Difficult season finale for BMW Team RLL at Road Atlanta

In the final race of the all-new BMW M6 GTLM’s debut season at Road Atlanta (US), BMW Team RLL missed another top result in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) due to technical issues.

John Edwards (US), Lucas Luhr (DE) and Kuno Wittmer (CA) came sixth in the GTLM class after ten eventful hours of racing at Petit Le Mans. As had often been the case this season, car number 100 suffered a dose of bad luck at the finale. After two and a half hours the BMW M6 GTLM with Wittmer at the wheel was hit by another competitor and spun off the track. Later on, the alternator had to be repaired during a long stop. Although the team completed this job under yellow, when repairs to the track surface that had broken up were being done, the trio lost several laps that it couldn’t make up again by the end of the race.

For several hours it looked as if Bill Auberlen (US), Dirk Werner (DE) and Augusto Farfus (BR) could fight for another podium result for BMW Team RLL. With two hours to go, the number 25 BMW M6 GTLM was running in the final podium position. Unfortunately then bad luck also hit this crew: Long repair work due to a damaged steering rack also made them lose ground – and ultimately forced Auberlen, Werner and Farfus to retire. Victory at the final race of the year went to the number 62 Ferrari.

In January, the new BMW M6 GTLM celebrated its race debut at the 24-hour race in Daytona (US) and mastered this first test of strength at this marathon by finishing fifth. Three podium finishes were recorded by the team during the course of the season, at Sebring (US), Watkins Glen (US) and Road America (US).

Petit Le Mans also marked the end of the debut season in the GTD class for the Turner Motorsport team with the newly developed BMW M6 GT3. Will Turner (US) and his team celebrated two wins – recording one in the IWSC race at Mosport (CA) and another coming in Austin (US). BMW works driver Jens Klingmann (DE) and Bret Curtis (US) topped the podium on both occasions. In Road Atlanta, the duo was supported by Ashley Freiberg (US) and had to retire shortly before the chequered flag with the number 96 BMW M6 GT3. Their team-mates Michael Marsal (US), Markus Palttala (FI) und Cameron Lawrence (US) finished fourth in the GTD class with the number 97 sister car.

Next year’s IMSA WeatherTech Championship begins on 28^th/29^th January 2017. The 24 Hours of Daytona will kick off another exciting season, including a total of 11 races scheduled for the GTLM class.

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
“The race in Road Atlanta was a turbulent conclusion to a thrilling debut season with the BMW M6 GTLM in North America. Unfortunately BMW Team RLL missed out on another top result at Petit Le Mans this year. However, two pole positions and three podium finishes in the new car’s debut season is a result we can build on for next year. The whole team, in Munich and at RLL in the USA, worked hard to make use of the experience gained and to improve our overall package, race by race. Thanks for all the hard work and dedication. We will now prepare in detail for the new season – and we will be ready to attack at the 2017 24-hour race in Daytona. A big thank you also goes to our customer team of Turner Motorsport. With its two wins in the GTD category, Will Turner’s crew successfully proved the competitiveness of the new BMW M6 GT3 here in North America.”

Bobby Rahal (Team Principal, BMW Team RLL):
“It is a disappointing end to the year. The 25 car was having quite a good race and maybe could have had a podium, but it had issues at the end. The 100 car got taken out by a Ford GT early on, then we had an alternator failure because of that later on. Everyone worked so hard this year and I feel bad of the team and bad for the drivers as you hate to end it on this note. That is racing. Now we put our heads down and get ready for next year and hopefully have a much better one.”

John Edwards (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, 6^th place):
“It was a hard race and a hard season. I think we learned a lot about the car this year, but unfortunately we don’t have a lot to show for it. We have a lot planned for the off season in the way of testing. I am optimistic for next year, and looking forward to putting this season to the back of my memory.”

Lucas Luhr (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, 6^th place):
“The season in a way ended exactly as it had started – with a disappointing result. We wanted to finish the season with a respectable result, maybe even a podium. But this just wasn’t to be. Nevertheless, this is racing.”

Kuno Wittmer (Number 100 BMW M6 GTLM, 6^th place):
“The race didn’t go according to plan. The accident with car number 67 was a race changer. Maybe he didn’t expect me defending my position that hard, then he made a mistake. We managed to go on, but then the technical issues occurred. We will come back stronger next year.”

Bill Auberlen (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, DNF):
“The car was good at times, but we are just not where we want to be, as we want to be fighting up front. Right now we are not at that point and hopefully we can get better, come back next year and put our footsteps on the top of the podium. Today I am very disappointed.”

Dirk Werner (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, DNF):
“That was very disappointing, especially as, until we ran into the problems with our car, we were running strong. We had the pace. Definitely that was not the way we wanted to end the season, as it would have been nice to end it on the podium. The team tried to repair the car, they didn’t give up and showed that they always give everything, but in the end the car could not be repaired in the time we had left.”

Augusto Farfus (Number 25 BMW M6 GTLM, DNF):
“This was the first time since 2011 that I have been here and it hasn’t rained. I think my stint was strong. I had good pace, good fights on the track and made some positions up. It was all looking good. I think Dirk and Bill did brilliant jobs and unfortunately what happened to us is racing.”

The article Difficult season finale for BMW Team RLL at Road Atlanta appeared first on BMW BLOG

from BMW BLOG http://ift.tt/2duK7Ag

Rory's revenge

Rory McIlroy finally got his Ryder Cup revenge against Phil Mickelson as Europe halved the USA’s overnight lead heading into last night’s fourballs at Hazeltine.

Twenty-four hours after losing the opening foursomes session 4-0, Darren Clarke’s charges took the second 2.5 to 1.5 to cut the USA’s lead in half from 5-3 to just 6.5-5.5.

McIlroy led from the front, defeating Phil Mickelson for the first time in the Ryder Cup after three previous defeats.

“When I saw the draw last night, I was like, ‘Yes, I get to have a go at him again,’ ” McIlroy said after partnering Belgian Thomas Pieters to a 4 and 2 win over the left-hander and Rickie Fowler.

“My record against him in the Ryder Cup isn’t what I would like it to be. So personally I may be wanted it a little bit more for that reason.

“But just to go out first, put a point on the board for Team Europe, that’s what we wanted to do. We wanted to start the session off in the right vein.”

Henrik Stenson and rookie Matthew Fitzpatrick lost 3 and 2 to Brandt Snedeker and Brooks Koepka.

But while Chris Wood and Justin Rose were impressive as they beat Zach Johnson and Jimmy Walker 1 up, Europe snatched the session when Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello came back four down with six to play to halve with star American pairing Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed.

“It's the Ryder Cup, it's as simple as that,” Garcia said after watching Reed hole a five footer on the 18th to stop the Europeans turning what looked like certain defeat into a win. 

“I felt like we played really, really good foursomes. We were very consistent, giving ourselves chances, making birdies, but they had an amazing start. 

“We just kept telling each other: Keep at it, keep at it, keep at it, keep putting pressure and hopefully at some point they will slow down a little bit and we managed to do that, so very happy. Great partner.”

McIlroy and Pieters built in the momentum of their fourball win over Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar on Friday evening in what was an electric foursomes with Mickelson and Fowler.

“You want to set the tone for rest of the team and when they saw us up early, that's exactly what we were trying to do, get up early on them, put blue on the board and luckily Darren had a lot of faith in us to send us out first,” McIlroy said.

The Europeans matched Fowler’s 40 foot curling birdie putt at the first with Pieters (and then McIlroy) draining his 35 footer, the raising his finger to his lips to shush the US fans

The won the second, fourth and fifth to go three up, then halved the seventh in par despite Pieters tee shot into the hazard.

When when they lost the ninth and 10th as McIlroy missed a short putt and then hooked into trouble to be taken back to just one up, they eventually pulled away with a par-birdie-birdie run from the 14th sealing the win.

“We hit good shots together,” Pieters said. “If I hit a bad one, he comes back and has a brilliant one after that. It’s been like that for the last two days and it’s working nicely.”

from News - Irish Golf Desk http://ift.tt/2cUbpiz

VIDEO: Carwow drives the 2017 BMW 7 Series

With this new generation of BMW 7 Series, the Bavarians seem to have had technology at the forefront of its priorities. Just a minute inside the big 7er and it’s evident that BMW wanted it to be the most technologically impressive car in its class. And it is exactly that.

Say what you want about it not being as luxurious as the Mercedes-Benz S Class, but the 7 Series has the S Class beat, in terms of technology. Whether that’s a good or bad thing in your eyes, that was BMW’s objective and that objective was met.

In this new video from Carwow, Mat Watson reviews the new 7 Series and shows off all of its impressive technology. Whether that tech is worth the high price tag is up to you, but it’s certainly impressive to see.

The car Watson is driving is the BMW 740d xDrive with the M Sport package. That means his car is packing the 3.0 liter turbocharged diesel engine that makes just over 300 hp and can get from 0-60 mph in just over 5 seconds. Yet it will also return a realistic 40 mph (on the extremely generous EU Cycle). So it’s both quick and economical.

His tester is also fully loaded, to the point of being ridiculous. This particular 740d has nearly every option box ticked, if not every single one, and it seems it. The interior is overloaded with features, gizmos and gadgets. The ability to open and close all of the sun visors, including the moonroof, with the press of one button from the built-in Samsung tablet is remarkable. The B-pillar-mounted LED reading lights are also a nifty feature. It even has massaging rear seats that come with video instructions on how to keep muscles fresh over long journeys. Insane.

Some of the features can feel a bit gimmicky, though. Gesture Control, for instance, seems to be completely superfluous. I love dumb little gadgets but I honestly can’t see myself ever using Gesture Control.

However, there are some downright helpful features as well. For instance, the self-parking feature that can be controlled from the key fob is just incredible. Tight parking spot? No problem, just get our first and park the car with the remote. Some Jackass park too close and block your door in? Don’t worry about it, just back the car up via remote. So cool.

But, despite how cool all of the 7 Series’ features are, it’s still a BMW. So how does it drive. Well, Watson keeps it in Comfort Plus mode the entire time, which is its softest and most comfortable setting. It’s the setting that most replicates the Mercedes S Class’ ride. However, it still can’t match the pillowy plushness of the S Class. Which is why Watson should have put it in Sport to see if it was any better to actually hustle along.

Nevertheless, he did feel that it drives well, if not as perfect as the S Class, and has a great interior. While its price tag can become ghastly quickly, thanks to its option heavy spec sheet, it’s still a superb luxury car that packs more tech than any other car in its class.

The article VIDEO: Carwow drives the 2017 BMW 7 Series appeared first on BMW BLOG

from BMW BLOG http://ift.tt/2cJOt21

BMW X1 vs BMW X2: Which do you buy?

Now that the BMW X2 Concept has shown itself at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, it leaves a bit of a conundrum in BMW’s lineup. The X2 will be a front-wheel drive-based, sporty and practical SUV that still delivers the same driving pleasure as a BMW should. So, basically, it will be a BMW X1.

In fact, the X2 will even be built on the BMW X1 platform. Admittedly, so are the 2 Series Tourers and MINI Clubman, but the two BMW SUVs will share a lot of the same bones. So there’s actually not that much of a difference between them.

The BMW X1 debuted last year and it kind of fried the brains of many BMW enthusiasts, especially in America, being the first ever front-wheel drive-based BMW here. However, it’s actually been quite an impressive little SUV, as it looks really good, has an impressively spacious and comfortable interior and drives really quite well, much better than expected. It’s definitely the sportiest of the small SUVs in its class. So what is the need of the X2, then?

Well, it’s really just sportier. It’s going to look sportier and more aggressive for starters. While the X1 is already a handsome looking car, and can look cool if optioned correctly, it can also be a bit Plain-Jane. In normal spec, it looks a bit like a soccer mom car and no enthusiast wants that from a BMW. So for young people who want a stylish and sporty looking BMW SUV, the X2 will be the better buy.

 

It should also handle better. BMW is putting emphasis on the X2 being more of an enthusiast-driven SUV. From the way it looks to the way it drives, the BMW X2 should be the car for young enthusiasts who are maybe starting a family and need the extra space. Or it could be for young enthusiasts with more active lifestyles who, say, maybe need space for bikes or equipment.

BMW really is trying to reach every single customer group, leaving no stone unturned. For most people in the segment, the BMW X1 is sporty enough, especially considering that all models in the US come with sport suspension as standard and there’s an M Sport package to amp things up a bit. But, there is a smaller group of customers who will want it to be more aggressive, more dynamic and more stylish. For those people the BMW X2 will be the better buy.

The article BMW X1 vs BMW X2: Which do you buy? appeared first on BMW BLOG

from BMW BLOG http://ift.tt/2d4FmdA

BMW M2 better on the track than on the street?

Everyone seems to love the new BMW M2. Whether deserved or not, the BMW M2 is garnering an almost ridiculous amount of praise. We love it and it seems that the entire world does as well. However, it may not be universally great, as the people at Jalopnik will explain.

The M2 is by no means a fantastic commuter car. Its suspension is very firm, its cabin is loud at speed and, with a manual, it’s geared too short. So as a car to drive absolutely every single day, though the daily grind to work and back, I’m sure it can get tiring. Personally, I like a car like that, even for everyday, but can completely understand someone’s hesitance. And the folks at Jalopnik seem to feel that the M2 isn’t ideal for the street.

Admittedly, they drive in Manhattan, which is the driving equivalent of being stuck in an iron maiden filled with scorpions. The roads are horrible, the traffic is ridiculous and it can be so chaotic that I’d rather play Russian Roulette with a Glock than drive in NYC. So the M2, naturally, isn’t going to be any good there. But, to be fair, it can be exhausting elsewhere as well. It’s not the easiest car to live with day-to-day.

However, it all starts to make sense on the track. They took it to Lime Rock Park and put it through its paces, with three different drivers. During their time there, the M2’s prickly road manners seemed to make perfect sense. Its rough suspension only made it grippier and more stable, its too-short gearing for the road was perfect for track use, providing optimal revs out of corners, and it’s lack of sound deadening made it more exciting.

Plus, the M2 is just a damn good track car. They claimed that through a certain corner, where cars typically understeer at high speed, it refused to understeer with an amateur track driver at the helm. Also, the brakes didn’t fade once during its many back-to-back laps on the track, following road driving. So it’s an impressive piece of kit for any track-day enthusiast.

 

Now, I’ll personally disagree that driving a car like the M2 doesn’t make sense. But that’s only because I like having a car like that everyday. I like it to be slightly manic and ridiculous for everyday driving but I’m also a NY Giants fan, so I’m possibly a masochist. However, I get where they’re coming from and admit that the M2 is more of a weekend toy/track day car than a daily driver. Either way, it’s nice to hear that BMW is back to making cars that make more sense when pushed to the limit.

[Source: Jalopnik]

The article BMW M2 better on the track than on the street? appeared first on BMW BLOG

from BMW BLOG http://ift.tt/2dP6G3m