Latest news with #Nurburgring
The Drive
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Spied: Porsche Taycan Turbo Weissach Running Aero Wheels and GT3 Fender Vents
The latest car news, reviews, and features. This week, our spy photo contact in Germany sent us an album of a Porsche Taycan Turbo prototype running extremely wild-looking aero. From the asymmetrical wheels and GT3 RS-style fender vents we can see here, it seems clear that Porsche is not done tuning its already mind-meltingly fast electric super sedan. The top of the Taycan food chain right now is the 2026 Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package. Ringing up at about a quarter-million bucks, it claims up to 1,019 horsepower and can do 0 to 60 in an unsettling 2.1 seconds with launch control. Meanwhile, a couple of weeks ago, I drove the relatively pedestrian Taycan Cross Turismo with less than half as much power … and thought that felt insanely fast. I suppose aero tweaks don't necessarily mean Porsche's planning for more speed per se; the brand's tinkerers might simply be looking for more stability and range. Aerodynamic adjustments can, of course, play a big part in both. The spy who sent us these images indicated that longtime Porsche collaborator Manthey was working on this particular Taycan setup, and that Porsche race driver Lars Kern was at the wheel. Kern has driven Porsche cars, including the Taycan, in quite a few instances of important development driving and record-chasing. Close study of the images, as best as we can see beyond the camo and tape, reveal wheel arch extensions on the front and rear that are more extreme than even what's on the current Weissach car. And the rear-wheel aero covers and front fender vents are hard to miss. 'As on the 911 GT3 RS, the wheel arch ends at the top and a completely new air deflector guides the air from the wheel arch past the side of the vehicle,' photographer Stefan Baldauf noted in an email. 'The diffuser under the car is also very striking. This is also more reminiscent of a GT3 RS than a Taycan. A completely new lip and additional flaps can be seen at the front. The prototype was fitted with Pirelli tyres.' It looks spectacular. And while I'm kind of neutral about electric cars in general, the Taycan in particular is one of my favorite things on the road right now. It's cool to see that Porsche is still pushing the platform. This clip will give you a sense of what the mighty Taycan Turbo is already capable of: Got a tip? Send us a note at tips@
Auto Express
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
BMW's M2 ‘track day package' is about to make you forget about the CS
BMW's M division served up one the best performance coupes there is in the shape of the current BMW M2, but if you want more on-track focus then there's a new package coming with your name on it. Simply called the 'track day package', BMW M has shown it off in official (albeit camouflaged) images already, though now we can see the kitted-out M2 on its natural stomping ground of the Nurburgring. What we can see on this test car is pretty significant in terms of aerodynamics. That huge swan-neck rear wing will have raised hopes that the car was in fact an M2 CSL variant. The front bumper, meanwhile, has gained a low splitter and camouflage suggests the front and rear wheel arches might be a little wider. Advertisement - Article continues below It's not clear whether the track day package is fitted to the standard car or the new CS. There's no ducktail rear spoiler (which features rather prominently on the CS) and the rear diffuser doesn't have the CS' central spline, though the staggered (19-inch front and 20-inch rear) forged wheels have been taken from the CS. BMW has also added the emissions and efficiency figures of the standard M2 to its 'track day package' teaser post. As a reminder the BMW M2 CS gets a straight-six, twin-trubocharged three-litre engine with 530bhp and 650Nm of torque for a zero to 62mph time of 3.8 seconds. The standard M2 is no slouch, taking 0.2 seconds longer to complete the sprint thanks to a less powerful iteration of the same engine with 473bhp and 650Nm of torque. The timing of the M2 track day package's arrival is quite interesting, given the recently-launched M2 CS just set a record for 'compact cars' around the 12.9-mile Nurburgring circuit in 7:25.5 minutes. We'll have to wait and see if those modifications can get the standard car close to the CS' time or make the CS even faster. Buy a car with Auto Express. Our nationwide dealer network has some fantastic cars on offer right now with new, used and leasing deals to choose from... Find a car with the experts New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment BMW or Mercedes would do anything to keep the new Xiaomi YU7 from sale in the UK and Europe, and this is why Electric Car Grant in detail: Which cars will get the UK EV discount? Electric Car Grant in detail: Which cars will get the UK EV discount? The government has set out its plan to help reduce the cost of affordable EVs by introducing a new £3,750 Electric Car Grant for new EVs sold under £3… Electric Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake will keep going long after rivals need to stop Electric Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake will keep going long after rivals need to stop The second of Merc's new-era EVs is here in the form of an attractive estate with a huge range
Top Gear
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
BMW is crafting a 'street legal track day pack' for the bombastic little M2
BMW is crafting a 'street legal track day pack' for the bombastic little M2 Swan neck rear wing and more aggressive front lip? Yes please Skip 4 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 4 Hot on the heels of the fighty M2 CS is this new road-legal 'track pack' upgrade for Bimmer's baby M car, arriving next year with a feisty new attitude. It's been developed by the M Performance Parts team - most likely for the standard M2 - and the most obvious change is the angled swan neck rear wing and front splitter extension. There's a red tow hook thrown in too, because… track pack. Advertisement - Page continues below Essentially, everything that's been covered up by that black and white prototype livery looks to have been tweaked in some form, likely for more aero, def for more aggression. And how cool are those new wheels? Very, is the answer. No word on any additional oomph from that 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six, but any potential increase will sit between the standard car's 473bhp and the CS's mighty 523bhp. BMW said it's been testing this track pack around the 'Ring, but just how close it'll get to the CS' time of 7m 30s remains to be seen. More as we get it. Advertisement - Page continues below Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
The Drive
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Chevy's Intends To Dominate Ford (and the Nürburgring) With the Corvette
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The team at Chevrolet wants to have the fastest American car, and it has a specific place in mind: the Nürburgring. The Chief Engineer for the Corvette, Tony Roma, told Top Gear , 'we've done some testing, and all I can say is … stay tuned. We want to be the fastest American car – that's an accolade we'd love to have again.' Roma was referring to setting a lap time, notably a record, at the Nürburgring. Roma was being coy. A record might have already been set. The Corvette team was in Europe for three weeks in June and rented the Nürburgring. Multiple variants of the Corvette, including the ZR1 and ZR1X, were spotted lapping the 'Ring. On June 28, the Corvette Instagram account posted a brief clip of a yellow C8 Corvette blasting down a section of the Nürburgring. It's unclear if the model in the clip is a ZR1 or ZR1X, but it was moving. The caption? 'Fast as green hell. #Corvette #Nurburgring.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Corvette (@corvette) It would be weird for a global automaker to spend any amount of money or time to tease its top-shelf supercar lapping the 'Ring if it wasn't already sitting on an impressive lap time number. A number that might set a record. And that record would be a lap of less than seven minutes. Roma even acknowledged the mark to hit noting, 'None of our customers will go and run a sub-seven-minute lap time, but they want to know if they could.' At least the man in charge is aware none of this actually matters aside from bragging rights at Cars & Coffee. Currently, Ford holds the record for fastest American production car around the Nürburgring. The Blue Oval announced the Ford Mustang GTD stole the record from the Dodge Viper ACR (which died eight years ago, RIP) with a lap time of 6:57.685. That's quicker than the Porsche 911 GT3. Unsatisfied, Ford went back to the 'Ring and beat itself by 5.5 seconds with a new lap time of 6:52.072 announced in May. The C7 ZR1 never set an official lap time, and the C8 Chevy Corvette Stingray ran the 'Ring in 7:28.30 with a Z51 Performance Package in 2019. If nothing else, it's clear the measuring contest for who goes the hardest and quickest in the shortest period of time is alive an well. Sounds like we might have a new American world-beating champ here real soon. Got a tip? Send it our way at tips@
News.com.au
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
2025 Audi RS Q8 Performance review
Life is getting busier. These days parents are expected to drop the kids at school, get to work, take the kids to sport, get to the shops and on and on … So, if you need to get all your running around done quickly, why not buy the world's fastest SUV? The new Audi RS Q8 Performance has just landed in Australia, promising performance that will leave even a Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne trailing in its dust – for much less money. Audi has proudly claimed the RS Q8 Performance is the fastest production SUV around the famous Nurburgring in Germany and packs the most powerful engine ever offered by the brand in a production car. But why do you need an SUV? Well, because you can – obviously. Not everyone can afford a $275,000 SUV, but for those who do have such money, the appeal of having 'the best' or 'the fastest' is hard to resist. Especially if it represents a significant saving over the equivalent Porsche or Lambo. And in that regard, the RS Q8 Performance has plenty of appeal. As mentioned, it has the most powerful internal combustion engine the four-ring brand has ever built for sale, a twin turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 that produces a supercar-like 471kW of power and 850Nm of torque. That's enough for this family-sized SUV to sprint from zero to 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds and keep going to an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h. Of course nobody actually 'needs' that much performance in an SUV, but when you're spending a quarter of a million dollars, it's nice to have some things to brag about. But the RS Q8 Performance isn't just fast in a straight line, what really makes it special, and what owners will get to enjoy in Australia, even with our strictly enforced speed limits, is the handling. A complex array of technology is deployed beneath the surface to ensure this huge SUV, capable of fitting for adults in comfort, handles like a sports car. For starters, there's the way it stops. The RS Q8 Performance comes equipped with RS ceramic brakes as standard, these race-bred rotors provide both stopping power and consistency to pull up such a big machine. These brakes sit behind lightweight 23-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in sticky Pirelli P-Zero tyres, which are connected to the complex suspension and steering set-up. The RS Q8 Performance has active air suspension, adaptive dampers, active roll stabilisation and all-wheel steering. What does that all mean? You'd need an engineering degree to understand it in detail, but the net result is the RS Q8 Performance rides and handles like a dream. It soaks up the bumps in the road, while also feeling direct and responsive when you turn the wheel, which is usually a tough duo to get right in such a big SUV. And make no mistake, it is a big SUV. Again, you're handing over a quarter of a million dollars, so you should also get yourself a pampering luxury car – not just something fast. On that front the RS Q8 Performance delivers again. Despite its sporty, sweptback, coupe-style roofline, there's room for four adults to sit in absolute comfort inside. Each occupant gets a Nappa leather upholstered seat and their own climate control setting and a 17-speaker 730-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system to entertain them. Audi has always been a leader in interior design, and that's very much the case in the latest RS Q8. There's a nice blend of traditional, high-quality materials, but balanced with technology. There's a fully digital instrument panel, with multiple display settings, including a new 'RS specific' graphic, as well as digital panels to control both the infotainment and the climate control. On top of all this there's a generous sized boot. So the RS Q8 Performance will feel just as home doing the school run, trip to the shops or family holiday as it would setting records at the Nurburgring. Of course, no-one is likely to take their RS Q8 Performance to do hot laps at the racetrack, but it's just another element to help you feel good about handing your Audi dealer $275,000. ENGINE 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol, 471kW and 850Nm THIRST 12.2L/100km PERFORMANCE 0-100 in 3.6s, 250km/h BOOT 605 litres SPARE Space-saver
