Time For Car

Archive for August, 2009

Body Kits For Racing Cars

Body kits serve the dual purpose of enhancing the looks and improving the aerodynamics. For a street car the primary purpose tends to be the looks. Performance is secondary. Therefore the main consideration while choosing body kits are the looks and style besides other considerations such as durability and cost.

However for a racing car performance cannot be compromised. And the racing car body kits should serve to improve the aerodynamics. One of the first considerations is that the body kit should be light weight. A heavy body kit will drag down the performance of the car.

For the aerodynamics enhancement it is important to consider body kits that have been tested to improve the aerodynamics. It should have smooth contours that allow the air to bend and pass through easily without creating a large drag force. However it is difficult to judge how aerodynamically efficient a body kit is just by looking at it.

For a high level racing car the design and testing of the cars contours are a highly refined science and also a highly refined art. Aerodynamics involves some of the most complex engineering and testing requires expensive equipment like wind tunnels. Even a small change in a contour can have a large impact on the aerodynamic performance of the component. Therefore if you are looking for an aerodynamically tested component it is best to buy from a manufacturer that gives details of their aerodynamic testing.

Besides the standard front and rear bumpers there are other body kits components that you should consider. Spoilers for example will help make your car drive more stable in racing conditions.

Racing car body kits need professional installation. It is very important that the individual components are installed correctly and there is no danger of a component installation getting compromised during racing. Racing cars usually also have elaborate graphics. Therefore it would be a good idea to get the installation done at a body shop which would be able to do all the related work as well.

You can find the latest selection of body kits at www.ilovebodykits.com

About the writer:  Louie Liu has been in the car aftermarket products industry for 5years. He has specialized in body kits headlights cold air intakes and other aftermarket products. He has deep knowledge of a wide range of products including knowledge of benefits of body kits and other products product options and how to choose a car aftermarket product. You can learn about a wide range of body kits and other car aftermarket products at his site www.ilovebodykits.com.

Bmw A Luxury It Its Own

Only BMW was able to produce a vehicle that carries a concoction of various car features since its first invention. It is very popular for its excellent handling and protection while traveling which makes it one of the safest manufacturers on the road. It has been heralded as having the best maintenance service in the industry. There is no other car company that offers the luxury of designing your own BMW features at a reasonable cost.

In its 2008 version the body is quiet heavier and larger. Its speed is unbelievably fast compared to the previous models. The style is very gallantlooking with enhanced suspensions. The interior has an extensive space and screams of luxury. Try maneuvering the BMW X5 and you wouldnt want to ever get out from the car. This car is very popular within the circle of junior executives. BMW X5 contract hire is within the range of a companys budget. It is considered as an outstanding model because you do not only get the best value for your money but also get to maintain your wellappointed reputation.

At present there are the 1 3 5 and 7 series that are being sold in the market. The first being the oldest and the seventh being the newest model sold out in the market. The SUVs are carrying the X symbol. Take the following samples: 518 520i 530i which are under the 5 series models. As the number gets bigger so does the vehicle size. Take note though that not only the size of the car progresses but the cost as well. BMW leasing charges more for these models aswell.

Although the newest arrival is unlike the rest there are still flaws. There are some who say that you find in its safety features undependable and odd technologies. But these are not issues that a potential buyer needs to worry about. The excellent and aboveboard design has made this insignificant.

If you cant afford to build or purchase your own BMW there are various BMW X5 contract hire companies online. It is the preference of most people these days. Instead of purchasing the unit they opt to lease so they can minimize on expenses on BMW leasing.

About the writer:  Darrell F writing about the value of BMW leasing and BMW contract hire.

Bmw Aims Fault-free Monaco Weekend

After the ordeals and trials of the muchconcluded Spanish Grand Prix BMW Sauber is aiming for a faultfree Monaco race. The team believes they have remedied the issues which caused Nick Heidfelds early retirement in Barcelona especially those which resulted to his bungled pit stop.

Although team mate Robert Kubica crossed the line fourth in Barcelona to garner five points Heidfelds race ended on lap 46 after his F1.07s gearbox failed. The German Formula One auto racing driver for the BMW Sauber had earlier suffered a neardisastrous pit stop which saw him leave the pits with the tyre gun still connected to his rightfront wheel and the wheel nut flying off into the path of a Toyota mechanic.

We managed to get to the bottom of the gearbox problem in Barcelona before the race day was over and corrective measures were already being applied during the test in Paul Ricard explained BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen.

Theissen added We have also worked through Nick’s botchedup pit stop and learnt the lessons for any future incidents. For us in Monte Carlo it’s a case of notching up a faultfree weekend and further cementing our third place in the constructors’ standings.

At last weeks French test the BMW Sauber has looked promising around Paul Ricards 2D SC configuration especially designed to imitate the twists and turns of Monaco. BMW Sauber covered over 250 laps of this shortened version of the track with tester Timo Glock clocking the eighthfastest time on Tuesday and Kubica finishing fourth on Wednesday.

The F1.07 has experienced extensive aerodynamic modifications for the highdownforce Monte Carlo race and will also feature a new front axle designed specifically to cope with the street circuits unusually tight corners. The teams pool of engineers did not only focus on the BMW catalytic converter but also on crucial auto parts as well. Another plus for the GermanSwiss team is that both cars will be fitted with fresh and powerful V8s. The engines are deemed a bonus for Monaco which is deemed as one of the most demanding circuits on lower rev range.

BMW Sauber is currently on the third place in the constructors standings on 23 points 26 behind secondplaced Ferrari and 12 ahead of Renault its nearest rival.

Another confident Formula One team is Toyota. The Japanese racing team is expecting a return to form in next weekends Monaco Grand Prix. After a disappointing start to the season Toyota is hopeful that recent revisions to the TF107 will allow them to add to their current tally of just five points. The bunch of car revisions was already at the last round in Barcelona where neither Ralf Schumacher nor Jarno Trulli finished.

Our car has improved even if that was not clear from my results in qualifying or the race but we still have work to do and we will be pushing hard for a better result in Monaco said Schumacher. Trulli added We were strong in qualifying and it was particularly encouraging to see we had the same fuel strategy as the leading cars so performancewise we have made a step forward. If we can get back to the reliability we showed at the start of the season Monaco should be a positive weekend for us.

The factors that determine performance in Monaco are completely different to all other races commented Pascal Vasselon the teams senior general chassis manager. Engine power and aerodynamics are slightly less important in Monaco than elsewhere so you are left with tyres and drivers as the key factors.

Vasselon added In Spain the new aero package worked well it gave us two or three extra tenths as expected he added. We were not able to demonstrate this clearly in the race but Jarnos lap in qualifying showed we have made an improvement especially when you consider we had a similar fuel strategy to the front cars. In Monaco we have to show this in the race and get back into the points.

Separately the weekend of the Monaco race will offer an extra logistical test for Formula One tyre suppliers Bridgestone. You need as much grip as possible and teams will run their cars with a maximum downforce setup explained Kees van de Grint Bridgestones head of track engineering operations. Traction is crucial with acceleration out of so many corners but you have to be careful as understeer is not desirable with so much Armco about.

Bridgestone will be bringing 2200 Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres and 650 Bridgestone Potenza GP2 Series tyres to the event. The weight of the tyres brought for Formula One racing alone amounts to 22000 kilogrammes. Additionally there are eight fitting machines and eight balancing machines which are used to fit and balance the tyres to the rims delivered by the teams.

In times of competition it was very difficult with the timetable the way it is in Monaco stressed van de Grint. You would make your conclusions from running on the track on Thursday but then the circuit could be very different when you next ran on it on Saturday. This year it is not so difficult but this is one track which certainly rewards those drivers with experience and good judgement.

He added Monaco is not as difficult as it could be in terms of logistics. It is a street circuit so of course it is different from operating out of a purpose built facility but we have a good position and everything seems to work well. Of course there is a greater distance between the motorhome and the fitting area than in other places but the sacrifice of a longer walk is worth it when you are in a destination as fabulous as Monaco.

About the writer:  Anthony Fontanelle is a 35yearold automotive.buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.