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Thursday, September 16, 2010
Ferrari F50 car was made in 1995 to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The F50 is a two door, two seat convertible sports car with a removable hardtop. Only 349 cars were made, one less than Ferrari estimated they could sell. Formula One technology would be a major selling point for the F50. As such, Ferrari made no compromises to comfort when designing the car.
The Ferrari F50 was a mid-engined range-topping sports car made by Ferrari. The F50 was introduced in 1995 to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The car is a two door, two seat convertible with a removable hardtop. It has a 4.7 L naturally-aspirated 60-valve V12 engine that was developed from the 3.5 L V12 used in the 1992 Ferrari F92A Formula One car. Only 349 cars were made, one fewer than Ferrari estimated they could sell. This was, in the words of Ferrari spokesman Antonio Ghini, because "Ferraris are something cultural, a monument. They must be hard to find, so we will produce one less car than the market." The last F50 was produced in Maranello, Italy in July 1997.
Hummer H1 10th Anniversary Edition, 2002
Hummer H1 10th Anniversary Edition, 2002
Hummer H1 10th Anniversary Edition, 2002
The Hummer H1 is a civilian vehicle based on the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), popularly known as the Humvee, which was created by AM General.
History
Originally released in the civilian market in 1992, the Hummer H1 owes its birth to the popularity of photos from Operation Desert Storm and the enthusiastic campaign from actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who personally owns several variants of Hummer vehicles.
GM announced that 2006 would be the last model year for the Hummer H1 with production winding down in June 2006, due to a new emission laws for Diesel engine vehicles which take effect in 2007. No version of the Hummer H1 ever produced would meet these new standards. AM General currently has orders for an excess of 50,000 new HMMWVs to be produced between 2006-2009 for the United States Military. AM General also will continue to produce the H1, just not the Alpha. These vehicles will be sold through Fleet sales. The next H1 will most-likely bear a refined version of the prior 6.5L Turbo Diesel engine, but that has not been confirmed. Selling the H1's through fleet sales will allow the AM General to not be subjected to the new emission rules and regulations. AM General has sufficient fleet orders to produce 600-800 units per year right now.
Specifications
The Hummer H1 has three common variants: a convertible-like soft top, a four-door hard top pickup truck and a Wagon body version. Other less known variants include a two-door pickup truck and a four-door slantback. At this time, the convertible/soft top and the station wagon versions are the only ones available in the mass market. The two door and four door pickup versions are only available in fleet livery.
5 engine types and three automatic transmission types can be found in Hummer H1s. The common engine/transmission combinations are:
* 6.2 L Detroit Diesel V8/GM TH400/3L80 3-speed
* 6.5 L Detroit Diesel V8/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
* 5.7 L Vortec 5700 gasoline V8 TBI/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
* 6.5 L turbo Detroit Diesel V8/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
* 6.6 L Duramax LLY turbo Diesel/Allison 1000 5-speed (model year 2006)
The Hummer H1 shares some common driveline parts with its HMMWV brethren. Items like brakes, differentials, frame and major body panels (hood, tailgate and quarter panels) are identical between the HMMWV and the Hummer H1. All Hummer H1s and HMMWVs come off the same first stage assembly line, and then are separated midway to either become a military HMMWV or a civilian H1.
Hummer H1s are unique in the way they handle off road. They are inherently very stable, thanks to their wide stance. They also can ford 30 inches (76 cm) of water, climb a 22-inch (56 cm) step, have a stock ground clearance of 16 inches (41 cm) (thanks to its design of tucking driveline components inside a channel, which subsequently intrudes into the cabin space of the vehicle), have approach/departure angles of 72/37.5 degrees and most H1s are equipped with Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS), which enables the driver to increase or decrease the tire air pressure at will.
Hummer H1s have many unusual features. They use inboard brakes. They have geared hubs, allowing the drivetrain's half shafts to be up high for greater clearance. The radiator is up high, sloping back over the engine. Rather than using simple runflat tires, aluminum or rubber inserts are an optional feature for runflat ability. A central tire inflation system is available as an option. Chemical warfare resistant paint is available only on the military version.
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE
The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano set a new standard in terms of performance that remains a benchmark for new sports car development to this day. Now Ferrari is introducing the new Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE (Handling Gran Turismo Evoluzione) package for the model to further underscore its sportiness and handling.
The package includes a modified set-up with stiffer springs and rear anti-roll bar as well as new calibration settings for the magnetorheological shock absorbers when the manettino is at its sportier settings. The ride height has also been lowered which in turn lowers the car's centre of gravity. This combined with the new set-up helps improve body control.
The package also includes specifically optimised tyres featuring a compound that offers even better grip.
The car's electronics have also evolved to ensure even more prompt response to driver commands. The F1 gearbox's shifts are now even faster in high-performance settings, while a new engine software strategy has improved accelerator response.
The exhaust silencer has also been modified with the result producing an even more marked and thrilling sound under hard usage whilst still delivering just the right comfort levels at cruising speed.
The 20" split-rim wheels are new with a special diamond-cut and matte silver finish. The rear diffuser is finished in matte black to underscore the car's new set-up and highlight the chromed tail pipes. The cabin is sportier too thanks to a sophisticated mix of full-grain leather, black Alcantara® and carbon-fibre trim.
The new seats are trimmed in a new two-tone combination of leather with black Alcantara® inserts, and the seat backs are trimmed entirely in carbon-fibre. Embroidered in contrasting stitching on the headrest are a Prancing Horse and the words "Handling GTE".
Saturday, September 4, 2010
New York Show: Suzuki Kizashi 3 Concept
The Japanese carmaker confirmed earlier reports today about the unveiling of a third iteration of the Kizashi Concept series at the upcoming New York International Show later this month. According to Suzuki, the Kizashi 3 not only represents the completion of the concept series but most importantly, it will provide us with a closer-to-production vision of a future sport sedan offering from the Japanese carmaker. Also on stand in New York will be the other two concepts of the series, the Kizashi 1, which made its debut at the 2007 International Motor Show in Frankfurt , and the Kizashi 2, unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show last October.
MINI to Reveal Near-Production Coupe Model this Week, Roadster in Frankfurt
This Wednesday, on August 26, the MINI brand will turn 50 and to celebrate the occasion the British automaker will reveal the first photos a two-seater coupe concept car based on the hatchback model ahead of a planned debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. According to Carscoop's inside sources, the most distinctive styling features of the coupe variant of the MINI are the steep windshield and of course the new roof.
Our source told us that the concept car will be based on the John Cooper Works Mini using the same 1.6-liter twin-turbocharged four-pot that pumps out 211 horsepower and a maximum torque of up to 280Nm or 207 lb-ft with overboost deployed.However, the coupe promises to be quicker and even more capable than the three-door JCW Mini as it is lighter due in large part to the weight saving aluminum roof and the elimination of the rear seats.
And yes, the photo above is a photoshop based on an older MINI concept car that we drew up a couple of months ago when the first rumors broke about the Roadster model.
Stay tuned on Carscoop as we'll have the Full Monty on the MINI Coupe on Wednesday.
[Source: Carscoop]
2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS: High-Res Gallery and Full Details on 450HP Hardcore 911
Described by Porsche as the "most sporting road-going 911 yet", the rousing new 911 GT3 RS is the closest thing you can get to a racing version of the 911 while remaining street legal and it is set to make its first public appearance at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show. Based on the recently introduced 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 facelift, the latest generation RS model benefits from increased engine power, lower weight, shorter transmission ratios and an optimized chassis.
The hardcore RS, which sets the foundation for homologating the racing version of the 911 GT3, is powered by a tweaked version of the GT3's naturally aspirated 3.8-liter flat-six tuned to deliver more power and rev even faster and more dynamically. It produces a maximum output of 450 horsepower or 15 HP more than its GT3 counterpart and 35 HP more than the previous generation 997 RS.Power is delivered to the rear wheels exclusively through a low-ratio, six-speed manual gearbox with a short-throw gear lever. Porsche is keeping the performance figures to itself for the time being, but for the record, the standard 435 HP GT3 accelerates from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 312 km/h or 194 mph.
The RS also features wider front and rear tracks as well as additional wheel arch covers that increase the span across the nose. The pronounced wheel arches house 19-inch alloys shod with 245/35 ZR 19 sports tyres up front and 325/30 ZR 19 at the rear.
Other goodies include the specially set-up Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system and the active engine mounts (Porsche Active Drivetrain Mounts - PADM) that can change their stiffness and damping effect to resist the movement of the drivetrain in the bodyshell. Furthermore, Porsche replaced the car's conventional lead battery with a lithium-ion battery that helps reduce weight by more than 10 kg or 22 pounds.The Stuttgart automaker said that the new model's carefully honed aerodynamics develop even more downforce than on the GT3. Talking about aerodynamics, you may have noticed that the RS gets a larger-than-life carbon-fibre rear wing with aluminum supports while other styling changes include the hard to miss bright red accents and livery, the specific dual tailpipes of the lightweight titanium sports exhaust and unique front and rear parts.
The new Porsche 911 GT3 RS is expected to go on sale in most European countries at the end of the year, with the UK and the United States following in early 2010.
[Source: Carscoop]
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