German Car Scene

Month: September 2012

  • Mercedes-Benz SL-Class by Brabus


    Bottrop-based Mercedes-Benz tuner Brabus has released details of its program for the current SL-Class.

    Constructed from high quality Pur-R-Rim plastic, the aero package consists of a front fascia, fender vents, sill attachments, boot lid spoiler and rear bumper insert with diffuser. Brabus offers a wide range of alloys in various sizes, but recommends its Monoblock F, Q and R wheels measuring 9 and 8.5 x 20-inches and wrapped in 255/30 ZR tires and 295/25 ZR rubber. When it comes to dropping the Roadster, a spring kit developed jointly with Bilstein is available for the SL 350, while models fitted with ABC (Active Body Control) active suspension system get an electronic lowering module, which achieves a 25 mm reduction in ride height. Moving inside, there’s a pair of backlit sill plates, carbon fibre or wooden trim packages, embroidered floor mats and complete makeovers to suit the owner’s taste, using materials such as Mastik leather and Alcantara.

    Power upgrades are available throughout the range, with this particular SL 500 receiving the B50 – 520 PowerXtra CGI power kit, which includes optimization of the car’s ECU software and an auxiliary water-to-air intercooler with electric pump, which sees output from the 4.7-litre V8 rise from 320 kW (435 hp) and 699 Nm of torque to 382 kW (520 hp) and 820 Nm (604 lb/ft). There’s also a limited-slip differential with a locking rate of 40 percent and stainless steel exhaust system with adjustable valve. Those tweaks result in a 0-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds and increased top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).
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  • Stig Blomqvist in the Audi A1 quattro


    Last night’s Fifth Gear saw Swedish rally legend Stig Blomqvist taking to a frozen lake in the Audi A1 quattro, as he attempted to give the show’s Jonny Smith a lesson in driving on the slippery stuff. Propelled by the company’s 2.0 TFSI engine, which produces 188 kW (256 hp) and 350 Nm (258 lb/ft), just 333 units of the high-powered baby hatchback will be produced. If you skip straight to Segment 2 you’ll only miss a minute or two of it.
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  • Porsche 991 Turbo spotted


    One of our readers, José Costa, was recently spending some time racing at the Nurburgring, when he pulled into the local gas station and came across this camouflaged Porsche 991 Turbo. We’ve seen other photos of this vehicle in the past, but this is the clearest interior shot to date.

    Said to début in Paris later this month, power is expected to from the 3.8-litre six-cylinder engine currently seen in the 997, but – if rumours turn out to be true – it will be fed by three turbochargers rather than two. This set-up is currently in use in BMW’s diesel-powered M Performance range to sharpen up low-end responsiveness. Time will tell.
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  • BMW M5 by Vilner


    Sofia-based Vilner Studio has revealed one of its latest projects based on the popular v10-engined E60 BMW M5.

    Aside from the satin black HRE P40 Series alloy wheels, all the changes occur inside the cabin, with Vilner fitting an Alcantara rooflining before trimming the steering wheel, handbrake, seats and door panels in leather, with the latter two receiving large perforated sections. The interior is completed with carbon fibre elements on the dashboard sections, centre console and doors.
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  • Limited edition 760Li marks 25 years of BMW automobile 12-cylinders


    BMW has announced details of a special edition 7 Series that marks a quarter of a century of 12-cylinder engines in its automobile range.

    Available only to customers in America, the “V-12 25 Years Edition” BMW 760Li uses a twin-turbo 6.0-litre powerplant that churns out 399 kW (535 hp) and 746 Nm (550 lb/ft) of torque, enough to propel this luxury barge to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds and onto a top speed of 209 km/h (130 mph) or 250 km/h (155 mph) when specified with the M Sport option.

    Special features include exclusive badging throughout, the Shadowline exterior trim, 20-inch Individual alloy wheels, Champagne Merino leather with black piping, rear-seat entertainment package with iDrive, black floor mats and rear footrests with Champagne piping, Piano Black wood trim, leather-trimmed pillars and Alcantara-trimmed rooflining and parcel shelf.

    A mere 15 examples will be built with pricing starting at $159,695.
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  • Audi RS 5 Coupe driven


    In this new episode of Ignition, Motor Trend’s Carlos Lago heads over to Sonoma Raceway to drive Audi’s RS 5 Coupe around the racetrack, before taking the scenic route home to Los Angeles to see how it performs on a long, winding road trip. Powered by Audi’s 331 kW (450 hp) 4.2 FSI, the Coupe hits 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds, while the limited top speed of 250 kmh (155 mph) can be raised to 280 km/h (174 mph) upon request.
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