If you ever find yourself lucky enough to be at the AMG headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany, we urge you to head over to the VIP customer lounge and check out a pretty fascinating tape sketch of the Mercedes SLS GT3 adorned on one of the walls of the lounge.
What’s interesting about the portrait of sorts is that AMG designers actually made it with their hands using tape to draw up the SLS GT3 in such an incredible manner.
The feat is pretty remarkable in its own right, but to see the whole process from start to completion in a little under three minutes makes it that much more special. That’s why this newly-released time-lapse video of the project is a certifiable must-watch.
It takes a special kind of talent to pull something like this off. Then again, we’d be remiss if we put anything past the designers and creative heads of AMG, especially when it comes to producing amazing artworks like this one.
Check out the video and see how the SLS GT3 tape sketch was completed, faster than it takes us to finish a bowl of cereal.
Porsche has announced that the GT3 R Hybrid will make a return for the 2012 racing season. The vehicle made its first appearance in 2010 at the the Petit Le Mans 10-hour competition where it showed excellent performance.
The GT3 R Hybrid is known as the "rolling race laboratory," and while Porsche has not revealed any specifications on it just yet, we expect to see the same hybrid system as in the previous model: a 4.0 Liter flat six engine delivering 480 HP combined with two electric motors that each produce 100 HP. The new model will be five centimeters wider at the rear and will get almost an extra 15 centimeters on the front fenders.
"There is no way around the hybrid technology in motorsport," stressed Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development, on Saturday on the occasion of the end of year Porsche ‘Night of Champions’ celebrations. "With the 911 GT3 R Hybrid project, we have shown how you can test important future technologies on the race track and pave the way for motorsport success in the future. We will continue to determinedly blaze this trail and further develop the hybrid technology."
For 2012, the POrsche GT3 R Hybrid will race in competitions like the FIA World Endurance Championship, the American Le Mans Series, the Le Mans Series, the International GT Open, and the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Whatever you think of the Chevrolet Camaro, you know that at the deep recesses of its heart, it’s a muscle car that’s only waiting to be unleashed on a drag strip. After all, the COPO Camaro was one of the best stock cars back in the 60’s, a time when the Central Office Production Order (COPO) - Chevrolet’s vehicle special-order program - became famous for all the performance-minded Camaros that were made, mostly with intentions of turning them into Stock Eliminator racers.
Half a century later, the COPO Camaro is making a comeback as a concept vehicle designed to the specifications for NHRA Stock Eliminator drag racing competition. One of the unique things about this particular Camaro is that it was designed to accommodate a few engine options, including that of the 7.0-liter naturally-aspirated engine that was found in the original COPO Camaros from yesteryear.
In terms of design, the COPO Camaro Concept pretty much adhered to its set-up as a full-spec drag car. Gone are all the bells and whistles that usually come in a standard Camaro. In their place, Chevrolet added a full array of race equipment, including a full, chrome molly roll cage, a high-rise cowl-induction system, a set of 29" lightweight, COPO-specific racing wheels wrapped in 4.5x28x15 "inch front tires. Inside, the car receives a pair of racing bucket seats with no rear seat, a safety harness for the driver, a competition floor shifter, and Chevrolet Performance gauges by Auto Meter.
The muscle car’s overall handling and set-up were tweaked to give it even more capabilities on the track. A coil-over suspension with Strange Engineering adjustable struts can be found in the front while a custom suspension with Strange Engineering shocks, a Panhard bar. and a stabilizer bar complete the exterior set-up of the muscle car.
UPDATE 11/08/2011: The Camaro COPO Concept unveiled at the SEMA Show is proof that the Camaro can be customized in any way possible. Check out the live images we have added in the picture gallery and let us know if you agree.
UPDATE 12/16/2011: GM Performance Parts has unveiled a new video presenting the Camaro COPO during testing. Enjoy!
The BMW Z4 GT3’s success on the track illustrates the outstanding mechanics behind a vehicle of its stature. The only problem is, many of us won’t be able to get behind the wheel of the GT3 due to its racing nature. Or at least we thought.
Simraceway is a company that offers FREE, real simulated racing with online competitions, using officially-licensed, exact replicas of existing vehicles. These models are built around a customized version of the isiMotor 2.5 physics engine, but the best part is the price. Each model costs only 1/100,000th of the real vehicle’s price. That means that the previously mentioned Z4 GT3 costs $4.02 - an insignificant amount considering the real car price of more than $400,000. Throw in another $11.95 and you’ll get any add-on car in the iRacing world.
There are over 600 cars to test (many of which have not been released yet) and all of them have been tested with the help of professional race drivers, world-champion sim racers, and the chief instructor of Simraceway Performance Driving Center. Everything from the car’s paint to the engine’s sound will make you think you are behind the wheel of the real thing. We know it isn’t exactly the same thing, but it’s the closest we’re ever going to get to the real thing!
The Race of Champions (ROC) is an international motorsport event where members of Formula One, World Rally Championship, NASCAR, sportscars, and touring cars race to the finish line in hopes of being crowned number one. The 2011 ROC marked the 24th year running of the race, held in Düsseldorf, Germany’s Esprit Arena. The event ended with Sébastien Ogier claiming his first individual ROC crown. The Nations Cup went to Team Germany’s which consisted of Formula One stars Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.
Cars like the Audi R8 LMS and the KTM X-Bow were the stars of the event, and this video provides the opportunity to see some of the greatest moments from the ROC.
"I’m so happy," said Ogier in an interview with Autoweek. "It was a very nice weekend, and it was already great to be in the final at my first time. There are a lot of cars to learn here and the track as well. But I didn’t do too badly, and I pushed hard all the way. Tom is a really good driver, but to win this race is amazing."
