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Subaru Legacy and Outback – Facelifted and Updated

Subaru are letting loose the latest Legacy and Outback models: For Japan, that means not mere MY releases but proper revisions – minor facelifting, chassis and body changes and new engines. The company likes to sum up their actions by using “concepts” which can be articulated in simple phrases. This one is called an “All Performance Enhancement” – the focus falls on fuel efficiency, driveablity and safety.

One of the two new engines (both of them are flat) is an improved version of the familiar, naturally aspirated 2.5-liter one. The Legacies and Outbacks designated with 2.5i usually develop 168 hp and 229 Nm of torque. Now, low to mid speed torque comes even easier. That on the other hand, called for a better CVT so a new Lineatronic transmission was also introduced. It improves fuel-efficiency and tackles the incoming torque more smoothly. Further improvement on the frugality is courtesy to the Impreza derived auto start/stop system.

The Legacy gets a new bumper and revised headlights plus grille thus making it look more wide and sharp. The Outback receives also gets similar optics in its own way. A way that is supposed to convey the image of a flagship SUV. Both of the cars get a 3.5-inch color LCD display at the center of the speedometer. There, the driver can monitor the fuel consumption and the operational situation of the “EyeSight” feature (the camera at the front that monitors the road for obstacles and eventual collisions). Convenient and safe stuff.

What one probably won’t notice is the enhanced rigidity of the Legacy’s body and chassis. By adding a support sub frame at the back and tweaking the spring settings on both ends, one gets a comfortable ride with superior on-the-road stability.

The other engine goes on the Legacy (wagon or sedan) and the designation will be 2.0GT DIT – Direct Injection Turbo that is. With 2.0-liters of displacement, DOHC and 16 valves, this is a new breed of engines that will hopefully sperad out. By injecting fuel directly into the cylinders, Subaru have made it possible to up the efficiency by 20%. The bore/stroke inside the pots is equally proportioned – 86mm x 86mm. That’s what’s known as a square engine which is ideal for direct fuel injecting. The twin scroll type turbocharger is said to be lively on low speeds and to have helped in extracting 300 hp and 400 Nm of torque.

Add to that the same Lineartronic transmission mentioned above and you get yourself a perfectly decent family car that’s capable of putting a smile on your face trough lively response. What makes it so suitable for a family car – it’s stability, safety and refinement – 18-inch aluminum wheels as standard, minimized vehicle sway and an enlarged stabilizer diameter which in turn offers great stability when changing lanes and cornering.

Source: Subaru

May 8, 2012

Epic battle: GT3 RS 4.0 vs M3 GTS vs C63 AMG Black Series

Here is an epic battle between three awesome sports cars – Porsche GT3 RS 4.0, BMW M3 GTS and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series.

The Porsche is powered by a naturally aspirated flat-six with 125HP (92 kW) hp/liter. This means 500HP (368 kW) and 460Nm (339 lb-ft) of torque from the 4.0 liter six-cylinder. It is mated to a 6-speed sport gearbox. The curb weight of the vehicle is just 1370 kg (3000 lbs). 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and top speed of 311 km/h (193 mph).

The BMW has an updated version of the M3 engine – a hi-revving 4.4 liter V8 with 450HP (331 kW) at 8300RPM and 475Nm (325 lb-ft) at 3750RPM. The engine is mated to a re-tuned 7-speed M Dual Clutch Transmission with Drivelogic. 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph). The total weight is 1530kg.

The Mercedes has a 6.2 liter V8 AMG engine with 517HP (380 kW) and 620Nm (460 lb-ft). It is coupled to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission with four driving modes. 0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).

Which is best? Check out in the video below.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSaN8FS-GV8

Source: drive via Youtube

May 8, 2012

Gallardo Twin Turbo UGR vs Corvette ZR1 LPE and GT-R Switzer R850 [HD video]

Another great video with extremely fast street legal vehicles by Dragtimesinfo. In this clip you’ll see Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 LPE, Lamborghini Gallardo Twin Turbo UGR and Nissan GT-R Switzer R850.

The Lambo UGR makes two starts – first against the GT-R Switzer and second versus Corvette ZR1. The twin-turbo UGR has more than 1500HP, but because of the rainy surface, it has huge problems with traction. As you will see in the first start, it crosses the finish line with terminal speed of 339 km/h, which alarms for a lot of wheelspin.

In the second start the Gallardo is going against Corvette ZR1 Lingenfelter, which has half of Lambo’s power – 730HP. Obviously, it won’t be an interesting race, but everything happens on a drag race!

Enjoy the video!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXllrlyhWyA

Source: Dragtimesinfo via Youtube

May 8, 2012

Audi Sport Quattro – KEMRacing in the Isle of Man [video]

Audi Sport Quattro is a legendary car produced in limited series of just 224 units. It was introduced back in 1985. The brutal car is still known as the most powerful rally car ever competed in an international competition – 600HP (441 kW).

However, the officially stated power of the inline 2.1 liter five-cylinder turbocharged engine was 480PS (350 kW). A recirculating air system helping the turbocharger spinning at high RPM, when the driver does not apply the throttle allowed the engine to resume full power immediately after the resumption of full throttle. This was extremely good move, because it reduced the turbo lag a lot and boosted the engine to 507PS (373 kW) at 8000RPM.

Here is a nice video of an original Quattro which was converted by UK firm Dialynx into a short wheelbase Sport Quattro competing at the Isle of Man Manx Classic Hillclimb and Sprint Series in April.

Enjoy!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr3VXBVk0cg

Source: Thatclicks via Youtube

May 8, 2012

Cadillac ATS Price: $33,990

The latest Cadillac ATS RWD sedan, gets a price tag which makes its future look good. Starting from $33,990, the 2.5-liter/30+ mpg model even comes with destination charges. It’s a small poke in the eye for Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Their own compact-sedans (the C250 and A4 respectfully) have a significantly higher price.

Besides the 2.5, for one can get the mid-range power train ($35,795) which is 2.0 but it is turbocharged thus more powerful and less thirsty. Manual and Automatic transmissions are available as is the choice between RWD and AWD. The top of the range model that costs $42,090, incorporates a 3.6-liter V6 engine rated at 320 horsepower. The transmission is strictly automatic and the standard equipment includes leather 8-way power seats with memory for settings storage, adaptive start, CUE tech and much more. Full specifications are due to came later on.

The CUE technology represents Caddilac’s user interface. It’s akin to that used in many smartphones and tablets. The idea is that it uses electrodes to sense the conductive properties of objects, such as a finger – in other words… a touchscreen.

The handling is also expected to be top-notch since the Nürburgring in Germany, among other tracks has been a favorite of Cadillac testing engineers for quite a while. The ATS is also lighter than the aforementioned A4 and C250 by around 100 pounds. The top-of-the-line 3.6 is expected to do 0 to 100 kph in less than 6 seconds.

Source: Cadillac

May 7, 2012

Prior Design Range Rover Body Kit

Ancient gods need accessories as well. That’s why we’ve got news from Prior Design for they have given the iconic Range Rover (2002-2005) a makeover. We are talking about nothing more drastic than a simple body kit but that’s what Prior do and they do it best.

It really is simple – a front bumper, side skirts and a rear bumper. The overall kit does make the Range Rover loose its off-road appeal but since when SUV’s have been for dirt roads? Today, it’s all about the urban look – a sense of security on the rough asphalt, the elevated stance in a traffic jam, the mind-boggling gas station receipt (wait… that’s not a plus). Anyway. Prior have given this particular Range Rover something that will make it stand out from the other icons and there are a lot of them.

Back in the days, these Range Rovers used Jaguar derived V8 engines which, at best, had 5.0-liters of displacement, 503 hp and 625 Nm of Torque – so not that ancient after all. They were, and still are the ultimate statement of clout.

All Prior Design products are made from a Dura-Flex FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) material – sturdy, flexible and paint-friendly. The whole package will set you back with around 2,280 Euros ($2,971)

Prior Design Land Rover Range Rover (2005) — Prior Design Range Rover Body Kit (2012)

Source: Prior Design

May 7, 2012

2012 Jaguar XJ Supersport – The new “Ring Taxi”

For more than a decade, BMW M5 is the official Ring Taxi. It takes passengers around the famous Nurburgring race track driven by a professional pilot. Now, there is a new taxi and it comes from Jaguar. It is based on the latest all-aluminium long wheelbase XJ Supersport with Sport and Speed Pack options.

The XJ Supersport Ring Taxi is powered by a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 with 510HP (375 kW) and 625Nm (461 lb-ft) of torque. It is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission sending all that power to the rear wheels. 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 280 km/h.

“We’ve been running a successful Nürburgring driving programme from our Nordschleife engineering test centre now for some time, as it’s the very best place to demonstrate the dynamic abilities of the current Jaguar XF, XJ and XK models.“, commented Frank Klaas, Global Head of Communications, Jaguar Land Rover.

“Of these models, we found it’s the XJ Supersport that most often surprises journalists with its speed simply because they perceive it to be a large luxury car. The XJ is both those things, of course, but its aluminium architecture means it’s rigid and lightweight too, which make it a very good car on track. To underline that fact, our engineering team created this special Nürburgring taxi version in which our trained drivers can safely take passengers on very hot laps!”, he added.

The new Ring Taxi is finished in matte grey and comes with some upgrades like a new front splitter and a rear spoiler. There are also red brake calipers, gloss black accents and a set of 20” alloy wheels.

The interior features four individual racing seats, each equipped with four-point harnesses and a full bespoke roll cage.

2012 Jaguar XJ Supersport - The new Ring Taxi — 2012 Jaguar XJ Supersport – The new Ring Taxi

Source: Jaguar

May 7, 2012

Porsche Boxster Arrives in UK Showrooms

The Porsche Boxster hits the showrooms in the UK. Prices will start at £37,589 which means that it still will be the cheapest Porsche around and, because of it’s new profile, it will be more accessible as well. By accessible, I mean more appealing to men as well. Let’s be frank. Up until now, women have been the most common sight behind the wheel of a Boxster roadster.

Some highlights: two flat-six engines with direct injection and a recalibrated chassis. It’s 35 kg lighter than the old one and has a 60 mm longer wheelbase (shorter overhangs nevertheless). The front and rear axles are wider and the tires on them are larger. Reports come in that the new Boxster S can lap the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in 7:58 minutes – that’s a 12 second improvement over the old one. Take that and the fact that the interior is partly inspired by the Carrera GT and you’ll get why I think it will be now more appealing to men – it’s more aggressive, sleek and quite frankly bad (in the good sense).

Aggressive and bad are also the drive trains. Fort the Boxster – a downsized (used to be 2.9) 2.7-liter horizontally opposed engine develops 265 hp. That’s 10 more from the old one. The Boxster S (from £45,384) gets 315 hp from it’s 3.4-liter engine. By default, both of these cars will come with a manual six-speed gear box. Optionally, you can get the seven-speed dual-clutch Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (if you can say this out loud, you get it complementary … not). If you opt for that however, plus the Sport Chrono package, the Porsche Boxster can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds while the Boxster S does that in 4.8 seconds. In return, with that setup, you get 36.7mpg, and CO2 emissions of 180g/km from the Boxster and 35.3mpg and 188g/km of CO2 from the S.

Standard equipment for the base Porsche includes in Alcantara interior, 18” alloy wheels, Auto stop/start and Sports mode, remote control hood operation, audio CD with 7-inch colour touch-screen control, a universal audio interface offering MP3 connectivity and a three year warranty.

The Boxster S has 19-inch instead of 18-inch wheels, “partial” leather interior and Bi-Xenon headlights.

Source: Porsche

May 7, 2012

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 – 11.93 at 1/4 mile [video]

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has joined the exclusive “11-second” club for stock vehicles. This means that the car is capable of doing less than 12 seconds at a ¼ mile drag race.

Only a few other production vehicles can run the quarter-mile as quickly as the ZL1. Fewer yet can also run 0-60 in 4 seconds, reach a top speed of 184 mph and lap the famous Nürburgring in 7:41.27 – all with the street-legal, factory-issued components and no time-consuming equipment adjustments at the racetrack.

“The ZL1 is great at everything and we’re very proud of that,” commented Tony Roma, Camaro ZL1 program engineering manager.

“You can take it to the drag strip and run 11-second quarter-miles all day long. You can also take it to a road course, where it’s balanced, handles well, and does exactly what you want – including lapping Virginia International Raceway’s Grand Course in under three minutes – and yet the ZL1 is sophisticated enough to use as a daily driver. It’s a supercar you can drive every day.”, he added.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB0mEjmlm8g

The new 2012 Camaro ZL1 is powered by a 6.2 liter supercharged V8 with 588HP (432 kW) and 754Nm (556 lb-ft) of torque. 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 296 km/h (184 mph) with the optional TapShift automatic gearbox.

“We know many of customers will take their ZL1 to the drag strip,” said Gordon Rojewski, driveline development engineer – and who is also an experienced drag racer and owner of a turbocharged, 920-horsepower street car.

“Some may just go once, to experience the full potential of the 580-horsepower LSA engine. Others may be more serious, going every other weekend with a set of slicks in the trunk. As such, we set out to make sure the ZL1 would perform for them – on the first pass and on the 100th.”, he finished.

Source: AutoSpinn via Youtube

May 7, 2012

Chevrolet Camaro a.k.a Yellow Steam Hammer by O.CT-Tuning

O.CT-Tuning do not like to beat around the bush. That’s what evident by this example – it’s a Chevrolet Camaro (The Yellow Steam Hummer, they’ve called it) that has no obvious signs of modifications. That doesn’t come as a big surprise, since O.CT-Tuning are apparently renown for their expertise on compressor modifications. Many of their subjects have in fact been Chrysler SRT-8 models. Now it’s time to move on a bigger scale. Why not a genuine Transformer. Bring in more power!

By “modifying” the forced induction system (supercharger), the power of the Camaro can go up from 602 hp and 682 Nm of torque to 630 hp and 730 Nm of rotque. Easy stuff for the compressor wizzards at O.CT-Tuning but we can’t help but thinking – won’t those tires shred themselves as soon as you put your foot down. 100 Nm of torque is like having an additional Smart car under the hood…that’s been infected with rabies

The one thing that complements the enhancement, is the exhaust system. Still very subtle but there nevertheless. Not trying to burst your year drums at low revs, evoking the gods of thunder when you approach the read line – that’s what this is all about. Apart from that, nothing else has been changed. That’s the point when it comes to the Transformers – they need to blend… despite that this is an yellow Chevrolet Camaro we are talking about but hey, that’s Hollywood.

It’s worth noting, that the power tweaking is staged – you can have a little bit more or a whole lot more. To avoid any legal issues or personal worries, genuine documentation is also provided – a certificate of technical inspection and a DTC certificate. Thus, even the scrutinizing law of Switzerland cannot deem this vehicle unfit for road use.

O.CT Chevrolet Camaro Yellow Steam Hammer (2012)

Source: O.CT – Tuning

May 7, 2012

BMW M Performance upgrades 3-Series and 5-Series

BMW announced new M Performance Parts specially designed for the new 2012 BWW 3-Series Sedan and 2011-2012 5-Series Sedan. The manufacturer is continuing the tradition, which already offers such kind of parts for the high-performance M3, 1 Series M Coupe, X5 M and X6 M.

All components are specifically designed for 3-Series and 5-Series models. These include a gloss black grille, carbon fiber mirror caps, body stripes for the 3-Series and a carbon fiber rear spoiler for the 5-Series. Other exterior goodies are a set of 20” alloy wheels and a stainless steel sports exhaust system with two chrome-plated 80mm exhaust tips for the mighty 335i and the 535i.

To accent the 20″ wheels and to improve braking performance, a Brembo big-brake kit with painted calipers is now available. It consists of 4-piston aluminum fixed calipers on the front axle and 2-piston aluminum fixed calipers on the rear axle. The discs are cross-drilled, internally-vented in diameter 370 mm front and 345 mm rear.

The interior boasts a new Motorsport-derived steering wheel for the 3 Series Sedan. There is also a 7-piece carbon fiber and Alcantara interior trim set inspired by the world of Motorsport.

Lastly, the cabin can be equipped with a carbon fiber gear knob and a seven-piece carbon fiber and Alcantara trim package.

A BMW M Performance carbon fiber gear shift knob and selector lever is available for vehicles with manual or automatic transmissions. The same open-pore technology used in the interior trim kit can be found on these products as well. The gear shift knob also has an integrated shift boot made of Alcantara.

All products installed on or in the vehicle carry a BMW 4 year/ 50,000 mile warranty on the items if installed prior to delivery of the new vehicle.

Source: BMW

May 7, 2012

2012 Peugeot 208 R2 – Price

Peugeot has announced the new 208 R2 rally car, which will make its official debut at the Tour de Corse on May 10th.

“With the 208, Peugeot has given itself the means to create a new motoring icon,” commented Peugeot’s Range Director Laurent Blanchet at the model’s launch.

“The 208 carries over the successful spirit of the 205 and the 206, plus the functionality of the 207 in a thoroughly modern package,” added Xavier Peugeot, the Brand’s Product Director.

The racing car comes with a lot of upgrades including a new sport suspension with adjustable Ohlins dampers and a rally-specific hydraulic steering system. The brake system has been also revised by installing Alcon big brake kit. The interior received a roll cage and a pair of Sparco bucket seats.

208 R2 is powered by a naturally-aspirated 1.6-liter engine with 188HP (138 kW) and 190Nm (140 lb-ft) of torque. It is mated to a 5-speed sequential transmission which sends power to the ground via a limited slip differential on the front wheels.

The price for this toy is starts at €37 500 and the fully-built models will be €57 500.

Source: Peugeot

May 7, 2012

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