Motor Sports Contenders
At the start of the 21st century, the biggest impact on the design and manufacture of racing cars was created by computers. Their influence was so great that they had to be severely limited within the car to stop them from taking over the driving. Now the typical racing car has fewer computer systems than the average road car, but they still have a huge impact on the way these machines are designed and operated.
Aston Martin DBR9, 2005
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 6,000 cc, V12 |
| Top speed | 186 mph (299 km/h) |
Winning in its debut at Sebring in the U.S. in 2005, the future looked bright for the DBR9, and it bagged a Le Mans class win in France in 2007.
Bentley Speed 8, 2001
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 4,000 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 205 mph (330 km/h) |
Returning to Le Mans 73 years after its glory days in the 1920s, it took Bentley three attempts before winning once again in 2003.
BAR Honda, 2004
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 3,000 cc, V10 |
| Top speed | 200 mph (322 km/h) |
Engine supplier Honda bought the BAR team, but only managed one win before pulling out at the end of 2008. The team then became Brawn.
Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM, 2003
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 4,000 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 180 mph (290 km/h) |
Based on a tubular-steel chassis and powered by V8 engines, German Touring Cars have only a passing resemblance to the production models they represent.
McLaren-Mercedes MP4/23, 2008
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 2,400 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 200 mph (322 km/h) |
In only his second season of Formula 1 Grand Prix racing, Lewis Hamilton became the youngest world champion ever at the wheel of this car.
Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 2001
| Origin | USA |
| Engine | 5,860 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 190 mph (306 km/h) |
Prepared for North American Stock Car racing, this one was raced by the late NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, known to his fans as the “Intimidator”.
Dodge Charger, 2005
| Origin | USA |
| Engine | 5,860 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 190 mph (306 km/h) |
Although branded a Charger, very little of the road car is used in NASCAR; just the engine within a purpose-built tubular chassis and sheet metal body.
Lola Aston Martin LMP1, 2009
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 6,000 cc, V12 |
| Top speed | 209 mph (336 km/h) |
Having conquered GT racing with its DBR9, Aston Martin transferred its V12 engine into a Lola chassis to tackle the GT1 Prototype class.
Red Bull-Cosworth STR1, 2006
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 3,000 cc, V10 |
| Top speed | 200 mph (322 km/h) |
In 2004 when Red Bull was sponsoring the Sauber team, it bought Jaguar Racing from Ford for a symbolic $1 and is now a front runner in Formula 1.
Toyota TF108, 2008
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 2,400 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 200 mph (322 km/h) |
Entering Formula 1 in 2002, Toyota had moments of promise but never won a race. It eventually pulled out after the 2009 season.
Ferrari F2008, 2008
| Origin | Italy |
| Engine | 2,400 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 200 mph (322 km/h) |
Stepping into seven-time F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher’s shoes, Kimi Raikkonen impressed in this car with his sheer speed and delivered the title in 2007.
Toyota Camry, NASCAR Nextel Cup, 2007
| Origin | Japan |
| Engine | 5,860 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 190 mph (306 km/h) |
To take part in NASCAR, Toyota had to produce a push-rod V8 engine, an archaic design it would never have contemplated otherwise.
BMW M3 GT2, 2008
| Origin | Germany |
| Engine | 3,999 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 180 mph (290 km/h) |
Introduced for the American Le Mans series in 2009, this car raced at Le Mans in 2010 and was the cover car for the racing game Need for Speed.
Peugeot 908 HDI FAP, 2009
| Origin | France |
| Engine | 5,500 cc, V12 |
| Top speed | 212 mph (341 km/h) |
Peugeot entered Le Mans in France with the diesel 908 in 2009 and won the race-breaking Audi’s dominance in the process.
It is a quote. The Definitive Visual History Of The Automobile 2011
