Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Exotic Rides: Lotus Elise


U.S. enthusiasts were enticed when Lotus introduced the mid-engine Elise in 1996, which wasn’t street-legal in North America. So close, yet so far. After many years of success in Europe, Lotus at last managed to tweak the Elise to (mostly) meet regulations in the states in 2005. The much-anticipated arrival was greeted with open arms and wallets. Paying list price was out of the question, and willing customers even covered the surcharges without a second thought.Lotus followed the success of the Elise with the similarly styled Exige Coupe, and the latter has been generating plenty of buzz. Time to pause and consider: Has the mystique faded or does the car still uphold Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s timeless philosophy of performance through light weight?We rated our findings based on our yellow Elise Sport’s luxury and practicality relative to its class. Each category is worth 50 points for a possible 100 points.
the luxury rideThe biggest missing link to the first-generation Elise meeting U.S. regulations was the engine. As Lotus readied the next edition, they looked to Toyota to fill the void and the engine bay behind the driver. Wheels began turning. The Elise may only have Toyota’s 1.8-liter under the bonnet (yes, just like your girlfriend’s Corolla), but with the six-speed manual car’s weight at 1,975 pounds, that heretofore humble servant’s 189 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque jolt the Elise to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. Top speed is more than adequate at 150 mph.With a base MSRP around $43,000, the Elise gives the kind of good vibes you’d ordinarily get from sports cars that cost thousands more. Even if some of its raw numbers don’t stack up with the bigger boys, you’ll probably never know it from the driver’s seat. If you do notice, you’re even less likely to care; the intrinsic rush is that intense. The Elise Sport comes packed with suspension upgrades, including adjustable Ohlins shocks, but under most conditions the ride stiffness (and for that matter, the overall noise/vibration/harshness) is just about right for a no-nonsense sports car. Weight and feel from the unassisted steering leaves little to be desired, and the four-wheel ABS is top-notch too. One of the few performance gripes we have is the relatively tight pedal box. You’ll have no problem heel-and-toeing, but leave your Herman Munster biker boots at home. It takes a certain kind of guy to drive the Elise. While we’re referring partially to his character (and ability to live with the yellow paint and silver stripes of the sport package), we’re also suggesting his build shouldn’t be overly generous. Graceful ingress and egress takes time and practice, especially with the targa top in place. Once inside, you’ll be snug in the tight, spartan interior -- all the better for tackling your favorite back road or track.

Exotic Car Koenigsegg CCXR


Even though the last thing that spring into mind when thinking about supercars is their environmental friendliness, by following conscientious and forward thinking strategies, Koenigsegg has managed to create the Bio Fuel Powered CCXR - environmentally friendly 1200 with even more spectacular performance than the standard CCX.It is true that the very low and exclusive production volume of Koenigsegg can hardly be considered to have a measurable impact on the Co2 problem that global society is facing, but still it is an impressive statement that even a small and extreme company like Koenigsegg can afford to develop environmentally focussed solutions.The Experienced Koenigsegg Swedish Team of engineers has managed to modify the CCX engine to run on bio ethanol fuel, therefore we can state that this is probably the most eco friendly supersport car in the world. On he other side, we do not know yet how many adversaries will have something in hand to contest its supremacy, knowing the fact that the octane value (way over 100) has increased the value of the car at 1.018hp.Although the Nordic team did not officially reveal what this data will mean on the road (the car has a torque of 1060 nm at 6100 rpm), there is no doubt that the CCXR has the potential to go way under 3 seconds by 100 km/h and to shatter the 400 km /h border. Following the long-term strategy of Koenigsegg, all previous CCXs will have the possibility to be converted by the factory to accept the biofuel option.The CCXR Biofuel upgrade has been developed in-house on the factory's engine dyno by the skilled technicians at Koenigsegg, led by Christian Koenigsegg, Marco Garver and Anders Hoglund from the Koenigsegg partner company Cargine Engineering

Nissan Skyline GTR -


Nissan Skyline GTR - Catch A Glimpse of the Extraordinary
The Nissan Skyline GTR has emerged to be one of the classy cars of the late twentieth century. It is one of the super fast cars with a rich stock of high technological devices that has served as a major factor in spreading popularity all over the world.

Maybach 57 S


The Maybach 57 S is a slicker version of the Maybach 62 for the wealthy that like their luxury ride to also have a sporty look about it. The $430,355 price tag places the 57 S 10th on the list of the most expensive cars in the world.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren


The first maker with a household name throughout the world to make the list is the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. It comes in at $452,750 and is also the first car on the most expensive list to actually look like a street legal car.

Bugatti Veyron


Bugatti Veyron At number is the impressive Bugatti Veyron from France. The worlds most expensive car has a price of €1,000,000 or $1,192,057 USD. The Bugatti Veyron not only claims the title of the most expensive street legal car in the world, but also the fastest and most powerful car in the world. The super car reaches speeds of more than 400km or 250 mph and was named after the French racing driver Pierre Veyron. The 16 cylinders and 1001 horsepower engine should ensure that pulling into gas stations will be something of a regular occurrence on your Sunday outings

Pagani Zonda Roadster F C12S 7.3


Pagani Zonda Roadster F C12S 7.3The Clubsport version of the Italian/Argentinean Pagina Roadster comes in second place with a price of $667,321 USD. The price will give you 650 hp and car that looks like it should be on a racing track. Pagani is a small boutique supercar builder that makes very few cars each year, so your neighbor probably won't have one.

2009 Mercedes-Benz SL





The Mercedes SL debuted in 1957 and has been an object of lust ever since. A two-seat, rear-wheel-drive roadster, the SL is the classic sporting Mercedes. Like the original, today's SL boasts outstanding performance. The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class has matured in every way over its six generations, quicker and faster on the one hand, more beautiful and more luxurious on the other, to the point where it lacks absolutely nothing, from its array of powerful V8 and V12 engines to its powerful stereo to its active suspension system to those all-day bucket seats. It is a marvel of automotive technology, featuring a folding steel convertible top.
For 2009, the SL models feature a whole new look, though underneath they retain the same basic platform. Also new is the 2009 Mercedes SL63 AMG, sporting a powerful normally aspirated V8 engine.

2010 Cadillac SRX vs. 2010 Lexus RX 350


2010 Cadillac SRX vs. 2010 Lexus RX 350
Tailfin Attitude Takes on Near-Perfection
By Todd Lassa
Photography by Nathan Leach-Proffer
Check Dealer Pricing On a New Lexus RX350!
Lexus is the best-selling luxury brand in the U.S., and the RX crossover is Lexus' best-selling model. It's the vehicle for everyone with money -- the practical people-mover for people with a multi-car garage full of exotics; the entry-luxury model for the upper-middle-class leasing slightly beyond their means; the wheels of choice for those who were lucky enough to get a second mortgage on their McMansions before the credit market imploded. This Lexus is for old money, too, its anonymous, transportation pod styling whispering, "We're too cool for a minivan."
Just imagine the profit margin for a model that starts a tad under $40k. In normal years, meaning before 2008, Lexus sold more than 100,000 RXes per year in the U.S. Lexus has been able to pour a lot of cash back into the relentless pursuit of beating less-reliable European crossovers into submission.
The 2010 Lexus RX 350 is the all-new Mk III model, following the 1999 Mk I and 2004 Mk II. It will continue to lead its segment and it will continue to be the best-selling Lexus. Big, body-on-frame SUVs may be so 2005, but crossovers are the latest thing, as if they've just been discovered.
They are a new discovery for Cadillac. The CTS aside, the GM luxury division's slow, decade-long comeback has rested on the back of its gargantuan Escalade body-on-frame sport/utility. The rear-drive Sigma-based SRX is classified as a crossover, but it's really more a tall, modern station wagon with optional all-wheel-drive. It's part of old, STS-Cadillac, not new, CTS-Cadillac. SRX sales were one-fifth of RX sales in 2007.
With the 2008 CTS giving New Cadillac renewed attitude, it's time to go after luxury's big kahuna. And so, the all-new 2010 Cadillac SRX switches to a front-drive platform, one using large bits of Epsilon II (Opel Insignia and 2010 Buick LaCrosse) and Theta (2010 Chevy Equinox/GMC Terrain) and shared with the upcoming Saab 9-4x (yes, production is still on).

2010 Jaguar XFR



First Test: 2010 Jaguar XFR
One Bad Cat: Just How Fast Is Jaguar's 510-Horsepower XFR?
By Edward Loh
Photography by Brian Vance
Check Dealer Pricing On a New Jaguar XF!
Back in January, we fleshed out the specs on Coventry's latest super sports sedan, the Jaguar XFR. One month later, we gave you a cockpit play-by-play at the XFR's launch in Seville, Spain. Now it's time to get down to the business of Racepaks and VBOXes to answer the question: Just how does Jaguar's bad little kitty measure up at the test track?
First let's look at what was promised. At launch, Jaguar claimed the XFR could hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.1 seconds, which, if possible, would indeed make this 4300-pound, leather-swathed sport sedan one quick feline. Too bad Coventry lies.
Our 2010 XFR shaved three tenths off the official 0-60 claim, even on the dusty tarmac of our El Toro testing facility. The 510-horse Jaguar also displayed more top-end speed than advertised, blitzing through the quarter mile in a mere 12.7 seconds at 114.1 mph. Meeeewow.
To put those numbers into perspective, let's compare them with a Jag we're intimately familiar with -- our long-term XF Supercharged. With it's 4.2-liter blown V-8 making 420 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, that car also puts down some serious numbers; 60 mph arrives in just 4.9 seconds, the quarter mile in 13.4 (at 106.9 mph). Not quite the accelerative equal of the $15,000 more expensive XFR, but it is surprising in other situations.
Perhaps because it is lighter by roughly 175 pounds, our XF S/C posts slightly better braking and handling numbers. From 60 mph, the XFR requires 109 feet to stop, the XF S/C just 105 feet. Though statistically a dead heat, it's a bit surprising given the XFR's much larger brakes and wider, stickier tires. The S/C continues to shine on the skidpad, pulling 0.90 g laterally compared with 0.87 of the XFR. In dynamic handling, the XFR manages to best its little brother; at 25.9 seconds at 0.74 g, the XFR is a tenth of a second quicker than S/C (26.0 seconds at 0.70 g) on our patented MT figure eight. Nothing shocking so far as the XFR should be the fastest cat in the XF den, but how does it stack up against a Bavarian benchmark like the BMW M5?

2009 BMW 335 I Specs



MSRP:
$50,700 More Details
Value Rating:
Average
Fuel Economy:
17 MPG city / 26 MPG highway
Bodystyle:
Convertible
Engine:
3.0L L6
2009 BMW 335 I Specs
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Performance Overview

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Two turbo compressor
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2,979 cc 3.0 liters in-line 6 front engine with 84.0 mm bore, 89.6 mm stroke, 10.2 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder N54
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Premium unleaded fuel 91
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Gasoline direct injection fuel system
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16.1 gallon main premium unleaded fuel tank 13.4
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Power: 224 kW , 300 HP SAE @ 5,800 rpm;

2009 BMW 328 I Specs



MSRP:
$44,550 More Details
Value Rating:
Average
Fuel Economy:
17 MPG city / 27 MPG highway
Bodystyle:
Convertible
Engine:
3.0L L6
2009 BMW 328 I Specs
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Performance Overview

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2,996 cc 3.0 liters in-line 6 front engine with 85.0 mm bore, 88.0 mm stroke, 10.7 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder N52
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Premium unleaded fuel 91
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Multi-point injection fuel system
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16.1 gallon main premium unleaded fuel tank 13.4
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Power: 172 kW , 230 HP SAE @ 6,500 rpm; 200 ft lb , 271 Nm @ 2,750 rpm

Hyundai Genesis 4.6


Photographer Julia LaPalme took the Genesis on a trip to San Francisco and came away appreciating the seats ("Seats are comfortable and cushy. What a plush way to drive 800 miles on a weekend."), the ride ("The suspension absorbs enough of the road imperfections for comfort,eaves enough feel to remind me I'm still driving."), and the general feel ("Overall, the vehicle feels like a good replica of a Lexus or Acura.").
That said, she wasn't fond of the cruise control ("Cruise control is not terribly responsive. I set it to 80 mph, and within a minute, it had dropped to 70.") and the iPod interface ("While scrolling through artists, I got all the way to the 'S' artists, which took a bit of time. I left the screen unattended for about 20 seconds, and the screen defaulted back to the main menu, forcing me to start at 'A' again. Frustrating.").

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Aston Martin Vanquish S



The Aston Martin Vanquish S is somewhat difficult to place because it includes characteristics descriptive of both sports cars and touring cars. Although probably more under the sports car category, the Vanquish S lacks none of the refinement of a touring car with its Alcantara and full grain leather interior. Under the hood, this car is all muscle. Its V12 pumps out 520hp at 7,000rpm, the most horsepower of any Aston Martin to date. Also, it changes gears, via paddle shifters on the steering column, in the blink of an eye, 250 milliseconds. Despite the Vanquish S's brawn, it still has finer touches like the leather and certainly fits the image of either a sports car or a touring car.

Performance
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mp/h) in 4.8 sec.
Top speed: over 200 mp/h

Engine
Type: V12; front engine, rear-wheel drive
Power: 520hp at 7,000 rpm
Displacement: 5935 cc

Price
Base: (from) $347,263(£177,100; €268,862)