BMW M3 GTR

BMW’s M3 GTR is finally coming to a European race circuit! It makes its European debut at the Nürburgring on the 3rd of October, with a second outing planned on the 17th of October.
The car is enetered into the final 2 rounds of the German VLN Endurance Championship by the works favoured Schnitzer team and will be driven by current WTCC drivers Andy Priaulx (17th Oct.), Augusto Farfus (3rd Oct.), Dirk Müller (17th Oct.) and Jörg Müller (3rd Oct.).The two events are seen as important development excercises for the M3 GTR as BMW try and improve their car for the coming 2010 season. Results in America have proven to be good but the GTR is yet to be a consistant class winner and the races at the world’s toughest race track are hoped to bring an extra competive edge.

Brabus SV12 R

Once again Brabus {link} have created a car that takes both power and opulence to the extreme in the highly impressive and equally imposing SV12 R.
Based on the face-lifted Mercedes S600 the Brabus SV12 R produces 750PS and 1350Nm of torque from its refined twin turbo V12 engine. Whilst not a headline grabbing amount of power it is more than enough to power the 6.3 litre (an increase over the standard 5.5 litre) SV12 R to 62mph from a standing start in 4 seconds, top speed is electronically governed to 210mph.
As with every other Brabus that has adorned their IAA stand the SV12 R is absolutely brimming with Brabus modifications, from the huge brake discs (380mm front and 355mm rear) and calipers (12 pot front and 6 pot rear) to Brabus’ own 21“ wheels. Exhaust gases are carried into the environment by a quad pipe sports exhaust sytem
Aluminium front wings,specially designed front bumper, LED rear lights, LED front running lights, side skirts and rear spoiler/diffuser all improve performance as well as adding Brabus style.
Internally the SV12 R is a technophobe’s nightmare with a notebook, TFT Display, Web cam, MP3player and an internet connection all fitted. All these gadgets and the standard Mercedes fare are wrapped in exquisite leather offering cutting edge technology in a refined and extremely comfortable setting.
For those wishing tranquility along with breakneck performance there can be no other choice but the Brabus SV12 R!

Wiesmann MF5 Roadster

Making its debut at this year’s IAA (Frankfurt motor show) the Wiesmann MF5 Roadster offers stunning performance and looks. Basic specification remains the same as the coupe MF5, thus the cabriolet uses the V10 engine from BMW’s M5 (507PS and 520Nm of torque) as well as the 7 speed, sequential SMG gearbox. Thus the MF5 cabriolet is able to sprint from 0-62mph in a mere 3.9 seconds before continuing to a top sped of approximately 192mph.
The aluminium monocoque and composite body ensure that the Wiesmann MF5 Roadster is taut yet still light and the ABS, DSC plus driver and passenger airbag add an extra layer of safety. The rear spoiler (unlike on the coupe) alters position automatically providing extra downforce and stability when required.
Whilst not being exactly cheap at around £146,000 the MF5 Roadster will certainly be exclusive as Wiesmann {link} intend on building a production run of 55 and no more.

Volkswagen Golf R

Volkswagen {link} have given the motoring world its first official look at the range topping Golf, the Golf R. Meant as a direct replacement for the out going mark 5 Golf R32 the mark 6 Golf R offers 270PS (a 20PS increase over the R32) and 350Nm of torque from a 2 litre turbocharged engine, thereby becoming the most powerful production Golf ever made. The TSI engine in the Golf R is similar to that fitted to the GTI but not the same. Originating in the mark 5 GTI the engine has undergone a large amount of development to produce 270PS; this includes stiffening of the cylinder block, new turbo, new intercooler, high pressure injectors and heavy duty internal parts.
As with the old R32 the Golf R uses Volkswagen’s 4motion 4 wheel drive system to transmit its power to the road, when combined with a DSG gearbox this means the Golf R can sprint from 0-62mph in a creditable 5½ seconds carrying on to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph.
The latest generation 4motion fitted to the Golf R is the most sophisticated yet and, for the first time, will allow almost all the power to be transmitted to the rear wheels only. The system is supposed to react quicker and smoother that the generation before thanks to the use of a new, pump driven pre-charged hydraulic system. Development of the transmission, and Golf R in general, started in the spring of this year at the motor industries favourite test track, the Nürburgring.
Working in conjunction with 4motion is enhanced ESP (with a specific ‚Sport’ mode designed predominantly for track use) and suspension that sits 25mm lower than standard. Wheels are 18“ as standard with 19“ optional, standard tyre size is 225/40..
Styling wise the Golf R To set the Golf R apart from a conventional Golf or has a new front fitted with LED running lights, a new rear bumper with a gloss black diffuser that houses the trademark pair of centrally exiting exhausts. The Golf R also comes a new black grille, wing mirrors and a set of sill extensions. Bi-xenon headlights are standard providing excellent forward lighting, the rear lights are unique to the Golf R with high-intensity LED bulbs and behind smoked lenses.
The interior remains traditional Golf with extra R badging and detailing, as per other R models this includes pedals, steering wheel and sill protectors.Volkswagen have mentioned that the Golf R (produced, incidentally, by Volkswagen Individual) is a more extreme performance model than the Scirocco R, claiming that where the Scirocco stops in terms of performance and handling the Golf R starts. Certainly Ford, Opel/Vauxhall and Renault will be studying the Golf R very carefully to see if it does set new standards in the performance (or ‚hot’) hatch segment.
Sales commence at the end of the year with prices expected to start around £28,500.

Irmscher Astra

Irmscher launched their tuning options for the Opel/Vauxhall Astra on their stand at the IAA (Frankfurt motor show) yesterday. For those who find the standard new Astra a tad run-of-the-mill Irmscher {link} are offering a comprehensive range of styling products, both exterior and interior.
Exterior styling products include a front spoiler/lip for the bumper, sideskirts, a rear diffuser/spoiler plus a roof spoiler. The traditional Irmscher grille is available for the new Astra in either stainless steel or carbon effect.
Dynamic improvements include 18” wheels (20” wheels are currently being developed), 30mm lowering springs and a quad piped, twin exit (left and right) stainless steel exhaust back box that offers better through flow, a sportier sound and improved aesthetics.
Irmscher are offering complete leather interior for the new Astra (including seats, door panels and centre rests), aluminium door pins, pedals and stainless steel sill covers.

Italian Grand Prix

Mercedes powered teams had a successful Italian Grand Prix last weekend. Brawn GP managed to secure 1st and 2nd with Rubens Barrichello leading home team mate and world championship leader Jenson Button. The Brawn GP duo were able to turn round a reasonably poor qualifying result (they qualified 5th and 6th respectively) into an impressive, and important result. After Jenson Button's poor finishing record of late the second place he earned settles his nerves and gives him increased confidence as he enters the last 4 races of the season. Meanwhile Barrichello has closed the gap to championship leader Button to 14 points. Brawn GP {link} now lead the team's championship by an impressive 40.5 points.

Force India {link} continued their highly impressive showing at high speed, low downforce circuits with Adrian Sutil claiming 4th overall from 2nd on the grid. This result helped counter the disappointment of seeing Antonio Liuzzi cost to a halt after 22 laps.

McLaren continue to show impressive pace but the race result proved to be quite frustrating. Lewis Hamilton lead the early stages of the Italian Grand Prix after starting on pole position and settled into a comfortable 3rd position once all the fuel stops had finished. Sadly, after giving his all in an attempt to catch and pass Jenson Button for 2nd a driver error resulted in a half spin which saw the MP4-24 slam into the barriers and instant retirement. Heikki Kovalainen qualified 4th and finished 6th which wasn't what he would have hoped for as he battles to justify his position in the McLaren {link} team.

BMW Sauber's fortunes continue to fluctuate and they enter the twilight of their F1 life. After a poor performance in qualifying (Robert Kubica qualified 13th two places in front of Nick Heidfeld) Kubica's race very short and action packed as he and Mark Webber came together and into retirement on the first lap. Heidfeld battled on and finally finished in the points in 7th overall. Neither BMW driver is in the top 10 of the world championship and BMW Sauber {link} are down in 7th in the team's championship, probably not the end the team would want to their Formula 1 experience.

Italian Grand Prix results:~

1. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
3. Raikkonen Ferrari
4. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
5. Alonso Renault
6. Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
7. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
8. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
9. Fisichella Ferrari
10. Nakajima Williams / Toyota
11. Glock Toyota
12. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
13. Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
14. Trulli Toyota
15. Grosjean Renault
16. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
Retired Liuzzi Force India / Mercedes
Retired Alguersuari Toro Rosso / Ferrari
Retired Kubica BMW Sauber
Retired Webber Red Bull / Renault

Magna seal deal to buy Opel and Vauxhall.

The German government have announced that GM are in the process of selling 55% of their European car manufacturing arm to Canadian car part manufacturer Magna.

Whilst much speculation suggested that GM would like to keep hold of Opel and Vauxhall conditions put in place by both American and German governments may well have forced GM into parting with companies it would have preferred to retain. Tellingly it was the German government that announced the sale of Opel and Vauxhall to their favoured bidder. Exact details of finance and time scales for the hand over have yet to be released.

With the Frankfurt motor show just days away an end to speculation as to who will own Opel should help them launch the new Astra with increased confidence.

Crunch time for GM Europe.

(New) General Motors are expected to announce what the future holds for Opel/Vauxhall as they announce who is buying (or not selling) GM Europe today at a press conference in Berlin, Germany.
It is thought that GM really do not want to sell the mainstay of GM Europe, hence the length of time they have deliberated about the sale and why no real news of favoured buyers has been released. Two days worth of meetings have been held in Detroit, America, by GM in an attempt to keep GM Europe in their control.
Whether GM not selling is a realistic option remains to be seen, the German Government (the the Opel Trust which is currently running GM Europe) have a very important say in the final decision on the future of both Opel and Vauxhall. So far all the Germans have said is „The €1.5 billion bridging credit is a loan. And a loan is a loan. GM must pay back the €1.5 billion under the conditions that we agreed on for Opel” and that there will be no more monies available should GM close factories in Germany. Whether this signals acceptance that GM are keeping GM Europe remains to be seen.
Certainly GM, Opel and the German government need a swift conclusion, the Frankfurt motor show and a German general election preclude any more stalling. The German voters and European car buying public need to know who owns Opel/Vauxhall and how secure their future is.....

Audi ring in the changes.

At this years IAA (Frankfurt motor show) Audi are using their new logo that debuted at their 100 years celebration. A refinement of the 4 rings and their typeface the update is nothing dramatic. The old logos will gently start to disappear from forecourts and paperwork as of the IAA, consigning the re-profiling of 1995 to history.
In conjunction with the new logo their will be 2 new models receiving their world premier at the IAA; the R8 Spyder and the A5 Sportback.
Filling voids in the Audi model range at different ends of the spectrum both cars are expected to draw plenty of attention and probably buyers too.
The A5 Sportback completes the A5 range and, surprisingly, offers almost exactly the same amount of luggage capacity as an A4 estate (seats up). There are 5 engine options available for the Sportback when sales commence this month. They are: 2 litre TFSI quattro (211PS), 3.2 litre FSI quattro (265PS) 2 litre TDI (170PS), 2.7 litre TDI (190PS) 3 litre TDI (240 PS). The S5 Sportback tops the range offering a supercharged 3 litre V6 FSI petrol engine producing an impressive 333PS and 440Nm of torque. A 7 speed S Tronic paddleshift gearbox transmits the powers through the quattro drive train to all 4 wheels.
Audi are adding to the R8 range with the R8 Spyder, a convertible version of the impressive Bavarian Coupe. The R8 Spyder on display at the IAA will not be the finished production model as there is still plenty of prototype testing to be done before sales start around June 2010. Expect the Spyder to have exactly the same engine and drive train options as its solid roofed sister, including the 525PS V10.
Neither the R8 Spyder not the R8 will have a diesel engine option for the foreseeable future. The diesel concept made it right to the test track but not quite as far as production and sales. Audi’s latest idea for the R8 uses electric power and will be on the Audi stand at the IAA.
Also debuting on the Audi stand is the A4 Clean Diesel which uses the 3 litre TDI seen in the Q7. The common rail V6 TDI engine provides excellent performance, fuel economy AND emissions due to clever use of so called AdBlue technology ~ and additive mixed with water and sprayed in the exhaust system. The A4 Clean Diesel should easily pass the Euro 6 emission levels expected in 2014.
The 1.2 TSFI A3 and A3 Sportback will also be unveiled at the show. Due in the dealerships early 2010 the new 1.2 A3 uses lightweight turbo technology to provide a reasonable 105PS and 175Nm of torque whilst returning good economy and keeping emissions low.

Astra debut.

Opel {link}, along with sister company Vauxhall {link}, are debuting the new Astra at this month’s Frankfurt motor show (IAA). The 5 door model will be available almost immediately after the show and this Astra is possibly one of the most important models for the struggling car manufacturer, should it receive bad reviews and be unpopular with the public the future for the European arm of GM would not be healthy. Opel and Vauxhall have chosen to debut the 5 door model as this is the body design which dominates old Astra sales.
More economical engines and a modern, Insignia based, design seem to almost guarantee a good reception with the motoring press and European car buying public.
There will be a range of 7 engines available for the Astra as soon as sales start. Power options vary from 95 to 180PS with a six speed automatic gearbox available for the 1400 turbo, 1600 and 1600 turbo petrol engines as well as the 2 litre diesel.
Also debuting at the IAA {link} is an Ecoflex version of the Astra (pictured) using a 1300ccm diesel engine. Expected to become one of the more popular models withing the Astra range the Ecoflex will be available in showrooms in early 2010.

Porsche 911 Sport Classic

”Out with the old and in with the new” is an oft used statement and when the new draws heavily on the old a future classic is always a possibility. Porsche Exclusive {link} (Porsche’s specialist tuning department) are launching the 911 Sport Classic at the IAA (Frankfurt Motor Show). A production run of 250 cars is planned; expect the 911 SC to sell out almost instantly.
The most interesting and striking feature on the SC harks back over 35 years to the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7; the “ducktail” rear spoiler has returned! Sitting between wider rear arches the unmistakable ducktail merges modern with classic beautifully. Whilst the ducktail spoiler is the most obvious feature of the new 911SC there are distinct differences over the Carrera S upon which the SC is based. For example a new spoiler adorns the front, whilst subtle roof bubbles on both passenger and driver side add an extra dimension to the external and internal styling.
Internally the Porsche 911 Sport Classic is modern through and through, drawing no design ideas from past times. New leather technologies have allowed the seat centre to be made from woven (yes woven) leather. The interior contrasts with the model specific exterior paint, Sport Classic Grey, which offers exclusivity and yet remains subtle and unobtrusive.
The wheels fitted to the 911 Sport Classic are a modern twist on a timeless classic, they may be 19” in diameter but they hark back to the Fuchs design of over 35 years ago, to the extent that they are black in colour just as the ever popular Fuchs wheels were.
Behind the Fuchs inspired wheels sit Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes whilst the rear wheels are driven through a 6 speed manual gearbox (no other option is available). The Porsche 911 Sport Classic sits some 20mm lower on its PASM suspension.
Power for the SC limited edition special is provided by a modified 3.8 litre engine which (after Porsche Exclusive have worked the magic) produces 408PS. By using direct fuel injection fuel consumption and emissions follow other models closely.
Sales of the Porsche 911 Sport Classic created by Porsche {link} Exclusive start in 2010, though with such a small production run the 1:43 model (launched at the same time) will be all bar a lucky few will own!

IAA - Frankfurt Motor Show.

This year's Frankfurt Motor Show will once again be crammed with new launches and hints to future designs and concepts, with German manufacturers using their home show to address their main market.

Whilst we will cover the show as extensively as possible the IAA is always worth a visit. The show runs from the 17th September to 27th September. The 17th and 18th are bonafide trade days, the rest are fully open to the public.

More information on the opening dates, ticket prices, exhibitors and exhibits can be found by following this link.

New hands!

German Cars Blog has new hands guiding it and we hope to offer a far more regular service than GCB of old!!

The tried-and-tested format will remain; with a little extra detail and more tests where possible. We look forward to offering factual and concise reports on everything associated with German motor manufacturers and their products, be they road, race or tuned cars.

The change at GCB has meant many weeks and events have passed; we hope to cover the important points in a few "catch-up" articles over the next few days.

Thanks to everyone who has visited already, we hope you come back regularly!

British Formula 3, Rockingham.

Mercedes powered teams redressed the victory count in this year’s championship by winning both races this weekend. Nick Tandy claimed an emotional victory in race one for his family run JTR whilst Marcus Ericsson took the spoils in race 2 driving his Mercedes powered Double R Dallara.
Top Volkswagen powered driver in race 1 was Carlin driver Max Chilton who finished 5, race two was better for VW poered teams with both Carlin and T-Sport getting drivers on the podium. T-sport driver Adriano Buzaid claimed 3rd overall with Henry Arundel finishing 2nd in his Carlin prepared Dallara.
Volkswagen powered driver Daniel Ricciardo still leads the championship despite crashing out of the first race at Rockingham.

DTM, Lausitz.

Gary Paffett won last weekend’s DTM race in his Mercedes giving the Stuttgart manufacturer a much needed win after the first round drubbing they suffered at the hands of Audi. Lausitz proved to be a far better venue for Mercedes teams as Audi only managed to fill 3 of the top 11 places. Highest placed Audi driver was Mattias Ekstrom who finished 3rd overall.

FIA GT2, Adria.

Prospeed drivers effectively carried on from where they left off at Silverstone by winning the GT2 class in the FIA GT championship at Adria. The pair in their Porsche were able to counter all challenges and now have a healthy lead in the championship as the teams head to Oschersleben.

British Touring Cars, Oulton Park.

In the heat of Oulton BMW teams enjoyed a successful 3 races as Colin Turkington took his Team RAC car to 2 victories and a disappointing 11th in the final race. Turkington’s BMW team mate Stephen Jelley enjoyed more limited success finishing 5th in the first race of the weekend before ending race 2 down in 14th and retiring from race 3.
Rob Collard and Jonathan Adam battled away all weekend in the Airwaves BMWs with good results coming to both drivers; Collard grabbed a hard fought 9th in race 1, retired in race 2 but drove brilliantly to take 4th in race 3 after having started from the pit lane! Adam finished 3rd, 5th and 13th as he continues to impress with his speed and determination is his first season of BTCC.

FIA GT3, Adria.

Adria was not as kind to the new Audi R8 LMS as Silverstone had been and the Ingolstadt racer didn’t feature in either of the 2 races, a highest finish of 9th overall being somewhat disappointing.
Porsche’s fortunes had gone the other way since Silverstone with the 911 GT3 Cup S showing ever greater pace. The number 12 car Prospeed car of Niki Lanik and Geoffroy Horion claimed a hard fought 4th overall in the first race of the weekend with the Trackspeed GT3 Cup S of Tim Sugden and David Ashburn claiming 4th in race 2. Lanik and Horion kept up their strong performance and finished 6th in race 2.
Alpina also saw an improved performance from their B6 GT3 with Claudia Hürtgen and Csaba Walter claiming an impressive 5th overall in race 1. Their race 2 result was not quite what the team would have wanted as they struggled home in 12th place.

FIA GT4, Adria.

BMW and Porsche teams showed increased pace in Adria. Pierre Brice Mena claimed 2nd in race 1 in his Espace Bienvenue BMW M3 with Kevin Veltman in his Genpact prepared similar car finishing an impressive 4th.
Mena enjoyed even greater success in race 2 as he claimed victory from the Walter Selles prepared Porsche 997 GT3 of Mauro Casadei with Veltman finishing down in 5th.

FIA Supersports, Adria.

Audi power remains the only choice for the Supersports class of the FIA GT4 championship with both Donkervoort and KTM using Audi engines.
Stephane Wintenberger won race 1 in his Donkervoort D8 GT from Denis Donkervoort (Donkervoort D8 GT) Augustin Eder (KTM X Bow) and Nico Pronk (Donkervoort D8 GT).
Race 2 saw Eder and his KTM X Bow emerge victorious, in fact Eder was the only Supersports finisher such was the rate of attrition!

ADAC Zurich 24 Hours, Nürburgring.

This year’s Nürburgring 24 hour race saw a historical achievement as the Manthey Porsche {link} team claimed its 4th successive victory.
After a race long battle with the Abt Audi R8 LMS the Timo Bernhard, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas and Marcel Tiemann Porsche 911 GT3 RSR came home with a winning margin of 1 lap.
Behind the Christian Abt, Jean-Francois Hemroulle, Pierre Kaffer, Lucas Luhr Audi R8 LMS of came another Manthey prepared car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S car of Emmanuel Collard, Wolf Henzler, Richard Lietz and Dirk Werner. Uwe Alzen, Sascha Bert, Lance David Arnold and Christopher Mies finished 4th in their Porsche 997 GT3 Cup with the Phoenix Racing Audi A8 LMS of Marc Basseng, Marcel Fässler, Mike Rockenfeller and Frank Stippler rounding out the top 5.
Volkswagen scored an impressive 17th overall with their natural gas powered Scirocco as well as a class win and 15th overall with their petrol powered version.

WTCC, Valencia.

The first race of last weekend’s World Touring Car Championship at Valencia, Spain saw BMW continue their resurgence with 3 cars in the top 6 at the finish. Augusto Farfus lead home Andy Priaulx and fast starting Jorg Muller in 4th, 5th and 6th. BMW drivers Sergio Hernandez, Stefano D'Aste and Felix Porteiro completed the top 10 finishers and helped keep the Bavarian manufacturer’s team happy with events.
Race 2 proved to be even better for BMW with 5 out of the top 6 positions falling to their drivers. More importantly BMW were able to claim their first victory of the season thanks to a measured drive by Augusto Farfus who finished half a second clear of fellow BMW driver Jorg Muller. Andy Priaulx, Alex Zanardi and Sergio Hernandez completed the top 6 finishers in their BMWs with Stefano D'Aste finishing 9th overall to cap a successful race and a return to the top step of the podium for BMW.

Monaco Grand Prix

Jenson Button used Mercedes power to dominate the Monaco Grand Prix in his Brawn GP formula one car. Starting from pole Button claimed an impressive win adding his name to the list of great drivers who have won round the tight and twisty confines of the historic track. Team mate Rubens Barrichello followed Button home in second place capping an excellent race for Brawn GP.
Other Mercedes powered teams were less successful with the McLaren Mercedes team enduring a torrid race weekend which started when Lewis Hamilton crashed in qualifying and ended with Hamilton languishing down in 12th and Heikki Kovalainen retiring after a spin.
Force India enjoyed a more competitive race with Ginacarlo Fisichella just missing out on 8th overall and the important point that goes with it. Team mate Adrian Sutil showed bursts of speed on his way to 14th overall.
BMW had yet another awful weekend with neither car being competitive all weekend. The final result was that nick Heidfeld scrapped and struggled his way to 11th and Robert Kubica retired after just 31 laps ensuring that the German Swiss team were deeply disappointed. The messages of “Happy Birthday to the Mini” on the cars were all that was happy in the team!

1. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
3. Raikkonen Ferrari
4. Massa Ferrari
5. Webber Red Bull / Renault
6. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
7. Alonso Renault
8. Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
9. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
10. Glock Toyota
11. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
12. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
13. Trulli Toyota
14. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
15. Nakajima Williams / Toyota
Retired Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
Retired Kubica BMW Sauber
Retired Vettel Red Bull / Renault
Retired Piquet Renault
Retired Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari

Kicherer E Class.

German tuner Kircherer {link} have unveiled their styling and performance package for the new AMG E Class.

Carbon is used widely in the body styling products thus the front spoiler, rear spoiler, rear bumper insert and mirror covers are all light weight carbon. All the styling items are designed to fit an E Class that has the AMG styling packet fitted already (Kircherer are well known and respected AMG specialists).

Kircherer already have a few engine tuning kits available for the new E Class with others under development.

A suspension kit is already on offer as is a performance exhaust sytem.

The interior also attracts Kircherer's attention gaining a sports steering wheel, carbon dash and door inserts as well as extra leather detailing.

Expect more tuning options from Kircherer for the E Class and other Mercedes to follow soon.

ALMS Miller Motorsports Park.

GT2 in the Utah Grand Prix, second round of the ALMS {link} was very much a Porsche benefit as the Jörg Bergmeister / Patrick Long Flying Lizard Motorsports {link} Porsche 911 GT3 RSR took a dominant 74 second victory from the Farnbacher Loles Racing {link} 911 GT3 RSR of Marc Lieb and Wolf Henzler. Porsches also finished 5th (Johannes Stuck / Nicky Pastorelli – VICI Racing {link}) and 6th (Johannes van Overbeek / Seth Nieman – Flying Lizard Motorsports) in GT2.
BMW’s E92 M3s, run by Rahal Letterman Racing {link}, finished 8th and 9th in GT2 showing increased performance and better reliability.

Winners of the Challenge class in their Snow Motorsport run Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car were husband and wife team Martin and Melanie Snow.

DTM Hockenheim.

Germany’s premier touring car championship, the DTM {link}, got underway last weekend at Hockenheim. With north Audi and Mercedes investing large amounts of time and effort into their challenges the racing is always close fought and entertaining.
Preseason testing had indicated that Mercedes had a clear speed advantage and the race at Hockenheimring was expected to favour those driving cars with three pointed stars.
Interestingly the race proved to be an Audi benefit with Tom Kristensen leading home another 3 Audis as the Ingolstadt marque locked out the top 4 overall positions. But for a late puncture the top 5 positions would have been held by Audi as erstwhile race leader Mattias Ekstrom surrendered his 9 second lead when he pitted to change his punctured left rear tyre.
Fifth overall and the honour of being the top Mercedes driver fell to Paul di Resta although he was some 21 seconds behind the victorious Audi of Kristensen.
Kristensen ended an almost 3 year draught of DTMs wins at Hockenheim and heads into the next race at EuroSpeedway Lausitz (31st May) in buoyant mood.

WTCC Pau.

BMW’s fortunes improved dramatically at Pau, France last weekend in the latest World Touring Car Championship {link} rounds, with a bizarre accident robbing them of an excellent result.
Race 1 on the tight and twisty street circuit saw a return to full competitiveness for BMW as their 3 series touring cars took 6 of the top 7 places as well as having claimed pole position. Unfortunately the BMWs finished 2nd to 7th with the podium’s top step being occupied by a Chevrolet. None the less the result was greeted with jubilation by the Bavarian marque who had endured a disappointing 4 races prior to this.
Race 2 was developing into an even better situation for BMW until the first corner! BMW drivers Jorg Muller and Andy Priaulx tangled with both paying visits to the unforgiving Armco barriers surrounding the track. Priaulx suffered rear bumper damage whilst Muller limped back to the pits for repairs.
Turn 2 saw BMW’s misery increase further as two more of its cars made contact with each other and the scenery. This time Felix Porteiro and Sergio Hernandez clashed after Porteiro clipped a kerb stone resulting in damage to both cars with Hernandez’ ending up burning!
Just when things couldn’t have got any worse for BMW and their drivers, race leader Franz Engstler came across the slow moving safety car with no prior warning. Travelling at race speed Engstler was unable to avoid hefty contact with not only the safety car but the barrier too. Engstler went from leading the race to an instant retirement.After the carnage and a re-start BMW managed to secure 2, 4th and 5th with Augusto Farfus taking 2nd overall for the second race in succession. Farfus is also 2nd in the championship as it moves on to Valencia in 2 weeks time.

BTCC Donington.

A wet Donington Park hosted the latest 3 rounds of the British Touring Car Championship {link} last weekend with damp conditions being the order of the day.
Whilst Opel’s sister company Vauxhall retain the lead of both driver’s and team’s championship it is with reduced margins.
The non-factory BMW teams struggled a little in the first 2 races with Rob Collard (Airwaves BMW) picking up a 4th place in race 1 and Colin Turkington (Team RAC) collecting a 5th place in race 2.
It all came together well on the drying Donington Park track in race 3 where Collard lead home Turkington to a BMW 1 – 2.
Turkington leads the independent driver’s championship from Collard whilst Airwaves BMW leads Team RAC in the independent team’s championship.

Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS

The first thing that strikes anyone viewing the Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS is its body styling. Svelte and subtle it is not with bulges and air intakes all over the front, including the 70mm longer (than standard) forward opening bonnet. The bonnet isn't the only part of the Tornado 750 GTS that has been lengthened, the front and rear bumper/spoiler combinations have also been extended compared to the standard Porsche Cayenne. Whilst dimensions have increased weight has actually reduced, impressively the all carbon body styling is estimated to reduce the weight of the Tornado 750 GTS by 250kgs in comparison to a standard Cayenne.

The weight saving is doubly useful when one considers the power and torque of the tuned engine Gemballa {link} have produced for the Tornado 750 GTS. From its now 5 litre turbocharged engine the Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS produces a very impressive 750PS and 1050Nm of torque. Enough power to propel this über-Cayenne to 62mph from rest in 4.3 seconds and on to a top speed in excess of 185mph. The extreme front body styling draws air into the engine, larger intercooler, radiator and brakes as well as actually drawing air away from hot areas in the engine bay too. Exhaust gases exit the engine through a custom designed exhausts system with 4 tailpipes.

With such explosive performance available Gemballa have had to improve the suspension and brakes considerably. Behind the 12x22" wheels, covered by 335/25 tyres, sit huge brakes (415mm diameter front and 380mm diameter rear) which offer excellent and durable braking. The handling has been radically altered and improved, the Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS sits some 70mm lower on coilover suspension. Even so the 750 GTS is no out-and-out sports car and has a higher centre of gravity than would be considered perfect for a car with 750PS.

Gemballa have created a sumptuous, refined and yet sporty interior with 4 sports seats, full leather and carbon seating, dash and door panels.

Exclusivity is assured as Gemballa are limiting the production of the £370,000 Tornado 750 GTS to 50 worldwide. Interested parties should contact Gemballa's Leonberg offices quickly as the über-Cayenne offers such performance that Gemballa are unlikely to struggle selling out, even in these difficult economic times.

AC Schnitzer ASC3.

BMW tuners AC Schnitzer {link} offer a complete tuning package for drivers of the current BMW 3 series. The ASC3 range covers everything from performance upgrades to styling and wheels.

The ACS3 exterior styling range includes front and rear spoilers (roof mounted for the 3 series Touring and boot mounted for the saloon), side skirts and mirrors. Designed to fit to BMWs with or without the M Technic pack the ACS3 styling is classic AC Schnitzer; purposeful, exceptionally well made yet slightly understated and fully in keeping with the original design of the 3 series.

Power upgrades range from 177PS to 360PS and cover diesel and petrol engines, the M3 receives its own stand alone tuning package. To complement the various engine tuning options available Schnitzer also offer an uprated limited slip differential as well as a performance exhaust system too.

With a selection of wheel designs and sizes available the BMW 3 series driver is almost spoilt for choice. The new range topping 9 & 10x20" wheels are certainly most impressive but the 17" wheels may be a more sensible choice in these harsh economic times. The option of 8 pot front brake calipers seems like a worthwhile investment for the most powerful ASC3s.

Helping keep the wheels in contact with the road at all times are a selection of suspension kits. Depending on use and budget AC Schnitzer can supply springs, springs and dampers, coilover suspension or a full race suspension kit. In addition there are also uprated anti roll bars as well as front and rear strut braces on offer.

Schnitzer have also improved the interior styling of the current BMW 3 series including having the option of a gear knob with digital display (showing what gear is selected). Other items include carbon dash and door inserts, aluminium pedals and velour mats as well as a 3 spoke sports steering wheel in a choice of two finishes.

AC Schnitzer's ACS3 tuning kits cover every aspect of the current 3 series BMW and allow a driver greater performance, exclusivity and extra style all at reasonable cost.

Brabus SV 12 S.

Brabus {link} are respected worldwide for their ability to take a Mercedes Benz and tune it to a level thought impossible by many. The SV 12 S is, possibly, the most tuned a road practical SL can be.

Brabus have breathed their technical wizardry onto and into the 6.3 litre twin turbo V12 resulting in 730PS and 1100Nm of torque (a little less than the same engined fitted in the Brabus Rocket). Combine this extreme power and torque with an uprated gearbox and limited slip differential and the SV 12 S will sprint from 0-62mph in 4 seconds carrying on accelerating right until the electronic regulator calms everything down at around 215mph!

Decelerating from the speeds the SV 12 S is capable is handled by huge, racing inspired brakes. 12 pot calipers exert the pressure on the front axle whilst 6 pot calipers are used on the rear, disks are 375mm x 36mm front and 355mm x 28mm rear, naturally vented and drilled.

The Brabus SV 12 S sits 25mm lower thanks to an electronic module that interacts with the suspension, stiffer anti-roll bars keep the car level through the corners. 9x20" (front) and 10½x20" (rear) wheels fitted with 255/30 and 305/25 tyres respectively transmit the power to the ground.

Front and rear spoilers and side skirts improve the standard SL aesthetics whilst LED daytime driving lights, long range driving lamps and fog lights help the SV 12 S driver to not only see but to be seen too.

New Volkswagen TSI and TDI engines.

Volkswagen are leaders in engine "downsizing" with their TSI concept offering large capacity engine perfromance from small capacity engines. The idea behind this so-called downsizing is that a smaller capacity engines are more economical, efficient and environmentally friendly (as well as cheaper to tax in many countries).

The latest TSI engine from Volkswagen debuted in Austria recently, the 1.2TSI. Destined for the both the new Polo and Golf the 1.2TSI offers all the benefits of a small capacity petrol engine but with 105PS and maximum torque from 1500rpm.

To compliment the 1.2TSI Volkswagen have also launched a 1.6 TDI engine which will, once again, debut later this year in both the Polo and Golf. Available with 3 different performance levels this new TDI engine is likely to become the staple diesel engine in the small Volkswagen range. The 1.6TDI will be available with 75PS, 90PS and 105PS.

Both the 1.2TSI and 1.6TDI will, naturally, fully comply with the Euro 5 emission regulations and should be available with both manual and DSG transmissions.

Vauxhall (Opel) Astra

The first official pictures of the new Vauxhall Astra {link} have been released today. The Astra, which is responsible for approx 30% of all Vauxhall {link} sales, takes its styling cues from the well received Insignia. (Opel sales figures for the Astra also average out at approx 30% of total car sales)

The British made Astra is due to offer Adaptive Damping as standard and Adaptive Forward Lighting as an option both of which are new to its class. Adaptive Damping will offer the Astra driver a choice of three settings pre-determined damper settings, Standard - Sport - Tour, although each setting will react and adapt to driving style and corner speeds. This, in conjunction with a 71mm longer chassis than the current Astra, is expected to ensure class leading ride refinement and excellent handling characteristics.

All 8 engines available at the launch of the new Astra will comply to the latest Euro 5 emission regulations. A new petrol engine debuts in the Astra, the new 140PS turbocharged 1.4 litre petrol engine offers the emission and consumption of a small capacity engine with the performance of a larger sized engine.

Vauxhall are aiming to make the new Astra a premium product and promise the interior will follow the same concept as that seen in the Insignia (as this article was written there were no pictures or information available about the interior).

The Astra is being launched at September's Frankfurt Motorshow with both Vauxhall and Opel sales starting before the end of the year.

Spanish Grand Prix.

The Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona hosted the latest round of the Formula 1 World Championship and saw a familiar driver and team combination standing atop the podium.

Once again Brawn GP, a Mercedes engine and Jenson Button took victory (making it 4 wins from 5 races this year), this time with the other Brawn driver, Rubens Barrichello, finishing second. The perfect result for Brawn GP {link} could have finished with either Button or Barrichello 1st overall but an issue with Barrichello's tyres saw him struggle to match Button's pace as the duo ran different pit strategies.

McLaren Mercedes {link} had yet another disappointing race weekend in 2009 with Heikki Kovalainen failing to finish and Lewis Hamilton finishing out of the championship points in a very uninspiring 9th overall.

Mercedes' last engine customer had an expensive weekend as Force India's Adrian Sutil became involved in the carnage of the first lap, resulting in considerable damage to his car and instant retirement. Giancarlo Fisichella, the other Force India driver, was the last classified finisher in 14th place.

At the last race the BMW Saubers were woeful eventually struggling round as the last two classified finishers. Barcelona saw a highly impressive transformation and a dramatic upturn in the teams fortunes. Both drivers proved to be competitive (although still lacking the outright pace of the Brawn GP cars) and the German / Swiss team {link} were rewarded by 7th (Nick Heidfeld) and 11th (Robert Kubica) at the end. Whilst these results are some way off the team's expected pace their are encouraging signs for the remainder of the season.

The teams now head off to Monaco {link} and the most famous and demanding Grand Prix of the year with Button holding a 34 point lead over team mate Barrichello in the driver's championship. Brawn GP are 29½ points clear in the team's championship.

Race results:~
1. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
3. Webber Red Bull / Renault
4. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
5. Alonso Renault
6. Massa Ferrari
7. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
8. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
9. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
10. Glock Toyota
11. Kubica BMW Sauber
12. Piquet Renault
13. Nakajima Williams / Toyota
14. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
Retired Raikkonen Ferrari
Retired Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
Retired Trulli Toyota
Retired Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
Retired Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
Retired Sutil Force India/Mercedes

World Touring Car Championship, Marrakech.

The latest pair of WTCC {link} rounds were held in Marrakech, Morocco last weekend and were, unfortunately, none-to-kind to BMW.
Whilst Chevrolet were celebrating a double victory for their new Cruze BMW were left struggling with 4th overall in race 2 for Jörg Müller being their best result.
Race 1 was a disaster for the Bavarian marque with Müller being the highest placed BMW finisher in a highly disappointing 8th overall.
The championship table does not make pleasant reading for BMW at present with Andy Priaulx their highest placed driver in 7th, 27 points behind the championship leader.
The only slight glimmer of hope for BMW is that the results from both Moroccan races are still provisional whilst technical checks are carried out on other manufacturer’s cars.

British Formula 3 – honours even.

Victories in round three and four of the British F3 championship {link} were shared equally between Mercedes and Volkswagen powered teams.
Renger van der Zande took his Hitech run Dallara Mercedes to a dominant victory in race one at Silverstone last weekend (round 3 of the championship).
Victory in race 2 (round 4) fell to Daniel Ricciardo who took his Carlin prepared Dallara Volkswagen passed team mate Max Chilton in a daring late race manoeuvre to clinch victory.
Chilton’s weekend was slightly bitter-sweet having secured pole position for both races he was only able to finish 2nd and 3rd in races 1 and 2 of the weekend.
After his round 4 win Australian Ricciardo has stretched his championship lead to 28 points.

FIA GT4

Last weekend saw the first 2 rounds if the FIA GT4 European Cup & Supersport Championship {link}.

The GT4 class had a pair of BMW M3s entered for Kevin Veltman {link} (Genpact Racing) and André Grammatico and Pierre Brice Mena (Espace Bienvenue). Veltman took 8th and then 4th overall while the Espace Bienvenue car finished 9th in race one and retired from race 2.

The Supersport class is dominated by Audi powered cars with both the Donkervoort D8GT {link} and KTM X Bow GT4 {link} using Ingolstadt developed power plants.

Denis Donkervoort (Donkervoort D8GT) managed to claim victory in race 1 at Silverstone, finishing a remarkable 3rd overall. Stephane Wintenberger (Donkervoort D8GT) claimed 2nd with Augustin Eder (KTM X BOW GT4) taking 3rd from Nico Pronk (Donkervoort D8GT). Race 2 saw Eder win from Pronk with no others reaching the finish.