VIDEO: Corvette ZR1 ALMS Ad Belittles BMW, Ferrari and Porsche, but Ends up Losing to M3s in Sebring…

Just before the season opener of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) at the Sebring International Raceway in Florida this past weekend, GM aired an aggressive commercial touting its 638-horsepower-strong Corvette ZR1. The ad claims that the firm’s engineers had to reduce the stock ZR1’s LS9 engine output by 168HP in order to compete in the race and “just to be fair against Porsche, Ferrari and BMW”.

For one, the Corvette ALMS racers are actually powered by a V8 loosely based on the Z06’s LS7 engine (see the second video after the jump). Perhaps most importantly, the Corvettes finished third and fourth in the GT class in Sebring behind two BMW M3 GTs… Videos follow after the break.

VIDEOS

New Mazda MX5-GT Racer with 275HP Completes 0-60mph Sprint in 3.0 Seconds

Meet the all-new MX5-GT, a featherweight race car with which Mazda will participate in the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship 2011 taking on Aston Martin, Porsche, Lotus, and BMW. It may seem like a difficult task but Mazda, in cooperation with Jota Sport, the race engineering team that will run the cars in the 2011 series, have a few tricks under their sleeves.

For starters, the GT is claimed to be the lightest and most powerful MX-5 ever built. Jota Sport took some 400 hours to build the car’s shell to a specification that ensured it was 17 times stronger than required by the FIA. Weight-saving measures include the removal of interior parts, reducing component weight and dipping the shell in acid to shave 15kg. The end result is a total weight of just 850kg or 1,873 lbs.

The MX-5 GT is powered by Mazda’s 2.0-liter engine modified to produce 275bhp. The four-cylinder unit is linked to a six-speed sequential paddle shift gearbox and according to the Japanese company, it can accelerate the car from zero to 60mph (96km/h) in just 3.0 seconds while offering a top speed of 160mph (257km/h).

Other mechanical upgrades include the modified suspension, competition alloy wheels and tires, and performance braking system.

On the outside, the MX-5 GT features a Spirited Green metallic body color complimented by Jota Sport’s corporate liveries in orange and grey. Open up the carbon fiber doors and you are welcomed by a stripped out interior featuring a roll cage, a fire extinguisher, competition steering wheel and a racing bucket seat.

“The MX-5 production race car’s modest power output, bullet proof reliability and nimble handling demonstrated last year how the MX-5 can be competitive against some of the purpose-built Lotus, VW and BMW race cars,” said Graeme Fudge, PR Director, Mazda UK.

“With a higher power output combined with the durability, reliability and handling attributes that the MX-5 is renowned for; the MX-5 GT race car will be strong contender against the more powerful race cars in its class,” he concluded.

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Cadillac Marks its Return to Racing with a Series of Short Films on the CTS-V Coupe

"Refueled: The Return of the CTS-V" is the name of Cadillac’s new series of short films that were created to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the development of its all-new CTS-V Coupe racing car, with which the company marks it return to competition after a four year hiatus. The newly released footage documents the genesis of the CTS-V Coupe racecars as well as their connection to the production version of the sports coupe.

The Cadillac CTS-V will make its competition debut at the season-opening race of the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT series in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 25-27. The GT series’ schedule for 2011 includes eight races in the U.S. and Canada from March to October. Click through to the jump for the videos.

VIDEOS

Mercedes-Benz to Debut Updated 2012 C63 AMG Estate F1 Medical Car at Australian Grand Prix

At this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne (March 25-27), Mercedes-Benz will debut its revised 2012 C63 AMG Estate Official F1 Medical Car. The German station wagon has been used in Formula 1 for the past three seasons, but in 2011 it will appear in its facelifted form with a refreshed design and updated technology that includes the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed transmission.

Other new features include the aluminium bonnet with modified powerdomes, the radiator grille, the headlamps and the AMG rear apron, while there’s also a redesign front apron with larger intake apertures and side air vents.

The C63 AMG Estate Medical Car is motivated by a 6.3-litre V8 engine equipped with the AMG Performance Package delivering 487HP at 6800 rpm for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 4.5 seconds.

Special features of the Performance Package include the variable intake manifold painted in titanium grey and the AMG high-performance braking system with internally ventilated composite brake discs at the front axle.

The car rides on 19-inch wheels shod in tires with size 235/35 R 19 (front) and 255/30 R 19 (rear).

The Medical Car stands out visually from the stock model thanks to its F1 logos, the roof light bar, the stroboscopic flashing LED lights at the front and rear, plus the number plate illuminated with LEDs and displaying the words "Medical Car". Inside it is equipped with four sports bucket seats with six-point seat belts, and comes with two monitors integrated into the centre console for monitoring the race and a radio set for communicating with Race Control.

The SLS AMG that takes the role of the Official F1 Safety Car will join the C63 AMG Estate in the Australian Grand Prix. There are no changes for the SLS AMG that has been used in Formula 1 since 2010.

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VIDEO: Moscow Street Drifting with Nissan 200SX Pickup Truck and Silvia

In today’s video find, we present a pair of daredevil Russian drifters swooping and sliding their way through the streets of Moscow, Russia in a Nissan 200SX ute [S13] and what appears to be a Nissan Silvia [S15]. The drivers are Evgeniy Satyukov and Geprgiy Stepanyan who took first and second place respectively in the ‘Russian Drift Series 2010’.

The creators of the film are quick to point out that “all the stunts in the film are performed by professionals on the blocked streets” and that viewers should “not try to do this on public roads”. Drift past the break to enjoy the video.

VIDEO

Meet the BAC Mono, a $130,000 Single-Seater for the Hardcore Enthusiast

The BAC Mono (as in monoposto, Italian for single-seater) is a brutal single-seater race car designed to bring formula racing levels of handling and performance to the street. It's basically an Ariel Atom or a KTM X-Bow for the most selfish of drivers that can (and probably should) be used as a trackday special or a one-make series racer.

The Mono is motivated by a mid-mounted naturally aspirated 2.3-liter Cosworth engine that develops 280 bhp. The engine is mated to a six-speed sequential Hewland transmission with limited-slip differential, designed to Formula 3 specifications.

While 280 bhp might not sound much to power-infested minds, the Mono's power to weight ratio stands at 520 bhp / tonne, a value superior to that of the Bugatti Veyron, as the car weighs a mere 540 kg (1,190 lbs) thanks to the carbon-fiber body and the minimalistic engineering approach.

BAC says the Mono can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 2.8 seconds and to 100 mph (160km/h) in 6.7 seconds, en route to a top speed of 170 mph (274 km/h).

The car's aerodynamics were optimized in partnership with the Stuttgart University and all of the mechanical components come from established motorsport companies. Add the 48/52 weight distribution (front to rear) and you have a raw racing car that you can use legally on the streets. Why would anyone want to drive it on public roads is another issue.

“The Mono is the culmination of a 12-year dream for us – the car we wanted to own but nobody else made,” said BAC co-founder Neill Briggs. The company said it will build 50 to 100 cars a year, with a starting price of £79,950 ($130,000) a piece in the UK.

By Dan Mihalascu

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1965 Shelby Cobra 427 vs 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia in a $400,000 ¼ Mile Race Bet; Can You Guess Who Wins?

A no-nonsense, classic American muscle car from the 1960s going head to head with a high-tech, thoroughbred Italian supercar in the ultimate quarter mile race. What more could you ask to make this battle more interesting? Well, how about a $400,000 wager?

The story has it that Dan Bilzerian, owner of a ‘tricked-out’ 1965 427 Shelby Cobra, placed a bet that his American muscle car can beat his friend Tom Goldstein's 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia in a quarter mile race.

On March 9, 2011, the two men brought their cars down to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway racetrack and put their money where their mouth is. And no, we won’t spoil the surprise by telling you who won the bet. Video follows after the break.

Link: Clubcobra

VIDEO

BMW Introduces One-Off 1-Series M Coupe MotoGP Safety Car

The upcoming BMW 1-Series M Coupe will serve as the official Safety Car for the 2011 season of the motorcycle road racing world championship (or simply MotoGP), which kicks off this weekend. The 1-Series M Coupe Safety Car is a one-off built by BMW’s M division specifically for this race series, with the Bavarian automaker stating that only the 340HP twin-turbocharged straight-six engine and the entire drivetrain were taken over unchanged from the production model, which launches in late April.

The Safety Car is lighter than its production counterpart thanks to a series of weight saving measures such as the carbon fibre-reinforced bonnet featuring additional large air vents, polycarbonate side and rear windows and the elimination of the rear seat bench. In addition, BMW’s M team developed a bespoke lightweight titanium race exhaust system that not only saves weight but also promises to delivers a much more exciting sound.

Details that set it apart from the production version include an additional splitter integrated on the underside of the front apron, an adjustable rear wing that provide the added downforce, white LED flashlights incorporated in the front grille, and blacked out 19-inch alloy wheels shod in 255/35 tires at the front and 285/30 at the rear.

In the interior, there’s a safety rollover cage bolted behind the B-pillar that has taken the place of the rear seats, an M steering wheel in alcantara, two racing bucket seats with 6-point safety belts, and a fire extinguisher.

BMW said that it has also revamped the suspension of the 1 Series M Coupe which now boasts an adjustable race track set-up that includes a sports-tuned chassis in which the dampers are independently adjustable for bump and rebound. Furthermore, the standard braking system of the series production model has been replaced in the Safety Car with a six-piston fixed-calliper racing brake system.

In addition to the 1-Series M Coupe Safety Car, BMW will have plenty of other cars at the 2011 MotoGP series including two reserve Safety Cars - an X6M and an M3, a 535i Touring serving as the Medical Car, an X5 M for the Safety Officer and an ActiveHybrid X6 for the stewards, as well as two Safety Bikes, the BMW S 1000 RR and a HP2 Sport.

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