Lidia Todorova – Page 81 – Automobiles Review

The Vengeance: Kahn Teases New Project

Kahn Design has been lately famous for the Flying Huntsman project. After the successful Flying Huntsman 6×6 concept revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the latest addition in the family was the Defender Pick-up that caused a lot of controversial comments.

They were mainly in terms of the strange front to rear lengthening. The two-door Defender-based pick up actually includes more than 15 inches to the standard 90-inch wheelbase. The lengthening adds 400 mm to the bonnet and 150 mm added to the width. This results in a huge difference between the lengths of the rear-bed and front hood.

Anyway, the British tuner has been obviously planning another ambitious project. What is currently available as information is that the next project will be also based on another British classic. It will be called Vengeance and will feature Kahn’s specific WB12 (a.k.a wide body).

Next to the teaser, the tuner announced that the car will be built in Coventry and will be a two-door coupe in “hammer formed aluminium”. What we also know for sure is that the official images of the vehicle will be released this week. My personal guess, judging from the teaser and available data, is that we will see an Aston Martin. Probably a Vantage. What’s yours?

Source: Kahn Design

May 4, 2015

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Receives One-Off Prior-Design Aero Tuning

Prior-Design Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Side View The tuner Prior-Design has surprised us with a new and extreme project. After a long and silent time, the specialists have finally released a car which is worth the attention. This time under the spot is the emblematic gull-wing Mercedes SLS AMG. The car alone looks fantastic, but after the addition of the PD widebody kit, it surely turns heads.

The sporty and elegant car was actually teased in the middle of February, when the tuner released just three photos of it as well as some details about the kit that it will include. And although it was said that the kit for vehicle will be available by the end of May. Prior Design has obviously made the impossible and are currently releasing it.

The aero-kit, named PD900GTWB, turns the SLS AMG into a real monster, as the tuners claim. If you ask whether there is something previously unannounced included, well, the news is sad, because there really isn’t. However, only in terms of aero-components. There are some engine improvements added and more.

Aero-Kit

Still, if you meet this project for the first time, it is good to know that this Mercedes is very special because it differentiates from its siblings with new front and rear bumpers, side skirts and front fenders that widen it further, rear wideners, new hood and rear trunk spoiler. The widebody aero-kit is made of fiberglass-duraflex, but it can be purchased made of carbon fiber.

Wheels & Tyres

Of course, this beautiful car requires new wheels to run on. Precisely, they are three-part forged Rotiform SNA alloys in the size of 9×20” and 11×21” at the front and rear, respectively. The Dunlop SU 5P tires come in the size of 245/30 ZR20 and 305/25ZR21.

Suspension & Exhaust System

In addition, PD took care for the suspension of this car, giving it a KW coilovers that lower it with about 35mm. New exhaust system is also at hand. It features 200Cell race cats, new manifold and muffler with clap control. The result is a power improvement with 40 PS.

Engine Chiptuning

The performance of the vehicle was further improved via chiptuning. Additional 30 PS and 40 Nm were added to V8’s standard parameters. In details, AMG’s 6.2 liter engine produces 571 PS (420 kW) and 650Nm (479 lb-ft). You can make the math.

Source: Prior Design

May 4, 2015

Peugeot Gives with More Information on its Mysterious Supercar Concept

Peugeot GT6 Virtual Car Do you remember when we told you about the mysterious Peugeot concept car? Well, we received further information about it. To be precise, it’s not written details, but pictures which actually tell a lot more. If with the previously released video, the French manufacturer invited us to solve the mystery behind the new project. These photos and sketches actually reveal and confirm a lot more.

The first thing they support is that this concept will probably be the next vehicle featured in the Gran Turismo 6 game. The video teaser told us that we should expect a car which blends the codes of the GT supercar and the prototype sports car.

The two sketches that you can view in the gallery below fortify this statement. They reveal that the vehicle will have a very low ride, concept-like exterior, wide and muscular stance and supreme performance.

Later today, Peugeot released three other teaser images, displaying select parts of the car like the front fascia and wheels. We can also get the impression of this dark silverfish paint scheme, which will be accentuated via red highlights, seen on the front bumper and complementing the Mustang-inspired rear lights.

These details actually tell us that the car will probably stay only a reality in the virtual world, so we do want to play with it in the GT6 video game. However, it’s so nice to be surprised by a full scale model, although it would probably be just only one.

There are no additional details disclosed. “Coming soon” is the only promise that Peugeot has given us.

Source: Peugeot via Facebook

April 30, 2015

Tesla Model S by Larte Design Gets Upgraded to 900 hp

It is hard to forget the spectacular lava-infused Tesla Model S by Larte Design, isn’t it? The car was revealed two weeks ago at the Top Marques Monaco and caused a big furor. And if you think that there is nothing new going on around this project then you are definitely wrong. The car is getting a performance upgrade, which will make it even more powerful.

Named Elizabeta and colored in fiery red, this Model S is now getting an exuberating white version, which is currently in preparation at company’s division in California. It will be extremely hot variant of the car, because of its spectacular 900hp capability. In comparison, the red Elizabeta produces “only” 700 hp.

What is more, this will not only raise the performance of the car with 29 percent but will also show any higher energy consumption, meaning that it will have similar reach as the production variant. Furthermore, this version of the Elizabeta will also feature lightweight front and rear bumpers made of basalt fibers just like its sibling.

To remind you, Larte Desin’s bodywork weighs just 13kg altogether, not only due to the aforementioned bumpers, but also because of the carbon fiber elements included in the front bumper, wheel arches, side skirts, trunk lid and the rear diffuser insert.

And for those who really like the noisy sound of a petrol engine, the tuner has prepared a sound module, which can acoustically mimic car’s acceleration. Oh, and have you noticed the revised interior as well?

Source: Larte Design

April 30, 2015

The Most Powerful Evora 400 Validated at Hethel

In February we saw the birth of the most powerful Lotus ever – the Evora 400. Then, at the Geneva Auto Saloon we witnessed its official public reveal. Now, the company has finally proved this with early tests, carried out by the Technical Manager for Lotus Motorsport, Gavan Kershaw. He drove the new Lotus at Hethel, boasting an advantage of six seconds per lap. During the tests he drove an Evora with standard road specifications, running on road tyres and suspension.

The Evora 400 is the latest supercar Lotus has produced. It features significantly reduced weight (by 22kg), additional 55 hp and better traction due to the addition of a limited slip differential. This basically means that the car is faster and more athletic in comparison to the previous generation Evora and this in turn hints for advantages in terms of agility and driving.

To go even further into details, the new model has a maximum speed of 186 mph (300 km/h). But more impressive is the fact that it can accelerate from 0-60 mph in only 4.1 seconds. This time extends to 4.2 seconds for the 0-62 mph acceleration sprint.

This capability is due to the addition of an entirely new powerplant, which is the 3.5-litre V6 engine. It generates 400 horsepower (294 kW) and 410 Nm (303 lb-ft) of torque. As a matter of fact, more than two thirds of the car is entirely new. This also includes the aluminium chassis, interior and the lightweight body.

At last, we should also mention that the new Evora 400 is scheduled to for a production start this summer, and will be available in European countries in August. The North Americans will have the chance of driving it as a 2016 model year, while the car will be debuting this autumn. In China, Lotus has decided to release the Evora 400 in the beginning of next year.

Source: Lotus

April 30, 2015

Jeff Gordon Sits behind the Wheel of Corvette Z06 for Indy 500

Jeff Gordon is not an unknown name for the motorsport enthusiasts. But if you are not among them, maybe it is a nice idea to tell you that he is a five-time Brickyard 400 winner and four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion. Why these facts are so important? Gordon will be driver behind the steering wheel of a Corvette Z06 pace car. This will happen at the 99^th edition of Indy 500 mile race on May 24 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Another interesting fact about the even and Corvette, is that this particular model was a pace car a total of thirteen times. Chevrolet, in general, has participated in the race with a pace car exactly twenty-six times.

Thanks to Chevy’s 650 horses and seven-speed manual, the specific race-oriented chassis system and impeccable characteristics, Gordon won’t have any problems in being the first car in the race. As you can see from the pictures, the car features an Arctic White exterior paint scheme and one-off Indy graphics, while the interior is decided in Adrenaline Red. Safety strobe lights are also included in the special package.

To remind you, the new Corvette Z06 is driven by the LT4 supercharged 6.2L V-8 engine. It produces no less than 650 horsepower (485 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 650 lb-ft of torque (881 Nm) at 3,600 rpm. If this does not speak anything to you, well the numbers only say that this is the most powerful production GM car.

As an option, Chevy is offering the Z07 package, which enables 0-60 mph acceleration in 2.95 seconds and braking in only 99.6 feet as well as some styling components. In addition, Z06 is also equipped with Performance Data Recorder. It allows those driving the vehicle to record HD video of their driving experiences on and off the track.

Source: Chevrolet

April 30, 2015

Volvo Seems to Have Created the Best Hybrid Engine

Volvo XC90’s T8 Twin Engine is one of the best powertrains currently on the market. It can deliver spectacular power and has very low needs for fuel. This of course, corresponds to the lowest emissions for a seven seater. They have dropped by 10 g/km and now measure only 49 g/km. The fuel economy is rated at 134.5mpg, while the power from the engine has also grown. The SUV can generate a combined power of 407 hp (300 kW) and 640 Nm (472 lb-ft) of torque.

Drivetrain

As a matter of fact, the drivetrain allows to be driven on a pure electric range up to 26 miles. Meanwhile it achieves 0-62mph acceleration sprint in 5.6 seconds. To be more precise, the gasoline engine produces 320hp, while the electric unit delivers the other 87 hp. 400 Nm and 240 Nm is the combination for the torque.

Driving Modes

The seven seater can offer five driving modes, which can be selected via either a scroll wheel on the centre console or a touchscreen on the dashboard. The first one is the “Hybrid” mode, which is set as a default. This means that, the vehicle will alternate between drawing power from the Drive-E engine and the electric unit automatically.

The second mode is called “Pure electric” and as the name suggests it uses the battery of the car for the only energy source. The electric motor drives the rear axle, thus offering a total range of up to 26 miles solely on electricity. This mode is also the most efficient of all.

Via “Power mode” the driver will get both power-sources working and will offer a better torque at lower revs, while the “AWD” mode will drive the all-fours on demand. At last, the “Save” mode comes in help if the battery is charged and the driver literally wants to keep this energy level for a later electric ride.

The good new is that the XC90 T8 Twin Engine is scheduled to appear in the showrooms later this spring.

Source: Volvo

April 30, 2015

Vilner Finally Releases New Project Based on Morgan Plus 8 Anniversary Edition

Vilner Morgan Plus 8 Front View The last time we have heard about Vilner was almost five months ago. Right ahead of Christmas the tuning studio has released Porsche 911 cabrio-based project that has also drawn a lot of attention. Luckily the talented specialists have been working on many projects and have been very busy. One proof for that is their newest project, involving a Morgan Plus 8 roadster. How cool is that! But let me continue.

History Behind this Car

There is nothing but great work involved here. As usual. This Morgan Plus 8 is a very special edition, because it is one of the jut 35 ever released. It is actually an anniversary edition which was released to commemorate model’s 35^th birthday. As a Morgan car, it is also hand made.

Even more special about this car is that its owner has purchased it, wanting a special cockpit treatment. However, he wasn’t lucky, because Morgan said that the options are limited and he should be content with the original gray-white leather and no interior detailing at all. And this is when he obviously contacted Vilner.

Interior

The tuner set a goal to give the Plus 8 the deserved attention to the detail and cabin treatment in accordance to the traditional spirit of the 35th Anniversary edition. For this purpose, the craftsmen chose vintage brown leather with diamond stitching. The latter varies in terms of color in different places. For instance, the seats and headrests received a silver leather fiber, repeating the color of the aluminum panels.

Other details, like the door mechanisms, have been wrapped in black Alcantara, while the thumbs – in brown skin. In addition, the belt buckles have also received leather treatment. Other interesting detailing involves special screws with polished metal heads, which corresponds to the beautiful aluminum wood-enhanced steering Moto-Lita wheel.

Exterior

There are no exterior modifications involved in this project. So, it basically features the standard silver paint scheme, applied over the hand-bended aluminum panels. The alloys are multi-spoke and the overall style of the car is a pure expression of the British tradition.

Drivetrain

No changes have been applied to the engine as well. This means that the 2003 Morgan Plus 8 35th Anniversary roadster is powered by the 3998 cubic V8 engine, which produces no less than 190 hp (140 kW) and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque and which is mated to a five-speed manual transmission that drives the rear-wheels.

Source: Vilner

April 29, 2015

Meet Chevy Impala’s Cool Midnight Version

Chevrolet Impala just received more aggressive looks, due to the addition of new exclusive trim level. The so called Midnight Edition is actually a special edition blacked-out package, inspired by a concept vehicle shown at SEMA last year. The car will be available for order this summer and will add all the premium characteristics of the new redesigned Impala.

Exterior

In terms of exterior styling features, the first thing to notice about the Midnight Edition is that it is all-black. Even Chevy’s badges have been blackened out. The Jet Black exterior is accompanied by body color mirrors.

In addition, the alloys are in the size of 19-inches and are machine-faced with black accents. Black grille and surround, front and rear black bowtie and black rear spoiler are also a necessity.

Interior

There isn’t any official picture of the interior, but Chevrolet says that its theme is Jet Black, so we expect exclusive black leather upholstery and black interior elements. The difference with the standard model here are the sport pedals.

Drivetrain

Impala Midnight Edition can be ordered with a choice of two powertrains. The standard one is the 2.5L iVLC, which features stop/start technology and produces 195hp (145 kW) and 253Nm (187 lb-ft) of torque. The other one is the 3.6L V-6 that is claimed to be the most powerful naturally aspirated engine in the segment, generating 303 horses (226 kW).

Pricing and Trim Levels

This Impala special edition will have a limited production in the 2LT trim level with the standard 2.5L engine. Otherwise the package can be purchased on 1LT, 2LT and LTZ trim levels and costs between $995 USD and $1,595 USD.

Source: Chevrolet

April 29, 2015

This Shelby Mustang Produces 1258 Horses!

Kinetik Motorsport Shelby Mustang GT500 Side View This is probably the fastest Mustang ever produced. Please, correct me if I’m wrong. The reason for my opinion is that this Shelby GT500 is capable of more than 1258 horsepower! It sounds almost unthinkable, since most of the cars produce around 100-150 hp. Behind this project is the team at Kinetik Motorsport, which is famous for its power tunings for late-model performance vehicles.

The questions are many, but one that pops-out almost immediately, is how was this achieved? Well, the answer is simple: with the means of an entirely new engine. Yes, the tuner has installed a brand new powertrain which was delivered by L&M Engines.

Fortunately, details about it aren’t scarce. The engine is the 5.8-litre V8 which was coupled with a huge 4.7-litre supercharger.

The result is spectacular and it is estimated at 1248 hp (925 kW) and 1435 Nm (1059 lb-ft) of torque. If you ask about the top speed: it is rated at 336 km/h, and this was done on car’s premiere at the Texas Mile.

The modifications do not stop here. Next to the supercharger, the engine also got a limited slip differential. Contributing to the additional hoses is also the Magnaflow 3-inch catback exhaust system that has tube headers by American Racing and sports mufflers.

The chassis of the Mustang has been strengthened via Koni coilovers and Griggs GR40SS suspension. The last component is the brake disks installed at all four corners and delivered by Baer Extreme.

Source: Kinetik Motorsport via Facebook

April 29, 2015

Accord Safety Car to Pace Verizon IndyCar Series

Honda Accord is obviously perfect for pacing Indy, since it has been chosen for the safety car of the popular race. It is the first car at the Verizon IndyCar Series, which hasn’t happened for almost ten years. That’s right. The last time Honda utilized the Accord model for an Indy race was in 2006.

Now, the 2015 Honda Accord Safety Car can show what a huge mistake the Japanese company has made. The safety vehicle is based on the production coupe model, but it has a significant difference. It features performance enhancements created by Honda R&D Americas.

Under the hood, the car has the 3.5-liter V6 engine. It has been of course modified and now produces more than 400 horses. This was achieved with the help of high-flow fuel injectors which were mated to a single Borg-Warner turbocharger. Also contributing for the additional horsepower are the hand-crafted intake, intercooler and exhaust system.

In addition to this, the team has also added a crankshaft from the Acura RLX, which was then coupled with HPD competition pistons and connecting rods for maximum reliability of the new engine package. The tuned unit was then mated to a strengthened with high-intensity shot peening six-speed transmission. It also features a limited slip differential.

Chassis modifications feature HPD brake system. It includes competition rotors, racing pads and stainless steel brake lines. For optimum rigidity, the team reinforced and stiffened the other chassis components. Everything is taken onto the road via Firestone high-performance tires coupled with Enkei alloys.

There is also modification done to the interior and body of the safety car. It now includes Sparco seats, four-point racing harnesses and aerodynamic body kit, adding various lip spoilers. At last, the “Power of Dreams” graphics package is what really differentiates the car from its production siblings.

Source: Honda

April 29, 2015

Infiniti Makes Gran Turismo’s Concept a Real Thing [VIDEO]

Infinti Vision GT Concept Front and Side View When a dream becomes reality, cars from video games become full-scale models, or even better – fully functional vehicles. Believe it or not, the Infiniti Concept Vision Gran Turismo has just stepped out of the virtual world into ours, and it looks breath-taking! The real-life car is called Infiniti Vision GT Concept and has nothing to differentiate it from its video game sibling.

The veil has just been lifted and so we get the impression of the future design language of the company. Hopefully. Being created for the latest Gran Turismo 6 PlayStation 3 racing game, the car has all the dramatic looks and features that make it ready for a competition.

The real car was designed with the help of the creators of Gran Turismo, which in fact began as global competition to “design a pure Infiniti GT car.” The winning team was this at Infiniti Beijing, which has staked on beautiful but aggressive design with powerful and audacious shape.

The team also added some Chinese influences to the concept. Precisely, the fluid movement and the delicate gradation of the body are elements inspired by Chinese calligraphy. It is also said that the character lines of the car reflect the dynamism of the Chinese country.

As a result, we have a true sports car, powerful looks and menacing stance. And it is now all real.

httpv://youtu.be/eubRPtn3mkI