German Car Scene

Month: April 2012

  • Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG and SL 65 AMG promo


    Mercedes-Benz has just released this promotional video featuring its 2013 SL 63 AMG and SL 65 AMG models together, in perfect harmony…

    Powering the SL 63 AMG is the M 157 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine, which produces a healthy 395 kW (537 hp) and 800 Nm of torque, while its big brother enjoys 463 kW (630 hp) and 1000 Nm of torque from its sledgehammer M 279 V12 6-litre biturbo unit. Apart from their wheels and badges, the siblings bear an uncanny resemblance. Their price tags, however, are anything but identical, starting at € 157,675 and € 236,334 respectively.

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  • Lamborghini Urus images leaked


    These leaked images of Lamborghini’s SUV concept, the Urus, have turned up on Czech motoring website auto forum.

    Due to officially show its face at Auto China 2012 in Beijing towards the end of this month, the Urus’ styling looks like the unfortunate love child of a Lamborghini Aventador and Range Rover’s Evoque after a drunken one-night stand, taking the face of its father and sloping roofline of its mother. Moving inside, the seat-backs, centre console and dashboard appear to be finished in the same marble-effect that seems to be in the bathroom of every house on MTV’s Cribs. We don’t mind those muscular rear quarters and that rear end, though.

    According to auto forum, power is expected to come from the Gallardo’s 5.2-litre V10 engine, tuned to produced something along the lines of 447 kW (600 hp). Should be fun…

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  • Volkswagen’s one-litre cars used for the Annual General Meeting


    Volkswagen AG’s Annual General Meeting in Hamburg saw a pair of its XL1 concepts used to transport two of its board members.

    Arriving at the Congress Centre in the first XL1 was the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, Dr. Ferdinand K. Piëch, and his wife Ursula, while the second car was driven by Professor Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen AG, who was accompanied by Lower Saxony’s Minister President David McAllister.

    Branded as a ‘Super Efficient Vehicle’ (SEV), the XL1 is Volkswagen’s third evolution of its 1-litre car. It has a curb weight of 795 kg (1,750 lb) and a drag coefficient of 0.186, and was unveiled at last year’s Qatar Motor Show. Power for the plug-in hybrid prototype comes from a combination of an 800 cc two-cylinder TDI engine, developing 35 kW (48 hp) and 120 Nm of torque, mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission, along with an electric motor producing 20 kW (27 hp) and 100 Nm.

    With a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time of 11.9 seconds and a limited top speed of 158 km/h (99 mph), performance is tolerable, but its combined fuel consumption of 0.9 litres per 100 kilometres (310 mpg) and CO2 emissions of 24 g/km are nothing short of phenomenal, meaning it nearly reaches the European Union 2050 targets for emissions reductions. When running purely on electric power the XL1 can cover a range of up to 35 kilometres.

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  • Motor Trend looks at the Porsche 918 Spyder


    This new episode of Wide Open Throttle sees Motor Trend’s European Editor, Paul Horrell, heading over to Italy’s Nardo test track to check out Porsche’s 918 Spyder prototype. He also chats to the company’s Head of Research and Development, Wolfgang Hatz.

    Utilizing a mid-mounted 4.6-litre V8 engine and a trio of electric motors, the 918 Spyder has an elephantine 574 kW (770 hp) at its disposal, allowing a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) of less than three seconds and a 326 km/h (202 mph) top speed.

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  • BMW M3 Coupe Frozen Silver Edition


    As part of BMW M GmbH’s 40th anniversary, BMW UK is to build a M3 Coupé Frozen Silver Edition model.

    Visually, the special edition is finished in Frozen Silver metallic paintwork and sits on 19-inch matt black alloy wheels. Other notable additions include Dark Chrome side gills, kidney surrounds and exhaust tips, while the bonnet intakes are painted Jet black. The company’s High-gloss Shadowline exterior trim package completes the exterior.

    Moving inside, the seats are coated in Black Novillo leather with contrast stitching and Palladium leather armrests, with Alcantara used on the steering wheel. Carbon fibre has been used for elements on the dashboard, centre console and the plaque signifying the car’s credentials.

    Mechanically, the Frozen Silver uses a revised DSC+ (Dynamic Stability Control) system and sits 10 mm lower than the regular M3 Coupe thanks to suspension that features a three-stage Electronic Damper Control, while power comes from that familiar 4.0-litre V8 engine which develops a healthy 309 kW (420 hp) and 400 Nm (295 lb/ft) of torque.

    Just 100 units will be built at an OTR price of £ 58,720, meaning that owners will receive £ 9,000 of extras for a premium of £ 4,000 when the car goes on sale on June 1.

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  • BMW M3 by ATT-TEC


    Rastatt-based performance parts specialist ATT-TEC (Auto Technik Tuning) has created this BMW M3 project to highlight its wares.

    Visually, for € 2,600.00, the E93 Convertible wears matte black wrapping foil on its body, with carbon-effect elements on the hood, grille, mirrors and side gills, while the factory wheels have made way for one-piece forged ADV.1 rims in a 5.1 design. Priced at € 7,150 for a complete set, they measure 8.5 and 11 x 20-inches and come wrapped in 245/30R20 and 295/20R20 Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta tyres. Helping to keep this M3 planted to the road is a KW Variant 3 inox-line coilover kit, which is adjustable for ride height, rebound and damping and will set you back € 1,929.

    Beefing up the car’s 4.0-litre V8 engine, ATT-TEC fitted a SK I “Sporty Drive” supercharger system (€ 12,740) from renowned BMW tuner G-POWER, along with a remapped ECU and stainless steel exhaust (€ 1,595), resulting in a rise in output from 309 kW (420 hp) to 388 kW (520 hp).

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