2009 Nurburgring 1000 km report and slideshow and new drop-top Maserati ...

[Wouter Melissen]

This weekend the Aston Martin Racing team relived one of their greatest triumphs by taking a one-two-three victory in the Nürburgring 1000 km race fifty years after a spirited drive from Sir Stirling Moss brought the British manufacturer their last victory in the German endurance racing classic. A lot has changed since the Aston Martin DBR1 dominated sports car racing. None of the cars that took part in the Classic Endurance Racing support event on Saturday were even built in 1959. Among them was the very rare and highly unusual Howmet TX. Powered by a helicopter derived turbine engine, it made for a unique spectacle. A full feature of the former Le Mans racer will be published in the coming weeks. The CER event was once again dominated by Jean-Marc Luco in his ever impressive Porsche 936.
The feature race on Sunday was not quite as straightforward for the Aston Martin Racing team. They were challenged early in the race by the similar Speedy-Sebah Lola Aston but as the race progressed technical problems and crashes saw all of the opposition falter. With a new car expected next season, Aston Martin may be able to relive an even more important moment in the company's history. Another remarkable result was the second place in the GT2 class for the Spyker team.
We were at the legendary track for three days, which has resulted in a full report and an exclusive 180-shot gallery, which includes the main race, the CER event and the ADAC GT Masters cars.
Ahead of the official launch at next month's Frankfurt motor show, Maserati has revealed the first details of the GranCabrio. Based on the highly acclaimed GranTurismo Coupe, the new drop-top Maserati will feature the longest wheelbase of all convertibles on the market. This makes the passengers in the rear seats "not merely supporting actors, but co-stars of the journey." The GranCabrio will use the same 4.7 litre V8 engine that powers the GranTurismo S.

Enjoy the links:

2009 Le Mans Series Nurburgring 1000 km report and slideshow

2009 Maserati GranCabrio - Images, Specifications and Information

[LTSmash]

Great results for Spyker. Their drivers clearly had difficulty hiding their emotions.

[Rockefella]

Typo in the title, otherwise another good report W

[Wouter Melissen]

A quick head's up from the Howmet driver; the car did not break down but ran out of kerosene. After filling it up again, it started immediately.

It will be at Silverstone next month!