Category: Motorsports

Categories
Motorsports Porsche

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

Porsche has come good with some great new pictures of its 2011 911 GT3 RSR. This is the Grand Poohbah of the 911 kingdom.

Since last year Porsche has unleashed an extra 5kW from the 4.0 litre flat six, making a total of 455hp (335kW). They’ve mucked about with the intake and exhaust and reckon the updated RSR is a breeze to drive, as well. Mods have also been made to the front lip and rear ironing board. The front wheels are wider now, up an inch to 12″, which should help reduce understeer.

Most importantly, the RSR now has LED rear tail lights. That should make all the difference.

All you need is a lazy €410K (approx AU$550K) and about the same again to race it for a year and you’re all set. What are you waiting for?! Hmm, like us, maybe you’d better make do with the pretty pictures after the break.

Continue reading “2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR”
Categories
Ferrari Motorsports

Ferrari 458 Challenge tested at Circuit de Valencia

Ferrari 458 Challenge

The New Stratos isn’t the only car to have flaunted itself in front of motoring glitterati lately. The Ferrari 458 Challenge, recently launched at the Bolonga Motor Show, spent some time at the Circuit de Valencia so that prospective buyers could gain some first hand experience behind the wheel. A highlights package from Ferrari can be seen after the break.

A quick reminder, though, to the pear-formance-uh of the 458 Challenge. Its 4.5 litre V8 produces 570hp (419kW) at 9000rpm, with 540Nm of torque at 6000rpm. It has a top speed of 310km/h and thrashing this car around a race track at Ferrari’s expense is our idea of a great day out!

[via World Car Fans]

Continue reading “Ferrari 458 Challenge tested at Circuit de Valencia”
Categories
Motorsports News

Tom Walkinshaw 1946-2010

Tom Walkinshaw

UPDATE: A statement from Holden has been added at the end of this article.

UPDATE #2: Ex-pat Aussie Steve Cropely has penned this obituary for Autocar.

Sad news overnight with confirmation that Tom Walkinshaw has lost his battle with cancer. He was 64 years old.

Walkinshaw is best known in Australia for his involvement in touring car racing. The determined Scot brought a three-car Jaguar XJS team to Bathurst in 1985 and announced his intent when he claimed pole position by over one second. Big Tom didn’t win the race—he and Win Percy finished third—but team-mates John Goss and Armin Hahne did steer their XJS to victory.

From then on Walkinshaw had an ongoing connection to Australia through touring car racing and eventually with part ownership of Holden Special Vehicles. He also, at various times, had part or full ownership of the Holden Racing Team in V8 Supercars.

As well as his involvement down under, Tom Walkinshaw Racing was a big player in the British Touring Car Championship, with Tom playing the role of driver and owner. In 1984 Walkinshaw won the European Touring Car Championship driving a Jaguar XJS.

Continue reading “Tom Walkinshaw 1946-2010”
Categories
Formula 1 Lotus

Team Lotus to stick with green and yellow livery

Lotus Racing

Team Lotus boss, Tony Fernandes, has revealed his cars will not race with a black and gold livery in 2011 as previously announced. They will now be sticking with the traditional Lotus colours of green and yellow.

Fernandes made the decision following the announcement of the Lotus Renault GP team and their subsequent plans to revive the classic black and gold livery. Speaking to Autosport Fernandes explained, “I do think it would be ludicrous if we are both black and gold, and I can inform you that we will be changing our plans for the colour scheme.

“We declared that we were going to run in black and gold, and I’m not going to be childish to say we were first with our plans, so we will do it whatever. They have painted their car black and gold, they have made their intentions clear on that front, so be it.

“And after yesterday’s announcement by the FIA about the new engine plans for 2013, which means F1 is going green – so what better colour to be than green? So, we have been testing our fans’ reactions and many have come back to us to say we should stay green and yellow. So, I am 99 per cent sure that we will be green and yellow.”

The shame of that decision is the wonderful Emerson Fittipaldi and Ayrton Senna inspired schemes will not see a race track.

Autosport’s interview with Fernandes is a good read and gives more insight into the Group Lotus v Team Lotus debacle. Make sure you check it out.

[Source: Autosport]

Categories
Formula 1

F1 orders teams go green in 2013

2010 British Grand Prix

The World Motor Sport Council has ushered in numerous changes for Formula One following its meeting in Monaco on Friday. Many changes will take place in 2011, however, it is the new engine regulations, due in 2013, that will give the category its biggest shake up.

Currently F1 cars are powered by 2.4 litre normally aspirated V8s with an 18,000rpm rev limiter. But from 2013 we’ll be heading back to the good old turbo days with the new regs specifying the use of turbocharged 1.6 litre four cylinder engines capped to 12,000rpm. The new engines are expected to match current performance level while cutting fuel use by 35%.

A new limit on the total of engines available to each driver will also come into play in 2013. Each team can now give a driver a total of eight new engines per year. In 2013 that cap will be five engines, further reduced to just four in 2014 and beyond. Teams will be working hard for their money, won’t they!

The 2011 season will be seeing some changes, as well. The controversial team orders ban will be lifted. Well, kind of. Leaving a massive area of grey the FIA say teams can still be charged with bringing the sport into disrepute under Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

Also new in 2011, teams must use each gearbox for a minimum of five consecutive races, instead of the four race minimum in 2010. In a move hoped to increase overtaking opportunities moveable rear wings have been approved.

And finally, from 2012 all team communications will be made available to television broadcasters. Directors are sure to have that “bleep” button at the ready.

The full list of changes can be read in the WMSC press release after the break.

Continue reading “F1 orders teams go green in 2013”
Categories
Audi Motorsports

Audi shows off new R18 Le Mans racecar

Audi R18

Rather than lifting the lid, Audi Sport has placed a lid on its latest Le Mans LMP1 challenger, the R18. Revealed at an Ingolstadt shindig on Friday the R18 has a tough act to follow, with its predecessors—R8, R10 TDI and R15 TDI—all winning at Le Mans, including this year’s 24 hour classic. They racked up a staggering nine wins between them, and, obviously, Audi hopes the R18 has it what it takes to notch up a tenth win.

New regulations at Le Mans will see the R18 use a 3.7 ltre V6 TDI, quite a change from the 5.5 litre V10 TDI used previously. As a result Audi say the need for improved aerodynamic efficiency is the reason they’ve gone with a closed roof body.

Illustrating just how much commitment is required for this race program, the R18 began its life back in 2009. Engine tests have been under way for several months and Audi driver Allan McNish completed the car’s first test last month. Continued testing and development will see the R18 make its race debut in a six hour enduro at Spa on 8 May 2011. That will be the car’s only race prior to Le Mans, which will be held on 11–12 June.

More pics and press material after the break.

Continue reading “Audi shows off new R18 Le Mans racecar”
Categories
Motorsports Renault

Ready-to-race Megane Renaultsport N4

Megane Reanultsport N4

Like the road ready Renault Megane RS 250? Then you’ll love this N4 rally-spec version. With 265hp (197kW) and 470Nm of torque on offer from its tweaked 2.0 litre turbo four, this front-wheel drive beast is a ready-to-race Group N rally car.

Cosworth Electronics are responsible for the small performance gains over the road car. Where regulations allowed they have improved the ECU and added both a lightened flywheel and a water spray function for the turbo’s intercooler.

The Megane Renaultsport N4 is designed specifically for privateer entrants, so all you need is a bit under £50K to buy the car and whatever it’ll cost you to race. So, what are you waiting for!

More pics and Renault’s full press release can be seen after the break.

Continue reading “Ready-to-race Megane Renaultsport N4”
Categories
Formula 1 Lotus Renault

The other Lotus Renault (Ayrton Senna version)

Lotus Racing livery competition

Raphael Campos has sent in another gold and black Team Lotus-inspired livery via his twitter page. This one is based on Ayrton Senna’s 1986 Lotus 98T racecar and it looks just as good as the Emerson Fittipaldi version. Great work!

There’s another pic after the break, just click on it to load a 3000px mega image.

Continue reading “The other Lotus Renault (Ayrton Senna version)”
Categories
Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz

Motorsport is dangerous

Michael Schumacher crash, 2010 Abu Dhabi GP

The “motorsport is dangerous” term is well known. It’s usually printed somewhere on the ticket to almost any motorsport event the world over, no matter if it is granting entry to a Formula One race or your local car club track day. The photo above perfectly illustrates the point and shows just how lucky Michael Schumacher was to walk away unharmed after Tonio Liuzzi parked his Force India on top of the Mercedes GP machine at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

[Thanks to Ryan for the tip | Photographer unknown, leave a comment if you know the source]

Categories
Formula 1 Lotus Renault

The other Lotus Renault (Emerson Fittipaldi version)

Lotus Racing livery competition

Following last night’s (Group) Lotus Renault GP announcement here is an image showing what the (Team) Lotus Racing car might look like in 2011. So far as we can tell this is an entry into the Lotus Racing livery competition and it was published via twitter last Friday. The scheme has been based on Emerson Fittipaldi’s Lotus 72D which he drove on his way to the 1972 World Championship.

So far, then, this image looks better than the official rendering provided by the other Lotus team. We know we’re probably only getting half of the real story, but to us here at AUSmotive, we hope the Tony Fernandes backed team gets the rights to use the Team Lotus name and that its paintwork ends up looking the best.

There’s another pic after the break, just click on it to load a 3000px mega image.

[Thanks to Ryan for the tip]

Continue reading “The other Lotus Renault (Emerson Fittipaldi version)”
Categories
Formula 1 Lotus Renault

The world of F1 gets weirder with Lotus Renault GP

Lotus Renault GP

Formula One sometimes gains as much publicity for its off-track dramas as it does for its racing action. And here is a perfect example of that. The team formerly known as Renault F1, which was mostly owned by Luxembourg-based company Genii Capital, will now be known as Lotus Renault GP.

Oh, so Lotus Racing and Renault have merged, right? No, you need to go back and read The Lotus position article to get up speed. Basically the Proton controlled Group Lotus has signed on as major sponsor to the Renault team in a deal set to last until 2017. Muddying the waters further Renault has sold its ownership share back to Genii and will be involved solely as an engine supplier.

As you can see the Lotus Renault GP team has already given us an early glimpse of its planned racing livery for 2011, a great tribute to the famous John Player Special sponsored Lotus machines of the 1970s and 80s.

Are you sitting down, though, because things are about to get even more confusing. Despite Group Lotus now having direct involvement in F1 the other team known as Lotus Racing, headed by Tony Fernandes, is still planning to compete in the 2011 season as well. They will also have their engines supplied by Renault. And they have already announced they wish to race with gold and black livery too.

From a distance it all seems a bit tit for tat and all a bit unnecessary. At least Mike Gascoyne now knows why Group Lotus has been reluctant to talk to Lotus Racing.

If you’ve managed to keep up to speed with this article you’ve done well. On the surface it looks like we’ll be having two gold and black Lotus-named teams in Formula One next year. But, between now and the Bahrain Grand Prix in March expect quite a few lawyers to get a massive Christmas bonus.

Official press releases from Lotus Renault GP and Group Lotus are available after the break.

UPDATE: You can now click on the image above to view a 1780px version.

Continue reading “The world of F1 gets weirder with Lotus Renault GP”
Categories
MINI Motorsports

MINI Countryman preparing for 2011 Dakar Rally

MINI Countryman

First it was the WRC, now it appears as though MINI is building a Countryman to take on the toughest rally of all, the 2011 Dakar in Argentina and Chile.

That’s the word according to German website BigBlogg anyway—and also evident from the spy video after the break. They say approval for the project was given by BMW back in June. Development has been undertaken in partnership with Magna Steyr and the first tests are scheduled for next week. Understandably, things are getting a bit anxious as the race start, on 1 January 2011, is just a few weeks away.

The Dakar racer is a step removed from the WRC weapon being developed by Prodrive. Proof of this is given by the twin-turbo diesel engine found under the bonnet of the Dakar machine. With 310hp and a very healthy 710Nm of torque on tap it’s sure to be a blast.

[via MotoringFile]

Continue reading “MINI Countryman preparing for 2011 Dakar Rally”