German Car Scene

Month: October 2011

  • Suzuka Grand Prix: Button wins in Japan, Vettel seals title


    After missing out on pole – by 68 cm – Jenson Button made up a place, coming home first for McLaren Mercedes at today’s Japanese Grand Prix, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, who tied up the drivers’ title for a second consecutive year. Today’s result makes him the youngest double-champion in F1 history.

    Vettel’s Red Bull team-mate, Mark Webber finished fourth, with Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher securing fifth and sixth – some way back.

    The race began with Button being forced onto the grass by Vettel, resulting in Hamilton slipping into second place until a puncture meant he had to make an early pitstop. Hamilton later went on to clash with the Ferrari of Massa, causing the safety car to come out while debris was cleared from the track.

    This saw Vettel caught up in traffic, so he came in to pit for tyres. Button and Alonso ran three and four laps longer, before pitting, meaning they still came out ahead of a frustrated Vettel. The German was climbing all over the Ferrari until his team suggested that he didn’t need to take any risks to pick up the title today… (more…)

  • Porsche GT3 RS vs McLaren MP4-12C


    Autocar recently pitched Porsche’s GT3 RS against the new McLaren MP4-12C around the tight and twisty Rockingham circuit. So, which one came out on top?

    The Porsche is powered by a 3.8L unit that develops 450 hp, which is pretty astonishing for a naturally-aspirated engine, while the McLaren makes use of a 3.8 L twin-turbo V8 developing approximately 592 hp. Also bear in mind that, at € 200,000, the MP4-12C costs around twice as much as the GT3 RS… (more…)

  • Volkswagen’s up! gets its own game app


    With Volkswagen’s baby up! not quite showroom-ready, the Wolfsburg company is giving potential owners the chance to sample its new city car – in the virtual world.

    Available, free of charge, from iTunes, the “Volkswagen up! Challenge – Game App” can be played on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The game app features three different skill levels and three game modes, including a single player time trial mode and multiplayer races around six different city circuits. It can also connect to Facebook, allowing users to compare their results with each other.

    The app also includes a virtual showroom, which offers a 360° presentation of the new model, and links to Volkswagen’s up! microsite.

    [Source: Volkswagen]

  • Glowing Dinan V10


    Here’s a cool video from Dinan, North America’s premiere BMW tuner. Built for the Riley MkXXV track weapon, Dinan took the glorious 5.0 L V10 unit, usually found in the E60 M5, bored and stroked it up to 5.8 L and added high-performance camshafts. The result is a naturally aspirated 720 hp. Someone really needs to shoehorn this into the bay of a 1 M coupé… (more…)

  • BMW M5 review by evo


    Here’s a short review of BMW’s new M5 from evo magazine’s brilliant Chris Harris. The F10M M5 model is powered by a 560 bhp twin-turbocharged 4.4 L V8 unit, which allows the super saloon to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds and 200 km/h (124 mph) in 13.0 seconds. It goes sideways too.. (more…)

  • Volkswagen opens up the up! order book


    Volkswagen UK has begun taking orders for the company’s new up! model. All versions are powered by a new 1.0 L three-cylinder petrol engine, with prices starting at £ 7,995 (€ 9,260) for the 60 PS Take up!. Standard specification includes body-coloured bumpers, daytime running lights, the new RCD 215 CD radio with aux-in, and 14-inch steel wheels.

    For £ 8,970 (€ 10,390), the Move up! has the same 60 PS engine, but enjoys remote central locking, electric front windows, air conditioning and 60:40 split/fold rear seats. Externally, you’ll find body-coloured door handles and mirrors. An extra £360 gets you BlueMotion Technology, which includes a Stop/Start system, battery regeneration and low rolling resistance tyres, resulting in an expected 67.2 mpg (up from 62.7 mpg), and a reduced CO2 figure of 97 g/km (down from 105 g/km), allowing it to dodge road tax costs.

    The 75 PS High up! will set you back £ 10,390 (€ 12,035). Very little money for a car that features heated front seats, electrically heated and adjustable mirrors, and a leather-trimmed steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake grip. The removable Maps & More personal infotainment device provides navigation, telephone duties, information and entertainment – all controlled via a touchscreen. Visually, the High up! is fitted with front fog lights and 15-inch alloy wheels.

    Finally, two special editions, the up! black and up! white are finished in deep black pearl or pure white metallic paint, and feature chrome door mirror caps and door side strips and 16-inch alloy wheels. The centre of the wheels are painted to match the car’s exterior, as is the dashboard. The rest of the cabin includes exclusive ‘stripes’ upholstery and mats. These specials come in at £ 11,180 (€ 12,950).

    If you’d rather put your own model together, Volkswagen offers a wide range of extras, including such items as remote central locking, electric front windows, chrome pack, 16-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension, parking sensors, cruise control, and the Driver’s assistance pack, which includes the City Emergency Braking. This system, which is active at speeds up to 18 mph, uses a laser sensor to detect potential collisions and can avoid crashes by applying the brakes automatically.

    [Source: Volkswagen UK]

    (more…)