Motor Mag - Magazine about Automotive

Supercars- Is There A Future For Them?

Motormag — Wed, 02 May 2012 07:03:40 +0000

Recently at the Beijing Motor Show Lamborghini unveiled they’re new concept for 2016, called the Urus and its an SUV. Thats right an SUV. Lamborghini are not necessarily known for making SUVs, but have done before and was called the LM002, the Italians answer to the Hummer. When it was given to the US government for testing as a military vehicle it turned out it was rubbish, and they blew it up. So Lamborghini decided to manufacturer it for production instead. They modified it slightly and when tested turned out to still be rubbish. It was unreliable, very thirsty, overpriced, too heavy, too big and despite having a 5.3 litre V12 from a Countach, quite slow. Hopefully they’re new car will be better.

But about a year ago Lamborghini also revealed the Estoque concept, a sort of 4 door supercar but has been confirmed as only a concept.

Lamborghini have recently strayed away from supercar making (excluding the Aventador) and into the the market of family friendly 4 door super car/ SUV. Unfortunately they are not the only ones, Jaguar, Spyker, Bentley, Porsche, Maserati, Ferrari even Bugatti have joined in, leaving the question, will the future of automobiles involve any supercars?

All expected to arrive between 2012 and 2018. Spyker with the D12. Jaguar with the XFR Shooting brake and a unknown SUV expected to arrive 2017. The hideous Bentley EXP 9 F. The current Porsche Cayenne and Panamera and the Porsche are considering the Cajun/Macan. The Maserati Kubang expected in late 2015 and possibly a Quattroporte Estate. The current Ferrari FF. The Bugatti Galibier expected for late 2014/early 2015.

These cars here is what you should expect to see rich people being driven around in over the next 5 years.

Some only remain concepts for the moment but some time in the future there you will see one of these. Surely a Bentley or Bugatti SUV don’t make sense do they. Why are supercars no longer the way. Not because of them being uneconomical as nearly all of these are planning to use either V8s or V12s. So why?

Its simply that supercars are no longer the future, with a world getting filled with more and more people a supercar is too big, has no room for children, has no gadgets (i.e air con, sat nav) and is uneconomical. The point of is supercar is too be quick and crazy. But a 200 Mph Koenigsegg is pointless when there’s a speed limit of 70 Mph. Plus, in a recession a Bugatti that is good only for one thing, seems a bit silly spending £1,000,000 on it.

Yes supercars are fun and quick, but the future is a place where expensive cars are going to be SUVs and Shooting Brakes, where children can fit in the back of a 170 Mph car. The supercar is now simply a thing of the past.

Author: Ryan Thrift

Cosworth – Turning Good to Awesome

Motormag — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:44:14 +0000

Cosworth is like Jesus in some ways, what is does is take Fords saloons and hatches and turns them from water to wine, not literally. Nowadays known as Fast Fords. What they do is add more power and sometimes strip away excess weight, tweak with suspension and add better brakes and out comes a hatches with the capabilities of a supercar. The first example of this was in 1986 when Cosworth tuned the Sierra, a normal four door saloon. With a 204 Bhp Turbocharged 2.0 Litre engine, and a top speed of 150 Mph getting to 60 Mph in 8.6 Secs. Weighing in at 1217 Kg. When tested it was found to be one of the best cars of the time. It was fast, practical, and not to hard to live with everyday.

Then after not much activity, 5 years later was unveiled the Escort RS Cosworth, a car that had possibly the biggest spoiler ever on a production car. It had a 227 Bhp 2.0 inline 4 cylinder Turbocharged engine and could do 137 Mph. Getting to 60 mph in just 6.2 Secs and weighing in at 1418 Kg.

So far Cosworth had made many great cars also including the Mercedes 190E Cosworth and used they’re engines in Formula 1.

After being involved in Indy Car, F1, Champ Car, WRC and MotoGP for quite along while they decided to have a go at another production car. Since 1992 no sports cars had been created but recently have tuned the Focus RS calling it the RS500. This was a limited Edition as only 500 were made, costing around £35,500. It has a massive 345 Bhp! All that coming from a 2.5 Litre 5 cylinder Turbocharged engine. Getting from 0-60 Mph in 5.6 Secs and going on to a massive top speed of 165 Mph. Not bad for a car weighing 1450 Kg. So surely the most impressive car yet?

But just a few months later, Cosworth joined with the most unlikely of partners, Subaru. Turning a quite basic 296 Bhp Impreza WRX STi into a 2.5 Litre Turbocharged, 395 Bhp monster. Called the Subaru Impreza STi Cosworth CS400, with only 75 being made. Now if you thought the Focus RS500 was expensive, be prepared to be amazed as this costs a massive £49,995. Going from 0-60 in just 3.7 secs, quicker than a Mclaren Mercedes SLR. With a limited top speed of 155 Mph, but rumor has it that it can reach 175 Mph, very quick!

Selling out nearly straight away, despite costing £50,000 this is the ultimate hatch. Yet still being a usable day-to-day car.

Cosworth may only be a tuning company, but they do things even manufacturers can’t do.

Author: Ryan Thrift

Audi A1 Quattro – Small But Mighty

Motormag — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:02:21 +0000

After a much anticipated wait, Audi has officially announced that they will make a Quattro version of the A1. Shortly after Audi released a picture of it and what an amazing machine it looks, but not half as impressive as its power output, 256 Bhp. But is nowhere near as amazing as its price tag. Wait for it…

£40,000 ($62,964). Ouch, that is going to hurt the wallet. But before you think, if I bought this I’d have to be crazy, hear of its supreme exclusivity. Only 333 will be made and 19, yep just 19 are coming to the UK, and with that amount of power you can now see how it has such a massive price tag.

So what about the technical stuff, well the A1 uses the same engine as the current S3, a 2.0 Litre TFSI inline four engine and like all Quattro’s, four wheel drive. But what is unusual about the engine, despite power, is how it accelerates. Because unlike a Mini Cooper S’ 0-60 time of 7.2 Secs, the the Audi will do it in a very impressive 6.7 Secs. Which doesn’t seem like much difference, but in a drag race is quite a big help, not to mention nearly twice the power.

Now what your thinking right now is how much it weighs, a not bad, 1,390 Kg. But compared to a Citroen DS3 Racing’s weight of 1,237 Kg’s (2728 lbs). And the Mini Cooper S’ weight of 1,215 Kgs (2,678 lbs), Looks a bit less impressive than the speed.

But the sheer power of the car makes it the fastest in a drag race. Top speed of the Mini, 142 Mph. The Top Speed of the Citroen is 146 Mph. The Audi will keep on going until it reaches 152 Mph, and would easily win a drag race against the other two cars.

And although I haven’t tested it myself, I’ve heard it is AMAZING to drive, ESPECIALLY ON SNOW!

So at a price tag of £40k would I recommend it?

Well for a start you’d have to have enough money to bath in and be absolute bonkers to own it, and that’s exactly why you should!

Author: Ryan Thrift

Beyond Perfection?

Motormag — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:50:42 +0000

It is hard to fault the BMW 1 series M Coupe, it long name is quite complicated and the ride is maybe a touch to firm, but besides that it is probably one of the best cars in the world. It is certainly the best BMW Ever.

When it was shown on You Tube on 9th July 2011, it wasn’t a massive hit, but when it was production ready 6 months later and BMW announced figures and price, it became quite popular. It cost £40,000 ($64,116), making it the cheapest M car ever, also the smallest. It was also confirmed to have a 3.0 Inline 6 producing a massive 340 Bhp. BMW said it would to 0-60 in 4.9 secs and go on t a restricted 155 Mph (249 Km/h), but some have recorded it doing 164 Mph (264 Km/h) and some say it can go faster. Not bad for a car the same size as a 5 door Ford Focus, and the width of an Alfa Romeo Guiletta. It weighs 1495 Kg, the same as the upcoming Lamborghini Sesto Elmento.

Plus, to top it all off, it is twin turbo charged!

So that is how it reaches such a massive speed, but what about corners? Well actually really good, better than good, it is amazing. Better than a Mitsubishi Evo Vlll. It darts in and if you going too fast, hangs the tale out. It is probably one of the most enjoyable drivers car out there, anything close to it is possible the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. It really is that fantastic. Meaning not only is the best BMW ever, but the one of the best handling sports cars ever.

So my point of it being one of the best cars in the world is proven. It has a boot and four seats making it family friendly, its very fast. Amazing to drive. It is good looking and is quite safe. Is not thirsty but not a Toyota Prius. You may say that £40,000 is expensive, but for all that you get it is worth it. Their’s only one problem that will stop you from getting out your cheque book now, all 450 models have been sold.

So if one does come up second hand be sure to be ready to buy.

Author: Ryan Thrift

Can Cars Be Good Looking?

Motormag — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:53:51 +0000

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.

The Alfa Romeo 8C, The Aston Martin DBS, The Ferrari 458 Italia. These are just some examples of cars which are good looking. But how are cars good looking? How can a car be attractive?

As an example the Jaguar XKR is curvy, wavy and flowing. A car that is shaped aerodynamically so that it can go faster but also be good looking. this doesn’t always work though, take the McLaren MP4-12C, At the front it does looking mildly good, but at the back it looks ugly. This is because McLaren have focused on aerodynamics so it goes fast, rather than worrying about whether it looks good.

Making a car cool is also good looking too, their is one car manufacturer in particular that does this well. Aston Martin make the coolest cars you will ever find, yes James Bond always drives one but even before that it was still considered a ‘Cool’ brand.

Alfa Romeo is known for two things, Cars that will always breakdown, and (when they were working) cars that were always be gorgeous. The 2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta is no other than Drop-Dead-Gorgeous. The same with the Alfa 8C and Alfa Brera. Having an Alfa Romeo was something to be proud of, sometimes, and if you weren’t stuck at the side of a motorway overheating, you’d be having the time of your life in it. Alfa Romeo’s aren’t cool like Aston Martin’s, but didn’t mean they were less beautiful.

‘Beauty is different in the eyes of many.’ I heard someone say once, you may think putting a massive spoiler on the back of a Citroen Saxo is making it better looking. You may think that the Volkswagen Scirocco R is too flared, But others may disagree. Beauty is what YOU think looks good.

So how do car designers try to make good looking cars? Well, not all of them do, because back in the 60′s nobody really cared about aerodynamics and emissions. They just got a hammer, bashed away at a bit of metal, fitted a big engine too it and done. The 60′s was the time when the best looking cars were being made. In this day and age a Honda Accord is not manufactured to be fast and attractive, it’s manufactured to take your kids to school and save the planet. Whereas in the 60′s aerodynamics didn’t exist. The 60′s was when some of the sexiest cars in the world were manufactured.

So what are The Top 5 Sexiest Cars Ever?

1. 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO

2. 2008 Aston Martin DBS Volante

3. 1964 Jaguar E-Type

4. 1966 Ford GT40

5. 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2 Zagato

So as you can see the Top 5 Sexiest Cars Ever are mostly from the 60′s, some you may never of heard of and you might disagree, but they are just brilliant looking!

So the question of Can Cars Be Good Looking can be answered.

Yes, cars can be attractive, and just looking at the pictures above, it shows.

Author: Ryan Thrift

Worthy Replacement?

Motormag — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 05:20:58 +0000

The 599 is now no longer going to be made, the final 599XX Evolution’s are being built, no more 599′s will be succeeding. After a much anticipated wait the F620 has arrived, except Ferrari changed the name as it was released, now becoming the F12 Berlinetta. This is not the first time Ferrari has decided to change the name of one of its cars, when the Enzo was due to debut it was originally the F60 but then Ferrari decided to change the name. Just before the F12 it was unveiled at The Geneva Motor Show it was leaked and the whole world cold see some of the true not-so-good-looks of this Ferrari.

Ferrari design during the 50′s and 60′s was a thing of beauty, during the 70′s and 80′s many Ferrari’s were let down due to superior ugliness, the F355 and GTO being an exception, and continued through the 90′s. Then in 2003 with the F60 concept, nor in 2004 with the F430, and certainly no beauty was found with the 599. Then later on in 2008, Ferrari’s first convertible GT car was released, it was not exactly perfection but a massive improvement. Then after nearly two years Ferrari released drawings of a new sports car, the 458, in the faint drawing it looked absolutely amazing, but Ferrari concepts change dramatically before production and we were expecting another ugly sports car, but when it debuted, it looked stunning. It was a Ferrari that could match the speed of the 599, but not look ugly. Ferrari had finally made a good looking sports car, and that was not the only upside of the 458 Italia.

But now after we thought Ferrari Designers had finally found beauty in they’re eyes, they went and ruined it, with the ugliest Ferrari EVER, the FF. Yes, So Ferrari had never made a shooting brake or 4 door before, but they made a terrible mess of it. Now the F12 has debuted Ferrari has made an improvement, but then anything is from the design of the FF. The F12 is not completely ugly, but has no where near the beauty of the drop dead gorgeous 458 Italia. Why Ferrari, why not stare at the best looking Ferrari you ever created (Hint: Ferrari 250 GTO) and be inspired by it! Feel the curves and beauty of it, make a fabulous looking car again!

Enough of design though, lets talk power, which this Ferrari seems to have alot of. 730 Bhp to be precise, that’s 70 Bhp more than an Enzo. Only 60 Bhp less than the £2,000,000 ($3,142,000) FXX! So, whats the price for this power, well nobody knows at the moment, but is expected to go at £250,000 – £280,000 ($392,750 – $439,880). Not bad for 730 Bhp! And that’s no the only impressive stat that the F12 has, the speed is also something in the high numbers, it will max out at 211 Mph (339 Km/h). That’s REALLY QUICK! Only 5 Mph slower than the £1,000,000 ($1,571,000) Enzo. It really is a bargain, and to get from 0 to 60 Mph it takes only 3.1 Secs. No, no typo, it will do it in just 3.1 Secs. 0.2 Secs faster than a Ferrari Enzo!

So putting good looks aside, the F12 Berlinetta is revolutionary. So how much does it weigh? 1525 Kg (3,362 lbs) is what it weighs. Which is about the same as a 1.9L Peugeot 206.

So if you had the money, would you be able to resist those stats, wait until 2013 until it is production ready, and another year long wait because of other orders for it. Or simply buy a Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV, remember that you’ll get it now and is much rarer than the F12 Berlinetta. Not to mention the 1 Mph speed advantage, and MUCH better looks.

Author: Ryan Thrift

World’s Most Expensive Car

Motormag — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:56:11 +0000

The most expensive car in the world probably changes every six months. Someone in affluence car industry is probably dreaming and creating the a car in the seven digit dollar grade. It is not surprising though, as there are more people taking out their fat wallets to own these super fast and expensive cars. Most who can afford luxury cars in this range are big spenders and are probably listed in some who’s who magazine..

If you have say an extra one million or two, you can own one of the world’s fastest, most lavish automobiles. All such expensive car are made by top notch engineers and usually in limited editions, so as to jack up the prices by another few hundred thousand. Most of the expensive cars that are commonly known are the custom made one of its kind Rolls Royce and the Bentleys. But we find it more interesting to list all the other car makers instead of having a super Rolls Royce dominate the category.

So here are some of the most expensive cars in the world :

1. The Koenigsegg Trevita

The Koenigsegg Trevita is of the most expensive car so far in 2010 . Only three will be made.”Trevita” means “three whites” in Swedish. This car sports a diamond-colored carbon fiber-weave bodywork and only three of them will be made. Check the specification. A hydraulic lift system, a tire monitoring system, a chrono instrument cluster, paddle-shifters and carbon fiber brakes. Under the hood, the 1,018-horsepower engine and a 250-mph top speed power.The price tag? Only $2.21 million.

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4

2. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand.

Just take a look at the Bugatti Veyron curvy metallic body and you will be in love with it instantly. The car has carbon-fiber panels, composite doors, tall rollover-protection loops and two roofs: an umbrella-like spare and a solid tinted polycarbonate cover that matches the body. Other toys in the car includes daytime running lights, a rearview camera, a Burmester sound system and custom horseshoe wheels. The top speed of the Veyron is 233 miles per hour for the W16 engine. Production of this beauty is restricted to a total of 150. The price tag? Only $2 million. If you are a little short on the cash, then maybe you can consider coupe version for $1.67 million.

3. Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster

The next most expensive car in the world this 2010 would be the new convertible version of the Pagani Cinque Coupe. This sleek looking sporty car has a Mercedes-Benz AMG-built 678-horsepower, V12 engine. The car can hit 62 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 217 mph. If you feel the need to stop the car instantly, no worries,this powerful car can stop from 62 mph in just 2.1 seconds. Incredible isn’t it? This is made possible with the carbo-ceramic self-ventilated hydraulic Brembo brakes. If you are in a hurry to get this car, there is bad news. Only of them will be made. The price tag? Only $1.8 million.

Bugatti Veyron Hermes interior

To read more about http://www.most-expensive-car-in-the-world.com and the top ten most expensive car in the world, visit this website for more stunning pictures and reviews of the fastest and coolest cars.

Author: Ricky Diamond is a sports editor and enjoys writing related to the auto industry. You can find more of his work http://www.most-expensive-car-in-the-world.com website.

Expensive Taste!

Motormag — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 23:21:27 +0000

You may not of heard, but recently a Ferrari 250 GTO sold at auction for a mega £20,200,000 ($32,000,268). That’s 20 million and 200 thousand pound. This makes it the most expensive car ever sold in Britain. A lot of money, and why so much just for a car? Well the 250 GTO is no ordinary car, it was built between 1962 and 1964 and during that time they made just 39, and were used for racing, only 36 remain alive today. The British businessman, Jon Hunt bought the car in 2008 for £15,700,000 ($24,873,510) so it has made a profit of £4,500,000 ($6,337,200) in just under 3 years, not a bad investment.

The car has a 3.0 liter V12 with 300 Bhp. It will do 0-60 Mph (100 Km/h) in 6.1 Secs and will go on to a top speed of 174 Mph (280.1 Km/h). So despite the beauty, speed, power and rarity of this Ferrari, if you are a super millionaire would you be able to resist the 250 GTO, or buy 20 Bugatti Veyrons instead.

Author: Ryan Thrift

Old Rivals, New Cars!

Motormag — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:27:10 +0000

That right, after recent spy shots of the BRAND NEW 2013 Mercedes CLS63 Shooting Brake being released, Official pictures of Audi’s BRAND NEW RS4 Avant have been released, also for 2013. The big question is though, despite being family estates, which is the fastest?

Audi Mercedes

Top speed: 174 Mph (280 KM/H) N/A

Power: 444 Bhp 557 Bhp

Boot space: 1,430 liters N/A

Torque: 317 lbs-ft (430 Nm) 516 lbs-ft

Seats: 4 4

Doors: 5 5

Weight: N/A N/A

0-60 Time: 4.7 Secs N/A

Engine size: 4.2 liter V8 5.5 liter Bi-Turbo V8

Price: 76,600 euros (£64,172 approx) N/A

Unfortunately as you can see, Mercedes have been very secretive about the CL63 SB, and have not released many stats that can compare the two, but Audi have shown that there is certainly an improvement in the performance since the old RS4 Avant, but there is no word on a sedan version of it yet, but could not be revealed until the end of this year. The RS4′s expected to go on sale in Germany late November this year. While the Mercedes is expected to Debut late Summer, and sales start soon after, their will also be slower and economical versions of the CLS Shooting brake. But Mercedes are so behind on preparing the CLS SB range for sale, they haven’t even made they’re minds up on what they’re going to call it, CLS Shooting Brake range ? or CLS Wagon range? The CLS SB range was first revealed at the 2010, nearly two years ago! And all they’ve done since then is show a design, and test a mule (But not as bad as Lexus’ nine year project, the LF-A).

There have been suspicions since Christmas 2011 that Audi would make a RS4, and people made a big fuss, but recently died down after it seemed there would be no chance an RS4 would be revealed until much later this year, but Audi, being very secretive revealed it with no concepts or designs at all. Showing Audi knows what they want with the RS4, unlike Mercedes.

It is hard to judge which one (if you have the money) to buy, as there are not enough facts to decide, but the Merc seems alot more hardcore than the Audi, it may not be production ready until weeks after the Audi is on sale, but is an extra 120 horsepower and 200 lbs-ft worth the wait?

Author: Ryan Thrift

Murcielago: Final Edition

Motormag — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:25:23 +0000

That’s right Lamborghini’s Famous Murcielago has reached the end of its life. The final Murcielago,the 4,099th Murcielago has been sold through the body of the new LP670-4 SV. The last official Murcielago to be made by Lamborghini.

At the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, when the SV was unveiled everybody knew this was the ultimate version of the Murcielago previously appeared on the Diablo, and Miura. SV variants are more extreme and track-orientated, and are released at the end of each model’s production run. The SuperVeloce’s V12 produces 661 BHP (493 kW; 670 PS) at 8000 rpm and 490 lb·ft (660 N·m) of torque at 6500 rpm. The car’s weight was also reduced by 100kg (220lb) through extensive use of Carbon Fiber inside and out. As a result of the extensive weight loss, the SV produces a power-to-weight ratio of 429 Bhp/long ton. In its June 2009 issue, Car and Driver magazine estimated that the LP 670-4 SV was capable of accelerating to 62 MPH (100 km/h) from a standing start in just 2.9 Secs and on to 124 MPH (200 km/h) in 7.4 Secs.

Subsequent testing by “Road and Track” revealed a 0-60 time of 2.8 Secs and a quarter mile time of 10.9 Secs at 129.4 MPH. Lamborghini claims a top speed of 213 MPH (343 km/h) when the car is fitted with an optional smaller Spoiler, or 209 MPH (336 km/h) with the standard Aeropack wing. According to Maurizio Reggiani, head of Lamborghini R&D, the LP 670-4 SV’s steering was tuned for high-speed sensitivity. Production of the Murcielago SV was limited to 350 cars, and costs approximately £270,038 ($450,000 in 2009).

So if you have £270,00 lying around then go buy a Murcielago SV. It certainly is a good car, but the question is, is the SV better than the Ferrari 599 GTO. Here are the Murcielago’s stats:

Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV

Engine V12

Displacement 6496cc

Max power 661 BHP @ 8000rpm

Max torque 487lb ft @ 6500rpm

Weight (kerb) 1565kg

Power/weight 429 BHP/ton

0-62mph 2.9 secs (claimed)

Top speed 209 mph (claimed)

Basic price £270,038 (Approx)

Production Numbers 350

They are both striped out faster versions of they’re parents, but similarities end there. The Murcielago has exactly the same power as the Ferrari but is 1 MPH slower. The SV is quicker to 60 MPH though, £30,000 cheaper and has sold all 599 cars, making it more common than the Lambo, so this concludes that Lamborghini has sent off the Murcielago fighting and it has triumphantly won. We say goodbye to the Murcielago knowing it, like when it was first released, nearly a decade ago, do things no other car can do. Saddening. But look forward to the replacement, the Aventador and all to come from Lamborghini. Bye Bye Murcielago.

R.I.P

Lamborghini Murcielago

2001-2010

Author: Ryan Thrift