HP motor racing, Neiden-Torgau, D

It could hardly have been more extreme. The 24-hour race of the BABOONS Endurance-Days in Torgau near Leipzig turned out to be torturous for both man and machine alike. Shortly before the start on the eve of Whitsunday at 5 p.m. all the heavens opened up - and didn´t close again until the next morning. Hence, the almost 10-kilometre long circuit turned into one big "mud pack".

Despite these adverse conditions the atmosphere at the track and among the participants was great, even among the BMW Motorrad Enduro Team Feil that went to take up their starting positions in a prominent, international array with the BMW HP2 Enduro. Simo Kirssi (Finland), Jimmy Lewis, Jonah Street (both USA) and Markus Theobald (Germany) fought for every metre in the Prestige Class. In this class, four motorcyclists ride the same motorcycle alternately.

Notable at the start: Kirssi got into the lead at the start with no trouble at all and remained in the very top group for a long time at first. In the subsequent course of the race, the HP2 were always between fourth and sixth place during the evening and throughout the whole night.

In the box, there was a great deal to do. Heavy mud had to be cleared as much as possible from the motorcycle time and again and small repairs had to be carried out. The team worked intensively round the clock. At about 7 a.m. the bad news then broke: power loss on the left cylinder. The thick mud had resulted in cooling problems. Thus, after exactly 14 hours and 46 laps, the team was prematurely out of the race. At this moment, the HP2 Enduro was in fourth position close behind third place.

Under these conditions, the track proved to be materially murderous. Almost 50 percent of the teams competing in the Prestige Class met the same fate as the BMW Motorrad Enduro Team Feil.

In spite of the breakdown, the BMW camp was not low in spirits. According to BMW Motorrad sports manager Berti Hauser: "The mood at the track was terrific. We will also be competing here again in 2006." The BMW participation was regarded as a success because the HP2 has shown once again that it can keep up in the leading group of sports motorcycles.

Even Jimmy Lewis (several times a competitor in the Paris-Dakar) was bowled over: "It was really great. I never imagined it would be so difficult. I´d love to come again." And Simo Kirssi: "It was too bad that we couldn´t ride till the end. I was really dying to show what the HP2 Enduro was made of."

More information and results at www.endurance-day.de.

HP motor racing, Malandrone-Livorno, I

At his Italian Debut in Malandrone at Livorno, Simo Kirssi gave a perfect show a la Italia with his HP2 Enduro. If the numerous Italian riders and spectators were still sceptical about what a 2-cylinder bike had lost in this race before the start, at the second race of the Italian Cross Country Championship (ICC), this scepticism changed quickly into pure enthusiasm. Numerous cross-country fans could be observed intensely gesticulating to share the news with their friends even during the race. Then, relatively quickly after the race had started, there was basically only one bike that attracted any interest: the HP2 Enduro. You couldn´t help feeling that lots of spectators at the track had only come because of the appearance of the new BMW.

Simo Kirssi fought an inspiring duel for the lead in the first three laps with Matteo Paoletti, the Italian Enduro champion. But the latter soon had to accept the fact that Kirssi and the HP2 were simply faster on this day. And thus, the flying Finn went into the lead with his BMW for the first time during a cross-country race this year. In the meantime, he had continuously extended his lead to about a minute. "Finally I could do as I liked and showed what the HP2 was made of ", said Simo after the race.

It was unfortunate that bad luck struck again. After three quarters of the distance had been covered, a stone whirled up damaging an electric cable of the fuel pump. The consequence: The engine only ran on one cylinder. Kirssi decided to continue riding despite power loss. "If I had ridden to the pits, I would have lost far more time." As a result, the likeable Finn was not able to stay in the lead until the end of the race, but still managed to gain fourth place in the overall assessment.

After the finish, the HP2 Enduro together with its swift rider were surrounded. Kirssi had to give many autographs; proving that BMW and the young rider has captured the hearts of the Tifosi by storm. "I have never experienced so much warmth as in Malandrone", said Simo, who was really taken by the openness of the Italians.

The track in Malandrone was hard, dusty and well open and had more of a motocross character; which, in turn, proves the versatility of the HP2.

More information and result lists at www.italian-cross-country-championship.com.

Toyota IQ

At the Paris Motor show next month Toyota will reveal the world’s smalles four-seater named iQ. iQ measures less than 3 meters (10 feet) in length.

The upcoming iQ is getting a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine producing 70 horsepower or a 1.4-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel making 89 horsepower.

iQ hybrid would be powered by a 500cc engine and a small electric engine taking inspiration from the next generation Prius.

GM Daewoo Auto Ready To Sell Chevrolet Spark New Model

GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., the South Korean unit of General Motors Corp., said Monday it will begin selling the revamped Chevrolet Spark mini car here from September.

GM Daewoo started mass production of the redesigned model, equipped with a 1-liter engine, at its plant in the city of Changwon, 398km southeast of Seoul, the company said in a statement.

GM sells the Spark as the Matiz in South Korea and some Asian nations.

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2009 Toyota land cruiser Interior

2009 Toyota land cruiser Picture

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2010 Chevrolet Camaro Sports Car Pictures

General Motors started manufacturing Chevrolet Camaro sports car in 1967 until 2002. After a hiatus for several years, General Motors began production of the fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro on March 16, 2009. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro sales started in April 2009.




In the 2007 Transformers movie, one of the robots character named Bumblebee is portrayed as a yellow 1976 Chevrolet Camaro that, midway through the movie, becomes a fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro. The movie prop cars were built by Saleen using molds of the actual concept car provided by General Motors. The movie prop cars are heavily modified Pontiac GTOs with the Camaro Concept's exterior and interior. A modified fifth-generation Camaro reprises the role of Bumblebee in the sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.