McLaren MP4-12C

The design and development process of any car is typically secretive, all the more so when talking about a cutting-edge supercar like the McLaren MP4-12C. But once it’s finished and headed to retail sale, there isn’t much reason left to hide–in fact, quite the opposite. McLaren has taken that attitude to heart with their new site for the supercar, literally exploding the car into its component pieces.

Showing the car all but disassembled with the carbon fiber tub, crash structures and most of the suspension and powertrain components floating and fully exposed, the site offers a truly inside look at the construction and layout of the car.

It’s fascinating to see the car laid bare, but clicking on any of the individual topic areas dims components not related to, say, driving dynamics or areas where weight savings were especially important.

After the still imagery and video of the car from an engineering and design perspective, the interactive nature of the site gives a much better feeling for what exactly went into the design and construction of the MP4, and it’s well worth a visit for anyone interested in buying the car, or just a fan of supercar engineering.

“It is vitally important that potential customers of McLaren Automotive across the globe are able to see the unique properties of the MP4-12C and gain an understanding of why we are claiming that this car will set new performance and efficiency standards in the core sports car market,” said McLaren Automotive head of marketing Lianne Daly. “Until the car is physically presented in showrooms in early 2011, this website will be the only publicly-available source of official information relating to our range of high performance sports cars.”

Source:motorauthority.com

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG leak

The successor to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing from the 1950s (and replacement for the SLR) has finally been revealed today after months of drip-fed teasers and spy shots. Picking up the official title of SLS AMG–a nod to its exclusive development by Mercedes’ official in-house tuner, AMG–the latest model is set to grace the stands at next week’s 2009 Frankfurt auto show before going on sale early next year.

In true gullwing style, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG features a pair of vertically lifting doors that almost resemble wings once fully extended. These are bolted to a new aluminum spaceframe, which provides an almost perfect front-to-rear weight distribution of 48-to-52%.

Power comes from a revised version of AMG’s now-familiar 6.2L V-8 mated to an all-new 7-speed dual-clutch transmission mounted on the rear axle. Peak output stands at 571 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Changes to the engine include a new magnesium intake with eight separate velocity stacks, two electronically controlled throttle plates, a high-flow exhaust and a new dry-sump lubrication system.

The engine is located up front but is mounted behind the front axle for better weight distribution. The SLS AMG’s final kerb weight is around 3,571 pounds, and with the V-8 mill it’s claimed to accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds and reach a top speed in excess of 195 mph.

As for the new dual-clutch gearbox, the unit was developed by AMG and boasts fast gear changes with no loss of tractive force. The driver has a choice of four different driving modes, ranging from comfortable to extremely sporty, as well as a ‘RACESTART’ function. The suspension set-up is equally advanced, with double wishbones and hub carriers made of lightweight forged aluminum. Stopping power comes from carbon-ceramic discs, and these are mounted within 19 inch light-alloy wheels.

The car’s dimensions have also been revealed, measuring in at 4.65 m in length, 1.95 m across and just 1.25 m in height. The wheelbase stretches just 2.7 m.

Standard features includes the COMAND APS, leather trim, an electronic parking brake, headlamp assist, keyless ignition, PARKTRONIC, rain sensors, heated seats, AMG floor mats, cruise control, sports pedals and THERMOTRONIC. Optional goodies include a 6-disc DVD charger, Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG sound system, alarm, and several AMG paint schemes include the special Alubeam Silver.

AMG is also offering several performance modifications including a carbon-fiber bonnet, carbon side mirrors, carbon trim, stiffer suspension settings, forged 10-spoke wheels, sports bucket seats and a performance steering wheel finished in leather and Alcantara.

The starting price in Germany is set at €177,310 (approximately $257,232). U.S. pricing should be revealed closer to the car’s sales launch, pegged for early next year.

Source:carsmart101.com

McLaren MP4-12C

When the McLaren F1 first hit the streets it almost immediately catapulted to the top of the performance car scene, taking home the title of world’s fastest production car in 1998 and holding it up until 2005. Building a car better than the original F1 was always going to be a difficult challenge, and perhaps that is why for McLaren’s next supercar the company isn’t setting its sights too high.

While the original F1 competed with the best supercars of its time–cars like the Ferrari F40, Jaguar XK220, and Porsche 959–McLaren’s newest model will be competing with more ‘entry-level’ models. Rather than chasing Enzos and Veyrons, the new model will go up against cars like the Ferrari 458 Italia and Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, and as such it will be priced accordingly.

These are the first official shots of McLaren’s latest creation, which has been dubbed the MP4-12C (12C for short) and is the first of a trio of new high-performance machines from the legendary British motorsports company.

The 12C is also the first car from the newly established McLaren Automotive (the road car division of the McLaren Group) and is described as a high performance two-seat mid-engine model in the ‘core’ sports car market segment for cars costing between £125,000 and £175,000–458 Italia and Gallardo LP560-4 territory. Production of the car will start next year before sales kick off worldwide in early 2011.

Its name comes from three sources: ‘MP4’ because every McLaren grand prix car has used that designation since 1981, ‘12’ because that’s its efficiency coefficient according to a secret McLaren performance scale, and ‘C’ because of its carbon-fiber construction.

At its heart, the 12C features a revolutionary carbon-fiber chassis structure called the Carbon MonoCell: the first time a car in this market segment is based around such a strong and lightweight racing car engineering solution and the first time any car has ever featured a one-piece carbon-fiber structure.

Not only is the 12C unique in its class by offering carbon technology, it also has the highest specific power output as well as impressive power- and torque-to-weight ratios.

Power comes from a new ‘M838T’ 3.8-liter V-8 twin-turbo engine producing around 600 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque, driving through a McLaren 7-speed Seamless Shift dual clutch gearbox (SSG). It is targeting not only new standards for power and performance in its sector, but also class-leading fuel economy and CO2 emissions; supported by active aerodynamics to aid cooling, grip, handling and road holding.

According to McLaren, the engine also delivers its power at greater efficiency than any other car on the market with an internal combustion engine–including hybrids. The engine also revs to 8,500rpm, has quick transient throttle response and delivers its torque throughout the rev range. A staggering 80% of torque is available at below 2,000rpm, ensuring great driveability and no need to floor the throttle to deliver performance.

As mentioned, drive is sent to the rear wheels through two wet clutches and a McLaren-developed 7-speed Seamless Shift dual clutch gearbox (SSG). The gearbox has a trio of performance settings, as well as launch control, while gears are selected by an F1-car style rocker shifter that pivots in the center of the wheel–pull right for upshifts, left for downshifts–with a ‘first pressure’ function that prepares the gearbox for the next shift.

The 12C also sports an advanced suspension management system called Proactive Chassis Control, which is said to offer the comfort of an executive sedan but with unseen levels of roll control and grip.

The suspension is based on double wishbones with coil springs. The dampers are interconnected hydraulically and provide adaptive responses depending on both road conditions and driver preference.

The Proactive system features adjustable roll control which replaces the standard mechanical anti-roll bars. There are three suspension modes that are selected on the Active Dynamics Panel. There is a ‘normal’, a ‘sport’ mode and a high performance mode which adjusts numerous parameters in the system.

Another feature that helps the 12C to handle at a new level is a development of an electronic system used by McLaren’s 1997 MP4/12 Formula 1 car–Brake Steer. In essence, it is a system that brakes the inside rear wheel when the car is entering a corner too quickly to make the desired radius. Under normal circumstances the front would wash away wide of the apex the driver wants to touch: in other words, the car is in a state of understeer.

Brake Steer manages the tendency of a car to wash out and brings its nose back on line. It assesses the steering angle to determine the driver’s intended course and applies the inside rear brake to increase yaw rate and resume the desired course.

The system also works on acceleration out of a corner when the inside rear has a tendency to spin, allowing the driver to put power down more quickly. It controls what a limited slip differential would do and obviates the need for such a complex and heavy unit, thus saving more valuable kilos.

Inside, the 12C comes with plenty of luxury including the world’s first Meridian car stereo, an advanced steering wheel, plus a full quota of airbags, fully automatic dual zone climate control, sophisticated telematics and audio systems, parking sensors, trip computer, cruise control and electric memory seats.

Source:motorauthority.com

2011 Ferrari 458 Italia Spider

In just a few weeks Ferrari will show to the world for the first time its stunning new 2010 458 Italia supercar, which is set to replace the outgoing F430 at the end of the year. Like the F430, which also came in a Spider convertible version, Ferrari will eventually launch a new open-top version of its latest, which has been previewed here in this latest computer generated rendering.

Likely to be called the 458 Italia Spider, the new model is expected to be launched one year after the hard-top, which pegs its release for sometime late next year as a 2011 model. While Ferrari has a adopted a folding hard-top roof for its most recent convertible model, the California, the 458 Italia Spider is likely to retain the lightweight soft-top roof seen on the F430 Spider and high-performance Scuderia 16M.

Apart from the roof and some chassis reinforcements, the 458 Italia Spider should be identical to its hard-top sibling, which means power will come from a 4.5-liter V-8 engine rated at 570 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque and sending torque to the rear wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Dimensions should remain at 4,527 mm in length, 1,937 mm in width, and 1,213 mm in height, though weight will almost certainly be higher than the hard-top’s 1,380 kg measurement.

Source:motorauthority.com

2007 Lamborghini Murcielago Reventon

Rumors are abounding that Lamborghini will unveil an open-top Roadster version of its ultra-exclusive Reventon supercar at next month’s Frankfurt Auto Show.

All across the Internet, Lamborghini fans are salivating at the thought of a  Reventon Roadster, with speculation rife that only nine or ten of the supercars will be built, each featuring a V-12 engine and a pricetag of €1.15 million ($1,639,993)–before taxes, naturally. The company itself has made no statement on the matter, but professional athletes and Russian mobsters might want to bring their checkbooks to Germany next month.

If built, the Roadster should feature the same V-12 engine as the original Reventon though output may be increased from the current 650 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque–expect to see the same 670 horsepower rating as the more recent Murcielago LP670-4 SV.

Other goodies include a permanent ‘Viscous Traction’ all-wheel-drive system and Lamborghini’s e-gear semi-automatic transmission. The original Reventon accelerates from 0-62 mph in just 3.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 211 mph, so a slightly more powerful Roadster may be able to surpass these times.

Whether Lamborghini unveils a new Reventon Roadster or not remains to be seen, but either way we should know in just a couple of weeks so stay tuned for an update.

Source:motorauthority.com

Devon Motorworks is still playing the specifications close to its vest, but it has released the Laguna Seca lap time of 1:35.075. The company says the achieved time is a production-car record, beating out the likes of the Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 Turbo and aforementioned Corvette ZR-1.

The last we heard from Devon Motorworks was the company’s $5.5 million low-ball bid for Chrysler’s Viper brand back before the bankruptcy and eventual Fiat acquisition. The company had hoped to use the Viper plant to build its very own supercar, the GTX. While not much is known about the GTX, purchasing the Viper business would have allowed Devon to base the car around the renowned Viper platform.

Devon Motorworks GTX supercar

We should know much more about the GTX in the next couple of days when a prototype of the car is revealed at the Pebble Beach event. The company is also expected to attempt to break the world lap record for a production car at the Nurburgring this summer, so keep an eye out for news of that as well.

What we know so far is that the car’s design is being handled by noted Swedish designer and former Ford employee Daniel Paulin. Previewed here in these official computer generated renderings, Paulin’s new design language gives the GTX a classical yet futuristic line. The interior of the GTX will appear Spartan but will be packed with high-tech gear. Stay tuned for an update.

Source:itechnews.net

A new Nurburgring record has allegedly tumbled with a video showcasing the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR circling the arduous track in just 7m 22.1s. While the source of the video is far from official, if the time proves accurate then this track-honed Viper is quicker around the track than the likes of the Nissan GT-R, which posted a time of 7m 29s, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, which posted a time of 7m 26.4s, and even the Pagani Zonda F supercar, which has run an unofficial time of 7m 23s. Follow the jump to watch the video.

Source:Motorauthority.com