World Endurance Championship
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Porsche created a modern legend of motorsport when it built the 919 Hybrid. The automaker wanted to win at the highest level of motorsport, and it did just that with its hybrid-powered LMP1 masterpiece. After 33 races, the 919 Hybrid is credited with 17 wins, three constructors' championships, three drivers' championships, and three outright victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car has been retired, and it's going out with a flying lap of sorts. This good-bye journey will take it all the way around the globe. The 919 tribute car is a revised spec on the version that dominated endurance...
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2018/2019 Toyota TS050 Hybrid LMP1 ready to take on Le MansToyota has revealed its TS050 Hybrid challenger for the 2018/2019 World Endurance Championship, the car that will likely see the Japanese automaker secure its first win in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, the event highlight. The TS050 Hybrid is designed for the premier LMP1 class, in which...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
TVR to return to Le Mans with Rebellion Racing in premier LMP1 classTVR only made its return last September with the reveal of a modern Griffith sports car, and now the British performance brand has announced its return to motorsport, in the 2018/2019 World Endurance Championship. TVR has joined Swiss team Rebellion Racing as a partner and title sponsor. The team...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo debuts at Fiorano, aiming for victory at Le MansFerrari and its 488 GTE World Endurance Championship race car have had a pretty successful go, but a win at Le Mans has alluded Ferrari and the AF Corse racing team. For 2018, Ferrari hopes to change that with an updated 488 GTE Evoluzione, or Evo, which debuted last Friday at a shakedown test on...
Sean Szymkowski -
New Aston Martin Vantage race car ready to take on 2018/2019 WEC seasonAston Martin has a new Vantage on its hands, and that means the Aston Martin Racing motorsport department gets a new platform on which to build its challenger for the GTE Pro class of the World Endurance Championship. Aston Martin revealed the new Vantage GTE alongside its road car cousin late last...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Fernando Alonso will race at Le Mans with ToyotaMcLaren on Tuesday confirmed that star driver Fernando Alonso will take time out from his busy schedule in the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship to contend some rounds for Toyota in the 2018/2019 super season of the World Endurance Championship. Yes, we're finally going to see the double-F1 world...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW previewed the racing version of its yet-to-be-revealed 8-Series coupe during last September’s 2017 Frankfurt auto show, and now after a torturous development program the completed car has been revealed. The version shown is the M8 GTE, BMW’s entry for the World Endurance Championship, the series that hosts the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That’s right, folks. BMW is returning to Le Mans. An M8 GT Le Mans (GTLM) has also been developed, in this case for the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, where it replaces the previous M6-based race car. The M8 GTLM will be the first to...
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First LMP1 racer for revamped 2018/2019 WEC season revealedMost readers won’t be familiar with the Ginetta name but that should change in the very near future. The British motorsport company is one of the biggest race car constructors in the world, and it also offers a line of sports cars for road use. Now Ginetta's also offering a race car for top...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toyota debuts Le Mans-inspired GR Super Sport conceptToyota on Friday presented a supercar concept with a design influenced by the hugely successful TS050 Hybrid Le Mans prototype that competes in the World Endurance Championship. The concept, called the GR Super Sport, was shown for the first time at the 2018 Tokyo Auto Salon tuning fest, where...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toyota boss hints at Le Mans-inspired hybrid sports carIn announcing on Tuesday Toyota’s commitment to future seasons of the World Endurance Championship, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, company president Akio Toyoda dropped a major hint that Toyota might be working on a hybrid sports car utilizing technology derived from the company’s...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toyota to remain in World Endurance Championship, Le MansWith Porsche’s July announcement of an exit from the World Endurance Championship, both Toyota and organizers of the series were left with the dilemma of there going to be just one manufacturer in the premier LMP1 class next season. The organizers, which include the ACO and FIA, have...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Behind the scenes with the development of the Aston Martin Vantage GTEAston Martin has been quite successful in the world of motorsport. The British automaker has been pushing its cars on the racetrack since the 1950s. In recent years, Aston Martin Racing has had strong results running in various GT endurance races around the globe, with a notable first-in-class...
Jeff Glucker -
Fernando Alonso is testing the waters in more race series outside of Formula 1 than just the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Spaniard is already confirmed to be competing in the 24 Hours of Daytona next January, the opening race of the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and now he’s spent some time testing Toyota’s TS050 Hybrid LMP1 car fielded in the 2017 World Endurance Championship. The test took place in Bahrain over the weekend following the conclusion of the 2017 WEC season, which Porsche won. The test was the WEC’s annual rookie try-out session...
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2018 World Endurance Championship will see Ginetta LMP1 hit the trackBritish motorsport and engineering firm Ginetta has announced that a team will field two of its new LMP1-spec prototype racecars in the 2018 World Endurance Championship. Still in development, the prototype is expected to be roughly 130 pounds lighter than a current LMP2-spec car. Power, meanwhile...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW M8 GTE racecar debuts in Frankfurt, ready to battle at Le MansWhile BMW holds off on unveiling the production version of its new 8-Series a while longer, the Bavarian automaker is whetting our palettes with the debut of the BMW M8 GTE racecar at this week's 2017 Frankfurt motor show. It's not the "8" we'll see on the street, but the M8 GTE program has run...
Sean Szymkowski -
Porsche commits to Formula E, ends LMP1 campaignPorsche on Friday confirmed plans to enter the Formula E Championship with its own factory-backed team starting in the 2019/2020 season, the electric car racing series’ sixth. It means Porsche will be entering Formula E at the same time as Mercedes-Benz, though it will be a year later than...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Report: Porsche killing LMP1 program, announcement imminentPorsche's storied run in the World Endurance Championship may be sprinting toward its ultimate demise. Earlier this month it was reported that the automaker may leave the race series in favor of joining Formula 1, as a power unit supplier. An official announcement from Porsche could come within 24...
Joel Feder -
2018 BMW M8 race car first lookBehold the new BMW M8 race car that will be taking to top circuits around the globe in 2018. The car is still heavily camouflaged but it’s easy to make out the general shape. And take away the pumped fenders and aerodynamic elements and you’re pretty much looking at the new BMW 8-Series...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Porsche is at the top of its game in the World Endurance Championship, but there are rumors the German marque could exit the sport, and thus the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The reason? To either supply power units for Formula One or enter Formula E as a constructor—or possibly both. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport is reporting that Porsche was in attendance during a July meeting of the current crop of F1 power unit suppliers to discuss regulations for the 2021 season and beyond. The current suppliers include Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes AMG and Renault. Also said to be present were Red Bull...
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Alpine promoted to Le Mans podium after Vaillante Rebellion disqualificationThere’s been a shakeup in the results of last weekend’s 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans regarding the LMP2 class. The No. 13 Vaillante Rebellion Oerca 07 which placed third, thanks to the efforts of Nelson Piquet Jr, Mathias Beche and David Heinemeier Hansson, was disqualified on Monday...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
LMP1 Hybrids will require an electric-only mode in 2020There’s no doubt vehicle electrification is going to play a major role in the development of new cars in the coming decade. Organizers of motorsport, even at the highest levels, are well aware of this and are reshaping the regulations to ensure the technology of the racing world doesn’t...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Porsche makes miracle comeback to win 2017 24 Hours of Le MansPorsche pulled off a miracle finish at the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday when it’s No. 2 919 Hybrid LMP1 driven by Earl Bamber, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley crossed the finish line first, despite being stuck in the pits for over an hour at one point. The miracle was made possible...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toyota’s Kobayashi secures 2017 Le Mans pole with record lapKamui Kobayashi driving the No. 7 Toyota TS050 Hybrid during qualifying for the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans has smashed the lap record and in the process secured pole position for this weekend’s race. The ex-Formula One driver's time during the second qualifying session on Thursday was 3:14.791...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Get ready for Le Mans with this 360-degree view lap in a Porsche 919 HybridTeams are currently qualifying for the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans which runs June 17-18. You can get a sense of what it’s like to head out on the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe where the race is held thanks to this interactive video. (Note, the video doesn’t work in all browsers.) The...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran