Short-Tail Topic Hub

Racing Icons Series – 1970 Alfa Romeo TT3 Spider Was Lightweight Short-Tail Special

Part Three of Six – Alfa Romeo Racing Icons Series 1970 saw the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 Spider evolve into a much shorter and much more brutal track attacker. Switchable noses include the lamp-free style shown here. A fairly brutal and chopped style appears at the front and rear of this Alfa racecar, with less of the glamourous design of the Sports Racer 33 that came before it. The changes worked on the racing circuit – with this Spider earning numerous race wins and ranking between Porsche and Ferrari in the top three points for the Le Mans season. …

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May 11, 2015 Read more

Amelia Island 2015 – 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe Is One of Two Survivors

This Le Mans racer from Porsche is part of a 200-mph dream: Fast cars, evolving in hyperspeed. The 908 was an adapted version of the 907 – but altered to fit an all-new 3.0-liter boxer eight-cylinder engine. We believe this is chassis 908-019 (or perhaps 908-011) – which is thought to be one of two surviving short-tail 908 Coupes outside the Porsche Museum. The 908K stands for short-tail, which was ideal for tighter tracks versus the long-tail for the Le Sarthe LeMans track itself. This machine was a transition phase for the Porsche race crew. A rule change for 1969’s …

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Mar 20, 2015 Read more

Concept Flashback – 1992 Oldsmobile Aerotech V8 Delivered 270MPH VMax

The first Aerotech concepts from 1987/1988 aimed to launch the new Quad4 engine with a bang: via a hypercar record-breaker with amazing low-drag and lightweight design. The two original Aerotech concepts showed exciting design ideas for 1990s GM models like the Camaro and Firebirds of 1992, plus some cool cabin tech like a clear heads-up display panel and single-seat layout. The third goal? A really cool Oldsmobile brand builder. This was even more sought-after in 1992. Oldsmobile updated and revamped the Aerotech to include modern shrouded lighting, an even more streamlined design, and more pronounced Oldsmobile branding. This resulting car …

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Dec 23, 2014 Read more

Concept Flashback – 1987 Oldsmobile Aerotech Short-Tail and 1988 Aerotech Long-Tail

The 1987 and 1988 Oldsmobile Aerotech concepts were a high-speed R&D showcase, branding exercise and new engine launch in one. The hypercar style of the car was a direct result of the engineering goals: to help this 160-horsepower Quad4 engine power the car to a world-record top speed. 160-horsepower? Surely that would never be enough to hit 200-mph? In fact, the car hit 267.99-mph the day before setting the official closed-course world record on 257-mph on August 27, 1987. A short-tail Aerotech ST wears full venturi air channels under a flipped-up and chopped rear end. This short-tail wore a single …

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Dec 23, 2014 Read more