1987 Porsche 944 Base Coupe 2-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin Valkyrie could beat that new Nurburgring record, Red Bull F1 boss says

During last weekend's Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix, Race Fans asked Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner about the Aston Martin Valkyrie. The question was whether the coming hypercar, a collaboration between Red Bull and title sponsor Aston Martin, could beat the stunning lap record around the Nurburgring just set by the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo. Horner's answer: "I'm not sure a Formula 1 car could actually do it, but I think that the Valkyrie — certainly the track version of the Valkyrie — could be a contender." That's a qualified endorsement, but it still counts as support merely putting the Valkyrie AMR Pro in the conversation. Let's compare, shall we? The 919 Hybrid Evo is based on the 2017 World Endurance Championship-winning 919 Hybrid. Freed from motorsport regulations, Porsche Motorsport upgraded numerous performance bits. The 2.0-liter, turbocharged V-four-cylinder went from 500 hp to 720 hp. The two KERS units went from 400 hp to 440 hp. We don't have a figure for downforce, but items like active aero, a larger front diffuser, optimized turning vanes, and larger rear wing increased downforce by 53 percent over the WEC car, at the same time being 66 percent more aero efficient. It weighs 849 kg dry, or 1,868 pounds because Porsche threw out everything that didn't contribute to speed. The Valkyrie specs we know of so far state a weight of 1,000 kilograms, or 2,200 pounds. Powering that is a custom, naturally aspirated, 6.5-liter AMR Cosworth V12 with more than 900 horsepower, augmented by a kinetic energy recovery system contributing around 230 hp. According to Autocar's sources, the Valkyrie could generate up to 4,000 pounds of downforce at an aerodynamically-limited 225 miles per hour. That boggling number comes courtesy of Adrian Newey's prowess at making changes such as openings between the front wheel arches and the cockpit that work the front wing harder. The two-seater coupe's unrestricted top speed is 254 mph. Note, though, that the Valkyrie AMR Pro will be more powerful, lighter, and could have even more downforce. And since Aston Martin and Newey continue to work on the hypercar, specs could get even better before deliveries begin. Right now, Horner's suggestion doesn't seem all that outrageous. We'll also wait to see if the Mercedes-AMG Project One pokes its nose in the ring, too. Not long ago, AMG chief Tobias Moers said it's "reasonable to speculate" the F1-inspired hypercar could claim an absolute lap record around the 'Ring.

6 car mashups that God never intended

In the 2000s, the musical mashup genre saw a peak of popularity with releases like The Grey Album from Danger Mouse that mixed The Beatles and Jay-Z. UK artist James Pursey from Carwow decided to take the same concept of shoehorning two disparate things together but applied the concept to cars. Your opinion on the results will vary with your sense of humor. These creations are either some funny pieces of abstract art or absolute monstrosities that prove good design should be left alone. Likely the best of the bunch is the Lambotomic (pictured above), which combines a Lamborghini Miura and an Ariel Atom. Granted, the Ariel is little more than a skeleton to begin with, and the outcome looks like a slightly stretched Atom with the new nose and tail from one of the most beautiful vehicles ever. This could actually work. Though, not all of the mashups are quite so pleasant. The Porschiac WW RS (pictured right) is absolutely disgusting. It combines a Pontiac Aztek, which isn't a beauty queen to start with, and a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Obviously, the 911 is an iconic shape in autonobolia, but that can't save it from the horror of the Aztek. Pursey fits the its nose, wheel, wing, roll cage and stripes onto the Pontiac. The outcome: A design that will show up in your nightmares. Check out the gallery for the rest of the mashups, including the Humi (a Humvee and a Mini), Aston Smartin (Aston Martin and Smart), Rangerini (Range Rover and Lamborghini Aventador) and the Mazdafenda (Mazda MX-5 Miata and Land Rover Defender). They might not all be beautiful (or even pretty), but it's fun to imagine these oddball creations actually driving down the road. Featured Gallery Car Mashups News Source: CarwowImage Credit: James Pursey Design/Style Humor Lamborghini Pontiac Porsche ariel atom lamborghini miura pontiac aztek mashup

Porsche drivers escape this horrific VIR crash unscathed

There is no doubting the fact that it takes nerves of steel to be a racecar driver, but the same can also be said for motorsports photographers. Case in point: The American Le Mans Series Oak Tree Grand Prix at the Virginia International Raceway where two Porsche 911 racecars crash hard into the tire barrier, but the dedicated cameraman stays with the shot - diving away only at the last second just as the battered No. 31 car (shown above) comes to rest atop the tire barriers just feet from where he was standing.
The crash occurred when the two Porsches charged hard into a corner. Judging by the video, the white No. 48 car appears to not see the orange No. 31 and the two cars make contact, skidding off track hitting the tire barriers at a high rate of speed. Both drivers walked away from the frightening crash, but the video - posted below - shows just how bad things could have been. Hopefully the close call will serve as a lesson for the woman standing in the track marshal's post who has her back to the racing as the two cars barrel directly toward her.