German Car Scene

Month: November 2012

  • BMW i3 Concept Coupe surfaces


    BMW has revealed images and details of the i3 Concept Coupe ahead of its début at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

    Sitting on a set of 20-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, the Coupe is essentially a low-slung three-door version of the company’s i3 Concept, which is finished in Solar Orange metallic with a contrasting gloss black hood, roof and tailgate. Visual changes include a restyled front fascia with Frozen Grey kidney grille and enlarged lower air intake, revised side skirts and a rear bumper with diffuser section. Slightly wider than its four-door counterpart, it measures 3,964 millimetres in length, 1,768 mm in width and stands 1,555 mm tall, meaning its dimensions are virtually identical to those of the MINI Paceman. The wheelbase remains unchanged at 2,570 mm.

    Moving inside, the cabin features four separate seats and is upholstered in a mixture of sustainable materials such as leather, wool and eucalyptus wood panelling alongside the brushed aluminium inlays. Equipment includes a steering column-mounted 6.5-inch screen instrument cluster and a second 8.8-inch in the dashboard for controlling the i ConnectedDrive services.

    As with the i3 Concept, the Coupe uses lithium-ion storage cells beneath the floor to feed its electric motor, which sends 125 kW (168 hp) and 250 Nm of torque to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission. The use of CFRP for the bodyshell helps to achieve a weight of 1,250 kg and a sub-eight second 0-100 km/h time. A choice of three driving modes can be selected: COMFORT, ECO PRO and ECO PRO+, allowing the driver to decide if they want to deprive themselves of luxuries – such as heating and music – to increase range by up to 20 percent. A distance of 160 kilometres (100 miles) is possible, with a high-speed charge taking just one hour to provide 80 percent power.
    (more…)

  • Vorsteiner Mercedes C-Class Coupe boot lid


    Styling and performance specialist Vorsteiner has developed a lightweight boot lid to suit the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe.

    Constructed entirely from carbon fibre, the direct replacement lid features an integrated wing element and undercuts the weight of its factory counterpart by an impressive 60 percent. Pricing has yet to be announced.

    [Source: Vorsteiner]

  • BMW M6 tested by Claudia Hürtgen


    Here’s a new video featuring BMW Chief Instructor Claudia Hürtgen in action at the new Maisach race track, behind the wheel of the company’s M6 Coupe, talking about the most powerful BMW 6 Series ever.

    Propelling the M6 is a biturbo 4.4-litre V8 unit, which develops a mammoth 412 kW (560 hp) and 680 Nm of torque; enough for a 0-100 km/h time of just 4.2 seconds, and a limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) which climbs to 305 km/h (189 mph) when the M Driver’s Package is added.
    (more…)

  • Volkswagen Passat CC by MR Car Design


    Erftstadt-based tuning specialist MR Car Design has tweaked Volkswagen’s Passat CC model, resulting in supercar-rivalling power.

    Using the 3.6-litre V6-engined model as a base, MR bolted on a HGP turbocharger conversion before fitting its own performance exhaust system, which sees output rise from 224 kW (300 hp) and 350 Nm of torque to a more arresting 374 kW (502 hp) and 700 Nm.

    Other upgrades include a KW coilover suspension kit with motorized damping for the DCC (Adaptive Chassis Control), H&R front and rear stabilizers, a Stoptech ST-40 front brake kit with grooved 355 x 32 mm discs and a set of OZ Racing Ultraleggera wheels, measuring 8 x 18-inches and wrapped in 235/40 rubber.
    (more…)

  • Porsche 918 Spyder trio spotted


    Here’s a video from the guys at Top Exotics, who recently had a good look around three Porsche 918 Spyder prototypes as they returned to their hotel car park in Sitges, just outside Barcelona, following a day’s testing at Circuit de Catalunya.

    Rumoured to go on sale next year, the 574 kW (770 hp) plug-in hybrid supercar, which will hit 100 km/h in under 3 seconds and hit a 325 km/h (202 mph) top speed, will be priced around €768,000.
    (more…)

  • Opel’s Ampera fleet customer base doubles


    Opel has announced that its Ampera fleet customer base in Europe has more than doubled in just six months, rising from around 700 in March to almost 2,000 today – a 180 percent upsurge. An increase of over 50 percent was enjoyed in Germany, but this was eclipsed by the Netherlands, which saw a 200 percent jump.

    “We are confident that this development will continue because fleet customers understand that the Ampera is one of the very few electric vehicles that is truly suitable for everyday use. Additionally, it is has significantly lower operating costs than equivalent internal combustion engine cars,” said Opel’s Alfred Rieck.

    The Ampera uses a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery to power its 111 kW (150 hp) electric motor, which can provide between 40 and 80 kilometres of emission-free motoring. When the battery reaches its minimum state of charge, the generator, which is driven by a 63 kW (86 hp) petrol engine, feeds the electric drive unit – allowing a range of over 500 kilometres without refuelling.

    [Source: Opel]