Wiesmann GT MF5 Official Safety Car for 2009 FIA GT Championship

The BMW V10-powered Wiesmann GT MF5 sports coupe will be setting the pace for the racecars participating at the 2009 FIA GT Championship season that kicks off this weekend on May 3 in Silverstone Circuit in Britain. The limited production German sports coupe boasts a 507HP 5.0-liter V10 engine from the BMW M5/M6, coupled to a seven-speed sequential automatic transmission and a variable differential lock. The rear-wheel drive GT MF5 can accelerate from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 3.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 310km/h or 193mph.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Ferrari 599XX: New 'Galleria' with Stunning High-Res Photos

All you Ferrari fans -and not only- are just going to love our fresh new gallery with photos of the Prancing Horse's extreme track racer, the 599XX. And trust us when we say that this is one of those rare times when pictures speak for themselves. For those with a weak memory, the Italian maker of dream cars presented the 599XX for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. While based on the 599 GTB Fiorano, the €1.1million prototype model is a no-nonsense hardcore racer that comes with many advanced features.

For instance, the numerous improvements on the 599XX's bodywork help produce 280 kg or 717lbs of downforce at 200km/h (124mph) and 630kg or 1,390 lbs at 300km/h (187mph)

Other tweaks include an "ActiflowT" system that increases downforce and/or cuts drag depending on the car's trim cornering conditions, courtesy of the use of a porous material in the diffuser and two fans in the boot which channel the air flow from under the car out through two grilles next to the tail-lights.

Under its red hood, the 599XX features a extensively reworked version of the 599's Enzo-derived V12 engine that is not only more powerful delivering an output of 700 hp at 9,000 rpm, but thanks to a series of modifications, it's also lighter than the stock engine. Additionally, Ferrari's engineers also updated the robotized manual gearbox reducing shift times from 100ms to 60 ms.

Beyond that, the 599XX comes with a new racing carbon ceramic braking system, a second generation SCM suspension system that further improves handling, enhanced electronic systems and a set of slick tires in sizes 29/67 R19 up front and 31/71 R19 at the rear.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Aston Martin to Race New V12 Vantage at 24h of Nurburgring

For the fourth consecutive year, Aston Martin will take part at the Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race which begins on May 23. This time, the British automaker will participate with a near-standard V12 Vantage featuring only essential safety modifications, reduced weight, Pirelli slick tires and re-tuned suspension with no additional aerodynamic enhancements. There are no changes under the hood with the Vantage retaining the stock 6.0-litre V12 engine that produces 517HP and 570 Nm or 420 lb/ft of torque.

Aston Martin's team of drivers will include the company's boss Dr Ulrich Bez who will be driving in his fourth consecutive 24-hour race, as well as representatives from the automaker's engineering department.

"This is the final engineering durability test for the V12 Vantage programme, said Dr Ulrich Bez. "We will be subjecting the car to the toughest assessment yet under public scrutiny as we successfully did with the Vantage N24 programme," he added.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Factory Supported Audi R8 LMS to Compete at the 24h of Nurburgring

The competition is heating up for next month's 24-hours of Nurburgring as Audi has announced that it too will take part in the famed endurance race with four factory supported R8 LMS racecars, two for each of the ABT Sportsline and Phoenix Racing teams. The R8 LMS is a rear-wheel drive GT3 version of the German firm's mid-engined sportscar equipped with a 500HP-plus 5.2-liter FSI V10 that was developed by Audi's motorsport division for private customers and race teams alike.

"The 24 Hours is not only one of the biggest motorsport events in Germany," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "The Nürburgring-Nordschleife is considered one of the world's toughest and most demanding race tracks. Similar to Sebring for the sports prototypes, it is superbly suited for revealing the final improvement potential of any new race car. This is exactly what we're planning to do at the 24-hour race before delivering the R8 LMS to customers, starting this fall."

The ABT Sportsline and Phoenix Racing teams will hit the 'Ring on May 23 with driver squads consisting of five current Audi "factory" drivers, four DTM Champions, four Le Mans winners and five drivers who have won the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring at least once.

Among others they include the reigning DTM Champion Timo Scheider, who – together with his DTM teammate Mattias Ekström and three-time Le Mans winner Marco Werner – will compete for Team ABT Sportsline, and three-times 24h Nurburgring winner Hans-Joachim Stuck, who will pilot one of the cars of the Team Phoenix Racing.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

The Audi teams at the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring:

Audi R8 LMS #97 (ABT Sportsline)

• Christian Abt (D)
  
• Jean-François Hemroulle (B)
  
• Pierre Kaffer (D)
  
• Lucas Luhr (D)
  

Audi R8 LMS #98 (Phoenix Racing)

• Marc Basseng (D)
  
• Frank Stippler (D)
  
• Mike Rockenfeller (D)
  

Audi R8 LMS #99 (Phoenix Racing)

• Frank Biela (D)
  
• Marcel Fässler (CH)
  
• Emanuele Pirro (I)
  
• Hans-Joachim Stuck (A)
  

Audi R8 LMS #100 (ABT Sportsline)

• Mattias Ekström (S)
  
• Timo Scheider (D)
  
• Marco Werner (D)
  

Subaru to Race Impreza WRX STI at 24h of Nurburgring

Fans of Subaru will be happy to know that the Japanese firm's STI motorsport division will take part at next month's 24-hours of the Nurburgring endurance race with a specially-prepped Impreza WRX STI hatch that will be campaigning in the SP3T class for cars with 2.0-liter turbo engines. Among other improvements, the race-spec Impreza WRX STI features numerous body stiffening components, the necessary safety equipment and weight-reduction measures.

Behind the steering wheel of the Impreza WRX STI will be four professional Japanese drivers: Kazuo Shimizu, Toshihiro Yoshida, Naoki Hattori and Koji Matsuda

Entrant name	SUBARU TECNICA INTERNATIONAL(STI)
Participating car	SUBARU Impreza WRX STI(GRB type)
	Horizontally opposed 4-cylinder EJ20 2.0litter DOHC turbo / SYMMETRICAL AWD
Suspension	Front - strut, rear - double wishbone
Vehicle manufacturer	STI
Team director	Hideharu Tatsumi (STI General Manager of Vehicle Experiment Division)
Drivers	Kazuo Shimizu, Toshihiro Yoshida, Naoki Hattori, Koji Matsuda

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

VW Scirocco GT24-CNG to enter Nurburgring 24h Race

For this year's 24-hour endurance race at the Nurburgring in Germany on May 23-24, Volkswagen has readied two natural-gas-powered Scirocco models that will participate alongside three gasoline-powered 325HP Scirocco GT24s with which the automaker took a one-two victory in the 2.0-litre turbo class at the 2008 race. The two Scirocco GT24-CNGs use a modified version of the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that has been designed to runs on natural gas.

The result is an output of just under 300 horsepower and 350Nm or 258-lbs/ft of torque which continue to be transmitted to the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch DSG gearbox operated by paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

Volkswagen said that as a fuel, natural gas is particularly eco-friendly as well as very cost-effective reducing on average CO2 emissions by 25 percent compared with conventional spark ignition engines.

"The Scirocco GT24 already proved its strengths as a dynamic sports coupe by clinching class victory in its debut race last year," said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "In 2009, we are taking yet another step forwards by using two different engine concepts. We want to prove that Volkswagen offers different powertrain concepts, all of which excel in terms of high efficiency, dynamics and reliability. The Nordschleife and the 24-Hour Race provide an ideal test bed for this purpose."

The two natural gas-powered Scirocco GT24-CNG cars will be driven by Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg (D), Board Member for Technical Development of the Volkswagen Brand, and journalists Bernd Ostmann (D), Peter Wyss (CH) and John Barker (GB) as well as touring car ace Peter Terting (D), Nordschleife expert Thomas Klenke (D), former DTM driver Vanina Ickx (B) and touring car legend Klaus Niedzwiedz (D), two-time overall winner of the 24 Hours on the Nürburgring.

The team of one of the three petrol-powered Scirocco GT24 cars will consists of "Dakar" winner Giniel de Villiers (ZA), two-time World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz (E) as well as Dieter Depping (D).

The other Scirocco GT24 will be driven by last year's winners Jimmy Johansson (S) and Florian Gruber (D) as well as Nicki Thiim (DK) and Martin Karlhofer (A), while the third car's team will include formula racing specialists Congfu Cheng (CN), Carlo van Dam (NL) and Franck Mailleux (F) as well as the two-time 24-H overall winner Altfrid Heger (D).

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Vauxhall Pulling Out of BTCC at the end of 2009 Amid Crisis

General Motors' UK brand Vauxhall announced on Friday that it will depart from the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at the end of the 2009 season due to the ongoing global economic crisis. "The decision to withdraw from the BTCC in 2010 was influenced by the absence of other manufacturer-backed teams and financial prudence in the current global economic downturn," Vauxhall said in a statement. However, the company left an open window for the future saying that it may return to the sport in future years.

"The company has enjoyed immense success with BTCC, both on track and as a focal marketing activity for the VXR brand. However a number of factors have led us to take the decision to withdraw from the championship at the end of this season," said Andy Gilson, Marketing Director, Vauxhall Motors. "Vauxhall's primary focus for next year will be bringing to market exciting new products, such as the new generation Astra and Meriva models."

For the remainder of the year, Vauxhall's team, VX Racing will continue to campaign on the BTCC with three cars driven by Fabrizio Giovanardi, Matt Neal and Andrew Jordan.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

2010 Nissan GT-R Allegedly Laps the Nurburgring 1.44 Sec Faster than 2009 model

Of course you're wondering why we're saying 'allegedly'. Well, simply put, at the time this post was written, no Nissan media site that we know of -Japanese included- has issued an official press release on the matter. Most websites have published a supposedly official release saying that Nissan lapped the Nurburgring with a Japanese specification 2010 GT-R facelift running on Dunlop tires with RAYS forged alloy wheels, in 7 minutes and 27.56 seconds, or about 1.44 seconds faster than the pre-facelift model. We'll update this post as soon as we find something officially-official from Nissan.

Via: Autoblog.com

Nissan GT-R Snares New Nurburgring Record

The all-conquering Nissan GT-R supercar has set another lap record at the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany.

A Japanese specification GT-R, running on Dunlop tyres with RAYS forged alloy wheels (V-spec equipment) recorded a blistering 7min 27.56 secs yesterday.

Driven by Nissan's Chief test driver Toshio Suzuki (who recently demonstrated the GT-R to the Australian media in Sydney at Eastern Creek Raceway) piloted the performance coupe.

Although dry, the track surface grip was impaired by dust and sand. Under the direction of Nissan GT-R Chief Vehicle Engineer, Kazutoshi Mizuno, and depending on conditions, the Nissan test team will attempt another record at the 'Ring tomorrow.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Mercedes SL63 AMG and C63 AMG Estate official 2009 F1 Safety and Medical Cars

Once again, Mercedes-Benz is the automaker of choice for the 2009 Formula One World Champion series. The specially-modified SL63 AMG safety and the C63 AMG Estate medical vehicles will make their debut at the first race of the 2009 F1 season at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne that runs from 27 to 29 March 2009.

As in 2008, the role of the Official F1 Safety Car is being fulfilled during this year's new season by the Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG. While retaining the same 525HP 6.3-liter V8 engine as the road-going model that provides acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 4.4 seconds, AMG has equipped the car with a newly developed sport exhaust system with larger pipe diameter and special rear silencers.

Other mechanical upgrades on the SL63 AMG Safety car include the tweaked seven-speed automatic transmission, the large-size, additional coolers for engine oil, transmission oil, coolant and power steering, the specially developed coil-over suspension and the heavy duty composite brake discs.

Furthermore, thanks to the extended use of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic on the engine bonnet, front and rear aprons, front wings and luggage compartment lid, the SL63 AMG Safety car is 220kg or 485lbs lighter than the series-production model.

Apart from its special roof attachments, F1 logos and the special LED illuminated number plate, the SL 63 AMG Safety Car is distinguished from the standard model by a front apron with larger cooling-air openings, the modified diffuser insert in the rear apron and the interior which features two bucket seats with 4-point seatbelts, trim parts in real carbon fibre, black leather appointments plus two monitors on the center console that enable crew of the Safety Car to supervise the action on the racetrack.

The C63 AMG Estate medical car that follows the Formula 1 field on the first lap, is powered by a 6.3-litre V8 engine delivering 457HP and 600Nm of torque. Like the SL63 AMG Safety car, the C63 AMG Estate has received a bevy of upgrades including optimized brake and suspension components. The cooling of coolant, engine oil, transmission oil and power steering have also been upgraded to improve reliability in harsher climate conditions.

The Official F1 Medical Car differs on the outside from the standard-production C63 AMG Estate with its new front apron with larger cooling-air openings, the F1 logos, roof bar and strobe-like LED flashlights at front and rear. Inside, the C63 AMG Estate features a set of bucket seats with 4-point seatbelts and two monitors in the centre console tha the crew to supervise the action on the racetrack.