Audi testing long-tail version of R18 e-tron quattro for Le Mans

Race teams are always looking for ways to shave hundredths of seconds of their lap times. Case in point: Audi is making some slight changes to its prototype racecar to make it ever so much more slippery as it cuts through the air.

Debuting at the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Spa on May 4, Audi will be testing a long-tail version of its R18 E-tron Quattro racecar. As its name suggests, the long-tail car gets a lengthened rear section with the goal of improving aerodynamics. The long-tail will be run alongside the standard version of the racecar as a testbed for possible changes that might be in store, heading into the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Audi did not say how many inches were added to the racecar, but as you can see in the image above, "long-tail" definitely doesn't take on the same meaning of classic long-tail cars of the past such as the Porsche 917. More information about the car, Audi's team and even some info about the track itself can be found below.

Honda signs on as Pikes Peak sponsor, race participant

Honda plans to storm the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 30, entering ten cars in nine classes at the race to the sky, and signing on as a corporate sponsor. Part of the company's return to grassroots racing if that's what you can call factory-backed efforts the banners of Honda R&D and Honda North America will fly on these entries: a first-gen Acura NSX, an Acura TL SH-AWD, Honda CR-Z, Honda Fit EV, one CRF450R and two CRF250R motorcycles, a CBR1000RR motorcycle and a TRX450 ATV.

One more entry, details of which are to be announced later, will be driven by IndyCar pilot Simon Pagenaud of Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports. LoveFab (pictured above during practice last year) will be there with its new, NSX-based Enviate, but as a privateer entry.

Honda's been to the mountain before, with high-powered gear in 2012 and record-setting EVs in 1994 and 1999, but it's never made noise like this. Have a read of the press release below for more info.

The Petersen celebrates 50th anniversary of the Baja 500 and 1,000

The year 1963 was a pretty good one for things on wheels Lamborghini was born that year, as was the Porsche 911, and we'll give a shout out to the all-American Apollo GT even though it only lasted four years. This summer, Petersen Automotive Museum is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Baja 500 and Baja 1,000 desert races with an exhibit called Braving Baja: 1,000 Miles to Glory.

Truth be told, the 50th anniversary of the peninsula race was last year it was in 1962 that Dave Ekins and Billy Robertson, Jr. did a 950-mile timed run from Tijuana to La Paz to prove the grit of Honda's new CL72 Scrambler motorcycle. That single time trial has turned into the trophy truck, buggy, Volkswagen Beetle and motorcycle spectacle that we know today. 1962 was also the anniversary of Shelby American and the dearly departed Iso, so it still wasn't a bad year for things on wheels.

The event kicks off with a tribute dinner on May 2 featuring Elkins and Parnelli Jones another legendary off-road racer in attendance taking audience questions. Two days later will be a one-day off-road show in which anyone can participate who has a museum ticket and a vehicle that can handle the dirt.

The exhibit itself runs through September 2nd and will feature all manner of Baja paraphernalia including numerous bikes and buggies that have run the route, like a 1964 Myers Manx, a 1960 Bilstein VW Baja Bug driven by Doug Robinson and the 2003 Honda XR650R ridden by Mouse McCoy as seen in the Baja documentary Dust to Glory. If you're interested, there's a press release below with info on all the events.

Watch these videos of an NHRA racer's bodywork blowing off into a crowd

Just a few months ago, fan safety at racetracks was a hot topic following the last-lap NASCAR Nationwide Series crash at Daytona that sent large pieces of racecars into the grandstands injuring 33 fans. Now, a freak incident at a National Hot Rod Association event resulted in a drag racer's bodywork flying into the crowd at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte over the weekend. The carbon-fiber body of Robert Hight's Ford Mustang funny car blew off toward the end of a run when his engine exploded, but fortunately, the two fans evaluated after the incident were later released without serious injury.

As you can see in the image above, the body flew high into the air before landing on a walkway in front of the grandstands, a bit of happenstance that likely gave most fans enough time and space to move out of the way. Scroll down to watch a couple of videos showing what happened, including one from a fan's perspective that also reveals what appears to be part of the body's metal bracing landing dangerously close to the crowd.

Race Recap: 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix follows the template of this year and last [spoilers]

The sand, the wind, the penalties, the contact and the one crash all of them collided to make the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix a surprise affair from day to day and lap to lap. Oh, and did we mention the tires? Pirelli made a last-minute swap after the amusement park ride that the Chinese Grand Prix turned into with the soft compound tire, and brought medium and hard compounds to the desert. That didn't stop things from falling apart for some teams literally and that didn't stop the one team that seems to love the hard compound Pirelli tire.

Spartan V trackday racer finally ready for prime time [w/video]

A few things have changed since the Spartan V track car was announced almost three years ago. Back in 2010, the red open-top sportscar from Australia was slated to be a 661-pound apex-hugger with 170 horsepower coming from a 1,200-cc Ducati engine. The slinky red bodywork remains, but the engine now comes from Honda: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turns the output wick up to 250 hp. Opt for the supercharger and benefit from 400 horsepower. Weight has predictably gone up as well, the Spartan V now clocking in at 1,100 pounds, while top speed has come down from 173 miles per hour to 149 mph.

With just enough of an interior to keep you on the paved bits, the Spartan V still shouldn't have any problem going fast, though, as the video below proves. There will be just 300 made, and the price quoted in Spartan's press release below is $95,000 we'll assume that US dollars. The price in Australia is $79,000 AUD (about $82,000 US), so you can save yourself a few large if you already have a second home Down Under.

Peugeot reveals its 208 T16 Pikes Peak racer

Peugeot is returning to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this year after a 14-year absence, and it has begun teasing the 208 T16 that Sbastien Loeb will be piloting up the mountain. Sporting a carbon fiber effects package that you won't find on the dealership floor nor at your local tuner, even the cockpit is a surprise since it features a central driving position.

Waging war in the Unlimited Class, it will have gobs of power underhood, the number 208 on its sides and two self-locking diffs to get power to the proper wheels. The entire route is paved this year, but Loeb has proved he knows how to handle tarmac in a variety of circumstances: after taking third in the French GT Championship last year, he entered the FIA GT series this year and won the opening race of the season earlier this month in a McLaren MP4-12C.

Click on the image above to see it in high resolution.

UPDATE: Peugeot released images and video of the car this morning, so we've updated the gallery and the press release and video are below.

Race Recap: 2013 Chinese Grand Prix a test of tires, carnage and a fight for second [spoilers]

Formula One fans and commentators have spent the three weeks since the Malaysian Grand Prix discussing two things more than any other: that pass, and tires. Sebastian Vettel spent days giving his tongue an Olympic workout on the verbal gymnastics parallel bars before finally admitting he passed his Infiniti Red Bull teammate Mark Webber on purpose partly for reasons of payback, partly out of a desire to win he doesn't apologize for it and he would do it again.

Then came those Pirellis every single driver and team representative interview touches on how important it is to understand the tires and manage their degradation. Two races in, though, it seems no team has any clue yet how to make the race-weekend compounds work predictably. The only thing predictable about the soft compound tires that Pirelli brought to China was that they would last for six laps, and that led to an odd qualifying session with drivers reluctant to leave the pits or even set a time.

It also led to the first pole position for an Englishman in a Mercedes-Benz since Stirling Moss did it in 1955.

Peugeot teases its 208 T16 Pikes Peak racer

Peugeot is returning to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this year after a 14-year absence, and it has begun teasing the 208 T16 that Sbastien Loeb will be piloting up the mountain. Sporting a carbon fiber effects package that you won't find on the dealership floor nor at your local tuner, even the cockpit is a surprise since it features a central driving position.

Waging war in the Unlimited Class, it will have gobs of power underhood, the number 208 on its sides and two self-locking diffs to get power to the proper wheels. The entire route is paved this year, but Loeb has proved he knows how to handle tarmac in a variety of circumstances: after taking third in the French GT Championship last year, he entered the FIA GT series this year and won the opening race of the season earlier this month in a McLaren MP4-12C.

Click on the image above to see it in high resolution.

Travis Pastrana signs with Dodge for another year, brings partner Bryce Menzies [w/video]

Dodge and SRT Motorsports announced that the Dodge Dart will be returning for its sophomore season of the Global Rallycross Championship with a two-car team fielded by Pastrana Racing. Travis Pastrana drove his GRC Dart to victory lane in the fourth race of the car's inaugural season, and his race team is looking for even more success with the addition of off-road racer Bryce Menzies behind the wheel of the second car.

The 2013 GRC season kicks off on April 21 in Brazil with plenty of dirt-spewing, ramp-jumping action. Scroll down for a video from the cars' main sponsor, Red Bull, and a press release from Chrysler.

Hydrogen-powered Aston Martin Rapide S headed to the 24 Hours of Nrburgring

Aston Martin has announced it will both debut and campaign a hydrogen-powered Rapide S at this year's ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nrburgring. The company wants to be the first to manage a zero carbon dioxide emission lap in mainstream racing, and the racecar should be the first hydrogen-powered machine to compete in an international event. The Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S will continue to use a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 engine for propulsion, though the prototype engine can be fed on either pure gasoline, pure hydrogen or any combination of the two.

In order to do so, Aston Martin had to install a hydrogen fuel rail, tanks and an entirely separate engine management system. The tanks themselves are hewn from ultra-high-strength carbon fiber. The four vessels can hold around 7.7 pounds of hydrogen at 5,076 pounds per square inch of pressure. Two get stashed next to the driver while the other two reside in the car's trunk. Check out the full press release below for more information.

Emotional photography captures the essence of classic F1 racing

Around the Autoblog office, we know Dick Kelley from his days on the public relations teams for Toyota and Mitsubishi, but more recently, he's been showing us a little of his past. Before working the PR machine, Kelley had a photography career that spanned three decades from the early '70s to the late '90s the first half of which was spent documenting Formula One races on film.

Other than a display at the 2012 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, Kelley says his images are "never-before seen," but that has all changed with a new website showing a vast number of timeless, emotional shots mostly of drivers. Motorsports photography is hard enough just when you're trying capture the cars, but catching the drivers and/or teams in candid images is an art form and almost unseen these days.

Head over to his website or Facebook page to check out a selection of images including the 1978 shot of Gilles Villeneuve winning in Canada shown above as well as other shots of racing greats like Emerson Fittipaldi, Bobby Rahal, Mario Andretti and Nigel Mansell.

Rally for youth with footage of the Opel Adam Rallye Cup Car

We checked out the Opel Adam R2 Rally concept and its 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 185 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque at the Geneva Motor Show. The one-make series the car was built for, the ADAC Opel Ralleye Cup, has kicked off with 24 teams in identically prepared cars lining up for eight races in this inaugural season.

Meant to help young drivers find a less expensive way into motorsports, the championship is part of the German ADAC Rally Masters series and will actually run 140-hp cars. We're not sure how much the Opel prepped by Holzer Motorsport for this series costs, but English company M-sport prepares an R2-spec Ford Fiesta with 170 hp for 43,000 pounds (about $66,000 US). There's 100,000 euros in prize money up for grabs and the cup winner gets career help, a shot at the Adam R2 car in 2014 and a chance to hop into rally-prepped Opel Corsas.

The first video below has shots of the Adam Rallye Cup car on the move. For more footage and a closer look at the car, the second video has more rolling footage and an interview in Danish with no subtitles, sadly with the Danish rally team of 22-year-old Simon Lund Larsen and co-driver Ole R. Frederiksen.

Ecclestone wonders if F1's upcoming turbo V6s should get augmented sound [w/videos]

While every team on the Formula One grid is worried about making a good showing in this year's championship at the same time as they develop a brand-new car for next year's championship, Bernie Ecclestone and F1 circuit promoters have a different concern: how next year's cars will sound. The current cars use 2.4-liter, naturally-aspirated V8s that can reach 18,000 revolutions per minute and employ dual exhaust, next year's engine formula calls for 1.4-liter turbocharged V6s that are capped at 15,000 rpm and are constrained to a single exhaust outlet. Ecclestone and promoters like Ron Walker believe the new engines sound like lawnmowers and that the less thrilling audio will keep people from coming to races. If Walker's Australian Grand Prix really is shelling out almost $57 million to hold the race, every ticket counts. As a fix, according to a report in Autoweek, Ecclestone "suggests that the only way to guarantee [a good sound] may be to artificially adjust the tone of the V6s."

However, neither the manufacturers nor the governing body of F1, the FIA, think there will be a problem. Ecclestone fears that if the manufacturers "don't get it right" they'll simply leave the sport, but the only three carmakers and engine builders left next year, Renault (its 2014 "power unit" is pictured), Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari are so embedded that it would stretch belief to think they'd leave the table over an audio hiccup if said hiccup even occurs. And frankly, these issues always precede changes to engine formulas, as they did when the formula switched from V10 to V8; fans, though, are probably less focused on the engines and more on the mandated standardization of the sport and the spec-series overtones that have come with it.

No one knows yet what next year's engines will sound like, but we've assembled a few videos below to help us all start guessing. The first is an engine check on an Eighties-era John Player Special Renault with a 1.5-liter V6 turbo, after that is Ayrton Senna qualifying in 1986 in the Lotus 98T that also had a 1.5-liter V6 turbo, then you'll find a short with a manufactured range of potential V6 engine notes, and then the sound of turbocharged V6 Indycars testing last year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Any, or none of them, could be Formula One's future.

Preparing for Le Mans 2014 Porsche remembers 1971 and the 917 [w/video]

Porsche has given us another look back at its successes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This time it's 1971, the year that its 917 set records that haven't all been eclipsed. It's 45-kilogram magnesium tube frame was the lightest, Jackie Oliver set the fastest in-race lap with a time that still stands, and winning drivers Helmut Marko the same Helmut Marko currently with Infiniti Red Bull Racing and Gilles Lethem did so many laps that their distance wasn't exceeded until the Audi R15 TDI did it in 2010.

1971 was also the year of the "Pink Pig." With bodywork created by a French aerodynamics firm, the wider, rounder 917 earned the porcine moniker so Porsche painted it pink and labeled it with the cuts you'd get from a pig. Sponsor Martini was so miffed they demanded all Martini branding be removed. No one can remove the thousands of photographs taken of the car ever since. Enjoy that and more in the video below.

1910 Benz 21/80 Prinz Heinrich [w/video]

As many invitations that I receive to drive the latest and greatest the automotive industry has to offer, my ears always perk up just a little bit more when the invite specifies a ride in a particular vehicle. Normally, I'd be expecting to ride shotgun in some sort of development mule or prototype, but during the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance last month, Mercedes-Benz offered to give me a ride in a fully restored 1910 Benz 21/80 Prinz Heinrich racecar. While hundreds of cars sat parked on the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island golf course, Mercedes shuttled me to a nearby road canopied by oak trees draped in Spanish moss to spend just 30 minutes with this super-rare antique racer.

Cars like the 21/80 were used in long-distance races between 1907 and 1911, and Mercedes-Benz says that they were among the first true sports cars. This particular example (wearing the No. 38) is owned by Mercedes, and it was recently restored to practically brand new condition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

Driving Notes

• After a brief walkaround/history lesson, the two-man crew with the 1910 Benz 21/80 Prinz Heinrich got to work getting the car started. The first step is delicately removing the engine cover and priming the engine with a hectane fuel. Then comes the hard work. While one man adjusts the various steering-wheel controls and foot pedals, the other stands in front of the car to crank the engine over. It took four good attempts at the hand crank, but the 80-horsepower, four-cylinder engine finally came to life with fuel leaking on the ground and the exposed cylinder valves clattering away. Life was good!
• With the big Benz running, I hopped in the back seat... almost literally hopped. Back in the day, the car's single-piece, wheel-to-wheel running boards helped occupants get in the car, but you simply don't step on the freshly painted metal of a 103-year-old car. Getting into the back seat was a feat requiring athleticism and flexibility, but once in, it was like being transported a century back in time. There's just something very majestic about being chauffeured around on a cool Florida afternoon in a car with a suicide shifter.
• Taking off was no easy task either. As the driver started to work the gas and clutch pedals, it felt like we were rear-ended by another car to get our forward momentum kicked off. Once up to speed though, there is nothing as exhilarating as driving through a neighborhood with the wind in your face watching as local residents and motorists alike do double, triple and quadruple takes of the car before letting out a grin and a friendly wave.
• One of the requirements for the Prinz Heinrich racecars was that they must be production vehicles with seating for four passengers. Now while I'd like to tell myself this was one of those "bendable" racing rules, it's more likely just a telling sign that passenger size and personal space have both grown exponentially over time. I was obviously also a little taller than most 1910s-era passengers as the majority of my useable legroom was taken up by the spare tire, but some slightly banged up knees were more than worth it for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
• The driving route we took was along a standard side street, but at times it felt like the car was driving over whoopty doos thanks to its four-wheel leaf spring suspension, massive wheelbase and the fact that the rear passenger me was positioned directly over the rear axle. During this ride, we got up to around 40 miles per hour, but the car's handlers said that it is more than capable of hitting triple-digit speeds. Achieving such high speeds would surely have been thrilling in its time, but I can only imagine that things would get a little hairy every now and then considering that the car only has rear brakes.
• Just sitting still, the Benz 21/80 Prinz Heinrich was imposing. About as long as the GL-Class we pulled up in, this car was painted in a dark green hue accented only by subtle pinstriping and various racing decals and badges. One interesting part of the car was its added nose piece, which I was told helped improve aerodynamics and controlled air flow to the radiator. The simple cockpit of the car featured just four gauges we couldn't figure out what any of them were used for mounted into the wooden firewall (how ironically dangerous does that sound?).
• As exciting as it was to ride as a passenger in this timeless car, it was almost as fun to see it on display at Amelia Island the very next day alongside another Prinz Heinrich car a privately owned car that eventually went on to race in the very first Indianapolis 500.

LoveFab headed back to Pikes Peak with NSX-based heathen [w/video]

LoveFab had a rough run at Pikes Peak 2012. During qualifying on Day Two, owner and professional driver Cody Loveland launched his car off of the course at nearly 60 miles per hour. Never ones to be dismayed by a few bruised ribs and some busted body panels, LoveFab is headed back to the hill climb for 2013, and this year, it's bringing Garrett along as a title sponsor.

Loveland's chariot of choice is officially dubbed "Turbo by Garrett/LoveFab Pikes Peak Enviate" and is loosely based on an Acura NSX. All of the stock Japanese components have been swapped for LoveFab-built pieces with the exception of the subframes and suspension.

With a dry-sump LS1 V8, chromoly-tube chassis and a full carbon fiber body, the car is about as wild as they come. With around 800 pound-feet of torque on hand and a curb weight of under 2,000 pounds, the machine should give the mountain a run for its money. The team is expected to begin testing Enviate beginning May 1. You can check out a quick interview with Loveland in the video below along with the full press release.

This is how you use a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 to set a lap record at New Zealand's newest track

New Zealand officially has a new international-standard road track. Highlands Motorsport Park is a 2.8-mile circuit with three complete tracks that can be safely operated at the same time. Designed to serve as a members-only facility, the boots on the ground say track is likely one of the best in the Southern Hemisphere.

The organizers behind Highlands wanted give the facility a proper break in, so rather than throw some sort of gala, they simply unleashed Craig Baird and a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 on the course with just one instruction: set the first official track record.

Baird is something of a legend in New Zealand, having won three consecutive New Zealand Formula Atlantic Championship titles as well as four consecutive New Zealand Touring Car Championship titles, and he wasted no time in putting hammer to steel in the MP4-12C GT3. By the time all was said and done, the track was left with a 1:41.9-second lap. Something tells us that one's going to stand for awhile, though Baird says he thinks he can get his time down into the 1:30s with a bit more practice. That may be the case, but we're simply glad for the excuse to watch the guy hammer on this McLaren. Check it out.

Lewis Hamilton laying down 'off the hook' tracks for his own album? [w/videos]

Formula One racecar driver Sebastian Vettel is diversifying his resume by becoming the Director of Performance for Infiniti, and it also sounds like his rival Lewis Hamilton is also dabbling in some extracurriculars. According to Yahoo!, the 28-year-old Hamilton has apparently been stealing away time in a recording studio to record his own pop music album over the last year. The report, which quotes singer/songwriter Angel, indicates that Hamilton might have a second career waiting for him after racing.

So far, Hamilton and Angel have written about 12 songs across various music genres, and another interesting element to his involvement in the music industry is that his girlfriend, Nicole Scherzinger (above), is the lead singer for the Pussycat Dolls as well as a former judge for the reality singing contest, X-Factor. For those who are interested, it doesn't sound like he's ready to put out an album just yet. For the moment, it appears Hamilton's duties in Austin, Texas will be limited to lapping the Circuit of the Americas rather than the performing on the local music scene.

Us? We're just hoping for an eventual duet with fellow F1 racer and musical hopeful Jacques Villeneuve. Yeah, we went there. In the meantime, we'll have to keep hope alive by watching Hamilton and friends sing Wonderwall by Oasis in one of the videos below.

2013 Porsche 911 RSR makes official debut

Porsche is ready to go racing in 2013, showing off a new 911 RSR today that is scheduled to compete in several endurance events this year. Based on the current 991 911, the new RSR will compete in the 2013 season of the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It will not, however, make an appearance in a North American racing series this year.

The 2013 version of the racecar has increased in wheelbase by some four inches, features a new wishbone front suspension in place of the last-generation's McPherson strut setup and boasts a new, lightweight six-speed racing gearbox. The engine, meanwhile, is an "optimized" version of last year's car, a 460-horsepower 4.0-liter boxer six-cylinder. Extensive use of carbon fiber and polycarbonate windows help the RSR shed weight, and Porsche has also balanced the weight more evenly with a lower center of gravity.

Porsche has thoughtfully dedicated some space to celebrate the 911's 50th Anniversary, with the number 50 clearly visible in the top-down view of the RSR, as well as along the doors. Scroll down to read the full Porsche press release, below.