German Car Scene

Month: September 2011

  • Motor Trend hot lap: Audi R8 GT


    Every car in the 2011 Motor Trend Best Drivers Car competition was lapped around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca by racing driver, Randy “The Rocket” Pobst. The latest candidate is Audi’s hardcore R8 GT. Weighing 100kg less than the regular R8, the 552 hp GT can hit 62mph in 3.6 seconds and 124mph in 10.8 seconds. Top speed is a 199mph. (more…)

  • Porsche designer talks 918 Spyder


    Tony Hatter, Porsche Designer Manager of Sports Cars – and 993 architect – talks about the design process and current status of Porsche’s upcoming hybrid supercar, the 918 Spyder. While the car displayed is a conceptual study, Hatter reveals that many of its exterior design elements took inspiration from past Porsche race cars, while the forthcoming production vehicle will do much of the same. (more…)

  • smart collaborates with WeSC


    smart and WeSC (We Are the Superlative Conspiracy) have joined forces to produce two products for the auto and audio market. WeSC, is a Swedish clothing brand, which draws a lot of its urban style and influences from the skateboarding scene.

    Well known for producing high-quality headphones, WeSC entrusted smart to design a pair based on its 32-ohm items. They tie in with the special car’s looks, most noticeably those high-gloss golden highlights and perforated black ear pads, as well as logos from both companies.

    With the “smart BRABUS tailor made by WeSC”, the roles were reversed, with smart allowing the streetstyle gurus to tweak the little 75 kW (100 hp) fortwo cabrio. Externally, the car has been painted in a mixture of matte and gloss gold with the wheels finished in contrasting jet black. Inside, there’s air conditioning as standard, and a leather-trimmed steering wheel with gearshift from BRABUS. The quilted leather sports feature WeSC’s familiar emblem.

    [Source: smart]

    (more…)

  • Volkswagen’s Golf and Beetle take “Legends on Wheels” titles

    Giant motoring journal, Automotive News Europe, asked visitors to its website to vote for their most significant vehicles – decade by decade – from the 1880s to the present day, to find, what it calls, the “Legends on Wheels”.

    Almost 100,000 people took part, and the results saw Volkswagen enjoy a double win, with the early Beetle winning the “1940-1949” category, and its younger sibling, the first-generation Golf scooping the “1970-1979” title.

    It was a pretty good result for German automobiles in general, with the Audi TT winning the 1990s category, while Porsche’s 356 and 911, and the Audi quattro all secured second place in their groups (40s, 60s and 80s).

    [Source: translated from Volkswagen Germany]

    (more…)

  • 2012 Mercedes C-Class Coupe DTM racer hitting Frankfurt


    Mercedes-Benz has just announced that its Formula One drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg will be unveil the 2012 DTM AMG Mercedes C-Class Coupé during the Frankfurt Motor Shot, next Tuesday.

    Many of us had been hoping that Mercedes would follow Audi and BMW by choosing to base its DTM car on a Coupé model, rather than the current C-Class saloon.

    Until more details are released, here’s Mercedes-Benz DTM driver Gary Paffett giving us a glimpse of the new car in a sneak preview video, and explaining the key differences between the 2012 DTM AMG Mercedes C-Class Coupé and its predecessor.

    [Source: Mercedes-Benz]

    (more…)

  • Audi homologating R8 LMS for Grand-Am


    Audi is targeting the American market by developing a dedicated racing version of its R8 LMS race car that will conform to Grand-Am regulations.

    The R8 LMS was initially created to take part in the FIA GT3 European Championship and various national racing series, and has already amassed over 100 victories in its short life.

    However, the model currently used in other parts of the world, including Europe, Australia and Asia, wouldn’t get past Grand-Am regulations, so quattro GmbH will be carrying out a few modifications before it can get the green light. These include the use of thicker-walled tubing in the roll cage, new front splitter, rear diffuser and Grand-Am-spec rear wing.

    The engine’s electronics will be tweaked and an air restrictor added, resulting in a drop in power from 368 kW/493 bhp to between 331 and 346 kW (450 and 470 HP). The R8’s standard anti-lock system and traction control are banned because they’re viewed as driving aids in the USA.

    The car will make its début at 2012 Daytona 24 Hours.

    [Source: Audi Motorsport]