EuroBerge Magazine - Issue 7

Inside the Vault : A Mean Little Bimmer : Thin Ice : A Race car Reborn

The 2010 Volvo C30 R

Photos taken by Erik Melander

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StaffEditor in Chief

Richard Melick

Photography EditorErik Melander

Design EditorAaron Crooks

Staff Photographer

Mike Selander

Business ConsultantKellin Goldsmith

Forum AdvisorRoland Haas

ContributersDavid Willen

The Mulsanne

Chris GoldsmithThe BirdCage

Corrections from last issue:- OctDubber’Fest Article photography and writing credits due to Erik Melander- Apologies to SCCA and NASA members for any confusion with the use of a SCCA car and NASA scores.

EuroBerge is heavily commited to proper accuracy and does correct er-rors. Readers who spot mistakes or in-accurate publications are urged to notify us: [email protected]

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Camera: Canon 40D Aperture: f/4.0Shutter Speed: 1/200sFocal length: 20mmISO: 100© Erik Melander

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Publishing / Distribution*: EuroBerge is provided online at http://www.euroberge.com and is published quarterly each calendar year. Release dates fall on the 15th of January, April, July, and October

ContentsSpring 2010 :: Issue 7

The editor’s words

The all new Mulsanne

Georgetown Lake as a track

Detailing tips and tricks

A new look at a vintage racer

Another bump to the new millennium

We take the C30 R for a spin

Avoid a headache with Erik’s tips

Sweden built, sweden sold

Inside the vault

Thin Ice

Cleaning Coils

The Bird Cage

A Mean little bimmer

EuroBerge’s First Look

The Perfect Cat

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On February 23rd, it was announced bySpykerCars that theywouldpurchaseSaabAuto-mobilefromGM,withthetransferofownershipoc-curringthatday. Finally,Saabwouldbesavedfromthefatethatsomanyotherautomotivebrandshavesuffered.Abrandthathasbeenusedasapawninthelargergame byGM, it is about time this automaker gotthechancetoshinelikeitusedtoinitsgloryyears.Whiletheyhavenotalwayshadthegreatestlook-ingcars,orthemostreliableinsomecases,theyhavebeenaniconicimageofSwedishmotor-ing. In 1947, Saab released their first car,the92001,whichsettheimageofrounded‘frog-like’stylingthatwestillseetoday. Respectfully,IwillsaythatIamgladtoseethisbrandoutofAmericanhands.Simply put, Saab has not been knownforitsqualityofproductoverthepastfew years, especially as it began tosharemoreandmorepartswithotherGM products, which are not neces-sarilyknownfortheirhigh-endqual-ity.Whiletheassociationcouldjustbesimplybrushedoff,Ireallycan’tremember sitting in any post-1990SaabandnotnoticinganyGMparts.For thatmatter, itwas also the feelof the cars and how when driving,the experiencewasboringanddull.ThisisnotsayingthattheSaabbrandhasn’tproduced great cars, just thattheyhavenotbeentothestandardofexcellencethatcanbeseenintheoldermodels. SonowSpykerhastakenontherollofturningthisSwedishbrandintosome-thingmorethanjustanotherGMproduct.Theymustbreakthatmoldandbringsome-thingnewtotheroadsthatwewillalllookat

andsay“thatisatrueSaab.”Icanonlyhopethatinthenearfuture,wewillseeaSaabonthe

streetsthatisabletokeepupwithAudi,BMW,andMercedes,andturnheadswhileatit.

Do we need another performance brand?Well,yes,ofcoursewedo. Isee thiswholeSaabventureasasenseofchangetocomewithintheau-tomotivemarket. Whileup to thispoint,wehavehadmanybrandsrollingontheroads,manyofthemdidwere just re-brandedversions of a sister com-pany’svehicle.NolongerwillSaabhavetoplaythesharinggame,andSpykerhasaonce ina lifetimeopportunity to bring something to the road that isaccessiblebymorethanthewealthy. If there is any brand that could really turnSaabaround,it’sSpyker.Theyhavealreadymadeanameforitselfintheautomotiveworldforcreat-ingsomeofthemostbeautifulanduniqueautomo-bilestohittheroad,andwiththeirtouchontheSaabbrand,Iamexpectingnothingless thansomethingamazing.Giventheirperformancehistory,Icannotimagineanythinglessthanabeasttobehittingtheroad.Butthisisallpre-emptiveday-dreamingasIwait for thefirst official announcements to hit thepressaboutwhatistocome. Speakingofchangestotheautomotivehier-archy,VolvoisinthenewsasFordhasannouncedthatitwillbesellingtheSwedishbrandtotheChi-neseautomakerGeely.IamgladtoseethatVolvoisbeinggivenasecondbreathoflife,butIamalsoconcernedthatGeelymightattempttore-brandthealreadyestablishedimageinordertogettheirownvehiclesintonewmarkets. WhilesomeofyoumightsayIneedtokeeppositiveandgiveGeelythesamechanceIamgivingSpyker,Iseebothtransactionsontwodifferentlev-els.Thetwopurchasingcompaniesarefartoodif-ferent,withonefocusingonhandbuiltluxurycarsandanotherfocusingonmass-producedvehicles.Iamgoingtositbackandhavetowatch,waitingtomakemyfinaldecisiononthewholechange.Icanonly hope that our belovedVolvos didn’t transferfromFord just tobecomea lesserqualityproduct.MaybeIwillbetotallysurprised.

Richard Melick Editor in Chief

Sweden Built, Sweden Sold

In Memory of

Danny Ng1985 2010

Camera: Canon 40D Aperture: f/14.0

Shutter Speed: 1/200sFocal length: 20mm

ISO: 200© Erik Melander

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Article By: David Willen Photos By: Erik Melander & Alex Martineznez

MULSANNE

VaultInside The

Farformtheglitzandglamthatisthecoastcities,DenverhostedastarworthyeventwiththeunveilingofBentley’snewestaddition: theMulsanne.Theeventwashostedattheveryel-egantVault indowntownDenver;nottojudgeabookbyitscover,butthecurbappealatfirstdoesnojusticetotheeloquentlyappointedin-terioroftheVaultbuilding.TheVaultcateredtothosewhopreferthefinerthingsinlife,sparenoexpense.Withanopenbarandhorsd’oeurves,t-shirtandjeanshadnoplaceatthisvenue.Theredcarpetwasrolledoutforguests;thedressfeltmuchthesameasaHollywoodevent. Thestaroftheeveningthatoutshinedeventhebest-dressedmusewastheluxuriousBentleyMulsanne.UponfirstappearancetheMulsannemirroredutterperfectionastheorangepeelwasforlackofabetterwordnon-existent.Beneaththeflawlesspaintstoodtwo-piecefinelycraftedhighpolishedrims.Shinyrimsandprettypaintisnotthereasonforexcitementhere,itiswhatisunderthathoodthatmakesthisworthwhile. It is then that you realize that theMul-sanneisnotjustyouraverageluxurycar;itisafull-fledgedspeeddemon.Everypartofthesixand threequarter twin turboV8 ispolished toamirrorfinish.Thiscarhasnoproblemgettingoutofitsownway.Evenwithalloftheseexte-riorstylingqueuesthatwehavecometoexpectfromBentley,notevenIwasreadyforthealloutposhmaterialsusedtocreatetheinterior. Fromtheleatherthatfeltlikesuede,tothemiledeeplacqueredwoodandthechromeashtrays,theskywasthelimit.Bearingthispricetagnotonlycreatesastatuselement,butital-lows Bentley to become an artist, using greattechnology such as the hidden ambient l.e.d.lighting,andsomeofthefinestmaterialsavail-ableimportedfromallovertheglobe.ThiscarscreamseloquentrightdowntothestitchingoftheBentleylogointhetrunk.Denverdoesnotoften get to revile in these unveiling of supercarsoftenreservedforthecoastcities,definitelymakingthisaneventworthattending.

15Thank you to Ferrari of Denver for hosting this wonderful event.

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Thin IceArticleby:ArticlebyRolandHaasPhotosby:ErikMelander&RichardMelick

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Almost any seasoned Colorado driver will tell you that it is not a matter of if but of when, the you will find yourself driving in slippery and dan-gerous winter conditions. Having the proper tires for your car will most certainly help you navigate through adverse conditions, however the tires are just one piece of the puzzle. One other equal-ly important piece is driver skill, which is shown to be a direct result of the driver’s experience. Unfortunately, the experience of test-ing the limits of the car in a slippery situation is not easy to come by in a safe, regulated environment. Practicing on public roads is not only unsafe, but is also frowned upon by law enforcement agencies. Many enthusiasts use parking lots; however there is still a risk fac-tor involved and most property owners aren’t willing to accept the added liability issues. However, there is a safe and affordable solution; the Ice Gymkhana run by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America. The Ice Gymkhana has been an an-nual event run on the Georgetown Lake by the BMW Club since the 1980s with the exception

of one warm winter in 2006. The lake usually freezes in November and by the time January rolls in, the ice is often thicker than 2 feet which is more than enough to support the multiple cars that move around on it during the event. The Ice Gymkhana has been success-fully coordinated by Paul Schultz for sever-al years. This is one of the few events held on the lake each year that allows for vehicles that do not have four-wheel-drive systems. The event is also not limited to BMW vehicles either, and is a first come, first serve reserva-tion which fills up a month or two in advance. The event begins with a buffet break-fast at the Raven Hill Mining Restaurant in the scenic downtown area of Georgetown. After breakfast, a quick driver’s meeting is held to inform the twenty-five participants about what to do and how the day will go. Upon arrival to the lake the partici-pants were given a few choices, one being to practice on the actual gymkhana course, and the other was to practice car control ma-neuvers on one of the two ice skid-pads that

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were available. The ice was comparatively smooth this year compared to previous, which made it ex-ceptionally difficult for drivers to maintain traction while attempting to accelerate, decelerate, and turn. The participants are allowed to practice on the skid-pads and the course until lunch. After lunch, the time-trial competing begins. The Ice Gymkhana is similar to autocross in the sense that the participant is timed from his departure from the start-box to his ar-rival in the stop-box. The driver must also pass through the cone gates, but instead of being docked a certain amount of time for clipping a cone, the driver must exit the vehicle and reset the cone before continuing on to complete the course. Once the participant reaches the finish, they must stop completely within the box. If this is not accomplished, a time penalty will be awarded. The fastest overall raw time wins, but in the inter-est of promoting competition, there are also 4 indexed classes that the vehicles are split into. The classes are basic due to the small amount of vehicles allowed to par-ticipate each year. Cars are classed as such: cars with studded tires, cars with non-studded tires, AWD cars with non-studded tires, AWD cars with studded tires. At $45, the event is a bargain for a winter driv-ing school, which gives the participants a chance to gain some invaluable experience behind the wheel of their streetcar in slippery conditions and it still provides some healthy and exciting competition.

Isitthattimetolowertherideheightbecausetheicechunksontheroadwon’treturntillnextwinter?Orreadytostartadjustingyourspringpreloadforatrackdayorauto-cross?Herearesomeguidelinestohelpcleanoutthegritandsnow-meltingchemicalstoavoidruiningthecoilovers.

Knock Loose Dirt –SinceCDOTlovestocovertheroadsdeepingravelsimilartoafive-year-oldssandbox,typicallythereisalotofcollectedgritinthespringperchesandthreads.Useadrytoothbrushtobrushoutthesandlodgedintheretaininglockrings.Witheyeprotection,usecom-pressedairtoblowawaytheloosedirt;adrinkingstrawandexhalingwithburstsofairworksgreatifacompres-sorisn’tinyourequipmentreach.

Wash Down–Afterthedirtisremoved,it’stimetoscrubthecoiloverbodytoremovethesnow-meltingchemicals.MagnesiumChloride(MgCl)andeventhemorecorrosiveSodiumChloride(NaCl)areusedonwinterroadstolowertherequiredtemperatureoffreezingwater.HoweverMgClattacksanddegradesaluminumwhereNaCloxidizesuntreatedironandsteelcomponents.Takingamilddetergentorsoap-baseddegreaserwithabucketofwarmwaterandapplyingitwithakitchenspongegetsridsoflinger-ingchemicaldeposits.Rinseheavywithahoseorseveralcupsofwatertoflushoutanymisseddirt.Toweldrytoremoveanypoolsofoverlookedgrime.

CLEANINGCLEANING COILSCOILSArticle by Erik Melander Photos by Mike Selander

Inspection / Polish–Takeaninspectinglookoverthecoiloverbodycheckingforcracksorroad-relateddamage.Checkforstrut/shockleakagefromthepistonseal.Ifsurfacerustisapparentduetoroadcontainments,removewithasimplemetalbuffingcompoundorpolishingwad.Ifthecoiloverbodyispolishedsteelornickel-plated,useachromepolishorveryfinesteelwool.Ifstainlesssteel,useonastainless-approvedcompoundorwaddingthatwon’tplaceferrousfilingsbackontothebody.Afterbecomingclean,liberallyapplyawaterresistantwaxtosealanymicroscopicpourstokeepanyleachingchemicalstodegradethematerial.

Verify Torque–Putawrench,socketorallentoolonallofthemountinglocationsandhardware;checkwithservice/instructionmanualandverifytheratedtorquerequiredonnuts,boltsandsetscrews.Ifanyhardwareisdamagedormissing,replacewithproperlyratedgradehardwareaccord-ingtomanufacture’sspecifications.

Rotate Retaining Perch–Beforeturningthespannerwrenchtolowertherideheightonthecoilover,applysomeanti-seizelubricantonthethreadedbody.Sincemostretain-ingperchesandlockringsareanodizedaluminum,gallingandtheadventofgalvaniccorrosioncanoccurruiningthethreadsoftheperchandthecoilover.Marineandautomo-tivegradeversionsofcopper,aluminum,andzinc-basedanti-seizeareallacceptablefortheuseonpolishedandstainlesssteelconstructioncoilovers.Brushapplyonasmallthinbeadandthenrotatetheperchtodesiredheight.Removeanyexcessseizethatcollects.

*These tips are only meant as basic guides. Please follow all safety guidelines when working any vehicle.

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Camera: Canon 40DAperture: f/2.8



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The BirdCageArticle by Chris Goldsmith - Photos by Erik Melander

In early February, our local Volvo club got an invi-tation to visit Rallye Coach Works, a body and me-chanical restoration shop in Englewood, CO. The owner is a vintage Volvo guy, daily driving a P1800 and racing one as well. He said he had some interesting projects in his shop right now, includ-ing one that would be of interest to the Volvo com-munity. The weather this winter had been consistent-ly rotten and we hadn’t had a get-together or drive since the late fall, so it sounded good to us! On February 20 at 10:00 AM a group of us met at their front door. We were expecting a small group, but ended up with a nice little crowd of 18 Volvo enthu-siasts. The shop is modest, with two paint booths and space for about 10 cars inside. Today there were 7, 6 of which were around the perimeter in various states of restoration, and one in the center of the room under a cover. It was very clean and organized, probably due to only 3-1/2 workers whom are old school and well paid enough to clean up after themselves. At first glance the shop appears to be primarily a body shop, with cars often delivered mostly stripped of drive train and interior, but they do have full mechanical capabilities as well. They also don’t work exclusively on vintage cars, haveing just rolled a late model Hyundai out of the shop just before the tour. After mingling a while and downing a few tasty do-nuts, Tony, the owner, took us around the shop clockwise, starting with this little guy - a 1963 Porsche 356B Super 90. The car’s owner only wants a repaint rather than a full strip and restore, but fortunately the previous restoration took it down to metal. But there was still some repair

needed to make the car perfect. Next, on their Car-O-Liner frame rack was yet anoth-er 1963 Porsche 356B Super in decidedly worse condi-tion. Tony told us that this car was absolutely rusted out, clear up to the top of the car, but it seems that’s all you can find these days outside of cars that are already re-stored and preserved. Not many people would undertake a restoration of this magnitude, but this owner wanted to. He told us that it was difficult to source all the panels needed for fixing the rust, and in the end they had to fab-ricate several pieces. He showed us their English wheel and mentioned that they did have the talent in the shop to fabricate panels from scratch when necessary. The little pillars holding up the 356B all have finely graduated rulers built into them to measure out the car. They can use a reference sheet and pick up on critical frame points to ensure the car is where it belongs. They can also mount a port-a-power to the main structure of the rack and pull the frame into alignment when needed. The car arrived so rusted out that it almost bent in half when they put it up there, and they couldn’t source a

data sheet for the car. How fortunate then that they happen to have a spare ‘63 356 right next to it in the shop! The other car was used to measure up and create a data sheet for it. Next was a 1968 Jaguar XKE that was also getting the full restoration treatment, followed by a 2005 Mor-gan Aero 8. Apparently this was the first one to be imported to the US. Next was a 1957 Alfa Romeo Gi-ulietta Sprint. Tony was able to use this vehicles as an of how modern materials are so much nicer than the original stuff in terms of paint and undercoating. The new coatings that the shop uses is very tough, designed to replicate the original sound dead-ening, but with much longer lasting results. Last around the circle was an early 1957 Austin Healey 100/6 BN4L, which appears to have al-ready undergone, drive train restora-tion, and was nearing the end of the body restoration. This is a fairly rare car and should be spectacular when finished. So then it was time for the main event. It was under a cover in the center of the room, so we were pre-pared for something really special. We got it, but it was at the very be-ginning, I mean VERY beginning of

the project. It was just delivered and it hasn’t begun disassembly yet. A 1959 Devin. Many of us had never heard of Devin before, so this was quite an education. Devin was a kit car man-ufacturer in the 50’s and 60’s, selling fiberglass bodies for the end user to stuff a chassis and motor in. There were several wheelbases and widths available, and at their peak Devin was making 200 bodies a week. What’s special about these is that they were slapping V8’s into super light chassis and cleaning up in races about half a decade before Carroll Shelby got the idea. Fully restored Devins sell for up to $100k due to the fact that even though there were so many produced, many were never finished. This particular car has a home-built tube frame with the drive train out of a 1959 Volvo PV544. Front chassis, rear axle, engine and trans-mission. Our host suspects that this particular car was never even driven, as the floor pans where they are way too high to be actually useable with a seat installed. The engine and transmission were seized solid, and the driveshaft was torched years ago, apparently to

facilitate movement of the car. It did roll, interestingly enough. Tony commented on the engine position being completely awful. Mechanics can’t even get to the back carburetor, which is another clue that it may have never been driven under its own power. The steering box is mounted too far forward, and the steering geometry is all wrong as well. He was telling us that it’d have terrible bump steer with the way things were attached. So the plan for this car is a full restoration for vintage racing. The beauty of a vintage kit car is that because it was homebuilt, they are almost completely free of restriction within the rules on the parts they use, as long as they are period cor-rect. They wouldn’t be able to put ABS brakes or other modern equip-ment on, but they can do things like shorten the wheelbase and rebuild the chassis from scratch in any configuration they like. Plans are to shorten it about a foot, push the motor forward, and much scrap just about everything there except for the body. All I know is that it looks real-ly expensive, but a whole lot of fun.

The Maserati type 61- Commonly known as the “birdcage” Maserati because of the multiplicity of tubes used in its chassis.

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Camera: Canon 40D Aperture: f/5.6Shutter Speed: 1/13sFocal length: 85mmISO: 100© Erik Melander

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AMeanLittleBimmerArticlebyErikMelanderandRolandHaas

PhotosbyErikMelander

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ging and growing older areritesofpassageforliterallyallthings.Fromthemomentsomethingiscreated,there usually a date stamp slapped toittosignifyitsplaceinthespace-timecontinuum, especially in the businessof manufacturing automobiles. TheSports Car Club ofAmerica (SCCA)is watching these vehicle productiondates ever so closely for competitionracing, specifically within the Tour-ingdivisioncategory.Automotiveagehasablessingandacursealltogether.Theblessing is the allowanceof late-modelcommonproductionvehiclesto

competeatanearstreetlegalconfigu-ration,asidefromtheincreasedsafetygear.The curse is that after ten yearsof the last approved production yearoftheautomobilehaspast;itseligibil-ityisremovedfromsanctionedSCCATouringevents.Andthatcanputabigsting in countless owners who havebeen meticulously working on theircars for years, especially now for theBMWE36M3owners. TheE36M3hasbeenargued tobe one of themost predominant clubracerplatformssinceitsintroductionin1992.Thoughtherunofsevenmodel

A

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series. The question nowmany haveiswhatcould,orevencanreplacetheE36’s large shoes of an off-the-shelfraceplatform?DriversDanSpirekandJasonOttinconjunctionwithJimLeithauserandDan Goodman of Bimmerhaus mayhave found that solution to the retir-ing E36. These four were expectingthe platform change to come, and inlate2008 theybegandiscussing ideasof what the replacement automobilecould be. Spirek wanted something

years,theE36chassishasseenapleth-ora of racing engineered componentscomefromtheaftermarket,andmanymoreafterthelastcarrolledofffactoryfloors in1999. Implementationofal-most any conceived performance parthas been produced and used to pushtheE36 into an easy entry level plat-formandonethatprovesthatitcanwinagainst fierce opposition. However,with the SCCA Touring 10-year pro-ductionyearprovision, theE36isun-availableforusestartingwiththe2010

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TheZ4M-coupe(MZ4),lesscom-monly referred to the E86 chassis,shares a wealth of mechanical com-ponentswith from it’scoincidebreth-ren. Beginningwith the power train,itutilizesthe3.2Linline-6S54enginefrom theE46M3 rated at 330 horse-powerand262ft-lbsoftorque.FortheTouring competition, the two sets ofcatalystsareremovedandtheexhaustmanifoldisreplacedtoopenupbreath-ingoftheengine,butwithoutexceed-ing sound regulations. Similarly thesuspensiondesignisliterallyastraightripofthefrontwithaMcPhersonstrutassemblyandsemi-trailingarmdesignintherear.TheracetrimcarhasbeenfittedwithasetofcustomKonistrutsand shocks thanks toKoni,whohave

newafterbeinginaSubaruandMazdafor several racing seasons; similarlyOtthadbeendrivingawidecollectionof vehicles and not sticking specifictooneautomaker. AftermuchdebateontechnicalspecificationsandgaugedavailabilityofapprovedSCCAmodels,Spirekwas convinced to a final deci-sion:theBMWZ4M-coupe.Whythebull-nosedtwo-seaterasacompetitivecar? Beyond itsmeager threemodelyear production from 2006 through2008,Goodman is quick to point outthatthese“fun”carsareeasytolocatewithgoodcarehistoryandlowmileage.Andsubjectively,Leithauserlovesthelookofthesleek,low-ridgedhoodandroofline,whichhelpstheaerodynamiceffectofthefastbackstylecar.

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beenworkingwithBimmerhaus’ssta-ble tosuit thestockspring rates foravastarrayofchassistransitionalchang-es and heavy corner damping. TheMZ4brakes are the covetedM3CSL/ZCPpackage,asinglepistoncaliperwithcross-drilledtwo-piecedirection-allyventedrotorsinbothfrontandrear.Howeverallthoserepeatpartsareputinto a wheelbase that’s 98.3 inchesand an overall height of 50.7 inches,9.2 inchesand3.3 inchesrespectivelyshorterthantheE46M3.Oneoftheinitialconcernswashowthe driving characteristics would bechanging from amid-90’s sedan to anew-millenniumfastback.Surprising-lytheshift totheMZ4waslessover-whelmingthanexpected.TheMZ4hassimilarspringratesonallfourcornersand comparable weight distributionthatofE36andE46whichmakesitre-markablyeasytoadaptover.Aggres-siveturn-inproducesmildtomoderate

understeer situationsdue to themaxi-mum-2.0°ofnegativecamberallowed,without theuseof camberplates, andsmall sectional width tires mandatedbyTouringcategoryrules(seesidebarfor details). Yet stability and controlduringat-limitmaneuversarecomfort-ableandpredictableasthecarprovidesessential feedback to the driver. ThemaindifferencebetweentheE36/E46andMZ4isthesensationofyawsincethedriversitsbehindthecenterofrota-tion in theMZ4withhaving the longbonnetandthecabinsittingontherearthirdofthevehicle.What’sbetterevenisthatwhenthecarisnotinrace-mode,plasteredwithsponsor graphics and alpha-numerics,the car looks like a daily street driv-er. Aside from the required roll-cageinstalled,with safetynet, proper seat-ing and harnesses, the pair ofMZ4’sretains the comfort of door panels,sounddeadening carpet, and even the

radio. Why isn’t it removed to shaveweight? Again theSCCA is quick toholdeach individualapprovedchassisa certain weight requirement in racetrimwithdriverinside.Ifweightisn’tmet,addedballastcannotbedistributedthroughout thecar, itmustbolt to thepassengersidefloorpan.KeepingtheinteriorallowsSpirekandOtttoreducetheneedforrequiredunwantedballastandmakes the trip from the paddockandgaragebeyondtolerablecomparedtoaguttedrollingtin-can.NoteverythinghascomesupereasyforBimmerHaus on theMZ4. To bequickandacontender,mostdriversripover the rumbleapex in several sanc-tionedraces.Butthat’swheretheoneof the small weaknesses of the MZ4are exploited. At Road America inElkhart Lake, Wisconsin, LeithauserandGoodmanhadunfortunatelycomeacrosswornoutinnerballjointsduetotheaggressiverumblestrips. Another

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formablechallengehasbeenthebrakes,wheretheMZ4isexceptionallyquick,andthelargeCSLrotorsaren’tprovid-ing the same predictable results as toolderBMWplatforms.LeithauserandGoodmanareresearchingintoconceiv-ably incorrect operating temperaturecould hold the answers, but wouldn’tcommentbeyondsuch.WhattheydidnoteisthatSpirekandOttarerunningtwo different pad combinations basedondrivercomfortandpedalfeel.Regardlessofthesmallengineer-ingchallenges,Bimmerhausthinksthedrivershavethebestofbothworldsforanaffordableclubracerthatisshowingtobehighlycompetitive thataestheti-callypleasing.That’sright,affordable.SeveralofthechassisfoundintheT2seriescanrunover$100Kfortheplat-form, safety equipment and race trimcomponents, not including the oh-so-necessarysparetiresandpartsbinthatseveral forget to invest in. Goodmangave EuroBerge a quick peek at thelog-book for cost, and Bimmerhaus’spair ofMZ4’s run around $75K eachforchassispurchase,safetyfabrication,preparation,andoutthedoorturn-keyperformance.SoundslikeDanSpirekandJasonOttaresettill2017…whenthischassisispastitsage.

QUICK SPECScontinued from: "a mean Bimmer"

Vehicles: #2 (Jason Ott) and #26 (Dan Spirek) 2007 BMW Z4 M-coupes (MZ4)Vehicle Type: longitudinal front-en-gine, rear-wheel-drive, 2 passenger, 2-door coupeEngine: DOHC 24-valve 3.2-liter (198ci) inline-6Transmission / Driveline: 6-speed manual; limited-slip rear differentialBrakes: front single piston caliper with 345mm x 28mm rotationally vented disc, rear single piston cali-per with 328mm x 20mm rotationally vented disc

Length: 161.1inWidth: 70.1inWheelbase: 98.2 inFront Track: 58.5inRear Track: 59.7inHeight: 50.7 in

Curb Weight: 3375 lbs (minimum required by SCCA with driver)

MSRP Price (new in 2007): $45,770Purchased in 2009: $32,000 (addition-al ~$43,000 for safety fabrication and race trim components)

At the time you read this article, the SCCA has only approved the 2007 Z4 M-coupe (MZ4) for competition use in Touring category, class 2 (T2). The rules for Touring aren’t complicated but discrete, here’s a quick run-down of the key factors that participants must fol-low.

-Engine modification beyond OEM specifications, like port and polishing, forced induction, or bore / stroke / compression increase is prohibited-Interchanging of parts from different engine displacements is prohibited-Removal of catalytic convertor is allowed; re-placement pipe must have same inlet and outlet diameter as the catalyst-Oil cooling systems for engine oil, transmis-sion oil, and power steering are permitted-Limited-slip differentials are permitted; locked differentials are not allowed-Air conditioning components in the engine bay may be disabled / removed-OEM springs and anti-roll bars must remain in vehicle; no altering of mounting location or sus-pension geometry-Shock absorber (struts) may be changed; however its mounting type, and location can-not be altered-Brake sizes must remain OEM as installed by factory delivery of car; braided lines may replace OEM rubber lines-Any wheel can be used provided it does not exceed the automobile’s OEM specified di-ameter and width; any offset of wheel is al-lowed provided that the tire’s contact patch does not exceed the fender looking down from a bird’s-eye view-All vehicles are allowed a tire section increased or decrease of 10mm or 20mm (225 OEM tire allows for a 205, 215, 235, or 245 section width) and an aspect ratio increase or decrease of 5 or 10 (55

QUICK SPECScontinued from: "a mean Bimmer"




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Article b

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Melander

VOLVO

C30 R

Somanythingscouldbe said about the newlyface-lifted 2011 Volvo C30R-Design, but in fear ofsoundinglikearecordplay-erandrepeatingwhatmanyothershaveobserved,Iamgoingtolookatthisnewlit-tlehatchinadifferentlight.Specifically, I am going tolook at it in terms of itsplaceintheworldofhatch-es,andspecifically,here inColorado. As we have statedmanytimesinthepast,Col-oradoprovides an interest-ingbackdropforautomotiveenthusiasts. Very fewcarshavecometoourroadscapableofhandlingalltheseasonsthatthestatehastooffer,andyetmanyofusputthemthroughthetestyearround.Manyexcelinonearea,butlackinothers.Somefailatboth.Andveryfewmeeteverychallengeheadonwithnohesitation. Volvohasbeenonebrandthathasbeenabletohandlethedifficultiesofthisstate.But,theyhavealsobuilttheirimageofsafetyandreliability,withalittlefunhereandthere.Despitetheirabilitytomanagetheirprimarysafetyimage,theslangtermof‘mom-mobile’hasbeenhardtostrayfromoverthepastfewyears.TheVolvoC30wasmeanttobreakthismoldin2007,butwithnorealexcitementbehindthewheel,itsimplyfadedintotheclassicstatusofbeinggoodtolookat,andnothingmuchelse.ButwiththeupdateddesignandadditionoftheR-Designpackage,Volvohasbroughtanewlittlebeasttoourroads. Thiscarhastheget-up-and-gothatisrequiredonourhighways,wherepowerisnecessaryjusttomergeontoastreet.Underthehoodisthesame227-horsepowerturbocharged5-cylinderenginethat’spoweredtheU.S.marketC30since2007,butwithanewsetoftuningtotakecareofsomeoftheturbolagfoundonpreviousmodels.Steeringresponseisimmediate,brakingisstrong,andthepowerjustwantstotakethecarfasterandfaster. CurvesarenoproblemfortheVolvoC30R-Design,withatightandcontrolledfeelasthespeedismain-tainedthroughtheturn. I felt totalcontrolwitheveryswitchbackandhairpinturnasI tookthe littlehatch

through the foothills. Andthe great thingwas that itnever letupas Ipushed itharder. While handling wasamazing in town, I waseven more impressed withtheridequalitywhilecruis-ingtheso-called‘wellmain-tained’roadsofFortCollins.With all the bumps, dips,and cracks that infest thisroad, the car was smoothandeleganttodrive.Iwascomfortable both as driverandpassenger,andwasim-pressed with the smooth-nessoftheride.

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VisualstylingisspotonwitholderR-Designmodels,keepingthesmoothshapeofatypicalVolvo,whileaddingvisualcuesthathintatwhatisundertheskin.Thenoseofthecarbringsastrikinglooktothewholevehicle,completingtheimagethatdesignersmighthavebeengoingforinthefirstmodeC30.Thesubtlebadgesonthecar,smallspoiler,andextrabodypiecesdon’tdetractfromtheeleganceofthecar,butaddmoreflairtothestyling. InsideistypicalVolvo,almostfeelingmoreartisticthanfunctional.Therearedesignfeaturesthatmaketheinsidenicetoolookat,suchastheoutward-boundringsthatsur-round thevolumeknob,or thefloatingcenter console. Ifitcomfortablyinthefrontseats,butwasnotgoingtoattempt thebacks. Honestly, this is the carwhereyouputtheleastlikedpersonintheback.Ipersonallywouldhaveloved to see it just as a two-seater with full storagein the back, but thatcan easily be setupwithfoldingofthebackseats.

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SoisthishotlittlehatchreadyfortheroadsofColorado?Yes.TheC30R-Designhasthepowertomove,thecomfort tomakethedrivenice,andthestylingthatisnottooflashy,butsubtleenoughtokeepeyesonit.Thislittlehatchistheperfectad-ditiontoVolvo’sfleetandtheevergrowingmarket

ofsmallEuropeanvehiclestohitourroads.

Thank you to Pedersen Volvo in Fort Collins for loaning us the C30 R for a test drive.

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Many Denver-ites are familiar with the bi-yearly requirement of com-pleting a Colorado emissions test before renewing their license plate tags. It’s quite simple; allow the state to take hold of your car for approximately ten minutes, run the sucker up to 60mph and measure what’s coming out of the exhaust tips. This shouldn’t be hard if you taken care of the car that has some mileage on. Usually it’s a breeze; grab your renewal reminder card at the beginning of the expiration month, run through the Air Care Colorado testing bay, then off and away to pay tabs for another year. That’s what I thought too for my 2010 registration - until the results come back noting failure to the smog test this last December. After failing the dyno-sniffer test twice with nitrogen oxide reading over twice the limit of what’s allowed, I was at a loss. The car had been thoroughly maintained the moment I bought it, and it passed emissions in winter of 2007 without flaw. Why now is it a problem? After venting my disappointment to the technicians on staff, I was directed Joe Levonas, an air emissions scientist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and

ArticleandPhotosbyErikMelander

Article by Erik Melander

Photos by Erik Melander and Richard Melick

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Environment. Levonas is apart of the Mobile Sources Program (MSP) for the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division and is responsible for taking accurate readings with the RapidScreen vans you spy on the shoulder-side of highway on-ramps. Embarrassed and dejected, I found myself in small office with archived records talking to Joe about my situation. I explained what’s been checked, recently replaced, and modifications (hoping not to hear an “I told you so” speech) installed on my Jetta. Handing him my test results, Levonas grabbed a quick look and gently nodded with a smile. “You said you have a catalytic converter on the exhaust system?” I shook my head yes. “Looks like its no-good anymore.” My stomach began to wrench up. “How can that be?” I asked timidly. Joe asked me to pull the car around to his workshop bay to show why.

“Embarrassed and degected I found myself in small office...”

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I pulled into a service bay that looked like a tuner garage made love with a col-lege’s chemistry laboratory. White walls, a four-wheel dynamometer embed-ded into the concrete floor, ventilation systems strung across the ceiling and several processing computers in the corner. Joe immediately plugged into the Jetta’s on-board diagnostic (OBD) serial port, fired up the car and scrolled through a couple of screens to check for current fault codes, fuel trim through the oxygen sensors, and engine running temperature. He informed me that the car is running in tip-top shape. Fuel trims are normal, burn efficiency is perfect. Levonas headed for the tailpipe and inserted a two foot long sniffer probe, and with the car at an idle, he pointed me to a computer with real-time values of measured compounds: carbon monoxide (CO), oxygen (O2), nitro-gen oxides (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2). With the car hovering just under 800 RPMs, the catalyst was barely holding on, trying to change the minimum mass flow. But just a blip on the throttle sent too much NOx through and clearly gave a result that my aftermarket cat burned up all nine lives trying to preserve the ozone. Here’s where your chemistry class in college comes into play: remem-ber that a catalyst accelerates a chemical reaction without consuming itself during the process. The catalytic converter is usually filed with platinum, palla-dium and rhodium; platinum and palladium are used during the reduction of ni-trogen oxides (2NOx → xO2 + N2), and platinum and rhodium are used during the oxidation reaction of carbon monoxide (2CO + O2 → 2CO2) and unburned hydrocarbons. What’s critical is that the converter must reach a certain “light-off” temperature to initiate the reactions, being the reason why the AirCare asks owners to put some run time on the vehicle before subject to emissions test. Empowered with the information from Joe’s one-on-one garage ses-sion, I headed home excited to know what was causing me to fail emissions yet weary on how much a new catalyst may cost. Upon reading my receipts and the manufacture’s website of my exhaust system, I came across a great glimpse of hope. The company I purchased my exhaust system uses a cata-lyst corporation that provides life-time warranties. Going through the paper-work and proving that my catalyst was indeed shot, I received a replacement within a week’s time. Eager to pass emissions before my license tabs expired, had the new cat welded in and headed back to Air Care’s testing facility. Crossing my fin-gers and dealing with over three weeks of failed attempts to be accepted by Colorado’s strict air pollution standards, the Jetta cleared the bar… with flying colors! The car blew a 0.38 for NOx, well under the 1.50 regulation and worlds better than the failed 3.58 before replacement. Similarly, the new catalyst sig-nificantly reduced the amount of CO and hydrocarbons being pushed out of the tailpipe. Find yourself in a similar situation with not able to get the vehicle to pass due to catalyst efficiency? Joe provided some helpful pointers in locating a replacement catalyst that will easily pass through Colorado’s testing. Before purchasing make sure the catalyst is OBD-certified; this will effectively reduce a possible Check Engine Light (CEL) illumination and catalyst efficiency below threshold fault code. Check for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) certification, which is the prestigious qualification for automotive components. Avoid parts that have the side-note of “off-road use only”, even with an OBD compliant statements; those catalysts are designed for flame or backfiring re-duction and only marginally reduce emission gases. Finally, check service warranties and fine print on application per your region and vehicle.

THANKS TO SCR PERFORMANCE FOR FACILITIES

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Preview July 15SUMMER 2010 ISSUE 8

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R/R at PPIRApril 17, 2010 to April 18, 2010Location: Puebloregister at www.motorsportsreg.com

Solo Event 2- tentativeApril 18, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AMLocation: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Commerce City

CUSCC Car ShowApril 18, 2010 at 12:00 PM to April 19, 2010 at 4:00 AMhttp://www.cusportcar.com/2010 CU Sport Car Club Auto Show

April All-Euro GTGApril 24, 2010 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PMLocation: Golden, COhttp://euroberge.com/?p=1538Euro Denver GTG – Saturday, April 24th, 2010“…School of Mines, MillerCoors, Lookout Moun-tain: hooray, its Golden!”

The fourth large Denver GTG of 2010 will be on Saturday, April 24th, 2010 @ 11:00am.

NASA Rocky Mountain #2May 1, 2010 to May 2, 2010Location: Pueblo, COPueblo Motorsports Park - Pueblo, COHPDE, TT, NASA Racing, Nostalgia Racing* http://www.nasarockymountain.com/nas...splay.php?f=70

BMW Club Solo- car control clinicMay 1, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM

SCCA: R/R at HPRMay 8, 2010 to May 9, 2010Location: High Plains Racewayregister at www.motorsportreg.com

SCCA: Time Trials and PDXMay 8, 2010 to May 9, 2010

Solo Event 3May 15, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AMLocation: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Commerce City

BMW Club Solo 1May 16, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AMLocation: Dicks Sporting goods Commerce City

Volkswagens on the GreenMay 16, 2010 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PMInformation to come soon!

Pro Solo @ WendoverMay 22, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AMLocation: Wendover Airport

BMW Club Solo Driving schoolMay 22, 2010 at 8:00 AM to May 23, 2010 at 9:00 AM

NASA Rocky Mountain #3May 29, 2010 to May 30, 2010Location: Byers, COHigh Plains Raceway - Byers, COHPDE, TT, NASA Racing, Nostalgia Racinghttp://www.nasarockymountain.com/nas...splay.php?f=71

SCCA: N/N at PPIRMay 29, 2010 to May 30, 2010Location: Pikes Peak International Racewayregister at www.motorsportsreg.com

May All-Euro GTGMay 30, 2010 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PMLocation: Loveland, COSunday, May 30th @ 1:00pmCenterra Shopping Center - Loveland (I-25 + HY-34)

BMW Club Solo Street SurvivalJune 5, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM

Automezzi Italian Car ShowJune 6, 2010 from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM

3rd Annual Yellowstone National Park CruiseJune 11, 2010 to June 13, 2010Location: Yellowstone National Parkhttp://www.ynpcruise.com/

Solo Event 6- tentativeJune 12, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AMLocation: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Commerce City

SCCA: R + Enduro at PuebloJune 19, 2010 to June 20, 2010Location: Puebloregister at www.motorsportreg.com

BMW Club Solo 2June 19, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AMLocation: Pikes Peak International Raceway

June All-Euro GTGJune 26, 2010 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PMLocation: Littleton, COTipsy’s Liqour - Littleton (C470 + Bowles)

Pikes Peak Hill ClimbJune 27, 2010Location: Pikes Peak

Solo Event 7June 27, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AMLocation: PPIR Fountain

NASA Event #1023:July 3, 2010 to July 4, 2010Location: Pikes Peak Raceway, Pikes Peak, CO

NASA Rocky Mountain #5 July 3, 2010Location: Fountain, COPikes Peak Raceway - Fountain, COHPDE, TT, NASA Racing, Nostalgia Racinghttp://www.nasarockymountain.com/nas...splay.php?f=73

SCCA: N/N at HPRJuly 3, 2010 to July 4, 2010Location: High Plains Racewayregister at www.motorsportreg.com

Solo Event 8July 10, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AMLocation: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Commerce City

BMW Club Solo 3July 11, 2010 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AMLocation: Dicks Sporting goods Commerce City

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EuroBerge Magazine - Issue 7

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