Racetrack

On August 18, Christian Von Koenigsegg turned up at the Laguna Seca race track with a car and driver, neither of which had ever seen the track in the flesh. The driver wasn't completely unprepared, he'd apparently cranked out a few laps on a Playstation.

On a beautiful warm summer day in southern Germany, little-known McMurtry Automotive took its Speirling PURE car to the Hockenheim Racetrack with former Formula1 racing driver – not to mention current Goodwood Festival of Speed record holder – Max Chilton, in tow.

After announcing a new batch of high-powered electric kickscooters early last month, Segway has now launched the GT series on Indiegogo – with the GT2 SuperScooter capable of a crazy top speed of 43.5 mph.

Like a cross between an old-school Ferrari and an Ariel Atom, this ultra-lightweight, 400-horsepower overgrown Aussie go-kart is set up to destroy machines 5 to 10 times as expensive on track. We're talking 0-100 kmh (0-62 mph) in 2.4 seconds.

In the mountains fringing Nagoya, just 30 minutes from its head office, Toyota is building a dynamic driving test center as part of a commitment to making its cars more fun to drive. Modeled on parts of the Nurburgring, one section of the new track is now up and running.

Ex-racer Hermann Tilke is one of the world's leading racetrack builders, having designed bangers like Sepang, Sochi, Bahrain and the Circuit of the Americas. Now he's built a bit of a greatest hits racetrack for Porsche in Leipzig, recreating 11 of the world's greatest turns.

Ford is introducing its latest turnkey race car at the Woodward Dream Cruise as an homage to the original Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, which debuted 50 years ago. The original Cobra Jet hit the drag strip in 1968 and this latest version will have only 68 built.

The more things change in the motoring world, the more Caterham stays the same. It has stuck with the same basic design for 60 years, honing the formula into a range of racers for keen drivers. To celebrate this heritage, the company is building the SuperSprint, with a retro livery and interior.

Loz heads to Albury on the Victoria/NSW border for a coaching session at a hidden gem of a racetrack. The Murray Valley Training Co offers some of the cheapest track day and race coaching rates in Australia, led by racer Chas Hern - who knows a thing or two about going quick.

Aston Martin has turned to its racing heritage for another stripped-back, Vantage road racer. Based on the V8 Vantage, the more powerful GT8 promises a hard edged driving experience to back up its lairy carbon makeover.

Unless you can afford the expense of a racing school or track day, getting close to the experience of riding in a F1 or GT race car is near impossible. Fortunately, the average race fan can now have something resembling that experience, with the opening of the Motion Simulation Room in England.

The 2011 model BMW S1000RR saved my butt in a big way – it's only fair we give the 2015 model the chance to do the same. And on the hallowed tarmac of Philip Island, the new RR's insanely intelligent new suspension and rider assist systems made me feel like an absolute riding god.