Motorsports
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3: on sale now for €397,460
Interested teams can now place orders for the track-ready Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 which carries a €397,460 price tag, including 19% VAT (€334,000 without VAT). Mercedes also announced that it will put in place a motorsport customer unit for SLS AMG GT3 customers with HWA AG. Mercedes worked closely with HWA during the development of the race car and HWA also runs the AMG-Mercedes DTM racing outfit.
Compared to the road-going SLS AMG, the GT3 variant sports a different front fascia, a ventilated hood and a carbon fiber front splitter, just to name a few. Also included is a rear diffuser as well as a large rear wing. It is powered by the same 6.2 liter V8 featured in the less potent model, with minor modifications. The engine is linked to a 6-speed sequential motorsport transmission with steering-mounted paddle shifters.
In stock the engine in the SLS AMG produces 571hp and 650Nm of torque. Mercedes did not reveal how much power the GT3 can produce, but it is likely to be slightly more. The SLS AMG GT3 does naught to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds while the standard SLS does the same 0.1 seconds slower. Delivery of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 will take place in February 2011. An image gallery can be found after the jump. Read the rest of this entry.
Lotus Exos T125 track car: 24 live images from preview event
It has just been about a day since the Lotus Exos T125 track car was made public at a preview event and the new F1-like Lotus has created so much buzz ever since. As mentioned in our previous article, the T125 is available to privateers to purchase and only 25 will see sunlight. Each is powered by a 650hp 3.5 liter V8 from Cosworth, linked to a semi automatic transmission.
The car is said to offer a “near GP2-like” driving experience. Carrying a rumored price tag of about 1 million Euro, the T125 is one of the closest thing there is to an F1 car, for those 25 lucky individuals that is.
However such a track-only car will prompt group purchases, say a group of five friends forking out the money for the car and sharing it among themselves during track days. Its a smarter option if you ask me. It was also said that one person can operate the car, unlike a full crew of mechanics with an actual F1 car. Back to the point of this article.
As mentioned in the title we have managed to catch hold of some live high-res images depicting the Lotus Exos T125. For your info, the number 25 designates the Lotus 25 which is F1′s first ever fully stressed monocoque race car. A special hit tip to Rahul Nair for the images and videos.
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Lotus Exos T125: An F1 car for a select-few to enjoy?
No this is not Lotus Racing’s 2011 F1 contender, instead it’s a limited-production F1-like single seater race car called the Lotus Exos T125. Only 25 units will make it cross the assembly line and each is rumored to carry a 1 million Euro price tag. Basically you can purchase the Exos and enjoy it during private track days, perhaps to sharpen your F1 racing skills! Maintenance you ask? Well we don’t have the specifics but Lotus did say that it is a very easy car to run and maintain.
The company also said that the Exos has a 4,500-kilometer service interval. It weighs 650 kilograms and it features a Cosworth-sourced 3.5 liter V8 with 650hp and a 10,300 RPM red line. A quick math work shows us that the Exos offers 1,000hp per ton which is very impressive. The driver can also increase the red line by 500 RPM with a touch of a button in the cockpit. Mated to the V8 is a semi automatic transmission with paddle shifters on the multi-info steering wheel. Other goodies such as a carbon fiber monocoque, carbon fiber suspension as well as carbon ceramic brakes are included in the deal as well.
There are also different classic Lotus livery options to choose from including the iconic green-yellow combination. Buyers will also go through familiarization sessions on the race track with experienced racers, maybe Jarno Trulli or Heikki Kovalainen? The Lotus Exos T125 will be manufactured in Norfolk, England and the first ten units are expected to be delivered in spring 2011 with the rest to be delivered by summer. Continue reading to view high-res images of a rendering and to watch a walk-around video showcasing an actual model. There is also a video featuring Stephen Wright from Lotus Motorsports explaining about the Exos.
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Porsche Panamera wins it’s first race, beats BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG!
Who would have thought a hugely-proportioned Porsche Panamera S can beat cars like the BMW M3 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG on the race track? The Panamera S run by N. Technology was raced in the Superstars event in Mugello, Italy. It was driven by Fabrizio Giovanardi who started race one of the event from pole position and eventually became the first driver to take the checkered flag. Giovanardi crossed the finish line some two seconds ahead of a BMW M3.
Unfortunately the performance in race two was hampered by an accident which affected the Panamera’s steering system. The team is now focusing on the next race which will take place at the Paul Ricard circuit in September where the finalized version of the race car will be presented. N. Technology will also race two Panameras at the event. It was also revealed that the race-prepped Panamera will go into production for privateers to purchase.
This race-prepped Panamara features an aluminum space frame bringing weight down to 1,320 kilograms which 550 kilograms less than the road-going Panamera. Power comes from a 4.8 liter V8 with 450hp which is 50hp more than the conventional Panamera S. It also comes with other racing goodies such as a 6-speed sequential transmission, beefier brakes, race suspension with adjustable dampers and more.
Continue reading to view an image gallery. Read the rest of this entry.
MINI to rally Countryman in WRC from 2011!
The MINI brand name is set to make a rally comeback with the Countryman from 2011. Called the MINI Countryman WRC, the race car is being developed by motorsport firm Prodrive and it will be raced in selected FIA World Rally Championship events in 2011 before a full-fledged rally campaign in the following year.
The car will comply with the Super2000 regulations and will feature a turbocharged 1.6 liter four potter from BMW Motorsport. The race car will be fitted with an all-wheel-drive configuration and customer teams will be able to purchase it. First test drives are scheduled to take place in autumn 2010. The first time the MINI took part in rallying was in the 60′s with the MINI Cooper S. The nimble little car went on to beat the big guns and went home with multiple victories.
“I am delighted MINI will be represented on one of the most popular stages in international motorsport. The success enjoyed on the rally circuit has made a vital contribution to the image of the brand. MINI customers have always shown great interest in motorsport. I am convinced we will add a few more chapters to our success story in rallying,” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW.
“The MINI Countryman provides an excellent basis, from which to create a competitive racing car for the world championship. In Prodrive, we have a strong and experienced partner. We will work hard together over the coming months to ensure we get the project on track right from the word go,” he added.
Prodrive chairman David Richards said, “I believe our new MINI will become a firm favourite of the latest generation of rally fans, just as it is adored by its millions of owners across the world. We already have a significant number of confirmed customer orders for the new MINI rally car with the first deliveries scheduled for the start of the 2011 season.” I am no huge rally fan but it would be great to see a MINI go sideways and kick out some dirt! Pictured above is an illustration of the MINI Countryman WRC released by BMW.
Jaguar to race the XKR GT2 at this year’s Le Mans
Jaguar has announced that it will make a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the XKR GT2. This is part of 75-year anniversary of the Leaping Cat’s involvement in motor racing. The race car will be run by JaguarRSR and it shares many basic components with the road version, meaning things like the road car’s lightweight aluminium body structure and its 5.0-litre supercharged AJ133 V8 are maintained.
The engine will be re-tuned to offer more horsepower, in excess of 500. The XKR GT2 will carry number 81 and will be piloted by Marc Goossens, Ryan Dalziel and Paul Gentilozzi. The last time Jaguar enjoyed a victory at Le Mans was in 1990 with an XJR-12 raced by John Nielsen, Price Cobb and current BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle.
The British brand dominated the event in the 50s with the iconic C-type and D-type racers. The 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans will be held on June 12th.
Porsche 918 Spyder to enter Nurburgring 24 hours next year?
According to German auto magazine Auto Motor und Sport Porsche plans to put the Porsche 918 Spyder, which was recently revealed as a concept in the 24 hours endurance race of Nurburgring next year.
Apparent the engineers at Porsche are working on a track-ready version of the hybrid concept and aims to get the 918 Spyder to reach speeds of up to 320 km/h. It was previously revealed that the 918 can lap the Nordschleife track in less than 7 minutes 30 seconds which is pretty quick.
The news comes after the recent success of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car. The GT3 R Hybrid was running high up in the order during this year’s Nurburgring event before retiring after 22 hours with an engine-related problem.
It was also recently reported that the 918 Spyder looks strong for a production green light since Porsche has received bookings from at least 900 buyers and the company did say that it would be a valid move to produce the 918 if it receives 1000 booking,
The Porsche 918 Spyder concept weighs 1,409 kilograms and features a high-revving V8 powerhouse that makes 500 PS and two electric motors, one for each axle. Combined power is rated at 718 PS. It also has a 7-speed PDK transmission as well as a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack.
It comes with different driving modes ranging from Hybrid to Race Hybrid and it can hit the century mark in a very respectable 3.2 seconds. Fuel consumption on the other hand is figured at 3 liters per 100 kilometers (average) and imagine how much fuel it will consume over the full race distance! The concept is expected to undergo certain modifications if its going to race.
BMW shows interest in DTM, plans to rejoin in 2012
The German Touring Car Masters or DTM has been restructured and BMW is now interested to rejoin the series in 2012. The German automaker will race an M3 if it can meet the requirements set by DTM organizer ITR and it will reveal its answer by end of the year. Meanwhile BMW will make necessary technical preparations.
“The newly aligned programme offers us many important stages, on which to demonstrate the sporting gene present in BMW vehicles. The planned return to the DTM is an exciting challenge for our team,” said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen.
“Over the coming months we will be making all the necessary technical preparations that should allow us to be competitive right from the start should we join the series in 2012. Thanks to its great tradition in production car racing, the BMW M3 is predestined to be used as the basic car. In 2011 we will once again be lining up with our BMW M3 GT2, which is contesting its debut season in Europe this year,” he added.
DTM officially kicked off in 1984 and BMW has taken part before. The series then came to a grinding halt in 1996 due to cost issues but emerged again in 2000. If BMW joins the German series it will go head to head with rivals Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
The press release also revealed that BMW is developing a 1.6 liter turbo-charged 4-cylinder engine that will be used in 2011. This engine will also feature direct injection and will be used in the Super2000 class in championships such as the World Touring Car Championship.
