Lisle 26250 Circuit Tester on 2040-parts.com

Pagani, Mercedes-AMG say V12s are separate

Italian sports-car maker Pagani and Mercedes-AMG, the high-performance division of Mercedes-Benz, on Thursday said that the engine for the future Pagani C9 supercar is not the same engine used in the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series roadster. The unusual announcement--automakers typically don't comment on future-product programs--refutes reports about the Pagani C9's engine. In January, Road and Track magazine reported that the V12 for the C9 was derived from the V12 in the SL65 Black Series.

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 (2011) track testing begins

McLaren has begun testing its latest track weapon, the MP4-12C GT3 ahead of the 2012 FIA GT3 season.  How different is the MP4-12C GT3 from the roadgoing edition? The MP4-12C GT3 is based on the standard machine but modified for FIA GT racing by McLaren GT - a joint venture between McLaren Automotive and CRS Racing, a UK-based team currently competing in FIA GT with Ferrari F430s.  Externally you'll notice the race-spec fixed rear wing, undertray diffuser, front splitter, louvres and vents. Underneath there's a new suspension system, ditching the road car's linked suspension for FIA-compliant conventional dampers and anti-roll bars. Akebono is supplying race-specific brake components, and Bosch Motorsport has installed its ABS system. The car sits 100mm wider on its new suspension and has suitably flared bodywork as a result.  It's still the McLaren's bespoke 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, tuned for racing.

BMW ActiveHybrid X6 – blink and you’ll have missed it

BMW ActiveHybrid X6 ends production On the face of it, adding hybrid gubbins to an expensive SUV should be a winner. Extra power and better economy – with the extra cost easily lost in an already expensive SUV – makes some sense. Or at least BMW thought so when the BMW AciveHybrid X6 was launched in 2009.