This year marks the 50th birthday of the most iconic sports car of them all, the Porsche 911. Now you can go the Jeremy Clarkson way and start bitching about how the whole idea of putting the engine in the rear was stupid, or start an argument about how it is only a tuned up Volkswagen, but no matter what you think,…

International sports car racing is unbelievably confusing, with a half dozen classes that all look the same and have nearly the same names. Here's a simple guide that unravels the whole tangled mess.

It is a little less than 12.5 miles up Pike's Peak from bottom to top for car, truck and motorcycle competitors in this weekend's famous race to the clouds. For one competitor the trip to the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb began 1132 miles away from the foot of Pike's Peak at Porsche Motorsports HQ.

The first near-crash for this 911 GT2 RS driver is the predictable response to underestimating how tough the Nürburgring is, especially in a super Porsche. The second near-crash comes after sitting there for a few seconds, probably trying to identify that soiled smell suddenly wafting through the cabin.

Racing exhaust maker Akrapovic likes to show off its wares on this modified Porsche 997 GT2, here shown during a track test harnessing the laws of thermodynamics to change forward momentum into heat, then awesomeness. [TeamSpeed]

After a long, winless year in American Le Mans GT2, Corvette Racing was resigned to second place at Petit Le Mans. Until Ferrari broke down in the final lap. Wait for the sound of joy at about three minutes in.

This is the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. It's a 620HP, Nurburgring-devouring beast. Seven minutes, eighteen seconds 'round the 'Ring to be precise. It's the fastest road-going Porsche ever and exactly what all those Cayennes have been paying for.

A 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 in rural Nevada. I took this two years ago while driving from Los Angeles to Pahrump. I'd tell you what I did here, but then I'd have to kill you.

Yep, that's a 911 GT3 RS, complete with factory-installed roll bar, a wailing flat six, a ten-year-old driver drifting it like a champ, and... wait, what?!?

The 17th BMW Art Car, designed by artist Jeff Koons, will race at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, giving race-goers the first opportunity to witness the BMW M3 GTR rolling rainbowgasm up close.