Lotus logo - Photo Credit: GP3 Media Service

Group Lotus’ bid for a grant from the Regional Growth Fund has been successful, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has confirmed. The funding will help Norfolk-based Lotus in the creation of jobs and growth in the local area.

According to Lotus, the funding will support ‘the industrial research element of the production’ of their future product range. It will help to ensure that the manufacturing of Lotus cars remains in the UK in the coming years, as well as helping to create a ‘considerable number of new jobs over the next five to six years’.

“This is great news for all those concerned about Group Lotus moving production overseas,” said CEO Dany Bahar. “To say that we’re pleased with the result would be an understatement.

“We are an authentic British automotive manufacturer with an incredible heritage and an exciting future ahead, this funding will play a role in assisting with the realisation of our business plan to produce a new range of sports cars with best in class performance and emissions.

“We would like to thank everyone for their support during the bid process. The local authorities, MPs and the local enterprise partnership have all played a role in helping us secure this funding – we’re very grateful, it’s nice to know people feel strongly enough to act on our behalf.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “We need to be doing all we can to enable businesses and organisations to create much needed jobs and inject private investment into the economy.

“We have announced today that a further 162 projects will benefit from the fund, and expect to deliver a huge number of jobs across their businesses and in the supply chain.

“This is a very significant boost to local communities, and the Regional Growth Fund will help businesses like Lotus to drive local growth.”

The Infiniti M35h

This week, a student-built electric car from Brigham Young University (BYU) set a land speed record of 155.8 mph, the fastest ever for an electric car. This is the second such record from electric or hybrid cars in the past month, the other being Infiniti’s M35h entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for fastest hybrid car with a 13.9 second quarter mile. These are far from the speeds seen in professional racing, but do these electric and hybrid racers have anything to contribute?

For context, the professional racing speed record is 251.2 mph, seen at Le Mans in 1997. The F1 record of 224.9mph was set by David Coulthard in 1999. Even this can’t reach the dizzying heights of 763 mph, the current land speed record set in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert in 1997, and teams are at work to break the 1,000mph barrier next year.

The “Electric Blue” car from students at BYU weighs less than 1,100 pounds and barely has an inch of ground clearance. The record was the result of seven years of work by unpaid student who overcame a high-speed crash last year as well as challenges unique to EVs such as heavy batteries. The record was an average of two runs, one of which reached speeds of 175 mph.

However, it is Infiniti’s hybrid that piques our interest. Their involvement with Red Bull Racing means they have a vested interest in experimenting with speed. The Infiniti M35h’s 67hp electric motor combined with the 302hp V6 engine to achieve this acceleration record, which could eventually lead to technologies to help racers looking for a boost coming out of the pit.

Infiniti’s focus is on luxury and efficiency rather than record-breaking speed, and the recent record only puts it on par with the 1998 BMW M3. However, with more EVs and hybrid cars breaking speed records ever year, it seems like manufacturers are trying to position electric as the new normal – just a fast car, rather than “fast for a hybrid”.  Hopefully, developments in the next decade will lead to electric technology that brings both more power and more green awareness to the sport.

During his career in design Murray worked for both the Brabham and McLaren teams in Formula One, a leading member of the team that designed some of the most successful (and occasionally controversial) cars in the history of the sport.

However, it is reportedly only by a twist of fate that the South African born Murray joined Brabham after a chance meeting with the team’s designer Ron Tauranac. He actually began his career in motorsport aiming to work for Lotus, something which he has only accomplished with this appointment.

“For years I’ve been a huge admirer of Lotus,” said Murray. “I have great respect for the legacy that Colin Chapman created and I think what Dany and the team are doing is a really good thing for the brand. He’s taking the strength from Chapman’s principals and taking the business to the next level whilst still keeping the general ethos – not an easy task! I’m really looking forward to contributing to Group Lotus during this exciting time.”

His position on the Lotus Advisory Board will find him as part of a team – with other automotive industry icons Bob Lutz, Tom Purves, Prof. Dr. Burkhard Göschel and Frank Tuch – helping to from the current and future development of several aspects of Group Lotus’ business, from marketing and distribution to technology and brand.

“Gordon has never been afraid to trail blaze, take risks and do things differently, these are attribute that we are very familiar with and very proud of at Lotus,” said Group Lotus Chief Executive Dany Bahar. “With his incredible and unique motorsport and design experience he will complement the existing council line up perfectly. We’re very much looking forward to working with him.”

Gumpert Apollo - Photo credit: Fred Pettit

This week we were given  the unique opportunity by MICHELIN to get a couple of laps in the Gumpert Apollo supercar.

The Apollo holds the record around the Nürburgring for the fastest lap for a production road-legal car with a lap time of 7:11.57.

Hope you enjoy the video below…

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19hKFB9UbDg

Editors Note: Sorry it’s not the smoothest of video – recorded on a handheld video camera.

Car specifications

Manufacturer: Gumpert
Production: 2005–present
Layout: rear-wheel drive
Engine: 4.2 L (260 cu in) twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: 6-speed sequential manual
Wheelbase: 2,700 mm (106.3 in)
Length: 4,249 mm (167.3 in)
Width: 1,994 mm (78.5 in)
Height: 1,105 mm (43.5 in)
Curb weight: 1,100 kg (2,400 lb) to 1,200 kg (2,600 lb)
Designer: Roland Gumpert and Roland Mayer

3 engine types available:

• Base version – approximately 650 PS (478 kW; 641 bhp)
• Sport version – approximately 700 PS (515 kW; 690 bhp)
• Race version – approximately 800 PS (588 kW; 789 bhp)

Speed overview:

• Top speed is 360.4 km/h (223.9 mph)
• 0-100 km/h (62 mph) reached in 2.21 seconds
• 0-200 km/h (120 mph) in 8.8 seconds.

“Britain is famous for its sportscars but until now no one has ever been able to say which one is the best. That’s a long-running debate we have now put to rest,” said Silverstone Classic Event Director, Nick Wigley.

The iconic Jaguar collected nearly a quarter of the votes cast, easily beating the similarly iconic Morgan and the TVR Griffith into second and third.

The vote was set-up by organisers of Silverstone Classic (July 22-24), the world’s largest classic motorsport festival that this year features a celebration of the iconic E-Type.

The highlight of the celebration will be two headline races during the weekend, both with 58 cars expected to take to the Silverstone Grand Prix track from the new brand new Silverstone Wing paddock. Organisers also hope to set a world record with over 1,000 road going examples making up a cavalcade around the 3.66 mile circuit.

The 2011 Silverstone Classic is set to be the biggest event yet with over 100 historic F1 cars expected for the weekend, as well as a grid of Group C sportscars that will race into the dusk on Saturday night. The program also includes a celebrity race, using identical Morgan cars, with drivers including TV chef Heston Blumenthal and Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Brendan Cole raising money for the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK.

As well as the on track action aerial display teams and live bands provide entertainment of a different sort, with Suzi Quatro, 10cc and Wishbone Ash earning the 2011 its strapline – Rocking And Racing.

For more information, including how to book tickets at special advance prices visit www.silverstoneclassic.com

The MP4-12C is the first of a new range of McLaren road cars with a hollow carbon fibre chassis. Watson won the 1981 British Grand Prix in a McLaren MP4/1 F1 car that introduced the concept of the carbon monocoque which offered lightness, while preserving strength, a trait Watson attests after walking away from a high-speed crash that same season.

“I’m very proud to have been a part of McLaren launching the first carbon fibre chassis in Formula 1,” said Watson. “After that crash in Monza, I was back driving one of our Formula 1 test cars within four days at Donington. Despite the accident appearing horrific to those watching, I was clearly protected by a safety cell of the strength and rigidity the world of Formula 1 had never before seen. I’m sure that because of that innovative technology, I walked away unscathed.”

Since then McLaren have routinely used carbon structures in the F1 machines, as well as the McLaren F1 sportscar that won the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours and the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren – to date the most commercially successful carbon-based car.

The new car will try to surpass that mark, being the first car with a one piece carbon chassis available for less that £200,000 and with the manufacturing process honed further the MonoCell safety cell can be made in just four hours, compared to the 300 hours needed for the SLR. This process is central to McLaren’s plans to produce a range of carbon based sportscars.

“The MP4-12C is mind-bogglingly quick!” was Watson’s frank assessment of the 592hp machine. “It is by far and away the fastest road car I’ve ever driven. Between 80-130 mph it really feels as fast as my old Formula 1 car. I only drive it in Normal mode, so I can’t begin to imagine what it is like in Sport or Track modes!”

‘Aston Martin Explore’ has been developed in conjunction with Aston Martin’s design and engineering teams and is said to ‘reflect Aston Martin’s unique approach to automotive manufacture – fusing a strong heritage and traditional craftsmanship with modern leading technology.’

The app allows users to access exclusive video and sound clips as well as a complete virtual tour of the company’s Gaydon headquarters in the UK.

In addition, the app includes an ‘acoustically accurate accelerometer’ and real life content, such as sounds from the entire current model line-up being driven to extreme on the track.

The marque also hopes that regular updates of all the latest Aston Martin news and exclusive content as well as all updates via Aston Martin’s social network presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will mean the app is a must have for all Aston Martin enthusiasts.

The app will be free to download from the iPhone App Store from the 22^nd of December, with a version compatible with the iPad to follow in early 2011. The company also look to launch a ‘premium’ app early next year called the ‘Aston Martin Experience.’

In addition to its unique aerodynamic styling and its impressive power and torque, a number of technical advancements will be pioneered and proven on the Abruzzi. The composite material forming its body is breaks new ground in environmental design and construction represented by the Recyclable Energy Absorbing Matrix System body system – R.E.A.M.S. ®. Possessing the ability to stop a bullet from 20 feet, it is dent-resistant, shatter-proof, recyclable, and lighter than carbon fiber. Abruzzi also introduces TRIFECTACOOLING® technology. In addition to a normal high-efficiency radiator located behind the rear window, there are stage two and stage three systems that lower coolant temperature on both the inflow to and the outflow from the radiator.

Added to the breakthrough in the car’s technology is the delivery method. Purchasers of the Abruzzi will take delivery of the car only at the venue that served as the inspiration for its design, receiving a 2-day course from professional drivers on the Bugatti Circuit of Le Mans. Each vehicle will be associated with a specific Le Mans 24 Hour race, taking on as part of its chassis number, the specific race date and initials of the winning drivers. The opportunity to drive a parade lap of the full Circuit de la Sarthe for that particular year as well as hospitalities by Panoz at the ACO’s facilities in the “Module Sportif” are all included in the package.

This recently released photograph, divulges changes to the headlights but an otherwise intact design. Under the hood of the hand-built, front-engine, rear-trans axle car is  a Corvette ZR1 LS9 motor producing 640 horsepower and 590 ft.-lbs of torque and will remain relatively stock. As a limited edition, only 81 cars will be crafted over the span of 3 years to coincide with the 81st running of the 24 hours of Le Mans in 2013. With the road-going super car not expected to be homologated until the end of the year, the Abruzzi will race unclassified, alongside Porsche’s 911 GT3 R Hybrid in the season-ending American Le Mans Series round.

The two prestigious US-built names will be represented by a pair of new models including the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1. Both cars will take part in the Festival of Speed’s Moving Motorshow on July 1 before participating in the supercar run up the famous hill throughout the three day weekend.

“A couple of years ago, Chevrolet was a brand you wouldn’t have seen at Goodwood,” said Chevrolet UK Managing Director Mark Terry. “But we’ve come so far in so little time that we’re now a brand that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most prestigious names in performance motoring.”

The presence of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 marks the reunion, in Europe at least, of the bow-tie brand name and it’s legendary car, with the Corvette will be sold as part of the Corvette range from this year on, rather than its own standalone brand.

“These iconic cars, such as Corvette and Camaro, are clear indicators of how strong Chevrolet’s brand heritage is,” added Mr. Terry. “The fact that they are here, in Europe, being sold as Chevrolets is the clearest indication yet of the confidence that General Motors has in the Chevrolet brand, and the direction it is headed in Europe.”

Alongside the American muscle cars there will also be some Chevrolets that are slightly more familiar to European audiences as British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) driver Jason Plato and Alex MacDowall and their Silverline Chevrolet racing Chevrolet Cruzes will be in attendance. One of the team’s cars will be driven up the hill by the two works drivers behind the wheel on different days.

The treat for rally fans will include the 1980s “King of Africa” 380hp Celica Twin Cam TA64 Group B car, the Corolla WRC that took 25 podiums between 1997 and 1999. However, arguably the highlight will be the Celica ST185 which was driven by legends including Carlos Sainz, Juha Kankkunen and Didier Auriol for a golden period between 1992 and 1994 which included taking the company’s first manufacturer title in 1993 taking seven rally victories in the process.

The Celica name, of course, continues to this day and the car’s modern iteration – the Toyota Sprint Series Celica GT4. Drivers Jonny Milner and Adrian Smith will be attempting to set the fastest hillclimb time of the weekend in the 600hp car (which also has the added boost of a nitrous oxide kick providing 150 additional horsepower).

Not that even that will make it the most powerful Toyota at Goodwood thanks to the efforts of Javier Quiros in bringing an all-conquering, and frankly rather frightening sounding, 900hp Supra GT, to Surrey for the Festival of Speed.

From Costa Rica.

Also present will be the Lexus LFA of Gazoo Racing that scored Lexus’ first ever class at the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May, which will appear with its road going counterpart.

Toyota’s involvement at the Festival of Speed extends to a pair of static pavilions showcasing the technology and innovation. That includes the 1999 GT One Le Mans 24 Hours challenger, and the Polar Hilux that became the first car ever to be driven to the magnetic North Pole at the hands of TVs Top Gear team.

The Technology Pavillion will house the UK debut of the Lexus CT 200h, the car that embodies the latest in Lexus’ hybrid technology, ahead of it launch into the market in early 2011.

Visitors will also be the first in the UK to see the FT-86 concept, Toyota’s vision for a new, compact rear-wheel drive sports car. Aygo Crazy and Gazoo Racing’s eye-catching take on iQ demonstrate that being small is no barrier to performance, while the new Auris Hybrid will fly the flag for British manufacturing excellence.

BMW, Vauxhall and Mini are three of the latest marques to publically confirm examples of their machinery for the weekend, the trio’s involvement arguably headlined by the British debut of BMW’s M3 GT2 ‘Art Car’ that raced at Le Mans.

The Jeff Koons designed car is the seventeenth ‘Art Car’, following in the tradition that includes David Hockney and Andy Warhol. BMW works driver – veteran of WTCC and ALMS campaigns as well as their troubled Le Mans tilt – Dirk Muller will be given the responsibility of driving the car on Goodwood’s iconic hillclimb, as well as being on hand to sign autographs at the unique event.

As well as their most recent racecar part of BMW’s history – a 328 Touring model – will also be taking to the hill. The exact same – superleggera (superlight) Touring Coupe – car won the 1940 Mille Miglia driven by Huschke von Hanstein and Walter Bäumer. The car will make the trip to the UK off the back of running in and winning the 2010 version of the legendary Italian event which stretches between Brescia, Mantua and Cremona.

Driving the machine up the hill on all three days will be a man with his own page in BMW’s racing history – former BTCC driver Steve Soper.

Mini too will bring some of their racing heritage to Goodwood, celebrating the little’s car rallying record with 1967 Monte Carlo Rally winner Finn Rauno Aaltonen driving a 1964 Monte Carlo car on Goodwood’s forest rally stage on Saturday and Sunday. Mini promise that a handful of lucky people will also be able to climb into the passenger seat beside the 72-year-old, known as the rally professor.

However, the Festival of Speed is as much about the history and future of the car in general as it is motorsport, Mini embracing the future by showing an race version of their Mini E – an electric powered, zero emissions car. The Mini E Race features a 204hp electric engine powered by a over 5,000 lithium ion batteries – the same as the road going version. However, the race version also features lightened bodywork and race spec suspension, brakes and tyres, allowing it to lap the Nordschleife in 9:51 in May.

Mini will also offer visitors a chance to see its current range of road cars up close.

Vauxhall will also use Goodwood to showcase an electric car the Ampera Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV), which Vauxhall describe as “groundbreaking” completing a two-week promotional tour with a drive up the hill.

The car will be the third Vauxhall to complete the hill climb, starting with a sneak preview of the new 6.2 litre V8 powered VXR8 – the car appearing as part of First Glance/Supercar group. In stark contrast the other Vauxhall to attempt the drive will be a 1911 C-type Prince Henry – one the earliest of nine surviving cars.

The VXR Power Events will include a schedule of track days, night sprints and road trips to the world famous Nurburgring as well as the Le Mans circuit, and the VXR Power Festival. These aim to demonstrate the strength and breadth of the VXR Product line up and market the VXR brand to owners, prospective owners and car lovers in general.

The Vauxhall marketing director, Andy Gibson, said that the Power Event series has been created as the brands moves away from its involvement with the British Touring Car Championship and moves towards community based interaction as well as leverage with the social interaction with the brand.

The car manufacturer plans to make the VXR power events a regular thing, for car enthusiasts, like music festivals for music lovers.

The events will be publicised online, via email, the official VXR forum and a direct mail campaign.

The events will be run between April and August, with the finale taking place at the home of the British Grand Prix, Silverstone, on the August bank holiday. This event will be a 2 day event, called the Power Festival.

The VXR Sprint nights will occur at five different airfield venues, and will provide the VXR owners a chance to test their driving abilities in timed 0-60 challenges, and quarter mile challenges, and the chance to set the fastest time on a specially created autotest track.

Vauxhall themselves will provide the cars for the events, but owners are invited to bring their own cars for the events, and put their cars to the test.

As well as the power events, VXR will also host the VXR Karting Challenges, which is a calendar of team endurance karting races, with the finale being held alongside the Power Festival at Silverstone.

Gibson said “VXR continues to be a key component of the Vauxhall brand. With VX Racing’s BTCC campaign now finished, it’s important that we continue to reinforce the success and excellence of our VXR models, and engage both existing and prospective customers at activities like these.”

The 911 will feature the innovative hybrid drive system which was being developed for the F1 car (KERS) during the previous season but following on from the decision by teams to drop KERS for 2010 Williams continued development of the system for applications in road vehicles.

Ian Foley, Managing Director of Williams Hybrid Power said, “We are delighted to see our technology being adopted by one of the world’s leading engineering companies and most prestigious automotive manufacturers in one of their racing cars. Partnering with Porsche on this project has been a very positive experience and we are grateful to them for choosing to work with us.”

Alex Burns, Chairman of Williams Hybrid Power and Chief Operating Officer of Williams F1 said, “This is a milestone for both Williams Hybrid Power and Williams F1. Together we have worked to bring this technology forward to the point where it can be tested in a racing car and deployed in a road car. We hope that this will be just the start of the evolution of hybrid systems developed for Formula One moving across to applications where they can contribute to cleaner and more powerful vehicles.”

Here’s the technical info from Porsche on how the system works: The flywheel generator itself is an electric motor with its rotor spinning at speeds of up to 40,000 rpm, storing energy mechanically as rotation energy. The flywheel generator is charged whenever the driver applies the brakes, with the two electric motors reversing their function on the front axle and acting themselves as generators. Then, whenever necessary, that is when accelerating out of a bend or when overtaking, the driver is able to call up extra energy from the charged flywheel generator, the flywheel being slowed down electromagnetically in the generator mode and thus supplying up to 120 kW to the two electric motors at the front from its kinetic energy. This additional power is available to the driver after each charge process for approximately 6 – 8 seconds.

Following it’s debut in Geneva the 911 GT3 R Hybrid will be tested on long-distance runs on the Nurburgring including the 24 hour race on the Nordschleife on May 15-16.

Porsche say that the focus of the work is not to win the race but serve as a spearhead in technology and a ‘racing laboratory’ providing know-how on the subsequent use of hybrid technology in road-going sports cars.

To my detriment,  I’ll choose to  ignore  the sound advice offered by the great Harold Evans in which he warns against verbal viscosity, and write  the following;  I believe on a very personal level that amongst the many benefits attributed to motor sports,   it brings forth a perpetual cognisance, and sense of aesthetic awareness, to our understanding of technology, history and mobility.

In other words, it  attributes to some form of  clarity in my everyday life.

Thus, no auto car with the slightest hint of racing livery is allowed to escape an enthusiast’s critical eye, often leading to more in-depth research and greater historical analysis. Dare I write it’s a bit like train- spotting, but  be advised, should you dare make this analogy in the presence of another  auto enthusiast there’s  a  chance you’ll suffer some demonstrable act of violence.

I remember this summer being in rather unfamiliar territory; an affluent neighbourhood in Stockholm called Huddinge (Hund-ding-ger) to be exact, and almost scaling somebody’s fence in order to get a good photograph of a sporty looking maroon GT with racing stripes.  Luckily I was able to curb my enthusiasm before I got into any serious trouble with any of neighbourhood residents.  Let me assure you it’s twice a benign burden when your profession and hobby cembraces automobiles and photography in unison.

So, I’m often in a ‘surreptitious state of alert’ when passing through Greenwich Park. Even though I broke my  Olympus camera last month and haven’t got around to procuring a new one, I always have my  mobile  phone camera within reach on  a hair- trigger-mode,  having learned with great difficulty to adapt to its limitations.

Aside from bare trees and fallen amber leaves in Greenwich Park being instrumental in reminding me that I live in a wonderful part of the world ( till I move to California or Cannes), I have been fortunate from time to time to encounter  some rare automobiles parked, in the Park.

Prior to this weekend, the last car to demand my interest was a 2009 Nissan Fairlady Z parked on the tarmac during this year’s annual Thai festival in Greenwich Park.  I reckoned the car is rarer than a Nissan GT-R in London so I indulged in an impromptu examination of its ergonomic layout.  However, as I mentioned earlier, yesterday my discovery in the Park was a WRC EVO2 Skoda Octavia,  Circa 1999.

The car  had no safety roll cage. Furthermore, it had all front and rear seats in place, which indicated to me it is not currently being ‘raced’ competitively.  Aside from that, everything else about the car, including its original white rimmed rally wheels, was a bold declaration of a glorious racing past.

On  both right and left rear windows, there was the name M. Hiemar (AB+) written  above another  name,  A. Schwarz (O+), with  AB+ and O+ being  blood types in case of a serious accident.   Armed with these bite size facts I couldn’t help but dig deeper into the history of the car. For even if this particular model turned out to be slightly inauthentic, I was certain it would open up a much larger narrative.  I wasn’t mistaken.

At the centre of this narrative is 46 year old German Rally Driver Armin Schwarz alongside his Co-Driver Manfred Hiemer,  who both raced  this  (Skoda Works) Skoda Octavia EVO2 between 1999 and 2001 in the WRC.   Armin Schwarz’s Rallying career can be traced back to 1987; however he’s had an eventful career leading up to the present.

He recently participated in the 2008 SCORE International Off Road Racing event,   featuring in the Unlimited Class races of both the Baja 500 and 1000.

He started racing with Co Driver Manfred Hiemer in 1998.  However, the Skoda Octavia EVO2 stats during 1999 WRC season are so unimpressive one could appear flummoxed as to why the Germans stayed with the car for two more seasons before moving on to Hyundai in 2002.

Of the nine stages of the 1999 season, the Skoda finished only one stage in 12^th place without some sort of accident or technical failure. The 2000-01 seasons were marginally better with stage wins in each season but mediocre success overall.   It’s almost fair to assume even the elements conspired against the Skoda Octavia Rally bid.

In its final year during the Argentine stage of the WRC the car was parked up  only for a Fire Truck of all things, to tip over crush the parked car seriously injuring Skoda’s CEO  Jens Pohlman in the process.

When the German Rallying team of Schwarz and Hiemer returned to Skoda Works in 2004 , they joined mid season with a Skoda Fabia  2003 WRC  homologation. While the Schwartz and Hiemer have moved on to bigger and better things, it’s good to see bits of their Rallying legacy in unassuming places like Greenwich Park.

The last time the famous race was held was back in 1957, with this being the cut-off year for entries for 2010, but there will also see 120 Ferrari’s built between 1958 and present precede the 360 classic cars.

With the unsurprising amount of entries it’s going to be a task in itself to choose the participants, this is why a special committee has been formed which will include Piero Ferrari.

The post-1957 cars will be separated in their own standings with recent V8 and V12 cars, for supercars, such as the Enzo, F50, F40 and GTO, and for older models which will be divided into road, competition and sports cars.

The classifications will be decided by regularity trials over specific sections, to include the Fiorano circuit during the Maranello stage, and others to be confirmed.

With the Monaco GP date being moved, the Mille Miglia has been brought forward to the first weekend in May, with the event starting on 5 May with scrutineering.

The classic route will take drivers all the way to Rome after which they make their way back to Brescia, via Siena, Florence and Maranello by the evening of Saturday, May 8th. The entry fee includes hotel and catering, and at 6,040 euro (including taxes) is the same as the fee for the actual race.

For anyone lucky enough to own a Ferrari they can get their pre-entry form by logging on to: http://millemigliatribute.ferrari.com or emailing millemigliatribute@ferrari.com

The video features Dick Glover, McLaren Automotive Technical Director and Chris Goodwin, Chief Test Driver as well as general views of McLaren Technology Centre and 12C’s testing.

Video courtesy of McLaren Automotive.

The even marked the World Finals the traditional event by the Prancing Horse at the end of the motorsport season, starting today at the Ricardo Tormo di Cheste Circuit.

The parade included a Ferrari California, a 599 GTB Fiorano, a 612 Scaglietti, the 458 Italia, the latest Ferrari model, a F430 Challenge, aF4 30 GT2 from the international GT Championship and an FXX, from the development programme.

There was also a taste of F1 from Ferrari test driver Marc Genè, with the 2008 Constructors’ championship winning F2008

Photo courtesy of Ferrari

Photo courtesy of Ferrari

Photo courtesy of Ferrari

Photo courtesy of Ferrari

Photo courtesy of Ferrari

The auction was the climax of the Gala dinner organized by Ferrari at the Red Gate Gallery in Beijing. Lu Hao, the first Chinese artist to work with Ferrari, created this special model decorated with Song Dynasty Ge Kiln pottery patterns.

The proceeds from this auction will fund outstanding students and young teachers of Tsinghua Universitys Department of Automotive Engineering to study at Italys Politecnico di Milano University and internship at Ferraris headquarters.

Video courtesy of Ferrari S.P.a.

Video courtesy of Porsche AG.

Video courtesy of Porsche AG.