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Braman Porsche News

BRAMAN PORSCHE - ALWAYS ON THE MOVE WITH NEWS

New Panamera unveiled at Trump

2010 Panamera unveiled October 15th at Trump
All customers that order a Panamera will be treated to experience the car on the track and a gourmet dinner



The Panamera was unveiled at Trump International on Thursday, October 15th and all orders placed between now and October 24th will receive a complimentary test drive by a Porsche Certified Race Instructor at Palm Beach International Raceway's 2-mile Road Course.

Porsche says that the Panamera is 76 inches in width, making it an especially wide sedan. A Mercedes-Benz S-Class, by comparison, is less than 74 inches wide. The Panamera measures 55.8 inches in height and 195.7 inches in length. This makes for a roomy interior, especially for just four passengers. The cabin is complete with 18-way adjustable front seats, and 8-way adjustable rear seats.

The Panamera S will start at $89,000, while the all-wheel-drive 4S will cost $93,800. The Turbo will ring in at $132,600, which is slightly more than a Cayenne Turbo. U.S. sales are to begin in October.

The rear-wheel drive Panamera S has can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 175 mph. The Panamera 4S can hit 60 in 4.8 seconds and achieves the same top speed. The all-wheel drive Panamera Turbo sets a zero to 60 time of 4 seconds flat and a top test-track speed of 188 mph.

All models are equipped with Porsche's new PDK dual-clutch gearbox. Porsche is also planning a hybrid variant of the Panamera. The turbocharged version will come standard with all-wheel-drive. Rear wheel drive will be standard otherwise with four-wheel propulsion a line-wide option.

Information courtesy of Left Lane News.





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Panamera gets attention in Shanghai


Shanghai 2009: Porsche Panamera gets its public unveiling
Due at Braman for October debut



Underscoring the increasing importance of the Chinese market to automakers around the world, Porsche has unveiled its newest model at the Shanghai Motor Show.

The true four-seat Panamera goes on sale in October with normally aspirated and turbocharged versions of the company's 4.8-liter direct-injected V8 in all markets. Below is Porsche's official press release:




PRESS RELEASE:

Porsche Panamera makes World Debut in Shanghai

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, presented the Panamera to the world public today at the 13th Auto Shanghai. Joining the 911, the Cayenne, and the Boxster/Cayman, this new four-door Gran Turismo is Porsche's fourth model series, with three variants entering the market in Germany on 12 September 2009. The Panamera is making its debut as an eight-cylinder delivering 400 and, respectively, 500 horsepower and with both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive, a six-cylinder gasoline model and a hybrid version following later.

Klaus Berning, Executive Vice-President Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG, expressed a clear view at the world debut of the Panamera: "Introducing the Panamera, we are entering a market segment completely new for our customers and we are once again consistently expanding our model portfolio."



Through its design and looks alone, the Panamera clearly stands out from the competition at very first sight. Like no other car in its class, it offers a truly unique combination of sporting performance and luxurious comfort. Despite its low and sleek silhouette so typical of Porsche, the Panamera, measuring 4.97 metres (195.7") in length but only 1.42 metres (55.9") in height, ensures a generous feeling of space on all four seats.

Wolfgang Dürheimer, Porsche's Executive Vice-President Research and Development, added an equally clear statement: "Our engineers, technicians, and designers have invested all their know-how, years of experience, a wealth of ideas, and their full passion for sports cars in this four-seater Gran Turismo."



The Panamera is introducing no less than five outstanding innovations in technology as world premieres to be admired for the first time in the luxury performance class - among them the first Start-Stop system in conjunction with automatic transmission, air suspension with additional air volume available on demand in each spring, as well as active aerodynamics with an adjustable, multi-dimensional, extendable rear spoiler on the Panamera Turbo.

Porsche's Gran Turismo sets new standards in its market segment in terms of performance, driving dynamics and efficiency, benefiting from Porsche's traditional core competences and years of experience in motorsport, since efficient and powerful engines, lightweight technologies, and optimised aerodynamics are crucial to success also on the race track. All models in the Panamera range come with Porsche Direct Fuel Injection, low-friction drive systems, and weight-optimised lightweight bodies.

Moving on to the suspension, the customer can choose among steel suspension or adaptive air suspension with a fully-controlled damper system. And thanks to its intelligent chassis concept, the Panamera combines the driving comfort of a luxurious grand touring saloon with the driving dynamics of a thoroughbred Porsche sports car. Depending on his individual style of motoring or current traffic conditions, the driver can choose either a particularly comfortable or an especially sporting set-up most conveniently at the touch of a button.

With its centre console extending back from the dashboard all the way to the rear seats, Porsche's new Gran Turismo offers an unprecedented feeling of space and motoring pleasure on all four seats, highlighting the personal ambience and style of each individual passenger. The driver's seat and cockpit offers optimum ergonomics all round, a low seating position providing that direct contact to the road again so typical of Porsche. The passengers, in turn, all enjoy highly comfortable single seats. The luxuriously appointed interior, finally, already offering a supreme standard on the regular series models, may naturally be upgraded on request by a wide range of optional extras and special equipment.


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New 2009 Porsche Turbo S

THE MOST POWERFUL SUV IN THE WORLD  
 
Just launched at Braman Porsche in West Palm Beach
 
When Porsche face-lifted its Cayenne last year, there was a high-profile casualty: The 520-horsepower Turbo S, which was the reigning horsepower champ amongst SUVs.

     Fortunately, it seems that customers have been particularly anxious to get a replacement for the short-lived Turbo S, which was offered for just one year. Well, on the evening of August 14th, the 2009 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S made it's debut at the Braman Porsche Showroom at a 6:30 unveiling (click below for launch party article).
     This time around, 520 hp wouldn't do, given that the face-lifted regular 2008 Cayenne Turbo saw a power boost from 450 hp to 500 hp. It only took a new intake system and a tweaked and remapped engine manage- ment system for the Turbo S to get another 50 hp for a total of 550 out of the new 4.8-liter, direct-injection, twin-turbo V-8. Torque escalates from 516 to an even loftier 553 lb-ft, available between 2250 and 4500 rpm.
     The result is phenomenal performance. Zero to 60 mph takes a claimed 4.7 seconds, down 0.2 second from the regular Turbo. Top speed increases by 3 mph to 174, making the Cayenne Turbo S the fastest SUV available, besting the Mercedes ML63 AMG.
     At 5600 pounds, it*s also one of the heaviest. No wonder average consumption is rated at 16 mpg, which is a figure that requires more self-restraint behind the wheel than the typical Porsche driver is likely to muster.
     We suspect drivers won*t complain much about these drinking habits, given that they already had few qualms paying an extra $21,400 over the cost of the base Cayenne Turbo. We expect the new Turbo S to run about $120,000.
      Your neighbors will know you traded up for the S when they see the 21-inch wheels, extruded fenders, a specific exhaust system similar to the naturally aspirated Cayenne GTS, and front air intake grilles painted in body color.
     There are a few other SUVs on the market with in excess of 400 hp: The 503-hp Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, the 420-hp Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, the non-US Volkswagen Touareg W12 with 444 hp produced by a smooth 12-cylinder gasoline engine, and the upcoming (also not for the U.S.) Audi Q7 V-12 TDI with around 500 hp and an incredible 738 lb-ft of torque. The resurrected Cayenne Turbo S, launched at the Beijing auto show, sounds well-equipped to fight for its position at the top end of the market.

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Boxster tops among Car & Driver Choices

2009 Porsche Boxster S - The Talk of Automotive Sites Across the Web!



It comes as no surprise to Braman Porsche that Car and Driver have ranked the Porsche Boxster S as number one on the 2009 Comparison Test for the overall best roadster that can be purchased in the $50K range.

You may be asking yourself what exactly makes the Porsche Boxster S the best. Well for one thing, it makes the most of its power with the new PDK seven-speed automatic transmission. Its PDK double-clutch transmission, as mentioned by Road and Track, "swaps through its seven ratios faster than humanly possible and in varying degrees of right now, modulated by the Sport and Sport Plus buttons on the center dash and the whims of your throttle foot. In Launch Control mode, the Boxster S lunges to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds and sizzles to a 12.6 quarter mile."

Another feature that makes the Boxster S top the charts is its responsive handling. Best put by Car and Driver, "the chassis reacts so directly to steering inputs that it makes its competitors seem plodding. Give the wheel a twitch, and the Porsche will move a 10th of an inch closer to the apex."

Car and Driver also states that "the engine is equally responsive, revving freely up to the 7400-rpm redline. With the help of launch control and shorter gearing in the first few ratios (compared with the previous six-speed manual), the Boxster S clobbers 60 mph in 4.3 seconds."

Auto Week accredits the stability offered by the Boxster S to a "superb Porsche MacPherson strut suspension front and rear as well as Porsche Stability Management 8.0 that electronically controls every hint of wheelspin."

Left Lane News breaks down Porsche Stability Management, "which now offers two new functions: Brake Pre-Loading and the Brake Assistant. Whenever the driver lets go of the gas pedal very quickly -- which is typical of an upcoming emergency braking maneuver -- the PSM hydraulic control unit builds up an appropriate level of pressure on the wheel brakes before the driver even presses down the brake pedal, moving the brake pads slightly towards the discs for immediate action. This significantly improves brake response and shortens stopping distances accordingly."

One feature definitely worth mentioning, pointed out by Road and Track, are "the twin trunks which offer a surprising amount of storage space for that weekend blast to wherever."

To see a detailed listing of 2009 Braman Porsche Boxster S currently in stock - Click Here
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Braman Porsche - A Premier Dealer

Porsche names Braman as Premier Dealer

Press Release - Porsche Cars

Program Definition

The Porsche Premier Dealer Program identifies the top 25 Porsche Dealers in North America. It recognizes and rewards those Porsche Dealerships that best embrace the 'Porsche Business Model' - achieving the highest performance among their peers in Brand utilization, product representation and the development of key 'Porsche business drivers'; and in doing so, succeed as independent entrepreneurs who routinely exceed the expectations of their Porsche customers.

Philosophy

Porsche is a prestigious, authentic brand with a unique heritage and a fervent core of enthusiasts. Porsche owners are passionate about their automobiles in a way no other automotive marque can match. Those who purchase a Porsche are buying more than a car - they're buying a legend.

Porsche enthusiasts are driven, successful people who demand the very best. Owning a Porsche is a reflection of their values. Driving a Porsche connects with the very essence of their psyche. This deep-rooted link between car and driver must also be forged between the com- pany and the customer in order to create an ownership experience that is every bit as satisfying as the Porsche driving experience itself.

A commitment to excellence - and performance above industry standards - is expected at Porsche as a baseline for conducting business. The Porsche Premier Dealer program is dedicated to rewarding authorized Porsche dealers who routinely go above and beyond these demands in their devotion to both the Porsche brand and their valued customers. A Premier Dealer is a champion of the brand who 'lives and breathes' Porsche. Premier Dealers set themselves apart by exhibiting an entrepreneurial spirit in their approach to customer service that epitomizes the independent mindset of Ferdinand Porsche himself. Recognition as a Porsche Premier Dealer bestows the pride and prestige of being named one of the most highly regarded Porsche dealerships in North America. The Porsche Premier Dealer marque distinguishes a dealership as one whose personnel excel at putting Porsche ideals into practice.

Since earning Porsche Premier Dealer status requires a total team effort within a dealership, please join us in congratulating the entire Porsche team at Braman Motorcars - a Porsche Premier Dealer.

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Porsche ranked as top luxury brand

OWNERS RANK PORSCHE® AS THE TOP AUTOMOTIVE LUXURY BRAND

 Porsche 911, Cayman and Boxster Tie for Most Ideal Sports Car in America

 

Atlanta, June 30, 2008 – When renowned California-based automotive marketing and product-consulting firm AutoPacific surveyed over 33,500 new car owners, the full line of 2008 Porsche sports cars topped the field in the Premium Sports Car segment, and Porsche ranked as the Ideal Premium Brand for 2008 ahead of brands like Jaguar, Buick, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Land Rover among others.

 “Sweeping the field in the Premium Sports Car segment, owners provided validation that Porsche really knows their target buyer and understands how to build an ideal vehicle. This year they cleaned house in the Premium Sports Car segment. Not only did all of the Premium Sports Cars they produce score in the top three. It was a three-way-tie for first place, with the 911, Cayman and Boxster all sharing in the glory,” according to AutoPacific. Porsche’s fourth product line, the Cayenne, finished an impressive second in the Premium Luxury X-SUV segment.

AutoPacific releases its highly regarded Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA) results annually to measure owner desire for change across 15 specific areas related to a vehicle’s ride, handling, roominess, technology, comfort, and more. Vehicles with the least amount of desired changes are considered “ideal” vehicles, having met their buyer demands.

 Last year, both the Porsche Boxster and Cayman received coveted IVA accolades as well. In the auto industry these awards are considered the benchmark for clearly measuring how satisfied new-car owners are with their vehicles.

AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing and product-consulting firm. Every year it publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Its company headquarters and state-of-the-art automotive research facility are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area.

 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, GA, and, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. in Mississauga, Ontario, are the two separate importers of Porsche sports cars and Cayenne sport utility vehicles for the United States and Canada respectively. They are each wholly owned, indirect subsidiaries of Dr. Ing.h.c. F. Porsche AG.  These two separate subsidiaries combined, employ approximately 250 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 200 U.S. and 12 Canadian dealers. They, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service.

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Rhemrev's first track test of '09 911-G2

Generation Two 911 Carrera proves it's metal


 2009 Porsche 911 at Palm Bch Internat'l Raceway                    Click here for
 being put through it's first performance test.                       Freddy Rhemrev Bio


During the Braman Competition Series track event this past Sunday in October, our in-house racing instructor Freddy Rhemrev got the chance to feel the power of the new 2009 Generation II Porsche 911 Carrera first hand on the race track.


It was Freddy's first chance behind the wheel of the new Porsche as the car was just unveiled at the Braman showroom a couple of days before (click here for article).

So, not to delay getting Freddy's knuckles nice and white, we put him against the best of Braman's amateur competition series customer drivers at the October track event and Grand Prix (click here for article). The results were interesting.

Freddy had not driven the Porsche before he got in for the first time, but pulled a surprising lap time of 1:06.288 and dwindled the time down for the best overall lap of the day to 1:05.517.

"It had amazing throttle response from any throttle position" stated Freddy. "Quick shifts that feel like each shift accelerates or lunges the car forward on full throttle acceleration was what was the predominant feeling" continued Freddy
 
"When I just drove the car in Drive mode with the new Porsche double clutch system (PDK) and with PSM on and it gave me the best time" Freddy said. This concurs with Porsche AG's report of the speed of the 7-speed PDK, actually faster from 0-60mph than you can shift the manual 6-speed version. 

Not fully trusting Porsche's engineers for first hand knowledge, Freddy took it upon himself to experiment. "I did try it once with PSM off, but I had trouble controling myself from pushing or finding the limits of the Porsche.  It got a little sideways on me coming into the last corner but it gathered up easy. I'm sure it lost me 2 to 3 seconds off my time, but maybe next time" concluded Freddy.

Well, I was there and I can tell you that the Porsche was impressive and that little thing about putting the car sideways was a brilliant maneuver on Freddy's part that caused the audience to gasp and clap at Freddy's driving skills.

To ask Freddy questions about the car, email him at Freddy.Rhemrev@bramanmc.com.

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The All New 911 Generation Two

More Power - More Luxury - More Porsche

2009 Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S - First Drive Review


BY CSABA CSERE

Car & Driver Magazine

September 2008


Despite Porsche’s grandiose maneu­vering to take over Volkswagen, ­Europe’s largest car company, the tiny Stuttgart automaker isn’t neglecting its core sports-car business. A perfect example is the 2009 version of the seminal 911 Carrera, known by anyone who matters as the 997.

The most important changes are in the engines: Both the standard 3.6-liter six and the 3.8-liter S version move from port to direct fuel injection. By injecting the fuel directly into the cylinder at a pressure of up to 1740 psi, the intake charge is cooled very effectively when the fuel atomizes. This allows the compression ratio to be increased to 12.5:1 and for a little more air to be sucked into the engine with each intake stroke. More air means more power, and higher compression aids both power and efficiency.

In addition, the construction of the water-cooled flat-six has changed to eliminate four major parts and improve cooling and stiffness. There’s also an improved lubrication system [see Tech Highlight] that lowers the engine 0.4 inch, along with a more compact intake manifold, lighter tappets, and bigger bore and shorter stroke dimensions.

As a result, horsepower in the 3614cc base engine jumps 20, to 345, and torque grows from 273 to 287 pound-feet. The 3800cc S engine goes from 355 to 385 ponies and from 295 to 310 pound-feet. The bigger increases in the S engine come from larger valves, greater valve lift, and a two-stage intake manifold.

Both engines come with the current six-speed manual, but for an extra $4080, a new PDK transmission can be ordered, replacing the previous Tiptronic option. This is a double-clutch gearbox with seven speeds, and it can operate automatically, in a variety of modes, or manually via the shift lever or switches on the steering wheel.

Top gear in the PDK gearbox is much taller than in either the six-speed manual or the old five-speed Tiptronic for lower rpm on the highway. European tests show the PDK to be about 12 percent more fuel efficient than last year’s Tiptronic and even thriftier than the manual.

Porsche says the PDK-equipped car accelerates to 60 mph a full second faster than the Tiptronic when coupled to the optional Sport Chrono package, which comes with launch control.

Other key additions to the ’09 models include a larger touch-screen LCD panel, standard bixenon headlights (with optional cornering function), LED taillights and daytime running lights, bigger front brake rotors and stiffer calipers on the base model, and an optional new PASM sport suspension that lowers the car 0.8 inch.

On back roads near Porsche headquarters in Germany, the new cars proved fantastic. Driven moderately, they’re comfortable and refined. Driven hard, they’re stirring and exhilarating, and make the driver feel as though he has Lewis Hamilton’s reflexes and car control.

Except for exhibiting a tiny hesitation when moving away from a stop, the PDK gearbox is as smooth as a torque-converter automatic, yet it has the tight connection between engine and rear wheels that makes a manual transmission so satisfying. Unfortunately, the PDK doesn’t ever relinquish full control to the driver. Even in the manual mode, the transmission will kick down and upshift at the redline if you mash the accelerator to the floor and hit the kickdown switch.

The shift controls on the steering wheel are also a bit odd, not being quite as conven­ient for upshifts as we’d like. But if the driver selects the “sport plus” mode, the PDK will slam the shifts hard and unfailingly select the correct gear for the circumstances.

Base prices for the new models, which arrive this month, range from $75,600 for a standard Carrera coupe to $96,800 for a Carrera S Cabriolet. Four-wheel-drive versions will follow shortly after. As always with Porsche, the prices are high, but if you can afford the cars, you won’t be disappointed.


See the new 2009 Porsche 911 at one of our launch events


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A Passion for Cars, MINI's and Braman
Brian Mathews takes delivery of number 65

West Palm Beach -October 31, 2009. Brian Mathews has been a loyal Braman client in Palm Beach for a long time now. This past Saturday marked Brian's 65th car with their salesman of choice - Darren Lazar. 

"From the very first car purchase at Braman to this one being the 65th, it has always been like a family oriented experience," states Mathews. "Darren always goes above and beyond for us" Mathews continued.


Braman's Darren Lazar (left) and Steve Grossman (right) congratulate Brian Mathews (center) with a new MINI watch.

Among the collection of purchases is a wide variety like the BMW X5, Porsche Boxster S, BMW Z4, Audi TT, and many many more.  The legendary 65th purchase was made even more special as it is the 50th edition Mini Cooper S Mayfair Edition in the delectable color of Hot Chocolate. 

Some of you might wonder where the naming convention came from. Well, the 50th Mayfair and it's brother the 50th Camden were named after famous boroughs of London. As MINI states, "Both in their design and their features the MINI 50th Mayfair and the MINI 50th Camden stand out clearly from the current, "regular" production models. Numerous features help to make these two cars truly unmistakable are indeed reserved to these individual anniversary models, making each version truly unique in its own right.


The Camden (left) Clubman and the Mayfair (right) Cooper S celebrate MINI's 50th Jubilee celebration. Both limited and very special edition cars.

From the special body paintwork through the jubilee placard in the front grille and all in between underlines the exclusivity of these special models which are available only for a limited time period.

"This car is so very unique and the lounge leather option is very comfortable, probably one of the most comfortable seating of any car I've owned." Mathews said. With MINI, I like the idea that you get
big performance, exciting thrills, super handling and comfort all in a compact design. And, it's so much fun" Mathews concluded.

"Even with Darren going above and beyond, the entire management staff led by Steve (Director of Sales Steve Grossman) gives the fuel to the Braman engine that makes my experience so satisfying time and time again." concluded Brian Mathews.  Congratulations Brian!



Braman Heats Up Palm Beach International Raceway at Power Fest

During Friday through Sunday's October 16th weekend, Braman Motorcars was at the Palm Beach International Raceway for Power Fest along with many of the fastest cars in Southern Florida, including two Jet Race Cars. 

Braman brought an array of super luxury and performance cars including the Audi A5, John Cooper Works Mini, Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia, BMW M5, and the over the top M6. 



Spectators of all ages gathered around the different types of cars that were displayed at the Braman exhibit. With an enormous amount of spectators, the crowd gravitated to the BMW M6 which undeniably stole the show. Onlookers marveled at it's muscular bad-boy body and the paddle shifting capabilities and its V10 engine. 

The overwhelming support for Braman's vehicles continued throughout the weekend with spectators stopping in the tent for refreshments and a glimpse of the Panamera video display. 


Blackberry's and iPhones ...
Here we come!
Braman sites now compatible with small devices
 
      Technology is moving fast and Braman websites are keeping up.
     Now, when you need to access Braman sites of Audi, BMW, Porsche, Luxury Preowned or the main Motorcars site, it will be formatted for your iPhone or Blackberry.
     Now, you can easily access all of our inventory, complete with 32 pictures of each car, brochure and specs.
     You can also contact service, parts and get directions.
     So, go ahead and try it. Go to www.bramanmotorcars.com for easy browsing in the new mobile site format.
  


 Have a business? Put it on our popular websites
Braman helps businesses with marketing power of four websites

It's called the Braman Business Network.

To explain it simply, Braman will supply the power of all it's corporate websites and help market small business clients of all franchises; Audi, Bentley, BMW, MINI, Porsche and Rolls Royce. This will be accomplished by placing an icon on all of our websites which will lead to the Business Network Page. There, your business will be placed in a category, such as Attorney, Physician, Bakery, etc. 

When a visitor clicks the category, a listing of your business will come up and will be linked to your website. You don't have a website you say? Well, then we will provide a web presence with your vital contact information for you on our servers. You can even have a picture and description
of your business on the page.

There will even be opportunities for a business to provide a special incentive or offers to Braman customers to visit and procure services from their business.


The cost? ZERO. Any client with a currently licensed automobile purchased from Braman that continues to service at any Braman Motorcars facility is eligible for this complimentary service.

This service is beginning during the month of August, so stay tuned as we gear up our marketing engine to assist you!



 

Braman's Rhemrev piloted PBIR Radical and Formula BMW

On top of all of the excitement that took place at Braman's Summer Birthday Bash on Sunday June 14th, three exotic race cars were not only on display, but strutted their power on the track.

PBIR's Formula BMW Race Car, PBIR's Radical Sports Racer and Orbit's Daytona BMW-Dinan Prototype were on hand for the crowd to view.

Orbit Racings BMW-Dinan Prototype exhibited it's power with track laps during the day - joining PBIR's Formula BMW and Radical Race Car hurling down the track at break-neck speeds.

Lucky winners of a drawing were taken on a Radical ride of their life on PBIR's road course.

Dinan representatives were on hand to answer performance questions about personal automobiles and what can be done to boost horsepower and performance for daily drivers.

The top category in Grand-Am Road Racing and the undisputed stars of the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve, Daytona Prototypes are exotic, mid-engine machines that are purpose-built strictly for competition on the track. Low to the ground and capable of speeds in excess of 190 mph, Daytona Prototypes also feature the latest in safety technology, including carbon fiber side impact panels and a multi-point roll cage with a unique center post at mid-windshield.

Daytona Prototypes are produced to similar specifications by eight approved constructors--Riley Technologies, Doran Designs, Crawford Race Cars, FABCAR Engineering, Chase Competition Engineering, Picchio, Multimatic and Sabre. Although each chassis is independently designed and manufactured, competitor modifications are highly limited by Grand-Am rules and certain parts--including series-standard rear wings--are mandated by the series. A Daytona Prototype chassis costs between $400,000 and $550,000, but the cars have been raced in their current configuration for several years within Grand-Am's stable rules package.


Manufacturers are welcome to submit any production-based engine for approval in the series, but turbos and superchargers are not permitted. Engines that are currently approved for competition include powerplants from Pontiac (5-liter V-8), Lexus (5-liter V-8), BMW (5-liter V-8), Porsche (3.6-liter flat-six), Ford (5-liter V-8) and Infiniti (4.3-liter V-8).

All engines are tuned to produce around 500 horsepower and each is capable of being mated to any of the approved Daytona Prototype chassis, which creates an interesting variety of chassis/engine combinations. Five- or six-speed sequential gearboxes from EMCO and Xtrac are the series standard in Daytona Prototypes.

Smaller-engined Daytona Prototypes under 4.5 liters are allowed the advantage of the six-speed gearboxes, while all race cars with larger engines must run the five-speeds. All Daytona Prototypes are required to have a minimum weight of 2,250 pounds.



COSMO OUT FRONT AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK  (Millville, NJ) 11 May 2009- With a full time business managing and overseeing track-day events and a growing roster of racers that he works with as driver coach, Guy Cosmo is one busy guy away from the track.



And looking at his schedule in last weekend's Verizon Wireless 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Cosmo is also a busy guy at the track as well as he was in action in both the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race on Sunday as well as playing a 'SuperSub' role in the KONI Sports Car Challenge event on Saturday.
 
The main focus for Cosmo entering the weekend was his race outing with Spirit of Daytona Racing, as he returned to the cockpit of the familiar No. 09 Coyote-Porsche V8 with co-driver Scott Russell after just one week between the race at VIR and the New Jersey Motorsports Park event.
 
Continued progress on the machine saw Cosmo wrangling everything he could out of the machine to score 6th on the grid with a fast lap time of 1:15.615-seconds. As the race dawned, the word was "rain," and with a car that's shown well in low-grip conditions like Mid-Ohio's rain race last season, hopes were high.
 
Those hopes proved to be well-placed as Cosmo stormed to the front of the pack early in the race. After showing the AMA-liveried machine to be up to the task in the early stages, the race didn't develop as hoped as a series of rain-induced setbacks caused extra pit stops, and that hampered the overall race pace. But Cosmo and Russell soldiered on to bring the car home 11th in class.
 
"It was great to get by the Ganassi car and get out front," said Cosmo. "Obviously you always want to be leading, but today, it was great to get out in the lead just so I had a chance to see in front of me! Unfortunately though that wasn't the case for a lot of the race and we had some things work against us so we couldn't  bring it home where we wanted to. But I'm looking forward to getting the chance to run again at Watkins Glen because I think this Coyote-Porsche V8 package will be really strong there."
 
Shortly after he was finished posting a strong Rolex qualifying effort on Saturday, another opportunity popped up as Cosmo was called to co-drive with young up and coming racer Andrew Carbonell for Freedom Autosport in the KONI Challenge race. Jumping in at the last minute to race a car that had the motor in front of him for the first time in ages, Cosmo was once again promptly up to speed despite the change of scenery and machinery.
 
But after Carbonell had an outstanding opening stint up front, Cosmo had loads of work to do as he strapped in for the second half of the race after a long pit stop sent him back in the pack. But Cosmo made the most of what he had, and fought his way back up the order to finish 4th at the checkered flag.
 
"It was too bad because that car was no doubt capable of winning this race today, said Cosmo. "It's a fun challenge to jump into a strange car at the last minute and just race, and it went really well once we got the car out of the pits and on to the track. I was hoping to get back onto a KONI Challenge podium again, but it was still good to get Andrew a solid points finish and I want to thank Freedom Autosport for giving me this call."
 
That schedule will get busy again next weekend, as Cosmo returns to ALMS action in the Larry Miller Dealerships event at Miller Motorsports Park. Cosmo will drive in the Challenge Class in the event with co-driver J. Baker making his ALMS debut in Porsche GT3 machinery. Cosmo will be in action both as a racer and as a coach, which should keep him busy, just like he likes to be.  


Braman Client Patrick Tsang wins FREE 3-day Skip Barber Race Course

Patrick Tsang experienced the "serious fun" of the most prestigious racing school in the world; Skip Barber, at a weekend sponsored by Braman Motorcars. Patrick won the 3-day, $3,700 event ticket from a Braman e-blast raffle. Yes, it pays to be on our mailing list!

Each day began with a short classroom "chalk talk," then it was on the race track at the famous Sebring race track. 



"The sessions were very well organized and perfect for a novice or racers working towards a professional career. " stated Patrick. "Lessons learned in class and on the track included braking, apex, down shifting, race starts and car dynamics were invaluable." he continued.

Braman Events representatives have been in talks with the prestigious race school for some time in conjunction with partnerships at the all new Palm Beach International Raceway  in Jupiter to provide it's clients the best track experiences available anywhere on the planet from an automotive dealership.



"We started out with an average of 3,500 rpm on the formula cars on day one and ended with 5,000 rpm average and unlimited rpm on straight away hitting 100 mph on Day 3." Patrick reported. 
 
"We must have covered heart pumping 80 miles on the track in three days.  It was a thrilling experience.  Braman really sets itself apart by hosting and sponsoring customers on great autocross and driving school events.  I can?t wait for the next Braman autocross event." concluded Patrick.

Join Braman Motorcars for the next Competition Series Event on December 14th.

 



The new Palm Beach International Raceway
     New ownership and total renovation of Moroso Motorsports Park

Jupiter, Florida: Following a total renovation, a new Palm Beach International Raceway has emerged. This striking transformation is now well under way, and the completion of an all-new road course, currently awaiting FIA approval, has transformed the look and feel of the facility.

The new owners are also proud to announce their Wayne McMurtry-designed all-concrete drag strip with excellent run-off and safety facilities. As the track meets the latest safety standards in all forms of drag racing, it can accommodate one-eighth mile, Junior Dragster, quarter-mile Sportsman and Pro classes if and when the sanctioning bodies and teams wish to return to this new facility.

Testing dates for drag strip and road course will be announced next week.

Keep your eye on Palm Beach International Raceway?it?s on the move.


For further information contact:

Palm Beach International Raceway
17133 Beeline Highway,
Jupiter, FL 33478

 

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