Designed, engineered, developed, and handcrafted in Bentley’s carbon-neutral luxury automotive factory, the new third-generation Continental GT Speed is the ultimate performance-focused interpretation of the world’s benchmark luxury Grand Tourer.
With highly advanced chassis technology, and styling cues specific to Continental GT Speed, the extraordinary journey continues at 16:00 GMT, 23rd March 2021
March 16, 2021 / Comments Off on Bentley Continental GT Speed
Ferrari announced today the return of their Ferrari eSports Championship, a dedicated spec series that is raced online, for a second season. Registration opens today, March 16, 2021, with the first qualifying session in early April.
The series, open to European residents only due to flight and travel restrictions this year due to the global pandemic, is run on the well-known and well-loved Assetto Corsa simulator, produced by Kunos Simulazioni. After confirmation of registration, participants will be able to download two dedicated cars for the competition, with many hours of input from official Ferrari drivers, including Charles LeClerc.
Charles LeClerc testing the cars for this years Ferrari eSports Championship
Qualification rounds last from April until the end of July, with one day per month dedicated to “The Hotlap Challenge.” Using one of the four cars available, including the two provided by Ferrari as well as the in-game Ferrari 599XX Evo and the Ferrari FXX-K, registered participants have four chances, if they attend all the hotlap challenges, to place in the top 24 times for that car.
Ferrari 599XX Evo
Those qualifiers are then put into the 488 Challenge Evo for a series of four elimination races until the 96 qualifiers are reduced to 48 finalists by mid-August.
Those 48 finalists will then take part in the actual championship series in September, with once-weekly full duration races lasting from a sprint (1 hour) to endurance (3 hours) depending on the race venue.
The top 24 drivers by points after those four rounds will qualify for the grand final, which will occur in December. The grand final consists of three races, with three different cars (the two official 488’s and the 599XX), and the driver with the most points at the end of all three is crowned the champion.
Ferrari FXX-K
Running alongside the drivers’ qualification rounds from April to July is a new entry for 2021, namely the livery design championship. This allows creative people from across the globe to download a template, apply their own special touch to it artistically, and then submit it for review by official Ferrari representatives who will choose the 48 best liveries, and assign them to drivers for the official competition rounds.
So what’s in it for the participants, we hear you asking?
The champion driver will be invited down to Maranello, to the Ferrari factory, to join both the Ferrari Driver’s Academy and Ferrari eSports Team, and represent Ferrari at multiple online racing events. These events can include participation in the Virtual Formula 1 eSports Championship, World Virtual Endurance Championship, and other official racing series. As part of their prize, they also get to drive an actual Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo around Fiorano, to understand how the actual car handles compared to the virtual car, and carry that knowledge back into the games.
All in all, not a bad thing to race online for!
March 16, 2021 / Comments Off on Ferrari Announces Season 2 Of The Ferrari eSports Championship
Gordon Murray Automotive is busily bringing what it refers to as “the greatest analog driver’s car” to production. Called T.50, it was introduced in August 2020, and completed its first test laps on a race track in March 2021.
Company founder Gordon Murray personally put the first high-speed test miles on the XP2 prototype at the Top Gear test track in Dunsfold, England. While the Cosworth-developed, 3.9-liter V12 engine has a 12,100-rpm red line, the prototype was fitted with a rev limiter that won’t be removed until later during the development process. And yet, Murray said his first laps behind the wheel of what many call the McLaren F1‘s heir left him with a good impression.
“The car was responsive, agile and rewarding to drive,” he beamed. Realistically, he added that there are “still a lot of development miles to be completed and many more prototypes to build” before production starts in 2022.
Murray is funneling into the T.50 the experience he amassed over decades developing Formula One cars and about 13 years running McLaren’s car-building division. As we previously reported, it’s about the size of a Porsche 718 Boxster, and it tips the scale at under 2,200 pounds, meaning it’s lighter than a Mazda MX-5 Miata. It’s equipped with innovative fan-assisted aerodynamic technology, and its naturally-aspirated 12-cylinder engine is tuned to develop 654 horsepower at 11,500 rpm and 344 pound-feet of torque at 9,000 rpm. The T.50 is quick in a straight line, but its designers are putting a much bigger focus on handling and agility than on flat-out speed.
Like the F1, the T.50 offers a three-seater cabin that puts the driver front and center. Buyers will be invited to work with the company to modify the position of the driver’s seat and the pedals during manufacturing.
Gordon Murray Automotive will begin building the T.50 in England in 2022. Production will be limited to 100 units globally, and pricing starts at about $3 million before taxes and options enter the equation. Most of the production run is already spoken for, so you’ll need to act fast if you want to secure one of the few remaining build slots.
Related video:
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March 16, 2021 / Comments Off on Gordon Murray’s V12-powered supercar hits the track for the first time
The Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 XP2 prototype with limited revs was driven for the first time at the Top Gear test track at Dunsfold, Surrey, UK, and just meters from where the T.50 will begin full production in 2022. Its first test drive was personally undertaken by Professor Gordon Murray.
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Gordon Murray Automotive’s T.50 supercar has had its first development test drive, marking a major milestone for the world’s most driver-centric supercar.
Professor Gordon Murray CBE: “The XP2 prototype is currently running at considerably less revs than its 12,100rpm limit, yet the T.50 felt fantastic on my first drive. The car was responsive, agile and rewarding to drive. It was a fantastic experience to be sitting in the centre of the car once again with great all-round visibility and I can see how much the owners will enjoy this experience. Obviously, there’s still a lot of development miles to be completed and many more prototypes to build. But the trajectory of the T.50 development is where we want it to be.”
The new T.50 supercar will be the most driver-centric supercar ever built. It will be powered by the world’s highest-revving, lightest, naturally aspirated road car V12 engine, developing 663ps. It weighs just 986kg, a third lighter than most typical supercars and features the most advanced and effective aerodynamics ever seen on a road car. Just 100 will be made and the first customer deliveries will be in 2022.
March 16, 2021 / Comments Off on Gordon Murray Automotive’s T.50 XP2 Prototype First Drive
The 2021 Shelby Super Snake comes with 825 hp from the supercharged 5.0-Liter Coyote V8 engine and is listed from $133,785 with a base model from Ford, the Mustang GT with a manual transmission … if you get in touch with the Shelby Sales team you can even buy a $79,995 package to fit on your existing Ford Mustang GT (from the 2018 model on), but for the Shelby 2021 edition of their Super Snake they’ve come up with something new: a limited edition ‘Speedster’ option.
If Carroll Shebly would still be alive today, he would be celebrating his 98th birthday, to celebrate this, there will be only 98 units of the Shelby Super Snake built in the United States, but only 25 Speedster versions will be available, each branded with a unique CSM number, and all of them will be included in the Official Shelby Registry.
Not only will you get a supercharged Ford 5-Liter V8 engine capable of reaching 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, but the modified Shelby suspension and Brembo sourced brakes allow this car to be driven at higher cornering speeds with improved stability, Shelby even offers a caster camber kit to get behind those amazing 20-inch monoblock forged wheels.
The Shelby Super Snake Speedster can be built with either a manual or an automatic gearbox, while a Borla exhaust made to Shelby specifications allows you to listen to the music while driving topless and being seated in some amazingly detailed seats, complete with ‘Super Snake’ embroidery, naturally the interior features the bespoke CMS badge.
While a factory Ford Mustang GT already looks good, after a stint from Shelby she looks amazing, thanks to aluminum front fenders, naturally in a wide-body version, a ram-air hood to keep that supercharged V8 cool, a different front bumper and air intake, new side sills and naturally the rear gets a bigger wing, a new tail panel that proudly shows ‘Shelby’, and an aggressive diffuser to suit the sound from the big-bore exhaust.
“The new Speedster is stunning, from a styling perspective, there is simply nothing like it on the road. With the widebody option, it’s a rare combination of sleek elegance and American muscle machismo. This is the automotive equivalent of a powerful heavyweight boxer fitted into a stylish, fine suit. And with only 98 available in the US, it will be ultra-rare.” Gary Patterson, president of Shelby American
To create the Shelby Super Snake Speedster limited edition you’ll need to start with a Ford Mustang GT Convertible, onto which Shelby fits their custom Speedster Tonneau, she will also come with a striping package unique to the Speedster version, and naturally the obligatory floor mats and door sill plates with the ‘Speedster Edition’ logo.
March 16, 2021 / Comments Off on Shelby Super Snake Speedster
Opus Automotive received their Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series for just a week ago and has already managed to improve the power levels upto 1,111hp.
The lap times of the AMG GT Black Series modified by Opus has not been confirmed yet but they expect it to be the fastest car in the standard and street legal category. Opus Binary editions will feature 1,111hp and 1001 hp and will be available for sale from June 2021 after intensive testing on the dynamometer and several racetracks.
This AMG GT Black Series features an additional 57hp compared to the upcoming AMG One hypercar which has an output of 1054hp. Due to high power and the fact that it remains RWD, Opus has limited the torque to bare minimum at all power levels to improve the drive and traction. The company also guarantees suction-like characteristics like increasing performance parallel to all speed with straightforward performance for all levels. ‘Subtle’ performance levels with 825hp and 920hp will be available from mid-April.
The 825hp expansion stage will take place in the engine and transmission control unit via a software intervention. All the performance kits will contain extensive changes to the hardware including modified turbochargers and transmission reinforcements to alter the engine. The kit will consist of special forged pistons, reinforced connecting rods, modified fuel systems and machined cylinder heads.
The performance packages will also be available with super-light wheels and aerodynamics add-ons. In standard form the AMG GT Black Series is powered by an all new 4.0L flat-plane crankshaft V8 Biturbo producing 720hp and 800nm of torque.
Newly developed downpipes with sport carts which will eliminate the need for standard particle filters will be available for use on racetracks or non-European countries from April 2021. An Electronic Flap Control system called EFC that allows the standard exhaust to be controlled via remote control is readily available.
Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
March 16, 2021 / Comments Off on Freshly Delivered Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series Has 1,111hp after Tuning
We have curated the ultimate collection of the best 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Wallpapers and HD backgrounds for you to enjoy. Our team focused on finding the top 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Wallpapers only to keep the quality high. These 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Wallpapers are free to download so go ahead. To download any of these pictures for use as a wallpaper, right click the picture and choose Save As…
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Let’s face facts: If you can successfully pull off a restomod, it automatically becomes a cool car. If the car was already popular as a tunable or moddable car, and you turn that up to 11, it becomes even cooler.
We don’t really know how big the shoehorn was that they used to get both the engine and transmission in, but it must have been massive. The engine barely fits with the twin turbos hanging down the sides and the piping for the intake and to the intercooler.
The body was sanded down and finished in two-tone Toyota Quicksand and Semi-Matte Black, with black painted fender flares added. Those flares cover 15″ x 9″ Rota RKR wheels with 235/50 Toyo R888R road-legal semi-slicks. Those wheels are sprung by Techno Toy Tuning coil overs and backed by aftermarket sway bars.
In the rear, an ATL fuel cell has replaced the OEM gas tank in case the car is taken to any racing events. A custom rear strut brace has also been added to improve cornering.
The RB26DETT has been tuned and modified as well, with a McKinney Motorsports exhaust header that feeds down into a ceramic-coated titanium cat-back exhaust. Excess pressure escapes through an HKS blow-off valve. The fuel delivery and motor mounts are a combination of HKS, McKinney Motorsports, and Aeromotive.
An R200 limited-slip differential from OS Giken takes the power from the tuned engine and delivers it to the rear wheels through a McKinney Motorsports reinforced driveshaft. An OS Giken twin-plate clutch makes sure there is no power wasted, while a lightened OS Giken flywheel reduces rotational resistance, letting the engine rev higher.
This is reflected in the stripped-out interior, which has had a roll cage, fixed Recaro seats, and an 11k tachometer installed. Sabelt four-point harnesses grace both the driver and passenger seat, and a readily accessible fusebox just ahead of the Nismo shift lever makes sure you can switch out anything that blows without having to dig deep into the engine bay.
While it may seem like an old 1972 car with a little modding on the outside, this little Datsun could probably blow the doors off of anything less than a Lamborghini Aventador. And for that, it deserves respect for both the money and elbow grease that has brought this firebreather to life. A full 92 image gallery, including some of the rebuild process, is available on BringATrailer.
March 15, 2021 / Comments Off on A Very Cool Restomod: 1972 Datsun 240Z With A Surprise Under The Hood
Many of us that love supercars and hypercars today, grew up watching the incredible machinery of various racing championships duking it out on the track. British Touring Cars, World Touring Cars, and of course, Formula 1, brought us many wheel-to-wheel battles that got our young hearts beating faster, and much of it was commentated over by one legendary voice.
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Murray Walker, whose mildly high-pitched, English-accented voice, graced our ears with excitement and brought many of the amazing parts of many races to vivid life with his color commentary. His enthusiasm was infectious, and he famously never sat down to commentated on a race, because he knew that he would make a racket knocking his chair over when he would leap to his feet when something happened.
Although his commentary career with Formula 1 lasted an incredible 23 years, from 1978 to 2001, in that time he became a household name. Coming from a background in advertisement and marketing, where he would both create slogans for products and do their voice-overs for radio and television commercials, he did in fact have a background in motorsports commentary.
With his father Graham, from 1949 through to 1962, Walker would provide the color commentary on many motorcycle hill-climb events, as well as British Motorcycle Grand Prix racing and, most notably, the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) motorcycle race. He moved on from commentary as a primary focus following the death of his father in late 1962, who himself had taken part in the Isle of Man TT, winning the Lightweight class in 1931.
Image courtesy of Formula 1 Media
It was in 1978, however, when asked by the head of BBC Sport to fill in for a bit as their regular color commentator was having contract negotiations, that Murray Walker became the voice of Formula 1. Alongside the legendary James Hunt, who had battled Niki Lauda to win the 1976 F1 Championship, his excited, bubbly commentary underlined by Hunt’s serious, somber expert knowledge made them instantly the most loved commentary team.
It was in the 1980s when one of the most famous of his Walkerisms, as his often stutters or famous sayings became known as was born. There, you sat in front of the TV as the parade lap finished, the cars slotting into their grid boxes. And then his voice would grow more excited as he counted:
You could not help but jump up and cheer on your favorite driver as those three famous GO!’s were called out. And you couldn’t help but be as moved as he was when Damon Hill became the World Champion in 1996.
Image courtesy of Formula 1 Media
When he retired in 2001, his commentary partner of the time, former F1 driver Martin Brundle, stated that there would be no other color commentator like him in a generation. While he did often make guest appearances and commentary on the Isle of Man TT and some Formula 1 broadcasts, he slowly withdrew from the public’s eye.
And so it was that on a quiet Saturday, his wife Elizabeth by his side, on March 13, 2021, he slipped from this Earth. He was the commentator of a generation, and we will not see his like for a while.
March 15, 2021 / Comments Off on In Memoriam: Murray Walker, The Voice Of Formula 1
The Rimac C_Two is nearing the final stages of its multi-year global homologation program, meaning it can be sold all over the world, from the bitter cold of a Canadian winter to the scorching heat of a Middle Eastern summer. And to make sure it’s ready for every extreme it could face, engineers have put the C_Two’s HVAC system to the ultimate weather test.
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Using a Climatic chamber, capable of creating temperatures as high as 48C (118F) and as low as -28C (-4F), the C_Two baked in high humidity 48C air, with sun lights beating down on it until the cabin reached 70C (158F). Then the car’s compressors, pumps, and fans were called into action, cooling the interior down to just 22C (72F) without overheating any components.
At the other end of the scale, the prototype vehicle was then left overnight in -28C (-4F) temperatures, with the doors wide open, creating a thin layer of ice all over the C_Two. As fluids in the car become thicker at these sub-zero temperatures it becomes much harder for pumps to work, but all continued to work faultlessly and the car was defrosted well within global homologation targets.
Following this latest test, the pre-series prototype will go through final rounds of homologation tests, durability tests, trim experimentation, NVH tweaking, and global product evaluation, before final production-specification cars are built later this year. The C_Two will be fully revealed in just a few months.
March 15, 2021 / Comments Off on Rimac C_Two winter testing
With the likes of the Tesla Cybertruck, the Rivian R1T, and the Lordstown Motors Endurance, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will the king of the EV pickup truck hill. Now, Canoo wants in on…
I still remember watching a movie called ‘Rising Sun’, where one of the lead characters was driving a red Vector W8, I absolutely loved it, and at that time didn’t know too much about that car, so I researched it, turns out this futuristic-looking car was the brainchild of Gerald Wiegert, who founded Vector Aeromotive Corporation and built 17 customer cars of his Vector W8 between 1989 and 1993.
Powered by a 6.0-Liter Rodeck twin-turbocharged (Garrett) V8 engine coupled to a GM 3-Speed Turbo-Hydramatic gearbox, the 625hp at 8 psi could be raised to 1,400 hp with a dial in the interior that set the psi at 14 … the prototype reached a top speed of 242 mph (389 km/h) on the Bonneville Salt Flats … and that was in the Eighties!
Vector Aeromotive Corporation went into receivership in 1993 but emerged as Vector Motors Corporation in 1995, complete with a new car, the Vector M12, and here is where things get interesting in history. The Vector W8 used the W from Wiegert’s own name, and the 8 for the V8 engine, but by 1995 Gerald Wiegert no longer owned Vector Motors, a group called Megatech, from Indonesia, took over, they even moved the entire operation from Wilmington, California to Green Cove Springs, Florida, where Megatech also housed the US branch of Automobili Lamborghini SpA.
So the M12 name comes from Megatech and the fact there’s a V12 engine behind the occupants, severing the connection with Gerald Wiegert, and that massive V12 was sourced from none other than Lamborghini! That’s right, the Vector M12 came with a Lamborghini Diablo engine, which shouldn’t be a big surprise, because at that time Megatech also owned Automobili Lamborghini SpA, they bought the Italian supercar company from Chrysler in 1994, only to sell to Audi AG in July of 1998, who still own it today.
The Vector M12 was a redesign by Peter Stevens of the Vector AWX-3, and used mainly Lamborghini Diablo sourced mechanics, most importantly the V12 engine, 5,707cc with 492hp and 576 Nm of torque, which was the Diablo VT unit, not the more powerful Diablo SE30 or Diablo SV engine, still the Vector M12 could reach a top speed of 304 km/h (189 mph) with an acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, for comparison, the 1994 Diablo VT would reach 328 km/h (204 Mph) and get to 100 km/h in 4.09 seconds.
It seems Megatech managed to ship several Diablo engines from Italy between 1995 and 1998 before they sold the company to Audi AG, so they made three pre-production prototypes for development and preparation for a production run of 14 customer cars, the car coming up for auction later this month seems to be #12 of only 14 ever made, being a 1999 model is was built when Megatech didn’t own Lamborghini anymore, so their source for V12 engines dried up and production of the Vector M12 would be halted shortly after this black on red unit was finished.
The current owner of Vector M12 chassis #1V9MB1224X1048010 states this car was ordered by none other than the Prince of Brunei, who we all know has a vast car collection, finished in an intimidating black paint combined with a bright red leather interior, it is unclear if the car was ever delivered to Brunei, but today this rare supercar is located in the United States, in late 2019 Scuderia Automotive Service performed an engine-out service on the V12, complete with an upgraded ceramic flywheel.
The listing also mentions the interior was modified to offer more room for a taller driver and passenger, while they added a more Italian supercar-style look-and-feel while still retaining the original layout and design, and while not original anymore, it does look amazing nonetheless.
With only 14 Vector M12 ever made, and the fact they rarely change hands on the open market, chances are this black US-made supercar from the late Nineties will not go cheap, if you are interested in adding this rare car to your collection, make sure to follow the Barrett-Jackson auction.
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There are few cars that have been as polarising as the 2022 BMW M4 Competition. The controversy is predominantly fuelled by the styling, that is subjective but for the record, I really am not a fan. Giant grill aside, I had a a couple of concerns that I wanted to cover – the loss of the M DCT gearbox (replaced by a ZF automatic) and the 200 kilogram weight gain, it seems cars are also putting on lockdown weight.
GTspirit have already reviewed the M3 but this is a more in depth drive with the M4, which felt near identical to the M3. Let’s get into it – I was driving the car in the UK on a day which featured all four seasons. Stepping into the G82 M4 is a very different experience to the F series of old. The carbon backed seats steal the show and present a great sense of occasion that help differentiate the M car from the series models. The second eye catching features are the red M1 & M2 buttons that sprout out from the steering wheels as in bigger M cars. The rest of the cabin in similar to lesser 4-Series models but has been embellished with lashings of carbon which comes as standard, the carbon backed seats are available as part of a carbon package which includes the front air intakes and the boot spoiler. The carbon roof is standard.
Hit the red starter button and you’ll be looking to configure the way you want M4 to behave. The setup menu looks daunting, but it is simple enough, although I question the need to configure the brake pedal. Aside from the usual steering, drivetrain and damper controls there is now a ten stage configurable ‘drift’ mode to adjust the traction control. When the stability control is deactivated an M Drift Analyser can be engaged to measure the length and angle of your drifts to give you a final drift score out of five stars, although I suspect less than 1% of buyers will ever use such a feature. I set the car up with the drivetrain and steering in maximum attack with the dampers in their softest option. Time to hit the road.
BMW claim to have made big improvements to the chassis to soften the F series ‘spikiness’ that made the experience a little too exciting for many – sweaty palms are not welcomed by all for a daily driver. Driving it in the damp meant the traction control light was flashing away, the system itself was very efficient cutting power. Engaging M Dynamic Mode is the norm for me in any BMW. The latest iteration on the the 2022 BMW M4 Competition is one of the best I have tried allowing for a surprising amount of slip before calling in the nannies to stop you ending up in a bush. When pushing on the chassis begins to stand out as a phenomenal feature on the M4 Competition. The steering is good and light, I felt that it lacked feel just off of centre. This combination of a great chassis and good steering means that the weight increase on paper is negligible in reality.
BMW M4 Competition
Typically I would start a review of the engine of car, but in the 2022 BMW M4 Competition it was not particularly astonishing. Yes the torque and power are astonishing, but this was overshadowed by the chassis capabilities. The car has been designed to have a petrol particulate filter so does sound good. There are burbles on downshifts and there is no soft limiter meaning it can be revved. The engine itself is not completely new, it was first seen in the X3/4M.
The twin turbo 3.0-litre straight-six produces 650Nm and is on tap between 2,700 and 5,500rpm, from when maximum output of 510hp is sustained up to the 7,200rpm red line. M3 & M4 Competition both accelerate from 0 to 10km/h in 3.9 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h, rising to 300km/h if the optional M Pro Package is specified. The brakes on my test car were not the optional ceramics but were still more than adequate at slowing things down from big speeds.
One of my fears was the loss of the M dual clutch transmission which has been replaced with the ZF 8spd. The new auto is better, quicker and smoother. My issue is that this has taken away from the theatre which I feel is necessary in much a car, especially as one that looks as angry as this. Perhaps the switch has made the car more predictable than the previous generation. The most likely reason is that the ZF will be used for the xDrive variant that will arrive in a couple of months.
Looks are subjective and I cannot make you dislike or like the design. What I can tell you is that this is a spectacular car to wake up early and absolutely thrash on your favourite road. It is a deeply deeply impressive car that is well appointed and feels special on the inside and turns heads by the dozen – whether that is for the right reasons or not is another debate. The ride is brilliant, sport for the dampers is very much usable on the road meaning the M4 could very easily be used as a daily driver. My main criticism is that the car is so capable that you have to be going full throttle and achieving illegal speeds to enjoy all that the 2022 BMW M4 Competition has to offer. Furthermore, the M3/4 are now very expensive as with any options, such as the carbon pack which is a must have for the seats, becomes as pricey as a base 992 Carrera which is the best sports car on sale anywhere. But if you can live with the styling and afford an M4 Competition, you will not be disappointed.
March 14, 2021 / Comments Off on 2022 BMW M4 Competition Review
Production of the Ferrari 812 model range is coming to an end, traditionally Ferrari closes the books on their series models with a special edition. The 360 had a Challenge Stradale, the F430 had the 430 Scuderia, the 599 had a GTO and the SA Aperta, the F12 had the TDF while the 458 and 488 had the Speciale and Pista respectively.
The 812 Superfast and GTS are series models albeit the latter is limited by production time. Now in the final stages of testing, a new special edition known as the VS – will be revealed in coming weeks, it’s based on the 812. We understand Ferrari had some issues with permits on this new model and that it should have debuted a few weeks ago.
Dubbed the “Versione Speciale” or simply “VS”, this will be the last – and truly – naturally aspirated V12 model from Ferrari. The successor will likely adopt a mild hybrid setup in order to beat tighter emission rules. Lamborghini has already demonstrated that with the Sian where they use the same 48v e-motor found on cars like the E53 AMG but instead of storing the power in batteries, they store it in supercapacitors.
As for the numbers, Ferrari plans to produce only 899 VS coupes and 499 Spiders. That’s a bit higher than the 799 units of the F12tdf – but Ferrari is now a public company and the more money they can make the better it is for investors. Low production numbers will however still be allocated to special convertibles or Icona Series models. We expect the price to settle above the SF90 Spider’s which starts at around 390k Euros excluding taxes, that means somewhere between 400-450k euros.
McLaren Customer Racing today confirms that renowned Sportscar racing team JOTA will contest a McLaren 720S GT3 in this year’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS championship with an all-McLaren Factory Driver line-up of Ben Barnicoat, Rob Bell and newly-promoted Oliver Wilkinson.
JOTA has a strong reputation in Sportscar racing, with two LMP2 class wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours. In 2017 the team challenged the factory LMP1 entries for victory, eventually finishing second and third overall. The 2021 GT World Challenge Europe campaign marks a return to GT competition for the UK-based team.
The JOTA McLaren 720S GT3 – image courtesy of Khyzyl Saleem
JOTA will field a McLaren 720S GT3 in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and GT World Challenge Sprint categories, both of which qualify as points-scoring rounds for the overall championship. The 720S GT3 made its debut in the series last year and enters the 2021 season in world-class form, having won the Gulf 12 Hour race in January.
Wilkinson made his debut as a McLaren Professional Driver in 2020, scoring a string of outright and Silver Cup podium finishes, leading to a top ten placing in the standings alongside Lewis Proctor at McLaren Customer Racing team Optimum Motorsport. In addition, he contested selected GT World Challenge outings with Bell and Joe Osborne in the Optimum 720S GT3. Earlier this year he received full British Racing Drivers’ Club member status in recognition of his efforts, a hugely prestigious honour for British racing drivers.
The McLaren 720S GT3
Wilkinson will now join Barnicoat, fresh from his victory in the Gulf 12 Hour race with a McLaren Customer Racing team 2 Seas Motorsport 720S GT3 and is reunited with Bell, who finished third in the 2019 British GT Championship with the McLaren Customer Racing team Balfe Motorsport 720S GT3.
“It’s tremendously exciting for us to have JOTA onboard for 2021, with three McLaren Factory Drivers also involved in the programme. The team’s vast experience and success in endurance racing and professionalism will, I’m confident, allow them to compete at the highest level throughout 2021 in the 720S GT3. I’m also delighted to see Oliver Wilkinson step up to a full McLaren Factory Driver programme this year, supported by both Rob Bell and Ben Barnicoat, and I look forward to watching his progression.” Ian Morgan, Director, McLaren Customer Racing
The McLaren 720S GT3
“The last time I was involved with a McLaren motorsport program was as a director of McLaren Cars from 1994- 97. It was the era in which we famously won the 24 Hours of Le Mans at our first attempt. We also took multiple race wins and two titles in the BPR Global Endurance championship. I am an enormous fan of the McLaren brand and thrilled to return with JOTA for the 2021 season. Both McLaren and JOTA have similar DNA in the sense of a great depth in engineering capability and a winning mentality. Both my partner, Sam Hignett, and I have worked enormously hard to make JOTA not just a winning team but also a fun one to be around, so I think the collaboration between McLaren and JOTA together with three Factory Drivers will become a major force in GT racing.” David Clark, Co-Owner, JOTA
“I’m extremely happy with my new appointment as a McLaren Factory Driver. It’s been my goal since starting my driving career, so a big thank you to McLaren for believing in me. The season should be brilliant and I’m extremely excited about teaming up with JOTA.” Oliver Wilkinson, McLaren Factory Driver, McLaren Customer Racing
The Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS season gets underway at Monza in Italy on April 16-18.
March 14, 2021 / Comments Off on JOTA McLaren 720S GT3
