Who Will Make the Next Fastest Car in the World?

There are lots of fast cars in this world. McLaren set the world speed record for a production car back in the ’90s with the F1 model, topping out at 240MPH. It wasn’t until the early 2000′s that another manufacturer was able to step up and beat it. That was Bugatti with they’re EB Veyron 16/4, the quad-turbo 16 cylinder 1001 horsepower monster that could reach 253MPH. Saleen reworked the S7 in 2006 to include a twin turbo kit, boosting the sleek exotic up to 248MPH. It was close, but not fast enough. Koenigsegg claims that their CCX can top 254MPH, but this remains to be proven and verified at official speed record sessions.

On September 13, 2007, the Shelby Super Car Ultimate Aero Twin-Turbo averaged 255.83MPH on two separate top speed runs, beating the Veyron by 3.11MPH on its fastest recorded run of 257.11MPH. This was a big triumph for SSC and they’ve enjoyed the top spot for over a year now, but the real question is how much longer can they hold that podium position?

It’s only a matter of time before Koenigsegg puts up their bio-fuel powered CCXR which is even faster and more powerful than their CCX. It’s also been rumored that Bugatti will release a Super Veyron that will be 25% more powerful and able to hit 264MPH. Then there’s the Porsche 9ff GT9-R. It’s hardly a production car, more of a mad-tuner’s creation of a highly modified Porsche GT3. Pushing out 1,120 horsepower, there’s no doubt that the GT9-R will be able to top the (unofficial) 254MPH limit that the standard GT9 was able to achieve.

Who will be next to make the claim that they have the worlds fastest car? My money is on Bugatti, but there are a lot of wild cards out there. In the mean time, enjoy this gallery of super cars images.

Novitec Tweaks the Ferrari 599, Adds 188 HP & 159 TQ

Novitec Rosso is an exclusive Ferrari tuner. They take the extraordinary and try to make it even more incredible. Case in point is their latest work on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. The 599 already had a 6-liter V12 outputting 611 horsepower and 448 ft-lbs of torque. Ferrari stated it could leap to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, but independent tests showed times as low as 3.2 seconds. Sprinting to 200kmh (124 mph) is done in 11 seconds flat.

So how could Novitec Rosso improve upon something that Ferrari already spent so much time perfecting.
Their first thought was to boost it with a supercharger. Their second thought was to boost it again with another supercharger. The effect was astonishing: 808 horsepower and 607 ft-lbs of torque!

Performance improvements seem to be nominal with a quoted 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds, but since independent tests have already proven the 599 to be faster than Ferrari had quoted, I have no doubt that the Novitec 599 will also be a sleeper.

Cost for Novitec to build a 599′s engine is 47,000 euros, or about $61,300. The tuner also has brake, wheel and aero upgrades available, hit the jump to read the complete press release.

Source: Novitec via AutoBlog

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Ferrari Might Drop F1 if FIA’s Standard Engine Rule Passes

FIA, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, is trying to push through standards for Formula One teams that will constrict competitive advantages, cut costs and make F1 a pure race for the best driver. Although many manufacturers and race teams are not opposed to measures that help reduce costs, most feel that cost reductions should not come at the expense of technological advancement. Ferrari, who has competed in Formula One racing since 1950, will seriously consider leaving the sport if standardized engines become a new regulation.

The Formula One Teams Association called a meeting Geneva a few days ago to discuss alternative options for cost reductions. Toyota agrees with Ferrari and firmly believes that “Formula One must remain a technological challenge” and that other means of cost reduction must be considered. If Max Mosley, President of the FIA, is able to pass this standardized engine measure it will go into effect no later than 2010. Hopefully FIA will come to their senses and not push away auto manufacturers that support the F1 sport.

Hit the jump to read Ferrari’s full statement.

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Nissan Releases Second Video of the GTR Lapping the ‘Ring

After Porsche accused Nissan of cheating on the ‘Ring to get an unbelievable lap time of 7:29.03, Nissan released this second video to prove that the car was entirely stock and that it had the extra 100kg of recording equipment on board. Check it out, the speed of this car is incredible!

Nissan Serves Up More Proof for Porsche & the World

Nissan wants to make sure nobody is believes Porsche’s claim against the GT-R’s time on the ‘Ring. I thought they had made themselves clear by making an official statement and sending out a press release, but nothing is better than cold, hard proof. Today Nissan released a second video of the GT-R running around the ‘Ring in 7:29 seconds and also included a photo of the tires that were used and currently on display in Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Japan. The video shows the GT-R Nissan before the actual lap, along with the 120lbs of tracking and video equipment that was used to measure and record the GT-R’s performance. The racing starts around the 4-minute mark, hit the jump to watch the whole thing.

Source: GTRBlog.com

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Nissan Motors Smacks Porsche with Another Press Statement: Learn How to Drive

Hoping to set the record straight, once and for all, Nissan issued a press release today outlining the exact details of the GT-R’s record run around the Nurburgring. Not only did they clarify that the vehicle was completely stock, but also that using one-off specialty car to run around the ‘Ring would “have no meaning” to them. In case anyone wants to see the tires that were used to run that hot lap around the Nurburgring, the full set of Dunlops SP Sport 600 DSST CTT’s are on display at Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Japan.

Nissan also thought it was a good idea to let Porsche and any other auto maker know that Nissan does offer driving lessons to help people understand the full capabilites of the GT-R. Nissan also wanted to remind everyone that to ensure maximum performance from their GT-R, they should follow all break-in procedures, service schedules and routine maintenence. Sounds like Godzilla is confident that they will win this shoving match, hit the jump to read Nissan’s full press release.

Source: AutoBlog

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Ferrari California Wallpapers

The California is Ferrari’s latest and greatest. Featuring a 4.3-liter V8 producing 460 horsepower, it will prove to be no slouch in the acceleration department. The California is sold out through 2010, so it’ll cost you more than the $240,000 asking price to get one in your garage. Don’t have that kind of cash laying around?  Then enjoy these wallpapers free of charge.

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Ferrari Doesn’t Want a Piece of the Sedan Market

If you’re interested in a 4-door sports car made by one of the worlds premiere super car builders, you’ve got a couple of options.  From Porsche comes the Panamera, Aston Martin has their Rapide, and now Lamborghini has its Estoque.  But not Ferrari.  Ferrari isn’t interested because Ferrari hasn’t forgotten its roots.  Ferrari hasn’t forgotten that it is a racing team first and that the only reason it has a small production line on the side is to help fund its R&D.  A brave statement when the car industry is in it’s biggest slump in decades, but I applaud them for maintaining their focus and not diluting their brand.  Bravo Ferrari.

Source: Motor Authority

Porsche takes a Stand Against Nissan’s Lap Time on the ‘Ring

Ever since the Nissan GT-R ran around the Nurburgring in a blistering 7 minutes and 29 seconds, the auto industry has been ablaze. The GT-R is heavier and has less power than many of the cars it beat around the ‘Ring, but Nissan claimed it as their lap time in an official press release. Most people were shocked, many were stunned, but auto makers from around the world questioned the validity of the time, particularly Chevy. Now Porsche has done their own testing with a brand new GT-R they purchased from a US dealer.

Porsche claims their GT-R was completely stock, untouched with production tires and the fastest time Porsche could achieve was 7 minutes and 54 seconds, a full 25 seconds slower than Nissan’s claimed lap time. Porsche also ran stock 911 and GT2 models within two hours of the GT-R and got around the ‘Ring in 7:38 and 7:34, respectively.

August Achleitner, the 911 product chief at Porsche, stated “for us, it’s not clear how this time is possible. What we can imagine with this Nissan is they used other tyres.” If his guess is right, Nissan most likely used a semi-slick racing tire. Achleitner also wanted to be very clear that he was not speaking bad of the GT-R, in fact he commented that it was a very fast and consistent car, but the claimed lap time just didn’t make any sense to them.

This is a bold statement from Porsche and I for one can’t wait for Nissan’s response to it.

Source: CarsGuide

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

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.

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

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

Nissan Raises Price on the GTR by $7,000

$69,850 just isn’t what it used to be. Two short months ago, that was the MSRP of the Nissan GTR, a car that offers monstrous performance for the price. But that performance:value ratio is taking a hit since Nissan has decided to raise the price of the GT-R by a little over $7,000. Effective September 5th, the new base price for the GTR is $76,840, going up to $79,090 if you want a fully loaded model. While this doesn’t completely ruin the deal, it’s not quite as sweet as it used to be. Keep in mind that the MSRP price doesn’t include tax, shipping, and other dealer markups. This price change will not affect those people who ordered their GTR before the 5th and haven’t received the car yet.

Source: WorldCarFans.com

Nismo Releases their GT-R Performance Package

Nismo has finally released their tuning package for the GT-R! It’s available for purchase in parts or as a whole package, but unfortunately you have to be a Japanese GT-R owner to buy them. Reportedly people are working on getting these parts to the states, but don’t hold your breath. Even if importers can work out a deal, the cost for the whole kit is $50,000. Even though that price includes installation by a master Nismo technician, you could almost buy another GT-R for that price…so what do you get for all that cash?

How about an all titanium cat-back exhaust system that shaves 11 pounds off the GT-R’s curb weight and a carbon fiber under body panel that gives you better aerodynamics. Not enough? There’s also a pair of Nismo racing seats: carbon fiber shells wrapped in leather that will save you another 12 lbs. per seat. Still want more? Then lets work on the suspension a bit: 20″ Rays rims wrapped up in Bridgestone’s RE070R run flats (rumored to be OE on the upcoming Spec V) along with a set of revised Bilstein dampers and rock-hard coil springs to get you through the corners even faster.

There’s no word on how much faster this will make your GT-R, but it doesn’t sound like these performance mods are worth $50,000. I still can’t wait to see what happens when a tuner gets a hold of one, throws on some bigger turbo’s and cranks up the boost! More on this Nismo package as the information becomes available.

Source: JPCN.com

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