Video: Autoweek thrashes the 2011 Porsche GT2 RS

Join Autoweek senior editor for motorsports Mac Morrison and road test editor Jonathan Wong as they put the 2011 Porsche GT2 RS through the paces at GingerMan Raceway in southwest Michigan. They take a closer look at what makes the car so special, and they get behind the wheel to find out for themselves. We'll bring you the GT2 RS VBox lap later this week, and stay tuned for Lexus LFA track action coming soon.

OFFICIAL: Alfa Romeo 4C laps the Nurburgring in 8:04s

The Alfa Romeo 4C (pictured) laps the Nurburgring in 8:04s We wouldn’t normally report on a car lapping the Nurburgring in around 8 minutes; after all, the Nurburgring lap record for a full production car is sub-7 minutes, so 8 minutes seems almost a stroll. But the lap time round the Nurburgring for the Alfa Romeo 4C is worthy of note because it’s a new lap record for a production car with less than 250bhp, and puts the Alfa 4C very much on the map as a performance car. We’d heard rumours a few weeks ago that Horst von Saurma has managed the impressive time in the 4C round the Nurburgring, but Alfa has now confirmed the time – with the 4C shod with road-legal Pirelli Zero Trofeo tyres – was completed on 23rd September 2013.

Abarth 500C EsseEsse & Punto Evo EsseEsse at Paris

The Abarth 500c EsseEsse arrives at Paris Abarth do a very good job of warming up the odd Fiat or two (well, they have been doing it for quite a long time), the most recent offerings being the Abarth 500C and the Abarth Punto Evo which we saw when we trollied off to Goodwood in July. But there is a second flavour of Abarth. Best to think of it as the ‘Chilli’ Abarth; Abarth call it EsseEsse.