Race Cars

Formula One is one of the most popular racing series to exist. The series started back in 1950 and, for better or worse, has been evolving ever since. Currently, Formula One cars are using the same 1.6-liter, DOHC, 90-degree, turbocharged V-6 engines that make around 1,050 horsepower. Although the current engines will be used until 2025, they might be replaced by two-stroke units, if the proposal is approved.

When you think of Porsche, most often you think of the Porsche 911. Saying that the rear-engine sports car is the brand’s most definitive model has turned into a trite cliché. A while back, we covered Frank Stephenson’s guide to Aston Martin’s three greatest designs. Now, as part of his YouTube series, he is giving us his take on the three greatest designs from Porsche.

Ken Block recently made the transition, from Ford to Audi. His relationship with the German premium brand took him to Audi Tradition, in Ingolstadt, Germany. The facility, which comprises of some unassuming, at first glance, buildings, houses the most legendary cars from Audi’s rich motorsport history. The cool part is that all of them get driven every now and then and Ken Block had a go in the rarest and ultimate Audi rally car – the Sport Quattro RS 002.

Le Mans is one of the greatest tests of endurance where man and machine are tested for 24 hours at speeds in excess of 200 mph. Almost a century ago, the race began as a showcase for manufacturers to prove their vehicles’ sturdiness in competition. The race was then staged annually without fail, apart from the hiatus during the Second World War. Ever since, thousands of teams have flocked to the French countryside to brave the elements. Racing dynasties also flourished and faded during the years resulting in great stories, legends, and victories that are currently being told. The following are some of the best cars to compete at the Circuit de la Sarthe during the past century.

There have been more full-scale Lego builds than we can honestly count, but the most memorable of all happened back in 2016 when Land Rover set a record for the largest Lego structure ever built. That record held strong for a while, but it has now been broken over in Saudi Arabia by, of all things, a Formula 1 car.

The Lotus Exige may have been discontinued in favor of the Evija EV hypercar, but it’s still one of the best platforms for lightweight track weapons. It seems Quentin Boylan from Praetoria, South Africa, has recognized that and built his own extreme version of the British featherweight sports car. A while back, we wrote about another crazy project of his – an AMG V-8 swapped Toyota Hilux.

With the Exige, Quentin took things even further. He took the 6.2-liter V-8 out of a Mercedes SLS AMG and crammed it into the Lotus. The result is pure savagery.

Until about a decade ago, when it came to high-horsepower builds, it was pretty much the Chevrolet LS engines, with the occasional 2JZ or RB26 builds making an appearance. Nowadays, people have started noticing the Viper V-10 as the next platform capable of massive horsepower figures. With this in mind, “That Racing Channel” is giving us an inspiring YouTube video that gives the story behind the “six-second kid” and his 1999 Dodge Viper GTS that makes 3,200 horsepower.

Lewis Hamilton becomes the first driver in Formula 1 history to win 100 races. This win though came with some luck as the rain gods opened up the heavens in the final stages of the 2021 Russian Grand Prix. Mercedes for once took the right call in bringing Hamilton in and switching him onto intermediate tires.

After that, it was just a matter of hunting down race leader Lando Norris who was dominant all weekend to clinch the win. Having been in the sport for the better part of 14 years, the seven-time world champion looks relentless and now is aiming for an unprecedented eighth title, as the man continues to break records.

Whether it’s between stock or modified cars, drag racing is always a good way to pit two (or more) machines against each other. It’s even more epic when said machines are some of the biggest rivals in rallying history. Today’s dose of drag racing comes from the YouTube channel Officially Gassed and is between a modified Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and a modified Subaru Impreza WRX STI with about the same power.

Formula 1 is one of the most high-strung sports, involving peak performance cars, elite drivers and millions of dollars in investment and advertising. When the stakes are so high, it is not surprising for rivalries to emerge between the drivers. In fact, they are subtly encouraged and facilitated by the nature of the sport to encourage interest from the fans. Over the years, though, some of these spats were not superficial but quite heated due to the respective egos and team dynamics. Rumors of the tension spread via the media, but the animosity shone through during races or public events once in a while. Some of them took place within the teams themselves, much to the chagrin of the managers, while others occurred between differently placed contenders. The following list takes a look at the most intense title rivalries up to date.

Netflix is looking to cash in on F1’s recent boom in America with their new documentary Schumacher. It makes sense they would make a full-blown movie as the streaming service has seen massive success with their original show Drive to Survive.

Cars.co.za seems to be the go-to YouTube channel when it comes to quality car content from South Africa. It’s always interesting to see how the car scene is in other regions of the world and this highly modified Mk V Volkswagen Golf R32 is a perfect example, as it is capable of making plenty of exotic cars cry on the drag strip.