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German Car Blog, Performance, Tuning, Motorsport, and Modification News
Published on 01-16-2012 09:12 PM
This news is not all that surprising and comes hot on the heels of Volkswagen announcing the VW Bluesport Roadster (which this Porsche roadster would have shared its platform with) was delayed indefinitely. Porsche believes it needs to wait a generation as this car would likely eat into Boxster sales and it is currently focused on getting its entry level Cajun SUV out. Disappointing to say the least but it keeps the premium brand upscale. No telling how this will affect Audi R4 prospects which also was to share this platform. ...Published on 01-15-2012 07:41 AM
BMW is testing the replacement for the current X5 which is due in 2013 as a 2014 model. So what will be different? Well, apparently LED's will be included and a hybrid model will be a focal point. Styling will get a mild update of course and we expect BMW to play it conservative as it has with the current batch of next generation models. What we want to see is the weight drop significantly as Porsche managed to do in the new Cayenne and more diesel options for the USA. ...Weistec Mercedes SLS AMG M159 naturally aspirated V8 ECU tune released - +27 wheel horsepower, $1900
Published on 01-15-2012 07:00 AM
The Weistec Engineering offering for the SLS AMG is not just limited to their supercharger. Wesitec expanded their naturally aspirated tune offering with an M159 V8 tune. The tune adds 27 horsepower at the wheels as well as 36 wheel torque on 91 octane pump gas. The top speed limiter is removed along with a change in the throttle mapping for sharper response. The tune retails for $1900, specs and dyno sheet below. ...Published on 01-15-2012 02:51 AM
The 996 turbo is a very popular modification platform. Used vehicles are a great value and a lot of power can be extracted from the twin turbo flat-6. Increasing displacement is certainly an option as well with 3.82, 3.86, and and 3.94 displacement options for $6500. The stroker kit obviously includes a crank as well as rods and pistons. The crank is made out of billet 4340 steel and is lighter than the stock crank. Full specs below. ...Published on 01-14-2012 11:45 PM
Well this is definitely interesting, an S-Class convertible? With the demise of Maybach Mercedes intends to fill the gap with several S-class variants. Dr. Uwe Ernstberger (next gen S-class project leader) stated the following in a recent interview, "We want to broaden the range of the S-Class and we'll have additional variants of that car. The next generation gets a lot of technical features that allow it to improve in extreme ways, so in a way, we need to broaden the range to accommodate that. We can go in more directions with it." ...Published on 01-14-2012 11:11 PM
We reported in December last year that Car and Driver claimed the B8 RS4 was not coming. We stated this was weird considering the car had been seen testing repeatedly. Autoblog.nl reports the car is coming and will be available late in 2012. It will be wagon only, no sedan which makes sense with the RS5 on its way to the USA. Expect the B8 RS4 to share the RS5's drivetrain. We want to commend Audi for not abandoning this model, well done. ...Published on 01-14-2012 04:53 AM
BMW has taken home the championship the last two years in ALMS GT. They are gearing up for a third championship and issued a press release stating exactly that as well as naming the driver lineup. One can not help but appreciate the BMW Motorsport confidence and swagger. We wish it carried over to the production M models for the street. Regardless, Dirk Mueller, Joey Hand, and Bill Auberlen will be returing. New to the team are Jorg Muller and Uwe Alzen. ...Published on 01-14-2012 02:50 AM
This is the 911 GT2 R Flat by Albert Motorsport. The flat part obviously coming from the roof which has been chopped. The vehicle actually began life as a 996 and not a 997 as it appears. 997.2 lights were added and the pillars were cut to give it a very sleek appearance. The vehicle is not just for show as it will be raced and is making its debut at a 4 hour endurance race. A very cool build resulting in a unique 911. ...Published on 01-14-2012 02:40 AM
We reported last month that VW is planning world domination, at least in auto sales. VW sold 8.16 million units in 2011 making it the first time it has ever crossed the 8 million unit mark. Toyota finished in what will likely be 3rd place with 7.9 million sales but the March earthquake affected their production. GM has yet to report sales but most analysts feel they will end up in first place overall retaking first place. Will VW be able to take first place? We will see. ...Published on 01-14-2012 01:27 AM
Many tuners have attempted single turbo setups on the BMW N54 direct injected turbo 6. Up to this point, nobody has been able to come to market with a reliable solution. HPF announced they intended to provide a single turbo kit for the N54 last year. They seem to be progressing further than anyone else and making it into a reality. Expect dyno numbers to come soon but for now the details we have are that this kit will be able to run any Precision T4 Turbo from a 67 to a 76. ...Published on 01-13-2012 11:01 PM
Veilside is a Japanese tuner that builds some extravagant body kits. Their "Fortune" kits in particular tend to make a bold statement. The word fortune being accurate as this kit is going to cost exactly that. 3,000,000 yen is roughly $39,000 at current exchange rates. That is a lot of dough for what will essentially be another R230 body kit inspired by the SL65 Black Series. This kit will be limited to 300 units which we think they will be hard pressed to sell anywhere near that number. We look forward to seeing the final product unveiled at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon but will not hesitate to mention there are much more affordable options out there to get this same look. ...Published on 01-13-2012 05:32 AM
This is great news especially considering that the A-Class is coming to the USA. The A25 AMG will be sporting 340 horsepower from a new 2.0 liter direct injected turbo 4 cylinder. This same motor will likely power AMG variants of the upcoming CLC25 AMG as well as GLC25 AMG. It will make for a great entry level AMG tuning platform and with 340 horsepower will offer strong competition to its rivals namely the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3. ...Published on 01-13-2012 05:10 AM
The title may seem a little odd but let us explain. Audi revealed the interior for the new 2013 Audi A3. As you can see in the pictures below, the interior is stunning and typical Audi quality. The nav screen in the interior happened to have digital renderings of the exterior of the car which were snapped up and passed around the internet. So, Audi's intention to reveal the interior also gave us an idea of the exterior design which borrows heavily from the A3 Sedan Concept. Expect the official reveal in Geneva. ...Published on 01-13-2012 04:34 AM
Thank you for kicking your American performance enthusiasts in the balls yet again BMW. Fortunately, we are used to it (CSL, GTS) so it no longer hurts the way it used to. Would someone please make sense of this? BMW hypes the hell out of its new X6M50d with teaser videos telling us how great of an "M" it is and gets us all turned on at the prospect of a high performance diesel only to leave us hanging. BMW, you are the girlfriend from hell. ...Published on 01-13-2012 02:30 AM
Remember the VW BlueSpot roadster concept? A very cool little roadster that was supposed to share its platform with the Audi R4 and Porsche 550 Spyder relaunch. Volkswagen is re-evaluating whether the BlueSport makes sense as they do not believe they will be able to sell the 50,000 units annually that would be necessary for the model to be profitable. VW engineering head Uli Hackenberg told AutoCar, “It’s not a technology problem, but of finding enough customers. I don’t have enough sales volume to get the go-ahead." ...Published on 01-11-2012 08:20 PM
You have to love the internet. Makes waiting for details in magazines or at shows seem outdated. Case and point, we already have pictures of the new 2012 981 Boxster before it is officially revealed at the Geneva auto show. And boy, does it look good. While the 911 continues to be held in the past styling wise due to Porsche purists the Boxster continues to evolve without constraint. The car looks much more aggressive than it did previously with excellent updates to the front and rear lights. The side intakes also give the car a new hint of aggression. ...Published on 01-11-2012 08:00 PM
Everyone should know by now that BMW is replacing their naturally aspirated N52 6 cylinder with the N20 turbocharged and direct injected 4 cylinder. How do these motors compare in the same model? Insideline did that exact comparison with a 2011 N52 powered F10 528i vs. a 2012 N20 F10 528i. Both motors are rated at the same output by BMW but the results below as well as dyno numbers show the N20 is in fact putting out more power. ...Published on 01-10-2012 10:21 PM
Well here it finally is, GermanBoost.com. GermanBoost is the central site of our network featuring all forums and front page updates from BimmerBoost, AudiBoost, PorscheBoost, BenzBoost, and VWBoost. For those interested, you no longer have to flip between pages or sites but can get all the information in one spot with your same login that you already have. For those who just want single make information, all the other sites will work just as they did with no changes. This central site should increase activity and potential growth tremendously. ...Published on 01-10-2012 09:46 PM
We all know the Carrera and Carrera S are just the beginning for the 991. Porsche is going to roll out the usual variants over the next several years. The cabrio has already made its debut but what we are truly waiting on are the Turbo, GT2, and GT3. These details come from EVO who states the 991 Turbo will come as a 2013 model offering a modest boost up to 520 horsepower. After the Turbo, we should see the next generation 991 GT3 in 2013 which EVO states will get a PDK transmisison as well as 470 horsepower. And the big daddy GT2? Expect it in 2014 with around 600 horsepower fed through a PDK transmission to make for a flat out beast. ...Published on 01-10-2012 06:51 PM
Here is another great video from our Russian friends at dragtimes.info. A stock 997 GT2 dyno's in the low 500 wheel horsepower range. The supercharger on the E92 M3 here is an ESS VT2-650 which is the highest horsepower stock internal offering from ESS pushing 8.5 psi of boost. Dyno numbers for the VT2-650 have been claimed to be in the 600 wheel range so we are surprised to see the trap speed at the mile favoring the GT2 with 179.67 mph versus 169.46 for the M3. Both clearly are very fast cars but 10 MPH is quite a difference especially considering it is in the favor of what is supposedly the much less powerful car. Interesting result to say the least. ...
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