RE: TVR dealer to race in a Beemer
Tuesday 16th November 2004
Ex-TVR dealer to race in a Beemer
Hawthorns' Rod Barrett buys Z3 racecar for 2005 GT championship
The owner of Hawthorns, once an official TVR dealer, is going facing again next year, not in a TVR but a Beemer. Rod Barrett says he hopes to be racing in the GT Cup class with his newly acquired BMW Z3 M Coupé GT. Built in 2002, the car has a history in competition:
- Nürburgring 24 Hour 2002
- Bathurst 24 Hour 2002 – 5th outright 1st in class
- Wakefield Park Nations Cup – 1x 1st 1x 2nd 1 x3rd won the round overall
- Oran Park Nations Cup round – 4th for the round
- Full rebuild 2003 including engine, gearbox, suspension, etc.
- Competed Bathurst 2003 very little wear due to predominantly wet race – 3rd in class
Full specifications are as follows:
- Tuned 3.2 Evo M Sport engine 194 KW at the rear wheels dyno sheet available
- Weight – 1160 Kg (more weight can be removed for sprint racing)
- Extensive use of carbon fibre in body and interior
- Five-speed gearbox
- Two diff ratios
- Diff cooler
- Penske adjustable shock absorbers
- Brakes: front – AP racing 4 pots vented discs; rear -- standard
- Eibach springs range of rates
- Adjustable suspension and rollbars all round
- Stack digital dash with data logging, predictive lap timer etc
- Rear adjustable aero foil
- Two sets BBS wheels: fronts -- 8.5 x 18; rears -- 10x 18
- One set standard rims (used as wets)
- Detachable steering wheel including push to talk radio and stack scroll button
- Eligible for Nations Cup class 2 Production sports cars
- Can be made eligible for Targa Tasmania
According to Barrett, the car was built as an ideal endurance racing car and is perfect for this role, but can easily be adjusted to a number of other roles. He chose it following the excellent results gained by AC Schnitzer in Germany in its own Z3.
Discussion
. 
Z3M Guess I'll have to change the posting name, so If your watching Ted I think it's time that Tuscan 29 is finally put out to grass, so to speak
I'll mail you. Well, since the news is out, lets just correct a few things, firstly the car is owned by Jan Persson and myself jointly, and yes, we hope to run in GT cup subject to GT approval etc etc.
Secondly, Hawthorns are Ex TVR main dealers, we came out in sept 2003 and on the face of it, call it foresight, or whatever, it was definitly the right decision.
We now specialise in German breeds, both sports and prestige, plus other "interesting" sports cars, and have moved the operation to Station Hill Farnham.
Thanks for all the kind support, we will post more news as and when we can say more, and we will update the Hawthorns Motorsport website so that everyones kept up to date, those who are interested at any rate
cheers all. mustard said:
Errrr you'll never guess who I had in my / soon to be his car today... none other than Mr Rod Barrett, he was telling me how he was going Beemer racing
Hi Rod
Safe trip home I see
>> Edited by mustard on Tuesday 16th November 21:13
Z3M Ah, a fellow pistonheader, and yes, home safe and sound. Please thank all at the dealership,you've got a great set up there,thought I'd "Nick"
some of your idea's, for people must have a "Whale" of a time looking at all those wonderful cars, your "Streets" ahead of the competition By the way,the Merc is quite superb, and you were quite right, got 38.8 miles to the gallon at a steady 85/90, almost a shame to use it as a private hire car.
Thanks for the lift from the station, taxi's seem few and far between in "Bromsgrove".
cheers
Ted don't let him 
What No Tuscans next year
Who is your young protege going to argue with and poke fun at now.......if you are not racing Tuscans....
Don't worry.....
I'll get over it........ Okay....I'm over it now....
Good luck Rodders....
.....with whatever you drive..... ...//P// >> Edited by yellow peril on Wednesday 17th November 21:27
Z3M Thanks again for the kind words of support, I'm blushing now
Don't worry , I'll still keep an eye on the whippersnapper, and the fruitcake supply will be even more important if I've got to drive two stints of 30 mins each, I'll have to go to the gym again
Well that's it Tuscan 29 has faded away, a great amount of good memories will remain, what a time we had.
.....we won't let him......Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff