Audi Original Duftgecko 000087009b on 2040-parts.com

Hyundai i20 WRC starts testing

Hyundai has been busy plotting its return to WRC Rallying for 2014, but so far it’s all been about behind the scenes work on building an i20 capable of taking on the rally world and gathering a team that can make it a success. But with the first official outing for the i20 due in January 2014 in Monte Carlo, Hyundai has finally taken their i20 WRC out in the world to give it some proper testing outside the workshop, Hyundai have been playing on a private testing ground to check out the i20′s systems, followed by a comprehensive testing session to work on different setups and gather data, with a major focus on the i20′s 1.6 litre turbo which, until now, hadn’t been run in the car outside Hyundai’s R&D. Hyundai say all went well over the 55okm of testing across three days, a prelude to a full programme of testing in the coming months as Hyundai get closer to their official debut.

BMW M6 Competition revealed

The Limited Edition BMW M6 Competition will be at Frankfurt (click image for bigger photo) It doesn’t look like the M6 Competition gets much fiddling with the oily bits, although the suspension is being tweaked and lowered – 10mm at the front and 12mm at the back. The M6 Competition sees a new colour option – Frozen Grey Matt – which does look pretty special on the M6.  The interior gets a ‘limited edition’ makeover, with buyers getting the choice between Merino full leather interior with either black or light grey two-tone contrast stitching. BMW are also throwing in a set of mats with ‘M6 Competition’ stitched in them in case you forget what you bought.

Aston Martin reveals the 2012 V12 Vantage GT3 race car

Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 It’s been mooted for quite a while, but now it’s confirmed – AM are to replace the DBR9S race car with the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3. Built on Aston Martin’s now rather ancient V/H architecture modular chassis, the Vantage GT3 also features Aston Martin’s one and only engine – the V12 originally built from a pair of Ford Mondeo engines – which in the GT3 version will produce something in the region of 600bhp and 516lb/ft of torque. What the GT3 also gets – as the photo above clearly demonstrates - are new aerodynamics, which makes the GT3 seem much more aggressive than the V12 Vantage on which it’s based.