If you were wondering what would be the next Bond car, the answer is simple, Aston Martin DBS. Aston Martin just signed the contract that would continue their deal with MGM Columbia Pictures to provide James Bond with luxury cars to crash.
So far, Bond’s most famous cars include Aston Martin DB5, DB7, V8 Vintage, V12 Vanquish, Lotus Esprit, BMW Z3, BMW 750iL and BMW Z8.
Dr Ulrich Bez, CEO for the British manufacturer said that:
“Aston Martin is proud of our long association with James Bond. The DBS has its own unique character which equals that of James Bond. It is explosive power in a black tie. It is the perfect car for James Bond as it delivers the complete driving experience and bridges the gap between our road and track cars – the DB9 and DBR9. It is equally at home on a twisting mountain circuit as on the open road and we are all very excited at the prospect of seeing it on the big screen again.”
Aston Martin DBS will be the next star in Bond 22 which is scheduled to be released in November 2008.
The Pagani Zonda F has held the top spot for a power lap on the track of the internationally famous BBC motoring show, Top Gear. Unfortunately it was toppled by the Koenigsegg CCX (with Top Gear spoiler) and the Zonda F had made its home at the number 2 spot for awhile. Many supercars have tried to beat these two but failed, with only the T1 Caparo succeeding and then only to be thrown off the record by Jeremy Clarkson as they have not provided a car with a road going adjustable suspension. So the Pagani continued to live in its number 2 spot.
Although very impressive, this has not stopped Pagani from improving. They have released a Zonda F Clubsport edition. Power is up from from the 443kW Zonda F to 502 kW for the F Clubsport. The company promises a 3.5 second sprint to 100 km/h, a top speed of over 345 km/h depending on the set up and it will be the queen in braking from 300 km/h to 0.
Strangely though when the word Nurburgring comes to mind, the natural tendacy is to think that the Bugatti Veyron as the production car king. Despite all the myths about lap times at the Norschleife it’s the Zonda F Clubsport that now holds the record for the fastest lap by any production super car, lapping the 21km ring in 7 minutes 27.82 seconds, beating the previous record holder, the Porsche Carrera GT. It seems raw top speed is no substitute for superior handling.
So if Top Gear gets hold of this model before the new Koensigsegg CCXR or the revised street legal T1 Caparo, there might be strong possibility that the Zonda F CS could regain the top spot even if its for a short while. After all it is “king of the ringâ€.
Now I’m having a dilemma. I don’t know if I should choose a Bugatti Veyron or this beautiful Hennessey Venom GT which still a project to be released in 2009. Not that I would have the money to pay for it but it’s just that I can’t decide which is better. The Venom GT is powered by a Dodge Viper V10 8.4-liter engine that can sport 1,000 hp, allows you to choose from a manual six-speed gearbox or a sequential transmission and only weighs 1,225kg. Math is really easy this time, with a 1.225kg/hp ratio and that’s great.
If you need to see how fast this baby is going to be how does 2.5 seconds for to reach 100km/h? How about 14seconds for 300km/h? Would that impress your “co-pilot”? You’ll have to agree with me, if this is how it’s going to look Bugatti Veyron has a very good competitor.
The market is full of Bugatti Veyron rumors with new models rendered but nothing real. However, our sources today have just announced they have inside people that confirmed the new Bugatti Veyron Targa -the topless Bugatti – is already live and running (they’re probably testing it) with sales starting next year.
We all know that a Veyron can reach 400km/h but this is not going to happen with Veyron Targa because it will be limited to 340km/h, but don’t worry this convertible will put a lot eyes on you if you drive it. One small drawback: ýou can’t take the Targa panel with you when you drive open.
Rumors say that Bugatti ordered 400 engines and that all orders have already been filled out.
I am very interested to know if this one will go live in 2010 as announced, but the simple fact that Mercedes and AMG are working hard to revive the legendary 300 SL that made a lot of waves during the 50s and the 60s into something that would look like this, is a big step forward.
From what I know the 2-seats W197 SLC will be built in Germany and the annual production will vary from 3,000 to 5,000 units for a price that will range between 150,000 to 200,000 Euro. No official word so far from Mercedes or AMG so we can only guess it will be powered by a 620hp V8 engine with a rear-wheel-drive.
There seems to be a trend to see a super car and a fighter jet battle for supremacy. The list was opened by TopGear’s Bugatti Veyron and the Eurofighter Typhoon fight, with the last one winning. We have another one now, Lamborghini Reventon vs Panavia Tornado jet-fighter and as you can see there are some design similarities between the two.
On Ghedi’s Airport runway (3 km long) in Italy, it was fun to see the show, because the Reventon was just a few meters away from winning (when the Tornado went airborne) after a good 3.4 second start to the 100km/h mark and a top speed of 340km/h.
The Reventon enforced its performances so I guess this is what you get if you buy a $1,000,000 supercar.
If no speed limit is your motto and you live in the UK I have bad news. Apparently the Metropolitan Police teamed up with Caparo, Britain’s supercar manufacturer to create the cool F1-looking police car, Caparo T1 RRV (Rapid Response Vehicle) that can go from 0 to 100mph in just 5 seconds.Though it’s just a concept car right now, Caparo T1 RRV was designed to patrol the M25 Highway for getaway drivers or speed limit breakers. It sports 575hp at 10,500 rpm from a 3.5L V8 engine and a top speed of 200mph, so believe me you don’t want it on your tail if you did something bad.
If the concept becomes true, I am sure what I want to do when I grow up: become a police car driver.
Audi R8 is not only appealing to drivers, but also to tuners and since the Germans like to modify cars – and they are pretty good at it, you should know this one is coming from MTM, those crazy guys that built the Audi TT Bimoto twin-engine with 780hp. They built it for a European customer and presented their tuned Audi R8 at the Dubai Motor Show. Here is what we found out on it:
a 4.2 liter engine with a turbocharger system that sports 888-hp
610lb-ft-torque
R-tronic transmission
does 0 – 60mph in 3 seconds
is electronically limited at 223mph (360 km/h)
If you can afford it, I don’t think MTM will decline your offer to change your R8 into an R888 for €280,000. By the way, great wheels, don’t you think?
Aston Martin will build a Roadster variant of the V8 Vantage N400, a special limited-edition based on the V8 Vantage shown at the latest Frankfurt auto show and dedicated to the legendary Nürburgringer Nordschleife.
Only 240 units will be produced, but for the Roadster version it will not be possible to order the roll bar that can be had as an optional for the N400 coupè. The N400 pack consists of a new, more powerful version of the 4.3-litre V8 engine of the Vantage, that on the N400 outputs 400 bhp and 420Nm. The suspension set-up is also different from the softer one of the normal Vantage Roadster.
We can imagine how gratifying will be hearing the ferocious sound of the V8 on this en-plein-air supercar…
The Lamborghini Reventon is an astonishing piece of work. Only 20 examples are being built, each one selling for a ridiculous $1,000,000 sum. Powered by the Mucielago LP640 v12 engine, the Reventon is capable of thrusting itself from 0-60 in just 3.4 seconds, and will only stop accelerating once the speedometer shows as going 211 miles per hour.
Popular Science car reporter William R. Snyder as he took Reventon for its first test drive by the press.
German tuner Mansory has developed a range of carbon-fiber accessories and performance upgrades designed specifically for the gorgeous Vantage V8. Having already established itself as a specialist in the modification of high-end British cars with previous projects such as the Rolls Royce Phantom Conquistador and Le MANSory Conti GTC, Mansory was now primed to release a new package for one the UK’s favorites. More images after the jumpRead the rest of this entry »
