German Car Scene

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  • BMW 4 Series Coupe by Hamann

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    Laupheim-based tuning specialist Hamann Motorsport has revealed its range of options to suit the BMW 4 Series Coupe.

    Performance upgrades based on ECU software optimization are available for all models including both rear-wheel drive and xDrive variants. Starting with the 420i, output is raised from 135 kW (184 hp) and 270 Nm to 153 kW (208 hp) and 315 Nm, with the 428i jumping from 180 kW (245 hp) and 350 Nm to 200 kW (272 hp) and 392 Nm, and the range-topping 435i from 225 kW (306 hp) and 400 Nm to 256 kW (348 hp) and 449 Nm.

    Diesel fans aren’t overlooked either, with the 420d now producing 161 kW (216 hp) and 440 Nm – up from the series figures of 135 kW (184 hp) and 380 Nm, the 430d from 190 kW (258 hp) and 560 Nm to 217 kW (295 hp) and 605 Nm, and the meaty 435d from 230 kW (313 hp) and 630 Nm to 260 kW (355 hp) and 695 Nm.

    Other items include a choice of lowering spring kits, which provide a drop in ride height of either 20 mm or 30 mm, and the company’s ANNIVERSARY EVO multi-spoke alloy wheels. They’re available in either a silver or matte black finish and come wrapped in Vredestein Ultrac Vorti R tyres. Moving inside, owners can also purchase aluminium pedals, a foot rest and floor mats.
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  • Audi crossover concept previewed ahead of Detroit

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    Audi has released a handful of renderings of a new crossover set to be unveiled at next year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit (January 18 – 25).

    Measuring 4.20 metres in length – almost identical to the company’s Crosslane Coupe, the sculpted three-door concept rides on 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels and features raised suspension for additional ground clearance, Matrix LED headlights, a trademark e-tron single-frame grille with finer chrome bars and rugged aluminum underbody guards at the front and rear.

    The short overhangs, sloping roof line and coupe-like rear all serve to provide an athletic appearance, while the badging indicates a plug-in hybrid drivetrain beneath the skin. Perhaps the system in Audi’s forthcoming A3 e-tron, namely a 110 kW (150 hp) 1.4 TFSI mated to a newly designed six-speed e-S tronic transmission which also houses a 75 kW electric motor, could be utilized.

    The previously seen Crosslane Coupe used a 95 kW (130 hp) 1.5-litre three-cylinder TFSI along with a pair of electric motors developing 50 kW (68 hp) and 85 kW (116 hp).
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  • Skoda developing Fabia R5 rally car

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    Skoda has announced that it is developing a new Fabia R5 rally car for the 2015 season.

    Set to replace the current Fabia Fabia Super 2000, the R5 is seen by many as the future of rallying, which is currently in a downward spiral due largely to many manufacturers refusing to spend the kind of money required to fund a competitive team.

    Earlier this year, Volkswagen agreed to freeze WRC car development in order to keep Citroen and M-Sport in the championship, but with Citroen, Peugeot and Ford already putting the finishing touches on their own R5 class cars, there’s no doubt that Volkswagen will follow suit, especially given its connections with Skoda.

    With a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, the R5 is said to be around one second per kilometre slower than a WRC car – while costing as much as forty percent less thanks to the fact that it shares many more components with its road-going counterpart.

    “Through the many international successes it has enjoyed, the current Fabia Super 2000 has been demonstrating our technical prowess for years, but the R5 category succeeds the Super 2000 class. This way, we are able to continue to compete successfully in international championships and to push ahead with our customer program. Entering the R5 class is a logical step for Skoda. As it stands, we are assuming that the new car will be homologated by mid-2015,” said Skoda Motorsport Director Michal Hrabánek.

    [Source: Skoda]

  • Bugatti sells its 400th Veyron

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    Bugatti is celebrating another milestone today after selling its 400th Veyron, meaning just fifty remain up for grabs.

    The car, one of the three Jean-Pierre Wimille editions from the company’s ‘Les Legendes de Bugatti’ range, has gone to a lucky customer in the Middle East who had to part with €2.13 million to get his name on the log book.

    Based on the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, the special variant is finished in blue clear-coated carbon fibre and light Wimille Bleu paintwork as a nod to Wimille’s victorious Type 57G tank-bodied racer and features that elephantine 8.0-litre W16 from the 431 km/h Super Sport, which develops 895 kW (1,200 hp) and 1,500 Nm of torque, rather than the usual 746 kW (1,001 hp) and 1,250 Nm seen in the regular open-topped model.

    “With the Veyron, Bugatti has established itself as the most exclusive and most luxurious super sports car brand in the world. The Veyron is a unique success story and sets a high standard for the future of Bugatti,” said the President of Bugatti Automobiles Dr Wolfgang Schreiber.
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  • Volkswagen XL1 reviewed

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    This latest video from Auto Express sees the magazine’s Paul Bond sample Volkswagen’s bonkers XL1.

    Powering this quirky machine is a combination of an 800 cc two-cylinder TDI engine, developing 35 kW (48 hp) and 120 Nm of torque, mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission, along with an electric motor producing 20 kW (27 hp) and 100 Nm. On the road, a top speed of 160 km/h is achievable, with 100 km/h appearing in 12,7 seconds. Amazingly, the XL1 is able to cruise at 100 km/h using a mere 6.2 kW (8 hp), while in electric-only mode it requires less than 0.1 kWh to cover one kilometre, and can cover a range of up to 35 km.

    The most aerodynamic car ever made, with a Cd figure of 0.189, the XL1 tips the scales at a mere 795 kg, helping it to return an insane fuel consumption figure of 0.9 l/100 km (around 313 mpg) and 21 g/km of CO2.
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  • 2013 BMW M3 DTM driven

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    This new episode of DRIVE sees Chris Harris receive an invitation to drive BMW’s M3 DTM racecar.

    While Bruno Spengler, BMW Team Schnitzer and BMW secured the drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ titles on the company’s return to the series last year, Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller took the crown in 2013, with Audi Sport Team Phoenix topping the team standings, but BMW retained its manufacturers’ accolade.

    All cars are based on a state-of-the-art carbon-fibre monocoque, which features a high-strength steel tube cage, while the naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V8 engines are capable of producing 373 kW (500 hp), but the mandatory air restrictor brings that figure down to 350 kW (470 hp). Gears are changed by a pneumatically operated six-speed transmission via steering wheel-mounted flappy paddles.
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