All 16 Land Rover models revealed

Divided into luxury, leisure and utility segments

Autocar's November issue reveals all 16 Land Rover models.

A week ago we talked about Land Rover’s plans to have 16 models by 2020. In Autocar’s latest issue we get to see them all, divided into three categories: luxury (Range Rover), leisure (Discovery/Freelander) and utility (Defender).

The luxury compartment contains the new Range Rover, upcoming Range Rover Sport and the Evoque with XL, cabrio and baby versions.

In the leisure segment there’s a luxurious version of the Discovery (not confirmed yet), the regular Discovery, along with five- and seven-seater Freelander and a smaller version as well.

As for the utility department, this includes the current Defender, a next-gen model with five seats due in 2016/2017, a LWB base version also due in 2016/2017, a pick-up version that could debut in late 2015 / early 2016, as well as a production version of the DC100 that will have a 100-inch wheelbase.

A recent report is indicating that Land Rover is working on an RS version of the Range Rover Sport.

Additional details are found in Autocar’s November issue.

Source: Autocar

TREIZE ÉQUIPES SÉLECTIONNÉES AUX 24 HEURES DU MANS 2013 !

On attendait avec impatience la liste des sélectionnés d'office pour les 24 Heures du Mans 2013. Treize équipes figurent sur cette liste suite aux résultats obtenus aux 24 Heures du Mans, en Championnat du Monde d'Endurance, en European Le Mans Series et en American Le Mans Series. Les treize teams représentent seize voitures sur les 55 places à prendre.

Une invitation pour :

Starworks Motorsport : victoire aux 24 Heures du Mans en catégorie LM P2. Invitation en LM P2.

Larbre Compétition : victoire aux 24 Heures du Mans en catégorie LM GTE Am. Invitation en LM GTE Am.

Thiriet by TDS Racing : victoire European Le Mans Series LM P2. Invitation en LM P2.

OAK Racing : 2e European Le Mans Series LM P2. Invitation en LM P2.

JMW Motorsport : victoire European Le Mans Series LM GTE Pro. Invitation en LM GTE Pro.

JMB Racing : 2e European Le Mans Series LM GTE Pro. Invitation en LM GTE Pro.

IMSA Performance Matmut : victoire Euopean Le Mans Series LM GTE Am. Invitation en LM GTE Am.

Boutsen Ginion Racing : victoire European Le Mans Series LM PC. Invitation en LM P2.

Conquest Racing : Désigné par American Le Mans Series. Invitation en LM P2.

Level 5 Motorosports : Désigné par American Le Mans Series. Invitation en LM P2.

Extreme Speed Motorsport : Désigné par American Le Mans Series. Invitation en LM GTE (ce concurrent aura le droit de choisir entre GTE Pro et GTE Am.).

Deux invitations pour :

 Audi Sport Team Joest : victoire aux 24 Heures du Mans en catégorie LM P1 et victoire au Michelin Green X Challenge LMP en Championnat du Monde d'Endurance de la FIA. Deux invitations en LMP1.

Trois invitations pour :

 AF Corse : victoire 24 Heures du Mans LM GTE Pro, deuxième European Le Mans Series LM GTE Am et victoire Michelin Green X Challenge LM GTE en Championnat du Monde d'Endurance de la FIA. Une invitation en LM GTE Pro, une en LM GTE Am et, pour la troisième, le concurrent aura le droit de choisir entre GTE Pro et GTE Am.

Ces équipes ne pourront bénéficier des invitations que si elles s'inscrivent aux 24 Heures du Mans et qu'elles s'engagent dans une série badgée Le Mans en 2013 : FIA WEC, ELMS, ALMS ou Asian Le Mans Series. La liste complète des engagés aux 24 Heures du Mans 2013 et au Championnat du Monde d'Endurance sera dévoilée le jeudi 31 janvier à Paris.

La réglementation européenne a été retoquée car il était prévu que seules les équipes ayant pris part à l'intégralité du championnat pourraient bénéficier d'une invitation, ce qui n'est pas le cas de JMW Motorsport et JMB Racing. On s'étonnera que les lauréats LMP (Muscle Milk Pickett Racing) et GT (Corvette Racing) du Michelin Green X Challenge de l'American Le Mans Series ne soient pas sur cette liste alors que chez Michelin on nous avait confirmé cette présence. Quant au Petit Le Mans, il n'a donné droit à aucune sélection, ce qui est bien dommage pour le Rebellion Racing après sa superbe saison en FIA WEC et une magnifique victoire en Georgie, sachant en plus que Level 5 Motorsports (vainqueur en P2) et Extreme Speed Motorsports (vainqueur en GT) sont récompensés. Il semble que les équipes roulant sur la saison complète ont été préférées par l'IMSA.

BY Laurent Mercier(Endurance-Info.com)

Daniel Pedrosa fastest on final day of testing at Valencia

While Yamaha had headed to Aragon to find some sun, the rest of the teams stayed in Valencia for the second and final day of testing at the Ricardo Tormo circuit.

While the weather conditions at Valencia were again mixed, first sunny and then some rain while several riders still decided to brave the track conditions like Aleix Espargaro, MotoGP rookies Andrea Iannone on the satellite Ducati and and impatient Bradley Smith who finally debuted on the Yamaha

When it finally stopped raining it took the new surface a long time to form a dry racing line, but everyone was finally able to grab some dry testing time in the last two hours of the afternoon session.The fastest rider of the day was Sunday’s race winner Dani Pedrosa who posted a best time of 1.32.322, his 25th lap of the 30 he did and using the new 2013 machine that is heavier due to the new weight regulations (in 2012 they added 4kg and for the 2013 season they’ve had to add another 3kg - for a total of 160kg).

Marc Marquez finally made his debut and he stayed on the 2012 bike and at the end of the day his fastest lap was in 1′33.403, making him the 7th fastest rider of the day after a total of 28 laps and just 1.081 off his teammate.

Cal Crutchlow finished 2nd fastest and + 0.349 adrift from Pedrosa, despite nursing a broken hand from his crash on Sunday, while team mate Bradley Smith was 11th fastest.

Stefan Bradl who now has an extra year on his contract and HRC backing was third. Ducati’s Nicky Hayden was fourth and a little more than six tenths off pace, while his new and very methodical team mate Andrea Dovizioso, who seems to be coming to grips with the recalcitrant Ducati was sixth with a best lap of 1:33.238 and nine tenths of a second from Pedrosa. Alvaro Bautista was fifth doing a comparison test between his 2012 machine and an upgraded version.

Ducati’s new test rider Michele Pirro who is filling in for injured Ben Spies was the most Stakhanovist, putting in 51 laps in both and wet dry conditions concluding the day in eighth and just 2 tenths from Dovizioso. While the other MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso was 9th.

The next MotoGP test will be at Sepang in February while Marc Marquez will get an extra three days later this month always at Sepang.

MotoGP Valencia 2012 test day 2 results:

01- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 1’32.322
02- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.349
03- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 0.491
04- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 0.634
05- Alvaro Bautista – Go & Fun Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 0.787
06- Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 0.916
07- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 1.081
08- Michele Pirro – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 1.303
09- Andrea Iannone – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP12 – + 1.511
10- Randy De Puniet – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP12 – + 1.759
11- Bradley Smith – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 2.216
12- Karel Abraham – Cardion AB Motoracing – ART GP12 – + 2.987
13- Danilo Petrucci – CAME Iodaracing Project – Ioda Suter BMW – + 3.081
14- Hector Barbera – Avintia Blusens – BQR FTR – + 6.926
15- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP12 – + 11.195

with TWOWHEELSBLOG

Yamaha's Aragon test gamble doesn't pay off

Yamaha’s decision to leave Valencia to test at the Motorland Aragon circuit searching for some sun and a dry track didn’t pay off as Aragon was wet and cold all day long, while Valencia turned out to be dry in the afternoon.

Valentino Rossi was able to do only one lap before it started raining and then decided that he already had more than enough laps in the wet (he did 28 yesterday) and sat the rest of the day out, while Jorge Lorenzo who sat out yesterday’s test decided to get some more wet time under his belt and did around 10 laps, however the reigning world champion lost the front of his M1 at turn 16 (the World Superbike track configuration) and suffered a harmless crash.

The next test session for Rossi and Lorenzo will be only in February 2013 at Sepang.

Despite still being under contract with Ducati - Rossi did talk with Sportmediaset reportint that the sensations he had yesterday were good and that it was nice to be back with the team and it seems that he never left, also adding he was disappointed that the couldn’t ride due to the weather. The Italian also reported that he’ll be at the Monza Rally Show driving a Ford WRC and competing against Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso, and that he’ll try to be at the Supermotard race at Latina on December 2nd for the Marco Simoncelli Foundation.

with TWOWHEELSBLOG