Dinan Cars has used MAHLE Pistons for many years with great success in their street and racing endeavors, and is in fact the only piston used in their cars. It is a relationship that continues to grow as does Dinan Cars’ trophy case of racing wins.
We recently were able to connect with Stephen Freeth, Motorsports Manager for Dinan Cars in San Jose, California to ask some direct questions about his usage of MAHLE pistons and parts in his varied racing endeavors.
MAHLE – When did you first start using MAHLE Pistons in your engine builds?
Stephen Freeth, Dinan Cars – Dinan Engineering Started using MAHLE Pistons in 2004 when we started our Daytona Prototype program and have been using them ever since in both Streetcars and racecars worldwide.
MAHLE – You mentioned that you use MAHLE parts in your street and race engine builds. Can you give an example of the models that receive MAHLE parts – or is it pretty much universal?
SF – For our streetcars, we may use them in our Stroker program for the M Series cars. We started with the 2005-2010 BMW M5/M6 S85 V10. Then in 2007 we started with the E90/E92 M3 with the S65 V8. For racing our Flagship engine is the S62 V8 based out of the 1998-2003 M5. This engine is raced worldwide and in many different power levels.
MAHLE – What do you like most about MAHLE pistons?
SF – Since BMW switched to Alusil Blocks starting in some models in 1996 to eliminate the corrosion problems caused through the use of petrol/gasoline we figured no one is better to build and design pistons than the company that does it for the factory. They have the knowledge and technology to design the correct Piston coating needed for this application.
MAHLE – Where would you like to see improvement?
SF – We are happy with the service and products from Mahle.
MAHLE – What kind of recent racing success have you had running MAHLE pistons?
SF – In 2013, we won the ST Championship with Burton Racing in a BMW 128i using Mahle Pistons. In the History of our Daytona Prototype program we have won 2 Daytona 24 Hours 2011/2013 and 3 Rolex Series Championships 2010/2011/2012. With drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas at Chip Ganassi Racing, we won 9 of 12 races in our first year in 2010 to win the Grand-Am Rolex Championship. The nine victories was a series record. In 2011, we won the 24 Hours of Daytona and Dinan’s First victory at the historic race. In 2012 Ganassi Racing won their 3rd Rolex Series Championship in-a-row. In 2012, the team put the #01 Telmex BMW Riley on the podium for 9 out of 14 races, top five for 10 out of 14 races. In 2013 we started the year off strong with our second win at the Historic Daytona 24 Hours endurance race.
Clearly Dinan Cars has found MAHLE performance pistons to be something special in a crowded field of performance racing and street car components. It is that high technology component creation that allows Dinan Cars to offer an unprecedented four year/50,000 mile warranty on their 500 hp M-series BMWs. Dinan Cars and MAHLE Motorsports are proud of their partnership and their unique performance products.
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