Racing

Are you of the opinion that there’s entirely too much young blood in motorsport? Are you tired of seeing 16-year-olds drive with audacious precision, incredible consistency and pace and humiliate the old and experienced? Well, now, the old have a place of their own: the Jaguar Series Elite for drivers over 50 years of age.

Jaguar is barely getting the I-Pace eTrophy series off the ground, a series that’s supposed to give Formula E race-goers a little more bang for their buck, and now they’re looking to expand their footprint in motorsport with a new project: the Series Elite. It’s supposed to be a series centered around wealthy gentleman drivers who are at least 50 years old and want to bang door handles in Jaguar’s XE SV Project 8.

Jaguar expects to have a grid of 20 "mature drivers", as they put it, by the time the series kicks off next May. The 20 XE SV Project 8s the 20 well-to-be adrenaline junkies will be lightly modified for track use but Jaguar stated that they can be turned back to the road legal specification quite quickly.

The second-generation Aston Martin Vantage was introduced in 2018 as the company’s latest entry-level model. It replaced the Vantage model that the British firm offered from 2005 through 2017. With a brand-new model on public roads, Aston Martin is now also offering a couple of race-spec versions, one of which is the Vantage GT3.

Developed to replace the Vantage V12 GT3 that Aston Martin has been racing since 2012, the new Vantage GT3 is closely related to its GTE-spec sibling. The British company will use it as a factory race car, but it will also offer it as a customer racer for GT3-spec series around the world, including the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup and the Sprint Cup.

Continue reading to learn more about the Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

Hyundai will switch from the i30 N TCR to the Veloster N TCR for 2019 and aims at continued success in the Blancpain GT World Challenge TCR division as well as IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge series. The new car will be offered through Bryan Herta Autosport in the U.S. for just $155,000 plus shipping charges.

Hyundai has ramped up its motorsport presence in the past few years. They’ve taken on the World Rally Championship and, more recently, entered the highly popular TCR scene with thei30 N hatchback. The car proved successful in both the World Touring Car Cup and the U.S.-bound Blancpain GT World Challenge.

After taking the team’s title this season the TCR class, Bryan Herta Autosport will offer the i30 N TCR’s replacement, based on the Veloster N platform, next year as a turn-key option for aspiring privateers. What is more, Hyundai will back teams competing in both IMSA-sanctioned and USAC-sanctioned championships next year.

Subaru is one of the most revered names in rallying history and, along with archrival Mitsubishi, has been absent from top-level WRC competition for a decade. Now, however, Japanese sources point to a possible resurgence of the Subaru WRC program.

Subaru built its reputation in rallying over a relatively short period of time. the Subaru World Rally Team was formed in 1989 and was active for less than two decades from that point on. But, in those two decades, Subaru put forth some of the most amazing machines ever seen on the WRC scene and promoted some of the sport’s most beloved drivers with names like Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Petter Solberg immediately springing to mind.

Sadly, Subaru isn’t part of the WRC anymore, although a no-limit rally car based on the Impreza has been seen competing to this day, however, it’s mainly racing in Asia and the Rally U.S.A. series, not in Europe. This is all about to change if rumors regarding a return of the Subaru World Rally Team in 2020 turn out to be legitimate.

The Peugeot 205 T16 is the 347-horsepower all-wheel-drive beast from France that had both Lancia and Audi down on their knees in the second half of the Group B era. It was driven by the likes of Ari Vatanen, Bruno Saby, Timo Salonen, and Juha Kankkunen.

The 205 T16, with ‘T16’ standing for ‘Turbocharged 16’ since the car was fitted with a KKK turbocharger and a 16-valve cylinder head, is arguably a strange case in motorsport. As one of the most successful rally cars of the astonishing Group B era, it is criminally overlooked. People idolize the Audi Quattro for its innovative four-wheel-drive system or the Lancia 037 which was the last rear-wheel-drive car to win the WRC constructor’s title, but the 205 remains the unsung hero.

It only debuted in 1984, in the third season since the Group B rules came into effect. This first model was known as the Evolution 1 and lacked the flamboyant, but efficient, aerodynamic elements of the Evolution 2. Unlike your usual 205 GTI, for instance, the rally car had the engine in the middle, and it featured a changeable epicyclic gear train that was used to alter the amount of power sent to either axle.

Once surpassing the inherent issues that arise after debuting a brand-new car, the Peugeot Talbot Sport outfit, led by none other than the future general manager of the Ferrari F1 team, Jean Todt, crushed everyone in its path winning 13 rallies between 1985 and 1986.

The 908 HDI FAP was Peugeot’s first top-flight Le Mans prototype in over a decade and was designed to take on the might of Audi in sports car endurance racing on both sides of the Atlantic. It was a 750-horsepower diesel beast with over 850 pound-feet of torque that requires an army of men to run even today.

The mid-‘00s heralded the introduction of the LMP1 category at the top of the FIA/ACO prototype endurance racing ladder. This set of rules came in effect in 2004 as a replacement to the LMP900 rules, but older LMP900 machinery was to be grandfathered in Europe and the U.S. until 2006. The Peugeot 908, announced in 2005, debuted in 2007, one year later after Audi’s own diesel LMP1 car, and became the former’s biggest nemesis as the only other diesel prototype until the end of this era.

The 908, which changed quite a bit during its five-seasons-long racing career, was vastly quicker than the Audis almost anywhere, beating Team Joest and Audi Sport North-America both in the European Le Mans Series and the American Le Mans Series on numerous occasions. However, Le Mans glory was achieved only once, in 2009, when Peugeot Sport Total scored a historic 1-2 finish ahead of the brand-new Audi R15. Peugeot abruptly ended their involvement in global endurance racing before the kick-off of the new-for-2012 World Endurance Championship, although their hybrid 908 was already in testing and seemed to come together as a fine piece of kit.

Regardless, the French board decided that enough was enough and the P1 program was canned before the 908-HY could turn a wheel in anger. This led the way to Toyota’s hurried entry into the WEC midway through 2012, one year earlier than originally intended.

Now, let’s all take a short break from being eco-conscious and just enjoy the sight of this ludicrous 1937 Chevrolet pick-up truck which is one of the fastest diesel-powered trucks in the world. And yes, it has 3,000 pound-feet of torque.

If you drive a Honda Civic or a Chevrolet Volt you’re surely not going to enjoy the huge puffs of black, coal-like, smoke coming from this old school pick up known as ’The Outcast.’ Built by Tony Rizzi, this thing has upwards of 2,300-horsepower, and it revs all the way to 7,500 rpm. A diesel that revs to 7,500 rpm. Let that sink in.

A lot of innovations in real life have come from movies, like the flip phone that was derived from the first mobile communicator in Star Trek, for instance. The next big thing, that surprisingly took long too come, is an iron-man inspired suit. Richard Browning, the creator of this suit that allows you to take flight, and is powered by jet engines, said he would launch a new racing series over water next year featuring men and women from different sporting backgrounds.

The Subaru WRX STI Type RA Time Attackcar has been shredding records left and right since it burst into the scene and lit the Nurburgring up on its way to becoming the fastest four-door sedan to ever lap the Green Hell. Now, the one-off creation is at it again with a new record in its cap after laying the smack down on Romania’s iconic and super dangerous Transfăgărășan Pass. Three-time British Rally Champion Mark Higgins and co-driver Darren Garrod piloted the WRX STI Type RA Time Attack to its latest record-setting feat, completing the Pass in 40 minutes and 58.8 seconds.

It’s been too long since we last discussed the matter of Nurburgring records. This time, it’s big. Porsche claims to have re-taken the outright lap record for a production car on the fabled track located in the Eifel mountains. A GT2 RS prepared for the challenge by Manthey Racing is now the car to beat.

Porsche is crazy about records, as you might’ve noticed. They built a special 919 Hybrid prototype, known as the 919 Evo, just to showcase their engineering prowess, and to smash the then-lap record at the Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix track and the all-time Nordschleife lap record. Now, they’ve returned to the ’Green Hell’ to claim the fastest time for a production car, which had been in the hands of Lamborghini since earlier this year.

Read on to learn why this is a convoluted situation

Ken Block made headlines earlier this year when he unveiled a stunning Ford Escort Cosworth RS fully prepped for rallying. The American promptly rolled the Escort RS during the New England Forest Rally and, following the crash, the Ford burnt to a crisp. Now, Hoonigan Racing announced that a new Escort will carry Block and Gelsomino in 2019.

We all know that besides making those crazy Gymkhana videos, Ken Block is an out-and-out fan of proper rallying. That’s why the American never misses out on a chance to try his hand around some special stages, be it tarmac or gravel, or even snow. He’s participated in a number of WRC events over the years in top-of-the-line Ford and Subaru machinery, as well as competing in the Rally America championship.

Brock’s latest project was turning a classic Ford Escort Cosworth RS into a full-blown rally car as a tribute to the Group A-spec rally cars of the mid-to-late-’90s. His original Cossie was crashed during the New England Forest Rally, and it erupted in flames almost immediately. The car was destroyed, but Block and Gelsomino weren’t hurt. Now, they’re aiming to bounce back stronger than ever!

As far as modded cars at SEMA go, the Volkswagen Golf RLMS tuned up by APR seems to be one of the most amazing to appear in Las Vegas. The American tuner of everything Audi and Volkswagen took a year and a half to work on the Golf RLMS which evolved from the hot hatch into something you wouldn’t be afraid to put up against the Nissan GT-R R35. I am not joking. Based on the Golf R, this track-worthy Golf RLMS by APR takes a unique approach to hatchback tuning. An approach I am inclined to call - “let’s make the best freaking hot-hatch.”

They’ve done it - and with so well calculated modifications that turned the Golf R into something a true Volkswagen enthusiast may call the Golf R536. Obviously, this is like my throwback to the Golf R400 super-hatch that had been crafted in the concept guise, but did not reach the production. Dieselgate was to be blamed.

Nevertheless, the R400 may be the first thing to pop into my mind upon seeing this, but this modded Golf RLMS by APR is much more than that.

McLaren’s on an absolute monster roll. The British manufacturer barely let the dust rest on the newly-unveiled Speedtail and now they’ve released the first tidbits of information about the production version of the ludicrous Senna GTR, the track-only iteration of the already mind-boggling McLaren Senna.

We’ve just gotten over the rush caused by McLaren’s new 3-seater Speedtail model. Just as we’re rounding out talking about every inch of the Speedtail, McLaren kindly offers us more. Wait, what? Well, McLaren released today the first details on the McLaren Senna GTR which was first previewed via a flashy prototype at this year’s Geneva Auto Show.

That’s right, we now know a bit more about the car which will, as we can guess from a sketch you’re looking at, be slightly different to the Senna GTR concept. I’ll explain why that is down below so you should keep on reading if you want to find out what the GTR’s numbers are as well.

When Ken Block unleashed the original Hoonicorn back in 2014, we went just a little bit of crazy. And why not? With an all-carbon widebody paying homage to the ’65 Mustang, a race-spec AWD system, and 845 horsepower from a 410-cube race-spec V-8 with velocity stacks rising more than a foot out of the hood, it was pretty much the perfect machine for grabbing eyeballs on the Internet. Now, Block and the Hoonigan team have once again managed to one-up themselves. The latest is called the Hoonitruck, and it’s bigger, more powerful, and crazier than the original Hoonicorn.

Like the Hoonicorn, the Hoonitruck took about two years to build. This time around though, the machine is “based” on a 1977 Ford F-150. And by based, I mean the Hoonitruck employs the same general shape as the factory pickup. That’s it though, as everything else is custom-built to put on a tire-killing speed show. The Hoonitruck is now headed for a starring role in the tenth iteration of Block’s über-viral Gymkhana video series, but until then, read on for all the details on this wild new smoke factory.

Following a number of teasers in the run-up to the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas, the speed gurus from Mopar, FCA’s in-house performance group, pulled the sheets on a brand-new, utterly custom Dodge Charger concept car, and with it, a new crate engine that puts last year’s “Hellcrate” package to shame.

Chevrolet is previewing the COPO Camaro 50th Anniversary Special Edition package that it will offer from 2019 with an extreme racing version of it at the 2018 SEMA show. The 2019 COPO Camaro race car it revealed today marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the original COPO Camaro, which Jim Campbell, GM U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, said is “one of the most enduring legacies in drag racing, with a powerful past and fast future.”

The Honda Civic Type R TCR is a purpose-built racing car for the TCR formula. It is based on the FK7/8 Civic Type R and is built by JAS Motorsport. The car, with all of its 340-horsepower, won the inaugural TCR title in the Pirelli World Challenge this year with driver Ryan Eversley and team RealTime Racing.

Touring car racing has seen many sets of regulations come and go, some more successful than others. We all remember the glorious Group A touring cars such as the BMW M3 (E30) Sport Evolution, the Mercedes-Benz 190E AMG Evo II or the Nissan Skyline GT-R R32. Then there was the Super Touring formula which took the world by storm and became a truly global phenomena spawning regional series all across the globe, including North America where the North-American Touring Car Championship was held for two seasons.

Now, there’s a new platform that’s at the peak of its popularity. It’s called TCR, and it was conceived by Marcello Lotti, head of World Sporting Consulting, as a cost-effective option to the TC1 cars that were used in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC).

It ain’t easy being Ken Block. Sure, it looks like fun and games, what with a career as a professional race car driver, plus all kinds of extremely lucrative endorsement deals and one of the most viral brands on the face of the planet. But along with all those perks, Block must also one-up himself on an extremely regular basis. It all started with the Gymkhana series, with each successive video bringing the stunt driving insanity to an all-new level. Then came the builds, starting with the infamous Hoonicorn. Now, we’re getting a look at the latest wild creation from the Hoonigan team. It’s called the Hoonitruck, and as you probably expect, it’s every shade of over-the-top.

Things are getting pretty wild these days in the world of ultimate velocity record runs. The latest comes from the Bonneville Salt Flats World Finals, held earlier this month on October 2nd, in which the above-featured turbine-driven rail managed to eclipse the current world top speed record for a wheel-driven vehicle.

In racing and rallying alike the difference is made in the twisty bits. This time around, Team O’Neil Rally School teaches you what are the benefits of the traditional racing line through a corner, why you should also try late-apexing turns and why early apexes are a no-go.

Want to improve the way you drive on the track or more looser surfaces like those on a rally stage? Check out this video by Team O’Neil Rally School that teaches you all you need to know about negotiating turns. Once you improve your technique through the corners, you’ll start noticing your times tumble down pretty quickly on the track or if you tackle rally stages.

Keep reading to learn more.