German Car Scene

Month: May 2012

  • Berg Cup Volkswagen Rallye Golf [videos]


    As fans of the Berg Cup series and Volkswagen’s Rallye Golf, these videos are ticking all the right boxes for us.

    Recorded at last weekend’s event in St. Anton, this machine with widened box arches, piloted by Karl Schagerl, has said goodbye to the factory 1.8-litre engine with G-Lader supercharger in favour of a turbocharged 2.0-litre 16 valve unit that develops 246 kW (330 hp). Unfortunately – on this occasion, things didn’t end too well for Karl, but the second video, from the previous Gossendorf round, saw the Rallye claim third place in the over 2000cc 4WD class. Not bad for its first outing in this guise.

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  • Volkswagen Golf GTI Black Dynamic


    Volkswagen has unveiled its Golf GTI Black Dynamic at Austria’s legendary GTI Treffen in Reifnitz.

    Based on a three-door Golf GTI, the Black Dynamic is a project which has been designed and developed by nine Volkswagen apprentices over a seven month period and clearly reflects the team’s tastes, whose ages range from 18 to 23 years. Sitting on lowered suspension, the Golf wears a Deep Black Metallic exterior finish combined with a matte anthracite film trim on the hood and roof, with a hexagonal pattern which continues along the sides. Inside, the sports seats have been trimmed in a mixture of black and red Alcantara and leather, with red piping used on the door panels, while the boot is dominated by a 1,800 watt sound system, which lurks beneath a plexiglas sheet and drives and drive nine loudspeakers.

    An optimised engine management system and new exhaust helps to release a further 110 kW (148 hp) from the 2.0-litre TSI unit, taking output to 265 kW (355 hp). An uprated braking system featuring colossal eight-piston calipers was also added.

    “The amount that we have learned is incredible, and we have developed our own ideas and implemented them in ‘our’ car. Where else do you get an opportunity like that?” said 22-year-old apprentice Martin Schmidt

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  • Volkswagen Polo WRC Street concept


    Volkswagen is yet again bringing a few machines of note to the annual GTI Meeting at Wörthersee, this Polo WRC Street concept being the most interesting.

    A road-going version of the brawny 224 kW (300 hp) Polo R WRC rally car, the Polo WRC Street concept sits on sports suspension and wears a more aggressive front fascia with lower lip spoiler, raised rear wing, diffuser, wheel arch trims, multi-spoke alloys and WRC badging. Moving inside, the embossed sports seats are trimmed in a mixture of leather and Alcantara, as is the steering wheel. Volkswagen has actually confirmed that the car will see production towards the end of next year and, with a 162 kW (217 hp) 2.0 TSI engine under the hood, we’re guessing that this will be a real favourite with the tuners.

    Other cars on display will include the Polo R WRC, 155 kW (210 hp) Golf GTI Cabriolet, the GTI Black Dynamic – a black/red GTI with a 1,800 Watt sound system, design by Volkswagen apprentices, and the Golf GTI ‘White Concept’, which is fnished in ‘Oryx White matt’ paintwork, with Nappa leather trim and red stitching.

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  • Nissan GT-R Track Pack v Porsche 911 Turbo S [video]


    DRIVE’s Chris Harris recently spent the day at Brands Hatch armed with the Nissan GT-R Track Pack and Porsche’s 911 Turbo S. Developing 395 kW (530 hp) and 700 Nm (516 lb/ft) of torque, the 911 hits 100 km/h in a mere 3.3 seconds, while the 405 kW (542 hp) GT-R takes just 2.8 seconds. Yikes.

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  • Electric BMW M3 Coupe heading to Pikes Peak [video]


    Here’s an electric car that shatters the usual connotations that can easily be associated with such vehicles. This 1995 BMW M3 Coupe had its 210 kW (282 hp) 3-litre straight-six heart torn out by the guys at Electric Vehicle West and replaced with a twin-air cooled electric motor, developing a staggering 949 Nm (700 lb/ft) of torque and 298 kW (400 hp). EV West’s plan is to fit a few weight-saving carbon fibre panels before taking on other cars at this July’s legendary Pikes Peak event. This is currently our favourite electric car. Groan all you like, we said it.

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  • Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG by German Special Customs

    Chemnitz-based German Special Customs has developed a complete package for the Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG, which it believes is how a Black Series version may have turned out.

    Visually, the car wears a black radiator grille bearing the company crest, a muscular hood with large vent, deeper front bumper and angular side skirts, with the rear receiving a new bumper with side air outlets and a clear-coated carbon fibre diffuser.

    Already producing 415 kW (557 hp) and 800 Nm (590 lb/ft) of torque in factory form, GSC fits larger turbochargers to the AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine, along with a stainless steel exhaust system and uprated air/water intercooling. Those changes result in 559 kW (750 hp) and 1,150 Nm (848 lb/ft), meaning 100 km/h appears in just 3.7 seconds and top speed is approaching 350 km/h (217 mph).

    Other tweaks include an adjustable KW coilover suspension kit along with a set of 20-inch alloy wheels on Continental tyres.

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