Autowelt
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Modern RS engineering reached its peak with the C8 RS6. Still a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, now around 592 hp, paired with mild-hybrid systems and far more chassis complexity. The character shifted slightly - heavier, more managed, quieter, but the aftermarket solves that easily.
Autowelt264,303 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
Audi RS6, C6. This breaks 300 km/h. A twin-turbo V10 wagon. Built for speed, but only upwards to 250km/h, factory limited. But capable of going to 320 km/h without the limiter. And tuned versions like this example with 850 hp set the number even higher. A family car doing supercar numbers, it is literal insanity.
Autowelt72,138 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
The 1.9 TDI became almost independent from any single car. It powered Golfs, Passats, Octavias Ibizas and so much more, and in many cases the same engine was swapped through several bodies over its life. The mechanical simplicity and conservative boost strategy made it nearly impossible to kill in normal use. Later 2.0 TDIs delivered better performance and cleaner emissions, yet they never matched the 1.9’s reputation for tolerance. Gearboxes wore out, interiors collapsed, but the diesel kept commuting. It turned from an engine into a benchmark for what durability in everyday transport should look like.
Autowelt175,510 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
BMW M3, E92. 414 hp. From a 4.0L naturally aspirated V8. Revving to 8,400 rpm with no turbo. 0–100 km/h in around 4.6 seconds. Back then, 400 hp meant revs and sound in the 2000s. Not torque, not instant speed. This was about the experience, this car wanted you to rev the engine hard, this is a backroads car for going fast. One of the last naturally aspirated M3s. Compared to a modern M340i with maybe similar power, this feels slower, but this M3 is way better feeling and its a V8 M3, the only V8 M3 and the older M3's feel way way more alive.
Autowelt58,237 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
BMW 540i, G30. Powered by the B58 straight-six, one of BMW’s most reliable modern engines. Exact same version of engine as the M140i and M240i. Just used differently here and this isn’t a car you push all the time since its all about smooth effortless speed. You get rear-wheel drive, estate versions, even hybrid options in the 545e. And a much more refined experience overall. Most people go straight for the M340i, but this is just as good in a different way. Better interior, the best in the pre-LCI. A proper balance daily car and a tuners favourite.
Autowelt88,726 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten
10 years ago, this is what an Audi RS5 was. A naturally aspirated V8 revs all the way to 8500 RPM. And the way it builds power is just smooth and even. That’s what makes it special. Look at the rivals: W205 C63, F80 M3 are both turbocharged. This wasn’t so this was screaming compared to the muffled noise from the Mercedes and M3. And you can hear the difference immediately. The sound alone puts it ahead. Compared to newer cars, it’s the same story. They might be faster. But they don’t sound like this when they have gone more quiet, downsized and use filters because EU wants them.
Autowelt74,252 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten
Audi 200 Turbo Quattro, C3. A turbocharged five-cylinder, manual gearbox and quattro. Back then, there were no S or RS models. This was as far as you could go. 217 hp in the 20v version, which was serious performance for the time with permanent all wheel drive from derived from Audi's rally technology. 217 horses was plenty to get you to 240 km/h and there was an Avant version as well. And a tuner favourite too. What makes it important is what came after. This car laid the groundwork for the urS4 and urS6. A real piece of early Audi performance history.
Autowelt64,042 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten
The base 911 Carrera of the 997 generation. And still one of the best. Over 300 hp, naturally aspirated flat-six and a proper manual. That’s all you really need if you're not looking to be the lightning fast goer. Compared to newer cars like the 992, this feels smaller, lighter and not bloated. You don’t need the Turbo or GT3 to enjoy it, you might even find yourself enjoying this more because you can use all the power. That’s why it holds its value, plus its the better version of the 996. Not underrated, but correctly appreciated and overpriced. This is from 911obsessed, their Porsche 911 997.2 Carrera.
Autowelt58,369 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten
BMW 320i, E30. A small, lightweight BMW with a straight-six and a manual. That’s all it needed. Just a modest 123 hp and 170 Nm of torque. It was about how the car felt and not how fast it could go. This 320i has near perfect weight distribution. Analogue, direct and completely connected to the driver. Simple, driver-focused cockpit with supportive seats. Build quality is high for the period, though plastics and electrics can degrade after 30 to 40 years. You don’t need huge numbers to enjoy it. The driving feel does the work. That is why this car has gone up in price as well because over the years its got tougher to find one.
Autowelt51,683 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten
Mercedes didn't stop with the 2000s excess when they gave the CL the same V12 from the S 65 AMG. Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG, C215. M275 6.0 twin turbo V12 and in a beautiful pillarless coupe. Peak 2000s excess, what is a Mercedes S class with 2 doors is a grand tourer with supercar power. Its not what made sense, its what people wanted. This was built for those connoisseurs desiring exclusivity, only 777 units ever made. The CL 65 in the video is catless straight piped.
Autowelt26,513 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Porsche 911 Turbo, 930 or the Widowmaker. You instantly know this car when you're older. Whale tail spoiler. Wide rear arches. 930's 3.3L turbo flat-six or the rarer 3.0 version that came earlier. This is the shape people picture when they think “classic 911 Turbo”. Aggressive, simple and instantly recognisable. The sound of the flatsix during that time, that sound is so raw, and you can even hear the turbo whistle in the other clip. An icon before any sort of social media, not overhyped today.
Autowelt22,857 Aufrufe • vor 29 Tagen
Volkswagen Golf R32, Mk4. The engine made it special: 3.2 VR6. That sound alone is enough, at the time, this was a super hot hatch. The whole car felt more premium with aluminium accents, R badging, solid build quality. Everything felt built properly. Even things like xenon headlights were standard and electronics we're standard for mirrors, windows. You could get it with a 6-speed manual or DSG.
Autowelt35,435 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Mercedes-Benz CLS 55 AMG, C219. This is what made it special. The design, a 4-door coupe when nothing else looked like this. Low, aggressive and completely different. Then the engine. 5.4L supercharged V8, the M113K or the V8 Kompressor. 469 hp and over 700 Nm. That was insane torque figures for the time and it delivered it the old AMG way, raw, instant torque. The only delay you got was from the gearbox, but that's one of the few downsides. On top of that, it was still a proper luxury car. Comfortable, refined and built to cover distance. Compared to rivals, this stood out, better engine, better presence and at the nobody else did 4 door coupes. That’s what made it special.
Autowelt35,595 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Porsche 911 GT3, 996. This is what makes it characterful. Manual only, 6 cylinders and a very race car feel. That already tells you everything. Then the engine, 3.6 Mezger flat-six that just wants to rev to 8200 RPM. Loud, mechanical and full of life this car feels raw a lot less than a modern GT3. Lightweight, direct steering and no filters. Compared to the 997, this feels more alive and looks more raw still. The headlights are still controversial and the interior is basic, ride is stiff too, but that’s part of it, you expect a car made for racing to handle comfortably? It’s about driving, racing and that’s what gives it character.
Autowelt27,212 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
A people carrier with a VR6 engine makes no rational sense. The Sharan was designed for space and comfort, not for sound or response. Yet Volkswagen installed its compact six-cylinder into it anyway. The VR6 arrived later in the model’s production life in the second phase, and despite the power increase it was also offered with 4Motion. It changed the Sharan’s purpose, for all of the soccer moms. And this Volkswagen Sharan is tuned, 430 Hp.
Autowelt69,115 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
BMW M5, E60. This is what made it special. The engine. V10 in a family saloon, what was BMW thinking or snorting back then? 500 hp from the S85B50 V10 engine, high revving and one of the best sounding V10's ever and the best sounding BMW of all time. Nothing else matters as much. Of course, there are downsides. Reliability isn’t great. This is not a simple car to own. But that’s part of it, high risk, high reward. You take care of it, and it gives you that V10 sound. Some even converted them to manual to ditch the SMG gearbox and USA even got the manual from factory. And there’s a Touring as well, even more added insanity.
Autowelt27,492 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Mid-engine Audi madness came only with the early R8 V8, then the V10. A naturally aspirated 5.2-litre Lamborghini V10, paired with a gated manual in its purest form. Around 518 hp and a layout Audi had never attempted before. This was a supercar for the masses, it didn't look as flashy, it's not like a reskinned Huracan, just an Audi. Unlike later filtered, heavier supercars, this is still mechanical. Few cars show Audi taking such a risk: a brand known for saloons building a true driver-focused halo car with no compromise in character.
Autowelt49,283 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
Audi Q7 V12 TDI. A family SUV powered by a 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 diesel producing around 500 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque. The engine was derived from Audi’s Le Mans diesel racing program, which already makes the idea unusual. Instead of building another petrol performance SUV like the ML 63 AMG or BMW X5 M, Audi went in a completely different direction. Massive diesel torque. The result was absurd capability. The Q7 V12 TDI became famous for demonstrations where it could tow extremely heavy loads, even aircraft. Incredibly complex engineering, but also one of the most outrageous diesel road cars ever built.
Autowelt27,955 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten