DKR Porsche 997 TT

For those who want more from their 997 Turbo DKR are offering 2 stages of upgrade; 525PS and 540PS. Achieved through chip tuning, air filter and a 4 pipe exhaust system the DKR upgrades improve total performance, top speed and torque as well as power are all raised.
To compliment their power upgrades DKR {link} have also developed their own rear wing and front spoiler. They use H&R suspension and Cargraphic {link} wheels (8½x19” front & 11½x19” rear) to help control all the extra power.
Prices for the kits start at around £4600.

VW briefly becomes the world's biggest firm

Astounding German stock market {link} activity on Tuesday the 28th of October 2008 briefly made Volkswagen {link} the world's biggest company (by share value).
Traders who had short-sold VW shares were desperately trying to buy them back so they could close their deals and this, in conjunction with Porsche having bought shares, made Volkswagen worth a staggering $370 billion (shares peaked at €1,005 each). The largest firm in the world is (in reality) Exxon Mobil with a value of $343 billion.
Porsche {link} announced that it owned, or has options to buy, more than 74% of Volkswagen's shares whilst Lower Saxony controls 20% of the VW shares which left just over 5% available on the market. This scarcity was the factor that fuelled the huge increase in VW’s (paper) value. Traders who had short sold, betting that VW shares were going to fall in value were forced to buy shares at any price resulting in the massive hike in VW’s share price (their shares rose a stunning 146.6% on the 27th October 2008).
Volkswagen shares and company value have seen a return to normal, less astounding levels with shares now trading at around €650 instead of over €1000 as they were at points on Volkswagen’s Super Tuesday.

Audi 1 & 2 in season finale.

Marco Werner and Lucas Luhr lead home their Audi team mates Emanuele Pirro and Christijan Albers as the Bavarian manufacturer took victory and second overall in the American Le Mans Series race at Laguna Seca.

Excellent strategy and the sheer power of the R10 TDI away from restarts helped the Audis move into the lead after qualifying down on the 5th row of the grid. Once in the read they did not relinquish it.
Marco Werner and Lucas Luhr dominated the ALMS {link} championship, finishing on a total of 219 points (each) with fellow Audi driver Emanuele Pirro finishing second with a mere 156 points.

Irmscher Opel / Vauxhall Insignia

The Opel / Vauxhall Insignia has yet to reach dealer’s showrooms and yet reknown GM tuners Irmscher {link} are already offering a range of styling products for it!
Ranging from the traditionally styled Irmscher cross hatch front grille (either in black or stainless steel) to side skirts, front spoiler and rear spoiler. Also available are a range of alloy wheels in a variety of sizes (up to a maximum diameter of 20”) finishes and designs plus a suspension kit that should lower the Insignia approximately 20mm.
Also in the pipeline but not available at the launch of the Insignia are a rear diffuser and twin exit exhaust system.

Carlsson Mercedes CK63S

Carlsson’s CK63S is a refinement and optimisation of the AMG C63. With some careful extra tuning the C63’s V8 produces a maximum torque of 685Nm and 565PS.
Having added 100PS to the AMG C63 through mechanical and electrical alterations Carlsson {link} have also uprated the suspension, which is now fully height adjustable as well as fitting an adjustable rear differential to cope with the new found performance. Keeping the car in contact with the road are bigger, wider wheels ~ 8½ x 19” on the front and 10 x 19” on the rear.
Externally Carlsson offer a new front spoiler and spoiler lip as well as a rear boot spoiler ~ all available in carbon or plastic.
The AMG C63 is no slouch but after the Carlsson CK63S treatment 0-62mph takes a mere 3.8 seconds and (thanks to removal of the limiter) top speed is around 185mph; figures that are impressive for such a large car.

Volkswagen Routan

Volkswagen’s latest Minivan (formerly known as a People carrier), the Routan, is designed to fit perfectly into the European car market in terms of quality, design and technology. It will, however, only be available in the Americas and will be made in a Chrysler factory in Windsor Canada.
Volkswagen are determined to keep the Routan as a real, European VW even if it will never cross the Atlantic (officially anyway).
A quick glance at the specification of the Routan and it becomes clear that Volkswagen have worked very hard at making their Minivan totally different from anything similar that will be leaving the Chrysler factory. Features include:~ 12V power outlets, ABS, air conditioning, auto-dip interior rear view mirror, Bluetooth connectivity, ESP, heated seats, hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA), keyless entry with remote start, multi-function steering wheel, power lift tailgate, rear park assist, rear seat entertainment system (which includes a hard-drive based music centre, MP3 and USB connectivity, SIRIUS® Satellite Radio, a DVD player and up to two nine inch roof mounted flat screen monitors capable of independent operation!), touch screen Sat Nav, under floor storage and xenon headlamps.
The Routan is no shrinking violet; it is 5.14m long, 1.95m wide and 1.75m tall and comes with a choice of 2 V6 petrol motors ~ either 3.8 or 4 litre. Neither of these engines nor the 6 speed automatic transmission are Volkswagen units and this seems very strange indeed. For a company that produces excellent TDI engines and DSG transmissions it seems a little strange to be trusting reliability and economy to Chrysler.
Internally there is no doubt that the Routan is a European creation (well a creation of a European company at least), externally it is a similar story, mechanically it is different and this may make-or-break Volkswagen’s first minivan in America and Canada foray for years.
With pricing expected to start at under US$25,000 there is good scope for typical Volkswagen sales figures but one does wonder how well received the T5 would be ~ especially with the wide selection of engines and transmissions it offers. The Routan may be a tow-in-the-water before a truly European Minivan appears in Volkswagen dealerships on the other side of the Atlantic.

AC Schnitzer ACS5 Sport Touring

German BMW tuning specialist AC Schnitzer are held in high regard worldwide for their impressive ability to improve and uprate standard BMWs. Their latest 5 series creation, the ACS5 is a perfect example of their craft; offering those who demand more from their standard M5 Estate exactly that: a lot more!
The impressive BMW V10 engine in the ACS5 is tuned and tweaked to produce and exemplary 552PS instead of the standard 507PS. The increase in power is found by fitting an improved exhaust system (including new manifolds) as well as some clever alterations to the engine mapping ~ which also includes removal of the top speed limiter too. Top speed is approximately 198mph which is quick for a sports car, stunning for a practical Estate car!
As a tyre company once mentioned, power is nothing without control and the ACS5 benefits from testing at the local racetrack, not just any racetrack though! Schnitzer undertake all their suspension testing at the Nürburgring.
AC Schnitzer have improved and upgraded the ACS5 to cope with not only the extra power but extra speed too. Forged 20 inch wheels cover 8 pot front callipers that give truly remarkable braking capabilities. The suspension benefits from new springs and an aluminium strut brace, keep all things handling firm and business like.
An appealing and subtle styling package compliments the extra power supplied by the monstrous V10, small carbon lower front spoilers help guide extra air into the intercoolers and radiator. The rear diffuser helps keep airflow smooth from the rear of the car, as does an unobtrusive roof spoiler lip.

Just when we said "we're back".....

.... we weren't.

Medical issues laid the blogging staff low, very low indeed but now we're nearly all up and about again and searching for interesting stories and sitting in interesting cars.
We'll try and catch up with articles that never quite made it through cyberspace for the rest of this week then German Cars Blog will be back on track publishing posts about everything car related that's German, or nearly German at least!

We hope to have this blog back to its fast and informative best by the end of the week. Thanks for visiting, we hope you found it informative and quick to read.

Max Moseley/FIA/F1 scandal.

The scandal that has engulfed the FIA President Max Mosley has drawn unfavourable responses from BMW and Mercedes and has resulted in both Porsche and Volkswagen reaffirming their commitment NOT to enter Formula 1.
BMW and Mercedes has stated that they feel the scandal requires Max Moslely to resign his presidency whilst the boards of Porsche and Volkswagen cited the scandal as a perfect reason why they feel F1 is unsuitable for their relevant companies.
Volkswagen also added that the sheer size of financial investment required to run a successful F1 team also made their entry impossible.

Audi dominate DTM.

Audi drivers finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall (top 10 results below) at the first round of this year’s DTM series. The podium lockout was a surprise for everyone, not least Audi who didn’t expect such a dramatic showing of speed from their new-for-2008 A4 race car. Mercedes had a disappointing event with 2008 title hopeful Paul di Resta challenging the lead Audi brace before slipping down the field when a clutch problem cost him over 30 seconds at his second scheduled pit stop. New boy and ex-Formula driver Ralf Schumacher made a solid series debut in his older spec car finishing a creditable, if unspectacular, 14th overall. Audi’s new British drivers had mixed results with Oliver Jarvis taking an impressive 9th at the chequered flag and Katherine Legge finishing 18th.
Mercedes are a little under pressure as the next DTM race is on the 20th April at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben.

Top 10 results DTM Round 1
1 Mattias Ekstrom Audi
2 Timo Scheider Audi
3 Tom Kristensen Audi
4 Bruno Spengler Mercedes
5 Martin Tomczyk Audi
6 Jamie Green Mercedes
7 Gary Paffett Mercedes
8 Bernd Schneider Mercedes
9 Oliver Jarvis Audi
10 Mike Rockenfeller Audi

Excellent results for Volkswagen in Formula 3.

Volkswagen declared themselves delighted by the result of the first round of the F3 Euro Series season at Hockenheim after their Formula 3 engine took two podiums during the race weekend. Volkswagen powered driver Edoardo Mortara is joint championship leader having taken two strong 3rd place finishes.
Speed trap recording show that the Volkswagen engine is as powerful as dominant Mercedes unit. Whilst Volkswagen seems to be capable of competing directly with German rival it only currently has 8 cars in the championship, considerably less than Mercedes which could prove to be a slight hindrance.

We're BACK!

After a lengthy office move, provider change, system refit and general problems for our staff we can finally say that GERMAN CARS BLOG is back publishing posts on everything related to German cars.
Hope you enjoy reading what we post!

There's such a lot gone by since we flickered away in January, we'll try to add so of the old news in amongst the current stuff as we progress.

Gumpert Apollo.

1468kgs combined with 650PS is a very respectable power to weight ration. Add in 850Nm of torque and it is clear that the Gumpert Apollo {link} is a serious super car. More figures reinforce the impression; 0-62 mph takes 3.9 seconds, 0-124 mph takes 10.9 seconds and the Apollo’s top speed is 222 mph.
Designed and built by former Audi Sport boss Roland Gumpert’s company the Apollo is a racecar for the road. Many cars make this claim but the Gumpert Apollo really is a road legal racer. Function has taken priority over form, the Apollo is designed to perform rather than parade. The extreme aerodynamic detailing of this 2 seat, mid engined sports car means that as it approaches top speed it generates more downforce than the car itself weighs, both impressive
There are very few creature comforts in the Gumpert Apollo, the sits are floor mounted and offer no adjustment (the pedals and steering wheel adjust) and those that there are come directly from an Audi parts bin. Switch gear, ventilation, dials other items are all from Ingolstadt though the carbon panels and alcantara padding most certainly isn’t, nor are the 4 point harnesses which offer added security compared to normal lap-and-diagonal seat belts. In car entertainment is limited to the steering wheel and pedals, they will provide more entertainment than any radio, CD or DVD player ever could!
Another Audi influence is the engine, normally found in the A8 the 4.2 litre V8 produces far more power than the standard 335PS of an A8. A couple of KKK turbo chargers help give the Gumpert Apollo the extra 325PS it produces and they keep power climbing high into the rev range. By using a six speed sequential gearbox the Apollo always has an ample supply of power and torque available for those lucky enough to drive it. Handling is always going to be at a premium for this type of car and the Gumpert Apollo uses true race bred technology in its suspension; fully independent, double wishbones from and rear with pushrod operated dampers.
The Gumpert Apollo is impressively powerful and undoubtedly very fast. It will also lap race circuits at exceptional speeds offer a very rewarding and ultimately thrilling drive. On the public road, in the wet or in the hands of a driver with more money than ability the Gumpert Apollo will not be a pleasant experience.
When a car is designed and focused so much on ultimate performance, as the Apollo undoubtedly is, then it looses vast amounts of practicality and almost becomes a road car white elephant; tailored to and from venues where it came be driven to its maximum capabilities and where it will definitely excel. Getting to and from those venues in a Gumpert Apollo would be too much of an unpleasant experience for all but the most dedicated…
The lucky 39 Gumpert customers who will receive their £228,000 cars in 2008 will be driving an automotive masterpiece. The fact that everyday driving is a chore should take nothing away from the Gumpert Apollo, it is a masterful and exceptionally capable super car. Currently it is the closest thing to a thorough bred racecar on the roads of Europe and I can’t see any manufacturers taking that title away from Roland Gumpert and his dedicated team of employees any time soon.

BMW Sauber F1.08.

BMW Sauber {link} launched their latest Formula 1 challenger, the F1.08, at BMW Welt with the sole aim of winning races in the coming season. Last year saw BMW clearly ahead of the mid-field teams in the F1 championship; the F1.08 is designed to move the German-Swiss team into the same league as McLaren Mercedes and Ferrari.
The BMW Sauber F1.08 is the most radical F1 car launched so far for the coming 2008 season. It has side wings that extend from just behind the fuel tank to the exhaust chimneys. Designed to clean airflow onto the rear wing these wings are also said to produce a quantifiable amount of downforce.
The whole design philosophy behind the F1.08 has been to make it as stable and neutral as possible, ensuring that without (the now banned) traction control the drivers have a car that reacts quickly to any driver input but one that is not balanced on a handling knife-edge. The car’s aerodynamic package has been devised to give constant handling even whilst cornering. The overall weight has been reduced to optimise ballast possibilities to aid handling and traction whilst both front and rear suspension have been re-designed for greater adjustability and driver feedback.
As with all other 2008 cars the BMW Sauber F1.08 sees the engine specification remain the same (development is frozen from last year) so there has been intense work on the peripherals to reduce weight, bulk and improve reliability. Unlike McLaren Mercedes the F1.08 gearbox is not all new though it is still under going test and development on the run up to the first race in March in Australia.
BMW Sauber are hoping that their F1.08 is sufficiently fast and driver friendly that their drivers, Nick Heidfeld {link} and Robert Kubica {link} can continually challenge the top two teams for victories. If it proves to be the case BMW Sauber will have performed the masterstroke of becoming a race winning team in three years.

Alpina B3.

The BMW M3 is the ultimate performance incarnation of the BMW 3 series but what if you want a slightly less extreme 3 series? The standard 335i isn’t all that impressive and leaves a large performance gap unfilled between it and the M3. That is unless you look at faithful BMW tuner Alpina’s B3. The B3 sits perfectly between the 335i and the M3, offering an ample 360PS (approximately 60 more than the 335i and 60 less than the M3).
Alpina {link} have been tuning 3 Series BMWs for nearly 30 years so the B3 is virtually guaranteed to be a good car. It doesn’t disappoint, the power delivery is smooth and effortless from the 3 litre twin turbo 6 cylinder. Slides can be induced if required but with all the electronic driver aides switched on the B3 remains very easy to drive even in the wet. Handling is crisp and precise, Alpina’s modifications not being overly detrimental to passenger comfort at all.
The Alpina B3 isn’t an outright performance car, despite sprinting to 62mph a tenth quicker than an M3. The subtle yet effective spoilers don’t draw attention, the refined leather interior is more comfortable than hardcore performance and that really sums the B3 up. It is a very quick 3 series BMW (available as saloon, coupe and cabriolet) that has excellent handling characteristics but that is not as, dare one say, power mad as the M3. It is though a far more interesting and enjoyable car than the standard BMW 335i and is a fine example of Alpina’s expert knowledge.