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Video: White Lake Formula 1 Ring slot car track

Filed under: Etc., Toys/Games

White Lake Formula 1

White Lake F1 Ring slot car track – Click above to watch video after the jump

Ah, enthusiasts. Damn the torpedoes, time and money; when the dedicated maven decides to make something of his own, he doesn’t just do it a little. Hence, when James-Michael Gregory Harlan of Pontiac, Michigan wanted a slot car track as long as his name, he made it himself and called it the White Lake Formula 1 Ring.

An exhibit designer by trade, Harlan brought his massive skills to the endeavor by creating a track he believes “comprised many of the challenges one might encounter on a modern F1 circuit.” Hermann Tilke should take notes. The track itself is CNC routed on the AC2car system that lets two cars run on the same slot – giving racers a chance to pass each other using the lane changers.

Built in a 20-square-foot space, the ring is 1/32-scale, the lap is 145 feet long, and it features 19 turns and 2.5 feet of elevation change. Surrounding it is a hand-built and painted environment that includes pit lanes, a helipad and crane, bleachers and viewing towers, and lights for night racing. It comes as no surprise that he’s been working on it for years. You can see the fruits of his labor in the video after the jump and the gallery of high-res photos below. Once you’re done with those, be sure to check out even more pics on Flickr.

Gallery: James-Michael Harlan’s White Lake F1 slot car ring

[Source: WLF1 Ring]

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Video: White Lake Formula 1 Ring slot car track originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Oct 2010 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Lamborghini Jota takes to the track

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Lamborghini, Luxury

Lamborghini Jota at the ‘Ring – Click above to watch video after the jump

Lamborghini took its Murcielago successor (codename: Jota) to the ‘Ring instead of rolling it out at the Paris Motor Show. Looking for all the world like Sant’Agata took a Ferrari 512TR and threw a leftover Vector bodykit on it, about the only form undisturbed is the massive exhaust exit and some semblance of a greenhouse. Regardless, it sounds outstanding. Make the jump for proof.

[Source: Carscoop]

Continue reading Video: Lamborghini Jota takes to the track

Video: Lamborghini Jota takes to the track originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: BMW M6 convertible takes to the track

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, BMW

BMW M6 Convertible spy shot

BMW M6 Convertible spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW unveiled its 6 Series Coupe concept at this year’s Paris Motor Show, giving us a preview at what the next-generation Sixer will look like when it debuts sometime next year. Fear not, M6 fans – this latest set of spy shots clearly shows that BMW has every intention of giving its latest grand tourer the high-power treatment.

Aside from the revised styling of the next-gen 6 Series, we can clearly see a set of large wheels wrapped in fat tires, not to mention the M-signature quad-exhaust pipes out back. Expect the M6 to use the same twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 setup that will debut in the new M5 sedan, meaning power numbers should be somewhere around 560 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque. It all sounds delicious, and we can’t wait to see how the M treatment looks on the even sleeker coupe.

Gallery: Spy Shots: BMW M6 Convertible

BMW M6 Convertible spy shots

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: BMW M6 convertible takes to the track originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 2012 Ford Focus worked out on the track

Filed under: Sedan, Videos, Ford

2012 Ford Focus video

2012 Ford Focus prototype out on the track – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We can’t divulge the details about the production-spec 2012 Ford Focus just yet (you’ll have to wait for next week’s Paris Motor Show coverage), but when it comes to what Ford’s new global C-car will be like to drive, this video should explain a lot.

It’s no secret that the new Focus was heavily tuned by Ford’s European team, meaning both the hatch and sedan should prove to be pretty engaging steers – just like their Fiesta siblings. In this video, we see a nearly completed prototype running around Ford’s handling course, and judging by the sights and sounds from this two-minute clip, we’re pretty eager to get our turn behind the wheel.

If the standard-spec Focus looks this good, imagine what FoMoCo has in store for the hotted-up ST. Follow the jump to watch the video of the Blue Oval small car doing some test laps. Thanks for the tip, Yaroukh!

Gallery: 2012 Ford Focus

[Source: YouTube]

Video: 2012 Ford Focus worked out on the track originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spartan V track car is a motorcycle on four wheels

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Performance, Australia, Racing

Spartan V

Spartan V track car – Click above for image gallery

Just when you thought the communal fascination with Frank Miller’s 300 had all but washed away, a track machine dedicated to the ancient fighting Spartans hit the scene. Meet the Spartan V – a lightweight all-star with a heart borrowed from Ducati. That’s right, this machine hits the scales at less than 661 pounds and packs 170 horsepower from a 1200 cc Italian mill.

In other words, it should absolutely go like stink.

The company behind the project says that the Spartan V should be able to click off the 0-60 mph dash in less than three seconds on its way to a top speed of 173 mph thanks to a sequential six-speed gearbox. If you’re looking for a motorcycle on four wheels, this is it.

The vehicle uses a tubular space-frame chassis clad in plenty of carbon fiber to keep the pounds off, and those sexy double-hoop roll bars can be swapped out for an FIA-compatible single-hoop should you decide to enter the heat of competition. It all sounds good, sure, but if you want one you’ll have to shell out $84,321 at current conversion rates. Madness? This is the Spartan V.

Gallery: Spartan V

[Source: Spartan V]

Spartan V track car is a motorcycle on four wheels originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: New Saker GT supercar caught track testing

Filed under: Concept Cars, Spy Photos, Performance, Design/Style, Racing

Sakar GT caught testing Saker’s latest supercar has been caught testing and by the looks of things, the New Zealand-based sports car company has a new contender on its hands.

For the uninitiated, Sakar was founded in 1992 by engineer Bruce Turnbull and named for the Saker Falcon. In the intervening years, Sakar has been producing track-ready racecars, and in 2009 it began producing the Saker GT – its first street-legal offering. The lightweight, mid-engine sports car was available in three variations – the Saker GT220, Saker GT500 and the Saker GT Clubsport – but that was then. This is now.

The updated Saker GT appears to bring the styling into the modern era. Although it’s wearing the trendy black and white “camo” paint job, the large fenders and aggressive lines are hard to obscure.

At the moment, powerplants, chassis and suspension information is scarce, but the Dutch site Driving-Fun has more shots of the Saker GT being put through the paces, and judging by its current form, we should know more about the Kiwi’s latest entrant into the sports car world soon. Thanks for the tip, Luuk!

[Source: Driving-Fun (Dutch language site)]

Spy Shots: New Saker GT supercar caught track testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How they made Lexus IS “Music Track” commercial

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Videos, Lexus, Luxury

The making of the

The making of “Music Track” – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Lexus kicked off its “Wield Precision” campaign with a nice drum solo performed by a 2011 Lexus IS sport sedan. Now it’s giving us a sneak peak into how the spot came together.

People from very different worlds collaborated to produce something unique. Engineers worked with a doctor of mathematics who in turn worked with a drum tech to figure out how to translate the vision of director Kevin Fitzgerald into reality. Once the piece was composed and the drums were placed, it was up to stunt driver Eddie Braun to precisely wield the Lexus through the course. Check out the making of “Music Track” after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Lexus IS

2011 Lexus IS

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How they made Lexus IS “Music Track” commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Austin’s F1 track gets laid out

Filed under: Motorsports

2012 Austin F1 Track – Click above for image gallery

Here it is. Race promoter Tavo Hellmund has pulled back the sheets on the Austin formula one track, and the course looks damn impressive at first glance. The 3.4-mile course packs in 20 turns, a total change in elevation to 133 feet and a back straight that’s a full three-quarters of a mile long. What’s more, the circuit is designed to promote passing for American fans with short attention spans thanks to plenty of long straights followed by tight, 45-degree turns. Hellmund said that the cars should be able to click off a 200 mph top speed, and will sail by the grand stands at 180 mph or more.

Interestingly enough, the course’s designers have borrowed heavily from other tracks from around the world. Turns 3-6 are nearly carbon copies of a series of apexes at Silverstone, while 12-15 pay homage to Hockenheim. One section that’s guaranteed to generate plenty of action is turns 16-18, a multi-apex monster cut from the same cloth as Istanbul’s turn 8.

The Austin F1 course is slated to bare its first race by 2012, and there’s some word that construction will get under way this December.

Gallery: Austin F1 Track

[Source: Formula 1, The Statesman]

Austin’s F1 track gets laid out originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monterey 2010: Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion puts vintage racers back on track

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Racing

2010 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

2010 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion – Click above for high-res image gallery

This year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion was actually the first one ever run, as there was a name change to go along with last year’s change in management. The former Historics are now the Reunion, but name change aside, the event was still the same old week of wheel-to-wheel racing action. Now we know that you can see that kind of action on any given Saturday or Sunday, but the players are usually much, much newer.

Classic and vintage race cars from every era of motorsports are what make this such a wonderful event. There are literally hundreds of your favorite old race cars running in the nearly twenty classes of racing action. Legendary race cars like Ferrari SWBs and Lotus 23s, Porsche 962s and Trans Am Mustangs, Cobras and Vettes as well as F1 cars, Can-Am racers, NASCAR, Indy cars, and so on and so on. The classes take you from the under 1500 cc Minis up to the 1,000-horsepower 917Ks, with almost everything imaginable in between.

We were out there for hours and hours watching, listening to, feeling, smelling and enjoying these vintage racers, and we’ve assembled a sizable gallery to help convey what that was like. Click any image below to see our massive high-res gallery.

Gallery: 2010 Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Monterey 2010: Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion puts vintage racers back on track originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus 125 track car to debut at Pebble Beach

Filed under: Performance, Lotus, Racing

Lotus Evora Cup Car

Lotus Evora Cup – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lotus will be more active than usual during next week’s festivities around the Monterey historic races and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Along with the North American Debuts of the Evora Cup race car (above) and Elise RGB edition, Lotus will give us the world debut of the 125 track car.

The new 125 will be unveiled at the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion at Laguna Seca this weekend and then reappear several times during the week at various events. Lotus hasn’t given any hints of what to expect from the 125 other than it will be the ultimate customer track and racing experience. Stay tuned next week as we’ll share all the details as soon as we have them.

Gallery: Lotus Evora Cup