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Motor Authority - blog Tag: Speed

  • Report: Veritas planning RS III Coupe, all-new SUV

    Report: Veritas planning RS III Coupe, all-new SUV July 23rd, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, July 23rd, 2009 Kenneth Hall 1 Comment

    Report: Veritas planning RS III Coupe, all-new SUV From its raging 600hp BMW M5 V10 engine to its complete lack of ABS and traction control and its single-seater speedster layout, the Veritas RS III is perhaps the most potent yet completely pure driving experience available on the street today. But a new report out of England has Veritas planning a Coupe and an all-new fully custom SUV.

    The Coupe will feature the same performance as the open-cockpit speedster, though the addition of a hard top necessitated a ground-up redesign.

    “The car has been completely redesigned; the only thing the same are the wheels,” said Michael Trick of Vermot AG, maker of the Veritas RS III,... From its raging 600hp BMW M5 V10 engine to its complete lack of ABS and traction control and its single-seater speedster layout, the Veritas RS III is perhaps the most potent yet completely pure driving experience available on the street today. But a new report out of England has Veritas planning a Coupe and an all-new fully custom SUV. The Coupe will feature the same performance as the open-cockpit speedster, though the addition of a hard top necessitated a ground-up redesign. “The car has been completely redesigned; the only thing the same are the wheels,” said Michael Trick of Vermot AG, maker of the Veritas RS III, speaking with Autocar. “The coupe version will have a sloping rear that runs to the back of the car and it is designed for markets like the Middle East, where they need air conditioning.” With acceleration providing a claimed 3.0 seconds to 60mph and a top speed of 224mph, it might be nice to have more than a helmet in the way of protection from wind and rain, so Veritas thinks it will be able to sell as many coupes as it does speedsters: 30 of each. The SUV also revealed by Trick is still in the very earliest stages, but with a completely unique design, custom carbon fiber body and a small aircraft engine powering it, the project is off to a uniquely Veritas start. The RS III speedster itself is currently making its world debut at London's Salon Prive.Veritas RS III Read More

  • Jesse James' hydrogen-powered land speed record claim comes under assault

    Jesse James' hydrogen-powered land speed record claim comes under assault June 23rd, 2009 ByJames Martinez James Martinez, Author, June 23rd, 2009 James Martinez 8 Comments

    Jesse James' hydrogen-powered land speed record claim comes under assault Jesse James, American engineer, stuntman and all around lunatic successfully shattered the land speed record for a hydrogen powered vehicle for his latest show Jesse James Is A Dead Man – a show in which he cheats death every week by taking on a different challenge. But not everyone is so sure of James' record.

    James, who is married to actress Sandra Bullock (who starred in Speed, somewhat fittingly), claimed to have broken the world land-speed record for a hydrogen powered car June 16 in the Mojave desert. Jesse's speed of 199.7mph (321km/h) was documented by the Southern California Timing Association and beat the previous record... Jesse James, American engineer, stuntman and all around lunatic successfully shattered the land speed record for a hydrogen powered vehicle for his latest show Jesse James Is A Dead Man – a show in which he cheats death every week by taking on a different challenge. But not everyone is so sure of James' record. James, who is married to actress Sandra Bullock (who starred in Speed, somewhat fittingly), claimed to have broken the world land-speed record for a hydrogen powered car June 16 in the Mojave desert. Jesse's speed of 199.7mph (321km/h) was documented by the Southern California Timing Association and beat the previous record holder, the BMW H2R, which previously held the land-speed record for an H2 car of 185mph (298km/h). However, the BMW record was FIA-certified, and the people who keep track of the world speed records aren't taking James' claim lightly. Louise Noeth, proprietor of a site that, among other things, compiles only official FIA-sanctioned world speed records, said of James' speed record attempt: "Mr. James efforts count for absolutely nothing on the world motorsports stage and amount to little more than a self-promoting 'TV racer' PR stunt since he chose to ignore the sport's sanctioning rules that have applied to all records certified for the past 80 years." James' camp hasn't yet released any counter-argument. The vehicle he used was a 1960s relic that has been used for attempts on land-speed records before, most notably by Dees-Milodin Engineering, which named the contraption the Streamliner for fairly obvious reasons. This time around, James rebuilt the vehicle from the ground up, replacing its Chrysler engine with a twin-turbocharged 9.8L V8 engine from Chevrolet. The engine uses hydrogen gas, rather than liquid hydrogen, and considering the old 1960s Chrysler-engined Streamliner was able to hit 237mph at the Bonneville salt flats without hydrogen, the 199.2mph speed claimed by James should have been easy going for the old girl. James, who has done some amazingly dangerous stunts for his show already, told AutoWeek that he was not even scared of doing the run - but if it was us barreling down a Southern Californian salt flat at world-record speeds with two tanks of hydrogen gas pressurized to 10,00psi sitting behind us we think we'd be just a little bit apprehensive. The show was filmed June 16 and will air as the season one finale on Sunday, August 9 (10:00 PM, ET/PT) on Spike TV. Read More

  • Mini Cooper roadster set for Frankfurt Motor Show

    Mini Cooper roadster set for Frankfurt Motor Show June 3rd, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, June 3rd, 2009 Kenneth Hall 7 Comments

    Mini Cooper roadster set for Frankfurt Motor Show Mini has been a giant success story for BMW, with the iconic little cars becoming almost ubiquitous throughout cities these days. With brand success comes more models, and BMW has already capitalized on the Mini name in a big way with new variants such as the Clubman as well as an upcoming crossover model, and this trend is set to continue with the introduction of a two-seater convertible roadster.

    There has been speculation about a two-seater convertible Mini for some time, and according to Autocar the new model will appear in “near-production” form at this September’s Frankfurt Motor Show and arrive in showrooms by early... Mini has been a giant success story for BMW, with the iconic little cars becoming almost ubiquitous throughout cities these days. With brand success comes more models, and BMW has already capitalized on the Mini name in a big way with new variants such as the Clubman as well as an upcoming crossover model, and this trend is set to continue with the introduction of a two-seater convertible roadster. There has been speculation about a two-seater convertible Mini for some time, and according to Autocar the new model will appear in “near-production” form at this September’s Frankfurt Motor Show and arrive in showrooms by early 2010. Making the car a strict two-seater means that BMW can use the same platform that the Mini Cooper Cabrio currently sits on. With the back seats removed, the roadster should have a decent sized boot, and BMW will be able to easily mix and match engines and other parts from its current stock for the eventual roadster lineup. At the front, Mini’s now hallmark bonnet will likely appear with a split grille, however, the roadster will be much sportier than the current range of Mini models. This means that it will likely be lower and wider than its four-seat siblings and will definitely be the most aggressive Mini of the bunch. The car will most likely have a soft-top to keep weight down, but a removable hard-top should also be available. Under the hood, expect to see the plethora of engines that are currently seen in the MINI Cooper - including the 173hp (129 kW) 1.6L turbo engine found in the Cooper S.2012 Mini Cooper Speedster preview Read More

  • Car and track listing announced for Need for Speed: Shift

    Car and track listing announced for Need for Speed: Shift May 31st, 2009 By Nelson Ireson Nelson Ireson, Author, May 31st, 2009 Nelson Ireson 22 Comments

    Car and track listing announced for Need for Speed: Shift For the driving simulator fan, the Need for Speed series holds a certain nostalgia as one of the first really fun and engaging car games. For the past 15 years the franchise has expanded on that theme, evolving to a level of realistic graphics and fun-focused gameplay that everyone can get on board with. The latest chapter in the series, Need for Speed: Shift, promises to deliver on the fun while upping the reality factor.

    Now with the release of the latest instalment in the series, 'Need for Speed: SHIFT', the franchise is set to become more driver focused, in the same vein as Forza and the GT series. If that wasn't enough to get you... For the driving simulator fan, the Need for Speed series holds a certain nostalgia as one of the first really fun and engaging car games. For the past 15 years the franchise has expanded on that theme, evolving to a level of realistic graphics and fun-focused gameplay that everyone can get on board with. The latest chapter in the series, Need for Speed: Shift, promises to deliver on the fun while upping the reality factor. Now with the release of the latest instalment in the series, 'Need for Speed: SHIFT', the franchise is set to become more driver focused, in the same vein as Forza and the GT series. If that wasn't enough to get you excited, then the contents of a full track and car list for the game has been revealed with some cars and tracks that we are definitely looking forward to testing out. This includes favored testing track, the Nordschleife Nurburgring as well as other race tracks such as Laguna Seca, Road America, Silverstone, and Brands Hatch. Drivers can also race in London and Tokyo, as well as other cities. Developed in conjunction with Slightly Mad Studios, which also worked on the GT Legends and the insanely hardcore GTR2 simulators, the Electronic Arts game will focus on real on-track racing rather than street racing or tuner mods like some previous NFS titles. To help immerse the driver in the game, fully modeled interiors and highly detailed exteriors give a sense of actually being in the car and wheel-to-wheel with the competition. As these screenshots show, the motion blur and lighting are also top-notch. EA has previously announced that the game will be released for sale in the U.S. on September 22, while European fans will be able to buy it five days earlier. Until it hits store shelves, however, we'll have to get by on these still screen shots. Track List Autopolis International Racing Course Ambush Canyon Brands Hatch Dakota Ebisu Circuit Glendale Hazyview Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca London Miytomi Nordschleife Road America Rustle Creek Silverstone Circuit de Spa Francorchamps Tokyo Willow Springs Car List 2006 Aston Martin DBR9 2009 Audi R8 LMS 2008 Audi R8 2008 Audi RS 4 2007 Audi S3 2007 Audi TT 3.2 quattro 2006 Audi S4 BMW M3 E36 BMW M3 E46 BMW M3 E92 2008 BMW 135i Coupé 2009 BMW M3 GT2 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupé 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 2006 Dodge Challenger Concept 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 Vaughn Gittin Jr's 2010 Falken Tire Ford Mustang GT 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 2007 Ford Focus ST 2006 Ford GT 2006 Need For Speed Shelby Terlingua 1996 Ford Escort RS Cosworth 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 2006 Honda Civic Si 2000 Honda S2000 2006 Koenigsegg CCX 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 2007 Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 2007 Lamborghini Reventón 2006 Lotus Elise 111R 2007 Lotus Exige S 2005 Maserati MC12 GT1 2008 Mazda MX-5 2006 Mazda RX-8 1995 Mazda RX-7 1994 McLaren F1 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer EVOLUTION 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer EVOLUTION IX MR-edition 2003 Infiniti G35 (V35) 1997 Nissan 200SX (S14) 2009 Nissan 370Z (Z34) 2006 Nissan 350Z (Z33) 2009 Nissan GT-R SpecV (R35) 2008 Nissan GT-R (R35) 2000 Nissan Silvia (S15) spec.R AERO 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) 1972 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R 1992 Nissan 240SX (S13) 2006 Pagani Zonda F 2010 Pagani Zonda R 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 2009 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 2006 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 2004 Porsche Carrera GT 2007 Porsche Cayman S 2008 Renault Mégane RS 2007 SEAT Leon CUPRA 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 2007 Lexus LF-A Concept 2008 SCION tC 1986 Toyota Corolla GTS (A86) 2008 Volkswagen Scirocco 2006 Volkswagen Golf GTINeed for Speed: Shift screenshots Read More

  • Modified Audi A4 hits record 226.6mph top speed on bio-gas

    Modified Audi A4 hits record 226.6mph top speed on bio-gas May 27th, 2009 ByJames Martinez James Martinez, Author, May 27th, 2009 James Martinez 1 Comment

    Modified Audi A4 hits record 226.6mph top speed on bio-gas The search for less-toxic alternative fuels is leading in many promising directions, one of which is bio-gas. Effectively a form of natural gas made from plants, the fuel was used this week to speed a modified B7 Audi A4 quattro to a new bio-gas world speed record of 226.6mph (364.6km/h).

    Despite running on a mixture of methane and other gases generated by the controlled decomposition of grass clippings and sawdust, the Audi A4 used for the speed record generates a massive 700hp (522kW) from its overbored twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 engine. What’s more impressive is that the powerplant is capable of producing upwards of 800hp (597kW),... The search for less-toxic alternative fuels is leading in many promising directions, one of which is bio-gas. Effectively a form of natural gas made from plants, the fuel was used this week to speed a modified B7 Audi A4 quattro to a new bio-gas world speed record of 226.6mph (364.6km/h). Despite running on a mixture of methane and other gases generated by the controlled decomposition of grass clippings and sawdust, the Audi A4 used for the speed record generates a massive 700hp (522kW) from its overbored twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 engine. What’s more impressive is that the powerplant is capable of producing upwards of 800hp (597kW), but output was limited this time ‘round to keep the transmission intact. The project was completed as part of the Community Center of Excellence program at TUV Rheinland, with help in construction and execution from local tuning and transport companies. TUV Rhineland, the organizer of the record run, counts the result as a huge success. "We wanted to show," said Dr. Stefan Behrning, who oversaw the speed test for the organizers, "that bio-gas technology is highly suitable for ecological motoring without fossil fuels. Ecology and driving fun are not mutually exclusive." While burning bio-gas does create atmospheric emissions, the process is CO2 neutral because the carbon dioxide released was captured from the atmosphere only months or years before by the fuelstock, rather than eons ago when the carbon in fossil fuels was captured. Read More

  • U.S.-spec Mazdaspeed3 officially unveiled at New York Auto Show

    U.S.-spec Mazdaspeed3 officially unveiled at New York Auto Show April 9th, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, April 9th, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 5 Comments

    U.S.-spec Mazdaspeed3 officially unveiled at New York Auto Show Mazda used last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show to debut the new 2010 Mazda3 Sedan, and then followed it with the reveal of the Hatchback model at the Bologna Motor Show just one month later. There is still one more variant of the Mazda3 in the works and it is set to make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show this week.

    The car is the sporty Mazdaspeed (MPS) model and it has now been revealed ahead of its official world debut. We can finally confirm that it will come with the same MZR 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine as the current model, with output pegged at 260hp (191kW) and 280lb-ft (380Nm) of torque. This is matched... Mazda used last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show to debut the new 2010 Mazda3 Sedan, and then followed it with the reveal of the Hatchback model at the Bologna Motor Show just one month later. There is still one more variant of the Mazda3 in the works and it is set to make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show this week. The car is the sporty Mazdaspeed (MPS) model and it has now been revealed ahead of its official world debut. We can finally confirm that it will come with the same MZR 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine as the current model, with output pegged at 260hp (191kW) and 280lb-ft (380Nm) of torque. This is matched to a stiffer body, a suspension system with greater damping strength, Mazda's electro-hydraulic power assisted steering (EHPAS), as well as specially tuned brakes. Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes 6.1 seconds and velocity tops out at 250km/h. A six-speed manual and FWD is fitted as standard. Fuel-consumption, meanwhile, comes in at 24mpg (9.7L/100km). The gear ratios in the compact, three-shaft gearbox have also been revised, with 2nd through 5th gear all getting slightly taller to make better use of the engine's torque. The new gear spacing and refined engine calibration are focused on providing more linear, seamless power delivery. The advanced torque management system, which minimizes torque steer by adjusting torque output based on gear position and steering angle, has also been recalibrated. The new gear ratios allow more of the engine's torque to be utilized in the lower gears while still keeping torque steer at a manageable level. Differentiating the Mazdaspeed from the regular Mazda3 lineup is a large hood scoop for the turbo, oversized air-intakes in the front bumper, a rear diffuser, large-diameter twin-exhaust pipes, 18in aluminum alloy wheels, and a chunky rear wing. Inside, there’s a driver-oriented dash, an LED highlighted boost gauge, bucket front seats, and exclusive black trim. The new Mazda3 Mazdaspeed will go on sale in Europe in the second quarter of the year and should reach the U.S. before the end of the year. The Japanese carmaker will also use this week’s Geneva event to unveil a Mazda3 with i-stop technology – a fuel-saving engine stop-start feature.2010 Mazda3 Sedan2010 Mazda3 Hatchback2010 Mazda3 Mazdaspeed (MPS)2010 Mazda3 MPS Read More

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