Sebring test week

This past Monday and Tuesday were the official test days for the 12 hours of Sebring, and it was the first time we would be able to catch a glimpse of how this year's ALMS series is shaping up thus far. Early indications are quite good. A record number of 28 cars were on the track, and if the testing times are to be believed, 2010 is going to be a real battle.



The top two classes of P1 and P2 were obviously at the top of the heap in terms of lap times, with the Lolo Aston Martin turning in the fastest lap (before finding the crash barriers anyway), but the top two classes are a little spread out in term of times. It will most definitely be a great race come March 20th, but for closest racing you've got to look at my personal favorite, the GT2 class.



GT2 has the highest number of entries, and the field is packed tighter than a brick of freeze dried coffee. The top time was posted by the Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT, turning in a 202.9 with Jamie Melo behind the wheel, but the rest of the field was not far behind. The new-ish kids on the block, Team Falken Tire had their 2010 911 RSR right behind, just three tenths back. The rest of the field, including Flying Lizard, RLR, Extreme Speed (who's Tequila Patron Ferrari looks fantastic), and Black Swan were covered by just two seconds, with the Ford GT of Robertson Racing just behind them. The GT2 class is truly going to be anyone's game. The Corvettes were not there, so maybe they'll show up and knock everyone down a peg, but even so they won't have an easy time of it even if they do manage a class pole. There is a real possibility that people were sandbagging, as any good poker player will never show tip their hand that early in the game, but this is the rather obvious class to watch. It usually is...



Finally there is the addition of the LMPC class, which has done a remarkable job of bringing cars to the field. A total of 35 cars is scheduled to take the green flag, which is respectable if not record breaking. The LMPC are spec racers, with a limited number of options for set up, identical chassis, aero and engines. These great looking little race cars slotted right in between the P1 / P2 times and GT2. Primetime Race Group moves to the head of the class for their embracing of Youtube to help promote their efforts this year, and already have a clip up of their LMPC putting in a few laps. It's a great little video, and gives you a real sense of the speed of the course, and the remarkably rough surface these drivers will be dealing with. It also shows that these LMPCs sound really good. I'm usually more of a flat-six guy, but the rumble from the V8 is pretty intoxicating.


For more pics, go check out Speed TV, which has as a couple of galleries up, but for the real experience you have to go to Motorsport.com. They've got a huge number of pics, including many not pictured in Speed's two galleries.

We'll have more to come from Sebring, as Josh and I have our credentials lined up and a couple of connections with some GT2 teams, so should be able to bring a nice inside view of the race. Perhaps not of the entire experience, but at least from the perspective of a couple of the teams duking it out for top spot in GT2. For tickets check out SebringRaceway.com.

_WRS

In case you were wondering

A full set of 18x9.5" et40 wheels can in fact fit all the way around on a Passat B5 without any real hassles. I have to admit being a bit skeptical after Jason sent the test fit shots over a couple weeks back, but here's the proof, live and direct!



Jason went with the very finest in Sumitomo tires (and they gotta be run-flats) for his wagon, and the 225/40 yields just enough of a stretch to fit and give that 'super mad stanced' look. They are not so stretched that they look ridiculous or unsafe, at least not in this man's opinion.



These pics were all taken this past Sunday, but Jason's been too lazy busy to post up about it, so I decided to take it upon myself to do so. I've got to say, the 18s really suit the car, size wise, compared to those 19" boat anchors that used to be on there. I wonder if it handles any better?



And for those who are super picky, Jason's already got the car back on the lift (should be this evening) for a little more lowering up front and some 5mm spacers out back. I guess he's not content with the lack of rubbing considering how much it looks like it should. Not to mention the 'Sorry brah, can't give you a ride home cause my car will rub' excuse is always a good one to have in reserve.



So there we go...all dressed up and just in time for more snow. Jason should have pics of the refinements shortly.

_WRS

Anatomy of a race car - APR Mk6 GTI Build up

Ever wonder what it takes to turn a stone-stock GTI into a seriously competitive machine for this year's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge? Well wonder no more. APR has been working overtime to replace their aging Mk5s with the new Mk6 this season, and although they weren't ready for the Daytona opener, things are moving along swiftly.



The car was stripped down to absolutely nothing in a mere two days, with every unnecessary bit removed to reduce weight as much as possible. Sound deadening? Gone. Power windows, gone. Sunroof, gone. Plus every little bracket or piece of metal that is deemed as expendable.



Not even the wire harness escaped unscathed, with a huge 14lbs of extra wire ripped out. It's amazing to think how much weight these cars carry in luxury and conveniences for the modern day driver.



Check out the doors....! No need for power windows at 140mph plus.



The cage, like everything else at APR Motorsport, has been done in-house. The motor is currently being rebuilt before re-installation, along with a DXD clutch and rebuilt 6-speed gearbox. APR is typically tight-lipped on power outputs, as you would imagine, but modifications to the 2.0t engine are very limited, with the stock turbo remaining and boost being specified at a very strict limit.



The car just came back from paint, and should be really sharp once all the graphics are done. I'll keep updating as things move along for the 2010.



www.GoAPR.com

_WRS

From the archives... Abt Sportsline Cup 2.0 Jetta

Despite my best efforts, I finally ran out of hard drive space on my trusty Macbook. I fought it for a while, but even after deleting a bunch of unneeded, space-hogging videos and various junk, it had to be taken care of. So I made the purchase a few weeks ago, but oddly enough I'm not the most computer savvy person in the world when it comes to those of the desktop variety. I can solder a chip or repair a connection on a Bosch ECU with the best of them, but crack open a laptop and I'm all question marks.

Josh (blacksquirrel) is the resident computer pro, so I lured him over to Chateau de Rennsport (French / German...sure, why not!) with the promise of some free tacos from De Mole. My Lacie external backup drive had decided to pack it in, awesome, so Josh had to bring his over for the cloning process, which as you can imagine went for much longer than we expected. Pretty typical. At any rate, the plus side of this is that his drive was left overnight for me to complete the process, and lo and behold, it has a bunch of pictures on it that he's too lazy busy to send me for the blog.

This particular shot is a reject (slide film son!) from a Performance VW shoot, probably around 2000 or 2001. I don't recall the owner's name, but he was a really cool guy, who drove all the way from California for the honor of a feature! To Waterfest! Talk about commitment. The car had a full ABT Sportsline Cup widebody, which is in my opinion the best around for the Mk3, along with some other items, the specifics on which escape me. The raw carbon fiber hood perhaps takes away a little and dates the overall style, but there's no faulting the rest of the car. Nice and low without looking silly, OZ wheels, just a nice looking car. A true classic, and proof that VW's have been doing the whole 'stance' thing while the import guys were still rocking et45 Konigs on their Wings West Civics.

For the record, I like imports, so no hate mail please.

On a somewhat related tangent, I was reading Hot Rod today, (eye opening magazine by the way, really well written) and they used the word 'Stance' in a feature story. Does that constitute shark-jumping? Discuss....

Full Sized Pic

_WRS

A Step Backwards... or Up

So this is my first post here on WRS blog. I was hoping my first post would be about the awesome fitment of my new wheels, but unfortunately it doesn't appear that they'll be going on anytime soon. In fact, to be able to get my car back into my neighborhood after all this snow, I had to raise the coilovers up 2 inches and borrow some wheels from my boy Scotto.







So here's how the Passat sits until all this snow melts, or until Baltimore City decides to actually clear the streets of Hampden. Here's a little reason why...

_Jason

Add another to the 'Can not have' list...

As a rule of thumb I don't post very often with information about new models from VW, Audi or Porsche as told by press release, as I feel there are plenty of other places that do that and I don't need to stick my hat into that ring, so to speak. (is that a saying? I feel like I'm getting that wrong) I will however, break this slightly unofficial rule with the following letter to Volkswagen of America, regarding the new Polo GTI*.

* Not destined for the USA.



Dear Volkswagen of America,

Hey, how's it going? Been a while huh, what's new? Me, not too much, just sitting here thinking about how few new cars there are worth buying. Sure there's the Mk6 GTI, which is fantastic looking (aside from the Touareg rear tail lights), but it's a little big, expensive, you know, adult. I have to say...I've heard about the new Polo GTI, and as you may have guessed, I'm a little upset. What? Did you think we wouldn't hear about it? You think the internet would simply not report about the 7-speed DSG gearbox, the 177hp 1.4 twin-charged engine? Or the fact that it has the XDS limited slip differential from its big brother, the Mk6 GTI?

Don't even write back about how you're going to come out with some sort of special edition Jetta coupe for the suckers here in the states. It's going to suck, and suck hard. It will be large, heavy, boring, and probably offered with a lot of chrome trim. It'll be just like a GTi, but not as attractive, slower, and won't handle as well. I can hear the excuses for not selling the Polo already.

' Americans don't buy small cars, especially small hatch backs, and bringing the Polo would be too much of a risk. Look at the Rabbit Golf Rabbit Golf. It doesn't sell nearly as well as the sedans. Money Money money, etc etc etc...'

Well perhaps Americans don't buy lots of smaller cars, or at least not the smallest VWs in large quantities because Volkswagen hasn't SOLD a small car here since 1992. Sure the Mk3 isn't huge, but don't even come at me with saying that the Mk4 or any of the newer models are anything other than mid-sized. Not EVERYONE wants one of those heaps in the driveway. And in case you hadn't noticed, Toyota has moved a pretty good number of those Scion things, which are all pretty damn small compared to the Cadillacs you've been selling as compacts. I also hate to break it to you, but I see way more Honda Fits than I do Rabbits or Jettas. Don't get me started on the Yaris or Prius.

In closing, why don't you grow a pair and see the light like Ford has with their Fiesta? Maybe even throw one into the Rally America series with some serious bank behind and it and get some kids interested in the brand, you know, get them hooked early and all that. Trust me, you should bring it here. You can contact me directly at wolfsburgrs@gmail.com when you want to give me one for evaluation here in NYC. Maybe we can be friends after that.

Signed,

_WRS

P.S. - This car looks way more like the spiritual successor to the beloved Mk2 GTI 16v than the Mk6 GTI. It's a seriously handsome car, and you should sell it in the states.

Is it spring yet?

I guess a little snow never hurt anybody, but I'm certainly tired of dealing with it...

_WRS

CrankandPiston.com Mk5 GTI

When I was poking around for information to keep up on the Dubai 24 hour a few weeks back I happened upon Crank and Piston, an all-things-automotive site based in Dubai, with connections to the UK and Australia. They have a lot of nice, high quality original content, so I recommend checking them out on general principle, but my personal favorite item on display over there is the C+P Mk5 GTI touring car.



Although I don't have specs on the series in which the car runs, the UAE Touring Car Championship, there is clearly a very wide range of machinery...Porsches, VWs, Seats, and even a few old EG Honda Civics. Certainly enough to keep things interesting, and very similar to the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge but with perhaps a more loose set of rules on which to base your modifications.



Indeed, it almost seems that anything goes with regards to what you can and can't add or remove. Dashboards, whatever, toss it out!



Things which are banned from the CTSCC, such non-OEM calipers, are allowed here. Power wise, higher boost levels, larger turbos, and aftermarket intake systems are all fair game. (APR's Mk5 GTIs for example, run the stock air boxes believe it or not.)



The C+P car doesn't run a larger blower, just ECU tweaks and some other modest items for more consistent, reliable power, relying on superior handling to get the job done, and as they say "annoy the guys out there spending big money on their cars."



Not that small money appears to have been spent on their GTI, but it's also not been done with unlimted funds either. I will say that it adheres to my number one rule of race cars, which is to look good while you're on the track. I'd like to think if I had the funds to do this sort of build mine would have a similar theme. Car owner Phil McGovern states he is life long VW and Porsche fan, much like the crew here at Der Wolfsburg Rennsport.



What's the line from Saturday Night Live? It's better to look good than to feel good? Well I say it's better to podium with style than to win without it. I know a lot of people would argue with me on that one, but anything worth doing is worth doing with style... The Team Dynamics wheels, chassis set up with AST suspension, and the gleaming white paint are really quite appealing.



If you're looking for some great photography and a snap-shot of car culture in the UAE and beyond, Crank and Piston is well worth a visit. Their Mk5 is currently undergoing a wide fender conversion, complete with a huge front splitter and revised aero package (flat underfloor and more) so perhaps they've got more under the hood as well, but so far details have not been revealed.



For more information on the car, including sponsors, builder, etc:

CrankandPiston.com

_WRS

Pic post: Caddy on TH Lines

I'm not much of a fan of the VW Rabbit Pick up models, better known overseas as the Caddy. Most of that has to do with my height I suppose...the few times I've driven them it has been a pretty miserable experience since there's about zero leg room, but aside from that they just don't feel right to me. The extra length on the wheelbase really dulls the driving experience compared to a regular Mk1, but then they were never made for handling. (this is why the Caddy is the ONLY Volkswagen on which I can condone the use of air ride) They do look cool though, and there are plenty of people who love them. Kinda hard to argue when presented with an example like this...



Just perfect all around, and I love the fact it's got the larger plastic Euro bumpers rather than those little metal versions that are so en vogue these days. Oh, and of all the Schmidt wheels, the TH is by far the best, and is perfect for the early cars. A real example of the perfect wheel making, or breaking a look. Fitment here is 14x8 / 14x9 et18 all around. Check out VW Vortex for the full thread.

_WRS

Red cars at Spa

What is it with red cars at Spa? I had previously posted up some in-car videos of the Reeves Mk1, showing a dominating and impressive on track performance at Spa. Axis of Oversteer just posted the following video of another red car at the same track (this one an older 2.0 911), and I have to say, it is one of the most ballsy all-out laps I've ever seen. More opposite lock than a drift event!



Go check out the full post, there are even more videos, all of which are worth viewing. It's not like you have anything better to do right?

As I've said before, and I'll say it again, these are cars that take real skill to drive fast...none of those pansy 'driver aids' like sequential shifters, anti-lock and traction control. As the snow falls and roads are shut down to traffic, this video has me really looking forward to the summer months ahead. Lime Rock here I come!

_WRS

Close as a...

Despite the tremendously bad weather which has been plaguing the Mid Atlantic, time was made to do a trial run on the wheels for the Passat. Verdict: It's close. Damn close.



Perhaps dangerously close? I suppose time will tell on that one, but as Jason said at least it'll be easy to tell when he bends one of the barrels on a pothole: just listen for the sound of metal as it rubs on the upright...after taking a good look at this shot I think he may have more trouble with the tire than the wheel, but a 225/40 should stretch pretty good on the 9.5" wheel.



Tires are en route, but as more snow is forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday getting them onto the car will probably take a back seat until the roads are cleared a bit. With Jason's luck the car would end up in a ditch, so better safe than sorry there.



Once the tires and mounted and balanced a second trial fit will happen, and if necessary a 3mm spacer will find its way onto the car, but as is is the fitment is near perfect from the outside.



_WRS

On a serious note: Stolen car look out in SoCal

A friend of the WRS had his 964 Coupe stolen last week, in California.







Details as follows:

1991 964 C2 Coupe. Sunroof. Guards red, D90s, M030 suspension, Tan interior, pretty clean, nice driving car. Car is mostly original paint.

Car has Maryland tags. Rates on a scale of 1-10(best) a 7.5-8, pretty nice car as everything worked well, and presented itself nicely.

Was stolen January 28th, 2010 in the early morning hours. Police said it looked like a professional job, car had an alarm system, and was locked.

If this car is seen in around, please contact the police officer shown at the bottom of the post.

1991 Porsche Carrera 2
Red, Tan interior
VIN WPOAB2960MS410373
When stolen (Thursday, Jan 27, 2010) had Maryland license plates 4DD M04

Stolen while parked overnight across the street from 123 South Bowling Green Way, Brentwood, Los Angeles CA 90049

Police Report # 100805240 - Officer Hendrickson - 39704 (LAPD, Precinct at 1663 Butler Ave., Los Angeles CA 90025)

Le Mans '88" Mulsanne

Even with millions of dollars of high definition cameras, televisions and equipment at their disposal, broadcasts of any race generally fail to capture the essence of being at the actual motor race. They present it like football or baseball, or some other less visceral experience. Auto racing is nothing like those. It is full on sensory overload, with not only the visual element of speed, but the force of cars pushing a wall of air, like a wave slamming into you as they scream past. The auditory experience is also extremely important...no matter how many times you watch footage of a car moving down the Mulsanne at over 200mph, if you're watching on TV, chances are you're hearing the announcer more than the sound of the engines.

This video does away with all that. It's just a camera on the side of the world's most famous straight away, the Mulsanne. In 1988 the Mulsanne was a 3.7 mile journey at full throttle, before they installed the chicanes. This video is low tech and fairly low quality, but it captures the essence of sports car racing, the essence of actually being there. The Group C cars (Porsches, Mazdas, etc) are in top gear, probably north of 200mph as they go past, which is impressive in and of itself, but the sound! Listening to the engine note rumbling throughout the country side, long after the car is out of visual range, you can still hear it. Once you can no longer detect a note, the car is over two miles away, and close to 240mph. But then another comes along and the symphony begins again...



_WRS

With the Fox no longer, introducing the B5 Wagon

It's tough sometimes with cars. Like all relationships, sometimes you're just more in love than other times. Some of us may entertain ideas of selling our current chariots and upgrading / downgrading for more power / prestige / room / or whatever, while others may look for something more simple, stripped down and basic. It happens all the time. 'The grass is always greener on the other side' and all that crap.



Well Jason, who pretty much has honorary status as an official part of the team now, has these feelings more often than not. In fact, I can honestly say not a day goes by that he doesn't propose dropping everything and buying some random car that could be 'so cool' with x, y or z done to it. Bad bad ideas as he says. So bad they are good. I beg to differ, but then I tend to be more conservative on that front. Usually it involves something that will be impossible to get parts for, or close to impossible to keep on the road (see also: Crazy like the Fox) and so they don't always come to fruition, luckily for him.



Anyways, this 2000 Passat B5 Wagon is Jason's daily driver. Sure he has an '88 Scirocco 16v that he could put money into and drive, which would be fun and fast, but he's a big wimp when it comes to really driving cars (haha) and so he needs something 'cushy' to drive everyday. This Passat was on the chopping block until recently, but after the chips were cashed in on the Fox project, he decided to hang onto it. Unfortunately these fantastic 19x9" Touareg wheels have already been sold to Arno over at Baak 2 Basics, so it was time for some new rollers...the bent and abused steelies simply not being sufficiently pimp for the wagon. The choice: fan-freaking-tastic Miro 111 wheels in a positively massive 18x9.5", all the way around.

Boo ya!

Tires will be 225/40 R18, and seeing as the final offset on the old Touareg wheels was the same as these (et40) the extra .5" shouldn't pose too much of a problem for the old girl. As you can see Jason's taking no prisoners with the ride height (Vogtland coilovers) so it should be sitting very pretty by this time next week. I for one am excited to see it.



I mean just look at that! No lip, spokes go right to the edge, and well, I couldn't ask for much more, and it's not even my car.

_WRS