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German Car Blog, Performance, Tuning, Motorsport, and Modification News
Published on 09-26-2011 08:32 PM
This information comes from Bimmerfile who was able to confirm with a member of BMW's board of directors, Dr. Hubert Diess, that carbon ceramic braking options are coming. BMW is working with Brembo who will be producing the discs and likely the rotors as well. We hope the carbon discs and rotors are from Brembo as one looking for an upgrade for the traditionally weak BMW brakes tends to go to aftermarket Brembo big brake setups anyway.
...Published on 09-26-2011 05:38 AM
Nico finished the Singapore Grand Prix in seventh place this evening whilst Michael retired from the race following a collision with Sergio Perez on lap 28. Sebastian Vettel yet again dominated another grand prix, adding a tally of nine grand prix wins in a season to his resume. This time he was able to fend off a late charge from Mclaren's Jenson Button. With this victory, Button is the only driver left that has a chance at the championship, even if it is a slim one. Vettel now, only needs to finish ahead of Button in Japan to secure the title.
...Published on 09-26-2011 02:57 AM
W216 CL63 AMG owners now have a new long tube header option courtesy of Renntech. As most know, the header is a good place to pick up power on the M156 motors. The Renntech solution features T-304 stainless steel with 2 inch diameter tubing. 200 cell cats are included in the headers which we believe robs some power. No word on a catless race option which also would likely drop the cost from the VERY steep $8200. Check out photos and the video below.
...Published on 09-25-2011 02:55 PM
Well, that was fast. BMW will no longer be selling their hybrid X6 in the United States. Sales apparently were far less than BMW expected. Part of the reason was the X6 hybrid's cost which started at $88,900. We would look at the X6 M at that point. Additionally, the hybrid system did not provide all that much of an efficiency gain (only 12%) as the weight of the electric systems forced the X6 to balloon to 5765 pounds. That is over 500 pounds on top of the already heavy standard X6 V8. Maybe it is time for BMW to stop trying to act like one can make a 5200+ pound twin turbo V8 SUV "efficient and dynamic" with heavy hybrid nonsense and focus on bringing us more diesel options in lighter cars?
...Published on 09-23-2011 11:55 PM
We like seeing Mercedes M275 V12 swaps and we especially like seeing them swapped into the Mercedes SUV's as they were never produced with the M275 V12's. So MKB puts the motor into the GL and tweaks it to 658 horsepower which is very respectable. What is the problem with this swap? MKB takes 6 months and wants $294,000 for the swap not including the price of the car. Uh, not exactly cost effective. If one is serious, this can be done for far less money. Certainly less than over a 1/4 million dollars.
...Published on 09-23-2011 11:41 PM
Does anyone remember when M motors provided enough noise on their own? BMW is pumping synthetic engine noise into the cabin through the speaker system to the front and the back so everyone can hear what the motor is supposed to sound like. We like quiet cabins as well as engine sounds but this is a bit absurd. There is a real problem when a BMW M5 has to fake its engine noise. What is next? Different engine modes so you can pretend you have an F1 car or even fake blow off valve sounds to look cool to the kids?
...Published on 09-23-2011 08:20 PM
This is rather depressing news as we were hoping Porsche had embraced the PDK especially with the new 911 putting up lap times using this transmission as quick as the previous generation GT3. In an interview with MotorTrend, Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller stated the next generation GT3 would not be getting the PDK transmission. One reason why may be due to the weight of the transmission which can provide up to a 80 pound weight penalty. The performance advantage clearly outweighs the weight penalty however so we say give people the option. For now though, the GT3 remains the purest driving experience one can get.
...Published on 09-22-2011 10:41 PM
The current Audi Q7 (4L) is simply a heavy pig at 5,291 pounds. Car and Driver reports Audi wishes to use a greater amount of aluminum in the next generation Q7 reducing weight by about 700 pounds. That is a lot of weight to lose but we like the thinking. Will they be able to shave that much off of it? We are not sure as that would mean they would be aiming for a sub 4600 pound curb weight which certainly is attainable. Porsche was able to shave over 400 pounds off the Cayenne so Audi is clearly thinking along the same lines. Shedding that kind of weight will have a much greater impact driving dynamics and performance than just adding horsepower.
...Published on 09-22-2011 08:05 PM
Well, the rumors about it being delayed or never coming are finally over. The BMW X4 is officially coming as BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer confirmed it. What is the X4? Well, just a sportier version of the X3 similar to how the X6 is a sportier more "coupe like" version of the X5. The X4 will share the drivetrain of the X3. This vehicle will be built in the USA at BMW's South Carolina plant where the vast majority of X models have been built. Oh, and yes, BMW is planning an M version of this vehicle.
...Published on 09-22-2011 07:33 PM
Here is Benz-O-Rama's (Clayton's) Mercedes SL with his new 20 inch Vossen rims. The finished product simply looks great, gorgeous. The wheels are 20x9 - Offset +25 in front and 20x10.5 – Offset +30 in back. The front and back weigh 27 and 28 pounds respectively, not bad at all. These are a direct bolt in with no spacers, hub centric, low pressure cast, featuring a 5 inch inner lip as well. The finish on Clayton's set here is matte black with the face being machined. Vossen offers a 5 year workmanship warranty and a lifetime structural warranty. Oh, and they are a great value to boot. Check out the pictures and video below.
...Published on 09-21-2011 08:01 AM
This... is impressive. 7:40 out of the new Carrera S? That is about a 13 second improvement on the previous model which is a very large jump for a car that did not exactly get a huge horsepower bump. To help put this time in perspective AutoBild hit a 7:40 in the Mercedes SLR. Horst von Saurma hit 7:40 in the 997.2 GT3 for Sport Auto. Autobild got a 7:40 out of the Murcielago LP-640. So yes, this is a blazing fast time. We assume the PDK gearbox used and the new hydraulically activated roll bar system played a huge roll.
...Published on 09-21-2011 07:11 AM
Well, here we go, more all wheel drive BMW models. Certainly not a bad thing as long as we get the option which we do at a $3000 premium. The X-drive 6 series model will be available for coupes (F12) or convertibles (F13) so you can put the top down in the snow which is always cool. Heh, get the pun? Sure you do, you are an intelligent BimmerBoost reader. Anyway, the base price for a 650i coupe is $83,000 so with all wheel drive one is looking at $86,000 before adding anything else on. This option will likely be available for both the 640i and 650i.
...Published on 09-21-2011 06:40 AM
The Singapore Grand Prix, Round 14 of the 2011 Formula One season and the first of the season-ending flyaway races, takes place on Sunday 25 September. The season’s only night race, with a 20:00 local start time, takes place around the city streets of Singapore’s Marina Bay area, lit up by 1500 specialist light projectors around the 5.073 km circuit. All three Singapore Grand Prix so far have featured Safety Car deployments, with an average of 6.7 laps per race. The drivers change gear 71 times per lap for a race total of at least 4331, nearly twice as many as in Spa.
...Published on 09-21-2011 12:01 AM
Prior Design has released their Porsche Panamera body kit. It basically consists of carbon fiber add on pieces and is fairly restrained, not being over the top like many Panamera kits. There is a carbon front spoiler, carbon rear spoiler, front light covers, and a piece for the front intakes. Overall nicely executed adding a degree of aggression while not taking away from the car or ruining it like some of the other kits (Hamann).
...Published on 09-20-2011 11:36 PM
Always great to see members with cars like this as after all, that is what this site is all about. This vehicle is a B5 Audi S4 with the 2.7 liter 30 valve V6 we all know and love. The car has a stock block, IE rods, built 2.8 head, stock heads, a Precision 6265 turbo, and EV14 750 lb injectors. On the 93 octane the car put down an impressive 425 to all four wheels. There is much more in it on high boost and we would love to see it turned up on race gas. Enjoy the pictures and videos below.
...Published on 09-20-2011 11:06 PM
The document posted below is the full BMW N20 technical training document and it is incredibly in depth. If anyone wanted any and all information on the new N20 direct injected turbo 4 cylinder, here you go. It is a long but interesting read as BMW provides the history as well stating this is the first 4 cylinder sold in the United States since the M44 4 cylinder which was last seen in 1999. Another interesting tidbit is that BMW began producing 4 cylinders in 1927 with the 3/15. Hey, may be useful for trivia one day.
...Published on 09-20-2011 09:31 PM
A class action suit is being brought against Mercedes / Daimler AG due to alleged defects in the M156 V8 motor. The suit states that these defects are due to premature wear. The premature wear taking place as a result of the material used in the camshafts. The camshafts used are made of cast nodular iron. The valve lifters used however are made of 9310 grade steel. In the official complaint it is stated that the combination of these metals as designed is contributing to premature wear of the M156 motors. This can be due to improper heat treating of the metals or improper offset. The main sticking point is that Mercedes and AMG have known about this since 2007 when service bulletin S-B 05.20/20b was released. We will keep you updated on the details as this goes forward.
...Published on 09-20-2011 01:02 AM
We like to see different things. We like different approaches. We do not look cars that are overdone and do not flow right however like this one. Is it different? Yes. Is it good? No. The owner of this E46 M3 took an F430 Scuderia diffuser and adapted it to his E46 M3. Interesting idea but the execution just does not work. The quad exhaust tips on the M3 just seem tacky and basically ricer. Maybe with a cleaner exhaust setup this would work.
...Published on 09-19-2011 07:52 PM
We already reported that an SLS Black Series was in the works. Nice to see the mainstream sites confirm it as Motortrend reports AMG confirmed the production and development of the car. “We absolutely have to do a Black Series” Tobias Moers, head of AMG vehicle development, stated to Motor Trend. What changes will the SLS Black Series bring? Well, expect more power and less weight hopefully. It will be at home on the track and likely have many of the same changes the C63 AMG Black Series will be seeing versus its standard counterpart.
...Published on 09-19-2011 02:57 PM
The Porshce 911 GT3 RS 4.0 is a ridiculously awesome machine. It's light, fast, and features the best naturally aspirated 6 cylinder Porsche has ever produced. The video below shows just how stunning the acceleration of the 4.0 liter car is. In addition to the amazing acceleration the sounds coming from the motor provide aural satisfaction which rivals the best symphonies. Check out the video below.
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