HP motor racing, Eckolstädter Offroad Arena, D

There was plenty of good news but a little bad news too for the BMW Motorrad Enduro-Team Feil at the final race of this year´s German Cross Country Series in Eckolstädt, near Apolda. On the one hand, Simo Kirssi easily achieved his target for the season - to be placed among the top ten; however, he and his team would have liked to have performed better on the final day.

It all started well. The popular Kirssi pulled away from the Le Mans start in second place and showed what he was made off from the very beginning. With the powerful BMW HP2 Enduro he was really able to pull out all the stops on this super fast track. The bike´s superb directional stability turned out to be perfect for the tough ground conditions in Eckolstädt. After ongoing rainfall during the night, the course at the former rocket base was sodden and slushy.

HP motor racing, Motopark Volary, CZ

International Cross Country Finals.

The last race in this year´s cross country season confronted all participants with new challenges.. In Volary, Czech Republic, the cross country promoter BABOONS had set up a circuit of approximately 4 kilometres which could hardly have been more varied.

The BMW Motorrad Team Feil and HP2 rider Simo Kirssi were surprised to find that the circuit consisted of a supermoto track, an indoor supercross facility and a classic off-road terrain section, each in approximately equal thirds.

The correct choice of tyre was crucial here. After a perfect start, Kirssi came away in second place and shortly afterwards was one of the first to turn into the tarred supermoto track. Here, the young Finn stretched the HP2 Enduro to its limits in practically every situation. With extreme banking and spectacular drifts he was able to consolidate his second place up until the subsequent off-road section of the course. "Yes, it really was a new situation for me. But it´s great fun to burn through the bends on the HP2," said Kirssi in the interview after the race.

On the classic cross country section, Simo Kirssi left nothing to chance either. Fast leaps, hairpin turns and "washboard" tracks made heavy demands of man and machine. Then came the entry into the hall. With one table after another, there was a thorough remixing of the field through to the end of the lap. In these sections, Kirssi´s enormous stamina paid off. The HP2, not actually designed for the demands of a supercross circuit, had no problems whatsoever. With the machine´s powerful torque, the flying Finn was even able to fly over large tables with a very limited run-up. Due to his spectacular performance, Kirssi quickly became the spectators´ favourite as the laps went by. He engaged in particularly breathtaking duels with his friend and arch-rival Thomas Günther on the 450 Husaberg, with one or the other alternately coming out top.

Simo achieved his lap time virtually to the second on every round and was able to hold his second place consistently. Not until the last quarter of the race did he reduce throttle somewhat and briefly stop in the pits for a technical check before taking home his overall second place with supreme ease.

As Simo said after the race: "I´ve now been riding the HP2 Enduro for a year in all racing conditions and on all kinds of race tracks here in Europe. But every time I still feel the bike has a lot more potential than what I am currently able to get out of it. In the winter we´ll have more time for training and working on improving details, then we can really look forward to the new season."

Incidentally, Simo Kirssi´s excellent placing in Volary puts him in a sensational overall second place in the European cross country rankings. Congratulations!

HP motor racing, Lahnberger Drift Course, D

In the penultimate race of the German Cross Country Championship on September 11th in Lahnberge/ Wolfshausen, Simo Kirssi on his HP2 was once again both "king of hearts" as well as king of the show. At the end, the "silent Finn" clearly had mixed feelings: he did reach a ranking amongst the top ten with ninth position - as had been his stated aim - but he could also have done a lot better.

At the start of the two-hour race over the sandy track approximately 4 kilometres long, everything went smoothly. In Le Mans manner, Kirssi went into the first few bends in fourth place. As usual, he started by taking a good look at the track and his opponents and letting a few "firebrands" pass: after about thirty minutes in the drizzle he was placed sixth. Again and again, the young offroad professional displayed his motorcycling skill as his HP2 flat twin roared out of tight hairpin bends - completely redefining the concept of acceleration on a loose surface.

However, he was then hit again by bad luck - something which had almost been forgotten in the last few races. The spring strut was no longer working as it should and Simo Kirssi had to go into the helper´s area.

This unanticipated interruption cost Kirssi about ten minutes (approximately two laps) and it was clear that he would not be able to make up this time before the final flag came down. But this was exactly what spurned Kirssi on: unleashed once more, he worked the throttle and set about taking the field apart from behind.

The Frenchman Arnaud Demeester, currently leading the series, was to feel the consequences of this wild chase. Kirssi hung doggedly to his rear wheel to the applause of his many fans at the trackside, and the popular Finn finally managed to overtake Demeester on the penultimate lap, actually taking another 14 seconds off him by the end of the race.

"I was actually satisfied with my race up to the interruption," said Kirssi afterwards, although he had previously said he did not expect the circuit to be to his liking. In purely arithmetical terms according to lap times, he could have made fifth position, but 9th just about fulfils the season of target of being among the top ten in the series ranking, where Kirssi is currently 8th.

HP motor racing, Goldbacher Stadion, D

The 5th race of the German Cross Country Championship in Goldbach near Aschaffenburg, Germany, marked the highlight so far of this year´s GCC series; not only did several 1000 spectators crowd the track, but with his 9th place in the professional class, Simo Kirssi rode to his first top 10 placement on the BMW HP2 Enduro. The 26 year-old Finn got off to a flying start and was in 4th position coming out of the first bend on to the very narrow and demanding course. The field of starters was even more high-calibre than ever before in this series. For example the well-known cross specialist Bernd Eckenbach put in an appearance and also the multiple Enduro all world champion Giovanni Sala on the newly-developed 950 KTM showed up ...

After the start the field of riders got sorted as usual. Simo kept an eye on his opponents and guarded a firm position in the group between 5th and 10th place. The course in Goldbach gave the spectators ideal opportunities to follow the race. In a valley hollow covered with fruit trees, the MSC Goldbach had designed a track which fully met Cross Country demands. There were tight winding sections with hidden jumps and also a few short full speed straights.

Once again the HP2 proved that it can cope with any sort of terrain. It handled the two hours of racing without any problems. Once again Simo was the crowd´s darling. "Near-perfect", said HP2 rider Kirssi after the race and his 9th position. "I got on very well here. Apart from a slight ground contact after about two thirds of the distance I had no problems at all. In one hairpin bend it was extremely dusty and I wasn´t able to see the track properly. Thank God the HP2, wasn´t damaged."

The "duel of the giants", as the meeting of the two 2-cylinder bikes - the BMW HP2 Enduro and the new KTM 950 - resulted in a clear victory by points for Simo Kirssi. He had taken up the challenge to defeat the world champion in aggressive style. And he proved that he was the stronger rider on the HP2. At no time did he leave Giovanni Sala even the slightest chance.

This season´s objective for the HP2, namely to be among the top 10 at the end of the season, is drawing ever closer. Of seven races there are still two left with Lahnberg and Eckolstädt , and Simo Kirssi is currently in 10th place overall. And the current trend is towards single digit placements as the season proceeds.

HP motor racing, Motodrom Höchstädt

At the demanding 4. race of the German Cross Country Championship in the Franconian ADAC Motodrom in Höchstädt, Simo Kirssi on the BMW HP2 managed to convince even the very last sceptic. The flying Finn did battle the whole time in the top group of the Professional Class and rode to his first GCC series top ten placement among the high-calibre field of racers. And it could have been even better.

Following an unusually poor start, Kirssi slotted in at twelfth position in the first round. In typical Kirssi style he did not go all-out right away to get to the front of the pack, but after a third of the distance played his best card, namely his consistency and physical condition, thereby leaving five further competitors behind him.Meanwhile Simo Kirssi has become a sympathetic figure in the GCC and the crowd once again carried him on a wave of excitement. Football-style "La Ola" waves accompanied the seemingly disadvantaged HP2 Enduro and its rider.

The track was all but easy. Its heart-piece was a rock-hard cross track featuring murderous jumps. Then there was a big forest section with difficult root and stone covered uphills and downhills. At the bottom, the route took the riders across a slippery meadow.

"This time everything was going quite well" said the modest Kirssi after the race. "The HP2 had to prove its all-round talent here today." In the course of the race the Finn had ridden up to 7. place. He couldn´t move much further ahead since the German Champion Arne Domeyer was already one minute out front. However, Kirssi was also almost a minute ahead of his pursuers. Then another stroke of bad luck threw him back. A technical defect on the rear suspension slowed him down so had to more or less nurse his bike to the finish line on the last kilometres thereby losing three places and valuable championship points.

At the next GCC race on July 17th, 2005 in Goldbach there will be a showdown. No less than the multiple Enduro World Champion Giovanni Sala on the 950 2-cylinder KTM will challenge the Finn on the BMW HP2 Enduro.

BMW performance speaks volumes

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“We once again behold the definitive sports sedan...”
- Car and Driver, January 2010, celebrating the BMW 3 Series’ appearance on its 10Best list for a record 19 consecutive years.

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Acura Integra with BMW 5-Series

Acura Integra GSR modified with a BMW 5 series headlight an taillight conversion.

Acura Integra BMW 5-Series


Acura Integra GSR


Acura Integra wheels


BMW Acura Integra rear


Acura Integra interior

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“Super Hybrid Sports” model that would be powered by a 450-hp 3.5L V6 engine mated to a hybrid system.

New Acura NSX