Thursday, October 22, 2009
Lexus LFA Super Car
It seems like the Lexus LFA has been around forever. In reality, the first concept version was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2005, but that's a long time in the automotive world. Additional concepts followed in 2007 and 2008, and the on-off rumors of a production version haven't help. Nevertheless, the production version of the LFA is finally here at the Tokyo Motor Show, and it is glorious. All of which makes it harder to stomach that the car shown here isn't expected to reach customer garages until early 2011.The specifications of the new rear-drive Lexus supercar are impressive enough: a 4.8-liter V10 with 560 ps (552 b
hp), 354 lb-ft torque, a zingy 9,000 rpm redline, six-speed sequential gearbox, 0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds, and a top speed of 202 mph. It looks amazing too, both in pictures and in person. Of course, we can't help but make comparisons to the current reigning Japanese supercar, the Nissan GT-R. At just 3,263 pounds, the LFA easily has a better power-to-weight ratio, but that hasn't seemed to stop the all-wheel drive juggernaut before. Then there is the small matter of cost to consider. Unlike the GT-R, which is considered a performance bargain, the LFA will be exclusive – and costly. Only 500 units will be produced at a cost of...drum roll please....$375,000. Despite the colossal price tag, we hear that Lexus expects to take a loss on each one.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Honda CR-Z 2010
Although shown in Tokyo as having a rear seat, the American version will be a two-seater, according to a press release sent out by American Honda Motor Co. Designed with the idea of "low, short, and wide," the CR-Z Concept shows sportier lines than the Honda Insight.
It is unclear if the Japanese and European versions will only be available as a two-seater. The North American market debut will take place in the "second half of 2010," according to the statement.
"We plan to launch a production automobile based on the CR-Z Concept 2009," Ito told a gathered audience at the Tokyo Motor Show. The CR-Z Concept 2009 is a hybrid powered by a 1.5-liter petrol i-VTEC engine and the IMA "highly efficient Honda hybrid system." The company claims it is the world's first hybrid built with a six-speed manual transmission.
The production model of the 2010 Honda CR-Z will go on display at the NAIAS in Detroit next January.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
2010 Jaguar XJL Neiman Marcus
All 50 cars featured an exclusive Celestial Black metallic paintjob, custom navy and ivory leather upholstery, Zebrano matte wood trim, and 20" alloy wheels.
Power comes from a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 470 hp and 424 lb-ft of torque. Backed up by a six-speed automatic transmission, the car accelerates from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds. If you keep your foot planted, the XJL Supercharged will top out at an electronically limited 155 mph.
While you may have missed out on a $105,000 special edition, Jaguar will happily sell you a standard XJL Supercharged for $90,500.Source: Jaguar U.S.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE
Ferrari will be releasing a limited edition of the 599 GTB Fiorano for the Chinese market. Less than a dozen of the 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE China Limited Edition will be made available for sale. The limited edition series was developed by Ferrari in partnership with the celebrated Chinese artist Lu Hao. The models come in a two-tone color scheme, featuring a special Rosso Fuoco "fire red" body color mated to a grey roof. The design is also infused with Chinese
elements by the artist Lu Hao, inspired by Ge Kiln porcelain and the storied Silk Road (which brought Italian explorer Marco Polo to China) of Chinese literature. Hao uses an ancient Chinese script called "Xiao Zhuan" to engrave a name plaque for each edition as well as mark the car throughout, such as on the engine start button and the rev counter.
The HGTE package (Handling GT Evoluzione) was added to make this limited edition the top performer that it is for a front-engine Ferrari. The model will come with the 599 GTB Fiorano's standard 6.0 liter V12 engine with 620 hp and 608 Nm of torque.
Source: Ferrari
2010 Tesla Roadster Sport
To get from zero to 60 mph in the original Tesla Roadster takes an official 3.9 seconds. The brand new 2010 Roadster Sport beats that with a wonderful 3.7 seconds. Those two-tenths of a second don't look like much on paper, but they make a difference on the road. Perhaps just knowing about the enhanced acceleration makes the Roadster Sport feel faster in the absence of expensive testing equipment, because having driven both, it does feel that way. A lot.
Whatever the reason, when we recently got to take an Obsidian Black model out for a few hours, we couldn't help but notice how incredibly punchy the Sport is, whether bursting away from a stoplight or accelerating to pass on the highway. Sometimes we even slowed down a bit on the highway just to feel the seamless thrust of getting back up to speed. With the 2010 Roadster Sport, the EV grin is still in full effect. Find out what other kinds of fun can be had in a $125,500 Roadster Sport after the jump.
As stated, the Roadster Sport starts at $125,500 – $19,500 more than the standard Roadster. For the extra dosh, you not only get the improved 0-60 mph time, but also the ability to set the suspension to one of ten different settings and black-finish forged wheels (16 inches in diameter up front, 17 in the rear) wrapped in Yokohama ADVAN A048 tires, the same shoes that come standard on the Lotus Elise Sport (the standard Roadster has to make due with less aggressive AD07s).
As electric car fans know, peak torque from any electric motor is available from exactly 0 rpm, and this is blindingly apparent in the Roadster Sport. Its electric motor produces 280 lb-ft of torque and has also received a healthy horsepower bump to 288 over the standard model's 248. Another change is a smaller PEM (Power Electronics Module). Here you can see how the new PEM only comes to within about a foot of the sides of the car. The last-generation PEM extended almost to the edge while still allowing the trunk to close.
All that power is also somewhat dangerous in the wrong hands, because it's ridiculously easy to attain license-revoking speeds without either cognizance or intent. Were we to have been pulled over, we would've immediately blamed the eerie lack of an engine's soundtrack, "But officer, there's no way we were doing 120 – we would have heard it!" Luckily, our drive was incident-free, but given a full week with the Roadster Sport, we'd probably be writing this with one of those little four-inch golf pencils they issue for good behavior in the state penn (go ahead – ask us how we know).
When we weren't gleefully zipping down the straightaways, we tested the Roadster Sport's new adjustable suspension on the winding, hill-strewn roads west of Saratoga, CA. On these curves, the surefooted Sport model faithfully kept to the road like a mountain goat. Overall, if there's a theme to the 2010 Sport model compared to earlier iterations, it's that everything good has been improved while everything annoying has been kept the same.
The Roadster's single-speed transmission remains an impressive piece of work, offering us smooth power delivery all the way up to 85 mph, our self-enforced top speed on these public roads. The new transmission is also why the speedometer and tachometer are now contained in one display dial. If the motor is spinning at X rpm, the car is going X mph. The change from a double-speed transmission to a single-speed early in the Roadster's life means two things. First, it's easy to see that redlining happens at 14,000 rpm, which is 125 mph. Second, there is now room for a big needle on the right of the dashboard to show how many kWs the batteries are either giving up or taking in. When the car slows down, you enter the happy green (regen) zone, netting you a few more precious kW from regenerative braking before the next charge.
Since those regenerative brakes are very quick to get into their energy-recovery mode – they perceptibly take over as soon as your foot comes off the accelerator – it's basically possible to drive the Roadster using just the one pedal. Theoretically, the only time you'd need to step on the brakes is when something pops up in the road without warning, although obviously we don't recommend that strategy. On the flip side, "idling" around at very slow speeds requires constant brake application because the Roadster is designed to creep along at three mph when no pedals are depressed and the gear selector is in Drive.
Speaking of Drive, one of the most noticeable changes for 2010 is the inclusion of a new push-button gear selector. This is just one of many alterations made to the Roadster for 2010, but one of the few that are easily noticed since the car looks just like last year's model on the outside. The 2010's cabin was redone by Tesla's new designer Franz von Holzhausen, the charismatic Hollywood hotshot also responsible for the Model S and previously behind the pen at Mazda. Interior-wise, the other major change was the decision to move the information display screen to the center of the console so that the passenger can see what's happening with the battery pack's state of charge and other details.
The Lotus DNA in the Roadster Sport also becomes apparent as soon as you crawl into its confined space. Anyone 5'9" or under will feel right at home in the cockpit. That is, unless you want to get in or out, which requires at least a bronze medal in gymnastics to do gracefully. Anyone 6'2" or taller will immediately wish for more legroom and notice that the sightlines through the windshield top could be improved. Since the exterior design remains the same, the 2010 Roadster Sport also retains the prior model's terrible rear visibility. The speedometer is likewise well-hidden behind the small steering wheel, which is a problem if you're interested in driving without going too much over the speed limit. A more visual cue – HUD? – that you're doing 80 would be a welcome addition for 2011.
Unfortunately, given our brief stint with the car, we were not able to test out the accuracy of the quoted 244-mile range for the Roadster Sport, but we're confident in the number based on what we've heard from other Roadster owners. What we can say is that after driving the car hard for two hours through the hills and highways near Palo Alto, we still had 60 miles left in the battery – and we're not even sure we left Tesla's Menlo Park store with a full charge.
We can easily deal with any of the Roadster Sport's minor faults because this car is so blessed fun to drive. This isn't some concept vehicle made out of unobtanium. It's available today (well, there's a three month backlog in Roadster orders), and it certainly won our hearts again just as it did the first time we drove it. More importantly, the improvements of the 2010 Roadster over the 2009 model have whetted our appetite for the Model S something fierce. Consider von Holzhausen's work on the upgraded Sport interior and his heavy hand in the Model S, the sedans' 0-60 time of 5.6 seconds (incredible for a 7-person sedan) with a single-speed gearbox and a price that's about half of the Roadster's. 2011 can't come fast enough.
Source: Autoblog
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Fastest Street Cars
Made from carbon fiber, steel and titanium and decked out with so-called butterfly doors, the SSC Ultimate Aero TT holds the Guinness World Record for fastest pr
oduction car, having blasted down a two-lane highway in Washington state in 2007 at 257 mph. It pulls zero to 60 mph in 2.78 seconds thanks to its 1,094 lb-ft of torque and 1,183 horsepower — more grunt than any other street car. Company founder David Shelby (SSC stands for Shelby Super Cars) is an engineer and former go-kart champion who combined his two passions to create the car. He incorporated racing elements (a manual transmission, no power steering and a roaring engine) with normal creature comforts (a navigation system, an LCD DVD/video screen and a color palette that includes orchid and copper). Bugatti Veyron 16.4
The Veyron accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 2.46 seconds, from z
ero to 100 in 5.2 seconds, and from zero to 250 in 50 seconds — all this despite weighing nearly 4,500 pounds. Even more surprising than its speed may be its braking ability: It can brake from 60 mph back down to zero in 2.3 seconds. The 2-tone retro design harks to the 1920s and 1930s, as does the level of luxury (Hermes is a Bugatti collaborator). It's a car you'd expect Bugsy Siegel to have driven back in the day. In 2005 the Veyron was clocked at 253 mph, which at the time made it the fastest road car in the world. It's also the most expensive, fetching $1.7 million a pop.Koenigsegg CCR
This Swedish 2-seater with a
removable hardtop had a short-lived reign as the world's fastest street car in 2005, when it was recorded at 241 mph on an Italian racetrack. Its zero to 60 time is 3.2 seconds, and it develops 806 horsepower (measured with the first-ever horsepower gauge in a production car). Founded by Christian von Koenigsegg in 1994, the company builds its cars in a former Swedish Air Force facility where fighter jets were stored. Painted on the CCR's carbon-fiber and Kevlar body is a ghost, which was the symbol of the squadron that used the hangar. Earlier this year, Koenigsegg led a consortium of investors to purchase fellow Swedish automaker Saab from General Motors.
This car dominated as fastest in the world (240 mph) for a whopping seven years, from 1998 to 2005, and pulls from zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. In 1995 the F1 became
the first street-legal car to beat prototype race cars in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A 3-seater with the driver's seat set in the middle of the car and two passenger seats slightly behind on either side, the F1 was designed by Formula One race car designer and engineer Gordon Murray. He used materials such as titanium, gold, carbon fiber, magnesium and Kevlar to create a lightweight, powerful vehicle. When it was released, British car magazine Autocar gushed: "The F1 . . . may possibly be the fastest production road car the world will ever see."Jaguar XJ220
A catalytic converter got in the way of British Formula One driver Martin Brundle's initial attempt at breaking the world record for fastest road car in 1992.
Ditching the converter allowed him to increase the engine's speed from 7200 to 7900 rpm, which made all the difference in clinching the record — 212 mph. Brundle later pushed it to 217 mph, setting a world record in the early '90s. Jaguar executives had set out to create the first road-legal car to break the 200 mph barrier, and the car — a 2-door coupe — was eventually named for its targeted top speed (220 mph). It didn't quite achieve that goal, but it did go from zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, reportedly luring owners such as Elton John and the sultan of Brunei.Just 31 of these cars were built by Bugatti, the luxury-car manufacturi
ng company founded by Italian Ettore Bugatti in the early 1900s. With a carbon-fiber chassis made by an aircraft company, the EB110 SS maxed out at 214 mph and could hit 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds. Bells and whistles included lifting scissor doors (all the rage in the early 1990s) and a glass cover for the V12 engine (for viewing purposes). Bugatti built 139 EB110s, but only a fraction of those were SS versions (stands for Super Sport). The EB110 SS was lighter and more powerful (592 horsepower) than its progenitor — and in 1992 it was the fastest road car on the planet.In 1985 Lamborghini decided to create a car capable of hitting 195 mph. It succeeded with the Diablo, which was still the fastest machine of its era when this slick Ragin
g Bull finally hit the streets in 1990, maxing out at 202 mph and hitting 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. It was customizable in unprecedented ways, including the option of having the driver's seat molded especially for the buyer. But in other ways, it was bare bones: a basic radio, manual windows and no anti-lock brakes helped keep its weight down. Ferruccio Lamborghini used the bull as his emblem from the get-go when he founded the company in 1963, and he named each model for a famous fighting bull, including the Diablo — a legendary 1860s Spanish bull.Debuting as Ferrari's fastest (zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds) and most expensiv
e (the sticker price was $400,000, but buyers reportedly paid up to $1.6 million) car in 1987, the F40 had a 2-year reign as the world's fastest production car, clocking in at a top speed of 195 mph. Designed to coincide with Ferrari's 40th anniversary, the F40 was the last car released before company founder Enzo Ferrari's death. It was on the cutting edge of aerodynamics technology at the time, relying more on shape than power to create speed. Because it was so low to the ground, Ferrari engineers enabled it to automatically raise its ground clearance when necessary. The first models were race-car light: a plastic windshield and no carpet, door handles or sound system.The 959 started life as a rally car in 1986 and was later built as a production car. It wasn't street-legal in the United States until 1999, but several models were re
portedly imported in the 1980s as showpieces. One important innovation that accounted for the 959's speed (zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 199 mph) was its all-wheel drive, considered the most advanced drive system at the time. The car could change the torque distribution between rear and front wheels in various road conditions and could funnel extra power to the rear wheels for extra traction. A weight-saving nylon floor replaced the steel that most manufacturers were using in that era, and the body was made from aluminum and a composite similar to Kevlar.
Built between 1984 and 1986 to compete in a racing series that never got off the ground, the 272 cars constructed by Ferrari under the 288 GTO model name became street cars by default. The initials GTO stand for Gran Turismo Omologato — an Italian phrase that signals the car was compliant with racing specifications and guidelines but also road-legal. The 288 GTO, widely considered the inspiration for and predecessor to Ferrari's F40, topped out at 189 mph (which was the record at the time) and shot up to 60 mph in less than five seconds. The 288 GTO's V8 engine generated 400 horsepower.
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