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.