http://www.bilstein.de/ Bilstein latest news en http://www.bilstein.de/fileadmin/bilstein/bilstein.ico http://www.bilstein.de/ Bilstein latest news TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Thu, 23 May 2013 17:39:00 +0200 http://www.bilstein.de/en/news-events/news-detail/archive/2013/may/returnpage/34/article/bilstein-und-black-falcon-feiern-gemeinsam-gesamtsieg-1/ 24-hour Nürburgring race 2013: Five vehicles with BILSTEIN suspension in the top ten The winner of the 41st ADAC Zurich 24-hour race at the Nürburgring was Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3. The triumph of the Black Falcon team with drivers Bernd Schneider (D), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Sean Edwards (GB) and Nicki Thiim (DK) was Mercedes-Benz' first ever victory in the long history of this endurance race classic. Suspension specialists BILSTEIN must be thrilled that the title has been defended, because like the Audi R8 LMS ultra 2012, the victorious "gullwing" won the race with the BILSTEIN modular damper system (MDS) under extremely tough weather conditions. With a starting number of 007 and a licence to speed, the Aston Martin Vantage GT3, likewise equipped with MDS, achieved a very respectable tenth place at its premiere in the 24-hour race. Another three Audi R8 LMS ultras from the Phoenix team crossing the finishing line in the top ten rounded off the successful results for the BILSTEIN team.

It was the shortest 24-hour race in Nürburgring history – from late on Sunday evening, the race had to be interrupted for more than nine hours due to the torrential rain and banks of fogs. Despite this, the race was still full of tense jostling for positioning, as well as small and larger dramas that were played out both on the track and in the pits. For Black Falcon, the overall victory of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 on home ground was a dream come true. Located in the immediate vicinity of the Nürburgring, the team who are also close collaboration and development partners of BILSTEIN are considered experts of the North Loop.

Watched by James Bond actor, Daniel Craig, the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 played a major role chiefly in the first section of the race resulting in a thrilling battle with Audi and Porsche. In second place after qualifying, the ex-Formula One driver Pedro Lamy (PT) in the blue and yellow BILSTEIN GT3 racer, climbed to first place before the unscheduled stops for bad weather. The heavy rain and an off-track moment for the Portuguese driver on Monday morning, however, prevented what had been a distinct possibility of a podium place. The Aston Martin Motorsport team, who this year have entered into technical partnership with BILSTEIN, were, however, more than satisfied with tenth place overall and a gala performance to celebrate the centenary of the British company.

Also kitted out with BILSTEIN motorsport suspension, the Audi R8 LMS ultra belonging to last year's winner G-Drive Racing by Phoenix crossed the finishing line in fifth place. The other Audi R8 LMS ultras from the Phoenix team were eighth and ninth overall, also equipped for all eventualities with BILSTEIN motorsport suspension. With damping adjustment independent of the rebound and compression phases and the resulting broad spectrum of individual adjustment possibilities, MDS by BILSTEIN meets all the requirements for successful motorsport. With ten noticeable clicks from one (soft) to ten (hard), the damping system is optimally suited to the challenges of a 24-hour race.

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Photos: Copyright BILSTEIN 2013. Reproduction is free of charge provided the source is stated BILSTEIN. Copy requested. ]]> Motorsports News EN Thu, 23 May 2013 17:39:00 +0200 http://www.bilstein.de/en/news-events/news-detail/archive/2013/may/returnpage/34/article/martin-flick-new-head-of-motorsport-at-bilstein/ Suspension specialist strengthens motor sports activities Martin Flick is the new head of the Motorsport department at BILSTEIN. As head of technology at BILSTEIN Motorsport, the 36-year-old graduate engineer has contributed decisively to the success of the suspension specialist on national and international racing circuits.

In particular, Flick helped to develop the Modular Damper System (MDS). Equipped with the BILSTEIN motor sport suspension system, the Audi R8 LMS ultra of the Phoenix racing team secured overall victory at the 40th ADAC Zurich 24-hour Nürburgring race in 2012. MDS also celebrated successes at the 24-hour race at Spa, Belgium, and in Dubai and Daytona in this year. In each case, Martin Flick was responsible for BILSTEIN participation at the racing circuits. In 2013, BILSTEIN is focusing on technical co-operation with the British sports car maker Aston Martin. The Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, branded in the BILSTEIN colours of blue and yellow, is one of the favourites to win the 41st ADAC Zurich 24-hour Nürburgring race (19th and 20th May 2013).

Before studying Engineering in Cologne and joining BILSTEIN, the 36-year-old gained practical experience while training to be a mechanic. The new head of Motorsport wrote his diploma thesis at Ford. Flick will report directly to Thorsten Schwippert Aftermarket director at BILSTEIN. Like his predecessor, Flick is aware that BILSTEIN's commitment to motor sport is an important building block for the further technological development of the BILSTEIN products.

The sales management at BILSTEIN motor sports continues to be „in good hands“ with Jörg Hoffmann.

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Photos: Copyright BILSTEIN, 2013. We kindly ask for a copy. ]]> Motorsports News EN Fri, 17 May 2013 10:08:00 +0200 http://www.bilstein.de/en/news-events/news-detail/archive/2013/may/returnpage/34/article/greater-damping-force-keeps-a-tight-rein-on-the-pony-car/ New for Ford Mustang: BILSTEIN B6 and BILSTEIN B12 Pro-Kit Any car enthusiast knows the traits of a typical muscle car: when Ford launched the Mustang in 1964 it served as the archetype for this type of vehicle. It proved a total success, and the progenitor of the pony car is still popular today. The design of the new Mustang is a clear throwback to the 1960s original. The current model, which was given a facelift in 2010, is a genuine power house. The facts; up to 420 HP delivered by a five litre engine shared among eight cylinders speak for themselves. So, there is plenty of power available which suspension specialist BILSTEIN has reined in with their usual prowess. The shock absorber experts offer the high-performance BILSTEIN B6 as a top-quality upgrade for the Ford Mustang. The respected manufacturer also provides the BILSTEIN B12 Pro-Kit to meet even the most the exacting demands in terms of driving dynamics, safety and comfort for the agile sports car.

In the cult movie "Bullitt", starring Steve McQueen, the 1968 fastback is involved in one of the longest car chases in film history during which the vehicle often skids out of control. Today, however, the optimised damping force of the BILSTEIN B6 high-performance shock absorbers keep the latest Ford Mustang safely on the road, even in extreme situations. The BILSTEIN B6 underlines the agility of the pony car, improving vehicle handling and giving the driver a feeling of safety at all times. With innovative mono-tube gas pressure design and upside-down technology the shock absorbers offer Mustang drivers greater traction and precision handling while always holding plenty of power in reserve – and there is no need for extra spring changes. In extensive driving tests BILSTEIN engineers adapted the high-performance shock absorbers to the precise characteristics of this dynamic American car.

The same applies for the BILSTEIN B12 Pro-Kit, distinguished by its sports performance combined with safe and comfortable driving characteristics. The proven racing technology incorporated in the sports kit noticeably improves the performance of the Mustang's suspension. The combination of specially tuned BILSTEIN B8 high-performance shock absorbers and high quality Eibach springs results in maximum driving enjoyment and brings out the sporty pedigree of the cult Mustang. The mono-tube gas pressure technology of the BILSTEIN B12 Pro-Kit -specially tuned for the pony car -ensures optimum handling and outstanding driving dynamics. An added eye-catching feature is the lowering of the vehicle by up to 30 millimetres.

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Photos: Copyright BILSTEIN, 2013. We kindly ask for a copy. ]]> Product News EN Wed, 15 May 2013 09:28:00 +0200 http://www.bilstein.de/en/news-events/news-detail/archive/2013/may/returnpage/34/article/preparations-for-24-hours-race-hotting-up/ BILSTEIN-MDS suspension tuned perfectly for Aston Martin GT3 Preparations are well under way by BILSTEIN and Aston Martin for their first collaboration in the 41st ADAC Zurich 24-Hours race (19 to 20 May 2013) at the iconic Nürburgring circuit. In order to prepare the Modular Damping System (MDS) fitted to the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 – sporting the blue and yellow brand colours of BILSTEIN – as effectively as possible for the endurance race in the Eifel, the BILSTEIN and Toyota Motorsport engineers had to simulate the track conditions of the Nordschleife for the BILSTEIN motor sports suspension kit. The all-day sequence was tested on TMG's Formula 1 standard 4-Poster test facility in Cologne.

Following the forced cancellation of the test and calibration drives and also the qualification rounds for the VLN endurance championship at the Nürburgring race track due to severe winter weather, the tuning process was begun in the "grey hell" of the TMG test facility without any practical reference values. The original intention was to seek out a promising setting for the MDS and British sports car combination on the race track, under competition conditions. But, leaving nothing to chance, the managers of both companies agreed to arrange an additional test and tuning session in Cologne.

Initially the focus was on collecting high quality data. To achieve this, the Aston Martin underwent a concentrated simulation of the key points of the Nordschleife on the 4-Poster test facility several times over. An entire simulated lap of the Nordschleife then served as a reference. In the next step the engineers used the information they had obtained to determine which spring rate yielded the best performance in combination with the BILSTEIN motor sports suspension. This was followed by precise adjustment of the damping force. For this the technicians tried every possible variant of rebound and compression stages setting, both on the front and rear axles and also in the front-to-rear axle ratio until the optimum setting for the Aston Martin was found.

With its independent damping force adjustment in both rebound and compression stages and the resulting wide range of possible individual settings, the BILSTEIN MDS provides an ideal basis for successful racing. With its ten clearly discernible clicks from one (gentle) to ten (hard), the damping system can be precisely adjusted to meet the exacting demands of the 24-Hour race in the Eifel. Thanks to the continually consistent damping characteristics, the adjustment options of the mono-tube shock absorbers permit exact adaptation to the specific suspension properties of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3.

The technicians of both companies made their final assessment on whether the tuning in the test facility did actually reflect the requirements of the track itself in a single test of the Aston Martin on the Nordschleife during the 55th ADAC ACAS H&R Cup, the second qualifying race of the VLN endurance championship.

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Photos: Copyright BILSTEIN, 2013. We kindly ask for a copy.]]> Company News EN Mon, 06 May 2013 09:55:00 +0200 http://www.bilstein.de/en/news-events/news-detail/archive/2013/april/returnpage/34/article/two-victories-for-bilsteins-modular-damping-system/ ADAC GT Masters: Wins for Prosperia C. Abt Racing and Callaway Competition  
With independent damping force adjustment in rebound and compression stages and the wide spectrum of individual adjustment options this produces, the Modular Damping System (MDS) from BILSTEIN provides all of the prerequisites for successful motorsport. Thanks to ten clearly discernible clicks from one (soft) to ten (tight), the high-performance damper system can be adjusted in the ideal manner to the extreme demands of each race track and the tough conditions in Oschersleben. In addition to this, the adjustment options enable precise alignment to the specific suspension properties of the Audi R8 and Corvette Z06.R GT3.
 
BILSTEIN congratulates all of the successful teams and wishes them continued success for the rest of the season!
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Photos: Copyright racevision.de / Burkhard Kasan ]]> Motorsports News EN Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:06:00 +0200 http://www.bilstein.de/en/news-events/news-detail/archive/2013/april/returnpage/34/article/bilstein-mds-dreimal-unter-den-top-5-1/ First VLN triumph for BILSTEIN in the 2013 season – successful test for Aston Martin  
The Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3 entered jointly by BILSTEIN and Aston Martin had an excellent dress rehearsal for its anxiously awaited appearance at the 41st ADAC Zurich 24-hour race (18-20 May 2013). With driver duo Stefan Mücke (GER) and Darren Turner (GB), the racing car branded in the blue and yellow of BILSTEIN crossed the finish line in fifth place after four turbulent hours despite the stiff competition posed by a total of 27 GT3 cars. The second Timbuli Porsche 911 GT3 R with Marc Hennerici (GER), Christopher Brück 8GER) and Jaap van Lagen (NL) in sixth position, the G-Drive Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra that came in ninth and the Black Falcon Mercedes-Benz SLS driven by five-time DTM champion Bernd Schneider (GER) in tenth rounded off the success for BILSTEIN.
  BILSTEIN congratulates all teams and wishes them continued success! www.bilstein.de
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Photos: Copyright vln.de / Michael Pathe ]]> Motorsports News EN Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:29:00 +0200 http://www.bilstein.de/en/news-events/news-detail/archive/2013/april/returnpage/34/article/land-und-bilstein-mds-gewinnen-auf-dem-nuerburgring-1/ DMV Touring Car Challenge: first overall success for Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3
With independent damping force adjustment in rebound and compression stages and the wide spectrum of individual adjustment options this produces, the MDS from BILSTEIN provides all of the prerequisites for successful motorsport. Thanks to ten clearly discernible clicks from one (soft) to ten (tight), the damper system can be adjusted perfectly to suit the extreme demands of each race track. In addition to this, thanks to exemplary levels of reproducibility, the adjustment options enable precise alignment to the specific suspension properties of the Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3.

BILSTEIN congratulates the team Land Motorsport for their outstanding performance at the Nürburgring.

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Photos: Copyright BILSTEIN, 2013. We kindly ask for a copy. ]]> Motorsports News EN Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:35:00 +0200 http://www.bilstein.de/en/news-events/news-detail/archive/2013/april/returnpage/34/article/vierter-titel-fuer-den-fahrwerkspezialisten-1/ Motor Klassik Award 2013: BILSTEIN again voted “Best Brand” After 2007, 2009 and 2012, readers of the renowned magazine Motor Klassik have voted BILSTEIN the “Best Brand” in the Suspensions category for the fourth time now. Around 70 percent of the more than 22,200 classic fans who participated this time underscored once again with their vote the outstanding reputation that the suspension specialist enjoys in the field of classic suspension systems.

Thomas Wörmann, Marketing Director of the AfterMarket Division at BILSTEIN, accepted the award at the moated Castle Dyck near Jüchen. In his acceptance speech in front of roughly 100 invited guests, Wörmann emphasised the high status of the award. The well-informed readership as well as the reputation of Motor Klassik are incentive enough for BILSTEIN to further optimise its products in the Classic segment and comply even more closely with customers’ needs and wishes in cooperation with the special order customer service (KSW).

Thanks to the years of experience of the experts who work there, the special order customer service is able to technically overhaul virtually any shock absorber or rebuild it as a one-off model. Where necessary, an extensive archive provides all of the necessary construction documentation. This applies to shock absorbers which BILSTEIN used to have in its own production programme as well as the overhaul and rebuilding of products from other companies. The new “BILSTEIN Classic Programme” catalogue, which is republished every year, already contains many applications which extend way back into automotive history.

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Photos: Copyright BILSTEIN, 2013. We kindly ask for a copy. ]]> Company News EN Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:35:00 +0200 http://www.bilstein.de/en/news-events/news-detail/archive/2013/april/returnpage/34/article/-9c0552f145/ BILSTEIN B16 PSS10 coilover suspension further enhances the current Audi A6 The Audi A6 is one of the sportiest and most sophisticated upper mid-range executive cars. BILSTEIN has recently added the BILSTEIN B16 PSS10 high-performance suspension system with ten-level damping adjustment to its portfolio to cater for the latest generation of the Audi A6. The lowered suspension kit, available on the independent aftermarket, lends the saloon and the ‘Avant’ estate version the perfect mix of agility and comfort, as well as a sporty appearance. Extensive tests were conducted to ensure that the BILSTEIN system integrates perfectly with the Audi drive select control system installed in the Audi A6, which interfaces with the model’s engine, steering and transmission. BILSTEIN's coilover suspension ideally adds to the already excellent Audi standards concerning safety, dynamics and individuality. Complete versatility combined with unrivalled driving pleasure. Using the ten-level damping force adjustment of the BILSTEIN B16 PSS10, it is possible to adjust the grip and road-holding of the car, to your individual requirements, instead of having to live with Ingolstadt’s ‘compromise’ set-up. Once the units have been fitted, both rebound and bump forces can be adjusted using a thumb wheel on the damper itself. The monotube gas-pressure technology used in the BILSTEIN B16 PSS10 optimises the directional and braking stability in particular and maximizes the ability to tackle corners dynamically and safely. The lowering range of 30 to 50 millimetres at front and rear also increases handling ability of the car and creates a harmonious composition of precise driving dynamics and comfort. Ride height can easily be adjusted in-situ by up to 20 millimetres using the BILSTEIN B16 PSS10, making adjustments even after installation quick and easyThe BILSTEIN B6 and BILSTEIN B8 high-performance shock absorbers have long been available for the popular Audi A6. Thanks to its improved road-holding, the BILSTEIN B6 has proven credentials, especially when driving with heavy loads. High quality materials and workmanship make the BILSTEIN B6 high-performance shock absorbers extremely wearresistant and durable. Together with a corresponding set of lowered springs, the shortened BILSTEIN B8 further enhances the appealing look of the classic executive car. The BILSTEIN B8 fits with almost all lowering spring kits and standard sports-performance suspension systems. An additional change of springs adds further more sports performance – including precise handling and improved vehicle control for cars without using air suspension. Both high-performance shock absorbers are also available for the Audi A4, A5, A7 and Q5 on the aftermarket.

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Photos: Copyright BILSTEIN, 2013. We kindly ask for a copy. ]]> Company News EN Product News EN Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:02:00 +0200 http://www.bilstein.de/en/news-events/news-detail/archive/2013/march/returnpage/34/article/suspension-specialist-remains-undefeated/ For the eighth time in succession: readers of “auto motor und sport” magazine vote BILSTEIN the... It may be election year in Germany, but another section of voters have already made one important decision - by voting BILSTEIN once again as the Best Brand 2013 in “auto motor und sport” magazine. For the eighth time now, the readers of this renowned trade journal voted for BILSTEIN in the category “Sport Suspensions/Springs/Shocks”. By doing so, the suspension specialist remains undefeated in the vote for Best Brand.
Around 113,000 readers were asked this time to vote for the brands that they trust in various categories. Thanks to the quality and product variety within a constantly expanding product range, BILSTEIN remains the unbeaten champion in its category, leaving all competitors behind once again.

For BILSTEIN, winning such an important readers’ vote for the eighth time is a very special award. At the same time, the positive response is also an incentive for the company to continue to perfect shock absorbers and suspension systems in the future too. BILSTEIN would like to thank all readers who voted for the suspension specialist.

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Photos: Copyright BILSTEIN, 2013. We kindly ask for a copy. ]]> Company News EN Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:46:00 +0100