Latest news with #LMH
Top Gear
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Le Mans Ultimate review: does this endurance racing sim have staying power?
Gaming Good chance of it, considering it's packed with the most exciting racing machinery operating anywhere in the world Skip 5 photos in the image carousel and continue reading It feels like every racing sim these days debuts in unfinished, so-called 'early access' form. It's not something many other types of purchase can get away with; you wouldn't take a date to a restaurant, pay for full meals and be happy with just starters. Though yes, we confess, it does sound like we've just described tapas. Le Mans Ultimate arrived in February of last year in Steam Early Access, and while it was absolutely unfinished at the time, it at the very least landed with plenty of content. The entire 2023 Le Mans field and all the circuits from that year's World Endurance Championship were included and since then the sim has been kept bang up to date with DLC packs introducing new cars and circuits to represent the 2024 and 25 seasons. Advertisement - Page continues below As of now, the base game is considered completed and this 1.0 update arrives in some style. For a start, it brings with it the outrageous Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR LMH, the race-spec version of Aston's hypercar, complete with its screaming V12. If you aren't aware, real-world sportscar racing is currently enjoying a golden era of manufacturer support, meaning Le Mans Ultimate features arguably the most exciting contemporary racing machinery operating anywhere in the world. Avert your eyes, Formula One. These cars, along with a field of the ever popular GT3 machines, have helped position Le Mans Ultimate as the only credible threat to iRacing ' s simracing stranglehold. Le Mans Ultimate was built on the rock-solid foundation of rFactor 2's physics engine, but it's been refined and elevated to offer the most convincing, communicative handling model in sim racing. Every time you spin off the circuit, it's embarrassingly obvious that it was 100 per cent your own fault. You might like It's a good job the game is so fundamentally satisfying to drive, because it's still lacking a career or championship mode to provide connective tissue between single player races. If the idea of venturing onto an online multiplayer server fills you with dread, you're stuck with just individual race weekends against AI drivers. A proper, in-depth career mode is apparently in development, but won't be arriving until next year. More tapas, anyone? The game has already been embraced by online racers, though, and this 1.0 version will finally support multiplayer driver swaps for longer online endurance races. These epic, multi-hour scheduled events popularised by iRacing are designed be tackled as a team and are the most involving and challenging experiences in simracing, to the point where even Max Verstappen can't resist competing in them even if it clashes with a F1 race weekend. Advertisement - Page continues below Back in February last year, we reckoned Le Mans Ultimate was worth a punt even in its Early Access form. This full release reassures us that we made the right call a year and a half ago. It's still structurally a slim offering for solo players, but the handling model is second to none, the selection of cars and circuits is excellent and the online competition is justifiably pulling people away from tending to their precious iRacing driver rating. Le Mans Ultimate is one of the few racing sims that might make you feel like a 24 hour race isn't long enough... Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
The Hindu
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Music all the way
The historic Daryaganj market does not shy away from chaos. Amid the uproar of traffic, hawkers, and everything characteristically Old Delhi, a store in Daryaganj hums the soothing sound of musical Music House (LMH) carries a legacy of 115 years of dealing in musical instruments, from a folk dilruba to a rock guitar. Randheer and Jaspal Singh are the fourth generation owners of the store, which was originally established in 1910 in Anarkali Bazaar of Lahore, present-day Pakistan. After the Partition, the store moved to its current location beside the iconic Moti Mahal restaurant in 1948. A 'Daryaganj Music Street' was established soon, flanked with music shops dime a dozen. 'Daryaganj was half of what it is now when we started. It became a trend to start a music dealership here, and even for those with no knowledge of music set up shops ,' says Jaspal Singh. The storeis modest in appearance and the only one without any other branch. Qawwals and classical musicians from all over the world source from us. We don't get much footfall in the store, but our dealers and exports keep us busy,' says Jaspal. Exports are sustained by countries with strong Indian communities abroad including Mauritius, Suriname, Fiji, and Trinidad. Jaspal says a culture of Indian traditional music runs in these countries. Recalling the fad for Indian music during the 1970s to 1990s hippie culture, he says, 'Foreigners visiting Delhi during those years would stop by Moti Mahal for a meal, and take home a tabla from Lahore Music House on their way back!' Though over the years guitars and synthesisers flooded the market, LMH did not bury its specialisation in traditional instruments. 'Earlier schools used to teach students to play the sitar. Not many bother to explore other traditional instruments such as the santoor, sarod, sarangi or esraj. A guitar to showcase is all they seek now,' bemoans Jaspal. The legacy of LMH did not go unnoticed by legends of music from the subcontinent. Ghulam Ali, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and Mehdi Hassan were regulars. 'Begum Akhtar used to treat us like a service station. She would come to drop a baja off, and take another one with her,' says Jaspal, who would return from school to find musical legends at his father's desk. Once in the 1960s, English rock band The Beatles visited LMH. 'Neither me nor my father knew who they were. A huge crowd had gathered outside the store. The members requested for a sitar at their hotel and later even offered my father to move to London to teach them the sitar,' reminisces Jaspal. LMH stands out not just for quality but also for the city it represents. 'We get asked by people why we retain the name. Following the Partition, the production of instruments split to Amritsar, Patiala and Delhi but his family did not forget their birthplace. 'Even today in our labels, we write with pride, Lahore Flutes, Made in India.'
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
There's A Lot to Like About Cadillac's Chances to Win 24 Hours of Le Mans
After its four teams advanced to Hyperpole, Cadillac locked up the front row in qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There's only one goal left for the American manufacturer. Can Cadillac win the 93rd running of the world's most famous sports car race? The odds look better than any of the first two years that Cadillac V-Series.R teams have raced at Le Mans with their LMDh hybrids against the dominant LMH hybrids of Ferrari and Toyota. This year, a Cadillac was either first or second in the first three practices and in the qualifying sessions. The key is avoiding major errors, said Gary Nelson, the team manager for the No. 311 V-Series.R of Action Express Racing that qualified eighth. 'The last two years, the big thing for us was making mistakes,' said Nelson. 'We're always trying to not repeat our mistakes and hopefully we don't come up with some new ones. Then we'll see where the cards fall.' The British Jota team and its pole-winning No. 12 driven by Alex Lynn and the runner-up No. 38 of Earl Bamber contested the first three rounds of the World Endurance Championship as newcomers to Cadillac, having replaced Chip Ganassi Racing as the factory representative for the GM brand. Entering the Test Day, Jota relied on the massive compilation of digital records from Action Express's previous two trips to Le Mans. Last year, Jota won at Spa with its Porsche 963, the only privateer team to have won a Hypercar race in the WEC. With seventh on the grid its best showing, the Ferrari crews of AF Corse, winners of the first three WEC rounds and the last two Le Mans 24-hours, appeared to be focused on race preparation. The new Balance of Performance (BoP) has dictated compensating for a loss of top speed. According to drivers, the search for lap times has played havoc with the 499P's race set-up. But, throwing down a gauntlet, the Ferraris were first and second in the final night practice. Toyota Gazoo Racing also appeared to be focused on consistent race pace in place of qualifying. After the No. 7 GR010 Hybrid surprisingly missed the Top 15 in the first round, the No. 8 managed only 10th in the final round. Qualifying lasts for just one flying lap on low fuel and fresh Michelins. The grueling race is another matter. 'The hard work really starts (once qualifying ends),' said Will Stevens, co-driver in the No. 12 Cadillac. 'It's a long road ahead but after qualifying we're pretty confident.' If the new BoP has indeed brought the LMH cars of Ferrari and Toyota back to the field, it means Cadillac, including the Wayne Taylor Racing entry that starts 14th, will have plenty of competition from the fellow LMDh-based cars of Alpine, BMW and Porsche. Porsche Penske Motorsport will be in its third season of a three-car entry. But it has not been Penske perfect with the No. 6 Porsche 963 being banished to the back of the field for being underweight in qualifying. Before Mathieu Jaminet qualified his No. 5 Porsche third, a wheel came off on course. "We've had a busy and quite difficult few days, but qualifying has shown once again: When it comes down to it, our team is fully there," said Jonathan Diuguid, managing director of Porsche Penske. The No. 4 Porsche, where Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy will try to add a Le Mans victory to wins in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Sebring 12-Hour, starts fifth. Laurens Vanthoor, starting 21st in the No. 6, will also try to complete endurance racing's triple after co-driving with Nasr and Tandy in Daytona and Sebring. The BMW M Team WRT (fourth and sixth on the grid), and the Alpine Endurance Team (ninth and 12th) each gave Ferrari a run in the previous round at Spa and can be expected to challenge in the 24-hour, where fuel mileage, pit strategy and tire wear will be significant factors as well as track position and driving. Only the new Aston Martin Valkyrie and Peugeot's still struggling 9X8 are considered such long shots in a crowded field that they are out of the running.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hypercar, LMDh rules extended to 2032 in WEC
The lifecycle of the current generation of Le Mans Hypercar and LMDh prototypes has been extended until 2032 in the World Endurance Championship. The move, predicted by in April, means that the LMH formula is set to span 12 years following its 2021 introduction and LMDh 10 years, and follows on the two-year extension announced this time last year. Advertisement Confirmation of the plans was made by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and FIA at the traditional press conference hosted by the former organisation on the eve of the Le Mans 24 Hours WEC round. ACO president Pierre Fillon said: 'It is important to give the manufacturers and the audience a signal of stability - we need to show that this platform is sustainable and strong. 'We are guided by two principles, stability and cost control, which is why together with the FIA we have decided to extend the rules until the end of 2032. 'Giving the manufacturers a chance to get a return on their investment was the target for us.' Pierre Fillon, ACO president Pierre Fillon, ACO president The rules extension, which was rubber stamped by this week's FIA World Motor Sport Council in Macau, was announced only in broad principles. Advertisement Fillon explained that the 'practicalities need to be discussed' and that they 'will be worked out by the end of the year'. ACO technical director Thierry Bouvet would not be drawn whether there will be any attempt to remove any of the differences between LMH and LMDh cars in the WEC's Hypercar class. At the same time, IMSA confirmed what it terms its strategic alliance with the ACO until the end of 2032, which suggests it could follow the lead taken for the WEC in extending the rules for what it calls the GTP class. Hypercars now eligible for Asian Le Mans Hypercar class contenders driven by pro-am crews will be eligible to race in the Asian Le Mans Series from the start of the 2026-27 season. Advertisement An influx of LMH and LMDh machinery will create a new top-class in the series jointly run by the ACO and GT racing boss Stephane Ratel. It will sit above the LMP2 and P3 prototype classes and the GT class for GT3 machinery, which predates the introduction of LMGT3 in the WEC in 2023. Ratel explained that the move has been the result of interest from manufacturers, teams and drivers. Race 2 Start Race 2 Start 'Interest in sportscar racing is growing in Asia: we see that in the grids for Asian LMS and the GT World Challenge Asia [which Ratel's eponymous organisation runs],' he said. 'We believe there is the possibility to attract some Asian teams and drivers; for sure there are teams whose clients are interested. Advertisement 'We know we are not going to get a grid of 20 Hypercars, but I think something like six is possible in the first year.' LMP2 tenders decided French constructors ORECA and Ligier will build the next generation of LMP2 chassis due to come on stream in 2028. They came out on top in the tender process initiated by the FIA, together with the ACO and IMSA, in March. One other constructor that is known to have bid for the right to build LMP2 machinery was the relaunched Lola brand. #23 United Autosports Oreca 07 - Gibson: Daniel Schneider, Oliver Jarvis, Ben Hanley #23 United Autosports Oreca 07 - Gibson: Daniel Schneider, Oliver Jarvis, Ben Hanley The tender called for just two manufacturers to be licensed to produce P2 machinery rather than the four of the current formula introduced in 2017. Advertisement ORECA and Ligier were joined by Dallara and Multimatic/Riley, though P2 has become a de facto one-make formula for ORECA. Gibson will continue as the engine supplier for the new generation of P2 car. The new engine will be a direct-injection twin-turbo V6, as per the tender, and capable of producing 420kW (560bhp) and running 14,000km between full rebuilds. The latest Gibson powerplant replaces the existing normally-aspirated V8 used in all LMP2 chassis. Read Also: Ford reveals more details about 2027 WEC LMDh challenger United Autosports to run McLaren Hypercar programme, Dallara tie-up agreed Genesis hires Gabriele Tarquini to management team as WEC programme takes shape To read more articles visit our website.
Miami Herald
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Aston Martin's New Valkyrie LM Is As Close As You Can Get To a Le Mans Hypercar, With Just 10 Made
Aston Martin has revealed its new Valkyrie LM hypercar, which is derived from its Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) counterpart competing in the world-famous race this weekend. The Valkyrie LM's 10 owners will enjoy the same 7-speed transmission and 6.5-liter V-12 engine in the LMH version, but this modified engine produces 697 hp compared to the race version's 670. Aston Martin is making the Valkyrie LM accessible to amateur drivers by removing race series-specific elements like added weight and FIA-regulation electronics in favor of a cockpit interface tailored for track day usage. The automaker also changed the Valkyrie LM's torque control to a friendlier open-loop configuration instead of closed-loop with fewer internal adjustments, removed torque sensors managing power delivery for less technological oversight, and altered the V-12 engine to accept standard fuel. Operating in rear-wheel drive, the one-seater Valkyrie LM features Pirelli tires, semi-automatic paddle shifters like the LMH version, and a double-wishbone front and rear suspension with pushrod-actuated torsion bar springs with adjustable side and central dampers. This race-derived suspension set-up optimizes track performance and adjustability, and the cockpit contains a custom carbon-fiber race seat with shoulder support and headrest padding. This multi-million dollar Aston Martin also has an FIA safety harness, fire suppression system, and steering wheel with an integrated display and shift lights. Aston Martin is ensuring the Valkyrie LM's 10 buyers get the most out of their purchase with its optional track day program launching in Q2 2026. The track day program ensures each car is set up and prepared as it should be, with assistance from professional engineers, allowing drivers to push the model's limits, which include top speeds exceeding 200 mph. Before hitting the track, the program has owners train on a simulator with driver coaching sessions. Each Valkyrie LM comes with a helmet, Head and Neck Safety (HANS) device, driver's suit and boots, molded earpieces, driver's gloves, and fireproof underwear. Drivers opting into the track day program will have Aston Martin store their Valkyrie LM, allowing them to simply fly in, race, and fly out. Adam Carter, Aston Martin's Head of Endurance Motorsport, said in a release: "It is important to emphasize that the Valkyrie LM is close to identical to the race car that is currently competing in WEC and IMSA, with only a few minor deviations to ensure it is a non-homologated variant and is accessible for customers to experience and enjoy. Valkyrie LM represents the most authentic Hypercar track experience that is now available." The Valkyrie LM distinguishes itself beyond its ability to resemble race car dynamics and low production count. While the 10 Valkyrie LM owners will be part of a small club, Aston Martin facilitates a community aspect within this exclusive group through its track day program. Customers participating in the program will enjoy a Q2 2026 hand-off event marking first drives, two fully supported track days in Q3 2026, and additional track runs at F1 circuits in Q4 2026. Aston Martin's Valkyrie LM is an endurance racing fan's dream come true. Pricing has yet to be announced. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
