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McLaren MP4-12C GT3 takes to the track for testing, tuning, titillation

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, MISC, Racing

mclaren mp4-12c gt3

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 hits the racetrack – Click above to watch video after the jump

McLaren is clearly excited to test the racing version of its MP4-12C supercar. Called the MP4-12C GT3, this track-focused racer is equipped to do battle in the 2011 and 2012 GT3 championship series, and McLaren has just released a slew of videos that show off the car from all angles. This thing is perfectly equipped to make beautiful noises and hug the road like a tween meeting Justin Bieber.

One example of the GT3 will make its debut this year, however, McLaren reports that 20 cars are being prepared for the 2012 season. McLaren is also planning to bring the MP4-12C GT3 to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. In the meantime, you can click past the jump for a handful of videos showing the car in action.

Continue reading McLaren MP4-12C GT3 takes to the track for testing, tuning, titillation

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 takes to the track for testing, tuning, titillation originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 May 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 takes to the track

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Porsche

porsche 911 gt3 rs 4.0 on the Porsche development test track

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 – Click above to watch the video after the jump

The 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 certainly has the stats of a kick-ass track car. Who can argue with a naturally aspirated, 4.0-liter flat-six with 500 horsepower, an 8,250 rpm redline and a Nürburgring time of 7:27? Just as exciting is the fact that the GT3 RS 4.0 weighs only 2,998 pounds soaking wet, thanks to a host of weight-saving measures like light-weight carpet and scads of carbon fiber. And when was the last time you saw a street-legal production car with front dive plates for added down-force?

You know what else we like? Video of the GT3 RS 4.0 on the track. After the jump is video of the 997 911’s final iteration tearing up the Porsche development test track in Germany. While you’re watching, you can also learn more about the 4.0 from Porsche GT boss Andreas Preuninger. It’s too bad that we’re only $184,948 short of the GT3 RS 4.0’s starting price of $185k, because we’d sure like to be one of the 600 owners to have this 911 in our long-term garage. Hit the jump to enjoy the sights and sounds.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 takes to the track

Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 takes to the track originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Enough with the leaks and speculation. Here it is. The 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0. The ultimate naturally aspirated 911 and the 997’s motorsports-infused swan-song.

As the name would suggest, this latest limited-edition 911 packs a 4.0-liter flat-six derived from the 911 GT3 RSR racer, complete with forged pistons, titanium connecting rods and a crankshaft pulled directly from its track-bred descendent. The result is the most powerful NA 911 to date, with 500 horsepower peaking at 8,250 rpm and maximum torque – 339 pound-feet – coming in at 5,750 rpm.

That massive engine partnered with a host of lightweight kit (carbon fiber buckets, front fenders, luggage compartment lid and “weight-optimized” carpets) allows the 2,998-pound (wet, mind) GT3 RS 4.0 to run to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, crack 124 mph in less than 12 seconds and top out at 193 mph.

A six-speed manual is the only gearbox available and the Carrara (their spelling) White paint comes standard, along with central twin exhausts, massive rear wing and the first production application of air deflection vanes on both sides of the front bumper (dubbed “flics”) to improve stability and exert an extra 426 pounds of downforce at speed.

And before you ask, the RS 4.0 ran the Nürburgring in 7 minutes and 27 seconds, putting it in contention for one of the fastest production cars ever run around the Nordschleife.

If you’ve got $185,000 laying around in your hedge fund, get your orders in now. Only 600 will be produced when sales begin later this year. Full details in the press blast after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

Continue reading Officially Official: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

Officially Official: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bentley Continental Supersports ISR goes all GT3 with factory graphics package

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Bentley, Luxury

Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible ISR Mulliner

Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible ISR Mulliner – Click above for high-res image gallery

Some cars look alright with decals. A Porsche 911 GT3 RS almost looks naked without them. But a Bentley? The Continental Supersports Convertible (don’t ask us why it had to be a convertible) that four-time rally champion Juha Kankkunen drove to a record 205.48 miles per hour in Finland was adorned with more stickers than a first-grader’s lunchbox. Fortunately, the special edition commemorative model that followed was decidedly bereft of such livery. But now Bentley’s offering something in between with a new appearance package.

The ISR Mulliner package adds red-accented wheels and a red stripe with the words “Supersports ISR” running down the car’s flanks in a somewhat retro Porsche style. Which is fine, now that Porsche and Bentley are becoming sister brands under the Volkswagen Group umbrella. But we can’t help but feel that Bentley’s new CEO, Wolfgang Dürheimer, who came to the job from his position as head of Porsche’s R&D department, should have left this particular element behind in Stuttgart. Follow the jump for the full press release and scope out the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible ISR Mulliner

[Source: Bentley]

Continue reading Bentley Continental Supersports ISR goes all GT3 with factory graphics package

Bentley Continental Supersports ISR goes all GT3 with factory graphics package originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid is easy to Like

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupe, Hybrid, Marketing/Advertising, Porsche

Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

To commemorate its social media milestone of surpassing one million fans on Facebook (its fan page is currently at 1,502,860 members), Porsche has created this special edition of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid complete with the signatures of over 27,000 Porsche fans. The car makes its North American debut this week at the New York Auto Show before it goes on display inside the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

Porsche’s hybrid racer packs 480 horsepower from its 4.0-liter flat-six engine and is matched with two 80-hp electric motors. The German automaker recently tested the hybrid system’s capability during the 2010 24 Hours of Nürburgring, and Porsche firmly believes that hybrid performance cars like this foreshadow the future of racing.

Gallery: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid: New York 2011

New York 2011: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid is easy to Like originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 Limited Edition leaked online?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Rumormill

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and GT3 RS

Bridging the gap between Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and GT3 RS – Click above for high-res image gallery

Rumors of a more powerful, special edition Porsche 911 GT3 RS have been circulating for months, and now the spec sheet has purportedly been leaked online. The order form is ostensibly for what’s being dubbed the GT3 RS 4.0, packing a bored-out flat-six with 500 horsepower – a 200cc increase in displacement and 50 horses more than the existing GT3 RS, which itself already packs 15 more ponies than the standard GT3.

The price sheet also lists a €150,000 sticker before tax (equivalent to $217k), or €190,000 with a 20-percent value-added tax attached, and details options like a nav system, ceramic brakes and a nose-lift apparatus. The sheet was posted on the Teamspeed forum, but while the intrepid poster claims its authenticity, a debate is raging over its potential falsification, pointing out, for example, certain discrepancies (such as the 2011 model year instead of 2012, output listed in BHP instead of Porsche’s usual PS, and “breaks” instead of “brakes”) that have raised doubts.

Whether the spec sheet is authentic or not, we should be finding out soon enough, so stay tuned and watch this space for more.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

[Source: Teamspeed.com]

Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 Limited Edition leaked online? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari 458 Challenge and GT3 racers debut at Monza [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Europe, Videos, Ferrari, Racing

Ferrari 458 Italia GT3

Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

There’s no shortage of race tracks in Italy and around the world that are commonly associated with Ferrari. The factory has its own Fiorano circuit on premises, and the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola – former host of the San Marino Grand Prix – is just fifty miles away. But the spiritual home of the Tifosi, Ferrari’s legions of fans, is at Monza. A fitting location, then, to launch the latest Ferrari sports racers.

This past weekend, Monza hosted a number of production-based races including the first rounds of both the European and Italian leagues of the Ferrari Challenge series. After launching the new 458 Challenge spec racer at the Bologna Motor Show several months ago, this was the first time the car was actually being raced. And what would you know, it actually won its first outing! (Okay, it is a spec racing series, but the new 458 Italia racers did beat out the older F430 models that are still being used by some teams.)

The Challenge, however, wasn’t the only version of the 458 that made its debut this past weekend at Monza. So did the 458 Italia GT3, which slots in between the GT2-spec 458 GTC and the aforementioned Challenge racer. The GT3 car was prepared by Michelotto Automobili – the same factory-endorsed racing garage responsible for countless racing Ferraris as well as the development of the 288 GTO and F40 – and campaigned by AF Corse in two races of the GT Sprint International Series that supports the Superstars touring car series, where it finished second and third overall on its race debuts – second only to the F430 GTC it replaces.

Want to see what it’s like to lap Monza in a 458 racer? To coincide with the launch of the new machinery, Ferrari has released on-board video footage of the 458 Challenge with Stefano Gai, the defending champion who dominated this weekend’s national series race from start to finish. Follow the jump to watch and check out the pair of press releases.

Gallery: Ferrari 458 Challenge

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari 458 Challenge and GT3 racers debut at Monza [w/video]

Ferrari 458 Challenge and GT3 racers debut at Monza [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW Z4 GT3 undergoes first round of customer tests

Filed under: Motorsports, Convertible, Europe, BMW, Racing

2011 BMW Z4 GT3

2011 BMW Z4 GT3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2011 BMW Z4 GT3 proved it can win races back in January when it took the overall victory at the Dubai 24 Hours. Never one to rest on its laurels, BMW took the car from the winners circle in Dubai and put it right back on a test track. After a good beating throughout March, BMW made aerodynamic and electronic tweaks to get the racer into absolute state-of-the-art shape for customer entries in 2011 GT3 competition.

The BMW Z4 GT3 resembles its production cousin in name and basic shape only. Most of its body panels have been significantly altered to keep the car slipping through the air and bolted to the road.

Under the hood, the production Z’s six-cylinder heart has been ripped out and replaced with the same 4.4-liter V8 that sees duty in the M3. The V8 feeds power to the ground through a six-speed paddle-shifted sequential manual. Stuffing all that engineering know-how into the Z4 GT3 isn’t cheap, either; the car retails at just north of $450,000. Full press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 BMW Z4 GT3

2011 BMW Z4 GT3

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW Z4 GT3 undergoes first round of customer tests

BMW Z4 GT3 undergoes first round of customer tests originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: An in-depth look into the Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Europe, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Racing

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 – Click above to view video after the jump

Mercedes-Benz showed off the 2011 SLS AMG GT3 at this year’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, giving the well-heeled a first look at Benz’s latest big boy toy. Ever the gracious blue-bloods, Merc made a high-def video detailing the car for us peons who couldn’t make the show.

For the GT3 SLS, Mercedes took a break from its usual conservatism and got all liberal with the carbon fiber, crafting the seat, safety cell, much of the bodywork and the splitter, diffuser and rear wing out of the black stuff.

The car also gets an air jack system and 19-inch centerlock wheels to help make it GT3 competitive. The best part of the video, though, is the sound of the SLS GT3’s raucous, 563-horsepower V8 barking through unsilenced side pipes. Click past the jump to check it out.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: An in-depth look into the Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3

Video: An in-depth look into the Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: McLaren takes first MP4-12C GT3 out for Silverstone test

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Videos, MISC, Racing

mclaren mp4-12c gt3

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 takes to the track – Click above to watch video after the jump

McLaren has just unveiled the racing version of its all-new street-fighting MP4-12C. The McLaren MP4-12C GT3 has been out running England’s Silverstone circuit with new test driver Álvaro Parente at the wheel. The race-version of McLaren’s new coupe is nearly four inches wider than the street version. It also features completely reworked suspension, which was first tested on McLaren’s in-house simulator.

Power is provided by the same 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 found in the standard MP4-12C. However, in GT3 guise, the setup has been tuned for the track. A paddle-shifted Ricardo-designed transmission takes the place of the seven-speed unit found in the street car. Upgraded brakes have also been fitted to this race-prepped McLaren.

Beyond the mechanical changes, the MP4-12C GT3 gets aero-upgrades in the form of a front-splitter, fixed rear wing, additional door intake blade and new rear diffuser. Click past the jump to see all of these upgrades in action, as the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 is put through the paces at Silverstone. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

Gallery: McLaren MP4-12C GT3

McLaren MP4-12C GT3

[Source: McLaren]

Continue reading Video: McLaren takes first MP4-12C GT3 out for Silverstone test

Video: McLaren takes first MP4-12C GT3 out for Silverstone test originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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