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From Porsche

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the most successful race car in the world. Since 1998, 2,395 units of the near-street-stock race vehicle for customer sport have been produced. The new edition of the 911 GT3 Cup is the motorsports version of the future showroom model 911 GT3 (yet to be introduced) and as such is the first race car that is based on the seventh generation of the sports car icon (Porsche 911 - type 991) from Zuffenhausen.


The new 911 GT3 Cup will be run exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in 2013. The rest of the Porsche makes cups and challenge cups around the world, including the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama and the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin, will compete in the current 911 GT3 Cup racer for 2013, switching to the new car in 2014.

The new car (Photo: Porsche AG)

The new car for one-make racing made its debut on the occasion of the end of motorsport season "Night of Champions" celebration at the R&D Centre in Weissach.


The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is powered by a 3.8-litre six-cylinder flat engine. It generates 460 hp at 7,500 revs, surpassing the predecessor by 10 hp. A six-speed dog-type gearbox developed by Porsche Motorsport, which is operated via shift paddles at the steering wheel for the first time in a Porsche brand trophy race car, transmits the power to the rear axle.

The interior of the 991-type 911 GT3 Cup car (Photo: Porsche AG)

The width of the Michelin race slicks was increased by two centimetres to 27 centimetres at the front and by ten millimetres at the rear axle to now measure 31 centimetres.


A newly developed race braking system further improves the excellent endurance qualities. The 380 millimetre slotted and inner-vented steel brake rotors at the front axle are decelerated by six-piston aluminium fixed callipers. The rear axle features a four-piston version.


During the development of the new car a particular emphasis was put on the driver safety. A newly designed safety cage protects the pilot in case of a roll or a collision as does a newly developed race seat which is distinctively shaped around the head and shoulders and can be adjusted individually with the help of padding. A rescue hatch in the roof provides easy access for primary medical attention and for the extraction of the driver.


Like its predecessor the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is produced in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen on the same assembly line as the street-legal models. At the Motorsport Center in Weissach, it receives a general set-up for the race trackand is tested by a professional race driver before delivery to the customers.

The starting price for the vehicle, which is available exclusively in white, is 181,200 Euro plus the country-specific taxes.

Here is a short clip of Kimi Raikkonen whishing, in his own style, a merry Christmas to every F1 fan!



Source: Official Lotus F1 Team TV

China's largest maker of auto parts won a politically sensitive auction for A123 Systems, a bankrupt maker of batteries for electric cars that was funded partly with federal government money, the investment banker for A123 said on Saturday.

2012 Ford Focus Electric

The Focus Electric drives very much like a standard Focus, which is a very good thing.

The Focus Electric drives very much like a standard Focus, which is a very good thing. The steering is crisp and communicative, the brake pedal feel is pretty conventional, and, of course, the torquey off-the-line acceleration is fabulous, just as it is in all electric vehicles. That makes the Focus Electric a nearly perfect urban commuter and around-town errand-runner, especially if your workplace or your municipality happens to have EV charging stations. Downsides, other than the obvious limited range? The turning circle is awfully wide, which compromises your ability to make quick three-point turns in the city to grab a coveted parking spot. Much of the trunk space is eaten up by the battery pack. And then there's the price; $40K is a lot to spend on a Focus, but we all know that electric vehicles at this stage of the game are for early adopters who are willing to pay for the technology. To those pioneers, I say, bravo; you'll love this Focus.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Ford Focus Electric - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2012 Ford Focus Electric - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine

2012 Ford Focus Electric | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

On Monday we woke to a recall involving the Ford Fusion and the Escape SUV for a problem with its 1.6-liter engine that could cause a fire.

Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche moved forward in his plan to concentrate company efforts on carmaking this week by overseeing the sale of shares in EADS.

Viewers of the special airing Sunday of "Restaurant: Impossible" on the Food Network will see two chefs with ties to Lexus alongside muscle-bound host Robert Irvine.

Fiat said it plans to lay off around 1,500 people at its factory in Tychy, Poland.

From Toyota-Motorsport.com

TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) is excited to announce a new motorsport competition for 2013 based on the TMG GT86 CS-V3 race car.

Running within the popular Nürburgring-based VLN series, the TMG GT86 Cup is exclusively for GT86 CS-V3 entrants and offers attractive prize money as well as the thrill of competition on the legendary Nordschleife.

The GT86 CS-V3 is already a proven class-winner in VLN events and this year's prototype completed more than 7,000km of running in race conditions, with a perfect reliability record and minimal spare parts.

TMG GT86 CS-V3 race cars (Photo: Facebook.com/ToyotaMotorsport)

VLN races regularly attract over 200 entrants and the TMG GT86 Cup will run as a category within the existing championship structure, benefiting from a well-established organisation.

Together with its partner IKmedia, TMG will provide an on-site spare parts service, with special conditions for participants, as well as a dedicated TMG GT86 Cup organisation service at the Nürburgring.

Attractive prizes for race and season results totalling around €50,000 ($64,000 CAD) combine with the GT86 CS-V3 car, which is available for €45,815 ($59,000 CAD), for a cost-effective way to participate in one of Europe's leading motorsport series.

The annual entry fee of €2,500 ($3,000 CAD) also includes additional benefits such as a TMG GT86 Cup-branded race suit, VIP hospitality packages and exclusive reductions on tyres and spare parts at the race track.

Although not part of the TMG GT86 Cup calendar, the car is eligible to compete in the Nürburgring 24 Hours in the V3 class, which was won by the prototype GT86 CS-V3 in 2012.

The 2013 VLN calendar is yet to be announced, although traditionally the series features 10 races and runs from March to October.

In accordance with the new collective agreement signed this fall, Ford will add a third shift to its Oakville, ON assembly plant starting in the first quarter of 2013.

CBC reports that the 300 newly created jobs will first be offered to the 220 employees who are still on layoff from the closure of the St. Thomas assembly plant in September 2011.

Overall, Ford has about 800 employees on layoff in Canada. The other half of its 600 new job commitment will result from the production of a new vehicle.

Source: Radio-Canada.ca

The 2012 rookie of the year in the IndyCar series, Simon Pagenaud, will contest the curtain-raising event of the Grand-Am series, the 2013 24 Hours of Daytona, January 26-27.

The Frenchman signed with the start-up DP team of Joe Sahlen for the famous twice-around-the-clock race. He will share Team Sahlen's No. 42 BMW/Riley with Wayne Nonnamaker and Dane Cameron.

Pagenaud's reputation in endurance racing is well established. The 2006 Formula Atlantic champion raced for Peugeot during its LMP1 days, notoriously finishing second overall in the 2011 24 Hours Le Mans, and earning the pole in the same race a year before.

"He is obviously a driver who gets the maximum out of the car," said Will Nonnamaker, Team Sahlen's sporting director. We are excited about bringing him back to endurance racing with the hope of even more success."

Moreover, DTM driver Mike Rockenfeller too got the green light to race in the 51st running of the fabled Daytona event. The 29-year-old German who won overall in 2010 will line-up in 2013 with Action Express Racing.

2012 DTM champion Bruno Spengler's season was topped by two more trophies lately at the Essen Motor Show.

The BMW driver, who clinched his first title in 2012 with BMW - in the brand's big return to the series -, was voted best touring car driver by Germany's Auto Bild Motorsport.

He also received, from the hands of former champion Timo Scheider, a golden racing shoe, to highlight his remarkable season.

Timo Scheider (left), Bruno Spengler (right) and the golden shoe (Photo: brunospengler.com)

"Don't wear it too often as the leaf gold tends to flake off," joked Scheider, who drives for Audi when he is not presenting awards.

Moreover, also in the DTM series, Mercedes' Susie Wolff (née Stoddart) celebrated her 30th birthday Thursday, and BMW's Martin Tomczyk his 31st on Friday.

Happy birthday to both of them!

Andersen Promotions, administrator of the Cooper Tires USF2000 Series has announced the creation of the Pro Mazda Championship that will take over from the Star Mazda Series.

The Star Mazda series had been free falling since the Rodrigues family decided to pull out of the organizing committee after 22 years.

The Pro Mazda Championship will utilize the same equipment as the former Star Mazda Series, including the 260-horsepower Mazda "Renesis" rotary engine.

Photo: Facebook.com/starmazdaseries

The full 2013 schedule will be unveiled next week.

Moreover, the 2012 Star Mazda champion Jack Hawksworth has signed with Sam Schmidt Motorsports ahead of the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights season.

The 21-year-old British driver registered last season a record 10 pole positions and further 8 wins for Team Pelfrey.

The 2012 Formula One season ended two weeks ago at the Brazilian Grand Prix with Sebastian Vettel's dramatic victory over Fernando Alonso in the championship, making it three consecutive titles for the German.

Here are a few interesting statistics from the past season*.

Number of tires used: 23,500
Average longevity of a tire: 180km
Total number of pitstops: 957
Most pitstops in a race: 76 (Malaysia)
Fewest pitstops in a race: 24 (USA)
Hottest ambient temperature: 37 Celsius degrees (European GP)
Coolest ambient temperature: 4 Celsius degrees (USA)
Most laps led: 368 (Sebastian Vettel)
Most laps completed: 1,191 (Kimi Raikkonen)
Fewest laps completed: 803 (Romain Grosjean)
Fastest pole position: 248.241 km/h (Lewis Hamilton in Italy)
Slowest pole position: 161.828 km/h (Michael Schumacher in Monaco)

*From Formula1.com

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, who was re-elected on Friday to head Europe's main carmaking lobby group, is taking his rivalry with Volkswagen AG in their home region overseas.

Toyota Motor Sales announced prices Friday for some of its 2013 models. All prices in this report include a $795 freight charge; for Scion models, the charge is $755.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today proposed a rule ordering automakers to put event data recorders, commonly known as black boxes, in all new light vehicles manufactured after September 2014.

Fisker Automotive's CEO, warning of the pitfalls facing independent small automakers, says the luxury plug-in hybrid manufacturer is poised to partner with other automakers next year.

Also in this episode: Steve Saleen is back behind the wheel of the company bearing his name, and Consumer Reports criticizes the Ford C-Max and Fusion hybrids.