Ex-Paul Walker Tuned BMW M1 Will Get Petrolheads’ Pulse Racing

 The BMW M1 is one of the car manufacturer’s most iconic models and one is currently up for auction through Bring A Trailer.

BMW famously developed the M1 as a homologation special so it could compete in the FIA Group 5 championship. They had to build 400 road-going cars to comply with for Group 4 standards and did just that (actually, they built 453). This example looks to have been well-maintained and is being sold with a clean Montana title and the odo shows just 6,800 km (~4,200 miles).

This M1 was delivered new in August 1979 to BMW Schneider in Bielefeld, Germany and in the early 1980s, was modified by BMW dealer AHG and outfitted with their Studie package that saw it repainted with a BMW tricolor livery and fitted with new aerodynamic panels inspired by the M1 race cars. The Studie package also added three-piece BBS wheels, a custom exhaust, and full-leather upholstery on the seats.

After being imported to the U.S., the car was part of a Georgia collection until 1995. It was purchased by a Texas collector in 2011 and then added to the AE Performance collection shared by the late Paul Walker and Roger Rodas in California, before being acquired by its current owner in 2014.

Power is provided by a 3.5-liter inline-six with Kugelfischer-Bosch fuel injection, Magneti-Marelli ignition and six individual throttle bodies that is coupled to a ZF five-speed manual transmission with a limited-slip differential. Typical road-going M1s were rated at 277 hp but cars from AHG were massaged to 350 hp. The listing reveals that this car had a service performed in August 2018 that saw the oil replaced, coolant flushed, and a new battery installed.

At the time of writing, bidding had reached $350,000 with 10 days left in the auction.

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ABT Sportsline Upgrades 2021 Cupra Formentor To 365 HP

 ABT Sportsline specializes in tuning VW Group vehicles and has just added the Cupra Formentor to its portfolio.

Thanks to a new engine control unit, the German tuner has increased the turbocharged 2.0-liter TSI four-cylinder’s output by 60 PS (59 HP / 44 kW) and 50 Nm (37 lb-ft) of torque, for a total of 370 PS (365 HP / 272 kW) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft). With this upgrade, the 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint has, according to ABT, dropped from 4.9 to 4.6 seconds, while top speed is still limited to 250 km/h (155 mph).

An ABT exhaust system, which enhances the soundtrack and features 102 mm (4 in) tailpipes, is also available for the Formentor. Another option is a spring kit for the active suspension that lowers the ground clearance by up to 35 mm (1.4 in), while still leaving room under the arches for the new wheels.

The Formentor pictured here sits on the tuner’s 20-inch Sport GR alloys, with a diamond-machined surface. The wheels are optionally available in matte black too, and if the pattern does not suit your taste, ABT also offers its 20-inch FR and 19-inch DR and ER-C rims.

For the time being, no other parts for the Cupra Formentor can be found on the tuner’s catalogue, but we reckon they could also launch a few exterior and interior upgrades in the future.

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Peugeot 508 PSE PHEV Launched In Germany, Costs More Than BMW’s M340i xDrive

Peugeot has opened the order books for the new 508 PSE (Peugeot Sport Engineered) in Germany, where it is available in two body styles.

The liftback model has a starting price of €66,640 (equal to $80,918), including tax, and the station wagon can be bought from €67,940 ($82,496). By comparison, the 374 PS (369 HP / 275 kW) BMW M340i xDrive, which does the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.4 seconds, starts at €63,000 ($76,498).

The 508 PSE combines a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine with two electric motors, for a total output of 360 PS (355 HP / 265 kW) and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft) of torque. It drives all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the French automaker claiming a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint time of 5.2 seconds and a 250 km/h (155 mph) top speed.

The 11.5 kWh battery that can be charged in less than 2 hours at a 7 kW wall box gives it an all-electric range of 42 km (26 miles). The hybrid returns 2 l/100 km (117.6 mpg US) combined on the WLTP cycle and emits 46 g/km of CO2.

Built at the Mulhouse factory in France for the European market, the 508 PSE boasts an exclusive body kit, with a new front bumper with winglets, a different grille, side skirts and a diffuser with cutouts on each side for the exhaust pipes. It also gets 20-inch wheels, three paint finishes (Selenium Grey, Nera Black and Pearl White), bespoke upholstery inside, a 10-inch infotainment system, i-cockpit, head-up display, premium audio and heated seats with massage function for the driver.

Standard equipment also includes features such as the adaptive cruise control with stop & go function, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and night vision.

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Bugatti Uses 3D Printing To Take Car Building To New Heights

 The level of precision is remarkable.

Bugatti is expanding its 3D printing capability, developing highly accurate 3D-printed components that will be used in the upcoming Bolide. The brand recently allowed fans to take the new hypercar for a virtual spin, but now we get to take a closer look at what makes it tick.

Bugatti is developing lightweight components that can bear the weight of a reinforced concrete column, and it's doing it all with the latest in 3D printing. The manufacturer is using hollow titanium structures to create parts such as pressure-loaded coupling rods in the chassis of the Bolide that can withstand up to 3.5 tons of pressure. The awesome bit? It weighs only 100 grams.

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In 2018 the company printed the world's largest titanium component, a brake caliper, and has since followed this up with the world's largest hybrid functional assembly made of 3D-printed titanium and coiled carbon.

"These components are extremely lightweight, robust and durable, and therefore absolutely suitable for use in production vehicles," says Frank Gotzke, Head of New Technologies at Bugatti.

Bugatti has also found a way of including radial compressors on ultra-lightweight magnesium forged wheels. These creations pump air out of the wheel housings which cools the braking system and minimizes lift. Unlike the mono-material technique used on other models, the Bolide components take on a hybrid structure consisting of a central bowl made of 3D-printed titanium with a thickness of 0.48 mm incorporating a 0.7-mm thick carbon plate with smaller inner blades.

The wheels also feature cross-pieces with a width of 0.48 millimeters, weighing only 100 grams that further increases the rigidity of the setup. This all weighs up to a total of just under 400 grams for each 18 ¼-inch turbofan in the rear, and 17 ¼-inch turbofan at the front.

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The devil is in the details as they say, and the Bugatti Bolide will feature tons of hidden gems such as a mounting bracket for the front wing which has three different angle settings, This titanium printed part has a hollow interior, a wall thickness of 0.7 mm, and a weight of only 600 grams and can withstand aerodynamic downforce pressure of up to 800 kilograms. The rear wing can face up to 1,800 kg when traveling at 200 mph.

What makes this wing so strong is a mix of a carbon fiber which forms part of a central carbon fin. On the inside of this wing, you'll find even more titanium in the form of laminated and printed strips. This whole setup weighs just 325 grams. The Bolide's steering column is also supported by 3D printed titanium parts, as are the air vents, and all feature a uniform wall thickness of 0.5 mm.

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Under the Bolide's shapely body sits a suspension setup that features double wishbone kinematics on both the front and rear axles. In the rear the dampers sit in a vertical orientation, and in the front they sit in a horizontal position, typical of racecars. Obviously the springs are made from titanium. The rocker brackets have a thickness of only 0.4 mm and weigh 95 grams each.

Airflow has been optimized throughout the Bolide's suspension setup and all 3D-printed titanium components and stainless steel wishbones have been optimized to cut through the air. The tensile strength on these 3D printed parts is an amazing 1,250 MPa (N/mm2).

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One element of the Bolide's engineering that Bugatti is especially proud of is its lightweight pushrods that weigh only 100 grams. According to Hoppe, they "transfer a force into the rockers which, depending on the driving maneuver, is equivalent to a weight of up to 3.5 tons" despite weighing as much as a bar of chocolate.

These thin-walled pushrods vary in thickness and become thicker towards the center. On the exterior side of things the Bugatti engineers have gone the extra mile and have designed the tailpipe trim cover using 3D-printed titanium and ceramic. This has reduced the weight of this part by half. This piece measures around 280 mm, has a wall thickness of only 0.5 mm, and weighs less than 750 grams.

Special ceramic elements surround the exhaust exit to protect the other lightweight materials from the extreme heat generated by the exhaust gases, and a built-in Venturi nozzle helps draw in fresh air for even more cooling.

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The rest of the Bolide also features some ridiculous figures: the 8.0-liter W16 produces up to 1,850 horsepower and weighs a slight 1,240 kilograms, an astonishing feat of engineering. This translates into a power-to-weight figure of 0.67 kg/PS and a top speed of a ridiculous 310 mph.

"It is the Bolide's many technological highlights that make it so special. But these can also be transferred to production vehicles. This is what we are continuing to develop and work on" concludes Frank Gotzke. Bugatti never ceases to amaze, and cars such as the Bolide and Divo truly make the world a better place to live in.

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