Recent auto news

Feel free to visit our alternative blog for the recent news about cars.

Recent news

Feel free to visit our alternative blog for the recent news about cars.

Recent car news

Feel free to visit our alternative blog for the recent news about cars.

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Heidfeld expects to be strong at Monza

31 August 2007

BMW has shown some encouraging pace in testing at Monza this week which leads Nick Heidfeld to believe the team will be a real contender in next weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

"I think we'll put in a good performance at Monza," Heidfeld said. "It's a circuit where a good low- downforce package is important, and we're normally pretty strong in that area."

"The other thing you need is bags of engine power, and I think we'll be okay in that department as well," he added. "We were right up there at Monza in 2006. I was 'only' third in qualifying, but that was with a heavy fuel load. If we had all been carrying the same amount of fuel, I would most likely have been on pole. In the race itself, I still managed to get a point despite having to come in for a drive-through penalty."

BMW still pushing 2007 car development

29 August 2007

Despite it's 41-point lead over fourth-placed Renault in the constructors' championship, the BMW Sauber F1 team is still pushing the development of its 2007 car, according to technical director Willy Rampf.

"Quite obviously, our current car is subjected to ongoing improvement," Rampf revealed. "Despite our good championship position, we will have new developments for the forthcoming races. Monza is a low-downforce track while Spa requires medium downforce. At the same time, we also will have new components for the final rounds of the season."

"Last year's race at Monza went surprisingly well for us," he added. "Therefore, we expect to again be rather competitive, there. And Spa is similar to Montreal or Indianapolis, when it comes to the downforce. At these venues, we have been successful in the past. Furthermore, Spa is a very challenging track for the drivers and this certainly will suit us well, too."

Mission accomplished – the BMW 2002 tii classic celebrates birthday and resurrection

Bit by bit, visitors were able to observe the reconstruction of this cult car in the Glass Workshop at the BMW Museum. It has now finally reached completion. With paintwork in powerful Inka orange, the car gleams in renewed splendour for the 40th anniversary celebrations of the BMW 02 series this year. It goes on display for the first time at Techno Classica in Essen Munich. The BMW 02 models are cult cars that uniquely embody the spirit of the 1960s and '70s. The aim was to revive this exciting era by reconstructing the 2002 tii model out of individual components. Motoring nostalgics can experience the legendary “young classic” close up from 06 – 09 April at the world's biggest historic vehicle show, Techno Classica in Essen. Old into new The idea was hatched last year. The plan was to bring the BMW 2002 tii back to life using available spare parts, on the basis that Mobile Tradition – the BMW Group's heritage division – is today still able to provide some 90 per cent of all components for the BMW 02. It seemed a logical step, then, to reconstruct this ever-youthful recent classic. Master mechanic Arthur Herrmann and Klaus Kutscher, head of the BMW Mobile Tradition workshop, set to work on an original bodyshell from the 1970s. In a “Glass Workshop” specially constructed for the purpose on the site of the BMW Museum Exhibition next to the Olympic Tower, the car was gradually put together piece by piece – to the delight of thousands of visitors monitoring its progress live since May 2005. Eleven months and some 4,000 spare parts later the new BMW 2002 tii, model year 2006, goes on display at Essen's Techno Classica, the world's largest specialist fair for classic models. The crazy seventies Inka, a glowing shade of orange, is one of the typical colours favoured during the “crazy seventies”. In keeping with that era, the new BMW 2002 tii shines brightly in this flower-power hue guaranteed to get the pulses of car aficionados racing. The heartbeat of the newly revived dream car is provided by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 130 bhp, as in the original model built back in 1973. That's enough power to take the 1,030-kilogram car from standstill to 100 km/h in 9.4 seconds. Even the top speed of 190 km/h reached 30 years ago on roads dominated by the VW Beetle was a creditable figure – and still makes for a superlative driving experience today. Sipping an average 9 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, this four-wheeled gem came with a price tag of DM 14,400 attached. Oldster made up of new parts appears at Techno Classica From 6 April 2006, interested car fans have the opportunity to take a closer look at this old model made up of new parts. Once again BMW Group Mobile Tradition will be welcoming visitors in Hall 12 of the Techno Classica automotive show, where the 2002 tii will be on display – not behind glass this time. The successful project has spawned more of the same, ensuring that the Glass Workshop does not remain empty. Visitors to the BMW Museum Exhibition at the Olympic Tower will be able to observe another “new-but-old cult car” taking shape on the hydraulic platform – this time it's a BMW 528 (E12).

Text Source - BMW Press Club