3/16/13

VW Golf Mk1 736Hp



The car in the video is a first generation Golf, which is not nearly as innocent as the above photo would have you believe. It packs a turbocharged 2.0-liter 16V engine, which puts out 736 Hp. All of that oomph is sent to the front wheels, via a six-speed manual gearbox.
The car also comes with a very sturdy-looking racing roll-cage, which will do little if something goes wrong at triple digit speeds.

Its 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time is not specified by Boba Motoring, the creators of this mad Golf, but since it is a front-wheel drive car with far too much power, we're guessing first gear is useless at full throttle.

They do say it gets from 100 to 200 km/h (62 to 124 mph) in 5 seconds. To put that into perspective, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S achieves the feat in 8.1 seconds, while not even a Veyron can match this Golf – the Bugatti takes 5.8 seconds…


Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 Pickup




 The G 63 AMG 6x6 is defined by excess. Take its footprint for instance: it is 5.87 meters (231 inches) long, 2.1 meters (82.7 inches) wide and 2.3 meters tall (90.6 inches), it weighs 3.85 tons and has a ground clearance of 460 mm (18.1 inches), more than double than the standard G63 AMG, which sits “only” 210 mm (8.3 inches) above the ground. Needless to say, the G 63 AMG 6x6 is a machine designed to go anywhere.

Six driven wheels, an off-road low-range ratio in the transfer case, portal axles, no less than five differential locks which can be engaged on the move and a tyre-pressure control system which inflates the huge six tyres from a sand-friendly 0.5 bar to a tarmac-ready 1.8 bar in less than 20 seconds while the vehicle is running – all these features say all about the 6x6 pickup’s off-road capability.

As one would imagine, the 5.5-liter turbo V8 engine developing 544 horsepower and 760 Nm (560 lb-ft) of torque is not quite frugal, especially in this case where it has to move a 3.85-ton vehicle.

Although Mercedes-Benz didn’t reveal fuel economy and performance figures, it did say that it added a 63-liter tank to the standard 96-liter tank, for a total capacity of 159 liters. Given that, people who will buy this pickup won’t care at all about fuel economy, all they need to know is the pickup can complete a trip to the desert with their hunting falcons.

While on the outside the G 63 AMG 6x6 looks set to tackle every challenge nature could throw at it, the cabin is as luxurious as possible. It has four heated and ventilated individual seats upholstered in 'designo' leather with contrasting stitching, leather-covered dashboard and door panels and Alcantara covering on the roof liner and pillars. There also an AMG carbon fiber trim, with even the load area lined with tough bamboo.

Mercedes didn’t offer pricing details, saying it will decide to build the G 63 AMG 6x6 depending on the response to the near-series show vehicle.






















2/10/13

BMW M8 Supercar



In fact the M1, which was produced for BMW by Lamborghini between 1978 and 1981 in just 456 units, is still the only supercar and, at the same time, the sole mid-engined model to sport the blue propeller.

This may change if M division boss Friedrich Nitschke gets his way. According to Car magazine, Nitschke has proposed a new supercar that will be based on the underpinnings of the upcoming i8 hybrid coupe.

The i8, which will go on sale next year, is powered by a mid-mounted 1.5-liter three-cylinder that drives the rear wheels and an electric motor powering the front ones, for a combined output of 349HP and a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 4.6 seconds.

That’s quick but hardly supercar material. For the proposed M8, the four-cylinder would be replaced by a twin-turbocharged V8 with around 600HP. The M8 would lose the i8’s batteries and electric motor and, with it, 200 kg (441 lbs) from the hybrid’s 1,480 kg (3,263 lbs) weight, and thus it would be significantly lighter than rivals such as the 1,458 kg Ferrari 458 Italia.

Way back in the 1990s, another proposal for M8, based on the 8-Series and powered by the same V12 used in the McLaren F1, never made it past the prototype stage. Four years ago, BMW unveiled the M1 Concept (pictured above) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original; despite rumors to the contrary, it remained just a concept. Here’s hoping that the third time will be a charm…









BMW 3-Series GT



 The 3-Series GT adopts the two-piece tailgate design that debuted in the 5GT, admittedly managing to make it look less ungainly. According to info from British publication Autocar, the changes made by BMW's designers and engineers are more than skin-deep.

That’s because the GT is around 200 mm longer than the 3-Series Touring on which it is based, with 110 mm of that increase being accounted for by the stretched wheelbase. It’s also around 80 mm taller and 20 mm wider measuring 1,510 and 1,830 mm in height and width respectively and its 520-lt trunk is 20 lt larger than the Touring’s (with the rear seats up).

The bigger dimensions will offer a more spacious cabin. According to insider info, the rear-seat passengers will have as much as 70 mm extra legroom at their disposal, while the driving position has been elevated by 60 mm to increase visibility.

Although we’ll have to wait for the official announcement for the full engine line-up, we anticipate that it will mirror that of the existing 3-series versions with a wide range of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines combined with six-speed manual or 8-speed auto transmissions and rear- or all-wheel drive.

















Audi TT Black Edition



Prices for the TT Coupe and Roadster Black Edition Amplified Black range from £31,365 OTR to £36,360 OTR.

The optional package costs £700 and it includes a choice of four metallic or pearl effect colours named Glacier White, Misano Red, Daytona Grey or Samoa Orange, and if the latter is chosen, the interior inlays are finished in the same shade, while in all other cases, inlays are in matt brushed aluminium.

Also included in the Amplified Black package is a black-finished front lip spoiler, black door mirror housings, black TT RS-style fixed rear spoiler, black 19-inch ‘Rotor’ design alloy wheels, a black diffuser insert and blacked out exhaust tailpipes.

Two engines are available with the double black package, the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol with 211PS linked to either front-wheel-drive or quattro all-wheel-drive and the 2.0-litre TDI with 170PS mated to quattro drive only.



2013 Chicago Auto Show