A German agency appears to have ‘mistakenly’ released the official brochure of the new Audi RS5 Coupe ahead of time, as the car’s world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show on March 2 isn’t due for another week or so.

The high-resolution photos from the leaflet show that the RS5 Coupe gets its own unique body treatment to differentiate it from the less powerful S5 Coupe. Look closely and you’ll be able to spot the slightly blistered fenders above the wheel arches that hark back to the original Quattro coupe, the new front bumper with larger air vents at each corner, the honeycomb grille without the horizontal bar, the redesigned rear bumper with an integrated diffuser and the two large oval tail pipes. The revised LED tail lamps, the specific alloy wheels and what looks like a retractable boot lid spoiler round off the exterior styling tweaks.

The interior shots suggest that there won’t be any cosmetic upgrades over the S5 Coupe. We’re still in the dark about what’s lurking under the hood, but it is believed that Audi’s BMW M3 rival will most likely be powered by a V8 engine, quite possibly, turbocharged.

 

Adapted from CarScoop

Manhart has created a three-stage power upgrade for the E92 BMW M3. The first stage is a small compressor using a supercharging pressure of 0.35 bar, producing up to 384 kW. With stage-II the supercharging pressure is increased to 0.50 bar that achieves a peak power output of 436 kW.

As if these figures weren’t impressive or scary enough, the stage-III package puts the Manhart Supercharged M3 in the supercar league in terms of power output. A larger compressor from ASA, with a charge pressure of 0.67 bar, is combined with a custom exhaust system that houses two 200 cell race-spec catalytic converters. The stage-III package manages to extract a Koenigsegg CC8S rivalling 488 kW, capable of catapulting the car from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds with a top speed of just over 350km/h.

Manhart have used Bilstein PSS10 threaded suspension and 20-inch black BBS wheels to keep the car on the straight and narrow. Continental tyres in sizes 245/30 ZR20 at the front and 295/25 ZR20 at the rear are fitted and should be capable of transferring the hotted up M3’s power to the road – provided some measure of diplomacy is excercised with the throttle. Stopping power is provided by 365 mm brake discs at the front, with floating callipers from the BMW M5 E60, while the rear brake components remain in standard form.

Manhart’s custom exhaust system features a constant diameter of 70 mm and exits with four 82 mm tail pipes. The stainless steel version produces around 13 kW, with the 50% lighter than standard titanium version responsible for releasing 18 kW more power from the 4,0-litre V8.

 

The term ‘facelift’ is a bit of a stretch for the 2011 M3 range. In short, all three body styles of the M3 gain a new ‘Auto Start Stop’ function that promises to reduce average fuel consumption and CO2 levels, while the Coupe and Convertible get modified LED tail lights and the Coupe and Sedan receive an optional Competition Package that sharpens handling.

In more detail, the M3’s 309 kW, 4,0-litre, high-revving V8, benefits from the addition of a start-stop function that switches off the engine when the vehicle comes to a halt. The ‘Auto Start Stop’ system is used both in vehicles with standard 6-speed manual transmission and in conjunction with the M dual clutch transmission with Drivelogic, making the M3 the first non-hybrid Bimmer (ActiveHybrid X6 and ActiveHybrid 7) to use this technology in combination with an automated manual transmission. BMW claims the start-stop system reduces the average fuel consumption and CO2 levels of the 2011 M3 by up to 8 per cent or 24 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

As an example, the Bavarian automaker said that both the M3 Coupe and Sedan with 7-speed M dual clutch transmission now achieves an average fuel consumption on the EU test cycle of 11.2 l/100km and 12.4 l/100km with the 6-speed manual gearbox. In the case of the BMW M3 Convertible, the average fuel consumption is reduced to 11.5 l/100km with the dual clutch transmission and 12.7 l/100km with the 6-speed manual transmission.

Furthermore, the German company presented an optional Competition Package and a new range of items from the Original BMW Accessories program for the Coupe and Sedan M3s. The Competition Package adds a suspension lowered by some 10 mm and light alloy wheels in the size 9 x 19 inches at the front and Y-spoke design at the rear. In addition, the control of the electronic damper adjustment function EDC includes a Sport mode specially developed for the Competition Package. It is said to adjust the chassis modifications by means of map-based control and the driving stability control function DSC.

As for the new optional items, the list includes among other things, a rear spoiler and carbon fibre ‘fangs’ for the front splitter.

 

Adapted from CarScoop

Valentino Rossi picked up the BMW M Award this week for being the best qualifier over the season’s 17 Moto GP races, his prize – a brand new BMW M3 saloon which joins the four other BMWs that Rossi has won.

Rossi was invited to experience some fast laps in the new M3 GTS, but in the end he wanted to drive it. The nine times MotoGP champion took to the Valencia track in the lightweight M3 GTS, together with MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta in the passenger seat. Rossi was supposed to stop at the end of his first lap, but he decided to do another lap even more quickly.

Rossi was eventually prised out of the M3 GTS so that he could be presented with his M3 Saloon, but said, “It was amazing in the GTS. Just amazing. It was great, especially under braking with the light weight that it has.” In fact Rossi was already enquiring about how he could get hold of one for himself, but apparently there have already been more than 300 serious enquiries about the car since it’s launch three days ago.

Thomas Schemera, the Director of Sales and Marketing for BMW M Power who handed over the keys of the M3 to Rossi said, “It was our intention for Valentino to have a seat in the M3 GTS, but in the end he wanted to drive it, so he did! I think he is very convinced about the features and the abilities of the car and we would be very happy to let him have one of the hand built cars that echoes the iconic 3.0 CSL racer from the mid 70s.”

BMW will continue to supply Safety Cars, Official Cars and VIP Shuttles to the Moto GP series until 2013, using vehicles from BMW’s M Power stable.

Rossi finished 2nd in the final round of the 2009 MotoGP season at Valencia, followed home by team mate Jorge Lorenzo,with Spain’s Dani Pedrosa taking he top spot on the podium.

 

Adapted from Skiddmark.com

BMW has unveiled its latest M Motorsport concept, the lightweight, 335 kW, Inca Orange, M3 GTS.

Stripped bare, the M3 Coupe-based racer features a raft of weight-saving measures including plastic rear- and side-windows, lightweight body-contoured front seats and removed rear seats.

The concept, which will spawn a limited production run of street-ready vehicles, weighs in at about 1 490 kg’s – a whopping 190 kg less than the Coupe’s curb weight of 1 680 kg.

Air conditioning has also succumbed to the diet regime, as have the navigation and radio units.

The M3 GTS’s drive train, however, is where much of the fun begins, with a purpose-built, 335 kW 4.4-litre V8, up from the base coupe’s 309 kW 4.0-litre unit. The sole transmission available will be a specially adapted seven-speed M dual clutch system borrowed from the standard M3.

The distinctive Inka Orange paintwork is a homage to early BMW race cars, including the 1973 3.0 CSL seen here.

Track ready, the M3 GTS concept includes a six-point seatbelt and roll-cage mounts. Exclusive 19-inch wheels with 255/35 tyres at the front and 285/30 at the rear, house a fixed calliper brake system with six pistons the front and four at the rear. An adjustable front splitter and rear wing also reveal its race suitability.

The car’s spiritual predecessor, the highly lauded E46 M3 CSL, hit a Nürburgring lap time of 7:50. Pundits say the M3 GTS will reach a 7:40 time, putting it on-par with such heavyweights as the Porsche 997 Turbo and Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren.

First deliveries of the M3 GTS are due to begin in Germany in May 2010, with a sticker price of €115,000 (about R1.35 million). No news whether the M3 GTS will be coming to South Africa, but if there is sufficient customer interest we’re sure BMW SA would ship a few over. Click to see the teaser video.

 

Adapted from CarAdvice

BMW aficionados know that once an ‘M’ car goes into production that’s it, there won’t be any technical upgrades during its lifecycle. And since the current M3 was launched two years ago, a new one is not expected until at least 2013. So why then is BMW testing an M3 around the Nurburgring in 2009? And why does the subject sport a very basic-looking rear wing, a front bumper splitter and what appears to be a roll cage?

A number of ideas are coming up regarding this, including one saying this is a CSL (Coupe Sport Lightweight). It will be remembered that a track-focused lightweight M3 CSL last went on sale with the E46 model. Among others it had a carbon fibre roof, an SMG II transmission, 90-degree fixed front seats and semi-slick tyres. But BMW says a CSL is not on the agenda for the E92.

Another possible culprit could be a road going version of the BMW M3 GT4 race car. Audi is availing units of the R8 GT3 to the public and BMW might be doing the same with its racer. The E46 M3 had a Competition Package which was also called the CS in the UK. But most of its makeup was taken from the CSL and so without it such a derivative seems unlikely.

What do you rekon this ‘beefed up’ M3 could be? CSL GT4, or just Joe Public with his trackday toy?

 

Adapted from WorldCarFans

A while back we told you about BMW’s plans to sell a limited edition series of their M3 over the next six months. Well, BMW decided to display a Monte Carlo Blue version of the ‘M3 Edition’ at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

As it comes from the factory with its carbon fibre roof, 19-inch wheels and high revving 4,0-litre V8, the BMW M3 coupe is a very desirable machine. The problem the Bavarian automakers are facing, is how to improve upon a good thing. They have solved this dilemma by announcing the production of the M3 Edition.

Available in three non-metallic colors (Alpine White, Black, and Dakar Yellow), as well as Monte Carlo Blue Metallic shown here, the M3 Edition Models have an interior specifically designed to match the exterior paint. A chrome package is included standard to accentuate “the truly sophisticated character of the Edition Models.” They use a dark, eloxy-plated chrome for the quad tailpipes, kidney grille, and side gills. Blacked-out 19-inch M-series light alloy rims have also been fitted, or if you prefer, you can get the rims in either silver or a contrasting white.

Inside, BMW uses white material on the center console and door-panel armrests when the vehicle is purchased with either a white or black exterior. Black leather is used on the seats, with white seams.  M-badged trim bars are designed with a checkered flag look.

The M3 Edition has a body that is lowered by 10 millimeters and is powered by the same 4,0-litre V8, producing 309kW and 400Nm of torque. A six-speed manual transmission comes standard, with the M-series double-clutch Drivelogic system available as an option.

 

Presumeably in response to BMW’s M3 ‘Edition’ models announced in June, Mercedes-Benz has responded with a limited edition C63 AMG model on sale in Australia. Mercedes say the C63 AMG ‘Edition 63′, of which only – you guessed it – 63 will be available, has been built specifically for the Australian market.

Featuring all the standard goodies including the fire-breathing 336 kW AMG-built, 6.2-litre V8-engine from the standard model, the Edition 63 gets exclusive DTM-style, 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels painted in titanium grey with a high-sheen finish, three ‘designo’ paint colours – Platinum Black; Mystic White; or Allanite Grey – and a choice of two unique upholstery colours in soft designo leather – sand or classic red.

You’ll also find illuminated door sills with blue lighting adorning the entry to the front seats.

Worthy of special mention is designo magno Allanite Grey paint job. This special colour is a matte finish, creating a tougher appearance and a unique-to-its segment paint type, for what is certainly one of the world’s stealthiest sports cars.

Pricing for the Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG “Edition 63″ is AUS$169 900 for the sedan and AUS$172 900 for the estate.

Adapted from ZCars