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Want a 1,000bhp V8 Le Mans car for the road? You want the new Glickenhaus 007s

Want a 1,000bhp V8 Le Mans car for the road? You want the new Glickenhaus 007s

Top Gear23-05-2025
First Look
A car that'll sail through Eau Rouge and then pootle along to the shops for milk Skip 11 photos in the image carousel and continue reading
You don't need a 6.2-litre V8 and lots of downforce to manage a run to the supermarket, but it certainly helps. Especially if you suddenly decide, 'I fancy a crack at Eau Rouge, off to Belgium we go!'
If you want a car capable of both, you want this: the new Glickenhaus 007s, a road-going version of the car that scored pole positions at both Monza and Spa – Proper Tracks – as well as finishing on the podium at Sebring and a little place called 'Le Mans'.
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'This is not just a road-going replica,' said TG hero Jim Glickenhaus, the man whose name adorns this butterfly-doored monster. The film producer, car collector and stone-cold racing nut is adamant his newest creation isn't just a facsimile of the racing car.
It's been tested so that it 'glides effortlessly through urban traffic and summer heat', despite featuring motorsport-spec double wishbone front/pushrod rear suspension, adjustable anti-roll bars and a dry-sumped 6.2-litre V8. You might like
A V8 that'll happily send 1,000bhp and 737lb ft to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automated manual gearbox.
But while the aero is 'Le Mans Hypercar inspired', the wheels centre-locking forged aluminium items and the weight a racecar lithe 1,550kg, it's… easy to get in and out of thanks to hydraulically actuated doors. It can handle speed bumps because there's a nose lift. And it's got a 'powerful' air conditioning system.
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Jim tells us setting the thing up for track use is as simple as: use the onboard air jacks to raise it, swap out the road wheels for slicks, adjust the adaptive damper settings, ride height, aero configuration and engine map, deploy copious right foot and hold on tight. We may have added that last bit.
Largely because 'the result is a significant performance transformation: increased downforce allows the 007s to operate at the limits of grip on racing slicks'. When you're done, changing it back is the work of 'minutes'.
'The 007s isn't just about arriving at the circuit and taping over the headlights,' said Glickenhaus, 'it's about redefining the track-day experience: more accessible, more exhilarating, and more rewarding.' Will also redefine your run-to-the-supermarket experience, one suspects.
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Early qualifying exit incredibly painful
Early qualifying exit incredibly painful

BBC News

time12 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Early qualifying exit incredibly painful

Belgian Grand PrixVenue: Spa Dates: 25-27 July Race start: 14:00 BST on SundayCoverage: Live commentary of practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 with race on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app Lewis Hamilton says it was "incredibly painful" to be knocked out in the first session of qualifying and line up 16th for the Belgian Grand seven-time champion set a time just 0.009 seconds slower than team-mate Charles Leclerc in the session but had it deleted for exceeding track limits at the high-speed Raidillon corner."It's incredibly painful," said Hamilton, who was also knocked out in the first session of qualifying for Saturday's sprint race, after running wide on one lap and a spin on his second."It's turning out to be a pretty bad weekend so far."From my side I made a mistake so I've got to look internal and I've got to apologise to my team because that is just unacceptable to be out in both Q1s."It's a very poor performance for myself."Hamilton said he would review the incident with the stewards to try to understand what had happened."Everyone takes that kerb, it's probably the furthest I've been (over it)."The error was the same as one made by McLaren's Oscar Piastri in the second part of sprint qualifying on Friday, but the Australian had time for another run and managed to introduced a new rear suspension design for this weekend which was aimed at allowing them to run the car lower to create more downforce without running into problems wearing out the underbody too much, as well as improving drivability and has sounded lukewarm about the changes so far this qualifying, he said: "I was the same as I was for the rest of the weekend. We made some changes and the car didn't feel terrible."Just really sorry for the team. All the hard work on the filming day we did and all the preparation and we come here and don't go through Q1. It's not acceptable."We are trying to do the best with what we have and obviously everyone is working flat out back at the factory."We have had upgrades but I think that's probably it for the rest of the year and I think the first focus is now, back at the factory at least, to focus on next year's car. This season has been a tricky one."Leclerc was more positive about the car, after admitting to surprising himself by qualifying ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen behind the was 0.338secs behind pole-winner Lando Norris and just 0.003secs ahead of Verstappen, whose last lap was compromised by an error out of the first said: "It's an upgrade and it's a step in the right direction but we are still speaking about very fine differences over the whole lap."So it feels a little bit different and it's going in the right direction and again that's thanks to the hard work that the whole team has done back at the factory."Unfortunately for us, McLaren has also brought a few things this weekend and seems to have done a small step in the right direction as well so it's very difficult to close the gap but I think we are doing a good job as a team and we just need to keep working."Rain is expected to hit the Spa track for the grand prix, but F1 rules prevent teams making changes to their cars between qualifying and said: "I don't think there's really much we can do so I will just start from where I am and see where I can go from there." 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So I am not under any illusions."Leclerc said he expected to struggle if it was wet, on the evidence of the year so far, and the previous rain-affected race at Silverstone."Wet weather, I don't think it's a strength for our car at the moment," Leclerc said. "We are really struggling."But having said that, every weekend is different. We'll learn from the past and see what's possible tomorrow. I will only be able to tell after the first few laps to see where we are. But I'll try to look forward before looking in mirrors."

Lewis Hamilton laments ‘unacceptable' mistake as Lando Norris takes pole at Belgian GP
Lewis Hamilton laments ‘unacceptable' mistake as Lando Norris takes pole at Belgian GP

The Independent

time2 hours ago

  • The Independent

Lewis Hamilton laments ‘unacceptable' mistake as Lando Norris takes pole at Belgian GP

Lewis Hamilton lamented an 'unacceptable' error in qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday as Lando Norris turned the tables on teammate Oscar Piastri to take pole position. Norris, who trails Piastri by nine points in the world championship, was a step behind the Australian in sprint qualifying on Friday but turned his fortunes around, setting a time which edged out his teammate by 0.085 seconds. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came home a surprise third in qualifying ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who won the sprint race earlier on Saturday. But as for Leclerc's teammate Hamilton, a day on from qualifying third-last for the sprint race, it was another disastrous session for the Ferrari driver. The seven-time world champion arrived here at Spa upbeat, with a new rear suspension upgrade on the under-par SF-25 car, as he looked to claim his first podium of the season. But after a spin at the final chicane put him P18 and rendered his sprint race irrelevant – though the spin was put down to a mechanical error – Hamilton himself this time made a costly error at the top of the famous Eau Rouge corner. The Briton looked to have saved himself with a time quick enough for the top-15, before communication came from the FIA stewards that Hamilton had exceeded track limits at the top of Eau Rouge corner, marginally placing all four wheels outside the white lines. As a result, his lap was deleted and, staggeringly, the 40-year-old was knocked out in Q1 again. He will start Sunday's grand prix in 16th place. 'Not great, from my side I made a mistake,' a despondent Hamilton said in the media pen afterwards. 'We have to look internally. I have to apologise to my team, it's unacceptable to be out in both Q1s, a very poor performance from myself. 'I don't think there's much we can do. Everyone is trying to do the best we can, we've had upgrades, but I think that's it for the rest of the year.' Just after the halfway mark of the season, and trailing championship leader Piastri by a mammoth 138 points, Hamilton then effectively wrote off the rest of the campaign as the majority of teams shift their focus to new engine and chassis regulations next year. TOP-10 - BELGIAN GP QUALIFYING 'I think the focus back at the factory is to focus on next year's car,' he said. 'This season has been a tricky one.' A wet race on Sunday – with rain probability currently standing at 60% - is Hamilton's only saving grace. The seven-time world champion finished fourth in the wet-dry drama of Silverstone three weeks ago and won an entertaining race last year at Spa. However, despite all the clamour and hype surrounding his move to Ferrari, it seems the Scuderia's final set of upgrades this season have not provided the silver bullet many hoped would propel Hamilton back into contention at the top. Instead, it continues to be the team Hamilton made his F1 debut for, McLaren, who set the pace out in front. Norris, who is half Belgian, is on a run of two consecutive victories and impressively kept his cool in the heat of battle on Saturday afternoon. While Norris, second time around, did not go faster than his first lap in Q3, Piastri could not claw back the deficit enough and, to the delight of Norris's Belgian mother Cisca in the garage, could only manage second place. The Australian would later reveal an error into turn 14, in his view, cost him pole. 'It was a decent lap,' Norris said, before a pointed statement to the doubters. 'Everyone was pretty worried after yesterday, but I was confident going into today. 'It was nothing to worry about, people like to make a lot of things up. The car is flying a lot.' Piastri, however, will be looking to follow Verstappen's blueprint from earlier on Saturday to steal a march on his teammate at the start tomorrow. The short run down to turn one at Spa favours second place – on the inside line – and the lengthy run up the hill to the Kemmel Straight also provides another opening for cars behind with a healthy slipstream. That being said, wet conditions would likely shake up the status quo. Hamilton will need some favours from above if he is to salvage anything from what, he admitted himself, has been a 'weekend to forget' thus far.

Norris takes Belgian GP pole position
Norris takes Belgian GP pole position

BBC News

time3 hours ago

  • BBC News

Norris takes Belgian GP pole position

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