You can’t say that the people over at McLaren aren’t busting their chops in trying to achieve a record-breaking run, can you? Whether or not the Woking, England-based automaker was attempting to do a hot lap with the MP4-12C at the Nurburgiring to determine the car’s full capacity, one thing we do know is that at some point, every automaker that has had aspirations of holding the fastest lap time at the ’Ring and McLaren is no exception.
So when word came out that McLaren ended up crashing an MP4-12C at the Nurburgring as part of their ’final testing’, a lot of curious eyebrows were raised, particularly on whether this testing included an attempt in breaking the fastest lap time at the world-famous race track.
According to witnesses, the crash caused a large impact that brought about significant damage to the guard rail, as well as causing a massive amount of fuel spillage on the stretch of the race track where the accident happened. As a result of the crash, the public session that was supposed to follow the private session ended up getting delayed because of what was deemed a ’roadworks zone’ on that part of the track.
McLaren, of course, has neither confirmed or denied this report, opting to contain the situation by keeping mum on the matter. With all the witnesses and reports coming around, though, it looks as if a final prototype of the MP4-12C was indeed involved in some kind of accident. Whether it was during an attempt at the ’Ring record is another matter, but it’s still probably best for these chaps to drive their cars with proper caution next time.
Well, if concept designs are your thing, student Slavche Tanecski did one better with the introduction of his Mercedes-Benz Aria Concept “Swan Wing”. Tanecksi, a student at the Munich University of Applied Sciences designed this concept as part of his thesis and was even assisted by Mercedes designers.
Pegging it as the future of luxury mobility in 2030, Tanecki designed the Aria Concept Swan Wing using musical instruments as his inspiration. As such, the whole theme of his study revolves around the timeless appeal of instruments, most of which lend an elegant, classy, and noble touch to the car’s proportions and surface finishes. There are references to a piano, a violin, a keyboard, and strings, all of which were sculptured together to create a visceral aesthetic that not only surprises, but also follows up with a deep appreciation for a car’s definition and overall character.
While we certainly enjoyed the GT Garbin Concept, we found ourselves really drawn to this design study. The talent of this young man is obvious, and it should take him to places a lot of us with little to no artistic credibility can only dream of reaching.
Somehow, we’ve gotten used to automakers releasing special edition bikes so it doesn’t surprise us anymore when another brand comes out with their latest two-wheeled offerings.
We’ve seen Maserati, Audi, McLaren, Range Rover, Mini, and even Shelby come out with their own bicycles in the past few months, and now German automaker Mercedes is getting ready to jump on the bandwagon. Best of all for Merc, they’re actually releasing a number of products instead of just one.
Some of the new products that have been released range from a full-suspension mountain bike to a high-end carbon fiber racing bike, to fitness bikes, and yes, even kid bikes with their own set of training wheels.
The full-suspension mountain bike weighs only 12.8 kilos and comes with a Fox Racing F32 RL suspension fork, a DT Swiss suspension strut, a 30-speed x.9 gear shift system from SRAM, hydraulic AVID Elixir 5 disc brakes, and DT Swiss X1900 wheels. All in all, the Mercedes mountain bike, and all the trinkets that come with it, will cost you an exorbitant sum of €3,299, which is about $4,650 based on current exchange rates.
Hit the jump for more of these two-wheeled creations.
While many believe that German automakers are only good at designing impressive luxury or sport sedans, Endora-Cars Germany is out to prove that this is indeed not the case with their new SC-1. The Endora SC-1 is a based on the Chevrolet Corvette and combines the classic design of the sixties and early seventies with modern technology. It is defined by dynamically flowing body lines, a sporty sketched silhouette with a distinctive swing, and, of course, impressive performance numbers.
The SC-1 will be offered in three different versions, all of them with V8 engines ranging from 437 to 647 HP. The engines will be combined with a six-speed-manual gearbox, electronic traction control, and an Active Handling-system. Take a glance at the rear of the car and you will notice it has no exhaust system, and that’s because the burned gasoline will be removed by sidepipes that end directly before the rear wheel openings.
UPDATE 08/08/11: A fresh pair of photos of the Endora SC-1 was recently released, showing the styling changes made on the car from the previous version we saw sometime ago. Check ’em out in the gallery!
A lot of us have tuning companies that we like to call our favorites, or at least one of our favorites. Some of you might share different opinions, but in our case, one that stands on top is Novitec Rosso. The German tuning company has not been shy in building fabulous works in the past, and to their credit, they never rest on their laurels. Their latest piece of work is proof of that fact.
Using an Alfa Romeo 8C Spider, Novitec Rosso gave the fastest and most powerful Alfa Romeo even more reason to be feared, thanks to a new supercharger system and a stainless-steel exhaust system that takes the output of the Italian supercar from its stock 450 horsepower all the way up to 600 horsepower. The power upgrade translates to new performance numbers for the 8C Spider, particularly a new 0-62 mph time of just 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 189 mph.
On top of the supercharger and the exhaust system, Novitec Rosso also gave the 8C Spider a new water-to-air intercooler, a custom injector, and a set of 21” and 22” alloy wheels. All told, the whole package for the 8C Spider comes out at 19,900 Euros, which is about $29,400 based on current exchange rates.
Not bad for an upgrade of an Alfa Romeo 8C Spider.
When there’s a car that’s as popular as the Porsche Panamera, it’s not surprising that so many aftermarket companies are determined to put their own stamp on it. Whether its through a new aerodynamic body kit or a performance upgrade, tuning companies love to fawn over these types of vehicles. Such is the life of the Panamera these days.
The latest tuning program for the luxury sports saloon from Porsche comes courtesy of Vorsteiner. The German tuning firm has released their new V-PT body kit for the Panamera, one that includes a plethora of materials made using carbon fiber and finished in multiple layers of UV-inhibiting automotive clear laquer.
Among the items included in the V-PT body kit include a new front bumper cover with a splitter and a removable carbon fiber with an optional carbon fiber duct to go along with it. There are also new side skirts, a new ‘ducktail’ rear spoiler, and a rear bumper. Speaking of the rear bumper, Vorsteiner made one that combines three pretty important components: two vertical ventilation slits that help in extracting heat from behind the Panamera’s wheel arches and exhaust system; a carbon fiber diffuser; and a Vorsteiner-developed sub-panel.
Finally, Vorsteiner also made changes to the Panamera’s exhaust system, taking out the factory-issued part and putting in a V-PT sports exhaust system that can be built with a choice of either stainless steel or titanium, the latter offering 40% of weight savings compared to the stock-issued exhaust system.
The Panamera has been reworked and reprogrammed so many times in its short life span, but for a car that’s as popular as this one, there’s never a case of having one too many.
“It has always been a dream of mine to have a car that has so much downforce, such aerodynamic efficiency that you could drive on the roof of a tunnel at high speed - and this car can.”
These were the words of Roland Gumpert a little over a decade ago when he was fresh of leaving his job as the director of Audi Sport. During his tenure with the Ingolstadt-based automaker, he oversaw a team that won a total of 25 World Rally Championship races and four World Rally Championship titles.
In 2004, Gumpert officially founded GMG Sportwagenmanufaktur Altenburg GmbH in Altenburg, Germany, thus paving the way for the birth of one of the most exotic niche German supercars of the past decade: the Gumpert Apollo. Since it’s debut in 2006, Gumpert has developed four different versions of the Apollo, including the recently debuted 2010 Apollo Sport that made its first appearance at last year’s Geneva Auto Show.
In the six years since its debut, Gumpert has gone from the Apollo to the 2010 Apollo Sport, an impressive run of supercars that has become a fashionable name in the industry, giving Gumpert all the validation he needed when he said that he wanted to build his own supercar on his own terms.
We’ve gotten accustomed to some pretty intense tuning work done on the Porsche Panamera so it was a little surprising that the latest aftermarket company to make a program for the sports sedan erred on the side of subtlety.
German tuner, Schmidt Revolution, used a Panamera 4S for its latest work, using a software optimization to bump up the output of the sport saloon’s 4.8-liter V8 engine from 400 horsepower and 368 lb/ft of torque up to 425 horsepower and 394 lb/ft of torque. Schmidt Revolution also lowered the car’s ride height by 40mm while also putting in a set of 22” alloy wheels wrapped in 265/30 R22 tires at the front and 305/25 R22 tires at the back. According to the German tuning company, an elaborate interior program, complete with bespoke leathers and trim, is also in the woodwork, although details are being withheld for a later date.
From what we know, pricing for the disclosed options are as follows: €990 ($1,443) for the engine upgrade, €390 ($568) for the suspension module, and €4,900 ($7,141) for the wheel-and-tire set-up.
We’ll be sure to keep you posted as more details of Schmidt Revolution’s program for the Porsche Panamera become available.
German tuner, Kicherer, loves tuning Mercedes vehicles and apparently, they love sticking hot models on their projects for a photo shoot too.
Fresh off their take on another SLS AMG Supersport a few months ago, Kicherer – and their hot models – is proud to introduce their new crowning glory, the SLS 63 Supersport GT.
Decked in that unmistakable matte black foliation finish, the SLS 63 Supersport GT also comes with a rather curious shark-mouth, hand-made grille. We say curious because, well, we don’t like it, although Kicherer seemed to think that it added a sharper bite to the car’s looks so they decided to go with it. In any case, the modified SLS AMG was also given a new carbon front spoiler lip with a carbon fin set to go along with a set of the tuning company’s own three-piece RS-1 rims: 10J x 20” at the front and 11.5Jx21”. Save for the grille, the aerodynamic kit looks mighty impressive and it’s made even better by the fact that Kicherer also gave the car a performance upgrade, bumping up the car’s output to 621 horsepower and 516 lb/ft of torque. This allows the Mercedes to clock a 0-62 mph time of just 3.5 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 199 mph.
Can’t say that we don’t find the SLS 63 Supersport GT beautiful with the exception of that shark grille. But hey, if the car comes with those knockout vixens, then we’re going to let that grille pass.
Opel has unveiled a new special edition Insignia OPC on the European market. It is called "Unlimited" and the best part about it is that it comes with the removal of the 155 mph limiter. In Germany, prices start from 48,605 euro, or about $70,000 at the current exchange rates.
The new Insignia OPC Unlimited will be distinguished from the standard OPC version by a blue Brembo logo and a newly-designed tachometer and speedometer. A special edition of the vehicle is also planned with a matte black wrapping.
Under the hood, everything will remain the same with the only exception being that it comes equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission and can hit a top speed of 167 mph.
"We are responding to frequently expressed customer wishes," says Alain Visser, Vice President Sales, Marketing and Aftersales at Adam Opel AG. "Insignia OPC buyers are generally experienced and responsible drivers who want to enjoy the full technical possibilities of their car."
