Race cars have all the safety equipment and power required to win races and protect their driver at the same time. Some of them are street legal but most of them are not
Australian racing company Austech Motorsport has spent a large part of its time developing a GT race car based on the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. The team has actually been around for quite some time now and its objective has always been to provide privateers with an affordable race car that can be homologated to take part in different racing series with minimal work.
According to Austech’s website, the Genesis Coupe racer has yet to be homologated for racing use in GTE, GT3, and Grand Am classes, but Austech made it clear that the car can be raced in a number of international racing series, as well as endurance events, like the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.
Austech designed the Genesis Coupe GT Race Car with an emphasis placed on strength and serviceability of its components, allowing engineers to be able to work on the car with minimal hassle. That being said, there’s some acknowledgement due for a company that takes the time to develop a car specifically for racing use.
This Genesis Coupe carries a 5.0-liter V-8 engine and can produce anywhere between 470 to 520 horsepower, depending on the category restrictions for each racing series. Torque peaks out at 368 pound-feet. Austech also fitted the Genesis Coupe with a 100-liter (26.4-gallon) fuel tank capacity and a sequential shifting gearbox.
The Genesis Coupe race car looks the part of an affordable entry to a racing series, and according to Austech, will be available to race beginning in the 2013 season with a price of €280,000 ($370,860 at the current exchange rates).
Race engineers, no matter how skilled and talented they may be, also need time to build a race car.
It’s no different with Mazda, although you can make a case that their accomplishment - taking a Mazda2 and turning it into a B-Spec Race Car - is pretty impressive in its own right.
See, this time-lapse video goes to show the hours it took for Mazda’s racing engineers to build a B-Spec race from a standard Mazda2. From completely gutting the car of anything deemed unnecessary for racing purposes all the way up to dressing up the exterior with all those racing liveries, it only took Mazda 25 hours to completely turn the Mazda2 from a regular, run-of-the-mill compact hatchback into a bonafide race car.
Big props to Mazda’s engineers, all of whom managed to make the 25-hour transformation at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Orlando, Florida. Even more impressive is the fact that as soon as the build was completed, the new race car was immediately thrown into the fire at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race.
Lexus of Brisbane recently made a pretty important purchase to bolster its standing as one of the premier Lexus dealerships in Australia. This all-important purchase was three IS-F race cars built by Mauer Racing of Switzerland.
Bought initially to become demonstrators and customer experience racers, Lexus of Brisbane is also thinking of unleashing these three bad boys out on a race track in the future. And why not, especially when you consider that Mauer Racing built these cars to serve that sole function.
For one, these cars are powered by the same TRD-developed, 600-horsepower, 4.7-litre V-8 engines that powered several Daytona prototype race cars in the United States. In addition, the race cars have also been given a slew of new race-specific features, including Motec engine management systems, ZF Sachs dampers, H&R springs, AP racing clutches and AP airlocks.
Other design details of the IS-F Race Cars include a wide-body cage monocoque that significantly helps in cutting down the car’s weight to just 1,290 kg (2,843 pounds). A six-speed, rear-mounted Hewland transmission was also installed, as were a set of 18-inch BBS wheels – 11-by-18-inch center-lock fronts and 12.5-by-18-inch center-lock rears - wrapped in racing tires.
Considering the history of how Lexus Brisbane purchased these three cars — a customer made the suggestion, and it went out and sealed the deal — there’s no telling what the plans are for it, apart from what it’s already mentioned.
Mercedes AMG engineers were hard at work this holiday season and it’s not wrapping up presents or getting ready for Santa. Nope, they are hard at work under the hood of the 600-horsepower SLS AMG GT3 racecar. This time around, however, it’s not all about horsepower. It is all about keeping that temperature at 180 degrees.
No, the SLS AMG GT3 wasn’t having cooling system issues, the engineers are preparing a tasty treat for Santa while he tucks the presents under the tree. Oh, we’re not giving up all of the information that easily, you’re going to have to check out the video above to see exactly what these gearheads turned Homemakers are up to. It’s definitely well worth the watch. We hope you enjoy it and stay tuned all day for more Christmas-related videos and stories!
Merry Christmas from the entire TopSpeed family to yours!
Ferrari Corse Client, in cooperation with motorsports firm Michelotto Automobili, is currently testing the 2013 specification 458 Italia GT3. The test was held behind closed doors at the Adria circuit today, but the company was kind enough to offer us some initial details of the 2013 458 GT3 race car.
After being initially unveiled in 2011, the 458 GT3 scored important title wins in Europe and Asia. For the 2013 racing season, the model received numerous updates, including a new aerodynamic bodywork and subtle changes to the drivetrain and suspension. The engine will once again remain unchanged, so expect a 4.5-liter V8 engine with an output limited to 550 HP - unlike the road-going version which delivers 570 HP - as per FIA regulations.
Based on the 458 Italia, the GT3 version proved to be one of the most successful cars ever built in Maranello. It won the Asia GT3 series and also scored impressive results in the Open GT, the Blancpain Endurance Championship and the International GT Sprint series.
With a revised aero kit, there’s no telling how much success the 2013 model will have when it hits the racing tarmac.
The 2013 Daytona 500 is getting closer so Ford Racing is putting their 2013 NASCAR Ford Fusion under hard testing. The latest test made by the company was very impressive for many reasons: it was the first chance for Penske Racing to rev up the new Fusion, alongside back-to-back NASCAR Nationwide champion, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who also got his first extended seat time in the car.
The 2013 Fusion NASCAR features a very aggressive stance from the outside and the inside, but keeps the proportions found in the production Fusion. Everyone will immediately recognize it as a Ford thanks to its exclusive design elements found on the side of the vehicle and the identifiable front end grill.
Watch this Talladega Superspeedway testing session and see if the 2013 Fusion NASCAR is ready for its racing debut on February 2013. Do you think it can bring another Daytona win for Ford?
Flying Lizards took their Porsche 911 RSR to the track for the first official practice session during the 2012 Petit Le Mans. The guys over GoPro were just around Road Atlanta circuit and they shot a pretty impressive video using a pair of HERO3 cameras at 2.7K/30fps. Watch the video to hear the amazing sound produced by the racing car!
As a reminder, the 911 GT3 RSR is powered by a 4.0 liter six-cylinder boxer engine that delivers a total of 460 HP. The engine sends its power to the rear wheels via a six-speed gearbox operated via paddle shifts on the steering wheel.
On the exterior the race car received a specially developed aerodynamic package, while the interior received all the updates needed for the race track. The model can be raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the American Le Mans Series, and the International GT Open and is priced at $685,000.
When Bentley unveiled the Continental GT3 Concept at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, it announced it will be specially produced for the FIA GT3 European Championship. Today, Bentley has finally announced that the production version GT3 will be developed in cooperation with M-Sport Ltd — a company famous for its successful running of World Rally Programs since 1997, including winning two Manufacturers World Rally Championships.
The Continental GT3 will be developed as "an extremely competitive race car" and most likely the production version will have the same technological features offered in the concept version. This means under the hood we will see a W-12 engine combined with a rear-wheel-drive chassis in accordance with the regulations. There will also be a comprehensive aerodynamic package, including a large rear wing and a front bumper made of carbon fiber.
The production version Continental GT3 will make its first on-track appearance by the end of 2013. The model will be produced at Bentley’s new motorsport department at the factory in Crewe.
Fans of rally racing, especially those that know the history of the sport, know who Ari Vatanen is. His political career as a Member of the European Parliament notwithstanding, Vatanen is also famous for winning the World Rally Championship drivers’ title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times.
One of the teams Vatanen raced for was Peugeot, where he won three of his four aforementioned Dakar Rally titles. So it’s not all that surprising that when Peugeot decided to tease its new 208 Type R5 Rally Car, it tapped Vatanen to be the one to get first dibs on it.
The teaser video shows Vatanen wearing his traditional coat and tie that has come to be known as a trademark of sorts since he entered the world of politics. But upon laying eyes on the still-covered 208 Type R5 rally car, Vatanen decided to strip down to something a little more comfortable: a fire-resistant racing suit.
Our question is: how is this car different from the 208 Type R5 that made its debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show?
Hopefully, Peugeot has answers for us in the coming weeks.
When Aston Martin Racing engineers designed the Vantage GT2 a few years ago, it was built to be a strong competitor in the GT2 race series. Racing team Jota Racing has even been a loyal partner of Aston Martin since the two companies inked a deal back in 2010 that allowed Jota Racing to use the Aston Martin Vantage GT2 in its forays into the world of GT2 racing.
Recently, the two proved that their relationship was as strong as ever after Jota unveiled its official 2013 GT2 race car: the Vantage GT2.
The car itself is based on the V8 Vantage, which shouldn’t be confused with the V12 version that’s being used in the GT3 series. Building it to adhere to racing regulations, the GT2’s body is made from bonded aluminum structure, a material taken directly from the V8 Vantage, and integrating an aerospace-specification-steel roll cage. Every component of the body, excluding the roof, is made from lightweight carbon fiber.
Additionally, an advanced aerodynamic package is part of the car’s overall set-up, with the components including a carbon fiber splitter, flat floor and diffuser, and a carbon rear wing. With all these changes, the Vantage GT2 only weighs 1,175 kg (2,590 pounds), a shade over the 1,150 kg (2,535-pound) minimum weight that the FIA requires.
The V8 GT2 retains a host of the road car’s engine mechanics, including the cylinder block, heads and crankshaft, while also using competition-spec components on the cylinder heads, connecting rods, valves, camshafts and the racing exhaust system. The engine itself is a 4.475-liter V-8 engine that produces in excess of 450 horsepower and 369 pounds-feet of torque. The engine mates to a mid-rear mounted, six-speed paddle-shift transmission with a ‘flat shift’ and competition clutch.
Finally, Jota Racing dressed up its GT2 Vantage in its own team colors: a white front body with a grey rear and orange trims throughout the race car and completed with the usual sponsorship badges. It’s a stylish package that doesn’t go overboard with the overall colors. This is definitely a car to look out for on the GT2 starting grid next year.
