German Car Scene

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  • Porsche 991 GT3 rendered


    The guys at Wild Speed have excelled themselves with a great set of speculative renderings depicting a GT3 version of the new Porsche 911 model.

    Expected to be propelled by a 3.8-litre flat-six, producing at least 336 kW (450 hp), both manual and (optional) PDK transmission will be available. Given that Porsche’s 991 Carrera S can travel around the Nurburgring as fast as the more powerful 997 GT3, it doesn’t Professor Stephen Hawking to figure out that the next generation car will be efficacious. We’d be very happy if the real thing turns out like this, although those vents and that diffuser in the rear bumper look a little extreme for a GT3.

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  • Head 2 Head: Volkswagen Golf R and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR


    Automobile magazine’s Jason Cammisa hits the road and the track armed with Volkswagen’s Golf R and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR for Motor Trend’s latest Head 2 Head episode. Powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, which develops 199 kW (266 hp) and 350 Nm (260 lb/ft) in Euro spec, the DSG-equipped R can hit 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds (manual: 5.7 s) and is way easier on the eye than that EVO…

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  • Volkswagen up! named “World Car of the Year”


    Volkswagen’s baby up! model has just been awarded the prestigious “World Car of the Year” title.

    The announcement was made at this year’s New York International Auto Show, where a panel of 66 motoring journalists from 25 countries voted it the overall winner – ahead of the new BMW 3 Series and Porsche’s 991.

    “This award shows once again that in the up!, our designers and engineers have created a vehicle that has been thought through in minute detail. A vehicle that sets standards in its class for efficient use of space, safety, motoring fun and environmental compatibility,” said Volkswagen AG’s Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn.

    Currently available with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine in 60 hp (45 kW) or 75 hp (56 kW) guise, the eco up!, a natural gas-powered model and a sporty 81 kW (109 hp) GT variant are on the way.

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  • Ferdinand Alexander Porsche passes away


    Porsche owners and fans alike are mourning the loss of Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, designer of the iconic 911, who died today in Salzburg, aged 76.

    Nicknamed “Butzi”, the son of Ferry and Dorothea Porsche was born on December 11th 1935 in Stuttgart; he attended the city’s private Waldorf School, then studied industrial design at the prestigious Ulm School of Design before moving on to the family company in 1957. He was later given the task of creating a more comfortable and practical successor to the 356, and so the 901 (or 911) was born, making its début at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show. F.A. was also responsible for penning the Type 804 Formula One racing car and beautiful Porsche 904 Carrera GTS. Officially known as the Porsche Carrera GTS (because Peugeot had exclusive rights on three-number names with a central ‘0’), the fibreglass-bodied 904 was Ferdinand Alexander’s favorite work for Porsche.

    He later went on to found the Porsche Design Studio in 1972, which spawned everything from highly desirable timepieces and sunglasses, to model cars and cufflinks.

    “We mourn the death of our partner, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. As the creator of the Porsche 911, he established a design culture in our company that has shaped our sports cars to this very day. His philosophy of good design is a legacy to us that we will honour for all time,” said Porsche’s Matthias Müller.

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  • e-sound by Audi


    If you’ve ever wondered how the electric cars of the future will be able to emit more than a hum from their electric motors, Audi has the answer.

    Rudolf Halbmeir’s workstation holds the key. The acoustic engineer has a keyboard, computer and loud speakers – working in conjunction with a foot pedal – to create a synthetic sound from the car that varies depending on speed and acceleration.

    Ultimately, a speaker mounted to the R8’s undercarriage produces between five and eight watts of sound to the outside world, most importantly – pedestrians. Parameters such as the motor’s rotational speed, vehicle speed and loads are continuously monitored, resulting in sound being generated by the millisecond

    Each car in Audi’s e-tron range will be given its own exclusive tone, although an A1 that sounds like an R8 might be fun.

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  • China getting long wheelbase BMW 3 Series


    BMW will be revealing a long wheelbase version of its new 3 Series saloon at this year’s Auto China Show in Beijing later this month.

    Built for the Chinese market at its Shenyang production plant, this extended version’s wheelbase has been stretched by 11 cm, to offer the best rear seat travel comfort among the competition. Whereas drivers in the rest of the world would simply buy a larger model, Chinese owners have always had a fetish for elongated vehicles. And with LWB variants of cars such as the BMW 5 Series, Audi’s A4 and A6 and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class all selling well in the East, we’ve no doubt that this 3 Series will succeed there too.

    At its launch, buyers will have the choice of a 225 kW (302 hp) 335Li, 180 kW (242 hp) 328Li, or 135 kW (181 hp) 320Li model.

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