New MotoGP season starts with BMW Award - MotoGP Test 2005
The curtain raiser to yet another thrilling MotoGP season takes place this weekend in Barcelona with the world's best Grand Prix riders battling for the coveted BMW Award of a brand new BMW 1Series during the showdown hour of 'qualifying' on Sunday afternoon at 14.00hrs. Sporting hero and six-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi will head the charge of riders as they all vie to have the upper hand of being the quickest man to lap the Barcelona track before the first Grand Prix in Jerez, Spain on April 10th. Lap times from the session will go towards the BMW Best Qualifier Award 2005 which accumulates competitor's times with the other 17 grid times for the 2005 season. The prize for the least cumulative time taken over the season is a stunning BMW M5 with V10 engine, 507bhp, a 0-100kph time of 4.7 seconds and the world's first 7-speed SMG Drivelogic gearbox available in a road car. Only after the very last qualifying session of the year at Valencia in November will we know who is the winner of the BMW Best Qualifier Award 2005 and this breath taking thoroughbred sports car.
The BMW Award at the MotoGP Test 2005 is now the ultimate spring board for the 17 race 2005 season as teams, engineers and riders battle to shave the last fractions of a second of lap times, as their off season months of preparations are distilled into the latest prototype 250bhp machines that will hit 345kph / 215mph across the start finish line over the three day test. The ever growing world-wide TV audience will tune in specially during the showdown 'qualifying hour' to see who will win the all new BMW 1Series and have the psychological upper hand before the first Grand Prix 3 weeks later.
Loris Capirossi and Valentino Rossi have driven the latest BMW models away from the Montmelo track over the past years. This year, the quickest rider will leave with a BMW 1Series; the only premium car in its segment with rear wheel drive and therefore providing the ultimate driving machine experience.
2005 will continue to see BMW as the Official Car of MotoGP, supplying the recently launched M6 fresh from the Geneva Motor Show and the all new M5, both with the stunning 507bhp V10 engine mounted under the bonnet. The rest of the fleet will be made up of 330i Touring as the Medical Car, a 750i for the Race Director, a 545i Touring for the Safety Officer and X5 4.4i for the Steward.
BMW Motorrad's premier two-wheeled championship the BoxerCup finished last year in Valencia, but this year sees the starts of the all new seven race BMW Motorrad Power Cup which will further enhance BMW's involvement within MotoGP. The Power Cup bike will be the brand new naked BMW K 1200 R with a rousing four cylinder 175bhp and a pit-lane weight of 230 kg.
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one M5 right outside King of Prussia Mall, PA tonight. Followed her awhile and "check the highlights out" Man! They were so sweet sitting on top of those 4 shinny mufflers.