Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'le mans'.
Found 21 results
-
Hello All, I have a G100 Daihatsu Charade with what seems to have Le Mans decals along the sides. I love the Pocket Rocket Charades, and have owned G10, G11, G100, G200 variants. This Le Mans G100 has a surprising amount of vroom, not like the other Charades I have owned. Aside from being an RS engine, I can't seem to find any info on it. Am looking at selling it. Any insight from anyone else out there?
-
<Why Koenigsegg Never Went Racing, And Why It Doesn't Plan to Start Christian von Koenigsegg explains why his cars have never competed at Le Mans, and why he doesn't intend to participate in the new Hypercar class. KOENIGSEGG Despite building some of the most innovative supercars on earth, Koenigsegg does not currently have a racing team. That's not for lack of trying: Founder Christian von Koenigsegg actually built a viable race car with intent to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans when his company was in its infancy. But it never happened, and during a lengthy conversation with the man behind the Swedish performance car company, we learned more about why his Le Mans ambitions fell apart—and whether he hopes to try again. In 2007, Koenigsegg built a fully-functional race car that exactly followed the FIA's Group GT1 rules. The race car, called CCGT, bore a strong resemblance to Koenigsegg's second production model, the CCR. But its roots went back even further, to the very first prototype Koenigsegg built, called CC. As explained on a Koenigsegg company blog post, the original CC, and the race car it spawned, was designed to fit exactly into GT1's dimension requirements: The car could be two meters wide at the maximum, and the cockpit had to span 70 percent of the vehicle's overall width. It had a dry weight of 2200 pounds (significantly below the minimum weight for GT1, which would mean adding ballast to reach the required weight) and was powered by a naturally aspirated V-8 making well over 600 horsepower. But two months after the CCGT's first shakedown runs, the ACO and FIA had a change of heart. The governing bodies banned carbon-fiber monocoque construction, which was used in every Koenigsegg road car and thus formed the basis of the CCGT. The regulators also raised the minimum production requirement dramatically. Previously, an automaker was required to construct 20 street-legal examples of a model, in total, to be eligible to race. After the 2007 change, that number rose to 350 cars per year, impossible for a tiny automaker like Koenigsegg to achieve. The CCGT was ruled out of the class before it ever competed in a single race. The only Koenigsegg CCGT ever built. | KOENIGSEGG "We were aiming to go racing in the GT1 series, which was perfect for our type of cars—road-going hypercars turned race cars" von Koenigsegg told Road & Track during a recent, lengthy conversation. "Then they shut it down right when we were about to go racing, which was very annoying. Since then, there hasn't been any series for these types of cars." The rule change left von Koenigsegg without a place to take his supercars racing. "Even if we would be allowed to go to the highest level of GT racing, we would be competing against Porsche 911s and Ferrari 488s"—sports cars built to vastly different performance goals than Koenigsegg's cars, which commanded well over half a million dollars each. Even if von Koenigsegg had wanted to compete in such a class, he worried that his cars would be "completely downgraded through Balance of Performance via restrictors, because we are not supposed to be any faster. And then it would be just a super-expensive racing car, which would cost more to repair than a 911, and we might even get beaten by a 911 because of BoP, while in reality, they are completely different vehicles. That doesn't make any sense." So Koenigsegg's racing dreams died in 2007, before they could ever become real. But what about today? The WEC's new Hypercar class debuted this year, and it was seemingly built for exactly the kind of extreme vehicles that Koenigsegg builds. But the man behind the Swedish supercar company is unconvinced. "Of course, they started this Hypercar series at Le Mans, but in the end it turned out to be some kind of LMP car again, so it's just a new name for the same kind of thing, more or less." Does von Koenigsegg see a racing future for his cars? Not under the current rules. "The alternative, I guess, is to build some kind of a Le Mans Prototype, which has no relation to our road cars, which I don't find too appealing. I would like to go back to the GT1 type of class, where we [could] see Bugattis, Paganis, Koenigseggs—modified road cars featuring completely different technologies. Not this silhouette racing where you have the same chassis under different bodies. Granted, it would be a very expensive series, given the price of these cars, but then we could build up on what we have. Everyone could showcase something you could actually buy, if you're extremely wealthy. That's what we would like, but I'm not sure if it could ever happen.">
- 3 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- koenigsegg
- ccgt
- (and 27 more)
-
Dedicated F1 fans here might know there's a Netflix series based on it called "Drive to Survive". I haven't watched a full episode of it — since the current 2021 season rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton is more than enough drama for me — but I'm aware of its great production quality. If you're into that kind of stuff, I highly recommend this free series on Porsche's official YouTube channel called "Michael Fassbender: Road to Le Mans": It's based on Pro-Am driver Michael Fassbender's journey through the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), in his quest to eventually compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). If you find his name familiar, that's probably because he has starred in the movies you've watched, most notably as Magneto in the X-Men series: Maybe he can make use of his mental powers to force opponents off the track to secure his wins? The 3rd season just started this month, and each episode averages about 20 minutes. The 1st season had 6 episodes and the 2nd season expanded it to 9, but you can easily binge the whole thing over a weekend, which I highly recommend if you want to understand the full context behind his struggles. To watch them all, just click on the red bolded text within this paragraph for each respective season's playlist. As mentioned, this whole series is entirely FREE, so don't say I never jio you all when I got lobang ah! In the meantime, enjoy the first episode of this latest season:
-
Upcoming Ford v Ferrari movie shaping up to be a good automotive movie
chitchatboy posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
20th Century Fox has released the first movie trailer for the upcoming automotive movie, Ford v Ferrari. Starring Matt Damon as Caroll Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles, it tells the story of the fight between Ford and Ferrari to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. This is the fight which gave birth to the legendary Ford GT40 and we all can't wait to catch the movie in theatres when it opens on the 15th of November. -
Le Mans-inspired Toyota GR Super Sport Concept teased http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/102096/le-mans-inspired-toyota-gr-super-sport-concept-teased Derived from Toyota’s sportscar racing programme, the GR Super Sport concept will be unveiled under the Gazoo Racing performance brand Toyota has announced a Le Mans-derived GR Super Sport Concept under its Gazoo Racing performance banner will be unveiled at next month’s Tokyo Auto Salon. The car has been previewed by a teaser image while a tweet from Toyota’s racing division confirmed that the concept would be a road car if it makes it to production. The hazy image shows a vehicle looking very similar to Le Mans prototypes run by Toyota’s World Endurance Championship team; flared wheel arches, a low-slung roof, big rear wing and shark fin above the rear engine cover are noticeable along with the race-derived wheels and brake calipers The GR Super Sport is also said to draw inspiration from the Yaris rally car that Toyota’s World Rally Championship division competes with. Should it go into production, it will likely be in very limited numbers. More details will be announced closer to the grand unveil at the Tokyo Auto Salon on 12-14 January. The Japanese manufacturer will also unveil a pair of performance cars under its Gazoo Racing (GR) subsidiary - the 86 GR and the Vitz (Yaris) GRMN, with the latter being launched exclusively in Japan to just 150 units.
-
http://dai.ly/x1zbesd Porsche is making its comeback at the top flight of endurance racing - the 24 Hours of Le Mans - which will take place in less than 24 hours. From the series of qualification for the big race, it seems that the Stuttgart marque is all set and ready, and will start off tomorrow from the 2nd and 4th position. However, they will not have it easy, with Toyota setting good pace throughout the practice and qualifying sessions with the TS040 Hybrids, which is starting from pole and 3rd position tomorrow. There is also no doubt that Audi, the winner for the past four seasons, will go all out to retain its crown.
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zyf2W1aOWs Not too long ago, Porsche unveiled the car that will mark its return to the top flight of endurance racing - the 919 Hybrid. Surprisingly, the race car did not bear the iconic flat-six or a V8 engine - but rather a relatively smallish 2.0-litre V4. Recently, the 919 was caught testing - and how it sounded surprises all that were present. We bet you will too after watching the video above.
-
Back in 2011, Porsche announced that it will return to contest at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014. Fast forward three years, and here we have the full details of the race car that is going to shoulder the marque's return to top tier endurance racing. The objective was clear for Porsche: to return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and attempt at an overall win once more, like what it did in the years before. Audi is closing in with 12 wins, and has already beaten the Stuttgart marque in terms of hit rate (Audi claimed 12 victories in just 14 ventures). And with a 16-year absence at the top tier fight at the Le Mans, it is high time for Porsche to make a comeback. Just a few days back, Porsche finally unveiled its contender at the Geneva Motor Show. The 919 Hybrid. It has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that revs to 9,000rpm, coupled with a hybrid powerpack that harnesses energy from two sources. The first is a 'convention' electric system that converts kinetic energy to electric energy during braking. The second recovers thermal energy from exhaust gases, which uses an electric generator powered by the exhaust gas stream. Of course, the 919s aren't alone on the field. Porsche will also send its latest RSR racer, based on the 991 gen 911, to the race track. Together, the 919 Hybrid and 911 RSR will contest in not just Le Mans, but also the 2014 season of the World Endurance Championship (WEC). The 911 RSR has already scored a few medals under its belt. On its debut at Le Mans last year, the RSR scored a 1-2 win in the GT Class. 2014 has also started on a high for the RSR, claiming top honours in its class in the 24 Hours of Daytona. The 2014 season of WEC will begin at Silverstone in Great Britain on 20th April. The season's highlight, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will follow in June.
-
The first works Jaguar D-Type, OKV 1, which finished second at the 1954 Le Mans, returned to the circuit for the 90th anniversary of Le Mans last weekend in a bid to pay homage to all Jaguars that have competed in the famous event. OKV 1 was invited by the Automobile Club de l
-
Accident causes death of Aston Martin driver Allan Simonsen at Le Mans
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
A fatal accident at the 24 Hours of Le Mans claimed the life of 34-year old Aston Martin driver, Allan Simonsen. Competing for the seventh time in the event, Simonsen spun his No. 95 Aston Martin Vantage GTE at the Tertre Rouge corner and hit the crash barriers. The car lost traction on a curb, causing the back of the car to slide to the left before flicking back the other way and sending the car into the guardrail. In a statement, Aston Martin Racing Managing Director John Gaw said, "On behalf of all of us at Aston Martin Racing, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the individuals, and families whose friends or loved ones were involved in today's terrible tragedy." Simonsen's death was the first such racing incident during a 24 Hours of Le Mans race since Jo Gartner was killed in 1986. Simonsen began his career in karting before moving to cars in 1999, winning the Danish Formula Ford Championship. -
Caterham delighted by completing maiden Le Mans entry despite few hiccups
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Caterham Motorsport celebrated the completion of its maiden Le Mans 24 Hours at the La Sarthe circuit by finishing 11th place (out of 22 entries in its class) in the LMP2 category. The team came in 24th in the overall standings. Drivers Alexander Rossi, Tom Kimber-Smith and Eric Lux delivered behind the wheel of the Caterham Motorsport Zytek Z11SN-Nissan despite suspension failure and a puncture. From the lights, Kimber-Smith took the Caterham LMP2 as high as fifth place in class, before handing over to Caterham F1 reserve driver, Alexander Rossi, in his first ever Le Mans race. The American driver -
[extract] Every now and then, there will be an automotive ornament or accessory that will amaze us and I believe that this is one of them. What you see here is 1:1 scale model of the Aston Martin
-
Porsche is known for the highest number of wins for the Le Mans endurance race series so it was no surprise when it declared its intent to develop a brand new challenger after facing defeat. You see, when the McLaren F1 GTR finished first overall and 1-2-3 in its class in 1995, the championship winning German team could not handle the defeat well. Thus in a quick span of just six weeks, Porsche engineered and debuted the 911 GT1 race car at the 1996 Le Mans and finished first and second in its class. I'm not exactly a fan of Porsche but I have to admit this is one good looking car. I like the design so much to the extent that this is my current wallpaper for my desktop. Until the next beauty comes along at least. As GT racecars have to be based on road cars, Porsche tweaked the 911 GT1 to the crazy GT1 Strassenversion. The Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion slots between the between the F40 rivaling 959 and the Carrera GT. The 911 GT1 Strassenversion was considered to be one of the marque's most extreme of road cars. Porsche engineer Norbert Singer took the front end of the 993-generation 911 and attached it to the rear of a 962. He constructed a new tubular frame that could fit a mid/rear engine. Eventually a 600bhp twin-turbo 3.2-litre flat-six powered the carbon-fiber shelled 911 GT1 Strassenversion. For the 1997 season, the GT1 received a revised suspension, bodywork, and headlights. Dubbed the GT1 Evo, it didn't win that season. Still the 1998 season saw the racer incorporating a lightweight carbon-fiber chassis, and the 911 GT1-98 took a one-two finish. In 1997 Porsche began running a small amount of homologated customer cars, dubbed the "Strassenversion". They were more user friendly and had detuned suspensions, gear ratios and engine with 544bhp, with a more refined interior. Still, the Strassenversion sprinted to a 100km/h in 3.6s and a possessed a 312km.h top speed. A scarce 25 examples were built and retailed for $912,000. This particular model that is heading to the auction block is the only unit to be imported into the US. The auction will happen at the RM Auction's Monterey Sale on August 18 with an estimated value of US$1.25 to US$1.4 million. Interestingly another Strassenversion is currently for sale at DuPont Registry. Claimed to be the last unit manufactured and in "museum condition", the car had just completed a service at the Porsche factory in Germany and is priced at a staggering US$2,325,000. Photo credit: Darin Schnabel, RM Auctions via CarScoop
-
[extract] Toyota's pair of TS030 hybrid racing cars has achieved another milestone by successfully participating in Le Mans test day in order to prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours race on the 16
-
Without a doubt, the sultan of Brunei is one of the richest person in the world with a vast car collection, some specially created ones. With thousands of dream cars to go through, Carbuzz.com tried narrowing down to a few real exotics among the Sultan's immense fleet of luxury and ultra rare vehicles which is worth an estimated $300 (S$383) million, and fills five garages the size of airplane hangars. Rolls-Royce wedding car: The Sultan's Rolls-Royce wedding car: Gold Plated Rolls-Royce made with 24k pure gold Rolls Royce: The world's most expensive Rolls Royce, The Star of India costed him $14 million. Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR: The world's only right-hand-drive version with a 6.9-litre V12 powertrain producing 612hp. The tip of the iceberg is his collection of like any other gazillionaire the Sultan has a taste for Ferrari's with over 300 in his collection. Ferrari FX: Like any other gazillionaire the Sultan has a taste for Ferraris with over 300 in his collection. This FX is based on the F512M enclosed with a custom-built body and rumoured to have a seven-speed transmission from the Williams F1 Team. 6 F90 Ferrari Testarossa Speciale: All 6 are owned by the Sultan. All the F90's use a Ferrari Testarossa chassis producing 390hp sent to the rear wheels. The interior is custom with a glass greenhouse and a fully removable sunroof. McLaren F1s: Eight McLaren F1
-
Toyota last raced in the Le Mans series in 1999 with their GT One (TS020) race car and ever since then, they have intensively involved in Formula One racing until 2010. Now, the Japanese automaker has revealed their hybrid-powered race car that will be used for the 2012 Le Mans series. Toyota TS020 GT One Back in 2008, Toyota did mention that they intend to debut a hybrid-powered racing car to be used for the Le Mans racing series. Not many details were given at that time until now, when about a week ago, Toyota showed photos of their TS030 hybrid racing car going through tests at a race track in France. Toyota Racing will build two cars for their participation in the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship. A team of professional drivers has been confirmed and they will debut the car at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in May this year. The team will consist of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima. Another team for the second car is still under discussion and will finalise soon. On top of this, Toyota Racing has appointed Andrea Caldarelli as a junior driver. Once after the drivers for the second team has confirmed, Toyota Racing will enter the Le Mans 24 Hours in June 2012 with both cars. Toyota is the first manufacturer to enter the endurance series with a hybrid-powered car and it stresses Toyota
-
The Le Mans 24 hours endurance race will be short of one of its regulars this year and maybe the year after that. Peugeot has announced that it will be pulling out of endurance racing due to lackluster sales in 2011. It has also stated that it will pour its resources on marketing the new Peugeot 208 supermini(above) and its 2012 hybrid models instead. Quite obvious actually. With the pullout, this would mean that Audi will have no actual rival in the LMP1 category as Peugeot was its only actual rival. Peugeot won the 2009 Le Mans and the first Intercontinental Le Mans cup title in 2011 with its diesel powered Peugeot 908HDi FAP. A monopoly at this year's Le Mans? Aside from Audi gaining from Peugeot's absence, they will also gain from Toyota's decision to only participate in a few of this year's LMP1 races and the fact that old timers Porsche will only be re-entering the fray in 2014. So expect a very lopsided Le Mans LMP1 category for the next few years people. And furthermore, Le Mans without a proper French manufacturer/team is somehow a sad thing too. It is actually quite sad to see Peugeot pull out of Le Mans are they have been doing quite well and was the second manufacturer to compete in the Le Mans with a diesel powered car
-
[extract] Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced that it will participate in the FIA (Federation Internationale de l
-
[extract] Personally I
-
[extract] Right on schedule, Audi has pulled the sheets off its next-generation Le Mans prototype. As had been rumored before the unveil, the R18 has abandoned the open-top design of its forefathers
-
[extract] For those Audi fans out there I am pleased to report that Audi has achieved their third 1-2-3 all out win at Le Mans within this last ten year period. The 2010 Le Mans 24hours endurance race held over the last weekend was one that basically pitted Audi against Peugeot for the LMP1 category and was actually led by Peugeot. But Le Mans being an endurance race, one by one the competitors including the last surviving Peugeot 908 HDi (
