www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR_noVwr-58

When BMW revealed their M3 GTS earlier this year, enthusiasts worldwide were salivating at the idea of a more hardcore, track focused version of the latest E92 M3. It looked even more purposeful than the old M3 CSL, and promised much with it’s roll cage and big rear wing. There are also 19″ black alloys, and a few more aerodynamic tweaks as well.

The main are of excitement though, was a new version of the M3′s V8 engine, which with 414bhp and a noise like a Messerschmitt at full attack is hard to beat. Well once again M-Division Gmbh have delivered the goods. Some were expecting a mildly tuned engine, but what you get in the GTS is a completely bespoke unit.

The old engine has been bored out to 4.4 liters (up from 4.0), which gives 444bhp and 325lb/ft of torque, which would be enough to markedly improve the performance when put through the standard 7-speed DCT dual clutch gearbox. But again the M3 has been tweaked some more by  losing weight.

Despite the factory car having weight-saving pieces like the carbon fibre roof, BMW saw it fit to reduce body mass even further. After all, the GTS aims to beat the old M3 CSL’s Nürburgring lap time. Measures thus taken include employing light body-contoured seats, a new titanium rear silencer whose work can be heard on the video as well as the removal of air conditioning and the rear seat. Rollover protection mounts were bolted on from the B column while a fire extinguisher and a battery master switch/emergency shut-off preparation ensure safety.

Suspension upgrades include the utilisation of yellow springs for the fully adjustable suspension while the rear axle support is said to be bolted in place. Most notable in previous spy materials was the big rear wing which generates high levels of downforce. It is adjustable as well as the front splitter for increased cornering precision and handling.

With all this, you would expect the car to be considerably quicker than the old M3 CSL around the fabled ‘Ring. Well, it is quicker, but only by 2 seconds. This has left many fans disappointed, as the GTS costs a huge €115,000. For this outlay you could have a new Porsche 997 GT3 RS Mk2, which is another few seconds faster again, and some say much more exclusive and suited to the job.

We say, save €80,000 and buy a second hand M3 CSL, then spend a few thousand getting some choice upgrades. You’ll be passing M3 GTS’s on the Nurburgring in no time…

What would you do? Buy the Porsche or M3 GTS? Or go out and buy the old CSL? Leave a comment below to let us know…

While details remain scarce, Gemballa went from earning €16.2m in 2007 to €8m in 2009. While this is understandable, given the global economic recession, it appears “dubious” transactions put added strain on the company. By January 2010, fearing collapse was imminent, Uwe decided to seek out investors in Dubai and South Africa.

On February 8th, Uwe arrived in Johannesburg for a two-day business trip. On the evening of February 9th, Uwe called his son and told him he had an accident and desperately needed one million dollars. It was the last time he was heard from.

So what happened to Uwe Gemballa? No one really knows. Speculation is rampant, citing everything from a planned disappearance to a ransom plot gone awry, but police believe Uwe fell victim to a crime.

But now the company, famous on this blog for some frankly awful creations, has resurfaced with a new CEO and investors. You can read the offical press release below our Gallery of some of Gemballa’s ‘creations’:

Taste is a subjective thing. One man’s leopard-print Versace trousers certainly may not be another’s choice, but we would like to think that the discerning readers of BOTB News will all agree that this latest offering from German tuners Mansory is completely, utterly and totally lacking in any kind of taste.

Named the Bugatti Veyron Linea Vincero d’Oro it features a shortened hood, modified fenders, a revised front apron, LED daytime running lights, aerodynamic side skirts, and a new diffuser.

The key difference, as you’ve probably noticed, is an incredible golden shine thanks to special carbon fiber fabric with copper threads. Other gilded accents include the wheels, grille, door handles, and fuel cap. Certainly not a car for the shy and retiring types out there.

Under the hood, Mansory outfitted the turbocharged 8.0-liter 16 cylinder engine with an improved cold air induction system and an optimized exhaust. This enables it to produce 1109 hp (827 kW / 1124 PS) and 1310 Nm (966 lb-ft) of torque instead of 1001 hp (746 kW / 1015 PS) and 1250 Nm (922 lb-ft) of torque.

And yet we have still not got to the most awful feature of the car. The interior. A curiously mottled gold leaf covers areas on the doors, seats, centre console and steering wheel, looking like a cheap handbag from a local market. Then as if taste hadn’t completely left the area, there is gold LED lighting just to show the other awful bits off a bit more. Truly this has to be the worst interior on a car. Worst even than the interior of Mansory’s Porsche Panamera.

There’s no word on pricing, but production is limited to one unit and it will almost certainly go to the middle-east.

You can read the hyperbole-spouting prose from their Press Release below, it’s quite a read!

LINEA Vincero d’Oro – The ultimate Bugatti Veyron 16.4 from MANSORY remains one of a kind

With the LINEA Vincero d’Oro, MANSORY has completed its strictly limited series for the refined Bugatti Veyron 16.4. After the specialist for exclusive luxury vehicles raised the bar for high-performance sports cars by another level in March 2009, MANSORY is now placing the crowning glory on the art of refinement. Using targeted changes, MANSORY first transformed the Bugatti Veyron into the LINEA Vincero and then, using a special gold-coloured alloy, into the unique LINEA Vincero d’Oro.

Compared with the standard Veyron, the LINEA Vincero has received a comprehensive facelift to its front, consisting of modified fenders, a shortened bonnet and a striking front apron.
The LED daytime running lights and the stylised letter “V” (paying homage to the name Vincero) built into the car’s front end are particular highlights of the new design while the newly developed side skirts form a visual and aerodynamic link between the axles. Larger air outlets at the rear and at the sides of the car ensure optimal engine cooling and, with the new diffuser, underscore the vehicle’s vibrant design. MANSORY manufactures almost all the components in the car’s body from ultra-light, high-strength carbon and the autoclave method of hardening under high pressure and high temperatures used during the manufacturing process makes a huge improvement to the quality of the materials. One unique feature of the design of the LINEA Vincero d’Oro is the carbon
fabric with inbuilt copper thread used by MANSORY, the metallic sheen of which really brings out the exceptional nature of this special car.

Other gold-coloured features complete the LINEA Vincero d’Oro, including the distinctive “turbine” design alloy wheels, the curved grill featuring the stylised “Vincero-V”, the door handles, the rear view mirror caps and the fuel tank cap. But that’s not all: the headlight washer nozzle covers, the borders around the daytime running LEDs and the decorative features on the roof all shimmer in precious gold too.

The car’s interior has an exclusive look and feel while remaining functional. MANSORY understands the importance of combining luxury and technology with the golden aspirations of this unique car. Traditional workmanship, fine materials and a stylistically confident design combine to create an interior that is fitting for such a classy car. You notice this in particular with the LEDs of the car’s mood lighting system placed in the car’s seats, the door trims and the dashboard. The entire passenger cabin shines in the golden glow of this feel-good lighting which masterfully draws attention to the high-quality carbon appliqués as well as to the specially embossed leather. The airbag steering wheel with inbuilt shift paddles and gilded elements, designed in a new ergonomic style, is both sporty easy to keep a good grip of. Gold alloys can also be found on the decorative strips of the door trims and on the centre console.

The Mansory Cooperation GmbH solely offers proprietary developed modification accessories under the name LINEA Vincero. They do not market entire automobiles and also do not sell any such vehicles.

So, faithful readers – what do you think of the latest offering from Mansory? How much do you think it’ll sell for? Leave a comment below and start a discussion!

The glorious Pagani Zonda is nearing the end of it’s life, and the manufacturer keep releasing the ‘very last’ Zondas. They started out releasing the Zonda Cinque, a higher power coupe, with some of the aerodynamic add-ons from the Zonda R track car. 5 were to be built (hence Cinque - Italian for ‘Five’), at over €1million each. Then, they released the Cinque Roadster more recently, removing the roof altogether yet keeping the air scoop which juts out over the cabin (image in gallery below).

But for some, one of five is just four too many on the roads. So if you’re an anonymous wealthy US car collector (not, we are told, Jay Leno), you go and see Horatio Pagani and convince him to make you a one-off Zonda. In this instance Horatio agreed, and has created the Zonda HH. It takes the Zonda Cinque Roadster, removes the roof scoop (apparently he didn’t like that), and keeps its 678bhp AMG V12 engine, but this car will be 30-percent lighter, weighing about 1,210 kilograms (2,670 lbs).  It uses a host of parts to accomplish this, including a carbon-ceramic brake system, carbon-titanium exhaust and a carbon-titanium tub. The Royal Blue paintwork combined with the naked carbon looks incredible, and the owner is a very lucky enthusiast. More images in the Gallery.

Of course for some, one individual Hypercar is not enough, and this is certainly the case for the Al-Thani royal family of Qatar. They have commissioned a one-off Zonda named the Uno (Italian for ‘One’), and had it painted in their trademark baby Blue. Details are scarce on the Uno, but it is thought to be the same mechanical spec as the HH, but without the weight-saving measures. Prices for both of these cars are a closely guarded secret, but it would be safe to assume that they are more than €1.5million each. You can see the Uno in the Gallery, along with two other cars from their stable. The first being a Koenigsegg CCXR in trademark baby Blue, and the other a Lamborghini Murcielago LP670 SV, again in the same hue. It must certainly be an interesting looking garage with all those cars in the same colour…

Finally, we have a car which suprasses the previous offerings by a big margin. James Glickenhaus is a well known car enthusiast, with racing wins to his name in many classes. For his slice of individuality, he went straight to Pininfarina who style all the new Ferraris. He loved the Enzo, loved the way it drove, the 651bhp V12 engine, everything but the looks. So with Pinifarina, he set out to recreate the classic P3/4 cars with a modern twist. The result was the stunning P4/5. Stunning lines over an incredible chassis made this an incredible achievement, so much so that in an incredibly rare instance, Ferrari actually granted Glickenhaus and Pininfarina permission to officially call it a Ferrari, and it goes in the records as such. The price? Over €5million are the rumours, though again this will never be confirmed as exclusivity is key for these people. Pictures of the car are in the Gallery.

So what do you think of these amazing cars? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts…

Kircherer have taken the SLS, and added a matte black vinyl wrap to the exterior. Then all of the chrome accents on the outside have been repainted in matching matte black. A new front lip spoiler and rear diffuser are added to spice things up a little more. The final finishing touch is a gloss black stripe, standing out in the dull matte paintwork.

A set of new light alloy wheels of Kircherer’s own design are added too, 20″ in size, gloss black with a polished silver rim.

The interior is mostly Mercedes’ own, with a few small additions to make it a little more personalised. But in this car’s bright red, it stands out fantastically against the mate exterior.

The engine hasn’t been ignored either, with a revised ECU and a stainless steel sport exhaust system yielding 620bhp, more than enough to move the 6.2 V8 along.

But this post is all about the looks, and we think this is a really good looking car. The SLS is stunning away, with the theatrical gullwing doors, but the Kircherer version really does add menacing presence and a bit of evil to the mix. Just look at it…

So what do you think? Does it deserve the praise heaped on it in this article? Feel free to comment and tell us how wrong we are…

Mercedes-Benz has shown a sneak preview of the SLS AMG E-Cell Prototype. While some future competitors are still unveiling hybrids, the E-Cell will be powered by only electricity through lithium-ion polymer battery modules. These are located in the centre tunnel just behind the two seats. 

 Minimal adjustments were made to accommodate the new powertrain, including using an independent multilink front suspension with pushrod damper struts, instead of the double wishbone used by the petrol powered SLS AMG. 

Maximum power is down but not by much. The E-Cell produces 526bhp and peak torque of 649 lb-ft. Apparently the battery pack has a maximum load potential of  644 bhp. It will be able to go from 0 – 60 mph in 4 seconds, which is still very much in the same league as the petrol V8 version. Mercedes has not said anything about the range or battery recharging details. 

Too keep things cool there are two cooling circuits, an extended front apron to assist airflow under the body, as well as an extendable front splitter which the driver can control through a button. The SLS’s optional ceramic composite brakes with sizes 18.5-inches up front and 14.2-inches at the rear are fitted. 

Outside you will see a wider front grille, LED headlights, new air outlets on the bonnet, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels with 265/35 and 295/30 tyres respectively. 

The interior features an AMG instrument cluster with displays for speed, charge status, a mix of leather and Alcantara for the seats and a 10-inch touch screen among others.

No tentative launch dates have been released, except to say the SLS AMG E-Cell is part of the company’s 2015 strategy of reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions.  

When it is launched there will most likely be a couple of rivals, in the form of the RUF 911-e Greenster and Fisker Karma, pictured below:

So what do you think? Would you drive an electric supercar? Leave a comment and let us know!

Since it ended production in 1995 there has been a large GT-shaped hole in Porsche’s lineup. The rear-engined 911, mid-engined Boxster & Cayman and front engined Cayenne certainly don’t fit the classic ‘Grand Tourer’ mould. But there was promise when Porsche launched the Panamera last year. A new adaptation of the Cayenne chassis, but in a road based car, it had a big V8 powerplant up front, and rear or four wheel drive. Finally there was a basis for a new GT.

The occasional odd-looking Panamera in prototype coverings has been spotted around Stuttgart recently which has added fuel to the fire. The basics are all there though. There is certainly a market for this type of car – see the Maserati Granturismo, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Mercedes SL/CL and Jaguar XKR. Porsche now have a front engined, rear wheel drive chassis, and a wealth of engines (V6 petrol and diesel, V8, Twin-Turbo V8 and V6 Hybrid) to use. The idea being that by spinning another model off the existing drivetrain and chassis, Porsche gets more out of the money they’ve invested in developing them.

One senior company source has admitted to Autocar magazine that the large three-door would be a “very nice” addition to the Porsche line-up. Engineers at Porsche are apparently frustrated with the limitations of the 911, as the engine cannot grow beyond 4.0 litres in it’s current guise, and  it’s position causes engineering compromises on the car.

A few magazines have come up with concept sketches of their interpretation of how the new 928 may look:

If you compare these with the image from Porsche, you can imagine what the new model may look like. But mainly, we just love the idea of this new car.

We also know that you BOTBNews readers love to speculate too, so please comment and let us know what you think of the new 928…

This is the latest BMW Art Car design, which will be raced in the GT2 category at Le Mans. The livery for the BMW M3 GT2 racer has been designed by artist Jeff Koons and is the 17th BMW Art Car to be created.

BMW says Koons created this design by looking at the history of race car graphics, light bursts and speed. In a statement, it added that the design is “evocative of power, motion and light”.

“These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy,” said Koons. “You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy. There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car – it’s really to connect with that power.”

The Art Car will race at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, and be driven by Andy Priaulx, Dirk Muller and Dirk Werner. Another M3 GT3 car will be raced by Jorg Muller, Augusto Farfus and Uwe Alzen. Some more images of the incredible looking machine:

And well, just because we can, here are some of the original Art Cars:

The Geneva crowds stood around, expecting to see the new Cayenne, the 997 GT3 RS and maybe a special edition or two. What they got, no-one was expecting. Out of the darkness rolled a 708bhp low slung supercar, which produces just 70 g/km of CO2 and manages 94mpg combined.

Now we’ll be first to admit that those claims have got to be more than a little ‘massaged’, but even if half of those figures it will still be leagues ahead of rivals.

On the performance side, it’s driven by a V8 producing more than 368 kW (500 PS / 493 hp) plus three electric motors putting out 160 kW (218 PS / 215 hp).  That gives the two-seater a combined power output of 528 kW (718 PS / 708 hp) resulting in a 0 to 100 km/h sprint in just 3.2 seconds, top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph), and a lap time on the Nurburgring Nordschleife in less than 7:30 minutes, which is faster than the Porsche Carrera GT.

Interestingly, although the 918 Concept is clearly a study, Porsche has stated that  if 1000 ‘expressions of interest’ were received, they would strongly consider production. Now as most supercar fans will know – that means they are already going to produce it, as they know fully well that they will get more than 1000 interested people. And this has been borne true as less than 3 weeks after showing it for the first time, the interest count was already above 800.

So will we see a 918 Spyder roaring (or breezing silently) past in the near future? We certainly hope so. As it is a truly stunning car:

Brabus are more than just your average tuning company. They thoroughly re-work Mercedes’ to the extent that the German goverment has granted them Manufacturer status, so when you buy a Brabus factory built car, it’s a Brabus on the documentation not a Mercedes.

They are well known for engine modifications for Mercs, but also for their super high performance bespoke versions of the whole Merc range.

For the Vanish, they have taken an SL65 Black Series, a car not exactly lacking in the performance department with 663bhp and 738lb/ft of torque.

They then add some modified (and much bigger) turbos, four intercoolers, a free-flowing exhaust and a liberal coating of oh-so-fashionable Matt Black paint. The result is a car packing 788bhp (800PS) and 1047lb/ft of torque, though this last figure is electronically limited to 811lb/ft in a bid to save the gearbox and probably the tarmac of the world from being ripped up.

What you also end up with, is one of the meanest, most evil looking cars ever created. You can imagine it would do a great job as Darth Vader’s company car…