Looks like electric cars are still in the lead as far as the annual fuel cost figures go. As a matter of fact the next best thing, plug-in hybrid, will set you back almost 2 times the annual fuel cost of the electric car. No wonder the oil industry killed the electric car. Luckily the newcomer Tesla is generating ripples across the car industry with its fast, fun and nearly as practical electric cars. Unfortunately this is still a new and expensive technology and is outside of most people's budgets. But times will change...
I would bet that one day, in a not so distant future, electric cars will become the dominant mode of transportation. And most of this electricity will come from solar charging stations and car rooftop mounted solar panels.
Named after the founder, Enzo Ferrari, the F60 is a modernized replacement to the legendary Ferrari F50 and is perhaps one of the most iconic Ferraris ever built. It incorporates all of Ferrari's race proven expertise and extensive knowledge of the Formula One technology. With its carbon-fiber body, carbon ceramic composite brakes, active aerodynamics, and F1 inspired blink-of-an-eye sequential paddle-shifted transmission the Enzo to the car industry is like a Space Shuttle to the space industry - one of the most advanced, radical and extreme cars ever built. With a limited production run of only 400 cars ever built Ferrari got to pick who could have one and who could not.
Specifications:
0-60 mph (0-97 km/h): 3.14 seconds
0-100 mph (0-160 km/h): 6.6 seconds
¼ mile (400 m): 11.0 seconds at 136 mph (219 km/h)
Nürburgring Circuit Lap Time: 7:25.21
Top Speed: 220 mph (350 km/h)
Horsepower: 660 bhp (485 kW) @ 7,800 RPM
Torque: 485 lb-ft (657 N·m) @ 5,500 RPM
Engine: 6.0 L V12 (5988 cc) naturally aspirated, DOHC, VVT, aluminum block and heads
Redline: 8,000 RPM
Downforce: 1,709 lb (775 kg) at 186 mph (300 km/h), rear wing is computer actuated
Transmission: 6-speed semi-automatic F1-style electrohydraulic gearbox, sequential paddle shifted, 150 ms shift time, clutchless design
Tires: Bridgestone Potenza Scuderia RE050A
Wheels: 19-inch (483 mm)
Brakes: 15-inch (381 mm) carbon ceramic Brembo with 6 pot calipers
Chassis Layout: mid-engine, 2-seater
Weight Distribution: 43.9/56.1 (front/rear)
Wheelbase: 104.3 inches (2,650 mm)
Length: 185.1 inches (4,702 mm)
Width: 80.1 inches (2,035 mm)
Height: 45.2 inches (1,147 mm)
Weight: 3,010 lb (1,365 kg)
Gas Mileage (US): 12 mpg (20 L/100 km) city, 18 mpg (13 L/100 km) highway
Safety Features: active aerodynamics, traction control
Production: limited, only 400 produced
Base Price: $659,330 (US)
Ariel Atom may not look like your ordinary supercar but do not let the looks deceive you. It is extremely light weight and delivers between 200-300 horsepower all the while providing handling characteristics that can rival some of the best exotic cars at a fraction of the cost. If top end speed is not important to you than Atom represents one of the quickest and most affordable supercars that feel perfectly at home on the track.
Specifications (US spec):
Engine: 2009 2.0L Honda K20 4-cylinder (drive by wire) with dry sump lubrication
Displacement: 1998cc
Maximum Power:
200 horsepower with base trim
245 horsepower with tuning
300 horsepower with tuning plus supercharger
Maximum Torque: 200 foot-pounds
Transmission: 6-speed Close-Ratio Syncromesh
0-60 mph: 2.8 seconds
0-100-0 mph: under 11 seconds
Maximum Speed: 135 mph
Weight: 1,350 lbs
Power-to-Weight Ratio (lbs/bhp):
7.0 lbs/bhp with base trim
5.6 lbs/bhp with tuning
4.6 lbs/bhp with tuning plus supercharger
Length: 3,410mm (134 inches)
Height: 1,195mm (47 inches)
Width: 1,798mm (70.5 inches)
Track: 1,600mm (63 inches)
Wheelbase: 2,345mm (92.3 inches)
Fuel Economy: 33 miles per gallon
Suspension tuned by: Lotus
Manufactured by: Ariel Motor Company in Somerset, England
Assembled in: USA by TMI AutoTech (US spec)
Base Price: $49,980 (US dollars)
Check out this informative and fun review of the original Ariel Atom courtesy of Top Gear:
It is always fun to see Jeremy Clarkson in pain as he always has something funny to say about it:
There aren't many cars that can keep up with a GTR; definitely none in this price range. I tend to think of the GTR as a 'poor man's lamborghini', but it is so much more! It is reliable like Japanese clock-work. It is comfortable and civilized enough to serve as a daily driver and you can actually drive it to work and to get groceries. But the best part is that it performs and handles like nothing else out there. Take my word for it, if you have never driven a GTR you are missing out. Between all of the exotic materials (aluminum, carbon fiber, magnesium, and other composites) and PlayStation-like gadgets and electronics GTR is one amazing machine! It is very easy to drive fast and it makes even the worst driver look good. It is stunningly amazing...
Enjoy one of the best Nissan R35 GTR videos from Top Gear and watch Jeremy Clarkson injure his neck from vicious lateral G forces...
With the help of Stig, their team racing driver, Nissan GTR goes quicker around the Top Gear track than Lamborghini LP640 and Carrera GT while lagging slightly behind Ariel Atom and Ferrari Enzo. Those are some very impressive numbers for a car that costs a mere $90k US dollars!
Nissan GTR posts impressive time around the Top Gear track
GTR specs:
- 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds
- 196 mph top speed
- 0.26 coefficient of drag (one of the lowest for a production car)
- 530 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
- 448 lb-ft of torque @ 5,200 rpm
- Hand-crafted 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged 24-valve V6 engine (VR38DETT)
- ATTESA E-TS All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system with torque distribution; up to 100% rear; up to 50% front
- Electronic Traction Control System (TCS)
- Advanced Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with three driver-selectable modes (Normal, R-Mode, Off)
- Hand-crafted dual clutch 6-speed transmission with three driver-selectable modes (Normal, R-Mode, Save)
- Fully automatic shifting or full sequential manual control via steering column-mounted magnesium paddle shifters
- Brembo 4-wheel disc brakes, 15.4" front and 15.0" rear two-piece floating-rotors with diamond-pattern internal ventilation
- Super-rigid 6-piston front/4-piston rear monoblock calipers with racecar-inspired 3-point radial mounting
- Bilstein DampTronic suspension system with three driver-selectable modes (Normal, R-Mode, Comfort)
- Super-lightweight forged-alloy RAYS wheels: 20" x 9.5" front and 20" x 10.5" rear
- Dunlop SP Sport high-performance nitrogen-filled run-flat tires: 255/40ZRF20 front and 285/35ZRF20 rear
- Generates negative lift (downforce) at speed
- Total weight is 3829 lbs
- Weight distribution of 53/47 (front/rear)
- City/Highway miles per gallon: 16/23
- Premium package price (US): $89,950
MotorTrend reviews 2012 GTR and clocks 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds
InsideLine clocked their Skyline springing to 60 in 3.1 seconds
...apparently VERY VERY HARD indeed!!! How could such a capable driver be struggling so much with an F1 car? Watch the clip below to find out. Check out Richard Hammond of Top Gear as he attempts to drive F1 Renault R25 at Silverstone:
2005 F1 Renault R25 specifications:
Engine: RS25 naturally aspirated 3.0 L 72° V10 DOHC
Brakes: Hitco carbon discs and pads, AP Racing calipers
Gearbox: paddle shifted 6-speed sequential
Drive: RWD
Weight: 1333.8 lbs (605 kg)
Produced in: France
Production year: 2005
Crawford Performance tuned 2006 Subaru WRX STi 530whp
Ken Block burning some serious rubber during Gymkhana practice in his awesome 530hp STi. In case you are wondering what Gymkhana is here is the definition:
gym·kha·na[jim-kah-nuh] - Also called autocross, a competition in which sports cars are timed as they travel on a closed, twisting course that requires much maneuvering.
Amazingly this TRAX system turned Ken Block's STi into a tank! It can now go where no other car has gone before. Don't believe me? Check out this comparison between tires and tracks:
Specifications:
0-62 mph (0-100 km/h): 3.7 seconds
Top speed: 155 mph (250 km/h) electronically limited
Max power: 395 hp (400 PS, 295 kW) @ 5,750 rpm
Max torque: 400 lb-ft (542 Nm) @ 3,950 rpm
Engine: aluminum 2.5 L 4-cylinder turbocharged boxer, horizontally-opposed flat-four with DOHC, 16 valve
Bore and stroke: 99.5 x 79.0 mm
Compression ratio: 8.2:1
Transmission: six-speed manual
Drivetrain: full-time AWD with driver adjustable center differential and viscous coupling, Vehicle Dynamic Control, rear and front limited-slip differentials, intelligent Si-Drive
Front brakes: 355 x 32 mm ventilated discs with 6-pot callipers
Rear brakes: 316 x 20 mm vented discs with single-pot callipers
ABS: four-channel anti-lock system with Electronic Brake Distribution
Wheels: alloy 18 x 8.5 inch
Tires: 245/40 R18 directional
Suspension: Eibach coil springs, gas-filled Bilstein shock absorbers, MacPherson struts, anti-roll bars
Steering: electric power-assist, rack and pinion, 2.5 turns lock-to-lock, 11.0 m turning circle
Overall length: 4,415 mm
Overall width: 1,795 mm
Overall height: 1,475 mm
Wheelbase: 2,625 mm
Front track: 1,530 mm
Rear track: 1,540 mm
Ground clearance: 140 mm
Fuel tank: 16 gallons (60 L)
Curb weight: 1,505 kg
Gross weight: 1,980 kg
Available in: UK
Price: US $80,467 (£49,995)
Interesting looking concept. Looks like a rear engine design with a boot up front. Overall looks sleek and aerodynamically sound except for the partially missing rear fender bit. I can't imagine air flowing very well around that rear fender as is. I think that fully wrapping sleek fender would do much better in the back. Also the rear tires are way too narrow for those oversized bulging fenders. Fix those things and we can have us a proper racer.
What is the point of having those huge wide body fenders when they wrap around those dinky tires? Here is another interesting bit - check out the windshield wiper on the right side. I don't think I have seen this kind of wiper design before. It appears that its a single wiper that slides across the windshield on two opposing rails...wonder how well that works.
We have been looking for a good image of the new STi hatch inside the wind tunnel for quite some time now but without much success. According to discussions in various Subaru forums the STi was never tested in a wind tunnel but was instead designed solely around wind tunnel computer simulations. This is about the only half decent computer generated image that we were able to scour on the web. Enjoy!
