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Tag Archive | "Audi"

GM ANNOUNCE OPEL DOWN UNDER

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

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GM ANNOUNCE OPEL DOWN UNDER

Opel CEO Nick Reilly and Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux announced the Opel export program to Australian media at the North American International Auto Show on behalf of GM today. Mr Devereux said "Opel will be sold as a stand-alone brand in Australia for the first time in 2012." He said Australian drivers have a strong affinity with Opel vehicles like the Astra which were previously sold under the Holden brand." “Opel presents a new opportunity for GM in Australia with a growing demand for German design and technology at affordable prices. Mr Reilly said Australia played a key role in the brand’s international strategy and was one of three new markets, including Israel and Chile, announced in recent weeks.

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AUDI CONFIRM BATHURST ENTRY: Lowndes joins the squad

Monday, December 20, 2010

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AUDI CONFIRM BATHURST ENTRY: Lowndes joins the squad

Audi have confirmed their entry in next year's Bathurst 12 hour race wit two R8 LMS cars from the Team Joest stable. As reported first by In Pit Lane last month, former Australian GT champion and regular Audi driver Mark Eddy will drive one of the cars and will be joined by Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes and fellow V8 supercar driver Warren Luff. Also confirmed is an all International line up headed by Hong Kong-based World Touring Car Championship driver Darryl O’Young, German sportscar driver Marc Basseng, and 21-year-old 2009 FIA GT3 European Champion Christopher Heis. The Audi will however find itself hamstrung by ridiculous "parity" penalties designed to appease local GT competitors in older 2009 spec cars. Under the rules the Audi and any other current spec GT3 cars will be forced to pit a minimum of 12 times compared with just nine for AGT regulars. A 50 kg weight penalty will also apply.

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NEW AUDI LE MANS CHALLENGER MAY BE PETROL POWERED

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

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NEW AUDI LE MANS CHALLENGER MAY BE PETROL POWERED

Audi is set to unveil it’s new R18 Le Mans challenger, and it may not be a diesel. according to reports out of Germany the new car may be powered by a two litre petrol turbo backed up by a KERS system. The report also claims that the new car will be a coupe. The R15/R15+ has [...]

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AUDI HEADING TO BATHURST ?

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

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AUDI HEADING TO BATHURST ?

Audi may be heading for Bathurst with plans underway to bring two current GT3 R8 LMS cars to contest the Bathurst 12 hour race in February. Speaking after his Phillip Island enduro victory Mark Eddy told In Pit Lane that discussions are well advanced to see the two cars at the Mountain along with an international driving squad. "We're talking with Audi Europe (who) look like they're bringing two cars out. At the moment we're just working out a driver line up and it looks like a German, an Asian and an Australian driver will be in."

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PEUGEOT SET THE PACE AT PETITE PRACTICE

Thursday, September 30, 2010

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PEUGEOT SET THE PACE AT PETITE PRACTICE

Peugeot has set the early pace for this weekend's running of the Petite Le Mans at Road Atlanta, the second round of the Le Mans Intercontinental Cup Frank Montagny set the fastest lap in Wednesday’s first official with a 1:07.652 (217.5026 kph) in the Peugeot 908 HDi that he will share with Stephane Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy. The first of the Audis – driven by Marcel Fässler, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer – set a time of 1:08.717 and was less than a half-second better than the sister car of Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish. The second Peugeot of Alexander Wurz, Anthony Davidson and Marc Gene – the winners at Sebring in March – were fourth just ahead of Intersport Racing’s Lola-AER of Clint Field and Jon Field. In LMP2, Muscle Milk Team CytoSport’s Sascha Maassen set the pace with a lap of 1:10.947 in the Porsche RS Spyder he is driving with Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf. The Muscle Milk squad enters the weekend still alive in the American Le Mans Series’ LMP championship. However it needs to have Patrón Highcroft Racing finish less than 70 percent of the race Saturday.

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AUDI STRIKE BACK WITH SILVERSTONE POLE

Sunday, September 12, 2010

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AUDI STRIKE BACK WITH SILVERSTONE POLE

Audi have struck back as popular Scottish driver Alan McNish takes pole for the Autosport 1000 kms at Silverstone, first round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Both Audi R15+ TDI cars will start into the 1000-kilometre race at Silverstone (Great Britain) from the front row. McNish and his Joest Racing Audi team again showed their tactical superiority over arch rivals Peugeot, timing their run at pole perfectly to take full advantage of the best conditions in Saturday's Qualifying session. “The car had a good balance and the engineers know the track well, except the new part. What can I say? That I am very happy to be on pole!” said McNish. Fellow Audi driver Timo Bernhard will start alongside McNish with the best of the Peugeots, the car of Nicolas Minassian and local hero Anthony Davidson next, over a second of the pole time. "My car was quick through the fast corners, but I lacked a little grip and suffered from understeer through the tighter turns. I span at the start of my first flying lap. My tyres didn't suffer, but then I found myself in traffic. The balance of the car isn't at all bad, though, and I am confident for the race," Minassian said.

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PEUGEOT STRIKE BACK AT SILVERSTONE

Saturday, September 11, 2010

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PEUGEOT STRIKE BACK AT SILVERSTONE

Audi may have drawn first blood at Silverstone with the fastest time in P1 but at the end of the day it was Peugeot sitting on top of the timing sheets. Nicolas Minassian blasted his Peugeot 908 HDi FAP around the revamped Silverstone circuit to finish Friday's practice more than a second faster than the Oreca team Peugeot in the hands of Nicolas Lapierre. Despite improving on his morning time with a  1:45:78, Alan McNish in the Audi could only manage third place. Dindo Capello in the second of the Audi R15+ cars was next just ahead of the first of the "petrol" fuelled machines the Rebellion Racing Lola of Belicchi/Boullion edging out the Aston Martin of Barazi/Hancock/Mucke in the fight for the unofficial non-diesel class.

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A NEW ERA IN WORLD SPORTSCAR RACING

Friday, September 10, 2010

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A NEW ERA IN WORLD SPORTSCAR RACING

A new and exciting era in World Endurance Sports Car and GT Racing as Silverstone plays host to the Autosport 1000km, the first round of the new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Jean-Claude Plassart, President of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, said that It is indeed a new chapter for endurance racing. Based on very best and strongest established traditional events in each of our series 'LE MANS' in the world (LMS in Europe, ALMS in North America and Asian LMS in Asia). Le Mans heavyweights Audi and Peugeot will compete for the title, along with Aston Martin at Silverstone and China. In GT2, Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Jaguar will all be taking part in an official capacity.

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LARGE FIELDS SEE ALMS PITSTOP CHANGE

Saturday, August 28, 2010

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LARGE FIELDS SEE ALMS PITSTOP CHANGE

Big fields at this weekend's American Le Mans Series round at the famous Mosport circuit in Canada have forced series organisers to make changes to pit stop procedures. The large grid of 30 cars will mean a realigned pitlane operation for the race. During yellow-flag caution periods the pit entrance will be closed immediately, as is standard practice. Once the Safety Car has the overall leader and field in tow, IMSA officials will open the pits with LMP and LMPC cars only allowed to pit on the first lap. On the next lap, all GT and GTC cars may pit. For subsequent laps, any car may come in to pit lane.

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DTM-SUPERGT REGS MERGER FRAUGHT WITH RISKS

Friday, August 20, 2010

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DTM-SUPERGT REGS MERGER FRAUGHT WITH RISKS

Two of the world's top GT and Touring Car series look set to join under common rules for 2012. And the US based Grand-Am series may join them. Regulations for the popular Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) and the Japanese based Super GT series are set to merge opening up the possibility of an exchange of cars and drivers for the future. The new regulations were announced earlier this year and feature: - Common carbon monocoque with roll cage - A standard wheelbase of 2850 mm - Common front and rear overhang - Common front spoiler and rear diffuser - V8 engine of yet to be announced size - Limited number of engines during season - Introduction of "design line" where on one side all cars are common The main aim of the new regulations is a 51% cost reduction in costs, but it's the last item on the list that is concerning the purists most.

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