Harman Marine Bell Housing Ford 460 on 2040-parts.com

Audi welcomes Porsche back to Le Mans

Porsche is returning to the 24 Hours of Le Mans next weekend, and reigning champ Audi figured it would be nice to send a little welcoming committee to Stuttgart, Germany. The committee consisted of one driver in an R18 e-tron quattro LMP1 car. Keen eyes will notice the race car passing a red tractor, also a Porsche design.

Mercedes-Benz courts Renault for new Smart model based on Twingo

Mercedes-Benz is set to join forces with Renault in a deal aimed at providing its underdeveloped Smart division with a contemporary-engineered front-engine/front-wheel-drive platform as the basis for a frugal new Forfour model. The new Smart, due out in 2013, is planned to sit on a lightly modified version of the Renault Twingo’s underpinnings, complete with a 93.3-inch wheelbase. Speaking about the new car over the weekend, a highly placed Mercedes-Benz official told AutoWeek: “It’s a key component in plans to grow the Smart brand.

Race2Recovery gets set for second Dakar Rally

Race2Recovery, a rally-raid team filled mostly with disabled veterans, is headed to its second Dakar Rally in two years. The team took its two Defender-based Wildcat rally trucks, one T4 competition truck, one T5 support truck and two Land Rover Discovery (LR4 in the U.S.) support vehicles to the Le Havre port in France for scrutineering. Then they joined 650 other competitors in loading the ships bound for South America.