WEC Topic Hub

2016 Audi R8 LMS – New Open-Aero Design Analysis, Specs and Pricing

The new R8 is big news, of course, for supercar shoppers. Three models are set for the US range: the R8, R8 V10 and R8 V10 Plus. All sport AWD as standard and curb weights of 3500- and 3600-pounds. America will miss out on the limited-release R8 E-Tron but we will definitely see the fifth family member: the nearly unbeatable 2016 R8 LMS. This factory racecar is already outselling the existing model among dozens of top-tier sportscar racing teams. The reasons are simple: it is faster than ever thanks to cunning new aero and mechanicals. The biggest changes versus the …

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Dec 02, 2015 Read more

Ferrari Finali Mondiali at Mugello – World Debuts of F12 TdF Special, 488 GTE + FXX K Sightings

Ferrari just wrapped up its weeklong extravaganza for the World Finals of the Ferrari Challenge one-make race series — and crowned the huge week by debuting the new F12TdF in front of the packed crowd of 50,000-plus tifosi at Mugello circuit. The new F12 Tour de France special model wears new aero, extra power and track-optimized handling settings. This makes running around the ultra-quick circuit with 599XXs, FXX K’s and even F1 cars a natural habit for the limited-run 2016 model — despite the F12 TdF being street-legal worldwide. In real-life photos, the F12TdF is quite striking, with design elements …

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Nov 09, 2015 Read more

LeMans 2015 – Toyota TS040 Hybrid Gets New Nose, More Power and New Suspension Setup

What the TS040 lacks in outright drama, it clearly makes up for with outstanding engineering and bulletproof reliability. Le Mans 2014 was one of the three World Endurance Championship races that the TS040 Hybrid did not win — but the team cleaned up by going 5 in 8 overall during the 2014 season. This dominance was enough to score Toyota the World Championship titles for the car as well as its drivers — which is certainly an impressive feat. The newly-renamed Toyota Gazoo Racing team wants to keep the winning glory in this 2015 season with the ultimate crowning …

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Jun 01, 2015 Read more

2015 Porsche 919 Hybrid Adds Black and Red LeMans Liveries in 917K Salute

Porsche is extremely eager to show how fast and reliable its 2015 919 Hybrid is in the marquee endurance race of the year: LeMans. Just 18 days from now, a trio of Porsche 919s will battle a mad pack of Audi R19 racecars, the secretive 2015 Toyota LMP1 update, and an all-new contender: the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo. This front-drive Nissan is a real wildcard in the tech blueprint adopted by the other big three: rear-mid-engine with electric front-axle AWD. The Porsche 919 Hybrid looks extremely similar to last year’s car, but features dramatic updates under the skin. The core …

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May 26, 2015 Read more

2015 Nissan GT-R LM Nismo LMP1 Racer Makes Public Debut in Chicago – 40 New Photos!

The hot and heavy three-way battle among Porsche, Audi and Toyota in the LeMans Prototype One race class just got a lot steamier. Nissan just pulled back the silk sheets on its contender to World Endurance Championship racing: the 2015 Nissan GT-R LM NISMO. And boy does it go its own way to achieving massive speed and impact, while sticking to the very expansive fuel usage rules of LeMans racing. The biggest shocker is not that it is a hybrid twin-turbo-charged V6 making 1250-horsepower. It shocks with where that engine sits, and where it delivers its power. The engine lives …

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Feb 13, 2015 Read more

LMP1 3-Way Becomes Fourgy! 2015 Nissan GT-R LM Nismo Revealed With 1250HP, Front-Drive V6TT?!

The hot and heavy three-way battle among Porsche, Audi and Toyota in the LeMans Prototype One race class just got a lot steamier. Nissan just pulled back the silk sheets on its contender to World Endurance Championship racing: the 2015 Nissan GT-R LM NISMO. And boy does it go its own way to achieving massive speed and impact, while sticking to the very expansive fuel usage rules of LeMans racing. The biggest shocker is not that it is a hybrid twin-turbo-charged V6 making 1250-horsepower. It shocks with where that engine sits, and where it delivers its power. The engine lives …

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Feb 02, 2015 Read more

Ferrari FXX K in 26 Amazing New Photos at Ferrari World UAE

Thrilling news from Ferrari this morning! The new FXX K prototype has broken cover ahead of a public debut at Ferrari World next weekend in Abu Dhabi. Upgraded for hardcore track racing that may include the GT class of the Le Mans WEC championship, the FXX ditches all nods to road legality and comfort in its chase of pure speed. The overhaul is similar in theme to the McLaren P1 GTR but the FXX K is arguably even more extreme, more futuristic and perhaps more intoxicatingly changed versus the standard LaFerrari. This brings a totally new front end with extra …

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Dec 06, 2014 Read more

2016 LaFerrari FXX K Revealed Ahead of Abu Dhabi Ferrari World Debut

Thrilling news from Ferrari this morning! The new FXX K prototype has broken cover ahead of a public debut at Ferrari World next weekend in Abu Dhabi. Upgraded for hardcore track racing that may include the GT class of the Le Mans WEC championship, the FXX ditches all nods to road legality and comfort in its chase of pure speed. The overhaul is similar in theme to the McLaren P1 GTR but the FXX K is arguably even more extreme, more futuristic and perhaps more intoxicatingly changed versus the standard LaFerrari. This brings a totally new front end with extra …

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Dec 03, 2014 Read more

Toyota Rally Racing Hall of Fame – 101 AMAZING and RARE Photos!

Of all the any forms of motor racing, rallying has been Toyota’s true center of excellence. This hall of fame showcase extends back to the 1957 Toyopet Crown in the Australian Rally – when is a deep set of roots. From there, the Celica, Supra and Celica GT-Four have all been world-beating rally cars in their decades. By the late 1990s, Toyota’s Corolla GT-4 rally machines were so dominant that they ran Mitsubishi and later even Subaru out of the World Rally Championship. Rallying in this sense has a broad definition, one that definitely includes the Paris-Dakar and dozens of …

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Nov 18, 2014 Read more

In-House Racing Expert Chris May Asks — Are Established Tracks Safe For Today’s Race Pace?

By: Special Contributor Chris May Established Race Tracks: Are they Safe Anymore? It’s a loaded question that I have been wrestling with over the past couple of weeks. So you might ask, ‘Why is this on your mind, bit of a random thought?’ Well, the genesis of the thought process started last year when the racing community lost Allan Simonsen tragically at Le Mans. I, just like many other racing fans, was glued to the TV as we watched the historical event unfold and the tragic cloud that fell upon the race with 23 hours left …

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Apr 07, 2014 Read more

2014 LeMans LMP1 – Toyota TS040 Hybrid – A Dark Horse in Audi vs. Porsche Battle

The TS040 Hybrid is looking mighty rapid this year, with a huge increase in stamina and budget for the Toyota Motorsports Group based in Cologne, Germany. Training with past winners and local talent can only be considered a huge new asset in the Toyota WEC racing ambition for its LMP1 cars. TS040 Hybrid running from ToyotaGB on Vimeo. So, is the TS040 fast and powerful enough to outwit the Porsche 919 Hybrid and Audi R18 trio? Fast enough remains to be seen, but the Toyota effort in LMP1 has garnered five race victories since 2012, which is certainly nothing to …

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Mar 30, 2014 Read more

2014 Porsche 911 Racers Compared: 991 RSR vs 991 GT3 Cup vs 997 GT3 R

The latest 2014 Porsche 911 RSR looks quite different from its most recent relatives in the 911 racing side of the Porsche family tree. This roundup shows three of the most hardcore 911 racers that will contest the 2014 seasons across various series around the world. Yes, the rules from all these racing groups will be very different in how much enhancement is allowed: from the road-car side of the spectrum in the 991 GT3 Cup, all the way to the pure prototype RSR model. The RSR is a seriously hardcore racing machine that will howl its boxer six bellow …

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Jan 07, 2014 Read more

Audi LeMans R18: Laser Light = Smoke and Mirrors? 2014 e-tron quattro Actually Hiding Big Changes in Back

Guess who really likes winning Le Mans? Everyone! Every single person who has ever competed there cherishes a single win with the passion of an Oscar winner. But guess who has really, really developed a taste for winning Le Mans, after more than a decade as the front-runner? The serious gentlemen over at Audi Motorsport. Is this an odd introduction for an article about new laser lighting shown at CES this week? The new “laser” lighting joins a long list of other Audi names for its headlights, including Matrix and Swarm. AUTO LIGHTING TECH – 2014 and Beyond But why …

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Jan 03, 2014 Read more