because Bell Motorsports has been the only other team in GT1 in the 2008 American Le Mans Series with an Aston Martin DBR9. GT2 cars cost less to build and maintain.
corvette is the ultimate racing machine. They dominate the sport so badly that rules were made just against them. Air restrictor plates and extra weight was added to slow them down. Even with the odds stacked against them, they still dominate the sport. The C5R holds pretty much all track records, and it was rumored the C6R was crushing them during the development stages. But never reached its full potential because those shit rules were made. LONG LIVE CORVETTE!
uhhh japan? are you retarded? Japan has one car, the GTR. And we dont even know what that is going to be like against the c6.5 Z06 either. Japan doesnt make the "best cars" they make good cars. Plus everything new from japan is fucking hideous(the gtr, evo X, sti, accord, ridgeline, half of the lexus line and all of the toyota line!) p.s. look at reliability scores, the rest of the world is getting better while japan is droping steadily.
take those restrictions off the car that the C6.R hadnt had before '07 until aston started crying for them and we would still be winning. cant beat the vette in a straight up race thats why the vette leads the LMS GT1 class in europe over the aston saleen and lambo.
I love both cars mate! Just dont like the Corvette fan boys who think the CR6 is the one and only car on the planet. The Aston has won Le Mans 2 years in a row now, FAIR & SQUARE!
i'd like to see how fast these cars can lap the bathurst 1000 track. the fastest ever lap of bathurst is 2:06:859, i reckon the le mans cars would be in the 13's or the 14's.
GT1 racing rules. Come one, come all. But lay off the Corvette. It's been the only reason to pay attention to LM racing for years. Who wants to stare at that soulless, expensive door-stopper they call an Audi Prototype drone around by itself all day? Gimme some grunt! The more cars chasing the Corvette's crown, the better.
You're right, in theory at least. However the rules makers in France really only restrict engine size and over all car weight in the Prototype classes. If you can come up with the right power to weight ratio, you can sic a Mazda on a Chevelle, you dig? Same principle applies to the Prototypes. If the GT1s weren't so restricted, they could run with some of the P1s too. Porche has deep pockets and is even positioning itself to buy Audi and put the whole VW empire under Porsche control again.
my neighbor has a DB9 and it looks and sounds like garbage. from the back it looks like a beefed up chrysler labaron with a body kit. and whats worse is he traded his twin turbo 911 in on it.
Sorry but you cant even compare a Corvette with an Aston Martin DB9. On the road or the track now. Corvette racing have had years of development with their car and Aston Martin Racing have overtaken them now.
On the road, there is no production aston martin made today that can hang with a corvette. Even a base c6.
Yes the aston has more luxury but NOT speed.
Thats the reason I love corvettes, say what you say they are faster than cars worth 2x more and thats a fact aston/porsche/ferrari owners have to live with.
If I was to ever buy a car itll def be a corvette.
Z06 Weight 3132 lbs w/ 505bhp and cost $70,000. DB9 weight 3769 lbs w/ 450bhp and cost $167,000. You do the math, why do people compare cars like they have 10000 millions and can have any cars they want. The only thing DB9 has on the corvette is the interior and the looks. If you want a true sport car and the drving experience the Z06 would blow the Db9 away.
lies, holy god man are you all listening to yourself. At the moment the koenigsegg ccxr is about to be the fastest car ever concieved never mind the veyron and bristol were limited from insane speeds. besides that you have the zonda f, MC12, enzo, carrera gt, SLR mclaren, mclaren f1, murcelagio. How is any stock vette going anywhere near them
i would chose the vette too. i blows away vipers, gts, ferraris, lambos, porsches, and yes, astons too! if you do not believe me, look at the laptimes at the nurburgring and the lap time here on top gear. it was even faster than a zonda!
Check yourself on that LeMan win. I'm pretty sure the Vette took the win. What an awesome race though, 18 hours of Aston & Vette dueling! Two gorgeous cars! If we Americans had to loose, it would be an honor to loose to Aston Martin and our brothers the Brits.
Aston Martin Racing def won this year. Corvette racing came 2nd. Other Vette broke down after an hour or so i think. Very unlike them! Wish Aston was still in ALMS, some great races last year. Both cars are so close in performance now. I like the Vette just wish some of your lot could be a bit more gracious towards us Europeans and our motor vehicles like yourself.
i appreciate ALL cars!! especially european. where i draw the line and get patriotic, is when some of your people constantly dog our cars, even when they are winning!
this yank does! i have a 2008 z06, and a 1963 split window. You WON lemans??? WHOOPIE!!! THE BRITS FINALLY WON A RACE AGAINST CORVETTES! pbttth! you better look at the track record son. we have been handing astons their a@#$! handling? look at 02:55 of the video as the db plays airplane!
true that. the aston team was crying the whole way. brits whining about lack of money. whose fault is that? i thought they were ASTON! if us LOWLY americans can come up with funds, why not they? it's all too funny my friend.
Corvette has won 5 out of the last 6 Le Mans 24 hr. races! The LS7 engine in the C6.R (And the same type found in the C6 Z06) won an international award, for best engine of the year; given to GM in Germany, on November 9th. Corvette is dominating!
Carbon fiber intake, bigger cam, open headers and exhaust to name a few. It's not really what they did to this motor to race though; it's more what the did to detune it for the street. The LS7 in the Z06 was born from this motor, not the other way around. In a FGT? I guess you could shoehorn it in there...maybe :D
they had some problems and finished behind those darn pesky Aston Martins in some of the last races of the year but did well enough overall to win their 5th ALMS championship. These cars and the teams have proven to be tough as it gets and able to compete with the worlds best! A great time for Corvette racing!
Top Gear reviews road cars... this is a GT racer. Won its class at the 2006 Le Mans 24 hours. The C5R had a great run, this car seems to be picking up where that one left off.
fan...fucking...tastic...
sickV607 1 year ago
nice vid. I loved seeing the Aston Martin flying off the track....hahahaha
CorvetteLover11 1 year ago
ey you guys think that this bad ass vette can beat the Viper ACR?
omarartgshadow 1 year ago
Of course it will.
TheKiwiLord 1 year ago
O SHIT!!!!!!!
omarartgshadow 1 year ago
yes
imevokid 1 year ago
@omarartgshadow Yes it weights like 700 pounds less than the Viper ACR.
aqinthe 1 year ago
id give my left nut to drive this car
gskillet69 2 years ago
Cool Vid! Love the song!
Les
bigblockmustang 2 years ago
Cool vid. Thats a bad ass car too!
321harold 2 years ago
doesn't the front end look just a bit like an excited Hannible Lectre?
bibblles 2 years ago
3:05 NOOOOO
pyro4real 2 years ago
@pyro4real 3:05 YESSSS
ASCEND2ETERNITY 2 years ago
C6R rules....
I filmed the Corvettes at Dijon for the french GT Championship - pure Sound - without any music.
MPZRACEVIDEO 2 years ago 3
I have corvette 2003 , and... this is a supercars of my dream :) I like my cars, and this video
homerd002 2 years ago
Good Video-Great Song
Twisted4Thoughts 2 years ago
sad that it's gone... :*(
carsismeZ06 2 years ago
ive seen one of these badboys on the streets.... it was in washington dc
lolinator24 2 years ago
and they won again!!!! the 10th time consecutive
vette domination
cuervorockero 2 years ago 2
yeah, they were saying that if the vettes werent restricted that they could stay right behind an lmp...
ClumzyThief666 3 years ago 3
there is a vid on here by badboyvettes of a C6.R catching up to an LMP2 car :)
Midship795 2 years ago
I know the C6.R its great car but Americans- don't be so exited. Europe cars own many american cars- Corvette own many European cars. Keep cool :)
Mateuszak5 3 years ago 4
I could not have said it any better... but i just wish that the European cars were not soo darn expensive!
Keep it Real.
Peace from Louisiana
thebruski08 2 years ago 2
it looks like these things were having a meal...
SagaraSouske 3 years ago 2
Corvette PoWeR!
I LoVe iT ; )
Hyon999 3 years ago
from what i have read its going to be doing limited races in both classes. no in the same race, but both classes.
350rs 3 years ago
Corvette Racing will officialy move to the GT2 class in the 2nd half of the 2009 American Le Mans Series.
LolaJudd 3 years ago
why? they have had a legacy of winning GT1
americaHUMVEES 3 years ago
because Bell Motorsports has been the only other team in GT1 in the 2008 American Le Mans Series with an Aston Martin DBR9. GT2 cars cost less to build and maintain.
LolaJudd 3 years ago
fuck aston marlin
slblack 3 years ago
vettes own ALL.
whos with me?
kenshitheone 3 years ago
agreed my man, own a shit load of vettes in FM2.
degafreak98 3 years ago
yes vettes do OWN!!! during teh 2nd half of the ALMS they'll still own. RAW POWER BABY!!!
69ergoodtimer 3 years ago
Yeah. That's right. Vettes reign supreme! Performance at it's finest...
And the "ZR1" is taking it up yet another notch, on the tarmac/blacktop. Hat's off!
SChaconJr 3 years ago
I've actually been inside that car, while the number 3 car. Ron Fellows used to race in our race series before he raced in ALMS, hes a friend.
rumrich 3 years ago
Your friends an idiot.
Drewc6r 3 years ago
Ey, Every1, My friend is saying a freakin Toyota Supra can beat a C6R. What do ya'll think?
Russell123456789012 3 years ago
It can beat the c6r at being slow
chanrobi 3 years ago 4
he's a fucking idiot, no shit box supra can touch the C6R
mcromance1 3 years ago 2
*sigh* C6.R's are getting hungry for competition! WE NEED PRODRIVE BACK!!
carsismeZ06 3 years ago
Compuware & Corevette ROCK It Around the World.
cutator 3 years ago
Road america race way featured in this vid.
THUNDERDOMEFXXRACER2 3 years ago
I Love the Corvette C6-R!!
0YoungWalker0 3 years ago
corvette is the ultimate racing machine. They dominate the sport so badly that rules were made just against them. Air restrictor plates and extra weight was added to slow them down. Even with the odds stacked against them, they still dominate the sport. The C5R holds pretty much all track records, and it was rumored the C6R was crushing them during the development stages. But never reached its full potential because those shit rules were made. LONG LIVE CORVETTE!
1bigwhiteguy 3 years ago 13
that was bad ass man. now lets see the vettes own in '08. and i love the new liverys for '08 with the jake scratch down the center
curexcult 3 years ago
american muscles !!!!!!
robojonie 4 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
god some americans chat a load of crap... the best cars in the WORLD come from JAPAN AND EUROPE you stupid tards
StLucifer85 4 years ago
uhhh japan? are you retarded? Japan has one car, the GTR. And we dont even know what that is going to be like against the c6.5 Z06 either. Japan doesnt make the "best cars" they make good cars. Plus everything new from japan is fucking hideous(the gtr, evo X, sti, accord, ridgeline, half of the lexus line and all of the toyota line!) p.s. look at reliability scores, the rest of the world is getting better while japan is droping steadily.
Lev08e39M5 4 years ago 4
and besides, "BEST" is a relative term. Best what? Brakes? suspension? Engine? noise? styling? quality? safety? You can't look up "best" on a chart.
abanyai123 4 years ago
dude your so wrong about that stlucifer85.
people only go to see the vette and aston go head-to-head.
and europe loves the raw power and sound of the vette.ask any and all about it.
Vette's rule all others, and i stand by my statment!
kenshitheone 4 years ago 3
I so love racing guys like you. . . the look on your face after getting spanked by a Vette is priceless.
Vettezuki 3 years ago 2
damn straight. they just cant understand that nothing beats the combination of American muscle and some of the best drivers.
curexcult 3 years ago
You may want to concentrate on the context at hand; racing. Corvette rules.
SChaconJr 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Not at Le Mans this year! Corvette racing outfought again by the screaming DBR9. Aston Martin Racing reign supreme!
LawfordLad 3 years ago
take those restrictions off the car that the C6.R hadnt had before '07 until aston started crying for them and we would still be winning. cant beat the vette in a straight up race thats why the vette leads the LMS GT1 class in europe over the aston saleen and lambo.
curexcult 3 years ago
I love both cars mate! Just dont like the Corvette fan boys who think the CR6 is the one and only car on the planet. The Aston has won Le Mans 2 years in a row now, FAIR & SQUARE!
LawfordLad 3 years ago
yep, restricted or not they still kick ass on any GT car out there.
degafreak98 3 years ago 3
I would really rather hear the Corvette than that "music".
brettt777 4 years ago 12
read the description
sidewalk4004 4 years ago
Oh...yeah LOL
brettt777 4 years ago
can't wait for this year, especially with the new DBR9 livery, although the C6.R's are gonna wipe it right off.
carsismeZ06 4 years ago
The aston db flew further than the wright bros. first flight! fact!
pointsur 4 years ago
i'd like to see how fast these cars can lap the bathurst 1000 track. the fastest ever lap of bathurst is 2:06:859, i reckon the le mans cars would be in the 13's or the 14's.
jam3z07 4 years ago
mm... thats pretty
arrsric 4 years ago
the atson driver thought it was an airplane!
pointsur 4 years ago
due, that was really cool. Great job on the video. My fav car with my fav band.
cdcritt 4 years ago
people seriously if u dont like corvettes DONT WATCH IT omfg
roxisparrow 4 years ago
GT1 racing rules. Come one, come all. But lay off the Corvette. It's been the only reason to pay attention to LM racing for years. Who wants to stare at that soulless, expensive door-stopper they call an Audi Prototype drone around by itself all day? Gimme some grunt! The more cars chasing the Corvette's crown, the better.
RRrumbLE34 4 years ago
is LMP2 not suppoosed to be slwer than LMP1. why did penske/porsche give audi such a hard time this year?
zemurph 4 years ago
You're right, in theory at least. However the rules makers in France really only restrict engine size and over all car weight in the Prototype classes. If you can come up with the right power to weight ratio, you can sic a Mazda on a Chevelle, you dig? Same principle applies to the Prototypes. If the GT1s weren't so restricted, they could run with some of the P1s too. Porche has deep pockets and is even positioning itself to buy Audi and put the whole VW empire under Porsche control again.
RRrumbLE34 4 years ago
and please, the aston flew off the track during free practice in mid ohio
zemurph 4 years ago
i saw that, that aston got HUGE air lol
carsismeZ06 4 years ago
was cool, and intersestingly as pointed out by the commentators longer than the wright brothers first ever flight
zemurph 4 years ago
lol
carsismeZ06 4 years ago
aston had the corvette completely beaten in this years LMS and in the le mans 24 hors itself. Nuff said
zemurph 4 years ago
where you took the yellow skull that appears in the strart of the video????
OBproductionsFaenza 4 years ago
what song is this?
roxisparrow 4 years ago
Speak by Godsmack
RemingtonArms 4 years ago
it's called "stupid song to cover up the sound of racing engines"
hollowpoint45acp 4 years ago
Hell yea! The Vette totally blows away the Aston Martin! You can pretty much see that at work when you see the Aston Martin fly off the track.
fleetcommander 4 years ago
Did you have to add music? The car itself sounds so much better.
Monkeyisme333 4 years ago
I went through and tried to make it again without music but a lot of the videoss either don't have sound or have very poor sound.
sidewalk4004 4 years ago
awesome thanks
TeamGT 4 years ago
I LOVE IT!!!!! **** Four Star
markboop 4 years ago
poor Euros. i actually kinda feel bad, then i think about how jeremy clarkson must be crying while watching it, and i laugh.
corvetteZ06R 4 years ago
hey great car for a great driver jan magnussen hep heey
jbskjm 4 years ago
ci^^. great car
00AntraX00 4 years ago
427!!!
triplexxxsatyr 4 years ago
The most beautiful car at le mans.
steve2848 4 years ago
I totally agree , the most beatiful car at le mans. I love corvettes
mossssssss 4 years ago
besides the C6.R, my favorite is the DBR9.
BF2Boom 4 years ago
i built a 1:24 scale model car of there #63 Car
nascarfan78 4 years ago
cooooooooool
sidewalk4004 4 years ago
my neighbor has a DB9 and it looks and sounds like garbage. from the back it looks like a beefed up chrysler labaron with a body kit. and whats worse is he traded his twin turbo 911 in on it.
ZetaReticuli12 4 years ago
Corvette baby...im a bike guy but corvettes are on another level of awesomeness as far as cars are concerned.
slblack 4 years ago
Sorry but you cant even compare a Corvette with an Aston Martin DB9. On the road or the track now. Corvette racing have had years of development with their car and Aston Martin Racing have overtaken them now.
LawfordLad 4 years ago
On the road, there is no production aston martin made today that can hang with a corvette. Even a base c6.
Yes the aston has more luxury but NOT speed.
Thats the reason I love corvettes, say what you say they are faster than cars worth 2x more and thats a fact aston/porsche/ferrari owners have to live with.
If I was to ever buy a car itll def be a corvette.
slblack 4 years ago
Even soundwise....astons sound real good but the thunder of the 427ci V8 drowns them out.
slblack 4 years ago
So! Put a DB9 and a Z06 in front of you and ask you to choose, you would choose a Corvette eh!
LawfordLad 4 years ago
Hell yeah id choose the corvette....Im 21 not 51. I want maximum speed, screw luxury.
Now if i was 50 or 60 years old Ill take the db9.
slblack 4 years ago
Z06 Weight 3132 lbs w/ 505bhp and cost $70,000. DB9 weight 3769 lbs w/ 450bhp and cost $167,000. You do the math, why do people compare cars like they have 10000 millions and can have any cars they want. The only thing DB9 has on the corvette is the interior and the looks. If you want a true sport car and the drving experience the Z06 would blow the Db9 away.
victran 4 years ago
thats rite brother victran. maybe European cars are nice but vette will assassinate at any level.
dtmhater 4 years ago
lies, holy god man are you all listening to yourself. At the moment the koenigsegg ccxr is about to be the fastest car ever concieved never mind the veyron and bristol were limited from insane speeds. besides that you have the zonda f, MC12, enzo, carrera gt, SLR mclaren, mclaren f1, murcelagio. How is any stock vette going anywhere near them
zemurph 4 years ago
The Z06's top speed is 198 mph, so I'd say that a stick Z06 is pretty good. Especially considering that it can outrun an F430 AND a Gallardo
carsismeZ06 4 years ago
*edit* stock
carsismeZ06 4 years ago
i would chose the vette too. i blows away vipers, gts, ferraris, lambos, porsches, and yes, astons too! if you do not believe me, look at the laptimes at the nurburgring and the lap time here on top gear. it was even faster than a zonda!
pointsur 4 years ago
So what do you drive again? A DB9?
That's what I figured...
RCFourFive 4 years ago
And i suppose all yanks drive round in Z06 do they?
Oh! and by the way, Aston still kicked your arses at Le Man!
LawfordLad 4 years ago
Actually I and many others do. Click my YouTube name, view the vids - and cry knowing that hundreds of thousands of us enjoy 500+bhp daily :)
RCFourFive 4 years ago
Thats where all the fookin oil goes then!!!!!!
LawfordLad 4 years ago
actually, because of the current exchange rate mustangs and corvettes are cheap dirt here
zemurph 4 years ago
the gap in GT1 was less than a lap at Le Mans 2007. except for the Saleen S7R, GT1 cars are hardly production-based.
LolaJudd 4 years ago
Check yourself on that LeMan win. I'm pretty sure the Vette took the win. What an awesome race though, 18 hours of Aston & Vette dueling! Two gorgeous cars! If we Americans had to loose, it would be an honor to loose to Aston Martin and our brothers the Brits.
MRK4JC 4 years ago
Aston Martin Racing def won this year. Corvette racing came 2nd. Other Vette broke down after an hour or so i think. Very unlike them! Wish Aston was still in ALMS, some great races last year. Both cars are so close in performance now. I like the Vette just wish some of your lot could be a bit more gracious towards us Europeans and our motor vehicles like yourself.
LawfordLad 4 years ago
i appreciate ALL cars!! especially european. where i draw the line and get patriotic, is when some of your people constantly dog our cars, even when they are winning!
pointsur 4 years ago
Unfortuonatily, the Aston Martin Took the gold this year, but the Vette got a strong 2nd.
VonReddick 4 years ago
Ha, your an idiot. Aston martin won
zemurph 4 years ago 2
this yank does! i have a 2008 z06, and a 1963 split window. You WON lemans??? WHOOPIE!!! THE BRITS FINALLY WON A RACE AGAINST CORVETTES! pbttth! you better look at the track record son. we have been handing astons their a@#$! handling? look at 02:55 of the video as the db plays airplane!
pointsur 4 years ago
They also dont understand that when the Astons won, the rules were massaged and the Vettes were restricted.
C5rrr 4 years ago
true that. the aston team was crying the whole way. brits whining about lack of money. whose fault is that? i thought they were ASTON! if us LOWLY americans can come up with funds, why not they? it's all too funny my friend.
pointsur 4 years ago 3
What happened this at Le Mans??? Oh yeah! Aston MArtin kicked the yank tanks butt!
LawfordLad 4 years ago
Oh yeah!
sidewalk4004 4 years ago
Still like the Corvette though! Great sound! Just bias towards the Brit car im afraid. Wish Aston where still racing in ALMS.
LawfordLad 4 years ago
the aston is HEAVIER THAN the vette! your aston is more tank than our vette. you won a race? yippie! congrats. finally.
pointsur 4 years ago
the only reason the aston won is because the porsche crashed into the vette which was LAPS ahead of the aston. EUROPE is gay
randomstrike15 4 years ago 13
Heh, ain't got nothing on the "Formula One" boys though.... ;)
StreetLethalRacing 4 years ago
No shizzle! Really!
OneLoneRogue 4 years ago
yeah corvette power baby. 427 FTW!!!
slblack 4 years ago
Where do you find these video clips??
VonReddick 4 years ago
I filmed some of them but the others I got from the internet.
sidewalk4004 4 years ago
Could you give me some of the adresses?
VonReddick 4 years ago
Woah its beating the suped up DB9
MantisAtlantis 4 years ago
Ya damn right it is. It has won Le Mans 24 hour 5 times, out of the last 6 years. This Corvette is amazing. :)
Northax 4 years ago
Corvette has won 5 out of the last 6 Le Mans 24 hr. races! The LS7 engine in the C6.R (And the same type found in the C6 Z06) won an international award, for best engine of the year; given to GM in Germany, on November 9th. Corvette is dominating!
Northax 4 years ago
better known as the LS7.R with coated cylinder walls (no liners). 2006 RACE ENGINE OF THE YEAR=D
1320crusier 4 years ago
Yes! Excuse moi, LS7.R, not just LS7. The LS7 in the C6 Z06 is the detuned engine, to get more mpg, but in turn has less hp. Right?
Northax 4 years ago
Nope. Different bore and stroke, heads, intake manifold, and all sorts of other stuff. The LS7 has a little more in common with the C5R block.
JKFrazier 4 years ago
so what did they do to the engine?? can i put one in mine?
FORDGTFANATIC 4 years ago
Carbon fiber intake, bigger cam, open headers and exhaust to name a few. It's not really what they did to this motor to race though; it's more what the did to detune it for the street. The LS7 in the Z06 was born from this motor, not the other way around. In a FGT? I guess you could shoehorn it in there...maybe :D
benn454 4 years ago
very cool video! watch for the Corvettes race this Saturday March 17 the 12 hours of Sebring. Go Vettes!
domsrule1 4 years ago
Vettes won go figure haha but how about the gt-2 finish? this is gona be a ba season
hatch507hpm6 4 years ago
videos with gay music suck because u cant hear the motor!!
realbiggun500 4 years ago
I tried to remake it without music but my computer broke.
sidewalk4004 4 years ago
oh thanks anyway. nothing beats the sound of the v8
realbiggun500 4 years ago
What is the song called?
VonReddick 5 years ago
they had some problems and finished behind those darn pesky Aston Martins in some of the last races of the year but did well enough overall to win their 5th ALMS championship. These cars and the teams have proven to be tough as it gets and able to compete with the worlds best! A great time for Corvette racing!
MC7791 5 years ago
Top Gear reviews road cars... this is a GT racer. Won its class at the 2006 Le Mans 24 hours. The C5R had a great run, this car seems to be picking up where that one left off.
VonVoltage 5 years ago
to explain this comment: it was a reply to a comment that I deleted because it was "anti-C6R".
sidewalk4004 5 years ago
Top Gear still did a filmed laptime with the Aston Martin DB9R! You can find that on YouTube now.
They should try the Corvette C6.R!
Northax 4 years ago
Love the video, I wish we had some sound from the car..
NYCmitch25 5 years ago
Cool car, cool video.
Eddieroolz 5 years ago
unfathomably fast car...
porsche944 5 years ago
Gret video of a Great race car,,Love it!!!!
linc98 5 years ago
lol Corvette C6.R nearly unbeatable in GT1 racing at Le Mans and in the ALMS
ghofrane23 5 years ago