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24 Hours of Le Mans an on-and-off love affair

There was little usual about this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans - intermittent rain in the weeks before the race meant cars didn't get on track as much as they wanted, and intermittent rain during the race meant cars went off track a lot more than they wanted. The race started with a wet track, and one of the records broken because of the random downpours was the number of times the safety car led the field - 11 times this year - although the record of two hours and 53 minutes of lapping behind the safety car, set in 2011, was not eclipsed.
None of that served to dampen the action. With little more than an hour left in the race there were cars still only a few seconds apart fighting for position, leads still changing because of pit stops and everyone drafting anyone they could.
Things didn't go the usual way up front, either - well, not exactly...

Porsche Cayman GT4 speeds back into view

We're all familiar with the succession of numbers that follow the letters GT on a hard-core Porsche 911: the GT1 that was Stuttgart's Le Mans contender in the late 90s, the GT2 that packs turbochargers but without the Turbo's all-wheel drive and excess weight, and the naturally aspirated GT3 that's the enthusiast's choice. But a GT4? That's something new, and exactly what Porsche has in store.
Spied testing in Germany once again is the upcoming GT4 version of the Porsche Cayman, set to supersede the existing GTS and take the place of the previous Cayman R at the top of Porsche's junior sports car range. This latest batch of spy shots doesn't show us much more than the last crop, but gives us a much clearer view at what promises to be the most hardcore Cayman to date.
As you can see, the Cayman GT4 packs a much more aggressive aero kit and rolling stock than any version we've seen to date. It's got a lip spoiler, big air dam and GT3-style vent in front of the hood, deep air scoops along the flanks, a set of spindly alloys packing oversized brakes, a diffuser with twin central exhaust tips around back and a rear wing that's likely to be replaced with a sleeker unit before the GT4 reaches production.

Studiotorino shows new Cayman-based Moncenisio sports car

While the recent bankruptcy of Bertone shows that it has become very difficult to be a coachbuilder today, it seems there is still a business case in creating unique bodies for premium vehicles. Case in point, Studiotorino a small, Italian coachbuilder that has been creating limited-edition cars since 2005. Its latest creation is the Moncenisio, which debuted as a prototype at the National Automobile Museum of Turin on March 21. It's named after the 1902 Susa-Moncenisio race in Italy, the first automotive hillclimb in the world.
The Moncenisio begins life as Porsche Cayman S, and each car will be built to order with a planned production run of 19 examples. The chassis, mechanicals and engine are all left untouched. The only thing that Studiotorino alters are the body panels and interior appointments. Prices start at at a heady 145,000 euros ($200,420 US), plus the cost of the donor vehicle.
Architect Daniele Gaglione penned the shape of the Moncenisio, taking inspiration from the 1963 Porsche 904. The sports coupes receive carbon fiber pieces that replace the front bumper, side panels and rear bumper. Studiotorino also covers the rear side windows with welded metal panels. The design is still clearly a Cayman, especially from the front, but the extended roof and support pillars create a new look from behind, which features a new exhaust treatment and rear spoiler. The interior receives leather upholstery on the engine compartment cover, the partition between the engine and seats, ceiling and A-pillars. Scroll down to view a walkaround of the Moncenisio and read the full press release about it.