BMW Vs Audi and Mercedes with Six M3 Race Cars

BMW's Motorsport division announced today that it will enter six M3 race cars in the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) starting from the 2012 season. The Bavarian company will be represented in the highly competitive championship by three teams, each entering two cars. The chosen teams are long-term partners BMW Team Schnitzer and BMW Team RBM, plus the newcomer Reinhold Motor sport GmbH.
Development of the M3 DTM car has been running at full speed in Munich for the past few months, with the first track tests are scheduled to begin this month. “The concepts presented by BMW Team RBM, BMW Team Schnitzer and Reinhold Motorsport GmbH ultimately convinced us. This is an excellent team line-up for BMW. For us, it is important that all three teams have absolute equal rights. We are looking forward to cooperating over the coming years – and hope to enjoy great success together,” said BMW Motor sport boss Mario Theissen.
No announcement has been made regarding the BMW driving line-up for the DTM. Of the three teams, only Schnitzer was part of BMW's DTM participation in the 80's and early 90's, winning the 1989 title.
BMW was officially involved in the DTM between 1987 and 1992, winning two titles with the M3 E30 in 1987 and 1989, with drivers Eric van de Poele and Roberto Ravaglia respectively. Before that, private team Gubin won the inaugural 1984 DTM season with Volker Strycek behind the wheel of a 635CSi.


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O.CT Brings 420 Ponies to the Audi TT RS

Need to add a some extra oomph to your Audi TT RS Roadster (or coupe, for that matter)? No worries, there's an army of tuners out there that will most gladly up the performance ante of your car. One of the latest tunes for Ingolstadt's TT RS model comes from O.CT which has developed a sport package that includes an engine kit, suspension upgrades and a set of alloy wheels.
Thanks to a new custom exhaust system, an ECU mod and some fiddling around with the turbo system, O.CT pushes output from 340HP to 450Nm to 420HP and 570Nm. The conversion also includes a KW coilover suspension and a set of lightweight 20-inch alloy wheels.

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ABT Adds Style to New Audi A7 Sportback

Less than month after ABT announced its plans to unveil its tuning take on the new Audi A7 Sportback at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, the Volkswagen Group specialist has shared the first photos and details on its available packages.
The rather modest cosmetic upgrades include a front apron along with discreet side skirts and a rear apron that makes space for the new rectangular-shaped quad tail pipes. The luxury fastback's stance can be further enhanced with a lowering kit and a choice of various alloy wheels available in sizes from 19- to 21 inches.
ABT Sportsline also offers a variety of power kits for the A7's range of engines. Starting with the popular in Europe 3.0-liter V6 TDI, after the German firm's engineers tweak the turbo diesel unit, power jumps from 245HP to 282HP, while a second stage kit that brings an in-house turbo charger can boost the TDI's output to 310HP and 610Nm or 450 lb-ft of peak torque. For the gasoline lineup, ABT's offerings are limited for the time being to the 3.0-liter supercharged V6, which gets a jump from 300-horses to 410HP.

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APS Brings 410HP STaSIS Engineering Tuning Kits for Audi S4 to the UK

APS, the UK importer of the Swiss tuning brand Sportec, has turned to North American-based VW specialist, STaSIS Engineering, for its newest project concerning the latest generation of the Audi S4. The STaSIS Signature S4 is available in two flavors, the Touring and the Challenge editions, with both featuring an engine kit that boosts the 3.0-liter supercharged V6's output from 333 bhp and 344 lb-ft of torque to a more dazzling 410 bhp and 370 lb-ft.

The base Touring Edition package also includes suspension, brake and exhaust system upgrades as well as 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels, while the Challenge Edition comes with more hardcore components such as larger brakes with 6-piston callipers and ultra-lightweight forged aluminum wheels.

The STaSIS Signature S4 packages are available now from APS of Brackley, with prices starting at £12,500 including VAT (20%) and installation.

STaSIS Signature S4 Components

Signature S4 Touring Edition

• Exhaust - Quad outlet with tunable low RPM resonators
• Engine - Engine Tuning Software – performance increases to 410 bhp / 370 lb.ft
• Suspension – 1 inch lower, Increased spring rate, anti-roll bar kit and matched bushings & bump stops
• Brakes - Optional high-performance street pads and braided stainless steel lines
• Wheels – 20 inch x 8.5 inch lightweight cast aluminum wheels, Optional 19 inch x 9 inch lightweight cast aluminum wheels
• Tyres – High performance

Signature S4 Challenge Edition

• Exhaust - Quad outlet with tunable high RPM resonators (recommended for manual transmission)
• Engine - Engine Tuning Software – performance increases to 410 bhp / 370 lb.ft
• Suspension - Ohlins SL dampers, increased spring rate and high performance anti-roll bar kit
• Brakes - 6-piston Alcon monobloc calipers, 370 mm 2-piece discs (390-mm optional), stainless steel brake lines & high-performance pads
• Differential - high-bias centre differential (manual transmission only)
• Wheels – 20 inch x 9.5 inch ultra-lightweight forged aluminum wheels
• Tyres – extreme performance

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2011 Audi A8 L arrives with 500-hp W12, seating for a king-maker

Audi is pulling out its biggest gun yet for the Beijing Motor Show, and while the big news for the A8 L might be the 6.3-liter W12 and the sedan's longer wheelbase, it's the rear seat accommodations that have us frothing at the mouth.

Seriously, just look at it.

With an overall length of nearly 17 and a half feet, the A8 L is almost a half-foot longer than its standard sibling, with a wheelbase of 10.24 feet. Those extra inches are put to good effect, with an interior that's enough to make a Maybach look downright spartan.




Open the lengthened rear doors and occupants are greeted by acres of leather, a full-length center console and two power-adjustable, heated and ventilated seats that not only move fore and aft, but include adjustments for cushion depth, lumbar support and seat back angle. Ten remote-controlled air-bladders massage your cares away, and if the front passenger seat – with its power-adjustable folding ottoman – cramps your style, you can move it forward with the flick of a switch.

The standard four-zone automatic climate control is manipulated by no less than 25 adjustable motors, and the massive center tunnel contains everything from a folding table to a refrigerator. It's all first-class, from the ambient lighting to the Valonea leather, and when the time comes to put the laptop away, crank up the 1,400-watt, 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System and enjoy a movie on one of the two 10.2-inch LCD displays.

If you're ready to give your chauffeur a rest, take solace in the fact that the W12 puts out 500 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque through Audi's new eight-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive. The result is a remarkably quick 4.9-second run to 60 and a electrically-limited top speed of 155 mph.

The W12 will be the standard engine at launch, with a few diesel and petrol-powered engines available further down the line. We'd expect pricing for the A8 L to be revealed shortly after its official debut later this month.

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Audi A3 Sedan Concept with 408HP Officially Previews Next Generation Model

It's been rumored for a while now that Audi was exploring the possibility of adding a four-door sedan body style to its A3 range, but today, the German firm officially confirmed the news with the release of the first official sketches of the A3 Concept ahead of its world premiere at the 81st International Geneva Motor Show in early March.

Its main purpose is to preview both the saloon variant and the styling direction of the next A3, which is scheduled for a rollout in 2012 and will also include the successors to today's three-door hatchback, five-door Sportback and the two-door convertible models.

"The four-seater notchback sedan offers a glimpse of the future expansion of the A3 family," Audi said in a statement.

The A3 concept measures 4.44 meters (14.57 feet) long, 1.84 meters (6.04 feet) wide and just 1.39 meters (4.56 feet) high, meaning it's slightly smaller than the new Volkswagen Jetta (4.64 m long).

The sedan study embodies Audi's latest design language as seen on the recent A8, A6 and A7 Sportback models featuring a single-frame grille with tapered upper corners, angular headlights with LED technology and taut body lines.

The show car is fitted with an upgraded version of the 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbocharged engine found under the bonnet of the current RS3 and TT RS models, producing a peak output of 408-horses. The five-pot distributes power to all four wheels through a seven-speed S tronic transmission and permanent all-wheel drive.

We'll have more details on the A3 Concept from the Geneva Motor Show in March.

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New Audi A4 2012

New Audi A4 is equipped with engine 2.0-liter 211-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine, featuring FSI direct fuel injection, transmissions available include a six-speed manual, six-speed automatic with Tiptronic manual mode shift, and the Multitronic CVT. Every Audi A4 is equipped with the Premium package, including power sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, automatic climate control, satellite radio and an additional input jack