Month: August 2021

Two podiums and championship lead for ABT in the DTM

With a fourth and a third place at the Lausitzring, Kelvin van der Linde defended his lead in the DTM drivers’ standings with his ABT Audi R8 LMS. Mike Rockenfeller finished third on Saturday, clinching another podium for Team ABT Sportsline which holds the second position in the team standings after four races, just one point behind the leading team. Nevertheless, the mood was somewhat depressed, especially after the second race on Sunday.

The reason: Kelvin van der Linde was clearly on course for victory on Sunday when the engine of his ABT Audi R8 LMS suddenly cut out on the 27th of 33 laps – at 250 kph and in the banking of Turn 1. Luckily van der Linde had recently retired from a race at Misano for another team for a similar issue and therefore knew exactly what to do: kill the main switch, do a complete reset of the electronics, wait five seconds and then restart the engine – all this at over 200 kph.

His nerves of steel were rewarded: The young South African lost only two positions and almost managed to take back second place from Ferrari driver Liam Lawson. However, because the risk was too high for him, he decided to drive home safely in third place. He thus defended his lead in the championship.

In the first race on Saturday, Kelvin van der Linde started from the front row together with his brother Sheldon. As he had 25 kilogrammes of extra weight on board after his victory at Monza, he had to settle for fourth place in the end. At the start and during a safety car restart, it also became apparent that the Audi R8 LMS is currently at quite a disadvantage compared to its rivals when it comes to acceleration. In addition, the Ferrari and Mercedes teams have a technical time advantage at the pit stops.

Mike Rockenfeller showed a much improved performance after a difficult start to the season for him at Monza. The first podium on Saturday was followed by a spectacular comeback drive on Sunday that took him from 13th to eighth place. After a late tyre change, he overtook five rivals in the closing stages.

Sophia Flörsch was very unlucky: After a promising qualifying session, the 20-year-old retired from the first race shortly after the start without fuel pressure. Troubleshooting proved extremely difficult and long. It was only shortly before the start of the second race that a defective sensor was revealed as the reason. From last on the grid, the DTM rookie fought her way up to 15th place.

The DTM season continues for Team ABT Sportsline at Zolder in Belgium.

The DTM is coming to Germany, together with Kelvin van der Linde from Team ABT Sportsline as the championship leader. We remember: At the season opener at Monza, the DTM rookie won Sunday’s race with the ABT Audi R8 LMS on his 25th birthday and thus took over the top spot in the drivers’ standings.

Now the Lausitzring is on the agenda (Saturday and Sunday, both races live on SAT.1 and on ran.de from 1 p.m.). The aim: to defend first place in the drivers’ championship and, if possible, to take the lead in the teams’ championship.

The team around Thomas Biermaier and Hans-Jürgen Abt knows how to win DTM races at the Lausitzring. The circuit has been an integral part of the DTM calendar since 2000. ABT has been part of the popular racing series for just as long. The team from Kempten has already celebrated five victories at the Lausitzring and taken 26 podiums in 28 DTM races. But, there are also painful memories.

The premiere in 2000 literally fell into the water. On race day, it rained so heavily that the still fresh asphalt could not absorb the sheer volume of water. After eight laps behind the safety car, the red flag came out.

In 2003, the DTM wanted to use the banking of the tri-oval for the first corner. The team does not have good memories of the track variant, which is also planned for this year: The front right tires of the Abt Audi TT-R driven by Christian Abt and Laurent Aiello burst in quick succession during the first practice session, because they could not cope with the high loads due to the banking. The subsequent impacts against the wall were so severe that the two cars could not be repaired on site and the then Audi juniors, Martin Tomczyk and Peter Terting, had to relinquish their cars for their teammates. For the rest of the weekend, the “normal” track variant was used again.

Mattias Ekström was the main scorer of podium finishes. In 2001, the Swede clinched his first DTM podium at the Lausitzring, when he moved forward from 19th on the grid, after suffering suspension failure in the sprint. In total, the ABT driver stood on the podium ten times at the Lausitzring, twice at the very top (2004 and 2005). Both victories were closely linked to his favorite rival Gary Paffett: in 2004 Ekström was retroactively declared the winner, because the Briton did not have enough fuel in the tank after crossing the finish line.

In 2005, the two title contenders drove bumper-to-bumper around the circuit for practically the entire race. Thanks to a perfect strategy, quick pit stops and an absolutely flawless drive, Ekström managed to keep Paffett behind him.

Miguel Molina (2016) and Nico Müller (2019 and 2020) also took Lausitzring victories for ABT Sportsline. Müller was also part of the closest finish in DTM history: In the second of the total of four Lausitzring races of the 2020 COVID-19 season, René Rast and Nico Müller crossed the finish line side by side in their two Audi RS 5 DTM cars. 0.089 seconds separated the two Audi drivers. The only previous finish that was this close in the DTM was at the Norisring back in 1996.

Close finishes, hard-fought battles and collisions are not uncommon in the DTM at the Lausitzring. In 2007, there was total confusion, because the safety car drove onto the track in the middle of the field after an accident, causing several drivers to gain a lap.

There are also incidents in the very wide pit lane from time to time. In 2006, Mattias Ekström stopped on the penultimate lap after running out of fuel, while he was fighting for another victory. At that time in the DTM, refueling was still done with cans. At the second stop, the ABT mechanics changed the four wheels so quickly that not enough petrol had flowed into the tank in the available time. In 2014, Ekström had to retire due to the left-front wheel not having been fitted properly during the pit stop.

Much worse was an incident in the 2016 season, when one of Edoardo Mortara’s mechanics broke his right foot during a pit stop.

The fact that the pit stops are not without danger in the 2021 DTM was shown at the season opener: On his way to victory in Monza, a mechanic from the neighboring BMW team ran right in front of Kelvin van der Linde’s car in the pit lane, fortunately without any consequences.

With its charismatic five-cylinder engine delivering 400 HP (294 kW) and 480 Nm as standard, the Audi RS Q3 showcases Audi’s sporty brand DNA perfectly. As SUV or crossover coupé, it is also the antithesis of conservative body design and appears more desirable as a result. After all, in the early 80s, the iconic, angular design of the original (Ur-)quattro caused a stir in design circles. Back then, ABT Sportsline already offered exciting tuning options and also offers them for both body variants of the RS Q3. The latest coup is the 21-inch Sport HR alloy wheel, the perfect addition to the DR, ER-C, FR and GR models which are already available. This means that the world’s largest automotive aftermarket and performance parts specialist for Audi and VW now offers five attractive rim designs for the RS Q3. The range covers both 20 and 21-inch sizes.

The ABT Sport HR is available exclusively in glossy black and exudes pure energy and effortless elegance. This is achieved by ten intricate double spokes that appear to rise from the hub cover and reach deep into the rim flange. The generous spacing provide a view of the sophisticated braking technology of the RS Q3. The rim’s optimum weight balance also contributes to driving stability. Optional ABT height-adjustable suspension springs facilitate even sportier handling. They provide a lowering range of 20-35 mm on the front and 25-40 mm on the rear axle.

In conjunction with better handling, the performance upgrade from ABT Sportsline enhances driving pleasure even further! Thanks to the specially adapted and tested high-tech control unit ABT Engine Control (AEC)*, the RS Q3 now delivers a hefty 440 HP (324 kW). The maximum torque of the 5-cylinder petrol engine increases to 520 Nm. Driving performance increases accordingly: The maximum speed is now 285 km/h and it sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.3 seconds instead of 4.5 seconds. The ABT Sportsline start-stop switch cap awakens this high-performance beast in true style. Additional interior options include the ABT integrated entrance lights and carbon-finished seat frame covers. With these performance and aesthetic enhancements, the Audi RS Q3 becomes even more beguiling and can be perfectly tailored to your requirements. This is what ABT Sportsline stands for. A company whose roots reach back 125 years.

Webcon is delighted to announce it has a superb quality intake manifold set to suit the ever popular VW 1.7/1.8 and 2.0 aircooled engines.

Part number 9900341200 is designed to accept the very reliable Weber 34ICT carburettors and is ideal for those who want the efficiency and performance of twin carburettors, without the expense of the high power Weber IDF set.

Kit 9900341200 includes manifolds, gaskets, studs nuts and washers and is available at £146.92 plus VAT

Also available: Manifold set, as above, plus two genuine Weber 34ICT carbs, airfilters and linkage. Order as part number PVW207 at £488.25 plus VAT

Available directly from Webcon and from appointed Webcon dealers around the world.
For further details contact Webcon UK on +44 (0)1932 787100 or visit www.webcon.co.uk

Webcon UK Ltd can supply genuine Weber water automatic choke units for the Weber 28/32 TLDM carburettor as fitted to the front wheel drive 1.6 Ford Escort, Orion, Fiesta and Morgan 4/4 with a 1.6 CVH engine.

There are two types available to cover the majority of TLDM carburettors as follows:

9310840500 Yellow internal cam RRP £86.16 plus VAT
9310850500 Black internal cam RRP £77.71 plus VAT

Available directly from Webcon and from appointed Webcon dealers around the world.
For further details contact Webcon UK on +44 (0)1932 787100 or visit www.webcon.co.uk

Mini Spares is pleased to announce it can now supply the correct shaped dowel and fibre isolation washer required to enable the GAE131 reversing light switch to be fitted to any pre rod manual gearbox.

The three parts are available separately as:
Mini Spares 22G351 dowel £5.04
Mini Spares 1B3664 fibre washer 26p
Mini Spares GAE131 switch £30.00
Prices include VAT

For more details contact Mini Spares on
+44 1707 607700 or visit their website: www.minispares.com

M-Style is proud to announce it can now supply Racechip GTS Tuning Modules to almost all current and recent BMW models as well as selected models going back as far as 1994.

A Racechip GTS module will typically deliver 30% more horsepower and torque, and, amazingly, up to 20% more MPG! Peace of mind is assured with a two year engine warranty and an adjustable warm-up timer is included to help preserve engine life.

The Racechip module offers three distinct performance modes and is available with or without Bluetooth to communicate with the Racechip app via a smartphone.

The Racechip GTS tuning module is available from M-Style at £512 with Bluetooth or £389 without Bluetooth. (Prices inc. VAT)

Auto updates are provided and one-time re-programming is included should you change cars.

For further details e-mail info@mstyle.co.uk or call 0208 598 9115

The Saab 900, with its double wishbone suspension at the front, puts a lot of stress on the dampers, but replacing them with GAZ adjustable units will improve performance, longevity and handling.

GAZ GT Dampers provide variable bump and rebound rates which can be adjusted to suit the conditions and driving style. The damping rates can be altered by means of an easily accessible knob on the side of the units.

All units are individually tested before leaving the factory and are covered by a two year warranty.

GAZ GT front dampers for the Saab 900 retail at £70.69 each plus VAT

For further details visit the GAZ website: www.gazshocks.com

The Rover 220 Coupé Turbo of the Nineties is reckoned to be the fastest ever production Rover and with a top speed of 150 mph (241 km/h) and a 0-60 mph time of 6.2 seconds (according to a 1992 Autocar test) it’s a pretty quick car even by today’s standards.

However, it’s unlikely that the handling and suspension performance will be up to the same standards after all this time so GAZ is now offering an adjustable coilover kit for the Rover 220 Coupé Turbo (and the naturally aspirated 220 Coupé).

Ride height is variable by means of height adjusters with coarse acme form thread for ease of adjustment. Damper units are zinc plated to ensure that they remain in good order even after considerable service.

Damper rates are also variable by means of an adjuster knob on the damper body.

All the units are individually tested before leaving the factory and are covered by a two year warranty.

The GAZ Coilover Kit for the Rover 220 Coupé & Coupé Turbo retails at £658.21 plus. VAT per kit.

For further details visit the GAZ website: www.gazshocks.com

The GAZ range of off-the-shelf applications is pretty extensive. However if, by chance, GAZ doesn’t list an application for your vehicle (or you require something more specialised) then the company can produce custom made suspension kits to customers’ own specifications.

GAZ can use donor hubs and totally recondition them prior to precision welding them to brand new struts. When strut inserts are required, GAZ will produce new units from scratch to the customer’s specifications inclusive of adjustable ride height, adjustable damper rates and lowered, uprated, suspension springs.

All struts and damper units now feature the new GAZ black zinc protective finish as well as the new white GAZ logo.

The height adjustable platforms are anodised for long life. They also have a coarse acme form thread for ease of adjustment and to ensure that they remain in good order – even after considerable service. Damper rates are variable by means of easily accessible adjuster knobs.

High performance is the name of the game and to prevent cavitation and reduce fade the dampers come with a gas cell in the reservoir which is filled with a high viscosity index multi grade oil. If required, the reservoir can be remote from the damper itself (as shown) to enable it to be placed in the airflow to help keep it cool under racing and trackday conditions.

All custom units are individually tested before leaving the factory and are covered by a two year manufacturer’s warranty.

Prices vary according to customer’s specification. Quotation available on application.

For further details visit the GAZ website: www.gazshocks.com