Volkswagen Sweepstakes Offers Winner the Chance to Drive the Golf R at the 'Ring

The Volkswagen brand is lifting the stakes with a freshly launched competition to mark the arrival of its new 2012 Golf R hot hatch in the United States.

Named the “Golf R Ultimate Fan Experience” Sweepstakes, the contest will offer one lucky winner an all-expenses paid trip for two in Germany this September.

The week-long trip will include, among other things, a tour of VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg but more importantly, the unique opportunity to drive the Golf R at the Nürburgring racetrack.

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Lexus Delivers Europe's First LFA with a Nürburgring Package to a UK Customer

More than a year after Lexus officially presented the LFA Nürburgring Edition at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the first example of the Japanese supercar arrived in Europe and was delivered this week to an unnamed customer in Britain. This is one of only 50 LFA Nürburgring Edition models that will be sold worldwide.

The Nürburgring Edition model is finished in an orange exterior hue with a black interior, but that's not what makes it special.

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Watch a VW Scirocco R Chase a Ford Focus RS on the Nürburgring Track

Here are two of Europe's finest hot hatches (that you won't be able to buy in the States, at least not in their current generation…) racing each other on the Nordschleife.

The VW Scirocco R is the flagship model of the series and is powered by a specially tuned 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that churns out 261hp (265PS) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft).

Like the Volkswagen model, the Focus RS is front wheel drive but instead of a four-banger, it sports a 2.5-liter force-fed inline-five generating 300hp (305PS) and 440Nm (324.5 lb-ft).

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Honda CR-V Driver Loses Control and Flips Over at the Nürburgring Circuit

True, anyone can go to the Nürburgring in Germany for a quick lap around the world's most famous racetrack, but that doesn't mean they should overdo it as common sense says they must be cautious and know the their own as well as their vehicle's limits.

Plus, what looks like a regular, previous generation Honda CR-V equipped with a…sic bull bar isn't exactly the type of vehicle you’d like to push too much at high speeds on the Nordschleife.

The driver of the Japanese crossover lost control of the vehicle as he came out of a quick corner and ended flipping over the guardrail. The accident, as you can imagine, is a very scary one indeed.

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Toyota to Field a Pair of GT86 Coupes in the Nürburgring 24 Hour Race [Video]

Toyota is wasting no time in preparing its newly launched 86 rear-wheel drive coupe (named GT86 in Europe) for its motorsports activities.

The Japanese automaker announced today that in cooperation with its motorsports partner Gazoo Racing, it is entering two GT86 coupes in the famous Nürburgring 24 hour race, which takes place from May 17 to 20. Gazoo Racing will also field a Lexus LFA in the race.

Prior to the Nürburgring endurance race, Gazoo Racing will bring one of its GT86 models to the Japanese Rally Championship.

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MINI Officially Confirms John Cooper Works GP Special on the Sidelines of the New York Auto Show

We've already caught Mini trying out a prototype of the range-topping John Cooper Works GP hot hatch near the Nürburgring, but today, the company made it official.

Prior to the New York International Auto Show, Kay Segler, senior vice president of the Mini brand, said that the John Cooper Works GP will be revealed at the MINI United Festival that takes place in Le Castellet, France, this May.

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Scoop: MINI Developing New "Super" Cooper S JCW GP Limited Edition

You can never have too much of a good thing, especially if the financial returns are ample as was the case with MINI's Cooper S John Cooper Works (JCW) GP special that marked the end of the first generation model.

Now, it seems that MINI is working on a GP version for the current hatchback as our spies spotted a prototype as it was heading out for testing at the Nürburgring.

The test car featured a more aggressive aero package than the regular JCW model with a new front splitter, side skirts, a large roof wing and a prominent diffuser at the rear that looks similar to the one found on the Challenge race car.

It also rides on a lowered suspension and new alloy wheels with a four-spoke design, just like the first GP model.

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Scoop: Next Maserati Quattroporte hits the Nürburgring Racetrack

The last time we spotted a prototype of the 2013 Maserati Quattroporte, it was playing around on the ice in the northern part of Sweden, but now that the weather is clearing up, the Italians are trying out their flagship sedan at the Nürburgring.

And while the trick camouflage remains, this time our spy shooters were able to grab better photos of the test mule.

We still can't say for sure which parts of the prototype will pass on to the production model, but it does appear that the sixth generation of the Quattroporte will sport a more elongated roof, albeit not as far as dramatic as the test mule suggests.

Inside, the Fiat Group's top saloon model will provide more space for the rear passengers as the car will ride on a slightly larger platform than the current Quattroporte, which is 5,097mm long, 1,895 mm wide, and 1,438mm tall with a 3,064mm wheelbase.

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Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG to get Menacing Black Series Edition

There's a new star coming to Mercedes-Benz's range, and it's none other than the Black Series Edition of the German firm's flagship sports car, the SLS AMG 'Gullwing' coupe.

We first spotted the car back in October of 2011, but our photographers scooped another set of images of a prototype model while AMG engineers were performing cold weather tests in Europe.

The Black Series nameplate is reserved for the more hardcore versions of Mercedes' AMG sports cars. For the SLS AMG model, the package will bring more power, a lighter body, a tweaked chassis and a more purposeful appearance.

You'll be able to identify the SLS AMG Black Series from its wider front and rear fenders housing larger wheels than the 265/35ZR19 front and 295/30ZR20 rear tires found on the regular model, along with a bespoke front bumper with larger air inlets and a modified rear diffuser.

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