Audi, What Big Eyes You Have: New R18 is a Diesel Racer with Lots of LEDs

Audi has unleashed its latest LMP1 racer, the R18. After winning the Le Mans 24 Hours nine times since 1999 with the R8, R10 TDI and R15 TDI, the Ingolstadt-based automaker aims for the top spot with a closed coupe again.
“In the future, aerodynamic efficiency will be even more important at Le Mans than it was in the past”, says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “A closed car has clear advantages in this respect. Our computer simulations have been confirmed in the wind tunnel and during initial track tests”.

Unlike its predecessor, which had a 5.5-liter V10 diesel engine, the new model uses a much smaller, 3.7-liter V6 TDI, mated to a modified six-speed transmission.
The R18 features a one-piece carbon fiber monocoque, which saves weight and increases stiffness. Audi says that the chassis and aerodynamics were developed with a lot of know-how borrowed from the previous R models.
The headlights are the most eye-catching parts of the R18. Boasting “optimized” LED technology, they incorporate Audi light designers’ personal touch: daytime running lights shaped like a “1”. According to the press release, this was intended to inspire associations with the brand’s historic logo.
The Audi R18 was given the green light in mid 2009, while engine testing began in summer 2010. The first track test took place at the end of November, with Allan McNish at the wheel.
The Ingolstadt-based maker plans to enter three cars in next year’s Le Mans, run by Audi Sport Team Joest.

By Csaba Daradics

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Ford Unwraps Mustang Boss 302S Turn-Key Ready Racecar

With the introduction of the Mustang Boss 302S, Ford wants to offer enthusiasts an affordable way to road race. Based on the street legal Boss 302, the new racer is Ford’s third competition car to be sold through Ford Racing dealers, after the Mustang FR500S and FR500 CJ “Cobra Jet”.

“Ford Racing is excited to add an additional turn-key ready to race car to our stable, which includes the highly successful FR500C, FR500S, BOSS 302R and Cobra Jet”, said Mark Wilson, Engineering Manager Ford Racing. “The enthusiasts who purchase the Boss 302S will be competitive in both the World Challenge GTS and the NASA American Iron Series. We look forward to adding their names to the Boss 302's racing history”.
Developed by Ford Racing engineers, the 302S boasts a 440 hp 5.0-liter V8, coupled to a six-speed transmission of the standard car. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a T2 Torsen differential, while the suspension was beefed up with two-way adjustable coil-over dampers and Ford Racing anti-roll bars. 4-piston Brembo brakes provide stopping power.
As any self-respecting racecar, the Boss 302S comes with a complete aero kit, including a heat extracting fiberglass bonnet, adjustable front splitter and huge carbon fiber rear wing. Every car will come with a graphics package mimicking the original 1969 Boss 302.
The cabin was stripped of any components deemed unnecessary and fitted with a roll cage, race seat with 6-point belt, quick release steering wheel and AIM data acquisition system with GPS.
Built at Ford’s Flat Rock plant in Michigan, the racing-flavored 302S will be available in the second quarter of 2011. MSRP has been set at $79,000.

By Csaba Daradics

Ford Mustang Boss 302S specs
Engine
5.0L BossR engine
Engine oil cooler
FR serialized intake badge
Boss 302 fuel system
Upgraded cooling system

Driveline
5L Boss 6 speed transmission with stock Boss 302 clutch/flywheel
Torsen Diff
3.73 gears
FR1 Muffler

Chassis
Front: coil over struts
Front lower control arms with extended ball joint and delrin bushing kit
FR adjustable front swaybar
Caster/Camber plates
Rear: coil over shocksTubular lower control arms with spherical bearings
FR Swaybar
EPAS with unique Ford Racing calibration
FIA Spec 6 point roll cage

Electrical
Lightened FR wiring harness
AMB Transponder
Switch plate – Start/ignition, aux switches

Interior
AIM data aquisition system with GPS
Recaro HANS Pro Racer seat
Fire system with 2 nozzles
Quick release racing steering wheel
Window net
Safety system triangle nets
6 point racing harness
Master cut off switch

Exterior
FR front splitter
Rear adjustable CF wing
Unique fiberglass hood with air extractors
Hood pins
18X9.5″ wheels
Boss 302S graphics package
F/R tow hooks

Brakes
Brembo race 4 piston front brake system
2 piece 14″ front rotors
2 piece 12″ rear rotors
PFC racing pads
Brake duct kit
Stainless steel brake lines
FR brake booster assembly
Unique FR ABS calibration

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Retour vers le futur: Renault's Amazing 800HP Espace F1 MPV Prototype

I don’t have children, but I bet school runs can become pretty boring. However, if parents could get their hands on a Renault Espace F1, I’m sure they'd sing to a different tune when they'd return back from school... Unveiled in 1995, this über-Espace was not your typical soccer-mom transporter. Created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the French MPV and Renault’s decade-long involvement in Formula 1, the concept was literally an F1 racer in disguise.
Power was sourced from the 1993 Williams-Renault FW15C single seater racecar. The 3.5-liter 40-valve V10 powerplant initially developed 700 hp, but engineers managed to squeeze another 100 ponies pushing output to 800 hp. As with the F1 car, the V10 was mounted in the center sending power to the rear wheels, through a 6-speed semi-automatic transmission.

Performance was simply mind-boggling: the Espace F1 could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 2.8 seconds and 200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.9 seconds. Top speed was pegged at 312 km/h or 194 mph.
Stopping power was equally impressive. Fitted with carbon-ceramic brakes, the special Espace could accelerate from 0 to 270 km/h (168 mph) and then brake to standstill in less than 600 meters (1,969 ft).
Is this the ultimate MPV or what? Check out the videos below to see it in action.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Renault / Youtube

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Lotus Renault GP is the New Kid on the 2011 Formula 1 Block

Lotus announced today that it’s taking over the “Renault F1 Team” and creating a new team named “Lotus Renault GP” that will compete in the 2011 Formula 1 season and onwards. This is not the first time that the two companies have worked together in Formula 1, as in the 1980s, Lotus used turbocharged engines sourced from the French carmaker.


While Renault will continue to supply engines and technical support, the Lotus Group will own and run the newly formed F1 team along with Genii Capital, a Luxembourg-based company that acquired Renault's stake in the team.
The British maker said that the new partnership brings the ability to quickly incorporate new technologies from F1 cars into its own road cars including hybrid technology, Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS), aero advancements and lightweight materials.
Genii will contribute to the partnership with non-Formula 1 technolgies such as lightweight braking systems, variable compression engine technology and software. Furthermore, Genii Capital will help Proton, owner of Lotus, to expand into new markets, such as Russia, and potentially access additional automotive technologies.

Gerard Lopez, founding partner of Genii Capital, said: “For Group Lotus, access to Formula 1™ opens up new marketing opportunities and a major platform for business exchanges and development. In this regard, Genii Capital possesses shareholdings in, and direct access to, cutting edge companies in the automotive industry. Our tie-up with Group Lotus and Proton, which will enable its future road car ranges to take advantage of significant new technologies, is a natural step.”
Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, commented: “I can think of no better platform for automotive brand communications than motorsport and F1 We’re well aware that there has been a lot of controversy around the usage of our brand in F1 and I’m delighted to be able to formally clarify our position: We are Lotus, and we are back.”

By Csaba Daradics

VIDEO: Race Driver Fast Laps NZ Circuit in New Volvo S60 Blindfolded!

And you thought your latest weekend track race was adrenaline-filled... Enter the realm of Jonny Reid, one of New Zealand's top racing drivers. The 27-year-old Kiwi put a brand new 2011 Volvo S60 to the test around Hampton Downs raceway in Auckland. Nothing spectacular there you say? How about if we told you that he did it blindfolded? Yes, that's right; the young racing driver couldn't see a thing. 

According to the promo event's organizers, it took Reid more than one try but in the end, he managed to return a lap time of 1:28 with a top speed of 193km/h (119 mph). "He was guided only by the feel of the car, his knowledge of the track, and co-driver Earl Bamber's voice," said Volvo. Pretty neat, though we're not sure who was the bravest of the two; the driver or the co-driver... Scroll down to watch the clips.

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Back to the Future: Formula One Racecar Lapping the Nürburgring Circuit in 1967

The Nürburgring circuit is called “The Green Hell” for a good reason. Measuring 24.4 km (15.2 miles) in today’s combined version that uses a part of the Formula 1 track, it’s not an easy circuit to master. Complete a fast lap was even more difficult in the late ’60, when Formula 1 was nowhere near the high-tech parade it represents now. Back then, fearless drivers raced cars with skinny tires that had very few, if any safety features and weren't exactly easy to drive.

Check out the video after the break to see 1967 Formula 1 car running the Green Hell. At the time, the Nordschleife measured 22.8 km (14.2 miles) and had 174 turns.

By Csaba Daradics

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World Premiere for Ferrari's New 458 Challenge at Bologna Motor Show

The 35th edition of the Bologna Motor Show in Italy, which runs for the public from December 4 to 12, saw Ferrari lifting the covers off the 458 Challenge, a track-only version of the automakers fiery -no pun intended- supercar. The 458 Challenge boasts a host of upgrades over its road-legal sibling to make it race worthy when it hits the grid in Ferrari's one-make race series from 2011.
While the Challenge keeps the 458 Italia's direct injection 4.5-liter V8 with an output of 570 hp at 9,000 rpm intact, Ferrari's engineers have made modifications to the gear ratios and calibration of its dual-clutch F1 gearbox to further improve torque at lower revs. The 458 Challenge is equipped with the E-Diff electronic differential already employed on the road-going version, a first for Ferrari's track-only cars. Another first for a Ferrari Challenge model is the adoption of the firm's F1-Trac traction control system. 


The race-spec model also gets a specific suspension set-up with steel uniball joints, stiffer springs, single-rate alloy dampers and a ride height lowered by 50mm all round. Stopping power is provided by the new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes integrated with the latest ABS system which debuted on the 599XX, Ferrari’s experimental laboratory car, while it rides on centre-nut 19-inch forged rims wrapped in larger dimension Pirelli slicks.
Ferrari says significant work has gone into cutting down the car’s weight with the company's engineers concentrating on reducing the thickness of the bodyshell panels and on using lightweight materials, such as carbon-fibre and Lexan. 

The combined result of all these measures is the improvement of the car’s lap time at Fiorano by two seconds over that of its predecessor, resulting in a new record of just 1’16.5”. According to the Italian company, the amount of lateral grip the new car generates is 1.6G.
Along with the 458 Challenge, Ferrari is also displaying a variety of other racing models from the past and present at its Bologna Motor Show stand, including a 430 GTC owned by the AF Corse team Ferrari and an F1 model.

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