Le Futur: Audi R8 E-tron Makes an Appearance at Le Mans EV Demonstration

Before the roaring race cars took to the Circuit de la Sarthe for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, only the squeal of protesting tires could be heard as Audi’s E-tron, clothed in an R8 skin, took to the track. Audi gave fans a demonstration of its electric sports car before the endurance race began as part of “Le Mans vers le futur.” Vers le futur was a demonstration run specifically for electric vehicles to showcase the future of sports cars. Five-time Le Mans winner Frank Biela was behind the wheel to put the R8 E-tron through its paces. Audi has shown no less than two E-tron sports car concepts, a larger one at the Frankfurt auto show last year,...

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BMW, Mercedes-Benz Fight to Outsell Each Other in China

BMW, Mercedes-Benz Fight to Outsell Each Other in China BMW may have outsold Mercedes-Benz globally in 2009, but the two German automakers are both vying to be the biggest luxury brands in the Chinese market. For the time being, BMW holds that title. Over the past six years, its marketshare in China has grown from 16 to 23 percent, but BMW isn’t resting on its laurels. At the Beijing auto show, CEO Norbert Reithofer announced the company has increased its 2010 sales forecast (which includes BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce vehicles) by 20 percent, bumping the total to 120,000 units. In contrast, BMW sold 90,500 vehicles in China in 2009. New vehicles...

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Fit for a King: Omar Bongo’s Mercedes-Benz 600 Landaulet Up for Auction

Fit for a King: Omar Bongo’s Mercedes-Benz 600 Landaulet Up for Auction There are a lot of rare automobiles going up for auction at RM’s Sports and Classics of Monaco event, but we’re betting one example -- a 1968 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet -- will be the star of the show.Why? Rarity, for one. Between 1960 and 1982, Mercedes-Benz built nearly 2677 600s, the vast majority (roughly 2190) being short wheelbase sedans. 428 Pullmans -- the long-wheelbase, six-door limousines -- were built, but were nowhere as rare as the 59 Landaulets, which sported a convertible top over the rear seats. For the most part, Landaulets were sold to...

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Is Mercedes-Benz Planning a BMW Mega City Rival?

Is Mercedes-Benz Planning a BMW Mega City Rival? While BMW works on developing its eco-friendly Mega City urban vehicle, it seems Mercedes-Benz may be working on a competitor. Reports indicate the Stuttgart-based automaker may be working on a compact EV offering of its own to counter the electro-Bimmer. According to Autocar, Mercedes is working on a "Project 50," a small, electric vehicle designed for commuters who drive primarily in large cities. The magazine reports the car will have similar dimensions to the original A-class subcompact. When it first debuted in 1997, the A measured a stubby 142 inches in length, but today's version has grown...

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The Next Generation Audi A4 To “Loose” 330 Punds

The Next Generation Audi A4 To “Loose” 330 PundsAudi plans to reduce the total weight of the future A4 with about 330 pounds to improve performance, ride and consumption. Although the public still enjoys the current generation, the new A4 already begins to take shape in design workshops of Ingolstadt. Audi plans to make the mid-size luxury sedan unbeatable in the premium segment, offering more than BMW and Mercedes. So, in order to do that, Audi though of a process of weight reduction for the next Audi A4 generation. The 3 Series’ rival could lose up to 330 lbs, an explicit goal, fixed by Heinrich Timm, Head of the Audi Lightweight...

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Pink Lamborghini

Pink Lamborghini Murcielago 670-4 SuperVeloce Or How To Make The Bull A PoodleFirst we’ve seen an Audi R8 painted in pink, and now… a Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce. We don’t know if it belongs to a lady or to a spoiled rich gril or even to an eccentric sheik, but we know for sure that this hypercar hides under his hood a 6.5-liter V12 engine that develops not less than 670 HP. It’s true that R8 deserved its pink treatment, because of its sissy looks, but what this Murcielago did wrong? It’s an amazing piece of machinery, almost one of the best ever created. It’s the car that Lamborghini built to remain in people’s...

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TECHART Program for 997 GT2: GTstreet RS

TECHART Automobildesign GmbH presents its cutting-edge TECHART GTstreet RS, based on the Porsche 911 GT2 (997), with an impressive best time of 1.06:811 minutes on the short course of the Hockenheim circuit. Since 2001, TECHART GTstreet vehicles have been among the fastest and highest performance sports cars in the world. This high performance is reflected in the GTstreet RS’s statistics - 700 PS and 515 KW – with a maximum torque of 860 Nm. This power is achieved through the use of modified turbochargers, enlarged carbon inlet pipes, specially developed intercoolers, a sports flap exhaust combined with...

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Lorinser Gives Revamped Mercedes-Benz S-Class More Power, Style

Lorinser Gives Revamped Mercedes-Benz S-Class More Power, Style Lorinser, one of Germany's most prominent tuning houses, announced some new custom accessories for the refreshed 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Although Lorinser considers the parts to be "new," they're essentially the same as before. Bumpers fore and aft are swapped with a more aggressive replacements designed to increase cooling capacity and reducing drag. Matched with side skirts and unique front fenders, the look is pleasingly different than the styling packs offered from the likes of AMG. Engineers have massaged the S600's twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-12 with a remapped ECU,...

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Mercedes-Benz Electric Vito Endures Cold Weather Testing

Mercedes-Benz Electric Vito Endures Cold Weather Testing Batteries typically don't perform very well in colder climates, but Mercedes-Benz says its electric Vito van functions as well in the cold as it does in warm weather. The EV Vito, which will ultimately be offered on the European market by the end of the year, is currently undergoing a barrage of tests to ready it for the real world. First on the list was cold weather testing. The van was whisked to Sweden, where it encountered consistent negative 22-degree Fahrenheit temperatures. According to Daimler, the van succeeded in its trials. Surprisingly, the 81-mile range offered by the lithium-ion...

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Lamborghini

For other uses, see Lamborghini (disambiguation) .Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.,[Notes 1] commonly referred to as Lamborghini (pronounced [lambor'gini]  ( listen)), is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini. It has changed ownership numerous times since, most recently becoming a subsidiary of German car manufacturer AUDI AG (itself a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group) in 1998.[1][2]  Lamborghini has achieved widespread recognition for its sleek, exotic designs, and its cars have become symbols of performance and wealth. Ferruccio...

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