TopSpeed Daily Update |  |
- Jensen Interceptor R
- The History of Drag Racing
- Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Spyder
- Cars 2 character vehicles to race at Goodwood
- Mazda RX-9 Coupe
- Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
- Mini Cooper S by Vilner
- Ford Mustang Cobra Jet
- Preorder Forza Motorsport 4 for Some Extra Goodies
- Audi 80 GT
| Posted: 01 Jun 2011 09:00 AM PDT
One of the most iconic British sports cars of the 60’s and 70’s is set to be revived by Jensen International Automotive as they hearken back to the nostalgic days when the legendary Jensen Interceptor prowled through the streets of the world. While official details about the car are still being kept under wraps, we do know a few things worth mentioning, including the powertrain that will come tucked in under the hood. While it was rumored to carry the 6.2-liter V8 engine from the Chevrolet Corvette, the word now is that the Interceptor R - the name it has been given - will carry a Dodge Viper-sourced 8.3-liter V10 engine with an output of 510 horsepower and 535 lb/ft of torque. The car is scheduled to debut in July at which point we’ll officially get a good look at the second coming of one of Britain’s most popular sports cars. Best be warned though, the Interceptor R is expected to be a hot item and thus, will carry a price tag deserving of its stature. How much is it going to cost? Nothing official has been laid out, but the rumor is that it could hit as high as around $171,650. The original Jensen Interceptor was a GT-class car that was completely hand-built by Jensen Motors from 1966 to 1976 in the United Kingdom. Engine options available at that time for the Interceptor included a Chrysler-sourced 6.3-liter V8 engine and, later on, a more powerful 7.2-liter V8 engine that produced somewhere in the neighborhood of 350 horsepower. Jensen Interceptor R originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 1 June 2011 16:00 EST.
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| Posted: 01 Jun 2011 08:00 AM PDT
Henry Ford introduced the automobile to the masses with his less expensive vehicles built on an assembly line. Once cars were being used widely, it was only a matter of time before the human love of competition took over. Dry lake beds and two lane strips of roadway became the first places to test your vehicle against another driver. These non-sanctioned events were essentially illegal drag races that took place throughout the country. A few fans of this growing competition began developing rules and regulations that have led to the NHRA or National Hot Rod Association that we know today. Speed demons were able to break the 100mph barrier on the Muroc dry lake bed in California's Mojave Desert, but it was not until 1950 that a man by the name of C.J. Hart was able to open the first official drag strip for racing. As soon as people saw the opportunity to race in safer and well-timed events the sport of drag racing was truly born. This first drag strip ran races until 1959 and by that time the NHRA had multiple national events taking place throughout the United States. The NHRA has become a larger success than anyone could have imagined and now comprises 80,000 members. Wally Parks was the associations first President and once noted, "we did have ambitions of its becoming a national sports entity. We weren't planning or marketing geniuses or anything like that. Things happened and we went with our instincts." Hit the jump for more details on the History of Drag Racing The History of Drag Racing originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 1 June 2011 15:00 EST.
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| Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Spyder Posted: 01 Jun 2011 06:00 AM PDT
A little while ago, a leaked document revealed everything there was to know about Lamborghini’s future line-up, and confirmed what a lot of us already knew; the Aventador will soon get a Spyder version. Scheduled to debut in 2012, the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Spyder will adopt many of the characteristics of the coupe, but altered for a wind-in-your-hair kind of look. Being since we are rather impatient when it comes to hot new vehicles, we just had to draw up the future of the Aventador. The standard Aventador is equipped with a powerful V12 engine producing 700 HP at 8,250 rpm and 509 lb-ft at 5,500 rpm. This same powerhouse will be dropped into the Spyder, whose added soft top roof will pack on a few more pounds and slow down the performance figures just a tad. That translates into a 0-60mph sprint time a shade over the coupe’s 2.9 seconds. UPDATE 06/01/2011: The Lamborghini Aventador Spyder has been confirmed for as a 2012 debut in a bit of an unusual way; via the official EPA page, where the car’s fuel economy has been listed. The Aventador Spyder will deliver a combined fuel economy of 13 mpg (11 mpg on the city and 17 mpg on the highway). Hit the jump to read more about the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Spyder. Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Spyder originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 1 June 2011 13:00 EST.
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| Cars 2 character vehicles to race at Goodwood Posted: 01 Jun 2011 05:00 AM PDT
If people were waiting for a chance to see the Cars 2 characters in real life, then the Goodwood Festival of Speed is the perfect opportunity to do so. Starting on June 30,2011 through to July 3, 2011 in the UK, Lightning McQueen and his new secret agent accomplice, Finn McMissile - voiced by legendary actor Sir Michael Caine -, will be racing at the festival. During the event, the two Disney / Pixar life-size celebrity race cars will be on hand to entertain anyone from the ages of five to 55. The two key Cars 2 characters will appear at Goodwood three weeks before the latest movie from the legendary Pixar Animation Studios is released in UK cinemas on July 22, 2011. However, before all of that goes down, fans of the Cars franchise over in the U.S. will be able to watch the movie when it hits theaters on June 24, 2011! Cars 2 character vehicles to race at Goodwood originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 1 June 2011 12:00 EST.
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| Posted: 01 Jun 2011 04:00 AM PDT
Mazda produced the RX-7 from 1978 to 2002 and, compared to the RX-8, it did very well. Now, after almost ten years, the Japanese company will bring back the RX-7 DNA with the launch of a new sports car called the RX-9. And, however chronologically deficient it may be, the RX-9 is being made as a successor to the RX-7 and not the RX-8. We should be seeing this new model hit the streets as soon as the RX-8 bids adieu to the market. The RX-9 is rumored to be built in the image of the most recent RX-7, the highly regarded version championed by the legendary "Koby" Kobayakawa, which went out of production in 2002. And, unlike the RX-8, it will be a two-door coupe model and not a complicated four-door coupe. Under the hood, Mazda will place the now famous 16X rotary engine. Expect an official debut to be made in 2012, with sales to begin in late 2013. UPDATE 05/25/2011: MotorTrend is reporting that the future Mazda RX-9 sports car will be using hybrid technology borrowed from Toyota, thanks in part to an agreement the automakers signed last year. Apparently Mazda will only use Toyota’s hybrid drive unit as power booster and range extender, but the vehicle’s main power will come from the Mazda-built rotary. UPDATE 06/01/2011: We know everyone got very excited about a possible future RX-9, but Mazda has denied all rumors associated with the production of this vehicle. According to the company, there are no plans for such a vehicle, and moreover, the very future of the rotary engine at Mazda is in jeopardy. The RX-8 is also preparing for a very sad end after a very unsuccessful history, but some good news is on the horizon as there is a good possibility that we will see a successor for the RX-7. This vehicle will share its platform with the future generation MX-5 and it is expected to be revealed in about two years. (CarAndDriver) Hit the jump for some specifics on the new RX-9. Mazda RX-9 Coupe originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 1 June 2011 11:00 EST.
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| Posted: 01 Jun 2011 03:00 AM PDT
In the world of classic and iconic cars few can outrun the historic nature of the 1956 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing. Not only was it able to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but its style and design have influenced Mercedes ever since. The car is able to exude luxury, class, precision, and power all at the same time and the company from which it was born has been very careful to mess with the formula. Mercedes and McLaren have long been involved in racing and they're first soirée into production automobiles came with the SLR McLaren. The car was "unique" to describe it in one word. It had a visceral and raw presence to its overall delivery of style and performance, but tended to be overshadowed by the supercars of its day. Around the same time Ferrari introduced its almighty Enzo and Porsche had developed the V10 Carrera GT. Furthermore, the SLR McLaren lacked identity with no Gullwing style doors and thus could not be categorized as a true successor to the original. For 2011 Mercedes thought they had come up with their next supercar and named it the SLS AMG. The development of this car was handed to Mercedes' in house tuning arm AMG. After recently developing their first engine from the ground up, this was their chance to prove themselves to the world as a competent car developer. With the overwhelming interest from consumers and praise given by automotive journalists it seems as though it has been a great success. The SLS embodies the ideals put forth by the 300 SL Gullwing’s of the past, but has also been able to make everything decidedly modern. Hit the jump for more details on the Mercedes SLS AMG Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 1 June 2011 10:00 EST.
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| Posted: 01 Jun 2011 02:00 AM PDT
Back in April 2011, Rolls Royce and Mini rolled out the Mini Cooper S "Inspired by Goodwood" by Rolls-Royce, a model based off a standard Mini Cooper S and inspired by Rolls Royce’s design elements. Vilner Studio took one look at the special edition and decided if Rolls Royce could do it, then they could do it even better by opting to transform the Mini’s interior into that of a Bentley model. Their package is called the "Italian Job" - after the movie - and features one of the most impressive interiors anyone will ever see in a Mini. The package starts off with Nappa leather, the same leather used in Bentley's factory, offered in brown and combined with two colors of high-tech Alcantara. This tan leather has a diamond-shaped texture that also matches Bentley’s pattern and can be found on the seats and doors where they are combined with smooth black leather. All of the original plastic parts were then sprayed down with a sparkling gray finish. The Mini Cooper S package was all about transforming the interior to look like a Bentley, but the exterior was not left out entirely. Vilner chose a matte gray wrap and then added two matte black racing stripes going up the hood towards the full matte black roof. The package is completed by a new set of 18" black wheels. Mini Cooper S by Vilner originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 1 June 2011 09:00 EST.
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| Posted: 31 May 2011 01:00 PM PDT
It was only recently that we received all of the details for the 2012 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, but spy photographers were still hungry for more so they were out on the hunt yet again. This time, they’ve caught the next generation Cobra Jet, due out in 2013, while it underwent some testing. Anyone would have to be blind not to notice the giant ram air hood acting liked the flared nostril for the Mustang. Upon second look, one can see massive drag slicks stuffed in the rear wheel wells and special exhaust tips that spurt out their growl just behind the front wheel wells. From this, we can deduce that this new Cobra Jet will be a more powerful model with a sportier and more aggressive appearance. For 2012, the Cobra Jet features a revised 5.4 liter DOHC supercharged aluminum block engine that delivers a total of 430 HP and is mated to a 3-speed C4 Auto Race transmission. It will be limited to 50 units, each priced at $91,900. We expect the 2013 model to come priced a bit higher, but with a similar limited run. We’ll get the official details as soon as they are released sometime in 2012. Ford Mustang Cobra Jet originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 20:00 EST.
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| Preorder Forza Motorsport 4 for Some Extra Goodies Posted: 31 May 2011 12:00 PM PDT
Microsoft isn’t letting up on what they are calling the most cutting-edge racing game in history in their Forza Motorsport series and they are bringing it back into the headlines with a Ferrari 458 Italia gracing the official cover and the list of goodies players will get if they preorder their copy. The fourth installment of Forza is scheduled to hit shelves in the Fall 2011 and the new support for Kinect, as well as the classic controls, will be up and ready to thrill gamers. If Fall 2011 is too long to wait, fans of the game will be happy to know that U.S. retailers will be allowing them to pre-order Forza for $59.99. Pre-ordering the game wouldn’t exactly be all that necessary if doing so didn’t open up the doors to a bunch of extra goodies. When you pre-order Forza Motorsport at any retail location, the game will come with an exclusive in-game car pack that includes a 1965 Ford Mustang GT Coupe, a 2011 Koenigsegg Agera, a 1997 Lexus SC300, a 2011 RUF RGT-8, and a 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport. Players can race, tune, paint, and share their creations with their friends, but the pack will only be available in the first production run of "Forza Motorsport 4" game discs. That’s not all, either. If gamers preorder their game at certain retailers, other fun prizes will be included in their pack. Hit the jump to check out the list of retailers and their extra goodies. Preorder Forza Motorsport 4 for Some Extra Goodies originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 19:00 EST.
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| Posted: 31 May 2011 11:00 AM PDT
The early 1980s saw the introduction of a more economical Audi model for the masses. Its Type 81/85 debuted at the Paris Salon in 1980 and displayed a complementary shape to its more expensive sibling, the Quattro. Audi continued to produce the 80 series cars until 1988 with nearly 8,000 being made. Audi's design of a smaller and more affordable car had also spawned to a new genre of racing. The company had a factory team that was owned by Peter Seikel. He recently had an Audi 80 GT in the United States and one lucky builder was able to get a closer look. The Audi 80 GT was never officially produced and sold by the company, but did race in the European Touring Car Series. Peter's car is in great condition and that allowed for measurements and information to be gathered from it in great detail. The car to be restored was another GT that was originally owned by Peter Aschenbrenner, who had raced it in IMSA and Trans Am events. Since its glory days the car had been sitting in disrepair just waiting for someone to show it a little love. More details on the Audi 80 GT after the jump. Audi 80 GT originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 18:00 EST.
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