If you’ve been visiting these pages for the past couple of years, you might remember Holger Schubert. If you have a hard time recalling the man, he was the one who decided to build a state-of-the-art garage in his Los Angeles home for his beloved Ferrari 512 BBi.
That was back in 2010. Recently, the boys over at Petrolicious were able to pay a visit to Schubert’s remarkable garage and see for themselves exactly what makes this supposedly simple room such a technological wonder.
We’re not going to spoil a whole lot of the details because the video above does a remarkable job of showing you the garage in all its glory. But to give you an idea, the whole setup comes with a ten-foot-long, fifteen-foot-high bridge that has a hydraulic ramp on one end installed where the 512 BBi can go in and about its business.
And if you’re thinking this was a project everyone can partake in, Schubert actually spent $1.5 million to build the entire thing.
Click past the jump to read about the Ferrari 512 BBi
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The 2014 CTS Sedan has definitely grown on a lot of people. Actually, it’s become quite popular in the years that it’s been around, so much so that Cadillac has decided to send the first performance version of the new CTS, dubbed the CTS VSport, to the auction block.
The car will be donated by General Motors to the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) Foundation where it will then be auctioned off at a Barrett-Jackson auction later this year.
The proceeds of the auction, which we expect to be quite significant for a CTS VSport, will then head to the foundation’s outreach programs.
GM and Cadillac decided to donate the car after its own senior VP for product development, Mary Barra, was bestowed with the prestigious Industry Leadership Award, becoming the first woman in the SAE’s history to be given such an honor.
Click past the jump to read about the Cadillac CTS VSport
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Downloadable content is one of the few ways that video game manufacturers have found a way to keep their hands in your pockets long after buying the game and car games are among the biggest offenders. Now GRID2, which is set to hit shelves on May 28th, has a way to dig into your pocket before you even buy the game by way of the IndyCar Pack.
To further turn you onto the pack, Codemasters has revealed a new teaser video of the IndyCar Pack (above). Fortunately, you can get the pack for free if you preorder the game from Best Buy before its launch on May 28th, but after that, we’re sure it’ll cost you at least a few extra bucks.
From the information on GRID2’s Facebook page, we can see that this new pack will include access to the Dallara IndyCar, the IndyCar Pace car, a pair of new routes around Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval Circuit and an “exclusive online event.” Also revealed is exclusive livery for online racing, a Camaro SS and the Corvette Z06 Centennial Edition.
Not too bad for a free pack, but we’re not too sure if it is worth actually forking out any dough to pick it up. In fact, the deals included with a GameStop or Amazon preorder – McLaren Racing Pack and GTR Racing Pack or Head Start Pack, respectively – seem like better deals too. That is, unless you really want to find out two other ways to make it around the Indy Motor Speedway…
Last month, the 2014 Audi A8 was caught testing for the first time on the public roads in Germany. Today, the car changed landscapes and went for high-altitude testing in the Alps.
Just like in the previous testing session, Audi chose to heavily camouflage this A8 prototype; but even so, we expect to see the same updates that we have seen in all of the recently launched Audi models.
These updates will include: new headlight units; new grille; and small changes to the bumper. On the rear, the revisions include: new taillights and a revised bumper. The interior will also receive some small updates, plus an updated infotainment system.
Under the hood, Audi will focus on reducing fuel consumption and lowering CO2 emissions.
We expect the revised Audi A8 to be unveiled in September at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Click past the jump to read more about the Audi A8.
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Now that Volkswagen unveiled both the standard and GTI version of the seventh-generation Golf, the next model we expect is, of course, the R version. We’ve brought you plenty of spy photos of the 2014 Golf R, but this time we present to you a video showing the upcoming Golf R taking a beating on Nürburgring.
The upcoming Golf R will be powered by a revised version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a DSG or a six-speed transmission. The revised engine will deliver 256 horsepower in the U.S. version and 270 horsepower in the European model.
As for aesthetics, the next-gen Golf R will receive the same R treatment as the current model, but it will get the some of the design improvements seen on the other seventh-gen Golf variants, including: revised headlights and taillights; a new grille and front bumper; and a revised backside.
Stay tuned for more information and spy shots on the new Golf R as we slowly approach its debut.
Earlier this year, the SRT team announced that the new-generation Viper is preparing its return to the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race after an absence of 13 years. Now it looks like the company has big hopes for the 81st edition set for June 22nd and 23rd at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France.
SRT, in cooperation with Riley Technologies, is preparing two identical SRT Viper GTS-R models for the race. The two cars were rigorously tested during four ALMS races in 2012 and during the full 2013 racing season. Car No. 91 managed to obtain three consecutive top-five finishes, including a position on the podium at Long Beach, where it finished third.
The two Viper GTS-Rs will be driven by Marc Goossens, Dominik Farnbacher, Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer, joined by Tommy Kendall and Ryan Dalziel for the endurance events.
Click past the jump to read more about Viper’s experience at Le Mans.
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The Kia Quoris or K9 was unveiled by the South Korean automaker in 2012 as a replacement for the Opirus sedan in its home market. The Quoris is already sold in many countries around the Globe and it looks like the U.S. will be next.
In an interview with Automotive, one Kia official confirmed that the Quoris will arrive is the U.S. in 2014 and will be priced somewhere between $50k and $70k. If you are wondering how a company can sell models with such a wide price spectrum, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Michael Sprague, has the answer: "How is that any different than Mercedes-Benz selling cars from $30,000 to $150,000?"
While we await the Quoris arrival, Kia will remain busy by unveiling seven refreshed or all-new vehicles, plus slightly updated 2014 Kia Sedona minivan that Kia hopes will help improve sales.
Click past the jump to read more about the Kia Quoris.
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It’s been a while since we last caught the upcoming BMW M4 Coupe testing, but it’s definitely worth the wait. Today, our spy photographers managed to catch the car testing at the famed Nürburgring racetrack in some slippery conditions.
As you can see, the car is still heavily camouflaged but it is still pretty easy to see that for the first time, the M4 Coupe is wearing something other than its typical black paint. This may seem insignificant on the surface, but it is a sign that BMW has reached the next level of testing and that an official unveiling is drawing near.
BMW also tipped its hand by equipping this particular model with a set of gold-colored caliper, which indicates that this 4 Series features the M Carbon Ceramic brakes.
As for the engine, rumors indicate that the M4 will be powered by a S55 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine with an output of 415 horsepower.
Click past the jump to read more about the BMW M4 Coupe.
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For all of you that have a Mercedes CGI turbocharged engine in your late-model Mercedes – engine codes M270, M271EVO and M274 – Carlsson has announced that it now offers CB kits to help bump power by up to 28 percent.
The base CB kit is an adapter plug that goes between the vehicle wiring harnesses and the factory ECU. This little nugget of joy communicates with the various electronic systems within your Benz, assessing the driving situation and conditions, and making adjustments to optimize power.
There’s no need to worry about reliability when you install this kit, as it includes safety checks that help prevent damage that some other tuning kits may cause. First, the CB kit waits for the engine oil temperature to reach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) before the performance boosts activate. Secondly, the CB kit closely monitors the limits of the CGI engine (oil temperature, coolant temperature, etc.) and drops the ECU to its normal performance if these limits are reached.
This kit’s improvements range from a 24-horsepower gain in the A 180 and B 180 to a 42-horsepower gain in the A 250 and B 250.
For those that want some extra power from the M271EVO engine lineup, the CBS kit is available too, which adds a larger and freer-flowing intercooler to the base CB kit. The power increases from the CBS kit range from 35 horsepower in the C 250, E 250 and SLK 250 to 45 horsepower in the C 180.
When you purchase this kit, Carlsson further shows its dedication to keeping your Benz running by taking over the manufacturer’s drivetrain warranty for two years or 100,000 km (62,137 miles).
Click past the jump to see the full specification sheet
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Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox was officially announced today and along with the new Xbox One, Turn 10 Studios dropped the first teaser video for its debut game on the Xbox One: Forza Motorsport 5. According to the first details we received, the game was specially designed for the Xbox One and will be available exclusively for Xbox One at launch.
Talking about the new Forza Motorsport, Turn 10 Studios said: "Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the infinite power of the cloud, no game better delivers the sensation of being behind the wheel."
Full details on the Forza Motorsport 5 will be announced in Los Angeles during the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) and will be put on sale later this year. Until then, enjoy this tantalizing trailer that puts the McLaren F1 and its successor, the P1 supercar, head to head.
