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F1 drivers will compete in a virtual grand prix series
With their season on hold because of coronavirus fears, Formula 1 drivers will surely be desperate for a competitive outlet to keep them (and their fans) occupied. So, just like soccer players and NASCAR drivers, they're diving into a virtual version of their sport.
NASCAR is replacing canceled races with esports featuring pro drivers
Sports leagues and broadcasters are scrambling to fill the void now that many live competitions are cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for NASCAR and Fox Sports that means venturing into relatively uncharted territory. They've announced an inaugural eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series that will replace canceled NASCAR races with "simulation-style" esports competitions. These will involve top-tier competitors, too -- you can expect Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin among other racers and luminaries from various NASCAR series.
Tesla begins selling a $5,500 track package for the Model 3
Tesla has launched a new track package for Model 3 Performance owners looking to give their vehicles a boost. The Model 3 Track Package comes with 20-inch Zero-G Performance wheels, stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and high-performance brake pads, and will cost track enthusiasts $5,500, including installation.
Honda’s latest app helps Civic Type R drivers become better racers
Honda has launched a new data-logging app designed to give drivers a ton of information about their skills on the track. Exclusive to the new 2020 Civic Type R, LogR provides information on 15 data points, including lap times, acceleration, braking and steering, to generate an overall "driver smoothness" score.
The next Need for Speed game will be made by Burnout creator Criterion
Need for Speed fans, rejoice: Electronic Arts (EA) is giving the long-running racing franchise back to Criterion Games. "With a strong history and passion for racing games and vision for what we can create, the Criterion team is going to take Need for Speed into the next-generation," an EA spokesperson told Gamesindustry.biz. Criterion is a Guildford-based developer that worked on the critically-acclaimed Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) and Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012). The studio was also responsible for the breakneck and destruction-focused Burnout franchise, including the open-world (and recently remastered) Burnout Paradise.
The new Hot Wheels coding kit requires fine motor skills (updated)
Modern parents are faced with a bit of a tech dilemma. You want the kids to learn STEM skills, but you also don't want them spending all their time in front of screens. To combat this problem many coding tools incorporate some kind of physical element that kids have to put together or manipulate; with building toys like LEGO the marriage of physical play and computer programming makes a lot of sense. Then there's something like Hot Wheels, which never really claimed to be educational. This year the brand upgraded its basic racing experience with Hot Wheels ID, which added NFC to the cars and Bluetooth to the track, allowing the playset to keep tabs on how fast your vehicles are going and how far they've traveled. Now the product has a new coding aspect, via Apple's Swift Playgrounds. And it sounds great in concept. But after some time spent with it, I'm not sure this is a very good use of a very expensive playset.
Jaguar's I-Pace software update boosts the range by 12 miles
Car makers frequently make vague claims that their racing technology leads to improvements in road-going vehicles, but this is one of those precious few moments where the gains are very tangible. Jaguar is delivering an update to its I-Pace EV that promises up to 12 miles of extra range thanks partly to know-how gleaned from the eTrophy race series. The automaker has boosted the efficiency of the car's AWD torque distribution, reduced use of the radiator vanes that keep it cool (improving aerodynamics) and allowed the battery to run to a lower state of charge without compromising performance or durability.
Formula E will be elevated to World Championship status for 2020
As much as Formula E has grown, it still plays second fiddle to Formula 1. It's about to get more legitimacy going forward, though. The FIA is granting World Championship status to the electric racing league starting with the 2020-2021 season, making it the only FIA single-seat competition beyond Formula 1 to receive that distinction. It'll now be known as the (lengthily-worded) ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, and the driver who wins will be deemed a world champion. There's no mention of Formula E getting practical benefits from the title, but it does show that the race series is important in the FIA's eyes -- it's not just a sideshow next to the main event.
VW's factory race teams will exclusively drive electric cars
Volkswagen may have a long way to go before its road-going cars are all-electric, but its racing division doesn't have to wait that long. The German brand has revealed that its motorsport group will drop "factory-backed commitments" to race cars with combustion engines -- it's either electric or nothing. Customer sports will continue, but VW is scaling back there as well. While you'll still see VW produce the Polo GTI R5 for customer teams, production for the track-ready Golf GTI TCR will end once 2019 is over.
Air racing tournament unveils an all-electric sports aircraft
The electric aircraft seen to date have focused more on raw utility than thrill-seeking, but that's about to change very shortly. Air Race E, an air racing tournament backed by Airbus, has formally unveiled what it bills as the first electric race aircraft. The Condor Aviation-made White Lightning looks like a typical competitive single-seater, but packs an electric motor that can propel it to 300MPH while handling tight turns on a 3.1-mile circuit at just 33 feet off the ground.
NASCAR could introduce hybrid race cars by 2022
NASCAR has been talking about hybrids for a while, but it has kept quiet about a timeline. Now, the association says hybrid tech could show up in its vehicles by 2022. "We travel the world visiting other sanctioning bodies and are not ignorant to the fact that the world's going towards more hybrid technology," NASCAR's senior vice president for racing development John Probst told TechCrunch.
‘Need for Speed Heat’ isn’t anything like ‘Payback’
The long-running Need for Speed franchise is stuck in a rut. The 2015 reboot, simply titled Need for Speed, was criticized for its cringeworthy live-action cutscenes. Its successor two years ago, Need for Speed Payback, had an irritating upgrade system built around collectible Speed Cards. The last game to broach the 80 mark on Metacritic, Need for Speed Most Wanted, was developed by Criterion and released in 2012. The pressure is therefore rising around Ghost Games, the series' current steward, and its next entry, Need for Speed Heat.
Ford launches its own esports virtual racing teams
Ford plans to launch its own esports virtual racing teams. Under the name Fordzilla, the company will recruit top esports drivers for teams in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. The company will also invite star players to form a European team with select members from each national team.
Formula 1's underdogs struggle with the technical challenges of the sport
As Renault approached the French Grand Prix, a lot was at stake. The race was on the team's home turf, at a make-or-break point in the season. Nobody was panicking. Yet. Despite having won twice in 2018 with Red Bull, new driver Daniel Ricciardo knew what he'd signed up for with Renault. The team was ready: It came in with both engine and chassis changes. But the Paul Ricard circuit at Castellet in France was not the best test for Renault, given the high speeds and the team's continuing aerodynamic issues. The changes to the chassis and motor didn't help, a fact confirmed in qualifying on Saturday. Ricciardo was on the fourth row in eighth place and Nico Hulkenberg in 13th -- not the results Renault was looking for.
'Need For Speed Heat' is an ode to Miami street racing (updated)
You knew EA couldn't go long without another Need for Speed game. Ghost Games and EA have taken the wraps off Need for Speed Heat, an open world arcade racer that "deepens and expands" the familiar mechanics of street races and police chases. It's a not-so-subtle ode to Miami that has you racing in the fictional Palm City in both sanctioned, money-focused daytime races as well as nighttime underground races that are all about reputation. To no one's surprised, the cops are less than enthusiastic about the after-dark racing -- there's a "rogue police task force" determined to hunt you down.
VW's electric ID.R racer smashed a Nürburgring efficiency record
VW's ID.R wasn't just running laps around the Nürburgring in June to set electric performance records. The automaker has confirmed that the EV also set an efficiency record while blasting through the Nordschliefe, using 24.7kWh to complete a lap in 6 minutes and 5.34 seconds. The car was not only faster around the circuit than a Porsche 911 GT3, according to VW, but used a quarter of the energy. While that's not a figure you'd brag about to your fellow car enthusiasts, it could make a compelling case for EV racing going forward.
Watch VW's electric race car smash a 20-year-old Goodwood record (updated)
VW clearly wasn't satisfied with setting the electric car record for the hill climb at 2018's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The automaker's ID.R racer (driven by Romain Dumas) returned to this year's festival in grand style, setting a hill climb time of 41.18 39.9 seconds -- fast enough to break an overall hill climb record that had been set 20 years ago by Nick Heidfeld in a McLaren MP4/13 Formula 1 car. That was no mean feat given its lower power (500kW versus an equivalent 574kW). You can see the achievement below.
Extreme E reveals the car that will race across glaciers and deserts
Say hello to the Odyssey 21, an electric SUV built by Spark Racing Technology, the same company that designed and built the first and second-gen Formula E cars.
'Circuit Superstars' is the 'Forza' of Micro Machines
Back in 2014, Square Enix Collective was created to help indie developers with getting their game out there, and it has helped introduce titles like Forgotton Anne to the world. Now it's getting into the world of racing with Circuit Superstars, a top-down motorsport game developed by Original Fire Games.
Pirelli app gives track day drivers a digital pit crew
Gone are the days when racing sports simply involved cars hurtling around a track as fast as possible. Now, there are eye-watering volumes of data being processed every second, providing deep metrics and guidance on everything from tire pressure to traction control. This kind of intel was once the sole domain of racing drivers and pit stop crews, but now tire brand Pirelli has unveiled a system that'll give civilian track day goers the same kind of insight.
