2010 Ferrari 599 GTO Details And Photos Revealed

Ferrari has today revealed details and images of the fastest road-going Fezza yet: the 2010 Ferrari 599 GTO. Inspired by the track-only 599X (the O in GTO stands for Omologata – homologated), Ferrari’s new monster will make its official debut in Beijing later this month.

Powered by a slightly de-tuned version of the Enzo-derived 6.0 litre V12 powering the 599XX, the 599 GTO delivers 500kW at 8250rpm and 620Nm of torque at 6500rpm. In the regular 599, the V12 produces 40kW less, while the track-devouring 599XX offers 522kW.

Aston Martin To Enter Race-Ready Rapide In 24 Hours Of Nurburgring

Aston Martin has no shortage of experience on the track, but where its recent race cars have been based on the V8 and V12 Vantage cars, the British company is set to enter the new Rapide super-saloon in this year’s 24 Hours Of Nurburgring.

Aston’s Rapide will race in near-standard specification, except for FIA-mandated changes that include re-tuned suspension, race wheels with slick tyres, safety modifications and a stripped interior for reduced weight.

Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin CEO, will lead the team of four drivers made up mostly of engineers from the company’s Gaydon headquarters in England.

BMW Z4 GT3 Laps The Nurburgring: Video

Only a few weeks after its unveiling last month, the BMW Z4 GT3 has begun campaigning on Europe’s race tracks. A new video released today offers ten minutes of in-cabin footage as Schubert Motorsport’s Richarad Goransson navigates the famed Nurbugring on a rainy day.

From the camera’s back-row vantage point, this video is about as close as most of us will get to experiencing the Europe-specific Z4 GT3. At €298,000, this hardcore Bimmer is out of reach for most.

Audi R8 V10 Declared 2010 World Performance Car Of The Year

The Audi R8 V10 has been declared the 2010 World Performance Car Of The Year, its win announced at this week’s New York Auto Show. Audi’s supercar beat out the Ferrari California and Porsche 911 GT3, topping a list of 16 eligible cars in total.

Lexus LFA Special Edition Launched, Only 50 To Be Made

Only one day after announcing its return to the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in May, a handful of images for the ‘warmed’ but blandly named Lexus LFA Special Edition leaked online.

Today, the Japanese luxury and supercarmaker has revealed official details for the Special Edition, launched to mark the LFA’s race return.

Lexus says the Special Edition will get a small power boost, rising from 412kW to 420kW – thanks, most likely, to a reprogrammed ECU. The time to 100km/h remains unchanged however, covered in the same 3.7 seconds. Top Speed is 325km/h.

Giving the LFA SE an advantage on the track over its ‘regular’ sibling, canards, a new front splitter and a GT-style fixed rear wing crafted from carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer feature on the new model.

A recalibrated transmission cuts 0.15 seconds from the LFA SE’s shift time, while stiffer suspension and special alloy wheels shod with semi-slick tyres round out the main technical tweaks.

Available in black, matte black, white and orange, the LFA Special Edition will account for 50 of the 500 LFAs available. Lexus has not revealed a price for the LFA SE.

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Revealed Ahead Of SLS AMG Market Launch

BMW isn’t the only German carmaker officially launching race-only versions of its car this week, with Mercedes-Benz revealing its SLS AMG GT3 race car in Mexico today.

Built to FIA GT3 specifications, the SLS AMG GT3 is powered by the same 6.3 litre V8 as its road-going counterpart. Unlike the ‘regular’ SLS AMG, which offers 420kW and a 3.8 second 0-100km/h sprint, the GT3 version will have its maximum output determined by FIA regulations.

Making the SLS AMG GT3 race-ready are numerous aerodynamic additions and weight-saving changes. A large carbon-fibre front splitter and the huge adjustable racing wing at the rear are among the GT3′s more prominent features, along with a vented hood and brake-cooling intakes in the front quarter panels and side skirts.

Other race-only features include an enclosed underbody, rear diffuser, central-locking AMG light-alloy wheels and C-pillar-mounted fuel filler pipes.

Inside, the cabin is dominated by a steel rollover cage and a racing bucket seat with a six-point seat belt and Head and Neck Support (HANS) system.

The SLS AMG GT3′s kerb weight has not been offered, although Mercedes says this is due to the same FIA regulations that will eventually determine not only the car’s output, but also its final weight.

Like the BMW Z4 GT3, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 will be available to private teams later this year, in time for teams to prepare their cars for the 2011 season.

2010 Ferrari California Gets Manual Transmission, DCT Still Superior: Report

The Ferrari California is set to get a six-speed manual transmission, according to leaked documents allegedly obtained by Italian website AutoPareri.

Joining the California’s existing seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the manual option will be aimed at what Ferrari says is less than a 10 percent demand among its customers.

The dual-clutch transmission is likely to remain the most popular choice however, with the manual transmission resulting in a 0-100km/h time 0.3 seconds short of the DCT’s 4.0 second run. Top speed at least remains unaffected, both models topping out at 311km/h.

Fuel consumption is also higher with the manual, using 11 percent more fuel than the DCT model’s 13.1 l/100km on the combined cycle.

Rear-mounted to maintain a 47/53 weight ratio, the manual transmission is expected to become available in Europe in the coming months. Until Ferrari confirms its coming, Australian availability remains unknown.

The California is powered by an all-new direct-injected 343kW 4.3 litre V8 engine, sending power to the rear wheels.

2010 BMW Z4 GT3 Race Car Launched In Europe

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Last November saw BMW unveil a high performance track-ready coupe in the form of the M3 GTS. Today, the German carmaker has officially launched the Z4 GT3 race car, the first units already en route to their privateer owners.

The news follows the launch last year of BMW’s roadgoing Z4 sDrive35is, producing 254kW and arriving in Australia in May.

Drawing 360kW from an uprated version of the M3′s 4.0 litre V8, the racing Z4 is built to FIA GT3 specifications, allowing it to race in the FIA GT3 European Championship, the International GT Open and the ADAC GT Masters.

A track-only prospect, the Z4 GT3 gets downforce-inspiring front and rear wings, along with a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic bonnet, roof and quarter panels. Thanks to these elements and the stripped out interior, the Z4 GT3 weighs in at just 1200kg.

Specific technical details for the Z4 GT3 are limited, but BMW has confirmed that like the M3 GT2, the Z4 GT3′s engine is managed by the company’s 408 ECU and the Power400 control unit.

The upgraded V8 is paired with a six-speed sequential transmission, and ultra-light racing wheels with locking and safety clips, along with racing ABS complete the package.

In Europe, the Z4 GT3 will run you €298,000.

2011 McLaren MP4-12C Performance Figures Revealed

Following last year’s unveiling, McLaren has at last revealed full performance figures for its upcoming MP4-12C supercar, due to hit showrooms early next year.

Taking its name from McLaren’s Formula 1 heritage, the MP4-12C is powered by a new, McLaren-designed 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 developing 441kW at 7000rpm and 600Nm of torque at 3000rpm. Nearly 80 percent of that torque is available from below 2000rpm.

McLaren has elected to withhold a specific 0-100km/h time for the new supercar, but officially it will cover the distance in just under 3 seconds.

Even without a specific number, that alone tells us that the MP4-12C is quicker to 100km/h than the new Ferrari 458 Italia (3.4 seconds) and the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera (3.4 seconds).

Top speed is listed as 322km/h, coming close to the 325km/h top speed of the 458 and the Gallardo 570-4.

Anthony Sheriff, Managing Director of McLaren Automotive, said the MP4-12C boasts the highest power to CO2 ratio of any internal-combustion-engined car on the market today.

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission – which McLaren calls ‘Seamless Shift’ – and like the Ferrari 458 Italia – a number of driving modes are available.

Auto, Sport, Winter and Launch Control feature among the selectable modes offered with the seven-speed DCT.

A paddle system inspired by that found in McLaren’s F1 cars is found behind the steering wheel, and both paddles can be either pushed or pulled to perform a gear change, with the left paddle shifting down and the right shifting up.

A carbon monocoque shell – or a ‘Carbon Monocell’ as McLaren calls it – forms the basis of the 12C’s body, developed specific for optimum strength, rigidity and light weight. Weight distribution is 43/57 front/rear.

According to McLaren, recent changes in the MP4-12C’s development programme have seen the weight of the monocell chassis dropped to below 80kg, and the total finished weight is expected to be around 1300kg.

Composite forged aluminium and cast-iron brakes (which in this case weigh less than carbon ceramic discs, according to McLaren), light alloy wheels and minimal piping contributes further to the MP4-12C’s diet.

A unique system called Brake Steer stops the inside rear wheel spinning during fast cornering, acting to cut understeer.

The MP4-12C’s suspension has been specially designed to keep body roll to an absolute minimum, using hydraulically interconnected dampers – in place of anti-roll bars – to vary the amount of body roll allowed.

The car’s codename-like title – MP4-12C – is almost exactly that. MP4 is the chassis code for the company’s F1 cars, the 12 represents the car’s score on McLaren’s super-secret internal performance ranking, and the C denotes its carbon fibre body.

The 2011 McLaren MP4-12C will launch in Europe from late next year to early 2011, at a price of around $230,000. McLaren Automotive aims to offer the MP4-12C in 19 countries around the world.

Three Porsche 911 Special Models Unveiled: Qatar

Porsche Centre Doha has released three special models, 911 series. They are the 911 GT3 RS track car, the limited edition 911 Sport Classic, and the new 911 Turbo.

Gulf Times (Qatar’s leading newspaper):

The new Porsche 911 Turbo combines far-reaching innovations in technology with supreme refinement and design. A brand new 3.8-litre power plant, upgraded from its original 3.6-litre guise, delivers a maximum output of 500bhp.
As an option, the new six-cylinder engine may be combined for the first time with Porsche’s seven-speed Porsche Double-Clutch Gearbox (PDK).
The combination of less weight, PDK, Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) and turbo charging ensures an unprecedented standard of agility, responsiveness and efficiency, with the new Porsche 911 Turbo reducing CO2 emissions by almost 18% over the previous model.
It is unique within its segment, requiring between just 11.4 and 11.7 litres per 100km, depending on the configuration of the car.
In spite of this excellent economy, the Porsche 911 Turbo will accelerate to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds while top speed is 312km/h.

The 911 GT3 RS is described as the most sporting on-road 911 ever. Homologated from the racing version GT3, the RS delivers more engine power with lower weight, boasts shorter transmission ratios, whilst body and suspension elements have been upgraded to an even higher standard.
The power plant is based on the engine already featured in the GT3. Like the 911 Turbo, it now displaces 3.8 litres, produces 15bhp more than its track counterpart, to a maximum output of 450bhp from the naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine.
The new model comes exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox optimised for short-shift travel, low weight and high efficiency.
The 911 Sport Classic, is available in limited numbers only with a production run of 250 cars.
Featuring a newly developed double-dome roof, the Sport Classic is 44mm wider on the rear axle than the rear-wheel drive Carrera S, on which it is based.
The striking SportDesign front apron houses a unique spoiler lip while the rear spoiler is fixed in position like the ducktail on the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7.
Power comes from Porsche’s 3.8-litre engine with DFI and is increased by 23bhp to 408bhp through the introduction of a newly developed resonance intake manifold with six vacuum-controlled switching flaps.
Other features include a six-speed manual gearbox, a mechanical rear-axle differential and custom-made 19-inch wheels with their rim star painted black.
“These three models not only contain every bit of the traditional Porsche DNA, they also give an insight into the future of high-performance motoring,” Porsche Middle East and Africa regional sales manager David Smith said.

Porsche Centre Doha chairman and CEO Salman Jassem al-Darwish observed that the new models were ideally suited for customers in the country. Porsche brand manager Ahed Dawood was also present.
The basic retail prices for the three new 911 models in Qatar are: 911 Turbo Coupé QR496,300 ($136,346), 911 Turbo Cabriolet QR537,200 ($147,582), 911 GT3 RS QR497,400 ($136,648), and 911 Sport Classic QR734,200 ($201,703).