You give Volkswagen-Vorstand Martin Winterkorn Believe, then the PS arms race soon history. In the future, it will increasingly go to technical features, especially connectivity - performance is no longer in the first place, so the VW boss. But is that really true? You do not have to be particularly attentive about the Frankfurt Motor Show 2015 - the powerful models, also on this side of Lamborghini or Ferrari, are literally in the eyes of the visitors.
So the refreshed Seat Ibiza Cupra is now waiting with 141 kW / 192 PS, thus offering 12 horses more than its predecessor. Also, the cubic capacity grew by 400 cubic centimeters, so that the 23.060 Euro is likely to appeal more expensive small car at low speeds. Even the Peugeot 308 GTI sends a clear signal: With 200 kW / 272 PS it is stronger than ever, the predecessor had only 200 PS. The sports car hunter in fact-held compact-class dress is available for under 35.000 Euro.
If you have a budget of around 50.000 euros and want to get plenty of performance, you should take a look at the modified A-Class. The top-of-the-range model from AMG, which only rolls on as a 4 × 4, now generates an impressive 280 kW / 381 hp and thus pumps 21 hp more into the drive train than the first series. The smallest AMG model only needs a little more than four seconds to accelerate to country speed and with a special sports package (2.261 euros) whistles to the voluntary 250 km / h limit. In this case, braking takes place only at 270 km / h.
If you use the new top model of the C-Class Coupé, you can even fly it to 290 km / h. And here too, the engineers missed the two-door a powerful power boost over its predecessor. If you had to deal with 457 PS in the past, there is now up to 375 kW / 510 PS. And even without the suffix "S" spend the Stuttgarter still the AMG coupe after all 350 kW / 476 PS.
Even in the VW Group hide more candy for insatiable power hungry: Although operated the technicians in the iconic Porsche 911 massive downsizing and reduced the displacement of 3,4 or 3,8 to smooth three liters - but the output increased from 350 PS to 272 kW / 370 PS and from 400 PS on 309 KW / 420 PS.
Also BMW M6 drivers can soon penetrate into new PS regions: For the first time offer the Munich 600 full-grown horses for the sports coupe, which with the so-called Driver's Package but also not faster (305 km / h) drives than the previous variants.
If you are as brave as money and reach out to extrovert brands like Ferrari and Lamborghini, you will not go home with less power than you used to. The eight-cylinder turbo of the brand-new 488 Spyder equips 493 kW / 670 PS - its predecessor 458 brought it to a maximum of 605 horses. And in the house Lamborghini breaks through with the "cheap" series Huracan analogous to BMW also for the first time the 600 horsepower threshold: He clutches with 449 kW / 610 PS in the ground.
One of the most impressive examples of performance enhancement is Alfa Romeo. The 159 successor Giulia comes with a 375 KW / 510 PS strong Quadrifoglio version around the corner. In contrast, the predecessor (maximum 260 PS) blew a comparatively lukewarm breeze.
Audi is also teeming with performance increases: the brand new S4 (260 kW / 354 PS) saddles 21 horses, while the name on the SQ5 and S8 Plus models is the program. The compact SUV has 27 HP extra (now 250 kW / 340 PS), and the luxury liner even makes 85 PS more loose, which confirms the obvious trend of the 600 PS class: 445 kW / 605 PS pull on all four wheels , The top speed is 305 km / h.
Even before the SUV, the powerplay does not stop. Land Rover now lets the classic range with 404 kW / 550 PS (SV Autobiography) scramble, was not until recently 510 PS final.
And last but not least the often restrained Japanese equip. Honda is showing the turbocharged Civic Type R, whose performance has grown from 100 PS to 201 HP / 228 PS with 310 horses. Not to mention the new NSX, which will go on sale next year. The hybrid makes the power addict with a system performance of over 500 PS mouth water. In contrast, the original model with a maximum of 280 PS actually looks weak.
Author: Patrick Broich / SP-X