Amarok : Around the world in 100 days

Joachim Franz (4th from left) and his World Aids Awareness Expedition team 2011

HANNOVER : April 29, 2011 - In the tenth year of the World Aids Awareness Expedition (WAAE), Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles are once again supporting extreme athlete Joachim Franz in his fight against HIV, with the company supplying five Volkswagen Amarok with special fittings and equipment for the “Move the world Tour”.

This year, the adventurer’s team is travelling in a “W” shape over the globe: The expedition began last week in Vancouver, Canada, and at the moment the convoy is under way in Central America, heading for Argentina. From there the journey continues through Europe, southwards again to South Africa, then back up to Egypt and on to Russia and China, with the final leg leading to Australia. In the process, the participants are aiming to travel through 50 countries in 100 days.

Harald Schomburg, Member of the Brand Board of Management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles for Sales and Marketing, sees great advantages for both sides in the co-operation: “Apart from the social responsibility to which we have shown our commitment in the co-operation with Joachim Franz, campaigns like these are always a real “acid test” for our vehicles, with people and technology alike being taken to the limits of what is physically possible”.

While the partnership arrangement with Joachim Franz and his team is already in its tenth year, the Amarok is making its debut as the operations vehicle for the expedition. The Amarok is the ideal choice to have on the team, bearing in mind the ambitious target of covering 65,000 kilometres in 100 days under the toughest, most demanding conditions, having already proved its reliability as an escort and support vehicle on the Dakar Rally. The expedition team will be faced with a whole range of extreme situations on their journey, but, whether it be the dusty heat on the East African Highway or icebound passes in the Andes, the pickup was built to deal with these conditions, and to get to places where other vehicles simply cannot go.

Thanks to its 4MOTION all-wheel drive, offroad ABS, and the electronic stabilizing programme, the Amarok is the best possible vehicle to carry the adventurers on their way, in safety and in comfort. And, fitted with hardtop and sleeper cab, the Amarok becomes a real home from home for these bold people taking part.

[Source : VOLKSWAGEN]

New Alfa MiTo range to hit UK market in May

2011 Alfa MiTo

A significantly revised MiTo range will shortly become available through Alfa Romeo’s 52-strong UK dealer network.


The Italian sporting car manufacturer, which is enjoying a strong and sustained sales surge in 2011, has just released details of the new range – all of which are designed to make owning an Alfa easier and more attractive than ever, with lower entry prices combined with higher standard specifications, and a new congestion-busting sub-100g/km CO2 version.

The MiTo sports compact range has been streamlined from 17 versions to nine, with both Turismo and Lusso trim levels being replaced with the Sprint; entry level versions are now known as Progression, and Distinctive and Quadrifoglio Verde versions replace Veloce and Cloverleaf.

Prices have been reduced across the range, and now start at £12,250 OTR for the entry level 1.4 8v Progression, rising to £17,955 OTR for the 1.4 TB MultiAir 170bhp Quadrifoglio Verde.

In terms of enhanced specification, Distinctive (formerly Veloce) and Quadrifoglio Verde (Cloverleaf) are both enriched with additional equipment, including Cruise Control, Sports pedals and rear parking sensors.

Three new engines become available: 1.4 8v 78bhp (available in Progression and Sprint, replacing the 1.4 16v 95bhp unit) for lower emissions, superior MPG and Start&Stop as standard; 1.4 MultiAir 105bhp (available with Sprint or Distinctive trims) for superior power, torque and MPG (compared to the 1.4 16v 95bhp engine); and the new congestion charge/tax busting 1.3 JTDM-2 (Sprint only, replacing the 1.3 16v 95bhp unit) which produces a spritely 85bhp and just 95g/km of CO2, which means free travel in the congestion charge zone, together with free road tax and first registration fee. Business users can also claim 100 per cent capital allowance in the first year of ownership.

Finally, the Alfa MiTo will become available in Metal Bronze, a colour entirely new to the Alfa range, having been previewed at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. On Progression and Sprint versions, it can also be chosen with new Sprint Bronze upholstery.

[Source : NEWSPRESS]

C 63 AMG is Safety Car for 2011 DTM season

2011 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG as 2011 DTM Safety Car

AFFALTERBACH : April 28, 2011 – The new C 63 AMG is being used as the Safety Car for the 2011 DTM season. Following the DTM presentation in Wiesbaden on 10 April 2011, the new Safety Car will make its debut on 1 May 2011 at the opening race of the German Touring Car Masters season at the Hockenheimring in Baden-Württemberg. The V8 Sports Saloon only had to be modified slightly for its demanding DTM task. Responsibility for development and production of the C 63 AMG Safety Car was entrusted to the specialists in the AMG Overall Vehicle Development department and the AMG Performance Studio.

Decisions regarding the deployment of the Safety Car are taken by the Deutsche Motorsportbund (DMSB) – German motor racing's governing body – which assumes responsibility for safety implementation and compliance as well as performing official sports functions in accordance with the DTM regulations. Piloted by racing driver Jürgen Kastenholz (43), the C 63 AMG Safety Car has the job of ensuring maximum safety for the racing drivers and spectators in the event of dangerous situations such as extreme weather conditions, accidents or other incidents. When radioed by Race Control, the Safety Car positions itself at the head of the DTM field and leads the cars around the circuit until normal racing can be resumed.

The new C 63 AMG being used for the 2011 DTM season scales new heights in terms of design and technology: the AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine has an exceptionally high output of 358 kW (487 hp) and a peak torque of 600 Nm. The increase in output versus the standard 336 kW (457 hp) engine is due to the AMG Performance Package, which is optionally available for any C 63 AMG model and enables the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds (Estate 4.4 seconds). For the AMG Performance Package the engine specialists have placed their trust in a technology transfer from the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: the forged pistons, connecting rods and lightweight crankshaft have been adopted from the gull-wing model. The lower inertia of the three-kilogram lighter components allows the naturally aspirated eight-cylinder engine to rev freely and respond even more promptly. Distinguishing features of the Performance Package include the variable intake manifold painted in titanium grey and the AMG high-performance braking system with compound brake discs at the front axle.

AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission on board

New equipment includes the innovative AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission, which incorporates a wet start-up clutch and four transmission modes as well as double-declutching and RACE START functions for optimum driving dynamics. Distinguishing features of the current model include the aluminium bonnet with modified powerdomes, the new radiator grille, the new headlamps, the new AMG rear apron with a distinctive black diffuser insert and active rear-axle cooling. To optimise radiator inflow, the AMG front apron on the DTM Safety Car features enlarged openings and side air outlets, while the AMG carbon-fibre spoiler lip on the boot lid reduces lift at high track speeds. In keeping with this design, the DTM Safety Car also sports AMG carbon-fibre exterior mirrors.

Outstanding grip thanks to differential lock and 3-stage ESP^®

The adjustable coil-over suspension together with the differential lock and the 3-stage ESP^® ensures a high level of agility and outstanding grip on the race track. The C 63 AMG Safety Car is shod with multi-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels painted in matt black with a high-sheen rim flange, 235/35 R 19 front tyres and 255/30 R 19 rear tyres.
The AMG high-performance braking system has been optimised for the race track: compound brake discs with six-piston brake callipers at the front axle and steel brake discs with four-piston brake callipers at the rear axle; all of the discs are internally ventilated and perforated. Meanwhile, the AMG sports exhaust system with special rear silencers produces an unmistakable AMG V8 sound.

Distinguishing features of the DTM Safety Car compared to the standard C 63 AMG include distinctive DTM Safety Car logos, the LED light bar on the roof and the stroboscopic flashing LED lights at the front and rear. A number plate illuminated with LEDs and the words "Safety Car" on the boot lid make the car easier to see in poor weather conditions. To facilitate communication with Race Control, the Safety Car is fitted with a radio system and a TV monitor. Two AMG sports bucket seats with four-point seat belts provide ideal lateral support for the driver and co-driver, while the AMG performance steering wheel in nappa leather/Alcantara with steering-wheel shift paddles assures optimum vehicle control.

DTM Safety Car from Mercedes-AMG since 2000

Mercedes-AMG has provided the Safety Car ever since the "new" DTM's inception in 2000 and alternates with Audi from race to race. The flagship V8 C-Class model from AMG has been used in DTM since its launch in 2008. To help ensure safety on the race track in the Formula-1 World Championship, the SLS AMG is used as the Official F1^TM Safety Car, while the Official F1TM Medical Car is a C 63 AMG Estate.

Images : 2011 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG as 2011 DTM Safety Car

[Source : DAIMLER]

High-calibre driver squad for the spectacular Golf24

2011 Volkswagen Golf24

WOLFSBURG : April 28, 2011 - Big names for the comeback: When the Volkswagen Golf returns to the legendary 24-hour race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (23–26 June) well-known Volkswagen drivers like René Rast and Peter Terting will be joined on the grid by former Formula 1 racers Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell as well as DTM driver Edoardo Mortara. The spectacular Golf24 with a power output of 440 hp and four-wheel drive will make its racing debut in the “Green Hell” as early as at the Nürburgring Endurance Championship this weekend.


"We've managed to put together a very strong driver line-up for the 24-hour race,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "With Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell joining our ranks we have two former Formula 1 racers competing for us whose track records include victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Both contested the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup as Legends in 2010. So it's fitting that on the Golf GTI's 35th anniversary they compete on the Nordschleife which, like the GTI itself, is truly a legend. With our other driver line-up we're perfectly set. All of our drivers have plenty of experience on the world's toughest race track and will give everything to make a strong showing at the eagerly awaited 24-hour race.”

Two Volkswagen Scirocco GT24-CNG cars complement the Volkswagen line-up

In addition to the three Golf24, Volkswagen's factory commitment includes two Scirocco GT24-CNG cars with which the Wolfsburg-based squad celebrated a one-two-three finish in the class of vehicles with alternative power-trains. At the wheel will be Volkswagen's Management Board Member Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, who is responsible for technical development, former DTM driver Vanina Ickx plus journalists Peter Wyss (Automobil Revue) and Bernd Ostmann (auto, motor und sport). The cockpit of the second Scirocco GT24-CNG powered by eco-conscious bio natural gas will be shared by the "Dakar” winners Giniel de Villiers (winner in 2009) and Nasser Al-Attiyah (2011) and the former DTM racer Klaus Niedzwiedz.

Strong mix: young guns, seasoned campaigners and legends in the Golf24

Volkswagen will field three Golf24 cars at the 24-hour race in June. The car designated as number 35 will be driven by René Rast, Volkswagen Junior and winner of the 2010 Porsche Supercup, Nicki Thiim, the son of former DTM champion Kurt Thiim, who most recently was successful with Volkswagen at the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring, plus the former DTM and World Championship driver Peter Terting, who is a firm component of Volkswagen's 24-hour driver squad as well. "I'm looking forward to the race because due to its atmosphere and history it's an absolute highlight,” says Rast, who participates in the one-day classic in the Eifel for the second time. "After not being able to run due to conflicting commitments in the past two years, it's great to be returning this year in the Golf24. The car is incredibly good fun to drive and was very fast in the initial tests.”

Car number 135 will be driven by the Swede Fredrik Ekblom and the two Germans Thomas Mutsch and Patrick Simon, who are thoroughly familiar with the Nordschleife. "It's a great honour to be able to contest the 24-hour race in the new Golf24. The car not only looks fantastic but also handles that way,” says Ekblom, who was victorious in last year's Swedish Touring Car Championship with Volkswagen. "The race on the Nordschleife is unique. Its importance has continually increased in the past few years and the field is sensational. This will be my third run, so I know that you can't make any predictions. Anything is possible on the Nordschleife.”

The number 235 Golf24 has a prominent crew in the cockpit. It is occupied by the Formula 1 legends Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell who take turns with two young guns from Volkswagen's formula school. Edoardo Mortara won the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2010 and is driving for Audi in the DTM in 2011. After a career in Formula 3, Franck Mailleux established himself as a sports car racer, at the Le Mans 24 Hours among others. "The 24-hour race on the Nordschleife is a big thing. I'm very much looking forward to it,” says Johnny Herbert. "I clinched my last Formula 1 victory on the Grand Prix circuit of the Nürburgring in 1999, so I always like coming back to the Eifel track. The Nürburgring has a very special meaning for me.”

First tests in the Endurance Championship

The Volkswagen Golf24 will make its racing debut on Saturday (30 April) at the second round of the Nürburgring Endurance Championship (VLN). Fredrik Ekblom, Franck Mailleux and Peter Terting will be contesting the 4-hour race. Further tests with varying driver squads are also planned at the following two Endurance Championship rounds.

Images : 2011 Volkswagen Golf24

[Source : VOLKSWAGEN]

Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 : Limited edition racing car with four-litre displacement

Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

STUTTGART : April 28, 2011 - With the 911 GT3 RS 4.0, one of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart’s most popular, coveted and successful racing pedigree production cars is entering the home straight. Limited to 600 vehicles, the 911 GT3 RS 4.0 brings together in a road car all the attributes that have made the Porsche 911 GT3 a serial winner on the race track.

The new model purveys thoroughbred motorsport technology to its innermost core. The flat engine's crankshaft has been lifted unchanged from the 911 GT3 RSR racing car’s six cylinder engine and the forged pistons’ connecting rods are fashioned from titanium. The four-litre displacement sports engine, the biggest 911 model line engine ever, is also the most powerful naturally aspirated engine with 125 hp/litre (92 kW). It achieves its maximum power of 368 kW (500 hp) at 8,250 revs per minute. The engine delivers its maximum torque of 460 Newton metres at 5,750 rpm.

The 911 GT3 RS 4.0 offers truly impressive performance. The most eloquent figure: It makes it round the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in 7:27 minutes. The 911 GT3 4.0, available exclusively with a six-speed sports transmission, sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standing start in 3.9 seconds, its gearing designed for the racing circuit taking it to the 200 km/h (124 mph) mark in under 12 seconds.

The 911 GT3 RS 4.0’s outstanding driving dynamics are the fruit of meticulously coordinated details. In addition to using the suspension components typically encountered in motor racing, weight reduction is also of supreme importance. Equipped as standard with light weight components such as bucket seats, bonnet and front wings made of carbon fibre, plastic rear windows and weight-optimised carpets, the two-seater’s ready-for-road weight is a mere 1,360 kilograms with a full tank of fuel. At 2.72 kg/hp, the 911 GT3 RS 4.0’s power-to-weight ratio thereby dips below the magical threshold of 3 kilograms per hp.

The limited edition 911 is painted white as standard and emphasises its proximity to motor racing by its dynamic appearance. Trademark characteristics are the wide track, the low vehicle position, the large rear wing with adapted side plates, the typical central twin tailpipe and the aerodynamically optimised body. The lateral front air deflection vanes, so-called flics, making their first appearance on a production Porsche, testify to the aerodynamic precision engineering. They create increased downforce on the front axle and together with the steeply inclined rear wing bring the vehicle into aerodynamic equilibrium. As a result, at top speed, aerodynamic forces exert an additional 190 kg pushing the 911 GT3 RS 4.0 onto the road.

The market launch of the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 begins in Germany in July 2011. The basic list price is 178,596 euro including 19 per cent value added tax and country-specific equipment.

Images : Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

[Source : PORSCHE]

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 : Test run under race conditions on the Nürburgring

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid

STUTTGART : April 28, 2011 - The development of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 is running at full revs. This coming Saturday, the further-developed version of the innovative Hybrid race car contests round two of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship (VLN). Another test under race conditions is planned at the fourth VLN round on 28 May.

At the race debut of the modified version of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid on 30th April, Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Marco Holzer (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) share driving duties in the orange and white ‘race lab’. At the second race meeting in late May, Holzer and Long join forces with Richard Lietz (Austria) to pilot the Hybrid-911.

Priority in the further development over winter was placed on increasing efficiency. For this, the weight of the vehicle, including the hybrid components, was reduced from 1,350 to 1,300 kilograms. The weight of these components was reduced by 20 percent through targeted optimisation. The general hybrid layout was adopted from the 2010 model.

The output of both electric motors in the portal axle increased from 60 to 75 kilowatts each. For seconds at a time, pilots now have about 200 hp more at their disposal with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0, which equals ca. 23 kW (32 hp) of additional conventional power per Nordschleife lap. Depending on the programming, this electrical power is automatically activated through use of the throttle pedal. Moreover, the hybrid pilots can manually call up this extra power, for instance when overtaking.

The electric flywheel accumulator, with its rotor spinning up to 40,000 rpm and storing energy mechanically as rotational energy, is now housed with the other hybrid components in a carbon-fibre safety cell on the passenger’s side.

With the portal axle driving the front wheels, the four-litre, now 465 hp six-cylinder boxer engine, which drives the rear axle, was reduced in power and optimised with respect to fuel consumption.

“We’ve made huge strides forward with the further-developed 911 GT3 R Hybrid. But testing under race conditions gives us additional information that is not easy to collect during a simulation,” says Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “We’ll use the information gained from the VLN races to make our racing lab even more reliable and economical.”

Images : 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid

[Source : PORSCHE]