Fun Rocking

Mercedes-Benz SLS E-Cell

As electrifying as the gull-winged Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG may be, it still won’t compare to the lightning storm that’s brewing in the SLS E-Cell. It’s a battery-electric version of the supercar and will be powered by four motors, one on each corner of the car, giving it a total of 526 horses of electric power. Each pair of motors will be integrated in the front and rear axles, effectively making this an all-wheel drive car. The batteries are strategically located in the car for balance and proper cooling while the car’s bodywork has been revamped for better aerodynamic qualities. The color will be AMG Lumilectric Mango and will be repugnant to some but adorable to others. It’s expected to go on sale sometime in 2013.

The looks is somewhat retro to the 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL; specially the Gullwing doors, and the sharp roof. It also catches some design cues of the 2010 Mercedes SL. Inside, the SLS AMG gets a besboquie supercar-like interior. Weighing in at around 1600 kilograms, the new SLS AMG is powered by a natrually-aspirated 6.3L AMG V8, which now produces 571 hp and 480 lb-ft of troque, which goes to the rear-wheels through an AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed automatic transmission. 60 mph happens in just 3.7 seconds, and electronically-limited top speed is 200 mph. However, because the hand-built 6.3L is actaully very refind, the SLS AMG achieves 21 mpg fuel-economy on combined roads. Handling claims is supported by a 50/50 weight disturbotion, and a 3-stage ESP program like all new AMGs. Sales will start in spring 2010, with prices in Germany start at 177,000 euros.Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division is planning another stand-alone sports car as a follow up to the new 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing. The model would be a smaller V8 coupe that will compete with the likes of the Porsche 911.

As of right now, Mercedes-Benz is focused on a successful launch for the SLS AMG, the company’s first ever stand-alone model. That means the smaller V8 model is at least five years away. A rear-engined configuration has been eliminated as since it would be out of step with the AMG values.

Power for the baby SLS will come from a new V8 with a displacement capacity of somewhere between 5.8L or 6.2L with direct injection and cylinder cut-off technology.

The Ferdinand GT3 RSX — The World’s Slowest Porsche

The car took over 1,000 hours to construct over the course of two-and-a-half years. As for engine size, forget it — this sleek model only goes as fast as you can pedal, being based on bicycle components. The car has even attempted a lap on the German Nurburgring, the infamous racetrack with no speed limits. Unfortunately the lack of a speedometer meant no accurate mph reading, and as for the lap time? A calendar would have been needed.

We don’t know how this would appeal to many except for its cause. Being an eco-friendly car, it’ll have it’s own set of fans. We’re referring to a supercar called the Ferdinand GT3 RSX. This car is dubbed as the slowest Porsche ever created. No brainer because it doesn’t have one of those powerful V8 engines. Instead, it will rely on your peddling skills – it’s like bike that’s in Porsche form. It weighs 100 kilos and took 2 and a half years to build. It’s made from lightweight materials such as aluminum foil, pipes, and scotch tape. This ‘Supercar’ is currently on display at the Museum of Art in Linz, Austria. $10,000.

2011 Ford Focus

Ford presented us many types of cars for the past several years, but this time, they are unleashing a new generation of automobile with the 2011 Ford Focus. Rumor has it that four versions of this car will be released anytime this year. They have redesigned the car into a more compact and renewed focus of whole world appeal. MSRP is $16,640+.

Aston Martin LMP1

Aston Martin is into the thrill of racing and with it, a new LMP1 will be launching at the Asian Le Mans Series in Okayama, Japan. This young racer to be maneuvered by Driver Stefan Mücke, is expecting opponents from European teams. This is a stunning Halloween treat to all the Aston Martin followers.

For its current Le Mans prototype racing program, Aston Martin has teamed up with veteran chassis builder Lola to create a car powered by a race-ready version of its production V12. But the current 6.0-liter twelve-cylinder won’t be allowed under the new Automobile Club de l’Ouest prototype rules that go into effect for 2011, so a new powerplant will be required.

The victory could hardly be classified as domination, but it was a victory nonetheless. As the thousand-click race wound down to its closing laps, the number 007 Aston Martin looked poised to take second place behind the Pescarolo-Judd driven by Christophe Tinseau and Jean-Christophe Boullion, until the French team’s car stalled during its final pitstop. The front-running Aston, driven by Stefan Mucke, Jan Charouz and Tomas Enge, took the lead, and with only 40 minutes of race time to go, the safety car was deployed as Tinseau closed the lead down to just 6.2 seconds. When the safety car went back into the pits with just six laps to go, the Aston’s lead over the Pescarolo was only four seconds, but that would prove enough for Aston Martin to claim its first victory in LMP1 in its first attempt, even extending its lead to fourteen seconds ahead of the Pescarolo by the finish line.

The drivers of the second Aston would have joined their counterparts on the podium had it not been for an unfortunate spin that took the 009 car out of the running near the end of the race. Instead, third place went to another notable entry: LMS regular Stephane Ortelli was joined by Bruno Senna, nephew of the late great Ayrton Senna, a rated F1 hopeful in his own right and runner-up in last year’s GP2 championship. Ortelli and Senna took the bottom rung on the podium behind the wheel of a Courage ORECA, the former French racing manufacturer purchased last year by the latter (whose name you might recognize for their work preparing Dodge Vipers for endurance racing) claiming a GT2-class victory at Le Mans way back in 1991 and continuing to produce the Viper Competition Coupe to GT3 regulations through last year.

Farther down the field, Italian team Racing Box took the LMP2 honors in a Judd-powered Lola chassis, Reiter Engineering took the GT1 trophy with their Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT, and Porsche regained its honor against the Ferrari F430 GTs that dominated previous seasons as the #77 911 GT3 RSR hoisted the trophy for the GT2 category.
In entering the top-tier LMP1 category, Aston Martin demonstrated it has ambition in spades. And in taking the checkered flag on its race debut, the team has certainly demonstrated that it has the competence to back it up, and then some. We’ll have to wait until June, though, to find out how the team fares against the diesel-powered heavy-hitters of the Audi R15 TDI and Peugeot 908 HDi at this year’s Le Mans 24, so stay tuned.

Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans revealed

Panoz is optimistic for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013. At that time, Le Mans will celebrate its 81st running, and Panoz will achieve the milestone of being a successful auto development company. The hand-built Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans will be built with an engine that produces over 600 horsepower (447 kW / 608 PS) and up to 590 ft-lb (799 Nm) of torque.  Developed by American niche manufacturer Panoz, the car will be limited to 81 vehicles, and is guaranteed to be street legal in Asia, Europe, Middle East and South America.

Abruzzi: The Car

The hand-built Abruzzi “Spirit of Le Mans” is a unique, front-engine, rear-transaxle and rear-radiator super sports car – road-legal in Europe and many countries of Asia, the Middle East and South America. The powertrain will deliver 600-plus HP with 590 ft.-lbs. of torque. Advanced design and aerodynamics offer astounding downforce and road-holding. The car will be made from a unique construction material called Recyclable Energy Absorbing Matrix System. This car will be a limited edition and only 81 samples will be built.

Performance is just one facet that sets the Abruzzi apart from other exotics. It also breaks new ground in environmental design and construction starting with the unprecedented implementation of the R.E.A.M.S.® – Recyclable Energy Absorbing Matrix System  – body system that offers environmental, performance and structural advantages like no other automobile body system on the planet. Never used before on any road-going automobile, the multi-layer composite system is lighter than carbon fiber yet equally strong. Unlike carbon fiber however, it is dent-resistant, shatter-proof and recyclable.

Abruzzi: The Experience

The Panoz Abruzzi harkens back to a day where drivers would pilot their cars to Le Mans, race it twice around the clock then drive back home. It essentially captures the “Spirit of Le Mans” with a never-before-seen acquisition program that sets a new standard for personalization and delivery.

Given the roots of Panoz’s automotive dreams, it is only appropriate that the Abruzzi “Spirit of Le Mans” will be delivered to its owners at the famed Circuit de la Sarthe, shipped directly there from the Panoz factory. Each automobile will be linked to a specific Le Mans 24 Hour race, with the chassis number also containing that specific race date and the initials of the winning drivers and the history of that year.

Professional drivers will instruct owners in driving the car on the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans. Service and repairs also will be attended to at the ACO facilities of the Circuit 24 Hours of Le Mans. New vehicle owners also will be invited to the 24 Hours of Le Mans as guests of the ACO and Panoz at the ACO’s hospitality facilities in the “Model Sportif” at the circuit. New owners also will have the unique opportunity to drive a parade lap of the full 8.3-mile circuit at that year’s event.

Important Highlights:

• Front mid-engine design
• 600+ horsepower/600+ pound-feet of torque from unspecified engine
• Rear-mounted radiators fed through ducts in the rear and side glass
• Recyclable Energy Absorbing Matrix System (REAMS) body, lighter and cheaper than carbon fiber
• 81-vehicle production run over three years, coincides with 81st running of 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013
• Only available in Europe, delivery at Le Mans
• Two-day professional training course on Bugatti Le Mans circuit with purchase
• Opportunity to drive full Le Mans circuit included with purchase
• Price: 400,000 Euros (circa $480,000 USD)
• Colors: blue, black pearl and red.

Audi GT3 Sports Car Race Car

Audi has just announced plans to offer the 2010 Audi R8 GT3, or internally codenamed “R16,” to a very few lucky customers late next year. The new R8 race version supercar features lots of performance upgrades over current R8 models, and has been designed to conform to GT3 racing regulations that require automakers to release a set number of race cars with identical performance specs and styling to the cars used in GT3 racing series.

Homoglamated production race cars such as the 2010 Audi R8 GT3 are an exciting consumer perk required by the rules of some race series. In the past, the rule set which calls the R8 GT3 into production has brought us such cars as the BMW M3 CSL, Mercedes-Benz 190 Evolution II and the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Mechanically speaking, the 2010 R8 GT3 features several changes from the production car.

As per GT3 regulations, Audi ditches the Quattro AWD system characteristic of the R8 in favor of a RWD setup. Rest assured the team at Audi Sport is putting significant attention into the RWD system used in the R8 GT3. The Le Mans racing series Audi R10 has proven, with its unprecedented record in endurance racing over the past couple of years, that Audi is committed to its motorsport division.

Rounding out known info for the performance upgrades on the 2010 Audi R8 GT3 are a menacing track-ready aerodynamics kit promising greatly increased downforce and handling prowess, a 6 speed sequential manual transmission, and a gasoline motor promising more than 500 horsepower.

Which brings us to the next question. Will the 2010 Audi R8 GT3, or Audi R16 if you prefer, be street legal? Audi has not released the official word on this yet, saying only that the R8 GT3 “will offer customers a racing sports car equipped with high-calibre technology and the typical Audi qualities, but which is nevertheless easy to handle.”

The first test races in various European racing series are scheduled for the 2009 season. Delivery to the customers is planned from the autumn of this coming year.

2012 Lexus LFA Review and Prices

The 2012 Lexus LFA is an awe-worthy piece of Japanese sports car. Only 500 of these mid-engined cars are to be hand-assembled by skilled automotive craftsmen in Japan.
The engine output from the 4.8 liter 10-cylinder powerplant is home to 562 total horses.

Aimed at hardcore track driving enthusiasts, or simply the insanely rich, the LFA Nurburgring Package will set you back $70,000 on top of the $375,000 you would have to fork out for an actual LFA, which in turn can only be leased. If that’s not enough, Lexus also offers its special LFA matt black finish for an additional $20,000.

Performance

Test drives of the Lexus LFA all agree that it is a well-designed, high-performance machine in the traditional sense that you’d expect from the competition. The LFA will be powered by a 4.8-liter V-10 that has been developed in cooperation with Yamaha. Mounted in the front for this rear-wheel drive sports car, it delivers a supremely adequate 553 horsepower to a redline at 9,000 RPMs. The engine sounds like everything a sports car enthusiast would dream of in a vehicle of this type, whining at the higher revs not in complaint, but in demand for more.

Exterior Features

The exterior of the 2012 LFA is a carbon-fiber composite similar to what you would find on a Mercedes SLR McLaren or an Enzo. The design materials were set specifically for their ability to allow for specialized aerodynamic features for the car.

Interior Features

The LFA will come available with leather, carbon fiber, “satin metal” and Alcantara interior elements, offering buyers a large choice of different shades of leather as well as color options for the Alcantara. With a dashboard that gives visual cues such as changing color with the RPMs and offers the option to show or hide a lap timer, you can bet this vehicle is designed to run at speed and not cruise to work and back.

How the Lexus LFA Compares to Other Exotic Sports Cars

Though not as fast on its wheels as a Bugatti Veyron, the LFA is nowhere near as expensive as one either. The feel of a Lexus LFA is much more personal and tactile to the touch than the Nissan GT-R and provides all of the beautiful thrust and control of a Ferrari 599. Generally speaking, even at $375,000, the LFA is going to be a bargain.

Conclusion: What to Expect from the 2012 Lexus LFA

If photos are to be believed at all, the 2012 Lexus LFA is going to be a brief, spectacular, but short-lived phenomenon in the automotive industry. As only 500 are going to be made, Lexus has made clear their intent to be selective in their sales of the rare vehicle, cutting out those who would put the LFA in a showroom to be admired (but not driven) from afar.

The 2012 Lexus LFA will begin selling in early 2011

Acura NSX

About Car:

The Acura NSX was a car of firsts. It was the first production car to feature aluminum construction for its body structure, body panels, suspension and engine. Its engine was the first to feature variable valve timing and a variable-volume intake manifold. It was the first Japanese sports car sold in America to truly go head-to-head with the world’s best. Furthermore, all of this ichiban stuff came from an automotive brand that, at the NSX’s debut, had been in existence for just five years.

Some people dismissed Acura’s exotic as being too bland and Honda-like. But could it have been anything different? Honda simply has better engineers than most other car companies, which is how they went from zero to moderately huge in just two decades. The Accord and Civic are the benchmarks in their respective categories. A few years after they entered Formula One racing, Honda dominated the sport. The NSX is basically the street car built by the Formula One folks.

The NSX removes almost all barriers to heroic driving. Late for an appointment and need to go 80 mph around mountain curves? You won’t hear the tires squeal. Getting a call on your cell phone? Nudge the transmission into full auto and the car will shift for you, smooth as a Lexus. Don’t want to downshift while descending the Sierra mountains? Good luck getting the ventilated foot-diameter rotors to heat up enough to make the brakes fade. Worried that your $85,000 car and cell phone aren’t enough to attract a partner and anxious to get a tan? Take the top off your NSX-T and store it in the ingenious spot above the engine that doesn’t rob you of any luggage space.

The first thing you notice when you get into the NSX is the comfort. This is not a Porsche or a Ferrari. Nothing is weird, there is no penalty for all the extra capability. After ten minutes, the controls feel as natural as on a car you drive every day. Visibility is superb in all directions and the low cowl prevents claustrophobia. Considering that the engine is about a foot from your ear, the car is reasonably quiet; wind noise is unobtrusive (at least up to 100 mph). Set the temperature you’d like and the automatic climate control system delivers it (I’ve always hated these systems, but the NSX’s works).

Transmission

You can get the NSX with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed Formula One-type automatic tranmission. My testosterone-poisoned psyche yearned for a manual transmission, but rationally I knew that all race cars these days have “semi-automatic” transmissions. The console-mounted shifter in my automatic NSX-T had four settings: 4, 3/M, 2, 1. In “4″, the car behaves like any other with an automatic transmission: it chooses the best gear from 1 through 4. Shifting into 3/M from a stop, the car starts in first gear. You can accelerate until just before redline and the transmission will not shift. All control has moved into a little stalk by your right index finger. Tip it up and the car will instantly shift into second gear. Another tip up and you’re in third gear. Tip it down and the car will shift back to second, assuming that won’t result in overrevving the engine. No matter how powerful the car, automatics never felt really powerful to me. If you want to move, you have to mash the accelerator to the floor and wait a split second for the kick-down switch to engage and the transmission to downshift. I always miss the instant throttle response of a manual. With the NSX, you can quickly tip the car down into second or third gear. With the revs kept high, the throttle response is every bit as good as any manual.

Engine

While other car companies whined that the new California emissions standards were impossible, Honda figured out how to meet them with minor valve timing and induction system tweaks. The same kind of engineering brilliance was applied to the NSX’s all-aluminum 3.0-liter V-6. It produces 270 hp and 210 lbs-ft of torque, which is ample considering that the car only weighs 3100 lbs.

Acura NSX Wallpapers