Month: March 2023

With the XNH, ABT presents a vehicle concept that fits perfectly into the trend of the times and represents a real premiere in the company’s more than 125-year history. It is the first camper from the Bavarian company. And it should not only be able to compete with the best of its guild, but also represent a truly unique option. Together with renowned partners in the industry, a total of 500 VW T6.1s are being extensively converted with many unique details and features. After all, it is not for nothing that the ABT brand stands for innovation leadership, emotionality and premium character in every detail. “You will hardly find a more modern and high-quality vehicle on the market in this segment,” says managing partner Hans-Jürgen Abt enthusiastically about the camping conversion: “The name ABT XNH of the complete vehicle stands for ‘Explore New Horizons’. We are addressing all those who want to expand their horizons and for whom maximum comfort is the ultimate form of freedom. In everyday life as well as in leisure time.” The camper can be seen live for the first time in two versions at the f.re.e. on stand 131 of sales partner Autohaus Schweiger in hall B4. Bavaria’s largest travel and leisure trade fair will take place from 22 to 26 February 2023.

In terms of exclusivity, lightweight construction and wow factor, the ABT XNH can definitely compete with other legendary complete vehicles from the renowned Bavarian company. This is guaranteed by the attractive aero kit. After all, ABT Sportsline already has a lot of experience with the Multivan, which is one of the bestsellers in the tuning programme. In the case of the XNH, the range includes front grill, front and rear skirts, side skirt add on’s and a striking foil finish with contour lines. A real highlight are the 18-inch XNH rims in noble glossy black, designed especially for the vehicle and fitted with Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres. However, ABT does not only want to convince the demanding clientele with a sporty and attractive exterior. As the centrepiece, the camping conversion in particular is groundbreaking.

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The interior of the ABT camper, which is powered by a 150 HP (110 kW) diesel engine, was designed by the renowned company VANING GmbH. The ABT XNH scores with a design furnishing that is as functional as it is noble, with a high-quality finish even in the areas that are not visible. For the surfaces, scratch-resistant and easy-care HPL meets hand-picked real wood panels. The “wall panelling” consists of homely flocked and, above all, lightweight GRP mouldings that were specially made for the project. The assembly of all components is carried out by Volkswagen Group Services GmbH, the specialist in special vehicle construction.

The XNH offers a decisive space advantage due to its 40 cm longer wheelbase compared to the normal T6.1. Five seats meet a spacious kitchen with a double induction hob, refrigerator and table. In addition, there is a pull-out outdoor kitchen with gas cooker in the rear. The company is particularly proud of the self-sufficient power supply, which is ensured by photovoltaic modules. A lithium battery has been installed as a storage unit to ensure that sufficient energy is available even in the dark. The expertise for the concept comes from the countless electromobility projects that ABT e-Line has put on the road in the last decade. Currently, for example, used VW T6.1 are being converted to e-drive.

Environmental friendliness is also in the specifications for the ABT XNH. The camper van has highly effective thermal insulation made of sheep’s wool and recycled material. This ensures low heating requirements and guarantees comfortable temperatures even in the cold season. Production will start in May 2023 at Volkswagen Group Services GmbH in Hanover. The ABT XNH is once again a real highlight of the extremely popular model series. More about ABT’s unique debut in the camper van sector at www.abt-camper.com.

For Kelvin van der Linde and for many South African motorsport fans, a little dream will come true this weekend: the 26-year-old youngster will contest the Cape Town E-Prix in his home country together with his team ABT CUPRA. Van der Linde is once again replacing regular driver Robin Frijns, who continues to recover from a hand injury, and will compete alongside Nico Müller in the fifth race of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The scenery around the 2.927-kilometre circuit is impressive. The track is located in the middle of the city, runs around the stadium and also along the coast and harbour. 30 laps will be completed on Saturday starting at 4 p.m. local time. It is the premiere of Formula E in South Africa and only the second venue on the African continent after Marrakesh. Cape Town is one of four new locations on the 2023 race calendar.

At Formula E’s most recent appearance in Hyderabad, India, ABT CUPRA had shown a clear upward trend in the fourth race of its comeback year: Nico Müller drove the fastest lap of the race and, in eleventh place, narrowly missed scoring the first points for the newly formed team.

Nico Müller: “Challenge for us drivers”
Before boarding the plane to the racetrack, preparation in the simulator was on the agenda. “After the first laps there, I think we’ll be facing the fastest track on the calendar,” says Nico Müller. “Especially with the Gen3 car and its higher output, it will be exciting and definitely a challenge for us drivers. We’ve been working intensively on our to-do list despite the short break after India and want to make further progress in Cape Town.” There is also anticipation about the location itself: “The scenery will be impressive. The pictures from Cape Town will go around the world.”

Kelvin van der Linde: “The dream becomes reality”
Quite a lot on the agenda for Kelvin van der Linde these days: spontaneous replacement for Robin Frijns in the Formula E World Championship, his first ever races in a formula car and now, as a Johannesburg-born South African, the home race in his own country. “Now this dream is actually coming true and I’m driving a World Championship race in South Africa,” says van der Linde. “We all hoped that Robin would be fit in time. But of course, I will now give everything to represent him decently in Cape Town as well. The interest is enormous, my phone doesn’t stop ringing and buzzing. I’m really looking forward to the weekend.”
 
Thomas Biermaier: “The goal must be to race for points”
“The anticipation for the debut of Formula E in Cape Town is huge, you can feel it throughout the paddock,” says team principal Thomas Biermaier. “It’s a bit of a dream come true for our local hero Kelvin, even if he would of course have wished the circumstances of his home race to be different.” In sporting terms, the direction is clear for Kelvin and Nico. Thomas Biermaier: “We recently made steps forward in India, and that’s exactly where we want to pick up: the goal in Cape Town must be to race for points again.”

ABT Sportsline returns to the Nordschleife and takes on one of the greatest motorsport challenges of all at the legendary 24-hour race: from 18 to 21 May, the team will compete with a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. It is the start of a new motorsport partnership with the Italian sports car brand, which is designed for the long term. ABT’s tuning portfolio will also be expanded to include the Lamborghini brand in 2023 with offerings for the spectacular Urus.

“We are excited about this new motorsport partnership. Lamborghini is a great brand full of history and passion for motorsport and sports cars,” says Thomas Biermaier, CEO of ABT Sportsline. “We have already experienced many emotional moments on the Nordschleife over the past two decades and now want to start a new chapter together with Lamborghini. The preparations have already begun.” The programme includes test drives as well as participation in two rounds of the “Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie” (NLS) prior to the 24-hour race with the option of further races in preparation for the 2024 season.

For ABT, it will be the tenth appearance at this classic of long-distance races. The debut was in 1999 with an Audi A4 quattro powered by natural gas – the race with the innovative drive concept was a minor sensation at the time. Entries with the ABT-Audi TT-R from the DTM, the Audi R8 LMS and the Bentley Continental GT3 followed. The best results were two second places at the 2003 and 2009 editions. ABT last competed on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 2017.

The Urus is the first and only Lamborghini available with an ABT Power performance upgrade to date. In the second half of 2023, the fast SUV will once again become a pioneer and the first representative of the Italian sports car manufacturer to become an ABT complete vehicle. Its most striking feature: the exclusive aero package. “The Urus is the super sports car among SUVs. With our carbon aero package we will give the front, flanks and rear even more speed and drama,” the managing partner of the Bavarian tuning company, Hans-Jürgen Abt, is certain: “We have also found a new design for the perfect set of forged rims for the vehicle – let us surprise you!” On the engine side, customers can look forward to significantly more ABT Power than before: the performance upgrade, which has been revised once again, guarantees an enormous increase in performance. To match this, there will be a suspension upgrade so that the Urus can fully exploit the newly gained performance even on winding terrain. Furthermore, the Bavarian company will add some new sporty-luxurious touches to the interior to increase the individuality factor in the cockpit as well.

Eleventh place and the fastest lap of the race: Nico Müller and the ABT CUPRA team presented themselves in much improved form at the premiere of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in India, narrowly missing out on the first points since their comeback in this ninth season. In the free practice sessions and qualifying in front of more than 25,000 fans in Hyderabad, Nico Müller and Kelvin van der Linde had already indicated the upward trend.

In qualifying, Nico Müller looked at times as if he would finish in midfield or even in the duels of the top eight drivers, before he was pushed through to 18th place in the final minutes. In a spectacular, at times even chaotic race, the Swiss kept out of almost all the scuffles and finished eleventh. “An event with ups and downs, but also an upward trend,” says Nico Müller. “With a better starting position, more would have been possible today. But even so, we’re taking a lot of positives to South Africa – an event that I’m looking forward to, as is the whole paddock.”

After a 14th place at the season opener in Mexico and retirements and backfield positions in Saudi Arabia, the finish in the Indian metropolis was the best result of the season for ABT CUPRA so far. “We are still nowhere near where we want to be, but we notice that our steps are going in the right direction,” says team principal Thomas Biermaier. “We had our first chance to fight for a good grid position here in India in qualifying. We have to build on this in South Africa, and then we’ll soon have the first points under our belt. The whole team is pulling along great and the upward trend makes everyone even more eager to perform in Cape Town.”

For Kelvin van der Linde, the race was over after nine laps. The 26-year-old South African had already experienced two moments of shock on Friday and in qualifying when his car failed to decelerate due to technical defects around the battery. In the race, which van der Linde started from last place on the grid, he reported a strange feeling in the car immediately after the start. The team decided to abandon for safety reasons and called the youngster back to the pits.

The early stages of this season in particular do not allow drivers, teams and organizers to take a breather: the fifth round of the season in Cape Town (South Africa) is already on the calendar in two weeks’ time. Whether regular driver Robin Frijns will return to the team after his injury at the season opener or Kelvin van der Linde will contest his home race has not yet been decided. Frijns will train in the simulator in Kempten for the first time again on Wednesday. At the same time, van der Linde is also preparing with the engineers. At the end of the week, the team will then decide who will start alongside Nico Müller. “Of course, we all want Robin to return as soon as possible,” says Thomas Biermaier. “At the same time, however, we want to give him all the time he needs to fully heal from the injury without any pressure. Either way, we’ll have a strong line-up in our cars in Cape Town.”

ABT will contest a race in India for the first time in its long motorsport history next Saturday (11 February 2023): Hyderabad is on the calendar for the first time and will host the fourth round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season. Alongside Nico Müller, Kelvin van der Linde will again be standing in for regular driver Robin Frijns, who continues to recover from his hand injury sustained at the season opener in Mexico.

After two expectedly difficult weekends at the start of the season, the newly formed team is still without points. The backlog in terms of preparation and testing by the ABT team, which is operating as a customer team for the first time, and the temporary absence of Robin Frijns, one of the most experienced Formula E drivers ever, are too great. The kilometres from three races driven and all the practice sessions provide valuable data material that has been intensively analysed since the event in Diriyah.

ABT CUPRA now wants to take the next steps forward on the 2.835-kilometer circuit in the Indian financial metropolis of Hyderabad. The track is new to all teams, with everyone starting from scratch on Friday afternoon in shakedown and free practice. 32 laps will be completed on Saturday from 3 p.m. local time.

Nico Müller: “A very cool track”
If Nico Müller is right, then fans can look forward to an exciting race. “This is a very cool track,” says the Swiss ahead of his fourth race for ABT CUPRA. “Especially at the chicane on the long straight, we all don’t really know what to expect. The following tight hairpin will then also be very exciting.” After the preparations in the simulator, the drivers have a first impression, but there are still many unknowns. Müller: “The track is a lot of fun in the simulator, it’s all about finding a good rhythm. We’ll only see how the asphalt is and how many bumps there are when we are on site. I’m looking forward to India.”

Kelvin van der Linde: “A new adventure for me”
Kelvin van der Linde is contesting only the third single-seater race of his still young career in Hyderabad. “I’ve never been to India before, so just traveling to this new culture is an adventure for me,” says the 26-year-old South African. “After my laps in the simulator, I can say that the track is great, but it will also be a big challenge. I’ve also looked at onboard footage of other series that have raced there. There are some overtaking opportunities and so we can definitely expect a spectacular race.” Whereas van der Linde was recently one of only a handful of drivers in Diriyah who didn’t know the track, the situation is different now: “It’s a track that no one in the paddock knows – so we’re all arriving on a level playing field.”

Thomas Biermaier: “Proud of how everyone is taking on the task”
The fact that the road back to Formula E will not be an easy one was already clear to Thomas Biermaier’s team before the start of the season. “Our entire team, all mechanics, engineers and race drivers, are used to success. Now we’re facing a whole new challenge, and I’m proud of how each individual is taking on this task,” says the team principal. “Everyone is working as hard as they can in their own area to make sure we catch up soon. With Formula E’s tight calendar, the steps are small at the moment, but they are going in the right direction. We’re going to India with exactly the same spirit.” Thomas Biermaier is more than satisfied with the debut of his reserve driver. “We didn’t throw Kelvin into cold water in Saudi Arabia, but into ice-cold water – and yet he did a great job. Not only on the track, but also in his feedback and work with the engineers. He should also go into the race in India without any pressure and enjoy Formula E for now.”

Webcon is delighted to announce the release of its long awaited manifold and linkage set
to allow fitment of three Weber 40DCOE carburettors to the Triumph GT6 engine.

The new kit features stepped manifolds to clear the sloping bonnet on the GT6. The new Webcon manifolds are designed, cast and manufactured in the UK to Webcon’s exacting quality standards. The set also includes a Webcon marine-grade stainless rod linkage system to ensure a smooth, accurate set up and operational longevity.

The inlet manifold set and linkage can be ordered as part number MW0091 at £520.10 plus VAT.

Alternatively, the manifold set and linkage can also be ordered as a complete set with three genuine Spanish Weber 40DCOE carburettors as part number PTR304 priced at £2,195.00 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 is delighted to announce the relaunch of the Weber Twin Choke Conversion Kit for the Ford CVH 1.6 engine.

This popular engine is used in many cars including the Ford Fiesta XR2 and Escort XR3, Morgan 4/4, and numerous kit cars. With many of the original carburettors approaching the end of their useful life, a Weber 32/34 DMTL manual choke carburettor conversion will breathe new life into these performance cars.

The Weber Twin Choke Conversion Kit can be ordered as part number PFO103 and includes a new Webcon manifold, a Weber 32/34 DMTL carburettor jetted for the 1.6 CVH engine, an air filter
and an OEM air box adaptor, as well as a new choke cable.

The kit is very competitively priced at just £667.31plus VAT.

For further details contact Webcon UK on +44 (0)1932 787100 or visit www.webcon.co.uk

Mini Spares are now offering these high quality Japanese sealed ball joints for classic Minis.

The joints were developed and tested over a period of three years.

The original concept was to develop a high quality product similar to those used on modern vehicles.

Unlike the original Mini design, these maintenance free ball joints do not require periodic adjustments of the shim and are pre-loaded for easy installation. As no shimming is required, the maintenance-free ball joints can be fitted in a relatively short period of time.

They mount as a direct replacement in the same way as the original and can be fitted to the top and bottom without disturbing the suspension’s geometry.

They can also be installed without the need for a deep socket by simply removing the dust boot prior to fitting and then tightening to the required torque setting.

Mini Spares sealed ball joints are sold individually as part number C-GSJ166 at £59.90 inc. VAT or as a set of four as part number C-GSJ166KIT at £224.64 inc. VAT.

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

M-Style is pleased to announce that it can now supply various upgrades for the BMW M135i (F20 LCI Model).

Carbon Fibre parts include:
Front Splitter £429
Side Blades £349
Rear Diffuser £429
M Flick Mirrors £129
Bumper Canards £295

In addition to the styling upgrades M-Style also offers a Limited Slip Differential conversion for the M135i to ensure all that power translates into traction not wheelspin.

M-Style also offers a fitting service for all the products it sells. Please contact M-Style for prices.

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

The Vauxhall Chevette Hatchback is becoming increasingly rare today, but that hasn’t stopped GAZ from offering improved damping for those that remain.

GAZ fully adjustable GT dampers enable the damping bump and rebound rate to be adjusted to suit the conditions and driving style. They have adjustable damping rates which 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 but they will also be suitable for the occasional track slalom and sprint use; alternatively, they can be set up for serious racing use if you so wish.

GAZ dampers feature a zinc plated body and protective plastic sleeve to keep them looking good and working well for long into the future.

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

The GAZ GT dampers number GT6-2182 (front) and GT6-2298 (rear) will fit Chevette Hatchbacks, Vans and Estates made from 1975 to 1984 (except the HS2300) and retail at £76.58 each plus VAT and £68.80 each plus VAT respectively.
Chevette Saloons use the same front dampers but require GT7-2183 for the rear, retailing at £76.30 each plus VAT.

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