Down Shift Magazine

With the 2014 Cayman, Porsche has managed the dynamic duo of both increasing power while decreasing fuel consumption. The smaller 2.7-liter flat-six engine gets 10 extra horses over the outgoing 2.9-liter, up to 275 hp.

While Raikonnen and Grosjean may have come in 6th and 7th overall it was none the less a complete blast seeing Team Lotus hard at work on the amazing Circuit of the Americas track we’ve so adamantly watched be constructed over the course of the last two years. Thanks #USGP

The Lexus LFA’s frame is made from an in-house designed and manufactured carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) center monocoque with aluminum front and rear subframes. The subframes, which can be removed and replaced minimizing potential repair costs, are joined to the monocoque using a newly developed aluminum flanged collar designed to create a stronger joint.

The Nürburgring Package LFA was tested at the Nürburgring in June 2011. Driven by Akira Iida, the LFA set a time of 7:22.85 (video confirmed), the 10th-fastest time ever for a production vehicle. Lexus confirmed that this lap video was recorded as a “warm up” video for the “ADAC 24-hours” for exhibition purposes. The LFA hit 292 km/h (181 mph) on the last straight uphill climb, which is one of the highest speeds achieved by a stock exotic supercar on that segment of the track.

The production Lexus LFA features a new V10 engine and a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) body. CFRP materials account for 65 percent of the LFA’s body composition by mass. The LFA went into production in late 2010, with a projected run of 500 vehicles at the base price of US$375,000. A circuit-tuned variant debuted in 2012 with a base price of US$445,000, making it the most expensive Japanese road car ever built.

Dirk Müller, driver No. 56 M3 GT – “We wanted to fight back for another championship, but we had tough luck this year. A really a big thank you to everyone. Today could have ended badly, but we came back to finish fourth. Third and fourth is a great way to finish the season.”

Both SRT Viper GTS-Rs were able to get longer stints out of their fuel loads and their Michelin tires, enabling the team to skip a stop at a Lap 66 caution in order to take the lead. Once the #91 was at the front of the pack, Farnbacher paced 17 trips around the 2.54-mile Road Atlanta course, building a lead of more than six seconds before handing the reins to Hunter-Reay.

The TDS Racing Oreca-Nissan piloted by Mathias Beche, Pierre Thiriet and Christophe Tinseau finished in third.