Categories
Green Machines Motorsports Toyota

Toyota preps Prius GT300 to race against BRZ

Toyota Prius GT300

A few days ago Subaru released a promo clip showing off their BRZ GT300. It will race in the highly competitive Japanese Super GT series. It would stand to reason, you would think, that Toyota would follow suit by producing an 86 GT300. Well, like us, you’d be wrong if you thought that.

Here, then, is Toyota’s answer to the BRZ GT300 and it’s a Prius. Of course.

It’s not clear if the Prius GT300 will continue to use a hybrid drivetrain to achieve its maximum power cap of 300hp. However, it would be a marketing fail on an epic scale if a racing “Prius” used a conventional engine source.

The first shakedown tests for the Prius GT300 are expected to take place early next year.

[Source: Jon Sibal]

Categories
Formula 1

Ricciardo says Caterham best chance for 2012

2011 European Grand Prix

In mixed news for Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull has extended his contract for another 12 months. That’s a good show of faith in the young Aussie, but Ricciardo himself has revealed a drive with Red Bull’s junior team Toro Rosso is unlikely in 2012.

“At the moment it seems like Toro Rosso are going to stay with who they’ve got,” Ricciardo said.

“It wasn’t put down 100 per cent, but it was the wording I was making out.

“There’s a good chance if I’m on the grid next year it’s going to be with another non-Red Bull outfit, but I guess the good news is I’m still contracted by Red Bull. They’ve agreed to continue with me.”

It would seem Ricciardo’s best hope is to score a drive with Caterham. The team formerly known as Team Lotus has partnership agreement with Red Bull Technologies, which could provide a link for Ricciardo to join them should rumours of Jarno Trulli’s exit prove correct.

Continue reading “Ricciardo says Caterham best chance for 2012”
Categories
BMW

BMW M ready to burn the midnight oil?

A couple of days ago BMW released this teaser title ‘A new chapter powered by M. Step 1.’ The hot tip is we’re looking at the first diesel powered M car.

Here at AUSmotive we don’t care too much for the X6 at the best of times, so if BMW is going to cause some short term pain to its brand image by plonking a diesel in one of its cars we’d rather they get it right in this monstrosity, before, more appropriately perhaps, sticking one into a 5 Series, or whatever.

As a longer term vision we can’t see too much wrong with future BMWs wearing variations of Md badging. As the world changes, the motoring industry must follow. The idea of high-torque powerplants appeals to us very much. If that end goal is achieved by conventional petrol engines, multi-turbo diesels or even electric power we don’t care too much, as long as fun can be had along the way.

You only have to look at how Audi, and to a lesser extent Peugeot, have rewritten the performance rule book, literally as it happens, with their overwhelming dominance at Le Mans to see how far diesel power can be pushed.

BMW are no mugs. They will get diesel powered performance spectacularly right.

Categories
Formula 1 News

Channel Ten confirms live F1 coverage in 2012

2011 Brazilian GP

Channel Ten has advised via its @tensporttv twitter account that they will be broadcasting all Formula One races live in 2012. “We will be showing all races live and exclusive,” the tweet reads.

Concerns over local free-to-air (FTA) coverage were raised when the BBC, the source network for Australia’s current F1 broadcasts, signed a shared rights agreement with pay TV network Sky Sports. That new agreement will commence next year and will see the BBC cover around half of the season live, with the remaining races to be broadcast as a highlights package shortly after each race has finished.

Sky Sports will cover every race live and has lured Martin Brundle from the Beeb with a lucrative contract rumoured to be around £1 million per year.

While Ten can confirm they will provide FTA coverage of all races in 2012, the source of the television feed has not been decided. “Details regarding commentary are being finalised, and once confirmed we will let you know,” the station advises.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

UPDATE: Ten also confirms qualifying sessions will continue to be shown live.

UPDATE 16 March 2012: Confirmation has come through that One will take their live feed from SkySports.

Categories
Porsche

2013 Porsche 911 GT3 says g’day

2013 Porsche 911 GT3 prototype

This grainy picture gives us an early glimpse at the 2013 Porsche 911 GT3. Already we want one almost more than anything else in the world!

The 997 GT3 will remain in our top 5 most wanted list for many years yet, so it is with great anticipation we will follow the development of the 991 GT3.

So far we can just make out the familiar styling traits; revised front aero and fixed rear wing. There’s also the usual centre-exit exhaust at the rear as well.

We understand the next GT3 is due for release in 2013, but hopefully Porsche will come good with official pics and data some time next year.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Categories
Porsche

VIDEO: This is the Porsche Standard

2012 Porsche 911 documentary

Porsche has just released this short film on the making of its new 991 911. The moody voiceover man tells us Porsche goes to extreme lengths to test their cars.

Some of the tests you can imagine; hot, dusty desert conditions and winter temperatures that are off the scale, for example. Some, you probably can’t. Such as using a manky old kettle to pour boiling water over the headlights to ensure they don’t crack.

Mr Moody-Man also says they have tested the car in conditions most Porsche drivers would never dream of. The point of all this? According to the blurb on the YouTube clip:

‘Our engineers took the car on the most demanding road trips imaginable while in the most punishing of climates. They pushed the test vehicles to operating extreme months before the cars global debut. Why? To guarantee that the seventh-generation 2012 Carrera 911 will perform to Porsche Standards on the German Autobahn, interstate highway in the US and anywhere else a car’s owner might be.’

That, so they say, is the Porsche Standard.

Continue reading “VIDEO: This is the Porsche Standard”
Categories
Subaru

Will the Subaru BRZ really drop its top?

Subaru BRZ convertible rendering

While we approve of the supercharged Toyota 86 rumour, this one we’re not so sure about. There has been talk of a convertible Subaru BRZ for a few weeks now and that suggestion was enough for self-tiled ‘automotive manipulator’ Theophilus Chin to get creative and produce this rendering of a topless BRZ.

Okay, we get that Subaru, and probably Toyota as well, will want to milk the Toybaru collaboration as much as possible to recoup development costs. But a heavier, less functional and poorer handling addition to the model range doesn’t really fit with the mission statement of the BRZ/86.

[Source: Theophilus Chin]

Categories
Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes adds AMG to F1 team name

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team logo

In a win for the AMG marketing department the factory-backed F1 team will now be known as the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team.

Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, is proud to build on AMG’s rich competition hertiage. “Our new team name fuses the proud traditions of AMG and the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows at the pinnacle of motorsport. These three letters are synonymous with high technology, sporting performance and excitement and this step is a further strong sign of the strategic commitment Mercedes-Benz has made to Formula One.” said Haug.

“16 of the 24 drivers on the grid at the season’s final Grand Prix in Brazil have, or have had, a connection to Mercedes-Benz. In addition to the role of a works team, our commitment to Formula One comprises the customer engine programme and supply of the official Safety and Medical Cars.”

Meanwhile Ross Brawn has confirmed the team will miss the first pre-season test, preferring to hold off on the debut of the F1 W03 until the second test in Barcelona which starts on 21 February.

[Source: Mercedes AMG F1]

Categories
Toyota

TRD supercharger rumoured for Toyota 86

Toyota GT 86

The Toybaru project has been applauded for its back to basics approach. However, that won’t stop anyone applauding the suggestion from Chief engineer Tetsuo Tada that Toyota Racing Developments (TRD) is planning to give the 86 a boost by whacking on a supercharger to the 2.0 litre boxer engine.

Rumours say power could be increased by around 40kW, with the possibility of more to come. TRD favours supercharging over turbocharging for its crisper throttle response. The fact they’ve been supercharging cars for almost 25 years probably has a bit to do with the decision as well.

[Source: Autocar]

Categories
Koenigsegg

How fast is ‘bloody fast’?

Koenigsegg Agera R world record runs

21.19 seconds.

Back in early September the spectacular 830kW/1418kg Koenigsegg Agera R grabbed headlines around the world for claiming a total of six world records. The claims centred around brutal acceleration as well as braking performance.

The record for the fastest two-seat production car to go from 0–300–0km/h has now been ratified by Guinness World Records. For those keeping score at home the time was 21.19 seconds. It’s not immediately clear if Guinness has rubber stamped the other five claims.

Video footage of the Agera R doing its thing can be seen after the break.

Continue reading “How fast is ‘bloody fast’?”
Categories
Motorsports Volkswagen

VIDEO: Highlights from 2011 Race of Champions

Sebastien Ogier, 2011 ROC winner

The annual Race of Champions event took place in Düsseldorf in Germany on the weekend. There was local television coverage, we understand, but we still managed to miss it. Thanks to the magic of YouTube we’ve been able to catch up on the action and you can too.

As the photo above indicates new Volkswagen WRC driver Sebastien Ogier won the solo event, defeating eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. While Team Germany (Sebastien Vettel and Michael Schumacher) had the better of Team Nordic (Tom Kristensen and Juho Hänninen) to win the Nations Cup.

Video highlights can be seen after the break, along with a brag sheet from Volkswagen Motorsport who are chuffed to have their star driver winning trophies already.

Continue reading “VIDEO: Highlights from 2011 Race of Champions”
Categories
Ferrari Oh the humanity

That’s not gone well

Ferrari crash in Japan

A Sunday drive has ended in tears for a group of supercars in Japan. Consisting mostly of Ferraris, the convoy came to grief on the Chugoku Expressway when the lead car hit a barrier after attempting to overtake another car. That set off a chain of events resulting in the carnage you see here.

It’s been reported no drivers or passengers from the 14 cars involved, including eight Ferraris, were seriously injured. However, bank balances and pride have taken a big hit. Other marques caught up in the mess include Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota (it was a Prius, apparently).

A brief Japanese-language news clip can be seen after the break.

[Source: The Telegraph]

Continue reading “That’s not gone well”