Articles tagged with "Supercars"
The world's most extravagant rental car?
The Saleen S7 supercar: 7 liters and 550 horsepower of the most exclusive hand-made V8 American metal. Proof positive that sex itself can tear up tarmac, and a genuine contender amongst the very top echelon of the world's performance cars. It will happily accelerate through 200mph (322kmh), and rocket you to 60mph in around 3.4 seconds if you can find enough traction. At US$400,000 per unit it's one of the most expensive cars around, and it's so exclusive that apparently even Jeremy Clarkson can't get a test drive. But you can, if you're willing to stump up the US$4000 per day charge to take what may be the world's most extravagant rental car out for a spin. We recommend the extra insurance. (read more...)
225mph Stealth supercar: BRABUS BULLIT BLACK ARROW
German auto-performance specialist Brabus has again pushed the envelope with its latest creation - the wickedly styled BULLIT BLACK ARROW. (read more...)
It's a bird, it's a plane... it's a Lamborghini
Residents of Turin, Italy were treated to an unique spectacle earlier this week as the € 1 million euro Lamborghini Reventón supercar made its way to a conference hosted by the company courtesy of a helicopter lift from the Italian marines. (read more...)
Porsche celebrates 60 years
One of the world's best-known sportscar marques is turning 60. Created by Ferdinand Alexander “Ferry” Porsche, in a small workshop in the Austrian Alps, the first Porsche prototype identified as 356-001 received official approval for road service on June 8, 1948. (read more...)
First UK showing of Citroën’s C-Métisse concept supercar
June 2, 2008 Citroën’s C-Métisse concept will be among the smorgasbord of automotive eye-candy on offer at this year's Festival of Speed at Goodwood. The appearance will be the first in the UK for the 155mph supercar which debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 2006. (read more...)
New Ferrari California
Ferrari has released three enticing photographs of the California in the build up to the car's official unveiling at the Paris Motor Show. The new stablemate for the 612 Scaglietti and the 430 Scuderia features the marque's first mid-front mounted engine. (read more...)
Keating: the next British supercar brand makes a double debut
With British performance car brands being sold to overseas interests left, right and center, it seems it's up to enthusiasts to create the next truly British supercar. And after an eight year development process, here it is: the Keating SKR and its racetrack-only, all-carbon TKR brother offer continental good looks, lightweight snappy handling and stonking power, from 400hp on the 6-litre V8 base model to a ridiculous projected 1500hp for the twin-turbo top dog. With sensible service intervals and a bespoke approach to supercar-building that will see everything from the dash instruments to the seat coverings and interior tailored to each buyer's specifications, Keating hopes to rekindle the British performance auto industry. Tally ho! (read more...)
Weber Sportcars Faster One: Swiss supercar eats Bugatti Veyron's lunch
If your neighbor swans around bragging about his 253mph Bugatti Veyron, then this Swiss supercar might be just what you need to wipe the smile off his face, because the world's got a new contender for the fastest road-legal car. The crudely-named "Faster One" from Weber Sports might not have the Bugatti's dashing good looks, but if you ever found enough straight road to give them both a gumboot full, the Faster One's claimed top speed of 260mph (420kmh) would see it crawl away from both the Veyron and the SSC Ultimate Aero. With only 900hp to the Veyron's 1001, the Faster One lives up to its name by virtue of its superior aerodynamics. And the price of ultimate velocity? A little over US$1.5 million. (read more...)
Corvette ZR1's certified power ratings exceed expectations
April 30, 2008 When the preliminary performance specs for the new 2009 Corvette ZR1 appeared on the radar late last year ahead of its debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, predictions were for a supercar producing 620 horses and topping 200mph, making it the most powerful and fastest automobile ever produced by General Motors. Now with the release of the certified power ratings there's no cause for disappointment, in fact it seems that initial predictions were a little underdone. According to Chevrolet, the ZR1's hand-built, supercharged LS9 V-8 engine will produce 638 horsepower (476 kW) and 604 lb.-ft. of torque (819 Nm) - an output of almost 103 horses per liter - and will achieve a top speed of 205 mph (330 km/h). On top of that, although fuel economy testing has not yet been completed, engineers remain confident that the ZR1 will be the most fuel-efficient 600-plus-horsepower car on the market. (read more...)
Gearing up for Goodwood
April 17, 2008 The wheels are in motion for this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed which will be held between 11-13 July under the theme ‘Hawthorn to Hamilton – Britain’s Love Affair with World Motor Sport’. (read more...)
Britain's Lightning GT electric supercar
March 27, 2008 It seems a transatlantic battle is brewing in the high-performance electric sportscar market. As America's Tesla moves into the production phase with its 130+mph Roadster, Britain's Lightning GT is hot on its heels, with prototypes expected to hit the road later this year. The Lightning's power figures are very impressive - 700 horsepower, and 4 second 0-60mph times to almost rival the Tesla's 3.7 seconds. But it's the GT's revolutionary battery technology that might give it the upper hand: Nanosafe's Li-ion cells using nano titanate structures instead of traditional graphite give the GT an incredible 250-mile range, a full recharge time of only 10 minutes, and a life expectancy of 12 to 20 years, or 15,000 charge cycles before the battery performance drops significantly. (read more...)
Fully electric, 130+mph Tesla Roadster goes into production
March 18, 2008 A very significant milestone in zero-emissions motoring has just occurred as Tesla Motors announced yesterday that its groundbreaking electric sportscar has commenced regular production. The 130mph Tesla Roadster is the first production electric car to boast genuine sports performance coupled with a 210+ mile range between battery charges, which make it both exciting and viable for the vast majority of driving purposes. The fact that it's utterly gorgeous, with hints of the Lotus Elise, doesn't hurt either. All of the 2008 models scheduled for production have already been snapped up for just under US$100,000 each - and reservations are now being taken on the 2009 model. (read more...)
BRABUS SLR McLaren roadster gets a smart tender
So the traffic's a little heavy and you don't feel like taking the SLR McLaren roadster BRABUS to the shops. The solution: take the high-performance smart fortwo "tender". The yachting term has made its way into the automotive world via the latest offering from German performance specialist BRABUS. On World debut at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, the BRABUS “tender to the SLR” package consists of two identically painted and equipped vehicles - an aerodynamically enhanced, finely tuned, 211mph SLR McLaren Roadster BRABUS (the yacht) and the BRABUS ULTIMATE 112, a drop-top two-seater based on the latest smart fortwo Cabrio that puts out 112 hp and achieves 0-62mph in under ten seconds (the tender). (read more...)
250mph Koenigsegg Edition set for world premiere
February 28, 2008 Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg will debut its latest gob-smacking creation at the upcoming Geneva International Motor Show - the Koenigsegg Edition. Featuring a striking black clear carbon body, red leather interior and new forged, machined and polished aluminum wheels, the Edition will be available in two versions - the 4.8 litre 888bhp CCX Edition and the CCXR Edition, a biofuel burning variant that achieves 1018 bhp at 7000rpm when run on E85 fuel, making 0-62 mph (0-100 kmh) in under 3 seconds and reaching a top Speed of 254+ mph (410+ kmh) along the way. Those in the market will have to dig deep and act fast to get behind the wheel of the Edition - pricing for the CCXR version is listed at 1.5 million Euros and according to Koenigsegg "only a very few models will be produced". (read more...)
Maserati Gran Turismo S debut
February 27, 2008 Following on from last year's world premiere of the GranTurismo, Maserati is set to return to the Geneva Motor Show with another sleek Pininfarina designed coupe in tow - the 440 hp V8 GranTurismo S. (read more...)
Legendary Caterham road/race car now making twice the Bugatti Veyron's power to weight figure
February 27, 2008 When Jeremy Clarkson declares a car "without any doubt, the ultimate driving machine," and when that same car has a 30-year history of being banned from racing against the most expensive supercars because it routinely thrashes the pants off just about anything around a racetrack, you might suspect that car's got something going for it. So when a special edition is released with an all-new super-lightweight 500hp motor in a package that delivers more than twice the power-to-weight ratio of a Bugatti Veyron, for around a tenth of the price, it must rate as a significant moment in motoring history. Making around 1 horsepower per kilogram, rocketing to 60mph in less than 3 seconds, and yours for only UK£115,000, it's the RS Performance Caterham Levante. (read more...)
Geneva Motor Show highlights: Alfa 8C Spider
February 20, 2008 Alfa Romeo will exhibit a convertible version of the Alfa 8C Competizione supercar at next month’s Geneva Motor Show ahead of a limited production run. The silky smooth Alfa 8C Spider utilizes the same 450bhp, 4.7 litre V8 as its coupe stablemate via a 6-speed F1-style paddle shift gearbox to the rear wheels. (read more...)
E-Vade: world debut for lightweight, 500 kW sportscar
February 19, 2007 A joint effort between naval engineer Lieutenant Commander David Walter and his wife Peta, the track version of the two-seater E-Vade sportscar weighs just 900 kg and achieves 500 kW from its modified Nissan V6 engine mounted longitudinally behind the driver. A slightly heavier (950 kg) road-going and less powerful (300kW) configuration is also on offer with both versions incorporating a built-in hydraulic jacking system which can lift the whole car about 20 cm at the press of a button for quick wheel and tyre changes. (read more...)
Mercedes SL 63 AMG: coming in April, with new 7-speed Speedshift transmission
Mercedes' high performance tuning subsidiary AMG has announced the April release of its sportiest-ever SL class Benz. The SL 63 AMG's 6.3-litre engine's now tuned for 525 horses and 660Nm, and even the most ham-footed driver can hit 100kmh in 4.6 seconds thanks to the AMG Race Start launch control package. Chilly temperatures don't have to put you off driving with the top down, as the AMG features a new "Airscarf" neck-level heating system, and the electronically adjustable suspension lets you strike the right balance between racetrack grip and touring comfort on the road. The transmission's a beauty - a four mode manual auto with superfast 100ms shifting and auto-double declutching on downshifts. And if this baby's not fast enough for you, there's always the SL 65 AMG biturbo V12. (read more...)
Mazda’s new, production-ready 180mph Furai Concept
Mazda unveiled the latest in its series of Nagare concept cars at North American International Auto Show yesterday - the Furai P2 concept celebrates 40 years of rotary engine development at Mazda plus the company’s international motorsport heritage with the raciest interpretation of Nagare design language to-date. The ethanol-burning, three-rotor rotary Furai is more than just a design exercise, having seen 180 mph on the racetrack and with strong hints that it is ready for production. The Furai concept serves as a turning point in the Nagare developmental process - while the four previous concept cars explored different ways to express Mazda’s emerging design philosophy and to explore an aesthetic, this one is all about function – every last texture and detail serves some functional purpose. (read more...)
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to top 200mph - NEW IMAGES
Chevrolet has announced details of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 with the promise of an American supercar that will establish new benchmarks for production-based power and performance. Coming almost two decades after the official launch of the Corvette ZR1 at the Geneva Auto Show way back in 1989, the 2009 ZR1 features a long list of specialized components that include extensive use of carbon-fiber paneling and an all-new LS9 supercharged 6.2L V-8 that's expected to punch out 620 horsepower (462 kW) with around 595 lb.-ft. of torque (823 Nm). Though full performance specs will not be released until the summer 2008 launch draws closer, predictions are that the new ZR1 will be the first production Corvette to achieve a top speed of at least 200 mph, making it the the most powerful and fastest automobile ever produced by General Motors and giving it the muscle to claim dominance over international competition like the Porsche 911 GT2, the Ferrari 599 and the Lamborghini LP640. (read more...)
Porsche announces modern interpretation of 1960s racecar
In case you ever wondered, the word "Spyder" simply refers to a sporty, "speedy" convertible. It harks back to the days of horse-drawn carriages where it was used to describe small, light two-seater carriages with a simple folding sunshade on top secured by four bows that looked like, well a spider sitting on top of the carriage. The name has made its way through into the auto business, and has been particularly popular on Euro sportsters with the latest example from Porsche being the limited edition Boxter RS 60 Spyder. The German company plans to produce only 1,960 of them in homage to the groundbreaking, "giant-killing" Porsche Type 718 RS 60 that blitzed the larger, more powerful competition in 1960's 12 hours of Sebring endurance race, and kicked off a successful streak in motorsport for the company. (read more...)
Ferrari upgrades FXX prototype
November 14, 2007 After two years of ferocious testing, Ferrari have made large-scale improvements to one of the most extreme supercars they’ve ever built. Available only to a select handful of owners (including 7-times Formula One champ Michael Schumacher), the FXX prototype now makes a ridiculous 860 horsepower (641.3kW) at a screaming 9500RPM, and incorporates the absolute bleeding edge of barely-filtered F1 technology. Never intended for road use, the car can only be driven at trackdays approved by Ferrari, and all driving data is fed back into the Ferrari roadcar development program. (read more...)
2008 Porsche 911 GT2: Faster, lighter, harder
Vastly lighter than the 911 Turbo after dropping from all-wheel-drive to rear-wheel drive, loads more powerful and efficient thanks to twin turbos and clever intake manifold innovations, and more racetrack-ready than ever before: the 2008 911 GT2 will be showcased in a few days at the LA Auto show, and it’s a beauty. In fact, it’s the fastest and most powerful production road Porsche 911 the company has ever homologated for the road, belting out a stern 530 rear-wheel drive horses, hitting 100kmh in a mere 3.7 seconds and topping out at an eye-widening 329kmh (or just over 200mph). (read more...)
No longer a Skyline: the 2008 Nissan GT-R a huge hit in Tokyo - UPDATED, NEW IMAGES
October 25, 2007 Perhaps the biggest buzz we’ve seen yet at the Tokyo Auto Show has been around the official launch of the new Nissan GT-R performance car, which packs a 3.8 litre, 480-horsepower twin-turbo engine, electronically adjustable suspension, shift and stability control modes, and the world’s first independent twin-axle 4WD. Looking sharp, the GT-R is clearly aimed at the Porsche 911 Turbo, which it has apparently beaten around both the Nurburgring and Laguna Seca in racetrack testing. (read more...)
