Performance wagons are the way to go. Just when you thought that the era of performance shooting brakes has ended, Audi launches the RS4 Avant at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. It’s like the messiah of performance wagons, destined to bring back the glory to the most underrated vehicles ever existed. The RS4 Avant is indeed a station wagon, and might look like an ordinary one to the uninitiated. However, for car nuts, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that it packs 450 horses under its hood and a whopping 443 pound-feet of torque. Now, just how fast is this performance wagon in the Green Hell? Well, Sport Auto Magazine took the RS4 Avant on a hot lap in the Nürburgring , and we’re lucky to get a shotgun shot of the exhilarating lap. Hot laps at the Nürburgring: ⠀ Porsche Taycan Spied Being Pushed Hard At The Nurburgring ⠀ Hyundai i30 N Fastback Spied Being Pushed Hard At The Nurburgring Looking at the video, it’s almost impossible … [Read more...] about Hop Inside The Audi RS4 Avant While It Laps The Nürburgring
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Mercedes planning a G-Class inspired GLB crossover for 2019 – report
According to reports out of Germany, Mercedes is planning to launch a G-Class inspired crossover in the fall of 2019. According to reports out of Germany, Mercedes is planning to launch a G-Class inspired crossover in the fall of 2019. Details are limited but Autobild is reporting the model will be a lifestyle vehicle that will wear th e GLB moniker. It will reportedly be based on the same platform as the next-generation A-Class which is due in the spring of 2018. Little else is known about the crossover but it will reportedly offer seating for up to seven people. Front-wheel drive could be standard but all-wheel drive should be optional. There could also be an off-road package but there's no word on what it would include. If everything pans out, the GLB will slot above the GLA and cost slightly more than its smaller sibling. Note: Mercedes ener-g force concept pictured + + Share on Twitter Share on Flipboard Pin It … [Read more...] about Mercedes planning a G-Class inspired GLB crossover for 2019 – report
Ghiotto, Smith headline eight-man Ginetta test roster
Smith and Ghiotto will join six other drivers split across the pair of works Team LNT Ginetta G60-LT-P1s at the WEC Prologue test at the Circuit de Catalunya this week. Ginetta boss Lawrence Tomlinson said he had brought in Smith, who first sampled the Ginetta at Paul Ricard earlier this month, for his experience. "Guy has a lot to offer, not just as the 2003 Le Mans winner with Bentley but for the amount of knowledge of sportscar racing he has," Tomlinson told Motorsport.com. Smith, who stepped down from the factory Bentley GT3 squad in May last year, played down the likelihood of him racing the car. "It's not really my plan, but I was curious to see how the cars had moved on," said the 44-year-old, who last raced at prototype with Dyson Racing in the American Le Mans Series in 2013. "Lawrence asked me to have a go, and I thought why not?" #7 Bentley Team M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3: Guy Smith Photo by: Alexander Trienitz Tomlinson explained that … [Read more...] about Ghiotto, Smith headline eight-man Ginetta test roster
Bernard Ollivier Interview: We will do things step by step with Alpine
In an exclusive interview with Motor1 France, Bernard Ollivier, deputy general manager of Alpine, reports on future plans and project of the revived French sports brand. Motor1 : Where about are you with the development of the new Alpine? Bernard Ollivier : The big picture of the car is almost finished. The first prototypes are already on the road . We are entering the last phase, the last tests, mostly as far as endurance is concerned. M1 : Can you tell us more about the car characteristics? BO : We’ve done a lot of work on the car in order for it to be light. We wanted it to be agile, efficient, and sporty. It’s also going to be a premium car. Then, we also worked on its design so that it is easy to use on a daily basis. After all, among the customer base we are targeting, there are also a lot of women. M1 : What do you mean by premium? BO : We are targeting “premium” in the German meaning of the term. It stands mainly for an irreproachable quality … [Read more...] about Bernard Ollivier Interview: We will do things step by step with Alpine
2,000-HP Nissan Qashqai Becomes Fastest SUV In The World: 237.8 MPH
It has dethroned the 230-mph Toyota Land Cruiser. In case you have not heard of Severn Valley Motorsport, it’s a tuning company based in the United Kingdom specialized in upgrading Nissan GT-Rs. Godzilla’s engine was used for a pet project some years ago when the engineers decided to cram it into the engine bay of a first-generation Nissan Qashqai (current model sold in the U.S. as the Rouge Sport ). Thus, the Qashqai-R was born, complete with 1,100 horsepower and just about the same amount of torque. That was back in 2014 when Top Gear magazine wrote an article about the supercar-engined compact crossover, but since then the vehicle has gone through even more upgrades. The tuner says the Qasqhai’s “heavily forged engine” now packs a new turbo kit enabling an incredible output of 2,000 horsepower. Why? SVM wanted to claim the title for the fastest SUV in the world, which up until yesterday was held by Toyota and its bonkers 2,000-hp Land Cruiser with a velocity of 230 … [Read more...] about 2,000-HP Nissan Qashqai Becomes Fastest SUV In The World: 237.8 MPH