TunerGP: MTM R8 RS notches up best time in Hockenheim

MTM Press Release

Once again, sport-auto had invited an illustrious selection of members of the pedal to the metal industry to the Tuner Grand Prix 2013 and almost all came to the Motordrome Short Course to show what's what when it comes down to metres and tenths of a second. The selected track measures not quite 2.6 kilometres, which is demanding for test drivers and machines alike.

Driving the Audi R8, Florian Gruber, MTM's chief racer and test driver, emphatically answered every question about who was the day's fastest with a lap time of 1:06.695 minutes. Nobody in the field of 66 starters was able to better it. In addition to its dominant role on the track, the 606 hp ten cylinder engine has also received the blessing of the TÜV (German Technical Inspection Authority) for use on the public highway; equipped with a height-adjustable chassis with three-part BBS wheel rims with central locking and tyres to match (Michelin Pilot Sport Cup - VA 295/30 - 18, HA 345/30-19) and a passenger seat.

All the same, Florian Gruber recorded a best time of 1:14.0 at the wheel of the MTM A1 quattro, enabling him to break into the ranks of the next higher class dominated by hot VW Golfs.

Roland Mayer, MTM's Managing Director and petrol head in one and the same person, voiced his satisfaction with the performance: "Armed with a stopwatch and under comparable conditions it's always good to show what a car prepared by MTM is capable of. On some another occasion, we will then demonstrate that our success is built not just on peak performance but on our reliability as well.

This year a racing edition of the MTM R8 is putting in an appearance at the international GT Sprint Series but with 40 hp less than the road version because of restrictions imposed by the rules. Up-and-coming racer Thomas Schöffler is available to the MTM team, as he was last year. Who will be driving the second MTM R8 at the next race meeting at the Slovakia Ring (8 - 9 June 2013) near the capital Bratislava will be decided shortly. The 10-cylinder naturally aspirated engines with their 560 hp will then have to prove themselves against international competition with illustrious names such as Porsche, Maserati and Ferrari. Noblesse oblige.

Photo credit: MTM

TunerGP: MTM Audi R8 performed very well at the 2013 TunerGP

By Johan Laubscher

The annual TunerGP was held at Hockenheim this past weekend, the sport auto High Performance Days 2013. It is a very popular European event for Tuning companies. MTM (Moteren Technik Mayer) has taken part in this event for many years, and this year they added a special car to their entry.

The MTM team has been competing in the Italian Superstars GT Sprint Series this season, using an Audi R8 LMS race car. They have shown good pace and results so far this year. The team decided to enter their Audi R8 LMS at the TunerGP.

The event requires modified streetcars, thus MTM modified the specification of their R8 LMS to make it eligible for the TunerGP. The modifications allowed the car to be registered for street legislation and it was entered in the C15-A class for "supersportler" cars. The changes to the car included: raised ride-height, added passenger seat and new BBS three piece rims with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires.

Florian Gruber drove the Audi at the event. The car was named the MTM R8 RS, after its modifications for the TunerGP. Gruber was able to post very fast lap times, which ultimately won the event overall. The overall average winning lap time was 1:06.695. The results from the TunerGP can be seen HERE.

It was a great result for MTM, and the car looked and sounded great circling the short version of Hockenheim. An onboard video and photos from the MTM website have been included below.

Photo credit and more information:
MTM website
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