In the executive car-range, the Audi models with 50 and 55 TFSI e engines combine the strengths of an electric drive with the advantages of an internal combustion engine. Over short distances, these plug-in hybrids can be driven purely electrically and thus quietly and with zero local emissions. On long journeys, an efficient TFSI petrol engine ensures that there is no need to worry about range or charging infrastructure. Even the chapter on driving pleasure is well defined thanks to generous series performance. With the new ABT Power performance upgrades* it now even gets really sporty. They are available for the Audi Q5 (SUV and Sportback), the A6 (Avant and Sedan) and the A7 Sportback, which have the efficient 2.0 TFSI e on board as a plug-in hybrid drive. ABT Sportsline customers will then hit the road with an impressive system output of up to 425 HP (313 kW) and a maximum torque of up to 550 Nm.
In all of the above models, the TFSI petrol engine produces 265 HP (195 kW) and 370 Nm ex works. With the electric motor connected, the system output of the 50 TFSI e is 299 HP (220 kW) and 450 Nm. The 55 TFSI e has a total of 367 HP (270 kW) and 500 Nm. The use of the high-tech ABT Engine Control (AEC) boosts the combustion engine in both cases to 315 HP (232 kW) and 430 Nm. In the case of the 50 TFSI e, this results in a system performance of 357 HP (262 kW) and 500 Nm. The 55 TFSI e even has 425 HP (313 kW) and 550 Nm. The A6 and A7 are thus in good company with the extremely sporty S models. In the Q5, the 55 TFSI e is already the most powerful variant and further increases its claim to leadership with the ABT Power performance upgrade.
As always, ABT Sportsline, the world’s largest automotive aftermarket and performance parts specialist for Audi and VW, also offers modifications for the appearance, such as sporty and elegant rims. All vehicle models and combination options can be found in the ABT configurator.
Fast times, thrilling races, strong teamwork and a bit of drama here and there – this season opener of ABT CUPRA XE already whets the appetite for the next races. Jutta Kleinschmidt and Nasser Al-Attiyah missed out on a place in the final by just two and a half seconds on their first race weekend together in Extreme E with a second place in the so-called Crazy Race. Nevertheless, the German-Qatari duo with their spectacular CUPRA Tavascan XE were among the crowd favourites and main protagonists on the desert circuit in Saudi Arabia.
The best example of this: With 35 percent of the votes for Nasser Al-Attiyah and five percent for Jutta Kleinschmidt, ABT CUPRA XE won a record-breaking number of votes in the online voting “GridPlay” and strong times in all sectors promised a successful race day. The fact that the two still had to watch the finale was mainly due to a difficult qualifying day: In the individual time trial, Nasser Al-Attiyah turned into the pit lane on his first day in Extreme E, heading for the fastest time, instead of driving through the finish. In the following second qualifying session, in which five cars competed against each other, the four-time Dakar winner collided with an opponent and received a controversial penalty for this.
Instead of a place in one of the two semi-final races, this left only the “Crazy Race” to get into the final. After Jutta Kleinschmidt got stuck behind a slow car after a good start, there was not enough time to make up ground in the end. In the final standings, ABT CUPRA XE is classified in eighth place and receives four points for the drivers’ and team championship.
FEBRUARY 20: Jutta Kleinschmidt (GER) / Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT), Abt Cupra XE during the Saudi Arabia on February 20, 2022. (Photo by Charly Lopez / LAT Images)
“The team and Jutta gave me great support on my first electric race weekend, many thanks for that,” says Nasser Al-Attiyah, who was among the fastest drivers in the top-class field in every session. “I’m sorry for my little mistake in the first qualifying session, but I’ve learned a lot and soaked up every minute in this new championship. We know what we’re capable of and we’re looking forward to the next race.’ Looking ahead as well, Jutta Kleinschmidt said: “Our clear goal was a trophy, and that would have been possible without the little dramas here and there. Nasser and I are getting better and better and will give everything to use the next chance.”
That comes on 7 and 8 May at the second Extreme E race in Sardinia (Italy).
Now it’s getting serious: After the big team presentation two weeks ago in Barcelona, Jutta Kleinschmidt and Nasser Al-Attiyah will start their first race event together this coming weekend (February 19 and 20). The venue for the Extreme E season opener is the future city of Neom in north-western Saudi Arabia. The new driver pairing, which has a total of five victories in the legendary Dakar Rally to its name, has set itself high goals for the second season of the off-road racing series together with the entire ABT CUPRA XE team: initial successes are now to be followed by more trophies and the first victory.
“The first season was a completely new adventure with some ups and downs. Now we have learned our lessons well and want to achieve more than just a place on the podium,” says Thomas Biermaier, CEO of ABT Sportsline. “We have prepared intensively, have strong partners at our side, a great car and two world class drivers – our goal is to win races and of course to have a say in the title fight.”
While single-spec cars are mainly used in Extreme E, ABT CUPRA XE decided to go its own way: the CUPRA design department developed its own spectacular interpretation of the bodywork for the 540 hp race car, which is named the CUPRA Tavascan XE and already caused a sensation when it was presented.
In Extreme E, ten teams – including the teams of former Formula 1 world champions Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg – compete for the championship. One woman and one man take turns behind the wheel. After the season opener, there are four more destinations on the calendar: Sardinia in early May, Senegal or Scotland in July, Chile in September and the coast of Uruguay for the finale in November.
Jutta Kleinschmidt: “Taking all our experience with us”
Jutta Kleinschmidt already knows Extreme E from the first season. “We’ve taken all our experience with us into the new season and prepared meticulously together with the engineers and mechanics,” she says, looking forward to her prominent teammate: “Nasser brings an enormous amount of experience from his cross-country career to the team, which will help all of us. We’ve known each other well for a long time – I’m looking forward to our first time on track together.”
Nasser Al-Attiyah: “We want to race for victory”
Although Nasser Al-Attiyah hasn’t yet sat in his race car, his anticipation is rising: “I’m grateful for the chance to compete in Extreme E with this team – it’s a bit of a dream come true for me as I’ve been following the series very closely since the beginning.” The Qatari joins Team ABT CUPRA XE as the reigning Dakar winner and now returns to the scene of his most recent triumph. “Coming back to Saudi Arabia with Extreme E naturally gives me a lot of confidence. In addition to that, with Jutta we have a Dakar winner and one of the world’s best female racers in the team. We know our way around, have a plan and want to race for victory.”
Already one of the stars: the CUPRA Tavascan XE
The CUPRA Tavascan XE replaces the e-CUPRA ABT XE1 from the first season: With its spectacular exterior and striking LED lights, the off-road race car gives a first hint of the design language of the future CUPRA Tavascan production car. The brand’s second all-electric model is being developed in Barcelona and is scheduled for its market launch in 2024. The CUPRA Tavascan XE is more sustainable than its predecessor: flax fiber parts from the 3D printer make work on the vehicle even more flexible and environmentally friendly.
Even more race action already in qualifying
With the second season, the organizers are bringing even more action to the track. The most important innovation: instead of a single timed race, qualifying will consist of a total of four heats in which five cars will compete against each other. A points system then determines the line-ups for the two semi-final races (each with three cars) and the “Crazy Race” (with four cars). The first two cars from each of the semi-finals will advance to the final, and so will the winner of the “Crazy Race”. Five cars will then fight for victory in the final.
GridPlay: How fans can support ABT CUPRA XE
The best starting position in the final can make the difference – and that is in the hands of the fans. From February 16 until Saturday at 5 p.m., fans can vote twice a day on the Extreme E website. The votes are added up and the team with the most fans gets to choose its position on the grid. An additional strategic element: Even the teams that do not reach the final play an important role by passing on their votes to a team of their choice.
Two weeks before the start of the new Extreme E season in Saudi Arabia, the driver pairing of ABT CUPRA XE has been announced: The new partner alongside Jutta Kleinschmidt will be the current and altogether four-time Dakar Rally winner Nasser Al-Attiyah. Mattias Ekström will concentrate on his other duties and leave the team. The first race of the 2022 season will be held in Neom on 19 and 20 February.
“I’m already a bit excited and believe that this will be a great experience for me. Extreme E is an exciting series with the ambition to contribute to a better future,” says Nasser Al-Attiyah, who won the famous Dakar Rally for the fourth time this year after 2011, 2015 and 2019. “I am proud to be a part of the team now. Expectations are high: with the experience of ABT CUPRA XE and Jutta by my side, we are determined to race for victories. I can’t wait to sit in the car and have fun.”
Hans-Jürgen Abt is also happy with the new partner alongside Jutta Kleinschmidt. “Of course we are a bit sad to let Mattias go. He did a great job in our team during the first season on and off the track and has been part of our family for 20 years – that won’t change, but of course we respect his priorities,” says the managing partner of ABT Sportsline. “With Jutta and Nasser we now have a new team at the start that is extremely strong again. Our goals remain the same: we want to fight for race wins and the title.”
Jutta Kleinschmidt enters her second season with the experience of four out of five Extreme E weekends so far. “Last year we created a solid basis and fought for front positions. This year the challenge is to be even more consistent in taking wins and trophies, and we are ready for that,” says the first and so far only female Dakar winner. “Being able to share my passion for off-road racing with such a great team and now a Dakar star like Nasser is fantastic motivation. I just want to start the season.”
Even more anticipation comes with a look at the German-Qatari duo’s race car: The CUPRA Tavascan XE now replaces the e-CUPRA ABT XE1 from the first season: With its spectacular exterior and striking LED lights, the off-road racing car gives a first hint of the design language of the future CUPRA Tavascan production car. The brand’s second purely electric model is being developed in Barcelona and is scheduled for market launch in 2024. The CUPRA Tavascan XE is more sustainable than its predecessor: flax fibre parts from the 3D printer make work on the car even more flexible and environmentally friendly.
After the season opener in February, four more destinations are on the calendar for the second Extreme E season: at the beginning of May, it’s off to Sardinia, in June to Senegal or Scotland, in September to Chile and for the finale in October to the coast of Uruguay. Ten teams, each with a woman and a man taking turns at the wheel, compete for the championship.
The Triumph Spitfire / MG Midget 1500 is an engine that responds well to tuning and one of the essential modifications is the additions of a pair of Weber DCOE carburettors.
Webcon is pleased to announce the introduction of a superb quality, UK manufactured intake manifold and linkage set to suit this engine which allows for the fitment of a pair of 40 DCOE carburettors.
The new manifold set is available as part number MW3806 priced at £382.88 plus VAT, or as a complete package with a pair of genuine Spanish Weber 40DCOE carburettors as part number PMG201 priced at £1052.89 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 once again supply its exclusive Rose Petal 4.75″ x 10 alloy wheels.
The Mini Spares Rose Petal is a faithful reproduction of the classic 1960’s wheel.
The modern wheels benefit from Mini Spares’ own tooling; top specification compound materials and heat treatment make them suitable for FIA Historic race use as well as road cars.
Rose Petal wheels easily clear Mini Spares C-AJJ4023 four-pot alloy calipers with the solid Cooper S discs when the supplied spacers are used. (If vented discs are used shorter bleed nipples and extra wheel spacers will be required).
Each wheel is supplied with a wheel spacer and two sets of stainless wheel nuts for use with or without the spacer. When used without spacers (e.g. on FIA cars) the disc and caliper will have to be modified slightly.
BEWARE: there is a cheaper copy on sale which was made after the Mini Spares wheel was introduced, but it did not fit correctly to Historic race cars. It had a very poor track record and was prone to damage when used. The copies were at first shiny black, but now the satin black with silver centre finish has also been copied making the fakes harder to spot.
Genuine Mini Spares rose petal wheels are made with the correct offset to clear Cooper S disc brakes and are supplied with the correct open-ended nuts and washers produced in stainless steel for longevity and appearance.
Order genuine Mini Spares Rose Petal Wheels as part number C-21A1071 at £146.39 inc VAT.
For more details contact Mini Spares on +44 1707 607700 or visit their website: www.minispares.com
In response to customers requests, Mini Spares is now offering a 998cc(1030cc) half engine in addition to its existing 1275cc(1380cc) version.
Both half engines are supplied exclusively to Mini Spares by Bill Richards Racing using Mini Spares parts.
The 998(1030cc) and 1275(1380cc) are as fast and powerful as one would hope, whilst maintaining drivability and a reasonable MPG figure.
Both half engines use the Evolution camshaft which has very low hydrocarbon emissions making itwell within MoT requirements. The half engines are supplied fully built using the parts shown. However, it should be noted that a timing cover is not included and so will need to be transfered from the old engine.
For 998cc block with +40 thou oversized pistons order as ENG101 at £1,605.24 inc VAT. For 1275cc block with +120 thou oversized pistons order as ENG001 at £1,769.50 inc VAT.
For more details contact Mini Spares on +44 1707 607700 or visit their website: www.minispares.com
Mini Spares has just introduced a grille especially for owners wanting the Mk1 Cooper retro look for their later Minis, whilst retaining the security of an internal cable bonnet lock.
The kit includes a Mk1 Cooper look grille but with a full top slat, instead of a finger opening for the bonnet lock release. The kit also includes the moustache-shaped surround, which is chrome over brass for longevity, plus the side whiskers and all fitting clips.
Order as 24A2159KIT at £185.84 inc VAT
Alternatively, a grille with a finger opening is available for cars with an original a external release bonnet as 24A2158KIT at £193.22 inc VAT
For more details contact Mini Spares on +44 1707 607700 or visit their website: www.minispares.com
Do you want to make your BMW stand out from the crowd but are not sure where to start?
Worry no more because M-Style is now offering Styling Packages to enhance various popular BMW models with: carbon mirror covers, carbon fibre grilles, new black badges and (to make your Beemer really stand out) sequential indicator conversions.
The packages are available for various models such as: • F20 1-Series • F22 2-Series • F30 3-Series • F32/ F36 4-Series plus some M models and several others BMW models.
The contents shown here are typical but can vary according to the model. For instance, some packages contain headlamp brows and customers can pick and choose parts from the M-Style range to make up a truly custom package.
Prices vary according to the package selection and model but, as a guide, the package shown here would be £419 fitted (inc. VAT).
For further details e-mail info@mstyle.co.uk or call 0208 598 9115
In 1966 Volvo took the decision to replace the traditionally styled Volvo Amazon with the boxy looking 140 Series of saloons and estate cars. This would set the general styling trend of the automotive industry for much of the early 70s.
If you feel that these styling icons of the early Seventies should be preserved (much as icons like the Battersea Power Station should be preserved) then you’ll be pleased to hear that GAZ is now producing fully adjustable suspension dampers to keep these vehicles on the road.
GAZ GT Dampers will 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.
GAZ can set the dampers up for general road use and they will also be suitable for occasional track slalom and sprint use; alternatively they can even be set up for serious racing use if you so wish.
All units are individually tested before leaving the factory and are covered by a two year warranty. GAZ GT dampers for the Volvo 140 series retail from £70.64 each plus VAT
Available exclusively from Classic Swede – www.classicswede.com
