Tag: track

Video: Pagani Huayra hits the track for shakedown runs

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, MISC

pagani huarya

Pagani Huarya hits the Adria International Raceway – Click above to watch video after the jump

Hey hypercar fans, are you in the mood for some Pagani porn? Well, close the shades and turn the lights down low because we’ve got footage of the Huayra playing nice with the camera. In the Veneto region of northern Italy lies the Adria International Raceway, and it hosted Pagani’s engineers as they played around with their new toy.

Click past the jump for footage of the Pagani Huayra posing for close-ups, revving its AMG-built 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12, and running down the track. You might not be able to pronounce the car’s name, but it sure looks good when it flies by.

Continue reading Pagani Huayra hits the track for shakedown runs

Pagani Huayra hits the track for shakedown runs originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Lexus lines up LFA against IS F on UK track

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Videos, Lexus, UK

lexus lfa and is-f on track

Lexus supercar versus super sedan – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Lexus UK finally has its first LFA on the Queen’s home turf. Rather than take it on a glam tour by propping it up in shiny showrooms, Lexus is taking it to the track. It’s also bringing along a camera to record the sights and sounds that come along with the two-door supercar.

Recently, the LFA lined up at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Grounds alongside its sibling, the Lexus IS F and both were put through the requisite paces. Unfortunately for the IS F, however, its dulcet exhaust tone was drowned out by the banshee wail spewed forth from the tri-tipped rear of the LFA. Click past the jump to revel in the noise.

Continue reading Lexus lines up LFA against IS F on UK track

Lexus lines up LFA against IS F on UK track originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Nissan Leaf Nismo RC gets on-track shakedown

Filed under: Motorsports, Japan, Videos, Nissan, Electric, Racing

Nissan Leaf Nismo RC on track

Nissan Leaf Nismo RC – Click above to watch video after the jump

Nissan has yet to figure out exactly where the company will campaign its new Leaf RC racer, but that hasn’t stopped the engineers behind the Japanese automaker’s Nismo effort from getting the machine out on track for a little shake-down action.

With its sexy carbon fiber bodywork, three-door layout and silent electric drivetrain, the car looks plenty sinister in its element. And while the vehicle’s new skin is both longer and wider than the street-going Leaf, the race car uses the same drivetrain as what’s whirring around on public streets right now, though it’s worth noting that everything has been shifted closer to the passenger cell to improve weight balance.

Nissan says that ideally, the company would eventually like to replace traditional ICE racing with EVs and that it would also like to branch out into other forms of motorsports that have never been explored. Those include city races where typical race cars are too loud to compete and indoor events where a zero-emission vehicle could truly shine. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.

Continue reading Nissan Leaf Nismo RC gets on-track shakedown

Nissan Leaf Nismo RC gets on-track shakedown originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2012 Toyota Prius V still on track for U.S. launch this fall

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Crossover, Toyota

Toyota Prius V

2012 Toyota Prius V – Click above for high-res image gallery

False alarm, Prius fans. According to Toyota, the Prius V MPV is on track to hit the market as scheduled. Reports recently began circulating indicating that the Japanese automaker was delaying the vehicle’s launch due to the lingering impact of this year’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters. Word was that a battery shortfall was causing the hold-up, though the manufacturer has now confirmed that the large hybrid will debut this fall as originally scheduled.

Unfortunately, the arrival of the Japanese-market Prius Alpha is still slated to experience a delay of indeterminate length. Hit the jump for the brief press release.

Continue reading 2012 Toyota Prius V still on track for U.S. launch this fall

2012 Toyota Prius V still on track for U.S. launch this fall originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 19:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Online Find of the Day: Ferrari 599XX puts the seven-figure track car into perspective

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Ferrari, Racing

Ferrari 599XX on JamesList

Ferrari 599XX on JamesList – Click above for image gallery

Anything you can do, I can do better. It might as well be the battle cry sung along the autostrada between Maranello and Sant’Agata Bolognese. Because Ferrari and Lamborghini have been at each other’s throats like the Sforzas and the Medicis for decades. So if you thought the notion of Lamborghini charging €2 million for a track-bound production version of the Sesto Elemento sounded crazy, look no further than their cross-town rivals for the precedent.

Here’s a rare Ferrari 599XX – and a sinister one at that, decked out all in black – up for sale in France. It’s one of only 30 examples made for the company’s exclusive client test driver program and packs a screaming 720-horsepower 6.0-liter V12 with all the latest wind-cheating, stop-watch trouncing technology the company’s considerable army of engineers has come up with. It’s not every day that one of these goes up for sale. In fact, this is the first one we’ve seen.

So what’s the asking price? €1,315,600 – used. (That’s about $1.9 million at current exchange rates.) You can bet it was driven hard, too. What’s more, someone will most likely snap it up in due course. And if someone can spend €1.3 million on a used Ferrari track car that’s based on an existing production model, suddenly it doesn’t seem so far-fetched to imagine Lamborghini finding 20 buyers willing to shell out €2 million on a completely new one.

Head on over to JamesList for the full listing. We’ve got the regrettably low-res images of this particular example compiled for your viewing pleasure in our gallery, but for a better look at the gaggle of 599XXs we encountered up close and personal at Miller Motorsport Park, follow the jump.

Continue reading Online Find of the Day: Ferrari 599XX puts the seven-figure track car into perspective

Online Find of the Day: Ferrari 599XX puts the seven-figure track car into perspective originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pagani Huayra clears its pipes on the track

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, MISC

Pagani Huayra on track

Pagani Huayra on track at Adria International Raceway – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Like a child has two parents, so does a Pagani. One is the niche automaker based in Modena whose name it bears. The other is Mercedes AMG. The latter develops and manufactures the engine, while the former does just about everything else. In the case of the new Huayra, you might say that Pagani disappointed in the styling department (though having seen it up close, we’d beg to differ) and threw us a curveball with the nameplate it chose. But there’s no arguing with the work those German engineers have undertaken at Affalterbach.

Don’t believe us? You don’t have to take us at our word. The videographers over at Marchettino, who regularly supply us with a stream of footage depicting Italy’s finest running at full bore, have sent us a clip of the new Huayra doing its thing at the Adria International Raceway, one of eight FIA-certified circuits in Italy. The footage is all shot attached to the rear bumper so you get the full aural sensation. Check it out after the jump. And for a more comprehensive perspective on the symbiotic relationship between Pagani and AMG that has produced the Huayra, head on over to the dedicated microsite.

Continue reading Pagani Huayra clears its pipes on the track

Pagani Huayra clears its pipes on the track originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 May 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche to relocate U.S. headquarters to ex-Ford facility, plans to build track

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Rumormill

porsche logo

The North American headquarters for Porsche has been in an Atlanta suburb for years, but a report by the Atlanta Journal Constitution suggests that’s about to change. Unnamed sources claim that the German automaker is planning to announce that it will build a new headquarters on the site of the former Ford Taurus plant, just outside the Hartsfield-Atlanta International Airport.

The old plant has since been leveled and the ground has been scrubbed of environmental hazards left from years of industrial use, so Porsche will need to start from scratch. That’s probably a good thing, since the German company reportedly plans to build a new offices where the plant was demolished and a new test track very similar to the automaker’s facility in Silverstone, England. Porsche’s lease at its current location ends in 2013, and it is likely to take several years to complete a new facility.

If true, the move would bring hundreds of new marketing and sales jobs to the region, though most positions are likely already filled at Porsche’s current suburban location. Porsche is expected to make the announcement on Thursday.

Porsche to relocate U.S. headquarters to ex-Ford facility, plans to build track originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Stratos takes to the track, teaches history lesson

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, Specialty, Lancia

2011 Lancia Stratos

New Lancia Stratos becomes a part of history – Click above to watch the video

The new Ferrari F430 Scuderia-based Lancia Stratos has been the darling of the interwebs since it was first teased in 2009. Over the last two years, it’s made it from a simple sketch to a very real, very fast, very rare tribute to a true motorsports legend.

To give the car the introduction it deserves, its builders have combined footage of the original Stratos tearing its way through Europe’s rally passes with film of the new car doing its thing on a modern race track. The effect is a hoontastic history lesson and tribute to both cars.

Unfortunately for us, the video is entirely in German, but the footage is cool enough to bridge any language barrier. The full 13-minute video resides after the jump. Continue reading.

Continue reading New Stratos takes to the track, teaches history lesson

New Stratos takes to the track, teaches history lesson originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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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100-year-old NASCAR fan tackles the track, lives to see 101

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

rachel gilbert toyota camry new hampshire motor speedway

100-year-old NASCAR fan drives NHMS – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We’re not the biggest NASCAR fans in the world, but we can’t think of a much better way to celebrate a 100th birthday than with a few laps around New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Rachel Gilbert, a NASCAR follower since the 1960s, took five live laps around the speedway in a Toyota Camry pace car. Ms. Gilbert, we salute you.

The great grandmother of nine never passed 50 miles per hour, but she seemed pretty darn pleased with her shot at NASCAR glory. The good people at the speedway also gave Gilbert VIP tickets to the July Spring Cup and a shirt signed by Carl Edwards. Hit the jump to watch video of Gilbert as she cruises around NHMS.

[Source: The Daily What]

Continue reading 100-year-old NASCAR fan tackles the track, lives to see 101

100-year-old NASCAR fan tackles the track, lives to see 101 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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