SuperCars

2008-05-10T07:40:00.001+02:00

blalblabla

2007-10-01T17:43:00.000+02:00

2007-09-05T18:55:00.000+02:00

Porshce Cayenne - Turbo S

The Cayenne is undoubtedly the most controversial car that Porsche has made in recent years, its status as a hulking SUV standing in stark contrast to the lightweight, advanced sports cars that made the brand famous.
The thing is, Porsche's dynamic know-how means that the Cayenne manages to deliver an impressively composed and accurate driving experience for something so big and with such a high centre of gravity. It's a guilty pleasure, but its steady popularity around the world (especially in the USA) doesn't really come as a surprise.
The recently revised front end looks far better than the slightly startled appearance of the earlier cars, which appeared to have had a 911's headlamps grafted straight onto an SUV profile. And, as before, the interior is spacious and well finished, although buyers may well be disappointed by the poor levels of standard equipment, especially on more expensive versions.
On the road the Cayenne drives with a fluidity and accuracy that belies its massive size. Cornering is keen and accurate while high-speed stability and refinement remain very impressive. It's even reasonably talented off-road, although low-hanging bodywork limits its ability compared to more rugged rivals.
The entry-level V6 engine feels a bit anaemic when asked to move such a big car, but the V8 and top-ranking Turbo are both seriously rapid. No diesel version is available.

2007-08-19T14:23:00.000+02:00

Mercedes CLS

There's lots to like about the CLS, one of Mercedes' most innovative cars of recent years. In essence it's a coupe-saloon, combining the look and exclusivity of a two-door bodyshell with the practicality of a saloon.
And it certainly looks the part. The Gothic styling won't appeal to everybody, but the CLS isn't going to be mistaken for anything else on the road. It looks like it should be starring in a futuristic film rather than cruising down the high street.
The cabin is considerably less radical, sharing switchgear and major componentry with other models in the Mercedes range. The driving position is very comfortable and front seat occupants enjoy plenty of space, but it feels tight in the back and rear headroom isn't brilliant. At least the boot is a decent size, although the rear seats can't be folded down to increase its volume.
On the road the CLS delivers a dynamic experience very close to that of the CLK coupe. It's agile, taut and responsive, although the driver never feels as connected to the action on a favourite twisty road as they would in a mid-sized BMW. Waft is what the CLS does best, demolishing motorway journeys and keeping out an impressive amount of disturbance from wind and road noise.
Four engines are available. The entry-point 350 petrol and 320 CDI diesel both give serious urge, pretty much negating the point of the more powerful 500 petrol and manic "63 AMG" version which sit at the top of the range.

Cost Price: ± $70,000
Body: coupe
engine: V8, 5461 cc
Power, bhp: 388
Transmission: 7-spd
Driven Wheels: R
Top speed: 155 mph
0 - 62 mph: 5.4 seconds
Fuel consumption: 24.4 mpg (combined cycle)

Maserati Quattroporte

For people determined to stand out from the mainstream, the Quattroporte offers an ultra-exclusive driving experience. Tiny sales and dramatic styling mean that the big Maserati has the ability to pretty much stop entire streets as it drives past. Now that it has a conventional automatic transmission rather than the CambioCorsa automated manual it is much easier to live with too.
This isn't a car for modest attention-phobics. The Quattroporte's serious dimensions, striking styling and "blinged-up" detailing give it huge presence. The cabin is similarly striking, with some modern design and lots of upmarket materials, although some of the plastics and switchgear feel very low rent compared to rivals. Many minor controls are hard to fathom until you're familiar too. There's loads of room for four occupants, but the boot is small for a car trying to compete in this segment.
On the move the Quattroporte's can beguile, even if it is less polished than its German rivals. The wonderful V8 engine supplies plenty of performance and accompanies it with a wonderful, hard-edged soundtrack that is now complemented by a decent conventional six-speed automatic transmission. Perversely, this can be quite jerky when accelerating the car from rest - just like the old transmission was - but the rest of the time it does a good job - and provides excellent paddle shifts too. Some may find the Quattroporte's ride a bit fidgety sometimes, but it's not bad for a sports saloon on big wheels, though at motorway speeds it is noticeably louder than its German rivals.
And the Maser is a seriously expensive car to run, too, thanks to its combination of costly servicing, poor fuel economy and very steep depreciation. Unless you've got very deep pockets and you're absolutely determined to be different then look elsewhere.

Cost Price: ± $112,000
Body: Saloon
Engine: V8, 4244 cc
Power, bhp: 400
Transmission: 6-spd
Driven Wheels: R
Top speed: 167 mph
0 - 62 mph: 5.6 seconds
Fuel consumption: 19.2 mpg (combined cycle)

Rolls Royce Pantom

You certainly can't fault BMW's commitment to the Rolls-Royce brand that it managed to nab when Volkswagen Group bought Bentley a few years ago. The famous Crewe works had stayed with Bentley, meaning that BMW had to create an all-new factory in Goodwood and develop the spectacular Phantom from scratch.
It's certainly possible to question the Englishness of the finished product. The Phantom's vast dimensions and Gothic design seem far closer to what Germans expect a luxury mega-saloon to look like. But there's no denying that the Phantom is a spectacular piece of engineering for those who can afford its suburban semi-rivalling pricetag.
The brutish exterior styling is more caddish than the elegant Rolls-Royces of old, but it lends the Phantom the authority it needs to part the traffic around it. And the interior is truly spectacular, finished to an impeccable standard with the highest quality materials. It's clearly been designed from the rear seat forwards as Phantom owners aren't expected to pilot themselves, but every part of the cabin benefits from the same depth of thought and attention.
The driving experience is pretty special, too. The Phantom is probably the best-insulated car in the world, offering almost uncanny levels of refinement to both front and rear seat occupants. Performance is supremely wafty, with the V12 engine only making its voice (discreetly) heard under hard acceleration. It corners impressively keenly for something so large, too.
Purchase and running costs are terrifying. However, owners can look on the bright side - they would have lost even more money on the far less impressive Maybach.

Cost Price: ± $385,500
Body: Saloon
Engine: V12, 6749 cc
Fuel: Unleaded
Power, bhp: 453
Transmission: 6-spd
Driven Wheels: R
Top speed: 149 mph
0 - 62 mph: .0 seconds
Fuel consumption: 18.0 mpg (combined cycle)

2007-08-09T13:38:00.000+02:00

Bugatti Veyron

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is the fastest, most powerful and most expensive production car in the history of the world. It has been a long time coming - Volkswagen boss Ferdinand Piech bought the rights to the Bugatti name in 1998 and in 2001 stunned the motoring fraternity by promising that the Veyron, the first product of the revived company, would have 1001 horsepower, be capable of 250 mph, and start deliveries in 2003.
For a while, it looked as if Piech's enormously ambitious targets would not be met. It was simply too difficult to make a car the size and style of the Veyron concept car, keep its immensely complex 8 litre 16-cylinder quad-turbo engine cool, and the car safe and stable in all conditions up to and including 250 mph. Especially since being part of Volkswagen meant that Bugatti would have to meet the same safety and durability requirements as a Polo or a Golf.
But in early October, two-and-a-half years behind schedule, the 21st century Bugatti was ready. The first car was due to be delivered a few weeks later, to France for an American customer, ?1,000,000 pre-tax price paid. Half a dozen examples in assorted two-tone colours were gathered together in Sicily at a hideaway in the hills. Over five days, some 48 motoring writers from around the world would have the experience of a lifetime: driving the fastest-ever road car on the mountain route of the old Targa Florio road race and along the spectacular motorways that sweep across the island.

Body: 2-door coupé
Engine(s): 8.0 L quad-turbocharged W16
Transmission(s): 7-speed dual clutch sequential manual

Top speed: 253 mph

0 - 62 mph: 2.5 seconds

Fuel consumption: 11.9 mpg

Land Rover - Range Rover Sport

The Range Rover Sport is supposed to be Land Rover's answer to road-biased SUVs like the BMW X5 and Mercedes ML, combining the ruggedness of existing Land Rover products with more tarmac-friendly driving dynamics.
Design is similar to that of the full-sized Range Rover, with a lower roofline and sleeker styling, although under the surface the Sport is more closely related to the Discovery. It certainly radiates plenty of road presence - it's no wonder the carparks at the training grounds of Premiership football clubs are full of them. Inside the cabin it stays broadly impressive too, thanks to the customary high seating position and plenty of space for both front and rear seat occupants. Many of the interior plastics feel cheap to the touch, though, especially the centre console and its switchgear.
On road it's soon clear that this Range Rover doesn't really live up to the "Sport" side of its moniker - it feels barely different to drive than the full-sized Range Rover, and it certainly can't match the dynamic attachment of a BMW X5. The steering is slightly vague and progress is always accompanied by a strong sensation of the vast momentum you're lugging around, a view reinforced by the crashy ride quality. The payback is genuine off-road ability, with a clever variable traction control system allowing you to select the right programme for pretty much any kind of terrain.
Three engines are available. Both V8 petrol motors provide strong performance, especially the supercharged 4.2 litre unit, but both also suffer from horrendous fuel economy. The 2.7 litre V6 diesel is considerably less rapid, but should at least be able to get over 25 mpg on a long run.

Body: 4 X 4

Engine: V8, 3630 cc

Transmission: 6-spd CommandShift

Driven Wheels: 4

Top speed: 130 mph

0 - 62 mph: 9.2 seconds

Fuel consumption: 25.5 mpg

Lotus Europa S

Lotus has long had ambitions of offering a rival for cars like the Audi TT and Porsche Cayman - and the Europa is meant to be that car. Based on the same chassis as the Elise, Lotus claim the Europa is comfortable and refined enough to be used as an everyday supercar.
At this point reality diverges dramatically from the PR script. By the standards of the Elise and Exige the Europa might be a comfortable long-distance cruiser - but compared to other cars in the segment it's cramped, uncomfortable and noisy - not to mention expensive.
Design lacks the fluency and grace of recent Lotus products (it's rumoured to have been originally conceived as a Proton-branded supercar). It looks ungainly and over-detailed. More importantly, it's bigger external dimensions haven't translated into any significant improvement in practicality over the Elise. It's still a two-seater and occupants still have to enter awkwardly through a narrow door aperture and over the fat sill. At least there's a proper boot accessed via a conventional tailgate, albeit a tiny one crammed in behind the mid-mounted engine.
On the road the Europa's case improves. It drives pretty much as you'd expect a slightly larger Elise too, with brilliant steering and an agile, adjustable chassis. Power comes from a turbocharged Vauxhall engine, as previously seen in the VX220 Turbo - performance is strong, at the expense of a unpleasantly loud exhaust note and lots of drone at cruising speed.

Body: Coupe
Engine: 4, 1998 cc
Power, bhp: 200
Transmission: 6-spd
Driven Wheels: R
Top speed: 140 mph
0 - 60 mph: 5.5 seconds
Fuel consumption: 30.4 mpg

2007-08-07T10:31:00.000+02:00

Bentley Continental Gt

This is the first of the "VW" Bentleys, engineered under the guidance of the Germany company after it bought control of the venerable British carmaker, and the overall effort is pretty impressive. External styling continues to disappoint. The GT looks big and bland, its under-detailed, slabby flanks lacking the sort of head turning visual presence that Bentley used to be famous for. That said, inside the hand-built cabin it feels far better, with plenty of old-school Bentley wood-and-leather alongside modern technology. It's a supremely comfortable place to spend time thanks to a brilliant driving position and excellent refinement at high speed. Handling sticks closely to the established Bentley script - this never feels like anything less than a massive car. But get the measure of the GT and it's possible to hustle it along at an impressive pace, helped out by the clever adaptive damping system. But it feels most at home in wide, open spaces, with the massively impressive 6.0 litre turbocharged W12 engine working to deliver the horizon, first class. Performance is towering - this is a genuine 200 mph car. As you'd expect, ownership costs are truly terrifying too - but if your pockets are deep enough the GT is a far more usable everyday prospect than its more esoteric supercar rivals.

Cost Price: ± $162.000

Engine: W12, 5998 cc

Power, bhp: 552

Transmission: 6-spd

Driven Wheels: R

Top speed: 198 mph

0 - 62 mph: .0 seconds

Fuel consumption: 16.5 mpg

Ferrari F430

Even with the unarguable talents of the 360 Modena there was no question that Ferrari had to up its game. There was the Lamborghini Gallardo to contend with as well as unexpected opposition from the 200mph Ford GT to even four-door rivals from BMW and Mercedes.But react it did - with the new F430. Restyled, reshaped and improved in every direction the baby Ferrari is far better than its forebear. Better enough, in fact, to be considered the best sports car on the planet.It's a fabulous supercar. Find the right piece of road to exploit its abilities and it's got the potential to leave you light-headed. Performance from the new 483bhp 4.3-litre V8 is stupendous serving up power and torque that a 360 owner could only dream about, complete with an ear-splitting soundtrack when you're nudging the 8500rpm red-line The completely reworked chassis and new electronic diff can make the best of it too. Even those new to the supercar experience won't feel daunted by driving it fast and the suspension remains incredibly composed over the harshest of surfaces. This is a Ferrari anyone could drive everyday.It's just as civilised inside the cabin. Once ensconced in the tight-fitting sports seat you're struck by the quality of the fixtures and fittings but also by the comfort and space on offer for both passengers. There is limited luggage accommodation, granted, and some of the switches and controls aren't ideally placed. But it looks and feels the part and in keeping with the six-figure price tag. Something you could say about every aspect of the F430.

Cost Price: ± $200.000
Engine: V8, 4308 cc
Power, bhp: 490
Transmission: 6-spd/F1
Driven Wheels: R
Top speed: 196 mph
0 - 62 mph: 4.0 seconds
Fuel consumption: 15.4 mpg

Audi Q7

For years, Audi resisted making this car - arguing that SUVs were just a fad and that demand would eventually fade. The company was wrong, of course, and the Q7 is an admission of that mistake. The outrageous success of the X5, M Class and XC90 made this car inevitable. Based on the same platform that underpins the gawky Volkswagen Touareg and the willfully ugly Porsche Cayenne, it's not too surprising to find that the Q7 is a car with opinion-splitting styling. The front end projects plenty of visual presence, but from other angles the big Audi looks like a generic pastiche of some of its competitors. Inside, there's more to enjoy with a fine driving environment and plenty of gadgets - including options like active cruise control and a very clever anti-blindspot radar, which detects overtaking traffic and warns the driver through lights incorporated into the door mirror housing. It's useful too, thanks to a third row of seats. These offer more space than those in the XC90 or Land Rover Discovery, and can be collapsed into the boot floor easily to maximize luggage space. The suspension system is also premium quality, with air springing standard on all versions. Handling is impressive, the Audi belying its two-ton bulk with impressively composed cornering. And it's comfortable, too - thanks to a soothing, well-damped ride and excellent noise refinement. Both the 4.2-litre V8 - taken from the RS4 - and recently revised 3.0-litre TDI are strong performers, although you'll soon be on first name terms with your local filling station manager if you opt for the petrol. Both ship with Audi's six-speed Tiptronic auto box. Cost Price: ± $50.000 Engine: V6, 3597 cc

Power, bhp: 280
Transmission: 6-spd tiptronic
Driven Wheels: 4
Top speed: 143 mph
0 - 62 mph: 8.5 seconds
Fuel consumption: 22.2 mpg

2007-07-30T21:37:00.001+02:00

Audi R8

Mid-engined supercars? They're usually the work of Ferrari and Lamborghini, Lotus or Porsche. You don't expect an extreme car like this to come from a premium German marque like Audi, which mostly specialises in classy, well-made and rather grown-up saloons, with odd indulgences like the TT. Apart from being the most expensive model Audi makes - as well as the fastest - the R8 is all about the thrill of driving for the sake of it, and it's a high-end thrill at that.
This baby Ferrari is quite unlike anything else Audi makes, not only in its technical make-up but also the way it drives. Not only does it deliver all that you'd hope for from a 420bhp mid-engined supercar, but it is also more impressively developed than any other car Audi makes, from modest 1.6 litre A3 hatch through to that W12 SUV behemoth that is the ultimate the Q7. So what do you get for your £80k? Well, the heart of the car, a potent, high-revving V8, is on display for all to see beneath the glass pane of the engine lid, Ferrari-style. It drives all four wheels via a six-speed transmission that is either semi-automatic and triggered by paddle shifts, or a conventional manual. This layout provides the 44:56 front:rear weight distribution that is the key to the ultimate in on-road manoeuvrability, the improved balance of the car making it more willing to change direction than squirming politician.
But it takes more than this to create a competitive supercar. Body rigidity, a low centre of gravity, excellent aerodynamics and sophisticated suspension are just as vital as the raw and sexy drama that makes you look twice. First, though, the substance. The R8's bodyshell is of lightweight aluminium - as with the luxury A8 saloon - and weighs a spectacularly low 210 kilos. It lacks nothing when it comes to rigidity - which is absolutely vital in a 187mph car that is all about cornering - or safety. The body is largely hand-built, and to an exceptional level of accuracy, every bodyshell laser-measured in 220 places, every single component checked to within a tenth of a millimetre.
The R8's drag coefficient is not so impressive at 0.35 - some saloon cars score as low as 0.28 - but this is because the bodywork must generate downforce to keep the car pressed onto the road at speed. In fact, the R8's drag coefficient is the lowest among sports cars that generate downforce, which is produced by an under-floor diffuser and a rear spoiler that extends at 62mph, and does not retract until the car's speed has dropped below 22mph.

Cost Price: ± $120.000

Engine: V8, 4163 cc

Power, ps: 420

Transmission: 6-spd/R tronic
Driven Wheels: 4
Top speed: 187 mph

0 - 62 mph: 4.6 seconds

Fuel consumption: 19.3 mpg

Mercedes Slr Mclaren

Despite sharing part of its name with the seminal McLaren F1, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a very different car from its illustrious forebear. Some people might almost doubt its supercar credentials, as it is front-engined and comes with an automatic gearbox. Yet in terms of sheer performance the SLR's right to number itself among the ultimate supercars cannot be called into serious question. The original 'Vision SLR' concept was first seen at the 1999 Frankfurt motor show, with the production car going on sale in late 2003.Design genius Gordon Murray, the former Formula One designer behind the McLaren F1 led the team responsible for the creation of the production SLR - overcoming many extremely tough engineering challenges in the process. The project was to be based around a vastly strong carbonfibre shell, to keep down weight and demonstrate the crossover of Formula One technology into the car. But the car also had to be front engined, creating enormous issues for the routing of the exhaust system and led to the unique 'side exit' approach. Vast power is provided by an amazing supercharged 5.4 litre V8 engine that produces 626 bhp and 575 lb-ft of torque. Controversially, however, the decision was made to only equip the SLR with a conventional style automatic gearbox, rather than one of the more fashionable semi-auto 'sequential' systems, reducing the car's performance credentials somewhat. Still, the SLR can find an adequate riposte to its sequential rivals: 60 mph from rest taking under 4 seconds, 100 mph coming up in just 7.6 seconds and the car going onto a top speed in excess of 200 mph. Like the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT, the SLR has ceramic brake discs all-round, ensuring massive levels of retardation.

Cost Price: ± $500.000
Engine: V8, 5998 cc
Power (bhp): 626
0-62 mph seconds: 3.8
Top speed mph: 207

Jaguar Xk

Don't let the XK's slightly 'sixties-looking front end fool you - behind the shiny E-Type-a like radiator grille lies one of the most technically advanced cars in the world. Constructed from aluminium, the XK is both lighter and vastly stronger than the car it replaces.
The handsome styling works well from every angle, although the shutline at the bottom of the bonnet is maybe a bit obvious - this is due to a clever pyrotechnic system that uses airbags to lift the bonnet in the event of a pedestrian impact. Inside, the XK is reasonably spacious for front seat occupants, with the well-designed cabin finished in a range of soft-feel plastics and thick carpet trim - only a couple of cheap-feeling minor switches coming in for criticism. Technically a "two-plus-two", the XK's tiny rear seats aren't up to carrying anything but the smallest passengers, although they offer a useful addition to the already-generous bootspace available under the rear hatchback. The cabriolet version loses the hatch and a fair bit of luggage space (with the roof down), although it's still class competitive with obvious rivals.
Dynamically the XK is a winner - pliant suspension settings and the option of electronically variable dampers allowing it to combine a smooth ride with high levels of cornering force. High speed progress over rough roads feels effortless, and motorway cruising refinement is impressive, too - both helped out by the sweet-shifting of the six-speed automatic gearbox.
A developed version of the 4.2 litre petrol V8 that did duty in the previous generation XK. It's a great motor - smooth, refined and keen to rev - but it can't disguise a fairly serious performance deficit when compared to the German competition. That is, of course, until you get behind the wheel of the supercharged XKR model whose 420bhp provides truly hair-raising performance and gives a gorgeously hard growl above 4000 rpm. Yet it does without any supercar histrionics and is as comfortable as the best executive cruisers.

Cost Price: ± $80.000
Engine: V8, 4196 cc
Power, bhp: 300
Transmission: 6-spd
Driven Wheels: R
Top speed: 155 mph
0 - 62 mph: 6.1 seconds
Fuel consumption: 25.0 mpg

2007-07-30T21:00:00.001+02:00

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Since taking over Aston Martin, Ford has transformed the company from one that struggled to sell a couple of hundred cars a year, into a genuine rival for the likes of Ferrari. And, in the shape of the V8 Vantage, a serious challenger for Porsche as well.The Vantage's sleek, seductive styling will be sufficient by itself to make many fall in love. The strong lines are clearly related to those of the larger, pricier DB9 and Vanquish models - but the Vantage's compact dimensions and squat stance give it more of a muscular appearance. The cabin is good too, combining conservative and modern design elements and finished in classy, quality-feeling materials. The only significant niggle from the driver's seat is with the restricted forward visibility, with fat windscreen pillars making pulling out of junctions tricky.But it's when you start the engine that the Vantage comes alive - this side of the Ferrari F430 we reckon this is probably the best-sounding V8 in the world, a specially designed acoustic exhaust system giving it a hard-edged yowl at higher revs. Performance is correspondingly strong, with the Vantage pulling hard all the way to its 170 mph top speed.Comfortable seats, a compliant ride and impressive refinement make the Vantage an accomplished Grand Tourer - there's even a reasonable amount of luggage space under the rear hatch. Handling is keen enough to reward enthusiastic driving - although the Aston's slightly aloof steering leaves it without the dynamic intimacy of a Porsche 911 or BMW M6.It might be the baby Aston, but the Vantage's running costs are still enormous with very steep servicing bills and terrible fuel economy - you'll be doing well to get more than 15-16 mpg under everyday use. Exclusivity like this comes at a price.

Cost Price: ± $270.000
Engine: V8, 4280 cc
Power, bhp: 380
Transmission: 6-spd
Driven Wheels: R
Top speed: 175 mph
0 - 62 mph: 4.9 seconds

Lamborghini Gallardo

Any new Lamborghini is an event, mainly because the time between model releases is so painfully long. There were sixteen years between the Countach and the Diablo, a whopping twenty-eight between the Silhouette/Jalpa and the newest small Lamborghini, the Gallardo. But too often, the cars made news not with refinement and poise but with flashy bodywork, ludicrous top speeds, and handling so diabolical Lamborghini even named a car after it. Rudeness is at the core of the Lamborghini allure, but come on. Would you really want to ride a mechanical bull like
the Diablo all the way up to 204 mph? The Diablo should have been equipped with dual-stage, front and side airsick bags.Things are different at the little company from Sant'Agata Bolognese today, chiefly because the Italians have some very serious bosses from Audi peering over their shoulders. Proof of this is in the slightly less glacial pace at which Lamborghinis are arriving. The new Gallardo, due here in October, comes right after 2001's Murciélago, offering its own kind of proof that Lamborghini is serious about building world-class sports cars. The Gallardo is a comfortable, stylish, and thoroughly viable competitor to Porsche's 911 GT2 and Ferrari's 360 Modena-a daily driver of the type Ferruccio Lamborghini had in mind when he founded the company in 1963.The legendary Ferrari-directed ire that prompted Lamborghini to make sports cars burns as fiercely as it ever did in Sant'Agata. The Gallardo's mission is to be the highest-performance car in its segment, and thus it uses some conventions of that segment as its starting point. Like the Modena, it has an aluminum spaceframe, optional automated-manual gearbox, mid-mounted engine, and twin front-mounted radiators that give the car its generous interior package. The Gallardo one-ups the Modena, though, in a few important areas. Instead of the 394-horsepower V-8 in the Ferrari, it has a 492-horsepower V-10. Instead of rear-wheel drive, it has a performance-oriented yet bacon-saving four-wheel-drive system. It is a bit heavier than the Modena, but its extra power puts it right in the low-four-second ballpark, acceleration-wise.The V-10 that overcomes the Gallardo's 3153-pound curb weight is literally the centerpiece of the car. In contrast to Lamborghini's recent twelve-cylinder cars, power flows rearward from the engine to a tail-mounted six-speed transaxle. (In the Countach, the Diablo, and the Murciélago, the transmission is located forward of the engine.) A 90-degree V angle was selected to reduce the overall height of the undersquare (the stroke is longer than the bore) engine-a move that necessitated split crank pins to achieve even firing intervals. Other features include a dry-sump lubrication system that further lowers engine height and center of gravity, variable timing on intake and exhaust tracts, a two-stage intake manifold with long runners to optimize midrange output and short runners for peak power at high rpm, and dual electronically actuated throttles.

Cost Price: ± $500.000
Engine: V10, 4961 cc
Power, bhp: 520
Transmission: 6-spd/e-gear
Driven Wheels: 4
Top speed: 197 mph

Porsche Carrera Gt

The Porsche Carrera GT lifts its nose, squats down, and leaps forward like a world-class sprinter out of the blocks. With traction control activated, wheelspin isn't an issue in first or second gear, which clonks in at 48 mph. Porsche claims that the Carrera GT can storm from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds-on this run, we record 4.2 seconds, and that feels pretty damned quick.Second gear stretches to an indicated 82 mph, third is good for 113 mph, and fourth takes us to 143 mph-close to the chip-controlled top speed for all BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes-Benzes. In the Carrera GT, though, there are still two more ratios to come. Fifth runs out of revs at 170 mph, and sixth takes over at 7000 rpm. Because it's not that aerodynamically efficient (the Cd is 0.40), the Carrera GT tops out at 205 mph-plenty fast but some way short of a McLaren F1, for instance. Porsche tester Roland Kussmaul says that some of the prototypes have been clocked at up to 218 mph, but one would need a ton of room to achieve that. In the vast acreage of the Michelin proving ground at Gross-Dölln, near Berlin, we run out of road at 199 mph. This exercise looks positively stunning from the outside, but on a dry stretch of arrow-straight tarmac, driving this über-Porsche at this speed is childishly simple.The Carrera GT is Porsche's fastest and most expensive supercar, challenging the Ferrari Enzo Ferrari and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren for the title of ultimate supercar of the early twenty-first century. Like the others, the Carrera has a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, with a matching drivetrain cradle. Made in Italy, each monocoque consists of more than 1000 individual elements that are glued, laminated, and baked together. Attached to the carbon fiber structure are composite body panels, so you need to look long and hard to detect the few metal ingredients. Among them are the front chassis rails, tubular A-post inserts, fuel tank, and double control-arm and pushrod suspension. The combination of an ultra-stiff structure with suspension components mounted without rubber isolation yields exceptional steering precision and unfiltered, unamplified communication among car, driver, and the road on which they travel.

Cost Price: ± $500.000
Engine: V10, 4961 cc
Power, bhp: 520
Transmission: 6-spd/e-gear
Driven Wheels: 4
Top speed: 197 mph