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German Car Blog, Performance, Tuning, Motorsport, and Modification News
Published on 02-04-2012 05:56 AM
This a very sad and unfortunate situation but the worst part of it is that taxpayers are literally paying millions of dollars for it. Nicole Catsouras took her father's Porsche 911 for a joyride in 2006 and ran into a toll booth at over 100 mph after clipping another car killing herself. Fortunately she did not injure anyone else seriously. The CHP took photos of the crash and these photos leaked out onto the internet. The family sued and was awarded a $2.3 million settlement. ...Published on 02-04-2012 04:40 AM
Mercerdes does not sell the Actros in the United States and that is too bad, as it is seems to be a very capable truck. Europeans agree as the Actros won the European Truck of the Year Competition for the fourth time in 2012. It is versatile as well doing everything from towing, to racing, to now serving as a taxi. Check out the video from Mercedes below to see some surprised individuals when the Actros pulls up. ...Published on 02-03-2012 09:56 PM
The E92 M3 is a car that has sparked a great deal of passion among car enthusiasts all over the world since the day spy shots of BMW’s secret test cars started appearing online. The M3 has always been BMW’s most focused M car, and fans of the M bloodline waited for the E92 M3’s release with buzzing anticipation. As a strong supporter of BMW’s M program, Eisenmann GmbH sensed the community’s excitement and knew they had to answer with an exhaust system that could give the amazing S65 V8 the sound that it deserved. ...Published on 02-03-2012 10:10 AM
It is getting difficult to keep track of how quickly VW is changing its mind regarding this car. Last month we reported that the roadster was put on indefinite hold. This led to news that the other versions based on this same platform would be cancelled such as the Porsche 550 and Audi R4. VW has had a change of heart it would seem stating that there is in fact a business case for this car as American buyers are now more interested in entry level cars due to the economy.
...Published on 02-03-2012 09:17 AM
The diesel competition is heating up as Audi unveils their powerful new 3.0 liter V6 bi-turbo diesel sporting a healthy 309 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. This motor is not quite as strong as BMW's new 381 horsepower tri-turbo 3.0 liter 6 cylinder offering but we definitely are liking the diesel competition forcing everyone to up their game. This motor in an A6 sedan offers a conservative 5.1 second sprint to 60 mph and an incredible 37.7 MPG. Europeans will have this motor of course but if it does not come to the USA we are really going to lose it as this would make for the second awesome new German diesel motor we get passed over for.
...Published on 02-03-2012 07:21 AM
We all like the word speedster in connection with Porsche. It should bring up images of a classic 356 with the top down. In recent years Porsche has attempted to recreate this nostalgia with a speedster version of the 911 with a hardtop in place of the automatic folding rear softop to save weight. It was also done to commemorate 25 years of Porsche Exclusive customization. On the new 991 generation Porsche 911 though this rendering just seems to give it a hump back look. Not all that attractive and we doubt Porsche will do it again anyway.
...Published on 02-03-2012 06:10 AM
The W221 S-Class is set to be replaced in 2013. Here is the W222 undergoing winter testing. Even with the camoflauge we can see that the styling seems to be more evolutionary than revolutionary which is logical considering the direction Mercedes took with the new R231 SL. The interior is being completely revamped with a huge new command infotainment system. Engine choices to be expected are the M278 twin turbo 4.6 liter V8 in the S550 and the S63 AMG version will get the M157 5.5 liter twin turbo V8. ...Published on 02-02-2012 10:11 PM
The VF-Engineering kit may have been the last to market of the major US players for the S65 V8 in the M3 but it definitely is making some waves. The M3 receiving the install here is an E90 with DCT. The baseline on the car completely stock was a very healthy 351 wheel horsepower on the EAS dynojet. After the install? 521 wheel horsepower on 91 octane. A very healthy gain of 170 wheel horsepower which is a realistic gain on 91 octane. ...Published on 02-02-2012 07:50 AM
We always like to see real world racing comparisons (although not on public roads) between tuned cars. The two vehicles here both belong to BenzBoost members. The OE Tuning car to JonsC63AMG and the Eurocharged car to BK63AMG. Both cars have a charcoal filter delete plus their tunes and were run on pump gas we assume but no way to be certain of that. A very close race with the OE Tuning car edging out the Eurocharged car. This can likely be attributed to Jon's low weight which has been claimed to be similar to a high school cheerleader with an eating disorder. Do not laugh, eating disorders are serious. ...Published on 02-02-2012 06:21 AM
Finally, a direct comparison between the two 7 speed transmission options (PDK and manual) in the same time, same place thanks to Insdeline. So how much is a dual clutch worth over a manual? How about 3.3 MPH and seven tenth's in the 1/4 mile? The largest gain comes in elapsed time which is not surprising as the PDK isn't making more power but shifting much faster. The PDK is picking up well over a tenth per shift as it needs 3 shifts to make it through the 1/4 mile, impressive. ...Published on 02-02-2012 04:30 AM
Audi is not slowing doing any time soon and adding more models to the mix. The Q4 is not surprising as this crossover segment is one that will see heavy competition from BMW which is preparing an X4 and Mercedes with a GLC. A cabrio version of the A1 is also not all that surprising. What is a bit of a shock though is Audi going much further upscale with an A9 sedan designed to compete with the top of the line Mercedes S600 Pullman that will be coming to fill the void left by Maybach. Expect the A9 to be revealed in 2013. ...Published on 02-02-2012 04:00 AM
We really like the 2.0T motor due to all the tuning possibilities out there for it. The APR Stage III kit for example being a very popular upgrade option to boost the output considerably. The Stage III turbo upgrade takes the car up almost 200 horsepower from 216 stock to 405 on 93 octane. This particular car belongs to an individual that won the upgrade in a raffle from APR, very cool. Check out the photos and video of the build by Elite Motorsports below. ...Published on 02-01-2012 11:01 PM
Fluid Motor Union does top notch work as was displayed previously with their amazing attention to detail in their jaw dropping Weistec Supercharged CLK63 AMG Black Series build. This is simply a rear section for the E39 M5 but just look at the quality of the welds and the rear section as a whole especially when compared to the OEM setup. No word on pricing but quality work like this does not come cheap. Fluid Motor Union would likely be able to build a quality exhaust setup like this for anything out there. ...Published on 02-01-2012 07:04 AM
Here is the official release for the GIAC B8 S5 and S5 3.0 direct injected supercharged V6 software. We reported on this software producing huge gains last week. GIAC in their product release comments on this somewhat saying the gains previously seen are among the highest a customer might get. It almost seems as if they are admitting the run was a glory run not applicable to what others might see. We think GIAC should get a few more runs and post graphs that may be a better representation of what most customers will get rather than knowingly putting up a graph they themselves confirm is one of the highest they have seen for tune with intake on 91 pump. ...Published on 02-01-2012 05:41 AM
The Nissan GT-R is a very fast car in stock form. However, its main strength is going from a stop with its all wheel drive and dual clutch transmission allowing it to get a jump on most cars. From a roll, it isn't exactly unbeatable in stock form as this race with an SL65 Black Series shows. The GT-R in the video is said to a be a 485 horsepower version so likely a 2008-2010 model. We would like to see how a 2012 would fair in its place but the SL65 would likely still dominate it. ...Published on 02-01-2012 04:55 AM
For 958 Cayenne's equipped with the air suspension the vehicle can be lowered through electronic means. The stock Porsche software limits how low the car can go. In comes Vogtland with a lowering module that will bring the car down an additional 40 millimeters. It only takes a few minutes to install the module which is connected to the vehicles electronics. It can be removed just as quickly and easily. The entire module is controlled through an on-board menu. ...Published on 01-31-2012 09:40 PM
This car/motor depicted here belongs to a guy who goes by the name of Guruman. He is taking his motor the next level hoping to crack the 1000 horsepower mark. This is a fully built 2.9 liter (up from the original 2.7) which revs to 9k with ported heads, custom cams, solid lifters, and a ferrea valve train. The turbo is a precision 6766 twin scroll 1.0 BB/Billet with twin 46mm wastegates running off a custom thin wall 321 racing Agtronic manifold setup. Nice to see someone pushing the 2.7 bi-turbo to the limit rather than just swapping in a VR6. ...Published on 01-31-2012 06:55 AM
We have seen our fair share of videos lately of wrecked cars that were driven irresponsibly in public. We all are here because we love powerful cars and appreciate the engineering and performance. There is a time and a place to use it and we all have put the pedal down at some point or else we would not be here but this type of behavior as shown by these drivers from Qatar is exactly why insurance companies, politicians, and law enforcement are attempting to spoil the fun for everyone. Take it to the track or at the very least do not race in traffic dodging innocent bystanders at high speeds. ...Published on 01-31-2012 05:52 AM
Congratulations to Porsche for a dominant victory in the extremely competitive GT class at the 50th running of the 24 Hours of Daytona. The GT3 cup cars did not just win, they dominated, with a 1-2-3 finish. The victory in the class went to Magnus Racing and drivers Richard Lietz, Rene Rast, Andy Lally, and John Potter. Second and third place went to GT3 cup cars fielded by TRG and Brumos Racing respectively. Full results are posted below. ...Published on 01-31-2012 02:59 AM
Here is a very nicely done video from MRC Tuning highlighting their supercharger for the B7 RS4. Are you in North America and have not heard of MRC tuning? That is likely because they are based out of the UK but videos like this are done precisely for the reason of getting the name out there. The supercharger costs 13,000 British Pounds which converts to roughly $20,000 meaning this supercharger is unlikely to become a popular option in the USA but the more options for the platform the merrier. ...
Today, 04:01 PM