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February 12, 2005
Mazda RX-8 supercharged?!!
A special RX-8 was spotted by Road & Track's Sam Mitani. He saw this hopped up RX-8 on the road and heard a special whine coming from the engine bay. Hmmmm, what could be whining...could it be a supercharger?
Sure enough, it turned out to be a project car made by some Mazda engineers. It has very cleanly modified body panels that make the car look a lot meaner and faster. Yet it's so clean that it doesn't look like an aftermarket job. There's a functional hood scoop that feeds air into the intercooler that feeds the supercharger.
In addition to body parts and the supercharger, there are also suspension improvements. The project car was rolling on 19" wheels, with 245/35ZR-19 tires in the front and wide 275/30ZR-19 tires in the rear.
The lack of torque has obviously been addressed by the supercharger. This has got to be a fun car to drive, on the road and on track. It should be particularly nicer to drive around town with the added midrange torque and power, thanks to the supercharger. Let's just hope Mazda ends up making this baby...
estimated specs:
power: 250 bhp @ 8500 rpm
torque: 165 lb-ft @ 5500 rpm
redline: 9000 rpm
0-60 mph: 5.5 seconds
1/4 mile: 14.0 seconds @ 100.0 mph
For more information refer to the article at Road & Track.
Posted by Hubert at 11:54 PM | Comments (0)
February 11, 2005
new Ferrari F430 Spider pics
Ferrari released official photos of this beauty. It'll be unveiled for the first time at the Geneva Auto Show in March 2005.
specs:
curb weight: 1520 kg (3351 lbs)
displacement: 4308cc (263 cu in)
power: 490 hp @ 8500 rpm
torque: 343 lb-ft @ 5250 rpm
top speed: over 310 km/h (over 193 mph)
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 4.1 seconds
Imagine cruising at 190 mph with the top off and the Ferrari engine roaring behind you. Wow, what a dream!
more photos...
Check out the press release for more detailed information.
Posted by Hubert at 10:59 PM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2005
BMW M3 Competition
It sounds like BMW's M3 CSL model for the US. The CSL model was never released in the US, but the competition model uses several parts from it. Basically the CSL is a lighter more racey version of the already sporty M3. The M3 Competition will have the CSL's lightweight 19 inch wheels, bigger brake rotors, and tighter steering.
I don't know if the extra $4,000 justifies the changes. For that price, I could buy a much nicer set of custom wheels that probably weigh less than the ones on the M3 Competition. Still, if price wasn't an issue, and I was buying a M3, I'd definately go for the Competition model.
For more info refer to Automobile Magazie.
Posted by Hubert at 12:25 AM | Comments (0)
Bose suspension technology
The main goal of a suspension is to provide both comfort and control. Generally, comfort requires soft and tall suspension settings, while control and handling require stiff and low suspension settings.
That's why most luxury cars are so smooth and soft. You hardly feel any bumps in a luxury car. Sports cars, on the other hand, ride very stiff. You feel most of the bumps. But the stiffness keeps the tires more planted, hence giving more tire contact patch, which results in better grip and handling.
Several suspensions try to get the best of both worlds by having adjustable suspension, whether automatically set or manually set. But none of them have really achieved something that's truly comfortable and handles at its best. There's always a sacrifice one way or the other.
Until recently, Dr. Bose, the same Bose we all know and love for their audio equipment, has done extensive research on a new suspension technology that uses electromagnetics. Apparently this next generation technology achieves both extreme comfort and handling.
The following image compares a Bose suspension equiped Lexus LS400 (bottom) and a regular Lexus LS400. Clearly the Bose equiped one rides much smoother. And a Lexus is a very comfortable car to begin with.
For more information refer to Automobile Magazine.
Posted by Hubert at 12:06 AM | Comments (0)
February 9, 2005
2006 BMW M6
This bad boy comes with a 7-speed manual transmission. That's right, 7 forward gears!!! And it needs it, with all the power and torque that's available.
The M6 will have the same motor as the M5 but it'll weigh less. So it'll be even quicker and handle better. The engine is a 5.0L V10 producing 500 hp. 0-62 mph should be 4.6 seconds.
For more info refer to Car and Driver.
Posted by Hubert at 12:31 AM | Comments (0)
Saleen S7 twin turbo
As if the S7 didn't have enough power and motor, they're adding 2 turbos to it too.
With its 7.0L V8 and the added twin turbos, the power is now up to 750 hp @ 6300 rpm and 700 lb-ft torque @ 4800 rpm. That's compared to the naturally aspirated version which produced 575 bhp @ 5500 rpm and 570 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm.
Remember that the car is extremely light, weighing at 2750 lbs (1250 kg) in the naturally aspirated form. I can't imagine having 700 lb-ft torque with so little weight. I'll bet you'd smoke the tires if you accidentally sneeze while driving.
For the current S7 specs go to Saleen.
For more info on the upcoming twin-turbo version refer to Automobile Magazine.
Posted by Hubert at 12:04 AM | Comments (0)
February 8, 2005
Mercedes CLS55 AMG
AMG tuned 4-door beast comes with a 5.4L supercharged V8 producing 469 hp and a whopping 516 lb-ft of torque!
0-62 mph goes by in 4.7 seconds. Too bad top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. Unfortunately the CLS55 comes with an automatic transmission, like most other Mercedes. At least it's like a fake manual, with the paddle-shifters. This ought to be a real fun cruiser. It makes more torque than a Viper!
For more info see Automobile Magazine.
Posted by Hubert at 11:42 PM | Comments (0)
Ferrari F430 Spider
The F430 drops its top. This is a rendering by Hans G. Lehmann based on some spy photos:
The engine is the same as the regular F430. It will have a 4.3L V8 engine making 483 hp.
Who needs a radio in this car with the engine behind and the open air the only thing between the driver and the car. This has got to be the most fun you can have on the road while being topless.
For more info refer to AutoWeek.
Posted by Hubert at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)
February 7, 2005
2006 BMW 7 series
BMW finally changes the looks of the 7 series. It's still not a beauty, but perhaps on the right track. There are engine and chassis improvements as well.
The V8 engine increases displacement from 4.4L to 4.8L, with power increasing from 325 hp to 360 hp and torque increasing from 330 lb-ft to 360 lb-ft.
Chassis upgrades also improve handling.
Personally, if I had the money I'd be rolling in a Mercedes S55 AMG, or at least the S500. I think those cars look much better. The Beamer probably handles better than the Benz though.
More info at AutoWeek.
Posted by Hubert at 10:11 PM | Comments (0)