All posts by Francis Mitterrand

BMW M3 CS Limited Edition

From BMW comes the limited edition M3 CS with more power and less kilos.

Under the hood is a 3.0L inline-six biturbo engine (S58) with 550 hp (405 kW) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. Significantly more power compared to the standard M3 Competition, which has 510 hp (375 kW), but also 34 kg less. Power is sent to all wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission, while rear axle drive is optional. It reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.4 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 302 km/h (188 mph).

BMW’s M division used a similar recipe for the previous generation of the M3, so this time, a lighter and more powerful car is arriving than the M3 Competition on which it was based.

The car is equipped with lightweight components such as a carbon hood, a titanium exhaust system, carbon front seat shells, and ultra-light 19 and 20-inch reinforced rims wrapped in 275/35/19 (front) and 285/30/20 (rear) Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2.

The company did not announce how many copies of this car will be produced, but they revealed that the CS (Competition Sport) in Germany will cost 146,000 EUR.

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Source: BMW

Audi Activesphere

Audi is an unveiled luxury coupe that transforms into a pickup. It is Audi Activesphere, one of the concepts with which the German company hints at its vision of future mobility.

A large number of technological solutions is what distinguishes this concept. Many of them are still far from reality, but some could arrive soon, like new lights that fit decisively into attractive designs. The car is designed in the style of Audi’s Sportback and Allroad models, but as a versatile electric vehicle similar to an SUV. It is equipped with air suspension with adaptive shock absorbers, and the ground clearance of 209 mm can be increased by 40 mm. This is matched by an exterior design that features vertical studs and metal lines that visualize increased height. There is also a set of 22-inch wheels.

When it comes to the rear of the car, the design of the rear window is in line with the roof and the design of the rear fascia provides better access to the trunk area. The movable partition opens when the cargo space is used, and also serves to separate the interior.

In the morning, the dash, steering wheel and pedals are gone, and there’s a large soundbar and full-width air vents. The front seats are connected to the central console that provides heating and cooling. Special attention is drawn to the AR headsets for the driver and passengers, which enable the display of virtual content such as control panels and information screens. This frees up space in the interior that is normally reserved for screens and controls, as a large number of functions are performed via AR headsets.

The Audi Activesphere is powered by two electric motors producing 242 hp (178 kW) and 531 lb-ft (720 Nm) of torque. Also, the car has all-wheel drive. It is built on the Premium Platform Electric platform developed in cooperation with Porsche, and is equipped with a 100 kW battery.

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Source: Audi

Manhart Sport SV 650 based on Range Rover Sport P530

The German tuner Manhart, known as one of the best tuners in the world, this time presented the Manhart Sport SV 650. It is a luxury car based on the Range Rover Sport P530.

The most powerful standard Sport P530 is powered by BMW’s 4.4L twin-turbo V8 engine with 530 hp (390 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque. That’s enough power to push the car to 62 mph in 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). The SV 650 uses the same engine but with 650 hp (478 kW) and 656 lb-ft (890 Nm) of torque, with unknown performance details. The engine is mated to a ZF 8-speed gearbox. The car is mounted on a set of 24-inch Forged Line wheels.

The exterior of the car is adorned with the standard Manhart combination of black finish and gold stripes on the hood, roof and sides. Inside, customers can choose between leather and/or Alcantara materials in black and gold.

The price of the car has not been announced, but it is known that Manhart will build only ten examples of the Sport SV 650.

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Source: Manhart