TopSpeed Daily Update |  |
- Car Infographics: The Art of Drifting
- Video: Making of the Koenigsegg Agera
- Arrinera Automotive to introduce the world's first Polish supercar
- Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3 "Generazioni" by DMC
- Maserati will replace V8 engines with a Twin-Turbo Pentastar V6
- ZF builds world's first nine-speed automatic transmission
- Lamborghini Gallardo LP540 GT3 "Generazioni" by DMC
- Sports Utility Roadster by Teo Song Wei is all kinds of wrong
- King of Drift
- Suzuki's new Middle-class motorcycle teased
| Car Infographics: The Art of Drifting Posted: 10 Jun 2011 09:00 AM PDT
The 2006 film Fast and the Furious: Toyko Drift brought to light one of the many styles of driving competitions in existence, but this form of vehicular art didn’t originate on the big screen. Before Sean Boswell (played by Lucas Black) took to the fishing grounds for unique tutorials, people everywhere were learning how to slide sideways around tight corners. In fact, origins of drifting date back to the 1970s when Motorcycling legend turned driver, Kunimitsu Takahashi, used the technique to beat his competitors coming out of a turn. So what is drifting? Basically, it is a driving technique that allows drivers to skillfully slide their cars through turns by using either their brakes or clutch. When the braking technique is used, drivers have to hit their brake pedal or emergency brake when approaching the corner. Control is maintained with the use of steering and throttle input. This causes the rear tires to lose their grip on the road and swing outward. When using the clutch technique, the end result is the same, but the method is completely opposite. When the driver approaches the corner, he/she pushes in the clutch, downshifts, revs the engine, and then releases the clutch. The added power makes the tires spin so fast that they lose traction and spin outward. In both instances, the closer the rear end of the car gets to the wall and the more smoke the tires produce, the more points the driver will get in the competition. Check back with us soon to find more interesting tidbits as part of our Car Infographics series. Car Infographics: The Art of Drifting originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 10 June 2011 16:00 EST.
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| Video: Making of the Koenigsegg Agera Posted: 10 Jun 2011 08:00 AM PDT
At the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Koenigsegg wowed the world with the unveiling of the Agera supercar, a model that soon become the world’s most favorite supercar. The reasons behind the title are quite simple. The Agera is powered by a 4.7 liter V8 engine that delivers a total of 910hp at the 6850rpm-redline and a peak torque of 1100Nm at 5100rpm. Adding fuel to the fire is a top speed of 245 mph coming out of the beautiful and unique supercar. With such a devoted fanbase, it seemed 100% worthwhile for National Geographic’s Megafactories to do a complete feature on the Agera, detailing the making of the supercar down to what made Christian von Koenigsegg start developing it at such a young age. Other features of the film include the two week process that makes up the hand-built 4.7 liter V8 engine, the seven station method used to build the vehicle from nothing to extravagant supercar, and even a bit of the brand’s history. The series of videos is about 45 minutes long so it would be smart to grab some popcorn, get comfortable, and watch them straight through for the full effect! Hit the jump for parts 2 and 3 of the movie. Video: Making of the Koenigsegg Agera originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 10 June 2011 15:00 EST.
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| Arrinera Automotive to introduce the world's first Polish supercar Posted: 26 May 2011 10:00 AM PDT
For the most part, most of today’s supercars call the European continent their home. The growing trend of these high-powered machines has stretched far and wide in the continent with established countries like Germany, Italy, and the UK being joined in the supercar arms race by Sweden, Denmark, and Spain, among other countries. Now you can add Poland to the mix. The country best known for their polish sausages is set to introduce their very first supercar courtesy of Arrinera Automotive. The name for this Lamborghini-inspired beast hasn’t been announced yet, but Arrinera has nonetheless released a number of renderings to give us a first look on what to expect when this Polish hammer hits the streets in the future. Initial details behind the car suggest that it will ride on a tubular steel chassis and will come with a carbon Kevlar body with plenty of carbon fiber, aluminum accents, and premium leather upholstery. It will glide along the streets with large diameter light alloy wheels wrapped around ultra low profile tires, 255/30 R19 at the front and 335/30 R20 at the rear. Stopping power will come from Ceramic brake discs. As for the powertrain, there are whispers that it will come with a mid-mounted 6.2-liter V8 engine with four Eaton superchargers, producing an output of 638 horsepower and 604 lb/ft of torque. More details on Poland’s first supercar after the jump. Arrinera Automotive to introduce the world's first Polish supercar originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 26 May 2011 17:00 EST.
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| Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3 "Generazioni" by DMC Posted: 10 Jun 2011 06:00 AM PDT
German tuner, DMC, doesn’t get nearly the same amount of credit as its German contemporaries in the tuning world, partly because these guys have been under-the-radar compared to their brethren. All that, however, is about to change with the launch of a pair of limited edition Lamborghini Gallardo GT3s. The two versions, an LP540 and an LP560, were each given their own aerodynamic and performance upgrades as a tribute to Fabio Babini and Matteo Zucchi’s win at the recently concluded Blancpain Super Trofeo in Silverstone just a few days ago on June 5, 2011. Each of the Gallardo GT3s was given significant aerodynamic changes made of carbon fiber, including a new GT3 front apron, a new carbon spoiler, wide fenders, widened carbon fiber side skirts, a new rear fascia, a new bumper, a new diffuser, a redesigned rear wing that comes in a choice of either carbon fiber or fiber glass, and a set of 20" diamond forged wheels. Inside, there’s plenty more carbon fiber to go around, including on the seats, the steering wheel, and the door openers. As for performance, the Gallardo LP560 Generazioni GT3 had its ECU remapped, bumping up the power from 560 horsepower to 580 horsepower with a maximum torque of 242 lb/ft. All in all, the Gallardo LP560 Generazioni GT3 is about as good a tuning work as can be done for the racer given the time constraints. Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3 "Generazioni" by DMC originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 10 June 2011 13:00 EST.
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| Maserati will replace V8 engines with a Twin-Turbo Pentastar V6 Posted: 10 Jun 2011 05:00 AM PDT
Efficiency is turning into a four letter word for speed freaks considering the fact that recent automaker decisions have been in favor of saving at the pump and losing at the 0-60 mph mark. It’s unfortunate, but the walls are coming in and it’s getting a little too difficult to breathe for some automakers. Upping the ante on efficiency is what it will take for continued success and that is what Maserati plans to have as soon as it ditches the Ferrari-borrowed V8s found in the Quattroporte and GranTurismo line-up. Rumors are now circulating that the Italian luxury car manufacturer is steering clear of their usual V8 powertrains in favor of a twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter version of the Chrysler’s Pentastar. Apparently the V8s were light on low-end torque and didn’t provide adequate fuel economy. We can’t say we are in favor of Maserati’s decision, but hard times call for hard measures. In its standard version, the Pentastar V6 delivers a total of 280 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, however this engine has been tested in many flavors on both European and American markets and will hopefully produce just as much horsepower in a twin turbo variant. At least, that’s what we’re hoping for Maserati’s sake. Maserati will replace V8 engines with a Twin-Turbo Pentastar V6 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 10 June 2011 12:00 EST.
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| ZF builds world's first nine-speed automatic transmission Posted: 10 Jun 2011 04:00 AM PDT
In the ever-changing technological landscape of today's world, it doesn't seem all too surprising when a certain company releases a new breakthrough that's being considered a game changer. In the world of auto transmissions, ZF is the unquestioned leader in the industry, having supplied for a number of esteemed brands including Audi, Bentley, BMW, Range Rover, and Rolls-Royce. As a matter of fact, the company's eight-speed automatic transmission is currently being used in a lot of rear-wheel drive models from the aforementioned brands. With an eight-speed transmission already in play, ZF decided to up the ante by releasing the world's very first nine-speed automatic transmission for passenger vehicles. Equipped with a transversely mounted engine, the nine-speed gearbox is similar to the eight-speed version with the biggest exception being that the former is best suited for front-wheel drive cars because of its capacity to increase the car's fuel economy. ZF's new nine-speed transmission uses electronic controls to select the right gear depending on certain road conditions, eliminating situations where a car is subjected to unnecessary stepping and constant shifting. ZF President and CEO, Hans-Georg Harter said that the company's new nine-speed transmission is designed to improve the car's overall efficiency. "ZF's new nine-speed enables significant fuel economy improvements." He said. "It delivers excellent performance characteristics for front-wheel drive vehicles." Despite complete details still being kept under wraps, ZF's nine-speed transmission is being pegged for a production date of 2012 where it will be built at the company's new manufacturing plant in South Carolina. UPDATE 06/09/11: ZF has finally pulled the covers off of their ground-breaking new nine-speed automatic transmission. Called the ’9HP’, the new transmission has been promoted as boasting of a 16% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the standard six-speed automatic transmissions out on the market these days. On top of that, the gearbox is in tune and adaptable to new technological systems, including engine start/stop systems, hybrid powertrains, and all-wheel drive systems. The flip side to this, however, is that with the new transmission can only be used on engines with torque outputs from 206 to 354 lb/ft of torque. ZF builds world's first nine-speed automatic transmission originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 10 June 2011 11:00 EST.
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| Lamborghini Gallardo LP540 GT3 "Generazioni" by DMC Posted: 10 Jun 2011 03:00 AM PDT
German tuner, DMC, is giving us a double dose of Lamborghini Gallardo awesomeness today, and we couldn’t be any more thrilled about it. In addition to the more powerful LP560 GT3 Generazioni that we just featured, DMC also launched the slightly less powerful, yet equally captivating LP540 GT3 Generazioni . Similar to the LP560, the Gallardo LP540 GT3 Generazioni was built to celebrate the double-win of Fabio Babini and Matteo Zucchi in the Silverstone leg of the 2011 Blancpain Super Trofeo on June 5, 2011. The car comes with plenty of aerodynamic and performance upgrades with the most significant upgrades coming in the form of carbon fiber additions. These include the new GT3 front apron and carbon spoiler, extra wide fenders, widened carbon fiber side skirts, a new rear bumper, diffuser, a redesigned rear wing with an option of either getting it in carbon fiber or fiber glass, and finally, a set of 20" diamond forged wheels that come with a special varnish. Meanwhile, the interior of the car also gets plenty of carbon fiber present on the steering wheel, the door openers, and the seats. Under the hood, DMC also gave the LP540 GT3 Generazioni an ECU remap, improving the supercar’s output on the 5.2-liter V10 engine from the stock 540 horsepower to 566 horsepower and 475 lb/ft of torque. Lamborghini Gallardo LP540 GT3 "Generazioni" by DMC originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 10 June 2011 10:00 EST.
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| Sports Utility Roadster by Teo Song Wei is all kinds of wrong Posted: 10 Jun 2011 02:00 AM PDT
There are things that are naturally paired together - such as peanut butter and jelly or kool-aid and sugar. This concept by UK based designer,Teo Song Wei, is proof that other things are better off being left alone. In an attempt to smash together the driving pleasure of a roadster with the utility of an SUV, Wei has created a vehicle that seems to be having some major identity issues. The car features an electric hard top illustrating the roadster part of the package, while the mounting slots - fit to mount racks for various equipment such as an additional cargo box or a surfboard - take their inspiration from the SUV world. It’s a bit strange and a bit odd, but hey, at least Wei envisioned it carrying an electric motor which would apparently make it acceptable in terms of futuristic models. Thank goodness something like this will never make it to production. Sports Utility Roadster by Teo Song Wei is all kinds of wrong originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 10 June 2011 09:00 EST.
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| Posted: 09 Jun 2011 11:52 PM PDT |
| Suzuki's new Middle-class motorcycle teased Posted: 09 Jun 2011 03:15 PM PDT
Japanese maker, Suzuki, has revealed the first teaser images of their new motorcycle that, according to the first details, is being referred to as the "Middle-class New Motorcycle." While most of the rumors suggest the new bike will be making its debut at the EICMA show in Milan this November, Suzuki has promised to offer more details on June 11. This is all Suzuki is revealing at this point, but recent rumors have suggested that the teaser images actually preview the next generation V-Storm. The first teasers said it was "Time For Real Adventures", so this might suggest an off-road version of the V-Storm. However, no matter what are we looking at, the teaser images sure look promising with the motorcycle’s tall windscreen and cat-eye headlamp, as well as the tall handlebars, electronically adjustable windscreen, single rear exhaust, passenger grab-handles on the sides, and a shroud for the muffler. Suzuki's new Middle-class motorcycle teased originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 9 June 2011 22:15 EST.
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