German Car Blog, Performance, Tuning, Motorsport, and Modification News

Insideline did a quick test video of the USA TT-RS. Our version only comes in 6-speed manual which is a bit of a bummer as the DSG would no doubt put up quicker numbers. Insideline managed to hit 0-60 in 4.3 seconds and the 1/4 mile came in a rather disappointing 13.0@105.6. They were testing on a very hot summer day in Southern California with what appeared to be a VBOX so one should keep that in mind. ...

Well, only two races are left in the 2012 ALMS season. Those two races being the Virginia International Raceway 240 on September 15th and the Petit Le Mans on October 20th. Porsche scored a large victory at this past weekends Baltimore GP with factory drivers Bryan Sellers and Wolf Henzler taking the victory. Chevy and Ferrari finished in 2nd and 3rd respectively to round out the top 3 and Porsche inched closer to second place BMW in the standings. ...

Here we have three runs between a Cobb Stage 2 tuned BMW 335i and a tuned Boss Mustang from a stop. The first run has both cars approaching a light and the Boss gets on it first and pulls steadily away. On the second run there appears to be some miscommunication during the honks and the 335i gets a large jump with the Boss being unable to run it down. The third run seems to be the cleanest with a nice launch from the 335i but the Boss makes up ground before the 335i lets off. ...

Here is a comparison video pitting three very fast luxury sedans against one another from a stop and from a roll. The cars are a tuned W221 S65 AMG (Wheelsandmore Stage 2 tune ~720 horsepower) and two stock cars in a Jaguar XJL Supersport and Porsche Panamera Turbo (with a Techart body kit). On paper the advantage is clearly in the favor of the S65 AMG which has much more power and torque versus either car but is the heaviest of the group. ...

It is getting harder and harder to be a BMW fan. When the controversial decision was made for BMW to leave Formula 1 it was justified using the economic downturn as the reasoning. BMW profits are up, they are selling more cars than ever, and they have money to spare. Unfortunately that money is going to the BMW "i" brand and into new GT models instead of the top level of Motorsport. BMW seems content with ALMS and DTM and rules out any return to Formula 1 at this time. ...

Well here it finally is, the new MKVII Volkswagen Golf. The exterior is not ground breaking or radical simply a nice evolution. The tailights are a bit more aggressive as well as the headlights with their edgy angles. The interior is a major upgrade with a modern and simple cabin. As reported previously, this new model is lighter, roomier, wider, and more efficient. The official reveal is set to take place shortly so more details will be coming in. ...

Here is another titanium exhaust system from Agency power this time for the Porsche Panamera Turbo. The full system includes a high flow center pipe, mufflers, and 76mm exhaust tips. The entire weight of the system is only 28 pounds with 14 pounds of that weight coming from the mufflers, impressively light. A lifetime warranty is included showing that they stand by the system which is a great value at $3,500. ...

Volkswagen as of late has seemed to buy just about any and every automotive manufacturer in sight. The latest rumor was that they would be acquiring Lotus. All of this after finalizing the Porsche takeover, picking up Ducati, and acquiring heavy truck maker MAN. Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn stated, “We have enough to do at the moment in taking our twelve brands to where we want to be." ...

The 2013 Audi RS5 is an absolutely gorgeous vehicle that we are thrilled Audi decided to bring to the USA. The old 4.2 liter FSI V8 was upgraded and now puts out 450 horses revving to a very impressive 8500 RPM. This power routed through a 7-speed dual clutch transmission is good enough to get it to a 12.5@110 in the 1/4 mile or in other words similar quickness to an E92 M3 DCT from a stop but likely still slightly slower from a roll on the top end. ...

This is a very large development in the world of Motorsport with the American Le Mans series and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car series set to merge. Speed reports that the two will race under a single banner as early as the 2014 race season. Questions arise as to how the rules will change and what cars/classes will compete. It would seem GRAND-AM will be the sanctioning body and classes from both will merge together. ...

Rejoice W211 E55 and 55 AMG fans, the day is finally here. We first announced that this upgrade was being developed in December of last year and as usual Weistec diligently worked on it and delivered as promised. The 3.0 liter supercharger upgrade is officially on the market. There are several advantages to the 3.0 liter twin screw versus the factory 2.1 liter namely in the areas of efficiency and heat management which is vital for a positive displacement application. ...

KW has released coilover suspensions upgrades for the new V10 M5 consisting of their V3 and Clubsport systems. EDC (BMW electronic dampening control) is disabled with these and a EDC delete module prevents any codes or errors from showing in the car. The V3's allow adjustment in dampening and rebound. The clubsport coilovers are either 2 or 3 way adjustable in damping and also contain external fluid reservoirs. ...

Mercedes AMG F1 entered Spa struggling, just like they left Hungary. They were unable to run on Friday because of the torrential rain which hurt them during qualifying and saw them outside of the top 10. Come race day, Michael on his 300th grand prix was able to finish in 7th place with an ailing car after he lost 6th gear with 10 laps to go. Rosberg fought back from 23rd to finish in a respectable 11th place. ...

We are going to see some absolutely awesome battles take place between the new twin turbo BMW and Mercedes SUV's. This video below shows us runs between a G63 AMG that is stock and a BMW X5M from a stop and a roll. The X5M wins decisively and is the faster SUV of the two. The first run from a stop with the X5M using launch control on the G63 is simply a beatdown. The runs from a roll even when the G63 AMG jumps (the driver sure likes to start early) still have the X5M creeping up from behind and pulling up top. ...

Velos Designwerks continues to show exceptional command of the BMW N63 V8 Twin Turbo V8 by setting a new horsepower record on the platform. Just a few weeks ago they hit 441 wheel horsepower with BimmerBoost member Jimefam's 6-speed manual 550i with AR Design downpipes. They have raised the bar to 461 wheel horsepower (STD on a dynojet). This is basically F10 M5 level horsepower. ...

AMS Performance is starting to go hard at the R8 V10 market. Just a few days ago we posted about their Twin Turbo kit for the R8 V10 and now we have details on their naturally aspirated V10 tune. Gains are very healthy with 66 horses added at the wheels from just a tune only on 93 octane. These numbers substantially exceed what Fabspeed hit with a tune and a exhaust also on a dynojet. ...

COBB Tuning is proud to announce the immediate availability of Beta Race Fuel Maps and E-30 Blend Fuel Maps for Stage2+ AccessPORT equipped BMW N54 vehicles! Gains of 50% more power over a stock N54, and +40HP / +45lb-ft torque over our Stage2+ Aggressive maps are just a flash and a fill-up away. These Race and E-30 maps provide the ultimate in plug-and-play performance for the driver looking for the most from their BMW. If your vehicle meets the hardware requirements for this map, and you have access to 100 octane race fuel, or E-85 fuel, acquiring this level of performance has never been easier. Simply download one of our free Beta Race or E-30 maps, reflash your DME with the AccessPORT, fill-up with the appropriate fuel and experience the rush of high-octane power gains. ...

The Nurburgring has become a sort of standard to measure track performance. Manufacturers tout their laptimes as evidence of this performance but the problem is there is not a set standard to follow. This leads to a bit of confusion regarding times and the video below of an M3 achieving a laptime of 7:36 is the perfect example of this. Why? Well, the explanation is below but not all Nurburgring laptimes are created equal. ...

Vath just released their V50S package for the W212 Mercedes E550. The pacakge includes exterior, suspension, brake, and engine upgrades. Exterior upgrades consist of carbon pieces including a front lip, diffuser, grille, and trunk spoiler. A lowering module drops the suspension of the car to make sit more flush on the on the 20 inch wheels (20x9 front and 20x10.5 in back). The front brakes get upgraded to 390mm discs with 6 piston calipers. ...