The 2009 BMW Sauber Formula One F1.09

Third in the current 2009 Formula One Constructor Championship standings, below Ferrari and McLaren, is the German car manufacturer BMW. BMW, short for Bavarian Motor Works, was founded in 1916. Apart from its luxury vehicles, BMW builds motorcycles and owns MINI, the brand famous for the small but powerful Cooper. It now also owns Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, maker of the sinister classics, the Silver Ghost and the Phantom.

Before the First World War, BMW was mainly involved in producing aircraft engines. But the Treaty of Versailles Armistice called for a halt of all production operations. In 1923, the treaty started to lose its hold on local manufacturers and BMW once again focused its resources into making motorcycles. Five years later, they started producing the very first BMW automobiles.

BMW’s logo, the four-quarter circle in blue and white, is supposed to signify aircraft propellers set against the sky. It’s called the ‘roundel’, and was first created back in 1917. It was originally based on the emblem of Rapp Motorenwerke company, which is the original name of the company. The colors of the roundel come from the blue and white flag colors of the country of Bavaria. BMW’s aircraft engines were used heavily during World War I, which is why the company chose to adopt a logo related to aircrafts.

Almost 15 years after the Second World War, BMW met with heavy financial problems. It held fast its business but on a totally different market. It went with the economy car wave and produced the small Italian Iso Isetta. The Isetta was given an engine that was originally used on BMW’s motorcycles. This kept BMW from liquidating its assets until the economy thrived back to normal. In 1994, BMW was able to hold ownership of the British Rover Group. Back then, Rover owned Rover, Land Rover, MG, Austin and Morris. However, they had to sell Rover in 2000 because it was losing a lot of money. BMW only retained ownership of the newly-established MINI which was to start production a year later in 2001.

For seventeen years of BMW’s existence, only one man oversaw the company car designs – Chief Designer Chris Bangle. He was responsible for the design overhauls that went into the 7-series and the Z4 in 2002. However, he was replaced by his former assistant, Adrian van Hooydonk.

To the present day, BMW continues to build high-powered motorcycles for the rider market. Known as BMW Motorrad, this division of BMW is responsible for the famous R32 which dates back to 1923. It had a twin Boxer engine that had ICCE cylinders protruding at the sides. In the early 1940s, the R75 came into production and was widely used with a motor-driven sidecar attachment during the Second World War. It is now immortalized in Hollywood classics such as Indiana Jones and war flicks about World War II.

The company is known for being the first to apply an antilock braking system on motorcycles later in the1980s. It’s also responsible for producing the first motorcycles with electronic stability control systems in 2007. Its latest model lineup, the 2009 K 1300, has powerful 1.3-liter engines that can churn out 175 hp and 103 ft-lb of torque at 8,250 rpm, more than enough power to scrape the asphalt from the road.

Perhaps BMW’s most famous automotive lineup which has become a classic in its own right is its M-series, which includes the very first M6 coupe. Also famous to the FR (front-engine rear-wheel drive) crowd is the Z4, which appeals with its small but powerful package.

As an engine-supplier in Formula One, BMW has garnered a total of 19 grand prix championships. As a constructor, BMW got its very first race victory in 2008 at the Canadian Grand Prix under the helm of Robert Kubica. It is now known as the BMW Sauber Formula One team. Based in Munich, Germany and Hinwil, Switzerland, BMW Sauber is currently headed by Mario Theissen with Kubica and Nick Heidfeld driving the F1.09 Formula One car in the 2009 grand prix season. Kubica held 4^th place in the 2008 grand prix season while Heidfeld was in 6^th.

Source:

http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/teams/7/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW

McLaren Formula One drivers Heikki Kovaleinen and Lewis Hamilton with the 2008 MP4-23

Ferrari’s long time rival in Formula One racing has always been McLaren. With a total of 160 races, 12 Drivers’ Championship and 8 Constructors’ Championship victories under its belt, McLaren has proved its dominance in racing.

Based in Woking, Surrey in the United Kingdom, McLaren was founded in 1963 by a Bruce McLaren, a New Zealander who used to build sports cars. Besides Formula One, McLaren also has successful campaigns in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Canadian-American Challenge Cup using powerful American V8 engines in their production race cars. The 1967 season of the Can-Am Challenge Cup was dominated by McLaren Mk6’s, which were the very first cars to don the signature orange McLaren race color.

Throughout the 67 season, it was Bruce McLaren himself behind the Mk6’s wheel. The car went through several engine swaps because of power and reliability issues. The team finally went with a Cosworth DFV engine to power the Mk6 throughout the season. Bruce and his running mate, then reigning Formula One World Champion Denny Hulme, went on to win five of the season’s six racing events. A year later, the M7 rolled out of the production lines with the same Cosworth powerplant. McLaren earned its very first championship in the Belgian Grand Prix that year, while Hulme won a year later in the Italian and Canadian Grand Prix events. A total of 5 races were won in the 1969 Formula One season, while eleven races and a driver’s championship were garnered in the Can-Am campaign.

1970 was a grim year for the manufacturer. Hulme had to retire for a while after his hands were scorched in a practice accident, while on June 2, 1970, Bruce McLaren lost his life after crashing at Greenwood. He was then test driving the new M8D race car set for the Can-Am campaign. At 270 km/h (170 mp/h), the car’s rear piece broke off, sending the car into a deadly spin which wrecked a marshall post made of concrete. McLaren instantly died upon impact. McLaren remained without a victory for the rest of 70 and 71 until the 1972 South African Grand Prix where Hulme won driving the M19C. The Can-Am campaign was abandoned in the end of the 72 season after McLaren was pummeled Porsches. However, by the time the Can-Am Championships was scrapped, McLaren was at the top of the tallies with 43 wins.

McLaren decided to focus solely on Formula One since then. It came to a point that they had to choose between engines from Peugeot and Lamborghini for their new cars, but they eventually took falls from choosing the former. Following their losses in the 90’s under the dominance of Renault-Williams, they dropped the Peugeot engines for Mercedes-Benz engines in 1994.

McLaren was determined to win as many seasons as possible with its new Mercedes-Benz engine.They came close to winning the 2000 season, but were stopped dead in their tracks by the Scuderia Ferrari prodigy, Michael Schumacher. Still, McLaren would remain to be Ferrari’s number one rival up to the present.

Their latest Driver’s Championship was won by Lewis Hamilton in the 2008 season, making him the youngest driver and first black man to ever win a Formula One Drivers’ Championship. It was also McLaren’s first Drivers’ Championship victory in nine years. Currently, McLaren’s latest car, the MP4-24, was publicly revealed on January 16, 2009. However, Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren’s test driver, gave a sad impression of the car saying that it had poor downforce resulting in less-than-impressive aerodynamics.

Overall, McLaren won eight Formula One Championships since it joined the prestigious event – 1974 by Emerson Fittipaldi, 1984 by Niki Lauda, 1985 by Alain Prost, 1988 by Ayrton Senna, 1989 by Alain Prost, 1990-1991 by Ayrton Senna, and 1988 by Mika Hakinnen.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren

Ferrari

Welcome to Maranello, home of the company that breeds the prancing horses known as Ferraris. It was founded by Italian Enzo Ferrari back in 1928. Actually, the company was first called Scuderia Ferrari, meaning ‘team Ferrari’, because it was first into sponsoring amateur racing teams in Modena before actually designing and producing its own race cars. I guess the name Ferrari is almost synonymous with the words ‘Formula One’. Ask anyone about Formula One and the first thing that’ll flash into their minds would be Michael Schumacher driving his Ferrari.

In 1969, Enzo Ferrari lost hold of the company’s race car division, selling it to the Fiat group to keep funds flowing in. He was eventually able to buy it back before he died in 1988. Enzo Ferrari put blood and tears on the company till he finally took rest at ninety years of age. The last model that Enzo Ferrari was able to build was the Ferrari F40. The F40 is still remembered as one of Enzo’s most famous models.

The prestige of being a race driver of Ferrari can be felt when you see the millions of Ferrari fans donning the latest Ferrari apparel and merchandise such as eyewears, office supplies, electronic gadgets, colognes, bicycles, race watches, cellular phones and laptop computers made by Acer. Looking back, the first prancing horse to ever gallop out of the production lines in Maranello was the 125 S back in 1947. Back then, it already had a colossal 1.5-liter V12 engine.

Slowly, Enzo Ferrari sold his cars to fund Scuderia Ferrari. He took care of hjs racers, who returned the favor by winning racing series all over the world. One of the most notable was Luigi Chinetti back in 1949 who won Ferrari’s very first championship in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Chinetti showcased the speed and endurance of the 166 M, the most modern Ferrari race car back then. Ferrari’s winning streak slowly rose to dominance of sports car racing championships globally.

But in 1972, Enzo Ferrari turned his back on sports car racing and turned his sights on the most prestigious racing series ever – the Formula One. When Formula One came to existence in 1950, Ferrari was one of the pioneer teams. The very first Ferrari victory in Formula One came from Jose Froilan Gonzalez back in 1951 in the British Formula One Grand Prix. Slowly, Enzo Ferrari’s drivers stepped into the limelight by securing Ferrari’s very first Drivers Championship in 1952 by Alberto Ascari.

When you look at Formula One, there is only one team that has been racing ever since its incarnation – Ferrari. No other team has passed the number of victories Ferrari has garnered over the years in Formula One. Enzo Ferrari owes his company’s Formula One success to the many drivers of Scuderia Ferrari that he hand picked personally.

They say that a driver doesn’t pick his car. It’s the car that picks its driver. True enough, each and every member of Scuderia Ferrari was chosen to represent the prancing horse in Formula One because of their outstanding talents. Perhaps the most famous Scuderia Ferrari driver is Germany’s Michael Schumacher who retired from being a Formula One driver in 2006. He has the most number of Formula One titles won in the history of Formula One racing. He now serves as a senior consultant in Maranello, contributing his knowledge and experience in Formula One racing in the development of current Ferrari cars.

The latest project of Ferrari is the Ferrari FXX. It is made of a team of Ferrari engineers, race drivers as well as customers who work together in continually upgrading the latest prancing horse known as the FXX.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari

With its the B with wings, Bentley remembers its beginnings through its logo. Initially making engines for airplanes, most notable is the Bentley BR1, the company then transitioned to make one of the most fascinating vehicle lines the world has seen.

History:

Bentley Motors Limited is Bentley’s official name. Founded by Walter Owen Bentley in 1919. As mentioned, Mr. Bentley started with the aero-engines, but his passion for cars and racing prompted him to make cars of his own. And thus the Bentley line of cars was born.

Though its history is not exactly peachy, it has survived the Depression Era and several other financial challenges. Though currently owned by Volkswagen since 1998, the brand is still well and alive and still gives car enthusiasts the speed and power of a Bentley.

And it is for creating fast and reliable vehicles that Bentley made a name for itself. Showcasing a new 3-liter engine and aluminum pistons, Bentley raged on the racing scene and got away with several victories. Bentley won the 24-hour Le Mans spanning from 1927-30.

From then on, the company expanded from race cars to manufacturing coupes and convertibles. Not just offering power and dependability, Bentleys also offer the best in terms of comfort and luxury.

Notable Models:

EXP1 Prototype

This was the car that started it all. It had the 3-liter engine and a lightweight body. The great innovation with this model is that it achieved a light yet durable body that can handle the pressures of racing and the power of its engine. The result is the success that Bentley has built up on for the decades to come.

Mark VI

This model is a luxury car and is Bentley’s first after the WWII. A result of the acquistion of the company by Rolls Royce, it featured the shortened chassis of RR.  And with its 4 liter engine, it had the power to go from 0-60 in 15 seconds. It was the first car to have a pressed-steel body, which was not standard at the time. Through those features, Bentley was able to incorporate luxury and performance in one vehicle.  This led to the Mark VI as one of Bentley’s largest selling vehicles.

Mulsanne Turbo

Featuring a V8 engine, 0-60 under seven seconds and an output of 300 bhp, the Malsanne Turbo addressed the need for more power under the hood. Even through its 2.2 ton frame, it was able to match the speeds of other sports cars such as Aston Martin’s Lagonda and Ferrari’s 365GT4. It is also from this model that the different Bentley models came into being: the R series, T series, Azure and the Corniche and Continental series. All offering speed, power and excellent design aesthetics, these Bentley models were a hit during its times.

Recent Bentleys

Continuing its tradition of excellence, Bentley, now under Volkswagen, continued its current line of vehicles. Azure for convertibles, the Continental for coupes. You can still see the strength, power and luxurious designs that Bentley has been known for in the new models.

For more information about Bentley, you can look at the following links:

http://www.rrab.com/indexe.htm#top

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentley

http://www.bentleymotors.com/about_bentley/history/introduction/default.aspx

Besides the Martini and the tux, there’s another thing that James Bond is known for. And that is for the car that he drives—the Aston Martin. Some say that it’s a car that makes the man, and that is the case with Bond and the Aston Martin. Should Bond tell you what car he drives, he would tell you it’s “Martin, an Aston Martin.”

History:

Aston Martin Lagonda Limited: this is the official name of the marque. It’s name was from the founder, Lionel Martin and the Aston Hill known for its speed hillclimbing.

The company specializes in luxury sports cars and has not disappointed the public in that regard. If it’s good enough for a Bond car, then it should be good enough for the rest of us, right?

The company has undergone several changes and transfer of ownerships. Currently, Ford has $77 million stake at the company, but the company is already purchased by Investment Dar and John Sinders.

Models:

Aston Martin models have two general categories: the Vantage and the Volante. The main difference is that the Vantage is for performance while the Volante stands for convertibles.

Performance:

Though the company started with a four-cylinder engine, Aston Martin has further developed larger engines and more powerful output. There’s the Aston Martin V8 and and the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. This is but expected from a company that makes its bread and butter from creating luxury sports cars.

Design:

It’s going to be hard to describe in words the impressive design aesthetics of the Aston Martin. You have to see one to appreciate the beautiful and sleek lines of an Aston Martin. Incorporating style, luxury and aerodynamic efficiency, Aston Martin is one of the most sought-after sports car in the world today.

Bond Car

Perhaps the most famous line of Aston Martin cars was the DB series. DB, named after its top excutive in the 1950s, David Brown. This established Aston Martin as a top brand amongst car enthusiasts and this was topped off by the featuring of the DB5, DB6 and the DBS V8. The DB5 is most known as the Bond Car that was featured in Goldfinger, Thunderball, Tomorrow Never Dies and Casino Royale.

Featuring an inline six-cylinder engine and a 282 bhp output and a top speed of 141 mph, it fits perfectly the sleek image and the thrilling ride that Bond Car is supposed to have.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin

http://www.motorauthority.com/aston-martin-the-past-the-present-and-tomorrow.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_DB5

History:

The company started as Rolls-Royce Limited and was started by Henry Royce and Charles Stewart Rolls, hence the name Rolls Royce. The company extended its offerings by being an aero-engine manufacturing company since 1914. After some financial trouble, the auto division has been separated and given the name of Rolls-Royce Motors.

The company was the result of the partnership between the two founders. Their agreement went like this: Royce would produce the cars, and Rolls would be the exclusive seller and distributor of the cars. Part of the agreement was that the cars will be branded as “Rolls-Royce”. And thus, the brand was born.

As we all know, the Rolls-Royce brand is known for it’s luxury coaches and vehicles. The Rolls-Royce grille is well-known around the world as a symbol of riches, luxury and elegance. And of course, not just on the outside, but also the interiors. Just step inside of one and you’ll know the company’s dedication to providing the best when it comes to comfort, elegance and luxury. It’s not by chance that executives, high government officials, heads of state and limousines companies look to Rolls-Royce to give them what they want and deserve.

Notable Models:

Silver Shadow

This model started it all for the company. The model ran 1965-80, and has featured innovative features considered modern at its time. The Silver Shadow had a monococque design which gave it more equal load distribution. Other features were a 6L V8 engine,  disc brakes and independent rear suspension. It aslo had a hydraulic self-leveling suspension that resulted to a more stable and comfortable ride. Add to that a design that screams of riches, luxury and elegance. All these innovations led to the Silver Shadow as the model with the largest production number among Rolls-Royce models.

Phantom VI

The successor to the Silver Shadow, it built upon what the Silver Shadow has established. Featuring an engine with more capacity, and a three-speed automatic transmission, the Phantovm VI continued the excellence that the Silver Shadwo was known for. Perhaps the most notable about the model is that it’s used by Queen Elizabeth, with a custom-built “Silver Jubilee Car” to commemorate the queen’s 25th year on the throne. This had the makings of a car that is meant for royalty.

Corniche

This is also a continuation of the previous models. Offering a coupe and convetible version, it also has the same V8 engine, three-speed automatic transmission, and the same suspension system innovations. The tradition of design excellence is carried out well by the Corniche.

These are some of the models under the Rolls-Royce marque.

To learn more, you can check the links below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Motors

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Limited

History:

Jaguar started off as Swallow Sidecar Company in Blackpool 1922 by William Lyons and William Walmsey. The name “Jaguar” first appeared on the 1935 SS Jaguar and from then on the name has stuck. The leaping jagurar has also been the trademark symbol of the car marque. Since then, the company has undergone several changes, mergers and acquisitions. At present, the company is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors.

Jaguar’s cup of tea, so to speak, is its manufacturing of high-end, luxury vehicles. Mostly sports car and luxury saloons, the company has gained reputation in being able to create a balance between luxury and performance.

Another thing that makes Jaguar especially British is that it holds Royal Warrants for HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Charles. What that means is that Jaguar’s quality and worksmanship has been recognized by one of the greatest symbols of British pride: the Royal Family.

Notable Models:

XK120

Named after it’s top speed—120 mph, the XK120 was a revolutionary sports car in its day. It was the first mass-produced engine that feature a twin-cam system and hemispsheric combustion chambers. The result: a sports car that could easily be integrated to the race track. And not only that, it looks good to boot. This model established the breakthrough that Jaguar has since then enjoyed. Overcoming design challenges such as noise and possible unreliability, the XK120 pushed through and has allowed Jaguar to make a name for itself.

1955 Mark 1 and Mark 2

Continuing on the success of the XK120, the Mark 1 and Mark 2 models has been launched for the American market. Featuring wider windows and a larger engine, these models have become the poster models for Jaguar. Innovation was continued until the Mark X models that feature a single body and independent suspension systems.

XJ

Running until the present, the XJ series has been the company’s new face in the world today. Featuring V8 engines and luxurios designs and features, the XJ has enjoyed continued success from 1968 to the present day.

Motorsport Success:

A regular champion at Le Mans, Jaguar has shown that it can compete with the best that the world of automotive racing has to offer. Starting off with victories in 1951 and ‘53, Jaguar has continued this line of victories to 1955-57. Move a few decades after, Jaguar is at it again with its V-12 engine that resulted to victories in the 1980’s.

If you want to learn more, you can find more information about Jaguar by following the links below. Among the brands that England has to offer, in sports cars and luxury vehicles, Jaguar is not short of a history and tradition of excellence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_car

http://www.jaguar-enthusiasts.org.uk/jaguar-post-war.html

This time we’re going to feature the different vehicle brands per country.

This is to let readers know more about the different Euro brands that are being offered in the market today. We would like to introduce the different European brands and what they have to offer. We will include a brief history for each make and also include some notable models that they produced.

There will also be a section on some brands that met success in motorsport and racing. Nothing says esa brand’s excellence better than winning the checkered flag. Additionally, most of the European car makes started out with a passion for racing. This gives a good view of the needs of the times and the reasons behind the innovations that established the reputation of a particular brand.

Europe has a lot of wonderful traditions when it comes to automotive excellence in all aspects. From style to performance, there are several vehicle models that has captured the fascination and enthusiasm of vehicle afficionados both in Europe and the rest of the world.

For engineering excellence, you have Volvo and Volkswagen. For racing and sportscars, you have Ferrari and Buigatti. For utility and power, you have Range Rover. And for luxury, your have Rolls Royce and Aston Martin. Europe has a lot to offer to the global automotive culture.

This is the reason why we’re doing this Car Make series. By briefly featuring a car make and what they offer, we can have more knowledge about the brand and the overall European car movement.

We’ll kick-off the series from the good gents from Britain. We’d outline the different marques that were born from the land of Queen Elizabeth. And of course, we have something about the spy who captured the fascination of the whole world—James Bond.

The information offered here are all brief and concise. Once time is available, we can make each entry more specific and detailed. If you do want to do more reading, resource links are available at the bottom. Just copy the links to your browsers and you’re on your way.

And so read and enjoy. If you have something to add, please tell us. We’d always like to be updated and accurate in all our presentations.