The new system should definitely come in handy on the Circuit de la Sarthe for next year's 24 Hours of LeMans, as it can be used either as boost to supplement the 700 HP diesel V12, or to simply save fuel. The 908 HY can even be put in electric-only mode, perhaps for cruising down the pit lane.

It should be noted, however, that the 2009 LeMans Series regulations aren't completely set in stone yet. So while the Frenchies may have already shown off the 908 HY in public this past weekend at Silverstone, there's a very slight possibility it may not be exactly like this if it makes it onto the grid next season. Let's hope the KERS system on this doesn't decide to strike back at its mechanics like certain F1 cars have.

LMP1 Class
The big news here was that the trio of Peugeots fell to the #2 Audi Sport North America car driven by Capello, McNish and Kirstensen. Hmm... the Audis winning Le Mans. Where have we heard that before? In case you were curious it was Audi, Pug, Pug, Audi, Pug, Audi. The drama continued all the way to the end with both the #2 Audi and the #7 Peugeot finishing on the same lap.

LMP2
Though not as exciting as some of the other classes, the LMP2 did feature the first Le Mans appearance by the Porsche RS Spyder. And how did the RS Spyder perform? The #34 in pimptastic purple won first, piloted by Van Merksteign, Verstappen and Bleekemolen. Sadly, the #41 Porsche piloted by Nielsen, Elgard and Maasen came in second. Why is that sad? Because their names are so much easier to spell.

LM GT1
The big showdown in the GT1 class was between the Gulf Oil Aston Martin and the Yellow Corvettes for class dominance. This year it was the 009 DBR9 of Brahbham, Garcia and Turner taking down the #63 C6R of O'Connell, Magnussen and Fellows for a second GT1 victory in as many years. As with the Audi-Pug race, this one also finished on the same lap. For the scorekeepers, that's Aston, Vette, Vette, Aston.

LM GT2
The GT2 was quite the happy story for us as the Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT driven by Salo, Melo and Bruni owned the Porsche 911's. Why do we care? Those are some Houston, Texas boys and right now Houston sports fans will take any victory from any Houston team. Second place went to the Ferrari F430 GT campaigned by BMS Scuederia Italia. The final for GT2 was Ferrari, Ferrari, Ferrari, Ferrari, Porsche, Porsche.

[Photo: Getty Images/AFP, LeMans.org]

ASTON MARTIN COMPLETES WET LE MANS TEST DAY Aston Martin has completed the traditional pre-Le Mans test day at the La Sarthe circuit, two weeks prior to the endurance classic. The test is an opportunity for drivers and teams to re-familiarise themselves with the eight-mile circuit in order to finalise the set-up for the round the clock race. This year, Aston Martin Racing will be defending its GT1 class win with two Gulf-sponsored DBR9s, numbered 007 and 009. Also competing in the event is an Aston Martin-powered LMP1 prototype, entered by Charouz Racing System, as well as two customer DBR9s from Team Modena and Vitaphone Racing. Conditions for the test day were a mixture of wet and dry weather, which limited running for most of the teams. Despite the changeable conditions, the teams were still able to carry out some useful preparation. The 007 DBR9 was crewed by Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Andrea Piccini and Karl Wendlinger, while 009 was driven by David Brabham and Antonio Garcia. The car's remaining driver, Darren Turner - who won the GT1 class along with Brabham in 009 last year - was absent due to touring car commitments in the UK, but he has plenty of previous Le Mans experience to fall back on when it comes to the race. The test day consisted of two sessions, from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm. During the lunch break, 20 Aston Martin road cars took to the La Sarthe circuit, as part of the 2009 model year V8 Vantage press launch. Aston Martin DBR9 007: Heinz-Harald Frentzen (D): "Although the conditions were extremely mixed, every bit of running at Le Mans is useful, as these are all conditions that could be replicated during the race. I last competed at Le Mans 16 years ago: it was interesting to be back! I don't remember much of the circuit at all, so it was useful to get my bearings. It was hard to do any detailed set-up work, but the balance of the car feels generally good - which is a very positive sign for the race to come." Andrea Piccini (I): "It's a pity that we didn't get more consistent weather as it was quite hard to get a good feeling. During my laps, half the circuit was dry - up to the Mulsanne straight - and the other half was wet. I was running on medium slicks, so it was tricky for me to get enough heat into the tyres and generate the grip we needed for a quick time. I last drove for Aston Martin at Le Mans in 2006, so it took me a little bit of time to get familiar with the car again but now I feel comfortable." Karl Wendlinger (A): "This was a very useful session to refresh my memory of the Le Mans circuit, which I last competed on in 2001. There's a lot that's new since then, particularly the section around Tertre Rouge. I've got experience of the DBR9 from the FIA GT Championship already; it feels very strong under acceleration and braking here - which will definitely help us in the race. We don't know what the weather will do during the race weekend, so I'm glad we experienced the wet and tried a few different things today." Aston Martin DBR9 009 David Brabham (AUS): "We weren't expecting any real surprises from the test day, and luckily that turned out to be the case. I drove a lot of the race last year in the wet - including the very last stint - so it all felt quite familiar today! I think everyone's test programme was compromised by the weather today, but my personal goal was just to get used to the car again after a year out of it and I succeeded in that objective. Although we waited a bit I was still one of the first drivers out, so the track was extremely green and slippery - but it was all useful running." Antonio Garcia (E): "I was quite lucky compared to some of the other guys, as I managed to get a few laps in dry conditions. I made the most of that opportunity to push quite hard, and from that I feel confident that we will be competitive. It's difficult to draw too many detailed conclusions, but I think we're well-prepared. I drove the DBR9 last year for a customer team, so it all feels quite normal; even the weather!" The LMP1 car entered by Charouz Racing System and driven by Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ) and Stefan Mucke (D) used the test day to get familiar with the conditions and work on the prototype's wet-weather set-up. Team Modena's DBR9, car number 59, will be driven by Terry Borcheller (USA), Christian Fittipaldi (BR) and Jos Menten (NL). The Vitaphone Racing car, numbered 53, will be driven by Peter Hardman (GB), Nick Leventis (GB), and Xavier Negrao (BR). Aston Martin Racing Team Principal George Howard-Chappell commented: "It was a very tricky day in terms of preparing for the race, with completely random weather. Still, it has been the same for everyone and at least all our drivers here got the chance to drive the car in a wide variety of conditions. Along with everyone else, we've got a lot of work still to do on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

[Source: Aston Martin]

"Yeah, go slow over this cable tray cause the nose is so low, but in the tunnel why don't you punch it and see what it can do"—those were the orders of the cars' keeper gave. Though styling is not necessarily the car's strong point, its simplicity and performance are respectable. The car starts with a tubular space frame and adds a 78 kW direct drive, a three-phase brushless A/C motor powered by 10 maintenance-free lithium ion battery packs. Those batteries will charge by way of 120V power in 8-10 hours and run for 100 miles on a charge. All of that is shrouded under a completely carbon-fiber body, which encases leather-clad seating. The whole shebang weighs in at 2300 lbs. and considering electric motors make max torque at zero RPM, this thing scoots pretty well. 0-60 will pass in about 5 seconds, and the car has a top speed around 120 mph.

Now that the formalities are out of the way, we're ready to go out on a limb and say this is a better concept car than Die-Hardigree-with-a-Vengence's obnoxious Audi. Lets look at it objectively. The Audi's glorious V12 turbo diesel has been neutered and runs at a mere 250 HP; the electric car runs wide open with full power off the line. The Audi is constructed of soft, malleable aluminum; the electric car is fabricated of a race-car style tube frame and delicious crunchy carbon fiber. The seats are firm but nonadjustable, a clever strategy to simplify operation and cut a substantial amount of waeight compared to the leather ensconced, powered Audi helms. Whereas weight like that forces the audi to add baloney like power steering and power brakes, the little pop top is all direct connect. the steering is heavy as are the brakes, but that just makes you feel like Juan Fangio in his '57 win at Monaco. Sure it's simple and unrefined, but that means it's also simple and unrefined. The utter lack of pretension and the delightfully direct nature of the car was refreshing. Topping it off, we folded in behind the mob squad surrounding the Audi while in traffic, and we were the ones who got the natives asking about it. Clearly, the electric emerges triumphant. [Hybrid Technologies]

To make sure we didn't kill ourselves or, more importantly, the car, Audi provided three black Q7's driven by ex-cops for escort. I suddenly knew what it was like to be a Russian oligarch. Audi's best prototype protection feature is Uwe Haller, the car's affable project manager and my navigator. The car is his baby and he managed to point out every manhole cover on the road. This being New York it was a common refrain.

This prototype features the 6.0 V12 TDI, which produces a pavement destroying 500 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. How does it drive? For the purpose of self-preservation, this particular version was limited to half the torque and horsepower so that we couldn't have too much fun with it.
Nevertheless, the six-speed gear box worked, the engine revved up and the brakes clamped down hard. Maybe a little too hard. At one point Uwe winced and asked "did you hear that?" Did I hear what? The brakes were made a noise that made him very nervous. Was I about to get the Audi R8 fire experience?

Thankfully, that didn't happen. I waited as we turned back onto 11th avenue slowed down to get some daylight between myself and the lead Q7. There was a good 80 yards in front of us and I shifted into second and let that oil burner roar. How fast did I get? I'm not sure, but fast enough to make Uwe tense up (which makes me think 28 mph).

Though this wasn't a full force test drive experience, there was one feature of the car that works at any speed: style. We got lots of looks (helped by the escort) and people did the best they could to get pictures of me in the car. When people yelled I told them I was George Clooney. I don't think they bought it.

Credit goes to Audi for letting us take their precious concept car out for a spin on the less-than-stellar NYC streets. It either indicates Audi's abundance of trust or serious judgment lapses.

THREE PORSCHE FIRSTS TO BE SHOWN AT THE GREATER NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

World's first 300+hp Boxster, world's first 400+hp naturally aspirated Cayenne, world's first 500+hp 911: all in the Porsche stand at the Javits Center

New York, March 17, 2008 - In 2003, many pundits speculated that Porsche's move into the Sport Utility field would herald the end of the brand and the sports cars with which its name is synonymous. This year's press day's display at the 2008 Greater New York International Auto Show proves once and for all that every drop of that sports car DNA flows strong through the veins of every vehicle Porsche makes, today and in the future.

In 1960, Porsche earned its special place in motorsports history when the relatively small displacement Type 718 RS 60 Spyder took Porsche's very first International endurance win at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Overnight, Porsche became "The Giant Killer" having knocked off its bigger-bore, higher horsepower competition, including several factory Ferrari, Maserati.

To pay homage to that "Giant Killer," Porsche will introduce the Limited Edition Boxster RS60. With over 300 horsepower and a number of special "Boxster RS60" features, this commemorative sports car promises to capture the legacy of its forefathers in a package you can drive everyday.

Since the first Cayenne was introduced in 2003, Porsche has worked tirelessly to improve the breed. The latest of the new generation Cayennes is the 405 hp GTS. This vehicle proves that once again, Porsche has elevated the standard by which all other SUVs will be be judged. The Porsche Cayenne GTS, which has been called "the best handling SUV in the world," will be on display with its Porsche siblings.

For those who continue to insist in the face of overwhelming facts that Porsche has lost its focus on its core business, sports cars, Porsche will be displaying the ultimate 911 - the 530 horsepower, 505 lb. ft. of torque, 200+ mph Porsche 911 GT2. The GT2 demonstrates how Porsche is continuing to refine, improve and invest in its core sports car business.

In 2007, the Porsche RS Spyder proved once again that Porsche's heritage as a giant killer is alive and well. The Penske Team went to battle against the previously all-dominating Audi LMP1s with a lighter, more nimble, more fuel efficient, smaller displacement LMP2 car. The results will stand as one of the most spectacular seasons of racing seen in North America in decades. Taking 11 of 12 class victories and a stunning eight overall victories, Porsche once again demonstrated its technological prowess and reinforced its reputation for winning.

Last weekend, the RS Spyder once again proved the name "giant killer" remains appropriate by not only winning its class at Sebring, but winning the overall victory over more powerful competition in America's most famous sports car race. The 2008 Porsche RS Spyder will be on display at the Porsche booth for the duration of the Greater New York International Auto Show.

The Limited Edition Boxster RS 60, Cayenne GTS, 911 GT2 and the RS Spyder are currently on sale in the United States with a base price of $64,900, $69,300, $191,700 and $1,500,000 respectively.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc., based in Atlanta, GA, and, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd., based in Mississauga, Ontario, are the two importers of Porsche sports cars and Cayenne sport utility vehicles for the United States and Canada respectively. Each is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing.h.c. F. Porsche AG. Combined, these two subsidiaries employ approximately 250 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for 200 U.S. and 12 Canadian dealers. They, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service.

These glasses were originally developed for the24 Hours of LeMans, but Tag Heuer went ahead and said "eff it" and slapped a price tag on these bad boys as well. The glasses will be available in wide and panorama styles.

TAG HEUER EYEWEAR INTRODUCES NIGHT VISION: THE DRIVERS ESSENTIAL

(Boonton, NJ...March 2008) - A revolution that can be appreciated on the track as well as on the road - TAG Heuer "Avant-Garde" Eyewear has developed innovative glasses exclusively for drivers. Aptly named "Night Vision," these glasses correct the low-light short-sightedness that everyone endures from twilight to sunrise. "Night Vision" eyeglasses optimize precision and enhance perception of contrasts for more comfort while driving at night. Featuring "TAG Heuer Reflex-type" flexible temples, they are adjustable and fit comfortably under motorcycle and racing helmets.

Originally inspired by and developed for the internationally renowned 24 Hours of LeMans sports car endurance race, TAG Heuer Eyewear plans to market their purpose-made "Night Vision" eyeglasses via real racecar drivers. You'll see them on Formula One racer Sebastien Bourdais and Indianapolis 500 driver Sarah Fisher. These innovative glasses will be available to the public in early 2008.

The titanium Night Vision frames are available in both Wide and Panorama, with anti-slip elastomere arms. Their pale yellow lenses offer constant clear, sharp vision with a very high light transmission rate in order to contrast dark blue and green surroundings without changing color perception. The special ophthalmic lenses offer an anti-reflective treatment, which reduces glare and offers more accurate sight. A driver's essential: these glasses are designed to maximize performance from dusk to dawn.

TAG Heuer - maker of high-end sports watches and chronographs since 1860 - has been applying the same standards for design and quality found in their timepieces to the creation of exceptional eyewear since 2002. All TAG Heuer Eyewear lenses are shatter-resistant, ultra-light and provide 100% UV-A and UV-B protection.

Consumers: For more information on TAG Heuer's Eyewear full line, including authorized retailers, visit www.tagheuer.com/eyewear

Start talking about Steve McQueen's cars, and the first one that'll come to mind for most people is the Dark Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang from Bullitt. Thing is, McQueen never actually owned the car. Of course, that doesn't disqualify the 'stang for this contest, but it does raise an interesting question. Did McQueen even particularly like the Mustang? His personal garage was filled mostly with European sports cars, not American muscle. Watching the chase scene, you'll notice that neither the Charger nor the Mustang take turns all that well. It's even been said that the shot of the 'stang overcooking one of the corners wasn't planned at all. Though I suppose if I'm going to start critiquing the film too closely, I would also have to start counting green VW Beetles, and I really don't want to do that. Besides, this isn't some class for a film student; we're here for the car. And it must be said the dark Mustang fastback with a 390ci V8 looks and sounds fantastic. It's an automotive icon. But there's a problem with that. Being famous to a degree is cool, but being a tool for a marketing department is not. In recent years, Ford has made not just one "special edition" Bullitt Mustang, but two. Which means that you really don't have to be "in the know" to know about the car. It's like having your favorite rock band from the '60s all of a sudden become hugely popular again. You like the music still, but the all the teenage fans, the Broadway musicals, and the appearances on daytime television just sort of ruin the cool factor.


Unlike the Mustang, McQueen actually owned the '70 Porsche 911 S from Le Mans. He wanted a car to drive around in Europe while he was shooting the film, so he bought the Porsche, and when shooting was finished, he had it sent back to America. Now sure, there's no on-screen hoonage starring the 911, but you can only imagine that McQueen drove the snot out of the thing when he was off-camera. But that's not the point—this car was was cool not because it drove around jumping over hills and chasing baddies. The 911 is cool because it is understated and relaxed; it's what the tormented race car driver drove when, as McQueen's character famously put it in the film, he was "just waiting" between races. It has what the Mustang lacks: inconspicuousness. You really need to be obsessed with cars to appreciate the Porsche. For example, the current owner of the 911 was a Porsche collector who bought the car a few years ago without even knowing that it was in the Le Mans film; he just liked the car. Watch it cruise through France and you can't help but like it too.

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Under that familiar Pontiac skin which gave rise to the legendary Judge GTO's, rests a heart from the land of the rising sun, a 1991 Toyota Supra 7M-GTE 3.0 litre 24V turbo. The story goes that the car came to the builder as a basket case from an auction. Our hero/villain Ralf Becker decided it needed a new heart and a buddy helped him dig up the Toyota engine. That was apparently not without it's faults either, as valves and pistons had to be replaced (valve pics on Autobild are pretty beaten). The final piece of the pie, which seems to still be in the ironing out phase, is the addition of a great big turbocharger to really spice things up. We don't know if we can endorse this kind of madness, but the build is unique and will probably be pretty quick when all is said and done. That said, we're going to keep an eye on these guys, you never know what kind of shenanigans those Germans are getting into. [via AutoBild.de (translated - poorly)]

Aston Martin to defend GT1 title with Gulf

Aston Martin Racing will return to Le Mans in 2008 to defend its GT1 title in the distinctive blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil.

Two Aston Martin DBR9s will look to emulate Gulf's first victory at the 24 hour race 40 years on.

Alain Dujean, Gulf Oil vice president international, said: "This is arguably the most important year ever for Gulf in motorsport. The famous Gulf racing colours first tasted victory at Le Mans in 1968, so 2008 already had great significance for us, but for Gulf to have joined up with Aston Martin Racing for this year is fantastic - the coming together of two great automotive names, for what I hope will be a long and fruitful partnership."

David Richards, chairman of Aston Martin, said: "Endurance racing is engrained in the heritage of both Gulf and Aston Martin and we have also both been intrinsically linked through Le Mans for many decades. It was perhaps destined that, in the year we defend our GT1 title and Gulf celebrates the 40th anniversary of its win, we would finally race together at La Sarthe."

The two Aston Martin DBR9s for 2008 will be entered as numbers 007 and 009.
[Source: Aston Martin via CarScoop]

According to the team owner, Lexus was originally planning to enter the GT2 class in 2006. The first race for the Lexus will be the Twelve Hours of Sebring this March 15-18th. Let's just hope they don't drain the battery trying to synch their blackberry's phonebook with the bluetooth memory module. [World Car Fans]

Nick Denton has either a momentary lapse in reason or a stroke of genius
and decides to sponsor a Jalopnik team at LeMans 24 or Sebring 12.

Given what you know about the various editors and contributors, who gets the 3 driving slots? And more importantly, who gets the "Mad Max Papis" seat, you know, when they turn it over to you a few laps down with a few hours to go and you are supposed to make it close?

In an interview he said "It's about the physical and mental experience. When you're in the car you can't think about anything else, you have to just be in the moment... then it's just the physical experience of the sound, the forces on your body, everything fast around you." Amen, brother. Amen. [Telegraph]

Parked on the Estuary waterfront (just around the corner from the Econoline pickup), this car isn't just rough around the edges.


It's rough all the way through. But still, it looks pretty good.


Carrie Fisher's character drove one of these cars in The Blues Brothers; here she is in her LeMans blowing up Jake and Elwood's hot-sheet flophouse.


Detroit was still making cars with some quirky design elements back then. For example, these taillights that wrap around vertically onto the horizontal rear body surface.


And those taillights actually look pretty nice installed.


Of course, the vinyl top has seen better days- it's peeling a bit around the back window...


...and peeling a lot on the roof!


For '75, the California version of the Grand LeMans (by then, you had "49-state" cars and California cars, due to stricter smog standards in the Golden State) came with a 175-horse 350 engine with a Quadrajet; you could pay extra for the 185-horse 400.

The fiberglass nose piece on these cars usually looked pretty bad after just a few years; they weren't made for the long haul.


But the lack of power didn't stop Pontiac designers from laying on a thick coat of decoration and weird trim items. Imagine this car with a built 455 and a 4-speed. Hmm... it could be done...

This weekend, we citizens get to watch one of the few bloodsports left open to public view. More accurately, it's a sport of blood, sweat and tears. I'm talking about 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year's race, held this weekend at France's Circuit de la Sarthe will be memorable, with several manufacturers set to throw haymakers at the sports-car royalty in every single class. Exotic prototypes and production sports cars will fight it out while trying to avoid playing tag with each other at 200 mph. Vehicular attrition pares down the competition as over-aggression, darkness, fatigue and asking 100 percent out of cars already tuned to within an inch of their lives all conspire against the teams. Click through for the tale of the tape.

Blood: Emphasis on "bad," as in some of these teams flat don't like each other. This is especially evident in the trenches of the production-based GT cars, specifically Corvette and Aston Martin and Porsche and Ferrari. The C6-Rs gave Prodrive's DBR9s such fits that Prodrive successfully lobbied to have ballast added to the Corvettes. The 'Vette team didn't like their gunfight being downgraded to knives and let Prodrive know it. Aston Martin then left the American LeMans Series in a snit at the end of the season. Now they're back at it on the biggest stage possible. Look for the Prodrive team to have some new tricks against the juggernaut Vettes. You may remember the closest finish in the history of Sebring a few months ago when a Risi F430 GT rubbed and raced with a Flying Lizard 997 GT3 RSR to a victory margin of just a fifth of a second after twelve hours of racing. Had you forgotten? Flying Lizard hasn't. They'll face their blood-red nemesis again on the Circuit de le Sarthe with the added twist of fending off last year's GT2-winning Panoz Esperante GTLM for Team LNT. That's right: Modena vs. Stuttgart vs. Braselton, Georgia. Be sure to check out the new bat-country inspired Flying Lizard livery.

Sweat: Peugeot climbs through the ropes and into the ring with Audi, undisputed champion and a team almost in a class all their own until this year's Gallic entry joins the turbodiesel club with their 908 HDi. Audi brings momentum, experience, and a cadre of proven, winning drivers, but Peugeot has one very big ace up its sleeve: the exceptionally skilled Champ Car star Sebastien Bourdais. A young driver (from the area, no less) with a brand new car and a shot at the champ. Those butterflies are going to feel like vultures in the stomachs of the Peugeot team come race day.

Tears: Thousands of hours of testing, wrenching, tweaking, training and tuning and you have no idea how long your chances at the win will live. Two cars in a wheel-to-wheel battle for fifth place in class can cut a corner and chop the nose off your million dollar prototype in the 23rd hour just as easily as they can in the first. We'd like to see a race with zero yellow flags, ideally, but who knows what may happen to affect the outcome. Chances are you'll see more than one pit crew with their heads in theirs hands as their baby is wheeled into the garages on a dolly.

It's the ultimate drama and, unlike a certain national letdown, this one ends with a big payoff. Watch it, people. This is the real thing. – James Gribbon

Related:
Parisian Prototype: Peugeot 908 HDi Nabs First LeMans Win [internal]

Audi's motorsports techies, titans of the oil-burning racecar scene, say they want to run the R10 racer on biofuel at next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's part of a companywide move, says Audi Sport's head of engine technology Ulrich "Torquenstein" Baretzky, to develop biofuel combustion technology for VW/Audi. But they won't be using leftover horse lard from the local bistros; they're planning to use Biomass to Liquid (BTL) fuel, or a synthetic derivative of plant-based oil, the producers of which are owned by team sponsor Shell. Oh, now we gets it. – Mike Spinelli

Audi Aim For Biofuel Win At Le Mans 2008 [German Car Scene]

Related:
ACO to Handicap Audi R10?; Two R10s Enter, One R10 Wins; Corvette, Lola, Panoz Round Out Sebring Class Victories [internal]

Le Mans history geeks will recall the Piper GTR as a sort of ungainly space-age prototype — built from a sandwich of plywood and fiberglass — that failed to qualify for the 24 Hours in 1969. The Lotus-engined original has given way to a replica by Piper Cars. The doppelganger's made from glass fiber-reinforced polyester (GRP), with polycarbonate windows, over a tubular space frame chassis. The company's planning two versions, a street model and a track-day variant, both of which will take standard Ford Duratec engines and related transmissions, and both are fitted with centrally mounted aluminum fuel tanks. The race-tuned model will offer more flexiblity to accept a range of engine and brake setups based on championship or series entered. A roller will cost from 28,000. Having a car that reminds everyone of the Durango 95 from "A Clockwork Orange": Priceless. – Mike Spinelli

[Piper Racing Cars]

Related:
Sebring 1962 Redux: Chesil to Unveil Porsche RS60 Spyder Replica in the UK [internal]

Loveseat, indeed. It's one thing to watch your DVDs of LeMans or CanAm race footage while sitting in a Barcalounger or some other glorified tree stump. It's entrely another to curl up in your own Porsche 917. Sure this model is lacking around 1,100 horsepower or so (from CanAm setup), but the company that makes it will paint it in your choice of livery. We'd of course stick with the Gulf-Wyer trimming. Just 3995.00 (~$7500) takes one home. Click through to see (and hear) a less living-room-friendly version. – Mike Spinelli

Le Mans Lounger? UK Firm Builds Porsche 917 Sofa [Winding Road]

Related:
Vasek Polak's Porsche Engines Recovered, Auctioned For Charity [internal]

Our buddy Luca and his gang of Italian viscounts at Autoblog.it say Audi may be preparing to drop its LeMans-winning V12 TDI motor into the A8 flagship. That would bring between 500 and 650 horses (depending on turbos and tuning) and just over a gajillion lbs.-foot of torque to the limo. We're still convinced the company will also drop the 5.5-liter mill into its R8 sports car, but that likely won't happen until at least a year after launch.

Audi A8: monter il V12 TDI della R10? [Autoblog.it]

Related:
Audi Launches R10 LeMans Racer: Yes, It's a Diesel; More on the Audi R10 racer [internal]

• 2003 GTS Champion
• 2004 GTS Champion
• Most wins in Sebring history
• 3 Time Winner at 24 Hours of Lemans

Yes, yes that's all well and good — but what makes us most delighted to talk about O'Connell is the hard work he's done to make the Z06 the fastest Corvette ever. Two of us had an opportunity to sit down for dinner with O'Connell last night...

...and we talked with him about life, cars, his free time and his love of Ultimate Fighting. We'll have more on our chit-chat later on today, but for now — check out O'Connell's site.

Johnny O'Connell

Related:
More racing [internal]

Guess we're starting the 24 Hours of LeMans countdown early this year. While we're searching Premiere.de for the reported live LeMans stream (it's gotta be there somewhere), y'all might as well go ahead and bookmark Flying Lizard Motorsports's in-car audio feed, which will be narrowcasting communications throughout the race — which takes place on June 17 and 18. We'll keep an eye out for any other alternate-media LeMans coverage, so there'll be no braving the drunk tank infield this year. Unless you're into that kind of thing.

Lizard Radio [Flying Lizard Motorsports]

Related:
LeMans to be Broadcast Online [internal]

Fans of 24 Hours of LeMans won't have to motor over in rented Peugeots, set up makeshift shanties and pass out drunkenly in the mud for two days (sorry, our only reference in this regard is Steve McQueen's "LeMans"). They need only log on to www.premiere.de, where the feed will be streamed unencrypted. Non-German speakers may have to wade through words with lots of Zs in them, but it's far more pleasant than an Absinthe hangover.

Le Mans live in the Internet [Auto Motor und Sport]

Related:
"Green" Lola Entered in LeMans Race [internal]

Audi-exclusive site Fourtitude compares spy shots of what's likely the Audi R8 supercar and the LeMans concept that inspired it. Amid all the geekery, the boys reveal one strange evidentiary bit: Several months ago, a "Gallardo" that "sounded like a diesel" had been spied during testing in Sant'Agata. Could it have been the R8? Could Audi's Sebring-winning diesel LeMans racer hearken the first diesel supercar? It's just conjecture, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense.

R8 Production Car and Le Mans Concept Compared [Fourtitude]

Related:
Spy Photos: More of the Audi R8 Supercar [internal]

A diesel-powered Audi will run in the next 24-hours of Le Mans race, so why not a biodiesel Lola? Why, indeed, says the head of UK-based D1 Oils, a maker of biodiesel products, which entered a Lola B2K — powered by a Volkswagen Touareg's TDI V10 — modified to run on a mix of diesel and vegetable oil. It's 15mph slower than its gas-power competitors, topping out at 200hph, but the team hopes its fuel efficiency will give it an edge. The car has yet to pass its qualifying tests, but if it makes it into the race, Paul Newman said he'd enter a car that runs on his salad dressing.

LeMans: The Ultimate Test for a Green Car [The German Car Blog]

Related:
Audi Launches R10 LeMans Racer: Yes, It s a Diesel [internal]

Audi Sport launched its newest LMP2 racer, and replacement for its successful R8 car, the R10 at a press conference in Paris this morning. As had been predicted, the R10 is powered by a diesel-fired TDI mill. AS boss Dr Wolfgang Ullrich indicated the R10 will get at least one or two laps more from a tank of fuel at LeMans on a dry road surface, compared to the R8, and will have a diesel particulate trap, making it as emissions friendly as a road-going TDI. Development partners include Bosch, Michelin and Shell. Kudos to the multilingual translator, who juggled three languages like the Flying Karamazov Brothers. [Update: Full press release after the jump.]

Press Release:
AUDI AG is one step ahead of the opposition yet again: The inventor of TDI will fight, as the world s first automobile manufacturer, for overall victory with a diesel engine at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. The new Audi R10 is powered by a completely new 5.5-litre, twelve-cylinder bi-turbo TDI engine which is extremely economical and quiet.

The Le Mans Prototype, with over 650 hp and more than 1100 Newton metres of torque, significantly exceeds the power produced by the majority of previous Audi racing cars including that of its victorious R8 predecessor.

Audi ventures into previously unexplored diesel-engine terrain with the V12 power plant manufactured completely from aluminium. The enormous torque of over 1100 Newton metres [~800ft-lbs. — ed.] not only makes extreme demands of the R10 transmission system as even the Formula 1 specification engine dynamometers at Audi Sport had to be reequipped with special gearboxes capable of withstanding the unusual forces.

Update: Presentation of the Audi R10 Live on the Internet, Photos Available [Fourtitude]

Related:
Audi to Unveil New (Diesel?) LeMans Prototype in Paris [internal]

As those German car bloggers at (what was the name of that site again?) report, we may soon get a look at Audi's diesel-powered LMP2 car, or if rumors are off base, just another naturally aspirated Audi Sport LeMans racer. The company is launching the successor to its well-won R8 in Paris on December 13. Bring your truckers' wallet and CB, this here diesel's gonna be eastbound and down before sunup (EST).

Audi R10: World premiere in Paris next week [The German Car Blog]

Related:
Audi Working on a Diesel-Powered LeMans Prototype [internal]

Lexus' IS cars haven't quite been the 3-series-beaters the Toyota division has hoped for. They hope to change that with the release of the completely revised version, and to put their scrill where they grill is, they've announced that they're entering the cars in the American Le Mans Series' new GT2S class, placing them up against the BMW M3. The factory-backed team will field two cars, although the drivers haven't been announced. The Lexii will bow at the 54th running of the 24 Hours of Sebring. Currently, GT2S cars aren't eligible for competition at the 24 Hours of LeMans, but ALMS officials are working with the ACO on the matter as a future possibility.

Lexus IS350 Joins ALMS GT2S Class [Planetlemans]

Related:
Porsche Revises LMP2 Race Debut [Internal]

They left in kind of a huff back in 2001, after dusting a load of Porsche 911s when they swapped the the inline six from their M3 with a V8 (and several thanks to driver J rg M ller). But as happens when your car doesn't really exist in the marketplace, some tricky homologation efforts make running that car kind of a sporting pain in the ass. Now, BMW's coming back to ALMS GT racing, teaming up with Team PTG (Prototype Technology Group), winner of the series' first team championship. Will the run the M3 GTR again? Hmm.

BMW Announces Return to American Le Mans Series with Team PTG [Dubspeed Driven]

Related:
Audi Working on a Diesel-Powered LeMans Prototype? [internal]

Evans Automobiles of Georgia, builder of street-legal GT cars since 1986, is selling one of its racers. If you want another, you'll have to build it yourself — the company is leaving the business. But don't fret, the car comes with all the implements needed to build others, should you go in for that sort of thing. The car, an Evans S3 LeMans prototype — used as an FIA & EPA certification mule — sports a supercharged 3.8 L V6, five-speed tranny with limited-slip differential, pushrod suspension and ride height control for road use. On the outside, it's all DOT-approved glass and carbon fibre body, plus frame, seats and full roll cage on the inside. The company is asking $130,000 for the car and all the related molds, tooling and drawings to make others like it and its 4 Series cousin. Anyone want to go in on the Jalopnik GT?

Evans Automobiles

Related:
DP Cars: One Engineer s Quest to Build His Own Car [internal]

Porsche has announced that the RS Spyder, their new LMP2 racer originally set to debut at Road Atlanta's Petit LeMans, will instead make its bow at the season-ending ALMS Laguna Seca event. Commissioned jointly by Porsche Motorsport North America and Porsche Cars North America, the RS Spyder needed a little more time in the hands of Porsche and Penske's people before being deemed ready for the track. While the basically inarguable title of today's 917 goes to Audi's LMP1-class R8, we can't wait to see what the new Porsche brings to the table.

Porsche revises LMP2 testing schedule [Motorsport.com]

Related:
Porsche Announces RS Spyder LMP2 Drivers [Internal]

UK-based motorsports builder, Radical Sportscars is introducing a new Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) car, the SR9, and is looking for an American privateer team with which to take on the new Porsche LMP2 RS Spider. The new prototype, designed by Peter Elleray (whose Bentley EXP LMGTP won LeMans in 2003), the SR9 uses a carbon-composite chassis, an Ricardo-manufactured transaxle (same as Audi LMPT1 cars) and a Powertec AER two-liter, four-cylinder turbo, registering 525hp. Price? Figure $259,000 plus VAT for the first four rolling chassis (three are sold), with subsequently built chassis going for $315,000 plus VAT, and $113,750 plus VAT for engine installation. That's the problem with racing — everything's an option.

Related:
Buddy Can You Spare a Half-Mil?: What It Costs to Race LeMans [internal]

Chrome Homme [LA Times]

Related:
One For the Books: The Pierson Brothers Coupe [Internal]

Porsche's busted out with some more details on their American LeMans Series effort, including the names of the men who will pilot the RS Spyder LMP2: Sascha Maassen and Lucas Luhr, along with Emmanuel Collard at Road Atlanta's Petit LeMans. Maassen and Luhr recently tested the car at Portugal's 13-turn Estoril track, and the official word from der Vaterland is that officials are pleased with the car's progress. Only appearing at the last two events of the ALMS season the aforementioned Petit LeMans, and the year's final race at Laguna Seca the RS Spyder will make a full assault on the circuit in '06.

Together Again: Maassen, Luhr to Drive Porsche RS Spyder in Last Two ALMS Races [Dubspeed Racing]

Related:
Inside Porsche's New LeMans Prototype [Internal]

While Jalopnik will be flying the flannel at Sears Point (as NorCal expatriates we just can't quite bring ourselves to call it Infineon Raceway) in a little over a week for the NHRA's Fram/Autolite Nationals, it's time to look back at what could be called drag racing's inverse the American LeMans Series.

Having completed half the season when the checkered flag dropped in Sonoma, JJ Lehto and Marco Werner are out front in LMP1, while in LMP2, Jeff Bucknum and Chris McMurry hold a slight lead. The Corvette guys (surprise, surprise), are strong in GT1, with Plastic Fantastic infighting being the main story there. GT2's the tight contest of the season, with Jorg Bergmeister and Patrick Long currently out front but only by 11 points. With American open-wheel racing having lost much of its luster and NASCAR a corporate carbon-copy-fest, ALMS seems to us to be the series most akin to racing's golden age of the 1960s.

By the Numbers: Infineon Technologies Grand Prix of Sonoma [Dubspeed Racing]

Related:
Inside Porsche's New LeMans Prototype [Internal]