Tag: YouTube

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Green Machines Porsche

If Porsche builds it, they will buy it

Porsche 918 Spyder

The wonderful looking Porsche 918 Spyder which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March is one step closer to reality according to a report published by Bloomberg.

Speaking last week at Auto China in Beijing, Wolfgang Duerheimer, Porsche development boss, said, “I’m confident that we will soon reach the threshold of 1,000. We need 1,000 seriously interested people to make a sound business case.”

Porsche say they already have 900 expressions of interest so I guess this one is done and dusted. Lock in the 918 Spyder for series production and look for it a Porsche dealer near you in the next year or so.

All that’s left to be answered is how green is a car that offers up a maximum of 730bhp, but only has a full zero emissions range of 25km? To be fair, the hybrid powered 918 can achieve a fuel consumption rating of 3l/100km when tested against latest Euro standards. And CO2 emissions from the same test are as low as 70g/km. Yeah, go on, I’d have one too.

Although, perhaps a bigger question remains; will a variation of the 918’s 3.4 litre V8 ever find its way into a 911 chassis? Nah, that’d never happen, would it?

[Source: Bloomberg.com]

Categories
Ferrari

Ferrari 599XX sets new Nürburgring Nordschleife record

Ferrari 599XX - 6:58.16

Ferrari have broken the 7 minute barrier around the Nordschleife with their limited 599XX hyper car. The time set was 6 minutes 58.16 seconds. At the wheel was long time Ferrari factory test driver Raffele De Simone.

Ferrari claim this is a new lap record for production-derived sports cars. That’s a wink and a nod to the Radical SR8LM, which set a lap time of 6 minutes 48 seconds in August last year.

The 599XX features a specially developed 6.0 litre V12 engine, producing around 540kW of power, and is a track-only car based on the 599 GTB Fiorano. The 599XX also inspired the recently launched 599 GTO.

Let’s leave the semantics over rights to be claiming records to one side for a moment and simply revel in what is a truly stunning lap. Doesn’t matter who makes them, what their daily capabilities are, anything that can lap the Ring in under 7 minutes is a very special car.

Video of the lap can be seen after the jump, along with extra pics, all accessible as wallpaper-friendly 2000px super images.

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Audi

Five RS5 videos

Audi RS5

Following written reports of the Audi RS5 from Autocar and Car and Driver come these five videos filmed by motoring hacks at the RS5 press launch, held at the Ascari Race Resort in Spain. There’s a mix of aggressive and timid on track action, as well as some footage filmed on the fun looking winding roads near the Ascari track.

As far as the handling and performance of the RS5 goes not a lot is given away in the clips that follow, suffice to say the car does seem quite well balanced, its 4.2 litre V8 sounds pretty nice and the 7-speed S tronic does seem willing to bounce of the rev limiter, rather than forcing the driver to endure an unwanted upshift.

If nothing else you get a pretty good idea of the elevation changes on the track layout used for the launch. You also get to see some not so special overtaking moves on a public road.

UPDATE 21 April: Better make that SIX videos—a new clip filmed on public roads has been added below.

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Bugatti

Bugatti Veyron documentary – part 2

Bugatti Veyron documentary

This is the second and final part of the Bugatti Veyron doco. As noted in part 1, the Veyron provides some epic numbers, but it also brings with it some horrific over expenses, too. How does $17,000 for a set of replacement tyres grab you? It’s okay, though, because your tyres should be good for around 10,000 kilometres. Maybe.

Another interesting tidbit is the fact that every Veyron is driven for 500km prior to delivery. That would be sure to raise the ire of those new car buyers who throw tantrums if their car has more than 20km when they drive it off the showroom floor!

The final two clips can be seen after the jump. Enjoy.

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Bugatti

Bugatti Veyron documentary – part 1

Bugatti Veyron documentary

The Bugatti Veyron is an engineering masterstroke made simply because it could be. Or perhaps it is a vulgar exercise in excess at the expense of financial discretion. The only certainty is that the Veyron polarises opinions.

Indeed, McLaren Automotive boss Ron Dennis reckons the big Bugatti is “pig ugly”. Dennis didn’t stop there, either, calling the Veyron a “piece of junk”.

Whichever side of the fence you sit it is hard to be anything other than staggered by the car’s numbers. In less than five seconds the 16.4 litre W16 powered Veyron can accelerate from rest to 100km/h and come to a complete stop again. That is astonishing, no other way to describe it, really.

After the break is the first of a two part piece on the Veyron as shown on National Geographic Channel’s Man Made program.

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Volkswagen

Good vibrations

Volkswagen Touareg - lane assist TVC

Volkswagen is responsible for some of the best car advertising of all time, this one, though, is a little bit esoteric. The ad is promoting Volkswagen’s Lane Assist technology and does so by using a man dressed a bear while using a jack hammer.

Lane Assist will be seen in VW models such as the new Touareg, which means Australian readers won’t have too long to see just how well it works. If you’re already falling asleep at the thought, then take the jump, watch the ad and let us know what you think.

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Motorsports Video

Top guns

Old skool rally compilation

If you were a fan of the video ‘This is rallying’, then you will love this clip as well. There’s eight minutes of thrills, spills and non-stop action. All your favourites are featured including Audi, Datsun, Ford, Lancia, Porshe, Toyota, many more. The video is all yours after the break.

[Thanks to Tom for the tip]

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Pagani

More track focused

Pagani Zonda R

The Pagani Zonda R isn’t new, but this clip by Runimation Studios is. And it’s very, very good. To see how this epic farewell Zonda makes the most of its 551kW/709Nm 6.0 litre V12 make sure you take the jump below and turn your sound up to eleven.

[Thanks to Tiaan for the tip]

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Categories
BMW

The oldest trick in the world

BMW S 1000 RR tablecloth trick

BMW is at it again with this new video promoting their S1000RR motorcycle. The image above tells you what the trick is, but can the bike make the trick work? Watch the clip below to see what happens next…

[Thanks to Wayne for the tip]

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Categories
Green Machines Porsche

VIDEO: Porsche hybrid drive promo

Porsche Hybrid promo

Following today’s earlier news about the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid comes this 12 minute promo on Porsche’s hybrid technologies. Shown below, in two parts, the videos give a great introduction to the way Porsche is utilising a number of different theories to add hybrid systems to their cars via their Porsche Intelligent Performance initiative.

Also shown in the clip is the 911 GT3 R Hybrid and the Cayenne S Hybrid. Not sure about anyone else, but I am already counting down the days until the GT3 R Hybrid makes its race debut at the Nürburgring 24 hour race. Oh, there’s 74 sleeps to go, by the way.

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Motor Shows Porsche

Geneva: Porsche 918 Spyder with hybrid drive

Porsche 918 Spyder

Just a couple of months after Porsche CEO Michael Macht declared they didn’t want hybrid technology in their sportscars comes this superb looking 918 Spyder concept model. Announced at the Geneva Motor Show, the 918 Spyder features a race-inspired 500hp V8 and is supplemented by 230hp of electric power.

The 918  joins the GT3 R Hybrid announced last month. Add in the Cayenne S Hybrid and you now have three Porsche model lines featuring hybrid technology.

Back to the 918 Spyder, though, and, well it is clearly the most stunning of the trio. All that power is said to propel the car to 100km/h in around 3.2 seconds. Proving further that hybrid doesn’t mean slow and steady wins the race, the 918 can (supposedly) lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in under 7 minutes 30 seconds. Faster than a Carrera GT, no less.

When you’re not exploiting all that power, Porsche reckon you can return a fuel consumption figure of 3l/100km with CO2 emissions of just 70g/km.

Pretty tidy numbers all round for a mid-engined two-seater with a very tasty 3.4-litre V8 from the RS Spyder racecar.

Check the pics and press release after the jump.

UPDATE 3 March: Two new “next spark” promo videos featuring the Porsche 918 Spyder have been added below.

UPDATE 29 July: Porsche have confirmed the 918 will go into limited series production.

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McLaren

Inside look: McLaren’s XP files

McLaren MP4-12C

McLaren Automotive have given us another insight into the development of their upcoming MP4-12C road car. Due for release in 2011, this is the second behind the scenes look from McLaren and follows November’s update.

In this latest clip (available after the jump) two XP Beta-phase prototypes are shown driving in Spain on public roads near Tarragona and at the Applus IDIADA test facility.

The interaction between McLaren and its audience is to be commended. However, it does paint a rather large target on the back of the MP4-12C. Will the car live up to its growing hype?  We shall have to wait and see…

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