All posts by Francis Mitterrand

2026 BMW M4 Nurburgring Edition

At this year’s Shanghai Motor Show, BMW presented a special edition of the M4 model, the M4 Nurburgring Edition. This car is dedicated to one of the most famous tracks, the Nurburgring Nordschleife, and only 53 examples will be produced, which will also mark the 53rd anniversary of the BMW M division.

The car is finished in Individual Frozen Deep green, which also refers to the nickname of the Nordschleife – Green Hell, while the contrast is made by the radiator grill with red edges and bronze rims with red brake calipers.

The interior is identical to the standard M4 with some special touches like carbon fiber accents and a “Nurburgring 1/53” plaque on the sill. The sports seats are upholstered in a combination of red and black leather with an embroidered Nurburgring sketch on the headrests, while the steering wheel is wrapped in Alcantara.

As for the powertrain, the M4 Nurburgring Edition is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six with 530 horsepower, which is identical to the M4 Competition on which this special edition is based. This means it has all-wheel drive and can reach 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds.

It should also be noted that this special edition will only be available to Chinese customers.

Source: BMW

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Mercedes will use steer-by-wire technology from 2026

Steer-by-wire is a new technology that will be part of future Mercedes cars. This system provides an unparalleled user experience with a number of advantages in everyday use.

What are the advantages of this system? Well, it offers more freedom in interior design as the steering wheel can be flatter which improves dashboard visibility. Also, it gives a feeling of spaciousness because the shape of the steering wheel makes it easier to get in and out of the vehicle.

Steer-by-wire works in such a way that, depending on the speed and road conditions, an actuator on the steering wheel (Steering Feedback Unit, SFU) sends a signal to the steering rack (Steering Rock Unit, SRU), which turns the wheels. Since there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels, the feedback force is calculated individually for each model for different driving conditions.

Mercedes plans to use this technology in all its cars manufactured from 2026.

Source: Mercedes

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2026 Porsche 911 Spirit 70

When ideas run out and market conditions are difficult, one option left to manufacturers is to reminisce about the glory days of some of their best cars. That’s exactly what Porsche did with the 911 Spirit 70, which pays homage to its improved corporate strategy.

This collector’s car, based on the Carrera GTS Cabriolet, will be produced in 1,500 units in a special body color (Olive Neo) with contrasting Bronzite. It features a soft black roof, three black silk gloss stripes across the hood reminiscent of the safety stickers from the 1970s, side decorative graphics with Porsche lettering and round start number field (‘Lollipop’) in black silk gloss, gold-coloured “Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur” badges on the front wings, and 20″ and 21″ two-tone wheels.

The interior is covered in black leather with decorative stitching in olive neo, decorated with a Pasha fabric pattern in black/olive neo that resembles a moving chequered flag. The instrument panel features a 12.65-inch high-resolution display with white pointers and scale lines in analog format. The green numerals are reminiscent of the legendary Porsche 356, and the model inscription is elegantly integrated into the fully digital rev counter. White hands and green numerals also characterize the special version of the Sport Chrono stopwatch.

The 911 Spirit 70 is part of the Heritage Design strategy that includes the 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition and the 911 Sport Classic. “The Heritage Design models occupy a special position within our product strategy from a design perspective. The limited-edition sports cars visualize what makes the Porsche brand so special. Every design of our vehicles ties in with our history – these vehicles go one step further. They show how we reinterpret historical design elements in a state-of-the-art sports car,” says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche.

The Porsche 911 Spirit 70 is powered by a 3.6-liter 6-cylinder boxer engine that, in combination with an electric motor, delivers 541 hp / 610 Nm. Power is sent to the rear axle via an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (PDK). It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds with a top speed of 312 km/h.

Speaking of the price, this car costs 240,000 euros.

Source: Porsche

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