Dutch GT4: Sebastiaan Bleekemolen fastest in Q2

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© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat

After a first pole position for the Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in the first qualifying session it was Sebastiaan Bleekemolen who was fastest in the second qualifying session of the Tango Dutch GT4 Championship at Zandvoort. The Raceplanet Team Bleekemolen driver was the quickest of the twenty cars taking part in the session, giving the BMW M3 GT4 its first pole position.

Bleekemolen, who shares his car with Tim Buijs, was the only driver to break the 1:50 mark, setting a 1:49.773. Bertus Sanders in the KS Motorsport Ginetta G50 set a fastest lap time of 1:50.019, which meant the Ginetta was in second place again.

Junior Strous who captured pole in the first qualifying session was unable to repeat this performance and had to settle for third place on the grid for race 2, the top three in reverse order compared to Q1. Strous in the HTP Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 was 0.316 slower than Bleekemolen.

Qualifying 2 Result:

1. #19 Team Bleekemolen - Sebastiaan Bleekemolen - BMW M3 GT4 - 1:49.773
2. #22 KS Motorsport - Bertus Sanders - Ginetta G50 - 1:50.019
3. #26 HTP Racing - Junior Strous -Aston Martin Vantage GT4 - 1:50.089
4. #2 Tachyon Motorsport - Allard Kalff - Mustang FR500C - 1:50.091
5. #18 Ekris Motorsport - Duncan Huisman - BMW M3 GT4 - 1:50.273
6. #27 PS Autosport - Phil Bastiaans - Porsche 997 GT4 - 1:50.278
7. #20 Gravity Racing - Danny van Dongen - Corvette C6 - 1:50.282
8. #1 Team Bilderberg Porsche Eindhoven - Bas Schothorst - Porsche 997 GT4 - 1:50.291
9. #88 KTG Racing - Simon Knap - BMW M3 GT4 - 1:50.324
10. #7 Rhesus Racing - Pim van Riet - Aston Martin Vantage GT4 - 1:50.443
11. #3 Madeno Racing - Mikko Heino - Aston Martin Vantage GT4 - 1:50.679
12. #14 Match Racing - Quint Engel - Ginetta G50 - 1:50.918
13. #10 Racing Team Holland - Jan Lammers - Mustang FR500C - 1:50.992
14. #8 Rhesus Racing - Paul Vahstal - Aston Martin Vantage GT4 - 1:51.105
15. #16 deheeg.nl Autosport - Ferdinand Kool - BMW Z4 GT4 - 1:51.268
16. #21 KS Motorsport - Niels Bouwhuis - Ginetta G50 - 1:51.355
17. #9 Racing Team Holland - Hans Hugenholtz - Mustang FR500C - 1:52.092
18. #50 JAR Motorsport - Lev Fridman - BMW M3 GT4 - 1:53.131
19. #15 Match Racing - Mathijs Bakker - Ginetta G50 - 1:53.342
20. #63 Certainty Racing Team by Day V Tec - Harmen van Putten - Corvette C6 - 1:54.546

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Aston Martin at Full Throttle

An Aston Martin LMP1 racecar being tested in France this year.

For the past two years Audi and Peugeot have dominated the top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Audi winning both races and Peugeot finishing second. But when the green flag drops in two weeks, there will be a newcomer blasting through the French countryside: Aston Martin.

Since David Richards took over as chairman of Aston Martin two years ago, he has pushed hard to revitalize the British brand’s racing heritage, which goes back to 1923, when two cars competed in the French Grand Prix.

Richards is a motorsports veteran. Through Prodrive, the company he helped found in 1984, he has managed racing teams in Formula One, the British Touring Car Championship and the World Rally Championship. Under his stewardship, the Subaru World Rally Team won three drivers’ titles (in 1995, 2001 and 2003). And while automakers are cutting back on their motorsports involvement, Aston Martin is increasing its participation.

“How on earth did we get here?” Richards told Autosport when the new car was unveiled in January. “How could Aston Martin be so audacious as to go to Le Mans and challenge the benchmark teams with their turbo-diesel engines and the record of experience that they have had over the last years?”

Aston Martin has competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in previous years, but never in the LMP1 class, which has traditionally been dominated by Audi. The German automaker has won eight LMP1 titles in the last 10 years. The last time Aston Martin won Le Mans was in 1959, when it finished first and second, upsetting the heavily favored Ferrari team. Carroll Shelby was a driver of the winning car.

Aston Martin will be the underdog again this year. Audi is introducing a new R15 diesel racecar. Peugeot will also compete with diesel racecars. The three Aston Martins, dressed in the classic Gulf Oil livery, are gas-powered.

“It’s a leap of faith and a step into the unknown for us, it really is a David and Goliath exercise, but it is that British fighting spirit that we are going to give it a try and see what we can do,” Richards said.

And as if that weren’t enough, Richards could also have Aston Martin on the Formula One grid for the 2010 season after filing an entry for Prodrive on Friday.

Formula One’s governing body has proposed a host of changes for next season, and Richards said he was encouraged by the prospect of a new spending cap for the teams. On Friday, he said he was “confident that we now have the opportunity to be both commercially viable and competitive. As we have said all along, we don’t want to be in Formula One just to make up the numbers.”

While it is up to Formula One to approve the three teams that will take the six open slots on the grid, Prodrive should be a favorite. Whether Richards campaigns under Aston Martin has yet to be revealed. But given Aston Martin’s position in the luxury marketplace and Formula One’s position as the ultimate racing series, there’s a strong possibility.

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Aston Martin at Full Throttle

An Aston Martin LMP1 racecar being tested in France this year.

For the past two years Audi and Peugeot have dominated the top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Audi winning both races and Peugeot finishing second. But when the green flag drops in two weeks, there will be a newcomer blasting through the French countryside: Aston Martin.

Since David Richards took over as chairman of Aston Martin two years ago, he has pushed hard to revitalize the British brand’s racing heritage, which goes back to 1923, when two cars competed in the French Grand Prix.

Richards is a motorsports veteran. Through Prodrive, the company he helped found in 1984, he has managed racing teams in Formula One, the British Touring Car Championship and the World Rally Championship. Under his stewardship, the Subaru World Rally Team won three drivers’ titles (in 1995, 2001 and 2003). And while automakers are cutting back on their motorsports involvement, Aston Martin is increasing its participation.

“How on earth did we get here?” Richards told Autosport when the new car was unveiled in January. “How could Aston Martin be so audacious as to go to Le Mans and challenge the benchmark teams with their turbo-diesel engines and the record of experience that they have had over the last years?”

Aston Martin has competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in previous years, but never in the LMP1 class, which has traditionally been dominated by Audi. The German automaker has won eight LMP1 titles in the last 10 years. The last time Aston Martin won Le Mans was in 1959, when it finished first and second, upsetting the heavily favored Ferrari team. Carroll Shelby was a driver of the winning car.

Aston Martin will be the underdog again this year. Audi is introducing a new R15 diesel racecar. Peugeot will also compete with diesel racecars. The three Aston Martins, dressed in the classic Gulf Oil livery, are gas-powered.

“It’s a leap of faith and a step into the unknown for us, it really is a David and Goliath exercise, but it is that British fighting spirit that we are going to give it a try and see what we can do,” Richards said.

And as if that weren’t enough, Richards could also have Aston Martin on the Formula One grid for the 2010 season after filing an entry for Prodrive on Friday.

Formula One’s governing body has proposed a host of changes for next season, and Richards said he was encouraged by the prospect of a new spending cap for the teams. On Friday, he said he was “confident that we now have the opportunity to be both commercially viable and competitive. As we have said all along, we don’t want to be in Formula One just to make up the numbers.”

While it is up to Formula One to approve the three teams that will take the six open slots on the grid, Prodrive should be a favorite. Whether Richards campaigns under Aston Martin has yet to be revealed. But given Aston Martin’s position in the luxury marketplace and Formula One’s position as the ultimate racing series, there’s a strong possibility.

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24H Nurburgring: Kiwi Team Nurburgring race report

24H Nurburgring: Kiwi Team Nurburgring race report Racing series   ENDURANCE Date 2009-05-29

KIWIS BRING IT HOME AT THE RING

New Zealand's Kiwi Team Nurburgring maintained their perfect record of finishing the 24 Hours of Nurburgring at their fourth attempt at the race, in what was the fastest ever running of the 24 hour epic.

The risk stakes were always higher for the team in 2009, with three cars entered for '09 compared with two in 2008.

By race end, all three Kiwi cars were spread less than ten places apart, after problems for the quickest of the three cars, the Audi RS4, early on Sunday morning. Honda Civic number 193 took home second in class and 77th overall, closely followed by the number eleven Audi RS4, also second in class and 80th overall. The sister Honda Civic rounded out the third car for the team, with a result of fourth in class and 85th overall.

Pace in the Group N2 class that the Honda's compete in was raised for 2009, with the FKM team's Civic taking class honours after the Kiwi team had won the Group N2 class for the past three years.

The main difference between the FKM and Kiwi cars were the slick tyres used by the FKM team. Travelling such a long way from New Zealand sees Kiwi Team Nurburgring take a conservative approach to tyre choice, opting for the Dunlop 'DOT rated' road-race tyre. This tyre allows drivers to push on in any conditions, but doesn't deliver the extra pace of slick tyres.

With only slight drops of rain in the night, the increased performance of the slick tyres pushed the advantage away from the New Zealand team, eventually finishing just two laps behind the class winners on 119 laps.

Dean Cockerton, taking part in his first 24 Hours of Nurburgring started the 193 car, and pushed hard early on, setting some impressive lap times. For much of the 24 hours, the lead New Zealand Honda Civic shadowed the FKM car, with the German team only gradually increasing their advantage every lap.

The 193 car saw a faultless performance from drivers and crew, with only routine maintenance being carried out during the race.

The same could not be said for the new addition to the team for 2009 however. The Audi RS4 that was secured for the first time for 2009 struck problems around 6am on Sunday morning, just over half way through the race.

Tim Martin was at the wheel of the Audi for the race start, keeping the car out of trouble and moving up to be inside the top fifty by the close of the first stint. As night fell, the RS4 continued to show impressive pace, with all four drivers running lap times within a few seconds of each other.

Newcomer to the 24 hour race Andy Booth showed he adapted quickly to night time driving, along with rally driving ace Lewis Scott and Porsche regular Stu Owers. All four drivers kept a clean head through the night, while still pushing the impressive RS4 all the time.

By sunrise, the Audi had moved up to 38th overall and second in the class placings, after competitors including both Lexus LFA's encountered technical problems.

However fourteen hours into the race, and with no warning, the engine of the Audi blew in spectacular style, with a massive cloud of white smoke signalling the end of the V8 power-plant. Luckily for the team, the failure happened on the Grand Prix section of the 25km circuit, so Tim Martin, who was at the wheel of the car at the time, was able to coast back to the pit lane.

Checks later of the data-logging system in the car showed no mistakes by team or drivers resulting in the engine failure, the cause being put down to a faulty part in the engine.

In a true showing of their professionalism, the Gotz Motorsport team who were preparing the RS4 in conjunction with the Kiwi team quickly got to work to change the engine, completing the task in a record 2.5 hours. By 9am, there were cheers all around the team's pit garage, as the number eleven Audi RS4 was sent back out on track, this time with Andy Booth at the wheel.

During the time in the pits, the team was caught by two of the Lexus', to drop to fourth in class, but still in sight of these two competitors.

Booth quickly got to work once back on track, setting lap times almost as fast as his Qualifying time, lap after lap. As the laps counted down to the finish, the number eleven car worked forward on the result sheets, managing to jump ahead of the first of the two Lexus'. Then with less than an hour remaining in the race, Lewis Scott jumped the second Lexus, bringing home the RS4 in 80th place overall, with much applause from the combined Kiwi and Gotz teams.

Class winners for the SP8 class was the Aston Martin V12 Vantage team which includes Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez in the driving line-up, significantly ahead with 139 laps completed, compared with 118 laps for the RS4.

Just behind the RS4 was the second of the team's Honda Civics', car 192, coming home in 85th place overall and fourth in class. The 192 car also drove home with total mechanical integrity, the biggest holdup was a faulty radio communication system just before night-fall on Saturday evening.

Interestingly, both Honda's recorded best lap times within two seconds of each other, just over eleven minutes each lap, which was a little over one minute slower than the best time set by the Audi RS4 of 9:57.449.

Early in the morning on Sunday, not even half way through the race, spits of rain did fall for half an hour, however the Dunlop 'DOT rated' tyres on the two Honda Civics came into their own, allowing drivers to push on without holdup. Luckily the rain was isolated to small parts of the circuit, and not sufficient for the Audi to need to pit for wet weather tyres.

The 2009 24 Hours of Nurburgring was won by the Manthey Racing Porsche, the fourth time in a row this team has won the race. Until the final few hours however, there was a tight battle, with up to four cars on the lead lap, including two Audi R8 V10 'GT3 class' race cars.

The Manthey Porsche completed a total of 3933km, or 155 laps of the 25.3km circuit.

Coverage of Kiwi Team Nurburgring at the 2009 24 Hours of Nurburgring race will be shown on TV1's Powerbuilt Tools Motorsport show on 5 July 2009.

Kiwi Team Nurburgring efforts at the 2009 ADAC 24 Hours of Nurburgring is proudly supported by Big Ben Pies, Racetech, Smith & Smith, Carglass, Cosmeticart, One Health, Dunlop, Hellman, Castrol and Oracal.

Driver Line-up 2009:

Audi RS4 Car 11 - Andy Booth, Lewis Scott, Stu Owers, Tim Martin

Honda Civics' Car 192 - Ali Taylor, Brian McGovern, Dr Greg Taylor, Jeff Lowery Car 193 - Brent Greer, Dean Cockerton, Mark Corbett, Rod Hicks

Quotes

Greg Taylor, Team Owner and Driver

"I can't express enough what a fantastic job every member of our team put in over an especially long and demanding race and weekend."

"I'm more than hopeful that we can continue this project for future years, and maintain a Kiwi presence in the world's greatest 24 hour endurance race."

Brian McGovern, Team Manager and Driver

"It's always a challenge when a team grows in scale, but I have to hand it to everyone in the team for a job well done. Even when the pressure was on, everyone kept their cool, which showed with our finishing results at race end."

Andy Booth, Driver

"I'm hooked! That goes down as the most demanding but fun race I've ever driven in. My first experience of 24 hour of racing has left me wanting more."

"The Kiwi team members, plus the Gotz guys all put in an amazing effort over the weekend. Even when we had troubles, everyone did an outstanding job!"

Tim Martin, Driver

"The engine dramas obviously weren't to plan, but second in class was at least a reasonable reward considering the huge efforts so many people put in to make the team's three car project possible."

"It can't be said enough how professional the Gotz Motorsport team was. We hadn't met the team in person until the Monday afternoon before the race, but were constantly impressed with their efforts for a bunch of Kiwi's they'd never met before."

Rod Hicks, Driver

"It was great to be back behind the wheel at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring after such a long break from the race. Having driven some questionable cars in the past, it was reassuring to drive a properly prepared car again."

Mark Corbett, Driver

"At least we had an almost entirely dry race this year! I'm not a huge fan of the 'Ring when it's wet, so the dry weather made most drivers' lives much more easy."

-credit: ktn

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Confused About Car Technology? Read This

In Depth: Confused About Car Technology? Read This

Do you know the difference between a supercharger and a turbocharger? Should you care?

Yes. A little auto expertise comes in handy when you want to impress your friends--or let a power-tripping mechanic know he can't jerk you around.

Here's our list of some of the most confusing car technologies and terms. From knowing your way around semi-automatic transmissions to understanding the difference between a mild hybrid and a dedicated hybrid, these factoids are essential knowledge for anyone who owns a car.

In Depth: Confused About Car Technology? Read This

Super Savers President Obama's recent announcement about fuel efficiency and emissions standards has automakers talking about how turbochargers and diesel engines will lead the way to achieving a fleet-wide 35.5 mile-per-gallon requirement. But few people know just what makes turbochargers, or turbo-superchargers, as they're more accurately called, get the job done.

In short, turbochargers give cars extra guts. They use the engine's heat to compress ambient air and push it to the intake manifold. That additional oxygen funnels more fuel to the engine, creating a combustive boost of power.

About one in four vehicles worldwide, including BMW's X6, Jaguar's XF and Porsche's 911 Turbo, use turbo-boost technology to achieve maximum power. By 2013, experts predict it will be closer to one in three.

David Paja, vice president of marketing for passenger vehicles at Honeywell, a manufacturer of automotive turbochargers, says they can be cost-effectively applied to hybrid, diesel and gasoline engines alike.

"It's a very natural technology tool to draw out fuel consumption in a transparent way for the customer, without any performance trade-off or reliability trade-off," Paja says.

He expects market penetration of turbo engines in the U.S. to grow from today's 6% to nearly 80% by the end of the next decade.

Switching Gears Unlike the turbocharger, the proprietary names and multiple varieties of semi-automatic gearboxes can confuse even avid drivers. In general, semi-automatic gearboxes work like regular automatic transmissions, but they also have a mode that allows drivers to choose when to change gears, instead of letting the computer do it. For instance, with Porsche's patented tiptronic transmission, BMW's steptronic system or Aston Martin's touchtronic, drivers shift by bumping a knob near the stick shifter up or down, or by pushing a paddle on the steering wheel.

Porsche first introduced tiptronic technology in 1990 as an option in its 911. The technology has since become prevalent with brands like Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Honda and Nissan, although each make has registered it under a different name. This option appeals most to people who want a more engaging drive experience but don't want to be bothered with working a clutch.

Porsche also uses a similar doppelkupplung (German for double clutch), or PDK, technology. Audi's R8, BMW's M3, and Nissan's GT-R all use the system, as do several high-performance models in Europe.

The double-clutch transmission, a small, lightweight system that uses two internal clutches but no clutch pedal, was developed to win races on the track. It appeals to driving enthusiasts worldwide because of its incredible ease of speed and efficiency, says Porsche spokesman Dave Engleman.

It works by using electronic sensors to change gears, much like a standard automatic transmission. One clutch controls the odd gears, the other, the even gears. That duality means the driver can move a gear up or down without interrupting engine power, allowing seamless acceleration.

If you liked this, read: The Cars You'll Drive In 2014

The Hottest Electric Vehicles Soon To Hit The Road

Luxury Cars Of The Future

Safety Patrol Safety features pose another threat to automotive know-how, and that confusion can lead to misuse or mistrust. For instance, professional drive instructors say many drivers often fail to take full advantage of the anti-lock braking system (ABS) in their car--or they mistake its signature rumble for a brake problem.

ABS works by preventing a vehicle's wheels from locking in the case of a slip. The most basic ABS uses speed sensors and hydraulics that monitor the speed of each wheel. When it detects that one wheel is turning either faster or slower than the others (which means the wheel is slipping or over-spinning), it reduces or increases brake force as needed. ABS adjusts continuously, which is why the brake pedal will rumble or pulse when the system is engaged.

The ABS system is a proven winner. It can decrease stopping distances on loose gravel by an average of 22%, according to the National Highway Safety Administration. A sister technology, electronic stability control (ESC), reduces the risk of single-vehicle crashes by about 35% for cars and dramatically more, 67%, for SUVs, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

ESC is more advanced than ABS. It works by sensing when a car might slip and then applying constant brake pressure to individual tires. David Zuby, senior vice president for vehicle research at IIHS, says the institute finds ESC so effective that it will not award its "top safety pick" distinction to any vehicle that does not offer it.

It's a comforting thought, especially once you understand the system. Now get out there and impress your friends with what you know.

In Depth: Confused About Car Technology? Read This

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In praise of the supercar

Supercar customers have clearly decided to adopt the same bullish attitude this year. Half of Aston Martin's One-77 £1million supercars have sold before they hit the road, Rolls-Royce is expecting sales to match figures for 2008, which was a record year, Bugatti's £1.5 million Veyron convertible has 30 customers already, and so it goes on. The supercar market shows few signs of drying up, despite the recession and stiff new EU emissions laws, so just what is it that keeps customers flashing their cash? Why are we addicted to supercars?

Here's why. The gleaming red lump of metal you see above is the fastest production Bentley ever built and costs more than the average price of a terraced house. It's the new Continental GTC Speed.

Underneath the bonnet lies a 6.0-litre W12 engine that develops 600bhp and sends 553lb ft of torque through four huge driven wheels. It will thrust the 2.5-tonne leviathan from standstill to 60mph in 4.5 seconds and carry you to a maximum speed of 200mph. The car above costs £171,760: the range starts at £153,400 but this one has red stitching on black leather (£630), an iPod interface (£280), a special Naim audio system (£4,840), a boot lid that opens and closes itself (£620), a reversing camera (£4,840), an alloy fuel filler cap (£170), 20in alloy sports wheels (£790) and aluminium facia panels and centre console (£6,190).

Sounds expensive, doesn't it? Actually, it's a bargain. The supercar sits at the pinnacle of man's automotive achievements. It's the result of decades of honed craft, countless hours spent in laboratories sweating over intractable engineering problems, working out how to defy physics by shifting an inordinate amount of weight around corners at high speed, how to send 500lb ft of torque through the tyres without the car digging a hole the size of the Albert Hall and, above all, how to make people gasp, blink, laugh and cry out in excitement as a flash of metal and power thunders by.

The supercar is a huge success story for mankind. We've worked out how to make boxes of metal that are as plush as Claridges' lounge on the inside, yet accelerate two tons of metal to 60mph in under five seconds. We've discovered how to deliver peerless sound quality from car speakers, how to install tiny lights that illuminate footwells at night and how to build speed into the look of a supercar.

Specialist Bentley engineers working on the GTC Speed build each W12 engine by hand and test it by listening, because their aural skills beat any machine. It takes an average four and a half hours to trim a GTC steering wheel; the cross-stitching for an interior takes a week by hand. It takes 150 hours to build the whole car; a typical family car takes about 30 hours to manufacture on an assembly line. That £153,000 price tag isn't all sunk in profit.

Or consider Rolls-Royce. It takes 460 hours to hand-build a Phantom. Craftsmen weld the aluminium spaceframe chassis in 2,000 separate locations; every morning, the team does a 12-inch test to check the atmospheric conditions on the metals. Each car is painted five times, sanded between coats and polished by hand for five hours.

Then, of course, there are the hours and money spent on technical development, which the supercar industry drives in its quest for ever-quicker, more-efficient cars and occasional Formula One forays, the results of which filter down to other manufacturers. Why does your Audi A4 have a paddleshift gearbox option? Because Ferrari invented it. The Italian marque's quest for better aerodynamics and efficiency – from rear diffusers to super polishing the camshafts – gradually emerges in moderated form on cars from volume manufacturers looking to decrease emissions.

But the clincher, the dealmaker for these beasts, is the experience of driving one. I realise I'm in the fortunate position of being able to get behind the wheel of these cars. Most people will never touch one, which is why they see no reason for its existence. And yet, I can honestly say that it thrills me nearly as much simply to pass one on the road, or hear one approach from behind on the high street, as it does to drive one. In a sense, the former is more thrilling because once you're inside a Ferrari or Lamborghini, you can't see the shape of it on the road, how it squats and shudders with heaving, throbbing power.

But driving such a rare species is a transcendental moment that goes way beyond motoring. Time and space distort when you touch the throttle. You can't believe that forces so violent can be expelled so smoothly. In the Bentley, while a classical symphony washes over you from the speakers, and quilted, silky leather wraps itself round you, a mere blip of the throttle pedal sends you from 70mph to somewhere very illegal, very quickly, and only the fact that you are up the backside of the car in front, which was a speck on the horizon a second before, will alert you to your speed. The chassis certainly won't because the suspension has been trained not to let on that you are in a car and not on a magic carpet.

Whether jolts are soaked up in a Phantom, or transmitted to the roaring cabin of a Murcielago, however, a supercar transforms the brutality of a thousand tiny petrol explosions into opulent, magnificent transportation, that is available any time you turn the key. It's like having U2 play in your living room whenever you fancy, or the RSC at your call to perform in the garden. It's like a private jet, only better, because it is more usable.

It invokes the emotion Concorde used to, and look at that sad eagle now, its wings clipped. Heaven forbid that our supercars end up in museums, or confined to race circuits, because mankind wouldn't let them breathe on the road. In the words of Pink Floyd, whose drummer, Nick Mason, has some pretty special supercars, "Shine on, you crazy diamond."

THE FACTS

Price/availability: from £153,400. On sale now

Tested: Bentley Continental GTC Speed, 6.0-litre W12 with six-speed auto

Power/torque: 600bhp @ 6,000rpm/553lb ft @ 1,750rpm

Top speed: 200mph

Acceleration: 0-60mph in 4.5sec

Fuel economy (Urban): 11.2mpg

CO2 emissions: 396g/km

VED band: M (£450)

Alternatives: nothing until Rolls-Royce launches the new Ghost Verdict: insane power for four seater

On the stereo: Underdog (Save Me) by Turin Brakes

Telegraph rating: Five out of five

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ASTON MARTIN TO RUN THREE CARS AT LE MANS 24 HOURS

Aston Martin Racing has recruited three new drivers to run a trio of Gulf-liveried LMP1 cars at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, which marks the 50th anniversary of Aston Martin’s first victory at La Sarthe in 1959.
 
Joining the existing Aston Martin drivers, who are currently also competing in the Le Mans Series, will be Anthony Davidson (GB), Stuart Hall (GB) and Jos Verstappen (NL).
 
The three LMP1 cars will be numbered 007, 008 and 009 and the exact configuration of the crews for the race, which takes place on June 13-14, will be announced at a later date.
 
Davidson, 30, recently tested Aston Martin’s LMP1 car in Portugal, completing three one-hour stints. The Englishman is an experienced Formula One race and test driver and this year he has become well-known as a Grand Prix commentator on British radio. Davidson is a familiar face as he worked with the team in 2003, racing at Le Mans, Sebring and Petit Le Mans in the GT class.
 
“Particularly as a British driver, racing for a team as prestigious as Aston Martin is a fantastic opportunity,” said Davidson. “I know the team and its capabilities extremely well from the past, and I’m convinced that there is nobody better prepared to tackle all the challenges that Le Mans will present us with. At the test I felt comfortable with the car straight away, and now I’m looking forward to taking the fight to the other teams at Le Mans. I’m certainly aiming for us to be the quickest petrol car there and hopefully we can get in amongst the diesels as well.”

Stuart Hall, 24, is also from England and started his career in single-seaters before making the switch to sports cars two years ago. He finished in an excellent fourth overall on his Le Mans debut in 2007 and returned for a second crack at the epic race last year. He too tested the Aston Martin LMP1 car in Portugal and emerged impressed by the V12-engined prototype.
 
“This drive means everything to me,” commented Hall. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to be part of such a prestigious and successful team. When I was growing up and first became interested in motor racing Aston Martin was one of those legendary names. I always hoped that one day I might have the chance to drive for the team and it’s almost hard to believe that it’s happened now. I think all the petrol cars might struggle against the diesels at Le Mans, but if there’s ever going to be a team to challenge them, it’s Aston Martin Racing. My personal feeling is that I’m in the best seat on the grid.”
 
Having spent the best part of a decade in Formula One, Dutchman Jos Verstappen will be one of the most high-profile members of the Aston Martin Racing team at Le Mans. The 37-year-old has taken part in more than 100 Grands Prix, finishing on the podium twice, but he will only be competing at Le Mans for the second time after winning the LMP2 class on his debut at La Sarthe last season.
 
Verstappen commented: “I’m very excited to be joining Aston Martin Racing for such a legendary event as the Le Mans 24 Hours. Although I spent nine years in Formula One this will only be my second Le Mans but it is every bit as special to me. I said to myself that I would only do Le Mans if it was with a professional team at the very top level and in Aston Martin Racing I have certainly found that. I’m looking forward to testing the car soon, but the main thing for Le Mans is reliability. I’m sure that driving for Aston Martin Racing is going to be a fantastic and memorable experience.”
 
The three newcomers, along with the existing Aston Martin crews, are due to test Aston Martin’s LMP1 challenger in Italy at the end of the month, as part of the team’s ongoing development programme for the unique round-the-clock challenge of Le Mans which takes place on 13-14 June.
 
Aston Martin Racing Chairman David Richards concluded: “I’d personally like to extend the warmest possible welcome to Anthony, Stuart and Jos, who collectively form a fantastic addition to the Aston Martin family. Our nine-strong driver line-up now allows us to run three LMP1 cars at Le Mans, and I am sure that our trio of blue and orange racing cars will make an amazing spectacle at what is almost certainly the toughest and most famous race in the world. I believe that we now have an excellent blend of youth and experience amongst our three cars on this very important anniversary in our rich racing history.”
 

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Aston Martin V12 Vantage review

As most of us know, the fastest way of getting anywhere by road is by a van, painted white, powered by diesel. It will scatter all traffic ahead of it like straw to the wind, sweeping past in a blur, its driver seemingly confident that no radar system short of something very secret and very military will ever track it. While most mere mortals are still plodding homeward, its driver will be relaxed, feet up in front of the television, tugging at the ring-pull of a can of amber nectar.

But, if anything is going to stay way ahead of any known white van it is going to be the new V12 Aston Martin Vantage.

I rate it as the best of all modern Aston Martins and it could become one of the world's greatest sports cars. Hugely powerful, it makes absolutely no pretensions to having low CO2 emissions, a frugal thirst for fuel or being the bargain of the week. It is unashamedly a glorious, totally high-spirited thoroughbred – and the most accelerative road car ever produced by Aston Martin.

Its rivals, like the super-competent Audi R8 V10, the road-dominating Ferrari F430 and the quality-led Porsche 911 GT2, are each magnificent in their own right. But, the Aston has the plus of a classic powertrain layout: front engine, rear-wheel drive and almost precisely equal front/rear weight balance of 51/49.

Its sibling, the V8 Vantage with a mere 420bhp, is also a fine car and at a glance the two look similar. But the new £135,000, V12 is far, far more than just a V8 with carbon-fibre sinews and a louvred bonnet. It has been engineered to become an almost totally different machine.

Its 6.0-litre engine is shared with the DBS and produces the same power and torque: 510bhp and 420lb ft, sufficient in raw performance terms to propel it to 62mph in 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 190mph.

But, the DBS already does much the same thing, you might be thinking – and the slightly less powerful DB9 is also a 190mph car. So what's the point? The point is in the driving. The V12 Vantage is a total sports car: very sharp, very firmly suspended, with super-precise steering (controlled via an Alcantara-trimmed wheel), ceramic brakes as standard, superbly comfortable lightweight seats and the most wonderfully thunderous engine and exhaust sound you could possibly wish for.

Aston Martin boss Dr Ulrich Bez reckons a driver can appreciate what the V12 Vantage has on offer within a few metres of driving it. Such apparent hyperbole is typical of car makers, only this time it's right on the button.

Driving some sports cars is a bit of a lark. Not this one. This is not a toy for boys (or girls); it is a very serious, hugely powerful, demanding, satisfying, hard machine.

It covers the ground at a truly amazing rate, devouring distances – even on curving, swooping mountain roads – to the point where you wonder if the navigation system is hopelessly miscalculating. It isn't. You just get there very quickly.

On some hairpin bends, the mid-front engine effect becomes noticeable and there is a need to wind on a lot of lock but it's not a problem, and even adds to the great character of the car. A weight-saving programme makes the car only about 50kg heavier than the V8.

Accelerating away again – particularly if the car's "sport" button is pushed to give a very rapid throttle response and even more exhaust thunder – is all highly satisfying. On dry roads it feels utterly safe; wet would probably call for some circumspection.

Minuses are few: the gearlever is too far back and the shift quality of the six-speed manual gearbox is acceptable but not brilliant; the main instruments could be clearer; rear three-quarter visibility is limited. But, most importantly, the rear-view mirror seems to have a blind spot: I didn't see a single white van.

THE FACTS

Price/availability: £135,000. On sale now

Tested: Aston Martin V12 Vantage with six-speed manual

Power/torque: 510bhp @ 6,500rpm/420lb ft @ 5,750rpm

Top speed: 190mph

Acceleration: 0-62mph in 4.2sec

Fuel economy (Urban): 11.6mpg

CO2 emissions: 388g/km

VED band: M (£405)

Alternatives: Porsche 911 GT2, from £131,070; Audi R8 V10, from £99,580; Ferrari F430, from £135,685

Verdict: big-boned sports car that says, "Drive me!"

On the stereo: Take it to the Limit by The Eagles

Telegraph rating: Five stars out out of five

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Aston Martin to enter F1 in 2012

Aston Martin is to enter F1 from 2012 as a fully-fledged manufacturer entrant, according to a report in Autocar magazine. The company will put its name on a new F1 team to be launched by Prodrive. The new F1 team announced will run as Prodrive in 2010, before being rebranding as Aston Martin in 2012. Aston Martin’s Prodrive-run sportscar racing programmes will continue. It is expected that the Prodrive team will get much assistance from McLaren Racing and will almost certainly use Mercedes-Benz engines. The cars will be built at Prodrive's Banbury factory. The team is understood to have picked up two big sponsors in the Middle East.

Aston Martin will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1913 and it has long had an association with racing, dating back to the 1920s when Count Louis Zborowski, a wealthy British-based American racing driver, was a supporter of the firm. Zborowski was killed at Monza in 1924, driving a Mercedes, but the racing tradition continued under the patronage of Augustus Bertelli,a although the emphasis switched to sports cars. It was only after World War II that Aston Martin's sporting history really took off, following the purchase of the company and its merger with Lagonda to form Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd, under the guidance of David Brown. The company entered and won the Spa 24 Hours in 1948 and appeared at Le Mans in 1949. Throughout the 1950s Aston Martin would battle for victory in the classic French race but it was not until 1959 that the team scored an historic 1-2 finish with Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby leading home Maurice Trintignant and Paul Frere.

In 1959 Brown decided to enter Grand Prix racing again with the Ted Cutting-designed DBR4/250 being built at the Aston Martin factory in Feltham. Unfortunately, the car was an obsolete front-engined model and Salvadori and Shelby struggled to be competitive, although Salvadori's second place on the car's debut in the International Trophy was promising.

The cars were redesigned for 1960 and Salvadori was joined by Maurice Trintignant but performance did not improve and the company gave up F1 at the end of the year.

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Enthusiasts still want to drive exotic cars, even in this economy

Enthusiasts still want to drive exotic cars, even in this economy WEBWIRE – Thursday, May 28, 2009 Contact Information Tim Jones President Premier Performance Group 919 412 9202 tim.jones@ppg-nc.com

Cary, NC March 30th, 2009 - Even in times of recession, exotic car enthusiasts still devour the web and car magazines to read about the latest release from Ferrari, Lamborghini or Aston Martin. Some will be fortunate enough to own one or more of them, some will seek them out to look at them, but few get a chance to drive one. Premier Performance Group (PPG) in Cary, NC, launching in April 2009 aims to provide these enthusiasts with a chance to drive these cars without the hassle of ownership and the costs associated with these types of cars.

Tim Jones, Founder and President of PPG says �We want to provide access to a collection of cars that people want to drive. They are the cars that you read about in the magazines and are a financial challenge to own. Our goal is to remove the barriers to ownership and provide a sense of community amongst our members and customers around these cars that we all have a passion for.�

�Even the people that own one or two of these vehicles are looking for ways to reduce their expenses in this current economy, and this is a perfect way for them to be able to drive the cars of their choice without the overhead of ownership�.

PPG will provide 3 offerings to customers with access to the growing collection of cars:

Firstly, individual vehicle rentals on a select set of vehicles for those special day trips or occasions;

Secondly, a corporate program to provide companies with unique rewards for employees or customers such as a day in a Maserati or a weekend in a luxury hotel with the keys to a Ferrari;

Lastly, the full Group Membership, with access to the full fleet of vehicles and other member benefits including a number of events throughout the year to provide networking opportunities and experiences based around the cars.

PPG launches with Rentals and Corporate in April with the full Group launching later in 2009.

For additional information, contact us via email at info@ppg-nc.com or visit the website at http://www.ppg-nc.com

About PPG:
PPG is an exclusive social club for the exotic automobile enthusiast with access to a collection of the finest exotic cars on the road and a community that fuels the drive.

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Tesla Roadster comes to Seattle

 

Tesla Motors announced last week it would be opening a showroom and service facility for their electric supercar, in the South Lake Union area, at 425 Westlake Ave. The showroom is expected to open by September, and have prototypes of the new sedan and a Tesla Roadster for prospective buyers. Last fall, Tesla Motors came to Seattle on a 4 day roadshow where the cars were mobbed and the enthusiasm was high at a closed course in a Bellevue parking lot.

The Tesla Roadster is the slot car you always wanted to drive. The roadster reaches 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, meaning you have performance to match the car's sexy carbon-fiber shape. Top speed is 125 mph, if you have the will to go that fast in an open- top roadster. On the skid pad, the roadster will hang on like that slot car you had as a kid, generating .90g, that’s centrifugal force pulling you sideways at 90% of gravity.

The Lotus Elise is similar to the Tesla Roadster, both are built by Lotus in England; the Tesla Roadster "glider" (less engine) is then shipped to Tesla Motors in San Carlos, CA, for finishing. The result is a lightweight, responsive, two-seater with supercar performance from an electric motor.

All other cars have a multspeed transmission to get the power to the road; the Tesla as a single speed transmission. As Aaron Robinson writes in Car and Driver, "… the car whirs to 122mph in one long, seamless windup from zero…. There is no slack from gear lash, no hang time while a transmission computer thinks about which gear to select."

It costs between $4 and $7 to recharge the Roadster, depending on where you plug it in, and will recharge overnight with the 240-volt portable recharging cord. The electric motor is a 375-volt AC air-cooled motor, producing 248 hp, 276 foot-pounds of torque, and is redlined at 13,000 rpm. Using the EPA city/highway driving cycle, the Roadster will travel about 220 miles on a fully charged battery. Needless to say, there are zero emissions from this source.

The battery that powers the motor is a Li-ion 18650, about the size of a AA battery. 6800 of these batteries are used in the battery pack that weighs 992 lbs. The Li-ion battery is very common in laptops, mobile phones, and many consumer electronics products, so is very reliable. The expected battery life is 100,000 miles.

What do the people who've driven this roadster say about it? Motor Trend said the car would be, "profoundly humbling to just about any rumbling Ferrari or Porsche that makes the mistake of pulling up next to a silent, 105-mpg Tesla Roadster at a stoplight."

In Slate magazine, Paul Boutin wrote, "A week ago, I went for a spin in the fastest, most fun car I've ever ridden in—and that includes the Aston Martin I tried to buy once."

At a time when the America car as we know it is in trouble and thousands of dealerships are closing, Tesla Motors is opening dealerships for its $109,000 electric sports car. That’s a very high priced market, and fewer than 500 cars have been sold, but this is still just the beginning. Perhaps you won't have to drive a Prius after all.

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Breaking News: Prodrive/Aston Martin To Compete In Formula One In 2010

The Formula One Times can reveal that Prodrive have announced, in a collaboration with Aston Martin, that they will enter Formula One in 2010 before re-branding as Aston Martin in 2012. The announcement follows a deal signed with commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone last night.

The new Prodrive/Aston Martin team will have close ties with McLaren Racing, whose largest shareholder is Daimler and use Mercedes-Benz engines.

When the crossover to Aston Martin is complete in 2012, the team will be a fully fledged manufacturer. The Gaydon-based sportscar manufacturer, which had a brief foray into F1 in the late 1950s and early 1960s, will put its name to a new F1 team to be launched next year by Banbury-based preparations experts Prodrive.

The details of the crossover have yet to be finalised, but Aston Martin boss David Richards, who brokered the deal and whose Prodive business runs all of Aston Martin’s current racing activities, told Autocar Magazine: “The cars will be built at Prodrive’s Banbury HQ and have Aston Martin-badged customer engines obtained from a supplier.

“These will be genuine Aston Martin cars. You wouldn’t like to do it any other way.”

Richards, an Aston Martin enthusiast since childhood, sees no comparison between the spirited foray into F1 of Jaguar, a sometime sportscar racer, and Aston Martin’s proposed 2012 F1 campaign.

“Ferrari was in sportscar racing before they started in grand prix racing,” he said. “Look what they’ve achieved.”

Richards also revealed to Autocar that Aston Martin already has two powerful Middle East-based backers for its F1 activities. One of them is Investment Dar, which owns 90 per cent of Aston Martin, and the other is a powerful but unconnected group.

The new F1 team is made possible, Richard says, by new rules that cap F1 expenditure, though he expects these to be watered down from the £40 million limit initially proposed for next year by FIA chief Max Moseley. The level of the limit and timing of its introduction is disputed by the established F1 teams.

It would now appear that Prodrive have a place secured in Formula One, so now may be the time for the teams opposing the 2010 rules to get a move on with their 2010 applications.

Article originally posted on www.f1times.co.uk

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Gettin' Jetson: 2010 Toyota Prius

Perhaps more than any other current production car, the 2010 Prius feels like the George Jetson ride we were all promised four decades and more ago. It’s thoroughly, conspicuously modern. Okay, it has a steering wheel and pedals, and it does ride on four wheels and not an anti-gravity pack or some such, but otherwise the Prius is one of the few vehicles on the road today that can truly claim to be a 21st Century machine. In comparison, 007’s Aston has more in common with Karl Benz’s Patent Motorwagen from 1885.I liked the previous Prius (I was one of the jurors who voted the second-gen car Motor Trend’s 2004 Car of the Year). But though it was a vast improvement over the original, I couldn’t help but feel that Prius v2.0 was still a bit of a science project. It was roomy enough, drove remarkably well, and unquestionably set a high standard for vehicular engineering, yet it still felt like only 80-percent of a real automobile. Steering was springy and occasionally weird. You could feel the light weight. A good hailstorm, you’d think while driving it, and this thing will look like half a waffle iron.The new Prius, however, is all-car. The increased size over its predecessor translates into huge gains in cabin room. You’ll “wow” passengers who open the rear doors or the rear hatch. More important, though, this Prius is all grown up. It’s a giant leap ahead in solidity and quiet; if it wore a Lexus label, no one would be surprised. It just feels way heftier and more robust—which makes the increases in mileage (to 51/48 city/highway mpg) all the more remarkable.I count myself as an ardent enthusiast, and naturally I gravitate toward machines that go vroom vroom and knock your insides about and all that. But I can’t help but grin with delight at the execution of this cutting-edge ride. The near-flat-bottom steering wheel, for instance. It just feels superb in your hands, and looks racy to boot. The seats (optional leather in the test car) support beautifully. Power is up over the old car, and you can tell. The 2010 Prius moves with more ease (new is an EV mode that does its best to hold the car in full-electric up to 25 mph for a half-mile). You don’t feel like you’re missing out on “real car” stuff, either. Standard are seven air bags (including a driver’s knee bag). Also on board is a new version of the self-parking system seen on the Lexus LS, plus radar-guided pre-collision with automated braking capability.

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Formula One teams end budget cap row

Jenson Button is set to be rewarded for an outstanding start to the season by Brawn with a lucrative new contract. Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images

The row that has threatened to rip formula one asunder is expected to be settled today when the nine remaining members of the Formula One Teams' Association are expected to follow Williams' example and submit their entries for the 2010 world championship before the final deadline expires.

The teams are seeking to bring economic stability to a sport which in the past has seen its spending run out of control and if the final few loose ends can be tied up, it is expected that at 12.30 today the formal entries from Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, BMW Sauber, Brawn and Force India will be delivered by hand from FOTA's office in Geneva to the base of the sport's governing body, the FIA, which is in the same Swiss city.

None of the teams would comment on the issue but it is understood that the teams' conditions are that all should sign a new Concorde agreement, the regulatory and commercial protocol which has governed the sport for the past 25 years. The technical regulation should essentially remain the same in 2010 as they are this year, and the controversial budget cap, which the FIA wants to peg at 45m euros, should be deferred until 2011 with the spending limit set at 100m euros for 2010 as an interim measure. In the event of the number of cars on the starting grid dropping below 20 in future years, contingency plans under consideration include some teams fielding a third car, with the proviso that it would be driven by a young novice driver.

As far as new teams are concerned, despite much speculation and tub-thumping on the part of the FIA, it is clear that most of those who showed interest initially are in no position to raise 45m euros, let alone next year's proposed cap of 100m euros. As one insider commented yesterday: "When you think just how much trouble the Brawn team are having bagging a major title sponsor, even after winning five of the season's first six races, then you can see just what sort of effect the economic depression is really having."

However it emerged last night that Prodrive, the Banbury-based automotive specialist preparation group which for many years has fielded the factory Subarus in the world rally championship, will be the only new team to enter with a serious likelihood of being accepted into the formula one fold.

Founded by former rally co-driver David Richards, Prodrive has been flirting around the edges of formula one for many years and Richards has had spells as team principal of both the Benetton and BAR-Honda teams.

He has on many occasions described formula one as "unfinished business" as far as he is concerned and it would come as no surprise if Prodrive's entry was lodged today. In line with an accord thrashed out between FOTA and the FIA that the existing teams should be prepared in the longer term to help smaller organisations make an entry to the sport's most senior category, Prodrive may benefit from the use of Mercedes engines. Many of the sport's insiders believe that a Prodrive formula one team will be a trailer for a fully-fledged entry from iconic British sports car maker Aston Martin, possibly in 2012.

Meanwhile, one man who is happy to be feeling the effects of the credit crunch is Jenson Button. The world championship leader was willing to see his £8m retainer slashed in half when Honda withdrew and Ross Brawn engineered a lifeline to save the team. Now Button is poised to be offered a lucrative long-term deal which will more than make up for his financial shortfall at the beginning of the year.

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2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage

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May 28, 2009 03:08 ET2010 Aston Martin V12 VantageThe 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage is high performance car that features a powerful engine. The V12 Vantage was built based on the successful V8 Vantage Roadster. It is also the high performance car which consists of a powerful engine that ensures stunning performance and thrilling driving experience. The interiors are designed in such a way that [...] Goto site >

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Fast Cars, Man vs. Machine and So Much More

Asian Festival Of Speed Shootout report Racing series   TOURING FBMW OPENWHEEL ROADRACING Date 2009-05-27

Fast Cars, Man vs. Machine and So Much More

Today, members of the media were invited to Sepang International Circuit to witness for the first time the Asian Festival Of Speed Shootout. Aimed at introducing the Asian Festival Of Speed (AFOS) season opener which is to be held on May 31st at the Sepang International Circuit, the AFOS Shootout showcased one car from each Series taking part in the upcoming event this weekend.

Each car was flagged off the line at different times, with the fastest one starting last, giving the media a chance to capture a photo finish, with all cars crossing the line at almost the same time. The Formula V6 Asia was driven by Singaporean driver Hafiz Koh of DTM Team while at the wheel of the GT3 Asia is John Shen from Hong Kong.

The sole Malaysian driver who took part in the exercise today was Fahmi Ilyas of E-Rain Racing was at the wheel of the Formula BMW Pacific.

Added into the mix was a road car, courtesy of Proton R3 and driven by Faidzil Alang, an addition to the AFOS Shootout to show the performance difference between the race cars and what we all drive on the roads.

The other draw of the AFOS Shootout was the 'Man vs Machine' challenge where one of Malaysia's best cyclists and current National Road Champion raced against John Shen in his GT3 Asia Ferrari 430 GT3. Shen was lined on the start/finish grid at the ready, while Fauzan Ahmad Lutfi started at turn 15 to get up to full speed. As soon as Lutfi crossed the start/finish line, Shen gunned his engine and started down the straight, the duo finished a few meters down the straight crossing the line in a photo finish.

"It was an exciting outing today and we got the chance to introduce to the media the different cars that we will have over the weekend. We hope that everyone got to feel the adrenaline and the power of these cars to come and join us again this Sunday, right here at the Sepang Circuit" said David Sonenscher, CEO of Motorsport Asia after the Press Conference.

"Having these four great series and a whole range of side events is our way of making it more than just a race event. This year, we have very strong partnerships to make the Asian Festival Of Speed even more exciting. With the support of groups like Sepang International Circuit, Turn It Up from Capital FM, Kayu Nasi Kandar and of course, having the NAZA Group on board gave us the chance to create a bigger impact.

The AFOS Shootout is also a chance for the organizers, Motorsport Asia, to announce the partnership for the AFOS Sepang event with one of the biggest car companies in Malaysia, the NAZA Group. The recent collaboration will see NAZA being represented throughout the event with luxury car displays at the Paddock, general cars and motorbikes display at the grandstand, the appearance of two Porsche Cayenne Turbo's as the Safety Car and Fast Intervention Vehicle and also the use of their NAZA Ria's as the media shuttles.

"The Naza Group has long been synonymous with luxury and performance cars and bikes which our clientele have come to love us for", elaborated SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin, Naza Group Chief Executive Officer.

"We saw a great opportunity to bring value add back to our clientele in partnering with Motorsport Asia as AFOS is a great day at the track complete with VVIP treatment at the Naza Paddock lounge and a privileged chance for a close-up view of the action which features many of the cars they drive such as the Ferrari's, Porsche's and Lamborghini's, albeit raced-tuned".

This year, the AFOS event in Sepang will feature four FIA-Sanctioned race series; the GT3 Asia, Formula V6 Asia, Asian Touring Car Series and Formula BMW Pacific. The event draws drivers from around the world, from young up-and-coming Formula 1 aspirants to current stars and Asian racing legends, all in one action-filled power packed event.

Witness some of the fastest road cars in the world when Lamborghini's, Ferrari's, Porsche's and Aston Martin's go head to head in the GT3 Asia. Also see the Formula 1 stars of the future with the Formula BMW Pacific, as well as the high speed action of Formula V6 Asia and the bumper to bumper clashes in the Asian Touring Car Series.

The event is a true festival, where spectators get a chance to witness not only the non-stop race action but a whole host of festivities. This year at Sepang there will be a Supercar display by NAZA at the paddock area and a display in the Mall area of the various cars under the NAZA banner alongside many other displays.

Entrance to the Asian Festival Of Speed in Sepang is FREE of charge! Apart from the racing events, spectators will also be entertained with hard-thumping sounds coming from 10 top-class DJs from 'Turn It Up' and a bevy of cars in the ICE Competition. They are also allowed access to the paddock where they can ride-along with the fast charging Rally X Cars & Buggies or watch the thrilling AutoCross Competition, all happening from 11am to 4pm.

Following a special request by the Car Clubs last year, Kayu Nasi Kandar has agreed to set up a 'Mamak' stall for some outdoor 'TT' session at the circuit.

There is a special RM10 pass that allows access to the Paddock Rooftop, the air-conditioned dining area at the Paddock and join in the Pit-Walkabout where they can get up close to the race drivers and their cars and take photos with the AFOS Race Queens.

-credit: afso

 

Discuss this article in the Motorsport.com Forums channel: OPENWHEEL

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Le Mans: Verstappen Crashes Aston Martin Challenger; Audi Confirm ...

ASTON MARTIN has suffered a blow to its Le Mans 24 Hours preparations after Dutchman Jos Verstappen destroyed one of its cars in testing at Monza.

The former Benetton F1 driver lost control of the car at Curva Parabolica, launching off the track and into the barriers at 15 G, writing off one of Aston Martin’s three LMP1 chassis.

After emerging from the car’s wreckage unharmed, Verstappen was unable to fathom how he lost control of the Le Mans challenger, expressing his frustration at crashing during his first test with the outfit.

“I was not even pushing for a quick lap time. I was 1.4s slower than my fastest time,” he said on his website.

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Aston Martin V12 Vantage Scores Class Win At Nurburgring 24hr

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Scores Class Win At Nurburgring 24hr

IT SAYS A LOT about a company when its CEO slides behind the wheel of one of its race cars for a bit of wheel-to-wheel action. It says even more when the CEO helps pilot that car to victory in the world’s most grueling endurance race.

Dr Ulrich Bez, the dynamic leader of one of Britain’s most famous exports, Aston Martin, has done exactly that, helping steer the just-launched V12 Vantage to class victory (and 21st place overall) at last weekend’s Nurburgring 24 hour enduro.

The V12 Vantage came first in the SP8 class, ahead of KTN’s Audi RS4, Team Gazoo III’s Lexus IS-F and Team Gazoo I’s Lexus LF-A. Assisting Dr Bez and taking turns in the V12’s cockpit were British journalist Richard Meaden, racing driver Oliver Mathai and Aston Martin’s Chris Porritt.

“For V12 Vantage we have demonstrated the reliability of our new car for all to see,” Dr Bez said after the race.

“I have said before that for me this race is the ultimate endurance test so for our new car to win the class on its debut and for our customer teams to perform so well amongst such respected competition is the perfect result for Aston Martin.”

“This week as we launched the V12 Vantage to the world’s media we have proved the car’s ability on the road, and we have ended it here at the Nürburgring by proving its ability on the track.”

The race-going V12 Vantage wasn’t all that dissimilar to the production model either, making the car’s class win all the more remarkable. The engine was virtually identical to that in the road car, with the only race specific additions being a modified suspension, racing slicks, stripped interior, roll cage and fire suppression system.

The V12-powered Brit reportedly had some competition from one of the Lexus LF-A prototypes, but after it caught fire and retired from the race the Aston had top spot all to itself.

Think you can handle all of the V12 Vantage’s ‘Ring-conquering might? The super-quick Aston goes on sale locally later this year, and with a retail price of $395,000 it’s quite the supercar bargain.

Better place your order quick though. No more than 25 V12s are expected to be brought over here, and most, if not all, of them are already spoken for.

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Zipline Creative of New Tredegar has a fast first year

A NEW TREDEGAR multimedia company is experiencing rapid growth a year after being launched, with clients including luxury car maker Aston Martin.

Zipline Creative was established by former BBC employees Rhys Waters and Nathan Mackintosh and has already expanded into new premises on the New Tredegar Business Park as demand for its high-performance video production continues to grow beyond expectations.

The 24-year-old graduates, who met while studying at Newport University and were approached to work for the BBC during their final year, have already worked on video sequences for elite car manufacturers Aston Martin, the BBC, the Institute for Advanced Broadcasting and Caerphilly Borough Council.

The pair have just returned from filming in the South of France, where Aston Martin asked them to film the unveiling and performance testing of the new 24-hour performance car at the legendary Le Mans racetrack – the result of which will feature on the website and in all showrooms throughout Europe.

Mr Waters said: “The demand for our services and subsequent rapid growth this year has far surpassed all our expectations for the first 12 months.

“Looking back at our business plan for year one, we were naively optimistic but we have still surpassed our figure for anticipated income by 10%.

“We launched the business after much thought and after being made really aware that the kind of thing that we could offer was simply not available to the high technical standards now required for broadcasting and online production.

“Starting out and setting up in my father’s garage was daunting, but after only six months we needed to be somewhere bigger where we could fully utilise the range of advanced equipment that we work with.

“Now our premises are among only a small few that include on-site studios and state-of-the- art green screen equipment.”

The successful partnership now has its sights set on several new contracts that could fully exploit the capabilities of the company, but at the same time the duo are keen to pass on the lessons they have learned to local youngsters.

The company has already gone into local schools to teach aspiring youngsters about film production and producing for the internet.

Mr Mackintosh said: “We were given a superb opportunity to learn at a young age and are now grateful for that chance as our business grows. Young people obtain the information that they need in a very different way to the standard methods that older generations were used to.

“They are more aware of how the online media, social networking sites and online channels work, so if we can educate them to safely and professionally work with these, then they will have additional skills for the future.”

Acting Caerphilly Business Forum chairman Dave Bevan said: “Zipline Creative and the team behind it are an excellent example of the calibre of talent and aspiration that is evident among businesses in Caerphilly County Borough.”

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Chief Audi Designer Talks About Inspiration And The Audi Design ...

Tapping his fingernails hard on a curved strip on the dashboard of an R8 coupe, he says, "This I don't like. It's too plasticky. We'll change this and cover it with leather material."

He lays his hand on the car's textured aluminum transmission shifter knob. "This detail," he says, "I really love."

Sielaff, 47, has spent most of his career at Audi, one of the premium brands of Volkswagen AG, Germany's biggest automaker.

During a visit to Detroit to address the Ward's Auto Interiors Conference, Sielaff spoke with The Detroit News about his work and which rivals he watches.

Q . Where do you look for ideas and inspiration?

A . I believe designers should go out of the studio, travel, go to other countries.

There are traditional hot spots like Italy. We always visit the Milan furniture shows.

We even go to Singapore for the fashion shows. When we look at the art markets, the Chinese and Indians are making strong statements now.

For clear and clean product design, Scandinavia is still a place to go, where we draw a lot of inspiration. From an architectural point of view, we look to the U.S., at architects like Frank Lloyd Wright. I'm a big fan of Frank Gehry.

Q . Most car designers benchmark Audi. Whom do you benchmark?

A . We look at what the other high-end manufacturers are doing: Aston Martin, Bentley. Within the VW group, I love Bentley and Lamborghini.

Outside the VW group, I have to say Aston Martin. They are doing very emotional products, with good design quality.

Land Rover is also a brand I like. I like the authenticity and clean design language.

If you look at BMW and Mercedes, they're doing baroque cars and baroque interiors, very heavy and overdecorated. I don't want a heavy or bulky interior.

Q . What do you think of Asia's aspiring premium carmakers? Hyundai, for instance?

A . To ignore these companies would be a mistake. We shouldn't be arrogant. But if they want to do a premium brand, it'll take them a few years, if not a few decades. We will see.

Q . When you design a car, how much emphasis do you put on comfort?

A . When you have a sporty brand like Audi, you cannot do everything. We focus on sportiness, so our suspensions are a bit harder than they might be in cars that focus more on comfort. We definitely will not do couch-potato soft cars. That's for sure.

Comfort is also good ergonomics, and ergonomics is something we do very well. It's also having good screens and displays.

Q . If Porsche and Volkswagen get together, how will that affect the positioning of the Audi brand within the group?

A . If Porsche is integrated into the Volkswagen group, it will not affect our work at Audi. Today Volkswagen has strictly separated brands. Porsche will have a very clear profile, and Audi, too.

Porsche is even more of a sports car manufacturer than Audi. Audi is also sporty but it's more understated, more elegant.

Porsches are beautiful cars, fantastic cars, but they're not elegant. They're a bit rough.

I don't think there will be a problem of the brands coming too close together or overlapping.

Q . How hard is it these days to get the money you need to design good interiors with good materials?

A . I fight a lot to get what we want and what my team needs. I understand the management side. We have to earn money with our product. On the other hand, I want a nice product.

The customer is very intelligent and able to see if the company or the brand has spent a certain amount of money on the product or if it is just playing a game with the customer. Our president, (Rupert) Stadler, has a finance background but understands that if we save money on design, it hurts the company.

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See the 5th TBird made at the Uptown Car Show

Lars-Göran Lindgren, Sweden CCA

Come see the fifth 1955 T-Bird made on the first day of production, September 9, 1954. Stan Liebenberg will have the rare car at the Uptown Car Show, Saturday May 30, 2009, from 10am to 4pm, Gig Harbor, WA.

Dorothy Brinz hosts this first Gig Harbor car show to benefit the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Research foundation; she will be participating in the Seattle Breast Cancer 3-Day, and this car show will help raise funds for her walk.

Brinz expects over 200 sports and classic cars to attend; you can vote for the car you would most like to take home. First, second, and third place will receive The People Choice Awards.

Four live bands will be performing near the Galaxy Theater. The car show will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free. Sherm's BBQ Bistro will be offering breakfast and lunch and many Gig Harbor businesses have donated raffle prizes.

If you wanna have your picture taken with one of the beauties from the show -- car beauties that is -- there will be photographers who can deliver your photo before you leave. There will even be an Aston Martin and the show's own 007!

Breast cancer will touch one in eight women; Brinz has two aunts who survived, but her mother died of breast cancer in 1996. Brinz says 100 percent of the show's proceeds will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. For more information see this web site. 

Uptown Car Show

4701 Point Fosdick Drive NW

Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Saturday, May 30, 2009 - 10am to 4pm - Rain or Shine

 

 

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Le Mans 24: 24 Good Reasons To Be There!

Posted by: MSulka on Monday, May 25, 2009 - 07:36 PM Lowe's: NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Results - Reutimann, Toyota Win!David Reutimann holds off Ryan Newman in a downpour to take his first NASCAR Sprint Cup win with a victory in today's rain-shortened Coca Cola 600.Credit: CIA Stock Photo

It took two days and numerous rain delays, but David Reutimann and his No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota have finally won NASCAR Sprint Cup's COCA-COLA 600. This is Reutimann's first victory in 75 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts, and his third top-10 finish in 2009. This is also his first victory and second top-10 finish in five races at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte.

Ryan Newman was happy with his second place finish as the driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet posted his sixth top-10 finish in 17 races at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte. It is his sixth top-10 finish in 2009.

Getting a big boost in his Top 35 points, Robby Gordon and his No. 7 Jim Beam / Operation Home Front Toyota grabbed his first top-10 finish in 18 races at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte.

Carl Edwards, and Brian Vickers rounded out the top five.

Kasey Kahne finished seventh to give Dodge their best performance on the day. Joey Logano was the highest finishing rookie with a ninth place finish.

4-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon leads the point standings by 44 points over 2-time champion Tony Stewart. Read more... (29896 bytes more)

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Home » WOT » 24h Nürburgring: Aston Martin, Audi, Porsche, VW Take ...

Contest the production car lap times as you will, but Porsche remains the racing champion of the Nürburgring. The factory-backed 997 GT3-RSR of Manthey Racing secured first place overall at this weekend's ADAC 24h Rennen Nürburgring.

"It really was a 24 hour sprint race, because there were many cars at the same level," Porsche driver Timo Bernhard said, "Initially, every one of us had to push until the final lap."Of the 170 cars that started the race, the closest competition came from the four R8 LMS of Audi. The turn-key racer -- yours for €262,000 ($366,485) -- impressed throughout the weekend. Car 97 secured a class-win in SP 9 GT3 and second overall, finishing five minutes behind the winning Porsche. R8 number 99 fought the winning Porsche for near 17 hours before succumbing to mechanical issues. After the Audi team replaced the right rear suspension and driveshaft, the R8 returned to the track to secure fifth overall. "None of us really expected us to immediately clinch a podium result here," Audi driver Lucas Luhr said, "Putting a new car on the podium in its first run at a 24-hour race is an achievement you've simply got to take your hat off to."Volkswagen also had a share of the success with its army of Sciroccos. The two CNG-powered coupes took the alternate powertrain (AT) win, which is not too surprising considering they were the only cars in the class. More impressive is the 17th place overall finish by the CNG Scirocco number 115, which bested numerous Porsches and BMWs. Even stronger was the 118 Scirocco, a standard racer with a 2.0L turbo inline-four, it finished 15th overall and first in the SP 3T class. Aston Martin took a win in SP 10 GT4 with a V8 Vantage N24 racer, and first in SP 8 with a V12 Vantage that was "modified only slightly for competition," the company said. If you remember, SP 8 was Lexus' much-ballyhooed playground for its two LF-A racers. The number 14 LF-A took fourth in-class, behind a Lexus IS F, Audi RS4, and the winning Aston. The result for the second entry, number 15, reads nicht gewertet, or, as we know it, DNF. Source: ADAC 24h Rennen Nürburgring, Aston Martin, Audi, Volkswagen

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Aston Martin to Take On Audi at 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans

While every other automaker in the world seems to be pulling out of motorsports Aston Martin is getting more involved (and in a big way) announcing that it will take on none other than Audi in the LMP1 Class at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The cars will be based on the 2008 Charouz Racing System Lola and will be powered by the same production-based Aston Martin V12 engine that has rewarded the company with two consecutive GT1 titles in the GT1 Class with the DBR9.

Aston Martin will run two cars throughout the entire European Le Mans Series and have so far chosen all but one of the drivers. The pilots will be Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ), Stefan Mücke (DE), Darren Turner (GB) and Harold Primat (CH).

“Racing has been, and still is at the heart of Aston Martin,” says Aston’s CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez . “Our cars today are subtle, elegant and handcrafted but they still have the genes for competition. I am happy that we have found partners who, with their support, will enable us to compete at the highest level of endurance racing. We will put all our heart and skill behind this project to demonstrate the essence of Aston Martin: Power Beauty and Soul.”

Aston Chairman David Richards is optimistic but also realistic, commenting that, “we do not underestimate the task. While we have won the GT1 class for the last two years, competing against the proven speed and endurance of the diesel-powered cars with all their years of winning the prototype class, will be a massive undertaking. Nonetheless, I see this as a great opportunity to showcase the ingenuity of British engineering talent.”

Be sure to watch Aston Martin take on Audi at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 13/14.

Official release after the jump:

Gaydon, 27 January 2009. On the 50th anniversary of its outright win at Le Mans, Aston Martin will return to La Sarthe with two Works LMP1 cars bearing the iconic blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil.

In an ambitious attempt to emulate the legendary achievements of the 1959 DBR1 driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori, Aston Martin will endeavour to bring the Le Mans title back to Britain.

“2009 is a hugely significant year for Aston Martin at Le Mans and the challenge of reclaiming victory in this famous race for Aston Martin and Great Britain was simply too great to ignore,” said Aston Martin Chairman, David Richards. “However, we do not underestimate the task. While we have won the GT1 class for the last two years, competing against the proven speed and endurance of the diesel-powered cars with all their years of winning the prototype class, will be a massive undertaking. Nonetheless, I see this as a great opportunity to showcase the ingenuity of British engineering talent.”

Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer commented: “Racing has been, and still is at the heart of Aston Martin. Our cars today are subtle, elegant and handcrafted but they still have the genes for competition. I am happy that we have found partners who, with their support, will enable us to compete at the highest level of endurance racing. We will put all our heart and skill behind this project to demonstrate the essence of Aston Martin: Power Beauty and Soul.”

The new car which is based on the 2008 Charouz Racing System Lola will be powered by the same production-based Aston Martin V12 engine which, last year, helped Aston Martin secure its second successive Le Mans GT1 title with the DBR9. It also powered the Charouz car to a new La Sarthe lap record for a petrol car.

Aston Martin Racing is developing the car in conjunction with Lola, Michelin, Koni and BBS and continues its relationship with major partner Gulf Oil and official clothing partner Hackett.
In 2009, the ACO is introducing new regulations aimed at balancing the performance of petrol and diesel engined prototypes making the LMP1 category more appealing and relevant to Aston Martin.

Signalling ongoing commitment to motorsport, in addition to the Le Mans 24 hour race, the team will also compete throughout the year in the Le Mans Series (LMS), which opens with the 1000 km de Catalunya on the 5th of April.

Aston Martin Racing Works drivers, Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ), and Stefan Mücke (DE), who raced the Charouz car last year will renew their relationship with the team along with Darren Turner (GB) who was part of the winning DBR9 GT1 crew in 2007 and 2008. Harold Primat (CH) joins the team for the first time in 2009 with the remaining driver to be announced imminently.

To focus maximum energy on the LMP1 programme, the Works team will not defend its GT1 title at Le Mans. However, Aston Martin Racing will support any of its official partner teams and customers competing at the race.

Aston Martin Racing partner, Drayson Racing, has expressed its desire to compete at Le Mans with the new Vantage GT2. This follows confirmation of the team’s LMS entry and American Le Mans Series programme with a bio-ethanol powered Vantage GT2. Further announcements are expected in the weeks ahead as other Aston Martin Racing partner teams and customers confirm their plans for racing in the GT1, GT2, GT3 and GT4 classes of national and international racing series.

The Le Mans 24 hour race will be held over the weekend of 13-14 June.

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Aston Martin Owners Club St John Horsfall Meeting

Aston Martin Owners Club St John Horsfall MeetingSilverstone 30th May 2009

'Promising to be even more successful than last year' is how the Aston Martin Owners Club confidently describes its forthcoming race meeting at Silverstone on Saturday 30th May. Eight races are scheduled, spanning all eras of Aston Martins, including the Fifties sports car team challenge, pre-1960 sports-racers and super GTs plus, of course, the prestigious St. John Horsfall Trophy race for pre-War cars. There�s already a full grid for the team challenge, with no fewer than 40 Astons, Alfas, ACs, Jaguars, Healeys and Lancias, while the sports-racers boast DBR1s, C-type Jaguars and Ferraris, plus Jamie McIntyre�s rare Lister Corvette.

Further entertainment is planned in the form of a lunchtime track parade, featuring an impressive array of genuine Le Mans Astons in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the marque�s 1959 win. Another highlight will be the revival of the David Brown Challenge Cup � a team relay race � which guarantees some fun in the pit lane� More information is available from Martin Atack, AMOC Competitions Secretary, at comps@amoc.org. Text: Charis Whitcombe Photos: AMOC - Linzi SmartClassicInside - The Classic Driver NewsletterFree Subscription!advertisement

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Chief Audi designer talks about inspiration

During a visit to Detroit to address the Ward's Auto Interiors Conference, Sielaff spoke with The Detroit News about his work and which rivals he watches.

Q . Where do you look for ideas and inspiration?

A . I believe designers should go out of the studio, travel, go to other countries.

There are traditional hot spots like Italy. We always visit the Milan furniture shows.

We even go to Singapore for the fashion shows. When we look at the art markets, the Chinese and Indians are making strong statements now.

For clear and clean product design, Scandinavia is still a place to go, where we draw a lot of inspiration. From an architectural point of view, we look to the U.S., at architects like Frank Lloyd Wright. I'm a big fan of Frank Gehry.

Q . Most car designers benchmark Audi. Whom do you benchmark?

A . We look at what the other high-end manufacturers are doing: Aston Martin, Bentley. Within the VW group, I love Bentley and Lamborghini.

Outside the VW group, I have to say Aston Martin. They are doing very emotional products, with good design quality.

Land Rover is also a brand I like. I like the authenticity and clean design language.

If you look at BMW and Mercedes, they're doing baroque cars and baroque interiors, very heavy and overdecorated. I don't want a heavy or bulky interior.

Q . What do you think of Asia's aspiring premium carmakers? Hyundai, for instance?

A . To ignore these companies would be a mistake. We shouldn't be arrogant. But if they want to do a premium brand, it'll take them a few years, if not a few decades. We will see.

Q . When you design a car, how much emphasis do you put on comfort?

A . When you have a sporty brand like Audi, you cannot do everything. We focus on sportiness, so our suspensions are a bit harder than they might be in cars that focus more on comfort. We definitely will not do couch-potato soft cars. That's for sure.

Comfort is also good ergonomics, and ergonomics is something we do very well. It's also having good screens and displays.

Q . If Porsche and Volkswagen get together, how will that affect the positioning of the Audi brand within the group?

A . If Porsche is integrated into the Volkswagen group, it will not affect our work at Audi. Today Volkswagen has strictly separated brands. Porsche will have a very clear profile, and Audi, too.

Porsche is even more of a sport scar manufacturer than Audi. Audi is also sporty but it's more understated, more elegant.

Porsches are beautiful cars, fantastic cars, but they're not elegant. They're a bit rough.

I don't think there will be a problem of the brands coming too close together or overlapping.

Q . How hard is it these days to get the money you need to design good interiors with good materials?

A . I fight a lot to get what we want and what my team needs. I understand the management side. We have to earn money with our product. On the other hand, I want a nice product.

The customer is very intelligent and able to see if the company or the brand has spent a certain amount of money on the product or if it is just playing a game with the customer. Our president, (Rupert) Stadler, has a finance background but understands that if we save money on design, it hurts the company.

ctierney@detnews.com (313) 222-1463

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Aston Martin ready for Nürburgring Challenge

Six Aston Martins will be amongst the 180 entrants in the Nürburgring 24 hour race – one of the toughest endurance tests in motorsport – spearheaded by a factory entered version of the British marque’s new V12 Vantage.

The V12 Vantage, in near-standard specification, will be driven by Aston Martin Chief Executive, DR Ulrich Bez (DE), Chris Porritt (GB), Oliver Mathai (DE) and Richard Meaden (GB). Premiered at the Geneva Auto Salon in early March, the V12 Vantage is the ultimate incarnation of the Vantage range featuring a 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (517 PS) and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque. With just minor modifications, the standard car is able to compete in this most demanding of endurance races.

Joining Aston Martin’s latest model, driven by Wolfgang Schuhbauer (DE), Shinichi Katsura (J) and Horst von Saurma (DE), will be ‘Rose’, the yellow V8 Vantage N24 and now endurance veteran that first entered the race in 2006. Rose provided the original inspiration behind the N24/GT4 racing programme and returns to the Nordschleife having now clocked up a staggering four consecutive 24-hour race finishes including a class victory in last year’s Nürburgring 24 hour race.

Aston Martin will also be supporting a Vantage N24 entry for a customer team headed by the company’s Austrian dealer, Richard Karner.

Aston Martin Chief Executive, DR Ulrich Bez said: “For me, this race is still the ultimate endurance challenge for any car and it is right that we subject our new V12 Vantage to this extraordinary test.

“This race is also a great occasion in Europe with support from thousands of enthusiasts and I am delighted that so many customer teams are able to join us. Of course, we hope that we can all finish the race but also have some fun too.”

The first of two qualifying sessions begin this evening (Thursday) before concluding on Friday morning before the 37th ADAC Nürburgring 24 hour race begins at 4pm local time (3pm GMT) on 23 May 2009.

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Aston Martin Racing/Spyker Squadron Test Update

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© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat

We’ve got some good news and we’ve got some bad news to report from the Monza test that took place today at the Monza circuit.

Good news was of course the arrival of Peter Kox at the Aston Martin Racing team, while Spyker Squadron reported a trouble free session which gave the team a lot of confidence for Le Mans. Jeroen Bleekemolen and Jarek Janis were driving the Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R and both drivers were on the pace. All in all the test was usefull for finding the best possible setup for the 24 Hour race and the team was happy with the progress made and the weather conditions at the test (air temperature up to 36°C and track temperature heading towards 60°C).

At Aston Martin Racing things went well during the first part of the session with Jos Verstappen setting the fast lap times of all the drivers there (according to his own website).

And unfortunately that is where the bad news starts as well…

Towards the end of the afternoon things went wrong at the famous Curva Parabolica. Verstappen was still driving and lost the car under braking. The Lola Aston Martin went off the track and slammed into the barriers, causing severe damage to the car.

Verstappen himself was quoted saying: “At the Parabolica I braked at the exact same place where I braked on the lap before. We could see that on the data, there wasn’t even a meter difference. But the moment I touched the brake pedal, the rear wheels locked and the car spun. After that I went into the tyre barrier at 308kph and that was the end of it. It was a 15G impact and the car is a write-off.”

From what we have heard the team has indeed found a crack in the tub. As there is no time between today and Le Mans to build a new tub it is likely that the 2008 Charouz Lola-Aston Martin chassis will be used at Le Mans with 2009 bodywork (just like it was at the opening round of the Le Mans Series at Barcelona after Enge’s crash at Paul Ricard).

Again…to be continued.

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