| Mario Theissen, BMW motorsport director is positive | | | | won't be ready until the end of the year: that's when |
| that his team's rate of progress in Formula One will | | | | we will be operating at full power. I am convinced |
| continue after emerging as one of the closest | | | | that the route we have chosen is the right one." |
| challengers for this year of both Ferrari and McLaren. | | | | LPG-Powered BMW |
| Theissen has witnessed how his team has become | | | | And speaking of development and ongoing progress |
| the third best in the F1 this season and that is | | | | at BMW the maker of BMW 323 parts, a German |
| despite the fact that he has previously admitted that | | | | research and development team is planning to |
| going for wins on pure pace will be impossible in 2007 | | | | develop a record-breaking car that is going to be |
| but development work at their Hinwil factory could | | | | based on the BMW 1 Series car utilizing an engine |
| change that scenario for the team next year. | | | | that runs on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). |
| Theissen said, "We have every reason to be satisfied | | | | The tuning firm Hartge in Saarbruecken says that the |
| with what we have achieved so far. Our goal for | | | | car at the center of the project "V300+" will be able |
| 2007 was to make it onto the podium on our own | | | | to top 300km an hour making it the fastest |
| merit. Nick (Heidfeld) already managed that in | | | | LPG-driven car to date. |
| Montreal with his second place, at the same time | | | | The liquefied gas-engine according to the tuning firm |
| claiming our best individual result so far. I am | | | | is set to produce 550 brake horsepower. They also |
| confident this will not be our last podium finish this | | | | claimed that the engines fueled on LPG burns much |
| year. We have clearly established ourselves as the | | | | cleaner and in most cases produce more power and |
| third strongest team and we have no intention of | | | | torque as compared to petrol-driven engine of a |
| relinquishing that position during the remainder of the | | | | similar capacity. |
| season. For 2007 we have already notched up 56 | | | | Aside from the team of engineers from the tuning |
| points. Last year we finished the season with 36. We | | | | company, the team will also include experts from the |
| have come away from every Grand Prix with points." | | | | University of Technology and Economics in |
| He also added, "I'm particularly pleased with all of this | | | | Saarbruecken, the German environment ministry, |
| since we haven't yet completed our two-year | | | | state economics department officials and automotive |
| development phase. The Hinwil factory extension | | | | and energy specialists. |