Tag Archives: German Cars

That Time BMW Put a Le Mans-Winning V12 Into an X5 SUV

March 7, 2017 ndubs77 Leave a comment

This is the BMW X5 LM. It’s a prototype from the era before the super-SUVs of today, powered by the same V12 that propelled the BMW V12 LMR to victory at Le Mans. That’s 700hp and 531ft/lbs under the hood that made this the first sub-8-minute SUV around the Nurburgring. And this was all in 2000, years before Porsche made the Cayenne Turbo and set the SUV world ablaze with performance. However, as it turned out, the V12 from a Le Mans racecar didn’t make a very good production engine, so BMW never produced the X5 LM. Woe is us, but at least the prototype still exists.

-Nick

Automotive Lifestyle, Cars We've Driven, Sports Cars, Used Car Gems

A Farewell Ride in My Dad’s Porsche 996

March 6, 2017 ndubs77 2 Comments

My parents are moving down to their place at the shore full time soon, and of course they’re taking their cars with them. They’re only going to be 2 hours away, but driving-wise the shore doesn’t hold a candle to the back roads of Bucks County, PA. The topography at the shore is all flat, the back roads barely curve at all, and the main roads are so crowded, and so heavily patrolled by cops, that there’s nowhere to really let the car run free. I may get to drive the 996 a few times when I visit, but it will never be like it was up here, with old our colonial roads that snake their way endlessly through the forest.

I had to take the Porsche for one more solid drive up here to say my goodbye, of sorts. So one night, after work, I spent 2 blissful hours in it out driving a greatest hits tour of my favorite roads.

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Cars We've Seen

Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach in Outrageous Orange!

February 13, 2017 ndubs77 3 Comments

It’s amazing how much the right color can add to the impact a car has on the world around it. The Porsche 918 Spyder has a ton of presence to begin with, but in this molten orange it seems like it can stop time itself.

People were pouring over this thing in Scarsdale, especially little kids, who must have been totally transfixed . Even with all of the other insane machines around it, this Porsche had it’s own special sort of gravity.

In addition to it’s spectacular paint job, this 918 Spyder was also fitted with the coveted Weissach Package. That made it extra cool for me because it’s actually the first Weissach-equipped Porsche 918 I’ve laid eyes on in person.

Enjoy the gallery!

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SHOWCASE

The Alfa Romeo Giulia QV vs Everyone

February 9, 2017 ndubs77 Leave a comment

I’m in love with the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, and I desperately hope it’s able to roast the competition. Let’s see what Motor Trend has to say about it!

-Nick

Opinions

Could we see a mid-engined Porsche 911 road car soon?

January 26, 2017 ndubs77 Leave a comment

The new Porsche 991.2 GT3 is rumored to be essentially like the previous 4.0L RSs, with Porsche’s mighty 4.0L flat six, around 500hp, and a choice of two or three pedals. Meanwhile, the new 911 RSR racecar is a mid engined now. So the next 991.2 GT3 RS finds itself at a fork in the road. Should it stay as the ultimate rear engine track crusher? Or should it be based on the new mid engine RSR, staying true to form as a racecar for the street?

If the new 991.2 GT3 RS were to be based on the mid engine RSR, it could create a break-point between rear and mid engine 911 models, which would amount to the line between sports cars and supercars.

The rear engine 911 is a great sports car, maybe the greatest, because it offers a totally unique driving experience. However, Porsche clearly knows they’re pushing the boundaries of what a rear engine layout can do. The fact that the new 911 RSR racecar is blatantly mid engine just makes it obvious, but Porsche has been pushing the 911’s engine more and more forward of the rear axle with each new generation. At this point, the current 991 is extremely close to technically being a mid-engine car.

Look, whether it happens within the 991.2 generation or not, I think a mid engined 911 GT model, or lineup of models, is absolutely coming. People want what the racecar has, and now the racecar has its engine in the middle.

I do think the basic 911 Carrara up through GT3 and Turbo models should remain “rear engine” sports cars to stay true to form. After all, a rear engine is the defining feature of a Porsche 911. That said, I also think that opening up a range of mid engine 911 supercar models at the top of the range creates a healthy evolution for the Porsche brand. Okay, sure, maybe they might call the new mid engined cars by a name other than “911”, but they would essentially be mid engined 911s. For those of you scoffing right now, appalled at the idea of a 911 with an engine in the middle, just remember there’s already a major precedent for this from the late 90s; it’s called the 911 GT1.

What I think may happen here is the 911 GT3 and Turbo will be the top of the rear engined 911 range. Then the hardcore GT3 RS will kick off the new range of mid-engine, 911 GT1-style supercars derived from the RSR. The GT3 RS would have the rumored 4.0L+ naturally aspirated flat-six, as well as a host of track-ready features. Porsche should then offer turbocharged models of the mid engine 911 supercar, ready to compete directly with the Ferrari 488s, Ford GTs, and McLaren 650s of the world. Maybe that would be the “GT2”, and then have a “GT2 RS” with an upgraded turbo engine (a turbo 4.0?) and all of the trackday tricks of the GT3 RS.

Price wise, I picture it as follows: Rear engined 911 Turbo and GT3 models occupy the $150k-$250k range, as they do right now. The mid engine GT3 RS would come in around $300k, the turbocharged mid engine GT2 would run $350-400k, and the GT2 RS would be $500-600k and be built in limited numbers.

This is all just me pondering at this point, but if you remember back a couple years, there were rumors of Porsche wanting to develop a mid engine supercar above the 911 Turbo but below the 918. This would be that car, clear as day. Porsche had supposedly sacked the idea, but now they have a racing program with a mid engined 911 RSR?

It sure seems like they’re headed in this direction…

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Driven, Luxury Cars

Quick Spin: BMW G11 750i xDrive

January 25, 2017 ndubs77 5 Comments

This is not so much a car as it is a rolling spa. Sure, I had some time behind the wheel of this new BMW G11 750i, but what really stuck in my mind was the massage I got while riding around in the back seat. It was pouring rain, we were stuck in a traffic jam, and I wouldn’t have been anywhere else in the world if I could have. It’s an optional extra, but what’s an extra $7 grand for the pleasure of being able to have a heated, or cooled, massage everywhere you go? I could really go for one right now, as a matter of fact.

The new 750i may be a rolling spa, but it’s one that moves pretty good, too. BMW claims 445 hp and 480 ft/lbs of torque from its “Hot Vee” twin turbo V8, and that’s enough to propel your pampered ass from a snooze to a heart attack in just 4.3 seconds.

Really though, the G11 is the expected next step for the BMW 7 Series, nothing less, but nothing more either. It’s really nice, but they’ve all been nice over the years. It’s really fast, and handles well for a big limo, but again, same with every other 7 Series. The G11 is also full of lots of fancy, cutting edge technology, which is awesome today, but it will suck in ten years for the poor sap who buys this once-$120,000 luxo-barge for $13,988. Go try to use the nav on a late 90’s E38 7 Series, and you’ll see what I mean.

In fact, staggering depreciation is probably just as much of what makes a 7 Series a 7 Series as the car’s big comfort or big horsepower. Well-optioned, it’s not a bad value for what you get for $120,000 or so, but you can be damn sure you won’t be seeing much of that money back. Leasing may be a good idea here, people.

The G11 750i is among the nearly flawless lineup of current luxury cars. They’re all just really good, almost to a fault, if only for the fact that such uniform perfection lacks character. Objectively, this BMW 750i is good enough as a luxury cruiser to make me wonder why anyone would shell out triple the money for a Bentley or a Rolls. I mean, how much more comfortable could you possibly be?

But really it’s not about features, or the comfort, or any of that. It comes back to the car being good, really good, too good for its own good. The G11 is a lot like that guy at the party who just keeps talking, on and on, about his own accomplishments. He’s very impressive and all, but people just keep walking away, don’t they? That’s because endless perfection gets boring pretty quick, and it’s usually a lot more fun to hear people talk about their mistakes.

Nick Walker

MoM Score: BMW G11 750i xDrive
Primary Function: Luxury: 2
Secondary Functions: Performance(2) Practicality(2) MPG(2): 2
Visual Appeal: 1
Build Quality: 2
Value for Money: 1
Final Score: 8 /10

Cars We've Seen

BMW Z8 Spotted in Hopewell, NJ

January 24, 2017 ndubs77 1 Comment

BMW Z8s are just awesome, a roadster with the engine from the mighty M5. There’s a reason their values keep climbing.

-Nick

Cars We've Seen, Uncategorized

Blacked-out VW CC at First Class Fitment

January 19, 2017 ndubs77 Leave a comment

I do love the look of a lowered CC on some fresh wheels. I had planned to maybe do something like this with mine when I first got it, but I could never justify it when I could buy another Miata instead. They do look amazing, though. Ultra classy.

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, Automotive Lifestyle

Battle of Titans: Motor Trend pits the Bentley Continental GT against the Mercedes S65 AMG

January 12, 2017 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Opinions

Why the Porsche 911 R is the best of 2016

December 29, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

Porsche is moving the 911 forward with turbocharging and whatnot, but it’s great to see they still understand that much of their clientele still values driving purity. The 911 R is a Porsche purist’s wet dream, the lightest 911 available with the biggest, baddest engine, the 500hp 4.0L.

Base price for the 911R was under $200,000, but prices on the used market immediately shot up to more than four times that. Only 991 911 Rs will be built, but the car represents hope for us driving enthusiasts who crave the experience of a pure 911. We’re all praying that much of what has made the 911 R so desirable will find its way into the new 991.2 GT3, which supposedly will have a manual transmission as well.

You see, while cars have been getting faster in terms of lap times with paddle shift transmissions, they’ve also gotten duller in many regards. Some paddle shift gearboxes are fantastic, and Porsche’s PDK is one of the best, but it still can’t offer the depth of experience that a manual gearshift does. In the end of the day that shifter paddle is just a glorified button that tells a computer to shift a gear. You’re not actually doing it, and that does make driving less engaging of an experience. Faster be damned, fun is what matters most, especially in a road car.

The 911 R embodies the driver’s mindset in the modern era. It shows that a car can be modern, and still be extremely engaging. 911s aren’t transportations appliances, they’re sports cars, and it’s good to see that Porsche may be remembering that for the long run.

There were many other phenomenal cars that dropped this year, but for me, the 911 R hits at a deep ideological level.

-Nick

Cars We've Seen

A Purple Porsche 911E in Scarsdale

December 15, 2016 ndubs77 2 Comments

What a color combo on this 1973 Porsche 911E! Plum purple over a black and tan interior, and with a child seat to boot. I love any car with a beautiful offbeat color scheme, and this is one of the prettiest old 911s I’ve ever seen.

Spotted at the Scarsdale Concours. Enjoy!

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Cars We've Seen

RUF RT12 S at Radnor Hunt

December 12, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

This is the second insane RUF I’ve seen for the first time this year. I caught a CTR3 at Greenwich, and then I found this RT12 S at Radnor Hunt.

The RUF RT12 S is based on the Porsche 997, but has been modified enough to be considered a new, non-Porsche car. It was available with a variety of options including various engine configurations, gearing, and a choice of RWD or AWD. Maximum power available was 685hp, and with the right gearing it’s capable of a staggering 225 mph.

We saw this thing accelerate hard as it left the show, and it was definitely tuned a bit rich because black smoke came out the tailpipes under full throttle. It’s a monster.

Enjoy the photos!

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