German Cars Blog

BMW M6 Coupe and Convertible

2012-02-20T14:55:00.000Z

BMW are launching the new M6 in both Coupe and Convertible form; both offering the traditional M values of power and performance in a beautifully handling and crafted package.

In either guise the M6 is powered by a 4.4 litre twin turbo V8 petrol engine offering 560bhp (a class leading figure) and 680Nm of torque powering the car to 62mph from standstill in 4.2 seconds and onto a top speed of 189mph (with the M Driver package).

Power is transmitted to the rear wheels through an active rear differential via a 7 speed M Double Clutch Transmission which offers Drivelogic, launch control and low speed assistance.

Braking and suspension are as impressive as ever with Dynamic Damper Control and DSC as standard and unique carbon-ceramic brakes available as an optional extra.

The Coupe benefits from a carbon reinforced roof whilst both models have adaptive LED headlamps fitted as standard. Wider arches and improved aerodynamics combined with subtle styling alterations to set the M6 apart from other BMW 6s. At the rear two pairs of twin exhausts help the exhaust gases exit quickly and tunefully.

Despite being more powerful (with a 30% increase in torque) the new M6 is more than 30% more frugal than the model it replaces.

2012-02-20T13:14:00.000Z

Paul Miller Racing {link} have a brand new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR for the 2012 Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series {link} driven by Bryce Miller and Sascha Maassen who will be joined by Rob Bell for the two endurance races on the ALMS schedule. As well as a brand new Porsche Paul Miller Racing are also using Dunlop tyres for the first time too.
The three drivers began to acquaint themselves with their new Porsche GT3 RSR for the first time during the two-day ALMS Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway. While there’s still plenty of work to be done between now and the season-opening 60th Anniversary Twelve Hours of Sebring fuelled by Fresh From Florida on Saturday, March 17, the two days in Central Florida were certainly well spent.
"Obviously, Porsche has built an incredible car, as we learnt at this test," said team owner Paul Miller. "It's still early days and we have a lot of work ahead of us, but we were really encouraged by this first test. We were not striving to set the world on fire and were treating these last couple days as more of a shakedown, but we are really pleased, not only with the car, but the new Dunlop tyres as well."
"We had a very positive first test with our new Porsche and the Dunlop tyres that are new for us too," Maassen said. "Even though the test was meant to be a shakedown only, we managed to go quicker than we ever ran before and we hope to have a lot more potential as well." "I was happy to hear that Rob Bell will join us for the Twelve Hours of Sebring. He is not only quick, but he knows a lot about the Dunlop tyres. We are now continuing to prepare for a hopefully successful race in Sebring!"
The team will return to Sebring later in February for another test before the race week in March. The 2012 ALMS season begins with the 60th Anniversary Twelve Hours of Sebring fuelled by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 17.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes at Jerez - days 3 & 4

2012-02-11T10:30:00.000Z

Lewis Hamilton stepped into MP4-27 for the first time on Thursday, taking over from Jenson Button, who had conducted the previous two days’ testing at Jerez.

As with Jenson, the first day was about acclimatising Lewis to the new car, finding a workable set-up direction and ironing out a few minor issues following Lewis’s initial feedback. After completing 80 laps, and setting a 1m19.464s best, Lewis declared himself happy and comfortable with the new car.

He said: “Today felt pretty good considering it was my first time in the new car. My initial feelings are pretty positive, despite going through a long, tough programme of initial tests – there were no nasty surprises, which is pleasing. This year’s car feels a bit different from last year’s: in 2011, we had so much stability from the rear-end, particularly in the high-speed corners – but we’re now having to find that grip elsewhere, or, at least, take grip off the front and somehow offload it at the rear.”

“This car’s baseline is something we can really work with. I know the men and women back at the factory will take a lot from this test and translate it into something new and even better for the next test. The car feels reasonably quick – and that’s a nice feeling.”

Lewis Hamilton was in the MP4-27 yesterday for his second day of testing.

After Lewis completed 86 laps, and set a 1m19.640s best, David Redding, Team Manager, McLaren Racing said: “Today was a good day of testing. The first hour or so was spent aero data gathering, then Lewis embarked on two or three hours intensive set up work, exploring suspension geometries and general car set up. The afternoon was then spent comparing tyre compounds.

We had the opportunity to try some changes that were time consuming, so things you wouldn’t normally do at a race weekend. It was good to get those fundamental changes and tests out of the way early on. The car ran reliably and without any issues.”

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes at Jerez

2012-02-08T21:27:00.001Z

Jenson Button began the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team’s 2012 pre-season testing programme at Jerez yesterday morning. The day started slowly, with Jenson and the team conducting a number of shorter runs, before completing a thorough systems check to ensure the car was running reliably.

Before lunchtime, however, the car was back on track as the team begun a number of longer runs lasting for the remainder of the day. These were useful in helping the team to begin measuring tyre-wear on Pirelli’s new-spec rubber and assessing the MP4-27’s fundamental handling characteristics over the course of a stint.

Following the day’s running, Jenson said: “It’s been a good day: this morning, we ran through our installation and systems checks and the running was good. We’ve been gathering data on aerodynamics, downforce levels, temperatures and the feeling inside the cockpit.

“We did a 15-lap timed run this afternoon, which is a good starting point for us – and the consistency was okay. It’s been a positive day: there are no niggly areas with the car, which is nice. Overall, today was just a starting point, and was all about putting miles on the car. There are some promising signs, so I’m happy.

“It’s now important for us to get a clean day of running tomorrow, put some miles on the car and find a direction that we like. Today’s a very good basis for the next few days.”

Today was Jenson’s second day of testing with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-27 and another day spent getting used to the new chassis and evaluating a series of braking, set-up and software changes made to the car – particularly the effect on balance and stability at both high and low speeds.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team manager David Redding said: “Despite the cold and windy conditions, Jenson was able to log further mileage with MP4-27 today. It’s still early days, and this was very much an exploratory day, but we were able to get a useful understanding of how the car behaves and reacts out on the track.

“It’s satisfying that Jenson’s been able to complete more than 600km of trouble-free running over the past two days; that puts us in a good position for the rest of the week.”

Tomorrow sees Lewis Hamilton continue the test programme on the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-27.

Flying Lizard at the 2012 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

2012-02-08T21:19:00.000Z

Flying Lizard Motorsports announced today its driver lineup for the 2012 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The team will field two new racecars in the GT class for the ALMS season: the No. 45 and No. 44 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs. Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long, both Porsche factory drivers, will return for their fourth consecutive season driving together in the No. 45; this will be Bergmeister's fifth year with the team. Bergmeister is a five- time ALMS GT drivers' champion (2005-2006 and 2008-2010). The 2008, 2009 and 2010 championships were won with Flying Lizard in the No. 45. Long has won the title three times: 2005, and 2009-2010, each with Bergmeister. At Sebring, the pair will be joined by Porsche factory driver Marco Holzer. 2012 will be Holzer's second year with the team. After Sebring, Holzer will return to his regular seat in the sister No. 44 Porsche for the season.
For Sebring, in the No. 44, Seth Neiman will be joined by Darren Law and Andy Lally. Law has driven with the Lizards since 2004 and will return as a guest driver at in 2012. Sebring will be Lally's first race with the team. Lally heads to Sebring following a GT win last week at the 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona (with Magnus Racing). 2012 is Lally's fourth GT win at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Among his notable achievements in endurance racing and stock car racing, Lally was named NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year for 2011. Click here for more information on Lally.

MINI Roadster

2012-02-08T21:13:00.000Z

This spring sees the market launch of the first open-top two-seater in MINIs long and successful history – in the guise of the MINI Roadster. The latest MINI model is a sporty compact car for those drivers who want to enjoy the excitement of driving a sporty MINI with the chance to sample the pleasures of top-down motoring (the MINI Roadster’s soft-top can be quickly and easily opened by hand).There is more to the MINI Roadster than just style (the padded stainless steel roll-over bars have a safety function) as a 240 litre boot ensures the MINI Roadster offers versatile loading options, thanks in particular to the wide through-loading aperture behind the seats.

The customary MINI, highly enjoyable, go-kart feeling ensures unequalled driving fun helped by standard Dynamic Stability Control system and an active rear spoiler.

MINI Roadster drivers get a vast range of standard equipment including air conditioning, electrically adjustable exterior mirrors, Park Distance Control, height-adjustable seats and an MP3-capable audio system with CD player and AUX IN connection. The MINI Roadster comes in a range of two non-metallic and six metallic shades with a black.

Audi A5 TDIe

2012-02-07T22:34:00.000Z

Audi have launched their TDIe engines into the A5 coupe and Sportback models making them more appealing and more frugal. Available in 136PS and 163PS versions the 2 litre TDIe engines are perfect for sprightly performance without sacrificing economy. The new "e" units compliment the current selection of TDI engines in the A5 Sportback range; including the 143PS and 177PS versions of the 2.0-litre engine plus the 3.0-litre V6 TDI in 204PS and 245PS forms, the latter linked to quattro all-wheel-drive without exception. The A5 Coupe is available with the 177PS 2.0-litre TDI and the two V6 TDIs along with the newly launched TDIe engines.

Launched in conjunction with the TDIe engines is a new trim level; SE Technik which is available for all A5 Sportback and Coupe four-cylinder TDI models. First seen in the A4 Saloon and Avant ranges the SE Technik trim adds DVD satellite navigation, Audi Music Interface (AMI) iPod connection, the Audi Parking Plus system with front and rear sensors as well as cruise control to the familiar SE equipment list.

Both new TDIe engines are also available allied to Standard, SE and S line trim in the A5 Sportback, and Standard and SE in the Coupe.

Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG

2012-02-05T23:25:00.000Z

The new ML 63 AMG comes with an exciting technology package: the AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine features spray-guided direct petrol injection with piezo injectors, ECO start/stop system, an all-aluminium crankcase, four valves per cylinder with camshaft adjustment, air-water intercooling and alternator management. With a displacement of 5461ccm, the eight-cylinder AMG Performance improved engine generates a maximum power output of 557 bhp and 760 newton metres.

Both variants of the ML 63 AMG enable sports-car performance: acceleration from zero to 100 km/h takes 4.8 seconds and 4.7 seconds respectively, while the top speed stands at 250 km/h (electronically limited). With or without AMG Performance package, the NEDC fuel consumption figure of 11.8 litres per 100 kilometres (276 g CO2/km) remains the same.

As efficiency-enhancing measures, the AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission incorporates a new fuel-economy converter with centrifugal pendulum, bearings designed for reduced friction loss and a transmission-oil thermal management system. Friction loss-minimised axle gears, electric steering, an optimised belt drive, and demand-responsive control of all ancillary units and pumps all help to further reduce fuel consumption.

As previously, Mercedes-AMG deploys a specially designed transfer case for the 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive which distributes the engine power at a ratio of 40 : 60 to the front and rear axle in the interests of high driving dynamics. Furthermore, the AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension with AIRMATIC package – consisting of air suspension, independent damper struts, automatic level control and Adaptive Damping System (ADS) – features for the first time in combination with the ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM for active roll stabilisation. This system, which comes as standard, employs active anti-roll bars on the front and rear axles to compensate the body's roll angles during cornering. In addition to enhanced agility and driving enjoyment, the system also improves driving stability for added safety at higher speeds in particular.

Roll stabilisation, damping and suspension adapt automatically to the prevailing driving situation, offering both optimum ride comfort and maximum stability. The driver is able to choose at the push of a button between the three suspension modes "Comfort", "Sport" and "Sport plus". The fully load-bearing air suspension system is speed-sensitive, lowering the body at higher speeds in order to minimise drag while increasing driving stability.

The AMG-specific elastokinematics at the front axle and the more robustly designed rear axle stabiliser bar are responsible for improved steering precision. The enhanced drive train stands for optimum power transmission and hallmark Mercedes reliability. The 4ETS electronic traction control system which features as standard provides for optimised grip when low friction coefficients apply.

Electromechanical AMG speed-sensitive sports steering features variable vehicle speed-dependent power assistance and helps to save fuel, as the steering assist function only requires energy when the driver actually moves the steering wheel. The ML 63 AMG comes as standard with 5-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels in 9 x 20 format, painted titanium grey with a high-sheen finish and fitted with tyres in size 265/45 R 20. Tyres in size 295/35 R 21 on AMG light-alloy wheels in 10 x 21 format are optionally available. The AMG high-performance braking system provides for the shortest possible braking distances and high fade resistance, featuring ventilated and perforated brake discs all-round in size 390 x 36 (front) and 345 x 26 millimetres (rear).

The design of the new ML 63 AMG exudes self-confidence, athleticism and power. The AMG bodystyling dominates the front view: under the radiator grille with louvres painted in high-gloss black and the large Mercedes star is a large cooling air intake. Together with the two outer air intakes, the central radiator grille provides for an effective flow of air to the water, engine oil, charge-air and transmission oil coolers. Fitted at the bottom of the AMG front apron is a trim strip in matt silver chrome, which lends the front a wider appearance while harmonising with the surrounds of the daytime running lamps in the side cooling air intakes. The headlamps cut a particularly high-quality and exclusive figure in combination with the optional Intelligent Light System (ILS). The AMG front apron is integrated with the distinctive front wings, which are 10 millimetres wider on either side in order to accommodate the large AMG light-alloy wheels in elegant fashion. "V8 BITURBO" logos identify the vehicle as the flagship AMG model in the M-Class. Dynamically profiled AMG side sill panels establish a visual link between the front and rear of the vehicle.

Another eye-catching feature is the AMG rear apron with its simulated black air outlet openings. They emphasise the vehicle's width similarly to the trim strips in matt silver chrome, which cite the design of the front apron and frame the AMG sports exhaust system. In contrast to the other M-Class variants, the ML 63 AMG features two sets of chrome twin tailpipes. The full and distinctive eight-cylinder sound is an AMG hallmark.

A sporty character and premium quality define the interior of the high-performance SUV from AMG. This is embodied in the electrically adjustable AMG sports seats offering pronounced lateral support as well as the four-spoke AMG performance steering wheel, which ensures optimum control of the vehicle with perforated leather in the grip area, aluminium shift paddles and a rim with a flattened bottom section. Aluminium trim and the piano-lacquer retractable cover in the centre console highlight the interior's dynamic and exclusive flair. The standard leather upholstery includes contrasting double topstitching and AMG badges in the backrests of the front seats and the outer rear seats. Dashboard, armrests and door panelling in AMG-specific design are finished in ARTICO man-made leather with double topstitching. The distinctively designed instrument cluster with colour TFT monitor, AMG welcome logo and AMG main menu is exclusive to the ML 63 AMG. In line with the Mercedes-Benz brand philosophy, the new ML 63 AMG is the embodiment of the Mercedes-Benz holistic safety concept of Real Life Safety, which is derived primarily from what happens in a real accident situation. The extremely robust passenger compartment, together with the front and rear deformation zones, forms an effective basis for the occupant protection systems. Up to nine airbags, activated on demand in accordance with the accident type and accident severity, can reduce the loads exerted on the occupants. In addition to active safety systems such as the standard-fit Brake Assist (BAS) or the optional BAS PLUS, which can help to prevent an accident or reduce the severity of an accident, the new M-Class features further enhanced passive-safety measures to help protect pedestrians.

Both active safety and driver-fitness safety are improved by assistance systems that will already be familiar, primarily from the S-Class and E-Class. The standard equipment package includes the drowsiness detection system ATTENTION ASSIST, the anticipatory safety system PRE-SAFE® and a tyre pressure monitoring system, as well as adaptive brake lights and the ESP® Electronic Stability Program. Active assistance systems such as Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist are available as additional equipment options.

McLaren MP4-27

2012-02-05T23:03:00.000Z

The launch of the McLaren MP4-27 at the McLaren Technology Centre showcased a natural evolution of last year’s six-race-winning car and underlined the message that the new season is very much one of growth through strength and continuity.
After finishing second in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in 2011, McLaren intend to fight for both Drivers and Contructors world titles from the very start of the 2012 campaign. The evolutionary design of MP4-27 masks an overhaul of all major systems meaning that while the all-new Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-27 closely resembles last year’s multiple race-winning car, the 2012 chassis has been substantially revised from the ground-up, with all major systems updated or re-designed for the new season. The most evident visual differences include more tightly waisted rear bodywork, developed to improve flow to the rear of the car, and a revised cooling system, which re-directs the gearbox oil-cooler. Last year’s U-shaped sidepods have also been re-designed – a legacy of the FIA’s new exhaust regulations that redefine the shape of the rear bodywork.
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is the only team in Formula 1 whose driver line-up consists of two world champions: Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. Between them, they have scored 22 grand prix victories for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and are the strongest and most consistent driver line-up in the sport.

Following a one-day private shakedown, Jenson will begin track testing of the MP4-27 at Spain’s Circuito de Jerez on Tuesday February 7.

BimmerWorld start 2012 CTSCC season with a podium and more

2012-02-05T21:52:00.001Z

Back in 2010 when the Virginia-based BMW experts entered GRAND-AM’s Street Tuner class with a pair of BMW 328is, the team ran inside the top 10 and scored a podium on its Daytona debut. With the expansion to three ST cars for 2012, the same was true as the No. 81 BimmerWorld BMW of veteran Gregory Liefooghe and rookie David Levine placed third, and the No. 80 of team owner James Clay and star sophomore John Capestro-Dubets took eighth at the BMW Performance 200.

The third car in BimmerWorld’s fleet, the No. 82 CRC BRAKLEEN® BMW 328i driven by race winner Seth Thomas and the experienced Dan Rogers, was on pace to join the No. 80 and 81 in the top 10 until a hard hit by a competitor forced them to the pits for lengthy repairs.

Although the incident that befell the No. 82 CRC BRAKLEEN® entry left plenty of points on the table, Clay came away from the wet/dry Round 1 race feeling positive about what the team can achieve across the entire 10-race championship.

“Certainly we have very capable cars and we are seeing the results of a winter of hard work and development, but our competition is tough and has some highly impressive speed,” Clay said. “I had hoped to win the BMW Performance 200 for BMW and we certainly gave it our all. And while we didn’t win, we showed that we have the team to do it when the opportunity arises and it will be a good year for the BimmerWorld guys.”

As the top finishers for BimmerWorld, Liefooghe and Levine got a chance to lead the race and to engage in a thrilling drafting battle on the high-banked portion of the blended oval and road course circuit, with Liefooghe, who drove the final stint, settling for third in the No. 81 after leading with one lap to go.

“The race went well for us and we can never complain about being on the podium,” he said. “It's a great way to rack up points for the championship. Daytona has always been a drafting track and I was expecting to have a lot of action, but the numerous full course cautions and traffic did not play in our favor. On the last restart, I made sure to create a gap, and I managed to get out reach for the Kia and the Mazda to get in my draft, only to have a GS car slow me down and make me vulnerable. That's when my competitors passed me in a two-car draft like a NASCAR restrictor plate race.

“On the last lap I still was set up nicely to get a run out of the bus stop and draft to the finish line, but another GS backmarker thought otherwise and came in the middle of the fight. It's hard to say if we would have won but it would have been a three-wide finish. It was frustrating, but I still feel good about our performance. It feels like we have a much more competitive car this year thanks to the hard work BimmerWorld put in the off-season and that we'll be fighting for wins all season long.”

For Levine, standing on the podium in his pro racing debut was just one of many highlights during the event.

“I am very pleased with our result at Daytona,” Levine said. “It would have been great to bring BMW a win in their title race, but I am still pleased with third. Overall, I was surprised by how clean the racing was. There were several times where there could have been contact but there wasn't any. I really enjoyed my fight with Mark Pombo and Andy Lally. The car was amazing in the rain which made racing for the lead very easy. It was a great weekend and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the BimmerWorld program.”

Capestro-Dubets was originally scheduled to switch to the role of closing driver this season, but a setback just before the Daytona race meant he will have to wait until Round 2 to take the reins from Clay. With Clay closing out the race in the No. 80, he and “JCD” got their championship aspirations off to a proper start by placing inside the top 10.

“Coming to Daytona this year was a heart break for me because of an injury that happened only days before leaving that would keep me from closing,” said JCD. “I have been preparing and waiting patiently for my chance to show my abilities as a closing driver, and with this injury keeping me from that, the drive from within to put the No. 80 on top grows and grows.
“Daytona was challenging enough last year, being my first time to the track, my first Continental race and being only my ninth race weekend ever! Then, only a year later, to be returning with a broken hand, and running in the top three during my stint, then bringing home a clean car for James was a major result. Overcoming the physical and mental challenge of this race was a victory in itself.”
Finishing 31st in class was hardly a just reward for Thomas and Rogers in the No. 82 CRC BRAKLEEN® BMW 328i, but the longstanding BimmerWorld driver felt the team as a whole gave him every reason to feel 2012 will be a good year for the entire program.

“Even with the lack of judgment by another driver that spoiled our race, I am pumped about what I saw with the BimmerWorld team this past weekend,” said Thomas. “Everyone performed at the top of their game – from the drivers to all the crew guys. This will help us as a team to be at the top in the points all season long fighting it out for team, manufacturer and driver Championships. Dan was solid in the CRC BRAKLEEN® BMW. He found speed when he needed it, keeping us in the fight from the start of the race. He was amazing on a wet track, having never driven the BMW E90 chassis platform on the Continental rain tires. With the speed he has shown so far, we will be fighting for wins and podiums this year.”

For Rogers, the sting of missing out on a top finish soured what should have been a strong debut with BimmerWorld.

“The weekend was good, however, the result was one of the most disappointing I've had,” he said frankly, showing his competitive fire. “Everyone in the BimmerWorld team expects success and in my short time with them, I do as well I guess. I just need to keep looking for a bit more speed to hang with our other drivers in the starting role, but with Seth as a teammate and Wayne Yawn handling our race strategy, we'll be in the game. We have every reason to feel encouraged about the first race, and now we just need to get to the finish at the second race to show what we can achieve.”

Follow the team’s progress at www.BimmerWorldRacing.com as they prepare for the next race on March 30th at Barber Motorsports Park.

Volkswagen up!

2012-02-05T21:45:00.000Z

Volkswagen has introduced the up! to an expectant motoring public with a five-door version of the up! city car following closely on the heels of the three-door version. Strangely neither are even available to drive out from a Volkswagen showroom yet! Adding even more excitement to the up! range is the up!GT and E-up!

Both three-door and five-door up!s give more than acceptable interior and boot space (251 litres boot capacity). The rear passengers in the five-door up! sit slightly higher than in the three-door in an attempt to allow the to see more of the road in front. One presumes the three-door up! is being seen more as a two seat city car with very little rear seat use (a more practical and useful Smart if you will).

Both (in fact all internal combustion) up!s are powered by a three-cylinder engine ensuring excellent economy and emission whilst still retaining a decent level of get-up-and-go. Safety remains admirable with the Volkswagen up! has receiving a five-star rating and the Advanced Award from Euro NCAP, the European New Car Assessment Programme, the first vehicle in this class to do so.

The up! range come with front and side airbags, ABS (including Hydraulic Brake Assist), Isofix child seat preparation in the rear and standard ESP (except the entry level model).

A small range of options, including Emergency City Brake are available for the smallest Volkswagen and it has been received very well by the UK motoring press; the up! is What Car? Car of the Year for 2012 and has also been named TopGear magazine's Small Car of the Year.

First UK deliveries of the three-door up! are due this March with the five-door up! following on during the second half of the year; prices for the three-door up! start at £7,995

The up!GT remains officially unofficial but the details of the hot city car are cast in stone, especially as pre-production models are being tested by the press on a daily basis.....

The up!GT will have a turbo charged 3 cylinder petrol engine producing 110PS which is a little bit more powerful than the car the up!GT is readily compared to - the mark one Golf GTI.

With a nice amount of torque for a small urban runabout (173Nm) this up! adds a little extra to the city car mould. Compared to a current hot hatch the up!GT is low on power and top speed (just under 125mp/h) but it really is high on fun, the lower ride height sharpening handling enough to be sporty without making the up!GT too much like an unsprung go-kart. Add in an effective and well made 6 speed gearbox and the up!GT can be hustled along accompanied by a wonderful induction roar.

Whilst not quite production ready the up!GT is expected to make it into UK showrooms either very late in 2012 or (more likely) in the Spring of 2013.

The Volkswagen up!GT offers something not see in the super-mini class since the Lupo GTI ceased production, fun! At an expected price of between £12500 and £13500 the up!GT should offer reasonable value for money too.

Another up! waiting in the shadows ready for launch is the E-up! which boasts a 82PS electric motor offering an impressive 240Nm of torque. Designed purely for city use the E-up! is limited to a top speed of 80mp/h but offers a range of around 90 miles. Tested down to -28 degrees C the E-up! seems to be a winter option for city dwellers too, although how long the battery will last at that temperature remains a little uncertain. Expect to see the E-up! debut around the same time as the E Golf. Price remains speculation but the E-up! should be around the same an up!GT with all the options added.

RACE EPIC/Murillo Racing go well in CTSCC season opener

2012-02-05T15:47:00.001Z

The RACE EPIC/Murillo Racing team left the opening round of Grand-Am’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) with a strong 6th place result and a good foundation to build on heading into the second-round of the series in March. Jesse Combs qualified the #56 Coolgas / Frank’s International BMW 328i in the 4th position and ran among the leaders before handing the car over to teammate, Jeff Mosing. Mosing would have a strong battle for the top four in the closing laps and eventually place 6th in the 41-car field.

“I’m happy with our 6th place finish,” said Jesse Combs. “We scored some solid points today and showed once again we are contenders in the most competitive endurance series in America. We are going to continue to work hard over the next two months as we prepare for round two of the series at Barber Motorsports Park.”

The team travels next to Barber Motorsports Park at the end of March for Round #2 of the CTSCC. Both drivers look forward to the Barber round as they had one of the cars to beat in the closing laps there one-year ago.

"This is a great start for us,” said Mosing. “We didn’t have the best start to the season here in Daytona last year, so finishing 6th was great. We are even more excited to be going back to Barber where I was able to qualify 2nd and Jesse brought the car home in 3rd. It was our only podium of the year and we feel our team has improved even more. ” For more information about Race Epic/Murillo Racing, visit www.raceepic.com For information regarding Grand Am’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, including schedules, visit www.Grand-Am.com

Flying Lizard at the 2012 24 Heures du Mans

2012-02-05T15:40:00.001Z

Flying Lizard {link} announced today that the team has received two entries for the 2012 24 Heures du Mans in Le Mans, France, on June 16-17, 2012. The full entry list was unveiled today by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) in a press conference in Paris.

The Flying Lizard entries will be the No. 80, which will compete in the GTE Pro class, and the No. 79, which will compete in the GTE Am class. Both racecars will be Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs. The full entry list is here.

Flying Lizard team principal Seth Neiman commented, "It's an honor to be invited to participate at this prestigious event. 2011 was our first year fielding two entries and we are pleased to be able to return in 2012 with the No. 80 and No. 79 Porsches."

Flying Lizard has competed in the 24 Heures du Mans for seven consecutive years: 2005 to 2011. The Flying Lizard No. 80 finished third in 2005, fourth in 2006, sixth in 2008 and sixth in 2011.

The driver lineup will be announced later this Spring.

Hamann 5 series Touring

2012-02-01T22:54:00.000Z

BMW tuner Hamann {link} offers a comprehensive selection of tuning options for the BMW 5 series (F11) Touring. Ranging from a roof spoiler, deeper side skirts, 3 different front spoilers to sports exhaust, sports catalysts as well as 21" wheels and suspension kits.

Designed to improve not only the appearance but also the handling of the BMW the Hamann suspension kit is progressive allowing better damping and a 35mm lowering of the Touring (over standard).

The F11s interior also comes in for the Hamann treatment with their in-house upholsterers offering a wide choice of materials and colours with leather, naturally, being the most selected. To round the whole car off Hamann offer a nice set of velour mats - possibly the least impressive but most affordable tuning part on offer for the F11 from Hamann.

Brumos Racing secures Rolex 24 podium finish

2012-02-01T22:16:00.002Z

With countless hours of hard work and preparation behind them, Brumos Racing was happy to get back on track at the 2012 season-opener Rolex 24 at Daytona. With momentum of the 2011 Championship behind them, the drivers and crew were confident of their ability to deliver a strong performance and hopeful of delivering a Rolex 24 win as well. The challenges were many, with one of the largest and most competitive fields in Rolex 24 history. Although the hoped-for win proved elusive, Brumos delivered a dominant performance, with the #59 leading the race for 281 laps before ending on the podium with a 3rd place finish.
Andrew Davis faced the daunting task of qualifying the Brumos Porsche 911 GT3 in the 45-car GT field. The crew’s hard work put him at the front of the line as the session began, and he delivered, capturing pole position for the #59. Davis described the race as a grueling event, adding, “This is the first of my eleven Rolex 24 starts where I can say we had a flawless run. There was no time spent in the garage, behind the pit wall, in a tire wall, or in the penalty box. At the end, we struggled with a power steering issue and a misfire so unfortunately we weren’t able to challenge for the win after leading so much of the race. I am so proud of the Brumos crew and appreciate all of the support we receive from the entire Brumos organization.”
Leh Keen also gave high marks to his crew. “We had a stellar performance and raced for the win the entire 24 hours,” he said. “Our podium finish gives us a great start to defend our championship for 2012, and such a strong run throughout the race also helped us in the Endurance Championship. This was personally my best finish at a Rolex 24 and I am very proud of that. It was really special to share the podium with Hurley Haywood on his final Rolex 24 race. All in all, any time you leave a race soaked in champagne, you have had a good day. I can’t wait for the rest of this season and the chance to show everyone what Brumos can do.”
It was fitting that Hurley Haywood ended his 40th Rolex 24 back on the podium, but he was already focused on season ahead. “This was such a hard race,” he said. “We were lucky to have a good car underneath us, and our guys did a great job of driving it. All in all, we ran a trouble-free race until the end. Marc was doing a Herculean job of driving, never knowing from corner to corner if he was going to have power steering or not. But our performance at this race has painted the picture – it has shown our competitors that we are going to be the team to beat in 2012.”
Marc Lieb’s performance in the closing stint was applauded by his teammates, as his efforts kept the #59 on the podium despite the challenges. Lieb joined his co-drivers with praise for the crew, saying, “It was an amazing effort, the car was fantastic and the crew did an awesome job with the pit stops. Leh and Andrew were perfect and then we had Hurley doing his 40th race, getting in the car when he didn’t drive much in practice, but doing an awesome job. I can see it’s going to be really difficult this year in the Rolex Series GT class with this level of competition, but Leh and Andrew have the ability and they can do it. I’m sure it’s going to be a great 2012 for Brumos.”
For Dan Davis, the podium represented a new milestone for the Brumos GT effort. Davis said, “Brumos accomplished something this week that we have strived for a long time, and that is to finish on the podium at the 24 hours. We were fortunate enough to do that in our DP car and now we are on the podium again for the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24. We were also on the GT pole, which I think is a tremendous salute to our team and our drivers. Our strategy didn’t work out quite as we had planned, but a 3rd place finish in this race is something to be really proud of. I thank all our folks for their hard work and dedication to what we’re trying to do - that is, to win races. I thank everyone
at all of our Brumos dealerships, too, for all that they do to enable us to continue to go racing.”
The Rolex 24 at Daytona finish puts Brumos in 3rd place in team points standings, and in 2nd place in the North American Endurance Championship, just one point shy of the lead.

Following the post-Rolex 24 break, Brumos {link} is back in action on March 31st in the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

Battling debut for Oryx Racing in Rolex 24

2012-02-01T21:10:00.002Z

Oryx Racing successfully completed its maiden race in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, finishing 32^nd out of 44 cars in the GT class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The UAE-based team, which included Emirati nationals Humaid Al Masaood and Saeed Al Mehairi in its line-up, overcame a number of challenges to finish the world-famous race in the United States, competing against some of the world’s top racing drivers and teams.

The Abu Dhabi-based team took delivery of its Audi R8 GRAND-AM this month and with less than 1,000-miles of testing on the clock before the race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona was always going to be a steep learning curve. The team will now use the nine-week break before the second round of the series to evaluate important data collected from the Daytona race.

Having started in an encouraging 15^th place on the grid, the #74 Oryx Racing Audi R8, driven by Al Masaood, Al Mehairi and Brit Steven Kane, experienced a number of technical issues that restricted the team to a total of 432 laps. Problems with the near standard clutch, unique to the GRAND-AM specification Audi R8, ultimately cost valuable time. The team also learnt a great deal about the car itself and the “control” Continental tyres.

Commenting on the race, team principal Humaid Al Masaood said, “I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season. Bearing in mind the lack of testing we did, I’m delighted with what we achieved – the R8 has masses of potential for the remainder of the season. I did just one, very slow lap after taking over from Steven on Saturday evening but the clutch was malfunctioning and I drove the car straight back to the garage. When I got out again almost three hours later the car felt it had a handling imbalance but it was simply a case of not being used to the Continental tyres but we worked at it and everything came together.”

Al Masaood’s teammate, Steven Kane gave a glimpse of what the Audi, which was also making its US race debut, is capable of when the Ulsterman comfortably ran inside the GT class top-10 early on. In the closing stages on Sunday afternoon the Oryx Racing Audi R8, which set the faster lap of the two Audi sports cars competing, was recording laps comparable with the top six GT cars around the 3.56-mile, 12-turn speedway road course.

For Saeed Al Mehairi, this was not only his debut in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series but also his first appearance for the Oryx Racing team. “It was a tough race and was an amazing all-round team effort. We overcame many problems. I had a ‘long’ brake pedal during my stint on Saturday evening but I quickly adapted to it. I was hit up the rear going in to turn three causing slight rear fender and exhaust damage. We were still having a clutch issue so the team took out the gearbox again and inspected the clutch”, he said.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona was the first race of the season for both the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and for Oryx Racing, which was contesting only its second ever twice-around-the-clock race. The second round of the 13-race series will be staged at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham (US State of Alabama) on March 31^st.

Motorsport fans can find all the latest news on the Oryx Racing team’s participation in the 2012 Grand-Am by visiting www.oryxracing.com or http://www.grand-am.com/

Eisenmann Spark Eight

2012-01-30T21:51:00.000Z

As a first foray into Tuning by the exhaust company Eisenmann {link} their Spark Eight is certainly a good start. High quality body modifications are well crafted and subtle; the front spoiler, brake cooling ducts and rear diffuser follow the form of the Audi R8 well whilst the new springs and dampers combine with the 8½x19" wheels to offer a sportier yet not extreme stance and ride.

Naturally Eisenmann offer a selection of exhausts for their Spark Eight which include the centre exit version that fit their diffuser perfectly.

For those who would rather benefit solely from Eisenmann's exhaust experience there are options that fit the standard Audi R8 rear as well.

Audi R8 Grand Am

2012-01-29T16:10:00.001Z

Fresh for the 2012 American motorsport season Audi have created the Audi R8 Grand Am.Using the ultra successful Audi R8 LMS (118 wins and 13 championships) as its base model the R8 Grand Am is designed to be victorious in the Grand Touring class of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series in America.

As Grand Am rules differ significantly to FIA regulations the two cars are strikingly different with the R8 LMS boasting up to 80% more aerodynamic grip than the Audi R8 Grand AM. The R8 Grand Am also has slightly less power than the R8 LMS and unlike the R8 LMS the Grand Am version has no traction control or ABS.

Audi have thus had to develop the R8 Grand Am totally independently of the ongoing LMS work, to this end there will only be a maximum of 4 R8 Grand Ams racing in North America in 2012 as both the teams and Audi Sport focus on developing a proven basic concept into a successful race car in the Rolex Sports Car Series.

Currently only Oryx Racing {link} and APR Motorsport {link} are racing the Audi R8 Grand Am in the USA with both teams giving their cars competitive debuts at the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona {link}.

Legend McRae wins in Ulster.

2011-08-22T22:08:00.002+01:00

British rallying legend Jimmy McRae (father of the late Colin McRae) proved he had lost none of he skill and determination by taking a commanding 2 minute class victory on the Ulster Historic Rally in Northern Ireland. After a cautious start Jimmy attacked the tight, twist and often slippery Antrim lanes taking the lead with 4 stages to go. Inspired driving and tyre choices allowed Jimmy and his Tuthill prepared Porsche to cruise to an impressive victory.

Picture courtesy of www.francistuthill.co.uk

Private BMW stops Chevrolet winning streak.

2011-08-16T22:17:00.007+01:00

Germany's Franz Engstler, in a BMW 320TC, claimed his first ever World Touring Car victory with an impressive performance at Oschersleben, Germany. The home victory by Engstler and his BMW brought to an end Chevrolet's impressive winning streak of run of 11 consecutive victories.
Starting from pole Engstler (who celebrated his 50th birthday days before the race) and his 1.6 litre turbo 320TC dropped down to second overall before re-gaining the lead on lap eight. From then on the German was never headed, taking a popular win in front of the works Chevrolet of Alain Menu, the Swiss touring car expert finishing just under one second behind.
The BMW 320TC is the latest in a line of successful BMW touring cars and whilst the 1600cc 4 cylinder turbo-charged engine and six speed sequential gearbox may be a little unfamiliar the results achieved certainly are not!

Volkswagen enters 2011 WRC events.

2011-07-21T21:58:00.000+01:00

Volkswagen have started gearing up for their Polo R WRC programme by entering 2 young drivers in both the Rally Finland and Rally Germany. Volkswagen Motorsport are entering a pair of Skoda Fabia S2000s on each event to gain experience for the whole team (including on event and off event personnel) on WRC rallies before it enters the 2013 World Rally Championship with the Polo R WRC. The are also using the events as assessment of potential drivers for their WRC programme, including development of the car in 2012. Andreas Mikkelsen (22) and Joonas Lindroos (26) will drive the VW Motorsport Skoda Fabias in Finland with Hans Weis Junior (24) and Christian Riedermann (23) taking over driving duties in Germany. Volkswagen Motorsport are expected to enter more rounds of the 2011 WRC as they assess more drivers and gain valuable experience for there forth coming challenge.

New owner!

2011-06-11T11:42:00.001+01:00

Having successfully sponsored Erik West Rallying for a few years Erik West Rallying now own German Cars Blog!

Erik said "After their support when I was actively rallying it seemed logical for me to get involved with the German Cars Blog. I wasn't really expecting to get the whole blog but now I have I will need to see what needs changing, what is good and what could be improved.

Obviously the first thing that needs changing is the lack of blogs! A blog with no blogs is like a car with no wheels, pretty useless and a waste of space.....

I intend to keep the format pretty similar, no adverts, no subscription just acurate information in an easy to read format with the odd in depth article.

The transition between old and new owners will take a while and as I have a family and plenty of other commitments I'm hoping for a re-launch sometime in the Autumn of 2011.

I hope the new German Cars Blog proves to be an interesting addition to the motoring blog scene, comments are welcome as are offers of help!"

BMW M3 GTR

2009-10-01T12:25:00.002+01:00

BMW’s M3 GTR is finally coming to a European race circuit! It makes its European debut at the Nürburgring on the 3rd of October, with a second outing planned on the 17th of October.
The car is enetered into the final 2 rounds of the German VLN Endurance Championship by the works favoured Schnitzer team and will be driven by current WTCC drivers Andy Priaulx (17th Oct.), Augusto Farfus (3rd Oct.), Dirk Müller (17th Oct.) and Jörg Müller (3rd Oct.).The two events are seen as important development excercises for the M3 GTR as BMW try and improve their car for the coming 2010 season. Results in America have proven to be good but the GTR is yet to be a consistant class winner and the races at the world’s toughest race track are hoped to bring an extra competive edge.

Brabus SV12 R

2009-10-01T12:21:00.003+01:00

Once again Brabus {link} have created a car that takes both power and opulence to the extreme in the highly impressive and equally imposing SV12 R.
Based on the face-lifted Mercedes S600 the Brabus SV12 R produces 750PS and 1350Nm of torque from its refined twin turbo V12 engine. Whilst not a headline grabbing amount of power it is more than enough to power the 6.3 litre (an increase over the standard 5.5 litre) SV12 R to 62mph from a standing start in 4 seconds, top speed is electronically governed to 210mph.
As with every other Brabus that has adorned their IAA stand the SV12 R is absolutely brimming with Brabus modifications, from the huge brake discs (380mm front and 355mm rear) and calipers (12 pot front and 6 pot rear) to Brabus’ own 21“ wheels. Exhaust gases are carried into the environment by a quad pipe sports exhaust sytem
Aluminium front wings,specially designed front bumper, LED rear lights, LED front running lights, side skirts and rear spoiler/diffuser all improve performance as well as adding Brabus style.
Internally the SV12 R is a technophobe’s nightmare with a notebook, TFT Display, Web cam, MP3player and an internet connection all fitted. All these gadgets and the standard Mercedes fare are wrapped in exquisite leather offering cutting edge technology in a refined and extremely comfortable setting.
For those wishing tranquility along with breakneck performance there can be no other choice but the Brabus SV12 R!

Wiesmann MF5 Roadster

2009-09-17T15:20:00.003+01:00

Making its debut at this year’s IAA (Frankfurt motor show) the Wiesmann MF5 Roadster offers stunning performance and looks. Basic specification remains the same as the coupe MF5, thus the cabriolet uses the V10 engine from BMW’s M5 (507PS and 520Nm of torque) as well as the 7 speed, sequential SMG gearbox. Thus the MF5 cabriolet is able to sprint from 0-62mph in a mere 3.9 seconds before continuing to a top sped of approximately 192mph.
The aluminium monocoque and composite body ensure that the Wiesmann MF5 Roadster is taut yet still light and the ABS, DSC plus driver and passenger airbag add an extra layer of safety. The rear spoiler (unlike on the coupe) alters position automatically providing extra downforce and stability when required.
Whilst not being exactly cheap at around £146,000 the MF5 Roadster will certainly be exclusive as Wiesmann {link} intend on building a production run of 55 and no more.

Volkswagen Golf R

2009-09-16T15:51:00.003+01:00

Volkswagen {link} have given the motoring world its first official look at the range topping Golf, the Golf R. Meant as a direct replacement for the out going mark 5 Golf R32 the mark 6 Golf R offers 270PS (a 20PS increase over the R32) and 350Nm of torque from a 2 litre turbocharged engine, thereby becoming the most powerful production Golf ever made. The TSI engine in the Golf R is similar to that fitted to the GTI but not the same. Originating in the mark 5 GTI the engine has undergone a large amount of development to produce 270PS; this includes stiffening of the cylinder block, new turbo, new intercooler, high pressure injectors and heavy duty internal parts.
As with the old R32 the Golf R uses Volkswagen’s 4motion 4 wheel drive system to transmit its power to the road, when combined with a DSG gearbox this means the Golf R can sprint from 0-62mph in a creditable 5½ seconds carrying on to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph.
The latest generation 4motion fitted to the Golf R is the most sophisticated yet and, for the first time, will allow almost all the power to be transmitted to the rear wheels only. The system is supposed to react quicker and smoother that the generation before thanks to the use of a new, pump driven pre-charged hydraulic system. Development of the transmission, and Golf R in general, started in the spring of this year at the motor industries favourite test track, the Nürburgring.
Working in conjunction with 4motion is enhanced ESP (with a specific ‚Sport’ mode designed predominantly for track use) and suspension that sits 25mm lower than standard. Wheels are 18“ as standard with 19“ optional, standard tyre size is 225/40..
Styling wise the Golf R To set the Golf R apart from a conventional Golf or has a new front fitted with LED running lights, a new rear bumper with a gloss black diffuser that houses the trademark pair of centrally exiting exhausts. The Golf R also comes a new black grille, wing mirrors and a set of sill extensions. Bi-xenon headlights are standard providing excellent forward lighting, the rear lights are unique to the Golf R with high-intensity LED bulbs and behind smoked lenses.
The interior remains traditional Golf with extra R badging and detailing, as per other R models this includes pedals, steering wheel and sill protectors.Volkswagen have mentioned that the Golf R (produced, incidentally, by Volkswagen Individual) is a more extreme performance model than the Scirocco R, claiming that where the Scirocco stops in terms of performance and handling the Golf R starts. Certainly Ford, Opel/Vauxhall and Renault will be studying the Golf R very carefully to see if it does set new standards in the performance (or ‚hot’) hatch segment.
Sales commence at the end of the year with prices expected to start around £28,500.

Irmscher Astra

2009-09-16T14:45:00.005+01:00

Irmscher launched their tuning options for the Opel/Vauxhall Astra on their stand at the IAA (Frankfurt motor show) yesterday. For those who find the standard new Astra a tad run-of-the-mill Irmscher {link} are offering a comprehensive range of styling products, both exterior and interior.
Exterior styling products include a front spoiler/lip for the bumper, sideskirts, a rear diffuser/spoiler plus a roof spoiler. The traditional Irmscher grille is available for the new Astra in either stainless steel or carbon effect.
Dynamic improvements include 18” wheels (20” wheels are currently being developed), 30mm lowering springs and a quad piped, twin exit (left and right) stainless steel exhaust back box that offers better through flow, a sportier sound and improved aesthetics.
Irmscher are offering complete leather interior for the new Astra (including seats, door panels and centre rests), aluminium door pins, pedals and stainless steel sill covers.

Italian Grand Prix

2009-09-15T09:35:00.004+01:00

Mercedes powered teams had a successful Italian Grand Prix last weekend. Brawn GP managed to secure 1st and 2nd with Rubens Barrichello leading home team mate and world championship leader Jenson Button. The Brawn GP duo were able to turn round a reasonably poor qualifying result (they qualified 5th and 6th respectively) into an impressive, and important result. After Jenson Button's poor finishing record of late the second place he earned settles his nerves and gives him increased confidence as he enters the last 4 races of the season. Meanwhile Barrichello has closed the gap to championship leader Button to 14 points. Brawn GP {link} now lead the team's championship by an impressive 40.5 points.

Force India {link} continued their highly impressive showing at high speed, low downforce circuits with Adrian Sutil claiming 4th overall from 2nd on the grid. This result helped counter the disappointment of seeing Antonio Liuzzi cost to a halt after 22 laps.

McLaren continue to show impressive pace but the race result proved to be quite frustrating. Lewis Hamilton lead the early stages of the Italian Grand Prix after starting on pole position and settled into a comfortable 3rd position once all the fuel stops had finished. Sadly, after giving his all in an attempt to catch and pass Jenson Button for 2nd a driver error resulted in a half spin which saw the MP4-24 slam into the barriers and instant retirement. Heikki Kovalainen qualified 4th and finished 6th which wasn't what he would have hoped for as he battles to justify his position in the McLaren {link} team.

BMW Sauber's fortunes continue to fluctuate and they enter the twilight of their F1 life. After a poor performance in qualifying (Robert Kubica qualified 13th two places in front of Nick Heidfeld) Kubica's race very short and action packed as he and Mark Webber came together and into retirement on the first lap. Heidfeld battled on and finally finished in the points in 7th overall. Neither BMW driver is in the top 10 of the world championship and BMW Sauber {link} are down in 7th in the team's championship, probably not the end the team would want to their Formula 1 experience.

Italian Grand Prix results:~

1. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
3. Raikkonen Ferrari
4. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
5. Alonso Renault
6. Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
7. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
8. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
9. Fisichella Ferrari
10. Nakajima Williams / Toyota
11. Glock Toyota
12. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
13. Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
14. Trulli Toyota
15. Grosjean Renault
16. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
Retired Liuzzi Force India / Mercedes
Retired Alguersuari Toro Rosso / Ferrari
Retired Kubica BMW Sauber
Retired Webber Red Bull / Renault

Magna seal deal to buy Opel and Vauxhall.

2009-09-10T16:18:00.004+01:00

The German government have announced that GM are in the process of selling 55% of their European car manufacturing arm to Canadian car part manufacturer Magna.

Whilst much speculation suggested that GM would like to keep hold of Opel and Vauxhall conditions put in place by both American and German governments may well have forced GM into parting with companies it would have preferred to retain. Tellingly it was the German government that announced the sale of Opel and Vauxhall to their favoured bidder. Exact details of finance and time scales for the hand over have yet to be released.

With the Frankfurt motor show just days away an end to speculation as to who will own Opel should help them launch the new Astra with increased confidence.

Crunch time for GM Europe.

2009-09-10T12:04:00.004+01:00

(New) General Motors are expected to announce what the future holds for Opel/Vauxhall as they announce who is buying (or not selling) GM Europe today at a press conference in Berlin, Germany.
It is thought that GM really do not want to sell the mainstay of GM Europe, hence the length of time they have deliberated about the sale and why no real news of favoured buyers has been released. Two days worth of meetings have been held in Detroit, America, by GM in an attempt to keep GM Europe in their control.
Whether GM not selling is a realistic option remains to be seen, the German Government (the the Opel Trust which is currently running GM Europe) have a very important say in the final decision on the future of both Opel and Vauxhall. So far all the Germans have said is „The €1.5 billion bridging credit is a loan. And a loan is a loan. GM must pay back the €1.5 billion under the conditions that we agreed on for Opel” and that there will be no more monies available should GM close factories in Germany. Whether this signals acceptance that GM are keeping GM Europe remains to be seen.
Certainly GM, Opel and the German government need a swift conclusion, the Frankfurt motor show and a German general election preclude any more stalling. The German voters and European car buying public need to know who owns Opel/Vauxhall and how secure their future is.....

Audi ring in the changes.

2009-09-09T11:36:00.001+01:00

At this years IAA (Frankfurt motor show) Audi are using their new logo that debuted at their 100 years celebration. A refinement of the 4 rings and their typeface the update is nothing dramatic. The old logos will gently start to disappear from forecourts and paperwork as of the IAA, consigning the re-profiling of 1995 to history.
In conjunction with the new logo their will be 2 new models receiving their world premier at the IAA; the R8 Spyder and the A5 Sportback.
Filling voids in the Audi model range at different ends of the spectrum both cars are expected to draw plenty of attention and probably buyers too.
The A5 Sportback completes the A5 range and, surprisingly, offers almost exactly the same amount of luggage capacity as an A4 estate (seats up). There are 5 engine options available for the Sportback when sales commence this month. They are: 2 litre TFSI quattro (211PS), 3.2 litre FSI quattro (265PS) 2 litre TDI (170PS), 2.7 litre TDI (190PS) 3 litre TDI (240 PS). The S5 Sportback tops the range offering a supercharged 3 litre V6 FSI petrol engine producing an impressive 333PS and 440Nm of torque. A 7 speed S Tronic paddleshift gearbox transmits the powers through the quattro drive train to all 4 wheels.
Audi are adding to the R8 range with the R8 Spyder, a convertible version of the impressive Bavarian Coupe. The R8 Spyder on display at the IAA will not be the finished production model as there is still plenty of prototype testing to be done before sales start around June 2010. Expect the Spyder to have exactly the same engine and drive train options as its solid roofed sister, including the 525PS V10.
Neither the R8 Spyder not the R8 will have a diesel engine option for the foreseeable future. The diesel concept made it right to the test track but not quite as far as production and sales. Audi’s latest idea for the R8 uses electric power and will be on the Audi stand at the IAA.
Also debuting on the Audi stand is the A4 Clean Diesel which uses the 3 litre TDI seen in the Q7. The common rail V6 TDI engine provides excellent performance, fuel economy AND emissions due to clever use of so called AdBlue technology ~ and additive mixed with water and sprayed in the exhaust system. The A4 Clean Diesel should easily pass the Euro 6 emission levels expected in 2014.
The 1.2 TSFI A3 and A3 Sportback will also be unveiled at the show. Due in the dealerships early 2010 the new 1.2 A3 uses lightweight turbo technology to provide a reasonable 105PS and 175Nm of torque whilst returning good economy and keeping emissions low.

Astra debut.

2009-09-08T13:25:00.003+01:00

Opel {link}, along with sister company Vauxhall {link}, are debuting the new Astra at this month’s Frankfurt motor show (IAA). The 5 door model will be available almost immediately after the show and this Astra is possibly one of the most important models for the struggling car manufacturer, should it receive bad reviews and be unpopular with the public the future for the European arm of GM would not be healthy. Opel and Vauxhall have chosen to debut the 5 door model as this is the body design which dominates old Astra sales.
More economical engines and a modern, Insignia based, design seem to almost guarantee a good reception with the motoring press and European car buying public.
There will be a range of 7 engines available for the Astra as soon as sales start. Power options vary from 95 to 180PS with a six speed automatic gearbox available for the 1400 turbo, 1600 and 1600 turbo petrol engines as well as the 2 litre diesel.
Also debuting at the IAA {link} is an Ecoflex version of the Astra (pictured) using a 1300ccm diesel engine. Expected to become one of the more popular models withing the Astra range the Ecoflex will be available in showrooms in early 2010.

Porsche 911 Sport Classic

2009-09-07T15:32:00.002+01:00

”Out with the old and in with the new” is an oft used statement and when the new draws heavily on the old a future classic is always a possibility. Porsche Exclusive {link} (Porsche’s specialist tuning department) are launching the 911 Sport Classic at the IAA (Frankfurt Motor Show). A production run of 250 cars is planned; expect the 911 SC to sell out almost instantly.
The most interesting and striking feature on the SC harks back over 35 years to the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7; the “ducktail” rear spoiler has returned! Sitting between wider rear arches the unmistakable ducktail merges modern with classic beautifully. Whilst the ducktail spoiler is the most obvious feature of the new 911SC there are distinct differences over the Carrera S upon which the SC is based. For example a new spoiler adorns the front, whilst subtle roof bubbles on both passenger and driver side add an extra dimension to the external and internal styling.
Internally the Porsche 911 Sport Classic is modern through and through, drawing no design ideas from past times. New leather technologies have allowed the seat centre to be made from woven (yes woven) leather. The interior contrasts with the model specific exterior paint, Sport Classic Grey, which offers exclusivity and yet remains subtle and unobtrusive.
The wheels fitted to the 911 Sport Classic are a modern twist on a timeless classic, they may be 19” in diameter but they hark back to the Fuchs design of over 35 years ago, to the extent that they are black in colour just as the ever popular Fuchs wheels were.
Behind the Fuchs inspired wheels sit Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes whilst the rear wheels are driven through a 6 speed manual gearbox (no other option is available). The Porsche 911 Sport Classic sits some 20mm lower on its PASM suspension.
Power for the SC limited edition special is provided by a modified 3.8 litre engine which (after Porsche Exclusive have worked the magic) produces 408PS. By using direct fuel injection fuel consumption and emissions follow other models closely.
Sales of the Porsche 911 Sport Classic created by Porsche {link} Exclusive start in 2010, though with such a small production run the 1:43 model (launched at the same time) will be all bar a lucky few will own!

IAA - Frankfurt Motor Show.

2009-09-07T13:43:00.006+01:00

This year's Frankfurt Motor Show will once again be crammed with new launches and hints to future designs and concepts, with German manufacturers using their home show to address their main market.

Whilst we will cover the show as extensively as possible the IAA is always worth a visit. The show runs from the 17th September to 27th September. The 17th and 18th are bonafide trade days, the rest are fully open to the public.

More information on the opening dates, ticket prices, exhibitors and exhibits can be found by following this link.

New hands!

2009-09-07T12:53:00.004+01:00

German Cars Blog has new hands guiding it and we hope to offer a far more regular service than GCB of old!!

The tried-and-tested format will remain; with a little extra detail and more tests where possible. We look forward to offering factual and concise reports on everything associated with German motor manufacturers and their products, be they road, race or tuned cars.

The change at GCB has meant many weeks and events have passed; we hope to cover the important points in a few "catch-up" articles over the next few days.

Thanks to everyone who has visited already, we hope you come back regularly!

British Formula 3, Rockingham.

2009-06-01T15:48:00.002+01:00

Mercedes powered teams redressed the victory count in this year’s championship by winning both races this weekend. Nick Tandy claimed an emotional victory in race one for his family run JTR whilst Marcus Ericsson took the spoils in race 2 driving his Mercedes powered Double R Dallara.
Top Volkswagen powered driver in race 1 was Carlin driver Max Chilton who finished 5, race two was better for VW poered teams with both Carlin and T-Sport getting drivers on the podium. T-sport driver Adriano Buzaid claimed 3rd overall with Henry Arundel finishing 2nd in his Carlin prepared Dallara.
Volkswagen powered driver Daniel Ricciardo still leads the championship despite crashing out of the first race at Rockingham.

DTM, Lausitz.

2009-06-01T15:47:00.002+01:00

Gary Paffett won last weekend’s DTM race in his Mercedes giving the Stuttgart manufacturer a much needed win after the first round drubbing they suffered at the hands of Audi. Lausitz proved to be a far better venue for Mercedes teams as Audi only managed to fill 3 of the top 11 places. Highest placed Audi driver was Mattias Ekstrom who finished 3rd overall.

FIA GT2, Adria.

2009-06-01T15:46:00.002+01:00

Prospeed drivers effectively carried on from where they left off at Silverstone by winning the GT2 class in the FIA GT championship at Adria. The pair in their Porsche were able to counter all challenges and now have a healthy lead in the championship as the teams head to Oschersleben.

British Touring Cars, Oulton Park.

2009-06-01T15:45:00.000+01:00

In the heat of Oulton BMW teams enjoyed a successful 3 races as Colin Turkington took his Team RAC car to 2 victories and a disappointing 11th in the final race. Turkington’s BMW team mate Stephen Jelley enjoyed more limited success finishing 5th in the first race of the weekend before ending race 2 down in 14th and retiring from race 3.
Rob Collard and Jonathan Adam battled away all weekend in the Airwaves BMWs with good results coming to both drivers; Collard grabbed a hard fought 9th in race 1, retired in race 2 but drove brilliantly to take 4th in race 3 after having started from the pit lane! Adam finished 3rd, 5th and 13th as he continues to impress with his speed and determination is his first season of BTCC.

FIA GT3, Adria.

2009-06-01T15:44:00.002+01:00

Adria was not as kind to the new Audi R8 LMS as Silverstone had been and the Ingolstadt racer didn’t feature in either of the 2 races, a highest finish of 9th overall being somewhat disappointing.
Porsche’s fortunes had gone the other way since Silverstone with the 911 GT3 Cup S showing ever greater pace. The number 12 car Prospeed car of Niki Lanik and Geoffroy Horion claimed a hard fought 4th overall in the first race of the weekend with the Trackspeed GT3 Cup S of Tim Sugden and David Ashburn claiming 4th in race 2. Lanik and Horion kept up their strong performance and finished 6th in race 2.
Alpina also saw an improved performance from their B6 GT3 with Claudia Hürtgen and Csaba Walter claiming an impressive 5th overall in race 1. Their race 2 result was not quite what the team would have wanted as they struggled home in 12th place.

FIA GT4, Adria.

2009-06-01T15:42:00.001+01:00

BMW and Porsche teams showed increased pace in Adria. Pierre Brice Mena claimed 2nd in race 1 in his Espace Bienvenue BMW M3 with Kevin Veltman in his Genpact prepared similar car finishing an impressive 4th.
Mena enjoyed even greater success in race 2 as he claimed victory from the Walter Selles prepared Porsche 997 GT3 of Mauro Casadei with Veltman finishing down in 5th.

FIA Supersports, Adria.

2009-06-01T15:41:00.000+01:00

Audi power remains the only choice for the Supersports class of the FIA GT4 championship with both Donkervoort and KTM using Audi engines.
Stephane Wintenberger won race 1 in his Donkervoort D8 GT from Denis Donkervoort (Donkervoort D8 GT) Augustin Eder (KTM X Bow) and Nico Pronk (Donkervoort D8 GT).
Race 2 saw Eder and his KTM X Bow emerge victorious, in fact Eder was the only Supersports finisher such was the rate of attrition!

ADAC Zurich 24 Hours, Nürburgring.

2009-06-01T15:33:00.002+01:00

This year’s Nürburgring 24 hour race saw a historical achievement as the Manthey Porsche {link} team claimed its 4th successive victory.
After a race long battle with the Abt Audi R8 LMS the Timo Bernhard, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas and Marcel Tiemann Porsche 911 GT3 RSR came home with a winning margin of 1 lap.
Behind the Christian Abt, Jean-Francois Hemroulle, Pierre Kaffer, Lucas Luhr Audi R8 LMS of came another Manthey prepared car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S car of Emmanuel Collard, Wolf Henzler, Richard Lietz and Dirk Werner. Uwe Alzen, Sascha Bert, Lance David Arnold and Christopher Mies finished 4th in their Porsche 997 GT3 Cup with the Phoenix Racing Audi A8 LMS of Marc Basseng, Marcel Fässler, Mike Rockenfeller and Frank Stippler rounding out the top 5.
Volkswagen scored an impressive 17th overall with their natural gas powered Scirocco as well as a class win and 15th overall with their petrol powered version.

WTCC, Valencia.

2009-06-01T13:23:00.001+01:00

The first race of last weekend’s World Touring Car Championship at Valencia, Spain saw BMW continue their resurgence with 3 cars in the top 6 at the finish. Augusto Farfus lead home Andy Priaulx and fast starting Jorg Muller in 4th, 5th and 6th. BMW drivers Sergio Hernandez, Stefano D'Aste and Felix Porteiro completed the top 10 finishers and helped keep the Bavarian manufacturer’s team happy with events.
Race 2 proved to be even better for BMW with 5 out of the top 6 positions falling to their drivers. More importantly BMW were able to claim their first victory of the season thanks to a measured drive by Augusto Farfus who finished half a second clear of fellow BMW driver Jorg Muller. Andy Priaulx, Alex Zanardi and Sergio Hernandez completed the top 6 finishers in their BMWs with Stefano D'Aste finishing 9th overall to cap a successful race and a return to the top step of the podium for BMW.

Monaco Grand Prix

2009-06-01T12:29:00.001+01:00

Jenson Button used Mercedes power to dominate the Monaco Grand Prix in his Brawn GP formula one car. Starting from pole Button claimed an impressive win adding his name to the list of great drivers who have won round the tight and twisty confines of the historic track. Team mate Rubens Barrichello followed Button home in second place capping an excellent race for Brawn GP.
Other Mercedes powered teams were less successful with the McLaren Mercedes team enduring a torrid race weekend which started when Lewis Hamilton crashed in qualifying and ended with Hamilton languishing down in 12th and Heikki Kovalainen retiring after a spin.
Force India enjoyed a more competitive race with Ginacarlo Fisichella just missing out on 8th overall and the important point that goes with it. Team mate Adrian Sutil showed bursts of speed on his way to 14th overall.
BMW had yet another awful weekend with neither car being competitive all weekend. The final result was that nick Heidfeld scrapped and struggled his way to 11th and Robert Kubica retired after just 31 laps ensuring that the German Swiss team were deeply disappointed. The messages of “Happy Birthday to the Mini” on the cars were all that was happy in the team!

1. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
3. Raikkonen Ferrari
4. Massa Ferrari
5. Webber Red Bull / Renault
6. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
7. Alonso Renault
8. Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
9. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
10. Glock Toyota
11. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
12. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
13. Trulli Toyota
14. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
15. Nakajima Williams / Toyota
Retired Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
Retired Kubica BMW Sauber
Retired Vettel Red Bull / Renault
Retired Piquet Renault
Retired Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari

Kicherer E Class.

2009-05-19T13:02:00.004+01:00

German tuner Kircherer {link} have unveiled their styling and performance package for the new AMG E Class.

Carbon is used widely in the body styling products thus the front spoiler, rear spoiler, rear bumper insert and mirror covers are all light weight carbon. All the styling items are designed to fit an E Class that has the AMG styling packet fitted already (Kircherer are well known and respected AMG specialists).

Kircherer already have a few engine tuning kits available for the new E Class with others under development.

A suspension kit is already on offer as is a performance exhaust sytem.

The interior also attracts Kircherer's attention gaining a sports steering wheel, carbon dash and door inserts as well as extra leather detailing.

Expect more tuning options from Kircherer for the E Class and other Mercedes to follow soon.

ALMS Miller Motorsports Park.

2009-05-18T16:45:00.000+01:00

GT2 in the Utah Grand Prix, second round of the ALMS {link} was very much a Porsche benefit as the Jörg Bergmeister / Patrick Long Flying Lizard Motorsports {link} Porsche 911 GT3 RSR took a dominant 74 second victory from the Farnbacher Loles Racing {link} 911 GT3 RSR of Marc Lieb and Wolf Henzler. Porsches also finished 5th (Johannes Stuck / Nicky Pastorelli – VICI Racing {link}) and 6th (Johannes van Overbeek / Seth Nieman – Flying Lizard Motorsports) in GT2.
BMW’s E92 M3s, run by Rahal Letterman Racing {link}, finished 8th and 9th in GT2 showing increased performance and better reliability.

Winners of the Challenge class in their Snow Motorsport run Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car were husband and wife team Martin and Melanie Snow.

DTM Hockenheim.

2009-05-18T16:44:00.000+01:00

Germany’s premier touring car championship, the DTM {link}, got underway last weekend at Hockenheim. With north Audi and Mercedes investing large amounts of time and effort into their challenges the racing is always close fought and entertaining.
Preseason testing had indicated that Mercedes had a clear speed advantage and the race at Hockenheimring was expected to favour those driving cars with three pointed stars.
Interestingly the race proved to be an Audi benefit with Tom Kristensen leading home another 3 Audis as the Ingolstadt marque locked out the top 4 overall positions. But for a late puncture the top 5 positions would have been held by Audi as erstwhile race leader Mattias Ekstrom surrendered his 9 second lead when he pitted to change his punctured left rear tyre.
Fifth overall and the honour of being the top Mercedes driver fell to Paul di Resta although he was some 21 seconds behind the victorious Audi of Kristensen.
Kristensen ended an almost 3 year draught of DTMs wins at Hockenheim and heads into the next race at EuroSpeedway Lausitz (31st May) in buoyant mood.

WTCC Pau.

2009-05-18T16:32:00.002+01:00

BMW’s fortunes improved dramatically at Pau, France last weekend in the latest World Touring Car Championship {link} rounds, with a bizarre accident robbing them of an excellent result.
Race 1 on the tight and twisty street circuit saw a return to full competitiveness for BMW as their 3 series touring cars took 6 of the top 7 places as well as having claimed pole position. Unfortunately the BMWs finished 2nd to 7th with the podium’s top step being occupied by a Chevrolet. None the less the result was greeted with jubilation by the Bavarian marque who had endured a disappointing 4 races prior to this.
Race 2 was developing into an even better situation for BMW until the first corner! BMW drivers Jorg Muller and Andy Priaulx tangled with both paying visits to the unforgiving Armco barriers surrounding the track. Priaulx suffered rear bumper damage whilst Muller limped back to the pits for repairs.
Turn 2 saw BMW’s misery increase further as two more of its cars made contact with each other and the scenery. This time Felix Porteiro and Sergio Hernandez clashed after Porteiro clipped a kerb stone resulting in damage to both cars with Hernandez’ ending up burning!
Just when things couldn’t have got any worse for BMW and their drivers, race leader Franz Engstler came across the slow moving safety car with no prior warning. Travelling at race speed Engstler was unable to avoid hefty contact with not only the safety car but the barrier too. Engstler went from leading the race to an instant retirement.After the carnage and a re-start BMW managed to secure 2, 4th and 5th with Augusto Farfus taking 2nd overall for the second race in succession. Farfus is also 2nd in the championship as it moves on to Valencia in 2 weeks time.

BTCC Donington.

2009-05-18T16:30:00.000+01:00

A wet Donington Park hosted the latest 3 rounds of the British Touring Car Championship {link} last weekend with damp conditions being the order of the day.
Whilst Opel’s sister company Vauxhall retain the lead of both driver’s and team’s championship it is with reduced margins.
The non-factory BMW teams struggled a little in the first 2 races with Rob Collard (Airwaves BMW) picking up a 4th place in race 1 and Colin Turkington (Team RAC) collecting a 5th place in race 2.
It all came together well on the drying Donington Park track in race 3 where Collard lead home Turkington to a BMW 1 – 2.
Turkington leads the independent driver’s championship from Collard whilst Airwaves BMW leads Team RAC in the independent team’s championship.

Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS

2009-05-14T10:37:00.005+01:00

The first thing that strikes anyone viewing the Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS is its body styling. Svelte and subtle it is not with bulges and air intakes all over the front, including the 70mm longer (than standard) forward opening bonnet. The bonnet isn't the only part of the Tornado 750 GTS that has been lengthened, the front and rear bumper/spoiler combinations have also been extended compared to the standard Porsche Cayenne. Whilst dimensions have increased weight has actually reduced, impressively the all carbon body styling is estimated to reduce the weight of the Tornado 750 GTS by 250kgs in comparison to a standard Cayenne.

The weight saving is doubly useful when one considers the power and torque of the tuned engine Gemballa {link} have produced for the Tornado 750 GTS. From its now 5 litre turbocharged engine the Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS produces a very impressive 750PS and 1050Nm of torque. Enough power to propel this über-Cayenne to 62mph from rest in 4.3 seconds and on to a top speed in excess of 185mph. The extreme front body styling draws air into the engine, larger intercooler, radiator and brakes as well as actually drawing air away from hot areas in the engine bay too. Exhaust gases exit the engine through a custom designed exhausts system with 4 tailpipes.

With such explosive performance available Gemballa have had to improve the suspension and brakes considerably. Behind the 12x22" wheels, covered by 335/25 tyres, sit huge brakes (415mm diameter front and 380mm diameter rear) which offer excellent and durable braking. The handling has been radically altered and improved, the Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS sits some 70mm lower on coilover suspension. Even so the 750 GTS is no out-and-out sports car and has a higher centre of gravity than would be considered perfect for a car with 750PS.

Gemballa have created a sumptuous, refined and yet sporty interior with 4 sports seats, full leather and carbon seating, dash and door panels.

Exclusivity is assured as Gemballa are limiting the production of the £370,000 Tornado 750 GTS to 50 worldwide. Interested parties should contact Gemballa's Leonberg offices quickly as the über-Cayenne offers such performance that Gemballa are unlikely to struggle selling out, even in these difficult economic times.

AC Schnitzer ASC3.

2009-05-13T15:31:00.009+01:00

BMW tuners AC Schnitzer {link} offer a complete tuning package for drivers of the current BMW 3 series. The ASC3 range covers everything from performance upgrades to styling and wheels.

The ACS3 exterior styling range includes front and rear spoilers (roof mounted for the 3 series Touring and boot mounted for the saloon), side skirts and mirrors. Designed to fit to BMWs with or without the M Technic pack the ACS3 styling is classic AC Schnitzer; purposeful, exceptionally well made yet slightly understated and fully in keeping with the original design of the 3 series.

Power upgrades range from 177PS to 360PS and cover diesel and petrol engines, the M3 receives its own stand alone tuning package. To complement the various engine tuning options available Schnitzer also offer an uprated limited slip differential as well as a performance exhaust system too.

With a selection of wheel designs and sizes available the BMW 3 series driver is almost spoilt for choice. The new range topping 9 & 10x20" wheels are certainly most impressive but the 17" wheels may be a more sensible choice in these harsh economic times. The option of 8 pot front brake calipers seems like a worthwhile investment for the most powerful ASC3s.

Helping keep the wheels in contact with the road at all times are a selection of suspension kits. Depending on use and budget AC Schnitzer can supply springs, springs and dampers, coilover suspension or a full race suspension kit. In addition there are also uprated anti roll bars as well as front and rear strut braces on offer.

Schnitzer have also improved the interior styling of the current BMW 3 series including having the option of a gear knob with digital display (showing what gear is selected). Other items include carbon dash and door inserts, aluminium pedals and velour mats as well as a 3 spoke sports steering wheel in a choice of two finishes.

AC Schnitzer's ACS3 tuning kits cover every aspect of the current 3 series BMW and allow a driver greater performance, exclusivity and extra style all at reasonable cost.

Brabus SV 12 S.

2009-05-13T14:19:00.007+01:00

Brabus {link} are respected worldwide for their ability to take a Mercedes Benz and tune it to a level thought impossible by many. The SV 12 S is, possibly, the most tuned a road practical SL can be.

Brabus have breathed their technical wizardry onto and into the 6.3 litre twin turbo V12 resulting in 730PS and 1100Nm of torque (a little less than the same engined fitted in the Brabus Rocket). Combine this extreme power and torque with an uprated gearbox and limited slip differential and the SV 12 S will sprint from 0-62mph in 4 seconds carrying on accelerating right until the electronic regulator calms everything down at around 215mph!

Decelerating from the speeds the SV 12 S is capable is handled by huge, racing inspired brakes. 12 pot calipers exert the pressure on the front axle whilst 6 pot calipers are used on the rear, disks are 375mm x 36mm front and 355mm x 28mm rear, naturally vented and drilled.

The Brabus SV 12 S sits 25mm lower thanks to an electronic module that interacts with the suspension, stiffer anti-roll bars keep the car level through the corners. 9x20" (front) and 10½x20" (rear) wheels fitted with 255/30 and 305/25 tyres respectively transmit the power to the ground.

Front and rear spoilers and side skirts improve the standard SL aesthetics whilst LED daytime driving lights, long range driving lamps and fog lights help the SV 12 S driver to not only see but to be seen too.

New Volkswagen TSI and TDI engines.

2009-05-13T13:38:00.006+01:00

Volkswagen are leaders in engine "downsizing" with their TSI concept offering large capacity engine perfromance from small capacity engines. The idea behind this so-called downsizing is that a smaller capacity engines are more economical, efficient and environmentally friendly (as well as cheaper to tax in many countries).

The latest TSI engine from Volkswagen debuted in Austria recently, the 1.2TSI. Destined for the both the new Polo and Golf the 1.2TSI offers all the benefits of a small capacity petrol engine but with 105PS and maximum torque from 1500rpm.

To compliment the 1.2TSI Volkswagen have also launched a 1.6 TDI engine which will, once again, debut later this year in both the Polo and Golf. Available with 3 different performance levels this new TDI engine is likely to become the staple diesel engine in the small Volkswagen range. The 1.6TDI will be available with 75PS, 90PS and 105PS.

Both the 1.2TSI and 1.6TDI will, naturally, fully comply with the Euro 5 emission regulations and should be available with both manual and DSG transmissions.

Vauxhall (Opel) Astra

2009-05-13T10:14:00.007+01:00

The first official pictures of the new Vauxhall Astra {link} have been released today. The Astra, which is responsible for approx 30% of all Vauxhall {link} sales, takes its styling cues from the well received Insignia. (Opel sales figures for the Astra also average out at approx 30% of total car sales)

The British made Astra is due to offer Adaptive Damping as standard and Adaptive Forward Lighting as an option both of which are new to its class. Adaptive Damping will offer the Astra driver a choice of three settings pre-determined damper settings, Standard - Sport - Tour, although each setting will react and adapt to driving style and corner speeds. This, in conjunction with a 71mm longer chassis than the current Astra, is expected to ensure class leading ride refinement and excellent handling characteristics.

All 8 engines available at the launch of the new Astra will comply to the latest Euro 5 emission regulations. A new petrol engine debuts in the Astra, the new 140PS turbocharged 1.4 litre petrol engine offers the emission and consumption of a small capacity engine with the performance of a larger sized engine.

Vauxhall are aiming to make the new Astra a premium product and promise the interior will follow the same concept as that seen in the Insignia (as this article was written there were no pictures or information available about the interior).

The Astra is being launched at September's Frankfurt Motorshow with both Vauxhall and Opel sales starting before the end of the year.

Spanish Grand Prix.

2009-05-11T11:39:00.003+01:00

The Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona hosted the latest round of the Formula 1 World Championship and saw a familiar driver and team combination standing atop the podium.

Once again Brawn GP, a Mercedes engine and Jenson Button took victory (making it 4 wins from 5 races this year), this time with the other Brawn driver, Rubens Barrichello, finishing second. The perfect result for Brawn GP {link} could have finished with either Button or Barrichello 1st overall but an issue with Barrichello's tyres saw him struggle to match Button's pace as the duo ran different pit strategies.

McLaren Mercedes {link} had yet another disappointing race weekend in 2009 with Heikki Kovalainen failing to finish and Lewis Hamilton finishing out of the championship points in a very uninspiring 9th overall.

Mercedes' last engine customer had an expensive weekend as Force India's Adrian Sutil became involved in the carnage of the first lap, resulting in considerable damage to his car and instant retirement. Giancarlo Fisichella, the other Force India driver, was the last classified finisher in 14th place.

At the last race the BMW Saubers were woeful eventually struggling round as the last two classified finishers. Barcelona saw a highly impressive transformation and a dramatic upturn in the teams fortunes. Both drivers proved to be competitive (although still lacking the outright pace of the Brawn GP cars) and the German / Swiss team {link} were rewarded by 7th (Nick Heidfeld) and 11th (Robert Kubica) at the end. Whilst these results are some way off the team's expected pace their are encouraging signs for the remainder of the season.

The teams now head off to Monaco {link} and the most famous and demanding Grand Prix of the year with Button holding a 34 point lead over team mate Barrichello in the driver's championship. Brawn GP are 29½ points clear in the team's championship.

Race results:~
1. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
3. Webber Red Bull / Renault
4. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
5. Alonso Renault
6. Massa Ferrari
7. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
8. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
9. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
10. Glock Toyota
11. Kubica BMW Sauber
12. Piquet Renault
13. Nakajima Williams / Toyota
14. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
Retired Raikkonen Ferrari
Retired Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
Retired Trulli Toyota
Retired Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
Retired Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
Retired Sutil Force India/Mercedes

World Touring Car Championship, Marrakech.

2009-05-06T16:12:00.001+01:00

The latest pair of WTCC {link} rounds were held in Marrakech, Morocco last weekend and were, unfortunately, none-to-kind to BMW.
Whilst Chevrolet were celebrating a double victory for their new Cruze BMW were left struggling with 4th overall in race 2 for Jörg Müller being their best result.
Race 1 was a disaster for the Bavarian marque with Müller being the highest placed BMW finisher in a highly disappointing 8th overall.
The championship table does not make pleasant reading for BMW at present with Andy Priaulx their highest placed driver in 7th, 27 points behind the championship leader.
The only slight glimmer of hope for BMW is that the results from both Moroccan races are still provisional whilst technical checks are carried out on other manufacturer’s cars.

British Formula 3 – honours even.

2009-05-06T16:10:00.003+01:00

Victories in round three and four of the British F3 championship {link} were shared equally between Mercedes and Volkswagen powered teams.
Renger van der Zande took his Hitech run Dallara Mercedes to a dominant victory in race one at Silverstone last weekend (round 3 of the championship).
Victory in race 2 (round 4) fell to Daniel Ricciardo who took his Carlin prepared Dallara Volkswagen passed team mate Max Chilton in a daring late race manoeuvre to clinch victory.
Chilton’s weekend was slightly bitter-sweet having secured pole position for both races he was only able to finish 2nd and 3rd in races 1 and 2 of the weekend.
After his round 4 win Australian Ricciardo has stretched his championship lead to 28 points.

FIA GT4

2009-05-06T14:00:00.005+01:00

Last weekend saw the first 2 rounds if the FIA GT4 European Cup & Supersport Championship {link}.

The GT4 class had a pair of BMW M3s entered for Kevin Veltman {link} (Genpact Racing) and André Grammatico and Pierre Brice Mena (Espace Bienvenue). Veltman took 8th and then 4th overall while the Espace Bienvenue car finished 9th in race one and retired from race 2.

The Supersport class is dominated by Audi powered cars with both the Donkervoort D8GT {link} and KTM X Bow GT4 {link} using Ingolstadt developed power plants.

Denis Donkervoort (Donkervoort D8GT) managed to claim victory in race 1 at Silverstone, finishing a remarkable 3rd overall. Stephane Wintenberger (Donkervoort D8GT) claimed 2nd with Augustin Eder (KTM X BOW GT4) taking 3rd from Nico Pronk (Donkervoort D8GT). Race 2 saw Eder win from Pronk with no others reaching the finish.

FIA GT2

2009-05-06T13:30:00.006+01:00

Round 1 of the FIA GT Championship {link} took place at Silverstone last weekend and saw the Belgian ProSpeed Competition Porsche team {link} take victory in the GT2 class. After a hard fought race the ProSpeed 997 GT3 RSR of Emmanuel Collard and Richard Westbrook finished clear of a gaggle of following Ferraris.

FIA GT3

2009-05-06T12:34:00.008+01:00

The FIA GT3 Championship {link} got underway at Silverstone with 2 races that saw impressive results for all 3 German manufacturers, especially the 2 who were debuting their cars.

Silverstone saw Team Rosberg {link} and Phoenix Racing {link} debut a pair of brand new Audi R8 LMS' each with impressive results. Team Rosberg's Nicolas Armindo and Cesar Campanico had the slightly better races claiming an impressive brace of 3rd positions (and claiming the R8 LMS' first podium finish in GT3) whilst Phoenix Racing's Christopher Haase and Chritsopher Mies claimed 2nd overall in race 2 after finishing an extremely disappointing 26th overall in race 1.

Mühlner Motorsport {link} Porsche's 997 GT3 Cup S narrowly missed out on podium positions with a 5th place finish in race 1 followed up by 6th in race 2, the Tim Bergmeister / Jaromir Jirik GT3 Cup S car did however manage to claim fastest overall race lap in race 2.

Alpina BMW {link} debuted their B6 GT3 car at Silverstone with impressive and encouraging results. Drivers Claudi Hürtgen and Walter Csaba drove the new car to 8th overall in the first race and then 7th overall in the second race. Michael Petit / Jose Manuel Balbiani and team mates Gilles Vannelet / Pierre-Brice Mena didn't have quite as much success in their Team MP Racing Alpina B6 GT3 as the Alpina cars with only Vannelet/Mena reaching the finish of either race (11th in race one.).

Lorinser C350.

2009-04-27T14:49:00.006+01:00

Swabian tuner Lorinser {link} have subtly and suitably modified the Mercedes C350 improving performance and aesthetics with great attention to detail.

Lorinser's styling is muted yet still impressive with a new front spoiler, side skirts and rear bumper all adding to the appearance of the C class. The rear bumper allows the special Lorinser exhausts to exit with no issues regarding bodywork fouling. Complimenting the body styling as well as improving handling is a sports suspension kit that lowers the C class 10mm all round, when used in conjunction with Lorinser's 19" wheels the improvements to poise and appearance are marked.

As with most German tuners Lorinser are not purely about show, they endow their chosen cars with 'go' too! By altering the camshafts and engine management Lorinser are able to raise the power of the normally aspirated V6 from 272PS to a more impressive and equally usable 305PS. An increase in torque is also delivered by the tuning kit. Whilst power and torque figures rise fuel consumption should in fact reduce thanks to clever programming of the ECU.

9ff Porsche GT2.

2009-04-27T14:19:00.003+01:00

Porsche tuner 9ff {link} have turned their attention to the GT2 with impressive results. Using traditional tuning techniques in conjuction with modified electronics 9ff have been able to improve the performance of the GT2 considerably.

Whilst a standard Porsche GT2 offers a more than adequate 530PS 9ff's GT2 offers up to a stunning 910PS with a similar increase in torque. Combine all the extra power and torque with a new exhaust system, radically improved suspension and braking and 9ff's GT2 becomes and extremely capable and stunningly fast track day car, it is also a fiendishly fast road car!

Mercedes E class.

2009-04-27T13:44:00.004+01:00

Mercedes {link} will debut the E class Estate at this year's Frankfurt Motorshow. Sales of the E class T (as the estate is to be known) will commence directly after the show. Specification and costs are to be widely similar to the current saloon.

At the show Mercedes will also allow the motoring public a first glance at the E class cabrio. This is the new incarnation of the CLK and will, once again, use a material (rather than metal) folding roof. Styling will be dictated by the current E class model with a deep A pillar ensuring that around 50% of the door opening is covered by the windscreen.

Specification and pricing of the E class cabrio are not yet set and could well be swayed by how the current economic crisis develops. Engines will, naturally, include both diesel and petrol variants with range topping turbo versions expected. An AMG E class cabrio will follow in early 2010.

Bahrain Grand Prix.

2009-04-27T13:29:00.003+01:00

Jenson Button and his Mercedes powered Brawn GP car were victorious for the 3rd time this season. Button dominated the Bahrain Grand Prix and took an impressive victory from the second row of the starting grid. The other Brawn GP car of Rubens Barrichello finished down in 5th place behind a rejuvenated Lewis Hamilton in the ever improving McLaren Mercedes. These three drivers were the high points for the Stuttgart engine builders as Hamilton's Mclaren Mercedes team mate suffered a frustrating event finally crossing the line in a less than impressive 12th overall. The Force Indias of Fisichella and Sutil struggled in the hot and dry conditions and finished 15th and 16th.

BMW suffered an even worse fate and ended up with Nick Heidfeld the last car running (19th overall) and Robert Kubica circulating just in front of his team mate in 18th position. The Bavarian-Swiss team suffered a horrible weekend and are hoping that a return to European circuits will revitalise their waning fortunes!

1. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
3. Trulli Toyota
4. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
5. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
6. Glock Toyota
7. Raikkonen Ferrari
8. Alonso Renault
9. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
10. Piquet Renault
11. Webber Red Bull / Renault
12. Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
13. Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
14. Massa Ferrari
15. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
16. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
17. Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
18. Kubica BMW Sauber
19. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
Retired Nakajima Williams / Toyota

Passat ends Prius’ reign!

2009-04-27T13:06:00.004+01:00

Volkswagen {link} have scored an impressive environmental victory over Toyota and the Prius. Seen as THE green car the Toyota Prius has just been beaten to the title of most environmental car by the Volkswagen Passat 1.4TSI EcoFuel. The Passat outperformed the Prius on economy and emissions in the ADAC’s Eco Test 2009 making it the leanest and most environmentally friendly car available in Germany.
With over 900 cars tested the result really is significant as is the fact that the winning car is not an electro-hybrid. In fact the EcoFuel concept could shake the electro-hybrid concept to its very core.
By using both a supercharger and turbocharger (as seen on petrol TSI engines) Volkswagen have been able to produce an exceptionally clean engine that runs on natural gas but offers petrol performance. The VW Passat EcoFuel offers a 0-62 time of just under 10 seconds with a top speed of around 130mph. Using gas alone it has a range of over 270 miles which can be extended to a total of around 550 miles by using petrol.
Volkswagen have proved the EcoFuel concept is environmentally excellent and are expected to introduce it into their smaller (and lighter) models quickly. An EcoFuel Jetta should offer even better driving and environmental performance than the larger Passat, the Prius’ time appears to be passing and passing quickly.

Current Formula 1 standings.

2009-04-22T16:53:00.003+01:00

Drivers Championship

1. Jenson Button Brawn GP / Mercedes 21
2. Rubens Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes 15
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull / Renault 10
4. Timo Glock Toyota 10
5. Mark Webber Red Bull / Renault 9½
6. Jarno Trulli Toyota 8½
7. Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 4
8. Fernando Alonso Renault 4
9. Heikki Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes 4
10. Lewis Hamilton McLaren Mercedes 4
11. Nico Rosberg Williams / Toyota 3½
12. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari 3
13. Sebastien Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari 1
14. Adrian Sutil Force India / Mercedes 0
15. Felipe Massa Ferrari 0
16. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 0
17. Giancarlo Fisichella Force India / Mercedes 0
18. Kazuki Nakajima Williams / Toyota 0
19. Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 0
20. Nelson Piquet Jr Renault 0

Teams Championship

1. Brawn GP / Mercedes 36
2. Red Bull / Renault 19½
3. Toyota 18½
4. McLaren / Mercedes 8
5. Toro Rosso / Ferrari 4
6. Renault 4
7. BMW Sauber 4
8. Williams-Toyota 3½
9. Force India-Mercedes 0
10. Ferrari 0

Chinese Grand Prix.

2009-04-22T11:19:00.004+01:00

The second wet race of this year's Formula 1 World Championship saw the first non-Mercedes powered team to claim victory with Red Bull eclipsing Brawn GP and securing an impressive 1st and 2nd overall. Championship leader Jenson Button finished 3rd with Rubens Barrichello finishing 4th in the second Brawn GP car.

Mclaren Mercedes saw their fortunes improve with their drivers rounding out the top 6, Kovalainen taking 5th whilst a mistake-prone Hamilton finished 6th.

Force India driver Adrian Sutil had a very strong showing running as high a 6th before fate intervened and an aquaplaning moment threw his car nose first into the tyre wall. Sutil was unhurt but it was a big blow to the third team using Mercedes engines.

BMW had a trying race with neither car showing the performance expected from the Swiss / Bavarian racers. Heidfeld struggled home in 12th with Kubica finishing an eventful race in 13th overall. That Kubica finished at all was testament to how well BMW build their F1 cars, a coming together between the Pole and Toyota's Jarno Trulli saw Kubica launched skywards in a shower of shattered carbon fibre bodyparts.

Force India's Fisichella finished just behind Kubica in 14th place, a disappointing result after Sutil's excellent, yet unrewarded, drive.

1. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
2. Webber Red Bull / Renault
3. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
4. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
5. Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
6. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
7. Glock Toyota
8. Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
9. Alonso Renault
10. Raikkonen Ferrari
11. Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
12. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
13. Kubica BMW Sauber
14. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
15. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
16. Piquet Renault
17. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
Retired Nakajima Williams / Toyota
Retired Massa Ferrari
Retired Trulli Toyota

Opel / Vauxhall Astra.

2009-04-14T15:00:00.005+01:00

September 2009 sees the launch (all being well) of the latest incarnation of the Opel / Vauxhall Astra.

Taking design elements from the well received Insignia the new Astra aims to build upon the reputation forged by the current model. The modern yet functional design is pleasing on the eye but still distinctive in an age of bland cars.

The new Astra hatchback has grown some 15cms in length compared to the outgoing model whilst the estate, to be known as the Sports Tourer, is 20cms longer. All new Astras will benefit from a higher specification as standard along with a range of new (to the Astra) features including four wheel drive, adaptive damping, and electronic parking brake.

Motivation will be supplied by a range of new and current engines including a 1.4 petrol in both turbocharged and non-turbocharged form plus a wide selection of diesel engines including the ever popular 1700 turbo. The new 1.4 non-turbo engine will offer exceptionally low emissions and make use of a start-stop system.

A new sports variant is designed to compete directly against Volkswagen's popular relaunched Scirocco and will be known as the GTC is Europe and (more than likely) the VXR in the UK.

Prices have yet to be announced but there is not expected to be much variance from the current model.

British Formula 3.

2009-04-14T13:48:00.005+01:00

The first 2 rounds of this year's British Formula 3 {link} series saw returnee Volkswagen {link} win both races. After an absence of over 15 years Volkswagen engines were powering British F3 cars once again last weekend with unexpectedly impressive results.

Series front runners Carlin Motorsport {link} switched from Mercedes power over the winter and were rewarded with victory in both races as Australian Daniel Ricciardo dominated both rounds. Volkswagen's other British team T Sport {link} has a slightly less successful debut with the Wolfsburg's company engines, struggling for outright pace with their best placed driver finishing in the bottom half of the top 10 on both occasions.

Malaysian Grand Prix.

2009-04-06T13:03:00.003+01:00

The Malaysian Grand Prix was red-flagged because torrential rain made driving conditions excessively dangerous. After a long break the final results proved more than favourable for Mercedes and offered a ray of hope to BMW.

Once again the team showing all the speed were Brawn GP with their Mercedes engines, so it was no surprise to see Jenson Button on the top step of the podium after a commanding drive. Two wins from two races is a remarkable result from the team that didn't exist 2 months ago! Rubens Barrichello finished a disappointed 5th overall keeping Brawn GP on top of the manufacturer standings too.

Nick Heidfeld drove a canny and unremarkable race to finish second overall and offer his team encouragement after they saw Robert Kubica retire with engine failure after just one lap.

McLaren Mercedes continue to struggle and Lewis Hamilton was finally classified 7th overall after the heavens opened, his team mate Heikki Kovalainen retired on the first lap (just as he did in Australia).

Force India struggled with the varying conditions and heavy rain ultimately being the final classified finishers down in 17th and 18th positions.

1. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
3. Glock Toyota
4. Trulli Toyota
5. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
6. Webber Red Bull / Renault
7. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
8. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
9. Massa Ferrari
10. Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
11. Alonso Renault
12 Nakajima Williams / Toyota
13. Piquet Renault
14. Raikkonen Ferrari
15. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
16. Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
17. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
18. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
Retired Kubica BMW Sauber
Retired Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes

Audi R15 at Le Mans.

2009-04-02T13:19:00.002+01:00

Audi {link} have confirmed their driver line up for the Le Mans 24 hour race. The nine drivers are Alexandre Premat, Allan McNish, Lucas Luhr, Marco Werner, Mike Rockenfeller, Rinaldo Capello, Romain Dumas, Timo Bernhard and Tom Kristensen. All have plenty of endurance racing experience including Le Mans and Sebring.

Revised Australian Grand Prix result.

2009-04-02T13:03:00.004+01:00

After a bit or rule breaking by McLaren and Lewis Hamilton the FIA have seen fit to disqualify Hamilton from last weekend's race. The revised results now read as follows:~

1. Button Brawn GP
2. Barrichello Brawn GP
3. Trulli Toyota
4. Glock Toyota
5. Alonso Renault
6. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
7. Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
8. Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
9. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
10. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
11. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
12. Webber Red Bull / Renault
13. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
14. Kubica BMW Sauber
15. Raikkonen Ferrari

Retired Massa Ferrari
Retired Piquet Renault
Retired Nakajima Williams / Toyota
Retired Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes

Disqualified Hamilton McLaren Mercedes

Hamann BMW X6 Tycoon

2009-03-31T14:55:00.001+01:00

Hamann {link} have a reputation for extreme makeovers in the tuning world and their BMW X6 Tycoon is no exception! The first thing that strikes you about the Hamann Tycoon is the styling, the Tycoon a wide body BMW X6 sitting some 6cms wider than a standard X6. To give the X6 the Tycoon treatment Hamann have replaced the front wings, fitted rear wheel arch extensions, added a rear diffuser, added a front spoiler bumper combination with LED driving lights, fitted a roof spoiler and cover the engine bay in a new carbon bonnet.
The Hamann Tycoon is lowered approximately 40mm despite having 11x23” wheels fitted to the front and 12x23” wheels fitted to the rear; all 4 wheels are covered by 315/25 tyres. The wheels have spacers fitted to ensure they fill the extra wide Tycoon arches perfectly.
Not only does the exterior of the Hamann Tycoon benefit from a styling makeover there are touches added to the interior too including deluxe mats in the foot wells and boot, aluminium pedals, carbon dash inserts, sports airbag steering wheel plus a speedometer that goes up to 300km/h (approx 186mph).
With engine tuning available on all petrol and diesel variants the driver of a Hamann Tycoon can have tuning upgrades of up to 360PS (35i) or just have the speed limiter removed from the range topping 50i.
The Hamann Tycoon is no shrinking violet, there is very little subtle about the styling of X6 and yet it does not look too over-the-top. The lines, grilles, vents and bulges all add aggression to the styling of BMW’s sport SUV and yet it does not look like (to coin a phrase) a chip-shop-racer. Certainly it will not be to everyone’s taste but the Hamann Tycoon is impressively built with excellent, quality products as befits anything from the Hamann stable.

B&B VW Eos

2009-03-31T13:36:00.003+01:00

B&B {link} have created a highly impressive and exceptionally powerful version of the Volkswagen Eos to complete their range of tuning options for VW’s ever popular cabriolet.
By turbo-charging the 3.2 litre V6 Eos B&B have been able to extract a staggering 500PS and 650Nm of torque giving a claimed 0-62mph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed (according to B&B) of 190mph, making this particular Eos exceptionally fast indeed! Naturally B&B haven’t just bolted a turbo on to the V6 and hoped for the best, the engine tuning is careful, considered and to the highest specification and includes items such a forged pistons, fuel pump, inlet manifold, exhaust system, engine management, hoses, etc.
To compliment the extensive engine modifications B&B’s 3.2 turbo Eos come with the choice of 6 pot brake callipers, braided flexible hoses and adjustable coilover suspension. These upgrades help keep the Eos as driver friendly as possible whilst allowing the sheer power of the engine to be transmitted safely to the tarmac.
In conjunction with the extreme engine package the B&B VW Eos comes with a more subtle styling kit including side skirts, front and rear spoilers and a rear valance. There are also a range of wheels available in 8x18”, 8½x18” and 8½x19”.
All of the brake, suspension, styling and wheels options are available to fit any VW Eos and B&B offer a complete range of (more mundane) engine tuning kits for all Eos models. Their 3.2 V6 turbo just happens to be the ultimate performance Eos currently available!

Australian Grand Prix

2009-03-30T15:18:00.005+01:00

The first round of the 2009 Formula 1 World Championship {link} proved to be tremendous for Mercedes and disaterous for BMW.

Brawn GP scored a dramatic first and second overall in their maiden GP whilst a time penalty after the racing had finished promoted McLaren to 3rd overall.

The weekend was dominated by the new Brawn GP team with Jenson Button out performing Rubens Barrichello throughout the weekend and taking a deserved and impressive victory. Barrichello required a little bit of luck and fortune to recover from a poor start to claim second overall.

Lewis Hamilton benefited from a selection of crashes and bumps to claim fourth position on the road, this then became third once Jarno Trulli was penalised for overtaking when yellow flags were being shown.

Mercedes engines thus powered the top 3 cars in Australia which seemed exceptionally unlikely given that the McLarens quailified 14th and 15th and Force India (the other team using Mercedes engines) qualified 18th and 19th.

BMW's event ended with a poor showing in the final results but with encouraging signs of performance, especially from Robert Kubica who qualified 4th but was taken out of the race by a rampant Red Bull!

The teams now move on to Malaysia for next weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix {link} with Brawn GP and Mercedes hoping to continue their excellent form.

Formula 1 - practice 1 & 2

2009-03-27T13:33:00.004Z

Combined times from sessions 1 & 2 result in a grid looking like this:~

1 Rosberg - Williams/Toyota
2 Nakajima - Williams/Toyota
3 Barrichello - Brawn/Mercedes
4 Raikkonen - Ferrari
5 Button - Brawn/Mercedes
6 Glock - Toyota
7 Trulli - Toyota
8 Massa - Ferrari
9 Sutil - Force India/Mercedes
10 Kovalainen - McLaren/Mercedes
11 Alonso - Renault
12 Webber - Red Bull/Renault
13 Heidfeld - BMW Sauber
14 Fisichella - Force India/Mercedes
15 Kubica - BMW Sauber
16 Hamilton - McLaren/Mercedes
17 Buemi - Toro Rosso/Ferrari
18 Bourdais - Toro Rosso/Ferrari
19 Piquet - Renault
20 Vettel - Red Bull/Renault

Tomorrow's qualifying session and Sunday's race are (naturally) when the true performance of each car and driver is fully shown but things are not looking very good for McLaren or BMW. The same can not be said about Brawn GP which has both cars in the top 5 - not bad for a new team! BMW had, arguably, a more shocking day than McLaren with neither car breaking into the top 10. Both team's drivers have been complaining about a general lack of grip, with tyre wear also (seemingly) being a concerning factor for virtually all teams at Melbourne.

Qualifying looks set to be very, very interesting and possibly quite frantic too!

Carlsson SL CK63 RS

2009-03-26T13:16:00.003Z

For those who find the SL 63 AMG a little slow and mundane Mercedes tuner Carlsson {link} have the answer, their SL CK63 RS.
Minor yet effective tuning results in a 600PS cabriolet that sprint from 0-62mph in an impressive 4.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of a remarkable 200mph! To cope with the extra 75PS the brakes and suspension receive upgrades with carbon pads and huge discs (398mm front & 330mm rear) providing the stopping power whilst the electronically controlled 30mm lowering of the suspension keeps traction at the highest level. 20 inch wheels (9½” wide at the front and a staggering 11” wide at the rear) are clothed in ultra low profile tyres and have the task of finally transmitting the 705Nm of torque produced by the engines onto the road.
There are not many 600PS cabriolets in the world and the Carlsson SL CK63 RS is a fine example of the art of tuning. Subtle body alterations (front bumper, side skirts and rear diffuser) provide aerodynamic aide as well as nice styling and as with everything on the car form and function are in harmony.
A Carlsson SL CK63 RS in Carlsson’s owm Stealth titanium graphite paint (virtually matt black) costs £270,000 including full interior details such as alcantara, velour mats and sports pedals. Carlsson will happily convert customer’s SL 63 AMGs to any desired spec.

WTCC, getting better for BMW

2009-03-24T14:40:00.004Z

After an undeniably bad start to the World Touring Car Championship {link} in Brazil BMW's fortunes improved dramatically (and surprisingly) in Mexico for rounds 3 & 4.

Round 3 saw 3 BMWs in the top 5 after a most impressive qualifying saw BMW lockout the front row of the grid. Augusto Farfus finished 2 overall with former WTCC champion Andy Priaulx (who set the fastest race lap) in third and Jorg Muller 5th.

Round 4 once again saw 3 BMWs in the top 5 with Priaulx this time finishing 2nd/ Farfus finished 4th overall and Sergio Hernandez rounded out the top 5. Fastest race lap this time went to Jorg Muller in his BMW capping a far better weekend for the Bavarian manufacturer.

Augusto Farfus heads off to rounds 5 & 6 in Marrakesh, Morocco 3rd in the championship a mere 10 points behind the joint leaders. With the coming circuits expected to be more favourable to the front-engined rear wheel drive BMW 320si E90s.

Formula 1 2009

2009-03-24T14:07:00.005Z

The 2009 Formula 1 championship starts this coming weekend in Australia. By Sunday afternoon the world will know if BMW are running a KERS system for the whole season, if McLaren's poor winter testing performances have been sandbagging or not, whether the combination of Mercedes power and a Ross Brawn chassis is really as fast as it seems.

Winter testing times imply that McLaren {link} have struggled to find speed in their MP4-24 with team boss Martin Whitmarsh publicly acknowledging the fact. Melbourne and the opening race will give a far more accurate picture to every team's performance and McLaren will have nowhere to hide. Their car will either prove to be as slow as some believe it to be or they will be challenging for outright victory as most expect.

Mercedes engines are powering 3 teams this year and dramatically it is not McLaren who have been the fastest of the 3. New team Brawn GP {link} have shocked the F1 world with their, frankly, stunning pace in winter testing. Whether they are able to carry this into the actual 2009 season remains to be seen but things are looking good for F1's newest team. One possible blot on the landscape for Brawn GP is controversy surrounding their diffuser, which some teams 9including Red Bull) deem to be too large. Expect this debate to rumble with protests being a possibility in Melbourne.....

The final team using Mercedes engines in Formula 1 are Force India {link}. Winter testing has been reasonably successful for the team although they have not had the impact that Brawn GP have. Force India's main focus is to challenge for mid-field places as they continue their development as a F1 team.

BMW Sauber {link} have had a very successful winter testing and are expected to seriously challenge not only for outright race wins but also for the championship too. One of the few teams that have really embraced the KERS idea it remains a little uncertain as to whether they will use a form of KERS in Melbourne. The benefits and drawbacks of KERS have yet to be fully seen in an actual F1 race meaning there will be even more interest in the Bavarian-Swiss team than normal.

Melbourne should prove to be a very interesting and action packed Formula 1 weekend, with so many questions to be answered the only safe bet is the old adage when the flag drops the BS stops!

Sebring 12 hours

2009-03-24T13:19:00.007Z

Audi {link} were celebrating the debut win of the R15 on Sunday as it won the Sebring 12 hours. The new car was relatively untested making the win hugely impressive. Even more remarkable was that this year's Sebring race covered the greatest distance at the highest average speed ever, thus the Audi R15 truly had a baptism of fire.

The other German car debuting at the Sebring 12 hours was far less successful. BMW's E92 M3s showed great pace in spurts but both Rahal Letterman Racing {link} cars retired before 6 hours of racing has passed.

They were not the only GT2 cars to suffer at Sebring as the expected Porsche challenge never really got started with not one of the Stuttgart marque making it into the top 3 in GT2.

BMW struggle in WTCC

2009-03-19T15:40:00.004Z

The first 2 races of the FIA World Touring Car Championship saw BMW struggle against the diesel powered SEATs.

Held at the Brazilian Curitiba circuit BMW were left fighting for places in the lower half of the top 10 in race one. Highest placed BMW driver was Augusto Farfus in a disappointing 6th overall, Sergio Hernandez finished 7th with former WTCC champion Andy Priaulx coming home a un-impressed 9th overall.

Despite having pole and 2 on the grid for race 2 BMW were unable to keep those positions and slumped down to 5th, 6th and 7th. Once again Andy Priaulx struggled home a disappointing and un-impressive 9th overall.

Worse for BMW is that the next 2 rounds in the WTCC are being held at Puebla, Mexico and the high altitude, tight, twisty circuit is expected to give the TDI SEATs an even greater performance advantage.

Audi A5 Cabriolet

2009-03-19T11:22:00.005Z

The Audi A5 Cabriolet model range are ready for the European dealerships, delivers start May 2009 with the UK a few months behind.

Top of the range is the S5 Cabrio offering 333PS from its turbocharged V6 (which is available only in the Cabrio S5) below which sit a comprehensive range of both petrol and diesel models including a 240PS 3 litre V6 TDI and a 3.2 litre 265PS petrol. Whilst the large, powerful engines are available right from the model introduction the lower power 2 litre and 1800 TFSI engines will follow on a few months after launch.

New to the A5 and S5 cabriolet are the LED rear lights, separating it styling wise from the roofed version. The S5 version comes with the now traditional aluminium mirror covers, deeper front spoiler and S badging.
Safety and practicality were watch words during the A5 and S5 cabriolet development, the end result is that head airbags and a hidden roll bar are standard. Split, folding rear seats allow large and awkward items to be carried even with the roof down. The Audi A5 and S5 Cabriolet offer 2 hood options; a normal hood or a heavier, more sound-proofed version for those who want a quieter cabrio experience!

A Quattro version using both diesel and petrol V6s are available. Prices start around £30000 for the entry model.

Opel & Vauxhall to stop building cabriolets?

2009-03-19T10:51:00.005Z

With both companies in a state of turmoil it appears that Opel (and Vauxhall) may be calling time on their range of cabriolets. The Opel Astra Twin Top, GT and Tigra plus the Vauxhall Astra Twin Top and Tigra have not sold in numbers high enough to justify them as part of the struggling car groups model range.

Problems with the complex solid roof on the Astra and Tigra have not helped sales, nor has the lack of price advantage. Sales have seemingly started to stagnate and with the global economic downturn in full swing the Opel and Vauxhall cabriolets may be high profile victims of restructuring and cost savings.

Porsche Cayenne Diesel

2009-03-17T12:56:00.004Z

Porsche have broken one of their own greatest taboos, they now produce a diesel car. Having made tractors many, many years ago Porsche eshewed from diesel technology implying it lacked the performance and desirability required for engines in their performance cars. All that has now changed.....

The new diesel Cayenne uses a 3 litre V6 turbocharged engine producing a reasonable 240PS and 550Nm of torque. These figures are not overly impressive although the do translate into sprightly (yet not stunning) performance at lower speeds. As the speeds increase the burden placed on the (relatively) small engine becomes clear and acceleration tails off drastically as 90-100mph is reached.

The diesel Cayenne is a breakthrough for Porsche, it will (hopefully) encourage the comapny to embrace heavy oil technology more and for that reason alone this Cayenne should be praised. As a diesel SUV the Cayenne falls a little short, offering lower levels of performance compared to competitors from Audi, BMW, Mercedes and even Volkswagen.

Those looking for a more frugal Cayenne will find the diesel model offers a reasonable alternative, it could be a little better though.

Sebring 12 Hours

2009-03-17T11:05:00.002Z

Audi and BMW start their racing seasons this weekend at Sebring International Raceway in the Sebring 12 hours {link}. The ALMS opening round sees the cream of American sportscar racing battle it out round the oldest road course race track in America.

Despite not entering the ALMS this year (citing the economic downturn) Audi are hoping to continue the winning tradition started by the ultra-successful R8 and R10 TDI. Times from testing have shown the R15 to be the fastest car in its class and overall by well over half a second. With the R15 TDI only expected to appear at Sebring and Le Mans the pressure is on Audi to win both of the classic endurance sparts car events.

BMW have entered a brace of E92 M3s run by the Rahal Letterman team into GT2. Whilst they were trailing the Flying Lizard Porsche 997 GT3 RSR after the first test day there pace was impressive. Both Flying Lizard and Rahal Letterman are expected to complete the whole ALMS championship so the BMW v Porsche battle is expected to be played out throughout the year.

The most powerful SUV in world.

2009-03-13T15:25:00.004Z

This month's Geneva Motorshow saw 2 claims for the world's most powerful SUV. First Brabus {link} unleashed their 700PS twin turbo G V12 S (based on the Mercedes G Class) then Mansory {link} unveiled their 710PS Chopster (based on the Porsche Cayenne.)!! Whilst the Chopster has a higher power figure its turbocharged V8 offers a mere 900Nm of torque compared to the G V12 S and its 1320Nm of torque!

The power and torque of both Über-SUVs endows them with performance that leaves all bar the hottest of hatches realing in their wake, unfortunately they both also come with very high price tags too!

Audi A4 Allroad

2009-03-12T16:03:00.006Z

Audi gave the A4 Allroad its debut at the recent Geneva Motorshow. Following the ethos of the A6 Allroad the Audi A4 Allroad offers extra ground clearance compared to the standard A4 estate. Engine choice is limited to 1 petrol and diesel options, none of which are exactly frugal. Standard specification is good and the A4 Allroad is exoected to sell as well as the A6 if not a little better, whilst never likely to become a large volume seller Audi expect to sell enough units to fully justify the development costs.

Prices start at around £32000 and deliveries are due with German dealers at the beginning of the summer.

Opel / Vauxhall Ampera

2009-03-12T15:10:00.004Z

Opel / Vauxhall launched the Ampera at this month's Geneva Motorshow. Far from being a show stopping concept the Ampera is scheduled for a 2012 launch - if the two companies survive the current economic turmoil they find themselves in!

Designed to offer a range of over 300 miles the Ampera is a revolutionary 5 seat electric car although it does have an internal combustion engine to charge the battery / provide electricity when the battery is depleted. Using battery power along the Ampera's range is a mere 40 miles but with boosts from the motor this streches more than 300 miles.

The battery can be charged at home or work using 'normal' electricity (i.e. 240 volt standard main power) ensuring the Ampera is practical and user friendly. As this is written the battery packs designed for the Ampera are being tested to destruction by Opel and Vauxhall engineers who are aiming to ensure that no spraks fly regarding the reliability of the Ampera.....

Volkswagen Golf R20

2009-03-12T14:04:00.004Z

Volkswagen have seemingly opted to scrap the sweet sounding top preforming V6 powered Golf R32 replacing it with a 2 litre turbocharged 4 cylinder Golf known as the R20.

It may have a smaller model number but the R20 will out perform the R32 in all areas. Volkswagen will continue the Golf R tradition by making the 270PS direct injection R20 four wheel drive.

Performance is expected to be better than any of the current hot hatch range, including the new Ford Focus RS, with pricing being exceptionally competitive.

Audi R15.

2009-03-12T13:47:00.006Z

Audi is readying the all new R15 TDI LMP1 race car in preparation for its assault on the Mobil 1 12 hours of Sebring (21st March 2009) and then the Le Mans 24 hours.

First pictures of the new car clearly show how R15 is a new car, carrying very little over from the R10. The new V10 TDI engine produces 600PS and around 1050Nm of torque whilst remaining efficient, compact and light weight.

Lotec Sirius

2009-01-07T13:27:00.003Z

2009 sees the launch of a revised Lotec Sirius. Not the most well known of supercars the Sirius is made in south Germany by tuning and Motosport company Lotec {link}.
Originally introduced in the first half of 2004 (pictured below) the Sirius is a supercar of note, weighing in at just under 1300kgs with power of between 1000 and 1200PS depending on turbo settings. A twin turbo (KKK K27s) 6 litre Mercedes V12 provided the power whilst a six speed gearbox and limited slip differential deliver the power to the rear wheels. Torque figures are equally as impressive as the PS figures with between 1100 and 1320Nm available from 3400rpm.
The 2009 Sirius sports a more refined carbon body over its steel space frame chassis with styling similarities to the McLaren GTR. A Mercedes engine is once again to be used but expect power figures to be a little lower than the outgoing model. prices and delivery times are still a little vague at present but the plunging € could mean any British buyer may have to pay between £450000 and £800000 for a Lotec Sirius.

Mercedes CLS Grand Edition

2009-01-06T17:11:00.004Z

Mechanically identical to a normal Mercedes {link} CLS the Grand Edition is an expression of style from Stuttgart's largest car company.
Destined for delivery from march of this year (2009) the CLS Grand Edition comes in a choice of colours, including matt platinum. Chosen to show the design features of the CLS body the matt paint is said to be at least as durable as the gloss, standard paint used on non-Grand Edition CLS cars.
Additional (less striking) features of the Grand Edition are body coloured radiator grille, Bi-Xenon headlamps with smoked lenses, 18" AMG Grand Edition wheels, tilt and slide sunroof, leather/alcantara upholstery, velour Grand Edition foot mats, subtle Grand Edition exterior badging, brushed aluminium pedals as well as wood, stainless steel and aluminium styling throughout the interior (including on the steering wheel).
Prices start around £67,000 and orders are being taken (in Europe) now.

Porsche Panamera

2009-01-06T16:43:00.002Z

Porsche's new model, the Panamera is being launched at the Shanghai Motorshow {link} in April of this year.
The V6 and V8 powered four-door sports Coupe is a bold move in these uncertain economic times and the launch venue may give clues to where Porsche {link} expect the majority of the Panameras to be sold.
most mouth watering of the Panameras must be the twin turbo V8 range topping Turbo version which is expected to offer excellent performance with practicality not normally associated with a non-SUV Porsche.

Zauber ZR1

2009-01-06T14:45:00.004Z

Weighing a mere 520kgs (excluding driver) and boasting 290PS from its 1400cc engine the Zauber ZR1 {link} is a highly entertaining drive. Designed to be fun, fast and realistically priced the ZR1 definitely succeeds at being fun and fast.
2009 sees Zauber organising the Top40 race series for identical ZR1s. Aimed at drivers over 40 the series hopes to offer exciting racing without young "hotshots" and their associated hype and accidents.
As is to be expected the ZR1 comes with a full safety cage, Schroth {link} 6 point harness, fire extinguisher and carbon crash structure. the car also comes with adjustable aerodynamics front and rear plus adjustable dampers and ride height, allowing driver to tailor their car to their very own driving style.