he Dodge Viper underwent a major redesign in 2003, courtesy of DaimlerChrysler’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) group. The new Viper SRT-10 was heavily restyled with sharp, angled bodywork. The engine was enlarged to 8.3 L which, with other upgrades, combined to increased output to 500 hp (375 kW) and 525 ft·lbf (711 N·m) of torque. The chassis was also improved. It became more rigid and weighed approximately 80 lbs less than the previous model. An even better chassis and engine were planned for the car, but Chrysler feared that the Viper’s price would reach $100,000. Even if that were the case, the Viper’s price would still undercut its rivals significantly.^{[citation needed]} The initial model was a convertible. In 2004, Dodge introduced a limited edition Mamba package. Mamba edition cars featured black interiors, with red stitching and trim and saw their MSRP price rise by roughly $3000. 200 Mambas were produced. The Viper is also featured in lots of video games, for example: L.A Rush, Gran Turismo 4, Need for Speed Most Wanted/Carbon, Forza Motorsport, Project Gotham, and more.The new Viper SRT-10 Coupe (no longer called the GTS, but still referred to as, by many enthusiast) was introduced in 2005 at the Detroit Auto Show as a 2006 model. It shares many of its body panels with the convertible but takes its side and rear styling cues from the Competition Coupe (see below). The new coupe looks much like the previous Viper GTS and retains the “double-bubble” roof shape of the original, along with the original GTS’s taillights as well offering the original Viper Blue paint scheme with white stripes (referred to as GTS Blue) for an added homage to the original Viper coupe. The engine was also certified by the SAE to produce 510 hp and 535 lb/ft of torque. It is important to note that the engine makes the same power as before, only the numerical value of the power was changed.^{[citation needed]} Unlike the original coupe, the chassis was not modified. This made the new coupe heavier than the convertible, and thus slightly slower in low speed acceleration. Handling and high speed performance were improved by the coupe’s stiffer frame, reduced drag, and increased downforce.

It has been confirmed officially that the 2008 Viper will get a 90hp bump up to 600hp and a 25lbft torque bump up to 560lb-ft from a displacement increased up to 8.4 liters (510ci/8354cc), better flowing heads with larger valves, variable valve timing on the exhaust cam and dual throttle bodies. The development of the engine was done with help from McLaren Cars and Ricardo Consulting Engineers. Changes outside of the powerplant are minimal, but still influential. The T56 transmission has been replaced with the new Tremec TR6060, and a revised shifter has been paired with the new gearbox. Shifts are claimed to be 18% quicker. The Dana M44-4 rear axle from the 2003 model now has a GKNVisco differential that greatly help the tires in getting grip under acceleration. One last performance upgrade was the removal of run-flat tires; the new tires remove most of the minor flaws of the early gen III models and should give the Viper nearly unmatched handling on any circuit. Another notable change is the reworking of the exhaust system, previous third generation Vipers had their exhaust crossover under the seats which resulted in a large amount of heat going into the cockpit, this was done initially to help improve the cars exhaust note, since the first 2 generations of Viper, which had no crossover, were criticised for their lackluster exhaust notes. For 2008, the Viper exhaust will utilize a new exhaust system with no crossover, reducing the heat that enters the cockpit, but still produces an exotic sound[1].

The third generation Viper has been sold in Europe since 2004, the first model to be sold as a Dodge, as part of Chrysler’s new sales strategy for the European market. Although referred to as a “Viper”, it is sold as the “Dodge SRT-10″, as the Viper name is a registered trademark in the UK [2].

The Spyker C8 Double 12 S is an exotic high-performance Dutch super car.

The C8 Double 12 S seats two and has the most power in the Spyker lineup. It has an aluminum body and a 4.2-liter V8 engine from Audi. It is controlled by a six-speed manual transmission. Depending on the customizable tuning of the car it can produce: 400-620 hp.

MSRP: $325,560

http://autos.aol.com/spyker-c8-double-12-s-2006:8249-overview

    We have been reasonably impressed with the latest Lexus IS. In its first bout with a slew of sport sedans, the IS outright dominated acceleration and braking tests, while the car’s handling played caboose to the pack due to a stability control system that couldn’t be fully disengaged. We ranked the car second behind the 3-series due to Lexus’s characteristic numb steering and pillowy suspension. A few months later, we suggested the cheaper and weaker IS250 as a better balanced car, but criticized it for not having enough power. So the choice seemed to be balance or blitz, but not both.

At the Detroit Auto Show, Lexus seeks to find a higher balance between linear and lateral excitement with the debut of the new IS-F, part of the two-pronged introduction of the brand’s “F” performance series. Added to already spicy alphabet soup populated by BMW’s M, Mercedes-Benz’s AMG, Cadillac’s V, Volvo’s R, and Audi’s S and RS, Lexus’s F makes for a nuclear stew, but we need more vowels to actually spell anything dirty.

The Japanese automaker’s first entry into the true performance sedan segment looks on paper to be a real challenger. The V-6—available with 306 horsepower in the IS350—is ditched in favor of a V-8 cranking out over 400 hp. The engine is teamed with a modified version of the LS460’s eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and a torque converter revised for quicker shifts and rev-matched downshifts. Together, the duo ought to be good for 0-60 sprints right in the juicy middle of the four second range, and good for burnouts to do the NHRA proud, as Lexus’s VDIM traction control finally comes with an honest-to-mashed-potatoes “Off” setting.

Of course, the IS350 is already a decent straight line bullet, and Lexus isn’t seeking just to one-up itself on the dragstrip. A sport-tuned suspension retains the layout found in lesser ISs, but firms up and drops the IS-F a full inch, tucking the top of the tire treads inside the widened fender wells and hopefully offering a better balance than the IS350.

In addition to the obviously lowered suspension, the IS-F gets an assortment of body modifications that begin with subtle but continue on to probe the outer limits of audacious. A new front fascia and a bulging hood to hide the V-8 are within the realm of reason, as is the inconspicuous spoiler atop the trunk, and the scrumptious stacked quad exhaust tips are a delight; but the colossal vents trailing the front fenders seem big enough to exhale a complete 19-inch BBS wheel and tire. Overall, the body seems a tad overwrought to us, but we’ll see how many takers the car finds when it hits the market in early 2008.

Source: http://www.caranddriver.com/autoshows/12287/lexus-lf-a-concept.html

The Panoz Esperante is a high-performance sports car. Its company is based in Georgia and designed the Esperante to provide style and racecar performance.

The Esperante is a two-passenger convertible roadster. It is rear-wheel drive and comes standard with 18-inch aluminum BBS wheels, limited-slip differential, and leather interior. Base and GT models are powered by a hand-built 305 hp 4.6-liter V-8 engine mated to a Tremec five-speed manual transmission. GTLM models have a more powerful 420 hp supercharged 4.6-liter V-8 with a six-speed manual gearbox.

MSRP: $92,256 - $128,319

http://autos.aol.com/panoz-esperante-2006:8178-overview

tonybelding Global Moderator Newbie Posts: 51

Fetish in Forbes Auto online « on: February 22, 2007, 06:59:20 AM » Forbes has an article about the “Green Supercars” including some bits of info about the Fetish that I haven’t seen before. According to the article, the price tag is now $387,000. I guess they weren’t exactly flying out of showrooms at the $600,000+ price which has previously been floated around. The production run is limited to 25 vehicles.”Venturi uses the latest-generation lithium ion batteries with liquid cooling in the most recent iteration of the Fetish supercar that is about 30 percent lighter than earlier versions. The new batteries trimmed the cars total weight by 200 pounds. . .” “So far, four people have purchased a Fetish, and Venturi is gearing up to start production in June on 20 more cars.” Four people? THAT is exclusivity. You can really show your neighbor with his common Buggatti Veyron who’s The Man.

Is this not the best comment for the Fetish? Think about it the price tag of $387,000 makes this lil o’ cutie an exotic.

The Vantage is a precision tool–not clinically hyperefficient but very communicative. Now that the Vanquish is gone, this car is the most desirable model to wear the double-winged badge

Forty of these super-special CL65s will be made, each gussied up with the expected special-edition interior bits, which at the CL65’s price point go beyond different floor mats. Inside, it features every available CL comfort option, genuine carbon-fiber trim, and a smattering of “V-12” and “40th Anniversary” badges and embossments, including an etched metal “One out of 40” badge on the palm-rest of the COMAND controller that ought to make using the nav a delightful experience if the brute has been sitting in the sun on a hot day.

The Exclusive Passion interior color combo looks like the inside of a Milky Way bar, with chocolaty nappa leather wrapping the dashboard and the door panels and nougat-esque nappa leather coating the seats and the door inserts.

The most interesting thing I find about this limited edition is the paint. Read below the information on this process. The unique—and extraordinarily expensive—Alu Beam paint process involves paint particles roughly a quarter of the size of conventional paint specks that can be spread over the car more precisely and thus reflect light more evenly and more intensely. The car is then covered by a thick clear-coat, resulting in a silky sheen that makes it appear as if the contents of a 747-sized mercury thermometer had been poured over the top of the car. Just don’t scratch it, or you’ll be facing a five-figure repair job.

One more stat for this unique work of art: The CL65 AMG 40th Anniversary Edition is its gorgeous Alu Beam (read “liquid metal”) paint, a lustrous silver that we’ve only seen on a handful of Mercedes-Benz show cars in recent years. This marks the first time a production vehicle will wear it on the street.

Only half of these beauties are bound for the United States with the price tag of $200,000.

The Bad news is Want one? Too bad. They’re already spoken for.

What’s your idea of retirement planning? At Car and Driver, our scribblers spend their golden years counting their air miles and grousing about the web interns. If you’re Shigeru Uehara, Honda R&D’s Executive Chief Engineer, you spend your last year on the job building a track-ready special-edition version of the S2000.

Lots of engineers build track toys, but not many get their cars approved for production. Uehara isn’t just any engineer, though; he’s credited as the father of the Honda S2000 and the Acura NSX and Integra Type R, the trio that convinced a generation of American tuners and enthusiasts that Honda is a legitimate performance car company. Uehara’s legacy is solid, so he doesn’t need to work on the NSX’s successor—he said through an interpreter that he’s leaving that to the next generation. Instead, his final gift to the enthusiast world is the S2000 CR.

Suspension and steering modifications

The S2000 CR has the same 237-hp, 2.2-liter engine as other S2000s, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s just a dress-up job. The most dramatic changes involve springs and shocks that Honda calls “significantly stiffer.” Although no figures are available, our experience with Uehara’s other creations like the Acura Integra Type R tells us that he knows the meaning of “significant.” Thicker anti-roll bars round out the suspension changes. A quicker steering ratio will allow drivers to avoid shuffling hands in tight corners. A limited slip differential and defeatable electronic stability control carry over from the regular S2000.

Tires

The S2000 CR’s biggest handling gain over the regular S2000 may come from gumball Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires similar to those used on the former Japanese-market NSX-R. The 215/45R-17 front and 255/40R-17 rear tires have a treadwear rating of 140, which means they’re barely able to be called conventional street tires.

Front and rear spoilers

A ludicrously large body kit and a rear cowl fairing behind the seats are claimed to smooth airflow over the S2000 CR. But the most over-the-top aerodynamic modification is the massive rear spoiler. The wing has three distinct horizontal surfaces: the upturned outside sections produce downforce while a flatter center section smoothes airflow over the car. The whole affair is affixed with black supports that look more like a back yard racer’s weekend concoction than factory pieces, but who are we to argue if it works? Honda claims overall downforce on the rear axle at speed, a rare trait for a street car.

Weight savings and chassis

Air conditioning and the sound system are jettisoned in the name of weight savings, but you can add them back in as options. The S2000 CR also loses its power folding softtop to shed a few pounds, and in its place it gains a beefy rear strut tower brace with four mounting points. This is said to enhance the already stellar rigidity of the S2000’s shell so it won’t flex when cornering. A removable aluminum hardtop provides shelter from the elements and admission to tracks where open-top cars aren’t allowed. With the top off, the S2000 CR will weigh approximately 2765 pounds, almost 90 pounds less than the regular S2000.

It’s significantly faster on a track, according to Honda

The result of these changes is a claimed two-second reduction in the S2000 CR’s lap time around Honda’s Tochigi test track. That’s a huge difference; you could add 50 horsepower to a regular S2000 and you might not see your lap time drop that much.

Interior modifications

Every special edition needs to look unique, so the S2000 CR has a bunch of dress up features that distinguish it. The most obvious is the Apex Blue paint, which is a pearlescent bright blue evocative of Audi’s Sprint Blue. Black badges and gunmetal gray five-spoke wheels round out the exterior mods. Abundant yellow stitching on the doors, steering wheel, seats, and shifter (which has shorter throws than the already insanely short ones in the regular S2000) complements yellow woven seat inserts. Faux-suede seat bolsters and door panels replace the leather items on the regular S2000 in the name of grip, and they’ll also broaden the S2000 CR’s appeal to PETA members. Faux carbon fiber trim is a slavishly trendy addition, but we can forgive anything in a car this raw.

Pricing

The S2000 CR goes on sale in the fall of 2007 as a 2008 model. The car shown at the New York show isn’t 100 percent production correct, but the body kit, spoiler, and wheels are accurate renditions of what you’ll see in dealers. Pricing isn’t confirmed, but it will certainly be more than the regular S2000’s $35k base price and probably less than $40k. Given the expected production volume of less than 2000 units (no limit was confirmed), Honda will lose money on the deal, a fact that company representatives actually admit. Such corporate honesty is rare, but Honda can afford it. The S2000 CR is a fitting tribute to the man who put “Honda” and “performance” together in the popular lexicon. Let’s hope it’s a harbinger of more great things to come and not a last hurrah.

Source: http://www.caranddriver.com/autoshows/12648/2008-honda-s2000-cr.html

The Porsche 911 remains one of the easiest supercars to live with in daily use.

The Porsche 911 lineup starts with the Carrera, powered by a 3.6-liter version of Porsche’s classic flat six-cylinder engine generating 325 horsepower. The Carrera S and Carrera S Cabriolet are powered by a 3.8-liter six-cylinder, delivering 355 horsepower. The Carrera 4 is equipped similarly to the standard rear-drive Carrera, but with the added advantage of all-wheel drive. The same idea holds for the Carrera 4S, Carrera 4 Cabriolet, and Carrera 4S Cabriolet. The all-wheel drive 911 Turbo gets a twin-turbocharged 480 hp six-cylinder engine. The Turbo S Cabriolet features a power-operated convertible top. The GT3 is the track model. Its high-revving six-cylinder engine produces 415 hp. The 911 GT3 is available exclusively as a rear-wheel-drive coupe with a six-speed manual transmission. The new RS is essentially a 911 GT3 modified for even higher track performance. The Targa comes with all-wheel drive and the panoramic moonroof. It is mechanically identical to the Carrera 4.

For 2007, the Porsche 911 gets a slew of new models and the Turbo S gets dropped from the lineup.

MSRP: $72,400 - $122,900

http://autos.aol.com/porsche-911-2007:8565-overview

With the successful launch of the Shelby GT behind it and retiree GT-H Hertz rental Mustangs selling as high as $90,000 at auction, the Shelby leviathan continues to chug forward and spew forth special-edition Mustangs. In New York, Shelby launches the 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR, a special-edition GT500 commemorating the 40th anniversary of the original “King of the Road.” The GT500KR is the second product—after the GT500—to wear the almost-defunct SVT badge, reminding us that Ford still claims it has a performance division.

In 1967, the New York auto show played host to the launch of the original GT500KR, a version of the Shelby Mustang powered by a 428-cubic-inch Cobra Jet V-8 rated at 335 horsepower. With the ’08 model’s supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 underhood wearing a Ford Racing Power Upgrade Pack (revised ignition timing and throttle calibration, plus a cold-air intake), the 2008 KR outdoes its predecessor by 205 horsepower—a margin greater than the entire output of some V-8 Mustangs of the 1980s—with 540. That herd travels rearward through a six-speed manual with a short-throw shifter to a shorter 3.73:1 rear end (stock is 3.31:1) for quicker giddyap, while snorts and whinnies get an extra edge from a revised exhaust system.

The King knows that some of its subjects wind and dip, so the GT500KR gets a unique Ford Racing suspension tune. “The production Shelby GT500 was maximized to deliver the perfect balance between ride and handling,” says Jamal Hameedi, chief nameplate engineer, Ford SVT. “In that same ride-versus-handling continuum, the KR will lean heavier toward all-out handling while still making it drivable on the street.”

Beyond the yawning hood vents and racing stripes already in place on lesser GT500s, the GT500KR gets the signature hood, reminiscent of the original KR, in carbon fiber with two forward-looking mail slots at the leading edge of the hood feeding the blown 5.4’s appetite for air and twist-down hood pins for a more secure racer flair. The stick-through pins on the Shelby GT we tested recently actually vibrated out of their posts on rough roads. The Cobra badges in the grille and on the fenders add wings proclaiming them as the badges of not just any Shelby Mustang but the 40th-anniversary GT500KR. Rocker stripes on the Shelby mimic those on the original car, right down to the typeface used for the lettering.

The Triton engine uses four valves per cylinder (versus three in the iron-block truck version) and the cylinder heads from the Ford GT, which has an aluminum block.

Ford will begin selling the new Mustang in the spring of 2008 and will only build 1000 examples. We figure the S-word on the hood and the slight power bump below should be good for about a $12,000 premium, putting the King of the Road solidly into the mid-$50,000 arena. Prepare your checkbooks now, Shelby enthusiasts, or gird them for a bigger hit later, for all things Shelby appreciate.

Carroll Shelby and Ford officials smugly say, much as they did 40 years ago, that with the introduction of the GT500KR everybody else will be trying to catch up again.

Hermann Salenbauch, director of Advanced Product Creation and SVT, says the Shelby GT500 is the most successful vehicle SVT has ever done—by almost every parameter including profit and performance.

There still will be a 2008 GT500. The KR is in addition.

And for those who can’t snag one of the 1000 GT500KRs up for grabs by starting to make nice now with their local dealer, aspects of the King will be available to those with a Shelby GT500 through Ford Racing and Shelby Automobiles.

There will not be a convertible King, but the convertible version of the Shelby GT-H, customized for Hertz, is to be unveiled this weekend. Like the first GT-H, the car will be shipped to Shelby in Las Vegas to be modified.

And Ford officials still promise the return of the Bullitt.

Source: http://www.caranddriver.com/autoshows/12759/2008-ford-mustang-shelby-gt500kr-official-photos-info.html