car sport

Senin, 27 Juni 2011

Viper SRT10

The SRT10's acceleration is no surprise. The trip from zero to 60 mph only takes 3.9 seconds, with the quarter-mile blazing by in just 11.7 seconds at 124.8 mph. Yes, there are quicker cars like the Porsche 911 Turbo, various Ferraris and various other exotics. The current, supercharged Corvette ZR1 nearly matches the SRT10 with its 3.9-second 0-60 time and 11.7-second clocking through the quarter-mile, with a slightly better 127 mph trap speed.

But really, nothing else pulls like the mega-displacement Viper SRT10. The sensation of torque is so overwhelming it feels like it's crushing your chest as the car reaches for its terminal velocity. The acceleration doesn't flatten your eyeballs, but instead feels like it's trying to squeeze them right out of your head.

Even in closed-coupe form, the SRT10 is a full-immersion automobile. You're right in the middle of the action with the burly six-speed transmission running the length of your right leg, that side exhaust running the length of your left leg and your feet crammed into a small toe box a few inches from the largest-displacement engine (until recently) available in a production passenger vehicle. You don't just hear the gears in the tranny, you feel them in the entire structure of the car. You don't need a temperature gauge; just wear flip-flops and you can tell how hot the engine is running through your toes.

All the cars that are incrementally faster are monumentally more expensive than the Viper SRT10, and even those can't duplicate its primal mechanical nature.

What's amazing is that, while it only offers two-thirds the power, the old Viper RT/10 delivers pretty much the same wallop.

Frankly, and in many ways to its own credit, the original Viper RT/10 is a kit car. So what's battened down in the latest Viper is really just sort of loose-fit in the RT/10. Start the RT/10 and the whole body seems to ripple over a sea of shims and variable thickness fiberglass. So even today, 400 hp feels fast in the RT/10.

Nearing its 17th birthday and still wearing rock-hard original rubber, the RT/10 still romped to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and ripped through the quarter-mile in 12.8 seconds at 113 mph. That's better than what many magazines reported for the '92 Viper RT/10 when it first went on sale. And that's still quicker than any 2011 Mustang GT or 2010 Camaro SS that Inside Line has tested. And after you've extracted maximum performance from an old Viper you feel like a driving super-stud.

Short of a racing machine, there aren't any cars more difficult to get in and out of than the latest Viper SRT10 coupe. The roof is low, the doorsill is Mississippi River wide and the whole seating area is narrow. If you're heavier than 200 pounds, it's best to employ a block and tackle. If you're more than 300 pounds, getting in is simply a matter of falling in the right way. But don't try getting out of the car until you've lost at least 100 pounds.

At 98.8 inches the SRT10's wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than the original RT/10's, but it's still a short-coupled car. The steering is heavy (after all, you're muscling around a pair of 275/35ZR18 Michelin Pilot Sport PS2s) and the sensation of grip seems infinite. Until, that is, you run out of infinite.

Even with its rear 345/30ZR19 Michelins worn down to the consistency of Creamsicles, the SRT10 stuck on the skid pad to a whirling 1.02g and blazed the slalom course at a scalding 73.2 mph. That's an All-World handling performance. But there are limits, and once they've been exceeded the SRT10 is unforgiving. If you have the reflexes of Samuel Hubinette, then you can catch the car and drift it. If you're mortal with a functioning self-preservation gene, you'll just be terrified. And then you'll crash.

The old car's 275/40ZR17 front and 335/35ZR17 rear Michelin XGTs were hard enough to limit the car's stick to just 0.93g on the skid pad and the slalom speed to 67.6 mph. But the challenge in driving the old car is much the same as the new one. There's still heavy steering and the sensation of no limits when there definitely are limits. This, after all, is a car you buy because it bites.

Citroen C5

Citroen C5

A new engine is making its appearance in the Citroen C5 range, a new-generation 2.2 litre powerplant bringing across-the-board progress on power, torque, silence, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Upgrades made to this engine are in line with those already used on other diesel units in the range (4- cylinder, 1.6 l and 2 l, 3 l V6). They chiefly concern the common rail system, now third-generation, with maximum injection pressure up to 2,000 bars, combustion chambers retaining ECCS (Extreme Conventional Combustion System) technology, and a lower compression ratio (16 to 1), for enhanced operating silence and lower emissions. Engine feed is still via two turbochargers, whose parallel sequential set-up provides plentiful torque from the lowest engine speeds.

The Citroen C5 HDi 200 DPFS develops 150 kW EEC (204 bhp) at 3,500 rpm and maximum torque of 450 Nm to 2,000 rpm. Mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox, the engine provides remarkable performance, with a top speed of 230 km/h (225 km/h for the Tourer), 0-100 km/h in 8.3 seconds (8.6) and combined-cycle consumption of 5.9 l/100 km (6.1). The saloon emits 155 g/km of CO2 and the Tourer 159 g/km. Like the Citroen C5 HDi 240 DPFS, the new version stands out visually with its chrome-finished double tailpipe.

Citroen C5 VTi 120 WITH EGS6, THE NEW PETROL POWERPLANT The Citroen C5 range is now available with a new petrol engine mated to the 6-speed electronic gearbox system (EGS6). Developed with the BMW Group, the 1.6 litre powerplant develops 88 kW EEC (120 bhp). Mated to the EGS6 gearbox, with wheel-mounted paddles, combined-cycle fuel consumption is 6.2 l/100 km and CO2 emissions are 144 g/km.

Chrysler 200

Chrysler 200
This proud brand has persevered through a difficult history. Founded in 1925 by automotive entrepreneur Walter Chrysler, the company consolidated Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth brands under a single roof and proceeded to become a survivor of the relentless rationalization of the U.S. auto industry over the next 40 years, eventually settling in as one of the Detroit-based "Big Three." Along the way, it became known for engineering and product innovations such as the first steel-roofed station wagon, in 1941; the first transistorized car radio, in 1955; and the Plymouth Road Runner "economy" muscle car in the mid-Sixties. But new CEO Lee Iacocca had to rescue Chrysler in 1981 by landing federal-government loans. A couple of years later Chrysler pioneered a new vehicle concept, the minivan; regained its financial footing; then went on to acquire American Motors and the Jeep brand in 1987. Yet by 1998, it was ripe for takeover by Daimler-Benz. That arrangement yielded a few good vehicles, such as the new 300 sedan, and a famous revival of Chrysler's Hemi V-8 engine. But the Germans discontinued Plymouth and couldn't figure out how to position the Chrysler brand successfully. The huge marketplace retrenchment of 2009 required Chrysler's second government bailout, and Fiat was awarded a controlling interest in hopes that the Italian automaker could revive Chrysler yet again.

CThe front-wheel drive 200 is offered in both sedan and convertible body styles, as well as four trim levels - LX (sedan only), Touring, Limited and S. Two engines supply power: a 173-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a new Pentastar 283-hp 3.6-liter V6 with flex-fuel capability, mated to either a four-speed automatic or a six-speed automatic with manual shift mode. Building on the value-packed LX trim, the Touring adds aluminum wheels, an 8-way power driver's seat, automatic climate control, satellite radio and a garage door opener. The Limited trim is further equipped with fog lights, 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, heated front seats and leather upholstery, as well as a multimedia centre with 30 gigabytes of internal memory, USB port, Bluetooth streaming audio and DVD video capability. The new S trim gets exclusive chromed exhaust finishers and wheel treatment, along with upgraded audio. Safety features include stability and traction control systems, anti-lock brakes with brake assist, active front head restraints, six airbags, tire pressure monitoring and a security system.

Chevrolet Nova SS 1965

Chevrolet Nova SS 1965
In 1965, Chevrolet made the Chevy II available with its tough 327-cubic-inch V-8 and things really began to heat up. In L74 guise, the 327 four-barrel cranked out 300 horsepower. Though the SS model was its most logical home, the L74 made for a very effective Q-Ship when ordered in a dressed-down Chevy II two-door sedan. A 250-horsepower version of the 327 also was offered, as was a four-barrel, dual exhaust 220-horsepower 283. Three-speed manuals were standard with these V-8s and Powerglide was optional. But the most fun was the Muncie four-speed gearbox and Positraction differential. Worthwhile options included upgraded suspension components, sintered metallic brake linings, and a tachometer.

1965 saw the introduction of the L-74, a 327 cid V8 with 300 bhp (a 250 bhp engine was also available).
Engines: 194 I6 120 bhp. 230 I6 140 bhp. 230 I6 155 bhp. 283 V8 195 bhp. 327 V8 250 bhp. 327 V8 300 bhp.

Cadillac ats-v

Cadillac ats-v is a luxury brand owned by General Motors and one of four remaining core brands after the automaker emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2009. Founded in 1902 and bought by GM in 1909, Cadillac became the premier luxury vehicle marque in the U.S. during the mid-20th century. After losing that distinction from intense competition from foreign competitors and a number of unpopular models, the brand was reinvented around 2003 with Art and Science design.

Cadillac seems to be just about done filling in all of the blanks in their popular CTS model, so it was high time for them to provide some definitive details on their next project: the ATS. Prepared to slide in right below the CTS and all of its variants, the ATS should be debuting in sedan form in 2012. That’s all fine and dandy, but we are much more interested in the variant following that unveiling with the ATS-V in 2014.

First rumored in 2008, the ATS is ready to go and will be built on GM’s new Alpha platform with a rear wheel drive system. Its design will be inspired by Cadillac’s Art and Science design language which "incorporates sharp, sheer forms and crisp edges — a form vocabulary that expresses bold, high-technology design and invokes the technology used to design it."

The ATS-V was first thought to carry a 470 HP V8 engine as found in the CTS-V, but worried that the car would then take sales away from its bigger brother, Cadillac opted for a twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 that will produce around 380 HP. The engine will be mated to a six speed manual or automatic transmission and the combination will get the ATS-V coupe to 60 mph in under five seconds with a top speed of above 170 mph. This engine choice fits in nicely with the ATS-V’s biggest rival, the BMW M3, but Cadillac may need to up the ante in terms of power for the competition to be a bit stiffer. The future M3 will produce around 450 HP and should get to 60 mph in about 4.5 seconds, but top speed will be electronically limited to 155 mph.

Buick Envision

Buick Envision
It does have a couple of special features which might have a chance for future use, such as the two-layer traditional Buick waterfall grille, which regulates air intake to meet the demand of the power system and achieve optimized aerodynamic performance, or the porcelain-like daytime LED lamps house five “Chinese pillar-like” LED bulbs. The same sort of design is repeated at the back. The concept also features 22-inch doubled-layered aluminum alloy wheels with silicon sports tires.

This being a family crossover the car is pretty spacious inside and some unique features that to be honest are too fancy to have a chance for production. For example traditional rearview mirrors have been replaced by three micro-cameras to catch and relay images of the road to the dashboard. When the car is moving, speed, fuel consumption and navigation details are projected onto the windshield in 3-D so that the driver does not have to take his or her eyes off the road. has some more convenient features too, such as Bluetooth DUN Intelligent Internet system allows users to connect to the Web with their cell phones.

As for the technicalities, it’s powered by a 2.0-liter SIDI intelligent direct injection turbocharged engine coupled with two electric motors, linked to a dual automatic/manual eight-speed transmission with AWD. One cool feature of it is solar energy roof to provide additional charge for the battery pack.

Other technology elements include an electromagnetic suspension (as pioneered by Cadillac), a "next-generation" intelligent Bluetooth system that links mobile phones to the Web, a heads-up information display projected onto the windshield, and an OLED touch-screen interface.

There's also a solar panel on the roof, though the press release goes a little overboard when it says, "additional energy for the battery is produced by the solar roof."

The twists and turns of that powertrain's fate would take more space than we have here (they were originally intended to debut in a 2010 Saturn Vue Plug-In Hybrid). We suspect GM engineers have been quietly refining the technology in the background even though several products meant to house it have been stillborn.

The Envision uses a 2.0-liter direct-injected and turbocharged four-cylinder engine, though no output figures were provided. Neither was there an electric range, a capacity for the lithium-ion battery pack, or any other actual numbers for this concept.

It was specified as all-wheel-drive (it's a crossover, after all), and the only detail of the hybrid system was a reference to a pair of electric motor-generators. Buick also refers to a "dual automatic/manual eight-speed transmission," but doesn't mention how it's combined with or integrated into the electric motors.

We hope to talk to GM about exactly how this mix of components work, so we can make some guesses about performance--even if the company won't release numbers.

Buick Regal GS

The Regal GS exterior is defined by prominent, vertical air intake slots and specific grille treatment. The vertical elements of the vehicle are accented in a satin-metallic finish and feature a pair of integrated, satin-metallic trapezoidal exhaust outlets and an integrated rear spoiler.

The GS cuts a sportier stance, too, with a lower ride height than other Regal models and aggressive 19-inch, 5-Twin Spoke alloy wheels and all-season tires (20-inch, 5-Twin Spoke polished alloy wheels with performance tires are optional).

The 2012 Buick Regal GS has the privilege of being powered by Buick’s exclusive Ecotec 2.0L direct-injected turbocharged four-cylinder, boasting of direct injection, continuously variable valve timing, forged steel crankshaft, a twin scroll design turbocharger, and an efficient intercooler system. This whole package was SAE-certified to deliver 270 horsepower (201kW) and 295 lb.-ft. of torque (400Nm), up from the 255 HP originally predicted and much higher than the current Regal Turbo and its 220 HP. The peak torque is available at a low 2,400 rpm, but 95% of it is available between 2,300 and 4,900 rpm. The EcoTec engine is mated to a standard six-speed manual transmission, but a six-speed automatic will be available at a later date. This complete package allows the Regal GS to complete the 0-60 mph sprint in 6.7 seconds, nearly two seconds faster than the Regal Turbo.