Race Cars

In 1963, the Ford Motor Company very nearly became the owner of Ferrari. Ford reportedly invested millions of dollars on due diligence, only to have Enzo Ferrari back out of the deal after learning his cars would be ineligible to compete in the Indy 500 under Ford’s ownership. That...

Sometimes, you never see the divorce coming until the kindly-looking lady serves you with papers. Though we don’t know all the behind-the-scenes details, we surmise that’s likely how the four-year marriage between Hyundai and Rhys Millen Racing (RMR)ended. Just one month after Rhys...

At this week’s 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, Mazda finally confirmed that its redesigned 2014 Mazda6 will be offered with a diesel engine. The new Mazda6 goes on sale in January, initially with just a SkyActiv-G 2.5-liter gas engine. The diesel will arrive in the second half of 2013. The...

With the reveal of its Continental GT3 race car concept, Bentley is showing that it’s serious about returning to the motorsports arena. Although you’d never guess it from the automaker’s current product line, Bentley has a long and successful history in motorsports, including a...

Just two weeks after it was announced that development of the Type 997 Porsche 911 GT3 race cars had come to an end, the first prototypes for one of their successors has been spotted. Our spy photographers recently snapped these photos depicting a prototype for the new Type 991 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR...

Akira Iida has competed in the Japanese Super GT Series, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring and VLN endurance races, where he has twice delivered class wins in a Lexus LFA racer. As if that wasn’t enough, Iida was also the driver who piloted a Lexus LFA...

It’s official: Porsche Motorsport is shuttering its development program for the current type 997 911 GT3 RSR to focus on the creation of a new 911 GT3 RSR, built from the type 991 Porsche 911 that was introduced in 2011. While customer support for the current race cars will continue...

While drooling over brochures of the Matech GT1 Ford GT, Ray Hofman, owner of RH Motorsports, had an idea: build a version of the Ford GT that looked like a race car, yet remained street legal and (relatively) comfortable to drive. If such a car appealed to him, Hofman thought, it would likely...

Announced in 2011, the B-Spec series (sanctioned by both the SCCA and Grand Am) is arguably the cheapest way to go racing on a professional level. Up to now, the series has starred the Honda Fit, the Ford Fiesta, the Kia Rio, the Fiat 500, the MINI Cooper, the Toyota Yaris and the Mazda2. Now...

At last year’s SEMA show, Chevy announced that it would build 69 COPO Camaros for the 2012 model year. The number was in honor of the original COPO (short for Central Office Production Order) Camaro, which hit the drag strip in 1969 as a factory-built race car. Like the originals, the new...

About a week ago we brought you news that HSV, official tuner to GM’s Aussie division, Holden, was looking to establish a new one-making racing series in India using one of its tuned Holden Commodore sedans as the basis. HSV has now revealed some details about the project, including...

Holden’s performance division HSV is working on its own racing series together with motorsport firm Walkinshaw Racing, using the Holden Commodore-based ClubSport R8 as the basis for a new one-make series aimed at India and several other markets in Asia. HSV has now revealed that it is...

Today, Formula One cars are powered by naturally-aspirated, 2.4-liter V-8 engines, made by either Renault, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari or Cosworth. That changes for 2014, as the new regulations call for turbocharged V-6 engines, not to exceed 1.6-liters in displacement. Although the 2014 Formula One...

With only five examples in existence, this is probably the only way you’ll get to see the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 45th Anniversary race car in action. This latest video shows the car in its natural home, although we bet most owners won’t be tracking their examples. Why? Because the...

Though the upcoming 2014 Chevrolet SS--and it’s VF Holden Commodore sibling--won’t be revealed until the Daytona 500 next February, we’ll get a good preview of its styling next month with the reveal of the Chevrolet SS NASCAR race car that will be tackling the 2013 Sprint Cup...

This past week Lamborghini revealed its updated 2013 Gallardo range, which for the latest model year gets revised styling and a host of new personalization options. However, an update to the road car means the racing version, the Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo, is also due for renewal, and today we...

Bentley gave us the biggest indication yet that it’s seriously considering a return to motorsports with the unveiling of the striking Continental GT3 Concept at the recent 2012 Paris Auto Show. While any motorsport debut for Bentley is likely to be years away still, the automaker has...

There’s a reason that race cars go fast on the track, and that street cars (generally) don’t. Cars built for racing are constructed without regard to ride comfort, with the primary focus being on weight savings, handling and driver safety. Cars built for the road are generally focused...

This year is AMG’s 45th and the official tuner to Mercedes-Benz isn't letting it go by without a celebration or two. We’ve already seen the company unveil a 45th anniversary edition SL65 AMG, as well as tease some of its future plans. Today we have a new 45th anniversary edition to...

Caterham is best known for its continuation versions of the iconic Lotus Seven roadster, available in everything from road-going to full-race versions. While all are fast thanks to their light weight (1,133 pounds for a Superlight R300), Caterham has just announced a car it’s calling the...