Tag Archives: German Cars

Car Shows, Uncategorized

1966 Porsche 906/Carrera 6 Racecar at Radnor Hunt

1 Comment

Porsche 906 Carrera 6 Racecar Radnor Hunt 2

The Porsche 906 comes from the end of the era when racing cars really could be used on public roads. I mean, imagine a LeMans LMP car blitzing past you on the highway today. It’s a pretty incredible thought, and that’s exactly what the Porsche 906 was.

Just 50 Porsche 906s were produced, and they’re all worth millions of dollars at auction today. I haven’t seen one since my visit to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart a few years ago, and this was really the first time I’ve looked closely at one.

Like so many Porsches over the years, the 906 won’t shock you with its raw numbers. It’s 2.0L flat six produces 220hp, or a little less than a modern Honda S2000. Not too crazy, right? Well, when you consider it also only weighs 1,280lbs, you’ll find the 906 has a better power-to-weight ratio than the current 991 GT3 RS, even with its mighty 4.0L engine.

Ah, the merits of lightness…

Enjoy the photos.

Continue reading 1966 Porsche 906/Carrera 6 Racecar at Radnor Hunt →

Car Shows, Uncategorized

RUF CTR3 at the Greenwich Concours

8 Comments

RUF CTR3 Greenwich Concours 1

“Hey, sweet Cayman you got there, dude!”

That’s not what you say to the owner of one of these insane machines. This is no mere Cayman, my friends, this is a RUF CTR3. Sure it’s made of Porsche bits, like all other RUFs, but this is a car they made themselves. The front of the car comes from the Porsche 997 GT3 RS, but the whole rear structure is bespoke, and not from a Cayman as you might expect.

The CTR3 is the ultimate RUF Supercar. With around 700hp coming from its twin turbocharged, 911-derived 3.8L Flat-6, it was one of the fastest cars on the planet when it hit the streets in the late 2000’s. In a time when the 1,001hp Bugatti Veyron was still outlandish, the CTR3’s 3.1 sec 0-60 sprint and 233mph top speed was rivaled by very few. It’s still damn fast today, we just now live in a world where people in Teslas everywhere can run 0-60 in 2.7 sec, and it’s totally crazy.

This is the first and only RUF CTR3 I’ve ever seen in person. RUF planned a max production run of just 50 units, and I’m not sure they ever completed it, so it’s is extremely rare.

Enjoy the pics!

Continue reading RUF CTR3 at the Greenwich Concours →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Rally Car Showdown On Everyday Driver

1 Comment

The guys at Everyday Driver put together the comparison shootout we’ve all been waiting for: Golf R vs Evo vs STI vs Focus RS.

See which emerges as the ultimate daily weapon!

-Nick

Cars We've Seen

BMW Z8 Spotted in Greenwich, CT

Leave a comment

BMW Z8 Spotted Greenwich CT

This BMW Z8 was one of numerous tasty cars we saw on the streets of Greenwich during Concours weekend. It’s a roadster with the same engine as the BMW M5 of its day. Quite a nice recipe indeed, and as it turns out, also quite a good investment.

-Nick Walker

Auto Idolatry

Jay Leno Drives a Blue Beetle with a Wankel

Leave a comment

There are some unassuming cars that will stop the crowds at a car show, and leave you wondering why until you take a closer look.

This blue VW Beetle is one of those…

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Car Magazine Pits the Ferrari 488 GTB against the McLaren 570S and Audi R8 V10 Plus

Leave a comment

The Ferrari 488 GTB is one of the supercars to beat at the moment, taking everything awesome about the 458 and turbocharging it (quite literally). The question is, is it worth the price premium you pay over more “entry-level” supercars? (I really don’t feel right about saying it that way)

I mean, let’s face it, a Ferrari 488 GTB is going to run you over $300,000 when options and dealer premiums are added. Meanwhile you can have the McLaren 570S and Audi R8 V10 Plus, and keep around $100 grand in your pocket. Maybe buy something cheap, like an Audi A8, as a daily driver.

Is the 488 really worth it in context?

-Nick

Auto Idolatry

Motor Trend pits the new Audi TT-S against the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

Leave a comment

In this unlikely, but actually relevant, comparison, we see German logic go up against raw Italian emotion. I’ve driven the Alfa 4C, and it still has my heart. That’s all I’ll say…

-Nick

Car Shows, Uncategorized

White Porsche 918 Spyder at the CF Charities Supercar Show

Leave a comment

Porsche 918 Spyder CF Charities 1

We’ve seen a bunch of Porsche 918 Spyders around, but none have been in this striking white until now. It shows off the curves of the car quite nicely and definitely adds to the car’s jaw-dropping appeal.

The 918 Spyder remains my favorite of the hybrid hypercar trio. Now, having seen it in this white, my lust for it will be that much more excruciating.

-Nick

Porsche 918 Spyder CF Charities 2 Porsche 918 Spyder CF Charities 3

Car Shows

Highlights from the 2016 Greenwich Concours Day 1

2 Comments

Greenwich Concours 16 Pink Ford T-Bird

We had a fun, but rainy, weekend at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, especially on Sunday. Saturday was quite nice, though, and there was a spectacular array of cars on the field. This is our highlight gallery from Day 1.

Enjoy!

Continue reading Highlights from the 2016 Greenwich Concours Day 1 →

Cars We've Seen

Porsche 991 GT3 RS Spotted at the Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island

1 Comment

Porsche 991 GT3 RS Amelia Island

Sadly, this is not the hands-on review article it could’ve been. Yes, Porsche was actually having test drives in this 4.0L monster 911. While most people got there too late to even get in line for a drive in the GT3 RS, Al and I actually got there too early, and I mean by a few seconds.

It was literally as I handed my pen back to the Porsche lady at the booth, after signing up to drive the 991.2 Carrera S, that this bright orange GT3 RS pulled up. Dammit!

That said, it would’ve been really difficult and unsafe to get a real taste of the GT3 RS on the public roads of Amelia Island, not to mention probably an arrestable offense. So in many ways I’m glad I tried the new turbo’d Carrera S instead. I really want to experience the new GT3 RS on the race track, or at least a more open road, where I can actually drive it properly.

That said, it did look like people were having an absolute blast in it. So while part of me is looking on the bright side, the other part of me is peanut butter and jealous as all hell!

-Nick

Car Shows, Uncategorized

BMW M4 GTS at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

1 Comment

BMW M4 GTS Amelia Island 1

The BMW M4 is already a very fast high performance sports coupe, more than enough for most people. There are always those who want more, though, and for them BMW has now made this, the M4 GTS.

The M4 GTS has an extra helping of boost with special tuning to be a total track weapon. It comes as the latest member of BMW’s special M car lineup, which began with the 1990 E30 M3 Sport Evolution, and continued through the E36 M3 GT, the E46 M3 CSL, and the E92 M3 GTS and CRT. The M4 GTS, however is the first of these extreme BMWs that will be sold in the USA. That’s right, BMW is only building 700 M4 GTS units in total, but 300 of those will be making their way Stateside.

As you might imagine, prices will obviously be quite steep. When a loaded standard M4 costs around $80,000, the GTS has a base price of $133,000, and that number is very likely to go up on the secondhand market. So what makes the BMW M4 GTS so special compared to the standard M4? Well, BMW has boosted their claimed horsepower output from 425hp to 493hp via the implementation of a water injection system, which allows for more boost. They’ve also fitted some aero bits, a fully tunable suspension, and some nice wide sticky tires. All of this adds up to a Nurburgring time of 7:28, or “really freaking fast!” in layman’s terms.

We were lucky enough to catch this M4 GTS on display at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. These are going to be quite a rare sight when they hit the streets. Enjoy the photos!

Continue reading BMW M4 GTS at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance →