Le Mans 24: 2010

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Audi changes Le Mans driver line-up

Audi has made three changes to its sportscar line-up this year, as it attempts to regain the Le Mans 24 Hours crown from Peugeot.

This week's AUTOSPORT magazine revealed that three-time Le Mans winner Marco Werner has been dropped and Alexandre Premat will focus on the DTM, while former American Le Mans Series champion Lucas Luhr is not expected to feature.

The trio has been replaced by Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer, who will share one of the R15s at Le Mans this year.

Fassler raced twice for Audi in the ALMS in 2008 and raced at Le Mans for Chevrolet in 2009. Lotterer won last year's Japanese Super GT title and drove a Kolles-run Audi R10 at Le Mans, while Treluyer raced a Pescarolo-run Peugeot 908 in last year's 24 Hours.

"In view of our strong competitors, we have to be perfectly positioned in terms of drivers," said Audi motorsport boss Wolfgang Ullrich. "Marcel, Andre and Benoit attracted our attention during the past two years and we are convinced they are a very good combination for Le Mans."

"For the time being plans for them are fully focused on Le Mans 2010, but all three of them are still relatively young and may become part of our sportscar project over the long term."

"For me, having the chance to be part of the Audi team this year is incredible," said Fassler. "I'm looking forward to the challenge and expect the R15 to be competing for overall victory."

Lotterer added: "I'm proud about having been selected by such a successful team, this is a major step in my career. Last year as a Le Mans rookie I learned a lot, now I've got the chance to compete for a top-class team."

Treluyer said: "I'd never have expected to immediately get a slot with a factory team for Le Mans after my return from Japan. With Andre and Marcel, we've got a car in which we can clinch overall victory."

Autosport

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The ACO releases the 2010 Le Mans 24 entry list

Just after 11 o’clock Automobile Club de l’Ouest president Jean-Claude Plassart told the press and representatives from several teams and manufacturers that 84 applications for an entry into the race had been received. “Despite the economic crisis it shows that the teams have full confidence in Le Mans racing”, said Plassart. “A sign of this confidence is that this year we have nine major manufacturers taking part, including three new manufacturers.”

After the presentation of the new Pescarolo Le Mans prototype for the racing school of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest it was time for the long awaited announcement of the invited teams. Fabrice Bourrigaud also confirmed that scrutineering will take place on Sunday and Monday on the central square in Le Mans and that the first free practice session will take place on Wednesday afternoon, from 16.00 - 18.00.

Vincent Beaumesnil and Fabrice Bourrigaud confirmed that 21 LMP1 cars, 9 LMP2 cars, 8 GT1 cars and 17 GT2 cars have been given an entry into the 2010 edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours. Nineteen nationalities are now confirmed, while both the LMP and GT categories have 10 makes.

Here are all the invited teams and the nominated first driver that had to be registered before February 1st. Nominated drivers can not be replaced and being withdrawn from a team in case of ‘force majeure’ means they can not be racing at another team.

LM P1
Autocon Motorsports - Lola B06/10 AER - Michael Lewis
SORA Racing - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Christophe Tinseau
Pescarolo Sport - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Ho-Pin Tung
Kolles - Audi R10 TDI - Christian Bakkerud
Kolles - Audi R10 TDI - Christijan Albers
Rebellion Racing - Lola B10/60 Rebellion - Andrea Belicchi
Rebellion Racing - Lola B10/60 Rebellion - Nicolas Prost
Drayson Racing - Lola B09/60 Judd - Paul Drayson
Dome Racing Team - Dome S102 Judd - Sebastien Philippe
Signature Plus - Lola Aston Martin - Pierre Ragues
Beechdean Mansell Motorsport - Ginetta-Zytek Z09R - Nigel Mansell
Team Oreca Matmut - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Olivier Panis
AIM Team Oreca - Oreca 01 AIM - Soheil Ayari
Aston Martin Racing - Lola Aston Martin - Harold Primat
Aston Martin Racing - Lola Aston Martin - Darren Turner
Audi Sport North America - Audi R15 TDI - Mike Rockenfeller
Audi Sport Team Joest - Audi R15 TDI - Andre Lotterer
Audi Sport Team Joest - Audi R15 TDI - Tom Kristensen
Peugeot Sport Total - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Sebastien Bourdais
Team Peugeot Total - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Nicolas Minassian
Team Peugeot Total - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - Alexander Wurz

LM P2
Strakka Racing - HPD Acura ARX-01C - Nick Leventis
Team Bruichladdich - Ginetta Zytek 07S Zytek - Karim Ojjeh
Quifel-ASM Team - Ginetta Zytek 09S Zytek - Miguel Amaral
Gerard Welter - WR Zytek - Philippe Salini
Racing Box - Lola B08/80 Judd - Luca Pirri
Highcroft Racing - HPD Acura ARX-01C - David Brabham
RML - Lola B08/80 HPD - Mike Newton
OAK Racing - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Richard Hein
OAK Racing - Pescarolo 01 Judd - Jacques Nicolet

LM GT1
JLOC - Lamborghini Murcielago GT1 - Yogo Atsushi
Peka Racing NV - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Anthony Kumpen
Young Driver AMR - Aston Martin DBR9 - Christoffer Nygaard
Marc VDS Racing - Ford GT - Eric de Doncker
Matech Competition - Ford GT - Natacha Gachnang
Luc Alphand Aventures - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Stephan Gregoire
Luc Alphand Aventures - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Luc Alphand
Larbre Competition - Saleen S7R - Roland Berville

LM GT2
BMS Scuderia Italia - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Matteo Malucelli
AF Corse - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Luis Perez Companc
JMW Motorsport - Aston Martin Vantage GT2 - Rob Bell
Hankook Team Farnbacher - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Dominik Farnbacher
Spyker Squadron - Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R - Tim Coronel
Modena Group Racing - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Roman Rusinov
Risi Competizione - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Jaime Melo
Risi Competizione - Ferrari F430 GT2 - Tracey Krohn
RSR - Jaguar XKR GT2 - Paul Gentilozzi
Flying Lizard Motorsports - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Seth Neiman
ProSpeed Competition - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Paul van Splunteren
Team Felbermayr-Proton - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Horst Felbermayr
IMSA Performance Matmut - Porsche 997 GT3 RSR - Raymond Narac
BMW Motorsport - BMW M3 GT2 - Andy Priaulx
BMW Motorsport - BMW M3 GT2 - Jörg Müller
Corvette Racing - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Oliver Gavin
Corvette Racing - Chevrolet Corvette C6.R - Jan Magnussen

RESERVE LMP

RESERVE GT

Planetlemans

[Plex]

Nigel Mansell and sons will race at Le Mans

Nigel Mansell’s dream of adding the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours title to his extensive list of championship and race wins took a step closer today when the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) confirmed the Beechdean Mansell Motorsport Zytek Z09S LMP1 as one of the 55 entrants for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours. The 1992 Formula One World Champion will compete in the 78th running of the world’s most famous race alongside his sons Leo and Greg this summer on the 12/13 June and the car will wear the famous ‘Red 5’

Nigel Mansell, who attended the glittering ceremony held at Le Mans with his sons and Beechdean Mansell Motorsport Team Principle Andrew Howard, said: “I am extremely happy that we have been granted an entry by the ACO for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours in June and I would like to thank the ACO for giving us this opportunity. It has only been one month since we announced the formation of Beechdean Mansell Motorsport and our intention to compete in the Le Mans Series. Andrew Howard and his team have worked extremely hard to make this a reality and now we have the entry for the big race the real work can now begin, starting with the first test of the car in Portugal. We’re under no illusions about the chances of winning Le Mans at the first attempt but we will be competitive in 2010 and a lot can happen in a 24 hour race. The 2010 entry is just the beginning; we’re here for the long haul and we have our sights firmly set on making Beechdean Mansell Motorsport one of the leading teams in international endurance racing and winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in the near future.”

While 2010 will mark Nigel and Greg Mansell’s first Le Mans 24 Hours, this will be Leo’s second. In 2009 Nigel’s eldest son competed in a GT2 class Ferrari 430, taking the chequered flag and finishing the gruelling 24 Hour race.

Leo Mansell said: “It’s fantastic to be going back to Le Mans 24 Hours for a second time and that combined with racing with my Dad and Brother together is going to be amazing; I think it’s one of the first times it has been done as a trio from the same family. The Le Mans 24 Hours is a great challenge and very exciting. Taking the chequered flag last year was great because I managed to get right behind the Peugeots and just finishing the race felt like a fantastic achievement. ”

Greg Mansell said: “I’m very excited to be racing at Le Mans this year; it’s one of the biggest spectacles in racing and the crowds going to be amazing. This is a great opportunity for any driver to test themselves, it is going to a big challenge. This is will be longest race I’ve ever competed in by a long way, however with the team we’ve built here it’s going to really good fun as well and I’m really looking forward to it.”

The focus for the team will now turn to the first test of the Beechdean Mansell Motorsport Zytek, which will take place at the Portimao circuit in the Algarve on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 February. This will be the first opportunity for the whole team to fine tune the car as they work towards the start of the LMS season at Paul Ricard on 10/11 April.

Planetlemans

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Highcroft headed for Le Mans 24 Hours debut

Reigning American Le Mans Series LMP1 champions Highcroft Racing will race in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans after being announced this morning as one of the 55 teams selected to contest the French endurance classic.

Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham - the winner of last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot - was in attendance at the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) press conference this morning in France.

The Danbury, CT-based team will take its 2010 American Le Mans Series entry, the Honda Performance Development factory-backed ARX-01c chassis to contest the LMP2 class at Le Mans on June 12-13.

“Getting an entry for Le Mans is extremely satisfying,” Dayton said.

“It has been a goal of ours since the creation of Highcroft Racing - preceding our relationships with both HPD and Patrón, winning our first race or even the championship.

“This is something we have wanted to do for a long time and we are delighted and thankful for the opportunity and very proud of the fact we are invited to France.

“Our goal has always been to establish Highcroft as a leading international motorsports organization - to do that, being at Le Mans is essential.”

Brabham has played an integral role in the development of the Highcroft squad since his debut as part of the Acura factory program in 2007.

He will defend his ALMS crown in 2010 teamed with Frenchman, Simon Pagenaud who last season took three poles, five race victories and six fastest laps while fighting against Highcroft. Marino Franchitti fills the third driver role for the team in long-distance races after scoring three pole positions, three fastest race laps and 10 podiums from 10 LMP2 class races last season.

“For the reigning American Le Mans Series champions to go to Le Mans with the reigning winner of the 24 Hours is a remarkable opportunity,” Dayton said.

“We have long-standing and highly successful relationship with David and frankly, I can’t imagine going to Le Mans without him.

“He has been an integral part of our program since the beginning of Highcroft Racing and his breadth and depth of knowledge at Le Mans will be so important for us.

“He has experience and a winning pedigree both in prototypes and GT cars at Le Mans - you couldn’t pick a better man to lead your team at the 24 Hours for the first time.”

Highcroft Racing is one of nine cars selected to contest the LMP2 class at Le Mans. The team will do battle against another HPD ARX-01c of Engalnd’s Strakka Racing as well as two Pescarolo Judds, two Ginetta Zyteks, a WR Zytek, a Lola Judd and a HPD-powered Lola.

“Even though we earned an LMP1 entry after winning in the ALMS last year, given the fact that a petrol-powered car really can’t compete against the diesels at Le Mans, it really made sense for us take our current chassis and contest LMP2,” Dayton said.

“This will be our first flyaway race, our first time in Europe and our first time at Le Mans so we do have a lot to learn.

“We’re not under any false pretences regarding the size of the challenge ahead. Tackling an LMP1 victory at Le Mans was really not realistic for us this year, but we’re very keen to challenge for the LMP2 win.

“We are going to have to earn it, work very hard and be a quick study because most of the competitors we will be fighting with have been there before.

“While our drivers have been to Le Mans and I’ve raced there four times, only a handful of our crew guys have done the race so we will be on a steep learning curve.”

While the team competes in the American Le Mans Series as Patrón Highcroft Racing, advertising laws in France will not permit the team to display its regular colors.

“We’re going to be headed to France with new colors in June,” Dayton said.

“We would have loved to fly the Patrón flag in the biggest endurance race in the world, but we now have a great opportunity to introduce new marketing partners to a massive international audience.”

Planetlemans

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Ford GT by Matech Competition

The legendary Ford GT will enter the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans thanks to a preparation made by Matech Competition team.

"This is great recognition for the whole team who have worked very hard on this Ford GT1 project. That our car has been considered for this 78th edition exceeds our wildest dreams. The 24 Hours of Le Mans are as much a legend as Ford’s adventure at Le Mans. Now we need to prove that both the team and the car are ready for the unique challenge that is Le Mans. We are equally pleased that our customer team, MarcVDS Racing, has also received an invitation to the race, and we look forward to providing them with our support as we do in the GT1 World Championship."




Topspeed

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LE MANS: Audi R15 TDI ‘Plus’ Revealed

Audi will fight for victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 12-13 with an evolution of the R15 TDI diesel race sports car. An extensive testing program with the revised LMP1 vehicle has just begun in the United States.

"From Audi’s perspective, the LMP1 is the better alternative to Formula 1 because this motorsport category features technologies and developments which are relevant to production vehicles," explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "At Le Mans, efficiency is of paramount importance – and today, more than ever before, it is a key deliverable of production vehicles as well and it is one of Audi’s special strengths."

Therefore, efficiency was a focal point during the R15 TDI evolution project – particularly in the complex area of aerodynamics. "This year, the Le Mans regulations prescribe air restrictors with a smaller diameter and reduced supercharging pressure for diesel-powered vehicles," says Dr. Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport. "Due to the reduction of engine power as a result of the regulations we have tried to make the car’s aerodynamics even more efficient than before and to improve the Cd value and downforce parameters."

A late change in regulations that was announced only in November made the work of the engineers more difficult and forced Audi to completely modify the front section of the R15 TDI. Consequently, the diesel race sports car that is internally designated as "R15 plus" now has a new, distinctive face featuring a split nose.

The entire shape of the R15 TDI’s body has been revised for maximum efficiency. The same is true for the modified cooling and fuel tank system. The V10 TDI engine has been optimized for the smaller air restrictors and reduced supercharging pressure. "Our objective was to keep power loss to a minimum despite the limitations imposed by the regulations," explains Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Technology at Audi Sport. "We managed to do that through a lot of detailed work." The 5.5-liter power plant continues to deliver more than 440 kW.

"After Le Mans 2009, our specifications for the R15 plus listed about 20 key items," says Dr. Martin Mühlmeier. "Efficiency and reliability were at the top of the list but we also looked at details like improved nighttime lighting of the track. We were able to meet this wish of the drivers with a new headlight concept."

The evolution version of the Audi R15 TDI completed its roll out on the Audi test track at Neustadt in Germany on March 3. The vehicle was subsequently flown to the United States for two weeks of in-depth testing. Before the race at Le Mans in June, Audi Sport Team Joest will complete an extensive testing program on various European race tracks and test races at the 8 Hours of Le Castellet on April 11 and at the 1000-kilometer race at Spa-Francorchamps on May 9.

A new partner has now joined the project: the logo of the renowned watchmaker TAG Heuer will be featured on the Audi R15 TDI. Some of the brand’s fame stems from U.S. actor Steve McQueen wearing a TAG Heuer watch in the movie "Le Mans."

Speedtv

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BMW M3 GT2 Art Car will Contest 24 Hours of Le Mans

Press Release

BMW Announces Jeff Koons' Art Car Will Race at 24 Hours of Le Mans / World Premiere at Paris' Centre Pompidou

Koons Reveals Preliminary Designs for the BMW M3 GT2

New York - April 6, 2010 ... In the spirit of Calder, Stella, Lichtenstein, Warhol, and Holzer, BMW announced today that the 17th Art Car created by Jeff Koons will race where the first rolling pieces of art by legendary artists raced - at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, June 12-13, 2010. Koons' canvas is a BMW M3 GT2, which was homologated to compete at this year's running of the world's most famous endurance race.

In another nod to tradition, Koons will present the world premiere and sign his car at Paris' Centre Pompidou on June 1, 2010, just as Roy Lichtenstein did in 1977.

Adding to the occasion, Koons released for the first time his preliminary design concept for the car today at a press conference in New York City. As part of his creative process, the artist collected images of race cars and graphics, vibrant colors and speed. He layered them into a digital collage depicting his sources of inspiration. The resulting graphic conceived by Koons - evocative of power, motion and light and rendered in the artist's signature saturated hues on a black ground set against the car's silver interior - will impart a dynamic appearance to the race car even when it's standing still.

"These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy," said Koons. "You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy. There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car - it's really to connect with that power."

Koons was joined at the press conference by President of the Centre Pompidou Alain Seban, BMW of North America President Jim O'Donnell, BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, and BMW Le Mans driver Andy Priaulx of Great Britain.

"This is a momentum building year for us that speaks to the essence of the brand and the latest chapter of the BMW Art Car program is certainly part of this," said O'Donnell. "It's an absolute delight for all of us to be working with Jeff on this program that is part of the fabric of BMW."

World Premiere at the Centre Pompidou, Paris

Paris' Centre Pompidou is one of the world's most prestigious cultural institutions for modern and contemporary art and is where Roy Lichtenstein first unveiled and signed his car in 1977 as Jeff Koons will on June 1. Also, the Koons car number, "79," pays tribute to the 1979 Andy Warhol car. The Warhol car was assigned the number "76," an homage to the 1976 Frank Stella car, both of which raced at Le Mans.

"Ever since it was created back in 1977, the Centre Pompidou has acted as an interface, a platform of exchange between creative art and society, striving to expose the larger public to the art of our time in the firm belief that art can foster a more innovative and flexible society," said Alain Seban, President of the Centre Pompidou. "For this reason the Centre Pompidou is glad to join BMW's project which, I trust, can go a long way in bringing together creation and society by inviting the great artists of our time - from Roy Lichtenstein in 1977 to Jeff Koons today - to challenge the most mythical object of our era, the car, through a unique creation."

The Design Process

"It is a fascinating and inspiring exercise to witness an artist present his or her point of view through one of our cars. To see Jeff Koons take his unique sensibility and bring it to a BMW race car as he works with our team to translate his vision into a race-ready car is to truly watch the connection be made between technical and artistic intelligence," said Frank-Peter Arndt, member of the Board of Management for the BMW AG with responsibility for BMW Group's international cultural formats.

Koons has been in an intense collaboration with BMW's team in Munich for months - melding his skill with sophisticated BMW engineering - to ensure that the 17th BMW Art Car will be race-ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Traveling back and forth to Germany several times since the February 2 announcement that Koons would create the 17th BMW Art Car, the artist has worked with the BMW engineering and design teams to conduct in-depth explorations of materials and application options that will prove crucial to optimizing both the aesthetic and aerodynamic attributes of the race car. Working with actual 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) models of the BMW M3 GT2, Koons can simulate the application of the graphic to the car's surfaces and evaluate it from all angles.

Koons even donned a helmet and joined BMW's American Le Mans Series race team for testing in Sebring, Florida, on February 23. Koons was able to experience the M3 GT2 at race speed to further inspire his design. As Koons describes it, he witnessed "the raw unfiltered performance" of the M3 GT2 from the seat of a historic BMW M1 race car. Koons also drove a BMW M3 Coupe on the circuit to further the dynamic exercise.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans race

Today, BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen announced the driver line-up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Müller (DE) and Dirk Werner (DE) will race the BMW Art Car #79. Jörg Müller (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR), Uwe Alzen (DE) will drive the BMW Le Mans car #78.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest endurance race in all of sports car racing, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it is organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and runs on a circuit containing closed public roads. The race is designed not only to test a car and driver's ability to be quick, but also to last over a 24-hour period.

French auctioneer and racing driver Hervé Poulain first had the idea of asking an artist to paint the car he himself would compete with. Taking up this initiative in 1975, American artist Alexander Calder painted a BMW racing car, thus laying the foundation. The Art Car experiment was soon continued: a year later, Calder Art Car co-driver Sam Posey introduced Frank Stella to the idea of BMW Art Cars when the New York-based artist covered a BMW with his typical grid-like pattern. Stella's work was followed by a series of celebrated pop artists: Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg. Apart from Rauschenberg's Art Car, all these took part in the Le Mans 24-hour race, some of them enjoying remarkable success.

After taking a break in the 1980's, the Art Car returned to its origins at Le Mans in 1999, when American concept artist Jenny Holzer "wrote" her truisms on a BMW V12 Le Mans race car.

The germination of Koons' collaboration with BMW began in 2003, when he expressed his desire to create a BMW Art Car. His relationship with BMW started more than two decades ago when he drove a BMW while residing in Munich, home to the BMW Group headquarters. Koons is known for his heartfelt appreciation of cars. Earlier this year he was even recognized by music icon Bono of U2 as one of the ideal artists to design a car that would make the world fall in love with automobiles again.

Koons' creative process for the BMW Art Car mirrors techniques, some borrowed from transportation design and development, which he regularly employs for his artistic production. For example, in the creation of Koons' monumental sculptures, his studio uses 3-D CAD models to evaluate the surfaces, assembles them via methods found in bike chop shops, and paints them in a manner based on sophisticated automotive painting techniques.

"It is fitting that Jeff Koons' car will follow in the storied tradition of the renowned artists who created the early race-inspired BMW Art Cars," said O'Donnell. "We look forward to BMW's return to Le Mans - and perhaps even sharing a toast with Jeff at the finish line."

Derived from the BMW M3 high-performance sports car, the BMW M3 GT2 boasts a 4.0-liter V8 engine with a maximum output of 500 bhp, an upgraded chassis, racing-caliber brakes, and extensive use of lightweight materials. Able to reach 100 mph in 3.4 seconds, the BMW M3 GT2 is rapidly emerging as a real first year contender at this year's event.

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen said, "The race in Le Mans is one of the most important events in international motorsport. This makes it the perfect stage to revive the tradition of the BMW Art Car. Jeff Koons' work of art will leave a lasting impression with all those who see it, even after the BMW M3 GT2 has crossed the finish line. BMW Art Cars have often also been able to impress with their sporting achievements. I am optimistic that this will be the case again this year."

Beginning in September, the Koons Art Car will be on view at the BMW Museum in Munich, as part of a special exhibition commemorating the program's 35th anniversary.

BMW Art Cars

Since 1975, artists from throughout the world have turned BMW automobiles into art signifying a particular period through the Art Car program. In 2007, the latest installment was revealed with Olafur Eliasson's "Your Mobile Expectations: BMW HR2R project." Many of these have been exhibited in renowned museums throughout the world including the Louvre, the Guggenheim Museums, and the Shanghai Art Museum. They have been displayed at the BMW Museum in Munich, between 2006 and 2010 and many went on a world tour throughout Asia, Russia, Africa, India, the United States and Mexico.

The home of all BMW Art Cars is the BMW Museum in Munich. Starting in September, Koons' 17th BMW Art Car will be presented there together with some of its predecessors.

With over 100 major projects worldwide, BMW Group cultural programs have been an integral part of the company's contributions to society for almost 40 years. Besides contemporary art, architecture and design, classical music and jazz are key components of this engagement.

For a link to photos and more information about BMW Art Car Program, please visit: www.bmwusanews.com/artsandculture and http://www.independent-collectors.com/bmwartcars

Worldcarfans

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Testing at Monza Peugeot 908 FAP HDI

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Testing at Monza Audi R15 Plus

[VK-Sportsman]

so you competing this year with the peugeot?
_________________
Feel the Power of the

[Plex]

[Plex]

Announcements Approaching the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours

Coming up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans we will bring you updates of who will drive for whom and other information that you might find useful. Today we have a driver announcement (and a couple refreshers) and an update from WR.
# Flying Lizard Motorsports have confirmed their line-ups.
- Joerg Bergmeister, Darren Law, and Seth Neiman will drive the #80 Porsche GT3 RSR


# Highcroft Racing
- David Brabham, Marino Franchitti, Marco Werner will drive the #26 HPD ARX-01C

# Kolles
- Christophe Bouchut, Scott Tucker, Manu Rodrigues will drive the #15 Audi R10.

We will bring you more as they are announced and a complete driver list will be posted in due course.

# WR have announced that they are skipping the Spa 1000km to concentrate on Le Mans. They have a few new items to test on the car and are eager not to place the car at risk in a race situation before the race. WR has competed a Le Mans many times, taking pole in the 1990s but has not competed with the current car.

Feedmesportscars

[Plex]

Aston announces Le Mans line-up

Aston Martin, Le Mans 2009Aston Martin Racing has announced the driver line-up for its pair of LMP1 entries at the Le Mans 24 Hours, with Darren Turner returning to the team's prototype arm, and Sam Hancock and Juan Barazi added to the squad.

The #007 car will retain the Adrian Fernandez, Stefan Mucke and Harold Primat trio that took third place in the sole Aston entered for this year's Sebring 12 Hours.

Aston regular Turner's full-time 2010 campaigns are with the Young Driver AMR Aston squad in the GT1 World Championship and with JMW's GT2 Aston in the Le Mans Series, but he will return to the cockpit of the LMP1 car to lead the #009 line-up at Le Mans.

"It's always good to get back into the LMP1 seat - while I am competing in GT1 and GT2 this year. I am, as ever really looking forward to Le Mans and it will be good to work with two new team-mates," Turner said.

"I think it will be tough battling against the diesels once again, and I hope we can echo last year's result finishing top of the petrol rankings. I know all the other competitors will have made good progress over the past 12 months, so it will make for a very competitive race."

Former LMS LMP2 class champion Hancock's Aston deal marks a return to top-line prototype racing after several years in Porsche championships and lower-profile categories.

"It is incredible to be driving for the Aston Martin team," he said. "To be a British driver representing what is arguably one of the coolest brands in the world and at possibly the greatest race of the annual calendar, is a real honour and privilege."

Fellow Aston newcomer Juan Barazi has primarily raced with his own Barazi-Epsilon team in the LMP2 class in recent years, and is another former LMS class champion.

Autosport

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Jarvis joins Kolles Audi for Le Mans

DTM frontrunner Oliver Jarvis is to make his Le Mans 24 Hours debut in one of the Kolles team's customer Audis.

The factory Audi driver had his first LMP outing with the same squad in the Asian Le Mans Series races at Okayama last autumn, where he took third and fifth places. He is testing with Kolles at Paul Ricard this week, and will line up with Christian Bakkerud and Christophe Bouchut in the team's #15 R10.

"It will be a huge honour to compete at Le Mans driving an Audi," said Jarvis.

"I raced the Audi R10 TDI for the first and only time in two Asian Le Mans Series races at Okayama last year, finishing third and fifth in the three-hour races, but racing at Le Mans will be a massive challenge for me. It will be a completely new experience because the races in Japan were staged on a short, twisting track which is completely different to the ultra-fast, flowing Le Mans circuit."

He admitted his expectations for the race were moderate, as he believes the Kolles package is unlikely to be a frontrunner.

"My aim for Le Mans will be to finish the race," said Jarvis. "The factory Audi and Peugeot cars have taken a real step forward so it will impossible to fight with them while the petrol engined cars of Aston Martin, ORECA, Acura [Honda] and Rebellion will all be very quick so to make the top 10 will be a very tough challenge although the Kolles Audi cars achieved seventh and ninth positions last year."

Jarvis added that he is interested in a long-term future as part of Audi's hugely successful sportscar programme, and hopes the Kolles Le Mans seat is a step in that direction.

"I'm fully focused on the DTM but in the future the sportscar category, and in particular Le Mans, is what I would like to be involved in so this opportunity, although coming very late in terms of this year's event, will be a valuable experience for the future," he said.

"A number of Audi drivers have done both [DTM and sportscars] including of course Le Mans record race winner, Tom Kristensen, in recent years. I love racing so the more races I can take part in the better.

"Coming through the junior single-seater categories, I didn't follow Le Mans closely but after joining Audi, I soon realised its importance. I went to last year's race as a spectator and that in itself was a great experience but to be racing there this year will be an absolute thrill."

Autosport

[Plex]

Le Mans looks to the future!

Since the creation of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1923, the event has always been a technological laboratory for constructors and manufacturers. The motor car has begun an energy revolution and new projects could appear in racing in the near future. The ACO and the Le Mans 24 Hours feel honour-bound to supply the arena in which tomorrow’s technologies can prove themselves. With this in mind, the ACO is providing manufacturers with an opportunity to showcase their savoir faire before the 78e Le Mans 24 Hours.

10 avant-garde cars with sporting tendencies will put on a demonstration on the big Le Mans 24-Hours circuit on Saturday 12th June at 12h10. They will then be on display in the 24-Hours support paddock from 14h00 on Saturday to 16h00 on Sunday.

The following cars will take part: the PORSCHE 911 GT3 R Hybrid, the AUDI e-Tron, the PEUGEOT RCZ HYbrid4, the electric FERRARI 599XX HPDC, the electric TESLA, the hydrogen MAZDA RX-8 RE, the hydrogen BMW, the natural gas VOLKSWAGEN Scirocco, the electric SECMA F16 and the electric ANDROS. These cars, in the hands of well-known drivers, will do two laps of the 13,629-km big circuit before going to the 24-Hours support paddock.

The Le Mans-24 Hours race will continue to distinguish itself as the event enabling the most innovative manufacturers to prove themselves on the most demanding, revealing circuit in the world.

The new 2011 ACO regulations make provision for smaller, lighter engines producing less CO². Hybrid engines recovering electrical energy thus generating significant fuel savings will appear in the race with real chances of victory. Other technologies: 100% electric engines, engines running on natural gas will, in the future, give rise to fresh battles between manufacturers on the Sarthe circuit.

These different futuristic technologies will be presented to the public and the media at the Le Mans 24 Hours by the ACO in agreement with the major manufacturers. The first demonstration will take place on the Le Mans 24-Hours circuit on Thursday 10th June from 21h15 to 21h35.

Planetlemans