81 Intruder Brake Disk 39044-3504 on 2040-parts.com

Closed-road racing made legal in the UK

Could the UK host its own Mille Miglia? By Adam Binnie Motoring Issues 11 July 2014 15:52 A London Grand Prix on closed streets or even a Pikes Peak style hill-climb in the Lake District could now by possible after the Government approved plans to allow motorsport events on public roads. It is hoped that the decision to allow staged rallies, hill climbs and trials of speed on closed-road street circuits will give the country’s motorsport industry a jump start. Prime minister David Cameron made the announcement today while touring the new Formula One Williams factory in Oxfordshire.

McLaren MP4-12 650S hits the Web ahead of official Geneva reveal

Images of the new McLaren MP4-12 650S have leaked to the Internet ahead of a planned unveiling for the British supercar at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. Created in response to customer demand for an edgier version of the McLaren MP4-12C offering greater levels of driver engagement, the 650S runs a more heavily tuned version of McLaren's twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 direct-injection engine producing a claimed 25 hp more than the variant used by standard sibling for a total of 641 hp (as its name suggests 650 ps -- metric hp). Further details remain scarce ahead of the MP4-12C 650S's official public unveiling in Switzerland two weeks from now, although information passed on to prospective customers at a private presentation of the new two-seater held last week suggest it is also in line to receive a series of modifications to its seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, suspension, steering, brakes and aerodynamics -- all aimed at providing it with a more aggressive nature and added racetrack ability.

Autoweek archives: A fast week in the Bahamas

From the archives of Competition Press comes a page from the December 1963 issue, which covered multiple events hosted during the Nassau Speed Week in the Bahamas. For 13 years in the 1950s and ‘60s, the Bahamas were the place where professional drivers from around the world came to relax, race and party together. Originally intended to draw tourism to the island of New Providence, the Nassau Speed Week became a highly enjoyed week for all those in attendance.