| BMW Signs Augusto Farfus For The 2007 WTCC Season.
BMW has signed Augusto Farfus (BRA) as a works driver for the FIA World Touring Car Championship. The 23-year-old is going to contest the 2007 season at the wheel of a Schnitzer Motorsport BMW 320si WTCC and will team up with Jrg Mller (GER). In the past two years Farfus also raced in the World Championship and succeeded in impressing with his remarkable achievements.
"I'm delighted that the up-and-coming touring car ace Augusto Farfus will line up for us in 2007, " said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. "Since having made his debut in the 2004 European Touring Car Championship he has learned a lot and displayed a steep upward trend. In the 2006 WTCC season he was among the title contenders up to the very last round. To be able to stand up to the extremely competitive field in this hard-fought championship demonstrates his extraordinary skills.
Audi Confirms A5 Debut, Major Model Expansion by 2015
The Audi A5 Coupe, Audi TT Roadster and Audi R8 midengine sports car will be among the models to expand the range from 2007 onwards. What this means to you: Audi wants to expand into a full-line manufacturer to better compete with BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
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Audi A2 Specification
Technical Details
Model |
Audi A2 1.4 |
Audi A2 1.4 TDI |
Engine / electrics |
Engine type |
Inline 4-cyl. spark ignition engine |
Inline 3-cyl. diesel engine with exhaust gas turbocharger |
Valve gear |
Two overhead camshafts (DOHC) |
Overhead camshaft (OHC) |
Displacement in cc / bore x stroke in mm / compression ratio |
1390 / 76.5 x 75.6 / 10.7 |
1422 / 79.5 x 95.5 / 19.5 |
Max. power output in kW (bhp) / at rpm (acc. to 80/1269/EEC) |
55 (75) / 5000 |
55 (75) / 4000 |
Max. torque in Nm / at rpm (acc. to 80/1269/EEC) |
126 / 3800 |
195 / 2200 |
Engine management |
Electronic sequential multipoint injection with adaptive idle-speed control and overrun fuel cut-off |
Pump-injector direct injection with turbocharger |
Exhaust emission control |
3-way catalytic converter, heated oxygen sensor, activated charcoal filter |
Oxidating catalytic converter with exhaust gas recirculation |
Emission category acc. to 94/12/EU |
EU 4 |
EU 3 |
Alternator in A / battery in A/Ah |
90 / 280/60 |
Drive / transmission |
Drive layout |
Front wheel drive |
Gearbox type |
5-speed manual gearbox, synchromesh on all gears |
Gear ratio in 1st gear / 2nd gear |
Data not available at time of printing |
Gear ratio in 3rd gear / 4th gear |
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Gear ratio in 5th gear / reverse gear |
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Final drive ratio / final drive ratio II |
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Running gear / steering / brakes |
Front suspension |
McPherson spring-strut suspension with lower triangulated wishbones, anti-roll bar |
Rear suspension |
Torsion-crank rear axle with separate springs and shock absorbers, track-stabilising rear axle mountings |
Steering / turning circle in m (D102) |
Electro-hydraulic maintenance-free rack-and-pinion steering with track-stabilising steering roll radius / 10.3 |
Electronic control systems |
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), electronic differential lock (EDL), traction control (ASR), and electronic stability program (ESP) |
Brake system |
Front: floating caliper disc brakes, rear: drum brakes |
Wheels / tyres |
5.5 J x 15 / 175/60 R 15 |
Performance / fuel consumption |
Maximum speed in km/h |
173 |
173 |
Acceleration, 0-100 km/h in s |
12.0 |
12.1 |
Fuel grade |
Super Plus unleaded, at least 95 RON |
Diesel, at least 49 CN |
Overall fuel consumption (acc. to MVEG II) in l/100 km |
6.1 |
4.2 |
Servicing / warranty (Germany) |
Oil change every ... km / inspection every ... km |
Up to 30,000 / 2 years, acc. to service indicator |
Vehicle/paint/rust penetration warranty |
1 year unlimited distance / 3 years / 12 years |
Insurance classification in Germany |
19 (fully comprehensive) / 32 (part-comprehensive) / 19 (third party) |
Weights / loads |
Unladen weight in kg (excl. driver) |
895 |
960 |
Gross weight limit in kg (5-seat version) |
1365 |
1430 |
Payload in kg (5-seat version) |
470 |
Capacities |
Fuel tank capacity in l, approx. |
34 |
Body / dimensions |
Body type |
Aluminium body with Audi Space Frame (ASF) |
Number of seats |
4 (5) |
Drag coefficient cD |
0.28 |
Length (L103) / width excl. mirrors (W103) / height (H100), mm |
3826 / 1673 / 1553 |
Wheelbase (L101) / track at front / rear (W101/W102) in mm |
2405 / 1462 / 1427 |
Luggage capacity in l, acc. to VDA block method (V210/V214) |
390 / 1085 |
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Refreshed X3 holds the sport-ute high ground
WHEN it comes to sport-utes, my dad is what could be called "old school," and that's no dig at his 80 years on this planet. It's just that he started driving SUVs when there was no sport to them, only utility -- discovering the superior traction of Jeeps during his stint in the Canadian army during the Second World War. And, for the next 40 years, numerous Jeeps of various size and description graced his driveway.
So, when he opined that the optional sport suspension on the BMW X3 was "silly," I wasn't surprised. To Dad, sport-utes (or, in BMW's case, sport activity vehicles) are rough and tough. They don't have handling characteristics similar to those of a first-class sports sedan.
Despite my dad's disdain, some SUVs and car-based crossovers are taking on similar performance characteristics to their automotive brethren.
Collectibles: Chevy's wild 1959 Impala reborn
I remember it was late one night in November 1957 when my dad and I drove past Milner Chevrolet in St. Louis. There it was, a turquoise wonder parked under a lone spotlight in the showroom. I remember thinking that all the scoops, the chrome-laden grille, the spinner hubcaps and that weird whatever it was on the back of the roof made it look like some unearthly vehicle had just plopped itself right on the turntable at Milner. But if I thought the 1958 Impala was wild, Chevy really pulled out the stops in 1959. I remember many articles and jokes about the "gull wing" deck enabling the car to actually fly. And while the 1958 seemed bulbous, the 1959 was sleek, airy looking, and clearly something from the future. All those memories came home to me when I unwrapped West Coast Precision Diecast's 1959 Chevrolet Impala hardtop, all done up in Aspen Green and Classic Cream, which was the most popular color scheme on this particular car.
1969 Dodge Dart GTS - Blackened
Dodge Dart Black is sometimes thought of as the worst color for an old car, not because the color doesn't look good (which is anything but the truth, as black musclecars look more intimidating than a 6'4", 300-pound, tattooed bouncer with a shaved head), but because it's a bear to deal with. Black shows every imperfection in the body, every ripple, wave, and blemish left during preparation. It shows every sandpaper scratch mark, every swirl, and every heavy pass made with the paint gun. Black needs to be clear-coated several times to keep that rich, mile-deep look. It doesn't hide dust and dirt, and is the toughest judged color at car shows. But since black is one of the best-looking colors applicable to a classic Mopar, it's worth all the effort. George Cayea of West Palm Beach, Florida, has a beautiful black Dart GTS and all the labor, effort, and time dedicated to making it perfect before the inky hue was applied truly shows.
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