Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Patrick is a 48-year-old Stanford-trained (Ph.D.) engineer who owns ECM (Engine Control and Monitoring), a Sunnyvale firm that makes electronic instruments used by auto manufacturers to calibrate their engines for performance, fuel economy and emissions. He knows cars. He knows how they work. He’s an animated man who has a seasoned sense of humor, a wry view of the world, mixed with a dash of the absurd and an absolute passion for things like, well, jet-powered cars.
source: www.google.com.pk
Rocket Car
t’s the Alabama State Fair in October of 1946, and “Antonio the Great” wheels his Rocket Car down the straightaway of a dirt track, tail ablaze with eight rockets belching fire and smoke. Over the dust, noise and commotion the announcer screams, “He must be going 650 miles per hour.” More like 85 mph, truth be told, but this was showbiz.
Antonio the Great was Andy Granatelli, who would go on to become famous as the owner of STP and the sponsor of Mario Andretti when he drove to victory at the Indianapolis 500 in 1969.
This Rocket Car was originally the Don Hulbert Special. It was built for the 1934 Indy 500. Hulbert, a Chicago Ford dealer, commissioned Pop Dryer to craft the sensational aluminum body, with its laid back grille and large dorsal fin. Power came from a Ford flathead V-8.
The 220-cubic-inch V-8 wasn’t competitive at Indy and the car failed to qualify. Granatelli and his two brothers owned a speed shop in Chicago and they bought the car. In 1946, they added eight JATO rockets to the tail and 23-year-old Andy Granatelli campaigned the car at small dirt tracks and county fairs.
In 1983, the Rocket Car was brought back to its original Indy configuration by Stan Betz of Orange, Calif. Tom McRae of Granbury, Tex., founder of the Great Race, bought it in 1999.
Two years ago, Gary Kuck of Lincoln, Neb., bought the car to use in the Great Race. Kuck and his driver, Rex Gardner of Stilwell, are elite competitors in the Great Race. They are two-time world champions. Larry Sittner and Jim Ferrell, friends of Kuck’s in Lincoln, worked for seven months on a complete frame-off restoration. In last year’s Great Race, Gardner and Kuck were in contention for the overall win until a minor mechanical problem cost them precious seconds.
Gardner and Kuck put in countless hours on the car. Gardner built the flathead V-8 and Kuck oversaw the car’s construction. This year they hope it will carry them to the first victory of its career. That will give the old car more boost than rockets ever could.
The Great Race
The Great Race is a two-week, cross-country rally for up to 100 cars dating from 1900 to 1951. The challenge is to maintain precise average speeds over seondary roads on a route that is revealed to racers 20 minutes before the start of each day. The route contains instructions for roughly 100 stops, turns or speed changes. Navigators compute speeds using nothing more than an analog clock, pencil and paper. Hidden video-camera checkpoints record each car’s accuracy. Serious competitors are usually within five to 10 seconds of a perfect score each day.
The cars are upgraded with hydraulic brakes, bigger radiators and electronic ignitions. Tires are filled with nitrogen so they don’t expand and change the odometer reading.
source: www.google.com.pk
FLYING CAR
Devised by a group of British adventurers known as the Skycar Expedition Team, the Parajet Skycar aims to be the world’s first carbon neutral flying car, running on a synthetic biofuel made from organic landfill waste. The group plans to take the flying car on a journey from London to Timbuktu (in Northern Mali) in March of 2009. While the expedition will involve a combination of driving and flying, the team will be piloting the Skycar over the English Channel, the Straights of Gibraltar, and the sand seas of the Sahara desert.
According to the Skycar Expedition Team, the Skycar “will be a high performance, road legal and machine, capable of beating congestion for the commuter or providing a low cost method of reaching remote regions only accessible by helicopter.” The car will provide sports and rally car performance on or off the road and light aircraft performance after just a few minutes of wing preparation.
One pilot and one passenger will travel side by side and in “road mode,” and the car will accelerate from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and top out at 112mph. In “fly mode” the Parajet Skycar will have a take-off at approximately 37mph, hit a top speed of 68mph, and travel a range of 186 miles. Cruising altitude will be 2000–3000 ft with a maximum altitude of 15,000 ft. For safety purposes, in the event of a car connection system failure or mid-air collision, an emergency ballistic reserve parachute could be deployed. Otherwise, the Skycar has no pitch control and therefore it’s impossible to stall or dive.
The prototype is estimated to cost approximately $70,000 to produce. We hope the group will consider mass production if the expedition is successfulsource: www.google.com.pk
FLYING CAR
- In 1892 Henry Ford started building his first experimental automobile.
- On August 17,1903, the first patent for a flying car was issued in Paris to Dr. Trajan Vuia.
- On December 17,1903 the Wright brothers first flew their self-powered aircraft.
- In 1919 Glenn Curtiss' Autoplane made a very short flight.
- source: www.roadabletimes.com
Bugatti Veyron Vinsero
A Bugatti Veyron is awe and exclusivity combined, and a custom Veyron is only better. Information is scarce, but looks like tuners Mansory got their hands on three Bugatti Veyrons for a custom job. The car has a glossy black exterior with white interiors, and is up for sale at… you guessed it, Prestige Cars in UAE. Apart from giving the car a Sang Noir, there’s a change in the grill with a V-like line running through, and then there are the changed rims.
Z CARS
Z Cars is a car tuning company with a difference. Based in Aldbrough, East Yorkshire, Z Cars was opened in 1996 by owner Chris Allanson, aged 50. Chris, who was a police officer for 26 years, has been building cars in their various forms since he was 20. In 1996 however, He decided to open Z Cars, and has never looked back.
The Z Cars factory in Aldbrough, East Yorkshire
Mini’s are a Z Cars speciality. Most people have owned a Mini at some point in their lives and probably will remember the highs (the handling and character) and lows (the break downs and rust problems). But the Mini that Z Cars build is not ordinary by any means. They may look like Mini’s but it is exactly there that the similarity stops. It has a Mini shape but nothing more. This is Z Cars own chassis, its own suspension front and rear, its own steering and hubs and its own glass fibre bodyshell. There is nothing more than image about this car that is Mini…except its soul, in character it remains very much a Mini.
They make a ‘normal’ Mini and their special Monte Carlo version. The engines are replaced with Honda V-Tech’s and Suzuki Hayabusa’s and have up to 400 bhp and (if driven properly) can do a 0-60 mph time in under 3 seconds (which is almost as fast as the £1.2 million Bugatti Veyron supercar), and a 0-150 mph in 9 seconds. That’s as fast a time as an average family car will hit 60 mph in from a standing start. They don’t come cheap though, and cost around £60,000.
As well as the Mini’s, Z Cars also build a Lotus Elise, a car already well known for its road and track capabilities. Z Cars make it even better, and again with the Suzuki Hayabusa engine, it can be tuned to 400 bhp. Z Cars will also tackle almost any one-off commission. Not long back they even built a £140,000 Batmobile replica for a client.
They also built an Ultima supercar. These cars are fast already but the client wanted something unique as Chris relates. “I got a telephone call out of the blue from a chap called David Gomez from Spain, and he said “can you build me the fastest car in the world?”, I said “what are you after”, and He replied, “ I want you to build me a car that looks a million dollars and has two turbo Hyabusa engines a thousand bhp and four wheel drive”, “Ok” I said “leave it to me”. The specification for this Z Cars built Ultima are astounding! 1,000 bhp, four wheel drive and 185 mph top speed. It will go from 100 mph to 180 mph in just 3.5 seconds. Unbelievable, but true.
This amazing car tuning and building company may be based out in the countryside, away from the city, but they are known world-wide, as M.D Chris Allanson says, “We have built cars for people all over the world including America, Holland, France, Spain, Canada and Colombia, to name a few, and the clients age’s range from the young ‘just passed their test’ age, right up to people in their sixties”.
Latest projects include a four wheel drive TVR Cerbera with a Nissan Skyline HKS tuned engine, which produces around 800 bhp. Z Cars build about 50 Minis per year and 6 one-off specials.
They’re not just about tuning though, and will do spraying, welding and part supplying for your car. They have the very latest in rolling-road technology, where you can check your cars bhp and torque ratings. It is an excellent setup capable of 1200hp, with a strap down pit and knurled rollers to avoid wheel slippage. Their spray booth is also state of the art, and the sprayers finish is highly professional.
A beautifully welded custom fuel tank
They also sell the V-tech PowerBox and EcoBox. These do exactly what they say on the box. The PowerBox can give your car up to 15% more bhp and torque and the EcoBox can save you 10% to 12% on fuel. They’re great as they can be transferred between vehicles so there’s no need to buy one every time you change your car.
All in all, Z Cars is one of the best car tuning and building companies in the UK, with some of the most exciting projects around, and if you want something special building, they’re definitely the company to go to.
Contact Z Cars on either 01964 527725 or 08444 140624, or visit the website www.zcars.org.uk
The Twin Engined 1,000 bhp Ultima
source: images.google.com
This month sees the launch of the Elettrica, the first production electric car on the UK market with the option of a lithium power supply. The car is said to provide almost twice the range of other small electric cars at 70 miles. Lithium-ion batteries are more commonly found in laptops and mobile phones. They offer higher performance, but have yet to become commonplace due to cooling and battery life problems.
The Elettrica is available from Future Vehicles, the exclusive distributor. Drivers in the U.K. will be exempt from the London congestion charge and from road tax, and will enjoy free parking in Westminster, the City and many other parts of London.
The car combines Italian styling and design, Japanese engineering and British electronics, and will be available in lead-battery and lighter, longer-lasting lithium-battery versions, the latter offering a maximum speed of 45 mph. the lead-acid battery offers a 40-mile range and a maximum 40 mph.
The Elettrica has an aluminium safety cage, disc brakes, front and rear impact bars and has undergone front and side crash-testing.
The Elettrica is priced at £9,950 for the lead-battery powered version and at £12,750 for the lithium powered version.Prices also include registration and delivery to any London address. Future Vehicles makes no mention of the lithium battery overheating problems which have affected some laptop computers, and reportedly delayed Toyota’s adoption of lithium ion batteries for its third-generation Prius hybrid car.
source : images.google.comAston Martin DB9
Despite the obvious favoritism as Britain’s most iconic super car manufacturer, a poll of over 3,000 UK motorists has found that the stunning Aston Martin DB9 tops the list of ‘ultimate dream cars’ outshining the likes of the Ferrari Enzo and even the Bugatti Veyron.
The notable absence of Rolls-Royce from the list and a poor 8th place finish from Bentley indicates it was more than just patriotism which saw the DB9 take the top spot, with the Vanquish and Vantage V8 not far behind.
source: images.google.com
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
WATER CAR
Scientists are burning mid night oil to give useful products to the people. Water car is an important invention by scientists. Water cars are such cars which run on water. This sentence may have made you surprised but its true that the cars can run on water fuel now.
You know very well that your car and other vehicles run with the help of electric battery but now, you can change your car into water car. In order to make your car a water car, you just have to attach a small container of water to the battery of your car which will convert automatically water of the container into oxyhydrogen gas by taking some electric power from the battery.
HHO, which is a flammable gas burns extremely in conjunction with the fuel and provides energy to the engine of your car which makes your car ready to run. Just attachment of a container of water makes your car a water car.
Water cars have good number of advantages. Water cars are responsible for reduction of the frequency of the pumping gas and the main advantage which is responsible in real sense for the spreading of excess use of water car is that people can save money by using water cars. The process of changing your car into water gas is very cheap by price and so, people prefer water cars now.
Everyone knows about the sudden increase of price of petroleum. The price of petroleum does not remain constant now for long time and keeps on increasing. The excessive increase of the price of petrol insisted people to look for some other solutions for running their vehicles. People found water cars the best solutions for their problems.
Now, people, who are badly tired of weekly increase of the price of the petrol do not use petrol as a fuel in their cars but use water cars now. Rare people used water cars in the past but when the price of petrol became a major problem in all countries, people started to use water cars more. Excess of increase of the price of the petrol is basically responsible for the increase of use of the water cars.
Water cars do not need big amount of money to run as water is not as expensive as petrol is. If you will have water car, you will be able to travel for long distances with small amount of money and you will be able to save your money.
If you will use container of water with batteries in your vehicles, it will not affect your car, your vehicle or its speed at any cost. The main purpose of introducing the water cars in the markets is to give the facility to people and to help them to save their money. Now, to sell your car is not the solution for getting rid of problem of the price of petrol but the water car is the best solution for your problem.
source: www.google.com.pk
Smart Cars from Mercedes
The Smart Center is open now, with three models on display (the Fortwo Passion Coupe and Cabriolet, plus the Pure Coupe), but that doesn't mean you can just walk in and buy a car. There are 45,000 people on the waiting list, and it will be six months to a year before you're handed a set of keys.
Your best hope to get into a Smart car, actually, is to hang out at the Euro-styled, ultra-modern dealer and hope somebody cancels their order. Two people had done that around the time of our visit, so it was actually possible to walk in and drive away with a new Smart.
We wandered up to the second floor and sat in a Passion Coupe. The Smart is not really a new car, since it debuted in Europe in 2001, but it's been substantially improved and is certainly new here. I'd never actually been inside one. I was surprised how roomy it was for driver and passenger, and, considering the Mercedes sponsorship, also a little surprised at what looked like sub-Korean build quality (rough carpet and panel edges).
Everything about the Smart is quirky and cute, including the racing-inspired paddle shifters, and my girls loved it. Maya, the 13-year-old, promptly moved the Volkswagen Beetle convertible to number two on her list for a 16th birthday present. Undoubtedly U.S. Smart entrepreneur Roger Penske is pleased to learn that young customers are lining up.
source: www.google.com.pk
MPH06 is both a live show, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Tiff Needell, and also a fantastic show featuring most of today's great supercars, with plenty of great sports cars, and a few of the latest 'normal' cars thrown in for good measure.
The live show is a great experience; If you're a fan of Top Gear then you will absolutely love it; all of the best bits of Top Gear that could possibly be transferred to a very large stage are packed into the show. There's great stunt driving, a display of 8 great supercars, action packed driving scenes and plenty of humour.
The major theme of the humour this year was the missing Richard Hammond, who is still recovering from the high speed accident (or fortune according to his fellow presenters) sustained in York. Within the humour it's clear that they're so incredibly relieved that it is something they can joke about, rather than being the tragedy that it so nearly was.
Other Top Gear themes have also been translated to the stage, so expect to see the presenters demonstrate their varied attempts at improving on everyday (for some) modes of transport, and some great driving by The Stig (or a Stig at any rate; who knows which is the real one).
The live show isn't a great opportunity for pictures of cars though; although the stage is incredibly well lit, only the very best of cameras would be able to pick up much of the show. Flash photography wouldn't help, and in any case it's banned during shows (though as always a few idiots snap away with their automatic flash cameras in the hope that they'll pick up a momento of the show).
The other side of the show is a more typical motor show experience, though of course this being MPH it's like your dream version of a Motor Show; it would no doubt be sponsored by Carlsberg, except that the association between a purveyor of alcoholic drinks, and the motor industry is probably prohibited.
source : www.pictures-of-cars.comTuesday, September 15, 2009
Crazy 4-Year Old on 4-Wheeler
Longest 4 Wheeler Wheely on U Tube
Nissan Tilda : Officieuze invoer
Deze bij ons onbekende berline komt via een achterdeurtje op onze Belgische markt terecht! Hij heeft de afmetingen van een Volkswagen Golf (4.2 m lang), heeft een uiterst volledige standaarduitrusting, en kost belachelijk weinig!
Nog niet bij Nissan
Nissan verdeelt dit model enkel op de Zuid en Oost-Europese markten (waaronder Duitsland), maar een bekende verkoper van tweedehandswagens heeft beslist om hem ook al naar België in te voeren. Dit bedrijf haalde eerder al dezelfde stunt uit met de Dacia Logan. Het heeft toen niet lang geduurd alvorens dat model via het officiële net aan de man werd gebracht! Toeval of niet, maar het is opnieuw een model uit de Renault en Nissan alliantie.
Met een prijskaartje van 12.999 € is deze Tilda uitgerust met een 1.5 dCi van 105 pk en een handgeschakelde versnellingsbak met zes versnellingen. De standaarduitrusting is kortweg royaal: centrale deurvergrendeling, 4 elektrische ruiten, CD speler, automatische airco, cruise control, lichtmetalen velgen, licht en regendetector, Bluetooth en zijn een metaalkleur met een waarborg van 5 jaar! Een unicum voor een auto van minder dan 13.000 €, en gemiddeld 7.000 € goedkoper dan de andere modellen uit de Europese Gemeenschap! Nissan kondigt een gemiddeld verbruik van 5.2 liter aan en een CO2 uitstoot van 138 gr/km
source: www.vroom.be
Nissan Leaf : Een elektrische auto op onze wegen
Renault en Nissan kondigden onlangs aan dat ze samen een elektrische auto zouden bouwen. Het resultaat van de samenwerking heet “Leaf” en wordt voor het einde van 2010 op onze wegen verwacht. 80 kW, 160 km De auto wordt puur elektrisch aangedreven en veroorzaakt dus geen directe uitstoot. De motor levert 80 kW en een krachtig koppel van 280 Nm. Studies
source : www.vroom.be
Mercedes SLS AMG: niets dan superlatieven
De Mercedes SLS AMG wordt voorgesteld op het salon van Frankfurt. Hij verwijst duidelijk naar de 300 SL uit de jaren vijftig. Mercedes geeft nu ook zijn technische specificaties en de prijs vrij. Zowel qua prijs als prestaties behoort hij tot de top. In Duitsland zou hij een kleine 180.000 euro kosten.
Tijdloos
Tijdens de voorstelling van de 300 SL was de pers erg onder de indruk van de toptechnologie en de vloeiende en tijdloze lijn. De SLS neemt dan ook graag de algemene lijn van de 300 SL over. De vlinderdeuren, de luchtinlaten en de voorzijde zijn een rechtstreeks eerbewijs aan het vroegere icoon.
Krachtige V8
De AMG V8-motor is een oude bekende, maar deze keer komt hij in een erg krachtige versie. Dankzij een nieuwe inlaat, herziene distributie en een uitlaat met betere doorstroming levert hij nu 571pk bij 6.800 omwentelingen per minuut. Bij 4.700 omwentelingen produceert hij 650 Nm. Onder de kap van andere modellen overtuigde de motor door zijn kracht en vinnigheid, maar in de SLS haalt hij een niveau dat we nog maar zelden gezien hebben bij een seriewagen. De smering met droog carter bezorgt deze fantastische brok techniek een edel karakter. De prestaties zijn dan ook navenant: de topsnelheid is begrensd tot 317 km/uur, in 3,8 seconden spurt hij van 0 naar 100 km/uur en gemiddeld verbruikt hij 13,2 l/100 km.
Evenwichtig
De structuur van deze auto bestaat uit een buizenstel. Hij is bijna volledig uit aluminium gemaakt en is dan ook erg licht. Leeg weegt hij 1.610 kg. De motor ligt centraal vooraan en de versnellingsbak is aan de achteras gemonteerd.. De gewichtsverdeling is dan ook ideaal: 47/53. De versnellingsbak met dubbele koppeling telt 7 gangen en heeft verscheidene werkingsmodi. In drie niveaus gaat hij van zacht naar snel en hard en hij kan ook manueel bediend worden. Vooraan loopt de SLS op 19-duimsvelgen terwijl. Achteraan is hij met 20-duimsvelgen geschoeid. In optie kan je keramische remschijven krijgen. De ESP stabiliteitscontrole heeft drie instellingen: On, Sport en Off.
Laag
Instappen is geen sinecure. De deuren gaan ver genoeg open, maar de deurdrempel is erg breed. Het interieur straalt pure luxe uit. Hier zijn enkel de beste materialen gebruikt en de afwerking is tot in de puntjes verzorgd. Nappaleder, inlegstukken van koolstofvezel (in optie, of wat dacht je) en magnesium voor de stoelen bepalen de sfeer. De praktische aspecten worden niet uit het oog verloren. Toch moet je rekening houden met een beperkte kofferinhoud en een klein handschoenkastje.
source: www.vroom.beBUGATTI VEYRON
Driving and riding in a classy and expensive vehicle is usually taken as a status symbol. Super luxury cars have been here after Karl Benz got that first patent for a motorwagen in Germany in January 1886. Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is the car that currently holds the title of being the fastest, most powerful and most expensive production car in the world with a price tag of $1,700,000. But, the scenario is going to change (in terms of pricing, not speed) as DiMora Motors have announced the production of a US $2 million luxury car. Here, I have compiled a list of top 10 luxury cars coming your way. Check them out.
source : www.google.com.pk
2009 BMW X3
The 2009 X3 is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury sport-utility, available in one trim only, the xDrive30i.
source: autos.yahoo.com
2009 BMW M6
The 2009 M6 is a 2-door, 4-passenger luxury sports car, or convertible sports car, available in two trims
source: autos.yahoo.com
2010 Mazdaspeed 3 vs. 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8
there are many good reasons why we're comparing the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 and the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, two cars that seem so different in style and purpose. Really, there are. Among them is the fact that both are tremendously popular with you, our readers.
You could say that Mazda's recently revised Mazdaspeed 3 — the second generation of Mazda's ass-kicking hatchback — needs a serious contender to challenge its utter dominance of our comparison tests.
And you could argue that the Genesis Coupe might just be that contender. By offering a rewarding mix of rear-wheel-drive handling, serious power and knockout styling, it's been blowing off the pricier competition in the sport coupe segment without so much as a labored breath. It's quick, it's gorgeous and it'll do powerslides that would make Bo Duke jealous. And as rear-drive coupes go, its affordable pricing is unmatched.
You could say all of that, but you'd be wrong.
The real reason is much simpler. The real reason we're comparing these two unlikely contenders is that both package the fun-to-drive thing in a reasonably priced machine that looks good and moves quickly.
In that vein, we've placed a full 50 percent of our scoring weight in this comparison test on price and performance (25 percent each). Fuel consumption, feature content and our subjective 28-point evaluation score make up 15 percent each. The remaining 5 percent is left to the editors' personal and recommended picks.
Which Genesis?
So the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 and the 2010 Genesis Coupe it is. But which Genesis? Hyundai is pumping out this little coupe in two versions — the 2.0T, which is priced almost identically to the Mazda but can't match its performance, and the 3.8-liter V6 version, which matches the Mazda's performance but adds another $4,500 or so to the equation. In any contest where the driving matters most, we pick the car that's going to make the numbers. And that's exactly what we've done.
Our Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track comes with Hyundai's smooth-revving V6 cranking out 306 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. Standard equipment includes a six-speed manual transmission, 19-inch wheels, four-piston Brembo brakes at all four corners and a Torsen limited-slip differential between the rear drive wheels. The whole package with an iPod cable and carpeted floor mats goes for $30,375.
Mazda's new bad boy is no slouch, however. Its turbocharged, direct-injected 2.3-liter inline-4 yields 263 hp and a tire-punishing 280 lb-ft of torque. There's a six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential putting power to the front wheels. Including the Mazdaspeed Technology package — which adds a Bose audio system, six-disc CD changer, satellite radio and a compact navigation system — the Mazda totals $25,840.
Different but the Same?
Here are two cars that couldn't be more different in appearance and layout. Hatchback vs. coupe. Front-wheel drive vs. rear-wheel drive. Turbocharged inline-4 vs. normally aspirated V6. And certainly both go about their missions with decidedly different packaging. At 103.9 inches, the Mazda's wheelbase is more than 7 inches shorter than the Hyundai's — no small difference when it comes to changing direction quickly.
But let's not forget that there's a certain inherent value in rear-wheel drive. Even if it comes with a longer wheelbase, a higher cost and slightly more weight (220 pounds, in this case), the Hyundai coupe's dynamics cannot be duplicated in a car that is steering and driving the front wheels.
Still, Mazda packs a lot of punch into the Mazdaspeed 3 and not all of it is performance-related. There's no denying the utility of a four-door hatchback. Flop down the rear seat and you've got almost 43 cubic feet of cargo volume — enough to move, say, some furniture or that big-screen TV. You're not doing that with the Hyundai. Not to mention the fact that the Mazda's rear doors provide family-friendly levels of practicality.
What Matters
But the differences that matter, those that have every scoring editor leaning in favor of only one car, emerge clearly when you drive with purpose. It's then that Mazda's decision to supplement simple utility with sports car performance begins to matter. It's then that you recognize that its control feel is clearly superior and it's then that you realize its dynamic responses are measurably sharper.
Jump between the driver seats of the Mazda and Hyundai for a few runs on a fast road with smooth, open corners and you'll sense that the differences in dynamics are relatively benign. The hatchback is always a bit sharper, its reaction to input more immediate and its damping more controlled. But the Genesis hangs right in there, never embarrassing itself and always minding its manners. However, do the swap on a tight road with rough, off-camber corners and there's no denying which car is the sports car and which car has one wheel firmly in the camp of Grand Touring.
The Genesis dances around the fact that it's not a sports car with impressive grace. The stability of its long wheelbase is concealed remarkably well by the ability of the rear-drive chassis to respond to steering and throttle control. Its steering feel, which offers enough feedback to make prudent decisions at speed, will never match the Mazda's laser precision, however. And its damping is adequate, but only up to the last few tenths.
But keep this back-road exercise going very long and it doesn't matter how hard you drive the Genesis — the Mazda simply disappears into the distance.
Numbers Between the Words
Slamming gears in the Genesis on the hottest day of the year did yield another advantage of the rear-drive Genesis: It gets out of the hole. This test has produced the best acceleration we've seen yet from the Hyundai coupe, with 60 mph arriving in only 5.9 seconds (5.5 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip). The car trips the quarter-mile trap in only 14.2 seconds at 98.2 mph, bettering the Mazda in both tests.
But not by much. With more torque and a power-to-weight advantage, the Mazda takes 0.36 fewer seconds to accelerate from 35-90 mph. It hits 60 mph in 6.3 seconds (6.0 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and stomps through the quarter-mile in 14.4 seconds at 99.2 mph.
Braking, usually a Mazda strong point in our tests, also fell in favor of the Hyundai. This car came to a halt from 60 mph in 119 feet (6 feet longer than the first 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 we tested), while the Hyundai needed only 114 feet. Neither car showed evidence of appreciable brake fade over multiple stops, but we're still less impressed with the feel of the Hyundai's Brembos than we'd like to be. After hard use, the Mazda's brakes lose some of their initial bite, but there's still ample effectiveness.
A comparison of fuel consumption is a wash. In mixed driving conditions, we observed 19.9 mpg in the Mazda and 19.3 mpg in the Genesis.
Wicked Rippin' Fast
Handling tests, however, fell in favor of the Mazda. At 71.1 mph, its slalom speed is almost 4 mph faster than the Hyundai's 67.2-mph performance. At 0.91g, the Mazda's lateral grip on the skid pad also upstages the Hyundai's 0.89g performance. And if you're a fan of using stability control as a safety net when driving quickly, the Mazda's system lets you drive the car far closer to its limits than the Hyundai's system, which intrudes more often and more aggressively.
Much of the handling story on these cars simply can't be told by the numbers — a consequence, largely, of the fact that the Mazda is so much more focused when going quickly than the Genesis. In the Hyundai you'll find a good rhythm on a back road and you'll be impressed by its balance, textbook handling and reasonable manners. But in the Mazda, you'll be in the zone, completely absorbed by the car's ability to cover ground at insane speed.
Better Inside
We didn't expect the considerably less expensive Mazda to offer interior quality and features on par with or exceeding the Hyundai's, but that's exactly what we found. From the driver seat, virtually everything you touch is of higher quality and feels better in the Mazda, notably the steering wheel, which looks and feels plasticky in the Genesis.
The Mazda offers dual-zone climate control as standard equipment, with knobs that have well-defined indexing. Single-zone climate control is standard on the Genesis and its temperature knob feels far less precise. Both these cars came equipped with 10-speaker premium audio systems — an optional 242-watt Bose system in the Mazda and standard Infinity system in the Genesis. We preferred the Mazda's audio interface, which offered three knobs to control its primary functions where the Genesis relied on one knob and buttons.
The Technology package also provides the Mazda with a compact navigation system. After some experience with the system, we found its screen too small to be useful in many situations, but it always had an advantage over the Hyundai, which lacks navigation altogether. Hyundai recently made touchscreen navigation available as a $1,000 option on the Genesis Coupe, which was introduced without it.
Leather upholstery is standard in the Hyundai and so are heated front seats, which aren't available in the Mazda.
Nevertheless, we prefer the Mazda's combination of leather seat trim with cloth seating surfaces because this combination holds us in place when we're driving quickly.
It's no secret that we love the Genesis Coupe's styling, and this car still manages to attract attention at the gas station some six months after its introduction. The Mazda's styling, despite working better in aggressive Mazdaspeed form than it does on the standard car, still leaves many shaking their heads. To us it looks a lot like Megan Fox if you catch her from the tattoo angle — you've just got to pick the right perspective to see its beauty.
The Right Angle
Increasingly, that perspective is from behind the wheel. Mazda's hyperactive hatch wins the fun-to-drive portion of this contest hands-down. Sure, it gives up a few tenths in acceleration, but the results are close enough that it would still be a driver's race at a stoplight drag race. Handling tests both go easily to the Mazda as well.
But the final nails in the coffin are price and practicality. With a $4,500 price gap to overcome, the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 needs to dominate every other category to win this contest. And it did win the feature content segment of this comparison by offering heated seats, four-piston brakes, rear-wheel drive and less costly regular fuel — a nice bonus every time you hit the pump.
But those perks aren't enough to take down the ultra-sharp, hugely practical and wildly entertaining 2010 Mazdaspeed 3. And it would be obtuse to ignore the Mazda's practical advantages as an only car — which both of these machines will be for most buyers.
And that, friends, is why the Mazdaspeed 3 wins this comparison. Its credentials in kicking ass and taking names were well established before this contest and it's a better car now than it was before.
We'll add one more name to the list.
The manufacturers provided Edmunds these vehicles for the purposes of evaluation.
source: www.edmunds.com
2009 Spyker C8 Aileron Coupe First Drive
Have you heard of this contraption called a Spyker? We're told it's an actual road-going car, but we have yet to actually see one on the road.
From our experience, Spykers are beautifully detailed sports cars that are fully capable of looking pretty on auto show display stands. Apart from that, their capabilities, not to mention financial backing and company history, have always been a bit murky.
An opportunity to clear the air arrived recently when we were given the chance to drive an actual Spyker at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. Intrigued, we hopped in a car and drove all the way from Los Angeles to find out more about the somewhat mythical car company from Holland.
Upon arrival, we were assured seat time in the new 2009 Spyker C8 Aileron along with some background information about the boutique car builder and how it has managed to survive in an industry notorious for spitting out newcomers with alarming frequency.
After seeing the new C8 Aileron at the Geneva auto show earlier this year, we figured Spyker at least had a decent chance of survival. The Aileron is slightly bigger and less extreme than Spyker's first models, the C8 Spyder and Laviolette coupe. It's more of a GT than a hard-core sports car and is optimistically aimed at cars such as the Aston Martin DBS, Ferrari 599 and Maserati Gran Turismo.
The Backstory
Spyker's history goes back further than you might think or even care to know. The original company was founded in the late 1800s by the Spijker brothers in Amsterdam. Carriage builders by trade, they strapped a Mercedes-built engine onto one of their horse-drawn wagons in 1898 and called it a motorcar.
They fared better than most in the nascent car business and survived long enough to build the 60/80HP in 1903, the first car with four-wheel drive and four-wheel brakes. Also around that time, the brothers realized that their name was virtually unpronounceable outside Holland, so they changed the company name to Spyker.
World War I put a slight crimp in the luxury-car market as world wars sometimes do and Spyker was eventually forced to merge with a Dutch aircraft company to stay alive. The combined company had modest success building both aircraft engines and entire planes, but by 1925 Spyker had gone bankrupt.
Enter the Rich Guy
In 1999, Victor Muller, a wealthy Dutch lawyer and entrepreneur decided he wanted to start an exotic car company. Well, that's easy enough, but he also wanted to promote his Dutch heritage, so he convinced the remaining ancestors of the Spijker brothers to allow him to use their name and Spyker Cars was born.
It's around this point that many of these supercar-upstart stories begin to turn sour. Victor Muller's story is slightly different, though. An avid car collector, Muller had become somewhat of a disgruntled customer. The Aston Martins, Ferraris and Maseratis he was buying continually disappointed him with their plastic trim, unimpressive woodwork and useless, nonfunctional details.
For $200,000 a car should be special in every way, Muller thought, so he decided to spend a sizable chunk of his personal fortune trying to build a car that would meet his own expectations. He eventually took the company public and now lists the government of Abu Dhabi as a major shareholder. That would be the same Abu Dhabi that owns 5 percent of Ferrari.
Pass the Dutchie
After being briefed on Muller's background the night before the drive, we awoke the next morning half-expecting to meet an aristocratic Euro-snob dandy. Instead, Muller met us in the hotel lobby wearing blue chinos and a Spyker pit-crew shirt.
Anxious to get to the track, he gladly jumped into a rented Hyundai for the drive over. Along the way, Muller enthusiastically talked cars. When we told him about the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro we drove out from L.A., he gushed over the exterior design. "They really got that one right, it's fantastic" he said.
And when the conversation moved to the Ferrari California? Well, as a longtime Ferrari collector he could barely contain his disgust. "What were they smoking?" he sighed.
The Real Deal?
Upon arrival at the track, we finally saw them: two actual working prototypes of the C8 Aileron. They looked as good on the pavement as they did on the show stand, and although they were development mules, they appeared quite complete.
Like Spyker's earlier cars, the rear-wheel-drive Aileron is built on a unique aluminum space frame chassis with aluminum body panels. The fully independent suspension and hydraulic steering system were both designed by Lotus, while Audi provides the midmounted 4.2-liter V8.
In a nod to the Aileron's GT intentions, the Aileron is the first Spyker to offer an automatic transmission, a ZF six-speed. There's a six-speed Getrag manual offered as well.
At 182 inches long, 77 inches wide and 50 inches tall, the Aileron is within a few inches of a Lamborghini Murciélago in exterior dimensions. Spyker claims a dry weight of 3,142 pounds, so figure around 3,300 pounds when it's gassed and ready to drive.
The Gentleman's Track Car
Getting into the Aileron isn't easy as the sills are wide and the door openings narrow. Once situated, however, there's plenty of room for larger drivers. Standard Recaro seats and optional diamond-weave leather make for a comfortable cockpit.
One of Spyker's signature design traits is an aircraft-inspired dashboard design. Mixed among the sturdy-looking analog gauges are toggle switches that snap up and down with a heavy click. They are the daddy of all toggle switches and Muller says they cost $50 each. That's about $49 more than your average automotive dashboard switch.
After flipping the ignition switch and hitting the start button, the 400-horsepower V8 roared to life with a sound we recognized from Audi's R8. We slid the solid metal shifter and its exposed linkage (another Spyker design cue) into Drive and were off.
Quick steering and a heavy brake pedal are the first things we noticed. Unlike Spyker's smaller cars, the Aileron gets power-assist for the steering and brakes. Both need a little more fine-tuning, but the Lotus influence is obvious as the car delivers very direct feedback from the road.
Power from the 4.2-liter V8 is merely adequate, which struck us as odd given the car's weight and 400-hp engine. It's hardly low on torque either as the all-aluminum V8 is rated to produce 354 pound-feet. Lazy shifts from the six-speed automatic were an obvious culprit as more work needs to be done there, too. The paddle shifters didn't really improve the experience.
Once up to speed, the Aileron gripped the track well thanks to the dual wishbone setup front and rear and nicely tuned Bilstein dampers. Sticky 19-inch Michelin PS2 tires sized 235/35 up front and 295/30 in back helped, too. Its midengine configuration requires patience to avoid excessive oversteer, but we found it fairly easy to approach the limits without spinning. There is no electronic stability control.
The Rock Star's Street Car
After our time at the track, we took the Aileron on a brief street drive to sample its real-world drivability. It was immediately clear that those looking to get noticed in a sea of Ferraris at their local athletic club will do well in a Spyker. Sure, we were in rural Utah, but the C8's functional air intakes, LED marker lights and unmistakable profile will likely draw looks anywhere it goes.
The suspension that did such a fine job on the track remains compliant enough for the street as well, sorting through bumps with direct but not jarring movements. Again, the motor seemed to get sucked dry by the soft shifts of the automatic transmission. Compared to its more established rivals, the C8 feels a bit primitive in this area.
Once we got settled in, it was hard not to be dazzled by the C8's jewel box of an interior. Our car had the optional engine-turned dash trim and Chronoswiss treatment for the dials and switches that gave them the look of antique watches. All the switchgear snaps from one position to another with such crisp movements, you feel more like a pilot than a driver.
Given its early-prototype status, our C8 had a ways to go before it could rival anything out of Maranello in terms of build quality. Of course, Muller and company assured us that the car's numerous issues would be corrected by the start of series production early next year. We would hope so considering its $225,000 asking price.
The Spyker Lives
So with that we can confirm that the Spyker is for real. It starts, it drives, and it does most of the things you expect from a high-dollar exotic. Sure it could be faster, but they're just leaving room for a C8 Aileron Sport right?
Above all else, the Spyker prides itself on exclusivity and that is virtually assured. There are only 18 dealers in North America and the company has sold a grand total of 85 cars here since they were approved for sale in 2005. Spyker expects to build only 20 or 30 Ailerons a year.
So yes, the Spyker C8 Aileron exists. Just don't expect to ever see one yourself.
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
