Figured I'd start a thread to discuss the weekend.

I know I've been following Turner Motorsport. Don Salama and Will Turner seem to be enjoying their transition to the M3 in GS. Don qualified 2nd. Chris Gleason qualified 20th and is paired with Bill Auberlen. Finally, two rookies who have never raced much more than spec racers or other club series, have qualified the 330i ST car in 6th.

All in all I count 8 BMWs in the top 20 in GS and 5 BMWs in the top 20 in ST. It appears that Honda/Acura will run away with the ST championship as they have lead I think all sessions, including the test days a while back.

At this point I think you're correct with your ST assessment. Toby and Pierre lead the first session at the Daytona test, but got their doors blown off yesterday. Grand Am allowed, then disallowed last Friday (before they'd even hit the track) a stand alone engine management system in the Z4. The Z4 still weighs the same as the 330, has smaller brakes, more drag, and now has 35hp less. I feel strongly that Toby and Pierre are the best hope for a BMW championship in ST. Unfortunately, they've been dealt a serious handicap before the first green flag of the season.


How is it that BMW's always seem to be saddled with such strict handicaps? First SWC and now in GA. Is it a perception that BMW's are inherently better track cars and would be overdogs without regulations that put them mid-pack?

Here is the problem I see, Toby and Pierre are more than likely the best driver pairing in ST. I don't think that can be denied. They went to the Daytona test and ran well right off the trailer, while the other teams built up to speed. Now that it's race team the same teams that built up to speed at the test were fast right off the trailer. I think it speaks volumes when a pair of drivers like Toby and Pierre can't get within 1 second of the leaders and get out qualified by a tad over 2 seconds. But, Grand Am was, in my mind, scared that Toby and Pierre would dominate and they handcuffed them before the season even started. Also, I hear that GA tends to yank the chain of new teams a few times during the year..

The politics of racing. :(

Damn! Go Danny Alvis! With an hour left in the cup race Danny took the German Speed Merchants VW GTI from last to first with one hour left.

Brian- honestly I think it goes beyond the driver pairings. While Toby and Pierre do certainly carry some impressive credentials, this has been going on way before they entered the series.

A major part of it is sponsorship. BMW donates very little if anything to any of these series, where as Mazda participates in sponsorship deals, etc. Honda is similar but not nearly to the degree of Mazda. And it certainly doesnt help that BMWs are one of the hardest cars to tune.

dude with respect youre trying too hard to pimp toby and pierre

pierre is a world class talent as are many other koni challenge drivers

toby is good but club racer scott riley was faster than toby at sears point if i remember his club race results from there back in the fall

your hyperbole is just that

I agree with you. I've been involved with sportycar racing in Firehawk and the evolving series-now it's called Koni Challenge since 1993. It's a bit of a strange series, as the cars aren't all that prepared and there is a lot of give and take with the rules. Politics plays a huge part in these series and what our program is getting is a little lesson in pre-season politics. When a new team comes in with a good budget, good cars, and a strong driver strength people get worried. The boys tested really well at Daytona and everyone knows about their reputation as championshp caliber drivers.


Right now Pierre is in the car with 30 minutes left. He's got the car in 10th place, with drivers like Foo, Bo Roach, and some other "club" type drivers in front of him. Does that tell you that the car he's in is even close to equal to what is in front of him? I don't think so. I'm sure some of these guys have arms and legs, but none of them has the credentials as a driver like Pierre and Toby. None of them. And that's a stone cold fact.

The only drivers that shold be close to PK on rew speed are Eric Curran and Ken Dobson. Dobson is leading and is a very good driver. Curran has dropped out of the race.

I agree on the politics, also agree on PK's skills. However there are drivers in this country that have tons of talent but don't get the chance to showcase it. Whether they are burned out or don't want to race, or lack funding. I raced against Toby all year and he is a great driver but others are out there that are sitting at home or at work. We have a couple pretty decent drivers sitting at our shop right now that are very jealous:D
Ever heard of Cort Wagner? Rob Rodriguez, Bobby Carter. Just to name a few

Hedley, in all fairness, that was Scott Riley's car and it was an enduro that Toby drove Scott's car in after he won the USTCC race. Scott was driving his own car all weekend, Toby finishes our race which was part of the Enduro(1 Hour) gets up on the podium gets his 1st place trophy and then jumps down and gets in Scotts car after. Pretty impressive to me

Dale

Congrats to Billy Johnson (Stuntman) and Karl Thomson :buttrock

The only drivers that shold be close to PK on rew speed are Eric Curran and Ken Dobson. Dobson is leading and is a very good driver. Curran has dropped out of the race.

I'm sorry Brian but I disagree with this. First off, those two you listed are quite qualified. Also, remember Roger Foo won some SWC races with a club racing level CAR... that car was built on pennies compared to other teams budgets. He is a very talented driver. Nothing against Toby as he is talented from everything I've read... but he is also a "club" type driver in my mind. Pierre is also very talented but he has also been pretty contained to SWC for as long as I've heard his name. Also, whats your thought on Guy Cosmo running near the back of ST... he certainly is talented.

By the way I understand your comments, the best driver should always be at the top. Certainly there are a number of different factors. In GAC...err Koni Challenge, there are pit stops, lap traffic is huge, car setups, weather conditions, etc. I could go on and on listing all the factors affecting the race which you obviously know. Hell, I remember SWC races where Auberlen was driving the wheels off of his TMS car and couldnt even get into the top 10.

I would agree that your comments seem to really be pushing Toby/Pierre which is somewhat understandable considering your role with their team. HOWEVER, its almost starting to reach the point of under estimating and almost disrespecting the talent of the other drivers in the series.

Congrats to Billy Johnson (Stuntman) and Karl Thomson :buttrock

ditto

dale youre right i didnt remember the details however i think scott was significantly quicker all weekend long and i thought neither of them had ever been there before..whatever no slight to toby but he and pierre are far from the top team there and as dave says its not just the hp of the car at play here

IEver heard of Cort Wagner? Rob Rodriguez, Bobby Carter. Just to name a few

So thats where Cort is. Dude has talent for sure. Its a shame he cant get an ALMS ride.

I agree, like I was saying. Quite a few drivers are at home or working. Also remember it is the first race of the season, the cream will rise to the top if the car is good enough. Don't forget Seth Thomas is in GA also, so when they get their cars going they will be a hard team to beat. Some of the Acuras are really hooked up. It isn't all about power either. My friend told me about a TSX he drover with 4WAY Motons and he was simply amazed.
Dale

So thats where Cort is. Dude has talent for sure. Its a shame he cant get an ALMS ride.

Cort dosn't work with us, but Brad was talking with him today on the phone and when he got off we both started laughing because such a great talent like Cort should be at Daytona in something. We all know it is about money when it comes to racing in America these days. It is a pity that others won't wake up to the reality of it:(
Dale

I agree with you. I've been involved with sportycar racing in Firehawk and the evolving series-now it's called Koni Challenge since 1993. It's a bit of a strange series, as the cars aren't all that prepared and there is a lot of give and take with the rules. Politics plays a huge part in these series and what our program is getting is a little lesson in pre-season politics. When a new team comes in with a good budget, good cars, and a strong driver strength people get worried. The boys tested really well at Daytona and everyone knows about their reputation as championshp caliber drivers.


Right now Pierre is in the car with 30 minutes left. He's got the car in 10th place, with drivers like Foo, Bo Roach, and some other "club" type drivers in front of him. Does that tell you that the car he's in is even close to equal to what is in front of him? I don't think so. I'm sure some of these guys have arms and legs, but none of them has the credentials as a driver like Pierre and Toby. None of them. And that's a stone cold fact.

The only drivers that shold be close to PK on rew speed are Eric Curran and Ken Dobson. Dobson is leading and is a very good driver. Curran has dropped out of the race.

Welcome to Pro racing. Even the best drivers don't always get you to the front. You're racing a ton of decent talent in some really good cars.

I don't doubt Kleinubing's talent but honnestly I've never heard of the other guy. Doesn't mean he's not a bad driver. I'm sure there are some guys who I know and think are talented who you don't know. In fact, ever heard of Billy Johnson? Ignore the win today, from dead last, but how about his other runs last year in GAC and the year before that? He took a Z3 Coupe and smoked the field at Mid-Ohio in 2005 in his stint. He's obviously talented and shown it against some really good competition. Is he as good as Kleinubing? Probobly not but he's definitely one of the best in ST.

And, Roger Foo won ONE race in SWC. Everyone in the series knows that win was a joke. He did a good job, he's a decent driver, but he's no Kleinubing. It's a fact. Call me when Foo wins a few championships.

Dude... are you serious? You edited your post and replaced it with this? Just so I have this correct... you do PR for Classic BMW??? Lets list some names that Roger Foo beat in that "Joke"... Auberlen, David Leslie, Turner, Salama, Sapp, Plumb, Harvey, Dobson, Fitzgerald, and Classic BMWs own Pierre Kleinubing.

No where in any of my posts did I ever refer to Toby as not being talented. In fact, in my second post in this thread I state that Toby and Pierre have some impressive credentials. I'm not sure why your telling me/us that Dale has told us how good Toby is. It was never an issue. No one here ever disputed that. The only person disputing the talent of drivers in the series is yourself.

To me it seems like you think Classic BMW is the first team to ever have problems with racing politics. Ask TomM and PTG when they ran World Challenge. Ask Billy when he ran the Turner SWC car. Ask any BMW competitor in World Challenge for that matter. It happens. It sucks. Teams will find ways to prevail.

This thread has become horribly off topic... if we could get back to talking about Daytona and the actual racing that is/was going on down there that'd be great.

wow and now liebs posts are all gone ?

what happened ?

I'd like to see the Sigal team do well with Bill. It looks like Bill has the car going well and it has potential. It will be interesting to see how Karl Wendlinger does. Too bad they got their time disallowed from first day qualifying.

It's a shame to see Joey Hand in the Infinity outfit. The car doesn't seem to be ready, they've struggled just to make the back of the grid. Matt Connolly motorsports will push the ex-PTG M3's around, wish Joey had a seat in one of them. Does anyone know if BMW has retained any of the drivers? I'm assuming that Bill still has a relationship with BMW, but it doesn't look like Joey does.

does any one have results from the Koni Race?

does any one have results from the Koni Race?

http://www.grand-am.com/Events/SessionResults.asp?SessionID=795

Thanks TJ for the kind words. I look forward to racing against you one of these days.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b173/stuntman71/WIN.jpg

my roomate is racing in it right now actually. Memo Gidley, kodak car #77. It just went into the shop though :( hopefully it's nothing major

wish him good luck!

my roomate is racing in it right now actually. Memo Gidley, kodak car #77. It just went into the shop though :( hopefully it's nothing major

wish him good luck!

Your roommates with Memo? He is a pretty talented guy. He really fought up from the bottom. As I understand it he lived out of his car for a while.

http://www.grand-am.com/Events/SessionResults.asp?SessionID=795

yeah i couldnt get it to load.

yeah i couldnt get it to load.

It works here fine. Keep trying it's nothing special.

Two Mustangs and the Turner M3.

Is that your first win in a tin-top, Billy? It's about time.

Is that your first win in a tin-top, Billy? It's about time.
Yah Tom, first win in a tin-top in Grand Am -after 2 years of driving for 6 different teams in 6 different cars with countless different co-drivers in the ST class alone (all except 2 of which were top tens).

This was my first tin-top win -last year in Time Attack:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b173/stuntman71/_MG_1759.jpg

Well, w2w professional race anyways, good job! Now do it in a damn bmw ;)

my roomate is racing in it right now actually. Memo Gidley, kodak car #77. It just went into the shop though :( hopefully it's nothing major

wish him good luck!



thats cool tell your boy i got some good shots of him this weekend if he wants ill send em

Good run out there Billy. Even though it was an Acura that won it is at least good to know you are really a BMW driver.

Watch out because the BMWs are coming for you! ;-)

Billy will have it coming for him. If my car wasn't running in limp mode the whole race, we would have been able to finish better than 12th. Even in the second practice session, we were able to crank out 4th fastest with a car in limp mode and a motor that came out of the junk yard. If I can't beat Billy with a good running car, I'll just give him a wedgie.

As for cars running things like 4-way Motons, big deal. If you don't know what to do with them, they are worthless. I'll stick with my 3-ways and as soon as I run my calculations through Adams, I'll spend a bit more and have my shocks revalved again. There is a reason why I've spent more on my suspension than what I bought the car for.

BTW: Just wait until you see what I do with the brakes.

Yeah I guess we have to wait and see. You can stick with your 3 ways nobody said they were not good, but 4 ways are better especially if you know how to tune them.

Congratulations Billy

Dale

jj, which Adams are you using?

How are you using it for Damper valving?

Definitely sounds like you can take advantage of 4-ways! ;)

Brakes...stoptech carboncarbon rotors with 1pc PFC's ? :)

Someone made mention of Guy Cosmo running at the back of the ST field...... Well, as his co driver I can tell you that unfortunately we had a motor issue that resulted in the engine sputtering the entire lap(s) of qualifying. In addition, our ABS went out. For those that know Daytona and know what happens to the brake bias of an e46 without ABS - you'll draw your own conclusions!
After repairing our motor issue Mr Cosmo was able to turn laps near the end of the race that were right with the leaders. Even with the non functioning ABS....... That is talent beyond anything that I have witnessed....

Look out boys....The FMS cars will be completely sorted for Homestead.... We're gong to the front!

Paul- that was me. And by no means did I mean it in a disrespectful way. I knew something was up with the car. Unfortunately BMLracer deleted all his posts in the thread so my comment about Guy doesnt really make sense. I wish you guys the best of luck and hope that you, like Connoly, can get some luck flowing in your direction.

jj, which Adams are you using?The Family version

How are you using it for Damper valving?I use it in the rain, it works much better when it's damp(er).

Definitely sounds like you can take advantage of 4-ways! ;) 4 way is so old school. Look to the future:
http://www.steaknshake.com/menu/images/chili5way.jpg

Brakes...stoptech carboncarbon rotors with 1pc PFC's ? :) The Flintstone brand works quite well. One million strong and growing.

Dhabes,

No offense taken!

Thanks for the well wishes. We are taking incredible steps as of right now that will pay huge dividends real soon. Keep pulling for us and I guarantee you'll see positive results shortly!

Well, I'll have to report in on the Porsche front as I've defected this year and will be working with TRG. We built 4 cars in a month and a half and were just happy they all finished the race. A couple months of work and testing and we should be ready for Homestead.

Well, I'll have to report in on the Porsche front as I've defected this year and will be working with TRG. We built 4 cars in a month and a half and were just happy they all finished the race. A couple months of work and testing and we should be ready for Homestead.

Which car does Doug Livingston work with?

Well, I'll have to report in on the Porsche front as I've defected this year and will be working with TRG. We built 4 cars in a month and a half and were just happy they all finished the race. A couple months of work and testing and we should be ready for Homestead.

My buddy Brad Jaeger drove with you guys at the 24. He is a real good kid and has some talent.

Which car does Doug Livingston work with?

Doug's working on the #42 car.

My buddy Brad Jaeger drove with you guys at the 24. He is a real good kid and has some talent.


I didn't spend a lot of time around the GT guys other than the actual race. I don't think I met him. We had 20 drivers!

Billy will have it coming for him. If my car wasn't running in limp mode the whole race, we would have been able to finish better than 12th. Even in the second practice session, we were able to crank out 4th fastest with a car in limp mode and a motor that came out of the junk yard. If I can't beat Billy with a good running car, I'll just give him a wedgie.

As for cars running things like 4-way Motons, big deal. If you don't know what to do with them, they are worthless. I'll stick with my 3-ways and as soon as I run my calculations through Adams, I'll spend a bit more and have my shocks revalved again. There is a reason why I've spent more on my suspension than what I bought the car for.

BTW: Just wait until you see what I do with the brakes.
Uh-oh, The great JJVincent is back! I know you have a lot of little tricks up your sleeves ;)

Bummer about limp mode and the junkyard motor, but you know those BMW's have great powertrains, and I wouldn't consider a 'junkyard motor' as crap. Recall the story of a little Z3 coupe? -It had a junkyard motor :D

I didn't think 4-ways adjustable dampers were allowed in cup? Why stick with motons when you can have "32-way" adjustable Teins?

Brakes, you dont need brakes, they just slow you down. -You especially dont need them for 3-rivers

Rather than starting a new thread, I'll post here that SpeedArena has Grand Am Cup...er Koni Challenge gallery up now. http://www.speedarena.com/gallery/gallery2.php?mode=album&album=/Touring%20Cars/Grand%20Am%20Cup/2007/01%20Daytona

http://www.speedarena.com/gallery/albums//Touring%20Cars/Grand%20Am%20Cup/2007/01%20Daytona/005.jpg

http://www.speedarena.com/gallery/albums//Touring%20Cars/Grand%20Am%20Cup/2007/01%20Daytona/026.jpg

http://www.speedarena.com/gallery/albums//Touring%20Cars/Grand%20Am%20Cup/2007/01%20Daytona/054.jpg

Enjoy and pass it along if you know other Cup guys that might like to see it.

I think the M3 GS paintjobs are absolutely hideous.

BTW, anyone have any sort of information regarding just how many teams have switched to KONIs???

Well, I'll have to report in on the Porsche front as I've defected this year and will be working with TRG. We built 4 cars in a month and a half and were just happy they all finished the race. A couple months of work and testing and we should be ready for Homestead.

Steve...I didn't know you were on here!

I'm assuming you've caught up on some sleep?

Adam

some shots i took

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/CarlPardue/01.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/CarlPardue/22.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/CarlPardue/suntrust.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/CarlPardue/02.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/CarlPardue/IMG_3467.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/CarlPardue/IMG_3133.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/CarlPardue/IMG_2905.jpg

the last one of the G35 is great!

the last one of the G35 is great!
That is a great pic. I thought it was odd to see that car since all the privateer teams have all sold their 350Zs. You would think since Nissan wasn't giving any support to the Z teams, that no team would want to make a new G35 coupe car from scratch. The Zs did okay in GAC over the last few years, but were not competitive to the other high hp cars in GS. Does anyone know what motor the G35 was running? It can't be the VQ.

I did some digging, they use a 4.5L V8. That's kind of lame. M3s have to use the 3.4 I6 and they get to use a big V8...

That is a great pic. I thought it was odd to see that car since all the privateer teams have all sold their 350Zs. You would think since Nissan wasn't giving any support to the Z teams, that no team would want to make a new G35 coupe car from scratch. The Zs did okay in GAC over the last few years, but were not competitive to the other high hp cars in GS. Does anyone know what motor the G35 was running? It can't be the VQ.

I did some digging, they use a 4.5L V8. That's kind of lame. M3s have to use the 3.4 I6 and they get to use a big V8...

It is a good picture as are the others. Joey Hand and Brian Sellers drove for that team and it sounded like they struggled with engine problems throughout. In fairness, I believe the M3 could use a V8 if so desired.

Its amazing how dominant that Riley chassis is. Too bad its so damn frumpy.

That is a great pic. I thought it was odd to see that car since all the privateer teams have all sold their 350Zs. You would think since Nissan wasn't giving any support to the Z teams, that no team would want to make a new G35 coupe car from scratch. The Zs did okay in GAC over the last few years, but were not competitive to the other high hp cars in GS. Does anyone know what motor the G35 was running? It can't be the VQ.

I did some digging, they use a 4.5L V8. That's kind of lame. M3s have to use the 3.4 I6 and they get to use a big V8...

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m160/garrettxturbo/IMG_6776.jpg

this the motor they were using ..

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m160/garrettxturbo/IMG_6103.jpg

It is a good picture as are the others. Joey Hand and Brian Sellers drove for that team and it sounded like they struggled with engine problems throughout. In fairness, I believe the M3 could use a V8 if so desired.

I thought the V8 M3 IE: M3 GTR was not allowed after 2002 b/c it was so dominant?

I thought the V8 M3 IE: M3 GTR was not allowed after 2002 b/c it was so dominant?

There were plenty of rumors that PTG was going to put a V8 in the M3 last year. I think they could have, but not the motor that was in the 2001 car. The M5 motor has been legal for GA for some time. BMW NA had never wanted to run the car, because it was not relevant to the car they were trying to sell. It would have been very competitive with the P-cars, but they would have cried big time.

Yep, remember there was a street GTR built by BMW, but not enough to warrant a "production" 4.0L v8 that was in the original "GTR" racecar. An S62 like the DP cars have would be great in the M3 for Rolex :)

Yep, remember there was a street GTR built by BMW, but not enough to warrant a "production" 4.0L v8 that was in the original "GTR" racecar. An S62 like the DP cars have would be great in the M3 for Rolex :)

Right, there are a couple of those S62 M3s around. PTG built one in Jan of 2001 for Daytona...I think, that was run by someone else for a couple of years. It still shows up once and a while. It's a very quick car.

The Bell Motorsports V8 M3 is still running some club races. And of course there are a bunch of private S62 powered clubracercars.

The Bell Motorsports V8 M3 is still running some club races. And of course there are a bunch of private S62 powered clubracercars.

That's the car that was built by PTG. I couldn't remember the name.

I thought the V8 M3 IE: M3 GTR was not allowed after 2002 b/c it was so dominant?
well, it was banned in the ALMS because it wasn't technically a production car. I see both sides of the argument, but really, the cars it was competing against were based on cars that were actually produced in considerable numbers.
Jake

That's the car that was built by PTG. I couldn't remember the name.

Well, pretty much every GTR was assembled by PTG, I don't know of any GTR's in the US that were not originally assembled by PTG. Alegra still has there chassis, however I think it was a different style than the current (06'/04') GTR chassis. Some used the 210 rear ends, some used xtrac's, all were semi tube framed in the back though (no oem subframe). GTR was a "kit" like the Z4 Motorsport chassis is. So teams changed things as time went on, and modified them for whatever they needed.

The main distinguishing factor is the cage, it is subtantially different than normal motorsport chassis. Easiest feature to distinguish from looking at it from the outside is the A pillar, as its thinner and pulled farther from the chassis. Everything in the GTR is "lower" in the chassis. Entirely different suspension.

GTR is an awesome chassis, and I think with aero development and a V8 pwoerplant it could be competitive against the 997RSR.

From the looks of the Z4 Motorsport chassis, if it had a V8 it should be competitive as well, but would take a good team behind it, and chassis development to get as much mechanical grip as the RSR.

so the G35's were running a VQ?

so the G35's were running a VQ?

No, they were running a 4.5L V8 which makes me wonder why since it isn't in any G35 production car.

That ex-Bell GTR lives here in my town at least for a little while longer. The names on the side are pretty sexy: Said, Auberlen, Borcheller, Stuck. It was all I could do at the Roebling race to get out of its way. There is nothing like hearing a bunch of highly strung I6s and one monster V8 on track.

No, they were running a 4.5L V8 which makes me wonder why since it isn't in any G35 production car.

That ex-Bell GTR lives here in my town at least for a little while longer. The names on the side are pretty sexy: Said, Auberlen, Borcheller, Stuck. It was all I could do at the Roebling race to get out of its way. There is nothing like hearing a bunch of highly strung I6s and one monster V8 on track.

Based on the logic for the M3 Bell car, it only has to be an engine offered by the manufacturer. I think someone has to make sure it gets on the homologation sheet. If I remember right, Tom Milner told them you might as well add the V8 and they did. And that was before we knew that the real M3 GTR was coming. Tom may have known...probably did.

That's a neat driver list for sure and would by itself intimidate. A great quote. I didn't see it, but the Bell car showed up at an event at Summit Point and was very impressive with the club racers.

As an aside, there are a number of M3 GTR's in Europe that show up at the long distance races. Duller has or had one as does Scheid. Scheid wrote their's off at this year's 24 hour Nurburgring race and built another right away. Getrag has one that won the Nurburgring race in August. So they are still out there running where they are allowed. BMW still has the cars that Schitzer ran for Motorsport.

Unfortunately, this one is headed to Europe as well.

Unfortunately, this one is headed to Europe as well.

Oh really, they've sold it to someone in Europe? That's interesting.

Danny Alvis was selling the ex-Bell Motorsports M5-powered car to an English buyer who planned to run the car in a GT series over there. He was to use Danny as a co-driver in the endurance events. This is the car Danny drove at the Summit Point Club races in August 2005 and VIR Oktoberfest in September 2005.

Danny Alvis was selling the ex-Bell Motorsports M5-powered car to an English buyer who planned to run the car in a GT series over there. He was to use Danny as a co-driver in the endurance events. This is the car Danny drove at the Summit Point Club races in August 2005 and VIR Oktoberfest in September 2005.

Is that the car we watched PTG put the V8 in in January some years ago before the 24 hours during the open house?

It's off topic but I found this link today to a 60 MB download of an in car of the Getrag M3 on the Nurburgring. It's very good.

http://www.frankuhlig.de/index.php?name=News&file=print&sid=67

[QUOTE=stenney;8612171]Is that the car we watched PTG put the V8 in in January some years ago before the 24 hours during the open house?

QUOTE]

I believe it is. It still had the same blue and silver paint through this past summer when Danny drove it at a VIR DE event.

The last thing I'd want to do is stick in a V8 for the GT cars. The Rolex cars are not even close to the GTR's and the car is not set up to run a V8. Remember, the Rolex cars vary greatly in the suspension department as compared to the GTR's. We are limited when it comes to suspension geometry and what parts we are allowed to use. Too many people compare the Rolex cars to the GTR's. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Running a V8 would actually maker the car slower because it would be impossible to drive. I'll stick with the 3.2l slant 6 and see what happens.

As for a Z4 M Coupe with a V8, maybe wait until 2008..............

The last thing I'd want to do is stick in a V8 for the GT cars. The Rolex cars are not even close to the GTR's and the car is not set up to run a V8. Remember, the Rolex cars vary greatly in the suspension department as compared to the GTR's. We are limited when it comes to suspension geometry and what parts we are allowed to use. Too many people compare the Rolex cars to the GTR's. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Running a V8 would actually maker the car slower because it would be impossible to drive. I'll stick with the 3.2l slant 6 and see what happens.

As for a Z4 M Coupe with a V8, maybe wait until 2008..............

Agreed. When PTG first entered the GA, they were using the GTR with the six in place of the V8. GA changed the regs asking them to take the cars back closer to stock, so they became more like the SWC cars.

Mario Theissen has recently said in a short interview in Sport Auto that there will not be a V8 for the Z4 M Coupe.

Mario Theissen has recently said in a short interview in Sport Auto that there will not be a V8 for the Z4 M Coupe.

They also said there wouldn't be an M Z4 or Z4 Coupe at all.

They also said there wouldn't be an M Z4 or Z4 Coupe at all.

OK. Don't know who they is or when, but Dr. Mario Theissen is quoted in the latest Sport Auto (German) that they have no intension of developing a V8 Z4 M Coupe. Plans can always change, but once the V8 M3 is out in a year or so, there may not be much interest in a V8 for the M Coupe. We'll see...

OK. Don't know who they is or when, but Dr. Mario Theissen is quoted in the latest Sport Auto (German) that they have no intension of developing a V8 Z4 M Coupe. Plans can always change, but once the V8 M3 is out in a year or so, there may not be much interest in a V8 for the M Coupe. We'll see...

Forgive me, this information is years old and it's not important enough to me to go find sources, but surely I'm not the only one that remembers this statement out of BMW. It was quoted in several magazines early in the life-cycle of the Z4.

Forgive me, this information is years old and it's not important enough to me to go find sources, but surely I'm not the only one that remembers this statement out of BMW. It was quoted in several magazines early in the life-cycle of the Z4.

OK, my point is that this has just been addressed in the February 2007 current issue of Sport Auto. Obviously, it's something that many of us have considered. However, for the foreseeable future, there won't be a V8 in the Z4 M Coupe. My German isn't great, but he says that it's intended to be a customer car and the six makes a better solution for that. I'd like to see the V8, but it will take a significant change in their plans. Their plans seem to be focused on the V8 M3 and that's OK. We just have to wait.

OK, my point is that this has just been addressed in the February 2007 current issue of Sport Auto. Obviously, it's something that many of us have considered. However, for the foreseeable future, there won't be a V8 in the Z4 M Coupe. My German isn't great, but he says that it's intended to be a customer car and the six makes a better solution for that. I'd like to see the V8, but it will take a significant change in their plans. Their plans seem to be focused on the V8 M3 and that's OK. We just have to wait.

That's fine, I never questioned the validity of your evidence. Not sure why you seem genuinely worked-up I was just being snarky.

However, for the foreseeable future, there won't be a V8 in the Z4 M Coupe. What if an American team built one all on their own and doesn't care what BMW thinks?

so the G35's were running a VQ?
Yes, VQ45 though, not the VQ35. Same "series" of engine though ;)

What if an American team built one all on their own and doesn't care what BMW thinks?

Just because someone builds it, doesn't mean that it can be raced anywhere if the manufacturer has no interest. It's not of much value if none of the race series have the homologation for a V8 in the Z4 M Coupe. There has been a V8 homologated for the E46 M3 for some time, so it's been acceptable even though it's not really been offered for sale extensively.

It would be an interesting custom car...that's for sure.

Just because someone builds it, doesn't mean that it can be raced anywhere if the manufacturer has no interest. It's not of much value if none of the race series have the homologation for a V8 in the Z4 M Coupe. I never thought of that. I guess I'll remain quiet until 2008.

I guess I'll remain quiet until 2008.

Don't do that.