Mercedes Benz Reveals the all New CLS

Just take one look at the new Mercedes-Benz CLS and your breath seems to escape. This newly designed Mercedes CLS is definitely one of a kind and is quite impressive from what we see with almost every angle of the car vastly improved.

The next generation 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS's four-seat arrangement extends the full length of the cabin. Interior might look like the plush E-class or S-class. For the platform and mechanical hardware, the CLS will have the same as with other Mercedes-Benz sedans. This stylish four-coupe's front end has the notable upright grille and sectioned-off headlights; while the rear end has shapelier design. As for the engine, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS will be available with a new 3.5L direct-injection V6 with 292HP. Also offered are twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8 with 388HP, plus an AMG version with the all-new 6.2L twin-turbo V8 with 525HP. Thanks for tuning in and be sure to watch the video above to capture its full essence. 

2009-2011 Volkswagen Golf production at Wolfsburg Factory

Be sure to check out this awesome video of the all new 2011 Volkswagen Golf made in the production assembly line as it goes thru it's final stages before delivered to its show room floors for sales. This video shows how the vehicle is assembled and captures the essence of its beauty. The 2011 Volkswagen Golf is now in ful production and sells quite well for North American sales and European sales as well. Thanks for looking and be sure to stay tuned for more awesome articles like this one in the near future!

Porsche Genetic Code: 28,000 Victories

The very first sports car to bear the Porsche name won races. We treasure our heritage and never forget where we came from. In the field of motorsports we have achieved countless successes and written history. In motorsports, fractions of seconds count. This is what our engineers are working for. Example: Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK). Extremely fast gear changes with no interruption in traction at any time. Yielding a substantial improvement in acceleration values and fuel economy. Our genetic code is particularly evident here.

Full Hennessey Venom GT Road Test - Exclusive

                        

Pahrump, Nevada—It’s all a bit surreal, like I’ve stumbled into the first five minutes of a Bond movie. With my right foot queuing up 12.5 psi from a pair of massive Garrett GT35R turbos, I’m shot from a cannon down the front straight…into the rotor blast of a helicopter hovering a mere 20 feet above the track surface. Pilot John Morris (also the track owner) grins through the canopy like a Cheshire Cat; videographer Jay McNally leans out of the flitting chopper like a sidecar monkey, contorting for the best shot.

And if those ominous rotors set on Journalist Frappé didn’t put me into sensory overload, the Venom GT’s raw acceleration does—a savage burst of cheek-smooshing, gut-compressing, momentarily brain-addling force, the strongest I’ve ever experienced in a road-going car. The twin pop-off valves screech like an 18-wheeler’s air brakes as I lift, then nurse the Venom GT through one of the circuit’s tight right-handers and—with the caution of a bomb squad’s eldest member—get back on the throttle. Historically, the explosive onset of power and high-cornering loads have been shown not to mix, and there’s a heart-stopping yaw moment…followed, surprisingly, by hooked-up Michelins and that addictive rush of acceleration.

Must…show…restraint. This car’s already been sold, and that check won’t clear if I wad it into an $895,000 ball of vacuum-bagged carbon fiber and extruded aluminum.

Back in the pits now, and John Hennessey seems pleased at my greenish complexion and foal-like unsteadiness as I extract myself from the Venom GT’s cockpit. The lapping session here at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch has been as brief as it’s been exhilarating, but if seat-of-the-pants validation counts for anything, it’s clear he’s built the most formidable supercar in America, and possibly the world.

No stranger to building road cars with quadruple-digit horsepower numbers, John Hennessey took top honors back in our “Speed Kings” shootout (September 2007), where his 1100-bhp twin-turbo Viper bested even the almighty Bugatti Veyron from a standing start to 200 mph. Said Steve Millen, our driver that day: “Holy Hell! This is a wild ride. It just wants to go sideways in every gear.” Thankfully, the talented Kiwi kept it just straight enough to hit 200 in 20.3 seconds, a staggering 3.9 sec. quicker than the monster from Molsheim.

This, note, was done with a pounds-per-horsepower number of 3.1, far more acceleration-conducive than the Bugatti’s 4.5, even if the Bug does get out of the hole a lot more efficiently with its all-wheel drive. What, thought John shortly after hoisting the trophy aloft, might a car with a 2.6(!) ratio be capable of?

“I started wondering, okay, what’s next?” says Hennessey, who mulled over slightly lighter, even more powerful versions of both the Viper and Ford GT, but rejected them on grounds of being too race-car minimalist. “I was joking one day about taking a Lotus Exige and putting our Venom 1000 engine in the back of the car. And we all laughed about it; laughed about it for a couple of weeks.” But a preliminary sketch was followed up by a full set of renderings. “When they came in, I looked at the car, and by that point I’d stopped laughing. I thought, we could build this car.”

And here it is, rich silver paint glowing in the stark Nevada sunlight. At 2685 lb. with all fluids including 18.5 gal. of 93 octane, it’s about the weight of a Honda Civic, but with 8.6 times the power. Fire it up and it’s clear the guttural burble/pop at idle can only come from a V-8’s firing order. The Viper V-10’s weight, bulk and questionable future availability were all negatives, and Hennessey had become quite fond of Chevy’s 6.2-liter aluminum small-block through prior Corvette ZR1 projects. “Loved the power, loved the sound…”

Of course, this is no ordinary Chevy small-block; it has to live to 7200 rpm, make a staggering 1200 bhp and cope with off-the-charts cylinder pressures from the ceramic-bearing turbos. To this end, the LS2 block is fitted with Darton sleeves, Cometic head gaskets and CNC-ported cylinder heads, cinched together with the finest ARP fasteners. Seemingly every rotating and reciprocating bit is forged, including dished aluminum pistons, H-beam steel rods and a steel crank, the last held by billet main bearing caps. Oiling is via a dry-sump system and fueling is handled by twin Bosch in-tank pumps that feed 96 lb./hr injectors. The engine bolts up to a Ricardo 6-speed manual transaxle that’s identical to a Ford GT’s, ratios and all, that puts power to the massive 335-section Michelins through a Quaife limited-slip diff.

Raise the Venom GT’s rear-hinged engine cover (lined with gold foil, incidentally) and it’s clear that Hennessey sweats not only the power but the appearance. Aft of the seats, the Exige’s aluminum monocoque architecture ceases and Venom GT begins with a stout chrome-moly steel subframe, triangulated by two beautifully gusseted V-shape braces that bolt up to the rear hoop of the considerable rollcage structure. There’s tidy symmetry in the twin water-to-air charge coolers, the blow-off valves, the wastegates, turbos and conical air filters. And the muscle-bound central exhaust, with 3.5-in. dual tips poking through the bodywork’s mesh, has a beautiful golden cast…it’s sandblasted stainless steel that takes on its distinctive hue when heat is applied.

Inside, the Exige’s basic interior is intact, but embellished for slightly greater comfort and style. There’s lots of black diamond-stitched Alcantara, smooth leather and a carbon-fiber sheath over the 2-dial instrument cluster. Bits of exposed aluminum remain, completely fitting here. And the stout rollcage is evident, though its tubes are wrapped in the same diamond-tuft microfiber that lines the seats, door panels and dash top. My helmeted head fits neatly in a triangular recess of the X-brace connecting the front and rear hoops…tight, but just enough room. The view straight back? Shiny blow-off valves, black mesh and ducting, but at least the outside mirrors are large and well-placed.

Outside? It’s an Exige with a Gold’s Gym membership, ripped muscle with that Porsche 917 long-tail look from its stretched wheelbase (at 110.2 in., it’s a substantial 19.7 in. longer than that of its donor chassis) and massive rear fenders that swell around the rear Michelins. The Exige’s visage is maintained with Lotus headlights and sharply peaked fenders, but broadened and underscored (literally) with a thick splitter that incorporates twin underbody venturis farther back. At the rear, the taillights seem to float in the mesh grill, and a generously straked underbody diffuser extends well beneath the engine. Combined with the rear wing (hydraulically adjustable for height and angle of attack, yet fixed at this stage of development), Hennessey estimates these measures will generate downforce somewhere in the vicinity of 1200 lb. at 150 mph, according to CFD simulations.

Hennessey will be the first to admit that there’s much more development to be done. Although he and chassis guru John Heinricy (yes, that Heinricy, the 39-year GM performance veteran with five national SCCA T1 championships, assistant chief engineer for the C4 & C5 Corvettes, etc.) have created a monster in the best sense, another year of optimizing the Venom GT awaits before production hits full stride. For instance, the active KW suspension (an electrohydraulic system can raise the car by 2.4 in.) and the rear wing will be programmed to work together to achieve downforce, reduce drag or produce a happy medium, depending on the situation. Motec engine management will replace the current reflashed GM ECU and HKS boost controller, and a traction-control system that adjusts throttle position and boost level ought to tame the Jekyll/Hyde power hit. Plans include test sessions at the Nürburgring in the summer of 2011, with Hennessey hoping to ultimately break the 7-minute barrier.

Fast and Furious 5 - Teaser Trailer

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead a reunion of returning all-stars from every chapter of the explosive franchise built on speed in Fast Five. In this installment, former cop Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) partners with ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) on the opposite side of the law. Dwayne Johnson joins returning favorites Jordana Brewster, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Matt Schulze, Tego Calderon and Don Omar for this ultimate high-stakes race.

Since Brian and Mia Toretto (Brewster) broke Dom out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he's not the only one on their tail.

Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can't separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey...before someone else runs them down first. Be sure to check out the trailer and let us know what you think. Thanks for looking!

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe SCCA Race Car (Renderings and Construction)

Be Sure to Check out What the Team at GM Racing Development has planned for the future of Racing in SCCA Class with the all new Cadillac CTS-V Coupe.

Cadillac Returns To Racing With CTS-V Coupe

Two teams set to compete in SCCA World Challenge GT Series


* Racecar is based on the award-winning CTS-V Series line
* Program designed to validate, enhance Cadillac performance
* Andy Pilgrim, Johnny O'Connell signed as Cadillac drivers
*
DETROIT -- Cadillac announced today it will return to racing in 2011 with a race-prepared version of its CTS-V Coupe competing in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge, North America's top production-based racecar series.

The move returns Cadillac to a series where it competed from 2004 to 2007. Competing in the GT Class with the CTS-V Sport Sedan, Cadillac captured the Manufacturer's Championship in 2005 and 2007 and the Driver's Championship in 2005.

Cadillac will field two teams in the upcoming SCCA World Challenge GT Class with a racecar based on the CTS-V Coupe. The CTS-V line, which also includes the CTS-V Sedan and CTS-V Wagon, was recently named to Car and Driver magazine's 10 Best list for 2011.

"Returning to racing in the SCCA World Challenge is a great way to demonstrate the performance and capability of the CTS-V Coupe," said Don Butler, vice president for Cadillac marketing. "The racecars in this series are production based, which allows us to validate our performance against the best of our competitors on the track, and not just the showroom."

Cadillac is working with Pratt & Miller, a New Hudson, Mich., engineering firm which specializes in motorsports, to develop the CTS-V Coupe racecar. While some of the production CTS-V components will be modified due to the unique demands of racing or to meet the SCCA series' technical rules, every effort is taken to maintain as much production content as possible.

"The SCCA World Challenge lends itself well to a natural transfer of knowledge," said Jim Campbell, GM vice president for Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "The series will become a key test-bed for Cadillac. We anticipate using what we learn on the racetrack to ensure the V-Series stays on the cutting-edge of performance."


For More Information on the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Be sure to check out their website Here: http://www.cadillac.com/vehicles/2011/ctsVCoupe/overview.do

Lancia Stratos Revival Tuning and Testing at the Cicuito di Balocco

the test confirmed that the vehicle is both extraordinarily agile and a phenomenally fun drive. The New Stratos will be fitted with harder suspension springs and a more direct steering ratio

The 'New Stratos' project has taken another stride forward as it counts down to a launch date at Paul Ricard in November, with the reborn Lancia legend this time being put through its paces on a German handling course and the team involved again reporting its capabilities exceeded their expectations. Following a well-documented test at the Fiat Group's proving ground at Balocco in June, this latest test session took place at the Wächtersbach complex in Germany, which incorporates a short circuit and handling course. According to the project's official website: "Wächtersbach's tight handling course put different demands on the vehicle than the Balocco track had done thus far." Once again at the wheel of the new sports car prototype, and leader of the development program, was former F1 driver Tiago Monteiro. The Portuguese driver competed in 37 grands prix with Jordan, Midland and Spyker, and collected a podium finish in the controversial United States Grand Prix in 2005. He currently races in the FIA World Touring Car Championship for a SEAT satellite team, and also piloted the New Stratos prototype during its initial Balocco test. Behind the wheel in Germany, too, was Michael Stoschek, the German automotive sector industrialist and historic rally driver who has brought the ambitious project to fruition, as well as his son Maximilian. According to the official website, "an enhanced Porsche 911 GT3 RS was used as the reference car", and, as at Balocco where an insider told Italiaspeed that "all the benchmarks had been exceeded", this time the sports car seems to have been equally as impressive in what was a very different scenario. "All in all, the test confirmed that the vehicle is both extraordinarily agile and a phenomenally fun drive," the report stated. Matthias Mohr, a test engineer from Sachs ZF, was also able to try out individual damper adjustments while the sports car was being driven on the track. Following that test the New Stratos will be fitted with harder suspension springs and a more direct steering ratio before its next test takes place, once again at Balocco, in mid-September. Photos from the test at Wächtersbach also show the cockpit, although the finish is very much still in its prototype phase. Notably, the driver's helmet can be seen tucked into the door panel compartment -- as in the original -- but this time around, the legendary 'helmet pocket' is made of carbon fiber.

Bonus Video! : Historic Lancia Stratos

Shots of the Mercedes-Benz Museum

Car history buffs rejoice! If you ever wanted to see a complete timeline of 120 years of automotive history, you'll want to check out the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. You'll have to trek through nine levels as the museum presents 160 vehicles and over 1,500 exhibits! A feast for the eyes, indeed!

Lucky for those of us who can't make our way over to Germany, Mercedez-Benz just released around 100 new photos of the 16,500-square-meter facility. You'll see some fabulously designed cars as well as some breathtaking architecture. The museum itself is designed by the UNStudio of Dutch architects van Berkel and Bos, Amsterdam who was inspired by the double helix structure of the DNA spiral for the building's interior. Why? It illustrates the Mercedes-Benz brand's philosophy of originality – to continuously create radically new products to advance the cause of human mobility.

Even if you're not a Mercedes fan, you can really appreciate how beautiful the design of this museum truly is.

The new Ferrari 458 Challenge & Virtual Academy

In this post, We cover the All-new Ferrari 458 Italia Challenge and Ferrari's latest innovation, the Ferrari Virtual Academy.The Challenge Ferrari drivers drove the new 458 Challenge on the circuit of Valencia. Discover through the words of the test drivers De Simone and Mediani as well as the comments by some Challenge drivers the characteristics of this Berlinetta with mid-rear V8-engine based on the 458 Italia.

Today the Ferrari Virtual Academy - the first virtual online simulator from Maranello -- presented the third and final release: the legendary Nürburgring circuit. The software update is available on the website www.ferrarivirtualacademy.com and includes the famous German track, essential to take part in the extraordinary tournament, where at the end of the year the five fastest drivers in the world will be awarded a very special prize. The time to beat on the Nürburgring has been set by Giancarlo Fisichella with 1.30.135 for one lap.

Audi Quattro Concept Meets 1980s Quattro Coupe

This year marks the 30th birthday of Audi's now famous quattro all-wheel drive system. One of the seminal Audi cars was a limited edition, short-wheelbase plastic-bodied extreme machine called the Sport Quattro -- the vehicle that helped launch Audi's successful run of world championship-winning rally cars. That car serves as the source of inspiration for the Audi Quattro concept, which first appeared at the 2010 Paris show.

Loosely based on the Audi RS5, the Audi Quattro concept sits on a wheelbase that has been shorted by almost 6 inches. The rear overhang was shortened by 7.9 inches, and the roofline was lowered by 1.6 inches. Together, these reductions add up to a much tighter package and more muscular proportions. To help bring the weight down to 2,900 pounds -- roughly the same weight as the 1984 Sport Quattro -- Audi replaced the steel body of the production RS5 with a custom aluminum spaceframe architecture clad with carbon fiber panels. The RS5's V-8 and dual-clutch transmission was also swapped out for a turbocharged five-cylinder and a manual six-speed gearbox (another nod to the original car), further reducing weight.

Unlike the Sport Quattro, which was a token 2+2, the Quattro concept only has room for two adults and rolls on a 102.4-inch wheelbase. Behind the seats, there's space for helmets, a roll cage, or a couple of fire extinguishers. The actual cargo deck extends further, with Audi opting for a classic trunk lid in place of a hatch. The undersides of the Quattro concept's carbon body panels were left unpainted in another weight-saving measure.

With the exception of wheels, tailpipes, and a signature set of Audi LED light banks, the exterior is pretty straightforward. As a world first, the LED headlights boast dynamic components that vary from horizontal to vertical, and from slit-eyed to wide open. Instead of conventional turn signals, the new light units integrate amber streaks out front and moving yellow brackets at the rear.

OLD 1984 Quattro

VS. 

New 2012 Quattro Sport