Autosport International 2010 - Part 1

Well the new decade of 2010 has arrived, no Tokyo Auto Salon for me (which Ill admit Im not too disappointed over), so instead I went to the big show in the UK which takes place at the same time as TAS - Autosport International. This is Europes biggest motorsport show and there is plenty to see from grassroots stuff to F1 and everything inbetween so plenty of sportscars to see too, along with supercars, and none better or rarer than the new Lexus LFA above...

and below. I like it, very aggressive and underneath it is nothing short of amazing with its 560bhp, 4.8L V10 engine, carbon fibre/aluminium bodywork,6 speed sequential gearbox and multi-link suspension.


Alas the price puts most off - €580,000 in Ireland, with a vetting procedure also (Lexus wont sell this car to just anyone) and a rumoured 2 year compulsory lease on the car too..

Almost makes the £120,000GBP Nissan GTR SpecV look cheap....

Maybe modify the 'normal' R35 by spraying it midnight purple (note the reg)

Probably the biggest news at the show for me though was the annoucement that Sumo Power / JR Motorsport in partnership with Nismo will be running a pair of R35 GT1's in the new FIA GT1 World Championship in 2010

But will it visit Le Mans this year and race with the 2009 winning Peugeot 908 HDi FAP? Ill be there in June so will find out...

Also on display was the Bloodhound SSC - aiming to raise the land speed record to 1000mph....

with help of a hybrid jet/rocket engine from a Eurofighter Typhoon jet, which has an F1 engine onboard the car as the fuel pump.....

The Brawn BGP001 certainly drew the crowds..

as did 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button

and I think the BGP001 will go down in history as 1 of the great F1 cars, like this classic Maserati 250F

Part 2 coming soon

Oh dear

What happens when you can afford a R34 GTT but not quite stretch to a R35 GTR.........

Time Attack 2009 Round 5 - Snetterton - The Final

The final of the 2009 Time Attack Series took place at Snetterton

Pro/Club Pro/Prototype/Openwheel Class

First in Pro was Phil Glew in the Zen Performane Impreza, setting a time of 1.11.03 which was rain affected but had earlier set the fastest time of the day with 1.09.7

The sole prototype entry, Andy Gallachers AG Motorsport Ford Focus - 4wd, Cosworth engined and almost 700bhp with a partially spaceframed chassis to boot. He set a faster time than Glew in the Superbattle final with 1.10.3 but the car is inegible for points in 2009. Hopefully a few more prototype cars will enter in 2010 to give Andy some competition and the rest of the grid a scare

Second in Pro with 1.11.8 and sealing second in the Pro championship for 2009 was Steve Gugliemi in his Gugliemi Motorsport Elise

Third overall and first in ClubPro was James Nicholls in the Car Planet Racing Evo 6 with a time of 1.11.8, sealing him the ClubPro championship for 2009

Fourth overall was Gareth Lloyd in the second CPR Evo with a time of 1.12.5

Fifth overall was Adrian Smith in the Fensport Celica - 1.14.9

Club Class

First in club class was Russ Paton in the Wallace Performance Evo 6, 1.14.3

Duncan Graham sealed the Club championship with 2nd place, 1.14.9 in his Race Dynamix Impreza. Club Pro promotion for next year hopefully

Third in class, Marcus Webster in his Nissan Skyline R32 GTR

And a few randoms...

Middlehurst R35 GTR - UK built and authorised NISMO Club Sport Package

Richard Jones -Evo 8- Club 4WD - 1.18.2 - 13th overall

David Ward, BMW Mini -Club FF, 1.22.4, 21st overall


Not much info on this Porsche 933 GT3 on the timing sheets :(

Simon Deaton - Evo 8,Club 4WD 1.15.7 - 4th overall

Never mind 'precision driving and stunts' a 5 ton racing truck going around the track is the ultimate half time show

Steve Linton - Supra, Club RWD 1.20.01,16th overall, 3rd in class

Jamie Reynolds,Lotus Elise - Club RWD,1.16.1, 5th overall, 1st in class

So once again its Roger Clark Motorsport that take the overall title in 2009, but not as smoothly as in 2008. Will the opposition finally outclass them in 2010? Who knows.....

Video - FIA GT Championship

Found this video to give you an idea of how fast and loud these cars are. All the GT1 cars are V8's, including the Nissan GTR, with the exception of the Maserati MC12 which is a V12

Suggested Volume Setting = 11

Sound like Thunder, go like Lightning - FIA GT Championship

Drifting and Time Attack are good, but the odd time a good old fashioned race can be better, so what could be better than exotic sportscar racing and the FIA GT championship at Silverstone

Nothing like a multi million dollar grid, this is the GT3 cup

Or a multi million dollar pit area, no jeeps pulling trailers here, but plenty of trucks, hospitality areas and motorhomes
And all the action, covered on the big screen

Onto the action and the main race, the RAC Tourist Trophy, won by the K plus K motorsport Saleen S7R

Second was the VitaPhone Racing Maserati MC12

Third was the SRT Corvette C6R

There will be new rules for the GT1 category and there were 2 new cars running to these rules, firstly the awesome Ford GT, build by Matech Racing

and the eagerly awaited Nissan R35 GTR, run by Gigawave Motorsport and Nismo. The GTR retired, but the Fords managed 8th and 10th

The winner in GT2 was the ProSpeed Porsche 997 GT3 RS, seen here behind another rumbling GT1 Corvette. GT2 was Porsche 997 vs Ferrari F430, with a sole Aston Martin

on the grid

and behind the Wiesmann GT MF5 safety car

Also on the bill for the weekend was the FIA European GT3 Championship, both races won by the distinctive Morgan Aero 8 GT3, seen here overtaking a Ferrari F430 Scuderia

The GT3 had the biggest and most varied grid though, aswell as the Morgan and Ferrari it featured:

Lamborghini Gallardo GT3

Audi R8 LMS

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S

Jaguar XKR-S

Ford GT

BMW Alpina B6 GT3

Viper Competition Coupe

Corvette Z06R GT3

Aston Martin DBRS9

But the main attraction was still the GT1 cars for most, late on Saturday evening you could have a good look around them as they left scrutineering

But they belong on the track, making you feel your ear drums vibrate and your stomach rumbling.....