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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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Spy Shots: Ford Focus ST caught cold-weather testing and track tuning

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchback, Ford

spy photos ford focus st

Spy Shots: Ford Focus ST test mule – Click above for high-res image gallery

We saw the 2012 Ford Focus ST in the flesh at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, but at the time, the hot-hatch unveiled to the waiting press was merely a close-to-the-real-thing concept version. The production Focus ST should be arriving at an auto show in the near future. Apparently it’s not quite ready, however, because our spy photographers managed to capture Ford engineers working over a mule-bodied example, both at the track and in the snow.

It may appear to be a standard Focus from the outside – note the standard front fascia instead of the show car’s more aggressive look – but a closer inspection reveals a few unique touches first seen on the concept. For instance, a centrally mounted exhaust outlet at the rear expels emissions from the 2.0-liter EcoBoost unit lurking under the hood. Speaking of which, power is expected to be up around 250 horsepower, and the engine will be paired with a six-speed manual transmission.

We hope to see the 2012 Focus ST hitting dealer showrooms by the end of 2011. We also hope to score some seat time before that happens. Until then, we’ll just stare at the spy photos in the gallery below, and dream about the sporty action going on under the suspiciously plain wrapper.

Gallery: Spy Photos: Ford Focus ST

Spy Photos: Ford Focus ST

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Ford Focus ST caught cold-weather testing and track tuning originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Next-gen Ford Mondeo spotted testing

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Ford, Design/Style

Spy Shots: Next-Generation Ford Mondeo

Next-gen Ford Mondeo spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford is hard at work on the next generation of its Mondeo mid-size sedan. Spy photographers caught a snow and camo-covered version of the new mid-size sedan as it waits to be shuttled to its next testing location. The car shows hints of adhering to Ford’s Kinetic design language, and we expect the front-end to – ahem – focus in on that style.

The next Mondeo will serve as a true global vehicle like its smaller Fiesta and Focus siblings. Lincoln and Ford will use the upcoming Mondeo as the guts beneath both the Fusion and MKZ skin. Rumor has it that this future Mondeo will also be offered as a wagon and four-door fancy-coupe, as well.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Next-Generation Ford Mondeo

Spy Shots: Next-Generation Ford Mondeo

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Next-gen Ford Mondeo spotted testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford details its rigorous pothole testing techniques

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Europe, Hatchback, Ford

2012 Ford Focus

Ford suspension testing – Click above for high-res image gallery

Despite increased government expenditures in England to fix the country’s potholes, Ford is eager to prove it still rigorously tests its cars for their ability to withstand big pavement gaps. According to Ford, its cars go through thousands of miles of tests across two proving grounds to make sure they won’t sustain damage when presented with uneven surfaces.

The Lommel Proving Ground in Belgium goes as far as to include an inch-by-inch recreation of a notoriously porous English road. More abusive road surfaces are simulated at Ford’s Dunton Proving Ground in Essex, England. Ford says that between the two test facilities, it tests every wheel and tire combination sold on its entire European vehicle portfolio.

The budget for this sort of testing is huge, as each test car is strapped with around $2.5 million worth of electronic gadgetry designed to register and record the effect of each pothole strike. Ford uses the data to improve its current suspension systems and design new ones, which will go on to be further refined at Lommel and Dunton.

Gallery: Ford Europe suspension testing

Ford Europe suspension testing

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford details its rigorous pothole testing techniques

Ford details its rigorous pothole testing techniques originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: BMW shows off Death Valley testing, 2012 3 Series on display?

Filed under: Videos, BMW

bmw testing vehicles in death valley

BMW tests its vehicles in the heat of Death Valley – Click above to watch video after the jump

BMW runs its vehicles through some extreme environments, and it’s all in the name of research. One of its (and nearly every other automaker’s) favorite stomping grounds is, quite literally, a hot spot. Death Valley, California is one of the hottest places on the planet, and the German automaker comes here to subject its vehicles to temperatures that can exceed 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

This year, the BMW team has decided to capture their efforts on video. In the process, it seems they’ve also beat U.S.-based spy photographers to the punch by showing glimpses of what appears to be a 2012 3 Series wearing blacked-out camouflage. Click past the jump to see BMW’s newest development cars out testing in the scorching heat.

[Source: YouTube via BMW Blog]

Continue reading Video: BMW shows off Death Valley testing, 2012 3 Series on display?

Video: BMW shows off Death Valley testing, 2012 3 Series on display? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe racecar go testing in Episode 4

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Cadillac, GM

cadillac cts-v coupe scca race car

Cadillac goes back to racing with the CTS-V Coupe – Click above to watch video after the jump

Cadillac has put together a series of clips that document its return to racing. The automaker will run a pair of CTS-V Coupe SCCA race cars in the World Challenge series, which kicks off March 25th, 2011 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Ahead of the green flag, Cadillac has released the fourth and final clip in its mini documentary.

Titled Ready to Race, the last installment of the series has the team eagerly looking forward to its first official event. Cadillac will face serious competition in the SCCA World Challenge but it’s also got an excellent car on its hands. Click past the jump to watch the final episode.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Watch the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe racecar go testing in Episode 4

Video: Watch the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe racecar go testing in Episode 4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 2012 Porsche 911 spied cold-weather testing

Filed under: Concept Cars, Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, Porsche

2012 Porsche 911

2012 Porsche 911 – Click above to watch video after the jump

The upcoming 2012 Porsche 911 has been caught cold-weather testing in preparation for the production car’s debut at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The big news with the 2012 911 is its slight increase in size, with the aim of aligning it more with its GT and supercar competitors.

The 998 Porsche 911 will be 2.2 inches longer than the current car, with the 998’s track a hair wider than the 997’s. Out back, there’s a 3.4 liter version of Porsche’s venerable flat-six, pushing out around 345 horsepower in standard form. That should mean a 0-60 sprint of 4.8 seconds, and a 180-mile-per-hour top end.

Click past the jump to see video of the 2012 Porsche 911 in cold-weather action.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Porsche 911 Coupe and Cabriolet

Porsche 911 Spy Shots

[Source: YouTube via WorldCarFans]

Continue reading Video: 2012 Porsche 911 spied cold-weather testing

Video: 2012 Porsche 911 spied cold-weather testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2013 Land Rover Range Rover mule spotted winter testing

Filed under: Spy Photos, SUV, Land Rover

Land Rover Range Rover spy shots

Next-gen Land Rover Range Rover spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Even though it won’t hit the streets for another couple of years, the next-generation Land Rover Range Rover is already out on the prowl in development mule stage. Thus, we can’t tell what sort of new design elements will be found on the next-generation Range Rover, though the larger, bolted-on wheel arches give off the impression that the next SUV will likely be slightly wider than the one currently on sale.

Expect the usual crop of eight-cylinder powerplants to be available in both naturally aspirated and supercharged variants. There’s also been talk of a possible Range Rover Hybrid – a vehicle that would likely make its debut in the SUV’s next generation. Our spies are calling this Range Rover a 2013 model, so look for it to debut sometime in 2012. Click through our high-res image gallery to see the full set of spy shots.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Land Rover Range Rover

Spy Shots: Land Rover Range Rover

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: 2013 Land Rover Range Rover mule spotted winter testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Model S begins first phase of road testing [w/video]

Filed under: Sedan, Videos, Tesla, Electric

Tesla Model S road testing – Click above to watch the video after the break

The last time Tesla Motors released a video about the Model S, it was a lot of talking from the company’s vice president and chief engineer for vehicle engineering, Peter Rawlinson, about engineering the vehicle. Today, new video shows just the opposite. No talking, just pretty pictures.

Almost eerily silent, the video shows the first Alpha build Model S (tons of details on the car here) cruising down rural roads, and it’s a beautiful sight. The car looks like it handles well and makes us the need to get behind the wheel yesterday. Tesla’s Vehicle Dynamicist (we’re guessing thats fancy talk for test driver?) Graham Sutherland said in a statement that:

The first Alpha is amazingly agile for a car of its size. It has great handling balance and poised ride with communicative steering. Just goes to show what combining a low center of gravity with a very stiff body structure can achieve.

Sounds – and looks – good. Let’s hope it gets better. Watch the video after the jump.

[Source: Tesla]

Continue reading Tesla Model S begins first phase of road testing [w/video]

Tesla Model S begins first phase of road testing [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina undergoes high-speed testing

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Ferrari, Design/Style

Ferrari P4/5

Ferrari P4/5 hits the track – Click above to watch video after the jump

It’s no secret that we wish James Glickenhaus would adopt us (Hell, your author would barely have to change his last name) and we’ve always been quite smitten with his one-off Ferrari P4/5. The Pininfarina-bodied car has been seen everywhere from New York City to a Gooding’s auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Palm Beach, Florida and even the Paris Motor Show. Now we have footage of it doing more than just looking good as Glickenhaus took the car across The Pond for some high-speed testing.

After calling it a day at the track, the P4/5 doesn’t get put on a trailer, it’s used to shuffle off into the city to enjoy the local night life. We’re pretty sure that Mr. Glickenhaus gets the velvet-rope treatment when he heads out, but it’s nice to see that the P4/5 does too.

Hop the jump to watch a short video of the Ferrari P4/5 in action.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina undergoes high-speed testing

Video: Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina undergoes high-speed testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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