Nissan revealed earlier this year that they will be making a competitive entry into the FIA GT Championship for 2010 with a Nissan R35 GT-R built to GT1 specifications. In collaboration with NISMO and Gigawave Motorsports the car will be entered into four races in 2009 for testing and development.

The car was photographed testing at the Paul Ricard HTTT facility in the south of France during the media function and first official test day for the 2009 championship season.

As predicted the GT1 GT-R features a front mounted naturally aspirated V8 engine, a VK56DE with a displacement of 5,552cc. The VK develops 600hp and more than 650Nm of torque. It’s mated to a Ricardo 6 speed transaxle via a 5.5″ carbon triple plate clutch. All this drives only the rear wheels. Carbon brakes and pads all round are clamped by 6 piston front and 6 piston rear calipers. Putting the power to the ground are 18″ x 13″ Rays forged wheels all round.

By GTRBlog

BMW tuner par excellence Alpina is returning to the motor racing scene for the first time in two decades with the new B6 GT3, which the pseudo-works firm unveiled for the first time here at the Geneva Motor Show. Based on the 6 Series, the B6 GT3 features a unique radial supercharger fitted to its 4.4-liter V8 to drive 530 horsepower to the rear wheels – in proper Bavarian style – in what looks to be a compelling competition package.

Alpina itself will be fielding a pair in the European FIA GT3 series and at "selected 24-hour endurance races" (Nurburgring, Le Mans… we’re looking at you), but the B6 GT3 will also be offered to private teams. Alpina has fitted adjustable everything to the car and a full array of electronic control systems to ensure that gentlemen racers – not just professional drivers – will be able to handle it and so that the car will qualify for a wide array of racing series. We’re looking forward to seeing the green menace tackling the Green Hell soon, but in the meantime had to content ourselves with checking it out at Alpina’s show stand here in Geneva where it was displayed alongside the new B7 Bi-Turbo, which we’ll have for you shortly. In the meantime, click on the thumbnails below to view our gallery from the show floor and follow the jump for a brief press release.

By AutoBlog

After recent spyshots surfaced of the carbon bodied FIA GT1 specification Nissan R35 GT-R testing it seemed to be a forgone conclusion that Nissan would be making a return to FIA GT racing soon. Well today we have received official confirmation from Nissan via Nissan Motors Australia Managing Director and CEO Dan Thompson at the press day of the 2009 Melbourne Motor Show.

Official word is that Nissan will be entering the R35 Nissan GT-R into the FIA GT 2010 Championship series while British company Gigawave MotorSports will be teaming up with NISMO on an non-championship additional entry into four of the 2009 season’s races in order to check and help develop the car.

Driving the NISMO/Gigawave MotorSports car is most likely Michael Krumm of NISMO SuperGT team fame and Darren Turner from Gigawave.

By GTRBlog