COSWORTH’S screaming naturally-aspirated V12, developed for Aston Martin’s Valkyrie, is one of the most impressive engines of the modern age. However, the development process ended up inadvertently creating something arguably even more jaw-dropping.
The 6.5-litre V12 which will hold the Valkyrie together – literally, it’s a stressed member – revs to an incredible 11,000rpm, and produces 735kW. While these kinds of stats aren’t unheard of, they are traditionally reserved for top tier motorsport categories like Formula 1, so seeing them attached to a road car is pretty wild.
However, potentially outshining that feat of engineering is the engine Cosworth designed as a proof of concept for the Valkyrie, which was a 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated three-cylinder, pumping out 186kW, all while meeting emissions regulations.
For reference, the new Fiesta ST’s 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder makes 147kW with the aid of forced induction.
Cosworth’s managing director explained how the three-pot came into existence to Henry Catchpole from Carfection.
“We know that to go from a blank screen to having the first running engine was going to be of the order of 12 or 13 months,” he said.
Aston Martin’s Valkyrie interior revealed
“And because of the sort of conflict of needing to meet emissions, and needing to deliver such a high power per litre, we knew there was a really big challenger there. What we did not want to do was wait 13 months to prove to ourselves that we had met that challenge.
“So we took a four-cylinder engine that we already had, and we designed and manufactured a three-cylinder cylinder head for that, that was an absolute replica of three cylinders of the Valkyrie design. And we were able to get that up and running within about five months.
“So from the start of the program, we had a three-cylinder engine, which was an absolute quarter of the Valkyrie, because we have four catalysts, so each catalyst serves three cylinders, so by running a three-cylinder engine we were able to replicate every part of a genuine quarter of the finished article.
“That is to say within five or six months of starting the program, we were able to say, ‘yes, we’re going to be able to deliver emissions and performance.’
“So that three-cylinder delivered both 250 horsepower and an emissions pass, effectively.”
So while the multi-billionaires of the world line up for their V12 monster, please, Cosworth, put the three-cylinder into production, and allow us mere plebs to enjoy it.
Reckon you could list Porsche’s five fastest street cars off the top of your head? You might as well try, as we’ve found a great video to help you check what you got right.
For Porsche’s latest episode of its ‘Top 5’ series on YouTube it has chosen to focus on the five fastest road cars ranked by top speed.
It’s even gone as far to unleash them around high-speed testing facilities, but only for filming purposes.
It’s followed by the Carrera GT. Born 12 years before a 991.2 911 Turbo S in 2004, and developing 456kW/590Nm from a race-derived V10, it will nudge past the 911 with a top-speed of 334km/h.
But for third place we have to travel further back in time. The 959 was Porsche’s first road ‘supercar’ and used a 2.8-litre twin-turbo flat six derived from its race cars.
Although its performance in standard trim was great, it was the Sport version that earns the accolade. As the video explains, revealing an exact power figure is tricky, as customers could specify their own power output.
Either way, it says the S was good for 339km/h. In 1987.
The 911 GT2 RS is next in second place, but only just. Again, it’s built around a 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat six (from a 911 Turbo), but it’s upgraded to 515kW and 750Nm with water injection.
Even with all its aerodynamic editions that helped it take the Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record (twice), it’s quoted to achieve 340km/h.
So that leaves one car, the 918 Spyder. The only hybrid powered car in the line-up, but also a former Nordschleife lap record holder, it relies on an electric motor to assist its 4.6-litre V8.
With a combined output total of 652kW/1280Nm it eventually hits 345km/h, making it the fastest of the list.
So there you have it. The fastest Porsche street cars ever. If you enjoyed that, we recommend you check out the Fastest Accelerating Top 5 video that we’ve plugged below.
You’re welcome.
The final issue for 2018 is here: The Annual.
Our ‘yearbook’ features the big muscle car battle you’ve been waiting for, plus new sports cars and supercars driven here and overseas.
You can find our gorgeous mags at retailers around Australia. Or you can subscribe and save yourself some cash, there’s even a digital subscription.
Or, if you want to give us feedback and see behind the scenes, you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Enjoy!
2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS vs Ford Mustang GT comparison It’s the comeback Red and Blue forces face-off Down Under we have been waiting for! This time the conflict’s foreign and the guns are V8 coupe icons.
Celebrating driver’s cars There is no axe to grind here between the MX-5, 208 GTi, Elise, M3 CS and 911 GT3 Touring, but a common ethos worth celebrating on one special road. Experiences like this don’t come much better.
2018 Jaguar XJR575 feature As Jaguar embraces electric propulsion with its I-Pace and Formula E ventures, we celebrate their petrol-fuel heritage with its V8-powered XJR575, smokey style.
2020 McLaren Speedtail feature 0-300km/h in 12.8sec, a top whack of 403km/h, we examine the incredible tech that enables McLaren’s new Speedtail to crank out such incredible number.
2019 BMW Z4 M40i vs 2019 Porsche 718 Cayman comparison Quicker than an M2 on the Nürburgring and focused on taking on Porsche, BMW has talked a big game of their new Z4, so now it is time to put those claims to the test with the 718 Cayman.
Insider Prodrive feature From rallying, to track racing and endurance racing, Prodrive has done it all, but can it take on the future? We go behind the scenes to witness Prodrive’s transformation for the future.
Icon Buyer: Holden VE Commodore SS V Values for one of Holden’s most ambitious creations, the VE Commodore, is climbing, here are hot tips on how to nab an investment-grade Billion Dollar Baby.
Long-term review updates: 2018 Honda Civic Type R and Hyundai i30 N As our long-term Civic Type R leaves the MOTOR garage we mull if we would splash our own dosh for one and discover that Hyundai’s i30 N track warranty comes with a whole lot of asterisks.
News, opinions, and regular features All the usual fun stuff sticks around, including the silly stuff we want to spend money on, the numbers behind every fast or fun car on sale, Morley’s rant, Tim Keen’s tongue-in-cheek musings, and our breakdown of everything happening in the world of fast cars right now.
Head out and pick up a copy, or subscribe and save some dosh!
THERE will be much hand wringing and apologising at Toyota HQ this morning, as what appears to be pictures of the production Supra’s front end appearing online.
While we’ve seen race versions, camouflaged pre-production prototypes, and countless production-indicative concepts, this is the first look at the real thing without it draped in camouflage.
The shot comes thanks to a user named Supra93 on the SupraMKV forum.
While there are no great surprises in the styling, with the Supra appearing much like we expect it to, the photos are another indication that the highly anticipated coupe’s arrival is just around the corner.
There’s plenty of reason to be excited as well, with Ryan Lewis returning from a drive earlier in the year singing the Supra’s praises.
“[The Supra is] an unexpectedly suave sports car with genuine grand tourer cred that plays a convincing double act as an occasional track toy,” he wrote.
“The prototype’s silken German drivetrain combined with its Japanese dynamic nous puts the all-new Supra in prime position to take two good things and make something great.”
When Wheels created a computer generated image of what we thought the new Supra would look like, we were informed by Toyota insiders that it was an incredibly accurate portrayal of the production car, save a few bodylines on the bonnet. Vindication!
GOODYEAR Tire & Rubber is but one of many companies pulling the plug on strife-riven Venezuela, its plant in the City of Valencia closing its doors this week.
As part of the severance deal, redundant workers received ten tyres each.
More than 1200 employees were laid off, arriving at the plant to find doors locked and a simple message posted on the staff entrance, “Goodyear Venezuela has been forced to cease operations.”
But hey, they’ve got some tyres, which is a big plus, although giving them a number not divisible by four seems a bit of an oversight.
Political unrest and economic conditions brought about, in part, by US sanctions have made Goodyear’s manufacturing facility untenable.
With inflation predicted to top 1 million percent by the end of the year, perhaps a few tyres might not be the comically token gesture they at first appear.
The Venezuelan government has stepped in, asking asked the attorney general’s office to launch a criminal investigation into “this act of sabotage and boycott.”
It also oversaw the transfer of holdings from tyre manufacturer Pirelli, who pulled the plug on Venezuelan operations in August after 28 years manufacturing in country.
It’s not known whether Pirelli viewed its Venezuelan profits forecast as supersoft, ultrasoft or hypersoft.
The previous generation Mercedes G-Class stuck around for 40 years and Brabus is having a hard time letting go.
It’s already turned it attentions to the new G63, but to farewell the old model it’s unveiled one of its wildest creations yet, the Brabus 700 4×4² Final Edition.
Limited to just 10 examples, the Final Edition is a mix of the imposing Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² and the Mercedes-AMG G63. As you’d expect, there is plenty of power, with the fitment of the Brabus B63S 700 upgrade, which includes new turbos and downpipes, lifting power from the G63’s 400kW/760Nm to a whopping 515kW/960Nm.
This was followed by converting the vehicle to portal axles, which allow for the towering ride height thanks to Brabus’s electronically height adjustable suspension. These high-strength aluminium dampers can be adjusted via a touchscreen in the cockpit and have an expansion reservoir on each strut to provide 15 per cent more oil volume.
The Brabus 700 now has a mammoth 60 centimetres of ground clearance and is fitted with 22 x 9.5-inch wheels wrapped in 325/55 R22 Pirelli Scorpion off-road tyres. These tyres require the 700 to be limited to 210km/h, but it can sprint to 100km/h in just 5.0sec.
Skid plates protect the engine, driveline and fuel tank during off-road use while carbon fibre flares and roof spoiler give the 700 plenty of street cred. Inside, the default interior is two-tone black/light brown, but Brabus is happy to discuss individual owners’ wishes.
Of course, such presence and exclusivity doesn’t come cheap, the Brabus 700 4×4² Final Edition starting at €209,000 (AUD$329,000). But it’s going to make a Bentayga or Urus look pretty plain, isn’t it?
You can hear… no, you can feel it arrive from a distance, a sotto voce, quad-turbo shockwave mustering 1250Nm which makes the warm summer air blur, tickling the nerve ends and stimulating the ear drums.
This review was originally published in MOTOR’s May 2007 issue
The Bugatti Veyron, this paragon of automotive engineering, sounds like a low-flying chopper as it starts to climb the hill on the far side of town. Then the roar is muffled by the two-storey buildings that form the core of Herrsching by the Lake, a busy village which stands proud in the Munich stockbroker belt.
Bugatti currently entertains five test cars. Two of them circle the US media circuit, appearing at high-visibility car nut events like Pebble Beach. In the course of these aficionado weekends, the company auctions test rides for prospective customers and wannabees – at up to $13,000 per 30-minute session. Given I had the car for 72 hours, that’s $1.87 million. Still won’t buy me one; not that the missus would be keen on it, anyway.
“I want out,” she yells, as I shift into third on a challenging country road. “Do you hear me?” Of course I do, dear, but I’m a little busy. “If you don’t back off NOW,” she shrieks, “you’re doing your own laundry and ironing. Forever!”
Instantly, I feather the throttle, mumbling something like, “Speed doesn’t kill, honey. You just need to know how to handle it.” She doesn’t buy it; arms folded firmly across her chest, Raphaela looks as if she’s already sizing up her half of the divorce settlement.
After a couple of runs to Munich and back, the fuel warning light blinks on. Max and I head for the local fuel station… which has to be cordoned off 10 minutes later when onlookers block the main road.
The Veyron’s fuel consumption may be the going supercar rate, but at 28 litres per 100 clicks you can virtually watch it drain your own personal oil well dry. In fact, at the VW test track in Ehra Lessien, a lead-footed Bug will return a resource-depleting 91 litres every 100km.
So, I’m going to pay for the privilege at the fuel pump, but what to do first with my time with the car? Picking Max up from school seems like a good idea. In the course of a half-hour walkthrough, the lad collects enough brownie points from his mates to be guaranteed free drinks until the end of the term, and that’s even before his girlfriend is allowed to sit behind the wheel.
On the way home, we take the back route and thunder through the state forest in full fighter mode, leaving a trail of needling conifers and deaf deer behind. As long as the road is reasonably straight, this car has no rival. Its top-end urge is, in fact, so irresistible that not even a F1 racer, which is typically handicapped by too much drag, could keep up beyond 300km/h.
Thanks to ESP and 4WD, irritations in the road are only felt as kicks and tugs but never as serious threats to the impeccable directional stability, which is otherworldly in its velcro-strap sure-footedness.
There are quite a few things the Veyron does not like. Kerbs, for instance, be they parallel, transverse or at an angle to the car’s flight path. At around $100,000 (nope, no typo) per set of 22-inch wheels and tyres, you don’t really want to scratch a rim, and you don’t want that Michelin PAX footwear to go pop, either.
Also to be handled with care are parking garages. Unlike the Gallardo and Murcielago, the Bugatti has no front-end hydraulic lift, so it keeps barking its kevlar-protected chin on ramps and inclines, which is allegedly okay but makes a godawfully expensive noise. Merging with traffic is also be a heart-starter.
When you travel-one up, it’s best to scan the huge blind spot via the tiny passenger door mirror. Alternatively, you can put on your x-ray specs or (my preferred method) boot the loud pedal and hope for the best…
The Veyron’s worst man-made enemy is the radar trap. Although we did not get stopped for speeding, the cops flagged us down a few times just to take a closer look at this unknown flying object.
In nine out of 10 cases, breaking the law does mess up your driving licence, but in a Veyron you may avert the worst simply by taking Mr Officer Sir for a brisk spin round the block. Almost the entire Munich 12th precinct has now been through this routine, and even the chief of staff comes by to let the brute acceleration push dimples into his ample cheeks.
It’s impossible not be impressed by a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 2.5 seconds, but the men in blue are even more thrilled by the raw stopping power which leaves your guts upside-down begging for fair mercy. The Bug is soon the talk of the town on Cop Radio and by the end of day two, we get the thumbs up from just about every rozzer that crosses our path. Suckers.
It takes me half a day to locate the ‘ESP Off’ switch (it’s about half-way down the driver’s left shin-bone), and it takes me three more hours to pluck up the courage and push it. The difficult bit is to find an open corner in the middle of Munich.
We finally spotted what we were looking for in the Olympic Park where you can get four-wheel spin in first, experience a pupil-widening gap between early understeer and eventual oversteer, and learn to modulate 1250Nm – twice the getting-out-of-shape oomph produced by the new Ferrari 599.
I’m sure Walter Rohrl can powerslide this thing into and out of a car transporter, but mere mortals are better off paying attention to such instincts as fear and self-preservation.
Having said that, I do deactivate ESP once more coming onto a familiar freeway on-ramp, and the Veyron’s tail stepped out with the perfect elegance of a talented debutante to whom the three-four time is second nature. When the car finally swung back in line, the speedo read 165km/h and my guardian angel ordered a large whisky. Neat.
While under warranty, the Veyron is protected by a flying doctor service, but once that two-year/50,000km grace period is over, you pay for all repair work. Which can be very expensive: a new engine costs $430,000, a fresh gearbox lists at $180,000.
“We have yet to experience a serious engine problem,” says Lars the mechanic. “Some of the mules have done over 100,000kms without missing a beat.” But we can’t help noticing that after about 350 kilometres the seven-speed direct-shift gearbox begins to play funny. It starts acting rough around town, it no longer takes off without hiccups, and the shift quality deteriorates.
At one point, a cog-shaped warning light came on, and the in-gear tell-tales starts flashing. Lars hooks up his computer, nods knowingly and mumbles something about the next service in Wolfsburg on Monday.
As far as automotive overkill goes, the Uber-Volkswagen from Molsheim will probably never be dethroned, not even by messieurs Koenigsegg and Pagani. The first modern Bugatti is, without a doubt, an amazing piece of kit, an engineering tour de force and a driving experience the lucky few will treasure forever. Would I buy one if I had a few spare millions stacked up behind the house? Probably not.
Look, I love the speed, the power, the torque, the acceleration, the brakes, the sheer silliness of being a totally legal 3D PlayStation junkie. But not at close to two tonnes, not at this kind of consumption, not with the XXXL auxiliaries it takes to nurture and control the dino driveline.
What the true enthusiasts are waiting for, instead, is a contemporary minimalist Bugatti. It must be light, it must be nimble, and it must be a track star, which is something the Veyron will never be. The Veyron is the ultimate citius, altius, fortius machine. But its basic concept was conceived in a well-meant and well-prepared cul-de-sac.
After a year and a half, and after only a handful of completed units, the world’s potentially most prestigious luxury sports car brand is already in need of a strategic rethink.
FAST FACTS 2007 Bugatti Veyron
BODY: 2-door, 2-seat coupe DRIVE: all-wheel ENGINE: 7933cc, W16, DOHC, 64v, quad-turbo BORE/STROKE: 86.0mm × 86.0mm POWER: 736kW @ 6000rpm TORQUE: 1250Nm @ 2200rpm WEIGHT: 1890kg POWER-TO-WEIGHT: 389kW/tonne TRANSMISSION: Seven-speed dual-clutch 0-100KM/H: 2.5sec (claimed) TOP SPEED: 408km/h (claimed) SUSPENSION: double wishbones (f/r) BRAKES: 400mm ventilated and cross-drilled carbon ceramic discs, eight-piston calipers (f); 380mm ventilated and cross-drilled carbon ceramic discs, six-piston calipers (r) WHEELS: 20.5 x 9.3-inch (f), 21.3 x 12.8-inch (r) TYRES: Michelin Pilot Sport (PAX system), 265-680 ZR500A(99Y) (f); 365-710 ZR540A(108Y) (r) PRICE: $1,950,000 (est)
The latest round of ANCAP safety testing has seen Holden’s new Acadia and the all-new BMW X5 score a maximum of five stars each.
The large SUV class is full of five-star safety contenders like the Mazda CX-9, Toyota Kluger and Prado and the Kia Sorento, as well as more premium offerings like the Mercedes-Benz GLE and Audi Q7.
The US-built Acadia was crash-tested at ANCAP headquarters in Sydney, and performed very well across all disciplines, scoring 94 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent in child occupant protection and 86 per cent for safety assist equipment levels.
“These are impressive results, and it is encouraging to see Holden offer such a strong safety performer in this competitive family SUV segment,” said ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin in a statement.
“Full points were scored in testing of its lane support systems, autonomously maintaining lane position within line markings as well as the un-marked road edge. The Acadia also intervened in overtaking scenarios, passing the more critical emergency lane keeping tests.”
“I am really pleased to see the Acadia achieve a five-star safety rating, and that Acadia scored so well under ANCAP’s new and tougher Euro NCAP aligned protocols,” said Holden’s chairman and managing director Dave Buttner.
All Holden Acadia SUVs are fitted with a brace of safety kit that includes seven airbags (including three-row curtain airbags), traffic sign recognition with intelligent speed assist, side blind zone alert, lateral impact avoidance, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning with lane keep assist and AEB with forward collision alert.
Meanwhile, the new BMW X5 has also scored five stars, but it wasn’t a cut-and-dried result.
While the car meets all of the five- star requirements – including AEB-based active safety systems that detect both pedestrians and cyclists – it was noted that emergency lane keeping functionality is not available on the X5.
“The X5’s autonomous emergency braking system scored close to full points across all test scenarios for the avoidance of pedestrians and cyclists in both daylight and night-time conditions,” said Goodwin, who noted that there was an issue with an airbag.
“Engineers noted concerns with the deployment of the knee airbag, and a penalty was applied against the test results of both the frontal offset and full width frontal tests,” confirmed Goodwin. “Areas of the dash were also identified as a potential source of injury for the driver’s knees, and penalties were applied.”
The five-star ANCAP safety rating for the X5 is currently restricted to the 3.0 litre diesel model. Local BMW Australia officials indicated that they were pleased that the car had achieved the five-star rating.
How important is an ANCAP five-star rating to your buying decision? Does this score change your thinking about the Acadia? Let us know in the comment section below.
Automotive customisation studio Vilner, based in Sofia, Bulgaria, has created a unique 1990 BMW E30 M3 Evo with an E36 M3’s 3.2-litre straight-six engine and a bespoke interior.
Vilner readily admits to being influenced by Singer’s Porsche builds, and flicking through the photography Vilner has released (viewable in the gallery above) proves that to be true.
While the E36 3.2-litre six is a welcome addition to the E30, it’s the interior work company founder Atanas Vilner is most proud of.
“The philosophy here was the same one followed by Singer Vehicle Design – ‘everything is important’ – from the materials used, through their configuration and the final finish.
“Vintage styled textile, whose design makes a strong impression amongst all. And among the purist fans as well.
“It’s not only just for style purposes. This fabric is super functional too. It’s very robust and comfortable, especially during the hot season,”
The interior was designed to match the Imola Red II exterior paint – a classic M3 colour – with chequered cloth covering everything from the seat inserts to the door cards, and even the parcel shelf.
Vilner calls the cabin vibe “a very special mix of racing machine and unique street car feel,” with roll cage and harnesses fulfilling the former.
The engine, as a stock unit, makes 236kW. Not a bad figure for a car Vilner says weighs 1200kg.
A set of BBS RKs in 18-inch guise complete the look, with Vilner adding that “every part of the project is here because it should be, not because ‘that would do’.”
It’s mid-December, which means it’s time to cue that pre-Christmas gift panic. If you’re tasked with buying for a motoring enthusiast, adventure addict, racing fan or car obsessive, or have been told to pull together a wish list for yourself, fear not, we’ve put in the legwork for you.
From racing livery-adorned merchandise to cool kids’ presents we wish came in adult size, automotive art ready to hang on the wall, functional accessories, to out-of-the-box ideas like a National Park Annual Pass or in-car coffeemaker, we’ve rounded up some of the best gifts for car lovers and motoring enthusiasts to add to your cart.
