espected Swedish suspension manufacturer Öhlins is using its impressive stand at Autosport International to launch several new fitments that will excite road, track, race and rally drivers alike.

After a superb season with the new Mini WRC car it comes as little surprise to find the Prodrive-prepared machine on the Öhlins stand. Having won numerous accolades, trophies and the hearts of many fans, this modern day interpretation of the classic Monte Carlo winning machine is well worth a look.

The Road and Track range has proven to be a superb seller for Öhlins since its launch, and the technicians in Sweden have been hard at work perfecting the latest range of brand new fitments for launch in 2012. On the stand will be the entire new 2012 line up including variants for the Mini R56, Lexus, Porsche 996 and 997, BMW E92 and E46 M3 and Nissan’s mighty R35 GTR.

Other all-new lines being launched at the show include Öhlins exciting range of highly durable ORQ 18/50 off road suspension units, which cover fitments for Dakar, Armoured Vehicles and Trucks. Here, Öhlins considerable competition heritage has been directly translated into the superb build quality and engineering integrity of these components.

With rallying very much in the company bloodline, the latest Subaru R4 rally suspension kit will also be on show, offering visitors a glimpse of Öhlins cutting edge design and manufacturing techniques.
Circuit racing may be less gruelling on the car, but it demands no less precision. In this field of endeavour Öhlins are clearly leading the way with their range of highly adjustable track systems. The TTR units have proven their worth in Formula Nippon, Japan’s Super GT series and Superstars, whilst the TTX range of dampers has already notched up considerable successes across an impressively diverse list of championships; Le Mans, ChampCar, Indy Racing League to name but three. Offering big-league performance for mid-table price point, the TTX40, TTX46 and TTX36/ILX will all be on show.

With historic rallying and racing becoming so popular recently, Öhlins has taken time to engineer a range of stunningly effective solutions for three of the most iconic stars of ‘stage’ and screen. The rallying credentials of the Mk1 and Mk2 Ford Escort need little introduction to even the most casual of enthusiasts, and Öhlins new range of classic race and rally dampers build on the proven abilities of Dagenham’s finest to create a hugely effective chassis for track or off-road work. Porsche’s classic 911 is also catered for, helping to tame the demanding handling of the rear-engined classic.

Öhlins will also be fielding a full complement of their most experienced technical team, as well as many members of senior management and sales divisions, to answer questions and offer advice on the firm’s many diverse products and services.

Commenting on the 2012 showing, Öhlins UK Manager Chris Witter said. ‘We always see the Autosport International Show as one of our ‘must-do’ events. This year, we are very proud to be able to increase not only our stand size and team, but also the amount of new and innovative lines that we have to showcase for 2012. It’s been an excellent 12 months for Öhlins, despite a challenging trading environment, so we’re delighted to be kicking off this new season with such a positive start. We hope to welcome many old and new friends there, over the course of the show.’  

For more information, please visit the Öhlins stand number 7600 in Hall 7.

Italian braking maestro Tarox has released a superbly engineered brake kit to tame the capable chassis of the much-loved DC5 Integra. Although built to exacting motorsport standards, the kit is also suitable for fast road use.

Each kit is hand-assembled in Tarox’s Italian factory and features some unique design features that set it apart from the competition. Based around the race-proven B33 6 piston billet calipers, the Integra kit utilises two 330mm x 26mm two piece discs. The rotor is machined from solid billet steel, making for a disc that will withstand much greater heat cycling without distortion. A precision-machined alloy bell completes the picture, and all components bolt to the existing OEM mounts, integrating perfectly with factory ABS systems, where fitted.

Owners can choose from either the ‘Strada’ street pad, for all-round ‘press-on’ driving, or for those who like to exploit the Integra’s peerless poise on track, the ‘Corsa’ circuit-focussed pad provides more than enough retardation to handle even the hottest of Hondas.

The complete kit is priced very competitively at £1799.00 excluding VAT and includes all fittings, lines and fluid, ready to be fitted.

For more information on the Tarox range, please click to http://en.tarox.com/

The new Forge intercooler is significantly more efficient than the stock part – as well as being much easier on the eye. Aesthetics aside, it helps the car to achieve more power by reducing the intake air temperature and increasing the density of the charge mixture within the combustion chamber. (more…)

Gloucestershire-based Forge motorsport has launched an impressive pair of dump valves for the new R60 Mini Countryman; A vent-to-atmosphere ‘Blow Off’ valve and a recirculation valve. Both have been beautifully designed and precision CNC machined to offer a direct replacement for the OEM parts.

Each unit is entirely hand-fabricated by Forge’s time-served craftsmen here in the UK, and uses motorsport-quality materials and fabrication methods to create a unit which is both hugely effective and aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

These valves take into account the car’s electronically controlled bypass valves, where fitted, and are recommended where the car’s boost pressure has been increased by an ECU software upgrade or simply for those wanting an improved Blow off sound, a more efficient operation, or simply as a solution to the many failures that have occurred.

The most common complaint on the OEM solenoid valve is a split diaphragm preventing the valve from opening fully, or not at all. This doesn’t always result in a check engine light, as the valve can still be blown open by the boost pressure. Forge’s engineers have seen many valves with this problem during testing. The other common problem is that the diaphragm retaining ring is made from very thin plastic that goes brittle with heat cycles, and eventually fails. This may prevents the diaphragm from sealing correctly, causing the same problems as mentioned above. This particular failure has also been known to result in the valve falling apart upon removal from the turbo, though in extreme cases, bits of plastic can enter the turbo and destroy it.

Forge’s alternative is a fully engineered solution offering both significantly improved reliability .The new vales are piston based, with no internal diaphragm to fail. Being of all aluminium construction, it replaces the original unit with a pressure/vacuum operated piston valve that still also retains the desirable OEM ECU control over valve actuation. This design of valve has been proved on the VAG scene for many years. The spring is interchangeable for different levels of boost, and the solenoid is ‘plug and play’ with the wiring harness which is included.

Priced from just £189.79 including VAT, the Forge valves looks as well as they performs. An essential upgrade for any Countryman!

For more information or to buy this part online, please click to www.forgemotorsport.co.uk.

Better look
With its new body kit for the VW Touareg II Hofele-Design turns the Touareg into the „Royal GT 470“. With this new body kit the Touareg gets the occurrence of a real „royal greatness“!

The impressive design lines of the new edge accented VW design are kept and are dynamically sharpened through the emotional wheel arch extensions of the Hofele-Design body kit.

The aero dynamic front end attachment elements with openings for the original fog lamps and the ACC / lane assistant guide the air flow CW optimised to the sides and over the wheel arch extensions. Additionally developed was the Hofele-Design rear apron diffuser. This rear apron is put into the original rear bumper and replaces the original rear apron. Another strong design element are the 4-tube stainless steel tailpipes which are available as “integrated double oval” or “double round” version. These tailpipes simply replace the original tailpipes and are bolted onto the serial VW mufflers. The interaction of these 4-tube tailpipes with the wider diffuser rear apron makes the rear of the Touareg look very powerful.

As alternative the Hofele-Design rear apron can be combined with the original Touareg tailpipes.

The front grill with the two dynamic bars and the „Hofele Bear“ crest shows the distinctive and independent face of the „Royal GT 470“.

More elegance
In the interior Hofele-Design indulges with their own “Bi-Colour“ leather design „Star-Light“.
The bi-colour „StarLight“ leather interior has the Hofele-Design style with nested stripes, inserted leather crest, quilted elements and offset decorative stitching.

As addition to the „StarLight“ seat covers the door panels and arm rest can be covered with leather as well. Indeed a „royal feeling!“

More dynamic
The Hofele-Design product range features a variety of elegant designer wheels in the sizes between  20“ and 22“.

The electric lowering module lowers the Touareg with air suspension up to 40mm while standing and while driving up to 80km/h. On speeds over 80 km/h the module is deactivated to retain the serial height to give the chassis its full comfort and reserves on high speeds.

But what presses the passengers into the elegant seats in the royal interior?
The engine tuning for the Touareg by Hofele-Design!
Hofele-Design increases the power of the 3.0 TDI CR from 240 PS to 275 PS and the torque from 500 Nm to 580 Nm. Results on the street: acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 sec and a final speed of 229 km/h.
That is something for fast royals.

As usual all parts are being mounted to the original points of attachment. This is easy-going, fast and requires no modifications to the car at all. For more information visit: www.hofeleamerica.com

Öhlins, the highly respected specialists in advanced suspension has released the new benchmark in road-friendly, track-ready coilovers for perennial BMW Mini. As the official suppliers to Prodrive’s latest Countryman WRC, the Swedish firm has enviable experience with the marque dating back to the late 1980’s when Öhlins first entered the road and track market with dampers for the original shape MINI. The result is a kit that offers unrivalled levels of performance, allied to notable levels of comfort.

The already capable credentials of Munich’s pint-sized pup, combined with its exquisite chassis, makes it the perfect recipient for the unique features of the Öhlins kit, which finally solves the puzzle of how to achieve a truly comfortable ride from competition-quality units.

Both front and rear coilovers are precision-machined from carbon steel and feature full dust and weather protection. With single bleed adjustment, the Öhlins units have inbuilt adjustable platforms and are pre-assembled with 60/50 N/mm springs front and rear respectively. Build quality is exceptional, with flawless anodised detailing and deep, lustrous powder coating. Öhlins’ pioneering dual-flow valve technology means that despite their light weight and slim-line profile, the Road and Track kit responds to road undulations in exactly the same manner as a traditional Macpherson strut set-up. The use of needle valves in the damping unit also means that even when the oil gets hot after a hard session on the circuit or ‘B’ road, the damping rate is kept absolutely consistent, even when the viscosity of the damping fluid changes. The front units arrive pre-assembled with superbly engineered ball-bearing top mounts, whilst the rears bolt directly to the OEM top mounts.

This unparalleled quality helps to explain Öhlins 2 year warranty and thanks to their racing heritage, each unit is fully serviceable and even upgradeable, should requirements or car specs change.  
Height adjustment is achieved by simple adjustment of the precision-machined threaded body and damping and rebound are tweaked simultaneously in one simple twist of the easily accessible knurled knob; allowing the daily commute to be clicked off with limo-style smoothness, but, after a few seconds of adjustment, track days to be dispatched with racecar precision.

The racing credentials of this kit are further endorsed through the successful partnership between Öhlins and BMW Motorsport.  When BMW replaced the 320i E46 S2000 touring car with the E90 in 2006, they turned to Öhlins and this gave birth to an active development partnership that has led to Öhlins dampers being the preferred choice for their GT/Touring Car Race programme.  So it’s no surprise when BMW and Prodrive joined forces that Öhlins was nominated as suspension partners on the MINI Countryman WRC project.