Racing

Lotus Racing has been on the grid for a season already, but that's not the "real" Lotus. Group Lotus, the corporate parent of Lotus Cars, won't be in F1 until next season--as new owner and title sponsor of the former Renault F1 Team, running under the new title "Lotus Renault GP." Confused yet?...

If you haven't heard about Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone's brutal mugging by now, you're probably not all that into F1. But even non-fans can appreciate the ability to extract humor (and sponsor attention) from a very painful situation, evidenced by the latest Hublot ad. Featuring Ecclestone's...

Though BMW's performance in winning this year's ALMS GT championship was based more on consistency than outright dominance, the team has proved a central tenet of endurance racing: to finish first, one must first finish. Today the team announced its intent to come back for a third season of ALMS GT...

We're still waiting on the official debut of the MINI Countryman-based World Rally Championship entrant, but the German-based X-Raid team today gives us a look at what a beefier, brawnier Dakar-worthy version of the MINI looks like with the MINI All4 Racing. The Dakar Rally, if you haven't been...

The race cars of the FIA GT1 series are some of the most impressive machines on four wheels this side of a fully fledged Formula One car, and one of the best of them is the Maserati MC12. It’s hard to believe but the car has gone on to earn a fifth Drivers’ title and a sixth...

Ferrari unveiled the 458 Challenge race car, based on the production 458 Italia, back in July, finally showing it to the public at the Bologna auto show last week. But despite some racy photos, we've had little else to sate our desire for uncorked Prancing Horse excellence. Until now. However you...

The race-only version of the Ferrari 458 Italia, dubbed the 458 Challenge, has alrady been shown off in preview form, but it made its world debut in the sheetmetal at the Bologna Motor Show today, bringing with it more information and live images both on the show stand and on the track. Cranking...

Four-season GP2 stalwart Pastor Maldonado has finally earned his way into the big leagues, taking a seat at Williams F1 for the 2011 season. The Venezuelan driver replaces Nico Hulkenburg following the German's less-than-stellar showing for the 2010 season despite a surprise pole position in drying...

If you've read our first drive review of the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500, you know it's good for a whole lot more than straight-line duty, unlike many of its predecessors. But that doesn't mean it's not still a very good platform for a serious drag car. The Modular Mustang Racing (MMR) 2010 GT500 proves...

Late in October we got our first preview of the 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car that will be the primary racing version of the GT3 we see here in the U.S., but Porsche has an even more fierce offering: the 911 GT3 R, and it will be coming to the U.S., according to a new report--but only sort of...

Lotus Formula 1 driver Heikki Kovalainen is under several days bed rest for a concussion he suffered during his crash at this weekend's Race of Champions (ROC). His girlfriend, Catherine Hyde, a passenger in the car at the time, was more severely injured. Hyde suffered a hiarline fracture of her...

Last week Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo took the wheel of the New Stratos on video, and came away looking pleased with what the Pininfarina-lead custom team had done to the F430 underpinnings. Today, we get a preview of what the New Stratos GT2 racer may look like from a much less likely source...

General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] is looking at making a return to the World Rally Championship after a hiatus of more than 20 years. The move is being considered as just one strategy to boost the performance credentials of its Opel division, which remains unprofitable in Europe. The information was...

A stonking 6.2-liter LS3 V-8 engine is enough meat for most Camaro owners, but not for the obsessives at Lingenfelter. Instead, they shoehorned a supercharged LS9 into the engine bay of a heavily-modified 2010 Camaro SS. And then they shot it full of nitrous. The result? A slick-smoking monster of...

Ford has made a lot of incremental upgrades to its Mustang over the past couple of years, some of them quite significant, such as new engines and body work. And with every new iteration of the Mustang since 2008, there has also been a stripped out drag special from the guys at Ford Racing to go...

As awesome and impressive the GT1 race cars are, they are typically based on cars most mere mortals could never afford. Except for perhaps the Nissan GT-R and the former Corvette models, most GT1 race cars are based on vehicles that in production form feature pricetags that can run into the...

Aston Martin has unleashed the latest iteration of its V8 Vantage GT4 race car, which comes into the 2011 race year with several important updates. The new V-8 engined racing car takes design inspiration from Aston Martin’s V12 Vantage road car, giving it enhanced aerodynamics and increased...

With a half-century of car-building experience for both the road and track, the UK's Ginetta Cars continues to strength its position by announcing plans for a brand new model, the G55 sports car, which is scheduled to debut early next year. Details on the car remain closely held, but the car's...

Lotus has confirmed that it has signed a five year deal with the IZOD IndyCar Series to supply engines and aero kits starting from 2012. The sports car company from Hethel, UK will also create a motorsport facility in Indianapolis, giving it a base in the thick of the action for the latest race...

This weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the stage for a dramatic turn of events as title favorite Fernando Alonso and Ferrari made a mess of strategy, getting stuck mid-pack and unable to move into the necessary podium finish. Likewise Vettel's teammate Mark Webber, following a poor qualifying...