50 International Journalists are Putting the "Pedal To The Metal"!

Tons of Car and Tuning Highlights at the IKmedia Experience Day

SCHWABACH, GERMANY - June 16, 2008: The scene was a little reminiscent of the infamous Area 51: an old military airport, giant hangars in the background and armed guards at the gate. But what IKmedia presented to the 50 journalists who had travelled to Mendig from 17 countries appealed to the engine fans far more than any UFO. Because, as is generally known, UFO's don't have wheels. The press agency had invited ten top-notch companies from its automobile and tuning industry customer portfolio to the testing grounds of TÜV (VTM), which is currently still sharing the area with the German Armed Forces. And of course the firms brought plenty of roadworthy exhibits with them.

AC Schnitzer, for instance, had roared in from Aachen with a complete auto-quartet. The new X5 "Falcon" was on view for the first time, and the world's fastest autogas vehicle, the GP3.10 (in Nardo 318 km/h), was put through its paces on the 1.8 km long runway. In addition, a 360-HP BMW 1 Series Coupé and a customized M3 from the Aachen manufacturer also invited spectators to take off. There was a sheer rush to get into the drivers' seats. Next door, Sportservice Lorinser called visitors to a flying change. Its attractive triumvirate consisted of a angry-looking Mercedes C- and E-Class as well as a CL: all with dynamic body-kits and up to 460 HP. ABT Sportsline countered with a 310 HP oil-burner in the AS4, which appeared to want to scrape holes in the asphalt with its insane torque. The prize for the wickedest "expression", however, went to the Abt R8, which was part of FOLIATEC.com world record attempt. Together with the professional fitters from folio-Car, the entire vehicle was covered in carbon film in just 2 hours, 25 minutes, 16 seconds. A real Herculean task - normally the application takes up to 30 hours.

The steering wheel artistes from rim-maker DOTZ, who enveloped the former fuelling area in dense rubber fog, needed a totally different type of sensitivity. When the two Norwegians in the Twin-Drift took their hands off the steering wheel at over 100 kilometres per hour, anyone in the passenger seat needed really strong nerves. Luckily for the journalists, who had the pleasure before lunch. At the end of the day, the result was 20 destroyed rear tyres. As the guests unfortunately could not take the wheel themselves, the Dickie-Tamiya model-making cracks were on hand with consolation. They had built a copy of the drift car down to the last detail as a remote-control version. There was also the airport course en miniature as a Scalextric slot-car track. Tyre manufacturer YOKOHAMA introduced a more than successful toy for adults. The specialists supply the rear tyres for the tilting trike Carver. Fitting for the location, the driving feeling was a little reminiscent of a fighter jet. The innovative curving technique of the vehicle, which costs 45,000 Euro, allowed manoeuvres that left a huge impression on even the most fearless drift drivers.

It's well-known, however, that courageous rally driver Armin Schwarz never gets worked up. On behalf of Eibach, the Baja crack used two Leons provided by SEAT Germany to show audiences the differences between a standard chassis and a sports chassis with stabilizers. One trip in the passenger seat through elk test and slalom course achieved far more than any theoretical explanation. As the pro-driver wound the production car through the alleys at a giddy pace, the laws of physics no longer appeared to apply to the Eibach-Leon.

While Schwarz stayed cool the whole time, it was a different story with the uvex carRacing stuntman. But in the end, he also had to cross a petrol-soaked sea of flames to demonstrate the fire resistance of a racing suit. Thanks to NOMEXÒ fibres, the man remained unscathed of course. To make sure that the press didn't miss a single highlight, IKmedia provided them with two shuttle vans to cover the huge terrain. While riding the bus can tend to be boring elsewhere, IKmedia provided action here as well for its clients. The passengers couldn't believe their ears when the SEAT Alhambra started up sounding like a Formula-1 racing car, thanks to a virtual engine-sound generator from in.pro. And in contrast to the military equipment in the hangars, there was no need for the products of the IKmedia customers to be shrouded in a veil of secrecy.