New VW Golf R SportWagen Spied Again; Would You Buy One?

Volkswagen not only continues to test prototypes of the Golf R Estate /Variant /Wagon /SportWagen (same car, different names for different markets) on the Nürburgring circuit, but it's doing so with even more production-ready cars, as you can see from this latest undisguised prototype.

New Mini Hatch JCW Scooped Sporting

The new-gen Mini John Cooper Works edition is not entirely ready yet, but it's getting there, as you can see for yourself in these fresh pictures from the Nürburgring racetrack where the British firm's (German?) engineers are testing a barely disguised prototype.

BMW M2 Seen and Heard around the 'Ring for the First Time

Were you to pick one modern BMW M-car that is closest to the company’s core philosophy of providing its driver with the most competent handling sports car possible, which would it be? Would you go for any of the larger M5 or M6 models, or would it be one of the new M3/M4 models? How about the upcoming M2, a car that looks really sweet with its psychedelic flared fenders and blue calipers.

Hot VW Golf R Wagon Pictured and Filmed Running Around the 'Ring

There's something about heated up station wagons that gets many motoring enthusiasts (myself included) all charged up. Perhaps it's the allure of having a car that satisfies many needs and wants, including the one for speed, while also defying mainstream car culture – at least in the U.S. were estates are officially an endangered species.

Next-Gen Audi R8 Spied Again on the 'Ring

It must be a rather mind-numbing job working at Audi's design division in recent years, especially if your assignment orbits around replacing or updating existing models and not conceptual or completely new projects. 

Just a Couple of BMW M5 'Ring Taxis Having Fun Around Corners

If you happen to have an automotive bucket list, then you should definitely include a ride in BMW's M5 Nürburgring Taxi. This new video shot by a YouTube user from the outside gives you a taste of what to expect – if it doesn't, we've added a few more onboard clips.

The ride involves a BMW Driving Experience instructor behind the wheel of a latest generation BMW M5, the one with the twin-turbocharged V8 capable of delivering 560PS (552hp) and 0-100km/h (62mph) run time of 4.3 seconds.

You'll have to make plans and book ahead, with the "taxi service" open between April and October. As far as costs are concerned, this roller-coaster experience for adults is currently priced at €225 (US$306) per car, which means you can split it via three dropping it to a more reasonable €75 (US$102) per person, just as long as you don't get into a childish fight about who sits in front…

VIDEO

Raw Footage: Enjoy New Nissan GT-R NISMO's Nürburgring 7:08 Lap from In-Car Camera

Some people appreciate hearing commentary over Nürburgring videos like the one we posted earlier today about the new 2015 Nissan GT-R Nismo Edition, while others, myself included, prefer to hear the engine sounds and nothing else, leaving the rest to their eyes.

If you belong to the second group, we have you covered with this new clip shot from inside the car of Nissan racing pilot and test-driver, Michael Krumm, as he lapped the infamous Nordschleife in just 7 minutes and 8.679 seconds, smashing the previous GT-R record (7:24.22) by over 15 seconds. An impressive feat indeed.

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said that, "With this lap time, we can authoritatively say that the 2015 Nissan GT-R NISMO holds the volume production car lap record at the Nordschleife, which is the gold standard of high performance achievement."

The reason why he used the word "volume" is because the much more expensive and far more limited production Porsche 918 Spyder turned the 'Ring in 6:57.

Nissan pointed out that the record-running GT-R Nismo was equipped with track options, which including aerodynamics tuning, weight reduction, and suspension tuning tweaks.

*Nurburgring times list via Wikipedia

VIDEO

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Edition Thrashes Nürburgring into Submission

Despite the regular Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG not being the sharpest-handling of supercars in its standard form, the Black Edition is completely different.

You only need to watch and compare a review of the standard car and one of the Black to see just how different they are, or just scroll down and watch the very fast lap it put down around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, from a dash-cam perspective.

Making 622 hp at the crank, with exactly zero turbo- or superchargers bolted onto its V8 engine, and all the suspension and aero tweaks it takes advantage of, it’s reportedly much better adapted to track driving than the basic SLS.

All of that shows in the time of 7:25.67 it manages to put down, which puts it on par with the likes of the Ferrari Enzo and makes it faster than a Pagani Zonda F Clubsport.

This will definitely be a memorable car for Mercedes for a good few years to come – it’s going out of production around the middle of next year.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Check Out this Compilation of Fresh Nurburgring Crashes

The Nürburgring Nordschleife has received many names over the years, most of which somehow stem from the fact that lots of crashes take place there every year. Most are not serious, though some are, and if you have the patience or just happen to consistently be in the right place, you can put together a lengthy compilation of crashes for yourself and others to enjoy.

One such compilation just went live, and it offers eight minutes and twenty seconds of continuous ‘Ring crashing. The clips it’s made up of are said to have been exclusively shot in 2013, throughout the year.

They range from soft and amusing to violent and scary, though most are just evidence of overly-zealous cornering attempts that put the car/bike on the grass/in the gravel trap.

Scroll down and check it out after the virtual jump, and behold the sight of driver after driver going in too hot, missing the corner apex and leaving their mark on the side rails.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Drive Goes Inside Jaguar’s Nürburgring Test Facility, Samples the XKR-S

Maybe some of you are thinking, “oh, it's just another Nürburgring video where a lucky chap is having a blast driving a powerful car”. Bear with us, though, because it's much more than that.
In fact, it’s a look at the inside workings of a car maker's dedicated Nordschleife test center. Jaguar has been visiting the 13-mile-long track for more than two decades and it was one of the first manufacturers to set up shop there, just outside the track’s northern loop, in 2003.

Spied: Rolls Royce Ghost Coupe Makes Another Appearance on the 'Ring

Like many other European luxury carmakers, Rolls Royce is also looking outside its home market to increase sales, with the British firm's CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes revealing plans to expand the number of dealers from 105 today to 120 in countries including Chile, Thailand and Vietnam, during an interview with Bloomberg News.

SPIED: 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Spotted Testing, we get Our First Peek at the Interior

We have another round of spy shots of the all-new 2013 Land Rover Range Rover. While the exterior of the British firm's luxury SUV continues to wear plenty of camouflage, our scoopsters were able to snag the first photos of the Range Rover's interior.
If you pay close attention to the pictures, you'll notice several changes including the repositioned main air-vents that are mounted on the same level as the audio and navigation screen on the current model. Right below we find a massive screen for the infotainment system that takes plenty of real estate on the center stack.
The lower console is also new and seems to be positioned slightly higher than before.

Cadillac ATS' Super Bowl Ad Tells Everyone who Doesn’t Believe it Can Beat the 3-Series to go to "Green Hell"

Unlike Cadillac's previous failed attempts, the all-new ATS sedan was designed from a clean sheet to compete squarely against the best Germany has to offer in the executive compact sedan segment, namely the BMW 3-Series sedan – and possibly, the rest of the Bavarian model's range later on.
And if there's one thing GM's premium brand has been touting about the ATS more than anything else since it began teasing the car last summer, it's the fact that it's handling and driving dynamics were honed at the Nürburgring race track in Germany, which as most of you already know, is nicknamed "The Green Hell".

Video: BMW Alpina B6 GT3 Flies Over Safety Barriers and Crashes Onto Concrete Wall

The spectators at last weekend’s ADAC GT Masters championship at the Nürburgring witnessed a horrific crash involving Alex Plenagl and his BMW Alpina B6 GT3 racecar when the driver lost control of the vehicle and strayed off the course at a high speed.
Plenagl’s Alpina flew over the safety barriers, passed through a BMW sign and crashed onto the concrete wall.

Sportier MINI Countryman JCW Edition Spied Working out at the Nurburgring

Carscoop’s spy photographers have snapped some of the first images of the sportiest edition yet of the Mini Countryman bearing the John Cooper Works logo. The…high-hoon version of Mini’s urban crossover model will come with all the usual styling upgrades and performance modifications we’re used to seeing in the other JCW models.
First and foremost, the Countryman JCW will get a juiced up version of the Cooper S’ 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbo engine. Being that the Countryman is much heavier than the other Mini JCW variants, engineers may further hone the four-cylinder powerplant to deliver more than 211-ponies it normally produces, possibly approaching the 230HP mark.

SPIED: 2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan Starts Taking Shape

The new, sixth generation of BMW’s 3-Series sedan, codenamed F30 is almost upon us and as a result, we’re seeing more and more prototype models with less camouflage making their appearance on the road or in this case, testing on the Nürburgring circuit in Germany.
Being that the 3-Series has been the backbone of BMW’s success over the years, it doesn’t come to much of a surprise that the F30 remains close to the current model in terms of design.

SPIED: New 2013 Porsche Cayman Shows its Face on the ‘Ring

The new 911, code-named 991, isn’t the only new model that Porsche is working on these days. The second generation Cayman is getting ready for its debut.
We’ve ve already seen the first camouflaged prototypes of the 2013 Cayman, but now it seems that Porsche is gearing up its development program and testing the car in Nurburgring in view of the anticipated 2012 launch, which will coincide with that of its open-top sibling, the Boxster.
Even though the shape is familiar and closely follows the lines of the current model, every panel in the bodywork is, in fact, new. The second-gen Cayman will bigger in all dimensions, including the wheelbase, to provide more ample space for the driver and his or her passenger.

2012 Bentley Continental GTC Speed Scooped in the Alps

Back in May, we saw Bentley trying out the drop-top version of its subtly evolved 2011 Continental GT, the GTC, at the Nurburgring racetrack. Now, our spies have spotted Bentley’s people working on the more athletic GTC Speed in the Alps.
Like the standard Continental GTC, the Speed shares the sharper styling cues of the coupe model launched last year adding a more aggressively designed front bumper with new openings, hood air vents and a discreet boot lid spoiler along with larger alloy wheels to the mix.
The GTC Speed will benefit from the revisions we saw on the coupe and which include a redesigned dashboard with an updated instrument panel and a new touch-screen interface plus new seats and trim materials.

VIDEO: Lexus LF-A Nurburgring Edition Laps the Nordschleife in 7:22.85

A Carscoop reader from Japan tipped us off about this video showing the new Lexus LF-A Nurburgring Edition (or at least that’s what the Youtube poster claims we’re seeing here) lapping the famous Nordschleife circuit in 7 minutes and 22.85 seconds. The poster videotaped the run from a video screen set beside the LF-A Nurburgring Edition.
According to the person who shot the clip, Lexus raced the car just before this past weekend’s 24-hour Nurburgring endurance race kicked off.

2011 24-hour Nürburgring Race: And the Winner is….

Porsche triumphed in the 2011 24 hours of Nürburgring, with the 911 GT3 RSR of Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Lucas Luhr crossing the line after 156 laps and 3,958.968 km (2,462.044 miles), a new record for the legendary endurance race in the demanding Nordschleife.
The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR first led the race at Saturday evening, at 23:25, and then its drivers held on to it for the following 16 hours and 35 minutes, or 108 laps.