JR Motorsport announced their Nissan Nismo GT-R GT3 back in September 2011, but Nissan themselves have already gone to work on a GT-R GT3 Nismo that they plan to unveil at next week’s Dubai 24 Hours. The new car will compete in the A6 class at the hands of Michael Krumm (GER), Tom Kimber-Smith (UK), Franck Mailleux (FRA), and Alex Buncombe (UK).
The new GT-R GT3 Nismo is powered by a 3.8 liter V6 twin-turbo engine mated to a Hewland 6-speed sequential gearbox with a Sachs 4- plate sintered clutch and a semi automatic pneumatic paddle.
The GT3 Nismo has also been equipped with a new set of 18" RAYS center-lock, aluminum forged wheels and a new set of Brembo brakes. Nissan then replaced the standard exhaust system with a new side-exit exhaust with optional catalytic converter. The panels and doors are made of carbon composite and, for a better aerodynamic, Nissan has attached a wind tunnel developed front splitter, bumper, and flat floor, as well as an adjustable rear wing.
UPDATE 01/23/12: Nismo and JR Motorsports (JRM) have released new details and a new image on the Nismo GT-R that will be used for GT3 racing worldwide. The model will use a 3.8 V6 twin-turbo engine based off the standard car, with the output increased to 530 HP at 6,400. If anyone interested, the starting price for this racer is 298,000 Euro, or about $388,000 at the current exchange rates.
Porsche has unveiled a pretty cool video presenting their stand at the 2012 Autosport International Show held in Birmingham, England. Porsche launched the 2012 Carrera Cup GB and GT3 Cup Challenge race series, as well as showed off the 918 RSR and the new 911 Carrera for the first time in the UK.
Porsche’s presence at the Autosport is pretty important considering this event is kind of a kick-off for the motorsport year - an area where Porsche has a lot to say. Our favorite, of course, is the 918 RSR - a race car that will deliver about 600 HP, while hitting a top speed of 200mph and taking off from 0-60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds. The Porsche 918 RSR will begin competing in 2013.
French automaker and Le Mans powerhouse PSA Peugeot Citroen has announced that Peugeot will be dropping out of Le Mans racing indefinitely. The news was first reported by Reuters, saying that the French manufacturer will be solely concentrating all their efforts on improving their sales figures for 2012, thus dropping any other endeavors, including in motorsports.
In a press release sent to the media, Peugeot confirmed this stunning turn of events, saying that "this decision has been taken against the backdrop of the challenging economic environment in Europe coupled with a particularly busy year for the Brand in terms of new vehicle launches."
The news that Peugeot is dropping out of Le Mans comes as a shock to a lot of racing fans, particularly those that have seen and witnessed the company’s recent dominance in the series, as well as its well-chronicled rivalry with Audi.
We’re not quite sure how the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans is going to play out now that one of the perennial contenders has withdrawn their entry to the field, but Audi is probably uncorking a bottle of champagne.
In the shadows of all the auto shows going on around the world, Ford took to the Autosport International Racing Car Show in Birmingham, England to unveil the 2012 Ford Fiesta WRC Rally Car dressed in its new livery.
Heading into its sophomore season in the WRC, the Fiesta is looking to build on the surprising success it had last year when it won the season-opening and season-ending races as the successor to the Ford Focus WRC.
Just like last year, the Fiesta RS Rally Car comes with a 1.6-liter Ford Ecoboost turbo engine and has been designed with the Blue Oval’s acclaimed ’kinetic design’ styling language. The car was prepared for rally-spec use by Ford’s long-time partner M-Sport and as has been the case for years now, Castrol remains the team’s primary sponsor.
The Fiesta RS’ surprising showing at the 2011 WRC season has given the team high hopes for a better showing this year. If for nothing else, the team should give perennial title-holder, Citroen, a serious run for its money.
We all knew the secret was out of the bag as far as Subaru’s impending participation in the Japanese Super GT series. Now, the Japanese automaker has officially revealed their entry to the racing series: the Subaru BRZ GT300 Race Car.
The BRZ GT300 Race Car is being built to compete in the Super GT series, replacing the existing Subaru Legacy STI that’s currently plying its craft in race tracks all over Japan.
In terms of its design, the BRZ GT300 looks a lot different than the production BRZ, as well it should. The former was engineered specifically for racing reasons and as such, it’s had some in-house tuning done on it courtesy of STI. Among the modifications done on the BRZ GT300 include a larger carbon fiber splitter, a larger front air intake, new air scoops on the bonnet, a fixed rear spoiler, a new diffuser, Perspex windows, and a new set of 18" black alloy wheels wrapped in Yokohoma Advan tires. As you can expect, the interior of the BRZ GT300 was completely stripped down to its bare essentials to ensure that the car loses as much weight as it can. In place of everything that was taken down, Subaru added a full roll cage and a Recaro racing seat.
Under the hood of the race car, Subaru outfitted the BRZ GT300 with an STI-developed 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine that has been tuned to produce 300 horsepower, right in line with the requirements for the GT300 class of the Super GT Series where the racer will be competing in.
UPDATE 01/13/12: The Subaru contingent at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon was in full force, including the BRZ GT300 Race Car. Check out the auto show photos of the racer in all its glory, courtesy of Subaru.
