German Car Scene

Month: April 2012

  • G-Power BMW M3 E46


    Bayern-based BMW tuner G-Power has unveiled its program for the outmoded – but brilliant – M3 E36, giving it the chops to eclipse the current E92 model.

    After fitting its SK I ‘Sporty Drive’ supercharger system to the M3’s 3.2-litre straight-six, output jumps to 331 kW (444 hp) and 460 Nm (339 lb/ft) of torque – an improvement of 79 kW (106 hp) and 95 Nm (70 lb/ft) over the factory vehicle. Those changes see the E46 rocket to 0-200 km/h in 14.7 seconds (E92 M3: 15.7s) before hitting a governed top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). The price for this conversion is € 7,000 (plus installation).

    Other components available for the M3 include a sports rear muffler (€ 1,080), the GM3-RS adjustable coilover suspension kit (€ 1,205), a wheel and tyre package consisting of 20-inch Silverstone Diamond rims and Michelin Pilot Sport tyres (€ 4,422) and G-Power’s brake upgrade option. Featuring six-piston calipers – up front – along with 370 mm and 342 mm discs, the fronts and rears are available separately for € 5,800,00 and € 3,860 respectively.

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  • Audi R8 LMS ultra preparation


    Have you ever been to a motorsport event or watched one on TV and wondered how the car’s slick-looking bodywork is prepared? Neither have we. Anyway, here’s WRT Belgian Audi Club’s sticker crew, Stéphane Ortelly and David Hallyday, applying that familiar livery to the team’s Audi R8 LMS ultra. WRT represents Audi in the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship, fielding two of the brand new cars, and currently leads it following a sixth place at last weekend’s Zolder round.

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  • BMW Motorsport: “See you in Hockenheim”


    Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year or so, BMW Motorsport is about to make its return to the DTM series after a twenty year hiatus. Since the M3 DTM concept was unveiled last July the company has been pretty much faultless when it came to keeping fans updated with its progress. Here’s the final promo before all the cars line up on the grid at Hockenheim this weekend, with BMW hoping to repeat the success it first enjoyed 25 years ago, winning the DTM title at the first attempt.

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  • Mercedes-Benz Viano Vision Diamond


    Mercedes-Benz has presented its Viano Vision Diamond at this year’s Beijing Auto Show.

    Designed to be a luxurious, chauffeur-driven vehicle, the body is finished in black with a diamond white lower half, two-tone five-spoke alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and a black radiator grille with chrome slats. Moving inside, the decadence begins with a pair of sumptuousness seats equipped with heating, cooling and massage functions and footrests. Nestled between the seats are holders for the silver Champagne flutes, while the side panelling houses a cooling system capable of accommodating five bottles.

    Keeping the occupants entertained – behind the Magic Sky Control glass partition – is a Bang & Olufsen high-end sound system, which can be operated via the iPhone or iPad media devices, a 40-inch screen and web access thanks to the Viano’s W-LAN system. In acknowledgement of the number considered lucky in Chinese culture, eight diamonds have been embedded within the trim.

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  • Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Wei Long


    Bugatti has revealed a special edition of its open-topped Veyron model in China, named the Grand Sport Wei Long.

    Built to acknowledge the year of the dragon, Bugatti has once again joined forces with Königliche Porzellan-Manufatur Berlin (KPM) – as it did for the L’Or Blanc – who have created porcelain inlays for this exclusive vehicle, including the oil and fuel caps as well as the wheels centre caps. Inside the carmine red interior there’s a bold porcelain section, between the seats, featuring a dragon emblem, while that theme continues on the headrests and handcrafted 100 % silk floor mats. Obviously.

    Anyone interested in purchasing the Wei Long will need a spare € 1.58 ($ 2.07) million to drive it away.

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  • Shanghai Volkswagen reveals new Lavida


    Shanghai Volkswagen has unveiled its new Lavida at Beijing’s Auto China 2012 today.

    The original Lavida, which was mainly designed by its Chinese partner, was launched in June 2008 and has proved popular in China’s A-segment, with 700,000 units being sold by the beginning of 2012. This new car, which is similar to the Passat, has a new, sharper body and features such safety equipment as ABS and ESP as standard. Four equipment lines and three engine options will be available when it goes on sale later this year.

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