The Golf R is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Its exterior and interior are both plainer than a GTI, but it's more powerful than its famous brother. With 221 kW of output, the R is the beefiest member of the Golf family. It sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. From the side, the mighty 18” alloy wheels and a few understated "R” badges hint at what's hiding under the hood.

Topless Porsche: excitement at 320 km/hr with the new 911 Turbo convertible. Less is more: the Citroen C4 Cactus - an innovative car from France. Do it yourself: how a man built his own dream car, the Beradino.Admire it! Porsche 911 Turbo convertiblePorsche presents the new 911 turbo convertible: beautiful form, perfected technology, and overwhelming power. The biturbo 6-cylinder 3.8-liter engine unleashes 397 kW and blasts from zero to 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds and has a peak speed of 320 km/h.Test it! Citroen C4 CactusIn its heyday Citroen made legendary cars like the DS and the 2CV. Now the French carmaker has recaptured its innovative spirit with the C4 Cactus. Bucking the trend towards bigger is better, it's decided less is more. It’s a mini French Revolution.Taste it! Volvo XC90Volvo now offers a plug-in hybrid edition of the XC90. The SUV comes with a crisper design, and further enhanced safety features. They include world firsts such as run-off-road protection from collisions once the car leaves the road, and the intersection brake assist that slows the car down when turning across incoming traffic. We also took the XC90 out on a specially prepared ice track.Examine it! VW Golf RThe Golf R is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Its exterior and interior are both plainer than a GTI, but it's more powerful than its famous brother. With 221 kW of output, the R is the beefiest member of the Golf family. It sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. From the side, the mighty 18” alloy wheels and a few understated "R” badges hint at what's hiding under the hood.Vintage! BeradinoThe Beradino is a two-seater with 1960s sportscar flair. It looks like it was designed by Bertone or Pininfarina. But Johannes Paulussen created the car and built it by hand. A picture of perfect craftsmanship and design, it’s even amazed experts.

In its heyday Citroen made legendary cars like the DS and the 2CV. Now the French carmaker has recaptured its innovative spirit with the C4 Cactus. Bucking the trend towards bigger is better, it's decided less is more. It’s a mini French Revolution.

The Seat Alhambra has been popular with price-conscious families for years.We've tried the basic 1.4-liter 110 kW model of this seven-seat station wagon. In Germany, this model is available for about 30,000 euros. We tried the Alhambra with the "Style Plus" feature package that comes with electric sliding doors and an electric trunk lid, among other perks. We want to see if saving on the engine and splurging on such features pays off.

On the racetrack in Valencia, we pulled out all the stops with the new Ford Focus RS.The extreme sports compact has an engine that puts out 257kW and four driving modes. "Normal" and "Sport" are for everyday use; "Racetrack" and the newly developed "Drift Mode" turn the RS into a distance-devourer. Under the eyes of an instructor, our car tester Andre Zimmermann rips up the pavement in Drift Mode.

Pure speed: the Ford Focus RS with four drive modes. Family car: the Seat Alhambra van. Spectacular: the annual motorcycle trade fair at Lake Constance. Related: the BMW X4 and the X3. Historical: the Shanghai Auto MuseumPresent it: Ford Focus RSOn the racetrack in Valencia, we pulled out all the stops with the new Ford Focus RS.The extreme sports compact has an engine that puts out 257kW and four driving modes. "Normal" and "Sport" are for everyday use; "Racetrack" and the newly developed "Drift Mode" turn the RS into a distance-devourer. Under the eyes of an instructor, our car tester Andre Zimmermann rips up the pavement in Drift Mode.Taste it! Seat AlhambraThe Seat Alhambra has been popular with price-conscious families for years.We've tried the basic 1.4-liter 110 kW model of this seven-seat station wagon. In Germany, this model is available for about 30,000 euros. We tried the Alhambra with the "Style Plus" feature package that comes with electric sliding doors and an electric trunk lid, among other perks. We want to see if saving on the engine and splurging on such features pays off.Spot it: Motorcycle World Lake ConstanceIn the last two decades, the Motorradwelt Bodensee has established itself as the biggest motorcycle trade fair in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.The trade fair shows all the trends of the coming season: 807 machines, 47 of them new, and about 20 different show acts promise a 3-day biker paradise. "Tuned and pimped" is the motto of the "Best Bike Awards". This customizing contest will present 24 different bikes ranging from a wooden motorcycle to a pink ladies' cruiser with every imaginable customization.Test it: BMW X4In technical terms, the BMW X4 and X3 are closely related. Still, there are major differences.While the X3, which was introduced in 2003, has the typical boxy shape of an SUV, the X4 embodies a new design concept, that of the sports activity coupé. The roof line slopes gently downward from its highest point above the front seats toward the rear. It thus evokes the classical forms of a sports coupé. Drive It! tested the X4 with a 225 kilowatt xDrive 35i gasoline engine. Vintage: Shanghai Auto MuseumMercedes Benz is celebrating its 130th birthday. Automotive museums around the world are showing the long history of the automobile.Mathis Kurrat takes us on a tour of the Shanghai Auto Museum in Shanghai, which has one of the legendary 130-year-old Benz cars. Mathis wonders where the Chinese cars might be. Wherever he looks he sees European and Ameican vehicles from every decade. Big "riverboats" from the US, little sports convertibles from Britain, and even cars made in China's arch-rival, Japan. Finally he finds cars designed and built in China, like the Shanghai SH 7221.

In the last two decades, the Motorradwelt Bodensee has established itself as the biggest motorcycle trade fair in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.The trade fair shows all the trends of the coming season: 807 machines, 47 of them new, and about 20 different show acts promise a 3-day biker paradise. "Tuned and pimped" is the motto of the "Best Bike Awards". This customizing contest will present 24 different bikes ranging from a wooden motorcycle to a pink ladies' cruiser with every imaginable customization.

In technical terms, the BMW X4 and X3 are closely related. Still, there are major differences.While the X3, which was introduced in 2003, has the typical boxy shape of an SUV, the X4 embodies a new design concept, that of the sports activity coupé. The roof line slopes gently downward from its highest point above the front seats toward the rear. It thus evokes the classical forms of a sports coupé. Drive It! tested the X4 with a 225 kilowatt xDrive 35i gasoline engine.

Mercedes Benz is celebrating its 130th birthday. Automotive museums around the world are showing the long history of the automobile.Mathis Kurrat takes us on a tour of the Shanghai Auto Museum in Shanghai, which has one of the legendary 130-year-old Benz cars. Mathis wonders where the Chinese cars might be. Wherever he looks he sees European and Ameican vehicles from every decade. Big "riverboats" from the US, little sports convertibles from Britain, and even cars made in China's arch-rival, Japan. Finally he finds cars designed and built in China, like the Shanghai SH 7221.

Get a taste of summer with an open-top Smart car ride through ValenciaThe fabric roof in this new two-seater folds back in under 12 seconds and at any driving speed. And if the car’s stationary, you can even tuck it all the way into the trunk. With a few easy steps, the side bars can be removed and stowed safely away in the tailgate. The convertible model comes with a surcharge of €3,260 in Germany. That’s a fair whack, but it certainly adds to the fun.