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German Car Blog, Performance, Tuning, Motorsport, and Modification News
Published on 08-02-2011 07:00 AM
M275 V12 twin turbo production for the Mercedes SL has ended. That makes us very, very sad pandas. The SL600 is the first to go followed by the SL65 AMG. The Black Series will likely be sold for a little while longer but at its price point they are not exactly flying off lots. Will the V12 re-appear in the next generation SL? We do not know, but with the M157 and M278 twin turbo V8's the demand for a twin turbo V12 will not likely be there. These are newer motors with better emissions that are also lighter. We will have to wait and see but this may be the beginning of the end for the M275.
...Published on 08-02-2011 07:00 AM
The mid-size luxury sport sedan market was one BMW dominated. Some can argue they really invented it and set the standard. The E39 5 series was really were people saw just how much better BMW was at building these cars for all around performance than anyone else. Something has happened along the way and the F10 5 series is no longer as dominating in this sector. Has Audi gotten better or has BMW slipped? Maybe the answer is both.
...Published on 08-02-2011 02:57 AM
First of all, these are all absolutely awesome cars. It's kind of hard to pick a winner and a loser in this bunch Car and Driver did just that. The car picked last was the 997 GT2 RS. Although the GT2 RS is the second fastest, pulls the most on the skidpad, and has the fastest slalom time they rated it negatively for the turbo lag and harsh ride. Uh, it's a GT2 RS. It is made to perform not cushion your old behind. The 458 Italia is actually rated negatively due to sticker gouging? Oh, so it is the cars fault it is so awesome it can command a huge premium? Get real. The MP4-12C wins which is odd considering they say it lacks soul. It also goes against most of the tests up until this point that still pick the Italia.
...Published on 08-01-2011 11:02 PM
This is some pretty good news if it turns out to be true. CAR is reporting that the R8 will be getting an HP bump. The R8 V8 will get a horsepower boost to match the RS5. It will go to about 444 horsepower up from the current 414 which resembled the B7 RS4. The V10 will also be getting a bump since it was detuned vs. the Gallardo. It will go up to 533 up from the current 518. The real big news though is that both might be getting a 7-speed DSG gearbox. That would take the R8 into some elite (458 Italia) territory. For those of you who just bought your R8 GT versions, bummer, but new versions of the GT should be coming as well.
...Published on 08-01-2011 02:56 PM
Here is the video everyone has been waiting for. This is the first of what we believe will be many 10 second supercharged M156 V8 (63 AMG) Mercedes vehicles. The car was run in the Summer heat of Southern California at the Fontana drag strip which is notoriously slow. Density altitude went up over 3000 during the day yet the car still managed to hit 10's which is certainly impressive. 275/40/17 Mickey Thompson drag radials were used along with lightweight seats and race gas. Congratulations to Weistec and JRCART.
...Published on 08-01-2011 07:00 AM
We have all known for a while now that Stage III supercharger kits from Gintani are coming. There are a handful of cars running around now but they are running Vortech T-trim blowers. Due to the volumetric efficiency and high revs of the S65 M3 engine the fairly large T-trim gets maxed out fairly quickly. In comes the bigger, badder Vortech YSI. As you can see from the pictures the YSI fits, just barely though. The supercharger casing does need to be modified slightly in order for it to fit without issue.
...Published on 08-01-2011 02:13 AM
The 2011 race featured a packed field. Competition in the GT3 field among private teams was fierce with 57 cars alone in this category. Spa is a GT race featuring cars like the R8 LMS, Z4 GT3, Mercedes SLS GT3, Porsche 997 GT3, etc. The race was won and dominated by Audi who led 22 out of the 24 hours in the R8 LMS. Third place went to the Mercedes SLS GT3. Spa features private teams with factory race cars making for a packed, diverse field and interesting race. Full race results below.
...Published on 08-01-2011 01:54 AM
A major congratulations to Audi on this victory in the face of competition from 13 other manufacturers including Mercedes and BMW. Audi DTM drivers Mattias Ekström and Timo Scheider were two of the three drivers in the Audi Sport Team WRT R8 LMS. The field had never been so packed with 62 cars 57 of which were in the GT3 category. The Audi R8 cars led for 22 out of the 24 hours and were running 1-2-3 at one point, well done.
...Published on 08-01-2011 12:42 AM
The weather at the Hungarian Grand Prix proved challenging with intermittent showers. Vettel led early on but made a mistake in the rain that allowed McLaren driver Jenson Button to take the win. Vettel would finish in second place. Mercedes struggled as they really have all season. Although both Mercedes GP drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher had good starts overtaking a number of positions Nico would end up finishing in 9th place and Schumacher did not finish the race. A mechanical failure in the gearbox forced Schmuacher to retire from the race. The next race is in Belgium, August 28. Full results below.
...Published on 07-31-2011 10:26 PM
It is always a lot of fun to see bikes and cars go at it. This race is interesting as it is a long race (1 mile) but it also starts from a dig. Longer races due tend to favor cars but this a tuned version of a bike that is very fast to begin with. We will not spoil it for you but the 1/4 mile and mile trap speed differences really tell the whole story. Great race and both are very, very fast.
...Published on 07-31-2011 12:26 AM
The Cayman R with the PDK is pretty darn quick. Motortrend hits 0-60 in 4.2 seconds and goes through the 1/4 mile in 12.7@111 mph. Remember, Autocar stated the 1M coupe is much faster than the Cayman R in a straight line. We would put our money on the PDK Cayman R in a drag race. Check out the full review video from Motortrend (the narrator does not seem all that excited) below.
...Published on 07-30-2011 11:22 PM
Here are the qualifying results for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher qualified in 7th and 9th respectively. The younger Nico seems to continue to just slightly outperform Schumacher. Vettel took the pole proving he is not about to stop his dominating performance this season snatching the pole from Lewis Hamilton who seemed to have it in the bag. Full results below.
...Published on 07-30-2011 07:46 AM
This is a bit of a surprising result. The Audi R8 V10 is a fast car, we all know that. This example features an ABT tune and Milltek exhaust which the combo is said to be good for 600 horsepower. The G-power SK-II supercharger kit is said to produce 570 horsepower at around 6 psi using an ASA T1-522 supercharger. It sure does not look like 570 horsepower on the M3 as with that much power and a dual clutch transmission it should put up a much better fight. The Audi walks it, easily.
...Published on 07-30-2011 07:45 AM
This is a bit of a surprising result. The Audi R8 V10 is a fast car, we all know that. This example features an ABT tune and Milltek exhaust which the combo is said to be good for 600 horsepower. The G-power SK-II supercharger kit is said to produce 570 horsepower at around 6 psi using an ASA T1-522 supercharger. It sure does not look like 570 horsepower on the M3 as with that much power and a dual clutch transmission it should put up a much better fight. The Audi walks it, easily.
...Published on 07-30-2011 04:14 AM
The i3 does not exactly get us excited as enthusiasts. The i8 on the other hand is supposed to be the exciting and fun to drive BMW 'i' car. Power to the front wheels will be from a modified i3 electric motor. The rear wheels will get power from a direct injected 1.5 liter likely turbocharged motor. The electric and internal combustion motors combined should be good for 350 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque in AWD mode which should provide sub 5 second 0-60 times.
...Published on 07-30-2011 02:35 AM
This is the Stage III APR B8 S4 supercharger system. On 100 octane it is capable of hitting 428 horsepower at all four wheels. On 91 octane it is capable of an impressive 412 AWHP. Very nice compared to the stock 275 AWHP. The best performance numbers hit so far are 11.9@116.9 mph in the 1/4 mile. Definitely a large improvement and likely the best option available for those who want more out of their S5.
...Published on 07-30-2011 01:44 AM
Well here it is, the BMW i3. Say hello to the electric era of BMW. The i3 seats 4 passengers. Its 170 horsepower and 184 foot-pound electric motor is powered by a lithium-ion battery. Power is sent to the rear wheels thankfully. With 170 horsepower it is not the most powerful car in the lineup and is said to hit 60 in under 8 seconds and hit a top speed of 93 miles per hour. Ultimate Driving Machine? Not exactly.
...Published on 07-30-2011 12:32 AM
CAR reports that a long wheelbase version of the Panamera is coming. The wheelbase will be extended by 150 millimeters. Demand for long wheelbase models is apparently very high in China which seems to be the driving force for this Panamera model. It seems kind of weird to us though as the Panamera is supposed to be a sporty sedan and already is quite heavy to begin with. Regardless, the longer wheelbase model is coming as is a face-lift.
...Published on 07-29-2011 04:16 PM
Trucks for the German makes continue to be popular with graphic artists and enthusiasts alike. Just two weeks ago we brought you the Audi Q7 truck which was real, not a rendering. Also, who can forget the BMW M3 pickup truck? The artist who did these Mercedes renderings here said that since his X5 truck rendering people have been clamoring to see what a Mercedes based version would look like. Well, here it is and do not worry as Mercedes-Benz will not be producing anything like this.
...Published on 07-29-2011 03:54 PM
The first performance suspension upgrades for the X6 and X5 M are available now from Dinan for $1199. The suspension kit lowers the car 3/4 of an inch in front and in back. Front and rear shock mounts relocate the mounting point to keep the stock travel. Also included are the rear ride height sensor mods. It is also designed to work with the factory electronic shocks and load-leveling suspension without issue.
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