On Board with BMW ActiveHybrid 7 in Motion During Frankfurt Debut

BMW constructed the circuit to showcase all of their Frankfurt introductions in full motion, something unique for the show. After a few minutes following the ActiveHybrid X6 around the circuit, the car proceeds past a "who's who" of vehicles behind the scenes before parking alongside other BMW cars.

The BMW ActiveHybrid 7 comes with a 449-horsepower 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces up to 479 ft-lb of torque. Those figures boost to 465 hp and 516 ft-lb when combined with the three-phase synchronous electric motor.

Despite hitting the 100 km/h mark in 4.9 seconds, the vehicle consumes only modest amounts of fuel. The 7er ActiveHybrid uses 9.4 liters of fuel per 100 km, or roughly 24mpg (29 mpg Imperial).

Mercedes Benz SLS AMG Cabrio Spied on the Nürburgring

Spies have snapped a barrage of new photos featuring the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Cabrio. The car was seen on the Nürburgring following extended hot weather testing in the US.

The car was seen rolling around the wet German track, not taking full advantage of its engine. It is believed that the car uses the AMG-produced 571 horsepower 6.3-liter V8 engine available on the SLS. That engine produces up to 650 Nm of torque. On the SLS, top speed is limited to 315 km/h, or roughly 195 mph.



A low four-second 0-100 km/h time is expected on the car, as engineers should be capable of keeping the weight down.

2011 Audi A8 Prototype Already Shedding Some Camouflage - Spied Hot Weather Testing

The new Audi A8 was caught by spies as it underwent hot weather testing. This new set of photos shows the prototype with a little less camouflage than before. Audi's flagship car is expected to get several efficient V6 and V8 engines, as well as the 258 horsepower 3.0-liter TDI that produces upwards of 258 horsepower.

In the latest set of photos, we are able to see what the vehicle looks like with LED daytime runners. The end of these lights lead towards the grille, which appears to be distinctly separated into an upper and lower section, unlike on the current model. Absolutely do not be surprised if this changes, although the new bumper appears to have space for integrated fog lamps. The rear section of the vehicle looks a bit more prominent as well, and should also include LEDs. Through the rear glass we can also see a bit of the interior.



Audi is rumored to unveil the new Audi A8 by the end of the year as a 2010 model, but a Geneva appearance is also possible. Whether or not it will be offered as either a hybrid or electric remains to be seen.

Porsche Boxster R: Spy shots!

.our sources inside Porsche have revealed that this open-top is a special, harder version of the sports car that will be revealed by the end of 2009, probably at the LA show.

Externally this special edition differs from its banal brothers thanks to a lower front bumper (with single rather than double strakes across the intakes – all important to the people that might buy this car), plus new side intakes and a bigger rear spoiler. And beneath that disguised rear deck is thought to be a double-bubble Speedster-style hump.

Under the skin this new Porsche is expected to use the 3.4-litre flat-six currently found in the Boxster S, but with a few tweaks to lift power closer to 320bhp.

BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept Officially Unveiled at Frankfurt Preview Event [video]

BMW hosted a preview event to the IAA in Frankfurt where its Vision EfficientDynamics hybrid super car concept was officially unveiled. Company chairman and CEO Dr. Norbert Reithofer spoke and said something very interesting regarding his company's preferred future powertrain solution.

"The car needs to evolve through innovation," said Reithofer . "We are the engine more efficient and make the total of vehicle technology more optimally. In addition, Hybrid is also for us a temporary solution. And especially for large metropolitan areas, a car is needed for electric base. We will continue our research work which hydrogen regard."

So it seems that although the Vision EfficientDynamics is extremely advanced in engine and body construction technology, it is not the final solution for the foreseeable, sustainable future.

To recap the 2+2 seater is powered by a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo diesel hybrid with a total system output of 262kW (356 hp) and maximum torque 800Nm (590 lb-ft). It goes to all four wheels via two electric motors located on both the front and rear axles. The 0 - 100km/h sprint time is 4.8 seconds and peak velocity is electronically limited to 250km/h.

The car's acceleration and top speed performance are stunning considering it has an average fuel consumption figure of 3.76 litres/100 km (75.1 mpg imp) and CO2 emissions of 99 g/km.

2010 Porsche GT3 RS Autobahn Shakedown and Overview [Video]

This year at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Porsche is revealing the updated 997 Porsche GT3 RS.

Manager of High Performance Cars for Porsche, Andreas Preuninger, gave us the opportunity to ride shotgun as he took the first produced 2010 Porsche GT3 RS out for a ride on the Autobahn yesterday evening. Due to traffic, he was only able to get the car up to 292kph (181 mph) on the unrestricted A5 Autobahn.

The second half of the video, Andreas tells us what went into the development process for the new GT3 RS and what the car is capable of doing with the new technology and performance upgrades from the previous generation.

2011 Porsche Boxster Spied on Nurburgring

New spy shots of the 2011 Porsche Boxster made their way to WCF headquarters today. Although it is just ten months since the debut of the current Boxster Facelift, the Stuttgart-based automaker looks like it is well into development of the new vehicle.

Spied on the 'Ring, the Boxster is still showing off a cloth roof, and we get another look at the rear LED light clusters. Beyond that, it looks evident that the front end is bulging and somewhat elongated, but not massively. All around the car, it is more of the same: same spoiler, same third brake light, same sidesills, same vents, etc. Instead, we expect there to be some solid differences to the mechanics, and possibly weight reductions, instead of a radical new design. After all, the old design just came out.

Nonetheless, look for the 2011 Porsche Boxster to have a refined front and rear fascia as well as a new rear light cluster. Something beyond mechanics will be needed to entice potential customers. Hopefully, Porsche will finish with the mule, and begin testing the production prototype. We'll bring you any new shots as soon as they appear.