German Car Scene

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  • DTM: victory for Bruno Spengler at Spielberg

    2013 DTM Spielberg
    BMW tightened its stranglehold on the DTM series with a commanding one-two-three at this weekend’s Spielberg round at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

    Starting from pole position, Spengler controlled the race to the chequered flag, but Timo Glock, who started from 11th on the grid, was looking good after storming his way through the field following a switch to option tyres. The ex-Formula One driver got within a second of Spengler, but a problematic wheel change during his second pitstop saw him slip back to third position behind team-mate Marco Wittmann, who had started alongside Spengler.

    Mike Rockenfeller was the best of the rest, with fellow Audi driver Mattias Ekstrom securing fifth after pushing his way past the BMW of Augusto Farfus just two laps from the end. It was a pretty bleak weekend for Mercedes too, who could do no better than 7th thanks to Christian Vietoris

    “That is a historic triumph for BMW. It is the first time since our DTM comeback we have had three BMW drivers on the podium. I am very proud of the entire team. Bruno Spengler produced a flawless display, leading from start to finish to move to the top of the overall standings,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt.
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  • Volkswagen’s Latvala wins Acropolis Rally

    WRC Rally Greece
    Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala has won this this year’s Acropolis Rally, his first since joining the Volkswagen team.

    A fuelling problem on the opening stage saw Sebastien Ogier drop out of the equation, meaning hopes were then pinned on Latvala, who was running in third place for a while before passing the Citroen of Dani Sordo on Saturday morning. Later in the day Evgeny Novikov’s Ford suffered wheel and suspension damaged following a collision with banking, which saw him fall back to ninth handing Latvala the victory.

    His Volkswagen team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen came home a solid fourth, while Ogier, who managed to battle back into the top ten, maintains the championship leader after picking up an extra three points by winning the SS14 Power Stage.

    “I’m overjoyed, I dedicate this victory to the entire Volkswagen team. My start in the new season was very difficult, but the team always believed in me and supported me terrific. It makes me glad now to look into so many happy faces. The Acropolis Rally win also therefore means a lot to me because it is extremely hard and a true classic,” said the Polo driver.
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  • Porsche 911 GT3 RS vs Ferrari 458 Italia at the Nurburgring

    Porsche 911 GT3 RS Sabine Schmitz
    This new video from the RSRNurburg channel sees a pair of ‘Ring Meisters battle it out on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, as Sabine Schmitz and her Porsche 997 GT3 RS takes on the Ferrari 458 Italia of Ron Simons.

    The Porsche uses a 3.8-litre flat six engine to provide 331 kW (450 hp) and 430 Nm of torque, while its medallion chested counterpart from Italy is propelled by a 4.5-litre V8 unit developing 419 kW (562 hp) and 540 Nm. We like Sabine’s description of her competitor: “A Fiat with a old Dutchman behind the wheel.”

    Sounds like fighting talk to us. Or an advert for track day events…
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  • Bentley Continental GT by Vilner

    Bentley Continental GT by Vilner
    Sofia-based Vilner Studio has revealed details and photos of its program for Bentley’s Continental GT.

    Built at a customer’s request, the conversion begins with an aggressive aero package reminiscent of Bentley’s GT3 Concept, which comprises of a muscular front fascia with large central air intake, an elaborate carbon fibre spoiler, ventilated fenders that add 10 cm of width to the front and 16 cm to the rear, carbon fibre side skirts, a raised rear wing, wider rear bumper with air outlets and an aggressive rear diffuser. A set of gloss black wheels and headlights with carbon fibre inner sections complete the exterior.

    Moving inside, the cabin has been totally reupholstered in black Alcantara, leather and exotic cobra pattern leather with Bordeaux red stitching and seat belts. Finally, the wooden trim elements on the dashboard and centre console were finished in a feather effect.

    Under the hood Vilner’s performance upgrade sees output from the 6.0 litre W12 engine climb from 411 kW (559 hp) and 650 Nm of torque to 485 kW (660 hp) and 780 Nm, resulting in a new top speed of 325 km/h.
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  • KW coilover suspension for Audi’s A3

    KW coilover suspension for the Audi A3
    Fichtenberg-based suspension specialist KW Automotive has developed a range of stainless steel “inox-line” coilover suspension systems to suit the new Audi A3 model.

    All three options, including the Variant 1, provide a drop in ride height of between 30 to 60 mm at the front axle and 30 to 55 mm at the rear, with the dirt-resistant trapezoidal thread and nylon thread ring allowing quick and easy tweaking – even after many years. The Variant 2 kit offers 16 different levels of rebound, while the Variant 3+ version goes a step further with twelve steps of compression damping to choose from.

    Drop it like it’s hot. Unless you’re carrying a pie and chips.
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  • New Volkswagen Golf GTI at the Nurburgring

    Volkswagen Golf GTI
    Here’s a video showing the brand new Volkswagen Golf GTI stretching its legs during final testing at the Nurburgring.

    The seventh generation version is powered by the company’s 2.0 TSI engine, which develops 162 kW (220 hp) or 169 kW (230 hp) when specified with the new performance package, while torque rises to 350 Nm – 70 Nm up on the outgoing model. The extra power combined with the car’s lighter construction results in a 0-100 km/h time of 6.5 seconds and a 246 km/h top speed (performance package: 6.4s and 250 km/h).
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