Like busty frauleins cradling a stein of Spaten, sometimes the combination of two German concepts creates a legendary result. With your help, we've identified the ten greatest intra-German automotive collaborations.
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10.) Porsche 914
Suggested by: TheSwagger
A Collaboration Between: Porsche and Volkswagen. As Irishman points out "name one other Le Mans GTS class winning model that you could buy now, running and registered, for under $2k." True, though you'll probably have to be generous with your definition of "running." You could argue the car's more Porsche than Volkswagen, despite the cries of some enthusiasts it's really just a Volkswagen. Whatever its provenance, anyone who complains about an affordable, mid-engined sports car should be damned to drive 2nd-gen Prii for the rest of their miserable lives.
9.) 1987 RUF CTR
Suggested by: OG_
A Collaboration Between: RUF and Porsche... sort of. Porsche may not have been pleased to have tuner/builder RUF take their 911 and improve performance so much it could compete with (and beat) a Porsche 959. Low weight, insane attention to aerodynamics, and a 469-hp twin-turbo flat-6 combine to make a car with few equals in its era. Also, thanks to RUF, many of us could enjoy Porsche driving dynamics in video games the company wouldn't license their products to.
8.) Dauer 962 Le Mans
Suggested by: OG_
A Collaboration Between: Porsche and Dauer. After rule changes threatened Porsches world-beating 962 prototype racers dominance, the automaker worked with Dauer to take advantage of a loophole in the classes that allowed Dauer to campaign a racer based on the 962 if they built just one production version. They did, and the car went on to take 1st and 3rd in the 24 Hours Of Le Mans. It was a brilliant victory for a sexy, sexy car. Thankfully, they built a few more of them for the street.
7.) Audi RS2
Suggested by: Us
A Collaboration Between: Porsche and Audi. Seeing a pattern here? As we explained yesterday, it's a turbocharged AWD Audi wagon over-built by Porsche. What more do you need to know?
6.) Artz VW Golf-Bodied Porsche 928
Suggested by: Nttilma
A Collaboration Between: It's a stretch, literally, as the company managed to stretch the body of a Volkswagen golf over the chassis of a Porsche 928. Six of them were actually built by tuner Artz and, one day, we will drive one.
5.) BMW Alpina 1600
Suggested by: OG_
A Collaboration Between: BMW and Alpina. One of the oldest tuner/automaker relationships, Alpina started building cars with the company in the 60s. This could be a post that's just BMW and Alpina, but we'll be faithful to OG's suggestion of the BMW 1600 Alpina, a sporty Bimmer part that predicted a long history of successful racing Alpinas.
4.) Weismanns
Suggested by: JonZeke
A Collaboration Between: Wiesmann and BMW. Not everyone likes the look of a modern BMW. Some people want a strange, Morgan-esque Roadster. Those people get the Weismann coupes and convertibles in many forms. The GT MF5 with the BMW M6 V10 is at least one thousand times better than the actual BMW M6.
3.) HAMMMMMER!
Suggested by: EthanMoss
A Collaboration Between: AMG and Mercedes. Before they were one, they were two. And two is always better than one, especially when they combine to build the incredible AMG "Hammer" E-Class. It was the world's fastest passenger sedan when it debuted, offering a meaty 5.6-liter V8 tuned to an excessively appropriate 360 hp. Also excessively appropriate? The 5-spoke black wheels on a black car. But this wasn't the car deserving of the full Hammer name. That honor goes to the 6.0-liter V8-powered model with 375 hp. It's our second-favorite W124...
2.) Audi Union V16 Type C Streamline
Suggested by: Mazarin
A Collaboration Between: Horch, Audi, DKW, and Wanderer. Like the Planeteers, when their powers combine they make something greater. Eventually, these companies just became Audi, but before they did they worked together to build a V16-powered racer capable of speeds nearing 270 mph... 72 years ago. Unfortunately, the car claimed the life of the driver Bernd Rosemeyer, but it's made it that much more infamous.
1.) 1990 Mercedes Benz 500E
Suggested by: Drujon
A Collaboration Between: Porsche and Mercedes. The obvious answer, but a no less great one because of its apparent-ness. Automakers just emerging from the bleak 80s did so with a newly found optimism. And what's more optimistic than dropping the 322-hp V8, transmission, brakes, and wheels into an E-Class W124 and handing it over to Porsche to make it work? With a 0-60 mph trot in 5.5 seconds and a slightly aggressive look, it's still my favorite Porsche sedan...