Evoque, Dakar. Powered by BMW

BRITAIN'S ALL-PROFESSIONAL DAKAR RALLY TEAM IS BACK ON TRACK(S)...

The Excite Rallye Raid Team has announced its driver and equipment line up for 2012 and also for the 2013 Dakar Rally: the team will be running 3 vehicles specially commissioned from RaBe Race Cars, driven by Martin Rowe, John Hardy and Andrew Coley. (Driver biographies are detailed below in Editor's notes).

Poole-based Excite Rallye Raid is the only professional, all-British Dakar Rally team to beentering the gruelling Dakar Rally in 2013.

In fact, Excite Rallye Raid Team is the first professional, all-British team to ever set itssights on the Dakar Rally.

The team combines world class drivers with an experienced management, marketing and support crew, working with the tough and reliable RaBe Race Cars vehicle to fly the flag for Great Britain in the spirit of all the great British explorers and adventurers from history.

Business Manager David Jones says: "We've been working on this project for a long time; we haven't disappeared, but we have had to change our approach due to the economic climate everyone is working in. We looked at the level of media coverage for rally raid events, and recognised that if we wanted to secure the necessary backing, we first needed to secure the coverage, across all forms of media - and with some really unique ideas, we're confident we've now done that.

We were approached by a manufacturer, RaBe Race Cars, whose staff have been around the sport for a long time. They've been monitoring our progress for a couple of years and on seeing our professional approach, they asked if we could work together. We have goals that we would like to achieve which we can each assist the other with, so we have now set our sights a bit higher. Of course, this fits perfectly with our other goal of achieving the right level of financial backing."

Mike Jones of RaBe Race Cars says: "RaBe Race Cars has years of off-road motorsport experience at every level, from club to International works teams. In fact we have a family motorsport tree that is celebrating its 100th Anniversary of continuous motorsport involvement in 2012. The last 15 years have been devoted to Desert racing and achieving not just a finish but top honours at Dakar. Little known outside of the bivouac of Dakar, we have built cars for many other teams who race under their own colours and logos.

The partnership with the Excite Rally Raid Team is part of our desire to push our skills to the top of our sport.

The road to developing a serious car has been as tough as the race itself. After 4 years of testing and development, we now have a car that can stand up against any of its peers. The five prototypes have already competed at three different Dakars, achieving a mechanical finish reliability rate of 100%. With this reliability and the knowledge gained from testing in Morocco, we will be able to focus on the fine tuning of the D4_WN5 production version to leap into the world rally raid spotlight. This is a very serious Dakar car, and we are very pleased to combine our skills with the Excite Rally Raid Team for a serious attempt at Dakar.

The Excite rally team bring all the extra pieces together to help us move forward and have a serious all-British attempt at a podium finish and ultimately a world championship crown. We very much like the skills that the Excite team are bringing from a wide range of other motorsports and all the key members of the combined effort bring something very unique to the wider team. The 2012 season will be a great year for the Excite rally team and UK motorsport fans will see a lot more of a massive global sport that they all know and love.... the Dakar Rally."

Team Principal and Driver John Hardy says: "This is the best chance an independent manufacturer team has had to perform at the top level in a long time. We hope that we may be able to work towards a very good result on the Dakar in 2013 and then, next time around, why not shoot for overall honours?! We have always intended, and still intend, to give it our very best shot!"

The Excite team's preparations and training programme are ongoing at the present time and the next significant target is to participate in several off-road rallies in 2012 to help with the car's development and to build up time in the new vehicle before taking on the Dakar Rally in 2013.

Excite Rallye Raid is currently in partnership talks with several global brands, but the team would love to be backed by a British sponsor to round off the all-British package.

All in all, it's a very exciting time for Team Excite!

Notes:

The Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is internationally recognised as the world's most challenging motorsport event, followed by millions globally on TV and throughout the media.

On the event, hundreds of competitors cover in excess of 9,000 km in 14 days over some of the most hostile environmental conditions found anywhere in the world.

Many of the leading vehicle manufacturers enter the event as it is a unique opportunity to market their products to a global audience. Equally, a large number of entries come from private, entrepreneurial teams who are driven to compete in this prestigious event.

Driver profiles: Martin Rowe, Andrew Coley and John Hardy

Martin Rowe
Ex British, Chinese and World Rally Championship winning driver, Martin Rowe, brings a wealth of success and experience only comparable to a few other ‘works' FIA Off Road Championship/Dakar teams. Martin's list of achievements is impressive, with works drives for Peugeot, Renault, Ford and Porsche. Plus testing and development roles within both the Ford and Subaru works teams just add to his profile.

Career highlights:
1991 Manx Stage Rally Champion
1992 British 1.6 Peugeot Challenge Champion
1994 British Gp N Champion
1998 British Rally Champion
2001 British Formula Rally Champion
2002 6th World Production cup
2003 World Production Cup Champion
2004 Driver coaching/various testing roles
2005 Drove in 4 rounds of the China Rally Championship winning 2 rounds with Team KST Ralliart China.
2006 Chinese Rally Champions with Team KST Ralliart China.
Represented Porsche Cars GB in the Transsyberia Rallye.
2011 / 2012 / 2013 Representing Excite Rallye Raid.

Andrew Coley
A National champion rally driver, Andrew has experience on tar, gravel, snow, ice and sand dunes! Andrew has over ten years' experience in the motorsport industry, providing TV Commentary and presenting on major international channels / motorsport events including Eurosport (Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), The Race of Champions, Asian Le Mans Series and FiA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) and Rally Raid amongst others) and Superleague Formula. He has hosted and presented at events on behalf of several major vehicle manufacturers and has acted as Sponsor Host for the SEAT team in the British Touring Car Championship. In addition, he has provided specialised vehicle product training for the car industry and worked on industry DVDs.

Career highlights
1998 Started rallying, participating in 3 events, with 3 mechanical retirements! (He knew nothing about cars but learnt fast!).
1999 Won SE region tar championship 1600 class.
2000 Selected by the UK MSA to be one of 20 young drivers on the ‘Fit to be Champion' scheme (the first MSA elite scheme) and also entered the Roger Clark Award.
2001 Roger Clark Award manager Richard Stoodley secured Andrew a drive with 22 Motorsport (meeting John Hardy on the same team) in the ANCRO National Championship. Andrew finished 2nd in class A7 at the end of his first year in forests.
2002 - 2004 testing for 22 Motorsport, working as a motorsport instructor.
2005 Andrew was selected from 200 European entries to represent the UK in the final 10, for the Dakar Challenge, a competition run by Eurosport, NISMO and BFGoodrich to win a drive on the Dakar Rally. The Semi finals were held at Clermont Ferrand in France, Michelin's test venue. Made the final 5, knocking out JWRC regulars, despite not competing for several years. Final was in Morocco, where Andrew finished a very close 2nd to the Ford WRC team's test driver. Stayed in Morocco for a week to complete NISMO's Dakar training programme and was appointed reserve driver for Dakar 2006.
2007 Andrew could resist the draw of rallying no more, bought a 206 Cup Car, returned to the forests and entered 2 events to get back up to speed.
2008 Entered the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship and won class A6 after a season long battle with a Super1600 car.
2009 Change of career from motorsport instruction to motorsport commentary and TV / event presenting. Currently commentating on IRC Rally and Superleague Formula. Andrew has featured on ESPN, Eurosport, Motors and Bloomberg as a commentator. He has also appeared on BBC3, GMTV, Channel 5, Sky Sports and Eurosport during his rally career.
2011 / 2012 / 2013 Representing Excite Rallye Raid.

John Hardy
With over 20 years' British National Rally Championship experience behind him, John Hardy will provide reliable and highly important support to both Martin and Andrew, while being equally competitive. John has also spent many years working as a rally driving instructor, helping many British Championship drivers with car setup and driver training.

Career Highlights
1988 John took part in his first Rally as a co-driver at Festival Rally Exeter, aged 16.
1989 1st National event as co-driver in the Mazda Winter Rally.
1991 Started driving Auto cross and Rally.
1993 1st National Rally as a Driver.
1994 ACSMC Rounds - John achieved a number of top 3 finishes in class.
1999 Testing in EVO 6 for K sport and ACSMC Events.
2000 Landed a drive with K-Sport on Rallye Sunseeker in a Evo 6. This was John's first rally in 4wd turbo car. John's co-driver was a journalist. John was placed 19th overall.
2001 Drove for 22 Motorsport in a Seat Cupra Sport, with Andrew Coley as team mate.
2003 British National Rally Championship competitor. Came 3rd in class in the championship. Worked at a rally school.
2004 Competed in several National rallies and worked at the rally school at Castle Combe.
2005 Drove the 2CR FM rally car with a DJ as co-driver.
2006 Started thinking about doing the Dakar and established Excite team, recruiting a solid core of drivers, co-drivers, motorsport mechanics and support staff.
2009 Worked with TV guys on Rallye Sunseeker.
2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013 Representing Excite Rallye Raid.

The Car
RaBe Race Cars D4 WN5 - Built for T3 world championship
Engine: BMW diesel N57 3.0 ltr 275 Hp 650Nm with FIA restrictor.
Transmission: ZF 6 speed / two speed transfer case.
Dampers: 8 x Reiger coil overs.
Wheels: Compomotive Atacama RallyRaid wheel 16".
Tyres: BF Goodrich desert race G series.
Fuel Tank: 260 Litre.
Length: 3.8 m.
Width: 2.0 m.
Height: 1.9 m.
Wheel Base: 2.8 m.
Weight: 1900 Kg.

Mercedes DTM AMG C-Coupe

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg unveil DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé at the Frankfurt Motor Show

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg unveiled the new DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé for the 2012 DTM season at the IAA in Frankfurt, alongside Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management at Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Division, and Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.

The new car is based on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé, which was launched worldwide in the summer of 2011, and is the first DTM car from Mercedes-Benz to be built around a new, improved safety concept, developed in collaboration with the ITR e.V, the DMSB (Germany's motor racing governing body) and the DTM manufacturers. The new car incorporates a state-of-the-art carbon fibre monocoque with a roll cage made ??of high-strength steel. Moreover, each vehicle is equipped with six energy-absorbing crash structures, giving the driver additional protection to the front, rear and sides.

The DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé will succeed the AMG Mercedes C-Class, which is the most successful vehicle in the 27-year history of the DTM, having scored 84 victories in 156 races and five driver's titles.
Development, design and manufacture of the new car began in June 2010 at HWA headquarters in Affalterbach, near Stuttgart, Germany. HWA is responsible for production of the cars, including engines.

Michael Schumacher: "The new 2012 Mercedes-Benz DTM car looks fantastic, but what I find even more impressive than the car's visual appearance is the new safety concept with its innovative safety cell and more advanced carbon-fibre crash structures. This safety standard is exemplary and constitutes, in my opinion, the benchmark for touring car racing. I'm looking forward to seeing the new C-Class Coupé in action and hopefully winning lots of races. I've got my fingers crossed for everyone in the Mercedes-Benz DTM team."

Nico Rosberg: "I was pleased to take part in unveiling the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé for the 2012 DTM season at its Frankfurt Motor Show world premiere. It looks really cool and I particularly like the chrome finish. The car is certainly an important step forward for the DTM, which is a great series - I began my career racing on the same weekends as the DTM, and it will attract even more fans in 2012 when the third manufacturer arrives. Whenever possible, I still follow the races on TV, and always enjoy going to local DTM events. I will of course keep my fingers crossed next year for my Mercedes-Benz DTM colleagues and hope they can bring the title home to Stuttgart with the new C-Class Coupé."

Gary Paffett: "The first test of a new car is always an exciting moment. After getting a feel for the handling and performance of the DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé around the Lausitzring, I can say I'm very pleased with it. Of course, we still have a lot of development work ahead of us before the 2012 season opener at Hockenheim. The driving experience is quite different to that of previous DTM cars. The new Hankook tyres for 2012 are wider and have taller sidewalls, providing more mechanical grip. Also, the gear lever has disappeared for 2012 - we will change gear using paddles on the steering wheel instead - and that's something I'm already used to from Formula One."

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "This new-generation vehicle, based on our Mercedes-Benz C- Coupé, signals the introduction of an even more spectacular racing car from the start of 2012. I am certain that the spectators will get their money's worth from the three-way fight between Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the DTM next year."

Comparison of two Silver Arrow legends

MERCEDES GP W02 and W196.

Aston Martin Racing V12 Vantage GT3 Specs

Aston Martin Racing Confirms Specifications of new V12 Vantage GT3

Gaydon, 24 August 2011. Aston Martin confirms today the specification of the 2012 Vantage GT3 race car. As the natural successor to the enormously successful DBRS9, the new Vantage GT3 will offer customers the latest in race-car technology to ensure the Vantage GT3 has the credentials to compete with the most recent new product offerings from other manufacturers.

The Vantage GT3 features a modified version of Aston Martin's production 6.0 litre V12 engine found in the marque's highly acclaimed sports cars. The dry-sumped engine is expected to produce 600 bhp with 700 Nm of torque and its position has been optimised further to improve weight balance. A carbon fibre propshaft mates the engine to a Xtrac 6 speed sequential transmission with semi-automatic paddle shift gear change.

The Vantage GT3 benefits from Aston Martin's V/H architecture philosophy, the modular chassis uses aerospace bonding techniques to create a light and immensely stiff aluminium and composite structure which not only aids handling on Aston Martin's road cars but is also an ideal base for competitive race cars.

Most dramatic of all, are the new aerodynamics, contributing to a muscular and purposeful stance while maintaining the overall beauty of the V12 Vantage. The shorter wheel base and lower engine position over its predecessor will contribute to enhanced handling and performance. The new car will also provide enhanced driveability with the latest race-developed ABS and Traction Control systems which are fitted to the V12 Vantage GT3 as standard.

The Vantage GT3 will be eligible for numerous race series around the world including the FIA GT3 Championship, ADAC Masters, Nürburgring VLN, Blancpain Endurance Series, British GT, Belcar and Open GT among others.

Aston Martin remains the only manufacturer to offer a race car for every GT class firmly cementing it as a global forerunner in race car production. The new Vantage GT3 is being developed to replicate and indeed surpass the superb track record of the DBRS9.

Aston Martin has sold 24 DBRS9s and customer teams have accumulated many race podiums and victories over the past six years including 2009 Winner Teams Championship, and Winner Manufacturers Championship for Hexis Racing and as recently as a 2011 GT Open race win at Spa for Villois Racing.

Testing of the new car will commence in October, where the Vantage GT3 will undergo a comprehensive sign-off durability test including a 10,000 km test programme. Deliveries of the first cars will commence in early 2012. Prices start from £298,000.V12 Vantage GT3 Specification

Engine

- Lightweight V12

- Dry sump oil system

- Engine repositioned to optimise weight distribution

- Target power 600 bhp

- Target torque 700 Nm

Transmission

- Xtrac 6 speed sequential transmission

- Racing clutch

- Limited slip ramp/plate differential

- Easily accessible drop gears

- Semi-automatic paddle shift gear change

- Carbon fibre propshaft

Chassis

- Lightweight aluminium chassis

- Steel roll cage to FIA safety standards

High speed pneumatic jack system

Steering

- Hydraulic power assisted steering

- Quick release steering wheel

Suspension

- Double wishbone suspension arms front

and rear with uniball bearings

- 2-way adjustable dampers front and rear

- Optimsed geometry for lower race ride height

Fuel system

- 110 litre fuel cell to FIA safety standards

- Twin quick release couplings

- Fuel cell location optimised for performance and safety

(behind the driver's seat, inside the safety roll cage)

Brakes

- 6 pot front calipers

- Ventilated front brake disc

- 4 pot rear caliper

- Ventilated rear brake disc

- Floor mounted pedal box

- Manually adjustable front/rear brake bias

- Adjustable motorsport ABS

Wheels

- 12.5" x 18" front

- 13" x 18" rear

Tyres

- Front 30/68-18

- Rear 31/71-18

Cockpit

- Steering wheel mounted controls

- Driver display / data logger / shift lights / beacon

- 6-point safety harness

- Adjustable steering position

- Adjustable seat position

- Adjustable pedal box position

- Light weight battery

- Carbon fibre dash

- Fire extinguisher system

Aerodynamics

- Front splitter

- Adjustable full width carbon fibre rear wing

- Aerodynamically optimised bumpers, fenders and sills

Weight

- Target dry weight 1250kg

RedBull F1 Off Road

F1 Moments: Raikkonen passes Fisichella - Suzuka 2005

Do you know why was this race special?

SENNA - Exclusive Clip (Senna / Prost interview)

Exclusive clip from SENNA, opening in the US beginning August 12. McLaren teammates Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost on an interview.

FIA GT1: Revamped 2012 season plans take shape

Stephane Ratel, CEO of SRO, has announced plans for the 2012 GT World project - which will feature an array of new teams and iconic brands.

Under the revised GT World format there will be between nine and 11 two-car,  single-brand teams racing in the global series.

Ferrari, Audi and BMW are amongst seven brands that have already confirmed their entry to compete in the 2012 series, alongside current GT1 brands.

The seven teams confirmed are Young Driver AMR (Aston Martin), Team WRT (Audi), Marc VDS (BMW), Vita4One Racing (Ferrari), Belgian Racing (Ford), All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport (Lamborghini) and JRM Motorsport (Nissan).

Additionally, talks are advanced with teams to run Mercedes, Corvette and Alpina entries. 

Ratel made the announcement prior to the start of the Total 24 Hours of Spa, the third round of the Blancpain Endurance Series.

“We are fully in line with our declared objective to have nine, 10 teams – 11 in an ideal world – representing nine, 10, 11, different makes in the ultimate GT world championship,” Ratel said.

“To welcome Audi, BMW and Ferrari cars in addition to the brands we had already - Aston Martin, Corvette, Ford, Lamborghini, Nissan - is a major achievement. We are convinced that other teams around the world will recognise the potential of this unique opportunity to become the exclusive representative of a given brand in an exciting and truly global series for GT cars.

“This has been a joint effort between SRO as the promoter and the teams who are fully committed to making this championship a success. The 2012 concept will be an evolution of the current FIA GT1 World Championship building on the qualified success of the exciting one-hour sprint format. We are all in agreement about this.

“In the defined schedule of events, we need first to finalise the grid. We are 75 per cent of the way there and we are very confident that we will finalise it by early September. We will then have a full month to confirm dates with the many contacts we have around the world for the 2012 calendar and to be active in the sponsorship and broadcasting market in November/December.”

In reference to the calendar for 2012, Ratel said: “A number of our 2011 events will continue, but to further underline the global status of the championship we need to expand into other territories like we have done with China in 2011.

“Europe Argentina, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates will be on the 2012 calendar. We have had very good discussions on four corners of the globe including Australasia, North America and Russia.

“The FIA GT1 World Championship has proven its ability to provide teams and sponsors with global reach and the capacity to provide teams with total support – financial and logistical – on overseas events.”

The timeline for the 2012 season has been established by SRO and the teams, with the grid to be finalized by early September and the calendar released in October.

As for the remainder of the 2011 FIA GT1 World Championship, Ratel confirmed that the intention was to have two races in China in September. Besides the race weekend in Ordos on September 3-4, plans for a race at Goldenport in Beijing was close to being finalised.

“We are all set now for a second race in China which is only pending an FIA homologation of the Goldenport Circuit which will take place next week,” he said.

The 2011 season will conclude at San Luis in Argentina 5-6 November with a further update on the 2012 season around the time of the 2011 Chinese events.

M3 DTM Concept official video intro

M3 DTM Concept Car

Pure Evil

Launch of the BMW M3 DTM Concept Car

Munich, 15th July 2011. Just two weeks after the official roll-out of the new racing car for the 2012 DTM season, BMW presented the BMW M3 DTM Concept Car. Dr. Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for development, and BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt unveiled the car on Friday evening in the Double Cone building at Munich's BMW Welt. As part of the DTM event in the Olympic Stadium, the BMW M3 DTM Concept Car will be on show to motorsport fans and visitors to BMW Welt at the weekend.

The car offers an initial impression of what the BMW M3 DTM will look like when it lines up at the start of the 2012 season. However, the vehicle was not the only star of the evening at BMW Welt: BMW Motorsport also presented the first two drivers to be confirmed as wearing the company colours in the DTM as of next season - Andy Priaulx (GB) and Augusto Farfus (BR). Furthermore, the first partners of BMW Motorsport for 2012 were introduced.

"It is good to see how our DTM project is picking up speed," said Dr. Draeger. "Next year, BMW returns to the DTM after two decades. We will be facing our main competitors in the premium sector - and are already looking forward to this challenge. The DTM comeback sees BMW return to its roots. We have enjoyed great success in production car racing in the past, and I am convinced we will follow on in 2012 where we left off. Everyone at BMW Motorsport is working hard to ensure we get off to a successful start next season."

Marquardt added: "Getting a new racing programme up and running is a bit like doing a jigsaw. New pieces are added almost every day, and we must put them together to create the big picture. The BMW M3 DTM Concept Car is an important milestone on our route to the start of the 2012 season. The roll-out of the car was successful, and we are now starting our test programme out on the track. Drivers Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus are also involved and will form part of our driving line-up in 2012. Their impressive performances in touring car and GT racing make them ideally suited to the DTM, and we are sure they will leave their mark on this series too. It is obviously just as important to have strong partners on board, and we were able to present some of them today. The pieces are fitting together perfectly, so we can definitely say: our preparations for the 2012 season are going according to plan."

Racing genes: the BMW M3 DTM.

When BMW returns to the DTM next season, it will also mark the comeback of a racing legend: between 1987 and 1992 the BMW M3 celebrated no less than 40 wins and over 150 podium finishes in this series. The BMW M3 DTM is based on the fourth generation of the most sporty production car to emerge from BMW M. BMW Motorsport has been developing the DTM version of the car since autumn last year, when the Board of Management of BMW AG announced the company's return to the DTM.

The DTM regulations for the 2012 season stipulate all cars must use a certain number of standard components. This is to guarantee that development costs remain reasonable and are considerably lower than in other top motorsport categories. Despite this, the BMW Motorsport engineers have been able to call upon the immense technical resources of the BMW Group and apply their innovation to establish performance advantages over their rivals in areas such as engine and aerodynamics.

The result of this work is a spectacular racing car, which is set to thrill DTM fans. The powerful V8 engine equipped with the air restrictor as detailed in the technical regulations generates approximately 480 bhp. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in about three seconds and boasts a top speed of approx. 300 km/h.

Successful drivers from within the own ranks.

Priaulx and Farfus have been confirmed as the first drivers to take to the track with the BMW M3 DTM in the 2012 season and during the intense test phase. Both drivers arrive in the DTM with impressive wins and titles to their names. Priaulx won the 2004 European Touring Car Championship for BMW, and followed that up with three World Championship titles between 2005 and 2007. The racing driver from the Channel Island of Guernsey (GB) has also proven his class in GT racing, with victory at the 2005 Nürburgring 24 Hours (DE) and first in the GT class at this year's 12-hour race at Sebring (US).

"The DTM will be a big challenge for us all," said Priaulx. "Together with BMW, I have celebrated success in many different disciplines and behind the wheel of some fantastic racing cars in recent years. I am more than confident that this will also be the case in the DTM. The BMW M3 DTM looks fantastic. I can hardly wait to get to know the car better in the coming tests, to contribute to its development, and ultimately to sit in the cockpit for the first DTM race in 2012."

Farfus can also look back on a successful career with BMW. This is proven by 15 wins in the World Touring Car Championship, the triumph at the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 2010, and many more successful races in BMW racing cars: the Brazilian has all the essentials to be successful in the DTM. "I am delighted BMW is giving me the opportunity to race in the DTM," said Farfus. "You always need new challenges in life. That is why I cannot wait for my debut in this series. The opposition is tough and has more experience in recent years, but BMW Motorsport is working fantastically to ensure we should be competitive right from the word go. We want to learn as quickly as possible. Who knows, maybe we can already challenge the established manufacturers a bit in 2012."

Strong teams and strong partners.

Three teams will compete in next year's DTM for BMW: BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW Team RBM and BMW Team RMG. The exact allocation of drivers to the three teams will be made at a later date. First, the teams are working hand in hand with BMW Motorsport to press ahead with the development of the BMW M3 DTM.

The first partners of BMW Motorsport in the DTM have also been confirmed. The international hotel brand Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), is continuing its cooperation with BMW as Premium Partner. Deutsche Post AG is also involved as a new Premium Partner.

"In order to succeed in the DTM, strong partners are as vital as strong teams, cars and drivers," says Marquardt. "Even at this early stage BMW is in the fortunate position of having secured a raft of respected team sponsors and partners, all of whom perfectly complement the brand and identify totally with our ambitions. We are pleased that long-standing partners have also elected to remain with us. However, for us it is equally satisfying that additional top companies have decided to partner BMW's DTM campaign and share in the challenges which face us."

Janis Cannon, vice president global brand management, Crowne Plaza said: "Many BMW drivers tend to be the same people that check into our hotels around the world every day which is why it's such a great brand fit for us. Our partnership with BMW is growing from strength to strength and is now in its fifth year. We wish the BMW team the best of luck on the track."

Ingo Bohlken, Chief Marketing Officer BRIEF Deutsche Post AG, said: "The DTM has long been the German motor racing series, and thrills millions of fans, both live and on TV. Therefore for Deutsche Post it provides the ideal communications platform. As the world's most popular touring car series, the DTM represents speed, dynamics and team spirit - all attributes that distinguish Deutsche Post. We welcome the return of BMW, and look forward to many exciting races."

Castrol Edge will continue to be BMW Motorsport's Premier Technical Partner in the DTM. "The combined effort with BMW in motorsport is an important component of our partnership," said Martin Rasbach, BMW Partnership Manager Castrol Lubricants. "The knowledge gained by pushing products to the limit in motorsport enables Castrol to create the high performance lubricants used by millions of drivers everyday and demonstrates the power of building long term trust and value through shared technology and expertise."

In addition, H&R, SONAX and ZF Sachs were introduced as Official Partners in Munich, Sympatex was presented as Official Supplier. The company logos will be visible on all cars used by BMW Motorsport.

Manfred Hoffmann, Managing Shareholder of SONAX GmbH and owner of the Hoffmann group, explained: "We are delighted that the SONAX brand will once again be present on the circuits used by the DTM. Above all we are pleased that BMW Motorsport's comeback has provided us with this opportunity. We would like to thank our partner BMW, and wish the entire team a ‘bright' start to the 2012 season."

Dr. Peter Ottenbruch, ZF Friedrichshafen AG Board Member responsible for Technology, said: "For many years we have worked extremely closely with BMW, both on the company's production cars and in motorsport. In international motor racing the DTM is a highly respected series, and we are very pleased to be able to continue our successful partnership with BMW Motorsport in this series."

Hartwig von der Brake, Marketing Manager of H&R, said: "BMW and touring car racing were two concepts that were inseparable for me even when I was a teenager. At that time, I was a young fan following the action on the race track. Today I'm delighted that we have been able to get such a fantastic project off the ground with such a strong partner."

"As a developer and supplier of high-tech functional fabrics, Sympatex unites top performance and the ecology," said Michael Kamm, CEO of Sympatex Technologies GmbH. "We - like BMW Motorsport - place enormous value on the efficient and responsible combination of resources and optimum performance. We look forward to partnering and supporting BMW in the forthcoming season."

Audi A5 DTM Preview

Ingolstadt, July 15, 2011 - Model change in the DTM: From 2012 on, Audi will bank on the A5 in the most popular international touring car racing series. The coupe, which is internally named "R17," will replace the four-door A4 DTM with which Audi has won the prestigious DTM title four times since 2004. 

The technically and visually upgraded A5 that is will be arriving at dealerships shortly provides the basis for the new DTM car. "In 2012 new Technical Regulations will come into effect in the DTM," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "We've got exactly the right model for that in the A5. We're convinced that we'll be able to continue Audi's success story with it in the DTM."

The new technical specifications have been worked out by the German Motorsport Association (DMSB) and the DTM umbrella organization ITR in close cooperation with the automobile manufacturers and are setting new standards particularly in terms of safety. "Our engineers have been involved in bringing up safety in the DTM, which had already been high before, to the highest possible level," explains Dr. Ullrich. "At Le Mans this year we learned again that our concept of designing safety structures is a very good and appropriate one. This is exactly what we've been trying to feed into the DTM's safety concept together with our colleagues from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. This new principle is an outstanding example of what is possible when employees of three premium manufacturers try to achieve a common aim: to get the best possible, lowest-cost and safest vehicle - and a fantastic car in general - off the ground."

Like all new DTM cars, the new Audi A5 DTM has a high-strength carbon-fiber monocoque that is combined with a steel tube cage. In addition to the A- and C-pillars the new regulations prescribe a B-pillar in front of the driver's head to be installed in the future. The sidewalls of the vehicles feature a hybrid design with a carbon, Zylon and Rohacell construction that is structurally reinforced by pegs. In case of a side impact the walls have to be able to withstand a static load that is about four times higher than before. "The sidewall has been reinforced so that the new DTM vehicle can be exposed to a side impact (T-bone crash) without the wall failing," explains Dr. Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport. "Up to now, a bearable side force of 80 kN at a specified point has been required whereas for the 2012-specification vehicles 360 kN across the whole length of the sidewall is now required. This means that the monocoque has not only been reinforced at a certain point but across the entire length."

The requirements for the front and rear crash absorbers have been increased as well. "At higher speed lower deceleration is specified in order to protect the driver even better than before," says Dr. Mühlmeier. "To achieve this, a crash test with the whole vehicle is now prescribed for the first time as well - according to FIA standards with 14 meters per second forward and backward against a rigid wall. In the past, ‘only' the front and rear crash elements had to be driven against a wall with a sled."

Although fire accidents have almost never occurred in the DTM the safety standard in this respect has been raised even further as well. In the new generation of DTM cars the fuel tank, similar to the Le Mans winning Audi R18 TDI, is integrated into the carbon fiber monocoque. This further reduces the fire hazard in case of a side impact crash.

For Audi the new DTM regulations mark a consistent continuation of the work done over the past three decades. The rally cars already had a high level of safety. For the supertouring cars Audi Sport developed a completely new side impact protection of carbon fiber and energy-absorbing foam in the middle of the nineteen-nineties. Ever since Audi has had sports prototype commitments crash tests and work with high-strength carbon composite materials have been part of its routine business. And for the R8 LMS GT3 sports car Audi introduced a pioneering safety concept for this category in 2011. "We've continuously improved in this area and will do so in the future as well," stresses Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "The new DTM vehicles are the best piece of proof that you can make something that is already very safe even saver. This is another thing we mean by ‘Vorsprung durch Technik.'"

The first prototype of the R17 is currently being built up at Audi Sport in Ingolstadt. The roll-out is just around the corner. The new Audi A5 DTM will be unveiled to the public at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt.

The V8 engine with a power output of about 460 hp (340 kW) will be adopted from the successful A4 DTM nearly unchanged. The proven six-speed transmission will continue to be used as well. Characteristic features of the 2012-generation of DTM vehicles are a larger rear wing and a reduction of the permitted aerodynamics components. The concept studies of the Audi A5 DTM by the Audi Design Team merely suggest the looks of the new Audi race touring car.

Porsche Returns to Le Mans

#17?

Porsche returns to Le Mans in 2014

Stuttgart. Porsche returns to Le Mans with a works-run LMP1 sports prototype. The first outing of the completely new developed race car is planned for the year 2014. With 16 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in Le Mans. The most recent win was in 1998 with the Porsche 911 GT1.

"Motorsport was always an essential part of the Porsche brand," emphasises Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG. "So for us it was only a matter of time before we returned as a factory to the top league of racing. Porsche's successes in Le Mans are unrivalled. We want to follow up on this with the 17th outright victory."

With the RS Spyder sports prototype that was run with great success from 2006 to 2008 by the factory-backed Penske Racing team in the USA and to 2010 by several customer teams worldwide, Porsche has set the benchmark recently in the LMP2 category. "With the RS Spyder we proved that our motorsport engineers in Weissach are at the forefront," says Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG. "For instance, we were the first to run a high-revving race engine with direct fuel injection, DFI, setting new standards in performance and efficiency. Recently, with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, we adopted a completely new drive technology for racing purposes and achieved a considerable reduction in consumption."

Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport, is already prepared for one of the most challenging development programmes in the company's history. "We're looking forward to the task of developing new technologies and to continue on with the success of the Porsche RS Spyder. After the conclusion of our works-supported sports prototype programme in the American Le Mans Series we have kept up with the latest technological advances. Now we will begin with detailed research in order to evaluate the various concept alternatives for our new car. These obviously depend on how the regulations for the year 2014 look in detail. In principle, these regulations are interesting for us because the integration of our hybrid technology in the vehicle concept is one possible option."

Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood claimed the first overall victory for Porsche in 1970 with the legendary 917 short-tail. The 16th and by now last overall win was secured by Laurent Aiello, Stéphane Ortelli and Allan McNish in 1998 with the 911 GT1. In the years 2008 and 2009, the Porsche RS Spyder sports prototype won the title in the LMP2 category.

DeltaWing race car approved to compete at Le Mans 24 in 2012

The DeltaWing lives, and the people behind the project plan to take the revolutionary race car to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2012.

The news came early Thursday during the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's annual press conference coinciding with this weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The wild-looking race-car concept--intended originally for the Izod IndyCar Series--was first seen on Feb. 10, 2010, at the Chicago auto show. It was created by a design consortium spearheaded by team owner Chip Ganassi and Ganassi Racing engineer Ben Bowlby.

While IndyCar ultimately elected to go with incumbent chassis maker Dallara for its forthcoming next-generation car, American Le Mans Series champion Highcroft Racing will partner with Dan Gurney's All American Racers and DeltaWing Racing Cars LLC--creating an all-American effort--to race the car at Le Mans next year. American Le Mans Series founder Don Panoz is listed as a project adviser.

The effort is known as the Project 56 Group, because the ACO--the Le Mans organizer--has agreed to give it a special Le Mans entry invitation which will expand next year's full field from 55 cars to 56. The 56th entry is reserved for “a technologically innovative car to participate outside of the classifications.” In other words, according to Project 56, “a vehicle showcasing new applications and unique technologies previously unseen in the world's greatest endurance race.”

ACO sporting diector Vincent Beaumesnil said, “In 2010, the ACO Sporting Committee decided to create the garage No. 56 to promote new technologies. When the ACO management met the representative of the DeltaWing project, everybody thought immediately that it would be a high-quality project for Le Mans Experimental entry in 2012.

“The interest of this project is based on the optimization of all factors that have an impact of global energy consumption and efficiency of the car--weight, power, drag.

“The ACO want to give the opportunity to evaluate each technology, and this project shows that ahead of hybrid, biofuel or electric technology, we can explore other ways to improve efficiency.”

As revealed in Chicago almost a year and a half ago, the DeltaWing aims to achieve its performance by “exploiting efficiency gains found outside contemporary regulations to reduce fuel consumption without reducing performance.”

To that end, the car likely will have about half the horsepower of the fastest Le Mans competitors. But its developers said it will also produce only half as much drag as the traditional prototypes, while weighing about half as much.

Project 56 revealed that it is holding talks with potential engine suppliers to provide a 1.6-liter turbocharged powerplant producing about 300 hp. As noted previously, the car has a slender nose with an extremely narrow front track that minimizes the amount of horsepower needed to reach 200 mph. With its conspicuous lack of traditional wings, the DeltaWing's contoured underbody generates downforce solely beneath the car. Construction of the new machine will begin in July at Gurney's California facility. Highcroft will begin track testing it later this year.

“The secret to the DeltaWing car is simplicity and efficiency,” commented Bowlby, a former chief designer at Lola Cars and the brain behind various Champ Cars, Le Mans prototypes, touring cars and other racing machines. “To achieve the dramatically reduced carbon footprint, we have looked at ways to reduce weight and drag, as well as the total number of components required to build the car.

“Essentially, the car has a three-point layout with the narrow front and wide rear track, as opposed to the rectangular layout of contemporary racing cars. We have a delta-shaped car that allows us to take a different route to achieving our performance goals as well as enhancing driver protection.

“We need much less chassis torsional stiffness for handling performance, so we don't need to use such stiff and brittle materials in the chassis. We can use light, tough and energy-absorbing materials instead.

“One of the attractions of Le Mans is the incredible variety of vehicles in competition. With different fuel types, open and closed cockpits, GT cars--there are lots of different solutions and they all run together during the event.

“What is particularly impressive is the fact the ACO decided to create the 56th entry where a car that is outside the regulations is invited to participate to showcase an even greater diversity of automotive engineering concepts.

“It's an industry runway; it shows what the future may look like. We are lucky to receive this entry, and amongst all the other diversity, the DeltaWing will be very much in the spirit of Le Mans. . . . We believe this is a true automotive innovation which could be the catalyst for changing the way people look at not only racing-car design, but automotive design as a whole.”

Who, exactly, is funding the effort remains unknown, but according to a Highcroft spokesperson, “There is a wide consortium of partners involved in the project who are providing seed capital to start the program. Exact details are confidential at this stage.”

When asked by AutoWeek if Project 56's appearance at Le Mans in 2012 is a done deal or merely represents a desire by the involved parties to hopefully make it happen, the spokesperson said, “Definitely, absolutely, happening and already underway. Partners are in place to make this happen--but obviously we'd prefer to be promoting a manufacturer and sponsors . . . sometimes there is never any absolutes in motorsport, but this is as solid as it gets.”

Highcroft Racing owner Duncan Dayton said he thinks the project could have great reach within the automotive world.

“The DeltaWing project really represents a unique opportunity for all automotive industry sectors,” he said. “The OEMs and suppliers, whether it be engines, drivetrains, lubricant and fuel companies, tire manufactures--it is such an innovative concept that it provides an incredible platform for them to market and prove their capabilities.

“In my opinion, it has the potential to be one of the most significant developments in motor racing in 50 years. It is so new and exciting, and such an interesting departure from the traditional race-car development path. It is highly relevant to the future.

“Given that the world is concentrating on efficiency and green technologies in an attempt to achieve sustainability, this project, in my opinion, will help promote the direction that is being adopted throughout the entire automotive industry.”

Assuming that the project runs smoothly and does indeed race at Le Mans next year, it will mark racing icon Gurney's first visit to the Circuit de la Sarthe for the event since he claimed the overall victory there in 1967, driving a Ford GT40 alongside A. J. Foyt.

“The combination of proven items that make up the character and capabilities of the DeltaWing car make it an extremely exciting project,” the 80-year-old legend said.

“It weighs half as much current cars, it burns half as much fuel, uses much less tire and goes the same speed because of the exceptional aerodynamics and low drag. Almost every aspect of the car is really basic engineering, but the combination of the total package should be astoundingly good.

“After looking at the project and the technical aspects of the car, I was asked if we were selected to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, would I like to be involved--or in our case, would we like to build it. I didn't hesitate for a moment. My response was absolutely, yes.

“I have a lot of curiosity, and when I first discussed this car with Ben Bowlby, I listened closely and tried to shoot holes in what he was saying. But I quickly found I wasn't able to.

“I told him I was very interested. I believe the targets and predictions are valid, and now that we have been given the green light from the ACO, count me in.

“It has been a very long time since I have been to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In fact, the last time I was there for the race, I won with A. J. Foyt and the Ford GT40. I certainly am very much looking forward to heading back there next year and seeing our car compete.”

Gurney's run with Foyt in 1967 is noteworthy not only for its result, but because it also began a now-famous motor-racing tradition: He decided to spray the winners' champagne on the podium for the first time.

DeltaWing Specifications

Chassis weight: 1,047 pounds (475 kg)

Horsepower: 300

Wheelbase: 114.2 inches (2.9 meters)

Aerodynamic drag: Cd 0.24

Front track: 23.6 inches (0.6 meter)

Rear track: 66.9 inches (1.7 meters)

Overall length: 183.1 inches (4.65 meters)

Overall width: 78.7 inches (2.00 meters)

Height: 40.6 inches (1.03 meters)

Brakes: Carbon discs and pads

Fuel-cell capacity: 10.6 gallons (40 liters)

Chassis construction: Lightweight composite

Bodywork: R.E.A.M.S.--Recycle Energy Absorbing Matrix System--the same system debuted on the Panoz Abruzzi. It is a multilayer composite system that is lighter than carbon fiber, equally strong and can be recycled.

Front tire: 4.0/23.0 R-15

Rear tire: 12.5/24.5 R-15

Weight distribution: 27.5 percent (front)/72.5 percent (rear)

Key Technical Features

-- Engine and transmission are “nonstressed members” in the chassis structural design which allows the installation of a wide variety of lightweight powertrains.

-- The car has a four-cylinder, 1,600-cc liquid intercooled turbocharged engine that will produce approximately 300 hp at 8,000 rpm and weighs 154.3 pounds (70 kg).

-- Transmission is a five-speed plus reverse longitudinal design with electrical sequential paddle-shift actuation. The differential has an efficient variable torque steer/differential speed-controlled planetary final-drive reduction layout with the entire transmission weighing only 72.6 pounds (33 kg).

-- Vehicle weight distribution is necessarily more rearward than traditionally seen, with 72.5 percent of the mass between the wide-track larger rear tires.

-- Seventy-six percent of the aerodynamic downforce acts on the rear of the car which has a lift to drag ratio of more than 5.0.

-- Rear-wheel-drive coupled with the rearward weight and aerodynamic distributions greatly enhances inline acceleration capability.

-- Unique amongst today's racing cars, more than 50 percent of the vehicle's braking force is generated behind the center of gravity, giving a dynamically stable response.

-- Locking propensity of the unladen front wheel at corner entry is greatly reduced as a result of virtually no lateral load transfer with the narrow front-track/wide rear-track layout; steered wheel “scrub drag” moment is virtually zero, greatly increasing tire utilization and reducing mid-turn understeer.

-- Advanced computer modeling of structures, impact energy management, aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics and tires has been used to develop the DeltaWing design.

-- Driver position, restraint layout and energy-absorbing structures designed to meet the latest occupant survival criteria.

by autoweek

Interesting show

Flying Lizard Porsches Get New Le Mans Livery

SLS AMG GT3 Vids

Spied: Aston Martin V12 Zagato Race Car

"Our spies have caught the first pictures of the Aston Martin V12 Zagato racing prototype, ahead of its debut at the 4-hour ADAC ACAS H&R-Cup VLN race on the Nürburgring's Nordschleife.

Based on the V12 Zagato concept, which recently debuted at the Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza, the racing variant features a ventilated hood, an aggressive rear diffuser and a massive rear wing.

Performance specifications haven't been announced, but the standard model has a 6.0-liter V12 engine that develops 510 hp (380 kW / 517 PS) and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque.

Following its debut this weekend, and a second race to qualify, the V12 Zagato will be entered into the 24-hours of Nürburgring on June 25th."

 worldcarfans.com