Andy Priaulx's guide to 2012's BMW M3 DTM racer
This is BMW’s M3 DTM Concept Car, a taster of the near-500bhp racer that will compete in the 2012 DTM (German Touring Car) series. Unveiled at BMW Welt in Munich, it signals BMW's return to the DTM after a two-decade absence; between 1987 and 1992, the BMW M3 won 40 races and had over 150 podium finishes in Germany's premier tin-top series.
Does this new BMW M3 DTM car bear any resemblance to a road-going M3?
Not really, although the new 2012 DTM regulations demand that all cars must use a certain number of standard parts – it’s one of the reasons BMW has re-entered the series. The M3 DTM concept features a carbonfibre-reinforced plastic monocoque (CFRP) with a steel roll cage, a six-speed sequential gearbox, and as per DTM regulations, a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V8. With air restrictors in place, the eight-cylinder engine produces around 480bhp, and BMW reckons its new M3 racer will hit 62mph in around three seconds and top 186mph.
BMW Motorsport also claims it has 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’. Massive rear wing notwithstanding, the DTM-spec M3 is 160mm longer than the road car (at 4775mm), those ridiculously blistered wheelarches up the width from 1804mm to 1950mm, and depending on the ride height set-up at each circuit, it’s a mere 1200mm tall (1424mm for the street legal car).
Don’t get too used to the style of this M3 though: the racer only rolled out onto the track for the first time two weeks ago so the team reckons the looks will change significantly between now and the start of the 2012 season.
Anything else?
Besides unveiling the car, BMW also confirmed a few more details of its DTM project. We already know that three teams will race M3s in next year’s DTM series: BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW Team RBM and BMW Team RMG. And now Brit and ex-WTCC champion Andy Priaulx, along with fellow BMW M3 GT driver Augusto Farfus, have been revealed as the first two drivers.
‘It is good to see how our DTM project is picking up speed,’ said BMW’s director of development Dr Klaus Draeger. ‘Next yea, 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.’
‘Getting a new racing programme up and running is a bit like doing a jigsaw,’ added new BMW Motorsport director Jens Marquardt. ‘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 rollout of the car was successful, and we are now starting our test programme out on the track. The pieces are fitting together perfectly, so we can definitely say: our preparations for the 2012 season are going according to plan.’
Thứ Tư, 29 tháng 2, 2012
Audi A5 DTM Concept Car (2011) first official sketches
This is Audi’s new DTM racer: as new rules and regulations are ushered in for the 2012 German Touring Car games series, Audi has chosen to replace its highly successful A4 DTM with a race car based on the new A5 coupe. And it’s been unveiled just in time to steal a little thunder from BMW as Ingolstadt’s local rival reveals its first DTM challenger in two decades.
So the Audi A4 DTM becomes the Audi A5 DTM?
That’s the story, and the proven 460bhp 4.0-litre V8 and six-speed gearbox will be carried over from the A4 DTM, while 2012 rules bring in bigger rear wings but limit the number of other aerodynamic appendages. As for the looks, Audi claims these official sketches ‘merely suggest the looks’ of its new A5 racer, especailly as the new tin-top will adopt the latest styling revisions of the A5 coupe, rather than the pre-facelift looks of the featured car.
However, it’s under the skin that the biggest changes have been made. The new rules have been designed to cut costs (the main reason that BMW has re-joined the series) but also to make the cars even safer. Which means a carbonfibre monocoque (with an integrated fuel tank) and steel roll cage, together with sidewalls made of a carbon, Zylon and Rohacell hybrid, as the new DTM racers now have to be able to withstand a static load that is four times higher than before. And rather than just the front and rear crash elements of each DTM car being individually crash-tested, the whole vehicle is now fired against a wall to make sure the entire structure is up to scratch.
The first A5 DTM prototype, dubbed R17 (this year’s Le Mans-winning prototype is R18), is currently being put together at Audi Sport in Ingolstadt, and will be unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show in September.
So the Audi A4 DTM becomes the Audi A5 DTM?
That’s the story, and the proven 460bhp 4.0-litre V8 and six-speed gearbox will be carried over from the A4 DTM, while 2012 rules bring in bigger rear wings but limit the number of other aerodynamic appendages. As for the looks, Audi claims these official sketches ‘merely suggest the looks’ of its new A5 racer, especailly as the new tin-top will adopt the latest styling revisions of the A5 coupe, rather than the pre-facelift looks of the featured car.
However, it’s under the skin that the biggest changes have been made. The new rules have been designed to cut costs (the main reason that BMW has re-joined the series) but also to make the cars even safer. Which means a carbonfibre monocoque (with an integrated fuel tank) and steel roll cage, together with sidewalls made of a carbon, Zylon and Rohacell hybrid, as the new DTM racers now have to be able to withstand a static load that is four times higher than before. And rather than just the front and rear crash elements of each DTM car being individually crash-tested, the whole vehicle is now fired against a wall to make sure the entire structure is up to scratch.
The first A5 DTM prototype, dubbed R17 (this year’s Le Mans-winning prototype is R18), is currently being put together at Audi Sport in Ingolstadt, and will be unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show in September.
Porsche 911 (2011) the first official video of the 991
Prototypes of Porsche’s new 991-spec 911 haven’t been snapped out on test by our spies this week, so just in case you’ve been having withdrawal symptoms, Stuttgart’s most famous sports car manufacturer has released its own video of its iconic car.
What does Porsche’s official video of the new 911 reveal?
Shot in South Africa during the 991’s final validation and testing phase, the video is our best look yet at the new 911 on the move. We finally get to hear the flat six engines, and get glimpses under the bonnet and inside its Panamera-inspired interior – look closely and you can spy the seven forward speeds etched onto the gearknob for the manual ‘box.
Beyond that there’s little more to see, as Porsche won’t reveal the new 911 until the 2011 Frankfurt motor show this September. That’s not to say we haven’t known all about the 991-gen 911 for years. While the 997 911s were updated versions of the 996, this new model really is all new, with a stretched wheelbase that liberates extra cabin room. The current direct injection 3.8-litre flat six from the Carrera S remains, but is upgraded to 394bhp, while the 3.6 shrinks to a 3.4 – but gains 4bhp to produce a 345bhp total.
Aluminium parts help cut the kerbweight, stop/start will be standard on both the seven-speed manual and seven-speed PDK double-clutch transmission, and (somewhat worryingly) there’s electric power steering too.
Beyond the Carrera and Carrera S models (and their Cabriolet variants) there'll also be four-wheel drive 911s with widended rear bodywork, Targas, and a Turbo with 500bhp-plus. Porsche's Motorsport division will also develop GT3 and GT2 models, but as the famed 911 GT1 engine is no more, the new GT cars will have to use a new engine block. It's a leap into the unknown at that end of the 911 family tree, but it's business as usual for the rest of the range.
What does Porsche’s official video of the new 911 reveal?
Shot in South Africa during the 991’s final validation and testing phase, the video is our best look yet at the new 911 on the move. We finally get to hear the flat six engines, and get glimpses under the bonnet and inside its Panamera-inspired interior – look closely and you can spy the seven forward speeds etched onto the gearknob for the manual ‘box.
Beyond that there’s little more to see, as Porsche won’t reveal the new 911 until the 2011 Frankfurt motor show this September. That’s not to say we haven’t known all about the 991-gen 911 for years. While the 997 911s were updated versions of the 996, this new model really is all new, with a stretched wheelbase that liberates extra cabin room. The current direct injection 3.8-litre flat six from the Carrera S remains, but is upgraded to 394bhp, while the 3.6 shrinks to a 3.4 – but gains 4bhp to produce a 345bhp total.
Aluminium parts help cut the kerbweight, stop/start will be standard on both the seven-speed manual and seven-speed PDK double-clutch transmission, and (somewhat worryingly) there’s electric power steering too.
Beyond the Carrera and Carrera S models (and their Cabriolet variants) there'll also be four-wheel drive 911s with widended rear bodywork, Targas, and a Turbo with 500bhp-plus. Porsche's Motorsport division will also develop GT3 and GT2 models, but as the famed 911 GT1 engine is no more, the new GT cars will have to use a new engine block. It's a leap into the unknown at that end of the 911 family tree, but it's business as usual for the rest of the range.
Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe Black Series (2011) news
Mercedes-Benz AMG is using the 2011 German GP to preview its fourth Black Series model: the C63 AMG Black Series, the cheapest – at a still chunky €97,000 plus local taxes – Black Series ever.
What is the Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe Black Series?
Black Series acts as a no-comprises halo model for AMG, with wilder styling, more power, less weight, stiffer suspension and no rear seats. The Black Series template also calls for a two-door, fixed roof bodyshell, even if the base car is only offered with a folding hardtop roof. Hence the C63’s predecessors are the CLK63 Black Series, SLK55 Black Series and SL65 Black Series – the latter two models having their folding hardtops replaced with a fixed roof.
The C63 Black Series retains the C63’s naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8, but power swells from the standard car’s 451bhp – or 480bhp if you spec the Performance Pack – to 510bhp. That brings it tantalisingly close to the E63, the C63’s big brother.
What else can you tell me?
It’s not only the engine that’s a match for the heavier E63: the track is 40mm wider at the front and 79mm wider at the rear, the latter thanks to the E63 donating its rear axle. The E63 also hands over its brakes, giving 360mm front and 390mm rear discs – a 30mm increase all-round. Meanwhile, E63-size rubber – 255/35 ZR19 front and 285/30 ZR19 rear – wraps around new 19-inch lightweight forged alloy wheels. Finally, the 40% limited slip differential that’s optional on regular AMG’s is standard.
All this, of course, would make the Black Series heavier than the C63, but with two lightweight front bucket seats and no back seats at all, it comes in 20kg lighter at 1635kg.
There are options too: for the first time you can re-specify that deleted rear bench, while a track package brings an optional carbon rear wing on stilts, semi-slick Michelin Cup tyres, plus active cooling for the rear differential. There’s also the possibility of a rollcage, although nothing is confirmed as yet.
Both left- and right-hand drive models will appear in showrooms from Jan 2012. AMG isn’t putting a cap on production, but the past three models accounted for just 1000 units in total worldwide, so you’re unlikely to pull up alongside another C63 Black Series at the traffic lights.
What is the Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe Black Series?
Black Series acts as a no-comprises halo model for AMG, with wilder styling, more power, less weight, stiffer suspension and no rear seats. The Black Series template also calls for a two-door, fixed roof bodyshell, even if the base car is only offered with a folding hardtop roof. Hence the C63’s predecessors are the CLK63 Black Series, SLK55 Black Series and SL65 Black Series – the latter two models having their folding hardtops replaced with a fixed roof.
The C63 Black Series retains the C63’s naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8, but power swells from the standard car’s 451bhp – or 480bhp if you spec the Performance Pack – to 510bhp. That brings it tantalisingly close to the E63, the C63’s big brother.
What else can you tell me?
It’s not only the engine that’s a match for the heavier E63: the track is 40mm wider at the front and 79mm wider at the rear, the latter thanks to the E63 donating its rear axle. The E63 also hands over its brakes, giving 360mm front and 390mm rear discs – a 30mm increase all-round. Meanwhile, E63-size rubber – 255/35 ZR19 front and 285/30 ZR19 rear – wraps around new 19-inch lightweight forged alloy wheels. Finally, the 40% limited slip differential that’s optional on regular AMG’s is standard.
All this, of course, would make the Black Series heavier than the C63, but with two lightweight front bucket seats and no back seats at all, it comes in 20kg lighter at 1635kg.
There are options too: for the first time you can re-specify that deleted rear bench, while a track package brings an optional carbon rear wing on stilts, semi-slick Michelin Cup tyres, plus active cooling for the rear differential. There’s also the possibility of a rollcage, although nothing is confirmed as yet.
Both left- and right-hand drive models will appear in showrooms from Jan 2012. AMG isn’t putting a cap on production, but the past three models accounted for just 1000 units in total worldwide, so you’re unlikely to pull up alongside another C63 Black Series at the traffic lights.
Honda CR-V (2012) first official pictures
Honda has shown a solitary picture of the new CR-V crossover. This is a concept car of the 4x4 that will be shown at the Orange County International Auto Show in Anaheim, California in September 2011.
It's clearly not far removed from what will become the fourth-generation Honda CR-V, which is due to go on sale in the US by the end of 2011 and in Europe by autumn 2012.
What can we expect of the new 2012 Honda CR-V?
More of the same, judging by this new photograph. The style can be best be described as more aggressive, with pointier, more angular lines and a very wedgy D-pillar – like a BMW Hoffmeister kink on acid.
Honda UK is saying very little about the new CR-V, and it's unclear at this stage if it has five or seven seats. We half wonder if that long rear overhang doesn't include a third row of occasional seats, like Nissan's Qashqai+2 or Land Rover Discovery.
Will the new CR-V be built in the UK?
No confirmation yet. The current CR-V, Civic and Jazz are built in Swindon, but there's no word yet on where the next-gen CR-V crossover will be built.
Insiders say it will follow the same formula as today's car: a crossover aimed at on-road dynamics and green credentials ahead of outright mud-plugging.
The current-gen CR-V was one of the first mid-sized SUVs to champion the low-CO2 message. It's a recipe that's gone on to dominate the compact crossover market.
The CR-V is sold globally in 160 countries. In the UK it has in fact dominated the 4x4 market in some months, peaking at 20,000 a year in 2007. Towards the end of its life, sales have now fallen back to some 13,000 annually.
It's clearly not far removed from what will become the fourth-generation Honda CR-V, which is due to go on sale in the US by the end of 2011 and in Europe by autumn 2012.
What can we expect of the new 2012 Honda CR-V?
More of the same, judging by this new photograph. The style can be best be described as more aggressive, with pointier, more angular lines and a very wedgy D-pillar – like a BMW Hoffmeister kink on acid.
Honda UK is saying very little about the new CR-V, and it's unclear at this stage if it has five or seven seats. We half wonder if that long rear overhang doesn't include a third row of occasional seats, like Nissan's Qashqai+2 or Land Rover Discovery.
Will the new CR-V be built in the UK?
No confirmation yet. The current CR-V, Civic and Jazz are built in Swindon, but there's no word yet on where the next-gen CR-V crossover will be built.
Insiders say it will follow the same formula as today's car: a crossover aimed at on-road dynamics and green credentials ahead of outright mud-plugging.
The current-gen CR-V was one of the first mid-sized SUVs to champion the low-CO2 message. It's a recipe that's gone on to dominate the compact crossover market.
The CR-V is sold globally in 160 countries. In the UK it has in fact dominated the 4x4 market in some months, peaking at 20,000 a year in 2007. Towards the end of its life, sales have now fallen back to some 13,000 annually.
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