It was a record setting day yesterday at Road Atlanta, with all four classes setting qualifying records including a blistering 1:06.242 by Stephane Sarrazin in his Peugeot 908 HDi to take the top overall spot. Peugeot has continually proved that it has a fast car, taking the last two pole positions at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but it was Audi on top at the end of that race. Allan McNish will be putting plenty of pressure on the Peugeot team, who qualified just .085 seconds behind the Peugeot in his Audi R10 TDI. In P2, Penske racing not only captured pole with a record qualifying time of 1:07.061, but also grabbed the top three spots. It was all Corvette Racing in GT1, but it will be a close race between the two Corvette who were separated by only .047 seconds. Finally, Risi Competizione qualified first in GT2 for the second straight year.
Coverage of the event starts today at 11:00 AM EST on SPEED TV today, with the green flag waving at 11:15. A NASCAR race splits up the coverage from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. EST, but you can still watch the race on AmericanLeMans.com (as well as look up live timing and scoring) or listen in on XM channel 166. Full details of the qualifying and driver quotes can be found in the press release after the jump.
The U.S. team hasn't had much success in the A1 Grand Prix, which pits nation teams against each other rather than automakers. The Stars and Stripes team has finished 16th, 9th, and 12th in the first three seasons. The 2007-2008 season saw increased levels of accomplishment, with the team capturing its first victory and reaching the podium two other times. Things are looking even brighter now, with Andretti Green Racing announcing that it will be running the team now, starting this weekend at the opening race at Zandvoort. Andretti will even be on hand at the race to announce the driver lineup. Andretti Green Racing brings a winning formula to the team, having captured three championships, two Indy 500 wins, and a class victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Click above for a high-res gallery of 2010 Ford Mustang teasers
Ford is continuing its painfully slow unveiling of the 2010 Mustang with another new image showing the car's front fender and the rear view mirror. It could just be the angle, but the photo shows a more curvaceous hood line that dips down to the headlight more than the current design. Another difference is the fender, which flows from the hood to the wheel well in one smooth line rather than the current one that has a more pronounced and angular flare. Finally, we get another view of the rear view mirror, the top half of which is now painted instead of textured black. Like us, you'd probably rather see the whole car by now, but Ford has seven more teaser images to go before it unveils the car in Los Angeles in more than a month and a half. So, like us, you're just going to have to get used to it.
We've brought you the official details and high-resolution photos, and now Lamborghini has released a short video showing off even more angles of the four-door Estoque concept. Yes, we'd like to see the car in motion too, but given that Lamborghini didn't name any engine specs and gave a wide variety of engine possibilities for a production version, we're guessing that the concept is without a motor underneath that long hood. The car looks distinctively Lamborghini from the front and especially aggressive from the rear with its wide haunches. Don't take our word for it, watch the Estoque revolve in video yourself after the jump.
Click above for high-res gallery of the IMSA Murcielago Spyder
Not many cars can compete with the Lamborghini Murcielago Spyder's ability to attract attention. With 640 horsepower on tap, not many cars can keep up with it either. Even German tuner IMSA questioned whether the car could be improved, but, of course, that didn't stop them from trying. They have developed an engine package that pumps the V12 up to 708 horsepower, knocking off a tenth in the sprint to 60 mph and raising top speed to 217 mph. IMSA adds its GTR widebody kit as well that includes a new front bumper, side skirts with widened intakes, a carbon fiber diffuser and rear spoiler. Inside, the carbon fiber and leather seats have been color-matched to the exterior. It's not necessarily everyone's taste, but it is wickedly fast and sure to attract attention. Full details are in the press release after the jump, and plenty of high resolution photos are in the gallery below.
Click above for new high-res gallery of the Lamborghini Estoque Concept
After several weeks of teaser shots from Lamborghini we finally got a full view of the Lamborghini Estoque concept this morning ahead of its official debut tomorrow morning. However, the photos were relatively small and details were scarce, but we are now able to bring you high resolution photos and full details via a press release from Lamborghini. The Estoque, named for the sword use by the Matador in a bull fight, is actually listed as mid-engined with the motor placed behind the front axle. The car sits extremely low at just 4.43 feet high, but still provides plenty of interior space for all four passengers due to the long wheelbase of over three meters. As we expected, Lamborghini states that no official decision has been made regarding production, but did hint that the Estoque could lead to a third model in the lineup with numerous engine possibilities including the V10 from the Gallardo LP560-4, a turbocharged V8, a V8 with a hybrid mode, or even a high-performance TDI. We'll be sure to bring you any additional information we can get tomorrow at the Paris Motor Show as well as many more photos. Until then, read up on the details of the Estoque in the press release after the jump and check out the new gallery of high resolution photos below.
Steve Saleen's fledgling new company, SMS Supercars, is getting ready to officially debut its first production car and has released a few more photos and information regarding the 570 and 570X Challenger. According to the new press release, the two models are targeted to start at $60,000 and $70,000, respectively. Yes, that's quite a chunk of change, but SMS is making it worthwhile with an extensive list of upgrades. Starting with the powertrain, the SMS 296 supercharger pushes massive amounts of air to the 5.7L HEMI, and true enthusiasts will be glad to know that a proper 6-speed manual transmission will be doing the shifting. Both models also get a high performance suspension, exhaust, 20-inch wheels, and 14-inch front and 12-inch rear brakes. For the exterior, SMS replaces the front and rear bumpers, side skirts, and hood, and adds a rear spoiler. The 570X model also receives carbon fiber front and rear splitters, a carbon fiber diffuser, and a rear wing that replaces the spoiler. The interior receives upgrades as well, including two-tone leather sport seats, leather door inserts, a leather grip shifter, 200-mph gauge cluster, and auxiliary gauges for the supercharger. Each vehicle will also be personally signed by Steve Saleen. Follow the jump for the press release and check out the gallery below.
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Coronado Speed Festival
Every autumn the naval base on Coronado island in San Diego plays host to dozens of vintage car racers for a festival of speed as part of Fleet Week, the largest military appreciation event in the country. The runways are a natural asphalt playground, and the Southern California weather never fails to provide plenty of sunshine. Nine separate classes of cars run throughout the weekend, from Pre-1941 Sports and Racing cars all the way to 1966-1972 Historic Trans-Am cars. Our particular favorite were the 1955-1960 Sports Racing cars that included a stunning 1957 Ferrari 250 TR, a pair of Jaguar D-Types, Maserati T-61 Birdcage, and a beautiful Aston Martin DBR-2. Spectators could also take tours of the pit area, browse the Meguiar's car club corral, take Naval ship tours, and explore a display of modern military vehicles and planes. We didn't stray much from the track, however, so that we could bring you plenty of photos of all the different groups of cars. You can check out the pictures, all available in high resolution, in the gallery below.
Click above for high-res gallery of the Saleen Dark Horse
"A dark horse, which had never been thought of, and which the careless St. James had never even observed on the list, rushed past the grandstand in sweeping triumph." Beautiful words from the quotable Benjamin Disraeli, and inspiration for the name of the latest Mustang to come from Saleen's stable. Due to the car's name it may sound like our title is a clever play on words, but the truth is our seat time was limited to the passenger seat. We can't blame Saleen for being careful with the car - the 2009 Dark Horse Mustang you see here is the first one off the assembly line and is the only one built so far. To their credit, Saleen did take us out to Willow Springs Raceway outside of Los Angeles for some flying laps, so we were able to experience the full capabilities of the car's performance. Follow the jump to hear about our day at the track with perhaps the most fearsome production Mustang ever built.
Click above for high-res gallery of the Katech Corvette Z06 ClubSport
We loved the look and concept of Katech's Corvette Z06 ClubSport that we showed you last month, as did many of our readers. The emphasis on light weight components and track-ready components make it suitable for both street and racing duties, plus it's one of the most beautiful renditions of the Corvette we've seen to date. Our only complaint was that Katech provided just one photo to drool over. Fortunately, they remedied the situation by sending us a set of beautiful high-resolution photos, which we've added to the gallery below. You can also view more info on the car in the press release after the jump in case you missed it the first time around.
Follow the Audi Mileage Marathon starting Monday morning
Paris 2008: MINI Crossover Concept
Paris 2008: Aston Martin One-77 (partially) revealed
Paris 2008: The GT by Citroen. No, the whole thing this time
Paris 2008: Lamborghini Estoque LIVE
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Chevy Corvette Z06
Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy
Paris 2008: Le Day 1 Wrapup
Knight Rider: The Liveblog -- Season 1, Episode 2
By the Numbers - September 2008: Nobody Wins Edition
