Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Respect The Car
Some Cars Require a Little More Attention
Article from S2Ki
Yes that’s right, the title for this post is RESPECT THE CAR. Not too long ago I was talking to the Manager of a Honda dealership at the annual Formula H Honda day in Middletown, NY. Rick the manager, owns a pristine Honda S2000 that only comes out on the nicer sunny days and stays indoors under a car cover rest of the time, but I digress. What caught my attention was the fact that Rick was talking about how the resale value of the S had dropped and in doing so was leaving him stuck between a rock and a hard place. Turns out he was increasingly being approached by parents that wanted to reward their teenager with a used S2000 and he was not happy with the idea.
I was taken aback. Why did this man have an issue with selling a car to someone that is at the right age to enjoy the car to the fullest? Come to think of it I’d have loved to own an S2000 when I was 17, I mean, who wouldn’t!. My doubts were soon cleared when he went on to tell me that one car ended up wrapped around a pole and the other came back in with a burned clutch not long after it went out the door.
Now those are not the only incidents and certainly not isolated issues. Stories abound our forum of owners (not all of them Hannah Montana’s peers) who have found out the hard way, that behind that seemingly unassuming exterior, the S2000 packs a nasty bite. Pay no heed to its feedback and it will gladly pitch you into the nearest ditch or wrap you around the nearest tree where it thinks you’d make for a fine tree-ornament.
The S2000 Talk forum has a dizzying array of such threads where owners post pictures of their wrecked (can I say past) pride & joy and lament the loss of pride and the pall of gloom brought about by overstepping their limits. This usually leads to either emphatic words of support or stern words rebuking the wisdom of the owner, all of which on an internet forum is considered fair play. Maybe taking a look at some of the destruction in the Official S2k Accident thread will help as well.
It leads me to ask the question of each of you – when you have invested so much (time, money, hard work at school etc.) into acquiring what is one of the truest and best sports cars out there, why would you throw it all away on a silly whim or to prove a point? I’m sure you would agree with me, that the sight of you driving around in your S2000 is way better than ghastly images of automotive destruction. Now factor in the loss of life and limb to you and others around you. Why? Is it because you have no respect for yourself and your achievements or you lack a respect for the laws of physics and lack a respect for your S2000? You have to ask yourself that question and figure out what your answer is.
The S2000 is akin to a finely tuned musical instrument. In the hands of a maestro it has the potential to create a musical masterpiece and will cause the audiences ears to bleed when in the hands of someone lacking the skill. That in no way means that you have to try and be the next Jenson Button in order to drive the S, but you must be aware of the laws of physics as they apply to automotive motion, the condition of your car, and a few general principles of driving.
The question now arises as to where one can acquire such knowledge. Well guys, you know all those old fogies that are either mean to you or offer you words of sympathy on the forum, you ask them. Several of these guys have owned the car for long, have participated in track events, instructed students in high performance driving or are auto cross gurus. S2ki is a resource of knowledge that is waiting to be tapped for the hungry mind that wants to be a better driver.
In addition to that, if you are hell-bent upon becoming a better driver, the next best thing for you to do would be to participate in a High Performance Driving Event or in an Auto Cross. Both these events have a novice class, where you would have an instructor riding shotgun, that will take you through the paces and help you get better and faster by understanding what you are doing right and where you are going wrong. Some of these schools also have classroom sessions for novices, where the laws of physics, importance of car setup, weight transfer, traction in the wet etc., all of which will go a long way towards enhancing your mental makeup to be a better prepared driver out on the street.
Doing drivers ed for a while, I’ve personally gained in that my aggression on the street is no longer an issue. Although I like to call myself a ricer (for driving a Honda) I refuse to challenge or get challenged by the moron that thinks he is Schumacher on the streets. I drive around the speed limit and have my fun while cornering (albeit the safe and correct way). My transitions between braking and acceleration are much smoother (than when I first started) and I ensure the car planted as I go around a corner.
Now that I’ve emphasized the importance of driver’s ed and probably have gotten some of you to open a new window to Google “Autocross for novices”, let me also state some principles that I think you should always bear in mind no matter what car you are driving:
1. Be aware of the tread depth, and rating of your tires. If you are running high performance tires, they may not be as grippy in colder early morning temperatures or when you are driving through monsoon weather.
2. Keep both hands firmly planted on the steering wheel at all time. The only exception is when you have to move your hand to upshift or downshift. Hands should be at the ‘10′ and ‘2′o clock positions at all times when you are out on the street except for situations where your speed is lower and you need to turn the wheel a tad more.
3. Be Smooth, gentle yet firm with your steering motion. Have a relaxed grip on the steering wheel and gently turn the wheel from side to side. Doing it harshly is only going to upset the balance of your cars and that mythical 50:50 weight distribution (legend has it that it can save your bacon from rampaging SUV’s, NOT TRUE).
3. Brake in a straight line, not while cornering. Get all your braking and downshifting done before you turn in to the corner. After braking your right foot is now resting (not pressing down) on the gas pedal. As you start coming out of the turn gradually get on the gas and increase speed as your car tracks out into a straight line. Remember its better to go slower into a corner and exit faster, than going too fast into a corner and never coming out of the corner.
4. Keep your eyes on the road and be situationally aware. Don’t focus on the guy in the Civic Si that’s trying to race you (that could be me, and you will lose ) or ogle at the girl in that Mazda 3 too long. The S2000 demands that you be aware of where it is you want it to go. Trust me this is one car that will instinctively follow your eyes without you having to do a thing. Now banging up against that Mazda 3 is not going to do you any favors with the girl, and a wrecked car is certainly not going to cut you any slack either.
5. If its raining, handle your S with kid gloves. This is the perfect storm. You driving a temperamental car (no VSA on the older cars) and the rain comes along. What do you do? Follow the above guidelines, take a deep breath and be as gentle as you can. More importantly click here and read this old post.
There is an oft used illustration at a lot of drivers ed events and I find myself thinking of it every time I drive and keep goading myself to be smoother all the time. They say to think that there is an egg in between your feet and the pedals. Push down too hard and you will have cracked the egg, and wrecked your S2000. The key is to be gentle and smooth with the pedals and trying to keep that imaginary egg from cracking. Will following the above make you slower, hell! yeah. You will be safer though and in time as you come to understand the car, you will get a feel for what it is trying to say, you will grow faster and what is more you will come to RESPECT THE CAR.
PS: I’m going to leave you with yet another grisly story. This is the tragic accident that befell two sixteen year olds in Bensenville, IL. With the S2000 having ceased production it is well on its way towards becoming a future classic. There is no saying if and when Honda will make another car like this. Our member Ralper, has started a project to create a registry of all S2000’s. I’m sure I speak for everyone else that’s older (not necessarily wiser) that we’d rather see all the cars and owners as statistics on the registry, than as an unknown, unheard and unnamed statistic in a local government accident database. This post is not because I’m trying to go all AAA on you guys, but to get you and your cars to stick around so we can all keep the legend of the S2000 alive.
Linke to Article
Article from S2Ki
"However because of the legacy and persona of this vehicle, it attracts a much more intelligent, car crazy, and ultimately higher echelon of drivers"
Yes that’s right, the title for this post is RESPECT THE CAR. Not too long ago I was talking to the Manager of a Honda dealership at the annual Formula H Honda day in Middletown, NY. Rick the manager, owns a pristine Honda S2000 that only comes out on the nicer sunny days and stays indoors under a car cover rest of the time, but I digress. What caught my attention was the fact that Rick was talking about how the resale value of the S had dropped and in doing so was leaving him stuck between a rock and a hard place. Turns out he was increasingly being approached by parents that wanted to reward their teenager with a used S2000 and he was not happy with the idea.
I was taken aback. Why did this man have an issue with selling a car to someone that is at the right age to enjoy the car to the fullest? Come to think of it I’d have loved to own an S2000 when I was 17, I mean, who wouldn’t!. My doubts were soon cleared when he went on to tell me that one car ended up wrapped around a pole and the other came back in with a burned clutch not long after it went out the door.
Now those are not the only incidents and certainly not isolated issues. Stories abound our forum of owners (not all of them Hannah Montana’s peers) who have found out the hard way, that behind that seemingly unassuming exterior, the S2000 packs a nasty bite. Pay no heed to its feedback and it will gladly pitch you into the nearest ditch or wrap you around the nearest tree where it thinks you’d make for a fine tree-ornament.
(Poor Rio Yellow :( )
The S2000 Talk forum has a dizzying array of such threads where owners post pictures of their wrecked (can I say past) pride & joy and lament the loss of pride and the pall of gloom brought about by overstepping their limits. This usually leads to either emphatic words of support or stern words rebuking the wisdom of the owner, all of which on an internet forum is considered fair play. Maybe taking a look at some of the destruction in the Official S2k Accident thread will help as well.
It leads me to ask the question of each of you – when you have invested so much (time, money, hard work at school etc.) into acquiring what is one of the truest and best sports cars out there, why would you throw it all away on a silly whim or to prove a point? I’m sure you would agree with me, that the sight of you driving around in your S2000 is way better than ghastly images of automotive destruction. Now factor in the loss of life and limb to you and others around you. Why? Is it because you have no respect for yourself and your achievements or you lack a respect for the laws of physics and lack a respect for your S2000? You have to ask yourself that question and figure out what your answer is.
(I feel bad for the car because she had an ignorant owner)
The S2000 is akin to a finely tuned musical instrument. In the hands of a maestro it has the potential to create a musical masterpiece and will cause the audiences ears to bleed when in the hands of someone lacking the skill. That in no way means that you have to try and be the next Jenson Button in order to drive the S, but you must be aware of the laws of physics as they apply to automotive motion, the condition of your car, and a few general principles of driving.
The question now arises as to where one can acquire such knowledge. Well guys, you know all those old fogies that are either mean to you or offer you words of sympathy on the forum, you ask them. Several of these guys have owned the car for long, have participated in track events, instructed students in high performance driving or are auto cross gurus. S2ki is a resource of knowledge that is waiting to be tapped for the hungry mind that wants to be a better driver.
In addition to that, if you are hell-bent upon becoming a better driver, the next best thing for you to do would be to participate in a High Performance Driving Event or in an Auto Cross. Both these events have a novice class, where you would have an instructor riding shotgun, that will take you through the paces and help you get better and faster by understanding what you are doing right and where you are going wrong. Some of these schools also have classroom sessions for novices, where the laws of physics, importance of car setup, weight transfer, traction in the wet etc., all of which will go a long way towards enhancing your mental makeup to be a better prepared driver out on the street.
Doing drivers ed for a while, I’ve personally gained in that my aggression on the street is no longer an issue. Although I like to call myself a ricer (for driving a Honda) I refuse to challenge or get challenged by the moron that thinks he is Schumacher on the streets. I drive around the speed limit and have my fun while cornering (albeit the safe and correct way). My transitions between braking and acceleration are much smoother (than when I first started) and I ensure the car planted as I go around a corner.
Now that I’ve emphasized the importance of driver’s ed and probably have gotten some of you to open a new window to Google “Autocross for novices”, let me also state some principles that I think you should always bear in mind no matter what car you are driving:
1. Be aware of the tread depth, and rating of your tires. If you are running high performance tires, they may not be as grippy in colder early morning temperatures or when you are driving through monsoon weather.
2. Keep both hands firmly planted on the steering wheel at all time. The only exception is when you have to move your hand to upshift or downshift. Hands should be at the ‘10′ and ‘2′o clock positions at all times when you are out on the street except for situations where your speed is lower and you need to turn the wheel a tad more.
3. Be Smooth, gentle yet firm with your steering motion. Have a relaxed grip on the steering wheel and gently turn the wheel from side to side. Doing it harshly is only going to upset the balance of your cars and that mythical 50:50 weight distribution (legend has it that it can save your bacon from rampaging SUV’s, NOT TRUE).
3. Brake in a straight line, not while cornering. Get all your braking and downshifting done before you turn in to the corner. After braking your right foot is now resting (not pressing down) on the gas pedal. As you start coming out of the turn gradually get on the gas and increase speed as your car tracks out into a straight line. Remember its better to go slower into a corner and exit faster, than going too fast into a corner and never coming out of the corner.
4. Keep your eyes on the road and be situationally aware. Don’t focus on the guy in the Civic Si that’s trying to race you (that could be me, and you will lose ) or ogle at the girl in that Mazda 3 too long. The S2000 demands that you be aware of where it is you want it to go. Trust me this is one car that will instinctively follow your eyes without you having to do a thing. Now banging up against that Mazda 3 is not going to do you any favors with the girl, and a wrecked car is certainly not going to cut you any slack either.
5. If its raining, handle your S with kid gloves. This is the perfect storm. You driving a temperamental car (no VSA on the older cars) and the rain comes along. What do you do? Follow the above guidelines, take a deep breath and be as gentle as you can. More importantly click here and read this old post.
There is an oft used illustration at a lot of drivers ed events and I find myself thinking of it every time I drive and keep goading myself to be smoother all the time. They say to think that there is an egg in between your feet and the pedals. Push down too hard and you will have cracked the egg, and wrecked your S2000. The key is to be gentle and smooth with the pedals and trying to keep that imaginary egg from cracking. Will following the above make you slower, hell! yeah. You will be safer though and in time as you come to understand the car, you will get a feel for what it is trying to say, you will grow faster and what is more you will come to RESPECT THE CAR.
PS: I’m going to leave you with yet another grisly story. This is the tragic accident that befell two sixteen year olds in Bensenville, IL. With the S2000 having ceased production it is well on its way towards becoming a future classic. There is no saying if and when Honda will make another car like this. Our member Ralper, has started a project to create a registry of all S2000’s. I’m sure I speak for everyone else that’s older (not necessarily wiser) that we’d rather see all the cars and owners as statistics on the registry, than as an unknown, unheard and unnamed statistic in a local government accident database. This post is not because I’m trying to go all AAA on you guys, but to get you and your cars to stick around so we can all keep the legend of the S2000 alive.
Linke to Article
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The value of good safety gear *from Grassroots Motorsports Magazine*
Fighting Fire
On December 5, 2009, I was buzzing around Thunderhill Raceway in the No. 19 Team MER Super Mazda MX-5 for NASA’s seventh annual 25-hour race. I was having a blast and had high hopes of defending our overall win from the previous year. World Challenge power and numerous other updates gave us one fast Mazda Miata.
At about the seven-hour mark, I was going into Turn 8 at approximately 105 mph when the biggest test of my life unfolded in mere seconds: My car exploded in a giant fireball. It was a test of every survival skill that I have learned to date, the culmination of all my learned instincts. Fortunately, I’m here to tell you about it.
Life Lessons
I come from an aviation background, and my father taught me how to fly at an early age. When I was 7 or 8, I remember my father helping me into the glider when I asked him a seemingly childish question: “Why do we need seat belts?”
His reply: “A seat belt is like a parachute; if you need it and don’t have it, you will probably never need it again.”
I don’t know where he got that statement from, but it stuck in my head as a lesson about the importance of safety gear. I believe it’s true regardless of the activity.
Hence, I am a big advocate of always wearing the right gear, which must be in perfect shape with no holes, no excessive wear, etc. I insist on a top-of-the-line three-layer suit, full-faced helmet, HANS device, gloves and full-length Nomex underwear: top, bottom, socks and balaclava. Note: In particular, nothing is worn underneath the suit that can melt or is flammable.
One of the great things about this sport is learning from all of the people I’ve met. Driving a variety of cars in different series, working with various teams, consulting for safety companies, and teaching at different schools has introduced me to valuable lifesaving knowledge. Everyone from the seasoned pro to the first-day student has taught me valuable lessons that allowed me to pass my test of survival.
The night before the race, as we were preparing the seating position and belts for the driver changes, I took a few minutes—as I always do—to familiarize myself with the fire system, belts, window net, kill switch, door handle and general layout of the car.
I learned to do this after years of listening to stories from veteran drivers who have survived some bad situations. Also, watching novices simply trying to get out of a car during a pit stop can show that this task isn’t as easy as it sounds.
In the SCCA’s World Challenge series, in fact, we have to do an exit test every year for every car that we drive. We get 15 seconds to go from race-ready and belted-in to outside the car.
I believe that I still hold the record for quickest exit at just under five seconds. That exit involved a bit of bleeding, but it prepared me for surviving what happened at Thunderhill.
From Bad to Worse
At Turn 8, the car started filling up with smoke and fumes. “Okay, no big deal,” I thought, “I’ve been through this numerous times.” I put down my visor and called the crew to tell them there was a problem with the car. I was just a few seconds away from corner station 9, where there was help.
Then, in an instant, a fireball erupted in the car. I thought to myself, “Wow, this sucks!” as I reached for the fire system’s pull handle, easily within reach on the left-side A-pillar. (Thank you, Jules.)
The flames were soon gone, the heat dissipated, and as I slowed down for the station I hit the kill switch. I was still thinking that the situation wasn’t a problem, as there was still manageable hope we could fix it and finish the race.
As I slowed down to leave the track and head for the corner station, my right hand reached for the belt release. At that same moment, BOOM, there was a big explosion.
In an instant there was intense, searing bright light, lots of heat, and amazingly dead silence. My eyes were forced closed, but I could still tell that it was incredibly bright in the car. The heat was so intense it was unbearable.
Houston, we now have a problem—a big problem.
I couldn’t see, I couldn’t breathe, and I am not embarrassed to say that at this point I was scared. For the first time ever in a race car, I knew without a doubt that I had to get out now in order to survive—right now!—or I was going to die. The heat started to hurt really, really bad—excruciatingly bad.
Learned instincts started to play out. I dropped the window net, but as I tried to get up I couldn’t, realizing I never undid the belts. I must have picked up my arm as the fire erupted from the middle of the car.
I released the belt with my right hand while I opened the door with my left. As I jumped out, I pulled myself out by grabbing the roll cage. At that moment, I had a profound thought: “Wow, that cage is hot.”
I was still in flames as I ran from the car, so I did the stop, drop and roll routine. (Thank you, Dick Van Dyke.) As I was sprayed with cool, refreshing water, I could finally start breathing again. (Thank you, safety workers.) I got a helicopter ride to the hospital, where I was treated for second-degree burns on both hands and my right arm. A few weeks of healing, and I’d be as good as new, ready for Daytona. I am one lucky duck! (Thank you, everyone involved in my care.)
Be Safe, Be Fast
I have told this story many times since that night, trying to emphasize the importance of having the proper safety equipment in good to excellent condition and having enough practice to make the procedures a learned instinct.
I cannot tell you what caused the fire. Fortunately this was a rather rare occurrence, but one that any driver should be—must be!—ready for at any time. If you look at the accompanying photographs or get a chance to see this equipment in person, you will have no doubt that the gear was essential in saving my life.
Think about what it takes to melt a helmet, yet the searing flames never penetrated my gear. My burns were all from heat transfer. If I were wearing an open-faced helmet or a simple T-shirt as some do when on track, I definitely would not have survived this ordeal.
Now, bear in mind that this was a new car with all-new components, built and prepped by a championship-winning team. I was wearing every possible piece of safety equipment, not just the required items. Everything was in nearly new condition.
I regularly practice my exits and I am tested at least once a year on my ability to get out of a car in a hurry. I have many years of professional driving experience and work with safety companies. I always familiarize myself with the car’s safety equipment before driving. (Ever forget to pull the safety pin on your fire bottle before a session?)
Remember, fire burns just as hot on a test day as it does on a race day, so wear all your gear. How fast can you get out of your car while blindfolded and holding your breath? Have you practiced fast exits? Are you ready? Please think about it. Be fast and safe, and always wear all of your safety gear.
BMW M3 GTS at the Nurburgring
All clear given for market launch of the BMW M3 GTS
Information from editor: The BMW M GmbH. The BMW M GmbH is a one hundred percent subsidiary of the BMW AG. With products and services in the four business areas BMW M Automobiles, BMW Individual, M Sport Packages and Options as well as BMW Group Driving Experience, it addresses customers with particularly high demands on the performance, exclusivity and individuality of their vehicle. The Munich-based company was founded in 1972 as the BMW Motorsport GmbH. Since then, the letter M has been internationally synonymous with success in motor sports and with the fascination of high-performance sports cars for use in everyday road traffic. Production of BMW M automobiles is integrated into the manufacturing processes of BMW plants. The BMW M GmbH possesses the status of an independently operating automobile manufacturer. In the business year 2009, the BMW M GmbH achieved worldwide sales of more than 15,000 vehicles. The BMW M GmbH currently employs around 500 people in the areas of development, administration and marketing.
Munich. The history of BMW M3 motor sport has been enriched by a further fascinating chapter as the BMW M3 GTS celebrates its debut on the racetrack and on the road. In terms of performance and safety, the most powerful version of the high-performance BMW M3 Coupe featuring a 331 kW/450 bhp engine offers the ideal preconditions for use at club sport events, whilst at the same time being officially road-legal. The BMW M3 GTS is produced at the BMW M GmbH manufacturing facility. In addition to a larger and more powerful V8 engine, exclusive tuning of the 7-speed M Dual Clutch Transmission with Drivelogic and modified suspension technology, the car, which is designed for club sport use, has also been specifically optimised with regard to aerodynamics and lightweight construction.
The supreme sporting potential of the BMW M3 GTS is underlined, inter alia, by a power-to-weight ratio that has been lowered to 3.4 kg per hp. Featuring a transmission and suspension configuration which has been optimised for the racetrack, the BMW M3 GTS accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 4.4 seconds. The car reaches the 1000 metre mark from a standstill in just 22.5 seconds. Top speed is 305 km/h.
"The BMW M3 is an icon and internationally synonymous with the highest level of dynamics," explains Dr. Kay Segler, CEO of the BMW M GmbH. "Our aim was to develop a model variant that would prove its outstanding potential both on the road and at club sport racing events. The BMW M3 GTS is pure M feeling, embodying the brand values in a highly concentrated form."
Tradition and future: The BMW M3 in motor sports.
For as long as two decades and four model generations, the BMW M3 has been the embodiment of spectacular motor sports successes. The number of victories and titles achieved in touring car sports has never been matched by any other model. With its precisely balanced overall concept, the latest BMW M3 also provides the ideal basis for outstanding performance on the racetrack. The BMW M3 GT2 is currently causing quite a stir at long-distance motor sports events. The BMW M3 is also playing a predominant role in preparing the brand's comeback at the "German Touring Car Masters". Parallel to this, BMW is currently setting new standards in the support of club motor sports. The many decades of experience in the development of racing cars and high-performance, road-going automobiles are reflected in the high performance potential of the BMW M3 GTS.
High-revving V8 engine technology at its best: Larger displacement, higher performance and higher torque.
The power required for high performance in motor sports is delivered by an
8-cylinder engine featuring a high-revving concept. With its unparalleled enormous pulling force, which is constantly available over a very wide engine speed range, the V8 engine developed exclusively for the BMW M3 by the BMW M GmbH features refined performance characteristics that are closely oriented towards the requirements of motor sports. A version of this power unit with further increased displacement, power output and maximum torque was exclusively conceived for the BMW M3 GTS.
The increase in displacement from 3,999 to 4,361 cc is achieved by a cylinder stroke that has been extended from 75,2 to 82 mm. In the enlarged combustion chamber, a maximum power output of 331 kW/450 bhp (BMW M3: 309 kW/420 bhp) is delivered at 8,300 rpm. Maximum torque has been increased by 40 Nm to 440 Nm and is available at an engine speed of 3,750 rpm.
Characteristic constructional features derived from motor sports, which include, inter alia, the crankcase designed as a bedplate construction and made of a special aluminium-silicon alloy, individual throttles, knock sensors featuring ionic-current technology and a dynamically optimised wet-sump oil supply have been adopted from the original power unit. The lightweight sports exhaust system developed for the BMW M3 GTS with model-specific primary catalytic converters and titanium rear silencers ensure optimum exhaust flow.
Transmission of power is effected by means of the M Dual Clutch Drivelogic gearbox developed for the BMW M3. This 7-speed transmission operates according to a principle also developed for motor sports and permits gear shifting without interruption of traction for extremely dynamic acceleration. Its gear shift characteristics have been exclusively tuned to the modified engine featured by the BMW M3 GTS.
High-performance suspension with adjustable racetrack set-up.
The car's suspension technology also derived from motor racing is based on the front and rear axle construction featured by the BMW M3 Coupe. Contrary to that, the BMW M3 GTS features a rigid rear-axle support as well as a coilover suspension, the dampers of which are independently variable in the traction and compression travel. Moreover, camber on the front and rear axles and vehicle height are variable for motor racing purposes. The car is lowered by 16 mm at the front and 12 mm at the rear.
The high-performance brake system featured on the BMW M3 GTS has been designed as a fixed-calliper construction and comprises six pistons on each of the front wheels and four pistons on each rear wheel. Compared to the BMW M3, the brake discs are 18 mm larger in diameter at the front and 30 mm larger in diameter at the rear. Furthermore, steel-armoured hoses are used.
Specific tuning of the stability control function DSC (Dynamic Stability Control), including ABS and the M Dynamic Mode (MDM), make allowances for the increased dynamic potential of the BMW M3 GTS. Optimum transfer not only of acceleration torque but also of the brake torque is also guaranteed by mixed tyres on matt black, 19-inch M light alloy wheels featuring a Y-spoke design.
Aerodynamics: Optimised components with variable adjustment.
In order to optimise air stream and for on-demand adaptation of downforce characteristics, the BMW M3 GTS is fitted with motor racing-oriented front apron and rear wing elements. They offer the possibility to adapt the car's aerodynamic characteristics according to the racetrack profile and other basic club motor sport requirements. The air duct elements in the front apron are also variable, as is the position of the rear wing. The tail assembly is based on the corresponding component featured by the BMW 320si in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC).
The BMW M3 GTS can be recognised from the outside by its bright orange single-coloured body. Additional model-specific features are the matt black exterior components such as the BMW kidney grille, roof trims and alloy wheels as well as the side gill elements made of dark anodised chrome. In addition to the standard CFRP roof on the BMW M3 and titanium rear silencers, an exceptionally light construction of the centre console and door panels, the use of polycarbonate side windows at the rear and a polycarbonate rear window, dispensing with seats in the rear compartment and acoustic insulation configured specifically for the vehicle all serve to guarantee weight optimisation. The unloaded weight of the BMW M3 GTS according to DIN is 1,530 kg including roll bar and M Dual Clutch Drivelogic transmission (BMW M3: 1,600 kg). Automatic climate control and audio system supplied as standard comfort features in the BMW M3 can be fitted if the customer desires.
The interior of the BMW M3 GTS reflects a predominant focus on optimum performance and the highest level of safety on the racetrack. The range of equipment includes thoroughbred racing bucket sets, carbon interior trims and an Alcantara® M steering wheel. Door and sidewall linings in the rear compartment are also made of Alcantara®. The BMW M3 GTS is equipped as standard with a roll bar fitted behind the B-pillars. Furthermore, the car body offers fastening points for six-point safety seat belts and an optional extension for the roll cage. The car is fitted with three-point automatic seatbelts for road use. Additionally supplied six-point safety seat belts for driver and front seat passenger and a fire extinguisher complete the range of equipment.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
2011 Corvette Z06 will include some amazing enhancements
Among the many changes for 2011 is an all-new set of Goodyear rubber that GM engineers say will improve the responsiveness of the Z06 at the limits. The Z06 will also receive an exhaust upgrade with x-pipe design, new exhaust tuning and a more aggressive melody.
Perhaps the biggest news of the Corvette's annual birthday bash is the arrival of the Z07 performance package. Among the ZR1-sourced features of this top package are Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, attractive 20-spoke competition gray wheels mated to world class Michelin PS2 rubber and Magnetic Selective Ride Control.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
God's Chariot: Remixed
Porsche announced their new 911 GT2 RS
Coming out in September!
The new GT2 RS is reportedly packing 620 hp and will come in nearly 200 pounds lighter than the current GT2. The 0-62 mph time is pegged at 3.2 seconds with a rumored 'Ring time of... wait for it... 7:22 – same as the Dodge Viper ACR.
Horsepower on a stock GT2: 520 HP
Weight on a stock GT2: 3,175
The "Widow Maker" will now not only kill you, but your entire family! w00t!
Coming out in September!
Horsepower on a stock GT2: 520 HP
Weight on a stock GT2: 3,175
The "Widow Maker" will now not only kill you, but your entire family! w00t!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
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