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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Euro , UK Lawrence Tomlinson bought historic British car maker Ginetta in 2005, and in just three years his team has hit it over the wall with the maker's first car under his tenure: the Ginetta G50 , has taken Autosport 's number one slot in its Top 10 Cars of the Year. The G50's attractions are obvious: It is light (1,750 lbs), powerful (300 horsepower six-cylinder), and relatively inexpensive (£35,000-or around $51,000 USD). It comes in three flavors for now: Roadgoing coupe, G50 Cup Car, and a GT4 model for the FIA GT4 series. The Cup Car had its own one-make race series in Britain, and that was so successful it also won an award in Motorsport News . Coming in 2009 for Ginetta: a G50Z for GT3 competition, an electric Ginetta G50 , and expansion onto the Continent with a one-make series in Spain fielding the Ginetta G20. [Source: Ginetta ] Autosport's Car of the Year? The Ginetta G50 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Etc. , Videos , Chevrolet , GM , Nissan , Special/Limited Editions Click the image above to view the gassed 'Vette take on the Nissan GT-R after the jump The Garage 419 team is anything but conventional, so when they say they're going to race a Nissan GT-R against a $500 competitor, you know it's going to be entertaining. Host Matt Farah had the easy task of rolling to the strip in the Godzilla of street racers, with 478 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and launch control at his beck and call. Editor Gene Sanchez had the tougher task of obtaining a $500 car to challenge his co-worker. Sanchez had a couple tricks up his sleeve, though, as he rented a $200-per-day LS3 Corvette from the Hertz Fun Collection and added a bargain-basement $300 nitrous system. Unfortunately, the 'Vette was burdened with lousy run-flat tires and a six-speed slush box, but at least the yellow underdog had the crowd on its side. Does a juiced up Corvette...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Dodge , Rendered Speculation Click above for a high-res gallery of the Vizualtech-designed Dodge Challenger touring cars Swedish design firm Vizualtech wanted to showcase its 3D composition capabilities, so it decided to take the muscular lines of the 2009 Dodge Challenger and transform it into a touring car ready to tackle Le Mans. Each rendering features all the aerodynamic accoutrements required for a serious campaign abroad, including GT-style wings, massive splitters, blistered fenders and carbon fiber diffusers. We're digging the Gulf liveried Challenger above (complete with Swedish flag), but you can find your own favorite in the gallery below. Gallery: Vizualtech Dodge Challenger [Source: Vizualtech via World Car Fans ] Rendered Speculation: LeMans-ready Dodge Challenger originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Aston Martin Click above for high-res gallery of the Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 At the Dubai Autodrome this week, Aston Martin revealed the car that will replace the Vantage N24, which has raced successfully in the FIA GT4 class and endurance events like the 24 Hours of Nürburgring for the past two years. Named the Vantage GT4, the new racer will employ a racing version of the production car's 4.7L V8 in place of the N24's slightly smaller 4.3L V8. Other race-bred modifications include a free-flow exhaust system, dry sump lubrication and new engine management software calibrated for racing. The new GT4 is hand-built by Aston Martin and can be ordered by race teams from the factory with a six-speed manual transmission or Sportshift tranny with paddle shifters. The production car's interior gets gutted and replaced with a molding of the dash that's covered in Alcantara suede (which also covers the steering wheel),...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , Concept Cars , Motorsports , SEMA , Tuners , Coupes , Honda Click above for a high-res gallery of the Galpin Accord Concept The Galpin Accord Concept is actually pretty tasteful for a Galpin Auto Sports vehicle, and even if the bright blue paint job doesn't get you more attention on the street than you can handle, the two tunnel-sized exhausts out back will do the trick. The carbon fiber roof and plinth for a rear wing will also get you all kinds of cred in certain parts of town. And while information is scarce, the Stoptech brakes up front will help you come back from the edge when the car's actual limits are exceeded. We don't what's hiding under that carbon fiber hood, but we'll take it on faith that the intercooler up front isn't just for show and that something turbo'd lies within. And then, because apparently racers can't hear the stereo when they're hard on the gas, the back seat has been replaced with a speaker array...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , Motorsports , SEMA , Tuners , Chevrolet Click above for a high-res gallery of the Camaro GS Race Car Concept If the 2010 Camaro is, as Ed Peper said, "a 21st century sports car for the young and the young at heart," then this is the race car for those actual and spiritual whippersnappers. The Camaro GS Race Car Concept takes its inspiration from the Trans Am racer of Mark Donohue, but Riley Technologies updates it with a just a few go-fast add-ons. The body is seam-welded, the hood, trunk lid, and doors are swapped for carbon fiber components, and in the front a racing radiator and an upgraded engine cooler are fitted. The production LS3 V8 swaps gears though a Tremec close-ration six-speed gearbox, and all those spent hydrocarbons exit through three-inch dual exhaust pipes. Even better than all that: you can buy it from Riley for the 2009 Grand Am season. Check out the press release after the jump and the live high-res photos below. Gallery: SEMA 2008...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Ford Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ford Mustang FR500CJ Cobra Jet We first told you about Ford's new Mustang Cobra Jet factory drag car in June of 2007 and last week Ford posted a video on YouTube of a test session with the new car showing its stuff at Milan DragWay. Now we've received some fresh high-res pics of the Cobra Jet in our inbox from Ford. Last we heard Ford is only building 50 of these drag race specials all of which are powered by a blown 5.4-liter 32-valve V8 based on the GT500 motor. This engine has been breathed on a little more heavily then the GT500 and the car looks like it's been stripped down. With the usual drag combo of skinny front and fat rear tires, this Cobra looks like it might be a contender. Gallery: Mustang FR500CJ Cobra Jet Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Etc. , Marketing/Advertising , Supercars , Nissan , Toys , Lifestyle First art imitates life and now video games do the same, with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Nissan having joined forces to create the GT Academy . Over the course of eight months, the academy culled a group of wannabe racers from a field of entrants who posted the best lap times in GT5 Prologue. Then, for five days at Silverstone , the finalists competed in the game and on the actual track, watched by ex-F1 racer Johnny Herbert and a panel of five judges. The two winners were just announced, and Top Gun status went to Lars Schlomer and Luis Ordonez. Schlomer is a taxi driver in Bonn, Germany; Ordonez is an MBA student from Spain. Now that they've won, they'll be thrown into boot camp for four months to learn to how to race for real silver: in four months, they'll have to earn their racing licenses and get ready to drive a factory-backed Nissan 350Z in...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Lexus There hasn't been any news on an IS F racecar since we heard rumors that the sedan, unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon , was really a reskinned 2004 Opel Vectra DTM . While Lexus might not be supporting a factory-backed motorsports program for the IS-F, that doesn't mean that privateer teams can't develop a car on their own. DRC Motorsports has done just that and has built two IS-F racecars that will compete in the GT class of the SPEED World Challenge. Dubbed the IS GTF, it will be sporting a 4.7-liter V8 putting out 510 horsepower and attached to six-speed sequential transmission. The first car will make its debut this weekend at Mid Ohio with Jeff Altenburg, last year's SWC Touring Car champion, behind the wheel, and the second car, driven by Robb Holland, is scheduled to make its maiden run the following race at Road America. Both cars are scheduled to run the remainder of the race season. If you want to watch the...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Dodge Click above for a high-res gallery of the Challenger Drag Race Package This weekend, Dodge officially unveiled two Challenger Drag Race Package cars that made their inaugural runs down the 1/4 mile track in front of thousands of race fans at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals near Denver, CO. Based on the standard Challenger SRT8, each of the Drag Race Package cars features a completely stripped body that has the body sealer, sound deadener, and undercoat all removed. Additional components are also left out including the windshield wipers, HVAC system, air bags, rear seats, power steering, exhaust system, side-impact beams, rear bumper beam, and more. Further weight is saved by using composite and poycarbonate components, and overall a total of 1000 pounds has been shaved off the car. Additional changes include repositioning the engine for a better driveline angle, a slightly shortened wheelbase, a bolt-in crossmember, and solid engine mounts...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Videos , Chrysler, LLC. , Dodge Those of you steeped in drag racing lore are undoubtedly familiar with the 1968 HEMI-powered Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas. These limited edition, track-bound '68 package cars brought out some of the biggest names in drag racing and helped solidify the automaker as a force to be reckoned with down the 1320. When Dodge unveiled the Challenger drag race package at SEMA , we knew the Mopar crew had something serious up its sleeves, and we've got an exclusive clip of what's to come. Chrysler isn't releasing the details on this non-street-legal, drag-race ready model yet, but earlier reports suggest an overall weight savings of around 800 pounds by stripping the interior down to the bare essentials (one seat, a set of gauges and no sound deadening material), nixing the wipers and A/C and replacing many of the body panels with composite material. The front brakes will also be modified, along with the rear...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Ford 1968 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet Ford has a long history of creating factory-built racers based on its regular production cars. Over the past four decades, most of those have have been derived from the Mustang. Since the mid-90s, that has included several runs of Cobra Rs, and today, a couple of variants of the FR500. Later this summer, Ford will revive another Mustang variant from the first generation when the Cobra Jet is reborn. The original Cobra Jet was built as a drag racing special with a high-torque long-stroke 428 cu. in. V8. Forty years later, Ford will be building a new Cobra Jet this summer. The new Cobra Jet will be powered by a supercharged 5.4L 32-valve V8 based on the GT500 engine. This engine, dubbed the Romeo 605 by Ford Racing officials, will use an upgraded supercharger as compared to the GT500. The car will come from the factory detuned to a mere 400 hp in order to meet NHRA rules. The 605 gives an indication of the true power potential...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Ford Click my Mustang for a high res gallery As the skies finally cleared this morning, us hacks finally managed to get in a single practice run here at Milan Dragway for the Ford Racing Invitational. Ford invited some media out to race race some Mustangs as part of the NMRA Ford Nationals weekend. In my first-ever run on a dragstrip, I managed to not embarrass myself and get decent time in my Shelby GT500. My reaction time was a bit on the slow side at 0.6149s as I was seeing the tree for the first time. Once I hooked up, the car flew down the strip before I backed off just a bit too soon, not knowing where the finish line was. I still ended up with 12.8692 ET at 106.56. At the 1,000 ft mark I was at 103.70mph and 10.875 sec. Now that I know where I'm going hopefully I can do a little better this afternoon. Oh, the guy in the orange convertible ? Ehh, not so fast, better luck next time. Gallery: Ford Racing Invitational 08: Practise Permalink | Email...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Ford We're here at Milan Dragway for the 2nd annual Ford Racing invitational and just like the guys at Indy, drag racers don't run in the rain. Ford invites the a bunch of Michigan-based media out to Milan during NMRA weekend so that we can try out our quarter-mile skills in a bunch of Mustangs. Since this is bracket racing, where the goal is to be consistent from run to run rather than just fast, we have 17 different Mustangs here including GT500s, GT500KRs, Roush machines and others with assorted Ford Racing parts. We were all assigned cars randomly and I drew this GT500 that serves as the Pace Car at the Homestead, FL track. After rains yesterday morning and early afternoon it finally let up just before 3:00 PM when practice sessions were due to start. When it was finally our turn to hit the track, we headed out to the staging lanes and waited. Before we got to the line, though, it started raining again and it didn't look like it was going...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Dodge , Honda We've driven the Honda Civic Si , and have found it to be an entertaining vehicle to attack some twisties. A drag racer, though, it is most assuredly not. Sure, offering just shy of two-hundred horsepower from such a small engine is impressive, but the distinct lack of torque and the stratospheric rev-ceiling required to extract those ponies will surely limit the straight-line drag numbers. The new Dodge Challenger SRT8, on the other hand, does not require high-rev shenanigans in order to scorch the 1320, and this point is proven in the video posted after the break. Although only covering an eighth mile, the Challenger has no problem keeping the Si at bay. We're not knocking the Si, as this type of activity is clearly not its proper playground, but listen closely when playing the video and you'll hear that the Challenger's pilot was toying with the Civic driver. It's not until the last few hundred feet that...
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