LA SHOW - Mazda unveils a brand new race car that will take part in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The Mazda RT24-P will race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

The new Mazda RT24-P race car was unveiled today at the Los Angeles Auto Show, ushering a new era in the prominent history of Mazda Motorsports’ flagship endeavors in North America. 

The new car will compete under Daytona Prototype international (DPi) rules in the Prototype class, the top level of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. 

After significant on-track testing, it will make its racing debut at the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona in late January.

KODO Design

Mazda is known globally for the engineering and design excellence of its vehicles, and the new Prototype is no exception. 

The bodywork of the race car was developed by Mazda designers utilizing the KODO—Soul of Motion design philosophy. KODO represents the instant that energy becomes motion, such as the muscular beauty as an animal pounces or a human leaps into action. 

The KODO design cues on the Mazda RT24-P include the sleek body contours and the five-point Mazda grille.

“KODO design is at the heart of any vehicle that carries a Mazda badge, and that is very evident in the design of the 2017 Prototype,” said Ken Saward, senior manager of Design at Mazda Design Americas, which falls under the Mazda North American Operations umbrella. 

“We considered the two main parameters of designing a successful race car for this series: aerodynamic performance and the new-for-2017 technical regulations. Working with Multimatic’s aerodynamicist and engineers, we discovered that applying the KODO design philosophy to the surfaces and the silhouette of the car enabled us to create a dynamic, purposeful-looking design and a very aerodynamically efficient one.”

Managing the two-car Mazda Prototype factory race team is Florida-based SpeedSource Race Engineering. The team will race the new Riley Mk. 30 chassis, developed by Riley Technologies in relationship with Multimatic. Riley Technologies is a prominent chassis design and development company with 99 race wins and nine Prototype season championships in North American endurance racing since 2004. Canadian-based Multimatic has worked with Mazda since 2014 in the Prototype category, and has developed and built some of the world’s premier on-road supercars and successful sports cars for the race track. The Mazda team will be the first to test the Riley Mk. 30 chassis later this month.

The Mazda RT24-P will be powered by the Mazda MZ-2.0T engine which raced during the 2016 IMSA season. The approximately 600-horsepower engine, developed and raced with Advanced Engine Research (AER), is a 2.0-liter, inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine.

“This is a huge moment for Mazda Motorsports and the entire Mazda family,” said John Doonan, director of Mazda Motorsports North America. “To have a car which features Mazda design language at the top level of our motorsports program is meaningful for us as a brand. We believe we have the right team, the right drivers and the right chassis to win races and championships.

“Mazda has good, long-standing relationships with Riley and Multimatic, and is happy to be the first to test their new chassis. We look forward to seeing it make its racing debut at Daytona with Mazda bodywork and the Mazda MZ-2.0T engine. The strategic vision of IMSA to give auto manufacturers this opportunity to integrate our branding —to better engage our passionate fans— is unique and we’re proud to be the first to unveil what is possible.”

What’s in a Name? 

The Mazda RT24-P name echoes the Mazda Road to 24, a driver development program that provides scholarships to help championship-winning drivers progress from grassroots into the upper categories of professional sports car racing. The “24” also represents the two-liter, four-cylinder race engine. The “P” signifies Prototype.

Mazda currently holds a more-than-55-percent market share in grassroots racing, and the Mazda Road to 24 helps provide championship-winning drivers an opportunity to earn scholarships to compete in pro categories such as the Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BF Goodrich Tires. Mazda’s similar scholarship system in open-wheel racing is known as the Mazda Road to Indy. By the start of the 2017 season, Mazda will have provided $14.9 million in driver development scholarships to 53 drivers since 2007.

A new Golf for the racetrack: VW Motorsport is developing its first racing car based on the 7th-gen Golf.

A new Golf for the racetrack: Volkswagen Motorsport is developing its first racing car based on the seventh-generation Golf. The production-based, 330 PS concept car is assembled in accordance with TCR regulations and is intended to help Volkswagen evaluate a potential customer racing programme from the 2016 season onwards.

In order to accelerate the development of the car, the new Golf will be tested under competitive conditions between now and the end of the season: as cooperation partner, the Liqui Moly Team Engstler will run two cars at the eighth round of the Touringcar Racer International Series (TCR) at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.

“The newly created TCR category provides a promising platform for customer racing – on a national and international level. With exciting races, production-based technology and reasonable costs, it offers a new outlook for private racing teams,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. 

“When developing the Golf-based concept car, we are able to fall back on the resources at Volkswagen. This reduces both development time and costs. We will also use the rest of the season to test the car under competitive conditions and evaluate a possible customer racing project from 2016.”

Dynamic appearance: new Golf epitomises racing genes

Visually, the racing genes are clear to see on the Golf developed by Volkswagen Motorsport: 18-inch racing rims, a chassis roughly 40 centimetres wider than that of the production Golf, and a striking rear wing give the Golf a ‘ready-to-race’ look and first-class handling. An aerodynamically designed front splitter and carbon rear wing are also among the modifications for the racetrack. Among the components designed to protect the driver are a racing seat with head protectors, a racing safety cell, and a safety tank in accordance with FIA regulations.

Under the bonnet: the inner values of the new Golf for the racetrack

A powerful four-cylinder engine, DSG gearbox with shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel, a consistently developed racing chassis – even under the bonnet, the new Golf has been meticulously prepared for its outings at the racetrack. Volkswagen Motorsport is developing the car in cooperation with the sport department at SEAT, meaning it can call on SEAT’s experience with the Leon Cup Racer. As with the Volkswagen Group’s production vehicles, the MQB platform also offers many synergies for racing cars and reduces the cost of assembling and running the touring car. The 2.0-litre turbo engine with direct fuel injection comes from the top sporting model, the Golf R. The racing version of this engine generates 330 PS (243 kW) and 410 Nm of torque.

Testing under race conditions: first start at the Red Bull Ring

In order to accelerate development, the concept car will be tested under competitive conditions at the remaining four race weekends in the international TCR series. The renowned Liqui Moly Team Engstler, which boasts decades of experience of touring car racing, will take responsibility for running the car during the remaining test phase.

Calendar for the Touringcar Racer International Series (TCR)

28–29/03/2015 Malaysia (Sepang)*

11–12/04/2015 China (Shanghai)*

02–03/05/2015 Spain (Valencia)

09–10/05/2015 Portugal (Algarve)

23–24/05/2015 Italy (Monza)

30–31/05/2015 Austria (Salzburgring)

20–21/06/2015 Russia (Sochi)

11–12/07/2015 Austria (Spielberg)

19–20/09/2015 Singapore*

24–25/10/2015 Thailand (Buriram)

21–22/11/2015 Macau

* on support programme for the Formula One World Championship.

The New AUDI R18 e-Tron quattro, now even more efficient.

• Aerodynamics, hybrid drive and many other details improved
• Efficient TDI engine consumes even less fuel than before
• Technologies from Le Mans winning cars now in production at Audi 

Audi is starting the 2015 season with a thoroughly revised R18 e-tron quattro. In the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and in the Le Mans 24 Hours as the season’s pinnacle event, Audi is going to compete with a hybrid sports car in the 4-megajoule class. 

A twofold quantity of hybrid energy, fundamentally revised aerodynamics, the next step in lightweight design and a lot of detailed work characterise the fifth generation of the Audi R18. “The possibilities of the revolutionary regulations that have been in effect for LMP sports cars since 2014 are far from having been fully used. 

The rules harbour so much potential that there is room for future developments,” says Jörg Zander, Audi Sport’s new Head of Engineering. “We expect that the technological progress resulting from the fierce competitive pressure exerted by four automobile manufacturers that are now involved will significantly improve lap times this season – while concurrently reducing fuel consumption.”

The new R18 e-tron quattro visually differs clearly from its predecessor even though its basic structure is closely akin to the previous model. The fresh look results from a new way of conducting airflow around and through the front end, in the area of the sidepods and at the rear of the LMP1 prototype. Large air inlets in the front wheel arches reduce aerodynamic drag of the body and have led to an all-new design of the headlights. 

The lighting units feature Matrix LED technology combined with Audi Laserlight – two innovations that improve active safety in road traffic and that Audi customers can now order for their production models as well. 

While Audi has adopted the monocoque – the central safety cell of the race car – from the previous model, the hood with the front wing and wheel arches features a new design. As this body element incorporates the crash structure, Audi performed a new crash test for the 2015 season. 

Modified airflow through the sidepods with new radiator configurations for cooling the engine and the hybrid system further optimises aerodynamic drag. The engine cover, which encloses the unit even more tightly and notably tapers off behind the cockpit, contributes to this as well.  

This year, Audi is again preparing two body versions for the various tracks on the FIA WEC calendar. In combination with an optimised chassis and in close cooperation with tire partner Michelin, Audi has further improved the performance potential of its sports prototype this way.

Hybrid pioneer Audi is taking the next step in the area of energy recovery as well. The company is the only manufacturer to date to have won the Le Mans 24 Hours with hybrid sports cars. Since 2012, the R18 e-tron quattro has been unbeaten in the French endurance classic. For this year, the engineers have doubled the amount of energy from 2 to 4 megajoules per race lap at Le Mans. 

During braking, energy is recovered which the system subsequently feeds back to the front axle on acceleration. The electrical machine that performs this task now delivers an output of more than 200 kW (272 hp), which is a significant increase compared to last year. Therefore, Audi has increased the capacity of the energy storage system as well. The encapsulated flywheel energy storage system that sits in the cockpit alongside the driver can store up to 700 kilojoules of energy that it subsequently returns to the electrical machine – which is about 17 percent more than in 2014. 

Despite these performance increases Audi has achieved the minimum weight of only 870 kilograms – notably in what is currently the world’s most complex racing category. The improved hybrid output, however, results in a restriction for the internal combustion engine. According to the sporting regulations the fuel-energy amount has to be further reduced if the engineers opt for higher hybrid output. As a result, the R18 e-tron quattro has to make do with 2.5 percent less diesel fuel per lap than in 2014.  

Not least for this reason, Audi has further developed the four-litre V6 TDI engine by performing a lot of detailed work to achieve the optimised consumption levels. The most efficient power-plant in the field now delivers 410 kW (558 hp). Due to its optimised consumption the developers have managed to more than compensate for the loss in output resulting from the reduced amount of fuel. As another new rule this year, only five engines per race car may be used during the entire season. 

The power-plant now delivering even greater fuel efficiency continues a major trend. In 2006, Audi’s TDI engine debuted at Le Mans, followed by eight victories until 2014. While lap times continually improved, fuel consumption decreased by 38 percent during this period.  

As a result, the youngest generation of the R18 emphasises the purpose which motorsport serves at Audi in many fields. Ever since the first Audi quattro was fielded in 1980, the brand has consistently been using circuit racing and rallying for the development of forward-thinking technologies that are subsequently used in production – from quattro four-wheel drive to TFSI gasoline direct injection, to the further development of TDI engines, through to innovations such as Matrix LED light and Audi Laserlight. 

At the Geneva Motor Show in March, Audi unveiled two other innovations with a reference to motorsport. For the first time, the brand showcased a hybrid model – the Q7 – that combines the e-tron quattro principle with a TDI engine. And the new R8* is the first model featuring the Audi Space Frame as a multi-material construction. In addition to aluminum, the frame includes a component made of carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP), a material that has long become a staple in racing. 

*Audi R8:

Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 12.4 – 11.8**;

combined CO₂ emissions in g/km: 289 – 275**

** The fuel consumption and the CO₂ emissions of a vehicle vary due to the choice of wheels and tires. They not only depend on the utilisation of the fuel by the vehicle, but are also influenced by driving behaviour and other non-technical factors. 

TV star & ex-Formula 1 racer Tiff Needell to appear in an SD1 Rover at the Goodwood 73rd Members’ Meeting

Television star and ex-Formula 1 racer Tiff Needell is the latest big name to be added to the Goodwood 73^rdMembers’ Meeting line-up as the star-studded entry list for the March 21-22 event nears completion.

Needell, whose father Tony contested the inaugural Members’ Meeting at Goodwood in 1949, will race in the Gerry Marshall Trophy for Group 1 touring cars of upto 1982 vintage, which is named in honour of the 1970s tin-top cult hero.

The Fifth Gear and former Top Gear presenter, who started the 1980 Belgian Grand Prix for the British Ensign team and can also list a British Touring Car race win and a podium finish at the Le Mans 24 Hours among his many achievements, will race a 1981 Rover 3500 SD1.

Tiff and the Rover he will be driving

Other pictures of Tiff and SD1 Rovers (The most beautiful cars of its era)

The car, which carries the famous Daily Express livery, is the same machine in which Needell finished ninth in last year’s Gerry Marshall Trophy. He will once again share the former Dave Price Racing and Tom Walkinshaw Racing car with its owner, Peter Mallett.

Goodwood House Captains Emanuele Pirro (Torbolton), Jochen Mass (Darnley) and Nicolas Minassian (Aubigny), all of whom will lead their respective teams in pursuit of the Goodwood House Trophy, have all now had their cars for the Gerry Marshall Trophy confirmed.

Formula 1 Grand Prix winner Mass will pilot a 1982-spec Rover 3500 SD1 in the Sanyo livery made famous by Jeff Allam’s British Touring Car exploits while five-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Pirro – second in last year’s race – will drive Philip Perryman’s 1977 UFO Jeans BMW 530i; a car that makes its Members’ Meeting debut in 2015.

Minassian, who was unable to compete in last year’s event, has secured a seat in Duncan McKay’s BP Ford Capri III 3.0S, which was driven by Darren Turner last year. Anthony Reid, whose Methuen House took the prize in 2014, was last week confirmed to drive a Triumph Dolomite Sprint.

They join a top-line list of current and former professional racers in the Gerry Marshall Trophy, which includes 2012 World Touring Car champion Rob Huff, BTCC title winners Andrew Jordan Tim Harvey, Robb Gravett and tin-top heroes Steve Soper, Darren Turner, Rob Austin, Stuart Graham and Patrick Watts.

USA - Cadillac launches all new race car, time for the Caddy to start winning.

Up-to-600-horsepower race car meets international FIA GT3 specifications

The next generation of Cadillac’s V-Series elite, high-performance cars began today with the introduction of an all-new race car, the Cadillac ATS-V.R. Set to begin competition in 2015, Cadillac debuted the new race car at the Circuit of the Americas, one of country’s pre-eminent racing venues.

The ATS-V.R is the racing extension of the upcoming 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe, which channels more than a decade of V-Series engineering experience into the brand’s first compact performance model. The ATS-VCoupe debuts next week, along with the ATS-V sedan, at the Los Angeles Auto Show and arrives track-capable from the factory next spring.

The new, up-to-600-horsepower ATS-V.R meets international FIA GT3 specifications, a highly coveted pedigree that allows it to potentially run in more than 30 different GT series around the world. Other marques in this ultra-competitive racing class include Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and Porsche. 

The FIA is the governing body for worldwide motorsport, with the GT3 class representing a specific set of specifications for racing cars based on production models.

”The V-Series is the highest expression of Cadillac’s rising product substance,” said Johan de Nysschen, Cadillac president. “Elevating and expanding the V-Series is the next logical step in Cadillac’s growth, including this new race car developed in GT3-specification, enabling us to pursue racing on a more global scale.”

The heart of the ATS-V.R is the LF4.R, the racing version of the Twin Turbo 3.6L V-6 in the award-winning Cadillac CTS Vsport. Specific technical upgrades for the GT3-spec race car include larger, twin BorgWarner turbochargers; increased capacity intercoolers; competition engine management and a direct, side-exiting exhaust. 

The lightweight aluminum block and heads are counterbalanced by a rear transaxle unique to the race car, giving the ATS-V.R a weight distribution of 49 percent front, 51 percent rear.

“This car sounds wicked and screams like it's ripping holes in the air. I love it,” said Andy Pilgrim, Cadillac Racing driver. “We have paddle gear shifters for the first time, and I'm enjoying the new tools. The engine torque is remarkable, as always, pulling strongly out of the corners.”

Among the many modifications performed to meet FIA GT3 specifications, the fenders of the ATS-V.R were redesigned to contain FIA-mandated tire sizes. Other modifications include an aero kit that gives the ATS-V.Ra strong stance, and a carbon fiber front splitter – complemented by corner-mounted dive planes – that provides frontal aerodynamics. A full under tray directs air beneath the car to the rear diffuser, which helps create a downforce-producing effect and plants the 18-inch racing tires to the track.

Since its inception in 2004, Cadillac Racing has amassed 26 wins, 91 podium finishes (including wins) and 22 pole positions with the CTS-V sedan and CTS-V Coupe race cars. Cadillac is a five-time winner of the Pirelli World Challenge Manufacturer Championship, including the series’ past three seasons, as well as 2005 and 2007. Team Cadillac drivers won the Pirelli World Challenge Driver’s Championship in 2005 with Pilgrim and in 2014, 2013 and 2012 with driver Johnny O’Connell.

“The Cadillac ATS-V.R is a 170-mph billboard for the next generation of Cadillac’s V-Series,” said O’Connell. “On top of its power, its aerodynamic package should pay off in the fast corners and I’m looking forward to unleashing it.”

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. Today, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio featuring dramatic design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac's media website with information, images and video can be found atmedia.cadillac.com.

Cadillac ATS-V.R Specifications

Model	Cadillac ATS-V.R
Construction	Reinforced eight-point welded roll cage; carbon fiber hood, deck-lid, front fenders, doors, rear fenders
Engine	LF4.R 3.6L, Twin-Turbo V-6 with production aluminum block and heads, up to 600 HP@7400 RPM torque 520 ft-lb (unrestricted), developed and built by GM Powertrain
Fuel supply	120 liter (31.7 gallons) fuel cell
Engine management	Bosch MS5.1, programmable
Turbocharging	BorgWarner EFR Series twin-turbochargers, boost set to FIA specifications
Intake	Carbon fiber with integral high-capacity water-to-air-intercoolers
Exhaust	Side exit direct exhaust from turbos, no mufflers
Transmission	Xtrac sequential six-speed rear-mounted transaxle; steering wheel-mounted paddle shift; no lift shift; limited slip differential with 3.13 final drive
Traction control	Electronic, driver adjustable
Brakes	Brembo, six-pot front with 380mm rotor, four pot rear with 355mm rotor; Bosch ABS M4 controls with driver-adjustable modes
Suspension	Three-way Penske adjustable shocks, front and rear independent SLA suspension
Chassis	Reinforced production unibody with race-designed safety cage
Pedals	Close-ratio foot pedal box, accelerator, brake, clutch pedals
Steering	ZF hydraulic power-assisted rack and pinion steering
Wheels	BBS 12” x 18” aluminum front and 13” x 18” rears
Tires	Racing tires, front 315/680 x 18, rear 325/705 x 18, series spec
Aero kit	Carbon fiber five-piece aero kit including side skirts, front splitter, fascia and dive planes, rear diffuser and rear bumper cover
Dry weight (lb/kg)	2,900 /1,315
Other features	Motorola two-way radio; Pratt & Miller-developed side-impact-reducing crush box, carbon fiber custom-molded cool seat and competition driver air conditioning system; Willans six-point racing driver seat belts; dash display rearview cameras