Think breaking the land speed record isn’t crazy enough?
Try doing it on ice.
A team of daredevils from Finland has broken the world ice-speed record, belting an Audi RS6 at 335.7km/h over the frozen waters of the Gulf of Bothnia.
As with all Guinness speed records, the time was averaged out over two runs, with the car permitted a flying start and ‘up to an hour’ to reach its top speed.
At the wheel of the Audi was reigning ice-speed record holder Janne Laitinen, who topped his old feat of 331.6km/h set in 2011 in the same car.
A unique 12 kilometre test-track was used for the stunt, which was designed to showcase the grip and performance of a Finnish winter tyre company.
For the ultimate Lamborghini enthusiast comes this – the $32,000 BMC bicycle.
Called the ‘50th Anniversary Lamborghini Edition impec’, the bright yellow bike celebrates, you guessed it, Lambo’s 50th anniversary.
So what do you get for your $32K?
BMC is a Swiss company that makes some of the finest bikes in the world, with impec, a sub-brand of the company, making the finest BMCs.
Australia’s own Cadel Even used an impec to take victory in the 2011 Tour de France.
Like Lamborghini, impec uses exotic materials in its bikes. Bespoke carbon tubes make up the frame, with the Lambo bike joined together by something called ‘Shell Nodes’.
It also gets a racy new paintjob, the iconic Lamborghini Bull badge and handlebars wrapped in the same yellow leather used in Lambo’s road cars.
Ride wise, expect the Lamborghini bike to be similar to other impecs that sell for half the price.
Still, only 50 will be made, so if you’ve got the money, why not?
What’s got into Kia?
It’s just given the world its first hot hatch, the Pro_cee’d GT, unveiled an insane crossover concept designed to take on the Nissan Duke, and has now declared it will build its wild, 290kW GT concept.
Whatever’s happening, we like it.
The GT Concept has been around since the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, but speaking to the media in Geneva, Kia Europe’s vice president announced the company is planning to put it into production.
It’s a rear-drive coupe, fitted with a 291kW turbo V6, but has scope to use the 5.0-litre V8 found in Hyundai’s new Genesis coupe.
Even better news is that it’s likely to come to Australia.
Want to buy a car with maple syrup? Or a piano? Or even a dog?
Then go to America.
Not content with simply taking money for his cars, an American GMC and Ford dealer is changing the definition of ‘trade in’.
Gardner Stone, aged 71, brags his dealership with trade absolutely anything, not just existing cars or trucks.
To quote his dealership’s website, “When we say anything, we mean anything!”
Revealed in an article for the New York Times, Mr Stone says he’s exchanged cars for maple syrup and would even accept snowblowers, wooden sculptures or dogs -providing they are hunting dogs and aren’t part of a family.
“That’s like giving away one of your children,” Mr Stone, told the Times.
Unsurprisingly Mr Stone’s unusual business plan has caught the eye of reality TV producers, with a new series entitled “Family Trade” about to air in the US.
But, it turns out, “we mean anything” isn’t quite accurate.
Mr Stone says he simply won’t take people in exchange for cars.
“I’ve had all kinds of opportunities to take in husbands, wives, in-laws,” Stone said. “They are absolutely not saleable. I have to take in things that are saleable.”
Only in America.
Ah the celebrity race at the Australian Grand Prix. How we love it.
But when you think about it, it’s actually a recipe for disaster. And hilarity.
Find a bunch of inexperienced celebs, stick them in cars, on a high-speed track, and then tell them to ‘race’.
It’s not going to end well.
So you can’t blame Mazda for wanting to put this year’s celebrities through an intensive training regime.
After all, no one likes a bent Mazda 6.
Day one of this year’s training schedule is done and dusted, with the highlights in the above video.
Five-time V8 Supercars champion Mark Skaife was on hand to put the celebrities through their paces.
Mazda will field 20 of its new diesel Mazda 6s at this year’s event, which includes Olympic gold medal cyclist Anna Meares and Australia’s most successful Paralympian, 11-time gold medallist Matthew Cowdrey.
The cars will be powered by Mazda’s new SkyActiv 2.2-litre turbo four, which produces 129kW and 420Nm.
Claimed fuel usage is 4.8L/100km, making it more fuel efficient than some hybrids on the Australian market.
The celebrity race is a support category at this year’s Australian Grand Prix, returning for the first time since 2011.
This year’s Australian GP runs from March 14-17.
It’s official. Today’s cars are kinder to the environment.
A lot kinder.
New data shows Australia’s average new car emissions have dropped by a staggering 21 percent over the past 11 years.
The data, compiled by the National Transport Commission, also revealed Suzuki was Australia’s most emission-friendly manufacturer in 2012.
The Japanese brand delivered an average emissions rating of 157g/km, significantly lower than Jeep, which scored the worst rating at an average of 240g/km.
In 2012, average emissions from Australian-made vehicles was 210g/km – a nine percent reduction from 2011.
The drop in emissions has largely been driven by manufacturers, according to the NTC.
“Car manufacturers have encouraged the reduction, with four brands lowering emissions from their vehicles by around nine percent of the past year,” said NTC Project Director Neil Wong.
The report also revealed emissions could have been slashed by a further 40 percent if consumers had purchased more vehicles tagged ‘best in class’ for emissions in 2012.
Sick of its enchiladas and tequila, Mexico has donned a sombrero and given the world a supercar.
It’s called the Vuhl 05, and apparently, it’s Mexico’s answer to Lamborghini and Ferrari.
First shown to the world just hours ago, via this grainy teaser image, Vuhl says its car is a road-legal, lightweight supercar with ‘a driving experience par excellence’.
The company plans to reveal the Vuhl 05 (pronounced ‘vool’) at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.
But unlike Lamborghini and Ferrari, who have thousands of employees, the Vuhl 05 is built by two brothers – Iker and Guillermo Echeverria.
Still, it’s built to achieve the goals of ‘ultra lightweight’ and ‘high performance’ and will use an engine sourced from Ford.
Early talk suggests a 2.0-litre Ecoboost turbo, or the V6/V8 powerplant used in the Mustang.
But don’t think the Vuhl 05 is the first Mexican supercar.
Little known brand Mastretta also has a low-volume track special called the MXT which can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds and costs around $60,000.
Learner drivers in NSW won’t have to annoy their parents nearly as much, with the announcement that they can reduce their compulsory supervised logbook hours from 120 to 80 by taking part in professional driver training.
In a stunning move of common sense, Learner drivers will also be able to travel at a maximum speed of 90km/h, up from 80km/h, from July 1, according to NSW Minister for Roads, Duncan Gay.
Learners will still form dangerous moving chicanes on the road if they travel in 100 or 110km/h zones, but at least they’ll be slightly more prepared to drive at those speeds once they get their P Plates.
The move follows a recommendation from the Auditor General to review Learner speed limits.
A new Safer Drivers Course will be available to Learners from July and will involve both theoretical and practical coaching in driving habits. The five-hour course gives Learners 20 hours worth of credit to take off their 120-hour logbook total, a further 20 hours can be knocked off by taking 10 hours of professional driving lessons.
“Young drivers are tragically over-represented in the NSW road toll and we want to ensure they are all given the opportunity to learn about road safety while they are still learning the basics of driving,” Mr Gay said.
“The course deals with different road conditions, understanding factors beyond a driver’s control and also helps identify risks on the road.
“We recommend that learners enrol in the course when they have 50 hours completed in their logbook. By that stage they will have basic driving skills and will understand and appreciate the lessons they will be taught.”
Mr Gay said the cost of the course would be capped at “an affordable price”.
“The course will help those young drivers who struggle to log 120 hours behind the wheel while on their L-plates while at the same time addressing safety issues they will face when they first drive solo,” he added.
The editor ofWheels magazine, Stephen Corby, welcomed the two moves, but said he’d like to see the state government, and other states, go further.
“Road-safety advocates have been promoting the idea of driver training for many years, and this is a step in the right direction, but it is not compulsory and many Learners will still choose not to do the course and go out on the roads to repeat the bad habits their parents are handing down to them,” he said.
“Driver training should be compulsory, as it is for motorcyclists who go for their Learners’ permits. Even attitudinal and theoretical training can be extremely valuable.”
The move to a 90km/h limit was also a baby step towards good sense, Mr Corby added.
“Strangely, when I and many other adults got their L plates, we were allowed to drive at the national speed limit, so that we would learn how to do so. Now, we have a situation where Learners are forced to drive under the limit, causing dangerous tailbacks and unsafe overtaking manoeuvres by frustrated drivers.
“It must be extremely stressful to be a Learner, forced to drive at 20, or even 30km/h slower than the traffic around you. No wonder kids all drive automatics these days.”
The Geneva Motor Show is still in full swing, but New York’s time to shine is just around the corner.
And you know what that means – teasers.
Range Rover is the first to build hype around the New York Motor show – which starts on March 29 – by teasing its all-new Range Rover Sport.
The new model, which will be the fastest and most responsive Rangie ever, will make its debut with a ‘ground breaking’ drive through Manhattan.
It’s a fitting debut for the Sport, with New York being its largest market worldwide.
More Sports are sold in NY than any other metropolitan area.
Grammy award winning pop superstar Usher, has dropped into Mercedces-Benz AMG’s Affalterbach factory to get on the tools and help build the engine that will slot into his new SLS supercar.
The Amercian singer and actor also got behind the wheel of the just released 265kW/450Nm A45 AMG, the 2.0-litre turbo powerhouse hatch, that made its international debut at this month’s Geneva Motor Show.
According to Mercedes-Benz, the star is driving a CLS 63 AMG, until his new gullwing SLS AMG is delivered. Kind of appropriate when you’ve sold over 44 million albums worldwide.
