Yesterday, the doors of the Messe Essen exhibition centre opened for the 26th annual Techno Classica. The largest classic car show in the world this year features no fewer than 1,250 exhibitors, including 27 major manufacturers. Among the themes this year are 120 years of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, 100 years of Maserati and 95 years of Zagato. Particularly the Mercedes-Benz display was very impressive as it featured no fewer than 36 racing cars from the company's very rich past and present. Our photographers spent the entire 'Happy View Day' to explore the 20 halls and have captured all the highlights to create this concise report, illustrated by a colourful 220-shot gallery. As always, you can expect detailed articles on some of the most interesting cars that starred in Essen.
The international endurance racing teams have gathered at Paul Ricard for the official FIA WEC test or Prologue, which will be held tomorrow and Saturday. On the eve of the first day of testing, Toyota have finally launched the all-new TS040 Hybrid. The hugely sophisticated machine boasts a drivetrain that consists of a 3.7 litre naturally aspirated V8, assisted by two electric motors and is good for a whopping 1,000 hp at full pelt. This very potent power unit is installed in a chassis that is loosely based on the TS030 used during the previous seasons. Interestingly, the car revealed at Paul Ricard today and the one that stars in our 19-shot gallery both have very different nose configurations. Presumably these are high and low downforce solutions, which shows Toyota is very serious about winning both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the World Championship.

Enjoy the links:

2014 Techno Classica - Report and Slideshow

2014 Toyota TS040 Hybrid Gallery Images - Ultimatecarpage.com