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Superstars: Giovanni Berton reveals BMW M3 upgrades

The 2013 SUPERSTARS INTERNATIONAL SERIES is about to go underway and teams and drivers are working at their headquarters to be prepared for the opening round at Monza.

Among them, Italian racer Giovanni Berton is looking forward to the start of the season to hold the BMW banner high in 2013 after the great result scored in the closing stint of 2012. After having cruised to 2nd place at Vallelunga, in front of team-mate Max Mugelli, he cruised to a spectacular win in the Bologna Motor Show exhibition race.

Berton, who will be fielded by Team BMW Dinamic, explained how the BMW M3 E92 racecars got upgraded for his full-season gig.

What are the main differences we will see on the M3 from Monza?

We will be counting on some important body upgrades with a completely redesigned front bumper. We reduced the weight as well as the ride height while still complying with the rulebook. Regarding the engine, it will be the usual 4.0 V8 unit developing more than 480 horsepower. On the other hand, we're working on the exhaust system to increase the performance even further.

The 2013 schedule features many very different tracks, how will the BMW handle them?

It won't be easy on the first race... actually the fast circuit are tough for us, but the engineers guaranteed me that with these updates we will be competitive at Monza. The other circuits do not scare me, while I see my car as a favourite at Portimão, which is very technical and good to take the M3 to its limit. We can say that the BMW is better suited on the technical tracks with wide flowing corners.

What are the strongest points of your M3?

The driveability and the chassis. I'm coming from open-wheelers and the feeling you get on this car is very close to a Formula, while all its rivals tend to roll a little bit more. I reckon that the competition is tough, especially with the Audi RS5s which are unbeatable in the wet.

How do you prepare for the first race at Monza?

I do a lot of sports, go to the gym and I also swim quite a lot. I'm about to enter the Adria Rally with a Punto 1.6 because Rallying is my second passion and I want stay in motorsports all the time!