We have all heard about the future super car from Lexus, the LF-A; but what you may not know is that Gazoo Racing is campaigning a pair of prototypes in endurance races all across Europe. This not only serves to give the brand racing credibility before it is even on the market, and also allows the automaker to conduct performance and reliability testing in some of the most demanding environments in the world.
Despite Gazoo’s setback at the Nurburgring24, the team is continuing to develop the car for the track and Lexus is finishing off a very limited number of production versions for the street. This video offers a rather unrestricted view of the LF-A as the car is put through its paces by the English racing team.
With the ultra exotic teams of F1 running in Istanbul this weekend in the Turkish Grand Prix, we thought that it was only fitting to show you this F1 inspired video. Have a look at how all the parts come together to create the BMW Sauber F1.09.
I apologize because we here at Top Speed could only bring you blacked out concepts or cartoon designs of the Future Luxus LF-A super car. Please let Top Speed officially present to you, the Gazoo Racing LF-A Nürburgring 24 competitor.
Even though it is a racecar and because of this is equipped with safety equipment like a roll cage, fuel tank and everything else in the rulebook. Things you most likely won’t find on the production version include the GT wing and other aerodynamic features. However one thing that might carry over is the large LCD gauge cluster.
Although this is not quite the street version, it is nice to finally have someone pop the hood to willingly expose the 500 HP V10.
If Aston Martin is going to install its largest engine in its smallest car, then of course it will the car racing. The Aston Martin V12 Vantage got a few minor tweaks to get ready for the Nürburgring 24 hour race on May 23 and 24.
Aston says the V12 Vantage race car will be close to production model, with only essential safety modifications, reduced weight and re-tuned suspension. The car has not had any additional aerodynamic enhancements.
It will be powered by the same 6.0-liter V12 engine that can be found in the road-going V12 Vantage and the DBS. It produces 510 hp and 420 lb.ft of torque, which is a 100 hp improvement over the V8 N24.
We had no complaints when we got Jaguar’s new V8 on the track, so it’s no surprise a full-on racecar is making its debut. Rocketsports Racing (RSR) revealed the XKR GT2 racing car that will compete in the American Le Mans Series.
This Jag will take on cars such as the Corvette C6R GT2 and Aston Martin Vantage GT2. This means although RSR will be using the naturally aspirated version of the 5.0-liter V8, the engine will likely be modified to make more than the 385 hp it generates in cars like the 2010 XK.
The XKR GT2 will not be ready for the track until this summer and will only run a partial season in 2009. So even if it is a contender this year, this is just a practice run for 2010.
More pics and full breakdown in the press release after the jump.
BMW doesn’t want the Maserati GranTurismo MC to get all the spotlight at the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife this year. The May 23rd race will be the premiere run of BMW’s M3 GT4 car.
BMW is importing Augusto Farfus, Jorg Muller and Andy Priaulx from the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) to give the M3 GT4 a workout. While BMW has been a dominate force of the WTCC circuit, it has an uphill battle in the GT4 class. It’s been won by an American car, the Ford Mustang FR500C, for the last two years (the driver was German.)
The GranTurismo MC won’t be the only Maserati hitting the track soon. The Quattroporte is getting a makeover for the touring car Superstars Series. To help it along the track, the sedan gets a bump to 450 hp and loses a gut-busting 1200 lbs.
Nissan has just unveiled their GT1 spec R35 GT-R that is scheduled to compete in the full 2010 FIA GT1 season. Debuting at the FIA’s media days at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, the race spec GT-R was a joined effort between Nissan’s in house motor sport division Nismo and the Essex based GT1 racers Gigawave Motorsports.
Audi Sport, the motorsport division of the brand with four rings began deliveries of their latest racing car this week. The Audi R8 LMS is a rear drive, 500+ HP, ten cylinder GT3 racecar that is the company’s third line of production alongside the factory DTM and LeMans Prototype racers.
The symbolic handover of the first car took place in Italy, where Emilio Radaelli, Team Manager of Audi Sport Italia, accepted the R8 LMS with chassis number 101 from the Head of Audi Motorsport, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.
Audi Sport will deliver 12 examples of the R8 LMS to six different teams in the upcoming weeks in time for their racing debut in April. For 2009 ABT Sportsline, Argo Racing, ORECA, Phoenix Racing and Team Rosberg will also run two car teams in the FIA European GT3 Championship as well as the 24 Hour race at the Nürburgring. In order to conquer the Nordschleife Audi Sport has developed an endurance package for their LMS racers.
At this time the R8 LMS is a dedicated privateer program, Audi Sport has not planned for any factory backed racing efforts for the 2009 season.
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