24 hours of le mans

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The 2022 Ford GT Heritage Edition

Let’s travel back in time … to April 3, 1964, at the New York International Auto Show, where Ford unveiled a new prototype of what would become one of their most important cars for years to come … the 1964 Ford GT prototype, chassis GT/101, that became America’s only Le Mans-winning supercar from 1966 to 1969 … only to repeat that feat again in 2016 with the next generation of that 1964 prototype.

In 2021 only one of the 1964 Ford GT prototypes still exists, chassis GT/105, and she is still boasting the same livery as 57 years ago, and this car was the perfect candidate to park next to the brand new 2022 Ford GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition during Monterey Car Week where Ford debuted this special edition of the current Ford GT as she enters her final year of production.

“This is the first Ford GT Heritage Edition that goes beyond celebrating race wins – this one goes deep, and honors the earliest of Ford supercar heritage,” said Mike Severson, Ford GT program manager. “The Ford GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition is a modern interpretation of the original, with no mistaking what this car is paying tribute to.”

The new 2022 Ford GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition is finished in the classic Wimbledon White paint complete with Antimatter Blue graphics, including an over-the-roof triple racing stripe as a tribute to the five original GT prototypes. Being a 21st-century supercar, this new Ford GT comes with exposed carbon fiber components and 20-inch Antimatter Blue-painted carbon fiber wheels, a touch unique to Ford GT, as well as an exposed glossy carbon fiber front splitter, side sills, mirror stalks, engine louvers, and rear diffuser. The standard Brembo® brake calipers get a silver with a black graphics finish while black lug nuts finalize the modern look.

On the inside, the color-match with the blue exterior details comes in the form of blue Alcantara carbon fiber seats with silver stitching and embossed GT logo, the instrument panel is done in Ebony leather whit Lightspeed Blue Alcantara, the pillars and headliner are finished in Ebony Alcantara. Antimatter Blue appliqués on the instrument panel, door register bezels, and seat X-brace are coordinated with the bespoke wheels.

“There are a lot of milestone moments in the history of Ford GT that we’ve celebrated, but the team was unanimous in believing the original prototype was the right vehicle this time around,” Severson said. “That 1964 prototype unleashed the creative genius of the Ford Advanced Vehicles team and paved the way for the Ford GT program. It put all of this in motion.”

Back in the Sixties only 5 Ford GT prototypes were built, GT/101 and GT/102 got scrapped after Le Mans and Monza crash testing, which lead to much-needed improvements for the next three cars, GT/103, GT/104, and GT/105 … GT/103 would win at Daytona® in 1965 with Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby behind the wheel, at that same race GT/104 came in third with Bob Bondurant and Ritchie Ginther. While both GT/103 and GT/104 have been repainted today, the GT/105 is the only one that still wears her original livery from the Sixties.

This new 2022 Ford GT ’64 Heritage Edition isn’t the first highly limited edition model in this production series, which started in 2006 with the 2006 Ford GT Gulf Livery Heritage Edition as a commemorative edition for the GT40’s back-to-back 24 Hours of Le Mans titles in 1968 and 1969, a total of 343 units were produced in this first Heritage Edition series.

The second special edition came in 2017 with the 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition to celebrate the Ford GT40 MK II No. 2 that Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon drove at 1966 Le Mans, only 27 units were ever built, a year later we saw the 2018 Ford GT ’67 Heritage Edition that was built to honor the Ford GT40 MK IV No. 1 race car that was victorious at Le Mans in 1967, only 39 units of this 2018 model were built. Probably one of the most iconic Heritage Editions is the one of fifty 2019 Ford GT ’68 Gulf Livery Heritage Edition that was an homage to the Ford GT40 MK I No. 9 race car that won the 1968 Le Mans endurance race.

In 2020 Ford released another 50 unit limited edition as the 2020 Ford GT ’69 Gulf Livery Heritage Edition honoring the Ford GT40 MK I No. 6 race car that took the 1969 Le Mans victory, while the 2021 Ford GT ’66 Daytona Heritage Edition is still in production at the time of writing, this one is a tribute to the Ford GT MK II No. 98 race car, and now we get the ultimate 2022 Ford GT ’64 Heritage Edition that is the sixth one in this series.

You can now get your name on the order list for the 2022 Ford GT, if you’re an approved Ford GT customer, production of this model is set to start in January 2022.

August 25, 2021 / Comments Off

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Potential First Production Aston Martin Racing Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar Reavealed?

While the recently announced Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider is the talk of the town, there was one specific image that Aston Martin put on their Twitter that may have dropped a heavy hint about 2022’s plans for the prestigious marque.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie family.#AstonMartin #Valkyrie pic.twitter.com/GOiqN7jeEe

— Aston Martin (@astonmartin) August 13, 2021

If the image or tweet doesn’t load, here is the picture in full:

From front to back, you have the beautiful Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider, the original Aston Martin Valkyrie Coupe, and then…. wait, wasn’t the Aston Martin Pro Le Mans Hypercar program originally canceled, and then announced it was delayed until the 2023 season?!

Taking a closer look…

It’s lowered. It has a hypercar-spec shark fin. It has a rear spoiler that is raised and solid. It has aerodynamically shaped wheels, which look to have at least some carbon fiber. It’s a full AMR Valkyrie Pro!

While Aston Martin has not announced anything yet for 2022, the Hypercar class, new for this year with Toyota and SCG running their models, is going to be quite heavily populated in 2022. Peugeot is returning with the 9X8, ByKolles producing the PMC Project LMH, and Ferrari recently announcing their intention to join the class in 2023, based on the successor to the LaFerrari. Aston Martin originally announced they would be producing the Valkyrie Pro LMH for 2023, but almost all pictures so far have been of prototypes or computer renders, and most of them are only about the customer race car program.

This picture, however, is real photographic evidence that they might be moving up a year. Especially considering how much Aston Martin and Ferrari are close competitors on the Formula 1 circuit…

The discussion on this tweet from Aston Martin has, naturally, been focused almost entirely on the race car in the background, so while this is just a rumor right now, could this be the first appearance of a WEC Hypercar class Valkyrie Pro LMH for 2022? Only time will tell!

August 13, 2021 / Comments Off

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The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro

The new Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro isn’t just another version of the original Aston Martin Valkyrie with some added aerodynamic parts, the Valkyrie AMR Pro increases the wheelbase of the original chassis by 380 mm, adds 96 mm to the front track and 115mm to the rear track width, the added aerodynamic parts effectively lengthen the entire car by 266 mm making it a ‘longtail’ is McLaren would call it, and as we’ve seen on the new Bugatti Chiron Super Sport … the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro can reach a lateral acceleration in excess of 3G.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro still uses the Cosworth-built naturally aspirated V12 engine with a 6.5-Liter displacement … but now with 1,000 hp available at a screaming 11,000 rpm, a lot of weight has been saved on the Valkyrie AMR Pro by removing the entire hybrid system, using an extremely light carbon fiber body, carbon fiber suspension wishbones. The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro doesn’t use glass but comes with a Perspex windshield and side windows … thanks to the aerodynamic efficiency, the Valkyrie AMR Pro offers track performance previously only seen in Formula One cars.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro is built to compete at the 24h of Le Mans, the design has been created to be able to lap the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe in a mere 3 minutes and 20 seconds putting her in front of the other LMP1 cars with a firm chance of actually winning this world-famous endurance race in France.

Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Tobias Moers said: “The entire Aston Martin Valkyrie programme has been an extraordinary adventure in engineering. As an expression of the passion and expertise that can be found within Aston Martin and its closest technical partners, Valkyrie AMR Pro is a project beyond compare, a true ‘no rules’ track-only version. The Valkyrie AMR Pro is a testament to Aston Martin’s commitment to pure performance and this performance DNA will be evident in our future product portfolio. Nothing else looks like it, nothing else sounds like it, and I am absolutely certain nothing else will drive like it!”

Only 40 clients will be able to obtain one of these Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro cars as production is limited, in addition to the 40 customer car, 2 prototypes are built by Aston Martin, working closely together with Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One^® Team drivers to finetune the dynamic setup of this amazing Valkyrie AMR Pro. Customers will also be invited to a bespoke track day on an official FIA circuit somewhere in the world, where they will have both track and pitlane access with support from the Aston Martin Valkyrie Instructor team, as well as FIA exclusive racewear and a VIP hosted dinner.

The first units of this brand new, exhilarating Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro are expected during the final quarter of 2021 already, but no word in pricing at this moment.

June 28, 2021 / Comments Off

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US car to win the 24h of Le Mans?

Remember our Ford GT Heritage article from last week, where we mentioned the 2006 edition to be a celebration livery of the classic Ford GT40 that managed to win the grueling 24 of Le Mans race not once, but four times in a row between 1966 and 1969 … unfortunately that would mark the last time a car made in the USA won the French endurance race.

But all that might be changing for the 2021 edition of the 24h of Le Mans, Glickenhaus Racing already has a car on the test track, called the SCG 007 LMH, and they intend to enter two of these new generation hypercars into the most famous endurance race in Europe … and things get even better, Glickenhaus also has at least one customer put in an order for an SCG 007 LMH too, so we might be seeing three or more of these cars battle it out on the Circuit de la Sarthe in June this year.

The SCG 007 LMH is powered by a 3.5-Liter, twin-turbo V8 engine, and what is really amazing is the fact they only started this new engine for the first time in early February, and only a few weeks later it’s fitted onto the first SCG 007 chassis, and driven on the famous Vallelunga track in Italy for initial testing and fine-tuning.

The Glickenhaus SCG 007 LMH at Vallelunga – Photo credits endurance24.fr

Both Romain Dumas and Franck Mailleux took stints on the Vallelunga track to prepare the new SCG 007 LMH to be entered into the 2021 FIA Endurance Championship, but it seems they will have to pass on the first race of the season on April 4: the 8 Hours of Portimao in Portugal. According to Dailysportscar, Glickenhaus will probably not be able to get the SCG 007 LMH homologated in time for Portugal as they can’t get the required 30-hour test-run done before April 4, and this is a final requirement for homologation to compete, and the worst part in this is … it isn’t even due to the cars not being ready, but due to the current regulation because of COVID-19, it is impossible to get the required parties together in time.

But Jim Glickenhaus made it abundantly clear when he stated: “there will be two SCG 007 LMH cars at the start of the 24h of Le Mans on June 12, no question about that”

The first chassis that performed the initial shake-down testing in Vallelunga after Podium Advanced Technologies developed and assembled the car at its facility in Italy will undergo further high-speed testing on the Monza track over the next days, and the second SCG 007 LMH is already being built at this time, Glickenhaus intends to have their second car ready for testing at Vallelunga by mid-March.

If all goes well we’ll be seeing at least two cars entered by Glickenhaus Racing, and possibly a third one from a private party, into the 2021 edition of the 24h of Le Mans, where these SCG 007 LMH will compete against the new hybrid LMH from Toyota, the V8 powered A480 from Alpine … it won’t be until 2023 before Ferrari joins the LMH ranks with their entry.

And the best is yet to come … as part of the homologation process, Glickenhaus will have to build a street-going version of this SCG 007 too, and rumor has it, the SCG 007 Stradale, with a similar powertrain to the racecar, will be available soon too, listed at a $2,100,000 base price … I for one can’t wait to see one of those drive up at a local Cars and Coffee event.

March 4, 2021 / Comments Off

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Giti Tire Attacks the Nürburgring With a Pair of Audi R8s & a Pair of VW Golfs

Third Year’s the Charm

The 24 Hours of Nürburgring is one of the most challenging motorsports races in the entire world. The track itself is a fabled place for motorsports fans and the proving ground for manufacturers of sports cars and race cars alike. The 24-hour race that is held every year is the ultimate test of engineering, teamwork, and racing skill.

Automakers aren’t the only manufacturers who use the Nürburgring as a proving ground. Tire companies also do. One company that will take their product to the extreme at the upcoming race is Giti Tire. This will be the third year that the company has competed in the race, and it hopes this to be the most exciting year yet.

The Cars Racing

The company has four cars set to compete in the race. The first is an Audi R8 LMS Ultra that comes with a 5.2-liter V10 engine that makes 570 hp. The car will be driven by Henzel Bernhard, P. Lefterov, and F. Schickler. The second is another Audi R8, this one a GT4 car, that has a 5.2-liter V10 engine tuned to 495 hp. It will be driven by Rainey He, Sunny Wong, Andy Yan, and Li Fei.

In the past, the company has used the Lamborghini Huracán for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. This time around, the company thought it would be better to utilize the Audi R8 instead. “The Audi R8 offers a great combination of power, reliability, and technology that goes together very well with how Giti positions its tires,” said a representative of Giti Tire. These are the two cars that many racing fans, spectators, and others in the industry will be focused on.

The VW Golfs will also run the race. One of the golfs will be an all-female team, including the drivers and crew. According to Giti Tire, this is the first time in the race’s history that this has happened.

“The 24 Hours Nürburgring race is a great natural choice for [us],” said a Giti Tire representative. “From one vehicle in 2017 to two in 2018 and four this year, Giti is truly committed to making an impact on the race and further utilizing the results and lessons to continue making both our racing and everyday driving tires the best they can be.”

The Tires to be Used

Speaking of the tires used, the company plans to use its GitiCompete GTR1 tires for the race. Those tires are a track-only variant that have proved to be very popular among a wide variety of racers. The GitiCompete GTR1 tires have been used at a wide variety of well-known motorsports events and races, including the 24 Hours Nürburgring race, as well as Formula 3 Asian series, and Pikes Peak Hill Climb among others.

The latest iteration of the GTR1 tires come after years of research and development. The top grade compound has been designed for racetracks. It should help the Audi R8s compete well in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring race this year. While race is an important test for Giti Tire, the company isn’t just concerned with racing. The lessons it learns on the track will trickle down to road-legal variations of its tires, ensuring the best performance for all kinds of vehicles.

It will be exciting to see how the Audi R8s and the VW Golfs put out on the racetrack by Giti Tire perform at the race. The race will occur this weekend in Germany.

Read more @ GitiUSA.com

June 19, 2019 / Comments Off

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Brabham announces return to Le Mans, in its BT62 supercar

Shortly after announcing the BT62 supercar’s new road-legal package, which also adds some driver comforts, Brabham Automotive has announced its racing intentions. The Australian manufacturer will be taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship in 2021-2022, in the GTE class. The GTE car will be based on the BT62 chassis. Stock, the BT62 comes with a 710-horsepower 5.4-liter V8.

There’s an interesting sideline to the news: As the BT62 debuted as a track-day car first and a road car second, early Brabham customers have become part of the BT62’s track testing team. It’s often said that with some cars, customers become sort of beta testers during early production — with Brabham’s supercars, the aspect seems rather more voluntary. In any case, the endurance racing program is “directly linked” to Brabham’s BT62 Driver Development Program, which also gives owners Pro-Am racing opportunities.

Sir Jack Brabham won the French Grand Prix at Le Mans in 1967, so the name has definite history there. David Brabham, the company’s managing director and lead test driver, also won at Le Mans in 2009, with a Peugeot 908, and his brother Geoff took the honors there in 1993 driving a Peugeot 905.

David Brabham says: “Returning the Brabham name to Le Mans is something I have been working on for years, so it’s fantastic to make this announcement today. Brabham Automotive only launched its first car, the BT62, in May 2018, so we have a long road to travel to earn the right to return to compete at Le Mans. That work starts now with a long-term racing commitment. We look forward to developing the BT62 and future products while building a world-class competitive race team around the leading engineering and manufacturing talent we have in the business.” Brabham also stated that the company intends to compete in a lower-level racing series in the future.

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January 10, 2019 / Comments Off

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