It's a Bug's life on the Baltic. Every summer, the world's largest Beetle fan community gathers in Travemünde for the Beetle Sunshinetour. This year's motto was 'Crazy - not for sheeple'.The meet featured 650 tuned and imaginatively designed VW Beetles owned by three generations of drivers - a new record for the Beetle Sunshinetour! The motley crew of Beetle-maniacs and their lovingly designed and pampered automobiles gave this event a flair all its own.

A reworked Porsche Panamera and a moderately priced SUV. Plus, Drive it! attends a fabulous VW Beetle meet.Present it! Porsche Panamera 4SPorsche has launched a revamped Panamera. It comes with a brand new engine and transmission, an improved chassis and redesigned look which is much more in line with the Porsche brand.The luxury sports sedan Panamera 4S has a 2.9-litre V6 twin-turbo engine with an output of 324 kW. The Panamera 4S can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, and Porsche claims it uses just 8.2 liters per 100 kilometers. The car is fitted with Porsche Advanced Cockpit which has touch-sensitive controls and allows for maximum connectivity.Examine it! Skoda Kodiaq World PremiereSkoda presented its new SUV in Berlin at the start of the month. 600 journalists from around the world attended the unveiling of the Kodiaq, billed as "a bear of a car" and named after one of the biggest species of bear on earth, the Kodiaq.It is a beefy, brawny vehicle without any fussy ornamentation. It is spacious and powerful and has a fancy infotainment system.Test it! Mazda 3 4-Door SedanThe Mazda 3 is serious competition for the Volkswagen Golf. It comes as a hatchback and as a fastback. Its dynamic form embodies Mazda's KODO design philosophy, which is all about muscular vigor, dynamic poise and elegant detail. We tested the top-of-the-line diesel version. It proved to be powerful and sporty with excellent handling and a spacious interior.Examine it! The 2016 Beetle SunshinetourIt's a Bug's life on the Baltic. Every summer, the world's largest Beetle fan community gathers in Travemünde for the Beetle Sunshinetour. This year's motto was 'Crazy - not for sheeple'.The meet featured 650 tuned and imaginatively designed VW Beetles owned by three generations of drivers - a new record for the Beetle Sunshinetour! The motley crew of Beetle-maniacs and their lovingly designed and pampered automobiles gave this event a flair all its own.Vintage! The Mercedes 280 E/8The Mercedes 280 E/8 was aimed at customers for whom the S Class was just beyond reach. The series was launched in 1968 and reached its zenith in 1972 with the 280 E sedan.Most of the 280s had a 4-cylinder engine under the hood. A newly developed 2.8 liter, in-line 6-cylinder engine gave the top-of-the-line model 185 horsepower - impressive for the time - and broke the key 200-kilometer-an-hour mark, reaching 100 km/h in just 9 seconds. But the 6-cylinders guzzled 14 liters of gas per 100 kilometers. In the early 1970s, the 280 was among the fastest sedans on German roads.

The Mercedes 280 E/8 was aimed at customers for whom the S Class was just beyond reach. The series was launched in 1968 and reached its zenith in 1972 with the 280 E sedan.Most of the 280s had a 4-cylinder engine under the hood. A newly developed 2.8 liter, in-line 6-cylinder engine gave the top-of-the-line model 185 horsepower - impressive for the time - and broke the key 200-kilometer-an-hour mark, reaching 100 km/h in just 9 seconds. But the 6-cylinders guzzled 14 liters of gas per 100 kilometers. In the early 1970s, the 280 was among the fastest sedans on German roads.

Drive It! tries out the second generation Audi A5; puts the Skoda Superb with Laurin and Klement interior to the test; looks at the safety systems of tomorrow; takes the Honda HR-V for a spin and visits the Smart Times fan gathering in Hamburg.

Fans of smart cars from all over the world meet every year to compare notes and share their love of Daimler's smallest vehicle. This year the gathering took place in Hamburg.

Although the HR-V compact SUV contains the word "hybrid" in its name, it does not feature the usual combination drive system. So what is Honda trying to tell potential customers?

The German parts manufacturer ZF is developing new systems to help HGV drivers avoid collisions, even in adverse conditions.

Some 60 kilos lighter, the new Audi A5 coupé boasts a more aerodynamic body and improved power steering, making driving on the open road even more fun. ved.

Skoda pays homage to the company's founding fathers by dedicating the top equipment line of the Skoda Superb station wagon to their name. Drive It! tests the luxurious L&K trim model to see if it really is a mid-range car as designated.

Drive It! tries out the second generation Audi A5; puts the Skoda Superb with Laurin and Klement interior to the test; looks at the safety systems of tomorrow; takes the Honda HR-V for a spin and visits the Smart Times fan gathering in Hamburg.Present it! The Audi A5 CoupéAudi has sold over 200,000 A5s since the launch of the first generation nearly 10 years ago. Now, the second generation model has arrived.The new two-door A5 is up to 60 kilos lighter than its predecessor and features improved aerodynamics. The vehicle appears broader and lower. The hood features scalloped sections and a "power dome" in the middle. Drivers can change the suspension settings at the press of a button depending on whether they want a zippier ride on the open road or prefer to take it easy on longer journeys.Test it! Skoda Superb Laurin and KlementThe company that is today called Skoda started out over 120 years ago, producing bicycles. The trim on the top equipment line of the Skoda Superb station wagon now harks back to that time, bearing the name of the founders Laurin und Klement. In Germany, the Skoda Superb is officially classed as a mid-range car but many question that designation.Drive It! sets out to see if it's an accurate classification.Inside it! New driver assistance systems by ZFTrucks and tractors are the giants on the road and dwarf other vehicles, which risk major damage if there’s a collision.The German automotive supplier ZF is developing new systems which would allow truck drivers to swerve safely and instantly - even in adverse conditions - if faced with a potential collision. There are also plans to make it easier for drivers to maneuver large vehicles into parking positions, by enabling them to control their vehicles from outside using a tablet. Taste it! Honda HR-VThe Honda "Hybrid Recreational Vehicle", or HR-V for short, is based on the relatively small Honda Jazz.Although the compact SUV contains the word "hybrid" in its name, it does not feature the usual combination of electric motor and conventional engine. So Drive It! looks into what Honda means by the term "hybrid", testing an HR-V with a 1.5 liter gasoline engine.

Examine it! Smart Times 2016 in HamburgSmart Times is the world's largest gathering of Smart enthusiasts. This year they met in Hamburg, Germany.Over 2000 Smart cars rolled up under sunny skies at Hamburg's wholesale market. Fans from 34 countries attended the meet. There seemed to be no limit to the creativity on display, with all kinds of converted smarts. The highlight of the annual event is the final parade. This year a record 1635 smart cars paraded through the city.