A video of a Chevrolet pickup truck that appears to be traveling backwards down a road in Massachusetts has been, for obvious reasons, gathering attention. Because it’s not actually driving backwards. And you’re not crazy. But the truck’s owner might be a little — the best kind of crazy, that is. In the video, a man apparently named Ron is seen driving down the Massachusetts roadways in his backward-mounted Chevrolet pickup truck. The video shooter seems to know him and his build, laughing and saying Theres Ron in his backward-facing pickup truck.ViralHog posted the short video clip to YouTube, and according to their description, Ron took four years to complete the build, which involved installing the body onto the truck’s chassis backwards to give the truck the appearance of moving in reverse when driving forward. From the outside when it’s parked, it looks like a normal model of the brand’s former full-size pickup, the C/K 1500. But a peek through the windows informs you that this is not your standard Chevy. The steering wheel and pedals, seats, dash and instrumentation have all been switched around to allow the driver to look out over the box as they drive. And when it turns, which it does toward the end of the video, it does so with its front wheels turning from the middle of the box and the former signal indicators acting as brake lights.Perhaps most impressively, Ron has managed to get the local authorities and insurers onboard. His truck is insured and totally legal. Why did the man build this backwards machine? No idea. Hopefully we hear more from Ron and get to see some other angles of his fascinating
Origin: This man’s backward-facing Chevy truck is actually street-legal
Mans
Lamborghini considers 2021 Le Mans entry
Lamborghini is evaluating an entry in the new Le Mans hypercar category for 2021. If given the go-ahead, it could put Lamborghini head to head with rivals such as Aston Martin and Toyota for outright victory in the famous 24-hour race. Talking at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lamborghini boss Stefano Domenicali – the former team principal of the Ferrari Formula 1 team – confirmed that a study into a potential project is under way and will be completed before the end of the year. “There are discussions and we are looking to understand the regulations to see if it is of interest,” said Domenicali. “There is nothing to say until the evaluation is finished, and at that point the answer could be yes or no. For now, it is possible.” New regulations allow manufacturers to compete using more production-related machinery from 2020, with Aston set to race a version of its Valkyrie hypercar and Toyota developing the Gazoo GR Super Sport Concept for the event. Domenicali hinted that the Lamborghini SC18 – a one-off project car built on behalf of a customer by Lamborghini’s racing division, Squadra Corse – showed the firm’s capabilities for launching a Le Mans racer if it chose to do so. “We don’t have the budget to invest in a totally new project, but the SC18 shows that we have a base for what could be an interesting approach,” he said. “The car shows that we have internal capabilities for such a project.” The SC18 is an Aventador-based and road-legal car but was created primarily for use on the track, where its extreme aerodynamics can be used to full effect. It draws on the same powertrain used by the Aventador SVJ, with the V12 engine delivering 759bhp at 8500rpm and 531lb ft of torque at 6750rpm. Lamborghini has previously hinted that more bespoke projects could be made as it meets the demand for unique creations from wealthy buyers, raising the possibility that a factory Le Mans programme could also be part-financed by customers. QA Stefano Domenicali, CEO, Lamborghini “Our value is connected to exclusivity, so we must be careful. The target is to create a stable situation for sustainable business. The sales figures are good, but now we must consolidate and create more value in what we have. We have expanded the factory, launched Urus, taken on more dealers and more. We must not keep rushing forwards.” Has the Urus exceeded your expectations? “The customer decides and they are certainly very happy. For me, the main pleasure is that 70% of Urus customers are new to Lamborghini.” Are you still evaluating a fourth model line? “The short-term goal is to stabilise what we have. There is a lot of change coming to the industry that could be disruptive, too, especially on powertrain. After that, we can look at it, with a 2+2 GT one possibility.” Is a resurgent, swaggering Aston Martin stealing any of your thunder? “I don’t talk about rivals, but I will say that if you do your job as well as you can on every level, then you don’t have to fear anyone, just respect them. Making the most extreme super-sports cars is what makes Lamborghini aspirational and I believe we hold the halo position for that. We will keep pushing to maintain it.” The Diablo is 30 next year. Will you celebrate it and could you be tempted to do recreation runs like some of your rivals? “We’ll do some events, of course, and the joy today is that with our internal Polo Storico team to restore cars, we are now able to stay in touch with owners. But to do recreations, I am not so sure. I prefer to celebrate the value of every car from its period and to look to the older cars only to inform our new ones.” Will you ever turbocharge an engine? “To say no would be wrong. The time may come when we need smaller-capacity engine options to stay under certain tax thresholds or to even enter certain areas. The customers aren’t asking for it but maybe the regulations will. But we have a couple of years before we must
Origin: Lamborghini considers 2021 Le Mans entry
Buy It! Snatch this 1956 Lotus 11 Le Mans and add lightness
In the 1950s, the name of the game was lightness, and there was no company that could do lightness better than Lotus. The 11 in particular was the brands super-light attempt to win Le Mans. Find it here, on Bring a Trailer.Under the exceptionally featherweight hood of the 11 is a 1,460-cc Coventry Climax four-cylinder.It doesnt make a lot of horsepower or torque, but it only weighs 450 kg, which contributed to it reaching 230 km/h at Monza when driven by Stirling Moss.Power is sent to the rear wheels via a Sprite close-ratio four-speed transmission, and a Quaife limited-slip differential. The wheels are 15-inch painted Dayton wire wheels, wrapped in new Dunlop L-series rubber.The body was designed by aerodynamicist Frank Costin; that shell is constructed of 20-gauge aluminum stretched over a tubular space frame.This particular car has already had some success in racing (no surprises there), originally competing at Silverstone in 1956 and 1957 by Club Lotus Team member Tony Ellis. The car was brought to the U.S. in 1986, and it was given a full restoration before the current owner bought it in 2000.Since the millenium, its been raced in 24 events, including the Lotus Eleven 50th Anniversary races at the Monterey Historics and Sebring in 2006, as well as at Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Pittsburgh Vintage GP.The frame has been replaced with a brand-new one, but the original is included with the sale, along with a box of spare
Origin: Buy It! Snatch this 1956 Lotus 11 Le Mans and add lightness
Toyota Gazoo Racing tests Super Sport hypercar ahead of Le Mans debut
A production version of Toyota Gazoo’s GR Super Sport Concept is set to be entered into a new hypercar-based class at the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race from 2020, and the factory racing outfit has been conducting early track tests at Fuji Speedway in Japan. An official video, published just as the team was winning the LMP1 division of this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour race, shows Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda trying out the Aston Martin Valkyrie rival alongside test driver Kamui Kobayashi. Toyoda’s participation in sports car development is well documented; the recently launched GR Supra was not signed off until he had a chance to put it through its paces at the Nürburgring. Styling changes over the Super Sport concept, shown in 2018, are minimal, save for the addition of a mild camouflage paint scheme. Two prototypes feature, one with a prominent roof scoop and one without, though it is not clear which is the race car and which is destined for series production. Homologation rules dictate that the top-rung Le Mans hypercars must be strongly related to roadgoing equivalents, meaning reigning LMP1 champion Gazoo Racing will soon reveal a road-going version of the Super Sport. The company says: “Both road and race car are undergoing design and intensive development at the company’s technical centres in Toyota City, Higashi-Fuji and Cologne.” The model’s name has yet to be confirmed. First shown at last year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, the concept is based on the company’s World Endurance Championship prototype racer, the TS050 Hybrid. The concept features the same carbonfibre structure as the racing model and has a 2.4-litre V6 petrol engine with electric assistance behind its cockpit. The road-going version of Gazoo Racing’s concept will sit above the new Supra. Gazoo, Toyota’s performance and racing arm, also recently introduced the Yaris GRMN hot hatch, which marked Gazoo’s arrival in Britain and serves as its entry-level model. Gazoo president Shigeki Tomoyama said: “If the e-Palette concept (an autonomous pod that was revealed in Las Vegas) is the next generation of the horse-drawn carriage, the GR Super Sport Concept would be the polar opposite as the next-generation racehorse. Its appeal is more personal, like that of a much-loved horse to its owner. “Despite the differences between the two concept models, both are electrified vehicles equipped with the latest IT technologies and are set to become safe and environmentally friendly connected
Origin: Toyota Gazoo Racing tests Super Sport hypercar ahead of Le Mans debut
Toyota wins Le Mans again despite late drama
Toyota took full advantage of its open goal to win a second consecutive Le Mans 24 Hours on Sunday. But even without opposition in the top LMP1 hybrid class the Japanese manufacturer offered a story befitting its 30-year drama-filled epic at the great endurance race. The #7 entry driven by Briton Mike Conway, Komui Kobayashi and Jose-Maria Lopez comprehensively outpaced the #8 sister TS050 Hybrid driven Fernando Alonso, Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima from the first qualifying session on Wednesday evening until one minute before 2pm on Sunday afternoon. Lopez had just pitted with just over an hour to go of the 24 hours, when a sensor reported a puncture to his front-right Michelin. As it turned out it, was his right-rear tyre that had failed and the Argentinian was forced to pit again – handing victory to Alonso, Buemi and Nakajima. The victory ensures a second consecutive Le Mans victory for the trio, and also confirmed the World Endurance Championship 2018/19 ’super season’ title that would have been theirs anyway had they finished in the runner-up position they truly deserved on this occasion. It means Alonso adds a third FIA world title to the pair he won in Formula 1 with Renault back in 2005 and ’06. The puncture robbed the #7 crew of a win that had been theirs on merit. From pole position, the crew had an edge on their team-mates and rivals, with Conway in particular putting in a performance that suggests he is the world’s top sports car driver at this moment in time. Yet he is yet to boast the Le Mans victory his talent deserves. Ferrari claims close-fought GTE honours Ferrari beat Porsche to class honours in the hardest fought category at Le Mans, as GTE once again offered the best racing at the 24 Hours. Briton James Calado – a lost Formula 1 talent if ever there was one – spearheaded AF Corse’s victory, joined by Italian Alessandro Pier Guidi and Brazilian Daniel Serra. The trio in a 488 GTE saw off a double Porsche assault from Gianmaria Bruni, Richard Lietz and Frédéric Makowiecki in the #91 911 RSR and Michael Christiensen, Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor in the #92 car. There was heartbreak for both Corvette, on the 20th anniversary of Chevrolet’s modern-day Le Mans programme, following accidents, and likewise for Aston Martin, with both Pro-class Vantage entries falling within 20 minutes. Ford signed off its GT programme at Le Mans without a podium in the Pro class, but all four entries at least made the finish in fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh in class. But there was joy for the Keating Motorsports team – the first to run a privateer Ford GT – in the Am class as Jeroen Bleekemolen, Ben Keating and Felipe Fraga claimed victory in their luridly purple and orange Wynn’s livered car. Lapierre remains unbeaten in LMP2 In the secondary prototype class, Frenchman Nicolas Lapierre kept up his remarkable four-race unbeaten run at Le Mans by helping the Signatech Alpine team to a third class victory in four years. He was joined by team-mates André Negrao and Pierre Thiriet. The trio benefitted from the misfortune that befell the G-Drive entry headed by ex-F1 star and current Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne. The team that was disqualified from LMP2 victory last year for using an illegal refuelling rig dominated the class this time until the 19th hour, when a starter motor problem at a pitstop cost the entry 20 minutes – and robbed the team of a victory that Vergne had described as potential “revenge” for the disappointment of
Origin: Toyota wins Le Mans again despite late drama
Toyota Gazoo Racing commits to new hypercar class at Le Mans
A production version of Toyota Gazoo’s GR Super Sport Concept is set to be entered into a new hypercar-based class at the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race from 2020. New rules announced by the FIA will allow hypercars such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie and McLaren Senna to race in competition form from 2020 onwards. Toyota’s hybrid concept, revealed last year, looks close to the form that will be adopted by such models and is likely to be part of this new pack. Homologation rules dictate that the top-rung Le Mans hypercars must be strongly related to roadgoing equivalents, meaning reigning LMP1 champion Gazoo Racing will soon reveal a road-going version of last year’s concept. The company says: “Both road and race car are undergoing design and intensive development at the company’s technical centres in Toyota City, Higashi-Fuji and Cologne.” The model’s name has yet to be confirmed. First shown at last year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, the concept is based on the company’s World Endurance Championship prototype racer, the TS050 Hybrid. The concept features the same carbonfibre structure as the racing model and has a 2.4-litre V6 petrol engine with electric assistance behind its cockpit. The road-going version of Gazoo Racing’s concept will sit above the new Supra. Gazoo, Toyota’s performance and racing arm, also recently introduced the Yaris GRMN hot hatch, which marked Gazoo’s arrival in Britain and serves as its entry-level model. Gazoo president Shigeki Tomoyama said: “If the e-Palette concept (an autonomous pod that was revealed in Las Vegas) is the next generation of the horse-drawn carriage, the GR Super Sport Concept would be the polar opposite as the next-generation racehorse. Its appeal is more personal, like that of a much-loved horse to its owner. “Despite the differences between the two concept models, both are electrified vehicles equipped with the latest IT technologies and are set to become safe and environmentally friendly connected
Origin: Toyota Gazoo Racing commits to new hypercar class at Le Mans
Aston Martin Valkyrie will race at Le Mans in 2021
Aston Martin has confirmed that its upcoming Valkyrie hypercar will take part in the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. New rules put in place by Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), Le Mans’ governing body, effectively replace the top-rung LMP1 category, a field in which Toyota’s Gazoo Racing has been the only factory-backed team since the departures of Porsche and Audi, with a new ‘hypercar’ class. Aston Martin, along with McLaren and Ferrari, had been campaigning for race-prepared versions of roadgoing hypercars to be allowed to participate in the famous endurance race, with the vision that such a category would make it more affordable for manufacturers to partake and thus encourage more works teams. The new regulations allow the bodywork of competing cars to take more obvious brand design cues, meaning they will more closely resemble their production counterparts. Active aerodynamics will also be permitted, because such technology has started to become more relevant to roadgoing vehicles. Aston Martin says at least two Valkyries will be specially developed for entry into the 2020/21 FIA World Endurance Championship. The Valkyrie, a collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, produces a combined 1160bhp and 546lb ft from a Cosworth-developed 6.5-litre V12 and a 160bhp electric motor from Croatian EV manufacturer Rimac. Technical details of the racing Valkyrie remain scarce, but Aston has confirmed that it will receive a track-prepped variant of the high-revving V12 and retain its distinctive carbonfibre bodywork. The FIA has implemented a 980kg limit on cars in the new hypercar class – just below the Valkyrie’s estimated one-tonne kerb weight. The announcement comes as Gaydon marks the 60th anniversary of its DBR1/300 racer taking first and second place in the 1959 race, while the 2021 event will take place on the centenary of the British brand’s first Le Mans entry. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer said: “We have always said that we would one day bring Aston Martin back to Le Mans with the intention of going for the outright win when the time was right. Now is that time.” It remains to be seen which manufacturers will challenge Aston Martin for victory in the hypercar division, but the McLaren Speedtail and recently revealed Ferrari SF90 Stradale seem obvious candidates for homologation. Aston Martin will use this year’s event to display a newly completed DB4 GT Zagato Continuation model, the first of 19, which was hand-built over 4500 hours at the firm’s heritage centre in Newport
Origin: Aston Martin Valkyrie will race at Le Mans in 2021
Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato: reborn classic headed to Le Mans
Aston Martin will unveil the first completed DB4 GT Zagato Continuation model at the Le Mans 24 Hours this weekend. The car, the first in a run of 19, is the result of around 4500 hours of labour carried out by the engineers at the firm’s Newport Pagnell-based Heritage Division. The model on display has been painted in Rosso Maja, a colour that was mixed by paint supplier Max Meyer specially for use on the original Zagato DB4. Inside, carbonfibre race seats are trimmed in black leather, as are the door cards and headliner, with carpets decorated to match. A full FIA-approved roll cage and period-correct race instrumentation also feature. Eighteen more DB4 GT Zagatos will be handcrafted using what Aston calls “artisan coachbuilding skills”, including techniques more commonplace in the middle of the last century. In addition, the same number of a bespoke new supercar, called the DBS GT Zagato, will be produced, but the two models will only be available to buy as a package – at a cost of £6 million for the set, before tax. The track-only DB4 GT Zagato is powered by an updated 4.7-litre version of the Tadek Marek-designed straight-six engine that features in the original. It delivers more than 390bhp to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential. The modern car has not yet been revealed fully, but renderings released by Aston offer a good glimpse at its dramatic design. It’s based on the DBS Superleggera, and will feature the same short tail and double-bubble roof of previous Zagato Astons. The 715bhp turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 will also remain. Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer said: “The partnership between Aston Martin and Zagato is one of the most fruitful and enduring in the automotive world. With Zagato celebrating its centenary next year, what better way to celebrate this landmark – and the long-standing bond between our two great companies – than creating these 19 pairs of cars.” While the DBS Zagato is road-legal, the DB4 GT Zagato is a track-only car, given that the latter is based on a now 58-year-old design. The DBS Zagato will be built at Aston Martin’s Gaydon facility. Despite the cars’ simultaneous announcements, deliveries of the two are a full year apart – the continuation DB4 GT Zagato will reach customers in the final months of 2019, while deliveries of the DBS GT Zagato will begin at the end of 2020. It’s the latest in a string of Aston Martin continuation projects – the DB4 GT was resurrected for a continuation run of 25 models, which were sold for £1.5m each; while, more recently, 25 Goldfinger-spec DB5s were announced for production, to the James Bond car
Origin: Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato: reborn classic headed to Le Mans
Ford wraps the race GT in new Le Mans liveries for its final season
The factory Ford Le Mans GT team for the 2019 seasonFord Four years ago, Ford roared back to Le Mans with its factory GT program, intent on marking the golden anniversary of sending Ferrari to bed without their supper. They did so in fine style, winning the 2016 event and standing on the podium where so many greats have stood before. Ford will close another great chapter at Le Mans for the factory team, choosing to bow out of the race after the 2019 soirée. To mark the occasion, Ford has revealed a special series of “Celebration Liveries” for the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GTs ahead of the 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours. Each of the four factory Ford GTs will bear a livery that celebrates the success of the manufacturer at Le Mans, both in the present day and during the 1960s when they kicked Ferrari around like an unloved rag doll. The #66 Ford GT raced by Mücke, Pla and Johnson has a black livery that echoes the Ford GT40 of Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, the one that won Le Mans in 1966. The Ford GT40 piloted by Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt to victory at Le Mans in ‘67 is evoked in the #67 livery, a whip which will be handled by the trio of Priaulx, Tincknell and Bomarito. Marking more recent history is the #68 car, racing in the same colours as when it won Le Mans in 2016. At the wheel this year are Müller, Hand and Bourdais. With all this success, why not add a fourth car? The #69 Ford GT of Dixon, Briscoe and Westbrook takes its design cues from the Ford GT40 that came second to the black car during Ford’s 1-2-3 finish in 1966. An outfit called Keating Motorsports is fielding what’s referred to as a customer team this year as well. It’ll bear #85 and race in the GTE Am class. It’ll use the same livery design as the four factory Fords but in the colours of its title sponsor, Wynn’s. The Ford GTs will be on track in their new celebration liveries this Sunday (June 2nd) for the official Le Mans Test. Fans will be able to follow the 24-hour race on June 15 to 16 from inside the cockpit of the factory Ford GTs via
Origin: Ford wraps the race GT in new Le Mans liveries for its final season
All about car 