At the end of 2011, BMW unveiled the new generation 3-Series in sedan version, but left the station wagon out in the cold for a few months after that. Now, after we capturing the car during its testing a few times, BMW has finally dropped the official details on the new 3-Series Station Wagon.
As expected, the station wagon version will feature the same design language as the sedan model, albeit with an extended rear for better cargo room, 495 liters of stowage room to be exact.
The new 3-Series Station Wagon will be offered in three different versions: 328i, 330d, and 320d, all with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, Auto Start-Stop function, ECO PRO mode, and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Power will range from 184 HP to 258 HP.
BMW will offer Sport Line, Luxury Line, and Modern Line equipment packages, as well as an optional M Sport package which will be available at launch.
UPDATE 02/08/2013: Bimmerfest was at the New England Auto Show and came across a display that revealed all of the 2013 BMW 328i xDrive Sport Wagon pricing. See the prices after the jump.
Hit the jump to read more about the new 3-Series Station Wagon.
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RC manufacturer Traxxas has been featured in our pages on numerous occasions and rightfully so, because when it comes to top speed, their RC racecars are far ahead of the competition.
And as it turns out, they’re even faster than some of the today’s more powerful production cars.
The latter was displayed at a recent drag "event," featuring a Cadillac CTS-V Sports Wagon and Traxxas’ Slash RC car owned by YouTube user hightechcorvette. Common logic suggests that the former, thanks to its 556-horsepower 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine would be too much even for a pocket rocket like the Slash RC.
Well, throw out common logic out the window because the Slash RC not only held its own against the CTS-V, it even blew it off of the strip with the kind of diminutive fury that Traxxas RC cars have come to be known for.
There’s a reason why Traxxas sells their RC cars for a pretty penny. That reason was fully displayed in this video.
When Audi announced the TT RS Plus at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, we got pretty excited, as it featured a sportier look and delivered an extra 20 horsepower over the standard TT RS. The R8 V10 Plus followed later in 2012 with an increase of 25 horsepower over the standard R8 V10 and numerous weight-saving treatments.
Now it is time to get even more excited, as it looks like Audi will apply the same treatment to more models in its lineup and the next in line is the RS6 Avant.
First details suggest that, unlike the previous two Plus models, the RS6 Plus’ final output will be increased to an astounding 600 horsepower — up from the standard 560 horsepower in the RS6 Avant. The extra 40 horsepower combined with numerous weight-saving tactics will transform the RS6 Plus into a real beast.
The best part is that the model won’t be built in limited fashion, so if you want an improved RS6 this may be your chance.
We’ll update this review as Audi releases more info.
Last week, we brought you the first spy shots of the upcoming Skoda Octavia Combi. Now it’s time for something a little bit more powerful: the Octavia Combi RS.
When compared to the standard Combi, the RS version will feature a sportier and more aggressive front bumper, and an exhaust system with trapezoidal tailpipes. The production version will also get some bigger wheels to help it ride and handle a little better.
The Octavia RS will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that will deliver a total of 220 horsepower. The engine will be mated to either a six-speed manual or a DSG transmission and there are rumors suggesting the engine will be couple to a four-wheel-drive system.
The standard Octavia Combi will make its world debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, but those of you who want a more powerful wagon will need to wait for the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show, as this is where the RS version is set to be unveiled.
The next-generation Skoda Octavia made its world debut in December 2012 and the station wagon was the next logical step after the sedan. The wagon, known in Europe as Skoda Octavia Combi, has been caught testing for the first time and, as you can, see it looks pretty similar to the sedan.
What differentiates it from the sedan is its increased sized, which will provide more space for passengers and their cargo. The rest, of course, will remain unchanged and we will see the same design language initially unveiled in the new Rapid.
Under the hood, the engine lineup will remain unchanged and will include newly developed petrol and diesel engines, including the new 1.6-liter TDI engine that delivers a total of 69 mpg.
The new Octavia Combi will make its world debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show with sales to begin in the summer. We’ll keep you updated on all of the latest info.
Station wagons like the Audi S6 Avant aren’t exactly what we’d call sexy cars. But even if there’s a lack of curves on the S6 Avant’s design, it doesn’t mean that people won’t gravitate towards it, especially when you have an engine tuner like SKN providing you with options to upgrade the car’s powertrain.
The German tuning firm is offering three set of power upgrades for the 2012 and later S6 Avant, each coming with a significant power increase designed to give the Audi station wagon some serious power.
The stage-one program "only" comes with an optimized ECU unit, taking the 6 Avant’s 4.0-liter TFSI twin-turbocharged V-8 engine and increasing its output from 420 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque to 542 horsepower and 507 pound-feet of torque. With this upgrade, the S6 Avant is now capable of hitting 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds with a top speed of 192 mph. The stage-one kit will set you back £2,601.30 (roughly $4,116 at the current exchange rates).
Moving on up to the stage-two program, SKN keeps the ECU upgraded and adds a new sports exhaust system, giving more output to the tune of 551 horsepower and 513 pound-feet of torque. That’s good enough to increase the Audi’s top speed to 193 mph. This kit will run you £3,000.63 ($4,748).
Finally, there’s the stage-three program, which increases the output to 560 horsepower and 517 pound-feet of torque. This program allows the S6 Avant to shave one-tenth of a second off of its 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph), dropping it from 4.6 seconds to 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 193 mph. This kit uses all of the parts found in stages one and two, and adds in a Milltek Performance exhaust system with MOTORSPORT downpipe and intake optimization to reach those astronomical numbers. The stage-three kit will drain your bank account of £3,471.30 ($5,493).
Other than the engine, SKN is revising the S6 Avant’s looks with the installation of a new front fascia, a sporty rear diffuser, a suspension-lowering module, and a set of 20- to 21-inch wheels.
You can purchase these kits at SKN’s website.
A 48-hour-long stretch of back and forth on the R8 e-tron was enough to make our heads spin. One side was saying that the e-tron may see production in limited units and the other flat out said no way, just a day later. Now, we have even more e-tron news to confuse us all.
According to a report from AutoBlog.nl, rumors are circulating that Audi is working on a Sportback version of the A6 that will feature the same e-tron technology that the recently axed R8 e-tron featured, on a less massive scale, of course.
This hot hatchback is rumored to make its debut at the 2013 IAA in Frankfurt and will feature a 300-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-banger with 100 ponies worth of electric motor added to it. This would give the A6 e-tron a total of 400 horsepower, just 20 horsepower short of the mighty 2013 S6… not too shabby.
For now, these are just rumors that we take with a healthy serving of salt, given the on-and-off R8 e-tron. Regardless, this sounds like one bad-ass concept to say the least.
"There is nothing we can’ do!"
This is the motto of German tuners Lorinser, if you think that the jaw-dropping Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake can’t be further customized.
For those who are bored of the current AMG kit fitted to the sports wagon, Lorinser has just announced a new body kit and performance upgrades for it that injects even more sexiness into the already sexy wagon. Nice to keep more options for the customer...
Overall, Lorinser has done a great job offering a body kit that doesn’t make the CLS Shooting Brake look very pretentious while still keeping some of the sleek and sexy lines of the standard design. It will appeal to owners looking for a subtle yet impeccably stylish body-kit, though we think that there’s hardly anybody who’d go down that road.
Hit the jump to learn more about the updates offered by Lorinser for new Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake.
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The current-generation Mercedes E-Class was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and since then, the model hasn’t had many changes. That will all change in 2013 when Mercedes brings out the first facelift for the E-Class. The model is set to be making its world debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, but the first official details have been already dropped.
Mercedes announced that all the changes made to the E-Class will represent more than just a mid-life revision and will add to the luxury sedan "an elegant, refined and yet sporty look." On the exterior the most obvious change includes the replacements of the old headlamps with new, one-piece assembly with LED DRL. As a first for the E-Class, Mercedes has decided to offer different front updates for the Luxury and Sport versions, while the interior has been subtly revised and harmonized with the expressive exterior.
On the U.S. market customers will have to choose between a V6 and a V8 petrol engine, while the old E350 diesel has been replaced by a new E250.
Updated 12/13/2012: This review has been updated with the official images, details and specs. Hit the jump to read more about the 2014 Mercedes E-Class facelift.
Updated 12/14/2012: Mercedes has unveiled two new video for its new E-Class facelift models. In these trailer videos, you will get to see the E350 in action. They new videos are the first two after the jump. Enjoy!
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When it comes to German sports sedans and station wagons, each one has a big problem: top speed is limited to only 155 mph. For most people, this might sound like a pretty smart safety measure, but sounds pretty lame for a model to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in the 4-second range, but only be capable of hitting 155 mph.
Lucky for us, where automakers decide to limit the speed, tuners can intervene and change things significantly. For example, German tuner ABT Sportsline offers a nice upgrade package for the Audi RS4 that increases top speed to 180 mph. For this the tuner removes the speed limiter and replaces the standard exhaust system with a new stainless-steel one with catalytic converters that significantly improve the engine’s sound and eases exhaust flow. The output of the 4.2-liter V-8 engine surprisingly remains unchanged at 450 ponies, so the exhaust must not free up too much backpressure.
On the exterior, the tuner installed a set of larger alloy wheels in ABT DR design in a sleek gunmetal finish.
