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    dimanche 26 mai 2013

    British GT ; DES 500 KM DE SILVERSTONE QUI ONT TENU LEURS PROMESSES.



    BMW, Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes, Ginetta. Ces cinq marques ont tour à tour jouer la gagne des 500 km de Silverstone à l'occasion du troisième meeting de l'Avon Tyres British GT Championship. Il n'y a guère que Audi et McLaren qui n'ont rien montré de probant en course. Alors qu'on les attendaient avec un déficit en vitesse pure, on trouve finalement deux BMW Z4 GT3 sur le podium. A l'issue d'une course sage ponctuée d'une belle stratégie, Ecurie Ecosse a fait parler la poudre avec son équipage composé de Marco Attard et Oliver Bryant. La #79 repart du Northamptonshire avec la pole et la victoire. De quoi voir la suite de la saison sous de bons auspices pour l'équipe britannique que l'on retrouve aussi en European Le Mans Series avec cette monture. L'Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3/Beechdean AMR de Adam/Howard et la BMW Z4 GT3/888 Optimum Racing de Tandy/Brown complètent le podium en profitant des divers faits de course. Jamais en position de s'imposer, l'Audi R8 LMS ultra/M-Sport de Berg/Hughes termine à une belle 4ème place devant la Ferrari 458 Italia/AF Corse de Cameron/Griffin.

    Les GT3 italiennes ont pourtant bien animé la course avec trois 458 Italia dans le tiercé de tête après les 60 premières minutes. La plus en vue aura été celle du Vita4One Team Italy. Matteo Bobbi pensait tenir la première victoire de son équipe en terre britannique mais son coéquipier Jay Palmer a vu fondre son avance dans la dernière demi-heure pour finalement partir à la faute (tête-à-queue) avant deux crevaisons. La #27 a franchi l'arrivée au 27ème rang. L'Italien s'était lui-même offert une belle pirouette dès le départ. Une autre Ferrari pouvait prétendre s'imposer avec celle de Simonsen/Lester (Rosso Verde) mais Hector Lester n'a pas la verve de Allan Simonsen si bien que la 458 Italia au trèfle vert a terminé aux portes du Top Ten. Chez AF Corse on avait choisi une stratégie décalée, ce qui était plutôt bien joué. Outre la #29 qui s'est classée 5ème, Dhillon/Scott ont eux aussi joué les premiers rôles mais une pénalité pour un ravitaillement trop court aura fait chuter la #13 à une 8ème place finale.

    Dans le camp Porsche et plus précisément Trackspeed Racing, c'est carrément la soupe à la grimace. Les trois Porsche 911 GT3-R ont été bien chahutées alors qu'elles pouvaient toutes les trois prétendre à la victoire. Deux d'entre elles se sont accrochées sévèrement en piste alors que l'unique rescapée s'est auto-éliminée dans la voie des stands en arrachant son train arrière. En regardant son tableau de bord, David Ashburn a percuté assez sèchement le mur des stands. L'équipe perd de gros points dans l'optique du championnat sachant que l'une des trois autos est prévue dans quelques jours en Blancpain Endurance Series. La meilleure des 911 GT3-R a été celle du Oman Air Motorbase (AlHarthy/Caine) 9ème, tout juste devant ProSpeed Competition (Putman/Espenlaub).

    Les Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 ont bien figuré avec deux autos dans le Top 6. Abra/Poole (Barwell Motorsport) ont bien failli tout perdre suite à un début d'incendie, par chance rapidement maîtrisé. Cette 6ème place est prometteuse. Sur ses terres, John Gaw s'est montré à son grand jour en dominant le début de course mais une pénalité pour dépassement sous drapeau jaune a perdre des positions au tandem Gaw/Dryburgh. La Vantage/PGF-Kinfaun AMR a terminé 16ème. Une semaine après son triomphe au Nürburgring, une autre Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 s'est illustrée à Silverstone. Le Fortec Motorsports a mené à la vie dure à la concurrence. Jason Minshaw et Benji Hetherigton ont brillé malgré un arrêt imprévu pour refermer une portière récalcitrante. La fin de course aura été plus compliquée, d'où une anecdotique 13ème place. Un mot sur les Ginetta G55 GT3 qui ont été au rendez-vous, notamment celle du Team LNT de Sharp/White. On avoue qu'on aimerait bien en voir dans le championnat Blancpain. Les McLaren MP4-12C ont été inexistantes en course. Le Von Ryan Racing a vite perdu des plumes suite à un contact en début de course et les deux MP4-12C du United Autosports ont souffert. Parente/Brown ont terminé 19ème, Blundell/Firth ont quant à eux abandonné sur sortie de piste. En proie à des soucis en essais, l'Audi R8 LMS ultra de Bell/Patterson doit se satisfaire d'une 17ème position malgré une très belle prestation en piste de Matt Bell.

    La course a été aussi très disputée en GT4 avec une lute à couteaux tirés entre la Porsche Cup GT4/Pro Sport Performance de Christodoulou/Viebahn et la BMW M3 GT4/Ekris de van der Ende/Oranje. Durant une bonne heure, l'écart entre les deux est rarement monté au-dessus de la seconde, la victoire revenant finalement à la Porsche pour 285 petits millièmes. La Ginetta G50/Optimum Motorsport de Parfitt Jr/Ratclife complète le podium.

    On le savait avant de venir à Silverstone, le British GT est l'un des championnats les plus relevés d'Europe sur le plan national, si ce n'est le plus relevé. SRO, via Benjamin Franasovici, a su remettre au goût du jour les associations Pro-Am regroupant quatre catégories : A, B, C, D. On note que trois pilotes A avec Alvaro Parente, Richard Westbook et Allan Simonsen. Guère plus de B avec Duncan Tappy, Mark Blundell, Roger van der Ende, Cor Euser, Adam Christodoulou, Nick Tandy, Matt Griffin, Matteo Bobbi, Nathan Freeke, Aaron Scott, Warren Hughes, Jonny Adam, Adam Wilcox et Michael Caine. Tout le reste du plateau est répertorié en C et D. Selon les associations, certains équipages peuvent prendre du lest, ce qui est le cas de Demoustier/Tappy. Ce meeting de trois heures a tenu ses promesses et la Blancpain Endurance Series prendra la place du British GT en fin de semaine. Si l'on en croit par les performances vues ce week-end, les Porsche, BMW, Ferrari et Aston Martin pourraient bien être à la fête. Sauf que chez Audi et McLaren, on ne l'entend pas de cette oreille...

    Les photos du meeting sont ici.

    Laurent Mercier (Endurance-Info)

    SuperMoto : Hermunen on top again in Vairano / nouveau doublé d’Hermunen à Vairano (Italie)


    It was another double-whammy weekend for Mauno Hermunen (TM SHR) at the European Grand Prix in Vairano, Italy. The second round of the 2013 FIM SuperMoto World Championship saw the Finn claim both wins ahead of brothers Thomas and Adrien Chareyre (TM Factory Team and Aprilia-Team Fast Wheels-Michelin respectively).
    Mauno Hermunen (TM SHR) a signé un nouveau doublé lors du Grand-Prix d’Europe ce week-end à Vairano (Italie), seconde épreuve du Championnat du monde FIM SuperMoto. Le finlandais devance à deux reprises les frères Chareyre, Thomas (TM Factory Team) et Adrien (Aprilia – Team Fast Wheels - Michelin).
    In torrential rain, Thomas Chareyre was the fastest in Saturday’s qualifying practice but, once again, failed to convert his pole position into victory.
    He moved into the lead ahead of Hermunen on Lap 5 of the first race but only held that position for two laps. He was passed by the Finn at the halfway point and trailed by 0.788s as the pair crossed the finish line. Third place went to his brother Adrien who seemed more comfortable on his Aprilia which is now competing on Michelin rubber.
    Four Michelin riders finished in the top six thanks to Sylvain Bidard (4th, Honda-Team Luc1), Aurélien Grelier (5th, Yamaha-Team Blot) and local hero Ivan Lazzarini (6th, Honda-L30 Racing).
    The start of the second race was much more closely fought, with Hermunen and Thomas Chareyre trading the lead several times during the opening laps. Chareyre then managed to stay in front until Lap 9 when Hermunen followed up a series of quick laps to go ahead and pull clear. His winning margin at the flag was almost four seconds.
    Adrien Chareyre was third again, while Lazzarini was happy to take fourth on home soil. Bidard was fifth.
    Mauno Hermunen’s score of four wins from four has brought him 100 points. Thomas Chareyre (88) is second in the championship standings, while Sylvain Bidard (72) is third, narrowly clear of Lazzarini (71).

    Auteur de la pole position sous une pluie diluvienne samedi, Thomas Chareyre, n’a pas réussi à la transformer en victoire.
    Dans la roue d’Hermunen, le champion du monde en titre, s’empare de la première position au cinquième tour de la première manche mais ne résiste que deux tours. Il cède le commandement à Hermumen à la mi-course et rallie l’arrivée avec 0,788 secondes de retard. Son frère, Adrien, beaucoup plus à l’aise au guidon de l’Aprilia désormais chaussée de pneumatiques Michelin, monte sur la troisième marche du podium.
    Michelin place quatre pilotes dans le Top 6 avec Sylvain Bidard (Honda – Team Luc1) quatrième, Aurélien Grelier (Yamaha – Team Blot) cinquième et l’enfant du pays Ivan Lazzarini (Honda  - L30 Racing).
    Le début de la seconde course est plus disputé où Hermunen et Thomas Chareyre s’échangent la tête de la course dans les premiers tours. Thomas Chareyre parvient à la conserver jusqu’au neuvième tour. Auteur d’une série de tours rapides où il signe à plusieurs reprises le meilleur temps, Hermunen se détache et relègue Thomas Chareyre à près de quatre secondes sous le drapeau à damier.
    Adrien Chareyre est de nouveau troisième alors que Lazzarini, devant ses tifosis, se hisse à la quatrième position. Sylvain Bidard se classe cinquième.
    En remportant les quatre premières courses, Mauno Hermunen est le leader du championnat avec 100 points. Thomas Chareyre est second avec 12 points de retard. Sylvain Bidard complète le podium provisoire avec 72 points talonné d’un point par Ivan Lazzarini.
    Résultats :
    Course 1 : 1. Hermunen – 2. Chareyre T – 3. Chareyre A – 4. Bidard – 5. Grelier - 6. Lazzarini,…
    Course 2 :1. Hermunen – 2. Chareyre T – 3. Chareyre A – 4. Lazzarini – 5. Bidard - 6. Vorlicek,… 
    Prochaine épreuve : République Tchèque, 23 juin

    WSBK : Tom Sykes does the double at Donington

















    from Twowheelsblog 
    Just like in race 1 at Donington Park, Tom Sykes set an untouchable rhythm for the rest of the field as he raced to another lights-to-flag victory and moved to a second place in the standings just four points behind standings leader Sylvain Guintoli.
    The Kawasaki rider got the hole shot and with the higher track temperatures as he lowered the race lap record that Jonathan Rea had set in race 1 and won with more than an 8 second margin - he had a 3 second lead after five laps -on Sylvain Guintoli who raced to a lonely second place after getting rid of team mate Eugene Laverty on lap 5.
    Aprilia’s Eugene Laverty completed the podium after he passed a struggling Marco Melandri at the end of the penultimate lap. Melandri struggled throughout the race having trouble stopping his BMW with his front tire giving him problems and while trying to return the attack on Laverty on the final lap ran wide at the Fogarty Esses, letting Davide Giugliano who had been hotly trailing the two riders, easily conquer the fourth position.
    Melandri ended up in a disappointing fifth and ‘his season that starts now’ will have to be postponed for the next race at Portimao. Taking 6th was team mate Chaz Davies, who had a rather anonymous race after losing contact with Giugliano and Melandri.
    Loris Baz rode to a lonely 7th and more than 11 seconds separated him from Davies and more than 27 seconds from his winning team mate. Wildcard Niccolò Canepa was the only Ducati Alstare rider who finished the race, after Checa’s pullout and Ayrton Badovini crashed out at turn 2 during the 18th lap. The Superstock rider brought home the Panigale in 8th ahead of Jules Cluzel, while Suzuki team mate Leon Camier crashed out at turn 12 and rejoined to finish in 13th.
    Michel Fabrizio closed out the top ten, while Jonathan Rea battled with arm pump issues and running off track at the Esses trying to battle with Canepa and Cluzel didn’t help as the Pata Honda rider continued to fade and finish in a disappointing 11th place.
    2013 WSBK Donington Race 2 Results:
    1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34′06.921
    2. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′14.956
    3. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′17.659
    4. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′19.178
    5. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 34′22.897
    6. Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 34′23.396
    7. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34′34.445
    8. Niccolò Canepa (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale R 34′37.107
    9. Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 34′37.422
    10. Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′37.806

    SCRAM AFRICA 2013 : LA VIDEO


    WSBK : Tom Sykes takes impressive victory in race 1 at Donington

















    FRom TWOWHEELSBLOG
    After dominating all the sessions this weekend at Donington Park, Tom Sykes put in his pocket his second win of the season, after Assen, with a lights-to-flag victory at the British circuit.
    The Kawasaki rider played hare and greyhound in the first race, never really contested by the rest of the field even if Jonathan Rea pressured him for the first six laps - with the fastest lap of the race and breaking the record - with Sylvain Guintoli and team mate Eugene Laverty trailing the two front runners, but the Northern Irishman on lap 8 after Marco Melandri overtook him, ran off track at the Fogarty Esses dropping behind Chaz Davies and directly into a battling group made up Althea’s Davide Giugliano and Loris Baz.
    As the laps began to count down, Jonathan Rea began to fade struggling with right arm issues and as began to loose touch Guintoli reached him and then overtook with nine laps to go and the same move was repeated by Marco Melandri on lap 15, and by lap 18 the BMW rider caught and passed the Frenchman at the Goddards and sped away.

    Further down the field Eugene Laverty was struggling with the aggressive Baz and Giugliano who passed the Aprilia rider on lap 20 to continue their paint swapping and leaving Laverty to lick his wounds.
    With three laps left the positions were more or less frozen with only Michel Fabrizio gaining the 10th spot denying a bevy of Ducati riders, that turned into a Ducati cup over thhe finish line with Ayrton Badovini who still is suffering with ankle issues, pipping team mate Carlo Checa with his shoulder issue, and wildcard entry Niccolò Canepa finishing ahead of MR Racing’s Max Neukirchner.
    Sykes would cross under the chequered flag with a comfortable 2.3 second margin followed by Melandri and Guintoli who completed the podium.
    Prodigy frontman Keith Flint was no doubt upset to see friend Leon Camier crash out on lap four, while Leon Haslam decided to withdraw - his team insisted - from the round unable to continue the weekend riding with his leg giving him problems on the left corners, will see him at Portimao.
    2013 WSBK Donington Race 1 Results:
    1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34′10.881
    2. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 34′13.260
    3. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′14.689
    4. Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 34′17.641
    5. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34′24.530
    6. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′26.432
    7. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′28.334
    8. Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 34′30.019
    9. Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 34′38.619
    10. Michel Fabrizio (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34′41.698

    Classic Driver Concours d'Elegance



    With one of the calendar’s best-known concours about to commence on the shores of Lake Como, we decided to hold our very own, albeit with a slight twist: our ‘Best in Class’ beauties are all currently for sale.


    Best of the Future Classics: 2009 Maserati Quattroporte Bellagio by Touring


    We’ve already considered the merits of a Mk 5 Quattroporte as a modern classic, but the Bellagio has that extra facet of desirability, having been fashioned by Touring using traditional coachbuilding techniques. Just four were built – this being the first – and the only oversight during its transformation seems to be forgetting to re-christen the now hatchbacked Maserati as a ‘Cinqueporte’. 

    It will soon be auctioned off as part of RM’s Villa Erba sale, taking place a stone’s throw from the Bellagio’s namesake province. 

    View this auction lot on Classic Driver >>


    Best of Pre-War: 1939 Lagonda V12 Drophead Coupé


    Lagonda V12s are a mainstay of the concours circuit; their rarity, W.O. Bentley-designed engine and air of pre-War British majesty all contribute towards the car’s desirability. And few are more desirable than this 7,500-mile example, ordered new by Briggs Cunningham with unique coachwork and a Le Mans-spec engine. 

    Buy this Lagonda V12 on Classic Driver >>


    Best of Italian Elegance: 1970 Lamborghini Miura S


    Miura. Not a lot more needs to be said. Presented here in the interesting combination of white on beige, this low-mileage S is one of our favourite cars in the Marketplace at the moment. 

    Buy this Miura on Classic Driver>>


    Best of French Coachwork: 1938 Delahaye 135M 2 Seat Coupé


    Delahaye 135s are famed for their combination of extreme rarity (all were sent to various domestic coachbuilders, making many completely unique) and a competition bloodline: the late 30s saw wins at Le Mans and the Monte Carlo Rally. What's more, with ‘The Great Gatsby’ set to return pre-War fashion to the fore – much like ‘Mad Men’ did with 60s style – the present seems like a better time than ever to secure a svelte example of French coachwork at its finest. 

    Buy this Delahaye on Classic Driver >>


    Best of Show: 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Coupé Pinin Farina


    With so many stunners to choose from, why have we chosen this as our Best of Show? In a word: simplicity. This Ferrari 250 GT, styled by Pinin Farina in 1958, has no frills, just perfect proportions. And that, to us, is what sums up true class – elegance without fuss.

    View this auction lot on Classic Driver >>


    Text: Classic Driver
    Photos: Classic Driver Dealers / Auction Houses

    A Traveler’s Bounty: Cuban Cacao


    cuban-cacao-with-francois-payard-gear-patrol-lead-full
    By JEREMY BERGER
    Back safely in the U.S., I removed the cacao ball from my running shoe. I unwound the plastic wrap from the dark brown orb and sniffed it. My best friend, Mycah, and his wife, Ashley, had picked it up at a cacao farm in Baracoa, a small town on the eastern tip of Cuba, farther east still than Guantanamo Bay. When I met them in Santa Clara they’d presented me with the cacao and a glass of fresh guava juice. This was the good shit. I pictured myself shaving it over ice cream to impress a date or using it to flavor chili. Oh, this chocolate here? I got it from a guy in Cuba.
    Excited by my bounty and wanting to make the best use of it, I pulled some strings and arranged a meeting with François Payard. Payard is pastry royalty: He came up through top restaurants in France in the ’80s, came to New York to make pastry at Le Bernardin and Restaurant Daniel in the ’90s, won the James Beard Award for “Pastry Chef of the Year”, and opened a collection of bistros and cafes around the world, including FPB, a casual bakery in downtown New York.
    That’s where we met. It was raining hard outside, one of the last cold days of spring. I had the cacao ball in my pocket. I liked transporting it, always in a baggie, showing it to people. Payard was in the kitchen, moving around with purpose. He has wild eyes and boundless energy. His French accent is exactly what you want it to be, and he begins sentences in English with “Alors”. I produced the ball. Payard looked at it, put it right to his nose, sniffed it deeply.
    “It smells like p*ssy almost”, he said.

    The cacao hadn’t picked up the smells from my coat pocket or running shoe, thankfully. Payard explained in more refined terms that it smelled astringent, likely a result of an ill-managed fermentation. Making chocolate involves several steps. First, the beans and and pulp are scooped from the fruit; then they’re covered and left to ferment for a few days; this is followed by a period of time in the sun to dry. The beans can then be shelled and ground into a paste consisting mostly of cacao mass and some cocoa butter, which will eventually be refined and combined with other ingredients to make the chocolate we buy in stores.
    At the paste (also called “liquor”) stage, the cacao is essentially a raw food, the type that might be used in vegan restaurants or eaten in cacao-rich countries. In fact, one of Payard’s cooks, from Cote d’Ivoire, the largest producer of cacao beans, tasted what I’d brought home and confirmed that it was commonly eaten this way in his home country. The unrefined cacao is not sweet and luxurious like a bar of chocolate; the upside is that it’s very healthy, filled with flavonoids and low in saturated fat and sugar.
    I HAD THE CACAO BALL IN MY POCKET. I LIKED TRANSPORTING IT, ALWAYS IN A BAGGIE, SHOWING IT TO PEOPLE
    So I had a ball of bitter cacao paste, and it hadn’t been fermented properly. Worse yet, there wasn’t enough of it to make very much. I considered filing a complaint with the U.S. Interests Section, located at the Swiss embassy in Havana. But Payard, a man of action, wasn’t troubled. The cacao was still usable, and we would make chocolat chaud, hot chocolate — a pure expression of the ingredient — with the addition of some of his Guittard chocolate. Unlike most of the hot chocolate we drink in the States, this version (recipe below) is like liquid velvet because it’s cooked for several minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. “You see, it’s very thick”, Payard said. “That’s what you should expect with very good hot chocolate”.
    The combination of milk, cream, vanilla and chocolate made excellent hot chocolate, indeed, but it did have little fragments of shell and other solids from my cacao. Making this recipe with high-quality store bought chocolate like Guittard or Valhrona is probably the easiest method, but should you come across a ball of cacao paste in your travels, use it. Just strain it before serving. And don’t let anyone sniff it.
    What I brought back from Cuba may not have been the best cacao or even the right chocolate for the job, but it was worth much more than the few pesos it cost: it was a gift from a friend, a good story, a chance to meet a legendary pastry chef and, maybe in a tiny way, the size of a cacao nib, a bridge between two countries at odds for many decades. Can you say the same about cigars and rum? I wouldn’t know. I didn’t bring any of those back…

    Chocolat Chaud (Hot Chocolate)

    Chocolat-Chaud-recipe-francois-payard-gear-patrol-
    COLD CHOCOLATE
    cold-chocolate-drink-francis-payard-gear-patrol-sidebar
    You can turn the hot chocolate into a refreshing cold chocolate for summer with a few simple changes. Follow the procedure for hot chocolate exactly, but substitute the milk and cream for something with less fat — skim milk, for example, or even soy milk. Make the hot chocolate and pour it over ice. Always make it like this instead of refrigerating it, which will cause the fats in the liquid to coagulate and the drink to become too thick. Be sure to casually remind everyone that the chocolate is from Baracoa.
    Ingredients:
    4 cups whole milk
    4 cups heavy cream
    500g chocolate (64% dark)
    1 pod vanilla beans
    Procedure:
    Bring milk and cream to a boil. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Cook for about five minutes, stirring. Toward the end, scrape vanilla beans from the pod and add (including the pod) to the mixture. Allow to infuse.
    Note: This recipe was adapted from the FPB recipe, which called for 3 liters of whole milk, 3 liters of heavy cream, 1,500g of chocolate and 2 pods of vanilla beans.

    from Gear Patrol 

    BMW Concept Ninety - Roland Sands


    Written by Ian Lee.
    When a bike manufacturer commissions a special edition bike to be built outside of their factory, they don’t just put their creation in the hands of any nuff nuff who can swing an angle grinder and crimp terminals together. As part of this new trend to work with outside customisers, Yamaha approached Wrenchmonkees, Triumph went to Icon, and now BMW has collaborated with Roland Sands to create a homage to the BMW R90S – the German marque’s bad ass bike of the 1970’s. Forty years after it’s launch, BMW & Roland Sands have reimagined the R90S in a modern vein, while still retaining such touches as the blended paint job, ducktail and bikini fairing the original bike was renowned for. The spirit of the original is retained, with some awesome new design ideas thrown into the mix, making it clear that BMW has chosen the right bike builder for the job. 
    Visually, the bike is striking. The upper components are painted up in bright Daytona orange as a nod to the original bike. The lower end is splashed with black, R90S badging and othe aluminium hand crafted highlights breaking up the dark visual effect. An LED headlamp, wrapped in a bikini fairing envelops a two gauge meter cluster, RSD clip-ons and levers. The custom tail end is a healthy mix of Moto2 & café racer ducktail, with the paintjob blended from the psychedelic orange of the Daytona paintjob through to a white stripe running up the centre, adorned with a BMW badge. Roland Sands has crafted a lot of the componentry inhouse, but the most standout aspects are RSD wheels wrapped in Dunlop rubber making up the rolling stock. With a café racer styled aesthetique, the Beemer features an almost wedge shaped outline when viewed from the right angle. It features tank cutouts to grip your knees against when testing the flat twin to it’s full capability, and according to BMW’s press release, ‘an attack stance like a sprinter about to explode into action’.  
    The BMW R90s concepts first public outing is to be at the Villa d’este Concorso Eleganza, generally a car based event but this year with the R90S in attendance, more attention will be given to the motorcycle class. 40 years after the original R90S was released, this collaboration could be the start of something beautiful. A lot of people are asking if BMW could be using the concept as a gauge of public reception, to make a special run of bikes a la Paul Smart LE1000. With no technical specs released, if the bike was to go into production it would have to be able to live up to the name, reminding everyone of what bike it was that won the first AMA superbike championship, and an amazing homage to the bike that broke the mindset that BMW only made good touring bikes. 
    [Spotted on Ride Apart]

    GERMAN HEART, JDM SOUL: PLATTE FORME’S Z4M


    It was once said that as a general rule of thumb when building a car, it’s best to stick with aftermarket parts that match its country of origin. A Japanese car is usually best when equipped parts from that country’s tuning shops, a European car is made best by parts form Europe and an American car should be equipped with parts from the good old USA. Today more than ever though, I think that mantra has been proven obsolete.
    As people continue to get more creative with their builds, we are finding that some of most exciting cars out there are the ones most heavily infused with elements from outside their brand’s country of origin. Take a look at an RWB Porsche or even something like the Mustang RTR-X and you’ll get where I’m coming from.
    You also have cars like this BMW Z4M built by Southern California’s Platte Forme a.g. – a European car tuning shop that happens to look to Japan for a lot of its inspiration and car-building philosophy.
    If you’ve followed the American time attack scene, you are probably familiar Platte Forme’s highly competitive E46 M3 and some of the other track cars its built. The shop’s founder Toan Nguyen has been working on cars for more than a decade now, and a little over two years ago he realized the dream of opening up his own tuning shop.
    And while Platte Forme specializes in European cars, Toan has never really been about the luxury side of these European offerings. For him and the rest of the Platte Forme crew, it’s all about motorsport. There’s a racing element to just about every car the shop works on.
    It’s from this focus on motorsport that a lot of the Japanese influence comes in. Toan has always admired Japanese tuning parts for their balance of quality, function and aesthetics. It’s this so-called ‘golden ratio’ that’s led the shop to integrate these Japanese elements into its builds.
    This customer-owned Z4M is an example of the more street-oriented side of Platte Forme’s work. The goal here was to build a car that could serve as an urban commuter during the week, and then head out to the track on the weekend and lay down some competitive lap times.
    It’s a goal that seemed to fit perfectly with the shop’s ethos. Rather than building a car with a ton of horsepower, the idea would be to make the Z4M quick threw use of high quality parts and an even balance between each area of the car’s abilities.
    When you look at the BMW there isn’t one thing that stands out as dominating the build. Instead, it’s a well-rounded mixture of small elements that come together to create a something that is both functional and aesthetically-pleasing.
    Beginning under the hood, you’ll find nothing drastic outfitted to the Z4M’s inline six. The internals are completely original, but a European market header and high-flow catalytic converters have been added to free up some extra power. There’s also a BMC air filter, an Evolve tune – and well, that’s pretty much it.
    Rounding out the horsepower-producing modifications is a cat-back exhaust system from ARQRAY – a Japanese company that makes high end exhaust parts for a number of European cars.
    Continuing on to the suspension and chassis, Platte Forme equipped the car with a set of JRZ RS Pro dampers with Hypercoil springs, Ground Control sway bar links, rear shock mounts, upgraded bushings and a front tower bar from RE.
    When it comes to wheels, it was only natural that it would choose something lightweight, forged and Japanese – something like the RAYS Engineering Volk Racing TE37. The TE’s on the Z4M measure 18×9.5-inch in the front and 18×10.5-inch in the rear.
    The spokes of the wheels are filled with a giant set of Brembo brakes, measuring 355mm in the front and 345mm in the rear with six and four pot calipers respectively.
    Another key part of the build was the aero work. Once again Platte Forme went with a well-rounded mix of body additions that improve on both the Z4M’s aerodynamics and also give it plenty of style on the street.
    In the rear the car is equipped with a GT wing from VARIS, which is of course one of Japan’s most proven aero parts manufactures.
    Up front, the car runs a VARIS front lip along with a chassis-mounted front splitter that’s an original Platte Forme a.g. item.
    Inside, you’ll find just about everything you’d expect from a car that serves double-duty as a daily driver and weekend track warrior. All of the factory creature comforts have been left intact, but with a few upgrades suited to aggressive driving.
    The factory seats have been replaced with a pair of Recaro Pole Positions with Recaro side mounts and VAC floor mounts…
    … while the stock pedals have been swapped out for a set of high-grip pieces from Ultimate. It’s a small change, but something that is surely noticed during hot lap sessions.
    And speaking of hot laps, when the guys took the car to Buttonwillow once they finished the build, the Z4M put down a very impressive 2:02 lap time on street tires.
    With more track time and the addition of the new front splitter, Toan doesn’t see any reason why the car shouldn’t be capable of breaking the two-minute mark. Very impressive stuff for a lightly-tuned street car.
    As for the Z4M, future plans including add a roll bar and also getting some more power from the engine. Toan has yet to decide whether he’ll install a new airbox and more aggressive cams, or go the forced induction route with a supercharger kit. When it comes to the shop itself, Platte Forme recently moved into a brand new facility and is in process of planning a new race build, which Toan says should be pretty unique. We’ll certainly stay in touch to see how that pans out.
    So yes, there’s nothing wrong with going the traditional route with your build, but as Platte Forme has proven with this Z4M – sometimes a little bit of international influence can go a long way.
    Platte Form a.g. BMW Z4M
    Engine
    Euro header, Euro cats, ARQRAY exhaust system, BMC air filter, Evolve tune
    Suspension/Brakes
    JRZ RS Pro dampers, Hypercoil springs, Ground Control adjustable sway bar links, Ground Control camber plates, Whiteline trailing arm bushings, RE front strut bar, Brembo 355mm six-piston front brakes, Brembo 345mm four-piston rear brakes, Project Mu brake fluid
    Wheels/Tires
    RAYS Engineering Volk Racing TE37 18×9.5 inch (front), 18 ×10.5-inch (rear), Dunlop tires 255/45R18 (front) 275/35R18 (rear)
    Exterior
    VARIS front lip, VARIS GT wing, Platte Form chassis-mounted front splitter, Euro bumper, M Sport rocker panels
    Interior
    Recaro Pole Posiiton seats, Recaro side mounts, VAC floor mounts, Ultimate pedals