German Car Scene

Month: July 2013

  • A German thing for Porsches

    1971 Porsche 911T
    The guys over at Petrolicious have created this great video documenting John Willhoit’s obsession with all things Porsche, and how it all began.

    The owner of Willhoit Auto Restoration in Long Beach talks about his love for the brand and shows us around his workshop, including a jaw-dropping 356 model. But the film focuses on John’s pride and joy: a custom 1971 Porsche 911T.

    Discovered by his sister, who spotted it in her neighbour’s back yard twenty years ago, John says he’d never seen a car that looked so bad, but he knew it was worth saving – even though it was full of water and “had things growing in it.”

    Finally looking factory fresh once again, the car retains its original paintwork, but now features updated brakes and suspension along with a short-stroke 3.2-litre EFI engine packing a 224 kW (300 hp) punch. Very nice.
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  • Allan McNish drives the Audi SQ5 TDI

    Allan McNish drives the Audi SQ5 TDI
    Three-times Le Mans 24 Hours winner Allan McNish recently swapped his R18 e-tron quattro hybrid race car for an Audi SQ5 TDI before heading out onto a wet Silverstone circuit to review the company’s first diesel-powered S model.

    The SQ5 TDI utilizes Audi’s 3.0 TDI biturbo engine, producing a healthy 230 kW (313 hp) and 650 Nm of torque, which is transferred to the quattro all-wheel drive system via an eight-speed tiptronic gearbox. Performance is snappy, with 100 km/h appearing in just 5.1 seconds and a limited top speed of 250 km/h, while fuel consumption – which is aided by the Q5?s start-stop system – averages just 7.2 litres every 100 kilometres.
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  • Audi RS 7 Sportback reviewed

    Audi RS 7 Sportback
    This latest offering from XCAR Films sees Alex Goy reviewing Audi’s stunning RS 7 Sportback.

    Propelled by a twin-turbocharged 4.0 TFSI V8 engine, the RS 7 has 412 kW (560 hp) and 700 Nm of torque at its disposal, which is delivered to all four wheels via a specially tuned eight-speed tiptronic transmission. 100 km/h appears in just 3.9 seconds, while the limited 250 km/h top speed can be raised to 280 km/h (174 mph) with the optional dynamic package and 305 km/h (190 mph) with the dynamic package plus.
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  • MINI pulls the Clubvan out of America


    MINI is withdrawing its Clubvan model from dealerships in America following appalling sales figures of just fifty units.

    The guys from Green Car Reports gave MINI USA’s Communications Manager Nathalie Bauters a call asking about the vehicle’s disappearance, and she cited: “relatively low demand and the effect of an excessive 25-percent tax on vehicles for commercial use (known as ‘the Chicken Tax’).”

    That sky-high tax rate, which was introduced over half a century ago, exists purely to deter customers from buying European commercial trucks – rather than keeping it ‘murican.

    In other parts of the world the Clubvan has been pretty successful, thanks largely to the fact that such vehicles bring tax advantages with them. For example, in the UK, VAT-registered buyers can claim the VAT back. And with a price tag that undercuts the Clubman by almost £3,000 it’s easy to why it’s such a popular option.
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  • Mercedes A 45 AMG vs BMW M135i

    Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG vs BMW M135i
    Today’s episode of DRIVE sees Chris Harris on the road and track with two heavy-hitting hatchbacks from the Federal Republic of Germany: BMW’s M135i and the Mercedes A 45 AMG.

    Equipped with the most powerful 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine in the world, the A 45 AMG is propelled by an all-aluminium, turbocharged AMG lump producing a delicious 265 kW (360 hp) and 450 Nm of torque, while the M135i packs a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six-cylinder, which churns out 235 kW (320 hp) and 450 Nm. It also costs €8,000 less than the A-Class.

    Where would your money go?
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  • 2014 Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG revealed

    2014 Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG
    Mercedes-Benz has announced details of the new S 63 AMG ahead of its unveiling in Frankfurt this September.

    Thanks to such components as an aluminium outer skin (including complete front end and roof section), a carbon fibre spare spare wheel recess, lithium-ion battery and forged light-alloy wheels, the new S 63 AMG undercuts its predecessor by 100 kg at 1,970 kg, with the long wheelbase variant weighing in at 1,995 kg.

    Visually the super-barge can be identified by more aggressive bumpers featuring a front splitter and high-gloss black flics on the air intakes, chrome-trimmed side skirts, diffuser with quadruple tailpipes and a set of 19-inch AMG alloys.

    Under the hood lies an updated version of the epic AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine producing 430 kW (585 hp) and 900 Nm of torque, which represents a 30 kW (41 hp) increase in output while still meeting the 2015 EU6 emissions standard. Utilizing the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission, featuring “C” (Controlled Efficiency), “S” (Sport) and “M” (Manual) modes, the S 63 hits 100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds with top speed limited to 250 km/h. Mercedes quotes identical performance figures for the regular and long wheelbase cars, as well as an average consumption of 10.1 litres of fuel every 100 kilometres and CO2 emissions of 237 g/km. If you opt for the all-wheel drive 4MATIC long wheelbase version 100 km/h takes a Porsche 911 Carrera S-beating 4 seconds (!), but the car is obviously thirstier needing 10.3 litres to cover the same distance.

    As well as the usual S-Class refinements S 63 AMG owners can specify such optional extras as the AMG ceramic high-performance composite brake system with 420 mm front discs and specially painted calipers, ROAD SURFACE SCAN, which uses MAGIC BODY CONTROL to set the suspension up to deal with varying terrain, carbon fibre exterior and interior packages, a Burmester high-end 3D surround sound system and seat comfort package with energizing massage function.

    Due to be launched at the end of September, with prices starting at €149,880 for the short wheelbase and €152,617 for the long wheelbase S 63 AMG 4MATIC.
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