So when we all were finished at Kelleners we drove to Hockenheim. That was about 200 km south of Dinslaken where we started. The M5s equipped with GPS navigation led the way. When we arrived Ralf Kelleners asked Björn -the oxfordgreen M5 owner- if he could borrow his M5 for some laps. This M5 had Kelleners suspension and standard wheels and brakes. The answer was of course yes. He invited some as passengers so we had the chance to learn the track and which gears you should have and general tactics for driving on this course. So after one warming up lap he started to drive seriously. Remember, Mr Kelleners is a professional driver with LeMans GT1 experience, currently driving a 650 HP Toyota at IMSA with a top speed of 350 km/h.

The fun lasted eight laps. We passed all cars on the track, including two(!) Porsche 911 GT3 (996 model), Porsche 911 RS, all imaginable types of BMW M3, one CLK 55 AMG and Lotus Elise. And this was with passengers! So the Swedes made quite a first impression on the track. The not so fun part of the story was that deja vu experience that the brakes got overheated after five laps on the short track. We've seen that before. Also, the tires were new when we started the trip...

Since I couldn't go along with the first M5 I went with the Kelleners 328 Ci (245 HP) with himself at the wheel. So, one warmuplap then we floored it. Wow, I laughed almost more than I did when I saw the green M5 passed the 911 GT3. Now we're not passing the GT3 but driving even with him. He can't loose us! We pass so many cars that have so much more power than our car. What we loose on the straights we gain in the curves. Kelleners use the curbes to the max and sometimes go out in the grass with maybe half the width of a wheel. Anyway, it's going fast and that is with a minor modified 328 Ci.

Ralf Kelleners, even though his outfit for today wasn't these clothes...

On some M5 we didn't have to worry about tyre wear because we should equip them with Hartge 20' wheels later on.

Porsche 996 GT3 must be the ultimate car for the track. But you also must have an ultimate driver for best results...

Quote from Porsche website;

"Porsche 911 GT3 The New World-Class Athlete A new lap record at Nürburgring. The first production car to lap the northern circuit in less than 8 minutes. To be precise, the new Porsche 911 GT3 takes 7:56 minutes to complete this exercise, provided the driver is a real professional. This result alone impressively and objectively confirms the great success of Porsche's development engineers creating a new top-of-the-range athlete in Weissach with unparalleled performance of the highest standard. A car which also offers superior agility and handling in connection with a high standard of active safety. Discreet in its looks - supreme in its performance The visible modifications of the GT3 versus the 911 Carrera remain discreet and quite reserved. The most significant highlights are the new rear end, discreet side-sills, the rear wing fixed in position, red brake callipers and 18-inch light-alloy wheels in sports design. The front wheels come as standard with 225/40 ZR 18 tyres, the tyre dimensions at the rear are 285/30 ZR 18. Getting its power to the road through this superior drive technology, the 911 GT3 accelerates to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds and reaches 200 km/h in 15.8 seconds. Acceleration in fifth gear from 80 - 120 km/h, in turn, takes 6.7 seconds, and the car's top speed is 302 km/h or 187 mph. The engine: Le Mans all the way Developing maximum output of 265 kW (360 bhp) at 7200 rpm and maximum torque of 370 Newton metres or 273 lb-ft at 5000 rpm, the 3.6-litre power unit excels through its compact dimensions, superior smoothness, out-standing power reserves, "beefy" torque curve and quick, fast-revving response. A further significant factor is the reduction in fuel consumption versus the previous Carrera RS: Achieving a composite consumption figure of 12.9 litres/100 km or 21.9 mpg Imp according to the EU standard, the GT3 requires 0.9 litres less fuel for each 100 km than its predecessor. The "heart" of the GT3, of course, is the power unit based on the water-cooled flat-six already featured in the Le Mans-winning 911 GT1. Clearly, technologies that have already proven their qualities under the toughest racing conditions guarantee supreme reliability also in a production sportscar. Typical examples are the special surface treatment of the crankshaft and the use of high-quality materials such as titanium on the connecting rods. The rods connecting the pistons and the crankshaft are indeed made in a particularly elaborate process ensuring optimum strength even at very high engine speeds (the engine of the GT3 revs up to 7600 rpm) plus the speed reserves required on a racing engine (up to approximately 9000 rpm). The transmission: again a product of Porsche Motorsport Power is transmitted on the 911 GT3 by a six-speed manual gearbox developed from the racing transmission already featured in the 911 GT2. All six transmission ratios on this gearbox reserved exclusively to the GT3 have been carefully matched to the speed and performance of both the engine and the car itself. To meet motorsport requirements, Porsche's engineers have given particular attention to the following points in designing and developing the transmission: Simple replacement of individual gears adjusting the car to different race tracks Quick replacement of parts (for example synchromesh rings) subject to far greater wear in motorsport than in road traffic Ample allowance for the additional requirements made of an even more powerful racing car based on the 911 GT3 The suspension: lower, firmer, more dynamic When it comes to the car's suspension, the GT3 once again impressively proves Porsche's experience in motorsport extended in this case up to the very limit of current sportscar technology. The entire suspension is designed and built for sporting performance, superior handling and equally outstanding driving safety. The suspension concept carried over from the 911 Carrera has been adjusted to meet the specific requirements of even greater performance and handling, also in motor racing. Apart from the general technical features on both the front and rear axle required for this purpose, this includes, inter alia: Lowering of the car's centre of gravity (plus modified kinematics) by approximately 30 mm Adjustable anti-roll bars and a spring system suitable for racing requirements adjustable in itself to different tracks and road features A wider range of axle geometry adjustment for the use of racing tyres And, last but not least, reinforcement of major components such as the swivel points and front wheel bearings for the possible use of racing tyres Stopping power: brakes more powerful than ever before While the brake system is by and large the same as in the 911 Carrera, it has been optimised in its dimensions and in some major design features. The ABS anti-lock brake system, in turn, remains unchanged. Compared with the 911 Carrera, the four-piston aluminium fixed monobloc brake callipers front and rear are even larger and sturdier than before. Whenever required, they are thus able to hold the perforated, inner-vented brake discs firmly in position. Measuring 330 mm or 13.00" (911 Carrera: 318 mm/12.52") in diameter at the front and also 330 mm/13.00" (911 Carrera: 299 mm/ 11.77") at the rear, the brake discs are 34 mm or 1.34" (911 Carrera: 28 mm/1.10") wide on the front wheels and measure 28 mm/1.10" (911 Carrera: 24 mm/0.94") in width on the rear wheels. As a result, the GT3 offers even more stopping power and shorter stopping distances than the 911 Turbo (993). The cockpit: a clear reflection of the car's performance Leather-covered bucket seats made of reinforced plastic replace the usual 911 seats in the GT3, guaranteeing not only optimum side support, but also excellent comfort both on long distances and when entering/leaving the car. An advantage really important with a sportscar of this calibre is that the new seats save approximately 20 kg in weight. Similar weight-reduction measures are also to be found behind these extra-light bucket seats, the entire rear-seat section having been dropped to reduce the overall weight of the car by another 8 kg. The new 911 GT3 is also available in special Clubsport guise, a version developed in particular for the aspiring racing enthusiast wishing to participate in motorsport without being obliged to make any special modifications requiring official approval. The most prominent feature in this case is the roll cage bolted directly on to the body of the car and now, unlike the configuration on the earlier 911 Carrera RS models, integrating the spring strut supports on the rear axle in the interest of enhanced stability. As a result, forces from the suspension are transmitted not only into the body of the car, but also directly into the roll cage. Under tough racing conditions this means that forces generated in the area of the rear spring struts cause only minimum deformation of the car's body."

But that didn't help... We passed two GT3 on the track. One GT3 even spun off the track when he was chased by one of our M5s. And this was when Kelleners ddidn't drive the M5.

I didn't take too many pictures when we were at Hockenheim. I wanted to race too!

Here we're waiting to attack the track! Nice collection of cars. Two M5, one M3, one CLK 55 AMG, Audi S3, bunch of 911 (964, 993 and 996) and a Lotus Elise. We had barely recovered after the chock of going with Kelleners with the M5 eight laps passing all cars..