The hand-built Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans will be built with an engine that produces over 600 horsepower (447 kW / 608 PS) and up to 590 ft-lb (799 Nm) of torque.  Developed by American niche manufacturer Panoz, the car will be limited to 81 vehicles, and is guaranteed to be street legal in Asia, Europe, Middle East and South America.

Not coincidentally, the 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race will take place in 2013, presumably with the limited edition car in the pack.

"This is culmination of equal parts time, effort and dreams," said company founder Don Panoz.  "The Panoz brand always has prided itself on hand-building and delivering an exotic automobile and experience to our customers. Our new offering takes this to a completely new level."

The as-yet undisclosed engine will be mounted at the front, though an advanced radiator will be mounted at the back.  The car's body uses a multi-layer composite material instead of carbon fiber because it is lighter, just as strong, more resistant to damage, and recyclable.  While a progression on the Panoz Esperante GTR-1, the car does have its own unique progressions.  Items like the dual front split and the carved front end have been seen before, but not in the way portrayed here.  The elimination of the front headlight bulbs, in place of LED lighting strips, looks interesting, as do the side sills.  A nice revision can be seen at the back, where the rear end has styling that better matches the front.

Personalization will be a big aspect of this car, though the company did not state what aspects would be customizable.  A nice bonus is that customers will be able to receive driver training at the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans, while getting VIP treatment at a 24 Hours of Le Mans event.  Pricing for the Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans has not been disclosed.

Mercedes has released 10 minutes of new video footage of the SLS AMG GT3.

Set to enter competition next year, key design features include a new front fascia, a ventilated hood, a carbon fiber front splitter, a massive rear diffuser, and an enormous rear wing. Other goodies include an AMG race braking system, a six-speed racing transmission, roll cage and a steering wheel with buttons for the pit radio, headlight flashers and drink supply.

Under the hood, power is provided by a 6.3-liter V8 engine which is "virtually identical" to the one in the production car. The company declined to provide detailed performance data, but stated the GT3 can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds (0.2 seconds faster than the standard car) and hit a top speed in excess of 186 mph (300 km/h).

Customers can start ordering the SLS AMG GT3 in autumn 2010, with deliveries scheduled to occur before the 2011 racing season.

Ford has unveiled the Fiesta rally car for the Monster World Rally Team.

While details are limited, Ford stated the car is "based on the race-winning European Rallycross Fiesta prepared by Olsbergs Motorsports Evolution."  Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter Duratec engine which is capable of producing over 490 hp (365 kW), but due to a series-required turbo-inlet restrictor, the Fiesta will only be able to crank out 330 hp (246 kW).

Set to be driven by action sports figure, rally driver and DC Shoes co-founder, Ken Block, the Fiesta will compete in seven Rally America events this year. According to Block, "I am very excited to finally be in the Fiesta. Ford has a great platform with the Fiesta, and I can't wait to see what I can do in the Rally America championship and at the X Games later this year."

[JF Musial]

The 48th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona marks the 42nd anniversary of Vic Elford's victory in the Porsche 907, Porsche's first 24 hour endurance win. To celebrate the occasion, David Donohue pilots a 2010 Porsche GT3 around the Daytona road course while Vic Elford, the Grand Marshal for this year's race, tells the story of his victory for Porsche.