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Motor Authority - blog Tag: Black

  • Next AMG Black Series coupe will pay more attention to grace than power

    Next AMG Black Series coupe will pay more attention to grace than power August 4th, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, August 4th, 2009 Ralph Hanson 4 Comments

    Next AMG Black Series coupe will pay more attention to grace than power Finding a way to make productive use of more than 500hp in a standard two-wheel drive configuration is a tough thing - at least without going to ridiculous tire and wheel sizes. So the next generation of super-performance coupe from Mercedes-Benz's AMG division won't focus on pushing the outer boundaries of power. Instead, it will focus on something often left behind: agility.

    Getting power to the ground, then taming it through the curves, will ultimately make for a faster car than one that's simply outrageously powerful. Just ask a Lotus driver.

    But that's not to say that the next AMG Black Series coupe will be gutless - far from it.... Finding a way to make productive use of more than 500hp in a standard two-wheel drive configuration is a tough thing - at least without going to ridiculous tire and wheel sizes. So the next generation of super-performance coupe from Mercedes-Benz's AMG division won't focus on pushing the outer boundaries of power. Instead, it will focus on something often left behind: agility. Getting power to the ground, then taming it through the curves, will ultimately make for a faster car than one that's simply outrageously powerful. Just ask a Lotus driver. But that's not to say that the next AMG Black Series coupe will be gutless - far from it. Expect at least 500hp, as the next C63 AMG - currently the least powerful AMG model - will sit just above the 500hp mark as well, according to Autocar. Five hundred horsepower is more than enough to provide abundant rubber-burning fun, but not so much as to make the car useless below fourth gear. And with judicious use of engine electronics and technological wizardry, it could even return relatively economical fuel consumption and emissions figures. Based around the E-Class Coupe (pictured), the next Black Series will supplant the AMG E-Class Coupe, and instead focus on delivering the ultimate in balanced handling, power and speed. The current Black Series SL65 AMG is a brute with some serious capability, but its 4,125lb weight makes for less impressive transitional performance than its spec sheet might indicate. How Mercedes plans to achieve this lithe yet powerful beast isn't yet clear, but expect to see advanced materials including extensive use of carbon fiber to save weight.2010 Mercedes-Benz E-class Coupe Official Read More

  • Garage Saurus one of the first to tune Nissan’s GT-R SpecV

    Garage Saurus one of the first to tune Nissan’s GT-R SpecV June 23rd, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, June 23rd, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 1 Comment

    Garage Saurus one of the first to tune Nissan’s GT-R SpecV Like a fine piece of art or a perfectly cooked stake, the 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV is one of those cars that shouldn’t be fiddled with and just accepted as one of the best examples of automotive engineering on sale today. With more than 478hp (356kW) and 430lb-ft (580Nm) on tap and a kerb weight sliding just under 1,600kg, few would deem the car lacking in the performance department.

    If you are one of the lucky few to get your hands on the rare SpecV GT-R and are crazy enough to modify it, Japanese tuner Garage Saurus will soon be able to offer a full assortment of upgrades for the car.

    Starting with only the basics, Garage Saurus... Like a fine piece of art or a perfectly cooked stake, the 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV is one of those cars that shouldn’t be fiddled with and just accepted as one of the best examples of automotive engineering on sale today. With more than 478hp (356kW) and 430lb-ft (580Nm) on tap and a kerb weight sliding just under 1,600kg, few would deem the car lacking in the performance department. If you are one of the lucky few to get your hands on the rare SpecV GT-R and are crazy enough to modify it, Japanese tuner Garage Saurus will soon be able to offer a full assortment of upgrades for the car. Starting with only the basics, Garage Saurus have complied and installed a few choice upgrades from its range such as the Trust-GReddy full titanium exhaust kit, a custom high-flow intake, Blitz blow-off-valves, an uprated wastegate and a HKS ECU module. New 750cc Bosch fuel-injectors are being added to the car as you read this, along with more fine-tuning of the HKS ECU module. The car is still in the early development stage so no performance figures have been revealed as yet, but considering past Garage Saurus GT-Rs have developed in excess of 600hp (448kW) we should be seeing some big performance gains with the firm’s modified GT-R SpecV. Via: GTRBlog2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV Live shots Read More

  • Wald Int'l Black Bison Mercedes-Benz R-Class: cyberpunk family hauler

    Wald Int'l Black Bison Mercedes-Benz R-Class: cyberpunk family hauler June 15th, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, June 15th, 2009 Kenneth Hall 1 Comment

    Wald Int'l Black Bison Mercedes-Benz R-Class: cyberpunk family hauler Don't feel bad if you've never heard of the Merecedes-Benz R-Class. Yes, it's sold in America and yes, it's been out for quite a while now, but its dismal sales have been the exception to Mercedes' rule. That's what makes Wald's decision to give the not-quite-a-minivan the Black Bison treatment all the more mystifying.

    On the whole, the result is pleasing - the R-Class looks less like a minivan and more like a tallish wagon, but the hyper-modern cyberpunk front end and pizza-dish wheels seem at odds with the vehicle's rather more mundane mission. On the whole, however, even the busy and tech-heavy front end can't weight the overall... Don't feel bad if you've never heard of the Merecedes-Benz R-Class. Yes, it's sold in America and yes, it's been out for quite a while now, but its dismal sales have been the exception to Mercedes' rule. That's what makes Wald's decision to give the not-quite-a-minivan the Black Bison treatment all the more mystifying. On the whole, the result is pleasing - the R-Class looks less like a minivan and more like a tallish wagon, but the hyper-modern cyberpunk front end and pizza-dish wheels seem at odds with the vehicle's rather more mundane mission. On the whole, however, even the busy and tech-heavy front end can't weight the overall black-on-black package down. The rear view is especially nice thanks to an integrated rear diffuser and the new quad muffler tips. No word yet on what Wald will charge for the Black Bison R-Class upgrade kit, but considering it's only aero pieces and a custom exhaust, don't expect pricing to ride much higher than that of the recently-released Black Bison Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which starts around $5,000.Wald Black Bison Mercedes Benz R-Class Read More

  • Mercedes C-Class Estate gets the Black Bison treatment

    Mercedes C-Class Estate gets the Black Bison treatment June 12th, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, June 12th, 2009 Kenneth Hall 0 Comments

    Mercedes C-Class Estate gets the Black Bison treatment The Black Bison line of appearance packages from Wald has won notoriety for its treatment of everything from the Nissan GT-R to the Lexus IS-F and even Toyota's Land Cruiser. This time out, they've taken on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate, and come up with yet another extreme creation.

    If there's one consistent theme in the Black Bison method of madness, it's the use of extravagant aero kits to take the palette of the donor car to the next level. The Black Bison C-Class sedan is an especially good example of this, getting what looks like a spare barn door as a spoiler and a very aggressive front-end treatment.

    The Estate version gets the... The Black Bison line of appearance packages from Wald has won notoriety for its treatment of everything from the Nissan GT-R to the Lexus IS-F and even Toyota's Land Cruiser. This time out, they've taken on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate, and come up with yet another extreme creation. If there's one consistent theme in the Black Bison method of madness, it's the use of extravagant aero kits to take the palette of the donor car to the next level. The Black Bison C-Class sedan is an especially good example of this, getting what looks like a spare barn door as a spoiler and a very aggressive front-end treatment. The Estate version gets the same basic package with the exception of the monstrous spoiler, which obviously wouldn't work with the estate body style. In its place is a surprisingly reserved rear diffuser and roof lip spoiler. But with the huge alloy wheels, busy front end, front fender vents and custom interior going on, the Estate pulls off the look without needing anything more. Though some might say the sedan didn't need the whale-tail either. The kit is available, in Japan at least, for just over $5,000 (￥504,000) including tax. And for those that might rather do something else with any individual part of it, the pieces of the kit can be purchased separately. Via: Autoblog.nlWald Black Bison Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate Read More

  • Nissan GT-R SpecV turbochargers suggest room for more power

    Nissan GT-R SpecV turbochargers suggest room for more power June 5th, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, June 5th, 2009 Kenneth Hall 1 Comment

    Nissan GT-R SpecV turbochargers suggest room for more power For a long time now, news of the Nissan GT-R SpecV has been making the rounds, with many expecting the new model to outdo even the mighty Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 when it finally takes to the Nurburgring for an official run. Part of these rumors was the assumption that the SpecV model would not be receiving any significant power upgrades over the standard GT-R, but would instead focus on improving driving dynamics through weight reduction and handling modifications - assumptions, it appears, that may have been incorrect judging from recent pictures taken by Japanese tuner Garage Saurus comparing a standard GT-R with the SpecV.

    The image... For a long time now, news of the Nissan GT-R SpecV has been making the rounds, with many expecting the new model to outdo even the mighty Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 when it finally takes to the Nurburgring for an official run. Part of these rumors was the assumption that the SpecV model would not be receiving any significant power upgrades over the standard GT-R, but would instead focus on improving driving dynamics through weight reduction and handling modifications - assumptions, it appears, that may have been incorrect judging from recent pictures taken by Japanese tuner Garage Saurus comparing a standard GT-R with the SpecV. The image compares the exhaust wheels of the standard Series II GT-R and the new SpecV model, and while Nissan has never mentioned that the turbochargers were different in the new SpecV, it’s plain to see that the SpecV has a larger exhaust wheel with a flatter blade compared to the standard GT-R. The finding gives hope to tuners, who are hoping it’s an indication that the turbochargers in the SpecV will be able to churn out more power before they reach their limit. More importantly, it could mean that the SpecV model actually produces more power than the claimed 485hp (362kW). It wouldn't be the first time that Nissan has underrated the output of its GT-R models as the practice was common for variants of the previous R34 model due to Japan’s voluntary power limit of 276hp (206kW). Why Nissan failed to mention such a significant difference between the turbo units in the SpecV and the GT-R is anyone's guess, but it does go some way to explaining why individual component pricing for the SpecV shows the turbochargers listed as a separate part with a higher cost than the units on the regular GT-R. Via: GTRBlog2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV Live shots Read More

  • Avus Performance gives Audi A5 a menacing matte black finish

    Avus Performance gives Audi A5 a menacing matte black finish May 4th, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, May 4th, 2009 Kenneth Hall 1 Comment

    Avus Performance gives Audi A5 a menacing matte black finish After a tough go of things last week, Avus Performance is trying to spring back with a new matte black Audi A5 dubbed simply the A5 Coupe Matte Black. Though it offers a healthy boost to the pulling power of the V6 TDI under the hood, the main focuses are handling and appearance modifications.

    Central to the improved handling is a new set of KW coil-overs to give the car fully adjustable compression and rebound plus a lower, stiffer set of springs. Balancing the car on new 21in alloys, also finished in matte black, gives the car an aggressive, low look to match its stealth wrapper. LED tail lights give a bright red glow to offset the... After a tough go of things last week, Avus Performance is trying to spring back with a new matte black Audi A5 dubbed simply the A5 Coupe Matte Black. Though it offers a healthy boost to the pulling power of the V6 TDI under the hood, the main focuses are handling and appearance modifications. Central to the improved handling is a new set of KW coil-overs to give the car fully adjustable compression and rebound plus a lower, stiffer set of springs. Balancing the car on new 21in alloys, also finished in matte black, gives the car an aggressive, low look to match its stealth wrapper. LED tail lights give a bright red glow to offset the darkness. The 3.0L V6 TDI engine does get some extra go, however, ramping up to 275hp (205kW) and 442lb-ft (600Nm) of torque from the stock 235hp (175kW) and 370lb-ft (500Nm) of torque. Paired together with the handling upgrades, the car is surely a good bit livelier and more fun to drive than its stock counterpart. And that's a very good thing, considering the A5 Coupe Matte Black looks best-suited to robbery getaways, cross-border smuggling and terrorizing the suburbs at the hands of 17-year-olds with wealthy parents.Avus Performance A5 Coupe Matte Black Read More

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