The world has seen many impressive hatchbacks, the Ford Focus ST, The Fiesta, the Golf GTI, and it was the turn of the giants to go into that race, like Mercedes-Benz with the A class, made most powerful Hatch in the world. With competition being fierce, Audi presented its new hatchback, the RS3, and it the most powerful between them all.
Numbers : The RS3 is powered by a 2.5 L 5 cylinder TFSI engine, that develops 367 bhp. The engine boosts the car from stop to 100 kph in 4.3 seconds, and top speed limit has been pushed up to 280 kph. The power is channeled to the four wheels via a 7-speed multi-disk double-clutch S tronic transmission. Audi fitted it with Launch control. The RS3 is fitted with the Audi Quattro system with torque vectoring. Fuel consumption is 8.1 L to the 100 km, with CO2 emissions of 189 grams per kilometer. It is said to cost around 40,000€.
The new RS 3 weighs close to 1655 kg, and with the power from its engine, it can go sideways, play with its tail as any hot hatch can do. The multidisk hydraulic clutch can, and with the help of the revised Quattro system, transfer all the power to the rear wheels. The driver can enjoy it more with the ESC (electronic stability control) off, that is when the car forgets all about the electronic mambo jumbo, and goes crazy sideways.
Porsche fans, hold your breath because there is a new one coming, it is the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. It will be using a new engine, a new transmission and it will be still elegant and eye catching, because, it is still a Porsche.
Many rumors have been said about the GT3 RS, but one thing is sure, is that is will be breath taking, engine displacement will be 3.8L or 4.0L generating 500 bhp. It will be a flat six, naturally aspirated engine. Porsche people are coming up with a new engine, for a better management of power and torque. While addressing Auto Express, Porsche R&D boss, Wolfgang Hatz said “Performance has to be the main objective. Customers love the current GT3. The RS has to be the peak. The 991 GT3 was very much a surprise for everybody because it’s a very usable car for every day. The GT3 RS will be more extreme.” He made sure that the car will come with a PDK dual-clutch 7-speed automatic transmission, yet, Porsche did not completely rule out the idea of a manual transmission. Hatz said that the turbocharged engines will be used on models like the Cayman, the Carrera, or the 912, but the GT3 RS is to keep a naturally aspirated engine.
There are noticeable changes on the body, the car has larger intakes for instance, a new front splitter, big fender grill, an improved rear spoiler as a bigger rear wing and heat extractors will be all part of the new aero kit the GT3 RS will be receiving. It is certain that the car will go in a severe diet to lose weight, in order to improve power-to-weight ratio.
The Porsch GT3 RS will be going after two main records, one made by the old model 7 min and 25 sec, and the other is made by Porsche Hyper-insanely-beautiful-car the 918, 6 min and 57 seconds, all around the all mighty Nürburgring. We will have to wait until March to have the GT3 RS revealed completely.
Good news kept on coming from the Detroit Auto Show, car makes really brought their A game to the show. Ford impressed everyone with the coming back of the Ford GT, and it is not the only one with a good comeback, Acura has something to say too, and has brought the NSX back to life.
The NSX was first seen in 1990, its main goal was to compete against the Italian giant, Ferrari, and it proved itself good. It had the supercar spirit, was reliable, also made in Japan, it did a good job. With the newest Acura, Honda is planning to come back in the supercars game, to rewrite its name in history. The first time ever for the concept to be revealed was two years ago, in this same auto show, a year later, Honda gave a glimpse about its interior, and now, they offer the whole package. Honda representatives said that they will be taking orders starting August, at 150k$ the piece.
What you will notice first, it is that the NSX has really evolved, in shape and in spirit. The new NSX is 5.1 inches wider, has an 11.0 inches longer wheelbase and is one inch higher, it surely has been drinking its milk. It looks futuristic, aggressive, ready to devour the tarmac anytime. It comes with a twin-turbocharged DOHC V6 , coupled to three electric motors. The V6 sits in the rear of the car, the electric motors mounted, one rear-drive, and two front-drives. The engines are all coupled to a 9-speed dual-clutch transmission. While on hybrid, the three electric motors send extra torque to the wheels, thanks to Honda’s program Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-wheel-drive system. The V6 engine needs more air, hence the big vents in the sides.
The body is made of Aluminium, high-strength steel, carbon-fiber and other advanced elements, so it is expected to be lightweight. But no, the extra engines, and gadgets, lift the car weight up to 3500 pounds, which is 500 more compared to the older NSX. In the front, the five-block headlamps have left place to skinny rows of six LED’s which are underscored by a thin strip of LED DRL’s. It has new designed ducts. Body panels are made from aluminium. And in the rear, the car has a thin bar of LED lamps. The NSX sits on 19-inch wheels in the front and 20-inch in the rear, that hide six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers carbon-ceramic brakes.
The interior doesn’t get less good treating, it follows the same philosophy as the older NSX “Human Support Cockpit”. It offers to the driver exceptional control, visibility and packaging. The interior is comfortable, has two tones, red and black. Elements used are aluminum (for the structural components) and leather, to cover the whole deal. The car has a TFT instruments cluster, that allows the driver to better control his car, and to chose the drive modes according to his tastes. There are four driving modes : Quiet, Sport, Sport+, and Track.
So, NSX, the car long waited for by car fans, wont be sold until August, until then, people at Honda will be working on fixing fewer details, even on buffing the engines up.
Stop everything that you are doing, hold every horse, and concentrate, because, THE car is here, it is the newest Ford GT, and yeah, the best comes in a new generation, with a lot of carbon-fiber, F1 technology and an engine mounted in the middle.
The Ford GT was first seen in the sixties, then 40 years or a bit more, in 2005, also in the Detroit Auto Show, it was named, the GT 40, because it is 40 inches-long, and it is to celebrate 40 years of the GT. Today, Ford pleases our eyes, and minds with the new one, it looks similar as the previous one, more futuristic, has all the new gadgetry, well, because now we live in the future, it is not the present anymore in the automotive world.
Let’s start with what is powering the beast, a 3.5L twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6, that produces, and hold on to your hats, 600 bhp. That is 50 bhp more than the GT 40, and with a smaller engine. All the power will be channeled to the rear wheels via a seven-speed transmission with paddle shifters. Top speed is estimated to be around 200 mph, and acceleration around 3.0 seconds from stop to 100 kph. The GT 40 is said to compete in the LeMans 24H. Ford did not tell much about the car, but more figures will come.
Ford promises though that the car will have one of the power to weight ratios ever, thanks to its carbon-fiber passenger cell, carbon-fiber chassis, carbon-fiber engine tank and aluminium in the rear and front. Styling looks more European, and that is what catches the eye first, it is not a proper GT. It has active aerodynamics, a deployable rear spoiler, a lot of air vents, to channel the air through all the car’s body. The engine is now under a glass top, that looks more like the Gallardo’s or the R8’s. When you look at it from behind, it is a 458, merged in the spirit of a LaFerrari, side looks, it is an Aventador, with an F12 air vent. but it is still a Ford GT. In the front it still has the same hood, with the same air vents, it still has that angry look, from the GT 40, with LED headlights now, it is still aggressive, and that is what counts. The car has 20-inch alloy wheels, and ceramic breaks.
Interior has adjustable seats, LaFerrari style, adjustable pedals, and wait for it, an F1 looking like steering wheel, with all the buttons, that will do things. It features a digital display, for all the technology geeks. Ford said that the recently introduced Sync3 system will be available in the GT. Doors will till open upwards.
The Ford GT will enter in production in 2016, now Ford is just teasing, it is clear that it will compete against new, yet to be revealed coming cars, the 458 turbo, the McLaren Sport, but competition will surely be fierce.
It is like one can’t get enough of Japanese cars. They are sexy, good looking, astonishing, infinitely good performant, luxurious. They are the whole package. And when you think to yourself that they will stop there, they surely outdo themselves. Take Infiniti for example, it produces nice cars, even better with F1 tech from the Red Bull team. The new car they are presenting, have been teased before, and now the wait is over, and it has been unveiled.
Power :
Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, the newest Infiniti comes with style, luxury, and yes, power. It is named : The Q60 Concept. It is powered by the new generation of v6 engines, a 3.0L v6 turbocharged generation with direct injection, and these do come with all the power needed to fight big cars even that they are small, courtesy to Infiniti. The engines are announced to be more efficient and more powerful. It is expected that they’ll develop 550 bhp, coupled to a hybrid power unit. Power will be transmitted to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Being smaller, they have reduced fuel consumption and C02 emissions. Infiniti is really following the saying “with great power, comes great responsibility” to the point. They are really responsible towards earth.
Design :
One of the most remarkable features of the Q60 is its sporty, muscular look. The car is 184.6 inches long. It sits on 21 inch wheels with contrasting black and silver spokes. From the behind, it looks like Mercedes latest coupe, the S class coupe, but, its front and sides are inspired from the Infiniti Q50 and the Q80. It has the same strong, front grille as the Q50, the same angry look Infiniti offers to its cars now. However, the car has it own styling, it has a long nose, but a shorter deck, it is quite wide (73.4 inches wide). Lines, and shapes define the direction of the car’s design.
Interior :
The 2+2 interior offers a great luxury, and looks really elegant. It is based on the Q50, already, it has many of its instruments. The instruments panel has hand-stitched leather wrapping, it has also two tones, black, that offers a contrast feature to the sporty inside look, and white. Leather is present on the seats too, with personalized stitching. The doors are carbon-fiber.
Materials used to make the body are mostly aluminium alloys. Some strong steel and carbon-fiber parts do exist, but, the body is mostly aluminium.
The Infiniti Q60 will surely compete against Japanese car number 1 rival, the M4 Series by BMW, that car is really getting on the Japanese people’s nerves. Of course, the Lexus RC, the Audi A5 coupe will be in Infiniti’s visor.
It has been a busy year with Mercedes-Benz, I mean the new S class, the C class, the Formula 1 world championship, the AMG GT, the CLS facelift. It was fruitful and for the German constructor, stopping while you are way ahead, is not an option. We all were astounded with the magic done with the S class safety systems, we all said that it is a new step for man toward self-drivable cars, well, here is one, revealed yesterday ( January 6th 2014) at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2015. Mercedes’ official YouTube channel has a video for us and it gives something like this :
Its name is the F 015 concept, or according to Mercedes’ philosophy, it is luxury in motion. What it looks like, it is that, the future of automobile is so close, you may even say that, the future is here. At a first sight, the vehicle doesn’t look like much of a car, yes it has 4 wheels, and 4 doors, but, there is that bonnet part, it is too short, with a very long wheel-base. Dimensions of the car are as follows, it’s 205.5 inches long, 79.4 inches wide, and 60 inches tall. The wheel-base is 142.1 inches which is 9.6 longer than the S class, which is long. The F 015 is streamlined, pointing towards the ground, has futuristic wheels, and a long light bar in the rear. The F 015 chassis is made from carbon-fiber, aluminium and strong steel. The body weighs 40 percent less than production cars nowadays.
The car is commanded by a push of a button, or a finger swipe, to be more up to date with technology, and it comes to you like a puppy who wants to play, it approaches you softly, opens its doors for you and invites you in, the chairs turns for you, and some soft German automated female voice tells you to “Get in”. In addition to that, the car has road and pedestrian recognition systems, it has two different LED light indications, to tell whether the driver is driving or the car is doing it itself. When detecting a pedestrian, undulating lights on the grille indicate to him that F 015 detects them, then according to it, the car stops, draws a laser projected cross walk, and lets the driver know that he/she can cross the road in safety, using that same soft German female automated voice. It can indicate through panels to the driver behind it to slow down, “SLOW” or that it is braking “STOP”, as you know, Mercedes is all about security and crash avoidance. That is how futuristic it is.
The Luxury in Motion is for the individual who wants to retreat to a private place, relieving themselves of the stress and work involved with driving in the ever more hostile urban environment where driving is not enjoyable” according to Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler and head of Mercedes cars.
In the interior, the saloon car, or moving conference room is really from the future, for starters, it is spacious, then there are screens all over the place. These screens are used to channel information between the driver or passengers and the car. Everyone now can take part in controlling the car, choice is offered in destination (of course), drive mode (relaxed or dynamic). The interior is white, with an ambient lighting, a soft blue generally. Chairs rotate easily, in a regular setting, they rotate 30° towards the door to allow a much more easier getting in or out of the car, people inside the car can opt for a more facing each other setting and rotate the luxurious chairs in that order. Doors open to 90° degrees, for a more comfortable get out/ get in. The car carpet is no more, instead of it, there is a hardwood floor, made of open-pore walnut wood. Of course, this car still has a steering wheel, to let the driver feel a bit of control over the car, it is Mercedes’ way to say, the human part is still needed.
Because the car can be controlled from any of the touchscreens, “any passenger can become the driver,” Dieter Zetsche.
What is powering this machine from the future? Mercedes said it would be an electric-drive system, a plug-in hybrid. 2 electric motors, possibly mounted one at each front wheel provide propulsion, the main generators would be a fuel-cell stack, hydrogen tank and lithium sulfate battery pack. Top speed will be around 70 mph.
This car, as smart, and future telling is, is not maybe suitable for us, big engine admirers, because car love is about that power, the noise, the design amongst other things.
When one of the most powerful muscle car ever made decides to race an old bird, it will certainly give a good spectacle. The car is The Hellcat SRT Dodge Challenger, powered by a furious supercharged V8, that produces 707 bhp. Its opponent is the F16 fighter jet, one of the fastest birds ever build. For 40 years it helped the United States achieve some of its goals.
The Challenger was driven by Larry Webster, while the F16 was piloted by Captain Scott Morris. The test was done by Driven. I won’t keep you much, watch what would happen.
We all love Japanese cars, they have their own styling, their own market, they are pleasing to the eye, and honestly, they are impressive toys. There are some flaws, but the Japanese are working on that. They took a lot of confidence in them, with the Skyline, the Godzilla, and all the tail gliding cars. Now it is time to take the German luxuries, one in particular is BMW. Lexus, announces its new model, the GS-F who is serious enough to claim throne to both the 5 and the 3 series by BMW.
It is not clear yet who it is going to compete against, it has a 100 bhp less than the M5 and the C63 AMG, a bit more than the 3 series, it weighs less (nearly 150 Kg less than the M5 and 200 more on the M3), it is supposed to be more serious, so even with numbers, its direct opponent won’t be clear. The GS-F is powered by the same 5.0L V8 found under the RC-F hood. It produces 467 bhp @7,100 rpm and 389 lb.ft of torque. It is a rear-wheel-drive saloon car. Power will be channeled to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic Aisin torque-converter transmission with a paddle shifters gearbox.
Like the RC-F, it is fitted with torque vectoring differential, to allow it to go nuts on the tracks, playing with its tail like any Japanese car does. The car has all sort of electronic assist program like the electronic controlled clutch pack, . It has a more adapted suspension based on those from the regular GS. The car has, like Lexus says, a twin-identity, it is based on a GS platform, with an RC-F drivetrain, and brakes (Brembo six-piston monoblocks). It will be fitted with a carbon-fiber rear spoiler. a quad-tailpipe exhaust system. There are three driving modes that clients will enjoy : Standard, for family drive, Slalom, for crazy people drive and Track, for a more precise driving.
It will be revealed in the next Detroit Auto Show, next to its competitors, so, we’ll see who will steal the lights.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,200 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 20 trips to carry that many people.
What to do when you want to honor years and years of mutual work in the automotive world? Generally people tend to have parties, tributes, Ferrari, has a better solution, make a hole car, and name it after the partner’s son. The new special edition Ferrari is The Ferrari Sergio, named after the son of Battista Farina, the latest president of Pininfarina, Mr Sergio Pininfarina.
The concept was unveiled in the Geneva Motor Show in March 2013, but it only went into production in the last months of 2014. The actual revealing was with the LaFerrari FXXK at the Finali Mondiali Ferrari race. Ferrari announced producing only 6 road-legal Sergio’s, limited for people who have shown desire to acquire one, and people who can really afford paying 2.5 million € for it. Some claim it can go up to 3 million €.
The first client is the Royal family in UAE, the first model is preserved at the Royal Auto Gallery at the Yas Marina circuit. It is based on a 458 speciale, it has a 4.5L V8, that produces 605 bhp and 540 Nm of torque. The car sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.0 seconds. You can notice more of the 458 soul in the car’s interior. The exterior is a retro futuristic design, it reminds us all of designs seen in the 80’s even 90’s automotive magazines. The production car does differ from the concept, now it has a windshield, because driving a production car with a helmet will seem a bit, strange. It has the same front, air intakes, engine cooling covers and rear exhaust. It has a three-layered red painting with some black features in it, same as the concept. The client will enjoy stitching his name on the seats, because he can. Finally, the Sergio sits on Sergio-specific forged yellow wheels.
“The Ferrari Sergio is a genuinely radical car. It is both exclusive and spare in the sense that every single element aboard is focused entirely on performance”
The other five Sergio’s are still into production right now, clients have to wait more for their delivery, that will be certain in a few months.
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