Tein GTI
Although you can see the finished product in our SEMA report (p42), we thought you might like to see the final communication we had with Tein a matter of days before the car was on display.
"There were some issues with our GTI. We didn't get the motor in the car until last night," Sales and Marketing Manager Philip Chase explained. "Here are a few photos of the car right out of paint. The logos on the door are actually the carbon fiber door skins showing through the paint. The roof was overlaid with carbon fiber but we painted part of the carbon hood and hatch. We also decided not to mold the rear fenders in case of accidents or if the body twists during track use."
Turn to our SEMA report to draw your own conclusions, or check out our exclusive feature next month, but we think the widebody GTI turned out really well.
Technik Engineering 335i
Although the BMW E92 Coupe has only been available a few months, it's not prevented the crew at Technik Engineering from having a go at something special. The company always seems to do something clever and this twin-turbo 335i doesn't look like an exception.
The first thing you'll notice is they're working on a widebody. "We decided to push out the rear fenders about 2" to accommodate 19x11" BBS LMs with 305-wide tires," Samir Said from Technik told us. "We've then added a custom CSL-style trunklid by welding an extension to the existing trunk. The car will get the new factory aero kit installed to finalize the exterior," he confirmed.
Other mods will include 15" Brembos up front and 13.6" in the rear, while the suspension will use KW V1 coilovers.
Once the exterior is done, Technik will start on the engine. First up are plans for a carbon fiber intake, a lightweight titanium exhaust system and custom software. "Down the road, we plan to offer a single-turbo upgrade once we've put more mileage on the car and established the reliability of this new engine," Samir concluded.
Briere Corrado
"I got the '90 Corrado when I traded in my last racecar ['86 GTI 8v 14:1 monster]. I wanted to step up and since I'd put so much money into the GTI but could only get 140whp, I needed something that started higher," explained Allen Briere, owner of this unusual Corrado.
"Before long I had the Corrado running 17.5psi with a stage 4 'charger and 65mm pulley. This setup was great for the first year and I won the '05 DSP class in my local autocross club, and third in the Tri-State finals. Over the winter I started a new setup with a race-built, blueprinted and balanced 2.0 16v G60. I did everything I could, including a ported and polished race head and knife-edged crank. It took all winter to get it done and I missed a few events at the start of the '06 season because of some electronic problems.
"The car ran great and dynoed with 209.4whp. It was fun but not fast enough. The 'charger limited the 16v head because I couldn't rev it high, so after my second event with the car it went back in the garage for yet another swap," he continued. "This brings us up to date where the 20v is bolted in. The plan is to copy my buddy's Mk4 setup, with is a stage 3 turbocharged 20v.
However, that isn't all Allen has planned for his Corrado. "The reason for the widebody is to get more rubber under the car because I think it's going to need it," he told us. "With a projected 273whp, the car is going to need help getting this power to the ground."
With the '06 season behind him, Allen is looking forward to this year: "I'm keen to start the 2007 season and get my hands on the SM class championship again."
Obviously we wish him well and look forward to seeing the finished product. To give you a better idea of what's in the car, here's a quick Tech Spec
Engine: AEB swap, GT28R, custom 16v intake mated to AEB runners, Holley 944 throttle body, Autronic SM4 electronic fuel injection
Drivetrain: lightened flywheel, four-puck clutch, Quaife
Suspension: Koni coilovers with 475/400 lb springs, Neuspeed 25mm front and 28mm rear sway bars, second Shine racing rear sway, Euro Sport upper and lower front stress bars, Neuspeed rear tri bar, poly bushings everywhere, VR6 strut bushings, six-point rollcage
Brakes: Brembos front and rear
Wheels & Tires: 15" BBS RM wheels with 265/45-15 tires
Exterior: RS front bumper, hood scoop housing custom air box, Euro lights, Hella kill switch
Interior: racing seats, RCI harnesses
DTM Autohus BMWs
Our friends at DTM are currently working on a pair of BMWs. The first is a '03 M3. It's going to have custom metal front and rear fenders flares. The substantial widebody conversion will allow the use of 20x10" front and 20x12" rear wheels from DPEngineering.
Because it's a DTM car, the list doesn't end here. It'll also have a custom M5-style front bumper molded into the fenders. The side skirts are also new and there will be a Schnitzer rear spoiler. The car will be finished in one of DTM's signature kandy paint jobs.
Mechanically, the M3 will wear a Brembo big brake kit and adjustable Tein suspension.
The second car under construction at DTM is a '06 E60 BMW 5-Series. It's a simpler project and as you can see it has a full M5-style Rieger body kit. The 19x8" front and 19x10" rear wheels are forged two-piece from JLine.
Although we're seeing the car after the major work has been completed, there are further plans to install a quad exhaust and six-piston brakes in the future.