POV car video
WRR TV: Can’t Win ‘Em All
Porsche Works Driver Patrick Long started Round 1 at Circuit of the Americas in the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge series GT class race on pole after an impressive qualifying session the day prior. After a heated battle with the No. 5 Nissan GT-R of Bryan Heitkotter, Long would go on to take the win in Race 1 in the #31 Porsche 911 GT3 R, just a week after the team had taken delivery of the new car.
WRR TV: 2016 Dodge Viper ACR POV Hot Laps at Chuckwalla Raceway
Last year when Dodge formally announced the new Viper ACR – the most track-focused street legal version of the manufacturer’s sports car – expectations were high. But could it complete with this new crop of seven-figure, nearly 1000 horsepower hypercars from Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche, especially since SRT engineers had chosen leave the 645 horsepower V10 and six-speed manual gearbox alone?
WRR TV: TA2 Camaro Challenges Ferrari 458 GT3 Lap Record At H2R
Here is an attempt at the GT lap record at Harris Hill Raceway (San Marcos, Texas) in a newly-built Howe Trans Am TA2 Camaro. Derek Eastty is the driver. Existing record 1:14.8 was set in September 2013 by Max Papis in the #61 Grand AM AIM Motorsport Racing Ferrari 458 (GT3). As you can see, Eastty just misses breaking the record with a 1:15.37, and he says he’ll be back after a little suspension tuning (Harris Hill is a rather bumpy track which rewards different settings than normal).
WRR TV: Radical SR3 vs. Tube Frame Camaro
Here we see opposite approaches to going fast, but similar lap times. The white Radical SR3 (camera car) has about 180 wheel horsepower, weighs 1400 lb and runs on radial slicks. The NASA SU class Camaro has around 430 whp and weighs about 2800 lb running on bias ply slicks. On this day, on this track (MSR Houston), with these drivers, the Radical was about 1.5 sec per lap faster. But based on experience at other tracks, we’d expect the Camaro to come out on top at times.
WR TV: 2016 Polaris Slingshot SL
Ride along with us as we take Polaris’ reverse trike out for a dash down Angeles Crest Highway in the San Gabriel Mountains outside of Los Angeles. The folks from Polaris say that the impetus to create the Slingshot came from their desire to build a vehicle that could cause a “paradigm shift” in the automotive market. While that certainly has the air of PR hyperbole, it’s not unlike the motivating factors behind the Cam Am Spyder from a few years ago (which is also a reverse trike), and the Slingshot is arguably more successful at that mission.
WRR TV: NASA Super Unlimited At MSR Houston
Here we see the opening laps of a multi-class NASA race. Tube frame Trans Am and NASCAR style racers with big V-8s and bias plys are pitted against motorcycle-engined (1.5L) sports racers and heavily modified Porsches. The pace of these different cars is surprisingly similar, with much of the difference coming down to drivers (as in many kinds of racing).
WRR TV: Dealing With a Messed Up Race Start
This video shows that you have to pay attention well before the race start. The camera is onboard the WRR Radical SR3, which qualified 6th in this NASA Texas race at MSR Houston. Ahead is a white Porsche Cayman, which qualified 5th. Because pole at MSR Houston (clockwise) is on the right (inside), all cars qualifying in odd positions (3rd, 5th, 7th etc) must line up on the right side of the grid. But the Cayman is far left at the end of the Carousel, which prevents the car behind from lining up correctly. The result is that the cars are not in 2 x 2 formation entering the pit straight headed toward the starter’s stand. The starter correctly calls off the start.
WR TV: 2016 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible
This week we’ve got the keys to the drop-top version of Bentley’s most performance focused road car. It has the distinction of being the fastest four-seat convertible currently available, with its 626 horsepower W12 capable of dishing out 0-60 mph sprints in four seconds flat on its way to a 203 mph top speed. But there’s a lot more to the GT Speed than just sheer thrust.
WR TV: 1994 MX-5 Miata vs. 2016 MX-5 Miata GT POV Comparison
I’ll start off by saying that you can’t go wrong with either one of these cars. Because honestly, it’s tough to say which one is more fun to drive. Ultimately, power and refinement set these two generations apart.
WR TV: 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible
This week we’ve got the keys to a ragtop version of the seventh generation Corvette, here equipped with GM’s 8-speed automatic gearbox.
WR TV: 2016 Cadillac ATS-V (6MT) Canyon Drive
Ever since GM sought to re-energize its luxury brand a decade or so ago, it has made it a cornerstone of their mission as a company to beat the Europeans at their own game – namely making fast, capable, and stealthy performance machines. Those marching orders continue with Cadillac’s ATS-V. It’s no easy task, however, with BMW’s new M3 sedan and M4 coupe becoming the new standard bearer and the Mercedes-AMG C63 already winning praise around the world.
WRR TV: 2015 Nissan 370Z Nismo – Lead/Follow Laps at Autobahn Country Club
Ride along with us as we drive the 2015 Nissan 370Z Nismo around Autobahn Country Club the 2015 Midwest Automotive Media Association Fall Rally.
WRR TV: 2013 Nissan GT-R at Mid Ohio
Ride along with us as we take some laps around Mid Ohio Sports Car Course with Scott Francis in his 2013 Nissan GT-R, outfitted with 19″ Forgestar wheels, Pirelli slicks, Alcon J-hook rotors and Carbotech brake pads.
WR Long Term Garage Update: Attacking The Track With The Hellcat
Earlier this year we took a 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat out to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California to do a few lapping sessions, but we hadn’t planned on creating a wake while heading down the banked oval. Having a similarly spec’d car over the course of summer, fall and a bit of winter has afforded us some flexibility in terms of timing, so we were able to head back to Fontana under fairer weather to give the big coupe another shot at Auto Club’s sportscar course.
Driven: 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS
When a manufacturer launches a new model they normally invite journalists out to a specific location to drive it. These media programs are usually held under somewhat controlled circumstances on what essentially amounts to a large driving loop, routing you through the roads they want you to go through and avoiding the ones they do not. Sometimes this is done for the express purpose of avoiding the potential shortcomings of the vehicle, like suspension that might be too harsh on some surfaces or an engine lacking guts in certain situations.
WR TV: 2016 Jaguar F-Type S Coupe (6MT)
When Jaguar launched its sleek new sports coupe a few years back, its mission was clear – to go toe to toe with the best of Europe and America, and that includes the industry’s high performance standard bearers like the Porsche 911 and the Chevrolet Corvette.
Driven: 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Although we had a chance to sample Chevy’s boosted Corvette earlier this year, our drive was slightly hampered by uncooperative weather. But after months of anticipation, we finally got a proper stint behind the wheel of the new Corvette Z06 – and this time the tarmac is dry and the air is nice and cool.
WRR TV: 2014 Lotus Evora S – POV Track Test at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course
Ride along as Michael Kelly, President of the Ferrari Club of America, Ohio Chapter instructs us on a few hot laps around Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in a 2015 Lotus Evora S.
WRR TV: 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S at WSIR
Ride along with us as we attempt to put together some fast laps around Big Willow in Mercedes-AMG’s new Porsche 911 fighter, the GT. Here in the uprated “S” trim, the GT S boasts 503 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque from its brand new “M178” engine, a 4.0-liter, biturbocharged and dry-sump lubricated V8, which sends power to the rear wheels by way of a seven-speed dual clutch transmission and an electronically controlled limited slip differential.
WRR TV: 2015 Jaguar Project 7 Hot Laps at Big Willow
Ride along with us as we go for a pair of hot laps around Big Willow in the Jaguar Project 7. Created to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the D-Type, the Project 7 borrows some of the car’s iconic styling cues, including the single rear fin behind the driver and the British Racing Green paint with white racing stripes. But for anyone concerned that this is just a retro appearance package festooned to a V8 S convertible F-Type, we have some good news.
WR TV: 2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale POV Track Test at Mid Ohio
Ride along onboard with us as John Kim takes a 2015 458 Speciale A for a few spirited laps around Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. This upgraded version of the 458 Italia features the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 in the Ferrari range, with the highest specific output of any naturally aspirated road-going engine ever. The 4.5-liter powerplant produces 596 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. Power is put to the wheels via a seven-speed F1 dual-clutch transmission. The car accelerates from 0-62 miles per hour in just 3.0 seconds, and from 0-124 mph in 9.1 seconds. Its maximum speed breaks the 200-mph barrier at over 202 mph. It boasts a lap time at the Fiorano Circuit of 1:23.5.
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