Peugeot will unveil at the final round of the 2008 Le Mans Series at Silverstone the 908 HDi FAP equipped with hybrid power featuring a kinetic energy recovery system.
The 908 HY can be powered in one of three ways: electric mode only, internal combustion engine only, a combination of the two.
The system features three key elements: a 60kW gear-driven electric motor-generator which takes the place of the conventional starter motor, batteries which permit recovered energy to be stored in 600 lithium-ion cells divided into 10 battery packs and an electronic power converter which controls the flow of energy between the batteries and the motor-generator.
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Audi Sport revealed a racing version of the R8 sports car. The R8 racing version conforms to the production-based GT3 regulations and will be available in the fall of 2009.
Because the GT3 regulations prohibit the use of four-wheel drive the Audi R8 comes with the typical GT rear-wheel drive. The power is transmitted via a newly developed six-speed sequential sports gearbox. A modified front end and a large rear-wing generate the required downforce for the race track.
Press release after the jump.
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Toyota has announced a partnership with Warner Bros. to promote the latest Batman movie: "The Dark Knight" that will be revealed on July 25.
Formula 1 met Hollywood at Silverstone on 3 July when Panasonic Toyota Racing’s TF108 Formula 1 car drove head-to-head with the ’Batmobile’, as part of a promotion for the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight.
Timo Glock drove the TF108 alongside the Batmobile, which made a Formula 1-style pit stop, while Jarno Trulli had the chance to sample the Bat-Pod vehicle. In addition to the on-track action, Panasonic Toyota Racing is also featuring The Dark Knight artwork on the TF108, the drivers’ outfits, and the team’s motorhome. Available video includes highlights from the event and driving shots of the TF108 race car and of the Batmobile around the Silverstone circuit.
Ford Racing Australia today revealed the FG01 V8 supercar ahead of the car’s initial debut at Sandown in Melbourne this week-end where it will take to the track for the first time.
Based on Ford’s recently launched FG Falcon XR8 sedan road car, the new Blue Oval weapon was designed and built by major Ford V8 Supercar teams Ford Performance Racing Triple 8 and Stone Brothers Racing.
In development for over 18 months, FG01 was created to meet specific Ford design requirements in addition to fitting the Touring Car Entrants Group "Blueprint specification" and it is now set for a mid-year homologation.
The FG01 build involved a number of complex processes including the floor, cage, internal structural panels and external finish panels.
A major design consideration was to ensure that the maximum amount of BF mechanical components could carry over into the new FG chassis to assist with cost control and minimize redundant parts.
The cage and floor are assembled together in a master jig which provides dimensional points for the body to be built. This method gives structural integrity without relying on exterior panels for safety which allows for quicker and more cost effective crash repair.
FG01 features a strengthened roll cage at the driver’s door area to minimize any side-impact intrusion which combined with the shift in seat position provides an optimum level of driver safety.
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Toyota revealed today the TRD Aurion Pro-Factory Xtreme (Pro-FX), a car with an amazing output of 1743 hp. The car was designed for the biggest event in Australian drag racing: the 2008 Winter nationals.
The TRD Aurion Pro-FX makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in only 1 second and can hit a top speed of 217 mph.
Former Australian champion Tony Wedlock will debut the car at this weekend’s Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) Winternationals - the headline event of the 2008 Australian season.
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At the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours on 14/15 June, the three Audi R10 TDI prototypes entered by Audi Sport Team Joest will race for the first time with the next generation of Biofuel manufactured from Biowaste and promising a reduction in the emission of CO2 by almost 90 per cent when compared with traditional diesel.
Audi fields the 650-hp plus R10 TDI, which has already won the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, in sportscar races since 2006. Shell V-Power Diesel race fuel produced by development partner Shell has been used since the very beginning. It’s a particularly powerful and efficient synthetic fuel which is created from Natural Gas in a process called Gas To Liquids (GTL). Fuels with these components are already available at the pumps.
For the third appearance of the Audi R10 TDI at Le Mans, a small amount of Biofuel of the next generation is mixed for the first time with the previously well-proven GTL components: BTL (Biomass To Liquids), as it is officially called, is extracted from Biowaste that is unfit for use in foodstuffs, for example from waste wood. BTL promises a reduction in the amount of CO2 emission by almost 90 per cent compared to traditional diesel.
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Kia’s stylish and sporty pro_cee’d is no stranger to Germany’s Nürburgring having been extensively tested there during development but this weekend is back to prove itself in the Nürburgring 24-hour race.
The barely modified three door pro_cee’d has been entered into Europe’s toughest and most legendary long-distance race by a team from Continental Italia who are hoping to triumph over the competition with as few tire changes as possible. In fitting ContiSportContact 3 standard tires to the pro_cee’d rather than race tires, the team expect to have an advantage over those that have to swap tires with each change in weather conditions.
The pro_cee’d is powered by Kia’s strong, flexible 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 138bhp at 4000rpm and 305Nm of torque all the way from 1800 to 2500rpm, giving instant, strong response throughout the rev band and outstanding performance.
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Last month we reported that Gumpert will compete at the 24 Hours Nurnburgring in May with a hybrid Apollo. And today we bring you the first images and details about the car.
Instead of using the road-going Apollo’s 650bhp, 4.2-litre V8, engineers have opted for a 3.3-litre V8 and a 100kW electric motor that together produce 630bhp. The petrol-electric racer also comes with a regenerative braking system that charges its lithium-ion batteries.
Ex Formula 1 driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen and American Le Mans series driver Dirk Muller will be piloting the Apollo hybrid at the 24-hour race, which takes place on 24-25 May.
The car will compete with models like Porsche 911 GT3, Dodge Viper, Lamborghini Gallardo, BMW Z4 and Chevrolet Corvette.
Audi will enter the 24-hour Nurburgring race with a a lightweight, custom-built R8 Sports car. For the racing version, the engine size is decreased to 4.0L, producing 530HP @ 7.800 rpm and 480NM @ 7.000 rpm. Weight is also reduced to 1250 kg.
The exhaust system is custom made by Eisenmann, crankshaft by Omesa and pistons by Mahle. This is an effort by Michael Düchting, Bilstein and Sport Auto called 24h-Project 2008: Blue-Tec. It will race in the SP7 class.
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Aston Martin’s growing presence on the track continues with the announcement that the British marque will be represented at this year’s ADAC Nürburgring 24-hour race on 24/25 May with a DBRS9 and two Vantage N24s.
Aston Martin Salzburg-Wien-Geneve is entering a DBRS9 which will be supported by Aston Martin Racing and driven by Aston Martin Racing works drivers Tomas Enge (Czech Republic) and Stefan Mücke (Germany). The DBRS9 driving squad will be completed by Austrians Robert Lechner and Karl Wendlinger.
Joining the DBRS9, Aston Martin will debut a technically enhanced version of the V8 Vantage N24, piloted by Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez, factory development drivers Chris Porritt and Wolfgang Schuhbauer, and experienced race driver and journalist Richard Meaden. A second factory entered Vantage N24 will be driven by journalists Matthew Marsh and Shin-ichi Katsura, partnered by ex-Porsche SuperCup racer Oliver Mathai.
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