Motor Authority - blog Tag: GT2

The Corvette C6.R GT1 car had its last hurrah at the Long Beach leg of the American Le Mans Series GT1 championship, but today General Motors unveiled the car that will be replacing it - the C6.R GT2, based on the Corvette ZR1.

With the season half over already, Corvette Racing will be using the final five rounds to test and develop the car for next year. The decision to run the car in GT2 is based in part on an upcoming move to a unified GT category in ALMS racing, which will pit the ZR1-based racer against the likes of Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Viper, Jaguar, BMW, Panoz and Ford.

"The global movement toward a single GT class will... The Corvette C6.R GT1 car had its last hurrah at the Long Beach leg of the American Le Mans Series GT1 championship, but today General Motors unveiled the car that will be replacing it - the C6.R GT2, based on the Corvette ZR1. With the season half over already, Corvette Racing will be using the final five rounds to test and develop the car for next year. The decision to run the car in GT2 is based in part on an upcoming move to a unified GT category in ALMS racing, which will pit the ZR1-based racer against the likes of Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Viper, Jaguar, BMW, Panoz and Ford. "The global movement toward a single GT class will allow us to compete head-to-head with more marketplace competitors while increasing both the production content of the Corvette C6.R race cars and the relevance of racing to our customers. This is a step that positions Corvette for the future of production-based sports car racing worldwide, and a move that is perfectly aligned with GM's marketing and business objectives in racing," said Mark Kent, GM Racing manager. This radical change in GT regulations precipitated the redesign of the Corvette C6.R package. The new car uses the production aluminum hyrdoformed frame complemented with an integrated tubular steel safety cage instead of a ground-up steel frame as in the GT1 car. In addition, ZR1 production-style fenders replace the GT1's wide, louvered units and the rear wing is cut back by 25% in width, while the rest of the car's aero is also reduced or limited to production levels. For the remainder of 2009, the new C6.Rs will get their power from a 470hp 6.0L GM small-block V8 based on the 7.0L LS7.R under the hood of the GT1 version. For next season, the displacement will be cut even further to 5.5L. Both engines run on E85R racing ethanol. The first race for the new GT2 car will be the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio this coming Saturday, August 8. It will be televised on ABC at 2:30pm Sunday, August 9.Corvette C6.R GT2 race car Read More

Driving the Porsche GT2 is often described as dancing with death - consider that the GT2 takes all the mechanicals of the Porsche 911 Turbo, then adds more horsepower and removes the safety of all-wheel-drive, leaving you with a car that will pirouette on cue without cautious use of the right foot.

Apparently, though, the engineers at famed Porsche-tuning firm 9ff thought that the standard GT2 was a bit lacking in the power department, and on further reflection we can see how 530hp (395kW), a 3.7 second sprint to 62mph and a top speed of over 200mph might get a little boring. To remedy this, 9ff has just revealed its new 'BT-2' modification... Driving the Porsche GT2 is often described as dancing with death - consider that the GT2 takes all the mechanicals of the Porsche 911 Turbo, then adds more horsepower and removes the safety of all-wheel-drive, leaving you with a car that will pirouette on cue without cautious use of the right foot. Apparently, though, the engineers at famed Porsche-tuning firm 9ff thought that the standard GT2 was a bit lacking in the power department, and on further reflection we can see how 530hp (395kW), a 3.7 second sprint to 62mph and a top speed of over 200mph might get a little boring. To remedy this, 9ff has just revealed its new 'BT-2' modification program for the GT2 supercar. Utilizing a new exhaust system, some subtle reprogramming of the ECU and some neat aerodynamic mods, the BT-2 from 9ff is just what suicidal Porsche fans have been waiting for. Boasting 350hp (261kW) more than the standard model, the BT-2 takes its 850hp (634kW) and 678lb-ft (920Nm) of torque and transmits it to the road efficiently enough to hit 62mph in just 3 seconds flat, and the car will be doing just shy of 200mph after 19 seconds. If you have the patience and a road that’s straight enough, the BT-2 will take you on to a top speed of almost 240mph, a speed not far off from what the Bugatti Veyron can achieve. If you're brave enough, 9ff already offers other vehicles that can outpace the Bugatti Veyron's top speed of 407km/h, and the company is currently working on a vehicle that it hopes will eventually outdo the world's fastest production vehicle, the SSC Ultimate Aero TT. Read More

Oberlin, Ohio isn’t the likely site for a company specializing in high-output power upgrades for German exotics like the Porsche 911, but the state is home to Switzer Performance Innovations (SPI), a company churning out mega horsepower cars. Started by Tym Switzer several years ago, the tuning firm is now offering an 800hp (597kW) twin-turbo kit for the already extreme 997 Porsche 911 GT2.

With his latest project, Tym and the crew at SPI wanted to create a high horsepower with an efficient and linear power curve that puts power to the ground smoothly and didn't punish the driver with sudden spikes in torque and power. The car also... Oberlin, Ohio isn’t the likely site for a company specializing in high-output power upgrades for German exotics like the Porsche 911, but the state is home to Switzer Performance Innovations (SPI), a company churning out mega horsepower cars. Started by Tym Switzer several years ago, the tuning firm is now offering an 800hp (597kW) twin-turbo kit for the already extreme 997 Porsche 911 GT2. With his latest project, Tym and the crew at SPI wanted to create a high horsepower with an efficient and linear power curve that puts power to the ground smoothly and didn't punish the driver with sudden spikes in torque and power. The car also needed to run on regular 93 octane fuel. Initial dyno testing has shown that the car has met its 800hp (597kW) goal but the element engineers are most happy about is that the car remains manageable on the street. To achieve this level of performance, the guys at SPI add an in-house developed headers and sport exhaust system, a new intercooler package and custom GT30R turbochargers. Switzer also boasts that this is a truly bolt-on system because the factory ECU has been kept intact. No performance numbers have been released but expect sprint times to match or come close to Switzer’s previous Sledgehammer Porsche 911 upgrade.Switzer Performance Porsche 911 GT2Switzer Performance Porsche 911 GT2 Read More

With the tight tolerances, high-quality materials and top-level engineering that goes into today's cars, there's often a surprising amount of potential left inside their engines. It appears the Porsche GT2 is no exception, with the tuners at Wimmer Rennsporttechnik Solingen finding another 150hp (111kW) inside the already brutal car with just a few additions.

Starting with a twin-turbo version of Porsche's 3.6L boxer engine, Wimmer adds advanced engine management, a custom-built sport exhaust with high-flow cats, a redeveloped cylinder head and 'sport' camshafts. That's all it takes to get output up to 680hp (507kW) at the crank, though it... With the tight tolerances, high-quality materials and top-level engineering that goes into today's cars, there's often a surprising amount of potential left inside their engines. It appears the Porsche GT2 is no exception, with the tuners at Wimmer Rennsporttechnik Solingen finding another 150hp (111kW) inside the already brutal car with just a few additions. Starting with a twin-turbo version of Porsche's 3.6L boxer engine, Wimmer adds advanced engine management, a custom-built sport exhaust with high-flow cats, a redeveloped cylinder head and 'sport' camshafts. That's all it takes to get output up to 680hp (507kW) at the crank, though it does require an upgraded clutch to send that power to the rear wheels. Wimmer says this upgrade pack is enough to push 0-100km/h times down to 3.4 seconds, get it to 200km/h in 9.78 seconds and from a stop to 186mph (300km/h) in just 25.8 seconds. Top speed: a mind-melting 221mph (356km/h). To help the car match the engine's capability, sticky and max-speed-rated Dunlop Sport-Maxx GT tires in appropriately understeer-biased 235/30 (front) and 325/20 (rear) widths are wrapped around 20in alloy wheels. Visually, the Wimmer GT2 also gets carbon fiber exterior mirrors and rear spoiler lip, though the entire exterior of the car can be made of carbon upon request. H&R suspension upgrades help handle the extra power. Pricing for this all-out package starts at €29,800 ($40,400), or about 20% of the car's original purchase price here in the States.Wimmer Porsche 911 GT2 Read More

Rocketsports Racing (RSR) has revealed the first images of its Jaguar XKR race car, which it will be entering into the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT2 category as well as the classic 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The ALMS will begin its transition later this year to a new global GT class based on current GT2 regulations as the GT1 category passes into racing's record books, and RSR will be there to capitalize with a brand new team and look.

The Michigan-based team will only compete for a partial season in 2009 but will be ready for a full-season championship effort in 2010. RSR will be entering the ALMS with Jaguar as a technical and... Rocketsports Racing (RSR) has revealed the first images of its Jaguar XKR race car, which it will be entering into the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT2 category as well as the classic 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The ALMS will begin its transition later this year to a new global GT class based on current GT2 regulations as the GT1 category passes into racing's record books, and RSR will be there to capitalize with a brand new team and look. The Michigan-based team will only compete for a partial season in 2009 but will be ready for a full-season championship effort in 2010. RSR will be entering the ALMS with Jaguar as a technical and marketing partner, with the British carmaker providing vital engineering, information and support to assist the team in the homologation and construction process. Construction of the Jaguar XKR is nearly complete at the RSR facility, and included a parallel engine development process for the new AJ-133 direct injected 5.0L normally aspirated engine. The company’s plan is to begin testing and development in June and enter the ALMS series shortly after. RSR will be building at least three XKR’s this year and will have cars available for customer use in 2010. The RSR race car is built on the same aluminum chassis as the production XKR, combining stampings, forgings, and extrusions, all fastened by special rivets and high strength adhesives. The engine, meanwhile, needed to be tuned to work with mandated air restrictors and last 24 hours at Le Mans. Incidentally, RSR is the same company that pushed a slightly modified Jaguar XF-R to a top speed of 225mph (363km/h) during a secret high-speed trial at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah late last year.Rocketsports Racing Jaguar XKR ALMS GT2 race car Read More

German tuner Reiter Engineering specializes in taking Lamborghini models and making them formidable racing machines. Previously we've seen their work on this road-going Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT model, as well as this Gallardo GT3 Strada.

The company has moved on from these two projects, and its latest creation is a new Reiter Engineering-developed Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT2. The car will be used in the upcoming Le Mans series, although it will miss out on the first race at Barcelona. Instead, it will be making its debut at Spa on May 10, where it will be racing in the GT2 class.

The delay in competing in Le Mans came from a lack of... German tuner Reiter Engineering specializes in taking Lamborghini models and making them formidable racing machines. Previously we've seen their work on this road-going Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT model, as well as this Gallardo GT3 Strada. The company has moved on from these two projects, and its latest creation is a new Reiter Engineering-developed Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT2. The car will be used in the upcoming Le Mans series, although it will miss out on the first race at Barcelona. Instead, it will be making its debut at Spa on May 10, where it will be racing in the GT2 class. The delay in competing in Le Mans came from a lack of testing for the car, and Reiter wanted to have a more solid understanding of any nuances before putting it in a 1,000km (621 miles) race. As for the specs of the car, one thing will stand out for this racing Gallardo - while it may bear the Gallardo LP560 in its name, it differs from the production model rather significantly in that it’s RWD. However, it’s unlikely that power output will be significantly different from the standard Gallardo, as GT2 rules dictate that power should be between 450 and 500hp. Reiter will also have to keep the weight as close to the 1,125kg minimum as possible to improve speed and braking, especially considering that carbon ceramic brakes are not permitted in the GT2 class. With testing still continuing, the Reiter Gallardo LP560 GT2 should make an interesting addition to the Le Mans series - even Reiter's usually placid engineers commented that the "V10 powerplant really impressed" them. Via: Autoblog.nlReiter Engineering Lamborghini Gallardo GT2 race car Read More