Car-Motorsports: Motorsports

Mansory Carbonado Aventador First Impression

Mansory have been on a role of late. Their workshop has been pumping out
 highly engineered, top quality tuning works for some of the most 
extreme supercars on the market. Perhaps the biggest of these projects 
was the Mansory Carbonado – based on the Lamborghini Aventador. When 
Mansory offered us an exclusive first look at this monster supercar, we 
jumped at the opportunity!<br />
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Unlike the Mansory F12 Stallone
 we tested previously, we weren’t allowed to drive the Mansory 
Carbonado. So instead of offering you a driving experience, we have a 
set of awesome photos and a first impression on the package as a whole. 
After our experience, the car was shipped from the factory to its new 
owner.<br />
Kourosh Mansory’s company is based in Brand, Germany which was the 
destination for our short experience. The car itself was unveiled at the
 Geneva Motor Show 2013 and took centre stage on the Mansory stand. It 
attracted more attention than any other tuning car on display, we were 
about to find out why!<br />
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Carbon fibre is a Mansory speciality. The Mansory Carbonado is a 
moving display room in that respect. The Carbonado uses a world-first 
Stealth effect carbon fibre weave. The weaves actually resemble the 
shape of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk which creates this fantastic and 
very unique effect. We have no idea how Mansory have managed to do this 
although it is mighty impressive. The Stealth Fighter weaves are 
complemented on this particular car by a matte finish, similar in colour
 to the real F-117. <br />
As with every Mansory project, the design of the Mansory Carbonado is
 the most interesting aspect. In fact, we’d go as far as saying that it 
takes tuning to the another level! Every single element of the Mansory 
bodykit is bespoke and constructed from carbon fibre.Mansory makes its 
own carbon fibre from an on-site autoclave. Up close, the quality is 
perfect and the surfaces are very smooth.<br />
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<img alt="" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-90520" height="426" src="http://www.gtspirit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Mansory-Carbonado-Doors-Up-640x426.jpg" title="Mansory Carbonado Doors Up" width="640" /><br />
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The panels include a striking new front skirt. The front vents are 
deeper than on the standard version. Carbon fibre side flicks rise from 
the side and a front splitter. The stealth shaped daytime running lights
 complement the theme. <br />
The bonnet receives a complete redesigned with different contour 
lines and two sets of aggressive air vents on either side. The new side 
panels add 40 millimetres of width at the front and 50 millimetres at 
the rear axle. The side skirts have a bespoke Mansory design and the 
doors get new contours.<br />
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<img alt="" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-90521" height="357" src="http://www.gtspirit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Mansory-Carbonado-Rear-640x357.jpg" title="Mansory Carbonado Rear" width="640" /><br />
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The rear looks similar to the Mansory Aventador kit we previously 
tested. It gets a huge rear diffuser, a slatted rear vent with stealth 
fighter shaped mesh and a rear spoiler. The roof and engine cover are 
also bespoke. Finally, the exhaust is now separated into three distinct 
exits. <br />
To look at, the quality of the Mansory Carbonado is something quite 
special. The panels fit as though they came from Lamborghini’s own 
production line. The carbon weaves between body panels line up as best 
as can be expected. Every part fits the expectation Mansory’s insane 
price tags demands.<br />
Okay, so we’ve established that the bodywork is pretty special. So 
what of the engine and mechanicals? Mansory have given the Aventador’s 
6.5 litre Lamborghini V12 a thorough workout. In short, the power now 
matches the insane body.<br />
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<img alt="" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-90522" height="426" src="http://www.gtspirit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Mansory-Carbonado-Aventador-640x426.jpg" title="Mansory Carbonado Aventador" width="640" /><br />
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Mansory fitted twin turbochargers together with new pistons, 
connecting rods, rod bearings, crankshaft, crank and cylinder head. 
Mansory claims the power raised from 700 hp to a staggering 1,250 hp. 
Torque has improved too although to protect components this figure has 
been limited to just 900 Nm. Performance from zero to 100 km/h is just 
2.6 seconds. Top speed now stands at 380 km/h. From what we gather, none
 of these figures have been real-world tested, but instead estimated 
using mathematics and taking into account the various tolerances of each
 individual part.<br />
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The most impressive thing about the entire performance package though
 is undoubtedly the brand new exhaust system. It is a complete system 
from manifold to tailpipes. Constructed from stainless steel, it gives a
 monster soundtrack! Running at the airstrip, the car sounded like no 
other Lamborghini Aventador we had ever heard and comes closer to the 
sound of a F1 car than any road car. It has a brutal rasp to it, even 
moreso than the Mansory Aventador we tested on a previous visit to Brand. Also evident is the turbo whistle.<br />
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The Mansory Carbonado gets a set of Mansory ultralight forged wheels.
 They feature carbon inlays to match the rest of the car. The sizing is 
9.0 x 20 inches and 13.0 x 21 inches with Pirelli P Zero tyres in VA 
255/30 ZR20 and HA 345/25 ZR21 sizes.<br />
Mansory are also has a reputation to maintain for their special 
interiors. This car is no different. The Carbonado interior features a 
complete redesign with black processed leather and white leather 
accents. Stitching is white contrast and parts of the dash have been 
replaced with a stealth carbon fibre. Incase you forget where you are, 
there are plenty of Carbonado and Mansory badges!<br />
<img alt="Mansory Carbonado GTspirit First Impression" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-90442" height="422" src="http://www.gtspirit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/gtspirit-mansory-carbonado-0032-640x422.jpg" title="Mansory Carbonado GTspirit First Impression" width="640" /><br />
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The Carbonado actually feels much more modern than the standard 
Aventador. Lamborghini Aventadors generally leave the factory with 
sedate interiors, yet the Carbonado has a variety of different surfaces.
 It is more interesting as a result. The carbon fibre weave is 
impressive and works well with the colour scheme. The quality is very 
impressive too. Evidently, a lot of work has gone in to making this car 
very special! <br />
Mansory have developed a trademark modification for the Lamborghini 
Aventador as we found out with the previous Mansory Aventador. They 
mount the starter button to the headliner! Whilst that felt unnecessary 
in the earlier car, in this stealth jet themed monster, it just feels 
right. It makes you feel as though you should be asking permission from 
the control tower for take-off!<br />
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<img alt="Mansory Carbonado GTspirit First Impression" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-90440" height="400" src="http://www.gtspirit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/gtspirit-mansory-carbonado-0025-640x400.jpg" title="Mansory Carbonado GTspirit First Impression" width="640" /><br />
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The Mansory Carbonado really has done something quite special for the
 German brand. We’ve seen their unique take on these bespoke cars in the
 past with various Aston Martin and Ferrari 458 Italia based projects. 
The Mansory Carbonado raises the bar even further. <br />
Since this car was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last year,
 Mansory have already built two further cars. The first is a Coupé with 
glossy carbon fibre coachwork, the second is a Roadster, converted just 
after the first cars were delivered. For Mansory to find further 
trusting customers for their bonkers million Euro tuned Lamborghini is 
testament to the product itself. We were thoroughly impressed!

Mansory Carbonado Aventador First Impression

Mansory have been on a role of late. Their workshop has been pumping out highly engineered, top quality tuning works for some of the most ...

Ferrari F458 Curseive by Vogue Auto Design and Gray Design

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With a fairly subtle design compared to some variants of the Lamborghini
 Gallardo and inevitably future versions of the Huracan, the Ferrari 458 Italia
 is a great looking supercar. As a matter of fact, it’s just an awesome 
looking car in general. Nevertheless, this didn’t stop Vogue Auto Design
 and Gray Design from teaming up to create what they dub the Ferrari 
F458 Curseive.<br />
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The Ferrari F458 Curseive features a selection of visual and 
aerodynamic changes making it one of the most outlandish tuned 458 
Italia’s we’ve ever laid eyes on. More specifically, the F458 Curseive 
features an entirely new body kit including a new bumper, revised dual 
air intakes, canards as well as the air grilles above the front wheels.<br />
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Down the side, this particular example features bright orange accents
 which are featured across much of the car including the aforementioned 
front bumper as well as the roof. At the rear, the Ferrari F458 Curseive
 by Vogue Auto Design and Gray Design features a prominent ducktail 
spoiler, new rear diffuser, air outlets, canards and two exhaust tips 
instead of the three of the standard Ferrari 458 Italia.<br />
<img alt="Official: Ferrari F458 Curseive by Vogue Auto Design and Gray Design" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-90793" height="304" src="http://www.gtspirit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/695181191483721800-640x304.jpg" title="Official: Ferrari F458 Curseive by Vogue Auto Design and Gray Design" width="640" /><br />
All of the aforementioned parts can be created from carbon fiber or 
carbon fiber reinforced Kevlar and can be left bare, or like this 
example, painted in whatever colour scheme desired.<br />
Completing the changes are new Bilstein PSS9 coilovers along with wider wheels.

Ferrari F458 Curseive by Vogue Auto Design and Gray Design

With a fairly subtle design compared to some variants of the Lamborghini Gallardo and inevitably future versions of the Huracan, the Ferr...

Reiter Engineering to compete in the Pirelli World Challenge

The 2014 season starts on new terrain for Reiter Engineering. The team 
from Bavaria has entered two Reiter Lamborghini Gallardo FL2 GT3 in the 
Pirelli World Challenge. The US sprint series starts its season between 
28-30 March in St. Petersburg / Florida.<br />
<br />
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<br />

For its debut in the US racing scene, Reiter Engineering divides its 
attentions. Tomas Enge will drive a Reiter Lamborghini Gallardo FL2 GT3 
in the GT class, while Albert von Thurn und Taxis appears in a second 
Reiter Lamborghini Gallardo FL2 GT3 among the amateur racers in the GTA.
 
<br />

Tomas Enge will be reunited with the twisty 14-turn, 2.9 kilometre long 
track in Florida during the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg event where the
 Pirelli World Challenge supports the IndyCar Series, the biggest US 
series for single-seaters. After retiring from the lead of the American 
Le Mans Series race in 2007 following a heavy accident, the Czech aims 
to finish the job he started in St. Petersburg and take a podium 
position for Reiter Engineering in 2014. “I still have a score to settle
 with this track and am very confident that we can score an excellent 
result here.” 
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Tomas Enge" height="426" src="http://cdn-3.motorsport.com/static/img/mgl/1300000/1300000/1308000/1308500/1308503/s3_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="title">
Tomas Enge</div>
<div class="author">
Photo by: SRO</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For Albert von Thurn und Taxis, it will be his first race on American soil.

The Regensburg aristocrat has gathered experience on European and Asian 
race tracks so far in his career. “I’ve dreamt about racing in the 
States for a long time, and am now obviously really looking forward to 
my debut in the Pirelli World Series. The whole team can’t wait to lay 
some rubber on the streets of St Petersburg and measure our car with the
 competition from overseas!” 
<br />

The Pirelli World Challenge is the first series on the North American 
continent to allow FIA GT3 cars to compete without modifications. Strong
 competition is expected from Ferrari, Audi, Mercedes, Aston Martin, 
Cadillac and Acura, with a strong contingent of professional drivers 
well-known in Europe. 
<br />

Hans Reiter, owner of the racing stable Reiter Engineering, explains the
 importance of competing in the race: “The American market is very 
important for us, which is why we decided to be present at the track to 
be able to advise and support potential American customers as well as 
possible – which they obviously deserve.”
<br />

Every Pirelli World Challenge race is broadcast on TV by the NBC Sports 
Network at primetime as well as via live stream online at 
www.world-challengetv.com. 
<br />

<strong>Tomas Enge</strong><br />
<br />

The 37-year old Czech has been racing since 1991 and followed the 
classic route from karting via Formula Ford (FF Deutschland Champion 
1996), Formula 3 and Formula 3000 all the way to Formula 1 and IndyCar. 
Enge also made his first exploratory steps in sportscars at this time. 
In this discipline, he is credited with a class victory in the 24h of Le
 Mans, wins and podiums in the ALMS and the LMP1 title in the 2009 Le 
Mans Series. Since 2012, Tomas Enge is a member of the Reiter 
Engineering team, with whom he also competed in the FIA GT World 
Championship
<br />

<strong>Albert von Thurn und Taxis</strong><br /> 
<br />

Thurn und Taxis races for Reiter Engineering since 2006. Together with 
the Bavarian based team, he was ADAC GT Masters championship runner-up 
in 2007 and 2008, before going on to win the title in 2010 with Peter 
Kox. The 30-year old is a descendent of the von Thurn und Taxis family, 
which was elevated to royal status in the 15th century and resides since
 1748. The family is also accredited with the invention of modern-day 
postal services.
<br />

<em>Reiter Engineering</em>

Reiter Engineering to compete in the Pirelli World Challenge

The 2014 season starts on new terrain for Reiter Engineering. The team from Bavaria has entered two Reiter Lamborghini Gallardo FL2 GT3 in ...

Ferrari launches F14 T and yet another Formula One nose

Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo said of the 2014 Formula One
 season, "It's time to win." This is the chassis that's meant to do it, 
and it is also Exhibit C in this wild, function-over-form F1 pre-season:
 the Ferrari F14 T. The low, trunk-like snout is another imagining of 
the year's regulations, after the probing proboscides found on the McLaren and in the image of the coming Williams.
 The public name of the chassis internally called 665 was chosen by 
Ferrari's social media fans, F14 T referring to the brand, the year and 
the turbocharged powerplant, not the McDonnell-Douglas F14 Tomcat.<br />
<br />
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<br />
 The
 60th Ferrari to contest an F1 season, it keeps the pull-rod front and 
rear suspensions of cars from the last two years but little else. The 
narrower front wing, having to package and cool the additional power 
unit equipment, reworking the rear wing and even moving to brake-by-wire
 has changed every other aspect of the car.<br />
<br />
Fernando Alonso
 is hoping the F14 T will make the fifth time the charm; in his fifth 
year with the team, he wants to win the championship this year instead 
of coming in second again, just like Michael Schumacher won his first title with Ferrari after five years with the team. Our guess is that Kimi Räikkönen has no opinion on anything other than winning races and getting paid for it. A press release below offers a number of details, while the high-res gallery above to can help prepare you for what's coming.

Ferrari launches F14 T and yet another Formula One nose

Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo said of the 2014 Formula One season, "It's time to win." This is the chassis that's meant...

The 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona: What we learned, what we saw

Two days after the flag dropped on the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona,
 people are still trying to figure out what it might portend for the 
rest of the season. In 24 hours, two minutes and 24 seconds, 695 laps 
were completed by the car that crossed the line first. During that time,
 67 cars began the race, 18 of them retired. There was <em>that</em> 
accident, and a red flag. There were supposedly slower classes beating 
supposedly faster classes. There were 16 caution periods, including <em>that</em> yellow flag. And then there was The Decision. And Then The Uproar. And then The Reversal.<br />
<br />
There was also some pretty good racing, so let's have one last look at the weekend. Oh, and there was <em>that</em> 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO Series II...<br />
<br />
If you want to skip the reading bits and go to the photos, there's a 
high-res gallery of 158 images above and a couple more below. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
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<br />
The last time Chevrolet took overall victory at Daytona was 2001, back when Ron Fellows was driving the Corvette
 C5-R in the GTS class. The drought has ended, No. 5 Action Express 
Coyote-Chevrolet Corvette DP driven by João Barbosa, Christian 
Fittipaldi, Sébastien Bourdais and Burt Friselle crossing the line first
 at the checkered flag, having led more than a third of the race – 272 
laps – and setting the fastest lap at 1:39.180 at an average speed of 
129.220. That's only about one second more and mile per hour less than 
the average speed of the pole lap set by the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob 
Stallings Racing DP that did the loop in 1:38.270, averaging 130.416 
mph. What's more, the car won the race having experienced gear selection
 issues since the morning.<br />
<br />
The victory was the second overall for the Action Express Team, 
following their conquest in 2010 that also included Barbosa. It was the 
third class victory for Barbosa, the Portuguese driver having claimed a 
GTS-class win in 2003 in a Mosler/Chevrolet. It was Fittipaldi's second 
overall win and Sebastien Bourdais' first, the Frenchman overcoming 
little incidents like a spin during the night at the Bus Stop when he 
bumped the other Action Express car being driven by John Martin because 
he was "expecting a little bit of courtesy by my teammates." Bourdais 
said after the race that he'd tried to win a Rolex at Le Mans and that 
didn't work, so he came over here to win one but came in second so many 
times he thought they'd give him a Rolex out of pity. That didn't work, 
either. Now he finally has one, the right way.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106702" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/b4469cd0b4a2bb1d372a7a8e20a35479/daytona03.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The victory came because of one odd circumstance and one finicky rule. 
The last full-course yellow that came with about 17 minutes left was the
 odd circumstance we'll get to later, the finicky rule is that when the 
course goes back to green, drivers can't begin racing again until they 
pass the flag. The No. 5 car, in the lead when the course went green 
with about eight minutes left, passed the flag and hit the throttle. A 
Prototype Challenge car that was laps down was in between Barbosa in the
 lead in the No. 5 car and Max Angelelli in the second-placed car, the 
No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Dallara-Chevrolet Corvette DP. That PC car 
also got the jump on Angelelli, and even though the DPs are much faster 
on the straights he couldn't get around it until the first turn. That 
ruined his chances of making a real play on Barbosa, and he crossed the 
line just 1.461 seconds behind. It was a welcome return to racing for 
Wayne Taylor, the team owner that hadn't driven in four years and came 
out of retirement for this race.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106703" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/3632ac3b8bf79f7fa17e570d18242fc5/daytona04.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Speaking of the pole-sitting No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing car, it
 was the only Corvette DP not to finish the race due to its terrible 
collision with the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia
 being driven at the time by Matteo Malucelli. In fourth place at the 
time, exiting the International Horseshoe and driving full throttle into
 the sun, Memo Gidley in the No. 99 Red Dragon jinked left to get around
 another Ferrari that was passing Malucelli, who was creeping along the 
left side of the track the due to engine failure. Gidley rammed him at 
full speed, thought to be more than 100 mph, tearing off the front of 
his monocoque so badly that his feet were left dangling in the air after
 the crash. After being extracted from their cars, both drivers were 
airlifted to a hospital. Gidley had surgery on his left arm and left leg
 and awaits surgery for a back fracture, Malucelli escaped with a 
concussion and has been released. His Ferrari was the only one of the seven in the race not to finish.<br />
<br />
The leading LMP2 was the No. 6 Muscle Milk/Pickett Racing ORECA-Nissan 03,
 coming in fifth driven by Klaus Graf, Lucas Luhr and Alex Brundle, 
three laps down on Barbosa. The next LMP2 was the Oak Racing Morgan Nissan, 17 laps down.<br />
<br />
The podium was completed by Brian Frisselle behind the wheel of the No. 9
 Action Express Coyote-Chevrolet Corvette DP, 20 seconds down.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106704" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/59033af2f5e1ff6499ee4759fd6d1694/daytona06.jpg" /><br />
<br />
There were three Ford Ecoboost-powered
 cars in the race, including two in the cars of defending champions Chip
 Ganassi Racing. Driver Scott Pruett, who won last year, was going for 
his sixth Daytona victory in the No. 1 Riley-Ford
 Ecoboost DP. The team had almost nothing but trouble, losing 33 laps 
after a shunt with a slower GTD car during the night before numerous 
engine issues with the turbocharged V6 would force retirement with 90 
minutes left. It was classified in 43rd overall at the finish. The No. 2
 Ganassi car lead throughout portions of the night but had to call it 
quits in the final hour due to floor damage, classified in 15th. The No.
 60 Michael Shank Racing Riley-Ford DP was the other EcoBoosted team, 
finishing 47th overall but still running at the end.<br />
<br />
Elsewhere in the top class, the DeltaWing Coupe
 made its big-time debut, doing 288 laps in 16 hours before retiring 
with transmission failure. It was ranked 61st overall at the finish. The
 Mazda SkyActiv Diesel 
Prototypes played rolling chicanes again this year, after the GT-class 
Mazda6 diesel racers did it last year. We applaud Mazda for aiming to 
innovate, but their pace was almost hazardous. Both cars retired with 
minor issues, the No. 70 with an oil-pump belt failure, the No. 07 
within an hour of the end because a blocked radiator caused overheating.<br />
<br />
<strong>Prototype Challenge</strong><br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106705" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/25de7c2a6d7201fcd3c45b45969982e8/daytona07.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The No. 54 CORE Autosport team of Colin Braun, Jon Bennett, Mark Wilkins
 and James Gue claimed Prototype Challenge honors, a lap ahead of the 
No. 25 8Star Motorsport PC driven by Tom Kimber-Smith. This was the only
 class where there was a lap differential between the first two 
finishers. Third place went to the No. 38 Performance Tech Racing car, 
nine laps down.<br />
<br />
<strong>GTLM</strong><br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106706" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/b963cc896226f86d875a39dfb748b678/daytona08.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Porsche<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"> claimed the GTLM class with the CORE Autosport factory team in its No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR, Nick Tandy, Richard Lietz and Patrick Pilet sharing wheel duties. They were 2.8 seconds ahead of the works BMW Rahal Letterman Lanigan team in the No. 55 BMW Z4
 GTE piloted by Andy Priaulx, Bill Auberlen, Maxime Martin and Joey 
Hand. The BMW team worked the 'slow and steady wins the race' angle; the
 Z4 GTE couldn't match its competition on the straights – the team 
itself calls it a "significant top-speed deficit" – so they made sure to
 stay on track instead of the pits. Said Hand, "If you just keep this 
thing rolling round the racetrack and spend as little time in the pits 
as possible you stand a chance." The car ran well and they didn't hit 
anyone, so over the whole 24 hours the No. 55 car spent 14 minutes in 
the pits. The second RLL car, the No. 56, finished in fourth after 
staying up with the leaders during most of the race, but probably had a 
shot at third if not for a broken wheel bearing requiring a lengthy 
stop.</a>
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106707" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/1cbe35b33d45bdcb228fbf4be710caf7/daytona09.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The pole-sitting SRT Motorsports No. 91 Viper GTS-R
 driven by Dominik Farnbacher, Marc Goossens and Ryan Hunter-Reay 
finished third, four laps down, after both it and the No. 93 cars spent a
 lot of time leading the GTLM pack. After being strong for the first 
eight hours, a power-steering line failure struck the No. 91 car 
overnight as the No. 93 was leading, causing it to lose 12 laps while in
 the pits. It didn't have another major issue during the race, but as 
the No. 91 left the pits, the No. 93 entered the pits to fix damage due 
to heavy contact after it got bitten by a lack of traction in cold 
tires, and lost six laps, then had driveshaft problem later on that left
 it stranded on the track. There were other little incidents like the 
stop-and-go penalty issued to the No. 91 because it lost a wheel nut 
after a pit stop, but things look really good for the Viper team this year.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106708" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/ac0c3799d1fde33cf742b32dc85e47f8/daytona10.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Problems also beset the Corvette team, the two C7.Rs breaking in their 
racing legs with this race. Thoroughly competitive when they were 
running, leading early in the race, but engine overheating sent the No. 3
 C7.R out of 
the race for good after having fought from the back of the grid to the 
head of the class. The No. 4 recovered from a water leak five hours in 
to be fighting with the No. 911 Porsche the next morning, but got 
knocked out by a transmission bearing failure with less than three hours
 to go while in second place. After a lengthy trip to the pits for a 
fix, it climbed back to finish fifth in the class.<br />
<br />
<strong>GTD </strong><br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106709" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/b16e8fa8d2de1ade63d6676a929478f8/daytona11.jpg" /><br />
<br />
This class was the problem child. As is well known by now, it took four 
hours and a whole lot of consternation to figure out who the winner was,
 which is why the victory lane picture of the GTD class winners was 
taken at night, with no one but teammates and course workers around. 
Still, it gave Ferrari its first class victory at Daytona since 1998.<br />
<br />
When Alessandro Pier Guidi in the Level 5 Motorsports No. 555 Ferrari 458 Italia finished 1.2 seconds ahead of the No. 45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Audi R8 LMS
 driven by Markus Winkelhock. Seconds later, Pier Guidi was issued a 
stop-and-hold plus 75-second penalty for avoidable contact on the last 
lap with Winkelhock, erasing his victory and dropping the team to 
fourth. Social media blew up at the call, and it was still blowing up 
when, four hours later, IMSA reversed the decision of the race director 
and reinstated the No. 555 car to first place.<br />
<br />
After the reorganization, third place was nabbed by The No. 58 Snow Racing Porsche 911 GT America.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Other Audi R8s</strong><br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106710" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/1977af49a6bf40b1df9651e8c51c80f1/daytona12.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Flying Lizard didn't show its hand until late in the race, hanging out 
around the middle and bottom of the top ten in GTD over much of the 
night. When the No. 555 Ferrari started swapping the top two in-class 
positions from about hour 18 to the end of the race, it was merely 
filling the spot that had been taken by the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa 
Ferrari from Saturday evening and overnight. As with the RLL BMW in GTLM
 that kept the ship aright and on course, Flying Lizard didn't do 
anything wrong, just kept turning laps and gaining positions, moving 
into the lead on Sunday morning and swapping it with the Level 5 car. 
The second Flying Lizard car, the No. 35 Audi, finished sixth in class.<br />
<br />
The other Audi R8 LMS' didn't do so well. The first one went out on Lap 5
 when the No. 46 Fall-Line Motorsports car driven by Charlie Putman spun
 backwards into the wall in Turn 1 after braking. The No. 32 GMG Racing 
car made it seven hours, then had contact with a PC car that sent it 
caroming into the end of the pit lane wall head-on and out of the race.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106711" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/120f4bc3a738c1a6ca6290a97faca934/daytona13.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The No. 48 Audi R8 LMS of Paul Miller Racing, the class pole-sitter, 
stayed at or near the top of the class for half the race, then suffered a
 water leak and other issues that lead to longer and longer pit stops. 
It would cross the line 16th in class, having set the fastest lap of the
 race before it got into trouble.<br />
<br />
<strong> Yellow</strong><br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106712" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/15a6763c4571d636a8e75e319ab99b1b/daytona14.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The 16th and final full-course caution of the race is still a puzzle – 
no one we spoke to was clear, officially, on why it was called. Everyone
 we spoke to unofficially – including a highly respected commentator and
 former Daytona driver who called it "Very contrived" – believes it was 
meant to manufacture a close finish.<br />
<br />
After persistent brake problems, the No. 22 Alex Job Racing Weathertech 
Porsche 911 GT America driven by Leh Keen at the time had a brake 
failure with about 17 minutes to go in the race. Keen went off the track
 at the International Horseshow and into the tire wall, but got the car 
going again quickly and drove off under his own power. The DeltaWing and
 numerous other cars had done the same thing before Keen, and only got 
local yellows for their troubles.<br />
<br />
Max Angelelli, in the second-placed car overall, behind Joao Barbosa, 
said of the caution, "No, I wasn't surprised. We need a yellow. There 
was a lot of debris." There was debris at the corner, but none of it had
 anything to do with Keen's incident. On the other hand, Barbosa, 
leading the race, said he was "very surprised" at it.<br />
<br />
The official results, however, don't say anything about debris. The cause of the last yellow flag is listed as "#22, off course."
 Why the race needed three laps under full-course yellow for a car that 
quickly recovered from an accident under its own power is, well, still a
 puzzle. Officially.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Decision. The Reversal.</strong><br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106713" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/fa905e22b1f90a25df803aab4562c1e5/daytona15.jpg" /><br />
<br />
That yellow is what caused The Decision. If not for bunching up the cars
 for the final eight minutes of the race, Pier Luigi in the Level 5 
Ferrari would have had to make a huge mistake in order to be caught by 
Winkelhock in the Flying Lizard Audi. That might have happened, sure – 
it is racing. But our opinion is that it should have taken that to 
happen, instead of the yellow flag happening.<br />
<br />
What was also peculiar was that the race director was so confident of 
his decision to levy the "avoidable contact" penalty that he made the 
decision on the cool-down lap. The specific rule applied here is:<br />
<br />
48.3 AVOIDABLE CONTACT. Any Driver who, in the sole opinion of the Race 
Director, initiates avoidable contact with another competitor, whether 
or not such contact interrupts the other competitor's lap times, track 
position or damages other competitor's Cars, and whether or not such 
actions result in actual contact, may be warned or penalized pursuant to
 Art. 60 of the RULES. In accordance with Art. 62.2.1.B, any action or 
decision (or any alleged inaction or non-decision) taken by or imposed 
by the Race Director, Supervisory Officials or IMSA Officials in this 
regard is conclusive.<br />
<br />
The first notable line is that contact isn't necessary. That makes 
sense, because if a car moves out of the way to avoid what would be 
avoidable contact, then that impedes a "competitor's lap times." But the
 final line is also of note, declaring that any decision by the race 
director is conclusive – it can't be protested or appealed.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106714" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/a06994b9c4bff5426616cbed397ef9bf/daytona16.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The reversal came four hours later<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">,
 but apparently not because of the protest lodged by Level 5 
Motorsports. As IMSA VP of competition and technical regulations Scott 
Elkins explained to <em>Autoweek</em>,
 "the rule book is very clear on what items in the regulations are 
available for protest. As this is a race procedure, it is not an item 
that can actually be protested or appealed in any way." It appears IMSA 
officials did this on their own initiative – and rightly so – but it 
wasn't because of the team protest.</a>
<br />
Elkins said the race director was trying to get "finality prior to the 
end" of the event and added, "The process worked. If you're asking could
 we have done it differently, I don't think so." One would think the 
race director could have delayed that initial finality for an hour, say,
 and tried to get it right.<br />
<br />
All because of that last, little yellow flag.<br />
<br />
<strong>The DP Domination and Balance of Power</strong><br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106715" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/b861fd729bfbda2b661442fe4d4ec1ff/daytona17.jpg" /><br />
<br />
There were five Corvette-powered Daytona Prototypes in the field. They 
led the race for 593 of the 695 laps. The one driven by Memo Gidley 
didn't finish because of that terrible accident. The other four swept 
the first four finishing positions, dominating the Ford-powered cars and
 the LMP2 cars in straight-line speed the whole time; the Fords didn't 
finish, the first LMP2 car finished three laps down. Corvette won the 
last two engine championships in Grand-Am, so no one doubted the 
strength of its program. It has 50 more horsepower this year than last 
year, but that might change before long.<br />
<br />
Two GTLM cars finished in sixth and seventh overall, ahead of the 
supposedly faster Prototype Challenge cars, two of which came in ninth 
and tenth. The No. 91 Viper finished 12th overall ahead of the next PC 
car in 13th.<br />
<br />
Everyone expected it to be a year of finessing the balance of power, the
 question will be whether IMSA does so before Sebring in a few weeks or,
 because Daytona is such an unusual track, waits to see how the cars do 
on a handling circuit first.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Driving</strong><br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106716" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/b13269a18f2c999a73e47067b6ddcc15/daytona18.jpg" /><br />
<br />
There was a lot of talk before the race about the speed differential 
between the classes and how that might affect incidents and the result. 
However, closing speeds weren't the biggest talking point afterward – 
racing lines were. If there was anything more consistent than the 
Corvette DP pace and reliability, it was drivers complaining about other
 drivers. Jordan Taylor in the Turner Motorsports DP said, "I think it 
was a unique year with a lot of drivers making questionable moves out 
there." Brother Ricky Taylor said, "There are a lot of cars and good 
drivers. You can definitely see the transition from when the starting 
drivers get in to the gentlemen drivers who get in second. It gets a bit
 hairy." Father Wayne was the bluntest of all, saying, "I don't think 
the car qualifying is necessarily OK when you have paying drivers who 
quite honestly aren't good enough to be on the track. "<br />
<br />
It was the same in other classes. Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 GTLM 
Corvette said, "It was pretty crazy and lots of unusual lines being 
driven. Lots of people are going off and not thinking when they come 
back on. It was an eventful first hour, for sure." Tony Vilander in the 
No. 63 Ferrari that lead GTD until the morning and a broken steering arm
 dropped it down the order, complained, "There are some guys who really 
don't know what's happening and that makes it difficult," while Guy 
Cosmo in the No. 556 Level 5 Ferrari said, "Some guys have been pretty 
crazy out there."<br />
<br />
<strong>Oh - and There Was This...</strong><br />
<br />
<img alt="" data-credit="AOL" data-mep="106717" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/a4b48f3c590fd2dd6f58f935c4f9904b/daytona19.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Ferrari had this sitting outside its hospitality, the first 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO
 Series II built for that season. The successor to the Ferrari 250 GTO 
and the FIA-rejected 250 LM, Phil Hill and Pedro Rodriguez drove it to 
victory in the 1964 Daytona 2000-km Continental, the first sports car 
race held at Daytona. It also won the 12 Hours of Sebring that year for 
US importer Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team (NART). It is 
estimated to be worth $75-$100 million.<br />

The 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona: What we learned, what we saw

Two days after the flag dropped on the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona, people are still trying to figure out what it might portend for the rest ...

Caterham F1 debuts 2014 challenger with bizarre front end

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfFKvq3LCQ7y305hz2sQDs_0cuzvpidlzjr-a4O-ckJbshrnb5rBxM1m_Hd9gSY60nXm7qbDOYMBEmyYl5bd8L7ALlsvntez59OO74-EI7M9jY0fsaTvXTU0mWKDJKeACIFcnrF8_d5sv/s1600/caterham-f1-ct05-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfFKvq3LCQ7y305hz2sQDs_0cuzvpidlzjr-a4O-ckJbshrnb5rBxM1m_Hd9gSY60nXm7qbDOYMBEmyYl5bd8L7ALlsvntez59OO74-EI7M9jY0fsaTvXTU0mWKDJKeACIFcnrF8_d5sv/s1600/caterham-f1-ct05-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
The new Caterham CT05 made its debut earlier today during pre-season Formula One testing in Jerez, and It is arguably the weirdest of the new F1 designs we've seen in this very young preseason.<br />
<br />
That thin, oddly shaped extension from the main body of the car to the 
front wing is our main point of contention with what looks to be a very 
clean, unfussy design. For some reason, the smaller rear wing seems more
 noticeable on the Caterham.
 "At the front of the car, the area that will obviously inspire most 
debate, we have focused a lot of effort on optimising flow structures 
around the nose, the front of the chassis and the reduced-width front 
wing area, all in response to the 2014 regulation changes," said 
Caterham's technical director, Mark Smith.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhICB_K8SRJPWO4WLGhAfd1bsVKej9A4x2U4Zym9uOULSqpUPJM09IkXh6NBa29jnvjkS-25TdTQgWvlYPtHvbjYS3XNFLOIP6UAzR-ajFlN_f4NRMemZekySKvsJYSFGMxs_k4zI62Q-kR/s1600/caterham-f1-ct05-5-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhICB_K8SRJPWO4WLGhAfd1bsVKej9A4x2U4Zym9uOULSqpUPJM09IkXh6NBa29jnvjkS-25TdTQgWvlYPtHvbjYS3XNFLOIP6UAzR-ajFlN_f4NRMemZekySKvsJYSFGMxs_k4zI62Q-kR/s1600/caterham-f1-ct05-5-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Caterham's drivers, Marcus Ericsson and Kamui Kobayashi, will face a 
steep battle in moving the team beyond its position as a perennial 
backmarker. With this new car, the team seems optimistic it will be able
 to challenge the traditional crew of mid-pack teams. We'll see, when 
the 2014 F1 season kicks off in Australia in just over six weeks.

Caterham F1 debuts 2014 challenger with bizarre front end

The new Caterham CT05 made its debut earlier today during pre-season Formula One testing in Jerez, and It is arguably the weirdest of the ...

Sauber rolls out the C33-Ferrari

We're not sure if it's the <i>Robocop</i> paint jobs or the lack of 
sponsors and kaleidoscopic colors, but Sauber has again managed to make 
the most of the regulations and put out what might be the second-best 
looking car we've seen so far, the C33-Ferrari, behind the black-tipped Infiniti Red Bull Racing RB10.
 Or it might be that we haven't been given a full-frontal glimpse yet. 
No matter, here we have the pre-season iteration of the Swiss outfit's 
Formula One challenger, powered by the 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 found 
in the Ferrari F14 T.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauber rolls out the C33-Ferrari</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Esteban Gutiérrez is the holdover driver from last year, joined by 
Adrian Sutil - who swapped seats with Nico Hülkenberg, who's now at 
Force India. The second half of last season saw the outfit on a 
points-earning tear. We can't necessarily expect that to continue into 
2014 since the cost-cutting V6 era requires vastly more resources to 
gear up for than the V8s we just left, but we'd love to see The Little 
Team That Could pick up where it left off. On the other hand, seasons 
like this make the early races perhaps the best place to earn points if 
you can just get a car to the finish as the big, ambitious teams succumb
 to life on the engineering edge until they get it right.<br />
<br />
The first test in Jerez, Spain has begun, and while Sauber is at the 
bottom of the timesheets every day so far, nothing can be read into it. 
No one knows what to expect and everyone has to learn just about 
everything all over again, so engines have been tuned down in order to 
ensure they don't blow up, and that's assuming teams can keep them 
running properly for a full day. There are three videos below with Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn, Gutiérrez and Sutil discussing the cars, the new season and the uncertainty.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8tFWkQ1O4lE" width="640"></iframe>

Sauber rolls out the C33-Ferrari

We're not sure if it's the Robocop paint jobs or the lack of sponsors and kaleidoscopic colors, but Sauber has again managed to ma...

Mercedes AMG Petronas unveils new F1 W05

<br />
Mercedes AMG Petronas unveiled the new F1 W05 ahead of its first pre-season test in Jerez, Spain, giving the media and other Formula One teams a look at the turbocharged racer. That look didn't last long, though, as Lewis Hamilton promptly stuffed the shiny new racer into a wall earlier this morning.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Unlike some of its competitors, the W05 retains a semi-normal looking nose. Challengers from McLaren and Lotus
 have both revealed dramatic departures for the designs of the nose and 
front wing. In terms of pure aesthetics, this makes the Mercedes 
arguably one of the better looking cars on the grid. "The new car is an 
elegant but aggressive design and, as is often the way, its beauty is 
much more than skin deep; the internal engineering of the car is 
extremely innovative and intelligent," said Technical Executive Director
 Paddy Lowe.<br />
<br />
<br />
Like the rest of the 2014 field, Mercedes' challenger uses a 
turbocharged, 1.6-liter V6 as part of a hybrid powertrain. "The 2014 
regulations are a game changer for Formula One. In the V8 era, the power
 potential of the normally aspirated engine was controlled by the flow 
of air into the engine – and therefore engine capacity and rpm," said 
Andy Cowell, managing director of Mercedes AMG High Performance 
Powertrains. "The fundamental question is now: how can we best convert 
100 kilograms of fuel energy into useful mechanical energy? This 
challenge has pushed us to develop cutting-edge new technologies, both 
within the Internal Combustion Engine itself and in the ERS (Energy 
Recovery System) Hybrid system, with the valuable support of our 
Research and Development colleagues in Stuttgart. These will enable us 
to develop over 30 percent more power per unit of fuel than we did with 
the V8 engine."<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmL7SKvEdMU8GKsfqxcJ3VZXHeEJcn_OJskvOvCsJLKUYQBB4wZC7hYVfAiq0UQN3TyGn0rDDXvvLANHJ5CNV_pMGgkJtg2c7u1N-9JmcxhyNFEkZnKN-x0DrwYSw9vQ3dJUdfmRmIi-gc/s1600/mercedes-f1-w05-4-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmL7SKvEdMU8GKsfqxcJ3VZXHeEJcn_OJskvOvCsJLKUYQBB4wZC7hYVfAiq0UQN3TyGn0rDDXvvLANHJ5CNV_pMGgkJtg2c7u1N-9JmcxhyNFEkZnKN-x0DrwYSw9vQ3dJUdfmRmIi-gc/s1600/mercedes-f1-w05-4-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Now, as for Lewis' shunt this morning, it wasn't any fault of his own - the BBC
 reports that eye witnesses saw the front wing of Hamilton's car fail 
and separate from the car. You can see a video of the crash below.
 He walked away, while the car suffered right front wheel and suspension
 damage. Hamilton, for his part, was rather positive. "It's unfortunate 
to end the day early when everyone has worked so hard," the former world
 champion said. "The car feels quite good, especially considering it's 
so early in our program. Overall it's been a positive day."<br />
<br />
Finally, the big question on people's minds for the 2014 season has 
revolved around how the turbocharged V6 engines would sound. We've heard
 simulations, but it wasn't until now that we've actually heard the 
engine on track. Chris Harris, of <i>Drive</i> fame, was at the Jerez test and captured the W05 in a short flyby video.<br />
<br />
<br />
Scroll down<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">
 and take a listen to the video, and then let us know in Comments what 
you think of the car, the sound and if wrecking a new racer on its first
 outing is a good or bad omen.
</a><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8iMyIV1OiUk" width="640"></iframe>

Mercedes AMG Petronas unveils new F1 W05

Mercedes AMG Petronas unveiled the new F1 W05 ahead of its first pre-season test in Jerez, Spain, giving the media and other Formula One te...