Following the earlier news about the Subaru Impreza WRX STI here is a behind the scenes look at Subaru’s time at the Nürburgring. The clip runs for just under four minutes and gives a bit more insight into the STI sedan setting a new Nürburgring record for a four-door car.
Subaru Australia brings us news that Tommi Mäkinen has driven an MY11 Impreza WRX STI sedan around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7 minutes 55 seconds. Which is a new (unofficial) lap record for a four door car, beating the previous best time of the Cadillac CTS-V by four seconds.
Speaking after the lap Mäkinen said, “The car was controllable with precise and faithful handling even on tricky corners. I could easily predict the car’s behaviour. That is exactly what Subaru is offering: confidence.”
Interestingly, the same car was seen at the Ring a few days before the record was set (16 April 2010) by Dale from Bridge to Gantry.
A couple of extra pics can be seen after the jump, along with the all important video. Slightly better quality footage is available direct from the Subaru Global website as well.
Filmmakers Tim and Nick Hahne from Stereoscreen have provided race fans with a real treat. Their short film 24 hours in 19500 frames captures the essence of this year’s Nürburgring 24 hour race and condenses it into 13 minutes of total brilliance. Click on the image above to load the film’s website and get ready for a visual feast.
Driving your own car to a track day and home again after a couple of hours track time is one thing. But imagine driving from Stuttgart to Nürburg where upon arrival you spend 24 hours thrashing the car around the Green Hell in a race with around 200 other cars. At the end of that you pack up your things and head back to Stuttgart as if this was all in a day’s work.
That scenario is pretty much what happened with the #11 Porsche 911 GT3 RS at the Nürburgring 24 hour race this year. Driven by Roland Asch, Patrick Simon, Horst von Saurma and Chris Harris the GT3 RS started the race from 42nd position and finished in 13th place outright. The team completed 145 laps, nine behind the eventual race winner.
Asch says the car ran like a dream, “As planned, we replaced the front brakes during the race. But other than that, the mechanics concentrated on refuelling, tyre changes and cleaning the windows during the pit stops. The car ran like clockwork.”
More from Porsche after the break. Extra pictures from the race can be seen HERE.
Thoughts and best wishes from AUSringers are with Marcel Tiemann who was involved in an accident at Imola last weekend. Tiemann, a five-time Nürburgring 24 hour race winner, was competing in the International GT Open class in a Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS.
The accident happened at the start of the second race which began with a rolling start. Tiemann’s car was tagged on its right front and forced into a concrete barrier. Footage of the incident can be seen below.
Official information and updates since the accident have been difficult to find but with the help of Google Translate and Ring1.de it appears that Tiemann is currently in Bologna Hospital. It is understood he is in an induced coma and doctors plan to wake him in around a week from now. It is believed Tiemann has suffered brain trauma, a broken neck and broken ribs.
Fingers crossed that Tiemann is able to make a swift and full recovery.
If you have any new details, or can correct the information posted here, please post your comments below.
UPDATE: A post confirming most of the above has been added to Marcel Tiemann’s blog.
The stunning Porsche 918 Spyder with hybrid drive could be racing in next year’s Nürburgring 24 hour race according to various reports. After coming so close to winning the race this year with the 911 GT3R Hybrid the 918 has the pedigree to give an outright victory a big shake.
With around 500hp on offer from its conventionally powered 3.4 litre V8 from the RS Spyder and a further 218bhp of electric power available Porsche have already claimed the 918 can lap the Green Hell in under 7 minutes and 30 seconds. Put some race slicks on, tune up the suspension a bit and that time should get even more impressive.
Porsche want at least 1000 genuine expressions of interest before the car is built. At last count the number was already at around 900.
The 918 is a great looking machine and it would look even better in all out attack race trim.
[Source: World Car Fans]
Here’s a pretty handy lap filmed in early May during a Scuderia Hanseat training course. The car is a 997 Porsche 911 GT3. The BTG time is sub-8 minutes. The sound is glorious.
Porsche was another manufacturer to suffer from poor fortune to its leading runners at the 2010 Nürbrurgring 24 hour race. The lead car, and defending champion, from got off to a flying start taking taking the lead of the race before the cars entered the Nordschleife.
The #1 Manthey carlooked very comfortable setting the pace, too, until it found itself in the wrong place, at the wrong time. A slower car went off the track and rebounded off the wall directly into the path of the #1 car causing enough damage that it was forced to withdraw from the race. Hard luck, really.
However it proved a piece of good fortune for the #9 GT3 R Hybrid. This new car from Porsche fought for the lead with the #99 Audi R8 and managed to establish itself as a fine front runner. Then, with less than two hours to go in the race the engine gave up and there was nothing that could be done. It would have made for a great story had the Hybrid won the 24 hour race at its first attempt. But, it wasn’t to be.
Better news, though, for Chris Harris and his mates in a GT3 RS who drove a strong race to finish 13th outright in what was essentially a standard production car. Cracking result.
You can read more from Porsche and check out 30 images after the break.
When Audi saw they had four R8 LMS racecars filling the first four spots on the grid for the start of 2010 Nürburgring 24 hour race they must have had high hopes for outright success. At various stages during the race those hopes looked well founded, too. However motor racing in general, and especially at the 24 hour race, has a habit of biting you hard just when you think things are looking good.
And so it proved for Audi this year. There were seven R8s in all starting the race, but only two managed to finish. The good thing for Audi was the #97 Phoenix Racing entry managed to win its class and finished third overall behind the winning BMW M3 GT2 and second placed Ferrari F430 GTC.
The more highly fancied R8s suffered from accident damage or machinery failure. Audi’s honour was upheld by the #102 Black Falcon entry which came home in fifth place overall, and third in class. To find out more check out Audi’s release below and at the same time you can enjoy the 35 images on offer.
The Peugeot RCZ won the D1T class at the 24 hour race last weekend. The French company had two 2.0 litre diesel powered cars entered in the race and it was the #201 entry that puffed its way to line honours. Car #200, pictured above, came home third in class.
Here’s a tip to Peugeot, if you’re going to go to the bother of sending a factory-backed team to one of the toughest races on the planet for the purposes of gaining marketing leverage at least have the decency to provide some press images of the cars in action. The winning car, too, preferably.
If you can be bothered, Peuegot’s press release is available below.
|
