KW Automotive welcomed the Italian Race Team N.Technology at their facility in Fichtenberg, Germany this summer in order to optimise their suspension setup. KW offered the opportunity to N.Technology of simulating track conditions in its laboratory, thus characterising the perfect suspension setup of the N.Technology-run Alfa Romeo 156, which participates at the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

KW Automotive has emerged as one of the leading manufacturers of sports suspension systems. Founded in 1991, KW delivers the largest application line-up of coilover suspension in the marketplace today. Meanwhile N.Technology has been a major part of the international touring car scene since it started racing in 1991. Currently running one of the strongest teams in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, N.Technology had previously dominated the European Touring Car Championship, the WTCC's forerunner, winning seven of a possible eleven championship titles over a four-year period.

The 7-Post-Rig at KW simulates off-track running conditions in the laboratory. It allows race track replications as well as suspension optimization testing, thus providing KW a technological advantage to assess and set-up new application developments. Worldwide there are only 15 units of the hydraulic 7-Post-Rig in use, generally used by formula 1 race teams for R&D purpose.

Motor sport is the source of countless innovations, and a source well tapped by KW automotive GmbH. For over 10 years, the founders and owners of KW automotive GmbH have been active in motor sport. The experiences collected over the years are constantly integrated into new developments.
 

KW's involvement has grown throughout the years, from the ADAC GT Cup to the DTC, from STW to the current FIA GT series, or the ETCC. In 1999, KW had even fielded its own racing team in the DTC, with Ellen Lohr as a driver. In 2002, the KW Competition equipped Zakspeed Viper captured the overall winner title in the 24h race at Nürburgring.

Last weekend 52,000 fans gathered at the Monza circuit for the last European meeting of the FIA World Touring Car Championship, which saw N.Technology in action at the front. The fans attended two frantic races and showed their enthusiasm invading the track at the end of the second race and crowding under the podium to cheer the winners. The two races sanctioned the effectiveness of the diesel power, as the SEAT León TDI cars claimed two more victories, with Yvan Muller and Jordi Gené respectively. But performances at Monza were extremely balanced with drivers from Alfa Romeo, BMW and Chevrolet on the pace with their SEAT colleagues.

James Thompson and Nicola Larini obtained podium results for Alfa Romeo and Chevrolet respectively. Augusto Farfus could have done the same for BMW without a collision at the start of Race to that sent him off. His fellow drivers Andy Priaulx and Jörg Müller were also eliminated in different incidents, which left the three BMW's top-men with only two points, collected by Farfus in the first race.

These results meant an upheaval of the Drivers' Championship's classification, with Priaulx rejoined by Yvan Muller in the lead, and Thompson squeezing between Farfus and Jörg Müller in fourth position. The fight for the World Title goes to the wire once again, with six drivers still in contention, including Larini whose 20-point gap makes his chances more theoretical than concrete. For the third consecutive year the championship will be decided on the infamous streets of Macau, where rounds 21 and 22 will be held on November 18th.