Germany


Flash Mob: Police reportedly bust illegal night race on Hockenheim circuit

We don't condone illegal behavior here at Autoblog. Heaven forbid. But if you are going to break the law, this strikes us as a good way to go about it. Reports out of Germany indicate that a group of some 100 people in 43 cars descended upon the Hockenheimring (host of the German Grand Prix) in southern Germany this past Saturday night for what we can only describe as the racing equivalent of a flash mob. The group reportedly coordinated over the interwebs, showed up at night after the track was closed and staged an impromptu race around ... Read more →

Brilliance importer for Europe goes belly up Jonathon Ramsey

When Chinese automaker Brilliance wanted to invade The Continent, it chose Germany-based importer HSO Motors to introduce models like its BS4. Brilliance kept up its end of the agreement, shipping ...

SPOILER ALERT: Champion's Champions Crowned at 2009 Race of Champions Noah Joseph

Every year, around the world, drivers compete wheel to wheel in all manner of racing series, from rally to F1, touring cars to Le Mans and everything in between. It gives racing fans plenty of ...

Germany not happy with GM abandoning Opel sale John Neff

It was an exhausting 7-month process that finally winnowed down a pool of suitors for Opel, General Motors' European subsidiary, to Canadian parts maker Magna and Russian bank Sberbank. The deal ...

Opel sale on hold, GM asked to have a word with EU Commission Jonathon Ramsey

The EU's Directorate-General for Competition (EUDGC) is looking at the Opel deal that should have been concluded already, and is asking questions of Germany and GM. Principally it is trying to ...

Inden Design gets Mercedes-Benz SL 500 to go "deep and wide" 29 days ago on Autoblog

The Inden Design SL will turn your ordinary aging SL 500 into a previous-gen SL65 AMG lookalike and then some. The firm installs fascias front and rear and exhaust pipes that mimic the SL65, then the whole body is given the blackout treatment right down to the door handles. And could we even call ...

VIDEO: Microsoft may one-up Google Street View with virtual video drives 1 month ago on Autoblog

Until cars drive themselves and we absolutely can't get lost, automakers and sat nav companies are steadily enhancing the graphics of navigation systems to make it easier to find the next right turn. Navigation systems in Renaults, for instance, provide a graphic representation of buildings that ...

Porsche Panamera already going to fleets, rent one from Avis in Germany 2 months ago on Autoblog

Aside from four primary entry portals and four wheels, Porsche's new Panamera certainly doesn't have much in common with the Ford Taurus of earlier this decade. However, like the former queen of U.S. rental fleets, Porsche's latest will soon be available for visitors to Germany to sample. Avis ...

You didn't think the battle for Opel was over, did you? Belgium reportedly asking EU to investigate 2 months ago on Autoblog

When GM decided to hand 55% of Opel to Magna, you didn't think the Belgians were just going to have some waffles and call it quits, did you? Oh no. Belgium's prime minister made a call to the EU president about the deal, and the EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told a Belgian newspaper, ...

BREAKING: GM board recommends coughing up 55% Opel stake to Magna, Sberbank 2 months ago on Autoblog

Finally, after what seems like an eternity of protracted negotiations, bickering and stalling tactics, General Motors has agreed to sell a majority stake in its European operations to Magna International and its Russian financial partner Sberbank. Under the terms of the deal, 55% of Opel and ...

Weekend Watching: Modern Marvels: Autobahn on Hulu 2 months ago on Autoblog

There is a road that has taken on the awe of a holy relic, practically the Dead Sea Scrolls of tarmac, and it goes by one simple name: Die Autobahn. There are few, if any, other roads in the world that are as significant for gearheads as those remaining polished stretches of German highway that ...

REPORT: Opel labor union goes on the offensive, GM negotiator meets with German feds 2 months ago on Autoblog

The battle for Opel has added another front: Opel labor unions at two of the company's German factories retracted an agreement made last year to forgo vacation bonuses. The move demands that General Motors pay the laborers €70 million ($100.2M U.S.) by next week, the amount that they agreed to ...

GM issues a 'No-Decision' on fate of Opel, German government not happy 3 months ago on Autoblog

General Motors was meant to decide who would be the winning bidder for Opel last Friday. But it didn't. Instead, GM asked the German government for more information on federal financial assistance available to buyers. The German government would like Magna to take over Opel as it vowed to retain a ...

RHJ ups offer for Opel, commits to Vauxhall, has "good chances of winning" 3 months ago on Autoblog

Belgian investment firm RHJ, once considered a back-up bidder for Opel, is now considered a front-runner – at least according to its own CEO. RHJ head Leonhard Fischer has already told U.K. officials that the company is committed to retaining the Vauxhall name, and speaking to German ...

REPORT: Opel, waiting on GM and the German government, heading toward bankruptcy 3 months ago on Autoblog

There are five noteworthy parties involved in the negotiations over Opel's fate: GM, the German government, the Opel trust, states with Opel manufacturing plants, and the Opel labor union. The Opel trust is the body created to run Opel after GM's bankruptcy, and consists of five members: a ...

Did you think the VW-Porsche deal was done? Nein. 4 months ago on Autoblog

When Volkswagen and Porsche sat down at dinner to discuss which one was going to eat the other one, they forgot to invite the German tax man. After VW came to terms with Porsche to take a 49.9% stake in the Stuttgart sports car maker for €8 billion (around $11.4 billion U.S.), the parties ...

Hockenheim vs. Nürburgring: Nobody wants the German Grand Prix next year? 4 months ago on Autoblog

The right to host a Formula One grand prix in Germany was once a hot commodity. Both Hockenheim and the Nürburgring wanted it, and for years, both got it, with the former's event billed as the German Grand Prix and the latter's as the European Grand Prix. Both put up a fight when parallel ...

Ferrari opens new store at the Nürburgring 4 months ago on Autoblog

With Felipe Massa on the podium for the first time this season, Ferrari had enough cause to celebrate at this year's German Grand Prix. But that wasn't the only milestone the Maranello outfit marked at the Nürburgring this past weekend as Ferrari opened a massive new retail facility adjacent ...

REPORT: German union leader calls on Porsche CEO to end ego trip, merge with VW 4 months ago on Autoblog

Volkswagen labor union chief Bernd Osterloh has called out Porsche's CEO for holding up a merger between the two German automakers: "Together, one could do a whole lot of more things if [Wendelin] Wiedeking would end his ego trip." Osterloh believes Wiedeking is standing in the way of a tie-up with ...

Beijing Automotive bids for Opel; Magna still expected to close deal 4 months ago on Autoblog

Even though Beijing Automotive (BAIC) tendered a non-binding offer for Opel, the company is said to have no chance of actually acquiring the brand. General Motors is still in talks with Magna and its partners, GAZ and Sberbank, and according to Sberbank CEO German Graf, "The choice has been made ...

Marchionne confirms Fiat still interested in Opel 4 months ago on Autoblog

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, watching the travails of GM, Opel and Magna from his comfy Italian perch, has sent word that his previous offer for Opel is still on the table if anyone is interested. That offer, though, can't be sweetened because he doesn't "believe we could improve Fiat's offer. It's ...

GM worried about Magna deal for Opel, sign backup deal with RHJ, Beijing Automotive 5 months ago on Autoblog

When it came to buying Opel, Fiat's Sergio Marchionne told GM and the German government: "If you have a better offer, take it." They both took Magna, along with its Russian partners Sberbank and GAZ, because that consortium offered a better competitive arrangement and fewer job cuts in Germany. The ...

BMW wants 2018 Winter Olympic in Munich 5 months ago on Autoblog

Munich, Germany is working hard to attract the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and native son BMW has signed up to help. The Munich automaker is providing financial aid and vehicles during the initial phase of the application for the city and bidding partners Garmisch-Partenkirchen and ...

Look Who's Talking Again: Porsche, VW resume negotiations 6 months ago on Autoblog

The way things read, Porsche might not have to get a merger deal done with Volkswagen, but it would appear to be in the carmaker's best interests if it does. The holdup seems to be Porsche – since VW still doesn't know what Porsche's financial situation is, talks broke down earlier this week. ...

REPORT: Magna could use Opel to produce vehicles for other automakers 6 months ago on Autoblog

General Motors is very close to selling its Opel unit, with Canadian supplier Magna and Italian automaker Fiat among the suitors. If Magna and its Russian partners Gaz and Sberbank scores the winning bid for Opel, the parts supplier has big plans for the German brand and its factories. Automotive ...

Cash-for-Clunkers bill to get fast-tracked? 6 months ago on Autoblog

According to The Detroit News, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) have said they would like to fast track the Cash-for-Clunkers bill through the legislative process. There's a legitimate fear that new car sales will further stagnate while buyers ...

Henderson: Buyer for Opel picked by end of month 6 months ago on Autoblog

The Opel brand may be churning out some solid-looking products of late, but the European brand isn't long for the GM world. That isn't news, but the fact that a buyer will be chosen before the end of May is. GM CEO Fritz Henderson promised the quick turnaround of Opel during a Monday news ...

Opel reportedly mulling reviving Wartburg as low-cost brand 6 months ago on Autoblog

Despite an uncertain future, Ward's Auto is reporting that Opel is looking at the possibility of starting a new low-cost line under the revived moniker "Wartburg." Made by East German company VEB AEW until 1991, in their most recent guise, Wartburgs were cheap transportation for the Communist set, ...

VIDEO: Bodensee Tuning World auto show commercial turns up the heat (NSFW?) 7 months ago on Autoblog

Anyone who has ever attended SEMA knows that tuning and scantily clad women go hand-in-hand. The cars + girls formula works very well in the US, but what about Europe? The 2009 Bodensee Tuning World auto show in Germany runs from April 30 through May 3, with over 250 exhibitors spanning 880,000 ...

German scrapping program officially extended through end of year 7 months ago on Autoblog

As reported a few weeks ago, Germany has said "yes" to extending its scrapping program. The program pledged €1.5 billion to be given out in €2,500 increments to those scrapping their old cars in order to buy new ones. The program extension adds another €3.5 billion and will be ...

Germany may extend successful scrapping program 8 months ago on Autoblog

Germany recently began a scrapping incentive program that gives buyers €2,500 to get rid of their old cars and buy new ones. The plan helped create a 21% jump in car sales during the month of February, even though the plan didn't take effect until February 20. It was the kind of success that ...

Germany not pleased with Opel's "inadequate" rescue plan 8 months ago on Autoblog

Opel, General Motors' Deutsch subsidiary, may have hit a snag in its bid for government assistance from the German government. According to Automotive News, Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck says of the proposal as it currently stands: "is not a workable basis for a decision." Steinbrueck said that ...

German scrapping incentive leads to 21% jump in new car sales 8 months ago on Autoblog

Countries looking to shore up their lagging auto sales now have a shining example to follow in Germany, Europe's largest market for new car sales. In February, sales rose by 21%, which is an astounding figure when you look at the results for the same period in other countries, including the United ...

Yep, That'll Fix It: Berlin youths torching Porsches, BMWs over economy 8 months ago on Autoblog

French youth like to burn cars on New Year's - and they don't mind lighting a few the rest of the year, either. German youths apparently really get their "arson on" when the economy takes a dip, as it happens to be doing right now. According to Bloomberg, at least 29 luxury vehicles have gone up in ...

Self-inflating tire technology captures innovation award 9 months ago on Autoblog

The Tire Technology of the Year award, handed out at the Tire Technology Expo in Hamburg, Germany, has been awarded to the creators of the Self-Inflating Tire at Coda Development. While "self-inflating" tires aren't new to the market (especially in the commercial industry), nearly all of the ...

Polk speculates about effect of government incentives on 2009 car sales 9 months ago on Autoblog

In light of the automaker benefits and car buyer assistance in the recently-passed stimulus package, analysts at R. L. Polk & Co. estimate there will be an average rebate of $330 for every vehicle sold this year. By allowing buyers to deduct the sales tax from a new vehicle purchase from their ...

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Autoblog Podcast #153: With Phil Berg

Phil Berg puts his reputation on the line and hangs with the podcast crew.

 
 

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