All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

2023 BMW M2

In mid-October, BMW will unveil the new generation 2023 BMW M2, the last to be powered by an internal combustion engine. The car is still covered in some kind of artistic camouflage that doesn’t reveal much.

The BMW M2 will be powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter straight-6 engine from the current generation M4 model that has 473 hp (348 kW) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque, so it is expected that the new M2 model will also have more than 450 hp (331 kW). Power will be transmitted to the rear wheels via a standard 6-speed manual or 8-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission (optional). For safe braking and stopping, there is a braking system from the M4 model.

It is still not known whether the new BMW M2 will be offered in the xDrive version, but it is known that the internal combustion engine will not be assisted by an electric motor.

The new BMW M2 will be offered with a carbon roof, and will have the same adaptive shock absorbers as the M4. It will be mounted on 19 and 20 inch wheels wrapped in 275/35 R19 (front) and 285/30 R20 (rear) tires.

Inside, customers will be able to equip the car with a multitude of carbon parts (extra charge) that will enhance the sporty ambience in the cabin. Also, there’s a new cluster and touch screen located behind the curved glass, which is the case with every BMW that comes with the iDrive 8.

The BMW M2 will hit the market on October 11 and will be produced at BMW’s facilities in Mexico. The first deliveries to customers are planned for the beginning of spring next year. For the next few years, BMW announces more powerful versions, CS and CSL.

Source: BMW

Hybrid, News

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance with 952 HP

The German tuning company Opus Automotive decided to deal with the most powerful sedan from the Mercedes range, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance. It is the second most powerful Mercedes-AMG after the super powerful model One.

The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance is powered by a 4.0-liter V8 turbo petrol engine that, in combination with the electric motor, delivers a total of 831 hp (620 kW) and 1,033 lb-ft (1,400 Nm) of torque. Power is transmitted to all wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission. The tuner’s engineers did not deal with the electric motor that delivers 201 hp (148 kW) and 236 lb-ft (320 Nm), but increased the power of the petrol engine from 630 hp to 758 hp. So now the tuned four-seater has 952 hp (700 kW) and an electronically limited 1,143 lb-ft (1,550 Nm) of torque.

The increase in power also brought better car performance. The base GT 63 S E Preformance reaches 62 mph in 2.9 seconds, while the tuned model reaches the same speed in 2.7 seconds. Also, the top speed was increased from 196 mph (316 km/h) to over 199 mph (320 km/h).

Meanwhile, Mercedes has started delivering its fastest car, the Mercedes-AMG One, and all 275 units produced have already been sold. It is powered by a 1.6-liter Formula 1 V6 turbo engine with 566 hp (422 kW) at 11,000 rpm, which in combination with four electric motors delivers a total of 1,049 hp (771 kW). That’s enough power for this supercar to reach 62 mph in 2.9 seconds, 124 mph (200 km / h) in less than six seconds with a top speed of 217 mph (350 km / h). The engine is paired with a 7-speed gearbox.

Source: Opus Automotive

News

Changes in Supervisory Board and Financial Services of Porsche

After the CEO of Porsche, Oliver Blume, took over the position of chief executive of the Volkswagen Group, there were also changes in the Supervisory Board of the company. According to information from the company, Porsche has decided to expand the Executive Board to promote successful development, by appointing Sajjad Khan as head of the IT team.

Sajjad Khan

“We look forward to being able to welcome Sajjad Khan, a proven digital expert, to the Board and thereby to strengthen our IT team in a critical position. Our industry is experiencing the greatest transformation in its history. We laid the strategic groundwork very early on. Our focus now is on implementation, which we want to continue to drive forward together with Sajjad Khan,” said Oliver Blume.

Sajjad Khan has a truly rich career. In 2001 he joined DaimlerChrysler where he worked in the fields of infotainment and since 2004 he has been working on the development of electronic components for vehicles. Since 2007, he has been the director of the e-car and electronic units, and since 2011 he has been Vice President of the BMW Group. For the last seven years he was Vice President of Daimler AG.

In addition to the new members of the Executive Board, Porsche also made a change at Financial Services GmbH (PFS) by appointing a new spokesperson for the Management Board. That position will be held by an experienced financial expert who, over the past nine years, has held senior positions within the Volkswagen Group, Volker Reichhardt.

Volker Reichhardt

“Porsche Financial Services GmbH is set to expand further by taking on responsibility for Porsche Drive. We are therefore delighted that we have been able to recruit a prominent industry expert to continue our planned course of growth,” said Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT at Porsche AG.

One of the members of the Board of Directors of Porsche Financial Services GmbH is Michael Löffler, who was the head of sales and strategy management at Porsche. With this move, Porsche creates a more intensive network with the sales department and strengthens the connection between the parent company and the subsidiary.

Source: Porsche