News

Mercedes-Maybach S650 found and seized in Sardinia

The European Union is hunting down the property of Russian oligarchs, and their last catch is Alisher Usmanov’s armored car. It is a Mercedes-Maybach S650 found and seized on in Sardinia.

Following sanctions against the Russian Federation, the rest of the world is putting pressure on wealthy Russians, who are hiding their assets outside Russia, especially those close to President Putin. According to the Corriere della Sera, an expensive Mercedes was used to transport officials during their secret visits to the island. Some of the car users were Putin but also his daughters and other politicians like Dmitry Medvedev.

The Mercedes-Maybach S650 Guard VR10 is powered by a 6.0L V12 engine with 621 hp (457 kW) and 738 lb-ft (1,001 Nm) of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 7G-TRONIC 7-speed automatic transmission. It reaches 62 mph in 4.6 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km / h).

The car is equipped with special protective equipment. When the door is opened with the help of pneumatic cylinders, 10 cm thick glass can be seen. It is equipped with the Guard VR10, which provides protection against small arms attacks, but can also withstand a simultaneous attack with two hand grenades. The price of the car is EUR 600,000.

Source: Corriere della Sera

News

Sebastien Loeb is the new DTM driver

Sebastien Loeb is one of the greatest WRC drivers ever with nine world championship titles in a row. He will now debut in the DTM as a replacement for Nick Cassidy who misses the first race of the season in Portimao this month due to Formula E competition. The legendary Loeb will drive a 2020 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo as a Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse driver.

“I will be up against specialists in such racers and my last proper GT3 race already is a long time ago. My goal will be to find my rhythm as well as I can and I will try to use my experience to give the team good feedback about the set-up of the car. I know that it will be difficult but the cars really are fun to drive. Really fast, nice cars. Therefore, I am looking forward to it,” Loeb said.

At the recent Dakar Rally, Loeb finished second, and just seven days later he won the Monte Carlo Rally. He also won on the ice in the Race of Champions race in February when he was better than Sebastian Vettel, the current Aston Martin driver in Formula 1, in the final.

The nine-time WRC champion has a lot of experience driving on the track, and in 2006 he won second place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He was also third in the 2014 and 2015 World Touring Car Championships.

Source: Motorsport

News, Tuning

Audi RS Q8 O.CT 800

Tuners are paying more attention to increasingly popular SUVs. Thus, the company OCT Tuning presented its project Audi RS Q8 O.CT 800. The car is based on the Audi RS Q8.

Stage 3 includes remapping of the ECU unit, new intake pipe, air filter and exhaust system from turbo. Audi’s most powerful SUV is powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with 802 hp (590 kW) and 760 lb-ft (1,030 Nm) of torque. The Lamborghini Urus is powered by the same engine, so this is an indicator of its enormous potential. Many modern engines require only a few new parts and a remapping of the ECU to release extra power, which is roughly all OCT has done with the RS Q8 to get more out of it.

Stage 1 offers a modified ECU unit and 700 hp (515 kW) with 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque. Stage 2 also brings a modified ECU unit, a new intake pipe and an air filter. Engine power has been increased to 735 hp (541 kW) and 701 lb-ft (950 Nm) of torque.

OCT Tuning optionally offers 23-inch forged wheels wrapped in 295/35 ZR23 XL tires, which are 20 percent lighter than stock wheels.

Despite the increase in power, the Audi RS Q8 O.CT 800 retained the design of the base Audi RS Q8.

Source: OCT Tuning

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