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The BMW M1 Art Car presented in a new perspective 40 years later

“I love this car. It’s more successful than the artwork,” was the opinion of Andy Warhol after his sweeping brush strokes had transformed the BMW M1. It took him less than half an hour to create the fourth exhibit in the BMW Art Car Collection which was beginning to capture attention globally. That was 40 years ago.

In 2019, enthusiasm for the mid-engined sportscar originally designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro remains. Already world-famous at that time, the US icon of Pop Art shared the same passion with many automobile fans of that bygone era. And the fascination of the unique special created by Warhol has indeed increased.

Highlight of the BMW Art Car Collection
Many fans regard his Art Car as the highlight of the entire collection which now numbers 19. It’s therefore hardly surprising that Munich-based automobile photographer Stephan Bauer spontaneously opted for the model when he was selecting his dream subject on four wheels.

Last year, Bauer emerged as the victor in the Social Media Contest ‘Shootout 2018’ organised by BMW Group Classic. He was given the opportunity for an exclusive photo shoot with BMW Art Car Number Four. His series of images to mark the 40th birthday of the M1 provide a completely new perspective on one of the most legendary vehicles from the history of BMW.

A completely new perspective
Against the backdrop of an old factory building in Cologne, Bauer choreographed a spectacular contrast between the brightly coloured Art Car and the dull grey of the abandoned industrial structure. At a subsequent outdoor session, laser lights shrouded the BMW in a positively mystical atmosphere. In both settings, the Art Car kept emerging from a completely new perspective – and always to perfection.

Andy Warhol BMW M1 Art Car — *Andy Warhol painting the BMW M1 Group 4 sportscar in 1979. It took him less than half an hour to create the fourth exhibit in the BMW Art Car Collection which has captured attention globally.*

40 years ago, the cameras had hardly been set up when Warhol had already finished painting the bodywork in all the colours of the rainbow. As the artist explained later, his speed was a reflection of the statement made by his work of art: “I attempted to show speed as a visual image. When an automobile is really travelling fast, all the lines and colours are transformed into a blur.”

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F1 (Round 12) – 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix Starting Grid

Race starts at 3:10 pm in Hungary/9:10 pm in Malaysia

♦ Max Verstappen will start from pole position with Valtteri Bottas alongside. It’s the first F1 pole position for the 21-year old Aston Martin Red Bull Racing driver.

♦ The 4.38-km circuit is often referred to as ‘Monaco without walls’ because of the tight and twisting layout. This is not good for the Ferraris as their downforce is not as strong as the leading rivals.

♦ Improved aerodynamics on the Williams cars have helped George Russell perform better. This is especially important on the Hungaroring circuit’s flowing sequences of slow and medium-speed corners and frequent changes of direction. The teams are using the highest levels of downforce seen all year at a purpose-built track to Hungary.

♦ The Ferrari team is concerned about tyres. The circuit layout also places relatively high lateral loads on tyres and that, allied to often high track temperatures, means that rubber is put under some stress. Sebastian Vettel expects it to be a very difficult race today in terms of tyre management and given the characteristics of the car.

♦ This will be the last round before the teams take a summer break. The next race will be in Belgium on September 1.

♦ As the team managers enjoy their holiday break, they will also be thinking about the driver line-up for 2020. Although there are rumours of Verstappen moving to Mercedes-AMG, this is unlikely to happen and the team’s boss will be looking at retaining Bottas or letting current reserve driver Esteban Ocon partner Lewis Hamilton.

Infiniti gets award for adoption of advanced high-tensile steel in new QX50

Weight has long been known as something that must be reduced as much as possible in a car. Lowering the weight brings benefits to fuel efficiency and handling, two important aspects that engineers keep trying to improve all the time. However, back in the days before computer-aided engineering (CAD), it was difficult to achieve weigh reductions and manufacturing technology then was also not able to handle advanced steel materials.

The advent of high-tensile steel was a big leap forward for the auto industry. This type of steel has high strength but the greater strength does not require extra weight. In fact, compared to conventional steel, high-tensile steel is lighter yet stronger.

Stronger steel produces a number of clear benefits for the customer. The overall weight reduction improves fuel economy, while the increased strength builds on existing safety. Since the steel is stronger, the sections become smaller and more interior space is available, producing environments that are more open for the driver and passengers.

Use of advanced high-tensile steel gets award
When creating the latest QX50, engineers at Infiniti, Nissan’s premium brand, went into molecular detail to ensure it was the best it could be in every aspect, and the science behind a more advanced high-tensile steel used in the QX50 has just received a prestigious global award.

One of the challenges of very high-tensile steel is it can be difficult to work with in the manufacturing process, limiting the complexity of parts and adoption in a new vehicle. In order to make this world’s first steel compatible for mass production, engineers worked directly with a steel supplier to formulate a brand new, high-strength, lightweight and highly formable steel for the model.

980 MPa steel supersedes 590 MPa steel
The new 980 MPa steel, created using a specially developed formula, has superseded the traditional 590 MPa steel. As part of the work around the new steel, an academic paper on ‘The application of 980 MPa advanced high strength steel with high formability’ was chosen for The SAE/AISI Sydney H. Melbourne Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Automotive Steel Sheet. It is awarded by SAE International, a global nonprofit organization based in the USA, which has more than 128,000 participating engineers and researchers working in aerospace, passenger car and commercial vehicle industries.

Around 27% of the QX50 body is made from special steels – an increase of 21% over the previous generation – resulting in a 23 kg mass reduction overall. Within the front of the car alone, the adoption of high-tensile steel has provided a 13 kg weight reduction, while frontal energy absorption improved by 10%.

With the QX50 being the first car in the world to use 980 MPa steel, Infiniti will look into adopting it in more applications in coming years. The goal is to achieve 25% or more of the vehicle weight made from advanced high-strength steel, benefiting customers with reduced weight, improved fuel economy and enhanced levels of safety.

Visit www.infiniti.com.my to know more about the models available in Malaysia.

Red Cross Experts Push New Land Rover Defender Prototype To The Limits In Desert Testing

The all-new Land Rover Defender will have its world premiere later this year. In the past, when Land Rover was developing its new models, it would do most of the real-world testing on its own, using its own experienced personnel. Perhaps that was partly to keep details of the new model under wraps till launch.

These days, however, the carmaker must find it also useful to let outside parties check out prototypes. This is especially so if the outside parties operate in extreme conditions and have specific requirements for the transport vehicles.

One such organisation is the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) which was visited by the team carrying out the latest stage of its global testing programme of the new Defender.

IFRC fleet experts put new Defender to the test
A prototype vehicle visited the IFRC global fleet base in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Land Rover engineers demonstrated the vehicle’s breadth of capability to their IFRC counterparts both on and off road. Then the IFRC fleet experts took to the wheel to test the vehicle for themselves on the region’s desert sand dunes and the twisty tarmac of Jebel Jais highway in temperatures over 40 degrees C. The Defender also climbed the tallest mounting in the UAE and reached an altitude of nearly 2,000 metres.

The dunes around Dubai were the perfect place to confirm that this is the most capable Land Rover ever made. It sits on tyres with an overall diameter of up to 815 mm, resulting in a very large contact patch. Coupled with a bespoke traction control system, which monitors and adjusts for a large variety of terrain, this makes the new Defender highly capable on sand and incredibly smooth on road as well.

Global partnership since 1954
The test in Dubai coincides with the renewal of Land Rover’s global partnership with the IFRC – a relationship that dates back 65 years, to 1954, when the first specially adapted Land Rover entered service in the region as a mobile dispensary.

This year marks the humanitarian organisation’s centenary as it celebrates ‘100 Years of Hope’. Over the next three years, Land Rover will support disaster preparedness and response initiatives in locations including India, Mexico and Australia.

“The Red Cross supports millions of people in crisis every year, working in almost every country in the world. We operate in some of the most hard-to-reach places on earth, often working in very difficult terrain, so our teams have to be able to cope with anything. That’s why we’re proud to have partnered with Land Rover since 1954, and to be putting their new Defender to the test, as together they help us reach vulnerable communities in crisis, whoever and wherever in the world they are,” said Ilir Caushaj, the IFRC’s Team Lead For Global Fleets And Logistics.

The session with the IFRC fleet experts complements the global testing programme which has seen prototypes covering more than 1.2 million kilometres in all kinds of conditions. Various activities have also been arranged to give the public a sneak preview of the vehicle, including a dynamic appearance at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.