All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News, Tuning

VW Golf 8 R upgraded by Oettinger

Volkswagen is celebrating 20 years of the powerful Golf 8 R hatchback, and the German tuner Oettinger has prepared a series of aerodynamic improvements for the eighth generation of this model.

The special equipment kit includes a new front splitter, downforce flaps for the front fenders, side skirt set, rear diffuser wing, a new set of light rims and Oetinger brake calipers. The car sits much closer to the ground than the standard Golf R.

Under the hood is a 2.0L turbo petrol engine with 315 HP (232 kW), or 329 HP (242 kW) in the Golf R 20 Years Edition. Power is transmitted to all wheels via a 7-speed DSG gearbox or a 6-speed manual gearbox.

When it comes to price, the package without rims costs 2,785 euros, while the matte black finish costs an additional 1,090 euros. Each component will be available for purchase separately. Customers who order the package before October 31 will receive a 20 percent discount. Oettinger is taking pre-orders for the package, which will be available from the first quarter of 2023.

Source: Oettinger

News

2023 Maserati GranTurismo Coupé

Maserati will soon introduce the latest generation of the GranTurismo Coupé, which will be powered by an internal combustion engine. The car should appear on the market next year, and the Italian car manufacturer has published photos of the future car.

The new Gran Turismo pays homage to the A6 1500 model that was produced 75 years ago. It will be powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Nettuno engine with 621 hp and 538 lb-ft (729 Nm) of torque. The engine is paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and reaches 62 mph in 2.9 seconds with a top speed of 201 mph (323 km/h). Also, the GT GranCabrio will be powered by the same engine, but Maserati did not reveal its performance.

At the beginning of the year, Maserati presented its second crossover Maserati Grecale powered by the same engine that in its most powerful version Trofeo delivers 530hp (390 kW) and 457 lb-ft (620 Nm) of torque. Power is transmitted to all wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. According to Maserati, it reaches 60 in 3.6 seconds with a top speed of 177 mph (285 km/h).

Maserati’s plan is to electrify all its cars by the end of the decade. In addition to these models, which will arrive on the market in 2023, Maserati will electrify the Quattroporte, Levante and MC20 models by 2025. The Maserati GranTurismo Folgore should hit the market in 2024, and will be powered by three electric motors that will produce a total of 1,200 hp (883 kW), which is enough to reach 62 mph in 2.6 seconds with a maximum speed of 320 km/h.

Source: Maserati

News, Tuning

MHX4 600 based on the BMW X4 M Competition

Another upgraded BMW model comes from one of the most famous German and world tuners, Manhart. It is the MHX4 600 which is based on the luxury BMW X4 M Competition.

The luxury SUV is painted black with a gray stripe that runs the entire length of the car from the hood over the roof to the rear. Manhart equipped the car with an eight-piece carbon exterior kit that includes a front spoiler, two-piece front skirt add-ons, two-piece front skirt inlets, mirror caps and a rear diffuser. The suspension has been optimized while H&R springs bring the car closer to the ground by an additional 30 mm. There is also a stainless steel exhaust system, four 100 mm tailpipes with ceramic or carbon coating, MANHART race downpipes without catalytic converters or MANHART sport downpipes with 300-cell catalytic converters, while the brakes are retained from the standard X4 M.

Inside, Manhart didn’t change a thing. The design from the BMW X4 M Competition has been retained.

Under the hood is a 3.0L S58 biturbo straight-six engine with 635 hp (467 kW) and 559 lb-ft (785 Nm) of torque. As a reminder, the standard X4 M has 510 HP (375 kW) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. A power increase of 125 hp (92 kW) and 99 lb-ft (135 Nm) was achieved thanks to the MHtronik powerbox or by ECU remapping. Power is sent to all wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. It is mounted on multi-spoke ALPINA 22 inch wheels wrapped in 255/35 (front) and 295/30 (rear) tires. Optionally, there are Concave One 21 inch wheels wrapped in 265/35 (front) and 305/30 (rear) tires.

Source: Manhart