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BMW

BMW to launch M3/M4 this week with GT6

BMW M3/M4

When Sony officially launches Gran Turismo 6 at the Ascari Race Resort on Thursday word is BMW will be there with the all-new M3 and M4. Not screen-based renders, but the real deal, in the metal that people can touch. And drive, perhaps.

There’s been reports of BMW’s most important M car putting in laps at Ascari in recent days. You may recall BMW held launch events for the F10 M5 at Ascari early last year. It’s certainly an ideal place to put the new 320kW/500Nm+ 3.0 litre turbocharged inline six cylinder engine though its paces.

For now, here’s the words from Sony whetting people’s appetites:

Present at Ronda and Ascari Race Resort for the launch of Gran Turismo 6 was a camouflaged version of the yet-to-be-launched BMW M4 Coupé. The stunning new car—shown publicly only as a concept until now—will go on sale in 2014. Thanks to an innovative collaboration with BMW “M” GmbH, Polyphony Digital enjoyed unprecedented early access to the car during its development phase in order to meticulously recreate the M4 Coupé for Gran Turismo 6.It will be made available through a free update shortly after the release of GT6, allowing car enthusiasts around the world to drive it before it arrives in BMW showrooms. More news on the unveiling is expected soon!

[Source: GT Planet]

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BMW Motorsports

VIDEO: BMW M235i Racing on track

BMW M235i Racing

If the thought of a BMW M235i Racing grabs your attention, then here’s a video just for you. It’s little more than teaser clip so don’t go in expecting lots of sideways action or even adrenaline fulled 10/10ths driving. The beauty about this customer racecar is you can buy your own and drive it in any manner you like!

BMW Motorsport says it already holds 30 advance orders for the factory-prepped racers. At €59,500 (plus taxes) it’s easy to see why.

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McLaren

McLaren’s official statement on P1 Nürburgring lap

McLaren P1

Following the video we brought you late last week McLaren has given us their official word about the P1 recording a sub-seven minute Nürburgring lap. Although, there’s still no definitive time given.

McLaren says the XP2R P1 prototype was driven from Woking to the Ring before posting its lap time, which works out to be an average speed in excess of 178km/h over the 20.8km circuit. Notably, when in the Race mode used to break the seven-minute barrier the car was lowered by a total of 50mm.

The footage of the P1 rocketing down in Fuchsröhre is some of the most dramatic Nürburgring film we’ve ever seen. Test driver Chris Goodwin explains the sensation: “I have only experienced acceleration like this before in a Formula 1 car. This downhill snaking section of the track is taken flat, using DRS, shifting gear all the way down to the base of the valley, and the compression that follows applies the maximum vertical g-forces to the car. The forces really load the tyres, chassis and wing, but it is taken with only a slight lift of the throttle.”

Goodwin rounds out his commentary by claiming: “Driving the McLaren P1 at this pace, on this circuit, is the most impressive driving experience I’ve ever had in any road or race McLaren, on any road or track in the world.”

When you consider Goodwin has full access to McLaren’s back catalogue of road and F1 cars he’s just being a show-off!

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Audi WEC

Audi previews 2014 LMP1 challenger

2014 Audi R18 e-tron quattro

Audi has just released this image of its 2014 LMP1 racecar which will defend its WEC title and Le Mans crown. Clearly Audi has put all the good ideas into the car itself because it’s still called the R18 e-tron quattro. That’s despite some significant changes to the LMP1 category for 2014.

The new R18 is undergoing testing at Sebring International Raceway in Florida and full details of the car will be released on 18 December.

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Audi Motorsport boss, says the team is aiming to get some development miles into its new R18.

“The tests are mainly focused on achieving high mileage, coordinating the highly complex hybrid drive systems and working out an efficiency-optimized total package that has never before been as complex as this one,” Ullrich said.

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Formula 1 Video

Are you missing Formula 1?

F1 the queen of motorsports

It’s Sunday night and there’s no Formula 1 race waiting to close the week out. If you’re having high-octane withdrawal symptoms here’s a short video from F1 fan Patrick Krutyj that brings you some of the highs and lows we’ve witnessed from circuits around the globe in recent years.

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Ferrari

Ferrari 458 Speciale in pictures

Ferrari 458 Speciale

Just because the Ferrari 458 Speciale is special, here’s a collection of all the pics Ferrari’s media department has made available. And if you missed the collection of videos during the week which told us what the media think of this 445kW supercar then why not sit back and watch them now!

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Audi

New Audi concept previews next TT

Audi compact sports car concept

Audi has given advance warning of a new “compact sports car” concept that will be gracing the halls of the Detroit Auto Show next month. Oddly, aside from that descriptor this concept doesn’t yet have a name.

All we have is a brief press release and a few sketch drawings. Forget the bits about its being a “sports crossover” with “high ground clearance” and focus on the bits that say “further development of the quattro design language“.

We think we’re being given a teaser of the next TT. Inspiration for the front-end styling of the new TT is likely to come from the singleframe grille treatment and dual headlights you see here.

If you’ve got a good imagination; picture a couple of upper case Ts stacked on top of each other, tip them on their side and there you have it, the dual headlights of this concept. You can’t fool us Audi!

It’s expected the TT will be released in the first half of next year. So, we’ll get this concept in January, followed by a bona fide TT preview at the Geneva show in March and voila, your new TT is here.

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McLaren

McLaren continues P1 Nürburgring tease

McLaren P1

McLaren has released a teaser video informing us the P1 has broken the 7-minute barrier around the Nordschleife. But they still haven’t put their neck on the line by declaring an exact time. The video itself is very well produced and should we ever get a full lap it looks like it will be one of the best Nürburgring videos we’re likely to see.

Now, back to the lap time. Rumours have been around for a couple of months that the P1 lapped the Ring in 6 minutes 47 seconds but it has never been confirmed. Facebook is the source of the latest suggestions that the P1 has usurped the Porsche 918’s 6:57 lap by 10 seconds while running street tyres. It’s also been suggested that McLaren ran some laps on slick tyres and with the grippier rubber the P1 lapped the Ring in 6 minutes 33 seconds.

The belief is McLaren isn’t likely to have the courage to put its balls on the line until Ferrari publishes a Nürburgring time for the LaFerrari. The theory being McLaren will launch another assault on the Green Hell should the LaFezza beat its time.

The Nordschleife is currently undergoing track maintenance during the winter months so we’re going to have to wait a few more months before Ferrari can get busy.

So, once again we’re left with a publicity shy McLaren lacking the guts to stand behind its product. Even this teaser video isn’t publicly listed! Clearly, the P1 is a rip snorting car which seems to manage the balance of brutality and finesse with extraordinary success.

[Source: Bridge to Gantry]

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GM Holden News

Hope our luck doesn’t end now

Holden VF Calais

Holden will close its local manufacturing operations in 2016 according to the ABC. The national broadcaster says senior government ministers have confirmed their belief that General Motors, Holden’s parent company, has already made the decision to stop making cars in Australia.

For their part Holden is not making any comment and says its unlikely to do so until at least next week after it has faced the Government’s Productivity Commission. One of the issues concerning the future of Holden is the uncertainty over Federal Government subsidies, which it claims it needs to keep local manufacturing viable.

The elephant in the room seems to be that local carmakers—Holden, Ford and Toyota—aren’t making cars that people want to buy. A criticism aimed more at Holden and Ford, rather than Toyota, which is comfortably the country’s best selling manufacturer.

Local car making peaked in 1970 when around 475,000 vehicles were made. By 1980 that number had dropped to 360,000. In recent years the industry last peaked in 2005 when almost 390,000 cars rolled off the line. By 2011 that number had plummeted by over 40% to just 224,000.

Outwardly at least, it would seem Holden and Ford have been too slow to react to consumer demand and no amount of government handouts can make the decision to build cars that people actually want to buy. Cracks in sales numbers might be papered over by models like the VF Commodore, but the overwhelming trend doesn’t lie. Buyers no longer want Commodores and Falcons. Couple that with the fact that no sustainable export markets can be found then it’s a fairly bleak outlook for Australia’s once iconic family sedans.

Ford has already announced it will stop making cars in Australia by 2016. We expect Holden will follow suit. And then it becomes a matter of time until Toyota does likewise.

Unless something unforeseen happens it will be a sad day when local car manufacturing ends in Australia. It’s a business sector that has, at times, been one of great pride for Australians. But not any more. Sales figures don’t lie.

[Source: ABC]

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Motorsports

Quick reference guide to Formula E

Formula E Spark Renault SRT 01E

So what is this Formula E category the FIA is introducing next year? In simple terms it will commence as a one-make category consisting of 10 teams, with two drivers each, racing on 10 city street circuits around the globe.

The point of difference is the car being used, the Spark-Renault SRT 01E, runs solely on electric power. Formula E lays claim to being the first global zero emissions series ratified and supported by the FIA.

Having recently had its first proper test run the Spark-Renault SRT 01E has been supported by many leading names from the motorsport world. Design and assembly has been carried out by Spark Racing Technology and Renault is responsible for the electric drivetrain. Behind the scenes McLaren Electronic Systems has played a role in development and assembly of the powertrain, along with the electronic controls. Williams Advanced Engineering did the battery design while Dallara is responsible for the chassis.

As an open formula, teams will be able to design and manufacture their own cars. Although the control car will be used for the category’s debut season.

Former F1 driver Lucas di Grassi is the Formula E test driver and after last month’s he said: “I can assure all the drivers will have a lot of fun with this car—it has quite a lot of grip and the electric motor produces huge torque.”

Nine of the 10 teams have been announced, with Virgin signing on earlier today. Other teams include Andretti Autosport, Audi Sport ABT, Drayson Racing and Super Aguri. At this stage driver no announcements have been made.

Motorsport’s first all-electric open wheel formula will have a few quirks. Namely, peak power is capped to 200kW, although during races the cars will be limited to 133kW, with the full power in short bursts available in a push to pass mode. Highlighting the limitations of the current technology drivers will have to pit twice during each race, which lasts for one hour, in order to change cars. Yes, change cars!

During practice and qualifying the cars, which weigh 800kg including the driver, will have the full 200kW available to them. Qualifying will consist of just two timed laps per driver.

We expect the category will have to endure a few issues during its infancy. We’re also keen to see how the general public accept Formula E, anticipating the step from curious novelty to bona fide racing category will be a difficult one.

More info on Formula E can be read after the break, with a reminder the series will debut in Beijing next September.

UPDATE 8 January 2014: A link has been added below for the tenth and final team, the Venturi Formula E Team. A Monaco-based outfit boasting none other than Leonardo Di Caprio as one of its founders.

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Motorsports

2014/15 Formula E calendar confirmed

2014-15 Formula E race locations

In September we’ll be transported to a new era of motorsport when the Formula E championship begins in Beijing. In its inaugural year, which will run across 2014 and 2015, Formula E will host 10 races across four continents.

All races will be held on a Saturday, rather than the traditional Sunday as we’re familiar with in F1 and so on.

It’s also interesting to note the locations, which includes three races in South America and on both the east and west coast of the United States. The timing of the Monaco race in 2015 is also noteworthy, likely to be just a few weeks prior to the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Similarly, a week after Sao Paulo hosts its Formula 1 Grand Prix in early November, Rio de Janeiro will host its first Formula E race.

We’ll bring you up to speed on the cars and teams soon, but for now you can find out more at the official Formula E website.

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WRC

2014 WRC calendar confirmed (again)

2013 Wales Rally GB

The last time the FIA WMSC met it signed off on the 2014 WRC calendar, but after its most recent meeting overnight a small change to the calendar was made by pushing back Rally d’Italia one week to 8 June.

A number of other issues relating to the WRC and minor championships were addressed as well and can be read in the notes from the meeting after the break.

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