german cars
Report: Porsche Panamera, 911 Platforms Could be Shared With VW Group Cars, Says CEO
Porsche’s new CEO has said that the German sports car maker is open to sharing the Panamera platform with other Volkswagen Group brands. He even went so far as to say that (gasp!) the iconic 911 platform could be used across brands. Michael Macht, the new Porsche boss who was practically hand picked by Volkswagen…
Report: Volkswagen Begins Takeover Process With 49.9 Percent Stake in Porsche
Volkswagen has announced that as the result of recent talks in its “step towards an integrated automotive group with Porsche” (aka, takeover) it will begin by taking a significant 49.9 percent share in the German sports car maker. The process will begin this year with a final merger occurring in 2011. Volkswagen is expected to…
Report: Volkswagen Launches Free GTI iPod Racing App With Chance to Win One of Six Custom GTIs
Ever seen a Volkswagen with a little white Mac apple decal on the back? Of course you have. VWs and Macs go together like Beer and bratwurst. Volkswagen has decided to work with its fan base and launch the new 2010 GTI using Mac’s App Store, where you can now download a free racing video…
Report: Mercedes C63 Gets 487-hp Performance Package Plus
With Mercedes’ 6.2-liter V8 making as much as 518-hp in car’s like the S63, the same engine in the performance-oriented C63 makes “just” 451-hp. There are numerous reasons for this, but it does seem like those who pony-up for an AMG-spec C-Class are getting the shaft. In an attempt to remedy this Mercedes is now…
Report: Volkswagen Passat Likely to Bow-Out When New Sedan Arrives in 2011
When Volkswagen’s new mid-sized sedan arrives in 2011, there is a strong possibility that it will replace, rather than join the Passat, in the German automaker’s lineup. VW Group of America CEO Stefan Jacoby has said that the company is currently studying whether or not to keep the Passat, but all evidence points to its…
Spied: Possible BMW M3 CSL Model Caught on Nürburgring
A rather unique looking M3 has been spotted on the Nürburgring and the photos seem to suggest that BMW is prepping a CSL model. BMW execs have denied a light weight and even more performance-oriented M3 is on the way, but with the recovering economy, the demand for such a car and the fact that…
Report: Audi E-Tron to Get R4 Badge
Audi has already confirmed that the E-Tron concept that made its world premiere at the Frankfurt Auto Show last month will see production, and now recent reports suggest the car will go under the R4 badge. The news comes from the U.K.’s AutoExpress, which also suggests gasoline versions may be available and that this vehicle…
Report: 2010 Porsche Turbo Cuts 10 Seconds off Nürburgring Time
Porsche’s updated 2010 911 Turbo model has cut an impressive 10 seconds off its predecessor’s Nürburgring lap time. The significantly revised sports car can now boast a 7:39 lap time around Germany’s most famous race track. Unfortunately for Porsche, this time is still more than 10 seconds away from the car’s Japanese rival, the Nissan…
Report: Smart fortwo Electric Car Announced for 2012
Daimler AG has announced that the second generation Smart fortwo electric drive will go into series production starting in 2012. The announcement was made during the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to the facility where the electric Smart cars will be built in Hambach, France. A small number of vehicles will begin production in…
Report: Audi Considering More Premium Small Cars for North America
With rumored news that rival BMW is planning a long list of 1 Series-based vehicles, Audi is reportedly studying several premium small cars for introduction into the North American marketplace. First on the list is a sedan version of the A3 hatchback. Much like BMW’s plans for the 1 Series, Audi is rumored to be…
Report: Volkswagen Golf R Confirmed for North America as GTI-R Model
Volkswagen has confirmed that the high-powered all-wheel drive Golf R, which debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show last month, will be sold in North America. Powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine (the same powerplant found under the hood of the Audi TT-S) the Golf R makes 265hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque. Volkswagen estimates…
Report: Next 6 Series “Best-Looking BMW in Years” Says U.S. Boss
Jim O’Donnell, the man in charge of BMW North America has said that the next iteration of the company’s 6 Series will be the “best-looking BMW in years.” O’Donnell made the comments to Automobile magazine prior to the Frankfurt Motor Show. Calling it, “really stunning,” O’Donnell said that both the coupe and convertible models will…
Report: New Entry Level Sports Car a Top Priority for Porsche, Says R&D Boss
When Porsche first introduced the Boxster it was a fun and reasonably affordable (if somewhat underpowered) sports car. Since then it has grown in pretty much every way, with more power, larger engine choices and a significantly higher price tag. Numerous rumors have emerged hinting that Porsche is looking at bringing in a sub-Boxster model…
Breaking: Audi E-Tron Electric R8 Headed to Production
Audi’s E-Tron electric R8 has been given the green light and should be on the road in two to three years. Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen has said that a car based on the E-Tron concept, which debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show last month, will be built. He expects fully functional examples…
Official: 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI Rated at 42 MPG Highway
After much anticipation Volkswagen has finally released the fuel-economy numbers for the 2010 Golf TDI, with the DSG equipped model achieving a rating of 31/42 mg (city/highway). Manual transmission TDI models are rated at 30/41 mpg. As for the standard gasoline-powered Golf with the 2.5-liter engine, it is rated at 22/30 mpg. The Golf starts…
Report: Light Weight Audi A5 Hints at Future RS5 Quattro Coupe
Audi is stoking the fires of speculation about a high performance RS5 Quattro Coupe model by releasing info of a new light weight A5 prototype. Thanks to an aluminum (rather than steel) frame, along with a carbon fiber hood and trunk, the Aluminum A5 prototype weights just 2,888 lbs. That is a total of 242…
Breaking: Bugatti Galibier 16C Sedan Reportedly Gets the Green Light
Shown for the first time a month ago at a private event in Molsheim, France, the Bugatti Galibier 16C sedan has now reportedly been given the green light to head into production. The reported cost of the quad-turbo 16-cylinder sedan is £900,000 or roughly $1.5 million, with a possible production date of 2013. At that…
Report: BMW to Bring Back M1 Exotic Based On Wild Frankfurt Concept Car
BMW will resurrect the M1, basing the new exotic car on the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, which debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The car will hit the market in 2012 says the U.K.’s AutoExpress, keeping much of the concept car’s green technologies, while offering performance to rival the Audi R8. The car will be geared…
Report: Street Legal Mercedes CLK GTR Cars to be Auctioned Off in London
For those with the means, RM Auctions is offering the chance to own not one, but two Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR street cars. Essentially road legal versions of the FIA GT1 race cars, just 25 of these incredible exotics were built to meet FIA regulations, which clearly state that any race car must be based on…
Report: Audi to Phase Out V10 in Favor of Turbocharged V8
Just days after Audi released its V10-powered R8 Spyder, news has emerged that the German automaker is planning to do away with the massive ten cylinder engine. In its place will be a turbocharged V8 powerplant, that will offer as much (if not more) power with improved fuel economy. The news, as reported by Germany’s…
Report: Electric Porsche Could Be Ready in Five Years Says Company Boss
Porsche engineers are working “intensively” on an electric sports car that could be brought to market in as little as five years says company head Michael Macht. The comments were made to German magazine Welt am Sonntag, just after the Frankfurt Auto Show, where fellow German automakers Audi and Mercedes-Benz displayed electric concept cars. Macht…
VIDEO: Audi R8 Spyder Cruising Miami and Being Thrashed
With the debut of the new R8 Spyder at the Frankfurt Auto Show last week, Audi has just released two videos of the drop-top exotic. The second one is a montage of clips showing a delicious brown R8 Spyder comfortably cruising in Miami. The first bit of video is a shorter promo clip of the…
Report: Volkswagen Bringing Larger E-Up! Electric Car to U.S.
Volkswagen is preparing a slightly larger version of its E-Up! concept, which debuted last week at the Frankfurt Auto Show, for the U.S. market. The tiny 3+1 seater is roughly the size of a SMART fortwo or Toyota iQ. It has a peak output of 60 kw with 210 Nm of torque (80-hp and 155…
VIDEO: Volkswagen Golf R and Scirocco R Hit the Track
Last week Volkswagen took the wraps off the Golf R at the Frankfurt Auto Show, with the high-powered hatch joining the Scirocco in VW’s expanding “R” category. Now VW has released a short video of both cars in their ideal environment – the race track. Along with some stylish bodywork and interior treatments, the Golf…
