Watch Schumacher's hot lap of Nrburgring in Mercedes F1 car

In advance of the Nrburgring 24-hour race last weekend, Mercedes-Benz put on a demonstration that had Michael Schumacher playing catch-up in a Formula One car against four examples of AMG metal. There were four cars sent off in staggered starts before Schumacher: an A45 AMG, E63 AMG 4Matic, SLS AMG Black Series, and an SLS AMG GT3 car. "Mr. Formula One," as the German television commentators call him, left three minutes after the SLS AMG GT3.

There are two videos of Schumacher's lap, the first is on-board footage - and even though there were several GoPros on the car the POV never cuts away from the front wing. You can hear the throttle and tell he's not pushing it, you can also tell how bumpy the track is. The second video is footage from the German Sport1 channel - with commentary in German - that shows all the cars taking off and takes the aerial view of proceedings. He looks to be going a lot faster in that one. You can compare and contrast yourself with the videos below.

Oh, and it's worth noting that, even with the likely restricted car, and the made-for-TV environment, Schumi turned in a quick lap. The nose camera shows the F1 car start to slow down on the back straight, near the start/finish line, right around the modern-length track record time of six minutes and eleven seconds.

Porsche taking classic 911 on tour of Europe's best tracks [w/viddeo]

How cool would it be if instead of calling it your "birthday" you called it your "anniversary" and spent an entire year celebrating it? Porsche has kept the lights on and the music going for its 50th anniversary this year, and the latest huzzah is called Project 50, which will see a 1965 Porsche 911 short wheelbase racecar run in The Masters Series of vintage racing.

Not just a parade lap around some vintage circuits, The Master Series is FIA-sanctioned and has five competitive classes. The 911 entered the picture at Round Two, held last weekend at Brands Hatch, and will make five more appearances this year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Silverstone Classic, Nrburgring Oldtimer Grand Prix, Spa 6-Hour at Spa Francorchamps and the Jerez Masters festival.

There's a video below announcing the event, and the promise of more to come.

Williams F1 to run Mercedes engines next season

The game of Formula One musical engine bays continues with the announcement that Williams F1 has signed a long-term deal to switch to Mercedes engines from 2014, bringing Williams' partnership with Renault to a close after just two years. Williams will get the 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 and KERS from Mercedes, but will use an in-house gearbox.

At the moment, that means four teams will have its engines supplied by Mercedes: its own team, Williams, Force India and McLaren, but at the end of 2014 McLaren will switch to Honda. Next year, Renault will be supplying Infiniti Red Bull, Toro Rosso has just agreed to switch to Renault from Ferrari, and Lotus and Caterham are expected to remain. Ferrari will have its team, for sure, but its deal with Sauber hasn't been confirmed. Marussia is the only team left and it is talking to both Mercedes and Ferrari about a deal for next year.

On the sidelines of the jockeying, McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh has called the 2014 regulations an "own goal" for the sport because of their expense - he believes the engineers were given such free reign that the development costs could be damaging to the budgets of the smaller teams. Next year's engines will need to go the distance with 220 pounds of fuel and a KERS that is ten times more powerful than the present unit.

The press release below has more on the Williams deal with AMG High Performance Powertrains.

See and hear the 24 Hours of Nrburgring as if you were there

Endurance races attract a special kind of motorsports fan, and as far as we can tell, they're the same all over the world: to enjoy 12 or 24 hours of racing they'll camp out for four or five days, they have no problem parking expensive cars in the mud - or sleeping in it, they come prepared to endure anything, sometimes the party doesn't stop even after the course has closed on Sunday evening and you've never seen so much grilling in your life.

TouriClips, the same outfit that brought us video of the Edo Competition ZXX and Maserati MC12 Corsa at the Nrburgring, was at last weekend's Nrburgring 24-Hour race and put together a video overview of the weekend. It's long, but it covers everything from the dry racing in the day to wet racing at night, to the fans and parking areas, the pits, the grandstands, the ambulance trying to stay out of the way of racers and the Jeep Cherokee towing away a broken car. It's also got the following day of action and the podium that the winning cars get put on.

So settle in and enjoy the video below.

Ford Mustang to replace Falcon in Australia's V8 Supercars?

The US just got its first taste of the Australian V8 Supercars Series this month at the Circuit of the Americas, but it seems that big changes are in store for the exciting series from Down Under. Following reports earlier this month that Ford will be ending production in Australia in 2016, Motoring.com.au is reporting that the death of the Falcon nameplate could bring rise to the Mustang running in the emerging race series.

With the Falcon being killed off, Ford could go with the Mustang creating more of a global market for the series. This would be a big step, though, since the series currently only uses four-door sedans as the racecars, opening the door for other brands to swich to more aerodynamic two-door models. For Mercedes-Benz, this would mean switching from the E-Class sedan to the coupe, while Nissan could trade in its V8-powered Altima for a more appropriate track car, the Skyline. As for Holden, the report states that the Commodore VF is slated for a replacement in 2017 and the big sedan will switch from a rear-wheel-drive layout to front drive.

Race Recap: For the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix, NASCAR comes to the principality

Lots of contact, debris cautions, trips into the wall, full-course yellows and a red flag these are the kinds of racing terms you unbox when you want to have a conversation about NASCAR... or the Formula One grand prix of Monaco. In this case we're not talking about the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, we're talking about 78 laps in the South of France that even featured a fallen camera cable just like that stock-car race.

This year, Mercedes-AMG Petronas drivers treated their chassis' like busses instead of F1 cars, Romain Grosjean treated his Lotus like a battering ram, Sergio Perez kept sticking his McLaren's nose in places and eventually got it smacked, and maybe the size of the drivers' mirrors should be changed instead of the tires as there were almost as many firsts as there were crashes. Plenty of F1 fans wish Monaco were removed from the calendar, yet even though it doesn't specialize in traditional thrills, that doesn't mean nothing happens during the parade through and into the barriers.

Race Recap: For the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix NASCAR comes to the principality

Lots of contact, debris cautions, trips into the wall, full-course yellows and a red flag these are the kinds of racing terms you unbox when you want to have a conversation about NASCAR... or the Formula One grand prix of Monaco. In this case we're not talking about the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, we're talking about 78 laps in the South of France that even featured a fallen camera cable just like that stock-car race.

This year, Mercedes-AMG Petronas drivers treated their chassis' like busses instead of F1 cars, Romain Grosjean treated his Lotus like a battering ram, Sergio Perez kept sticking his McLaren's nose in places and eventually got it smacked, and maybe the size of the drivers' mirrors should be changed instead of the tires as there were almost as many firsts as there were crashes. Plenty of F1 fans wish Monaco were removed from the calendar, yet even though it doesn't specialize in traditional thrills, that doesn't mean nothing happens during the parade through and into the barriers.

Race Recap: 2013 Indianapolis 500 better than Bollywood; all the emotion, none of the music [spoilers]

If the 2013 Indy 500 were a movie it would be the one expected to win all the little statues come awards season, and if it were an athlete it would have made spectators watch in awe as it broke record after record. And this kind of talk comes after last year's race was considered one of the best ever the last lap hijinks in 2012 and Takuma Sato's crash leading to a podium ceremony straight out of a Golden Globes tearjerker.

But this year's race delivered more than anyone expected, from the 250,000 fans to the commentators to the IndyCar series itself and, finally, to the guy who hopped through a two-mile window on Lap 197 to take the lead and keep it until the end.

Grid 2: Mono Edition is some kind of spendy video game

For years now, video game makers (and their marketing teams, more than likely) have sought to amp up the excitement of their new releases with wild and lavish special edition packages. Our own Call of Duty Prestige Master, John Neff, is sure to remember the functional night vision goggles that shipped with CoD's Modern Warfare 2, and the radio-controlled "surveillance vehicle" that was packed in with Black Ops. The monstrous Halo franchise has offered special edition games in a Master Chief head and with a massive set of action figures, and, closer to home, our copy of Gran Turismo 5 came complete with a lovely 1:43 scale Nissan GT-R Spec V (and book... yawn).

But certainly we've seen nothing that can compete with the recently announced, UK-only special edition of the upcoming Grid 2 title from Codemasters and Briggs Automotive Company (better known as BAC).

For the reasonable sum of just 125,000 British pounds (around $189,000), the Grid 2: Mono Edition can be yours. That's right, a little less than a new Porsche 911 Turbo S, you can have a copy of Grid 2 complete with original artwork, a brand new Playstation 3, a tour of the BAC factory, a Grid 2-branded racing helmet, a full racing suit with boots and gloves, and, you guessed it, a G2-liveried BAC Mono. That's right buy a video game, get a racecar.

At least that's how Codemasters is spinning it. In the attached press release, it claims that Grid 2: Mono Edition will set the Guinness World Record for "Most Expensive Video Game Commercial Available Special Edition." Our request for a playable demo is in the mail, Codemasters.

Renault unveiling Twin'Run concept in Monaco [w/video]

During last year's Monaco Formula One Grand Prix weekend, Renault introduced us to the Alpine A110-50. This year, it's another revival called Twin'Run - the follow up to the Twin'Z but not called TwinFun, as we previously thought - a smooth blue hatch to update all those yellowed memories of the Renault R5 Turbo and Clio V6. With the same footprint as the Twin'Z, this is the other side of the 'play' theme in Renault's six-stage exploration of the stages of life through concept cars.

The Twin'Z is admittedly a neat piece of work, but the Twin'Run one - and its murderous exhaust note - has our hot breath all over it. A steel, tubular chassis provides the structure. Within it, just ahead of the rear axle is a 3.5-liter V6 with 320 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, shifted through a six-speed sequential transmission. To keep its city-car proportions stable on 18-inch wheels, the fuel tank, radiator and hydraulic system are in the front, under the hood, resulting in a 43/57 front-to-rear weight balance.

The bodywork is a mix of glass fiber and carbon fiber, the squarish headlamps and supplemental quad headlamps a nod to the R5 Turbo rally car and its light rack for nighttime stages. Inside is lots of black and red Alcantara, a gauge cluster wrapped in white lacquer and aluminum pedals whose setup is said to be motorsports tested.

The whole package weighs 2,090 pounds, and you can read all about it in the press release below. There's also a very French short film to go with it that you know involves lots of models clad in lots of leather, and those vintage forbearers.

V8 Supercars rumble Circuit of the Americas at the Austin 400

In case you missed it, Australia's V8 Supercars racing series - think of it as a cross between ALMS GT and NASCAR - roared through Texas this past weekend providing entertainment for more than 68,000 fans who were in attendance at the Austin 400 held at the impressive Circuit of the Americas venue. The three-day Championship event included four qualifying sessions and four 100 kilometer sprint races, all run nearly flat-out.

The series' inaugural event on U.S. soil didn't disappoint.

The cars are based on production Ford Falcon, Holden Commodore, Nissan Altima and Mercedes-Benz E-Class models, each fitted with a thunderous 5.0-liter V8 (rated at roughly 650 horsepower) sending power to the rear wheels through a sequential gearbox. The drivers sit on the right, protected by a sturdy tube-frame chassis and plenty of honeycomb crush space - good thing, as car-to-car contact and jumping curbs is the rule of the game (check out the gallery for a closer look at the carnage).

The series' inaugural event on U.S. soil didn't disappoint. Fans, Americans joined by a large contingent of Aussies who made the long trek over the Pacific, jumped to their feet for each standing start as dozens of roaring V8 Supercars peeled off to be first up COTA's tricky Turn 1 (the cars have no traction control or ABS). Each sprint lasted less than an hour, with one mandatory pit for tires, so the field was constantly changing position.

As all of the foreign drivers were new to the circuit (the Aussies nicknamed the tall white observation tower, with red trailing pipes, "The Mullet"), it took some time for each team to acclimate to its challenges and develop strategy. More than once, a car fell back in the pack when it followed the wrong line through Turns 3-6, and it was wedged out of position at the exit (of course, being V8 Supercars, the tall curbs hardly seemed to deter).

Holden's Jamie Whincup, racing under the Red Bull label, took three of the races, while the one remaining event was won by Fabian Coulthard, also driving a Holden, for the Lockwood Racing team. We were embedded with the teams from Nissan. Their Altima sedans, unveiled just months ago, fared well with several top-ten finishes - impressive results for a new team competing in this well-established series. The next event is at Hidden Valley Raceway, in Darwin, from June 14-16... and, based on the overwhelmingly positive response from the fans, the series already has plans to come back to the States in 2014.

Jim Harbaugh picked to drive Indy 500 Corvette Stingray pace car

He didn't get the trophy, but he did get the girl pace car. San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh who quarterbacked the Indianapolis Colts from 1994 to 1997 will lead the 33-car Indianapolis 500 field around The Brickyard in a 2014 Corvette Stingray pace car.

Harbaugh's other connection to the race is that he's a principal in Panther Racing, which has two cars running on Sunday that are powered by Chevrolet engines: JR Hildebrand is starting tenth, teammate Townsend Bell is 22nd. There's a press release below with the kind of juicy quotes you'd expect from all involved.

Watch Carrera Cup driver Connor de Phillippi's first lap of the Nrburgring

American race driver Connor de Phillippi was recently added to the roster of Porsche Juniors, the arm of Porsche's factory racing program that develops new talent. The 20-year-old is contesting the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland series with FRCH Racing by Lukas Motorsport, and last weekend, he raced the series round at the Nrburgring. Starting 15th on the grid, de Phillippi would cross the line in ninth out of 32 finishers.

Courtesy of his in-car camera, you can watch his entire first lap in the video below there's no music added, just engine whine during nine minutes of crests, turns, bumpy straights and that wicked Carousel. Enjoy.

The big dune jump and the damage done

The Silver Lake sand dunes see their fair share of well-built trophy trucks executing impressive jumps. Drivers build insane pieces of machinery for the express purpose of sailing through the air like mad men and women.

Mike Higgins is no stranger to the area. His heavily modified Ford trophy truck has gone flying through the sky on more than one occasion, but he recently bit off more than he could chew. After hitting a particularly lofty dune, Higgins went airborne for a ridiculous 180 feet before becoming intimately familiar with the finer points of gravity.

While Higgins nailed the jump, his landing fell short of wowing the judges. The impact very nearly broke his truck in two. Despite the mechanical mayhem, the driver walked away without a scratch, proving that occasionally miracles really do happen. You can check out the jump and the subsequent destruction below for yourself. Be warned: there's a fair bit of foul language.

Costco offering this $115,000 full-size F1 simulator in UK

For video game enthusiasts who can't stand the thought of playing a racing game on a single television screen, using a standard controller and (gasp!) sitting on a couch, there are plenty of realistic racing simulators out there. While better simulators usually include a trio of monitors, a racing chair and appropriate steering wheel and pedals, Costco has what could be the ultimate racing simulator for Formula One fans in the UK with deep pockets and a desire for a life-like gaming experience.

Costing a mere 90,000 British pounds (roughly $136,000), Costco UK sells a simulator mounted to a life-size F1 car that includes plenty of composite, carbon fiber and alloy. It even has full brakes, wheels and tires. The price includes set up and training, but don't expect to pick one up in addition to a 10-pound package of bacon and a 40-count package of toilet paper, since it takes about 12 to 18 weeks to deliver. All that is missing to get this thing on a real track are the engine and transmission. As for the simulation aspect, this system uses three 23-inch thin film transistor (TFT) screens, an Intel Core i7 processor and a five-speaker surround sound system.

Head over to the Costco UK website to check out what has to be the coolest and most excessive gaming device ever.

Mitsubishi confirms pair of MiEV Evolution II electric racecars for Pikes Peak

Preparing for next month's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Mitsubishi the presenting sponsor of this year's PPIHC has unveiled its entrant for the race: the all-electric MiEV Evolution II. Building off last year's MiEV-inspired entrant, the Evolution II has received numerous improvements, including a more powerful electric drive system, a lower center of gravity and even a more traditional racecar look. Driving a pair of MiEV Evolution II models this year will be Hiroshi Masuoka from Mitsubishi vehicle development and six-time PPIHC motorcycle winner, Greg Tracy.

Both MiEV Evolution II racers employ a quartet of electric motors (last year's car used just three), and output has been increased from 280 kilowatts (375 horsepower) up to 400 KW (536 hp). For improved handling, the cars' lithium-ion battery packs help provide lower centers of gravity, and both Masuoka's and Tracy's cars have received active yaw control, stability control and redesigned anti-lock braking systems. Hopefully, this will help them stick to the mountain better. As previously mentioned, even their look has changed, with less of a wide-body i-MiEV feel and more of a racecar appearance. We think the finished product would actually make for a pretty cool Le Mans Prototype racer, or perhaps an electrically powered rival for trackday cars like those from Radical.

Peugeot's legendary Climb Dance remastered in high-definition glory

Climb Dance, the rally-porn film celebrating the Pikes Peak Hill Climb victories of Ari Vatanen in 1988 and Robby Unser in 1989 - and including footage from both drives - has been remastered in high definition. It was commissioned by Peugeot, maker of the four-wheel steering 415 T16 Grand Raid, the racecar that took both drivers to the top to overall victories.

Peugeot will be hoping that Sbastien Loeb can dance the same way next month when he runs up the now-paved mountain in his 208. You'll find the breathtaking remastered Climb Dance below, as well as tribute the Motor Trend made with Marcus Gronholm in a Ford Fiesta back in 2009. Enjoy.

Driver, track worker survive horrific Ferrari 458 crash at Suzuka

Two people are lucky to be alive after a brutal crash during a recent Ferrari 458 Challenge event in Japan. Driver Shigeru Terajima lost control of his machine on the Suzuka Circuit start/finish straight, left the course at nearly 200 miles per hour and struck the inside wall where a corner worker was standing and monitoring the race. The 458 immediately disintegrated, sending bits of carbon fiber bodywork, suspension components, wheels and tires scattering into the infield and across the race course. The passenger cell spun through the air before coming to a stop on its roof.

Miraculously, both Terajima and the corner worker survived the incident. While the driver was transported to a local hospital in serious condition, he's expected to make a full recovery. The track worker, meanwhile, saw the incident coming and dove out of harm's way at the last possible moment, saving him from the brunt of the impact. You can watch an observer's frightening footage of the Ferrari crash by scrolling below.

Iron Man takes over Audi DTM racing team [w/video]

The producers of Iron Man 3 undoubtedly have the No. 24 Audi RS5 DTM car driven by Adrien Tambay at last week's Hockenheim round to thank for the movie's record-breaking global opening. Not only was Tambay's car wrapped to be a high-speed billboard for the movie, the entire team dressed in Iron Man-themed race suits made by partner Alpinestars and wore themed helmets from Uvex. What other reason could there be?

To make sure that all of Earth's residents at least get to hear about the movie, Tambay's team will be donning the livery again at the Brands Hatch round on May 19. There's a miniature press release below, along with a video of the crew hamming it up - as you would do when you get the chance to drive one of the few Audis that might be cooler than Tony Stark's.

Watch Sebastien Loeb take first drive in Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak racer

The annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is one of the few events in motorsport with an Unlimited Class that is truly... well, unlimited. To put the word 'unlimited' in perspective, consider the Red Bull-sponsored Peugeot 208 T16: its 3.2-liter bi-turbo V6 engine puts out 875 maximum horsepower, sending power to all four wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox. That's powerful enough to catapult the T16 from 0-62 miles per hour in a scant 1.8 seconds. Keep it planted and it'll hit 125 in 4.8 seconds and 150 in 7.0 flat.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is freakishly fast.

Just ask Sbastien Loeb, a man who's no stranger to high-performance machinery, having won nine World Rally championships, who said of the T16 after his first testing session: "I've never driven anything that accelerates so fast! ... It's got the downforce of a Formula 1 car, the wide tires of an endurance racing prototype and a differential like a WRC car."

And that right there is the automotive definition of 'Unlimited.' Oh, did we mention that the T16 is one of the meanest looking four-wheeled vehicles we've ever laid eyes on? See for yourself in the high-res image galleries, press release and video below.

Global Rallycross announces Lites class for up and coming stars [w/videos]

After two years in the US running just one class of car, the Supercars, Global Rallycross (GRC) is adding a SuperCar Lites class that will run spec cars. Intended to be a development formula for the "next generation of star drivers," the Lites will race at all five US races this year on the same course as the Supercars, and with a format similar to the top class: a 60-minute free practice, 30-minute qualifying, heats, with Last Chance Qualifier and Finals run just before the main Supercar events. Standings will be divided into overall and a Lites Rookie Cup for first-time racers who haven't yet completed a full season.

They'll be driving a Ford Fiesta ST prepped by Olsbergs MSE, a Swedish builder that supplies four of the 20 GRC teams including two-time champion Tanner Foust. They have 310 horsepower compared to 600 hp in the Supercars, all-wheel drive and a six-speed sequential transmission. Ordered directly from Olsbergs, they'll run you $165,000 if you're one of the first ten teams to purchase one, after that they'll be $185,000.

The overall Lites-class winner gets a Supercar drive with Olsbergs MSE in the year-ending Rallycross Battle of the Champs, the top three finishers get Supercar tests like the Young Driver Test in Formula One held at the end of the season. There's a press release below with more info as well as a two videos of Geoff Sykes and Tanner Whitten testing the Lites car earlier this year.

Seat Leon Cup Racer for Worthersee is one bad machine

In the 'Just Because It's Awesome' category we have the Seat Leon Cup Racer, a kerb-stomping trinket the Spanish brand took to the GTI Wrthersee gathering. A transformation worthy of Marvel turns the recognizable five-door hatch underneath into a test-bed for a 325-horsepower sprint or endurance racer, depending on which version a customer prefers, and Seat "can envision" a 1.6-liter motor so it can contest World Touring Car championships.

The machine's track has been stretched by 40 centimeters, 18-inch wheels hung on the axle hubs underneath popped-out arches. The single-seat inside is wrapped in a moisture-regulating leather. Torque maxes out at 258 pound-feet, sent to the front wheels through a six-speed double-clutch gearbox and electronically controlled diff in the sprint version, a six-speed sequential transmission and mechanical diff going on the endurance variant.

It is expected to be available for customer teams in time for the 2014 season. The sprint race spec will cost 70,000 euro ($92,100 US) plus tax, the endurance spec runs 95,000 euro ($125,992 US), and the press release below has more info.

eBay Find of the Day: 1970 Ford Torino King Cobra prototype

Over the last decade or so, competition in NASCAR has led to some pretty funky looking racecars. And when the sport was still up and coming, the tight competition actually led to some interesting production cars. The Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird are perhaps the most well-known cars of the sport's "aero wars" era but the Ford Torino King Cobra might have been the most memorable of all, if not for some different homologation rules established in 1970. The Torino King Cobra never made it to production and never competed in NASCAR, but three examples exist including this one now for sale on eBay.

Designed as a successor for the aero-tuned Torino Talladega, the Torino King Cobra has a sleeker front end with hidden headlights and a sloped nose. As the story goes, NASCAR made a rule change in 1970 requiring 3,000 of the vehicles to be produced, which was substantially more than the 500 units required by the previous rule. One of the three prototypes ever built and the only one built with the Boss 429 engine is now for sale on eBay with a starting bid of $500,000. With a little more than three days left on the auction there are still no bids, but in the grand scheme of things this seems like a relatively fair price for a rare piece of automobile and racing history.

Red Bull RX-7 goes drift crazy on New Zealand's Crown Range

For the first time ever, the Crown Range, New Zealand's highest paved road, was closed off for the drifting pleasure of one man. That man is Mad Mike Whiddett, and the machine he's piloting is a heavily modified Mazda RX-7 sponsored by the energy-rich crew from Red Bull and powered by a 750-horsepower quad-rotor engine. There will be smoke. Lots and lots of smoke.

Mad Mike hits speeds in excess of 140 miles per hour over the course of the road's six and a half miles, which boasts 47 individual corners at over 3,500 feet of elevation. Scroll down for all kinds of fire-belching, tire-squealing and smoke-inducing action. Or, as Mad Mike himself puts it, "A dream turned into reality."

Watch two championship-winning DTM cars from BMW go head-to-head

BMW recently had a little fun with two of the company's past DTM champions. Roberto Ravaglia and Bruno Spengler, winners of the 1989 and 2012 championships, respectively, both showed up at the world-famous Hockenheimring with their title-winning cars. The two swapped seats, with Ravaglia taking the helm of Spengler's BMW M3 DTM racer and Spengler sliding behind the wheel of Ravaglia's first-generation M3 racer in the classic BMW Bank livery, and headed for the track. Spengler got a 23 second head start in the first-gen M3 with Ravaglia chasing behind.

It didn't take long for the older hotshoe to sort out his new ride and close the gap. The short clip below follows the two as they make their way around the circuit, but the really interesting portion comes when the pair begin discussing what they like and don't like about each other's machines. You can check out the full video below for yourself.

Watch Edo Competition pit a Ferrari FXX against a Maserati MC12 Corsa on the 'Ring

High-zoot supercar tour organizer Gran Turismo Events held its annual Nrburgring track day last month, and in addition to the amateur punters the gates were opened to two tuned supercars from Edo Competition: A Maserati MC12 Corsa and a Ferrari Enzo ZXX. The ZXX, in case you've forgotten, is the same love child of Edo Competition and Zahir Rana's ZR Exotics that belly flopped into the Atlantic during the 2011 Targa Newfoundland.

We get a trip around the Nordschleife with both cars during a no-doubt quick but not insane lap, on board with driver Patrick Simon in the 755-horsepower MC12 and 'Ring queen Sabine Schmitz following in the 840-hp ZXX.

That should be all the build-up you need when the action's in the video below.

Watch the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro long-tail testing at Monza

Audi released a single photo of the long-tailed version of its R18 E-Tron Quattro Le Mans racer, but the photo didn't offer the best view of the stretched rear. The car has been caught testing at Monza, in Italy, and not only do we get a better view of what it's got out back, we get pretty awesome sound as it makes high-speed runs past the camera.

Since the 2013-spec car was found to be down on performance versus the 2012, the long-tail is a different evolution to see if Audi can eke out more performance from its already dominant chassis. Have a look and a listen in the video below.

Nissan prices limited-edition 2014 GT-R Track Edition from $115,710*

Nissan has released its pricing for the model-year 2014 GT-R, including the new Track Edition of Godzilla. The 2014 Nissan GT-R Premium will now command an MSRP of $99,590, while the Black Edition will go for $109,300 and the new Track Edition will ask $115,710 (*not including a $1,000 destination and handling charge for all models).

Nissan calls the GT-R Track Edition its most exclusive model, which makes sense as it will be limited to just 150 examples for the US market. The competition-ready Track Edition gets Bilstein DampTronic shocks and revised spring rates; all chosen after more development work by Nissan engineers at the Nrburgring. (Good work, if you can get it.) A carbon fiber rear spoiler and six-spoke black wheels come with the package, as do blue-trimmed, high-grip front seats inside. To save weight, the car's rear seats have been deleted in this model.

Continue down below to read Nissan's press release, or have a gander at the (quite large) gallery of 2014 Nissan GT-R images.

Lapping Le Mans with 1956's version of a dash cam

Mike Hawthorne and Ivor Bueb won The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955 driving a Jaguar D-Type. The following year, a few days before the race, a British broadcaster put cameras on Hawthorne's car, hung a mic from a plate on his race suit and had him narrate a lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe.

It is compelling viewing. A new pit complex was built after the massive accident on the front straight in 1955, but this was still a time when crews prepped for the race on roads that were open to the public. Hawthorne's lap includes maneuvers to avoid bicyclists and cars, and gems like letting us know that doing 185 miles per hour down the Mulsanne Straight was where you could "relax a little, recover your energy." Watch him work it like the men of old in the video below.