Corvette ZR1 engineer says GT-R won't be King of the 'Ring for long

The Nissan GT-R's 7:29 lap record won't stand for long if Chevrolet has anything to say about it. Speaking with InsideLine, Corvette Chief Engineer, Tadge Jeuchter, says that the ZR1, "will be able to take the production-car track record at any racetrack," and that although Chevy doesn't have a production version of the uber-Vette at the Nurburgring yet, they're expecting a lap time of "seven minutes, twenty-something seconds." That sounds like smack-talk to us. But while the ZR1 might have the potential to best the GT-R's 'Ring time, the 550-600 hp elephant in the room is the forthcoming GT-R V-Spec, which is already putting down (roughly-timed) laps around the North Loop in the 7:25 realm.

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2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse pricing announced

Mitsubishi announced pricing for the 2009 Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder. For the Spider pricing starts at $20,099 for the 5-Speed Manual and go up to $24,999 for the 5-Speed Sportronic version, while for the Spyder version prices start at $ 25,799 for the 5-Speed Manual and go up to $ 29,999 for the 5-Speed Sportronic version.

Options include: Leather Package $1000 (Leather Front Seating Surfaces, Center Display with Outside Temperature and Compass, Heated Front Seats, Heated Slide View Mirrors, Aluminum Pedals); GT Premium Sport Package $2000 (Leather Front Seaeting Surfaces, Auto Air Conditioning, Power Driver Seat, Aluminum Pedals, Heated Front Seats, Heated Side View Mirrors, Wind Deflector, Aluminum Scuff Plates, Machined Wheel Finish); Sport Aero Kit $1,299; Accessory Package $199;Premium Paint Charge (Sunset Pearlescent) $150; Premium Paint Charge (Solar) $150.

The 2009 Eclipse is offered in two different versions: the GS powered by a four-cylinder engine and the GT powered by a V6 engine. The GS model’s 162-hp 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine is teamed with a 5-speed manual transmission or an optional 4-speed automatic. The GT’s 265 hp 3.8-liter V-6 produces 262 lb.-ft. of peak torque and is teamed with a 6-speed manual transmission or optional 5-speed automatic.

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Geiger Ford F-650

For those who know of GeigerCars.de, the tuning specialists native to Munich, this name instantly calls to mind their impressive Hummer SUVs. Up until now, these SUVs have long been regarded as the sumo kings amongst automobiles – however GeigerCars.de has decided to change all that and have now served up something significantly larger on their plate: the Ford F-650.

This monster truck is a solid 21.3 feet long and brings an entire 5.2 tons of curb weight to the scale. The car’s documentation will attest to the fact that the vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 7.5 tons. As it just lies under the limit, the Ford F-650 can be driven based on the regulations of the “old” class 3 driver’s license. The wheelbase totals 15.1 feet - just barely under the total length of a Hummer H2 (15.8 feet, 2.9 tons). Next to the Ford F-650 the Hummer H2 takes on the appearance of a compact car.

A simple push of the F-650s ignition button awakens the diesel engine typical of American trucks. The 6.7 liter capacity of the formidable Cummins diesel engine is distributed amongst only six cylinders, which means the combustion chambers take on the dimensions of milk bottles.



The calm before the storm: if the 320 horsepower engine no longer serves to impress in today’s day and age, the maximum torque of almost 8851 lb-in (737.6 lb-ft)will provide for untamed astonishment amongst tuning experts.

This robust power is brought forward by an XXL crankshaft to a 6-speed Allison 3000 automatic transmission and in the process distributed to the power rear axle which sports Michelin dual tires in the freight vehicle dimension: 11R22.5. A smooth and comfortable drive is guaranteed by both air suspension and air brake systems.

The driving feel of this exceptional automobile is simply unbelievable. You are the undeniable King of the Road- sympathetically looking down upon the owners of the small sized SUVs such as the BMW X5 and the Mercedes GL, while at the same time all eyes are irresistibly drawn in your direction.
This GeigerCars.de import from the United States of America is priced at 99, 000 Euro.

Those who know Karl Geiger know that he not only imports the Ford F-650 but is happy to modify and to customize it according to customer’s wishes. A range of options is available from chrome tanks on both sides (9,800 Euro) to chrome high pipes (2,800 Euro), as well as other modifications which can be made by arrangement including leather options, gullwing doors, entertainment and navigation systems.

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Corvette ZR1 goes over 200MPH

With is brand new and shiny 630hp the Corvette ZR1 was the most powerful Corvette ever, now we know it is also the fastest with this video showing the Chevrolet flagship over 200Mph, to be exact 205 miles-per-hour (mph) or 330 kilometers-per-hour (km/h)!

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Lamborghini wants less Audi DNA in its products

Say what you will about the Germanification of Lamborghini; it's producing damn good cars. Audi's stake in the Raging Bull has helped move Lamborghini from a quirky, inscrutable supercar producer to a purveyor of some of the finest road-going rockets our generation has ever seen. But according to Audi pres Stephan Winkelmann, the magic number for cross pollination of the two brands is 20-percent. "In the future, we will always work together just on the hidden parts – parts that will not touch the DNA of Lamborghini," Winkelmann told Autocar.

That pronouncement by Winkelmann is an attempt to quell criticism that the Gallardo shares too many components with the Audi R8 and that the majority of parts sharing will include unseen components, like electrical, plumbing and other, smaller pieces. "We have a quality benchmark with Audi," Winkelmann said, "[Lamborghini] gets the best and fastest, and Audi gets us the cheapest."

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Danica Patrick to test for Honda F1?

Everybody's favorite racing driver has been getting a lot of attention since claiming her "maiden" victory in the IRL race at Motegi in Japan two weeks ago. Now officials are considering giving Danica Patrick a shot at test driving a Formula One car.

Patrick has had a checkered past with F1 prospects. She was initially offered a chance to demonstrate an F1 car at Indy in 2005, but declined saying it was just for show. Around the same time, she was shocked by Bernie Ecclestone, who compared her to a kitchen appliance. Since her Motegi win, however, the international motorsport community has been abuzz about the prospect. Honda, which supplies the engine in Danica's IndyCar (and everyone else's, for that matter) says it will seriously consider giving Patrick a shot at testing for its F1 team. While some debate whether a woman has the physical strength to drive an F1 car, Patrick says she wants to focus on contending for the IRL championship before she considers a possible step up to Formula One.

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By the Numbers: April 2008

Well, April 2008 was just as bad. Though we had five brands this month that posted an increase in their daily sales rate (DSR) compared to four back in February, automakers had two extra days last month to sell compared to April 2007. Not even that helped as most brands went down flaming with double-digit dips in their DSR*.

The domestics were hit the hardest in April, with Ford Motor Company (-19%), General Motors (-22.7%) and Chrysler LLC (-29%) all down. You'll hear from analysts that two things are responsible for the Big 3's poor performance: too many trucks and SUVs that nobody wants combined with a decrease in fleet sales. Nissan North American and Toyota Motor Co. were down as well, but both by less than 5%. Honda informed us it's having technical difficulties reporting its numbers, so they're forthcoming.

The significant thing that happened last month is the big jump in small car sales. On a make/model basis, the Ford Focus was up 32%, the Chevy Cobalt and Aveo were up 15.5% and 14%, the Toyota Yaris and Prius rose 45.9% and 53.8%. While virtually all truck and SUV sales were down, as well as those of many larger CUVs, small and mid-size cars were definitely popular with the people.

Biggest Winner
MINI 28.6% at 4,713 (4/07: 3,382)

Biggest Loser
HUMMER –49.8% at 2,380 (4/07: 4,375)

BRANDS
Audi –12% at 7,730 (4/07: 8,106)
BMW –2.5% at 26,735 (4/07: 25,310)
Buick –11.7% at 12,665 (4/07: 13,234)
Cadillac –21.3% at 14,359 (4/07: 16,839)
Chevrolet –21.9% at 157,187 (4/07: 185,759)
Chrysler –45% at 30,670 (4/07: 51,441)
Dodge –23% at 83,348 (4/07: 100,463)
Ford –17.4% at 165,997 (4/07: 185,553)
GMC –29.6% at 31,854 (4/07: 41,748)
HUMMER –49.8% at 2,380 (4/07: 4,375)
Hyundai –7.4% at 39,280 (4/07: 39,137)
Infiniti –11.5% at 9,537 (4/07: 9,945)
Jaguar 15.7% at 1,785 (4/07: 1,424)
Jeep –24.4% at 33,733 (4/07: 41,200)
Land Rover –43.9% at 2,557 (4/07: 4,211)
Lexus –17.1% at 23,350 (4/07: 25,995)
Lincoln –19.3% at 10,340 (4/07: 11,832)
Mazda 4.1% at 23,760 (4/07: 23,760)
Mercedes-Benz –10.4% at 20,271 (4/07: 20,895)
Mercury –31.8% at 12,910 (4/07: 17,481)
MINI 28.6% at 4,713 (4/07: 3,382)
Mitsubishi –32% at 8,878 (4/07: 12,047)
Nissan 0.1% at 66,318 (4/07: 61,179)
Pontiac –15.9% at 24,009 (4/07: 26,346)
Porsche –11.9% at 3,099 (4/07: 3,248)
Saab –37.9% at 1,580 (4/07: 2,350)
Saturn –22% at 16,888 (4/07: 19,977)
Subaru 12% at 16,771 (4/07: 13,786)
Suzuki –2.8% at 9,669 (4/07: 9,179)
Toyota –2.7% at 194,350 (4/07: 184,462)
Volkswagen –6.1% at 19,415 (4/07: 19,086)
Volvo –18.9% at 7,138 (4/07: 8,122)

N/A: Kia, Honda and Acura (Delayed)

COMPANIES
BMW Group 1.2% at 31,448 (4/07: 28,692)
Chrysler LLC –29% at 147,751 (4/07: 193,104)
Ford Motor Co –19% at 200,727 (4/07: 228,623)
General Motors –22.7% at 260,922 (4/07: 311,687)
Honda America (Delayed)
Nissan North America –1.6% at 75,855 (4/07: 71,124)
Toyota Motor Co. –4.5% at 217,700 (4/07: 210,457)

*All percentages are reported as the change in Daily Sales Rate because there were 26 selling days in April 2008 versus 24 in April 2007. Comparing the raw number of vehicles sold both months would not be accurate because of this discrepancy in selling days, so we report the change in the average number of vehicles sold per day.

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Weber Sportscar: the World’s Fastest Street-Legal Sports Car

Like the Millennium Falcon, the Weber Sportcars faster one may not look like much, but it sounds like it might be capable of besting the former's Kessel Run time of under 12 parsecs. Hell, after looking over the manufacturer's stats, we think that the faster one might be able to tear a gaping hole in the space/time continuum.

Billed by its Swiss maker as the world's fastest street legal sports car, the faster one's ugly-but-aerodynamic carbon fiber body covers a vehicle that weighs in at a scant 1,984 pounds (900 kg). That mass is distributed 50:50 and is propelled by a 900-horsepower/774 lb-ft twin-supercharged V8 that begins its life as a garden-variety General Motors LS7 before Weber tears it apart and rebuilds it to its own specifications. The twin-blown eight is then mated to an in-house-developed 6-speed sequential gearbox. Power is directed to an intelligent AWD system (also developed in-house) that can send a maximum of 36% of power to the front wheels.

Stated performance numbers are of the astonishing variety: 0-62 mph in 2.7 seconds; 0-124 in 6.6 seconds; 0-186 in 16.2 seconds; and a top speed said to be over 248 mph. Helping rein in the insanity is a set of 12-piston, 15-inch ceramic brakes supplemented by the car's motorized rear wing, which, like the Bugatti Veyron's, doubles as an air brake when necessary. You can get into all the minutiae after the jump where we've pasted Weber Sportcars' full press release. Weird but wicked, the Weber Sportcars faster one is just the thing to settle that pissing contest you've been having with your Veyron-driving billionaire neighbor. If you give the nice people at Weber (at least) 1.6 million Swiss francs (plus VAT), they'll build one just for you.


PRESS RELEASE:
WEBER SPORTCARS faster one
Swiss Precision Creates the World's Fastest Street-Legal Sports Car

Legendary Swiss precision is no longer limited to the domain of creating of the world's most prestigious chronographs. It's time for the WEBER SPORTCARS faster one! Using a unique combination of high-tech engineering and uncompromising innovative styling geared toward maximum aerodynamic efficiency, WEBER SPORTCARS from Tobel in the Swiss canton Thurgau develops and builds the world's fastest street-legal sports car.

The two-seater weighs in at just 1,100 kilograms and is powered by a V8 engine with dual superchargers that produces 900 hp / 662.4 kW. Thanks to its exceptional power-to-weight ratio of 1.22 kilogram per hp, intelligent all-wheel drive and sophisticated aerodynamic properties the mid-engine racer sprints to 300 km/h in just 16.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of more than 420 km/h. Retail prices start at 1,620,000 Swiss Francs (export price without VAT).


Favorable aerodynamic properties are absolutely elementary in order to attain a top speed of more than 400 km/h. The car body of the WEBER SPORTCARS faster one is 204 centimeters wide and 115 centimeters high. It is made entirely from ultra-light yet super-strong carbon fiber. State-of-the-art aerodynamics computer software and wind-tunnel testing were employed to trim the carbon-fiber shell for maximum directional stability at the highest speeds. The aerodynamic downforce it creates is surpassed only by purebred racecars that do not have to comply with any legal requirements, e.g. ground clearance, et al.

The front of the car with its two characteristic WEBER SPORTCARS grilles seems almost vertical compared to that of other sports cars, and is the result of the aerodynamic research conducted. This particular design creates an air wedge in front of the car with positive effects on the airflow over the vehicle. The shape of the upward-sloped hood, which extends all the way to the flush-mounted windshield, produces aerodynamic downforce on the front axle to benefit directional stability. The headlamps with integrated LED turn signals and the LED taillights were both designed in-house by WEBER SPORTCARS.

The super sportscar measures 450 centimeters in length, and features doors that for aerodynamic reasons have no external door handles. They open and close instead at the push of a button. The two streamlined side view mirrors provide an excellent rearward view. Integrated into the roof is an airbox that supplies the engine with its intake air.

Streamlined air intakes integrated into the rear of the car supply intercoolers and oil cooler in the engine bay with fresh air. The smooth underfloor of the WEBER SPORTCARS faster one flairs into a wide upturned Venturi tunnel in the rear. This aerodynamic ploy contributes to the creation of strong aerodynamic downforces as does the electronically controlled deployable rear wing. This high-tech airfoil not only creates downforce but also serves as an air brake. Depending on current speed and driver-applied braking force the wing deploys into fully vertical position in 50 milliseconds. That creates up to 4,000 newtons of additional braking force.

The WEBER SPORTCARS faster one supercar is powered by a V8 engine with a displacement of 7,011 ccm, dry-sump oil system and dual superchargers. The engine is based on the LS7 engine but of the original engine only the cylinder block and the basic design using one central camshaft and rockers for valve activation remain.

The lightweight aluminum block was upgraded with high-performance parts such as a precision-balanced crankshaft, precision-balanced piston rods and forged pistons, a camshaft with sharper timing, and two cylinder heads with larger valves and intake and outlet ports tuned for optimal mixture flow.

The engine peripherals were also modified extensively. They now include a custom-developed high-performance fuel injection system and an also custom-developed supercharging system with one mechanical belt-driven supercharger per bank of cylinders. Maximum boost pressure is limited to 1.0 bars.

The stainless-steel exhaust system features metal catalysts with low back pressure as well as a muffler bypass valve for an impressive sound experience.

The engine management system stems from the world of car racing and orchestrates the perfect interaction of all components and parameters. At the same time buttons on the steering wheel give the driver the option to select different mappings to adjust power output and throttle response to the specific driving situation. The engine electronics also are responsible for meeting stringent EURO IV exhaust emission limits.

The WEBER SPORTCARS faster one twin-supercharger engine delivers 900 hp / 662.4 kW at 7,000 rpm and produces a peak torque of 1,050 Nm at 3,900 rpm.

The transmission was a proprietary development by WEBER SPORTCARS which also builds it in-house. The semi-automatic sequential six-speed gearbox is operated via shift paddles on the steering wheel, the method of choice in today's super sports cars. Of special importance was an extremely short shift time of just 50 milliseconds between gears, as well as maximum durability under the enormous strain of 1,050 Nm of gut-wrenching torque.

The intelligent all-wheel drive system with dynamic power distribution to all four wheels is also a proprietary development from WEBER SPORTCARS. Electronically controlled differentials ensure maximum traction under all road conditions and thus always the best-possible acceleration. Up to 36 percent of the engine's power is transferred to the front wheels.

The combination of light-weight design, enormously powerful engine, high-end four-wheel drive, an active traction control system derived from Formula One racing and innovative aerodynamics gives the WEBER SPORTCARS faster one acceleration times previously only attained by purebred racecars. The two-seater sprints from rest to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds and reaches 200 km/h after just 6.6 seconds. Thanks to its favorable power-to-weight ratio and exceptionally low drag it passes the 300 km/h-mark after just 16.2 seconds. Top speed is more than 400 km/h.

To realize the projected performance WEBER SPORTCARS has developed an optimal symbiosis of light-weight design, power and aerodynamics. The entire frame of the WEBER SPORTCARS supercar weighs just 65 kilograms and like almost all components and tools it is manufactured in-house at WEBER SPORTCARS. It is made from high-end aluminum usually reserved for aerospace applications. The tools for making the high-strength aluminum profiles were also created by WEBER SPORTCARS. These profiles are then welded into a tubular frame whose exact design was determined using FEM (finite element method) computer software.

These measures result in exception torsional rigidity: Under a load of 30 metric tons the WEBER SPORTCARS faster one body flexes just 1.0 degrees. For an ideal weight distribution ratio of 50:50 and the lowest possible center of gravity the sportscar is equipped with four fuel tanks that have a combined capacity of 110 liters.

The suspension of the supercar brings purebred racing technology to the street. That includes upper and lower A-arms milled from one piece by WEBER SPORTCARS, and struts with a multitude of selectable settings for bound and rebound on both axles.

Especially light custom wheels were manufactured for the ultra-wide track. The front axle features size 10Jx20 rims shod with size 285/25 ZR 20 tires. They transfer steering wheel inputs and up to 36 percent of the engine's power to the road. The rear axle is fitted with size 13Jx20 wheels and size 325/25 ZR 20 tires.

In addition to the high-tech air brake WEBER SPORTCARS selected only the best of the best when it came to designing a brake controlled by a high-tech ABS anti-locking system. WEBER SPORTCARS produced its own 12-piston fixed calipers that viciously grab vented ceramic disc brakes measuring 380 x 34 millimeters on front and rear axle. These brakes can bring the two-seater to a stop from 100 km/h in short 30 meters or so.

The two-seater cockpit of the WEBER SPORTCARS faster one with integrated safety cell combines purebred carbon-fiber and leather racing looks with the creature comforts nowadays associated with a super sports car. Customers can freely choose their favorite color combination.

The Formula 1 style steering wheel is another in-house development. It incorporates controls for engine mapping and traction control system as well as shift paddles for the sequential gearbox.

Among the comfort features present are power steering, climate control system, power windows and a sound system with integrated navigation system. A rearview camera facilitates maneuvering in reverse.

As an alternative, WEBER SPORTCARS offers an uncompromising racing interior with carbon-fiber competition seats and six-point seatbelts.

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