All posts tagged le mans
Toyota to return at LeMans in 2012 with hybrid LMP1
Toyota will make its official racing come-back in 2012, with an hybrid version of the LMP1 competing at the next 24 hours of Le Mans. At the moment, the drawing pictured above is all there is about the exterior design of the car. The chassis will be based on a brand new project that is going to be developed at the German motorsport division of the Japanese manufacturer, in Cologne, whereas the hybrid engine - as well as the whole mechanical apparatus - will be assembled in Japan. The last Toyota model to make an official appearance at the legendary French endurance event was the GT-One, which raced there in 1998 and 1999 in both GT1 and LM GTP categories. In that period a road-legal version of the GT-One was also built, but it never went on sale as the racing GT-One from which it derived never managed to achieve the success on the track that Toyota expected.
In the official press-release announcing this long-awaited comeback there is no mention of a possible future shifting of LMP1 technology to road-legal models, but it’s fair to say that this decision will influence the whole next generation of sports cars from the Japanese carmaker. The upcoming FT-86 is somewhat anticipating Toyota’s return in the sports cars market, but also a new version of the ‘iconic’ Supra is currently in the works.
Jaguar and Williams in racing collaboration
While we’re unlikely to see the Jaguar brand on a Formula 1 car anytime soon, Williams has stated that after its collaboration on the Jaguar C-X75 Concept, it would like to develop the relationship further, becoming Jaguar’s official racing arm. Autocar reports that Williams chairman Adam Parr says: “We would like to become the competition and sporting side of Jaguar.”
The Jaguar C-X75 set the supercar world aflutter when it appeared as a concept at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and since then it has been under development with Williams. The kinetic energy recovery system could have great potential and while Williams isn’t saying much about the technology being built around the C-X75, we’re lead to believe exciting innovations are on the way.
According to Parr from Williams, the C-X75 is set to be the world’s most environmentally friendly supercar, and with racing potential to meet future regulations, it’s a tantalising idea which is becoming reality. Parr says: “We are concentrating on a downsized internal combustion engine combined with some pretty amazing kinetic energy-recovery systems.
“The C-X75 is not a Le Mans car, of course. But Jaguar had a tremendous record at Le Mans. I think you can say that competition and high-performance cars is an area where Jaguar are keen to develop their brand.” How much do you like the sound of that?
Audi R8 GT Spyder new pics from Le Mans
The new Audi R8 GT Spyder was on show at the 24 hr Le Mans race. The race was a successful one for Audi as its competition R8 model won first place, and the roadgoing R8 GT Spyder was unveiled in honour of that. Appearing alongside it was also the E-Tron Spyder concept.
The open-top R8 is very similar to the coupé model, but lightweight materials and a simpler interior have been designed to keep weight down on the Spyder, which comes in at 85 kg less. The 5.2-litre V10 is up to 560 hp and 540 Nm of torque, and is matched to all-wheel drive and R-Tronic transmission.
The R8 GT Spyder also features new aerodynamics with a rear wing and front aerodynamic fixtures. The lowered wheelbase houses 19-inch wheels with 235/35 tyres at the front, and 295/30 at the rear. The R8 GT Spyder production run will be 333 units, and German prices start at 207,800 euros.
Audi R8 GT Spyder live pics from Le Mans
Audi R18 TDI at Le Mans
Tomorrow afternoon the 24 hour Le Mans race starts and the new Audi R18 TDI will be participating in the prestigious endurance race. The previous R15 TDI diesel engine has been replaced with a new 3.7-litre V6 turbodiesel. The new unit is less powerful at 575 hp (compared to the previous 590), but it uses new lightweight materials including aluminium and carbonfibre.
This video shows off the Audi R18 TDI and promotes Audi’s know-how in the lightweight technology department - the new race to domination among the premium brands. The Le Mans race is a tough one, though, and even though Audi has developed its new engine with an eye to fuel consumption, models like the Peugeot 908 will be competing to better last year’s disappointment. Video after the jump.
Aston Martin V12 Vantage vs Aston LMP1 Le Mans racer
In this hot video we see the Aston Martin V12 Vantage alongside the Aston Martin Le Mans racer: the LMP1. The latter was created in collaboration with Lola and is used both in the famous Le Mans race and in other sports races. Both vehicles are equipped with a six-litre V12 engine, while the Vantage has power of 517. That’s impressive in itself, while the LMP1 has more than 650 hp on a car that weighs just 900 kg. The racer we see in this video is ready for the greener pastures of retirement as the new LMP1 is ready for competition at the 2011 Le Mans.
Citroen Survolt on track at Le Mans
The Citroen Survolt will take to the track at the Le Mans Classic today, showing off its electric race car credentials. Twin electric motors achieve 300 hp and apparently a sprint to 100 km/hr in five seconds, with a top speed of 260 km/hr. It will be driven by Vanina Ickx, the daughter of driver, Jackie.
With plenty of carbon fibre and a tubular structure, the Citroen Survolt weighs just 1,150 kg. It measures 385 cm long and can be considered more of a compact coupé. It has a range of about 200 km and batteries can be recharged in two hours with a dedicated recharge unit, or ten hours from a domestic outlet.
We love this gallery of pics and were impressed by the Survolt when it first showed up at this year’s Geneva show. After the jump is a teaser video and we’ll be interested to see how it races today.
Citroen Survolt at Le Mans with Vanina Ickx
Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans video
It might cost 400,000 euros, but the Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans is one very impressive car (if that little word comes close to describing this vehicle). It has 600 hp and about 810 Nm of torque from a front-mounted engine of unspecified origin and will only be delivered at Le Mans with a two-day driving course to boot. In the video above, Don Panoz describes the dream behind his Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans vehicle, telling his version of the legendary 24 hours Le Mans race. This is about as close as we’ll get to the vision of a Jaguar popping across the channel to participate in “the most fabulous race in the world”. Great stuff from this car designer.
Source | Autoblog.com
ALMS founder launches Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans
The new limited production Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans has just been unveiled by Don Panoz, ALMS founder. The car based on the famous GTR-1 racer of the late-1990s features a front-mounted engine which produces 600+ horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, with radiators installed in the rear and cool air drawn from a duct in the roof and along the rear side windows. Only 81 cars will be built by the constructor, but the big news is that all buyers along with a special driving course on the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans will get the chance to test their super cars on the famous circuit just before the start of the race. According to Mr Panoz these sport cars will be street legal “in Europe and many countries of Asia, the Middle East and South America but at the moment we don’t know whether they will be homologated for sale in the U.S. For more news on the Abruzzi stay tuned!
ALMS founder launches Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans
Continue reading: ALMS founder launches Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans
Allan McNish presents the Audi R8 V10
Audi driver Allan McNish presents the Audi R8 V10, saying “it’s the best car Audi’s ever built” (then reflecting on that and saying that the best car Audi has ever built is, in fact, his R15 TDI but we’re unlikely ever to get the chance to drive one). Here, we get a close-up look and not only the perspective from a 24-hour Le Mans champion, but a person who understands what is involved in the daily driving of a sports car.
The R8 V10 has a 5.2-litre engine with 525 hp, which reaches 100 km/hr in just four seconds. But if you want to “toodle off down to the shops”, the Audi R8 V10 will do that for you, too. The video smells of too much PR (when does McNish actually show us how it drives) but as this is about as close as I’ll ever get to an R8 V10, I’ll still watch.
Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta and TR 59 at Pebble Beach
At the next Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach, the Ferrari contingent will comprise ten models of the 166 MM Touring Barchetta and four TR 59 models. For anyone lucky enough to be there, this is utter gold. The two models are some of the rarest and most sought after Ferrari’s in the world and it is highly unusual to see such a number present at one event.
The Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta is a 1949 model of which only 25 were ever built. This reunion of historic Ferraris is impressive on its own, but the TR 59 appearance is even more unique. The four that will appear are the only left from a production run of just five models.
The 166 MM name comes from the victory at the 1949 Mille Miglia race. In the same year, the Barchetta also won the 24 hour Le Mans. The TR 59 won its debut at Sebring in 1959 and the Le Mans 24 hours in 1960.
Continue reading: Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta and TR 59 at Pebble Beach
Audi at Geneva: the TT-RS and football tournaments
Audi has gone the whole shebang to celebrate the launch of its A4 Allroad Quattro and TT-RS, organising a football tournament on July 29 and 30 between Manchester United, AC Milan, Boca Juniors and Bayern Monaco at the Allianz Arena.
The four teams are all official partners of the company and will undertake the tournament to celebrate 100 years. Present at the unveiling at Audi’s Geneva stand was Rino Gattuso, West Brown, Willy Sagnol and Carlos Bianchi, though perhaps all piling into the A5 cabriolet was somewhat exaggerated.
To focus on the cars: Tom Kristensen appeared on stage on board the TT-RS to show off its performance figures. The top class Audi from the 24-hr Le Mans has 340hp and takes only 4.6 seconds to reach 100 km/hr.
Continue reading: Audi at Geneva: the TT-RS and football tournaments
Geneva 2008 - Audi R8 TDI Le Mans
Audi will be showing the new R8 TDI Le Mans in Geneva: it’s another study with the 6.0 V12 TDI engine (500 ps/1,000 Nm), but this time it seems ready for production and this seems to be the assumption underlying the press release.
The red color is a much bolder choice compared to the silvers and arctic whites seen up to now on R8 show cars, almost as bold a statement as the Le Mans name, there to underline the victories in Le Mans of the R10 TDI in 2006 and 2007.
Below you can find the full text of the press release, with all available details on the “diesel supercar” from Ingolstadt (4.2 s from 0-100 km/h, more than 300 km/h the top speed).
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