March 30, 2016

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.0110)
Relive the best images from the 64th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida by photographer extraordinaire John Thawley in our special Autoextremist gallery here.

(Audi images)
This is the totally redesigned Audi R18 that will race in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The new machine has almost nothing in common with its predecessor, according to Audi. It utilizes a more radical aerodynamics signature, a new cockpit safety cell and a battery-operated hybrid drive system for the first time. The V6 TDI engine has also been thoroughly revised, and new system solutions have been employed. The result? Audi’s 2016 R18 LMP1 machine is more powerful and much more efficient than its predecessor. The battle vs. Porsche and Toyota has been joined.

(Porsche Images)
Not to be outdone, Porsche has improved its Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid Hybrid racing machine for 2016. The 919 racing machine will be more efficient, more aerodynamic (three different aero packages will be employed over the course of the season, the maximum allowed) and lighter. “The over 900 hp strong Le Mans Prototype is ready for the title defense,” said Fritz Enzinger, Vice President, LMP1 program for Porsche. Along with its victory at Le Mans, Porsche also won the manufacturers’ World Championship title in 2015, so the cars will sport new numbers. Timo Bernhard (DE), Brendon Hartley (NZ) and Mark Webber (AU) - the 2015 Drivers’ World Champions - will now race with the No. 1 on their car. Romain Dumas (FR), Neel Jani (CH) and Marc Lieb (DE) will be in the No. 2 machine.

(Honda images) 

Honda. The Japanese manufacturer has unveiled the new racing livery for its all-new turbocharged 2016 Civic Coupe Red Bull Global Rallycross race car, which it will campaign in the 2016 series in partnership with Red Bull and championship-winning race team Olsbergs MSE. The racing machine was developed from a production-model 2016 Civic Coupe chassis by renowned builders and racers Olsbergs MSE (OMSE), with technical assistance from Honda Performance Development (HPD). The Civic Red Bull GRC has 600HP and, like its competitors, will go 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds. Drivers for the new Honda GRC effort are Sebastian Eriksson and Joni Wiman. Eriksson, from Sweden, and Wiman, from Finland, have both made their mark in the series, with Wiman winning the 2014 Global Rallycross Championship and Eriksson finishing second in 2015. The Honda Civic Red Bull GRC team will begin racing on May 21 in Phoenix at the GRC opener.

Editor's Note: “The Decision” is the first of five video shorts from the Ford Motor Company about the development of the Ford GT. It features Bill Ford Jr., Raj Nair, Dave Pericak and Edsel B. Ford II, who attended the 1966 race with his father, Henry Ford II. The shorts will culminate in one long-form documentary that will follow the development of both the Street Car and Race Car version of the Ford GT from the decision to build the cars to the return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. (The Autoextremist makes a cameo appearance as well.) Watch it here. -WG