Category Archives: performance

Acura to Enter IndyCar. “Pause” IMSA GTP

Posted on 22 April 2026 by Ken Zino

Well, the paddock rumors were accurate – or should AutoInformed say Acura-it? Marcus Armstrong’s Honda-powered IndyCar will carry Acura branding in the 2026 Indianapolis 500, the Acura’s first appearance on the Indy 500 grid. Moreover, Acura will “pause “ the IMSA GTP program following 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. This move to the NTT IndyCar Series keeps the Acura name in motorsports of course. It also, perhaps, adds a complication to the viability of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, if other brands do likewise. Continue reading →

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IMSA and IndyCar – Acura Wins 2026 Long Beach Grand Prix!

Posted on 20 April 2026 by Ken Zino

On the 1.968-mile, 11 turn Long Beach street circuit, it was a great double-header weekend for Honda Racing. Alex Palou completed a sweep of the weekend for Honda in the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, as Honda and Acura powered vehicles scored pole position and the victory Sunday in both the NTT IndyCar Series (Palou) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The first game went to Renger van der Zande on Saturday who drove the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 to the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) first-place trophy in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. They controlled the 100-minute sprint race from green to checkered flags. Continue reading →

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IMSA Street Fight – 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Posted on 17 April 2026 by Ken Zino

The Long Beach street course will showcase Acura versus Aston-Martin versus Cadillac versus Corvette for the 100-minute race that is considered Honda Racing’s home event in the U.S. It’s exciting racing on the 1.968-mile Long Beach street circuit. That’s because teams and drivers start “cold” and have to work through significant track condition changes over three sessions Friday while four other classes add rubber to the circuit. Continue reading →

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Mustang GTD Runs Record Nordschleife Lap at 6m 40.835s

Posted on 17 April 2026 by Ken Zino

“Driven once again by Ford Racing and Multimatic factory driver Dirk Müller, the Mustang GTD Competition secured the sixth fastest time on the Nürburgring Pre-Production / Prototype Class leader-board,” said Joe Bellino Mustang GTD brand manager today. “Ford Racing engineer Steve Thompson also piloted the GTD Competition to a time of 6:49.337 around the Nürburgring – faster than Müller’s original record. Thompson has modest driving experience at the ‘Green Hell,’ having cumulatively driven the Nürburgring fewer than 40 laps,” Bellino said. Continue reading →

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Porsche AG Q1 2026 Sales Drop 15%

Posted on 10 April 2026 by Ken Zino

“Following the end of the combustion-engine 718 and the strong deliveries of the fully electric Macan at market launch, our figures are below the prior‑year level but are overall in line with our expectations. Strong demand for the 911 and the high proportion of top derivatives clearly demonstrate that the core of our sports car brand remains exceptionally strong,” claimed Matthias Becker, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “In the coming months, our focus will be on the market launch of the all‑electric Cayenne, which will be delivered to its first customers from summer onwards.” Continue reading →

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Penske Truck Rental – New Indy 500 VIP Contest

Posted on 7 April 2026 by Ken Zino

“Penske Truck Rental has always been about moving lives and businesses forward—and for true racing fans, the Indianapolis 500 is the ultimate fan destination,” said Kevin Malloy, senior vice president of rental at Penske. “This new contest celebrates the stories that move us all, and we’re honored to help two passionate fan’s dreams come true of attending this legendary race and enjoying a VIP experience.” Continue reading →

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Ford GT Mk IV Runs Nordschleife at 6m15.977s

Posted on 2 April 2026 by Ken Zino

The Ford GT Mk IV (NYSE: F) has set the record as the fastest American OEM around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, Ford Racing said today. It is at the moment the third fastest overall car to ever lap the Nordschleife. The 6:15.977 ET also means that the GT Mk IV, as a track-only vehicle classified in the prototype category, is the fastest car currently available for purchase to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Just bring money –  stacks of it – starting price of ~$1.7 million. Continue reading →

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Annals of Marketing – Manual Trans Return to Nissan Z

Posted on 31 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“We try to do something every year for the sports cars to keep them relevant and top-of-mind. We love working on these cars for our customers, and it’s a joy for us to continuously improve these things. We’ve been listening to our customers and talking to them. I think we’ve made a substantial improvement. The big thing everyone kept talking about is the desire for a manual transmission option for Z NISMO. It’s now here. Initially we didn’t launch with it because it’s a track-focused car,” said Paul Hawson, director of Advanced Product Planning & Strategy at Nissan North America. Continue reading →

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Milestones – Acura Celebrates 40th Birthday

Posted on 27 March 2026 by Ken Zino

My own personal experience and respect for Acura came in 1990. Covering the auto business Acura debuted of the groundbreaking NSX. This mid-engine sports car that would establish new levels of performance, refinement and drive-ability at a relatively inexpensive price compared to, oh, Ferrari and Porsche. I remembered a conversation with the esteemed and estimable John Dinkel of Road&Track who I had known years before I joined the magazine as its Detroit editor. Having gone to Japan to drive the car prior to its introduction, John – when I asked about it – just shook his head and said “they are going to own the world.” This opinion was not contested among the entire R&T staff as I recall. Ferrari performance, Japanese quality and an undervalued price. Continue reading →

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Corvette Grand Sport to Share LS6 6.7L V8 with Sting Ray

Posted on 26 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“Grand Sport has always been the Corvette for drivers who want the spirit of a race car in a package they can enjoy every day,” said Scott Bell, vice president of Global Chevrolet. “With the new Grand Sport and Grand Sport X, we’ve taken that formula into the mid-engine era, pairing a heritage-rich design with the most advanced Corvette technologies we’ve ever offered. The Grand Sport model has historically acted as a high-volume player in the Corvette lineup. We expect the Stingray and Grand Sport lineup combined to account for the vast majority of Corvette sales.” Continue reading →

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Sebring 2026 – Porsche Takes 20th Complete Victory

Posted on 23 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“We had the right packages with the Porsche 963 in the top GTP class and the 911 GT3 R in the leading GT category. We were fast, the drivers kept their cool, and the teams worked flawlessly. We couldn’t have asked for more. Congratulations to our customer teams, the works squad, and all our partners. We’re delighted with this successful start to the season and these major achievements as we celebrate 75 years of Porsche Motorsport,” said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. Continue reading →

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Mustang GTD Applications Open April 17

Posted on 23 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“If you don’t try, you’ll never know. That’s not just a motivational saying. It’s true of Mustang GTD ownership, too,” said Joe Bellino, Mustang GTD brand manager. This is part of the celebrations of the 62nd birthday of the Ford Mustang. Continue reading →

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Chevy Teases 2027 Corvette Grand Sport at Sebring

Posted on 22 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“It is an incredible opportunity to be reunited with the Corvette Grand Sport C2 here at the Twelve Hours of Sebring – an event and a track that has always carried special meaning for me and for our race teams over the years,” Penske said. “Congratulations to Chevrolet on launching the new era of the Grand Sport program. It is truly special to see the C2 and the other generations of the Corvette Grand Sport, including the new C8, here at Sebring.” Continue reading →

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Andretti Global Rules Inaugural Java House Grand Prix

Posted on 16 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“What an absolutely phenomenal day for our #27 JM Bullion Andretti Global Honda. And hats off to Honda really for a 1-2-3-4 today,” Kirkwood said. “Man, did we have some pace. This JM Bullion Honda, Andretti, all these guys right here, they gave me the tools today. It’s because of this race car we won today, because of teamwork….“One-three-four (finish) for Andretti; we’re just so stacked here. I’m so stoked.” Continue reading →

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Ganassi Racing’s Palou Rules 2026 NTT IndyCar Start

Posted on 2 March 2026 by Ken Zino

Alex Palou opened the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series* season with a dominant victory in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a 12.49 second lead over the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet of NTT P1 Award winner Scott … Continue reading →

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