It was only yesterday that Porsche CEO, Matthias Mueller, officially confirmed the brand’s plans for a future Ferrari rival, but already there are rumors flying around about the future sports car. During the unveiling of the new Porsche 911/991, Wolfgang Hatz (Porsche Head of Research and Development) revealed that a flat-eight boxer engine is being considered for the future Ferrari rival.
This new option stems from Porsche engineers’ angst over not being able to take the 911’s flat-six engine past 4.0 liters. Moving to a flat-8 would be the next logical step considering Porsche’s major competition - Ferrari - currently dominates the market in this price segment with its V8-powered sportscars. That alone would be enough for Porsche to develop a new eight cylinder engine, but the company also feels the switch would be necessary if they plan to successfully differentiate the new model from both the 911 and the next-generation Cayman.
The new flat-8 engine should be an easy development for Porsche because the company has already created a turbocharged flat-four engine that will be dropped into a future entry level roadster. This engine is modular and can be extended into the next-generation flat-6 and flat-8. Porsche also has a history with the flat-8 engine. Back in the late 1960’s, Porsche built an air-cooled 1.5L flat-8 for Formula One that extended to a 3.0 L version for the Porsche 908 in 1968. That engine was able to pump out 300 HP back then, making a competitor for the 458 Italia’s 570 HP V8 an attainable goal.
When created, the new engine will be mated to an updated version of the Carrera GT’s ultra-compact transmission.
The Audi R8 has been one of the most popular sportscars in the past few years, particularly because when it was first unveiled at the 2006 Paris Auto Show, it came with a cutting edge design that propelled the German automaker’s first true sportscar into the stratosphere. However, the popular belief is that while other brands have introduced fresh takes on their exotics, the R8 has remained virtually the same. What this means is that it just might be time for Audi to give their supercar a much-needed successor.
Nothing has been announced yet, but a leaked photo courtesy of Fourtitude.com has people wondering whether a new R8 will arrive sooner than any of us thought. Looking at the photo, you wouldn’t be remiss if you thought that what you’re looking at is the new front end of the R8. The changes are noticeably different, particularly Audi’s new hexagonal front grille and a new razor-thin lights set-up that stretches from the quarter panel all the way to the grille.
In terms of the powertrain, there’s word that Audi will continue to offer V8 and V10 engine options for the R8, to go with Quattro all-wheel drive. Some have indicated, however, that prototypes of the car have been seen using 2.5 and 3.0-liter TFSI engines. Whether these speculations have merits to them or not, one thing that’s becoming evident is that the R8 needs a make-over.
And if this photo is any indication of what the next-generation R8 is going to look like, then we’re getting ready to have our heads blown off.
Sometimes even better just isn’t enough. Take the recently unveiled Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series, for instance. Anyone would love to have this sleek and speedy Merc ready and willing to cruise down the streets in utmost style. Of course, then there are those people that feel a car like this should be ready for the track and not parked in the garage awaiting the next trip to the grocery store. For those people, we give you the C63 AMG Black Series with Track Package as it takes a trip around the Nurburgring trying to avoid our savvy spy photographers.
From the images provided, it is clear that the C63 AMG Black Series is loaded with track oriented goodies like the fixed rear wing, a functionally tuned front splitter made of genuine carbon fiber, and carbon fiber flics located on the front apron, and carbon fiber side skirts. We can only imagine that some lightweight parts have also been added to make it more track oriented. These features not only increase the lift at the front and rear axle, they also optimize the vehicle’s aerodynamic balance.
Previous reports have stated that the AMG Track Package will include sports tires, size 255/35 R 19 for the front and 285/30 R 19, developed exclusively for this model, active rear-axle transmission cooling, and a radiator located in the rear apron that allows the airflow to pass through it effectively.
As for the engine, we must sadly report that, as of right now, it remains unchanged. The 6.3 liter V8 engine will still deliver a total of 510 HP and a peak torque of 457 lbs-ft, allowing the vehicle a 0 to 60 mph sprint time of 4.2 seconds. It’s not weak performance by any stretch, but a little more power for the track would have been music to our ears.
Stay tuned as we bring more details on the Mercedes C63 AMG Track Package!
The Ford Mustang Boss 302 is a car that needs no presentation. Every Mustang fan has been impressed by it ever since Ford announced it back in March and most consider the engine’s standard 440 horsepower and 380 lb/ft of torque to be just perfect for a muscle car.
That being said, Hennessey has found a solution to improve it even further, despite the fact that the Mustang Boss 302 is about as awesome as any Mustang can get nowadays. In any case, the whole package revolves around the performance improvements on the car. At the heart of it all is the installation of a new supercharger system that boosts the output of the muscle car by over 600 ponies, which is to say that the rich just gets richer.
On top of that, the package also includes a few visual additions to ensure that whenever people walk by your Mustang Boss 302, they know without a hint of doubt that they’re looking at a Hennessey-tuned muscle car.
Find out more about the Ford Mustang Boss 302 HPE650 after the jump.
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Audi USA has just posted some interesting news on their Facebook account: the Audi Exclusive custom shop is offering customers the chance to customize their very won R8 in any way they want. This means customers will get to choose any color imaginable for the paint or any combination for the interior leather.
Want a saddle brown paint job with a magnolia white sideblade? We question your taste, but it’s still possible. How about a Misano Red paint job with a carbon fiber sideblade? Now, we’re talking.
The full line of interior options includes: Cognac Brown Fine Nappa leather with Crimson Red stitching, Classic Red Fine Nappa leather seats with Alabaser White stitching, Black Fine Nappa leather with Cognac Brown Fine Nappa Leather Seat inserts, lower door panels, floor mat piping, Saddle Brown Fine Nappa Leather with Magnolia White stitching, Magnolia White carpet, and floor mats with Saddle Brown piping.
All you have to do is to let your imagination go wild, and, of course, buy a R8.
