When does awesome become ugly?
I reckon Lamborghini’s latest ‘one-off’, the Veneno supercar, is not the prettiest fighting bull to come out of Sant’agata. But I also reckon that, slip behind the wheel and all thoughts of aesthetics become irrelevant.
The Veneno is based on the Aventador, but gets carbon-fibre bodywork and major engine mods to elevate its performance significantly. We’re talking 552kW from its 6.5-litre V12 and a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 2.8 seconds.
Meet the new high-performance, super-luxurious Jaguar XJR.
Looks mean right?
Set to be officially unveiled at next week’s New York Motor Show, Jaguar has released this image to whet our appetites.
With a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine producing 410kW, the XJR will be the performance flagship of Jag’s XJ range.
Jaguar also says it will be the most focused, agile and responsive XJ ever made.
That’s all well and good, but Jag’s latest foray into the high-performance/luxury market got us thinking.
Where is BMW?
The brand from Munich is renowned for its performance/luxury models, yet it’s mysteriously absent from the high-performance limousine segment.
Audi has the fresh S8, AMG offers two S-class variants (V8TT and V12TT) and now Jaguar, a brand that sells comparatively less models than BMW, has joined the fight.
Yet BMW’s M Division, which has a long history of highly-tuned large sedans, is nowhere to be seen?
Rumours of an M7 are beginning to surface, with talk suggesting a 354kW 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 model could hit the road by 2015, but for now, it looks like BMW is being left behind.
KIA’S pussycat Koup is set to acquire some claws in the form of a forced-induction flagship edition.
Under consideration for Australia, but not before the next-generation version arrives late in the fourth quarter of this year, the Cerato with two doors and a slammed roofline is poised to be the Korean company’s answer to the likes of the Hyundai Veloster SR Turbo and Toyota 86.
The engine in question is the same 1.6-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol four-pot that underpins the upcoming Pro_Cee’d GT hot hatch (as well as the aforementioned Hyundai).
That means power and torque outputs of 150kW and 264Nm respectively, respectably greater than the 129kW/209Nm 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine earmarked for the lower-echelon models, and a massive leap up from the 115kW/194Nm currently available in the outgoing Koup 2.0-litre.
Drive is delivered to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters.
Other go-faster gear includes a ‘sports’ chassis setting, bringing a lower ride height and modified springs and dampers to the table, as well as 18-inch alloys, a deeper front bumper with larger air intakes, and a smattering of black trim.
However, as with all Koups, the newcomer forsakes its European Cee’d cousin’s multi-link rear end for a simpler (if more space efficient) torsion beam arrangement, while MacPherson struts feature up front.
Designed in California and built alongside the Cerato sedan and hatch in Korea, the second-generation Kia two-door offers a gently evolutionary change over its 2009-era predecessor, adopting larger headlights and smoother surfaces.
The company says improved materials are fitted inside for a more premium experience, enhanced by a long list of standard equipment on all versions – including alloy wheels, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, steering-wheel mounted controls, and cruise control.
Though sales have never been high in Australia (less than 2700 have found homes here in three and a half years), the Koup has carved a niche out for itself in many other markets including North America, prompting Kia not to stray too far from the original and successful concept.
Making its global debut at the New York International Auto Show this week, the Koup completes the triumvirate of small-car offerings based on the YD Cerato.
Meet the Weber F1, a Swiss creation that claims to be the world’s fastest and lightest street-legal all-wheel-drive supercar.
And no, it has nothing to do with Aussie F1 ace Mark Webber – despite its name.
This is probably a good thing, should owners ever try to launch from a set of lights.
It is however, crammed full of Formula 1 technology.
Built by a bunch of former BMW and Sauber F1 engineers, the Weber F1 is being billed as a serious competitor to the Bugatti Veyron.
In fact, it should be faster.
With 882kW/1250Nm on tap from its 5.6-litre V10, it’s got more power than a Veyron, and is lighter too.
A carbonfibre monocoque and an all-carbonfibre body keeps weight to just 1250kg, with Weber claiming a 0-100km/h time of 2.5 seconds.
Standstill to 200km/h is done and dusted in 6.6 seconds, 300km/h in just over 16, with the Weber predicting a top speed well over 400km/h.
Weber’s own four-wheel-drive system shifts the power to the wheels, with a six-speed, semi-automatic sequential ’box capable of shifting cogs in just 40 milliseconds.
Production of the car is scheduled to start later this month, five years after the first concept was built in 2007.
Price, says Weber, is on application.
It’s a cult movie scene burnt onto the retinas of car fans worldwide.
Steve McQueen, at the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT 390, flying over the hills of San Fransico, chasing baddies in a black Dodge Charger.
The scene of course, comes from the iconic film Bullitt – which turns 45 this year.
So to celebrate, we thought we’d remind you of the time McQueen got air in a very different kind of animal – the ‘Baja Boot’.
Built in secret for McQueen by one of GM’s top engineers, the Baja Boot was a bespoke, ‘go anywhere’ machine that saw the movie star contest the gruelling Baha 1000 – a 1600km trek across Mexico’s Baja California Penusula.
Packing a 335kW V8, the Baja used a custom space-frame chassis and a ‘unique’ four-wheel-drive system – something that caught McQueen’s imagination.
“I’ve lined me up a sweet machine for this one called the ‘Baja Boo,” he told the media at the time. “Chevy powered. Four hundred and fifty horses under the bonnet. Space frame construction. Four-wheel drive. Independent suspension. And ‘smooth’! I can notch close to a hundred over a sand wash and you better believe that’s moving.”
Sadly, transmission failure saw McQueen retire after just 237 of the Baja’s 1000 miles, but still, it’s a machine worth remembering.
Think you understand your CTP (compulsory third party) insurance?
Think again.
Significant changes to CTP Greenslips have been pushed through NSW parliament which could drastically alter your level of cover should you be involved in an accident.
Headlining the change is a drop in price, with the state government claiming motorists will save up to 15 percent, or around $50, on their annual CTP insurance.
But while this sounds promising, the introduction of a ‘no fault’ system and a time limit on compensation payouts could see victims worse off on the long term.
The new ‘no-fault scheme’ removes a crash victim’s ability to sue another driver in the event of an accident, regardless of who caused the incident.
“Under the government’s no-fault proposal, 90 per cent of those injured as a result of the negligence of others will lose their right to sue,” said Maurie Stack, chairman of Stacks the Law Firm.
“So the family man hit by the driver who was on the wrong side of the road is effectively having his entitlements slashed in order to provide equal compensation for the negligent driver.”
“The government says it wants to do this to lower green slips by about $50. What they’re not saying is you’ll have to spend thousands more to take out your own income protection insurance to match what we already have through the CTP scheme.”
Lump-sum compensation payouts will also be scrapped, while crash victims who receive injuries to less than 10 percent of their body will have their medical expenses cut off after five years.
The changes have sparked widespread criticism from compensation experts, who say victim’s compensation claims could be cut by up to $800,000 in some instances.
What do you think? Is saving $50 really worth it?
Head to our Facebook page to join the debate.
It’s one of the fastest Lamborghini’s ever made and finally, more than two years after it was unveiled, a Sesto Elemento has hit the racing track.
Just 20 Sesto Elemento’s were made, all of which were sold at a price of more than USD $2.2 million – making it one of the rarest Lamborghini’s in existence.
Built to ‘redefine the future of sportscars’ in 2010, the Sesto Elemento weighs just 999kg thanks to its ultra-lightweight construction.
A mid-mounted 5.2-litre V10 provides 425kW of power, with the lightweight Lambo capable of a 0-100km/h dash of just 2.5 seconds.
Can you trust your partner not to cheat? Well if they drive an Audi, probably not.
A new study has found Audi owners are more likely to cheat on their partners than drivers of any other car brand.
Conducted by UK dating site IllicitEncounter.com, the research (which surveyed all of the site’s 800,000 members) found German car owners are the most promiscuous.
Audi topped the list (22.2 percent of drivers likely to cheat), followed by BMW (13.8 percent), Mercedes-Benz (8.7 percent) and Volkswagen (7.6 percent).
Interestingly, the most faithful car brands are French, with those least likely to cheat driving Peugeots and Renaults.
Let’s play a game. How many kilometres do you think this 1966 Volvo 1800S coupe has travelled?
500,000? 1 million?
Go higher.
This elegantly designed Volvo, bought by its one owner in America for $4150 in 1966, has driven 4.8 million kilometres.
That’s the same as driving around the world 120 times.
And get this – it’s never broken down, at least according to its owner, retired school teacher Irvin Gordon.
It has, however, needed 857 oil changes, 30 new drive belts, 150 spark plugs and has used more than 120 bottles of transmission fluid.
Mr Gordon, who bought the Volvo when he was 25, has held the Guinness World Record for High Vehicle Mileage since 2002, and has no plans to stop driving his Volvo any time soon.
Talk about Swedish reliability…
Alfa Romeo’s rival to the iconic Lotus Elise has finally gone into production, with the Italian company revealing some of the car’s secrets.
Leading the 4C’s charge is its weight, or lack of it. Through a combination of lightweight materials and engineering wizardry, the 4C hits the scale at just 895kg dry.
That’s dangerously close to the Lotus Elise’s 876kg kerb weight, although the Lotus is full of fluids (petrol, oil etc) while the 4C isn’t.
But unlike the Lotus, which is as comfortable and as well-equipped as a Bolivian prison, the 4C should be a car you can use every day.
Power is in the 4C’s favour too, with its 1.75-litre turbo four producing 175kW.
That’s 75kW more than the base Elise and 12kW more than the more expensive Elise SC.
We can’t wait for it to launch here…
