Bugatti Veyron Super Sport at Nurburgring Nordschleife to Set Lap Time

A team of Bugatti employees and a Veyron Super Sport were spotted today in the city of Nurburg. This little town in the German countryside is the place where the Green Hell attracts many petrolheads and car manufacturers interested in setting a lap time on the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife.

The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, officially the fastest road-legal production car in the world, seems to be the next in line lapping the 20km-long race track. Wearing Wolfsburg plates of parent company Volkswagen, the Veyron pictured here has been feeling its way around the Nordschleife all morning. And it’s getting faster, according to BridgetoGantry.com.

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Lewis Hamilton Wins Canadian GP

With this F1 season being by far the strangest of recent years, six different drivers winning the first six races of the season. Now, after Sunday’s race which took place on the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit, in Montreal, Canada, a seventh name needs to be added to the list: Lewis Hamilton.

Despite having a decent performance throughout the beginning of the current season, as he had accumulated 63 points prior to the race, having come third in Australia, Malaysia and China, gaining 15 points each time, then coming eighth in Spain and Bahrain, and then fifth in Monaco, before wining this Sunday’s GP. He was followed by Frenchman and Lotus-Renault driver, Romain Grosjean in second place, and in third came Spaniard Sergio Perez, driving for Sauber Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel, despite qualifying first, ended up in the fourth spot, followed by Fernando Alonso in fifth.

With this win, Hamilton moves up to the top spot in the overall drivers’ standings, with a total of 88 points, followed by Fernando Alonso with 86 points, Sebastian Vettel with 85 points and Mark Webber coming a close fourth with 79 points. As for the manufacturers, Red Bull is still leading the pack with 164 points, with McLaren and Lotus-Renault behind it with 133 and 108 points respectively.

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Forza Motorsport 4's latest car pack includes Corvette Racing ZR1, C63 AMG Black Series

It may have gotten lost in the noise coming out of E3, particularly the preview for Forza Horizon that was released by Turn 10 Studios, but your good old Forza Motorsport 4 game got some new DLC this past week in the form of the Meguiar's Car Pack.

As usual, this month's car pack injects your copy of Forza 4 with ten new cars to drive. The headlining ride is the 2011 Chevrolet #4 Corvette Racing ZR1. The game did ship with two Corvette Racing cars already, the 2004 #3 C5.R and 2006 #4 C6.R, both of which were much more dominant in their respective GTS and GT1 classes than this more recent ZR1-based car has been in the GT2 class, but its inclusion will round out your collection of modern ALMS Corvettes.

What you'll probably jump into first, though, is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series. We've driven it and you should too, even if it's only in the game. The 1987 RUF CTR Yellowbird is also nice to see in this pack, as well as the '92 Toyota Celica GT-Four RC ST185. You also get the original 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, 1997 Maserati Ghibli Cup, 1958 MG MGA Twin-Cam, 2011 Aston Martin Cygnet, 1940 Ford De Luxe Coupe and 1959 BMW 507.

via: Forzamotosport.net

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Hydrogen-electric racer set for Le Mans

According to an Internet, somewhere, the Hammerhead shark has a disproportionately small mouth and does a lot of ‘bottom-hunting'. What you see above isn't a Hammerhead shark, but a Le Mans racer that looks an awful lot like one.

It's called the GreenGT H2, and is a hydrogen-electric hybrid racer that will occupy ‘Garage 56' at the 2013 Le Mans endurace race; that experimental pit at the circuit - filled this year by Nissan's revolutionary DeltaWing racer - that is judged to be technologically innovative.

The GreenGT H2 boasts a hydrogen fuel cell that produces electricity to drive two electric motors which produce around 540bhp, sitting on a bespoke chassis built by the Welter Racing team; Le Mans veterans throughout the 90s. And veteran viewers of Top Gear will of course remember James May's film about the Honda Clarity, extolling the virtues of hydrogen cars as the future (it doesn't emit anything nasty).

GreenGT tells us earlier prototypes used lithium-ion batteries, but were found to be the "weak point". Hydrogen was then chosen, and a 100kW fuel cell was developed last year and tested, alongside a twin-motor powertrain that can power the 1,240kg chassis to an expected top speed of 186mph. By any measure, that's quick.

Because of its Garage 56 designation, the GreenGT H2 - like the DeltaWing - won't be classified in the normal LMP1/LMP2/GTE Pro/GTE AM classes, but will get to race, and will therefore have to pass all the relevant safety tests. We're informed testing will begin in July. Will this go ‘bottom-hunting' next year? And how do you think it'll fare next to the DeltaWing? Don't forget, TopGear.com is building its very own version of Nissan's racer, and it's coming along quite nicely...

via: topgear

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Ford configurator prices new 2013 Explorer Sport from $40,720*

With at least 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, the 2013 Ford Explorer Sport is no ho-hum grocery getter. Now that we know how much the most powerful Explorer costs, we may have to start cutting coupons. Ford has priced the new Explorer Sport at $40,720 plus another $825 for destination charges. That price tag comes in at nearly $1,000 more than the similarly equipped Explorer Limited with all-wheel drive, yet it adds the EcoBoost V6 and sport-tuned suspension.

The standard Explorer Sport comes nicely equipped, but far from loaded. The Blue Oval offers a 402A package with voice-activated navigation and Travel Link, pushbutton start and remote start for $4,130. Add adaptive cruise control ($1,150), dual-panel moonroof ($1,595) and dual-DVD for the second row and you're looking at $50,415.

That's a good bit of coin for a crossover with a Ford badge, but if you've always dreamed of an Explorer with a boosted sledgehammer of a powertrain, this Sport may be your best bet. 

Via: Ford

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Toyota converts all-electric 'Ring racer to Pikes Peak hill climber

The number of electric race cars entered into this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb continues to grow with Toyota Motorsports GmbH announcing today that its TMG EV P002 race car will compete at the 90th annual climb to the clouds.

While this will be Toyota's first trip to the Peak with the TMG EV P002, this won't be the car's first motorsports outing. Last year it set the lap record for an electric car at the Nürburgring, a time that still stands today. Since then, Toyota has updated the electric powertrain, which now puts out 469 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque running through a single-speed gearbox.

Toyota will have its hands full with competition, though, as the reigning unlimited class champion Monster Tajima will also be bringing his Monster Sport Sport E_RUNNER to race in the electric division at Pikes Peak. Perhaps less potent although no less interesting will be Mitsubishi's i-MiEV Evolution and an electric 1995 BMW M3 built by EV West.

Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) will demonstrate its high-performance electric powertrain technology on one of North America's most demanding motorsport events; the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado on 8 July.

Last year TMG set a new electric lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife with the road-legal TMG EV P001 car, a record which still stands today.

TMG's advanced electric and electronic department has spent the past months developing on an updated electric powertrain, which is more powerful and more durable than its predecessor.

That high-performance electric powertrain is the heart of the new TMG EV P002 car, which will compete at Pikes Peak as part of a project from Japanese company RK1 Inc. Multiple Japanese rally champion Fumio Nutahara will drive the car which features prominent branding from Yokohama.

Based on a Radical chassis, the TMG EV P002 has a predicted top speed of 240km/h in Pikes Peak configuration, with combined maximum power of 350kW from its two axial flux motors.

The hillclimb, which begins at an altitude of 2,800m and reaches the summit of 4,300m, is an ideal environment to showcase the strengths of an electric powertrain. TMG's high-performance electric powertrain maintains full power despite the thin atmosphere at high altitude while delivering an impressive 900Nm of torque through its single-speed gearing.

The TMG EV P002 underwent a successful three-day testing session at the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France in May to verify car and powertrain performance.

Ludwig Zeller, General Manager Electric & Electronics: "Pikes Peak is a great showcase for TMG's electric powertrain technology. We already proved at the Nürburgring that TMG is leading the way in developing such powertrains for motorsport and this is another sign of our commitment to this technology. TMG wants to be increasingly involved in electric motorsport and we believe our powertrain technology is an industry-leading combination of performance, durability and packaging. Electric powertrain technology in motorsport is still in its development phase but through projects like this one, TMG is laying the foundations for the future of high-performance and motorsport cars."

Via: Toyota

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2012 Bugatti Veyron Vitesse review

What is it?

An open top Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport with performance improvements. Basically it's a toupee-troubling version of the world's fastest car – the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

It costs 1.65million euros, reaches 255mph and transfers 1183bhp to the tarmac from its W16 cylinder, quad-turbocharged engine. It is the world's fastest roadster.

Technical Highlights

Bugatti has liberated nearly 200 extra bhp from the standard Grand Sport’s engine with larger turbochargers, new water-to-air intercoolers and a tweaked ECU. That's a fifth more horsepower, or a whole Renaultsport Clio. Torque is 1106lb ft, delivered from 3000rpm to 5000rpm - that's a little higher than the 'small-turbo' standard Veyron.

The Veyron's four-wheel drive system is retained, as is the seven-speed DSG twin-clutch gearbox - albeit with reinforced internals.

Springs and dampers are new, the monocoque has further layers of reinforcing carbonfibre and - get this - fuel consumption is improved. Not that you'd notice, or care.

What's it like to drive?

Extraordinary. Unique. Thrilling. It has been said many times, but the Veyron's single most impressive feature is its ability to sustain seemingly endless levels of acceleration. But this is evo, and raw pace is nothing without driver involvement - and perhaps what's not said enough is that the Veyron engages with the driver more than you'd expect. The steering is light and responsive, the brakes offer terrific feel and the throttle response good. The driver controls and feedback are such, and this will sound absurd, that you can hurl the car around pretty soon after stepping inside for the first time. And of course, with the roof removed the visceral dial goes all the way up to 11.

Negatives? You feel the weight of the engine and gearbox pushing you forward in the braking zone, which in turn translates into understeer. Get on the power, and this is forgotten as the car hooks up and fires you onwards. Traction is never an issue - but then we didn't drive it in the wet...

How does it compare?

To what? A private jet? A motor cruiser? An expensive mistress? Bugatti admits that the Veyron is rarely chosen instead of another supercar. Most owners already have a Ferrari Enzo or Porsche Carrera GT, and many also have one, or two Veyrons in the garage already...

In pure performance terms, only Koeniggsegg and Pagani get close - and subjectively speaking there's a sense of indomitable strength in the Bugatti that neither rival can match.

Anything else I need to know?

In this realm, unfettered choice is the norm. Normal purchasing dilemmas do not apply.

Customers can have pretty much whatever they want, so exclusivity, owner experience, factory relationships and kudos are the key differentiators when it comes to buying decisions. The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, while not ultimately as engaging as an Enzo, Carrera GT or the Pagani Zonda, is all this and more - offering overall driveability, unburstable engineering, colossal acceleration and the kudos of being the world's fastest roadster. It is a magnificent car.

Oh, and did we mention that it can do 0-186mph in 16 seconds, and the quarter mile in ten?

via: evo

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Lexus IS-F CCS-R Racer Ready for Pikes Peak 2012

Lexus is getting ready for this year’s edition of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, with the carmaker now presenting its gladiator for the event. We are talking about the IS F CCS-R racer, a vehicle that comes with a list of modifications the size of Japan, all aimed to help it reach the clouds faster.

2012 is an important year in the history of the famous Hill Climb event, as the entire course is now covered in tarmac, which means that we’ll get to see a totally different show than before.

We must now return to the IS F CCS-R race car, in order to give you the full specs of the vehicle:

ENGINE

• Designation 2UR-GSE
• Displacement 5.0L
• Horsepower 416 @ 6,600 rpm
• Torque 371 lb.-ft. @ 5,200 rpm
• Fuel system SFI D-4 direct-to-cylinder injection with secondary port injectors

DRIVETRAIN

• Layout Front engine, rear-wheel drive system
• Transmission 8-speed Sport Direct Shift automatic with paddle shift and manual mode

EXTERIOR

• Orange mica exterior paint
• Reinforced monocoque (with roll cage)
• Carbon fiber hood, door handles, front fender, front spoiler, front canard, rear spoiler, ventilator
• Polycarbonate windows
• Lightweight door

WHEELS/TIRES

• SSR
• 18x8.5J, off-set 30 front
• 18x9.5J, off-set 40 rear
• Yokohama /ADVAN NEOVA A050 tires
• 245/40 R18 front
• 255/40 R18 rear

BRAKES

• Brake cooling system
• Racing brake kit
• Stainless steel mesh brake hose

SUSPENSION

• Adjustable camber front upper arm
• Modified race suspension
• Reinforced bushings and mounts

EXHAUST

• Racing exhaust system
• OTHER MECHANICAL
• Engine oil cooler
• Transmission oil cooler
• Differential oil cooler
• Mechanical LSD

RACING EQUIPMENT

• 120L fuel cell
• Air jack system
• Fire extinguishing system
• Data logger
• Kill switch
• Tow strap

INTERIOR

• Carbon fiber dashboard, center console, door and interior trim
• HANS compatible full bucket driver's seat
• Lightened interior (delete power windows, door locks, rear seats, roof lining, etc.)
• Six-point seat belt
• Small-diameter steering wheel with paddle shifter

via: autoevolution

 

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