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Mazda 787B restored, returning to Le Mans for 20th anniversary of win

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Mazda

Mazda 787B restored and returning to Le Mans

Mazda 787B restored and returning to Le Mans – Click above for high-res image gallery

In 1991, Mazda became the first and to this day only Japanese automaker to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans using the 787B you see above. It was also the first and only rotary-powered car to ever win the grueling French endurance race.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of that Le Mans win, and to celebrate that victory, Mazda has restored the original winning 787B and been invited by the event organizers to drive it on the Circuit de la Sarth just a few hours before this year’s 79th running of the race.

The 787B is powered by a four-rotor rotary engine producing 700 horsepower, though it was said to be capable of a maximum power output of 900 hp. Even after 20 years, it could probably keep up with today’s crop of Le Mans prototype cars.

We don’t know yet who will be driving the 787B on June 11, but the man who drove the car across the finish line 20 years earlier, Johnny Herbert, will be on hand, and we’re sure he’d be happy to help out if asked.

Check out the amazing gallery of the Mazda team testing the 787B after its recent restoration, and follow the jump for two amazing audio clips of its engine.

Continue reading Mazda 787B restored, returning to Le Mans for 20th anniversary of win

Mazda 787B restored, returning to Le Mans for 20th anniversary of win originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intercontinental Le Mans Cup hits Spa-Francorchamps [spoilers]

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi, Peugeot, Racing

Intercontental Le Mans at Spa-Francorchamps

The second round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup took place in Belgium, and even though the Audi R18 took to the starting line for the first time, Peugeot was able to take the top two spots on the podium after six hours of racing.

Interestingly, the qualifying results were the opposite of the race results: Audi racers occupied the first three positions on the grid, and although a Peugeot 908 was in fourth, it wasn’t a team car, it was that of the Oreca squad. Due to an incident-strewn and red-flagged qualifying session, the first Peugeot Sport Total car was back in 13th, the second was in 18th, and the third wasn’t even classified and started at the back of the grid.

In the race, however, it was Audi’s turn for bad juju. The pole-sitting car spun at the first corner on the first lap, one of the drivers accidentally hit the pit-lane speed limiter button during the race, unscheduled stops for new tires and collisions ate away at their positions. Come the checkered flag, team Audi rallied to take third, fourth, and fifth positions, but first and second went to The Lions – that second-place car being the one that started at the back of the grid.

Even with the copious amounts of shenanigans pre-race and in-race, the results aren’t totally surprising: Peugeot has a knack for emerging victorious at Spa – this was the team’s fifth consecutive win in the Ardennes. Have a look at some of the action in the high-res gallery below.

Intercontinental Le Mans Cup hits Spa-Francorchamps [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi R18 TDI debuts in full race livery for ahead of Le Mans

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Audi, Diesel, Racing

Audi R18 TDI in full livery testing at Paul Ricard – Click above for high-res image gallery

The domination of racing teams and the factories that support them wax and wane across countless motorsports disciplines around the world from year to year. But arguably none has continued to dominate like Audi at Le Mans. Since the turn of the millennium, Audi has won the iconic French endurance race every year but two: In 2003 when its own sister company Bentley took top honors, and in 2009, when its chief rival, Peugeot took the win.

Audi has introduced a succession of sports prototype racers to uphold its honor, from the original R8 through the R10 TDI and the R15 TDI that won last year. The latest is the closed-cockpit R18 TDI, which the German automaker has yet to field in an actual race but which has now undergone its first test sessions in the full battle livery you see here.

The trio of silver and black racers will again be differentiated by the red, yellow and black highlights, and feature a number of body parts crafted from carbon fiber, giving the R18 TDI a lightweight form on which Audi is banking to fend off Peugeot, which started off the season strong by defeating the outgoing R15 at Sebring.

Will the new R18 prove capable of shutting out its French rivals for the title event at Le Mans this coming June? We’ll have to wait and see, but with the preliminary test sessions at the Circuit de la Sarthe reinstituted this past weekend after a two-year absence, the Audis were on top of the time sheets, the Peugeots only narrowly beating out the third of them. Follow the jump for press releases from the Paul Ricard and La Sarthe test sessions and take a closer look in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Audi R18 TDI (final livery)

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi R18 TDI debuts in full race livery for ahead of Le Mans

Audi R18 TDI debuts in full race livery for ahead of Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Le Mans Series pace car mistake causes pileup [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Videos, Audi

2011 Le Castellet 6-Hour crash

2011 Le Castellet 6-Hours crash – Click above to view video after the jump

The inaugural race of the 2011 Le Mans Series, Le Castellet 6-Hours, got off to a nasty beginning today, with a mistake by the pit car causing a huge pileup in the GT field. Thanks to a hump in the back stretch of the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit, cars at the back of the pack can’t see the front of the field, just the green light telling them to go.

At the start of Le Castellet, the lights turned green, but the pace car didn’t leave the track. Fortunately for the Audi pace car driver, the prototype field saw his mistake and slowed down abruptly.

Those in GT, thinking the race was still green, crested the rise to be met with much slower traffic. The resulting panic stops led to pandemonium, which left at least one Farnbacher-Loles Porsche out of commission before the race even got started. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: Axis of Oversteer via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Le Mans Series pace car mistake causes pileup [w/video]

Le Mans Series pace car mistake causes pileup [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2011: Peugeot 908 Hybrid4 looks ready for Le Mans

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Peugeot, Diesel, Racing

Peugeot 908 Hybrid4 - Geneva reveal

2011 Peugeot 908 Hybrid4 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Peugeot is looking for ways to add an environmentally-conscious side to its endurance racing efforts of late, and brought yet another one of its ideas to this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The Peugeot 908 Hybrid4 uses hybrid diesel technology to help it not only burn cleaner, but stay on track longer than a standard LeMans entry.

Like most hybrid racers, the electric motor on board the 908 uses regenerative braking to store up power for an electric motor than can be used for short squirts of 80 hp when the driver needs it. The diesel engine is a 3.7-liter, 550-horsepower V8, backed up by a six-speed sequential gearbox.

The 908 Hybrid4 doesn’t make its track debut until the end of this month, so an actual racing season is pretty much out for 2011. Instead, Peugeot says it’s hoping to have the car ready for the first official pre-LeMans test in June. Of course, that will all depend on how well the 908 Hybrid4’s first track outing goes.

Gallery: Peugeot 908 Hybrid4: Geneva 2011

Gallery: 2011 Peugeot 908 HYbrid4

2011 Peugeot HYbrid4 side 2011 Peugeot HYbrid4 top

[Source: Peugeot]

Continue reading Geneva 2011: Peugeot 908 Hybrid4 looks ready for Le Mans

Geneva 2011: Peugeot 908 Hybrid4 looks ready for Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan announces return to Le Mans with Signature LMP2

Filed under: Motorsports, Nissan, Racing

Signature Nissan LMP2

Signature Nissan LMP2 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Could this be the first encouraging sign of Japanese automakers returning for international motor racing? The past few years saw such giants as Toyota and Honda pulling out of Formula One and Subaru withdrawing from the World Rally Championship – their places taken up by rivals from outside Japan and independent privateer teams. But now Nissan has announced plans to return to Le Mans and its associated series with a new LMP2 program.

The effort involves Nissan providing Nismo-tuned VK45V8 engines to Signature. The French racing team will be running the engines in an LMP2 prototype in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, including the headline 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as Sebring. Although the driver lineup isn’t due to be announced for a few weeks yet, the team has already retained Formula 3 driver Franck Mailleux for the job.

Nissan and Signature aim to finish at Le Mans and hopefully score a podium finish sometime during the season. To check out the computer renderings of the car with which they hope to do so, click the thumbnails below to skip to our high-resolution image gallery, and scope out the official announcement after the jump.

Gallery: Signature Nissan LMP2

[Source: Nissan]

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Nissan announces return to Le Mans with Signature LMP2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mad Men go racing: Ridley & Tony Scott developing Le Mans period drama

Filed under: Etc.

Le Mans the film

Everybody loves Mad Men. It’s a hit TV show that has something for everyone. Heck, it even features some nice old cars, like the pimpin’ Lincoln that Betty Draper inherited from her father, and discussions around the office on marketing import cars for the first time in America. But what the series really needs – well, what we really need, anyway – is some good ol’ classic racing action. Enter Hollywood producers Ridley and Tony Scott.

The British brothers’ production company Scott Free just signed on to a project called The Drivers. It’s based on Wallace A. Wyss’ book “Shelby: The Man, the Cars, the Legend,” which was optioned for the screen and is reportedly being turned into a television drama.

The series is set to follow the daring drivers from the U.S. and Europe who raced the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1950s and 1960s – one of the most exciting periods in racing history with plenty of material to draw on. There’s no telling at this point when the project will begin filming, let alone air, but the notion of a Mad Men-style show set at La Sarthe has got our TiVos twitching already. Thanks for the tip, Peter!

[Source: Deadline.com]

Mad Men go racing: Ridley & Tony Scott developing Le Mans period drama originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Barrett-Jackson: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 *UPDATE: W/Video

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Chevrolet, GM, Racing

2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 at Barrett-Jackson 2011

2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 at Barrett-Jackson 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Chevrolet certainly has created a few limited-edition vehicles in its time, and you can add this 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 to that list. How limited is it exactly? The VIN plate reads #001… of one.

Built to celebrate 50 years of Corvettes racing at Le Mans, this special Z06 wears special door numbers, a 50th Anniversary seal on the B-pillar, Brembo carbon ceramic brakes and massive 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. Under the hood sits a 7.0-liter LS7 engine producing 550 horsepower, which is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Inside, the car bears the signatures of both Dick Thompson and Dick Guldstrand.

All proceeds from the sale of this one-off Vette will go to the National Corvette Museum. Check out the official auction page at Barrett-Jackson and watch Speed’s live online coverage here.

*Update: Video of the Corvette crossing the block is available after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 at Barrett-Jackson 2011

2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 at Barrett-Jackson 2011

Continue reading 2011 Barrett-Jackson: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 *UPDATE: W/Video

2011 Barrett-Jackson: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Le Mans Racing Z06 *UPDATE: W/Video originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi R18 Le Mans prototype unveiled with full roof, epic LEDs

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Audi, Racing

Audi R18 LMP1

Audi R18 LMP1 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Right on schedule, Audi has pulled the sheets off its next-generation Le Mans prototype. As had been rumored before the unveil, the R18 has abandoned the open-top design of its forefathers – the R8, R10 and R15 Plus – for a closed canopy to improve aerodynamics and reduce driver fatigue. The company hasn’t worked with a clamshell since 1999, and we’re guessing is has more than a little to do with Peugeot’s 2009 Le Mans win. That victory is the only wrinkle in the Audi’s domination of the world’s most difficult motorsports race, and it’s no small coincidence that work on the R18 began in mid 2009.

The R18 gets its grunt from a 3.7-liter TDI V6 engine, and while Audi isn’t saying exactly how much horsepower or torque the oil-burner produces, we have to guess that the figures are nothing to sneeze at. Behind the engine is a new six-speed transmission, though the innovations aren’t simply chained to the drivetrain. Audi used a single-piece construction carbon fiber monocoque to keep weight down and increase stiffness, and those epic all-LED headlights are the first make their way to Le Mans.

While Audi is planning to campaign a total of three R18 racers at the 2011 Le Mans race this summer, the vehicle’s first appearance will be at the six hours of Spa on April 24. Click past the jump to see the full press release.

Gallery: 2011 Audi R18 LMP1

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi R18 Le Mans prototype unveiled with full roof, epic LEDs

Audi R18 Le Mans prototype unveiled with full roof, epic LEDs originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus to expand involvement in Indy, GP2, GP3, GT and Le Mans racing

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus

To say that Lotus has its hands full would be a gross understatement. In addition to the five new concept cars which the British automaker and engineering firm unveiled in Paris this year, Lotus is also expanding its racing programs in a big way. The House that Colin Built expressed its intentions to do so nearly a year ago, but as with the complete revamp of its entire product range, we didn’t expect anything quite this drastic. Looks like we ought to be listening when the folks at Lotus speak.

In addition to the controversial licensing partnership that led to the marque’s return to Formula One, Lotus has announced a whole slew of racing programs upon which it is embarking on in the near future. First up is the expansion of its Indy racing team – operated in partnership with former Champ Car chief Kevin Kalkhoven’s KV Racing – from one car to two. Cosworth will undoubtedly be dropped from the effort as the F1 team switches to Renault power (the team also announcing a partnership with Red Bull Racing to use its gearboxes and other technologies for next season), and Lotus will be developing its own aerodynamics package on the new adaptable chassis that takes to the grid in 2012.

Moving beyond, Lotus is also teaming up with ART Grand Prix – champions of several single-seater feeder series – in both the GP2 and GP3 championships. (Lotus F1 chief Tony Fernandez meanwhile announced the launch of his own GP2 team running under the Air Asia banner.)

Not enough? Lotus isn’t stopping there. Based on the enthusiasm garnered by the Evora GT4, Lotus is working on both GT3 and GT2 versions of the car, as well as a GT2 racer based on the new generation of vehicles displayed in Paris, though they aren’t saying which one just yet. (That may be largely a marketing decision though, as the vehicles share a common architecture.) Last but not least, Lotus is also crafting a purpose-built, closed-cockpit Le Mans Prototype conforming to the ACO’s LMP2 formula. That’s a whole lot of racing goin’ on, and there’s yet more to read about in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Lotus]

Continue reading Lotus to expand involvement in Indy, GP2, GP3, GT and Le Mans racing

Lotus to expand involvement in Indy, GP2, GP3, GT and Le Mans racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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