German tuner, Edo Competition, has unveiled a new tuning package for the Porsche Panamera Turbo S. As usual with their projects, all the modifications were generally made under the hood and were enough to transform the car into the most powerful Panamera Turbo S ever.
The changes made to the engine include a new exhaust manifold, new turbochargers, and high-flow catalytic converters and air filters, as well as a stainless steel high-performance exhaust system with butterfly valves. The engine management system was also re-programmed to get best use out of the new hardware.
As a result, the Turbo S model’s 4.8 liter, V8 biturbo engine now delivers an additional 150 HP and 96 lb-ft of torque. This leaves it with a total of 700 HP and 649 lb-ft of torque, up from the standard 550 HP and 553 lb-ft of torque. The sprint from 0 to 60 mph is made in 3.5 seconds and the sprint to 124 mph in 11.4 seconds. Top speed will now be limited to 211 mph.
In addition to the massive engine upgrade, Edo Competition also put in a new set of 22" carbon-fiber-look racing wheels and an Edo lowering module which brings the Panamera’s body up to 30 millimeters closer to the road. The interior benefited from the finest leather and other high-quality materials.
This isn’t the first time we hear about a possible Infiniti GT-R model. In fact, this rumor took root as soon as the Nissan GT-R was launched back in 2008, and has resurfaced numerous times since then. Now, it’s making another appearance. According to British magazine CAR, Infiniti may offer a GT-R version after all, hinted by Francois Bancon, Head of Advanced Planning for Infiniti in Tokyo. He stated that the GT-R platform is too good to use for only one model. In fact, he said that the company is taking under consideration ’three or four’ proposals and that an Infiniti GT-R is one of them.
If the decision does lie with the Infiniti GT-R, it would need to counteract the Nissan GT-R’s power with sophistication: "It would have to be softer than the GT-R. And that’s extremely difficult to do. You can’t easily tweak the GT-R to deliver the sophisticated, more refined performance we would need on an Infiniti."
A final decision on the Infiniti GT-R will be made in the next two or three years and, if chosen, a production version should arrive in the next five years.
It’s not very often that a smaller vehicle is a company’s flagship, but we don’t care what BMW might tell you about the 7-Series, the 3-Series is the automaker’s top dog. Its styling has always worked and never been vulgar like some other models in the BMW lineup and it’s won more awards from the automotive press than the Los Angeles Lakers.
Believe it or not, the 3-Series has been around since 1975, but it really came into its own in 1992, when it won the first of 19 straight Car and Driver 10 Best awards. In 2006, it won the World Car of the Year and also the What Car? Car of the Year. Under the hood, the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six won the International Engine of the Year Awards for 2007.
To keep up with this impressive tradition, the sixth generation 3-Series unveiled at BMW’s plant in Munich has been built as a revolution and not as an evolution. The new model sets new benchmarks in terms of sporting prowess, elegance, and comfort, and has grown significantly in size compared to its predecessor: wide track - front + 37 mm; rear + 47 mm; length + 93 mm and wheelbase + 50 mm. And most importantly, next to the usual models, the new 3-Series will also be offered as a hybrid as of 2012.
UPDATE 10/17/2011: BMW has unveiled an online configurator for the new generation 3-Series. It will give you the possibility to play a bit with the exterior colors available and the wheels options, but you can also notice the differences between the three grades offered, plus the M-Sport Package. Enjoy!
UPDATE 02/03/12: BMW has just unveiled six very cool commercials for the new generation 3-Series. One of them - "The Big Grab" - will be shown during the Super Bowl. Enjoy!
Hit the jump to read more on the BMW 3-Series.
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When cars first get released, many tuners jump headfirst into trying to come out with a tuning package that outdoes anything the automaker has already provided. Others seem to be a little slow on the uptake and end up providing packages for vehicles that have been on the market for a little while longer. The Mercedes CLS 63 AMG was unveiled in 2010, but German tuner, MKB, have only recently revealed their upgrade for the luxury sedan, and the added power was well worth the wait.
MKB popped the hood of the CLS63 AMG and tuned the boost pressure, high flow exhaust systems, and ECU management. These powerful modifications gave the 5.5L twin turbo V8 engine a boost to the tune of 122 HP and 221 lb-ft of torque. As a result, the CLS 63 AMG now delivers a total of 640 HP and 737 lb-ft of torque.
With this added power, the Mercedes CLS63 AMG will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, while top speed goes up to an impressive 211 mph. That top speed is like forbidden fruit, however, because it was kept limited to 186 mph. The added punch is controlled with a new set of 19" or 20" aluminum wheels wrapped around Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.
Jaguar certainly knew what they were doing when they presented the XKR-S at this year’s Geneva Motor Show and now they are bringing yet another spark to their lineup with an XF version of the speedier package. At this same event, the company also confirmed a future compact model that will compete with the BMW 3-Series, a four-cylinder diesel option for XF in Europe, a 4x4 drivetrain targeting North America, and a petrol V6 option for the XJ luxury sedan in China.
The firm’s global brand director Adrian Hallmark said in a recent interview: "’I can confirm there is a project to transfer the upgrades from the XKR-S to the XFR, but we haven’t confirmed it for production yet. But it would be great to see the XF with 550hp!"
Jaguar has yet to offer any real details on the future RS package for the XF sedan, but the 550 HP engine from the XKR-S will surely transfer over. Our recent spy shots show the wheels from the XKR-S will also used for the XFR-S.
UPDATE 02/02/2012: In an interview with Autocar, a senior company insider has confirmed that Jaguar is indeed working on an XFR-S sports sedan that will take on models like the BMW M5. The new model will be powered by a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine that will deliver a total of 550 HP. As for the exterior, it will receive the same treatment as the XKR-S. On the British market, the XFR-S will be priced at about £70K, or about $110,000 at the current rates.
