The vehicle, dubbed the “R15 plus” has been able to maintain the output of its 5.5 liter V12 engine ( over 620 hp), despite the tougher regulations. In addition, the aerodynamics were revised and trimmed to improve its speed. The radiator package was repositioned and the cockpit now offers improved ergonomics. Racing at night for this racecar is not a problem since it uses additional LED lights borrowed from the R8 supercar. The R15 plus has passed several tests covering over 40,000 kilometers since March 2010. These sessions include two endurance runs of 30 hours each and aerodynamic test performed in the wind tunnel. The racecar also went through tracks and airfields simulations on an artificially dirtied race track. Its radiators were also tested on how they would face soiling. Furthermore, it underwent two test races in the Le Mans Series at Le Castellet and Spa-Francorchamps and a final test in Southern France at the end of May.
He said that the Megacity, which will go on sale in 2013, won’t be limited to “just one format.” He added that the radical Vision EfficientDynamics sports car concept displayed last year at the Frankfurt Show hints at the likelihood of a pure electric sports car, even if a final production version would be different. Robertson confirmed that BMW’s first mass produced electric car will wear a BMW badge and won’t be sold under a separate brand. When asked about the name for the vehicle, Roberson said that they have yet to finalize it but that they aim for it to be a “strong sub-brand” similar to the M. BMW has aggressive weight targets for the Megacity, which will be built mainly from carbonfiber. About 30% of the weight is shaved off when using carbonfiber as opposed to an equivalent aluminum car, which in turn is usually 30% lighter than a steel bodied car. It’s probable that the Megacity won’t come cheap, in light of the high cost of development and low sales targets.
In a statement last Friday, SMMT CEO Paul Everitt said that May was a good month for the UK new car market but that the upcoming months are expected to be “extremely challenging.” On June 22, the coalition government will present an emergency budget. Car registrations in May increased to 153,095 units — the 11th consecutive monthly rise. For the month of May, the Ford Focus compact was UK’s top-selling model, trailed by the Vauxhall Astra compact and Ford’s Fiesta subcompact. So far, sales in the year are 22% ahead of last year, but the SMMT is predicting a drop of 3.6% to 1.92 million vehicles for the entire year of 2010. The market is currently benefiting from the runout of a scrapping scheme that has ended. A closer look of the May market tells us that the incentive scheme only accounted for 2.7%, against an average of 17% since it was launched in May 2009.
