The skies opened up and the sun shone down upon us here at Top Speed recently when we received a call from our test car supplier letting us know that they had something special in store for this weekend. What showed up later on that afternoon was a Viper Red 2009 SRT-10, never before had any shade of red been so adequately named. This is was not our first time getting behind the wheel of the 8.4 Liter ten cylinder convertible, but there is just something about this shade of red that pops along and when combined with our car’s optional lightweight forged rims, showing off those bright red brake calipers, that makes this venomous vehicle something special.
Anyone familiar with the interior of a Dodge Viper will tell you just how minimalist the cockpit of these cars can be, with a few select white face gauges in front of the driver and a few auxiliary dials stacked just off to the side, even the an AM/FM/CD player radio is nothing to write home about. However creature comforts are not what this car is about, even though the interior does looks nicer than we remember, perhaps due to an improvement in materials. One thing that was very familiar was the smell of the V10, the radiating heat it emitted and the feel of that six speed manual shifter vibrating in your right hand, that is because Team Viper set out to make the most visceral performance machine ever built in the U.S.; and they have succeeded. Unfortunately Dodge needed their car back so our pleasant surprise was untimely cut short, but any time spent behind the wheel is well worth it.
With the increase in displacement to a full 8.4 Liters, the maximum output of the V10 has gone up to an even 600 HP and 560 lb-ft of torque. The 2009 SRT-10 can accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.5 seconds, run the standing quarter mile in 10.9 seconds @128 MPH and reach a top speed of 202 MPH; all while averaging and estimated 12 MPG in the city and a rather impressive 22 MPG when cruising at highway speeds. The only option that our 2009 Viper Red Dodge came with were a set of optional forged rims which brought the modern American muscle car’s rice tag up to $93,000; not too bad for the closest thing you can get to a 1968 Corvette.
When you usually hear the name ASMA, you tend to think of over the top highly tuned Mercedes Benz models like the SLR super car, but this time the German design studio has moved their attention over to the even more illustrious Bentley Continental. However the more that things change, the more they stay the same, so just like the Perfectus SLR, the Ventus was also built for a wealthy Saudi politician.
ASMA Design modified every aspect of the Continental, and as you can see the final product still has a bit of work that needs to get done before they can complete the transformation. On the outside ASMA has added new front and rear bumpers to give the Ventus a distinct appearance as well as a wide body kit to give the car a much more aggressive stance. Rounding out the exterior modifications are a new downforce enhancing rear wing and diffuser, while the Continental now rides around on a set of 22 inch rims that were painted black to match the exterior. What is left to be sorted out are the seats and steering wheel which still need a few final touches.
Not ones to stand for all show and no go, ASMA Design also massaged the engine in order to raise the Bentley’s maximum output of the 6.0 Liter W12 power plant from 560 HP all the way up to 644 HP, while at the same time the two door super car’s top speed has been increased to 201 MPH.
The Audi S5 is another one of those German sports coupes that comes straight from the factory with some fantastic looking bodywork. This time the tuning house MTM has worked their magic on the drop top machine in order to create this special S5 Cabrio Michelle Edition that upgrades every aspect of the four ring convertible sports coupe; including the engine management, suspension and brakes. The MTM S5 features a black and red paint scheme, complete with a Porsche Carrera like "Michelle Edition" stripe running down the side of the Cabrio.
The MTM S5 Cabrio Michelle Edition rides on a set of their signature color matched 9 spoke Bimoto rims sized 21 inches in diameter by 10.5 inches wide wrapped in sticky 295/25 Michelin rubber. The MTM tuned ride also features a handmade high performance free flowing exhaust system and a set of upgraded Brembo 8 piston brake calipers. Thanks to MTM’s the new M-Cantronic and V-Cantronic units, the 3.0 Liter TFSI V6 engine pumps out a total of 430 HP and 380 lb-ft of torque, up from the factory rating of 333 HP, while the S5’s top speed goes all the way up to 178 MPH.
Fox Marketing Cars was responsible for bringing a bright orange twin turbochargedIS-F to SEMA last year, and with the advent of the new drop top Lexus IS C, Fox Marketing is up to their old tricks again with a lime green open air IS for this year’s automotive aftermarket retreat in Las Vegas. The Exterior of this IS350 convertible has been given a more muscular makeover thanks to a bold front chin spoiler, custom wide body front fenders and lower hanging side skirts from the IS-F super sedan as well as a new rear bumper and a carbon fiber rear wing to complete the IS C’s aerodynamic upgrades.
Finishing off the visual appeal of the lime green Fox Marketing Lexus IS C are a set of staggered iForged wheels, measuring 20 inches in diameter all around and 9 inches wide up front and 11.5 inches in the rear. This particular Fox has been tuned to produce a total of 450 HP thanks to a ProCharger Supercharger System strapped to the 3.5 Lier V6 and a new F-Sport Exhaust system to spit out the spent gasses. We will have to see just how well this new tuner creation stacks up to last year’s bright orange boosted IS-F when we arrive in sin city to take in the sights ourselves.
Inden Design has launched a new tuning package fr the Mercedes SL500 that is offering the sports car the same performances of a SL65 AMG.
On the exterior the Inden SL500 receives a front spoiler, a rear valance with carbon diffuser, side skirts and a rear spoiler as well as rear lights, black door handles, mudguards and radiator grill and a new high-grade steel exhaust pipe.
The car sits on INDEN Champion light aluminum rims 10,5x20 and 11,75x20 inches with 255/30-20 and 305/25-20 high-capacity Pirelli tires. The SL is also equipped with the integrated ABC-sport suspension module with adjustable height up to about 50 mm.
Back in August Bentley unveiled the their new flagship luxury sedan, the Mulsanne at the world’s greatest classic car show, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Now the high end English coach builder caters to a group of clientele where even excess is never enough. So in an attempt to one up the fixed roof Mulsanne, rumors are flying around that W.O.’s car company is working on a drop head version that will offer the same level of luxury as the hardtop coupe except with a much more glamorous open air driving experience.
The new Bentley Mulsane is powered by a 6¾ Liter V8 that develops a maximum output of 505 HP while at the same time producing a very broad torque curve that peaks at 752 lb-ft of thrusting force. According to Bentley, the new coupe and cabrio versions of the Mulsanne will replace the outdated Bentley Brookland coupe and Azure convertible, two models that have long exceeded their respective life spans. Not to mention that a Bentley Mulsanne convertible would be the perfect vehicle to take on the other drop top super duper luxury coupe, the Rolls Royce Phantom drophead coupe.
We recently showed you what a little help from the aftermarket manufacturer B&B did to help out the Audi Q7. Well this time the tuners are turning their attention to something a little smaller, instead of dressing up a full size SUV, B&B are applying the same styling to the mid size B series coupe. So no matter whether you own an Audi A5 or an S5 Cabriolet, B&B not only has what it takes to make your new car look even better, but they can put a little extra mustard under the hood and improve the car’s handling at the same time to go along with it.
B&B offers a few different performance packages for both turbocharged and naturally aspirated versions of the midsized coupe. Starting off with the 2.0 Liter TFSI four cylinder that can have its turbocharger tweaked and maximum pressure boosted to generate anywhere from 250 HP to 295 HP with the most aggressive package generating a total of 310 HP from the factory turbocharged four banger. B&B is also ready to make more power with diesel models, the 2.0 TDI’s output is raised to either 200 HP or 220 HP and the 3.0 Liter TDI V6 can be upped to produce a total of either 300 HP or 325 HP depending on your needs. For those Audi owners who want to take their high performance Audi S5 sports coupe to the next level, B&B as developed an engine package for the 4.2 Liter V8 that includes a free flowing exhaust that raises output to a rather impressive 415 HP.
So aside from the body kit and engine work, B&B continues their work by replacing the stock suspension with a special adjustable unit which can be tuned for everything from sport to comfort settings as well as a slight adjustment in ride height. The finishing touch to the tastefully tuned Audi are a set of the aftermarket manufacturer’s signature B12 wheels sized a rather healthy 20 inches in diameter.
Barely a month after it was first introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the all-new Audi R8 Spider has found its way into Audi’s new flagship dealership in London.
The convertible version of Audi’s supercar, the R8, the R8 Spider is still not for sale until the spring of 2010. Nevertheless, the car brand has decided to display the car as a way of enticing prospective buyers of what they’re in store for as soon as the R8 Spider goes on sale.
As far as performance is considered, the R8 Spider retains much of the same specifications of the hard-top version, especially the 5.2-liter V10 engine and all-wheel drive system found in the 5.2 FSI R8 coupe. If there was any difference between the two – apart from the obvious roof-of-choice – the R8 Spider weighs in at about 100 kg more than the coupe version, thanks in large part to balancing the car’s weight with the weight of the retractable roof. As a result of the ‘bulkier’ Spider version, the car’s top speed falls just a tad under the 194 mph coupe version, although, as we’ve said, the difference isn’t all that striking.
In any case, the new R8 Spider is set to go on sale at the spring of 2010 where it will be sold from £109,580. If prospective buyers are interested in equipping the R8 Spider with an R-tronic transmission, they’ll have to shell out a few more euros - £114,670, to be exact – before they can get their hands on one.
It was 1974 at the Paris Motor Show when Porsche revealed for the first time a turbocharged models: the Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0 (930), a model capable to deliver 260 hp and to hit a top speed of 155mph. In 2009 the 911 Turbo is entering its seventh generation, with considerable improved performances compared to its "father:" a total output of 500 hp, almost twice as the first Turbo model.
As on the 2006 model, the 6-cylinder engine features variable Turbine geometry (VTG), buts its displacement has been increased to 3,8 liters and now develops a total of 500 hp at 6000 rpm and a peak torque of 480 lbs (or 516 lbs-ft with Sport Chromo Package Turbo). The sprint from 0 to 60 mph is now made in 3,4 seconds, while top speed goes up to 194 mph.
Even if it comes with changed design, it remains unmistakably 911: sporty and focusing on the essentials. The outer air intakes on the front apron now come with titanium-colored slats. Sitting low to their left and right are the new daytime running lights — in the same design as the indicators featuring LED technology. Safety is further enhanced through the optional dynamic cornering light function. The exterior mirrors have been revised for a better rearward view.
At the rear of the car, the new and distinctive LED taillights have a tapered design and extend deep into the rear fascia contours. The fast-response LED brake lights underline the car’s purposeful look and enhance active safety by offering more warning to traffic approaching from the rear.
Sales in Germany will begin in on 21 November 2009, with prices starting from 122,400 euro for the Coupe and 131,800 euro for the Cabriolet.
Though it has yet to be confirmed by company big-wigs, Automotive News has reported that Porsche is on its way to making a convertible version of the Porsche Panamera.
Unlike the standard hard-top Panamera, the convertible version will come in a two-door variety, partly to increase the car’s rigidity to compensate for the added weight that comes with the soon-to-be-added soft-top roof.
For its part, Porsche has remained tight-lipped on the matter although if we can take history as precedence, it would only be a matter of time before a convertible Panamera moves its way into production.
According to Wolfgang Duerheimer, Porsche’s development head, “We have a broad range of 14 derivatives of the 911 that are very successful.”
"So it stands to reason we should diversify the line-up for the Panamera as well,” he adds.
It’s been a standard practice for Porsche to produce off-shoot versions of cars that have been successful out on the market, something the Panamera is slowly becoming. Adding even more weight on the situation is the Volkswagen factor. Since VW’s takeover of Porsche, the latter’s resources have quantified, making it even more plausible for us to see a convertible Panamera seeing the light of the day pretty soon.
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