It’s Official: Aston Martin Project One-77

This car could easily be 007’s next ride. This is Aston’s new super car, which supposed to embody everything that Aston Martin stands for: beauty, heart and soul. What makes this Aston Martin so special over their Vantage or DBS? Here’s a quick breakdown of the new specs that were just announced:

• Front-mounted 7.3-liter V12 producing a naturally aspirated 700hp and 553 ft-lbs
• Rear mid-mounted 6 speed ASM/SSM Automated Manual Transmission
• An all new carbon fiber monocoque body structure
• Aggressive styling
• Handcrafted aluminum body panels
• Carbon-Ceramic braking system
• Active aerodynamics, including a deployable rear spoiler
• Estimate to weigh in at 1500Kg, or 3,300lbs

The One-77 is slated to hit the market in the 4th quarter of 2009 with only 77 units being produced. Although no specifications have been released for performance measures like 0-60, 1/4-mile, or braking distances, this Aston will surely be quite fast and just like every other Aston Martin on the road, it’ll garner a lot of attention. Checkout the rendered images below to get a taste of what the One-77 is all about.

Source: Al-Eds

If You’re Driving in California, Put Down that Cell Phone!

Since the California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had outlawed talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device earlier this year, law makers have been pushing him hard to sign another bill that outlaws “sending, writing, or reading on electronic devices” while driving. Well the Governor gave in earlier this morning as he put the proposed prohibition into action.

Effective January 1, 2009, drivers in California will have to keep their eyes, ears and minds on the road… probably not a bad idea considering how much traffic California has. If you do get busted using your cell phone in ‘09, the first offense fine is $20 and the second offense is $50. The odd part about this whole legislation is that its still legal to type in a phone number on a mobile phone while driving, which means enforcing this law is going to prove to be a headache for the PD’s.

Source: LA Times

The Sexiest Ferrari on Two Wheels

There’s no arguing that this bike is a looker, you might even be surprised to find out that it’s not real. That’s right folks, it’s been created using 3D Studio Max by Amir Glinik over in Isreal. Hard to tell, I know, but Automotive designers use graphic tools like this all the time to help test out ideas and visualize the concept before it’s built. This was a 2-year long project for Amir and I must say, it was worth all the effort.

The Ferrari V4 Concept Bike was centered around the idea of taking a Ferrari V12 engine and slicing it down into a 4-cylinder. From there Amir designed the air intake, exhaust, forks, suspension, steering, body panel and user controls, all intricately detailed. To quote from Amir’s site:

“This maybe the most radical idea on this project, it may take a year to be fully developed, but basically it’s a two arms radial mechanism that can be found even on executive scooters. Here the swing arm movements controlled by a radial shock [are] pre loaded by [a] composite material omega spring. The radial hydraulic shock damper [is] controlled by oil pressure from the main hydraulic motor.”

Each part has a purpose, as though if Ferrari wanted to build this bike, the 3D file would be a complete blue print, a road map for its conception. It is simply amazing what Amir has produced. I’ll stop writing now so you can go drool over the gallery. Here’s a link if you want to know more about Amir’s Ferrari superbike.

Source: Motorbiker

Mercedes Celebrates 80 Years of Private Protection with an Armored & Stretched S600 Limousine

For 80 years now, Mercedes-Benz has been protecting the heads of states, public figureheads and the ultra rich with their armored-line of luxury vehicles. To commemorate that achievement, Mercedes has released this S600 limousine featuring B6 and B7 levels of ballistic protection, capable of stopping anything from handguns to rifles to grenades. Add to that run-flat tires, a self-sealing fuel tank and built-in fire suppression and you’ll be practically untouchable. While hitmen are firing at you from afar, you can be having a small party with some friends, sipping on champagne in total comfort.

You’d think that with all that extra armoring, this Merc might be a bit of a slouch. Well, MB has thought of that too. You’ll find nothing less than their top-of-the-line 517HP 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12. No acceleration stats are available yet, but I’m sure this S600 will move quickly when it counts.

Source: AutoBlog

Real or Not: Ferrari Leaks a Letter Detailing the FX150

We’ve known for a while that Ferrari has been developing a successor to the Enzo. Details have been near non-existent and speculation has run wild with photos surfacing for test mules dressed up as the F430. To add fuel to the fire, an “official letter” has surfaced on the net that details the configuration of Ferrari’s next super car.

According to the letter, the FX150 will have a longitudinally mid-mounted twin-turbo V8 engine strapped to a carbon fiber monocoque chassis. The body will also be made of carbon fiber, which should keep the curb weight near a targeted 1,300 kilograms (2,860 lbs). The letter estimates power output will be just shy of 800HP and 570 ft-lbs of torque, propelling the FX150 from 0-60 in 2.7 seconds with a top speed of 242mph. It’ll put that power to the ground through the 7-speed dual clutch gear box that can shift in as fast as 50 milliseconds.

Although it’s easy to forge an official document these days and the letter refers to the Enzo successor as the FX150 (not the F70/FX70 as Ferrari’s naming convention would suggest), what else seems fishy about this letter? Let me know what you think in the comments!

UPDATE: I received an email from someone saying that he and some friends had created this letter as a prank to have some fun with their buddies, so disregard the info and file this letter in the recycle bin.

Introducing the Vectrix All-Electric Super Bike

This is one mean looking machine! There’s not much info available yet, but the good word is that this bike won’t disappoint the speed freaks. On one charge there’s enough juice to do 20 flat-out laps at the 2.54 mile Vallelunga circuit in Italy, which is plenty to smile about.

This green super bike was given its futuristic design by Robert Brady, winner of the 2008 Idea Awards. His edgy, minimalist style perfectly complements this bike, which lacks the traditional fuel system, engine and exhaust. More info on this bike as it becomes available.

Source: TecheBlog

Sneak Peak of the Upcoming Porsche Panamera

There’s been some buzz surrounding Porsche’s latest project car, the Panamera. It’s slated to be released next year as a 2010 model year. It’s gonna be a rear wheel driven 4-door sedan powered by the V8 engines found in the Cayenne, both the naturally aspirated 385HP and the bi-turbo 500HP varieties. There are also rumors flying around that a hybrid engine is in the pipeline, but that remains to be seen.

Spy shots have surfaced of the Panamera covered in camouflage, but they didn’t look very good and I like to reserve my judgment on new vehicles until I see the finalized production version. However, Porsche recently released this teaser shot, and well the front end looks like a Porsche should. Too bad that’s all we can see… keep checking back for more updates and photos, when they hit the net, you’ll find’em here at the Junkyard.

Source: Jalopnik

Update: I found some decent spy shots of the Panamera over at AutoPortal, enjoy!

Rumor: Bugatti to Release the Veyron GT in March ‘09

The Bugatti Veyron is without a doubt the fastest AND most luxurious supercar the world has ever seen. What with it’s 16 cylinders, 4 turbochargers, 1,001 horsepower, and coach-quality interior, what isn’t to love. According to a leaked memo that was marked “Secret & Confidential”, Bugatti thinks the Veyron could be a little faster, so they are bumping up the horsepower by 35%, improving the brakes, adding Active Aerodynamics, and upgrading the stability control program.

The new Veyron GT is targeted at 1,350HP and 1,018lb-ft of torque, enough grunt to take the GT to its new top speed of 264mph. The Veyron GT is projected to run a 0-62mph time of 2.4 seconds and it will go back to zero in another 2.2 seconds!

The good news: If you are one of the very lucky people to already own a Veyron, don’t worry because all Veyron’s that have been produced can be able to be upgraded to GT status.

Side Note: The memo also hinted that Bugatti will be racing the Veyron’s successor, due out in 2012. More on this as info becomes available.

Source: Motor Authority

Smart Car Body Kits Have Arrived

Let’s face it: gas prices suck. Lots of people have been buying up hybrids and Smart Cars to reduce their monthly fuel costs, but cars have always been about style and expression, not frugality. Every time I see a Smart Car on the road, I’m reminded of Steve Urkel from Family Matters, which is why I haven’t made the leap to a more environmentally friendly ride.

Well if someone started making body kits like these, I’d reconsider.

*Thanks for sending in the photos Trevor!

If you’re looking for body kits or auto parts, we just talked to the guys at NorCal Cars and they just built out their site to include automotive parts and accessories. NorCal Cars is run by some great people, so check it out at their California Auto Parts page.

Lotus Builds BioFuel Powered Ice Vehicle for Antarctic Expedition

Lotus built this wild propeller-powered machine for the Moon-Regan Trans Antarctic Expedition. It has special ice-penetrating radar that is used to detect crevasses and thin ice. The Concept Ice Vehicle, or CIV, only weighs 300Kg (660lbs.) and uses three ultra wide skis, so the surface pressure is minimal. The CIV was built with as few moving parts as possible to reduce the likelihood of parts seizing up from the cold and ice forming.

The CIV will be used as a scout for the two science support vehicles, which are highly-modified Ford E-Series vans. The 6-wheeled Science Support Vehicles are reportedly “low emission”, using turbo-charged, fuel-injected, 7.3 litre, V8 biodiesel engines and will also be equipped with solar panels to provide extra power.

It’s good to see Lotus flexing its know-how in other areas as I’m sure what they learned from this unique project can give them insight into future builds.

Source: TreeHugger.com

125HP Golf Cart Hits the Dyno

I’ve heard of Muscle Cars, but a Muscle Golf Cart?!? The guys over at Nevarez Racing Products in Nevada swapped out the 3HP golf cart motor for this 125HP motor from a Yamaha R1. Needless to say, they have a new wheelie-machine!

BMW Producting a Turbo 4-Cylinder, US Might Get a Taste

BimmerFile confirmed that BMW will produce a brand new turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that will give faster acceleration while producing less emissions and better fuel economy than the current inline-6.  Sounds promising, but it might not make it to the US if government policies and regulations surrounding fuel economy become too restrictive after the upcoming Presidential election.

Only time will tell, but my guess is that BMW won’t put all that effort into designing a new engine if they didn’t think they could market it in the US.  And if what they say is true about increased performance and fuel economy, why couldn’t they market it here if it performs better than the current inline-6.  Nonetheless, if everything goes right for BMW, expect to see this new 4-banger in the 1 and 3-series by 2011.

Tesla Finishes Up Drivetrain 1.5, Now Ready to Crank Up Production of the Roadster

Tesla has put the finishing touches on version 1.5 of the drive train for their Roadster. Gone is the original 2-speed gearbox, now the Roadster sports a BorgWarner 1-speed transmission. Although half of the gears are now missing, torque output has gone up from 211 to 280 foot-pounds! Note that since this vehicle is electric, all 280 ft-lbs are available from 0 (zero) RPM’s. What’s more is that the total range on an electric charge has increased 10% to 244 miles.

Lets review these improvements: there are half as many gears which means there is less to break, they’ve increased torque by 37% and it now goes 10% farther on a charge… that’s a bang-up job! Tesla hasn’t updated the performance stats for the Roadster yet, but with all that extra torque, you can bet it’ll be faster than the original 3.9 second 0-60 time.

Tesla has been producing only 4 cars per week, but will now be outputting 10 per week, ramping up to 40 per week by next march. All Tesla Roadsters that have been sold to date can have their gear boxes upgraded for free.

Source: Tesla Motors via AutoBlog Green

Russian Tanks Built for a Russian Landscape

When the going gets tough, the tough get going, but sometimes you need the right gear to get you out of tight situations. I think this prototype Russian tank that uses a screw-drive propulsion system should do the trick. It was built in Zavod imeni Likhacheva (ZIL) and these things are incredibly versatile. They can maneuver over just about anything…

Source: EnglishRussia.com

And I Thought Fine China was Supposed to be Fragile…

This Superleggera is balancing on nothing but 4 teacups. Even though the Superleggera is a light weight version of the Lamborghini Gallardo, it still weighs 3,000 pounds. This photo is a testament to the strength of these tea cups, so if you’re looking for some bombproof China (or a Lambo Superleggera!), stop by the William Ashley China shop in Toronto.

Source: Jalopnik

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