Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo World Series Race Car

Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo World Series Race Car:

Posted on 05.16.2012 19:00 by Kirby Filed under: Maserati | coupe | race cars | car racing | sports cars | Maserati GranTurismo | Cars | Car Reviews | Maserati

A lot of high-performance automakers have taken to spec-racing to show off their pride and joy exotics without having to worry about any sort of regulations. Racing series like these allows these exotics to be on their unchained best.
One automaker that has taken this route is Maserati, which is in the process of beginning the third season of the Trofeo World Series. Similar to what sister company Ferrari does on the Challenge Series, the Trofeo World Series features a field of specially prepared versions of the GranTurismo coupe, which has been upgraded with a new aerodynamic bodykit that not only reduces its overall weight, but does so to make it more competitive and race-ready.
According to Maserati, the GranTurismo racers are far better than their 2011 counterparts, having showed its improved performance in test sessions: 2.5 seconds a lap faster than the 2011 models.
All the cars that will compete in the Trofeo World Series have been made track-ready by a dedicated team of technicians, ensuring that all the drivers competing will be racing one a one-spec racing field.
Another new wrinkle for the 2012 Trofeo World Series is the inclusion of new legs in the calendar, including the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California and the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China, among others.
Anybody looking to bring the heat in the Trofeo series will need to pay €110,000 (about $140,117 at the current rates), excluding the race entry and test fees. For the four European stages, the price of admission is €70,000 (About $89,166 at the current rates), excluding fees, while private teams who want to bring their own cars will need to pay €35,000, excluding fees, for the entire championship and €25,000 (about $44,583 at the current rates), excluding fees, for the European legs only.

gallery: 2013 Maserati Granturismo Sport

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Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo World Series Race Car originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 16 May 2012 19:00 EST.

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Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT & Lamborghini Diablo vs Strongman

Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT & Lamborghini Diablo vs Strongman:

Posted on 05.17.2012 02:00 by Brad Anderson Filed under: Lamborghini | coupe | Supercars / Exotic cars | funny | video | Lamborghini Diablo | Cars | Car News

Over the years, we’ve seen almost every match-up conceivable to test both abilities of man and machine, until we stumbled upon the following video. Cars have shown themselves against other cars for years, and even a variety of motorcycles, but before now, we’d never seen a Lamborghini pitted against a strongman.
As a part of the 2009 World’s Strongest Man competition, one of the incredibly fierce competitors was put behind a Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT race car and had to hold it back for as long as possible, eventually holding the Diablo back for 6 seconds. However, before the game could get underway in earnest, the clutch of the R-GT broke and throughout the first half of the video, you’ll notice that the Murci is simply revving rather than pulling the man and utilizing all of its torque, so instead a Lamborghini Diablo racer was called in to get the job done.
The clock started when the famous supercar began to burn up its rear tires in a valiant effort to pull the strongman off his feet but it failed to do so until he let go at the 6 second mark. The occurrence of the wheels spinning may look extremely impressive, but the vast majority of the cars power and torque are lost during this spectacle and it would be a better representation of the car’s ability if it were all-wheel-drive and could access all the necessary power.
Nevertheless, it’s an incredible effort to hold back a car packing in excess of 500 horsepower for upwards of 5 seconds, and something you’re never likely to see in real life, so check out the video!

gallery: 2004 Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT

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gallery: 2001 Lamborghini Diablo SV 6.0

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Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT & Lamborghini Diablo vs Strongman originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 17 May 2012 02:00 EST.

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Skoda Citigo Rally Concept

Skoda Citigo Rally Concept:

Posted on 05.17.2012 03:00 by Kirby Filed under: Skoda | prototype | race cars | concept cars | rally cars | hatchback | Cars | Car Reviews | Skoda

Volkswagen-owned Skoda doesn’t get nearly the credit it deserves. Maybe it’s because under the VW umbrella, there are a lot more high-profile brands to choose from.
Nevertheless, the Czech automaker is still worthy of our attention, now more than ever, actually, considering they’re bringing a pretty radical rally car concept to the 2012 Worthersee show.
The vehicle, called the Citigo Rally Concept, is based on the three-door Citigo hatchback. As a rally designed vehicle, the Citigo Rally Concept comes with its fair share of rally-spec modifications, including a ventilated hood, an aggressive front bumper, extended side skirts, a huge rear spoiler, a center-mounted exhaust system, and last but certainly not least, a new set of 18" wheels with low-profile tires.
Performance modifications are also expected to be part of the Citigo Rally Concept’s overall make-up. Skoda has yet to provide information on what kind of powertrain it’s going to have, but rest assured, we’ll be ready to provide all the necessary updates when the information becomes available.

Skoda Citigo Rally Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 17 May 2012 03:00 EST.

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Mini Coupé Cooper S

Mini Coupé Cooper S:
Mini blijft een van de grootste wonderen van de huidige autowereld. Knap hoe BMW zo’n grote naam succesvol opnieuw in de markt heeft gezet. Maar elke autofabrikant wil altijd meer. Dus kwamen er variaties op het Mini-thema. Nu is er de Coupé.

Audi goes on a trademarking frenzy: Q6, Q8, R6, S2, S9, RS1, and RS8

Audi goes on a trademarking frenzy: Q6, Q8, R6, S2, S9, RS1, and RS8:

Posted on 05.11.2012 17:00 by dennis bodrij Filed under: Audi | industry news | luxury cars | Audi RS6 | future cars | Audi Q6 | Audi RS1 | Audi Q8 | Audi S2 | Audi S9 | Audi RS8 | Cars | Car News

Audi is dead set on hitting their goal of 1.5 million annual sales and expanding in markets like China, Germany, and the United States by 2015. In order to achieve this, its lineup needs to stay fresh, so Audi has gone trademark crazy with Q6, Q8, R6, S2, S9, RS1, and RS8 names getting snagged.
As you can see, some of these name are rather familiar, like the Q6, RS1, and RS8. The other four names are completely new; we’ve never even heard rumors about them. Speculatively speaking, the S2 will be a sportier version of the upcoming A2, and the S9 name gives us hope for an A9 in the near future. As for the R6, it is believed to be the company’s new sports car that will be placed under the current R8. This vehicle was previously rumored to be called either the R4 or R5. Only time will tell if any one of these names will stick.
As for the Q8, it will be an SUV placed above the current Q7. It is set to become the largest and most luxurious SUV Audi has ever offered.

Audi goes on a trademarking frenzy: Q6, Q8, R6, S2, S9, RS1, and RS8 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 11 May 2012 17:00 EST.

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Automotive Legend Carroll Shelby dies at 89

Automotive Legend Carroll Shelby dies at 89:

Posted on 05.11.2012 19:30 by dennis bodrij Filed under: Ford Shelby | Celebrity Cars | Ford Mustang Shelby | history | Cars | Car News

Every automotive enthusiast has heard about Carroll Shelby and knows about his huge contribution to the automotive industry. He began his racing career as an amateur, and in 1959, won Europe’s prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1962, he tested his first Ford-powered AC 260 Roadster – the car that would become the Shelby Cobra. This was the beginning of his extremely impressive career, but unfortunately, on May 10, 2012, this legend died at the age of 89.
"Today, we have lost a legend in Ford Motor Company’s history, and my family and I have lost a dear friend. Carroll Shelby is one of the most recognized names in performance car history, and he’s been successful at everything he’s done. Whether helping Ford dominate the 1960s racing scene or building some of the most famous Mustangs, his enthusiasm and passion for great automobiles over six decades has truly inspired everyone who worked with him. He was a great innovator whose legend at Ford never will be forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends," said Edsel B. Ford II, member of the Board of Directors of Ford Motor Company and great-grandson of Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company.
RIP Carroll Shelby. The automotive industry has lost an inspiration and will surely miss you.
Hit the jump to read more about key moments in the history of Carroll Shelby.

Automotive Legend Carroll Shelby dies at 89 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 11 May 2012 19:30 EST.

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Pagani Zonda 760 RS

Up until this point, we’ve only been able to show you a couple of low-quality teasers of the Pagani Zonda 760 RS, a car which defines what a supercar should be all about as it’s the most powerful car ever produced up until now. However, today we have something very, very special for you.
Not only have a few incredible pictures of the car been officially released, Pagani owner and Evo Magazine owner Harry Metcalfe was lucky enough to drive this one-off piece of automotive art on some incredible Italian country roads.
The video is yet another one of the Evo Diaries series and is undoubtedly the most exquisite one they have ever done. The test begins off with Harry following the 760 RS in one of just a couple Zonda prototypes, which has evolved since the very first 6.0-liter V-12 up until its current 7.3-liter spec very similar to the unit fitted to the Cinque.
Despite the incredible prototype being extremely unique by itself, the 760 RS is something else entirely. Harry confirms that it cost the Chilean owner 1.6 million pounds or the equivalent of $2.5 ‘Benjamins.’ Nope, your eyes are not tricking you, that is in fact twice the price of the Huayra, and Metcalfe points out that the 760 RS is a very similar car to the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, while the Huayra could be considered as an extreme 911 Turbo.
Metcalfe goes on to confirm in the final seconds of the video that Lewis Hamilton did in fact purchase a 760 dubbed the ‘760 LH’ just like we reported, so hopefully some photos of that will be released in due course.

Evo's Harry Metcalfe drives the stunning Pagani Zonda 760 RS originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 12 May 2012 06:00 EST.

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