German Car Scene

Month: September 2013

  • Mercedes-Benz A-Class by Carlsson

    Carlsson Mercedes-Benz A-Class
    Mercedes-Benz tuning specialist Carlsson will be revealing its latest program to suit the current A-Class at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

    For the body Carlsson offers an aero package comprising of a front spoiler with air inlets, sculpted side skirts, a larger roof spoiler and rear bumper apron with integrated diffuser and twin apertures to accommodate new quadruple tailpipes. A separate apron for cars fitted with the AMG body kit includes air outlet grilles.

    Sport springs drop the A-Class by 35 mm, with an adjustable coilover option available for those with deeper pockets, while the factory wheels can be replaced with Carlsson’s 1/10 items in diamteters ranging from 18 to 20 inches.

    Inside, Carlsson can supply anything from aluminum door pins and pedal covers or floor mats to a completely bespoke interior using such materials as leather, wood and carbon fibre.

    The company also offers performance upgrades to suit all four-cylinder petrol-engined cars with its C-Tronic CB Plug & Drive module. Once plugged into the car’s ECU output from the A 250 jumps from 157 kW (211 hp) and 350 Nm of torque to 189 kW (253 hp) and 420 Nm, while the A 200 goes from 116 kW (156 hp) and 250 Nm to 139 kW (187 hp) and 300 Nm.
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  • Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo iBusiness revealed

    Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo iBusiness
    Following on from its package for the new Mercedes S-Class, Bottrop tuning specialist Brabus has released details of the mammoth 850 6.0 Biturbo iBusiness ahead of Frankfurt.

    Starting with the 5.5-litre bi-turbo V8 engine from the E 63 AMG, Brabus increases the cylinder bores to 99 mm before fitting reworked cylinder heads, forged pistons, billet connecting rods and billet crankshaft. A pair of larger turbochargers along with a new stainless steel exhaust with adjustable butterfly valve help to achieve 625 kW (850 hp) and a limited torque figure of 1,150 Nm. With that power being transferred to the road via a modified AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission, this S-Class enjoys a 0-100 km/h time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph). Sensibly, a Brembo-developed carbon ceramic brake upgrade, using 380 x 34 mm front discs and six-piston calipers, has also been fitted.

    Visually there’s a plastic aero package with carbon fibre elements, which comprises of a front fascia with larger intakes and lip spoiler, fender gills, side skirts, a trunk lid spoiler and diffuser section for the rear bumper with apertures for the quadruple tailpipes. A suspension module lowers the ride height by 15 mm, while the company’s Monoblock VI, F and R alloys can be specified in sizes ranging from 19 to 21-inches, with its brand new Monoblock G Platinum Edition forged wheels – also debuting in Frankfurt – available in a 22-inch diameter.

    Moving past the illuminated sill plates, the cabin has been reupholstered in fine leather, and also features Brabus’ tech-filled iBusiness multimedia system. The on-board goodies use a roof-mounted 15.2-inch colour TFT screen as a central display; they include an iPad mini that can also control all functions of the car’s COMAND system and is connected to a trunk-mounted Mac mini computer via the InCar-Hotspot, which also offers an internet connection with a speed of up to 7.2 megabits per second. An iPod touch is there to supply the music, while the factory screens in the headrests have also been retained. Obviously.
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  • VAD Porsche 911 RSR Turbo

    VAD Porsche 911 RSR Turbo
    British styling specialist Vogue Auto Design has developed an RSR body program to suit Porsche’s outmoded 997 model.

    As with Champion Motorsport’s car, VAD’s package is based on genuine Porsche Motorsport GT3 RSR components, but the company revised its front bumper by adding a GT3 air outlet and deleting the flics and splitter, while smaller air intake surrounds for the rear quarter panels were created in order to avoid cutting the wheel arch extensions. The aggressive package also consists of a wider rear bumper, front fender flares and side skirts.

    Along with a 485 kW (650 hp) performance upgrade, this 911 Turbo sits on a custom Bilstein PS10 coilover suspension set-up and wears 11 and 14 x 20-inch VAD VM1 forged alloy wheels fitted with 255/30 & 345/25 tyres.

    Interested parties can contact VAD for details and pricing.
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  • smart fourjoy heading to Frankfurt

    smart fourjoy
    Following on from its forstars concept, smart has revealed another design study, the fourjoy, which will be officially unveiled in Frankfurt.

    Measuring 3494 mm in length, 1978 mm in width and standing 1494 mm tall, the futuristic-looking four-seater dispenses with unnecessary ballast, meaning no doors, no rear window and no roof section. Fuelling the urban buggy is a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 17.6 kWh which powers the same magneto-electric motor – developing 55 kW (74 hp) and 130 Nm (96 lb/ft) of torque – found in smart’s current fortwo electric drive.

    Said to feature design elements and dimensions similar to the next generation production model, the fourjoy looks much more organic, most noticeably that polished tridion cell, the exposed headlamps with U-shaped LED daytime running lights and LED turbine tail-lights and door mirrors that appear to float on aluminium arms. Wearing contrasting pearlescent white bumpers, hood and tailgate, the car sits on 19-inch double three-spoke alloy wheels, which are pushed out to each corner resulting in extremely short overhangs.

    Moving inside, there’s a pair of curvy front seats along with a rear bench in the style of lounge furniture (from The Jetsons), both with black chrome backs, and two smartphones mounted on the dashboard and centre tunnel at the rear.

    Now for the good part. A detachable high-definition camera and two skateboard helmets are located behind the rear seat, while a pair of electric longboards are fastened to the roof of the car, meaning occupants can film themselves riding before sharing the footage on social networks with people they went to school with and haven’t seen for twenty years, but still feel the need to portray a fulfilling and enjoyable lifestyle.
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  • Volkswagen Golf GTI vs Golf GTD

    half and half
    Auto Express magazine’s latest video sees James Disdale compare Volkswagen’s Golf GTI with its diesel-sipping sibling, the Golf GTD.

    The GTI is powered by VW’s 2.0 TSI engine, developing 162 kW (220 hp) and 350 Nm of torque, allowing a 0-100 km/h time of 6.5 seconds and a 246 km/h top speed, while the GTD uses a 2.0 TDI that produces 135 kW (181 hp) and an impressive torque figure of 380 Nm. On the road 100 km/h appears in just 7.5 seconds with top speed also slightly slower at 230 km/h.

    However, its combined fuel consumption, which works out at 4.2 litres per 100 km, overshadows the GTI’s figure of 6.0l/100 km, and it is also around €1,000 cheaper.

    Which one would you choose?
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  • Mercedes CLA 45 AMG Racing Series announced

    Mercedes CLA 45 AMG Racing Series
    Mercedes has announced details of the new CLA 45 AMG Racing Series ahead of Frankfurt.

    Based on the CLA 45 AMG road car, Mercedes says that the customer sports race car could also be adapted to suit the technical specifications and regulations of different racing series. Propelled by the most powerful series production 4-cylinder engine currently available; that all-aluminium, turbocharged AMG lump, which produces a delicious 265 kW (360 hp) and 450 Nm of torque in series guise. As in the factory vehicle, the AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports gearbox takes care of power transmission.

    The suspension level, spring rate and damper characteristics are adjustable, as are the track and camber at the front and rear axles.

    In race trim, the car wears panels constructed from carbon-fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP), including an extensive, widebody aero package, huge front splitter and colossal rear wing and deeper diffuser, while the stripped-out interior features a full roll-cage, a Recaro carbon-fibre P 1300 GT racing bucket seat from Recaro, integrated fire extinguishing system and racing steering wheel with flappy paddles.
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