Jalopnik: bmw motorsports

Here's What Being Electrocuted By A Formula One Race Car KER System Looks Like

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:20:00 EDT

Remember when that mechanic for BMW Sauber's F1 team got electrocuted after he touched their KERS-equipped (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) Formula One car? Now we've got video. True, it wasn't enough to kill the poor guy, but still a pretty rough day if you're that mechanic, right? No, there weren't any giant lightning bolts emanating from the car as we had hoped, but "shocking" nonetheless. [Gridcrasher]

F1 Hybrid System Zaps BMW Mechanic

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EDT

BMW Sauber Racing was out testing their kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), a hybrid setup mandated for the 2009 Formula One season, when a mechanic pushing the car got zapped. Thankfully, the guy wasn't seriously injured, but it seems all of the new-fangled gizmo-gadgetry associated with KERS has been acting up a bit lately.

About a week ago, Red Bull Racing was forced to evacuate their garage as the battery pack associated with their KERS system went wrong, threatening fire and explosion. Of course, this kind of news makes us think the next F1 season may actually be interesting to watch. Sure, the sport is great fun when guys other than Schumi are winning, but nothing draws eyeballs like fireballs. [AutoSport]

BMW Publishes Nürburgring Driving Guide

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:20:00 EDT

Maybe Tochio Suzuki doesn't need a guide to the Nürburgring to pilot a Nissan GT-R to a 7:29 lap around the Nordschleife, but we do. How convenient for us BMW decided to publish a handy-dandy corner-to-corner guide to the legendary track. Available as an inconvenient PDF file, the guide provides apexing tips, dangerous corners to watch for, gear selection recommendations and where to brake for greatest effect. Next time we find ourselves in Germany with something delightful and powerful at hand, now we'll be well equipped to turn in lightning fast times. [Bimmerfile]