Showing posts with label LeMans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LeMans. Show all posts
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Monday, November 29, 2010
Intercontinental LeMans Series Schedule
BRASELTON, GA (Monday, November 29, 2010) -- The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) today confirmed that the two premier races on the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón 2011 schedule would be featured as part of the prestigious Intercontinental Le Mans Cup championship next season.
The Series’ season-opener -- the 59th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida (March 19) -- will be the first race of the 2011 ILMC championship and Petit Le Mans (October 1) will be the sixth race of the seven event global championship format.
“Having our two showcase events – the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans – as key components to the prestigious Intercontinental Le Mans Cup will raise these two great races even further in stature on the global stage,” said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. “We look forward to the many corporate partner opportunities and renowned race teams that these events will attract as we play a vital role in establishing the ILMC as one of the premier motorsport competitions in the world.”
The 2011 six-race 2011 ILMC calendar includes:
1. Sebring 12 Hours (Florida USA) March 19
2. Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours (BEL) May 8
3. Le Mans 24 Hours (FRA) June 11-12
4. Imola 6 Hours (ITA) July 3
5. Silverstone 6 Hours (GBR) September 11
6. Petit Le Mans (Georgia, USA) October 1
7. 6-Hours race to be organized in China (name defined in relation to circuit) November 12
The inaugural 2010 ILMC season included one race from each of the ACO sanctioned Le Mans series’ - Silverstone (Europe); Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans (North America); and Zuhai, China (Asia). Petit Le Mans with record race week crowd in excess of 124,000 saw Peugeot’s Team Total claim the 10-hour/1,000 mile endurance title among a diverse and prestigious international grid.
Series teams and factory efforts that competed in at least one Intercontinental Le Mans Cup race last year were Drayson Racing, Jaguar’s RSR, BMW’s Rahal Letterman, Ferrari’s Risi Competizione and Porsche’s Flying Lizard Motorsports. In addition, Flying Lizard regular season drivers Patrick Long and Joerg Bergmeister placed best in GT class at Zuhai in Porsche’s 911 GT3 R Hybrid that ran as unclassified due to its hybrid status. Drayson Racing competed in all three events and placed third overall in the ILMC championship.
The Series’ season-opener -- the 59th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida (March 19) -- will be the first race of the 2011 ILMC championship and Petit Le Mans (October 1) will be the sixth race of the seven event global championship format.
“Having our two showcase events – the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans – as key components to the prestigious Intercontinental Le Mans Cup will raise these two great races even further in stature on the global stage,” said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. “We look forward to the many corporate partner opportunities and renowned race teams that these events will attract as we play a vital role in establishing the ILMC as one of the premier motorsport competitions in the world.”
The 2011 six-race 2011 ILMC calendar includes:
1. Sebring 12 Hours (Florida USA) March 19
2. Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours (BEL) May 8
3. Le Mans 24 Hours (FRA) June 11-12
4. Imola 6 Hours (ITA) July 3
5. Silverstone 6 Hours (GBR) September 11
6. Petit Le Mans (Georgia, USA) October 1
7. 6-Hours race to be organized in China (name defined in relation to circuit) November 12
The inaugural 2010 ILMC season included one race from each of the ACO sanctioned Le Mans series’ - Silverstone (Europe); Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans (North America); and Zuhai, China (Asia). Petit Le Mans with record race week crowd in excess of 124,000 saw Peugeot’s Team Total claim the 10-hour/1,000 mile endurance title among a diverse and prestigious international grid.
Series teams and factory efforts that competed in at least one Intercontinental Le Mans Cup race last year were Drayson Racing, Jaguar’s RSR, BMW’s Rahal Letterman, Ferrari’s Risi Competizione and Porsche’s Flying Lizard Motorsports. In addition, Flying Lizard regular season drivers Patrick Long and Joerg Bergmeister placed best in GT class at Zuhai in Porsche’s 911 GT3 R Hybrid that ran as unclassified due to its hybrid status. Drayson Racing competed in all three events and placed third overall in the ILMC championship.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Audi Driver Frank Biela wins 24 hour (slot) race!
Now this is just tooooooo cool! Check this item out from the Audi Motorsport newsletter (thanks to slotbrother Dr Vanski for the heads up on this one!)
RCCO: For the second time in succession Frank Biela has won the 24-hour race for slot cars around the Nurburgring-Sudschleife. The five-time Le Mans winner piloted an Audi R8 LMS together with two journalists and the Boss of Slotracing-Werk to a dominant victory. In addition to the Drivers' Championship Audi also won the Manufacturers' Championship in the rallye racing Carrera Cup 2010 (RCCO).
Frank Biela is a slotter... I love it! And for the "second time in succession". Not only does he race but evidently he's good too!
RCCO: For the second time in succession Frank Biela has won the 24-hour race for slot cars around the Nurburgring-Sudschleife. The five-time Le Mans winner piloted an Audi R8 LMS together with two journalists and the Boss of Slotracing-Werk to a dominant victory. In addition to the Drivers' Championship Audi also won the Manufacturers' Championship in the rallye racing Carrera Cup 2010 (RCCO).
Frank Biela is a slotter... I love it! And for the "second time in succession". Not only does he race but evidently he's good too!
Labels:
24 hour racing,
endurance racing,
Frank Biela,
LeMans,
LeMans 24 Hours
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
New Racer Alfa's
Sunday, October 10, 2010
New Scaleauto Radicals-2006 Rollcenter/2007 LeMans
Two new Scaleauto Radicals to show today. Download the newsletter from Scaleauto at the links below.

2006 Rollcenter newsletter

2007 red LeMans decoration newsletter
2006 Rollcenter newsletter
2007 red LeMans decoration newsletter
Monday, September 6, 2010
Modern LMP Slot Car Shootout
I've long been a fan of American LeMans/IMSA racing. Aside from a few trips to Daytona when IMSA sanctioned the Rolex 24, I only got to see these cars race once a year at my local track Mosport. Unfortunately, aside from Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta I don't get to see many of the European prototypes race. That was – until I took up slot car racing as a hobby.
Over the last decade we have been blessed with a plethora of models from a variety of manufacturers of LeMans prototypes. What I set out to do is determine which was the quickest and best suited for some local racing series. To do this, I've reached into my collection and pulled out a cross section of sixteen different cars. I then glued and trued the same formulation of urethane tire to each car, removed the traction magnets, and then tried to set my best Q time on a local wood (22m) and plastic track. The lap times were averaged between the two tracks and the results along with my observations are presented here. It's worth noting that all the cars in this test were run in stock form (minus traction magnets). My goal was to provide home and club racers with a performance benchmark for some of the modern era LMP cars available to us.
Carrera Bentley EXP Speed 8 – 9.009s avg.
When I first got into the hobby, Carrera was my go-to brand for magnet racing. The adjustable twin magnet chassis in several of their models and solid build made for excellent magnet racers. Once I started racing without traction magnets in place I started looking elsewhere: namely NINCO, Slot.it and Scaleauto for my fast rides. Sometimes, you can't always find what you're looking for in those other brands so you have to go with what's available. If it's the Bentley EXP Speed 8 then Carrera (aside from a boutique resin model) is the only game in town. This car is the heaviest in my test at 90g and also the slowest. This car lacks good brakes so each corner had to be approached with care otherwise it would deslot and go straight instead of turn in. Front tire rub is part of the problem here as well. A beautiful model but will need a lots of work to turn into a racer.
9.203s plastic / 8.600s wood / 81g mass / 4g downforce
9.219s plastic / 8.188s wood / 75g mass / 2g downforce
9.219s plastic / 8.188s wood / 75g mass / 2g downforce
9.026s plastic / 8.322s wood / 69g mass, 0g downforce
8.485s plastic / 8.096s wood / 81g mass / 8g downforce
8.527s plastic / 7.978s wood / 77g mass / 2g downforce
8.297s plastic / 8.088s wood / 80g mass / 15g downforce
8.480s plastic / 7.878s wood / 85g mass / 16g downforce
8.444s plastic / 7.904s wood / 82g mass / 30g downforce
8.095s plastic / 7.701s wood / 79g mass / 15g downforce
8.045s plastic / 7.638s wood / 82g mass, 13g downforce
7.876s plastic / 7.747s wood / 80g mass / 14g downforce
Scaleauto Radical SR9 – 7.750 avg.
7.984s plastic / 7.515s wood / 82g mass / 6g downforce
7.838s plastic / 7.646s wood / 78g mass / 33g downforce
Over the last decade we have been blessed with a plethora of models from a variety of manufacturers of LeMans prototypes. What I set out to do is determine which was the quickest and best suited for some local racing series. To do this, I've reached into my collection and pulled out a cross section of sixteen different cars. I then glued and trued the same formulation of urethane tire to each car, removed the traction magnets, and then tried to set my best Q time on a local wood (22m) and plastic track. The lap times were averaged between the two tracks and the results along with my observations are presented here. It's worth noting that all the cars in this test were run in stock form (minus traction magnets). My goal was to provide home and club racers with a performance benchmark for some of the modern era LMP cars available to us.
Carrera Bentley EXP Speed 8 – 9.009s avg.
9.403s plastic / 8.614s wood / 90g mass / 0g downforce
When I first got into the hobby, Carrera was my go-to brand for magnet racing. The adjustable twin magnet chassis in several of their models and solid build made for excellent magnet racers. Once I started racing without traction magnets in place I started looking elsewhere: namely NINCO, Slot.it and Scaleauto for my fast rides. Sometimes, you can't always find what you're looking for in those other brands so you have to go with what's available. If it's the Bentley EXP Speed 8 then Carrera (aside from a boutique resin model) is the only game in town. This car is the heaviest in my test at 90g and also the slowest. This car lacks good brakes so each corner had to be approached with care otherwise it would deslot and go straight instead of turn in. Front tire rub is part of the problem here as well. A beautiful model but will need a lots of work to turn into a racer.
SCX Audi R8 – 8.902s avg.
9.203s plastic / 8.600s wood / 81g mass / 4g downforce
Audi has had quite a run of success with their R8 series of prototypes. Back in my magnet racing days the R8 was another go-to car. The adjustable traction magnet and light weight along with a motor that only seemed to go faster as the car wore in were the hallmarks of this model. Ditch the traction magnets and the car is still surprisingly good if underpowered. This car could be pushed in the corners though it was lacking in outright speed down the straights. A good starting point for a race car, but will need more power to improve its lap times.
Scalextric Cadillac 2000 LMP – 8.704s avg.

Scalextric Cadillac 2000 LMP – 8.704s avg.
9.219s plastic / 8.188s wood / 75g mass / 2g downforce
This model is well known for raising the bar in terms of detail when it was first released. Not the best magnet car owing to the small button magnet. A few guys in my club have race tuned these cars and they are very competitive with the latest offereings from Slot.it and Scaleauto. Out of the box – not so much. The nose deslots easily in the corners and the guide can pop out if pushed. The chassis is on the fragile side so reinforcement and additional weight are definitely on order here. Not a car I'd like to change motors on frequently owing to the delicacy of the chassis, but definitely lots of tuning potential here.
SCX Dome S101 Judd – 8.674s avg.

SCX Dome S101 Judd – 8.674s avg.
9.219s plastic / 8.188s wood / 75g mass / 2g downforce
Another cool LeMans livery from SCX. The Dome differs from the Audi in terms of chassis design with its pivoting pod vs. the flat chassis on the Audi, though both models use a similar adjustable magnet design. Without the magnet in place the rocking motor pod can be a hindrance in terms of performance by allowing the tires to rub the inside of the fenders. I broke from my stock protocol by taping the pod to the chassis to limit movement. A slightly hotter motor than the R8 hustles this car around the track that much quicker. Super bright xenon LEDs light up the track if night racing is your thing. All four wheels were loose on their axles and needed to be glued before track testing. This is another model with lots of tuning potential. It's just not a race winner in non-magnet form out of the box.
Scalextric MG/Lola EX257 – 8.636s avg.
Scalextric MG/Lola EX257 – 8.636s avg.
9.026s plastic / 8.322s wood / 69g mass, 0g downforce
Scalextric had obviously taken what they learned with their Cadillac and applied those lessons here. Beautiful detail, they replaced the button mag with a bar magnet which made this car the defacto standard among magnet racers. Ditch the mag and we're left with a decent performer. I've raced against these cars in a higher state of tune and they can be quick in non-magnet form. Chassis fragility is an issue that the tuner will have to deal with along with the pop out guid. Also, clearance over the crown gear can be an issue so backing off the screws that hold the rear cowl may be necessary. Not bad – but not great.
NINCO Acura ARX01b – 8.291s avg.
NINCO Acura ARX01b – 8.291s avg.
8.485s plastic / 8.096s wood / 81g mass / 8g downforce
Once I started racing non-magnet LMP cars, NINCO was my go-to brand. The BMW LMRs in my collection were only ever so-so magnet cars, but were really great performers without magnutz, especially with NSR King long can power in place of the NC2s those cars came with. The NC5 in the Acura is a decent mill but lacks the punch to perform at the top in my club. Still, a very drivable car as the average lap time demonstrates. In typical NINCO form, all the wheels were loose on the axle and the motor needed to be glued in. One big shunt and the motor will pop out possibly damaging the crown gear. With more motor and bracing between the motor and rear axle mounts this car will only get quicker. I've not yet tried the lightning version of this car: the lack of wheel inserts, odd axle sizing and brittle chassis keep me at bay.
Scalextric Porsche RS Spyder – 8.253s avg.
8.527s plastic / 7.978s wood / 77g mass / 2g downforce
I almost didn't test this car, but getting my *** handed to me by a heavily modded Scalextric Peugeot at my club had me reaching for it when it came time to select models for this review. I'm glad I took the time to glue and true a set of tires for it. Without magnets in place this car was a real blast to drive. The RS Spyder is quick down the straights even with the stock motor and has excellent handling in the corners. I bought another one of these used from a guy in my club so I think I know what my next LMP club racing project car will be…
Spirit Courage C65 – 8.193s avg.
Spirit Courage C65 – 8.193s avg.
8.297s plastic / 8.088s wood / 80g mass / 15g downforce
This is the first car in this review to feature a motor pod. Spirit provided access holes for front axle set screws on a chassis that came off the plinth fairly straight and flat. The SxXx long can motor has plenty of torque. If anything this car just needs some weight to settle it down. The Spirit Courage is another good mag-free performer out of the box. My local club's ace driver/builder had his eye on this one so maybe there's more to the Courage than meets the eye and my initial impressions?
Fly Racing Lola B98/10 – 8.179s avg.
Fly Racing Lola B98/10 – 8.179s avg.
8.480s plastic / 7.878s wood / 85g mass / 16g downforce
Surprisingly, Fly has managed to fit a long can motor under this short wheelbase low rear deck car. Unique plastic wheels with metal setscrew bosses come standard on this as does a lexan interior. A great handling car, especially on wood.
Avant Slot Peugeot 908 HDi FAP – 8.174s avg.
Avant Slot Peugeot 908 HDi FAP – 8.174s avg.
8.444s plastic / 7.904s wood / 82g mass / 30g downforce
These Avant Slot long can motors are monsters. They remind me of the King motors in terms of torque and power and really make the A/S cars get up and go. The funky chassis takes some fiddling to tune but seems like it has some potential. The guide and guide holders can be fragile so snap spins are something to watch out for when racing cars from this manufacturer. The standard plastic wheels needed to be glued on all the Avant Slot models I tested. The Avant Slot Peugeot is a great car with just a tire change.
Avant Slot Pescarolo – 7.898s avg.
Avant Slot Pescarolo – 7.898s avg.
8.095s plastic / 7.701s wood / 79g mass / 15g downforce
For whatever reason, Avant Slot decided the Pescarolo should have a chassis different from their Audi and Peugeot. It is equipped with adjustable front stub axles as opposed to the solid front axle on their other cars. It took some fiddling to keep the rear wheels from rubbing inside the fenders on this car. I ended up taping the motor pod to the chassis to keep that from happening. Still, lots of adjustability built into this chassis, and a very fast car out of the box with only a tire change – over a second a lap quicker than the Carrera Bentley on average. This is a really nicely detailed model of the Pescarolo to boot.
Avant Slot Audi R10 – 7.842s avg.
Avant Slot Audi R10 – 7.842s avg.
8.045s plastic / 7.638s wood / 82g mass, 13g downforce
Avant Slot has done the R10 justice with this car: it's good looking, fast, and like all Avant Slot models has plenty of adjustability and speed straight out of the box. I'd like to see Avant Slot up their game a little by including setscrew wheels. At their current price point that is still an affordable upgrade. The monster torque, great handling, and attractive paint and detail are all typical for Avant Slot. What's not to like?
Sloting Plus Reynard 2KQ – 7.812s avg.
7.876s plastic / 7.747s wood / 80g mass / 14g downforce
This is the first RTR car offered from aftermarket tuning parts specialist Sloting Plus. The only issues I had out of the box was that the profile of the stock tires was too high which caused them to rub inside the fenders. This was easily solved since a tire change was part of this test, and the lower profile ex-Radical rear tires fit perfectly on the Sloting Plus Reynard's fronts. Other than that, it's all good: setscrew wheels on all four corners, setscrews anglewinder gears, and multiple adjustment points on the chassis. You pay a little extra for this car but it is worth it. Glue and true your favourite tires and go racing.
Scaleauto Radical SR9 – 7.750 avg.
7.984s plastic / 7.515s wood / 82g mass / 6g downforce
I club raced a Scaleauto Toyota for two years so I had high expectation of this model. While I was not disappointed with the on track performance or the adjustability built into this chassis, I was surprised to see plastic press on wheels on a car at this price point. A solid racer out of the box that only needs minor upgrades for club racing duty.
Slot.it Audi R8C RAW – 7.742s avg.
7.838s plastic / 7.646s wood / 78g mass / 33g downforce
I've been a big fan of Slot.it cars since their first Audi R8C release. This car is miles ahead of their early models. I've used the fully decorated 1999 LeMans #9 livery from their most recent release on the RAW chassis. The early bodies don't fit over the anglewinder drivetrain and I didn't feel like painting up the orange body so it's a bit of an expensive upgrade. Still, this car is super fast right out of the box and one of the fastest in my collection. The RAW comes with multiple spur gears, setscrew rear wheels, and a lexan interior to really lighten things up. Even with the stock injection molded interior this car almost topped the timesheets. The Slot.it Audi is a pricey car but worth it in terms of how well it performs on the track. Still, it would be nice to see Slot.it produce a car that is modeled on something from this millennium, let alone this decade as the R8C body is getting a little long in the tooth. I only mention this since my club's racing series along with some proxy races have a ten year cutoff which this '99 LeMans entrant has passed.
SCX Audi R8 Pro – 7.599s avg.

7.911s plastic / 7.286s wood / 89g mass / 18g downforce
I have to admit that this car is not totally stock. I swapped out the Pro Speed motor on my early release model for an RX4H which is now standard issue on the Pro Audis. Aside from the motor swap and a change to club spec urethane tires, I removed the mechanical brake mechanism that also comes standard. Otherwise: stock chassis, motor, gears, wheels, and axles. The results: this car is a rocket! Light bodywork, decent spec components, and the hot 25k motor really hustle this car around the track. Until I get one of the other cars on this list running faster, the SCX Audi R8 Pro is my go-to club racer.
Thank-you to Mini Grid in Toronto for the use of their 22.1m Scalextric Sport test track, and to Super Rat for the use of his superb 21.7m 'Ring test track and the urethane club tires.
-Van LaPointe
Thank-you to Mini Grid in Toronto for the use of their 22.1m Scalextric Sport test track, and to Super Rat for the use of his superb 21.7m 'Ring test track and the urethane club tires.
-Van LaPointe
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Spa 24Hours TV schedule
Live video at this link... hopefully.
http://www.total24hours.com/24h-spa/nl/videolive2.cfm
Thursday, July 8, 2010
New Cursa Models 1/24 Alfa body kit
K-24029 1/24 Alfa Romeo 33/2 "Periscopica" Le Mans 1967
Monday, June 14, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Live LeMans link-Speed
http://stream.speedtv.com/24-hours-of-le-mans
Check this link out Saturday from Noon-6:30pm for live coverage of the 24 Hours of LeMans... when they're showing something getting chopped, cut, jacked, auctioned, or practiced... ugh.
Check this link out Saturday from Noon-6:30pm for live coverage of the 24 Hours of LeMans... when they're showing something getting chopped, cut, jacked, auctioned, or practiced... ugh.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Live LeMans link
Peugeot Sport will have a live webcast at this link for 28 hours during LeMans this weekend.
http://lemans.peugeot-sport.com/en/mediacenter.html
http://lemans.peugeot-sport.com/en/mediacenter.html
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Radio LeMans link
If, like me, you're not lucky enough to be at LeMans this week, you can still listen to all the action live from Radio LeMans at this link.
Friday, June 4, 2010
BMW art car for LeMans
In the spirit of Calder, Stella, Lichtenstein, Warhol, BMW announced this year that the 17th Art Car created by Jeff Koons will race where the first rolling pieces of art by legendary artists raced – at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France on 12th and 13th June 2010. Koons’ canvas is a BMW M3 GT2, which was homologated to compete at this year’s running of the world’s most famous endurance race.
On 2nd June, between 11 am and 9 pm, the public will have the chance to see the Art Car free of charge in the Forum of the Centre Pompidou. At 5.30 pm Jeff Koons will participate in a book signing at the museum’s official book shop before he talks about his work in conversation with Alain Seban, President of the Centre Pompidou, at 6 pm at the Forum of the museum.
The Design Process.
As part of his creative process, the artist collected images of race cars, related graphics, vibrant colours, speed and explosions. The resulting artwork of bright colours conceived by Koons is evocative of power, motion and bursting energy. With its silver interior as well as the powerful exterior design, the Art Car will impart a dynamic appearance even when it’s standing still.
“These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy,” said Koons. “You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy. There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car – it’s really to connect with that power.”
Koons has been in an intense collaboration with BMW’s team in Munich for months – melding his skill with sophisticated BMW engineering – to ensure the 17th BMW Art Car will be race-ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Travelling back and forth to Germany many times since the 2nd February announcement that Koons would create the 17th BMW Art Car, the artist has worked with the BMW engineering and design teams to conduct in-depth explorations of materials and application options that will prove crucial to optimizing both the aesthetic and aerodynamic attributes of the race car. Working with actual 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) models of the BMW M3 GT2, Koons was able to simulate the application of the graphic to the car’s surfaces and evaluate it from all angles.
Koons even donned a helmet and joined BMW’s American Le Mans Series race team for testing in Sebring, Florida, on 23rd February. Koons was able to experience the M3 GT2 at race speed to further inspire his design. As Koons describes it, he witnessed “the raw unfiltered performance” of the M3 GT2 from the seat of a historic BMW M1 race car. Koons also drove a BMW M3 Coupe on the circuit to further the dynamic exercise.
Under Koons’ direct guidance and supervision, his BMW Art Car was produced in association with a team of BMW engineers and designers at Schmid Design, near Munich. The challenge to create the BMW Art Car had to do with using a light material and a design that would not interfere with the race car's aerodynamics and weight. Timing was also an issue, as there was only a two month window between the first design sketches and the Paris world premiere. This is why digital print on car wrapping vinyl was used covered by a double clear-coating to bring out the colour.
To apply hundreds of dynamic lines of Koons' design onto the car, CAD designs were translated from 3D into 2D for the printing process and then painstakingly applied to the entire car as well as onto individual spare parts. Koons design incorporates many bright contrasting colours to communicate the aesthetics of power. The concept design was transformed into hard edged lines of colour. Graphics of debris were added to the rear sides and back of the car to simulate the power of the car. Furthermore, two graphic rings on the rear of the car represent supersonic acceleration.
Koons and BMW.
The germination of Koons’ collaboration with BMW began in 2003, when he expressed his desire to create a BMW Art Car. His relationship with BMW started more than two decades ago when he drove a BMW while residing in Munich, home to the BMW Group headquarters. Koons is known for his heartfelt appreciation of cars. Earlier this year he was even recognised by music icon Bono of U2 as one of the ideal artists to design a car that would make the world fall in love with automobiles again.
Koons’ creative process for the BMW Art Car mirrors techniques, some borrowed from transportation design and development, which he regularly employs for his artistic production. For example, in the creation of Koons’ monumental sculptures, his studio uses 3-D CAD models to evaluate the surfaces, assembles them via methods found in bike chop shops, and paints them in a manner based on sophisticated automotive painting techniques.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In April 2010, BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen announced the driver line-up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Müller (DE) and Dirk Werner (DE) will race the no. 79 BMW Art Car. Jörg Müller (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR), Uwe Alzen (DE) will drive the no. 78 BMW M3 GT2.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world’s oldest endurance race in all of sports car racing, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it is organized by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and runs on a circuit containing closed public roads. The race is designed not only to test a car and driver’s ability to be quick, but also to last over a 24-hour period.
French auctioneer and racing driver Hervé Poulain first had the idea of asking an artist to paint the car he himself would compete with. Taking up this initiative in 1975, American artist Alexander Calder painted a BMW racing car, thus laying the foundation. The Art Car experiment was soon continued: a year later, Calder Art Car co-driver Sam Posey introduced Frank Stella to the idea of BMW Art Cars when the New York-based artist covered a BMW with his typical grid-like pattern. Stella’s work was followed by a series of celebrated pop artists: Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg. Apart from Rauschenberg’s Art Car, all these took part in the Le Mans 24-hour race, some of them enjoying remarkable success.
The BMW M3 GT2.
Derived from the BMW M3 high-performance sports car, the BMW M3 GT2 boasts a 4.0-litre V8 engine with a maximum output of 500 bhp, an upgraded chassis, racing-caliber brakes, and extensive use of lightweight materials. Able to reach 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, the BMW M3 GT2 is rapidly emerging as a real first year contender at this year’s event.
For the comeback at Le Mans BMW Motorsport is supported by numerous successful partners. This is why the BMW M3 GT2 will be decorated with the logos of Castrol, Crowne Plaza, Dunlop, Randstad, Sympatex, LuK, H&R, BBS and NGK for the race on the “Circuit de la Sarthe”.
BMW Art Cars.
Since 1975, artists from throughout the world have turned BMW automobiles into art signifying a particular period through the Art Car programme. In 2007, the latest instalment was revealed with Olafur Eliasson’s “Your mobile expectations: BMW H2R project.” Many of the cars by the likes of Warhol, Lichtenstein, Stella, Rauschenberg, Hockney and Holzer have been exhibited in renowned museums throughout the world including the Louvre, the Guggenheim Museums, and the Shanghai Art Museum. They have been displayed at the BMW Museum in Munich, between 2006 and 2010 and many went on a world tour throughout Asia, Russia, Africa, India, the United States and Mexico.
The Koons car number, “79”, pays tribute to the 1979 Andy Warhol car. The Warhol car was assigned the number “76,” an homage to the 1976 Frank Stella car, both of which raced at Le Mans. The home of all BMW Art Cars is the BMW Museum in Munich. Starting in September, Koons’ 17th BMW Art Car will be presented there together with some of its predecessors.
With over 100 major projects worldwide, BMW Group cultural programmes have been an integral part of the company’s contributions to society for almost 40 years. Besides contemporary art, architecture and design, classical music and jazz are key components of this engagement.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Photos of the new Carrera BMW and Audi R8 LMS
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Slot MiniAuto 67
COMUNICADO DE PRENSA
SLOT MINIAUTO 67 – MAYO
El protagonista de la portada de Slot MiniAuto del mes de mayo es el nuevo Matra Simca 670B de Le Mans Miniatures. Se destacan en la misma, las pruebas en pista del espectacular Koenigsegg CCX de AutoArt y un Muscle Car americano, el Chevrolet Chevelle de Carrera. En este número se presenta en primicia el nuevo “Transporter” de Pegaso, el Bacalao, realizado por Hobby Classic. Marlon Foakes de TRRC, es el invitado de este mes en la habitual sección de entrevistas.
La revista incluye también las pruebas del Citroën C4 WRC Lightning de Ninco, y de uno de sus predecesores, el Citroën DS 23 Proto realizado por Hobby Slot. Se ofrece también la colección completa de los Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 que compitieron en Le Mans.
Completan la revista las secciones habituales de Noticias, Novedades, Presentaciones y Competición.
Ahora Slot MiniAuto en Facebook
(Más información en www.revistasprofesionales.com)
PRESS RELEASE
SLOT MINIAUTO 67 – MAY
Slot MiniAuto cover of May highlights the new Matra Simca 670B of Le Mans Miniatures. It stands on it, the track test of the spectacular AutoArt Koenigsegg CCX and the American Muscle Car, Chevrolet Chevelle of Carrera. In this issue is presented in premiere the new Pegaso "Transporter", el Bacalao (the Cod), made by Hobby Classic. Marlon Foakes, of Tertre Rouge Racing Cars, answer our questions this month in the usual interview section.
The magazine also includes the track test of the Lightning Citroën C4 WRC of Ninco, and one of his predecessor, the Citroën DS 23 Proto by Hobby Slot. It also offers the complete collection of the Alfa Romeo 6C 3000, which competed at Le Mans 24 H.
This magazine is completed with the regular sections of News, Features, Novelties, Presentations and Slot Competition.
Now Slot MiniAuto in Facebook
(More information on www.revistasprofesionales.com)
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