The first serious test session with the new V8SuperTourer car took place at Hampton Downs last Friday (6 May). According to reports the new car handled itself well and is set up nicely for racing duties next season.

It was current NZV8 champion John McIntyre who completed the most laps during a full-on shakedown test of the new V8 race car, with fellow two-time NZV8 champion Andy Booth also enjoying a good stint behind the wheel.

In 92 laps on the 2.8km Hampton circuit, the prototype V8SuperTourer didn’t miss a beat.

“We had absolutely no major issues with the car,” said McIntyre. “This is one outstanding race car straight out of the box and we’ve had a really successful day.”

The prototype V8SuperTourer has only just been completed and previously had a 15 lap shakedown at very low speed at Hampton Downs last Tuesday.

McIntyre said, despite the very wet conditions early in the test session, it took just a few laps for him to feel very comfortable in the 7-litre V8-powered racer. “Within three laps at the most, I felt very confident in the car, confident enough to be reaching speeds of well over 200km/h, sliding the car and getting to grips with its handling.”

Between McIntyre and Booth, 92 laps of testing were completed. Various suspension adjustments were trialled to see the car’s reactions around the undulating Hampton course.

“The chassis and handling is very responsive and able to be fine-tuned to suit conditions and the driver. There was a dry line right at the end – just a little damp in places – and our last lap was 1 minute 7.2 seconds and there’s definitely a lot more pace yet to come. (more…)

Cadillac is officially on the verge of returning to the world of motorsports with its new CTS-V Coupe race car. Following the track-spec Caddy’s world debut at the Detroit Motor Show last week, the race-ready CTS-V Coupe hit the track for the first time on Monday driven by Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim, for testing at Sebring International Raceway.

GM’s luxury car division had already pulled out of racing before the U.S. government bailed out the company in 2009. The last time Cadillac officially competed was in 2007 in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT series. Now the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe race car will return to the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT series in 2011, with its first appearance taking place at the season-opening race in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 25-27.

The CTS-V Coupe race car was built as a collaboration between General Motors and Pratt and Miller. Their goal was to make the race car as close as possible to the production vehicle, but at the same time, make a racer compliant with the SCCA technical rules. Technical details of the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe race car have not been released yet. (more…)

It was around three years ago that GM ceased Cadillac’s involvement in motorsport, but the luxury carmaker is set for a big comeback. Over in the States it was announced yesterday that Cadillac will return to the track in 2011 with the CTS-V Coupe, which will compete in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge [SCCA].

Cadillac knows what the SCCA is all about because it competed there from 2004 to 2007, taking the Manufacturer’s Championship in 2005 and 2007 and the Driver’s Championship in 2005.

Cadillac big man Don Butler, vice president for marketing, talked it up by saying “Returning to racing in the SCCA World Challenge is a great way to demonstrate the performance and capability of the CTS-V Coupe. The racecars in this series are production based, which allows us to validate our performance against the best of our competitors on the track, and not just the showroom.”

The Detroit-based company is busy getting two teams ready for the upcoming SCCA World Challenge GT Class with a track car based on the production CTS-V Coupe. The series is set to kick off on March 25-27, with the first event held in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Pro drivers Johnny O’Connell, a three-time GT1 champion in the America Le Mans Series, and Andy Pilgrim, who won the 2005 SCCA World Challenge GT class in a Cadillac, will be behind the wheel of the CTS-V racecars. (more…)

Last month RM Auctions offered up the 427 Cobra prototype at its annual auction in Phoenix, and although it failed to meet reserve price, a top bid of nearly $1.5 million USD signified the importance of the car. Fortunately for cashed-up car collectors who still want to add a near-priceless Shelby to their garage will have the chance at RM’s auction next month. A 1964 Shelby Cobra, chassis CSX2557, will be crossing the block during the March 13 sale.

It’s exclusive being just one of 42 289-powered racecars and one of only six “cutback door” factory team cars, it was built for an assault on the U.S. Road Racing Championships (USRRC). Much of the design foreshadowed the later 427 Cobras like the wide guards, larger intakes and side exhaust pipes. The race history of this particular car is fairly limited in the hands of Shelby, but it remains one of the most original examples in existence and is in mint condition thanks to a meticulous mid-1990s restoration.

To find out more about this special vehicle read its full history on the RM auctions’ website.