Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG

AMG presents its new weapon on the car-salon in Geneva. The Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG was modified and appears even more impressive. Mercedes conducted an extensive technical adjustment of the former version. With a performance package AMG strives for even more power in the car. Besides the appearance of the car was modified, too, by constructing a new radiator grille with big Mercedes emblem and wing-shaped cross-lamination, new front apron with black painted lower cross brace, AMG-specific LED daytime running lights and sophisticated side air outlets. The aluminum engine hood with customized powerdomes and the clear glass headlights perfect the new front design. Further facelift features are the renewed rim design of the 18”-AMG-wheels and the rear valance. Even AMG considers environmental friendliness and sustainability by reducing the fuel consumption while improving power performance. A new power steering pump and the AMG speed shift MCT 7-speed sports transmission with a standard “Controlled efficiency” driving program brings 10 per cent reduction in fuel consumption. In the new C 63 AMG you will find a 6.3 liter V8 engine with 450 hp. If you use the optional performance package the power will spread to 480 hp. Last weekend I have seen the recent model of C 63 AMG when I visited the Fashion week and I can tell you, this car has a really aggressive and fascinating sound. You could feel the enormous power of the car just by standing next to it. The updated version needs just 4.4 seconds from 0 to 62 mph. Moreover, the performance package features a high-performance brake system with composite brake discs front and red painted brake calipers all around, a carbon spoiler lip on the boot lid (sedan) and the AMG performance steering wheel in nappa leather with a handle area of Alcantara. In the new C 63 AMG you will find a completely renewed instrument panel in a very modern and fresh design. Dark brushed aluminum inlays in piano lacquer attempt to spread the atmosphere that customers expect in this price class. Of course you could expand the features of the car by selecting several driving assistance systems like: Mercedes-Benz peculiar pre-safe brake, adaptive high-beam assistant, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Assist or the Attention Assist to address fatigue, including the Parktronic park management. In my point of view especially the rear end of the MB C 63 AMG with its chromed double exhaust pipes is an optical enjoyment. In July of this year the first cars will be for sale in Germany.

Frist Class Luxury Car- Maybach 62

This car is no car for everyone. It is a very very special car for chosen ones. Billionaires, enormous rich people, Queens and Kings or maybe god would drive this car, but no one of the upper middle class or even rich people could afford this car. It is the luxury spearhead of the automotive industry. The Maybach is Mercedes-Benz’ answer to Bentley, Rolls Royce and co. Daimler AG decided in 2002 to renew the make Maybach and produce extra-class luxury limousines. The number 62 refers to the lengths of the car, so the Maybach 62 quantifies 6.2 meters and the Maybach 57 5.7 meters. In this segment of cars, it doesn’t matter how much cylinder capacity, torque, horse power or maximum speed the car exemplifies, but rather how the ambience and emotions in the car fit to your preferences. There are just slide differences between Rolls Royce, Bentley or Maybach, but there are some. For example the Rolls Royce Phantom suit for traditional people. You don’t get in the car, you accede the car. However, the car has some BMW typically weaknesses, for example the uncomfortable seat configuration and some other tiny things. On the other site, the Maybach belongs to Mercedes-Benz, so distinctive similarity to the S-class is obvious. A few years ago Daimler AG decided to revive the make Maybach and give it a special luxury character. Well selected material, choice brand, marvellous manufacturing of interior and exterior and extraordinary attention to details make this car a special limousine. The well-formed multifunctional seat in the fond of the Maybach definitely represents an USP as well as the high-tech entertainment equipment. Another peculiarity of the Maybach is the availability of different roof designs, so the owner individually choose a bright or close roof depending on his or her preferences. The interior is adorned by handsome light effects. The exterior is ascertained by massive elegance. Unfortunately, the high weight of the Maybach leads to a more or less adequate driving performance; especially in curves you feel the dimensions of the car. In terms of acceleration and power characteristics there are no restraints.

Let’s come to the technical facts of the Maybach 62: 12-cylinder, 5.5 liter cylinder capacity, 543 hp, 900 Nm, 5.4 seconds from 0-62 mph, weight: 2,780 kg, length: 6.2 meters, price: approx. $ 550,000

In the year 2004 worldwide circa 500 Maybachs were sold, thereof 40 in Germany. All in all the company sales the cars as they planned to do and year after year sales are increasing. So, if you decide to travel to Germany and you have really a lot of money, then why not drive the Maybach a bit faster on Germany’s Autobahnen. Although, be careful while breaking down from 140 mph to 0 with this big car. It could take a bit longer than with a Mitsubishi Eclipse.

“The” Luxury-Coupé

4-seats, overwhelming power, marvellous elegance and a Mercedes star on the engine hood. One could say this is a dream for every comfort oriented business man, who has a lot to do with external trade. In the top version with power extension the Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG has 549 hp, without the improved performance feature it has 518 PS and, therefore, a lot more horsepower than the competitors Porsche Panamera Turbo and BMW M6. The CLS 63 AMG is cheaper than both competitors. In relation to the Panamera Turbo the Mercedes is even far cheaper, but also a bit slower in acceleration because it weights more. This car is the perfect choice for having a grand appearance in front of the Hyatt. The elegance and luxury emergence of the car ensures jealous views from other people. In addition the sound is impressive, too, but if the traffic lights are red and you stop, the car is suspiciously quiet because of the start-stop-automatic. The 549 hp make the CLS 63 AMG accelerate in 4.4 seconds from 0-62 mph. The Porsche Panamera Turbo fulfils the sprint in 0.2 seconds less. The maximum speed of the car is about 286 mph. In my point of view there are not many 4-door cars with these driving characteristics. A cool fact is that this power car just needs 9.9 liters fuel on 100 kilometers. The CLS 63 AMG weights 150 kg more than the Porsche Panamera, but with 800 Nm the CLS is much stronger. The chassis is sporty adjusted and a wide front grill expresses power compared with the wide fenders. Moreover, a Diffusor expresses sportiness and power to the cars in the back. Inside the car finest leather and a nice sport seat attract attention and dispread luxury flair. I don’t know yet what the car will cost in the USA, since it will be launched in March 2011 primary in Europe, but one should calculate with more than 100,000 $, if the car will be available in the USA.

Actually this car present sports car features, but is a luxury limousine with much driving comfort. It is comparable with luxury limousines or coupés like BMW M6 and maybe a bit the Lexus IS F. In Germany you could move out the car to its maximum speed. It would not be easy to find a firm which offers a rental of this car, but with some search effort it might be possible.

Audi hot as pepper

In April 2011 Audi will launch a brand new car, the Audi RS3. The “RS” series of Audi cars brim over with power and dynamics. This small size car now features 335 hp and, therefore, it is once of the most powerful cars in its class. With this performance it is as strong as the tuned “M” version of the BMW 1, which is also just purchasable in Germany. Relatively unobtrusive modified was the front fender of the RS3 while the wheels in the back become a track extension. Furthermore, Audi adjusts the front bumper with larger air intakes and in the back a nice rear spoiler with differently coloured diffuser. The chassis and damper are configured like in a real sports car, really hard and direct. You can buy this Audi RS3 just as a 5-door version with 7-gear automatic transmission, Audi called this S-tronic. For this kind of sports car Audi lowered down the Audi A3 basic model by 20 millimetres, so it is like a jet on the ground. Maximum speed is reached at 155 mph (electronically bolted) and the RS3 accelerates in 4.9 seconds from 0-62 mph. A nice feature of the system is that the car allocates the power 50 per cent in the back and 50 per cent in the front, but at the same time it is able to shift the power up to100 per cent to the back or to the front, which leads to quite amazing driving characteristics. Another feature is the “S-button” which enables the RS3 to extract the power more rigorous. In this mode the shift points, gas pedal position and the engine characteristics were adjusted to a more sporty level. Very special for us US-Americans should be the 5-cylinder engine with 2.5 liter capacity, which expresses a gloomy rumble. Of course, this is a very special car and so it has a very special price. In Germany the Audi RS3 will cost about (converted) 65,657$ without extras like leader equipment components, bucket seats, navigation system or sport-steering-wheel. According to this, it is no problem to reach full size class prices as you would pay for an Audi A8 or Mercedes S-class.

 

To conclude, Audi creates a real sports machine with the RS3 that is very dynamic but irrational too. Nobody would need such a power engine with 335 hp in a small size car, but it makes fun to drive.

Mash up of tuned Sportscars and Sport Sedans

For this time I will invite you to get to know three hot compact small size sportcars from Germany. All three cars are more or less Volkswagen cars and tuned up by specialized companies. To concern is the VW Golf R tuned by Sport Wheels, the VW Scirocco R tuned by Mathilda Racing and the SEAT Leon Cupra tuned by JE Design. These cars will specially serve for the German market. Nevertheless it could be a great experience to drive one of these. The Seat Leon Cupra R by Je Design has deep drawn sills, spoiler, diffuser and tail plane. Due to a power enhancement to 327 hp the torque amounts to 420 Nm. The Seat Cupra R created by JE Design speeds up in 6.1 seconds from 0-62 mph, just 0.3 seconds faster than in the normal production model, but referring to the sprint on 124 mph the Cupra R is over 4 seconds faster than the standard version. The car reaches speeds beyond 160 mph. You cannot buy any Seat in the USA, but maybe it could be interesting to come across this car when visiting Germany. The interior appears in a very bright and sporty dress, which really fits to the super sport exterior. On the other site the VW Golf R tuned by Sport Wheels prevails with its better price-performance-ratio and a faster track time on a racing track. With a 65 hp power improvement the Golf now appears more vigorous and dynamic. An incredible acceleration time of 4.7 seconds from 0-62 mph and 327 hp makes this car a real sportscar. The VW Golf tuned by Sport Wheel has a high speed of 165 mph. According to the Seat the VW drives on the same wheels, the Michelin Cup wheels. The VW Scirocco tuned by Mathilda accelerates in 5.5 seconds from 0-62 mph. Another great value is the acceleration from 0-124 mph in just 17.3 seconds, which is amazing for a small size car with only 330 hp. The speed is bolted at 168 mph.

 

All the cars have a 4-cylinder turbo-engine with 2.0 liter cylinder capacity. The Golf is driving with all-wheel-drive, while the Scirocco has the highest torque. Now the prices: 61,807$ in Germany for the JE Design Leon, 62,368$ in Germany for the Mathilda Scirocco and 61,615$ in Germany for the Sport Wheels Golf. The problem now is that rental firms will not offer these kinds of cars, but maybe with some special connections you will get to know the true promise of these sportcars on another way.

Audi RS5

The Audi RS 5 is a really tremendous Sedan-Sports-Car. The basic model it belongs to is the Audi A5, which also symbolizes a quite new model of Audi. It expresses the orientation towards a more modern style and it fills a gap between Audi A4 and Audi A6. Though, the Audi A5 is constituted as a coupé, it embodies lots of sedan features. Especially the suitability for daily use is close to a standard midsize sedan. On the other side it conveys sportiness and power. In my point of view the Audi A5 is a nice mixture of sports coupé and sporty sedan. The car articulates pure enthusiasm and driving pleasure. With its 4.2 litre V8 engine the Audi RS5 reaches 450 hp at 8,250 rpm and 430 Nm at 4,000-6,000 rpm. In Germany the price of the car in standard equipment amounts to (converted) 100,627 $. In just 4.6 seconds the car accelerates from 0-62 mph. I think it is a nice option for driving a sporty car, but enjoy the features of daily usability. In comparison to the basic model of the A5 line the RS5 has some large air intakes in the front and a “V8” emblem on the driver-site front. Moreover, the Audi RS5 has a redesigned bumper with integrated diffuser. This appears a lot chunkier. Furthermore, the RS5 features outside mirrors in aluminum design and a wheel-away rear spoiler and two oval exhaust pipes. Also standard equipment in the RS5 is a sports suspension, that properties and transmission line can be changed by the driver (Audi drive select). The high speed engine is based on the former V8 used in the Audi RS4. Now it is upgraded and has a more vigorous power development.
It might be a great experience to drive this special car on German Autobahnen. It reaches speeds up to 174 mph, which promises a lot of driving pleasure for speed junkies. I personally like the red version of the Audi RS5 most. It expresses some kind of evilness and hazard. So enjoy your trip to Germany and stay clean.

Maybe you can use the time around German Carnival to stay there. All people are going crazy and dressing up for very funny events. If you decide to visit Germany in the time of “Karneval in Deutschland” try out this “Online Kostümverleih“! Enjoy!

Suzuki GSX 1000 vs. Suzuki GSX 600 vs. Ducati 1198

Perhaps you do not want to drive in a car, but in a faster accelerating motorbike like a Suzuki or a Ducati. These bikes easily reach speeds up to 165 mph. I personally love to ride a bike. The feeling on a Superbike, when the wind strikes your face and the surroundings fly all over you, is unique and tremendous to experience. For this purpose in my point of view the Suzuki GSX and the Ducati Superbike are remarkable machines. Suzuki upgraded three new superbikes for the year 2011.

	Suzuki GSX 1000	Suzuki GSX 600	Ducati 1198
Cylinder	4	4	2
Cylinder capacity	999 cc	599 cc	1,198.4 cc
Power	182 hp (12,000 rpm)	124 hp (13,500 rpm)	168 hp (8,000 rpm)
Weight	205 kg	187 kg	171 kg
Tank capacity	17.5 l	17 l	15,5 l
Price in Germany	19,000 $	11,290 $	23,654 $
Rental price per day (approx.)	160 $	160 $	180 $

As you can see, the sound of the Ducati must be different because of the 2 cylinder-engine, and it definitely is. The old GSX 1000 version accelerates from 0-62 mph in 3 seconds, whereas the old version of the GSX 600 speeds up in 4.4 seconds. The new model Ducati 1198 accelerates from 0-62 mph in 3.3 seconds and the new GSX 1000 in 3.2 seconds. Indeed, it is also a great experience to drive a motorbike in Germany. Moreover, it is easy to find a dealer and nearly all of them are at the same time rental place to go. Nevertheless you have to be at least twice as carefully by driving a motorbike, because other drivers won’t recognize you in the first place. In the summer time, you will see a lot of biker in Germany. On the highway you have to be very careful too, because if you reach that high speeds, the other drivers could just hardly estimate your speediness.

German Hotels – Advisory trip plan

In the last articles I have presented some nice cars, you could drive when you will visit Germany. Now I attempt to suggest some travel routes and checkpoints for accommodation in several cities of Germany. For your trip I would suggest to fly to Frankfurt, because it has the best flight connection to the USA and, thus, the best flight prices. If you arrive in Frankfurt, you could pick up your car you would like to drive, but I would suggest one night to see the city without renting a car. For Frankfurt I would advice you to stay in the Steigenberger Hotel Metropolitan. It has a good price performance ratio and belongs to an exclusive hotel chain in Germany. After this night you should rent a sporty car. The best is to reserve one some days before over the internet on a platform like www.erento.com. This company conveys a wide range of sport cars and luxury sedans all over Germany. If you stay longer than four days, I would suggest you to rent not only one car, but at least two different, to experience the huge variety of fast cars. Always think of the fact, that you can experience these cars nowhere else better than in Germany, because there is no general speed-limit on highways. So you rent a car in Frankfurt and should drive to Berlin. In Berlin you could stay for one or two nights. It is a really impressive city and the trendsetting highlight of Germanys (youth-) culture. It offers thousands of interesting places. In the Steigenberger Hotel in Berlin the staff definitely might be able to suggest you some lovely places. For clubbing, you never could be wrong by visiting the Berghain or Watergate. From Berlin you should drive to Hamburg. Hamburg is a harbour-city and has a very special charm. Even the people are a bit different there – you will recognize by travelling from Berlin to the Northern metropolis of Germany. For this night I recommend to stay in the Radisson Blu. The next trip should be intended for a city in the Ruhr area, which is the densely populated region in Europe. The best choice might be Cologne. You should stopover at the famous cathedral and hang around in the inner city at daytime. You should stay in the Hyatt Hotel close to the Cologne Cathedral. For the last day back to Frankfurt you could make a side-trip to the Netherlands, if you want. It is quite near to cologne (approximately 1 hour).

Enjoy your trip.

The BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M

The German premium class car manufacturer BMW also prevails in the premium SUV segment with the BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M. With these cars you have greatly passenger-compartment space combined with a colossal sportiness. Both cars have an adaptive drive with electric damper control and work with all-wheel-drive. Typically for German cars, also these two BMW’s have a lot of security equipment and safety features. Really impressive is the V8-power-enginge which was implemented in both SUVs. The turbocharger in this constellation works at its best and tosses the cars up to 555 hp.

Features	BMW X5 M	BMW X6 M
Price	85,700 $	89,200 $
Engine	4.4-liter V-8, 32-valve, M TwinPower Turbo	4.4-liter V-8, 32-valve, M TwinPower Turbo
Power	555 hp	555 hp
Gas consumption	17 mpg hwy	17 mpg hwy
Acceleration 0-60 mph	4.5 sec	4.5 sec
Top speed	155 mph	155 mph

The X5 M and the X6 M weights are quite high with about 2.5 tonnes. The maximum torque is 680 Nm. This should be enough to be on a par with luxury sport cars like Porsche Carrera or equivalent cars. Both the BMW’s impress with their unflinching performance and their racing car attributes paired with the daily advantages of an SUV.

In Germany the prices of the cars amount to 144,376 $ for the X5 M and 147,920 $ for the BMW X6 M, which represents a pretty big difference to the USA.

The following video shows a quite critical test of the BMW X5 M.

I like the X5 M most, but it’s a matter of taste. Both have nearly the same specs and, therefore, the design and image plays a bigger role for decision making.

I would suggest these cars to you, when you are in Germany for a longer trip. Maybe for a business trip, where you need some space for luggage but at the same time want to drive fast and enjoy the no-speed-limit highways in Germany?! Some car rental companies provide these cars for quite high prices, but it is worth it.

Sports-wagon on Sedan basis

In Germany you will find many cars that base on a series model of a compact sedan class, which are upgraded to a high-end model that exemplifies sports car features. For example the Mercedes C-class has a model called C 63 AMG with 451 hp (8-cylinder engine), Audi offers a model called Audi S4 with 328 hp (6-cylinder engine) and BMW provides a special edition of the BMW 3-series, called BMW M3 with 414 hp. These cars have a relative low weight, but high power engines, and, therefore, embody real sports car characteristics and bring a lot of fun to drive.

Basic facts:

Criteria	MB C 63 AMG	Audi S4	BMW M3
Cylinder	V-8	V-6	V-8
Power output	451 hp	328 hp	414 hp
Cylinder capacity	6.2 l	3.0 l	4.0 l
Acceleration	4.5 sec	5.3 sec	4.7 sec
Revolutions	600 Nm (5,000 rpm)	440 Nm (2,900-5,300 rpm)	400 Nm (3,900 rpm)
Drive mechanism	Rear drive	All-wheal-drive	Rear drive
High-speed	155 mph	155 mph	155 mph
Price in Germany	95,317 $	73,900 $	96,308 $

 

Source: www.bmw.com

The BMW is an all-rounder, which combines road capability with intransigent sports-genes. This model line exists for now more than 25 years and becomes more and more successful. It has a lot of indoor comfort as well as a tremendous racing aptitude. A new system called M Drive Manager transforms the car into a racing machine by amending digital adjusting drive, DSC, electronic damper control and the responding properties of the Servotronic of the engine. Very special for the BMW M3 is that its engine comprises high levels of revolutions per minute – over 8,000 rpm are possible. Thus, the car wins over a great sound and a powerful driving performance.

Actually, it is quite appropriate to compare the Audi RS5 to the BMW M3. The Audi RS5 costs 105,844 $, has 444 hp and accelerates from 0-62 mph in 4.6 sec. Anyway, the RS5 doesn’t have these great driving characteristics and sportiness of the BMW M3, so it loses in a direct comparison. Especially the suspension is poorly conceived.

Source: www.audimobiles.com

I would suggest the BMW M3 for every kind of driving experience, both highway, city or speed way, whatever. The BMW M3 successfully combines a racing car with a daily-used family sedan and you have a lot of power to serve first at every traffic light.