James Glickenhaus’ Ferrari P4/5 Competizione Hits the Racetrack [with Video]

There’s still much to be discovered about James Glickenhaus’ Ferrari P4/5 Competizione racecar, but judging by the latest update on the dedicated Facebook page, the F430 Scuderia-based competition model has reached the final stages of its development, hitting the racetrack for the very first time.

The finished product is quite a handsome beast, boasting sharp edges and voluptuous curves, complemented by the large rear wing and exposed carbon fiber. When it makes its racing debut later this year, the P4/5 Competizione will most certainly adopt some kind of livery, but to be honest, we like its “natural” look.

Racing pilot Fabrizio Giovanardi and engineer Paolo Garella drove the P4/5 Competizione during the track test held in Torino.

“The test was fine, or better fantastic. The car is so easy to drive and all the controls light and very direct. The circuit was very short but I was able to go up to the 3rd gear. Engine and gearbox very light,” said the first test report, uploaded to Facebook less than 24 hours ago.

To see the P4/5 Competizione in action and hear its magnificent engine sound, scroll down and check out the videos.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Facebook via Jalopnik

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Alonso and Massa Earn their Living Promoting 2011 Jeep Wrangler

We have to admit that we feel for Ferrari's F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. As if being forced to wear jokey caps, blouses and t-shirts full of ads, and drive around exclusively in Fiat Group products such as the Abarth 500 wasn't enough of a pain in the behind (a quick look at their bank statements should ease the pain though...), the dynamic duo is now being used to promote the Chrysler Group's offerings such as the Jeep Wrangler.

According to a press statement from the Italian automaker, this particular photo shoot is one of the many initiatives of the "Wrooom 2011 – F1 & MotoGP Press Ski Meeting", an event organized in Madonna di Campiglio (Trento) in which the Fiat Group is the official sponsor.

The Jeep Wrangler featured at the event is a facelifted 2011MY in Rubicon trim powered by a new 2.8-liter common-rail turbo diesel Euro 5 engine with DPF producing 200 HP at 3,600 rpm and 410 Nm of torque at 2,000-3,200 rpm on models with a six-speed manual gearbox and 460 Nm at 1,600-2,600 rpm when combined with a new five-speed automatic transmission.

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VIDEO: A Look into the Heart of Motorsports

It is said that racing drivers are people with a death wish. Granted, motorsports can be very dangerous, but you’d have to be downright ignorant to believe that the great Ayrton Senna, for example, was performing all those wonderful feats on the racetrack just to meet an early demise. While he left us early, Senna was not embracing a death wish, but a pure passion, something that many people cannot understand. Passion is the heart of motorsports, magnificently portrayed in the video available after the jump.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Youtube via Ridelust

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New Ford RS World Rally Car Shows its 2011 Colors

Ford Team driver Mikko Hirvonen lifted the covers of its 2011-specification Fiesta RS World Rally Car at the Autosport International Racing Car Show in Birmingham today, revealing the color scheme that will adorn the vehicle in the FIA World Rally Championship. In addition, the company also confirmed that the racing team's new name and logo by announcing that it will compete as the Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team.

"The preview version of the car we unveiled in September at the 2010 Paris Motor Show was dramatic in its blue and grey livery, developed specifically for the show by Ford of Europe's design team," said Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn.

"But now we have a fully finished car in a really eye-catching new livery plus a new team name, and excitement is building throughout the squad as we prepare for the opening round in Sweden next month.

The new racing model replaces the Focus as the firm's World Rally Championship challenger due to the new regulations. The Fiesta RS WRC comes with a four-wheel drive transmission and a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, based on the EcoBoost road vehicle power plant.

Ford said the full specification of the car will be announced at the beginning of February. For the time being, the company will continue testing in Sweden next week ahead of the Fiesta RS WRC's championship debut in Rally Sweden, the opening round of the series, on 10 - 13 February.

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Caterham-Lola SP/300R: British Sportscar Maker Reveals its First Ever Prototype Racer, Road Going Model a Possibility

The Autosport International Show in Birmingham, UK, welcomed the world premiere of Caterham's first ever sports prototype racing car, the Caterham-Lola SP/300R. Created in partnership with legendary British racing and engineering brand Lola, the SP/300R is currently in the final stages of development and will be ready for a one-make championship in 2012, with the company planning to build up to 25 examples per year. Caterham said that a road-legal version of the sports car is also being considered.

The prototype model features the debut of Caterham's new supercharged version of the Ford 2.0-liter Duratec power plant, expected to produce around 300bhp. A Hewland-sourced paddle-shift sequential gearbox transfers power to the rear wheels.

Caterham said that the prototype weighs under 600kg [1,322 lbs] translating into 500bhp-per-tonne, and is capable of completing the 0-60mph [96 km/h] sprint in around 2.5 seconds, while reaching a top speed of around 170mph [273 km/h].

The SP/300R is built on a bespoke chassis designed by Lola. The basic chassis is an aluminium tub with a longitudinally mid-mounted engine, coupled to a stress-bearing rear transaxle. A forward splitter and large rear wing reduce lift, while a flat underbody maximizes ground effect benefits.

The prototype's bodywork also features an F1-style raised nose section and sectioned panels, which are said to help reduce repair costs, ease maintenance and more importantly, allow single-handed removal of body panels track-side.

The front and rear suspension are dual wishbones with pushrod dampers and adjustable ride height, with the design of the rear axle derived from that used at the rear end of the Lola Formula 3 and World Junior cars. The car rides on bespoke racing tires fitted to 13-inch race rims.

Prices for the Caterham-Lola SP/300.R will start at £60,000 [~US$94,300 or €72,200], excluding local taxes.

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VIDEO: Best Motorsport Crashes of 2010 from Motors TV

Inevitably, you can’t have motorsports without accidents and 2010 was a pretty eventful year in this area. Motors TV has compiled two clips with scary incidents from a variety of motorsports, ranging from motorcross to speedboat racing. Hit the jump to watch the videos.

By Csaba Daradics

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GM Releases First Official Pictures of the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Racecar

After teasing us with a couple of renderings in December, Cadillac today released the first official photographs of the CTS-V Coupe racecar, ahead of its North American International Auto Show debut on Monday, January 10.

GM also took the opportunity to re-confirm Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim as the pilots of the two cars that will be entered in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT series for the 2011 season. The first track tests are scheduled to begin in late January, at Sebring International Raceway, while the season will kick off on March 25-27 in St. Petersburg, Florida. No tech specs have been released.

By Csaba Daradics

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James Glickenhaus’ Ferrari P4/5 Competizione Starts Taking Shape

In 2006, American car collector James Glickenhaus took the world by surprise with his Enzo-based one-off Ferrari P4/5, built by Pininfarina. In the meantime, Mr. Glickenhaus decided to build a race version, too, dubbed P4/5 Competizione, which, initially, was scheduled to make its racing debut at this year’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Unfortunately, that never happened.

However, we're happy to report that the build is still underway. And there’s more: thanks to an update on a dedicated Facebook page, we can show you pictures depicting key moments of the assembly, available after the jump.

The P4/5 Competizione still has a long way to go until it’ll be capable of challenging other renowned racecars, but the featured images are impressive nevertheless.

Engineers made no compromises using carbon fiber for the entire body. Other bits and pieces are also visible, such as the roll-cage, pedals, brakes, various suspension elements and wheels.

As of yet, it’s unknown what Ferrari engine the racecar will use, but it has been revealed that the underpinnings are sourced from an F430 Scuderia.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Facebook , Via: Autoblog

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