloss black choice, which nicely blends into the deep carbon sills and the huge diffuser out back. 2014 JAGUAR F-TYPE Project 7   …

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2015 McLaren P1 GTR – Pebble Beach World Debut in 55 High-Res Photos

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2015 McLaren P1 GTR McLaren F1 LM GTR McLAREN AUTOMOTIVE TO BESTOW ICONIC BADGE ON ULTIMATE TRACK-FOCUSED McLAREN P1™ GTR Twenty years on from victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by the now legendary McLaren F1 GTR, McLaren Automotive will resurrect the iconic name from its history for the track-only edition of the award-winning McLaren P1™. The limited-run model will go into production when the 375th and final example of the road car has been completed, and in homage to its race-winning ancestor, the most powerful McLaren to date will be named the McLaren P1™ GTR. With no …

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New Mitsubishi Shogun SWB Barbarian for UK Will Make You Miss The Montero

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  New Mitsubishi Shogun SWB Barbarian for UK Will Make You Miss The Montero The Montero was always a quietly handsome and off-road-ready SUV, but was caught out by the global financial crisis combined with shifting buyer priorities. Its final flared-fender style was a big leap above the too-narrow look of the first few generations, but the Montero always seemed in the Toyota Land Cruiser’s shadow as far as consumer awareness. A steep price meant it was Mitsubishi Motors’ flagship model in the US – and the trucks tended to hand around showrooms for a bit too long. This clogged …

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RM Auctions Paris 2014 - 1953 Gordini 24S GIF1

HD Video – 1953 Gordini 24S Blasts Around Its Favorite Tracks Before RM Auctions Paris Sale

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 This car defies logic. On one hand, it looks adorable and cute. So narrow and low, with the blue bodywork peeled back around the exhaust manifold and the straight-cut pipes. Watch the below… The Gordini starts to howl at about the half-way mark of this video preview. Kudos to its bold driver, who is not shy with the loud pedal. Firing up the 24S takes a prod onto an organ-stop switch – included as the fuel cutoff for racing. This very car won the Tour de France (a car race at the time…) and also traded paint with Porsche and …

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JAGUAR Special Operations To Build F-TYPE Project 7 Speedster! 3.8s to 60MPH, 575HP, 250 Copies Max

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JAGUAR Special Operations To Build F-TYPE Project 7 UPDATE1 JAGUAR Special Operations Will Build 250 Project 7 F-TYPE Speedsters What a thrilling announcement! Jaguar Special Operations has revealed that it is hard at work finalizing a production version of the Project 7 F-TYPE — and will produce 250 of them for sale around the world. This includes the US — or North America at least — but will have some revisions to the design to meet cabrio safety rules. This might mean a taller windshield, but the final US design remains secret. Performance figures are out of the bag though: …

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Update1 – 2014 Nissan ZEOD RC LeMans In Detail + 80 Photos

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Ask and ye shall receive? Only last week, we lamented the lack of angles of the ZEOD RC versus the flawless 29 angles of the car’s potent 1.5-liter, 400HP turbo triple, which both propels the car and charges the batteries (we think.) 2014 Nissan ZEOD RC LeMans Well, the strip-tease continues for the ZEOD RC. The latest batch of info from Nissan’s UK-based Le Mans operation shows the real-life racer in much more detail. (Just kidding — looks like we just did not look hard enough for images. This release is tagged October 21st, 2013.) Nissan’s hybrid-electric Garage56 experimental entry …

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2015 McLaren P1 GTR Renderings

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2015 McLaren P1 GTR Renderings McLaren today confirmed that the P1 hypercar will go into extra innings once its 375-unit production run is completed in early 2015. The next chapter will take McLaren back to the world’s GT racetracks, including Le Mans – where the very impressive F1 GTR won its class. McLaren only released a few teasers, so it was up to us to fill in the gaps.               Here is an exclusive rendering of how the 2015 McLaren P1 may look, with the changes detailed below. WHEELS/TIRES These are directly from the …

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RM Auctions Monaco 2014 - 1982 Mirage M12 Group C Header GIF2

RM Monaco 2014 Highlights – 1982 Mirage M12 Group C Sports Prototype is Aero GT40

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  Official Details from RM Auctions below.   1982 Mirage M12 Group C Sports Prototype To be auctioned on Saturday, May 10, 2014 Sold for €84.000 Chassis no. M12-002   540 bhp, 3,995 cc DOHC Ford-Cosworth DFL V-8 engine, five-speed Hewland VG5 manual transaxle, four-wheel independent suspension with double wishbones and coil springs, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 2,667 mm One of only two Mirage Group C Sports Prototypes Extensively tested by GTC, with Harley Cluxton III behind the wheel Equipped with the fantastic 3.9-litre Ford DFL engine Eligible for Group C historic races; includes FIA paperwork 1982 Mirage …

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NOW and THEN Design Showcase – 2013 JAGUAR Project 7 versus 1955 JAGUAR D-TYPE

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It is not often that a one-off concept so directly references one specific car in the back catalog. Often, a hugely successful historical model like the 1955 D-TYPE Jaguar is recalled most fondly long after the fact. Its achievements on the racetrack making it even more beautiful, and even more of an iconic time capsule than a single design or even a single piece of art. It becomes a living, breathing part of that company’s heritage. Jaguar is never more eager to turn back to the 1950s and 1960s, which is odd in many ways. You just want to shake …

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2014 Audi R8 LMX to Bring World-First Standard Laser Highbeams Via Shared Tech with R18 LeMans

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  Yes, the BMW i8 offers them – but only as a high-priced option. As such, the Audi R8 LMX is set to be the first car to ever include laser highbeams as standard when it arrives this summertime. The highbeam solution is a work-around to make sure that the lighting is still palatable to all world markets – including the United States, we predict. The below information is based on the UK-market R8, but this special edition is almost a sure thing on US roads as well. A redesigned R8 is tipped for Frankfurt – going on sale about …

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VIDEO: Touring the Olthoff Racing Dream Factory – Superformance GT40s and Cobras Galore

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Tucked beside a country highway in North Carolina, impossible dreams come to life in the form of howling racecar replicas from Superformance. The model year says 2014, but the dream of piloting a Le Mans car on the street generally share a birthday with a 196* starting point. Authorized and licensed by Safir Spares and Shelby American, Superformance is not a fly-by-night organization. Badges and paperwork are a sure thing with every model they sell from the dozen or so assembly and retail outlets like Olthoff Racing all over the world. But the one thing with racecar assembly versus mass-market …

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Car-Revs-Daily

Exclusive World Debut – 2014 Superlite SLC Le Mans Spyder – $70k, 430HP V8, Porsche Trans and 2200 Pounds Total!

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Unless I am in Chicago traffic from O’Hare to Wrigleyville, I rarely like to toot my own horn. But the Superlite SLC Le Mans world debut might be a seriously exclusive piece of supercar news – seen only by readers of Car-Revs-Daily.com, so far. Why? The Spyder (or Roadster) SLC Le Mans is absolutely brand new and has never before been shown in public. This is the first complete prototype of the full Le Mans Spyder bodystyle of the Superlite SLC Coupe, an it is magnificent. Completed with a Chevrolet LS3 V8 engine and Porsche transaxle by H Craft Customs …

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2014 LeMans LMP1 – Toyota TS040 Hybrid – A Dark Horse in Audi vs. Porsche Battle

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The TS040 Hybrid is looking mighty rapid this year, with a huge increase in stamina and budget for the Toyota Motorsports Group based in Cologne, Germany. Training with past winners and local talent can only be considered a huge new asset in the Toyota WEC racing ambition for its LMP1 cars. TS040 Hybrid running from ToyotaGB on Vimeo. So, is the TS040 fast and powerful enough to outwit the Porsche 919 Hybrid and Audi R18 trio? Fast enough remains to be seen, but the Toyota effort in LMP1 has garnered five race victories since 2012, which is certainly nothing to …

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Porsche LMP1 Car Snags 919 Nameplate for Geneva Reveal — A Huge Vote of Confidence from Past Heroes in Future Glory

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The Porsche Motorsport story for 2014 is moving ahead at the usual blisteringly-rapid Porsche pace. No one knows what it under most of the 919’s racecar livery – but expect these photos of the 919 at Geneva to be some of the best. Once racing, the 919 this car will be moving fast enough to seem blurry – even when in focus.   Past Glories Porsche 2014 Drivers & Key Personnel 2014 Porsche 911 RSR It was the news that motorsport fans around the world had been waiting for: Porsche returns to contest the Le Mans 24 Hours and the …

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2014 Nissan ZEOD RC LeMans Mt. Fuji Track Demo

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2014 Nissan ZEOD RC LeMans Ask and ye shall receive? Only last week, we lamented the lack of angles of the ZEOD RC versus the flawless 29 angles of the car’s potent 1.5-liter, 400HP turbo triple, which both propels the car and charges the batteries (we think.) Well, the strip-tease continues for the ZEOD RC. The latest batch of info from Nissan’s UK-based Le Mans operation shows the real-life racer in much more detail. (Just kidding — looks like we just did not look hard enough for images. This release is tagged October 21st, 2013.) Nissan’s hybrid-electric Garage56 experimental entry …

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2014 LeMans Engine Showcase Series — Nissan ZEOD RC a hybrid… with a 400HP 1.5-liter Turbo Triple!

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It is no coincidence that the Nissan ZEOD RC’s engine is a 1.5-liter turbo triple. This is for at least three reasons:   — The 1.5-liter Turbo V6 is Formula One’s new engine size — Halve that engine at the crankshaft, and you have this tall drink of 88-pound engine, making 400 horsepower to supplement the electrics on-board the ZEOD RC. Nissan Motorsport’s guys explain it a bit better here.  The exciting thing about the LeMans experimental Garage56 program is that there… are almost no constricting rules. In theory, the Porsche 911 GTR R Hybrid from a few years ago …

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RM Auctions Paris Feb 2014 - 1982 Porsche 956 Group C Sports-Prototype 13

RM Auctions – Paris 2014 Preview Series, Part2 – 1982 Porsche 956-004 Group C

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What would happen if the long-body racers from the late 1960s could be made stronger, lighter and 3X as quick around corners? Turbocharging and advanced aerodynamics in this 956 Group C racer were paramount to winning championships – as were high-speed pace and near-unbreakable reliability. It added up to a world-beating racing program for much of the 1980s for Porsche. The dream is very much alive today – with 620-horsepower and fantasy track thrills – and will be auctioned on February 5, 2014 in Paris by RM Auctions. 1982 Porsche 956 Group C Sports-Prototype – To be auctioned on Wednesday, …

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How Would 2012 Corvette Daytona Longtail Fare in Vmax Challenge with LMP1 Cars?

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The 2012 Corvette Daytona is part of my Chevy Racing learning process, and it is a bit confusing with numerous Corvette-branded racecars in very different series. For example, the previous Grand Am sports car classes are almost a dead ringer for the Porsche 962 era of Le Mans. Grand Am merged with the American Le Mans Series, and the classes for sportscars will be covered in a future article. For now – a bit of blue-sky thinking to go with the 2012 Corvette Daytona’s namesake track. What if all the fastest racecars in the world… got together on a huge, …

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2014 Porsche 911 Racers Compared: 991 RSR vs 991 GT3 Cup vs 997 GT3 R

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The latest 2014 Porsche 911 RSR looks quite different from its most recent relatives in the 911 racing side of the Porsche family tree. This roundup shows three of the most hardcore 911 racers that will contest the 2014 seasons across various series around the world. Yes, the rules from all these racing groups will be very different in how much enhancement is allowed: from the road-car side of the spectrum in the 991 GT3 Cup, all the way to the pure prototype RSR model. The RSR is a seriously hardcore racing machine that will howl its boxer six bellow …

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HD Video – 1953 Gordini 24S Blasts Around Its Favorite Tracks Before RM Auctions Paris Sale

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 This car defies logic. On one hand, it looks adorable and cute. So narrow and low, with the blue bodywork peeled back around the exhaust manifold and the straight-cut pipes. Watch the below… The Gordini starts to howl at about the half-way mark of this video preview. Kudos to its bold driver, who is not shy with the loud pedal. Firing up the 24S takes a prod onto an organ-stop switch – included as the fuel cutoff for racing. This very car won the Tour de France (a car race at the time…) and also traded paint with Porsche and …

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Audi LeMans R18: Laser Light = Smoke and Mirrors? 2014 e-tron quattro Actually Hiding Big Changes in Back

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Guess who really likes winning Le Mans? Everyone! Every single person who has ever competed there cherishes a single win with the passion of an Oscar winner. But guess who has really, really developed a taste for winning Le Mans, after more than a decade as the front-runner? The serious gentlemen over at Audi Motorsport. Is this an odd introduction for an article about new laser lighting shown at CES this week? The new “laser” lighting joins a long list of other Audi names for its headlights, including Matrix and Swarm. AUTO LIGHTING TECH – 2014 and Beyond But why …

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Racing Evolution 1968-1970 – Alfa Romeo T33 Mugello, T33/2 LeMans + T33/4 Tasman

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This is part two of the Alfa Romeo endurance racer showcase. These long-tail machinesdirectly evolved from the original Tipo 33 Periscopo and Stradale prototypes – but made huge changes. Far less glass lowers the center of mass, while aerodynamic ground effects became a critical part of racing. This put an end to the smooth flowing surfaces of the curvy 1967 T33 Stradale and its siblings. The Tipo 33 series diverged in 1969 in anticipation of rule changes in the 1970s that would prefer an open cockpit layout. Yes, for trivia buffs, Le Mans has alternated between open and closed cars …

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Eagle Low Drag GT Finished! Only Two More Chassis Available…

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Eagle Low Drag GT Launches New Website Since discovering Eagle’s latest project a few months ago, the anticipation of the finished car has been palpable. After hitting the lawns of Buckingham Palace with the St James’s Concours d’Elegance in early September, it appears that the car is in finished form for the latest photos on http://www.lowdrag-gt.com/ Secrets Secrets While the pricing and the buyer for this first Eagle Low Drag GT are very private, Mr. Brace let us know that the single car has been in progress for more than the last five years. He also hinted that there is …

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CarRevsDaily – Status Updates and New Menu’s

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CarRevsDaily – Status Updates and New Menu CarRevsDaily.com – TomBurkart – RoadAtlanta Petit Le Mans Hey guys! CarRevsDaily is coming along pretty nicely. We are exactly 12 days into this project, and are thrilled to report: successful Google Analytics integrationall new 16-core server package to increase site performance, security, and cloud-based global regional loaders for desktop and mobile successful Google AdSense integration for display, video and mobile ads.  (This is great news – and we are working on fixing those ‘blank spaces’ in the page reading layout pronto) semi-functional social links (some bad code on end of URL’s some times) …

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CarRevsDaily

CarRevsDaily – Status Updates and New Menu's

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CarRevsDaily – Status Updates and New Menu Hey guys! CarRevsDaily is coming along pretty nicely. We are exactly 12 days into this project, and are thrilled to report: successful Google Analytics integration successful Google AdSense integration for display, video and mobile ads.  (This is great news – and we are working on fixing those ‘blank spaces’ in the page reading layout pronto) all new 16-core server package to increase site performance, security, and cloud-based global regional loaders for desktop and mobile semi-functional social links (some bad code on end of URL’s some times) via Pinterest, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and many …

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