The new no compromise E92 M3 GTS – born for the track, live on the road

BMW recently announced the M3 GTS pure race track car. When they cancelled the M3 CSL, we did not know that they had a GTS in mind. here it is… This is perhaps the most extreme BMW produced by munich. 4.4 litre V8 with power at 450bhp and 7 speed M dual clutch transmission. wheels are 19 inch aluminium with 255/35 and 285/30 stickies at the front and rear respectively. Some serious suspension upgrades are made. The car saves weight wherever possible: carbon fibre roof, light weight seats, no air-cond and rear seats. rollover protections are in place with fire extinguisher. the M3 GTS is only made to order at about €115,000 per unit.

more from http://bmw-motorsport.com/ and http://www.bmw.tv/

BMW Sportscar Concept Study

source site – BMW Sportscar Concept Study

Creativity of some car fans never ceases to amaze me. In the past few years, we have seen many graphic artists or design students taking a proactive step and creating their own version of automobile concepts.

BMW fans are quite known for their creativity as well and some of these concepts have been many times sponsored by BMW itself.

This BMW supercar concept designed by Iran-born designer and graduate of Industrial and Transportation Design, Emil Baddal is a wonderfully interesting interpretation of the BMW design and brand. The design is an aggressive view of the brand. perhaps a bit too aggressive. but for me, i think it captures some of the passion of what BMW is all about. share your thoughts.

more BMW and car pics at http://www.thefazz.com/me/image/tid/8

Monticello Motor Club, USA – A Country Club Paradise For Racing

source site – A Driver’s Paradise – A Country Club For Racing – AutoSpies Auto News

I read about a Country Club in New York designed for people who like to drive fast cars, fast. Some people join country clubs for golf, in the case of the Monticello Motor Club, you join to drive fast.

Built at the site of a retired airport, developers have designed a race track with over 400 feet in elevation change, a sweeping corner with a 8 degree bank, and a straightaway capable of blasts up to 200 MPH.

Sound to good to be true? Well it is and it isn’t.

this looks like an interesting place. why can’t car enthusiasts have a country club like the golfers do? perhaps i need to do a bit of research on the appropriate model and economics of doing so. i believe there is a market, but a very small one, so only one country club might be doable at the moment.

Caparo T1 – too fast too furious, damn cool

Caparo T1 - 01

This is another of the really cool racing cars for the road. I like this one. The Caparo T1 has 500hp and weighs only 500kg which gives it a phenomenal power to weight ratio. It can reach 160km/h in an amazing (race car like) 5.3secs. More info on the Caparo can be found on Wiki.

This is one exciting machine. http://www.carbodydesign.com/archive/2006/04/17-caparo-t1/

From the official Press Release:

The first Caparo T1 prototype will be unveiled at the Top Marques show in Monaco by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II.

Caparo T1 prototypeThe presentation will be witnessed by Angad Paul chief executive of Caparo plc together with Caparo Vehicle Technologies’ design director Ben Scott-Geddes and engineering director Graham Halstead, the two ex-McLaren engineers whose inspiration helped create the car.

The ultra lightweight T1, which weighs less than 500kg, is a British designed 2-seater which has been developed using aerospace and high formula racing technology. The compact V8 engine develops approximately 500 hp and the resultant 1,000 hp-per-tonne power-to-weight ratio enables the T1 to accelerate form 0 to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds and to from 0 to 100 mph in less than 10 seconds making it the world’s fastest accelerating and braking road car.

It is also fast round corners with 3g braking and cornering ability equivalent to a Le Mans Prototype. The T1’s high power-to-weight ratio delivers phenomenal performance on the track. Similarly, the same principles of lightweight design in a car one-third the weight of the average family saloon combined with a normal 15 gallon (70-litre) fuel tank means a range better than the average car of up to 500 miles (800km) on public highways.

Sabine Schmitz driving the M5 ring-taxi (view from 911 GT)

This is a most awesome video clip of Nordschleife specialist, Sabine Schmitz (yeah the gal who drove the stripped down Ford Transit in Top Gear) racing the E39 BMW M5 round the circuit. The video clip is in car from the front seat of a Porsche 911 GT. I am still practically shaking just from watching. Pure adrenaline man…

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