German Car Scene

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  • Porsche 991 Carrera 4 revealed


    Following on from the weekend’s leaked images, Porsche has revealed details of its new all-wheel drive 991 Carrera 4 range.

    Beneath its skin, the innovative Porsche Traction Management ensures greater dynamics on all surfaces and in varying conditions, with the 257 kW (350 hp) 3.4-litre Carrera 4 hitting 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds (Cabriolet: 4.7s) and reaching a 285 km/h (Cabriolet: 282 km/h) top speed. Weighing up to 65 kg less than its predecessor helps the Coupe to require 8.6 litres of fuel every 100 kilometres (Cabriolet: 8.7 l/100 km) when specified with the optional PDK gearbox rather than the standard seven-speed manual. Double-declutching occurs automatically during downshifts in Sport mode on manual cars fitted with the Sport Chrono pack.

    The 294 kW (400 hp) 3.8-litre-engined Carrera 4S cracks 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds (Cabriolet: 4.3s) and enjoys a 299 km/h (Cabriolet: 296 km/h) top speed, with a fuel consumption figure of 9.1 l/100 km for the Coupé (Cabriolet: 9.2 l/100 km).

    Visual changes are relatively subtle, including swollen rear wheel arches adding 44 mm to the car’s width, 10 mm wider tyres and that tell-tale light strip spanning the rear.

    Equipment of note includes the optional Adaptive Cruise Control ACC), which controls vehicle speed and distance to traffic ahead. When specified with PDK, Porsche Active Safe (PAS) works with the ACC, helping to avoid front-end collisions. There’s also a new sliding glass sunroof option.

    Due to make their débuts at next month’s Paris Motor Show before going into production at the end of the year, prices in Germany are €97,557 for the Carrera 4 Coupe (Cabriolet: €110,290) and €112,313 for the Carrera 4S Coupe (Cabriolet: 125,046).
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  • Schumacher involved in DTM mishap


    It was a bad enough weekend for Mercedes at DTM Zandvoort, with Audi grabbing a one-two-three, but this pit lane incident involving Ralf Schumacher will have also caused a few headaches. The video below shows Ralf exiting after a tyre change during practice, only for his C-Coupe’s rear wing to snag the next garage’s air-line, whipping four crew members skywards. All went to hospital, with three being released the same day. Fingers crossed for the fourth guy.
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  • Mercedes-Benz E 500 by Vaeth


    Hösbach-based Mercedes-Benz tuning specialist Vaeth has released details of it program that provides E 500 owners with the type of power usually reserved for E 63 AMG owners.

    With Vaeth’s V50S ECU software controlling the twin-turbocharged 4.6-litre V8 unit, output rises from 300 kW (402 hp) and 601 Nm (443 lb/ft) of torque to 381 kW (520 hp) and 810 Nm (597 lb/ft), enough for a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed in excess of 300 km/h (186 mph).

    Other mechanical changes include the upgrading of the fuel, engine and transmission oil cooling systems, optimized suspension settings and a brake upgrade involving 390 mm brake discs, 6-piston calipers and steelflex brake hoses.

    Visually, this heated-up E-Class wears a badgeless radiator grille along with a lower front spoiler, finned rear diffuser and a boot lid spoiler, all constructed from carbon fibre, while the wheels are Vaeth’s three-piece forged items, measuring 9 and 10.5×20 inches and wrapped in 245/30-20 and 285/25-20 tyres. Inside, the cabin receives a leather-trimmed steering wheel and a choice of wood or carbon fibre elements.

    Pricing for the conversion starts at €32,250 plus VAT.
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  • Audi one-two-three at DTM Zandvoort


    Audi turned a dominant qualifying session into an impressive one-two-three result at today’s DTM Zandvoort round.

    Timo Scheider failed to capitalize on his pole position after stalling at the start, which resulted in Mike Rockenfeller and Edoardo Mortara jumping to the front of the pack. At one point, Rockenfeller had built up a commanding four second lead, but he lost pace during one of the many downpours, which saw Mortara pass him on lap 32 and holding on for the win. Sweden’s Mattias Ekström came home third, completing Audi’s perfect weekend.

    It wasn’t a great weekend for Gary Paffett, who still leads the championship despite being spun around following a little mid-race contact with BMW’s Martin Tomczyk. The Mercedes driver had been running in a strong third position until Tomczyk used his C-Coupe to slow down, meaning the Briton had to settle for seventh place.

    “It’s good to see that the performance is there. Now we’re back in the position we always want to be in: in contention for victory. I’m happy for the guys who have been working hard to make this success possible,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.
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  • BMW M6 Coupe at Laguna Seca


    Here’s a nice, noisy video featuring BMW’s latest M6 Coupé in action at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, with racing driver Bill Auberlen behind the wheel. Under the hood is that glorious-sounding 4.4-litre V8 unit, developing 412 kW (560 hp) and 680 Nm (502 lb/ft) of torque; enough for a 0-100 km/h time of just 4.2 seconds, and a lot of fun on the track.
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  • Dimma BMW 3 Series Coupe


    If your mind stretches as far back as the eighties, you may remember seeing widebodied French hatchbacks, modified by styling specialist Dimma, either in magazines or on the road. Well, Terry Pankhurst and his team are back with this program for BMW’s E36 3 Series Coupe.
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