Mercedes in Racing actionMonday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Lamborghini New Models
Thanks to the nice people at Lamborghini, Manchester a pleasant change from eating - driving three latest models from the Audi-owned Italian supercar maker at Millbrook Proving Ground in the Midlands.There were a couple of surprises - the first a chance to meet an old friend, Valentino Balboni, Lambo's legendary test driver and the man who developed the racing Diablo SVR I used to race. This guy is so famous that when he "retired" Lamborghini developed a "Valentino Balboni" special edition of the Guillardo - but more of that later.
The occasion was meant really for potential customers - not liggers like me. So the deal is a professional driver sits alongside as the nervous would be buyer samples 500 brake horsepower around the sinuous curves and ferocious gradients of the alpine handling course. Which is fine, except that I'm not nervous and am soon going much faster than the now nervous pro driver thinks is appropriate.
All fine after some explanations of my cv.
So back to the cars. The basic Galliardo - if that is not a contradiction - is a revelation to someone who last sat in a Lambo before the Germans took over. The Diablo was an incredible bit of kit - but things like the interior, electronics, fit and finish were a bit hit and miss. The whole point of the thing really was to look and sound fantastic and go faster than pretty much anything else on the road. All of which it did supremely well. As a car to use everyday it was, frankly, hopeless.
The Guillardo, quite thoroughly up-dated for 2010, changes all that. For a start it is tiny and beautifully, exquisitely fabricated. To say it is better than anything Audi build themselves is meant as very high praise. Secondly there is a driving position that normal sized people can get comfortable in - another Lamborghini first. There is also a reminder how far the latest paddle controlled gearboxes in supercars have improved over the last five years. The two others I have driven, Aston Martin and Ferrari, were respectively a bit sluggish and unnatural and too ferocious for comfortable driving.The gearbox in the Guillardo is so precise, so rapid and so intuitive that I'm, for the first time, sure I'd take this not a manual. It blips the throttle in down changes to give that authentic racing driver heel and toe sensation.
What else? Well this was a customer day not a race track outing so the handling wasn't properly tested but I can't imagine any customer ever complaining. Whether you'd trade in the Porsche 911 Turbo while adding about £50k to the bill is a difficult question. The fact is that the Lambo is SPECIAL and that costs.
Next up was the Superlegerra - or superlight. This has a bit more or less of everything than the ordinary model. Lots of beautiful carbonfibre inside with lightweight and more controlling seats, a bit more power (562bhp), a bit more stiffness on the suspension settings.
It is more expensive but definitely worth it. Attacking the track there is an immediate benefit with a sharper, dartlike turn-in to corners. My perception - I didn't ask - is that the gearchange is also quicker. A fantastic drive ended with a glimpse of 185 mph at the end of the proving ground straight - about 15 mph more than the standard car.
Then a complete change. To be honest the idea of a convertible, drop top Lamborghini has never appealed. These cars are for driving fast not for posing - well they are to me anyway. And for driving fast you need a roof over your head.
But with those limitations taken on board Lamborghini have made a pretty good job of things with the Guillardo Spyder. Roof down the car looks if anything even more dramatic than its sister models. Scuttle shake is totally absent and 100 plus mph comfortable without too much disruption to the hair-do. The big surprise is how the open-top drives. The suspension is much softer - maybe even a little too soft for me at the rear and gear changes under full-bore acceleration brought a little back-end shimmy as the next ratio slotted in. The result is a surprisingly nice cruiser.
Finally the chance to ride with Valentino is "his" car the Balboni edition. This is one for the purest. Unlike all other Guillardos this is rear, not four wheel drive. It is also lighter and has more power than the basic but not quite as much as the Superleggera models which interestingly is lighter even with 4 wheel drive showing just how seriously they have taken the "lightness" route.
I'd never driven with Valentino before - although tales of his reducing strong men to tears are legendary. As are the insiders' tales of the trail of devastation he sometimes leaves behind him. In the event everything was as I expected. This guy has driven every Lamborghini for maybe the last thirty years. So, of course, he's quick - but not too scary. The revelation to me was the brakes. He was braking far later than I had been doing - utterly confident in the power of the ceramic brakes. I asked him how many laps of the circuit it would take before they faded. He thought for a minute - "never, I don't think."
The racing Diablo used to lunch its brakes in about two laps at Monza so there is real progress when a road car - albeit an extreme model like this - has better brakes than a racing car of 10 years ago.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Latest Sport Cars – 15 Cool New Cars Introduce in 2008
This is an amazing year for cars lovers, so far, 15 new supercars were introduced in 2008 and you can view all of them below. Though these sport cars didn't make the list for the fastest cars in the world nor the most expensive, they are still great to look at and I'm sure you would love to take one of these cars home. Some of the cars below will not be made for public, but the idea and concept is there. The list will start from the beginning of the year to the most recent car that was just introduce.
Mazda Furai Concept
Mazda Furai, Japanese for 'Sound of the wind'. People generally equate Mazda with cheap, this car is here to prove them wrong. This looks more like a drunken Batmobile than a regular sport car.
Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept
Great concept car with a V12 TDI engine, which produces 500 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. It can sprints to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and it is describes as ergonomic and elegant because the interior's design is as sporty and exclusive as the exterior. The precision chassis of the Audi R8 V12 TDI concept remains ultimately in control of the sporty performance, but is also capable of assuring relaxed driving pleasure over long distances. This car looks sweet.
Mercedes-Benz SL600
Mercedes-Benz continue producing it legendary sports cars and will release a new version of the SL600 this spring with a V12 engine. Performance, luxury, refinement, just three of the outstanding characteristics of the SL600.
Gemballa Avalanche GTR 800 EVO-R
This new supercar is the latest upgrade of the Porsche 911 Turbo, extreme tuning takes the Flat-6 turbocharged engine to 850 hp. . The 911 Turbo engine has been replaced with a bigger one of 3.8L and replaced the standard blow dryers with a pair of Garret T035 turbos. Not sure how much this piece of machine will cost yet, but it will definitely be up there among one of the most expensive cars due to it performance.
Maserati Chicane Concept by IED
The graduate students from the Instituto Europeo di Design (IED) unleashed their new design which beat out many competitors and won themselves sponsorship and a spot at the Geneva show to show off their talent.
Morgan LIFEcar
"A concept car with zero emission and also fun to drive." That's what the British said. Who say going green is boring? The new architectural design helps reduce fuel consumption and may create a new trend for the future.
Mazda Furai Concept
Mazda Furai, Japanese for 'Sound of the wind'. People generally equate Mazda with cheap, this car is here to prove them wrong. This looks more like a drunken Batmobile than a regular sport car.
Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept
Great concept car with a V12 TDI engine, which produces 500 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. It can sprints to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and it is describes as ergonomic and elegant because the interior's design is as sporty and exclusive as the exterior. The precision chassis of the Audi R8 V12 TDI concept remains ultimately in control of the sporty performance, but is also capable of assuring relaxed driving pleasure over long distances. This car looks sweet.
Mercedes-Benz SL600
Mercedes-Benz continue producing it legendary sports cars and will release a new version of the SL600 this spring with a V12 engine. Performance, luxury, refinement, just three of the outstanding characteristics of the SL600.
Gemballa Avalanche GTR 800 EVO-R
This new supercar is the latest upgrade of the Porsche 911 Turbo, extreme tuning takes the Flat-6 turbocharged engine to 850 hp. . The 911 Turbo engine has been replaced with a bigger one of 3.8L and replaced the standard blow dryers with a pair of Garret T035 turbos. Not sure how much this piece of machine will cost yet, but it will definitely be up there among one of the most expensive cars due to it performance.
Maserati Chicane Concept by IED
The graduate students from the Instituto Europeo di Design (IED) unleashed their new design which beat out many competitors and won themselves sponsorship and a spot at the Geneva show to show off their talent.
Morgan LIFEcar
"A concept car with zero emission and also fun to drive." That's what the British said. Who say going green is boring? The new architectural design helps reduce fuel consumption and may create a new trend for the future.
Best Antique Cars
The opportunity to own an antique cars is worthwhile because it will likely never be repeated; owners of these cars would never consider cutting back on their insurance coverage. With such interest in old cars you will not be surprised to learn there are antique car insurance companies that take a particular interest in insuring this type of vehicle. This is obviously good for the person searching for the classic car insurance as they have plenty of companies to choose from.
Mainstream auto insurers are also now able to provide this type of insurance for antique cars which they have a name for; ‘collectors auto insurance’. Although the policies may seem the same as regular auto cover provides, they are not and the agent will require exact details of the car to be insured before a full quotation can be supplied. They will also help you decide which types of coverage are within your target budget and which deductible and limit levels you will need.
Mainstream auto insurers are also now able to provide this type of insurance for antique cars which they have a name for; ‘collectors auto insurance’. Although the policies may seem the same as regular auto cover provides, they are not and the agent will require exact details of the car to be insured before a full quotation can be supplied. They will also help you decide which types of coverage are within your target budget and which deductible and limit levels you will need.
It is important to know that the company you are insuring your antique car with is not only reliable and comes with a good reputation but they have been established for many years. The other advantage of this type of insurer is their ability to arrange the protection on any other regular vehicle you own. The security of having an established company provide antique car insurance for an older car is well worth the premium that they will charge you to provide with peace of mind.
Large numbers of owners of old cars still insure their vehicles with the specialist auto insurers but will have to use a standard auto insurer for any other car. Some of these independent insurance companies will only insure a particular type of classic car, so if the car you are attempting to insure is a rare one, it may be difficult to find a provider that will insure it.
Research is the key when it comes to the smaller antique car insurers so try and find one that is reliable and has a good reputation by checking online insurance resources. You do not want to find that after months of paying the insurance premiums that the company will not or is unable to pay your insurance claim.
Although it might seem like hard work finding an antique car insurance company that you feel happy entrusting your antique car with, it is far better than not having the car insured. Even lowly classic cars from times gone by are worth many thousands of dollars which means that protecting them is not an option.
Large numbers of owners of old cars still insure their vehicles with the specialist auto insurers but will have to use a standard auto insurer for any other car. Some of these independent insurance companies will only insure a particular type of classic car, so if the car you are attempting to insure is a rare one, it may be difficult to find a provider that will insure it.
Research is the key when it comes to the smaller antique car insurers so try and find one that is reliable and has a good reputation by checking online insurance resources. You do not want to find that after months of paying the insurance premiums that the company will not or is unable to pay your insurance claim.
Although it might seem like hard work finding an antique car insurance company that you feel happy entrusting your antique car with, it is far better than not having the car insured. Even lowly classic cars from times gone by are worth many thousands of dollars which means that protecting them is not an option.
Antique Cars
Antique Cars
Antique Cars
2010 Ducati Hypermotard 1100 EVO SP
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Friday, August 20, 2010
All New Mitsubshi 2010
Mitsubishi Cars Underground
2009 Mitsubishi Cars
2010 Mitsubishi CarsThe Mitsubishi Sportback builds on the already competent Lancer sedan, although the overall length is slightly longer to accommodate the new hatch. One-touch auto-folding rear seats split 60:40 to make room for “active lifestyle” parcels and Mitsubishi dropped the rear cargo area floor by three inches to create 52.7 cubic-feet of space when the rear thrones are folded flat.
Powertrain options will come from the standard Lancer and Lancer Ralliart range, meaning you get a 2.4-liter 168 HP, 167 ft-lb with either a five-speed manual or six-speed CVT automatic transmission in the Sportback GTS or if you opt for the Sportback Ralliart, you get a 2.0-liter MIVEC turbocharged engine with a whopping 237 HP and 253 ft-lb of torque. The Sportback Ralliart gets the quick-shifting six-speed Twin Clutch-Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST) shared with the Lancer Evolution, as well as some nifty magnesium paddle shifters.
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