German Car Scene

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  • WRC: MINI second in France

    Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio chased Citroën’s Sébastien Ogier for the win in France at the weekend, finishing an impressive second place overall in the MINI John Cooper Works WRC – just 6.3 seconds away from Ogier.

    Ogier had built his lead up to 9.5 s on Saturday, only for Sordo to cut it down to 4.9s on the third day – over just two stages. Ogier eventually edged clear again, securing his fifth win of the year, and taking him to within three points of catching team-mate Sebastien Loeb in the race for the title. Pierre Campana rounded off the top ten finishers in the France MINI.

    “It is fantastic to finish second at only our fourth rally this season with the MINI WRC Team. This result obviously makes me even more motivated heading to the Rally of Spain than I was beforehand,” remarked Sordo.

    [Source: MINI]

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  • DTM Valencia: Ekstrom wins, Tomczyk takes the title


    Audi had plenty to celebrate in Valencia this afternoon after Mattias Ekstrom won today’s DTM race, and Martin Tomczyk wrapped up the drivers’ title – in a one-year old car – with one race to go. If that wasn’t enough, Audi also occupied the top six places.

    Ekstrom ran a flawless race, creating a five-second cushion between himself and the Rosberg Audi of Filipe Albuquerque, before pitting, going on to double that margin at the chequered flag. As impressive as Ekstrom’s third victory in four races was, the attention was focused on fellow Audi pilot Martin Tomczyk, who came home third to extend his lead to 13 points – enough to secure the 2011 championship.

    The Phoenix Audi driver had a pretty amazing start, starting from a lowly tenth on the grid, but climbing to sixth place – by the end of the first lap! The 29-year-old Bavarian eventually crossed the line, grabbing the third step on the podium – enough to put him beyond the reach of anyone else. This is the first time that a driver in an older-specification car has won the title.

    “I’m tremendously happy for Martin. He has been a member of our Audi family in the DTM for eleven years and has experienced many ups and – no doubt – downs. But he has never lost his spirit and has emerged as a leader, particularly in this season.” said a delighted Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Motorsport.

    [Source: Audi]

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  • Japan gets BMW 528i 30th Anniversary Edition


    BMW has revealed a special 5 Series model, celebrating thirty years in the Japanese market. Limited to just 200 units, the BMW 528i 30th Anniversary Edition is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.0 L straight-six engine rather than the new TwinPower Turbo 2.0 L four-cylinder unit. Gears are swapped via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

    Visually, the Anniversary Edition receives the M Sports Package and is finished in Deep Sea Blue Metallic. The wheels are 18-inch 350M double-spoke design items.

    Moving inside, past the embossed sill plates, the cabin is trimmed in Beige Dakota leather, ‘Honey Brown’ satin walnut wood and BMW Individual aluminum line window frame moldings. Occupants are treated to a 600 Watt HiFi Professional System, which features 16 speakers and 5.1 channel surround sound.

    The price is ¥ 7,890,000, or around € 76,000.

    [Source: BMW Japan]

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  • MINI Countryman and its rivals


    MINI’s popular Countryman model offers a lot more practicality for a growing family than the regular three-door hatchback version. Here, Auto Express compares it with a few of its rivals, namely the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Citroen DS4 and Nissan Juke. (more…)

  • Volkswagen confirms five-door up! model


    After dropping a pretty heavy hint that it would be building a five-door version of the baby up! model, Volkswagen has now confirmed that one will be making it into production.

    The Stuttgart auto manufacturer had revealed six concepts based on the up!, last month, the cross up! being one of them. With a raised ride height, satin effect dark grey arch extensions and black side strips along the flanks, the cross up! portrays a bulkier, more rugged persona, and would fit perfectly alongside the company’s CrossPolo, CrossGolf and CrossTouran.

    Volkswagen is taking orders for the up! from this month, with deliveries beginning in spring 2012. The five-door version will arrive later next year.

    [Source: Volkswagen]

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  • Porsche 911 GT2 RS hot lap


    Ride along in the cockpit of this Porsche 911 GT2 RS with AutoWeek’s senior editor for motorsports, Mac Morrison, at GingerMan Raceway in southwest Michigan. Producing over 600 bhp, the GT2 RS is capable of hitting 60 in 3.4 seconds, and boasts a top speed of 205 mph. (more…)