TopSpeed Daily Update |  |
- Vencer Sarthe
- TVS Apache RTR 160 Hyper Edge
- One Step Closer to Self-Driving Cars, as California Senate Approves Bill
- BMW 1-Series Sedan
- Video: Nissan Project 370Z - Stage Two
- Porsche Cayenne Vantage 2 "Lemon" by Top Car
- 2012 Grand Prix of Monaco is in the books
- Skoda Yeti
- FL Judge Deems it Legal to Flash Lights to Warn Others of a Speed Trap
- Audi Planning to Eliminate Rearview Mirrors in Le Mans Cars
| Posted: 29 May 2012 09:00 AM PDT
Following in the trail blazed by the likes of the Savage Rivale GTS and the Spyker C12 Zagato comes another super car bearing the proud colors of the Oranje. This new piece of four-wheeled exoticness goes by the name of Vencer Sarthe, a hand-built model by the fine folks of Vencer, who apparently want to break into the growing super car market of the European country. Despite looking a little bland for a super car - the rear end looks like a boring mess of blah - the Sarthe boasts of the finest materials that are "supercar worthy." For example, the entire body is made out of carbon fiber - always a good thing - while also carrying a space frame chassis that’s been built of steel and chrome-moly tubing. It rides on a new set of either 19" or 20 alloy wheels. Again, that’s cool to know. More than that, the Sarthe’s calling card - as with any other exotic for that matter - is its power train. Packing a mid-mounted V8 engine, the Dutch super car is capable of producing 503 horsepower and 480 lb/ft of torque while mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Those figures translate to a 0-62 mph time of just 3.8 seconds with an impressive top speed of 202 mph. As with most niche super car models, don’t expect a mass produced Sarthe anytime soon. Vencer has already said that production will be very limited and we’re not about to start questioning that decision. After all, for a company that’s still looking to break into an extremely competitive industry, testing out the waters sounds like a pretty good idea. Vencer Sarthe originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 16:00 EST.
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| Posted: 29 May 2012 09:00 AM PDT
Despite carrying a rather long name, the TVS Apache RTR 160 Hyper Edge performs just like its name - with an edge. First released in 2007, the Apache RTR 160 has received a number of upgrades leading up to its current state. And in the five years that it’s been in existence, it’s chalked an impressive list of features that certainly bears noticing. In terms of styling, the Apache RTR 160 Hyper Edge was designed to reek of attitude, thanks in large part to the fluid racing stripes, the luminous rims, and the race crouch mirrors that epitomize its RTR racing pedigree. Smart-looking aluminum foot pegs also add a touch of class to the bike while the new look silencer canister makes a bold statement to anyone who sees it out on the road. The clip-on handlebars also allows you to be able to bank the bike better, allowing you to play with the curves like nobody’s business. As far as the engine is concerned, the Apache RTR 160 Hyper Edge comes powered by a 4 stroke, 159.7 cc, single that produces 15.2 horsepower at 8,500 rpm and 13.1 Nm at 6,000 rpm. It may not look like much, but those numbers are more than enough to get you where you need to go in style. Find out more about the TVS Apache RTR 160 Hyper Edge after the jump. TVS Apache RTR 160 Hyper Edge originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 16:00 EST.
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| One Step Closer to Self-Driving Cars, as California Senate Approves Bill Posted: 29 May 2012 08:00 AM PDT
Looks like states are finally jumping on the autonomous-driving bandwagon, but this time it has a little "oomph" behind it. Having Nevada pass a bill specifically to allow and regulate automated driving was great, but this time it's California that gave it the green light. California's driving and automotive laws have always had a big influence on federal laws – except lane splitting, thank goodness – so chances are more states will follow and the NHTSA will eventually jump on board. The thing to remember here is that this bill was not to allow autonomous cars to drive on California roads, as California has no laws barring self-driving cars. This law is to govern the production and testing of these cars in hopes of giving manufacturers a clear set of rules regarding these cars, which may press more automakers into this realm. The first thing that California cleared up is defining an autonomous vehicle. This is any vehicle that can drive without any human intervention, so this eliminates Cadillac's self-driving car for now and leaves only the Google car (seen in the above video). It also specifies that it is legal to manufacture your own autonomous car and drive it on California highways, which is an interesting topic of debate. The bill goes on to state that the car must have a licensed driver in the driver's seat and that driver must be designated by the car's builder as a legal driver for said vehicle. The only exception to this rule is on a closed course. The manufacturer must also have an insurance policy or bond in the amount of $5 million prior to testing the vehicle. From there the bill goes on to define what safety issues the manufacturer, car, and driver must comply with. Keep in mind that this is only the first step for this bill, as it must pass the State Assembly next. Given the bill passed 37 – 0, we doubt it will be held up. Click past the jump to read the bill. Yes, it is in regular English, not "politicianese." One Step Closer to Self-Driving Cars, as California Senate Approves Bill originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 15:00 EST.
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| Posted: 29 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT
BMW’s plans to shake up their lineup and hit their sales target of two millions cars a year by 2020 is in full force. They have already decided to split their 1-Series line into the 1-Series Hatchback, 1-Series Three Door, and 1-Series Five Door, and create a 2-Series line that consists of the old 1-Series Coupe and Convertible models. Now, they are preparing to launch a new baby sedan that will target models like the upcoming Audi A3 sedan, which is set to arrive on the US market in 2013. The new 1-Series sedan will arrive after the 2-Series coupe and convertible are launched in 2014. While the current 1-Series features a front-wheel-drive system, the sedan version will adopt a rear-wheel-drive platform - the one same that will be used for the 1-Series GT. Under the hood, there will be both four and six-cylinder engines, while an electric version is being considered. Expect to see the new BMW 1-Series sedan launched in 2015. In terms of pricing, the Sedan will be placed under the current 3-Series, which starts off at $35,795. BMW 1-Series Sedan originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 14:00 EST.
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| Video: Nissan Project 370Z - Stage Two Posted: 29 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT
When Nissan last updated us with their Project 370Z last month, they were still in the process of building the car’s powertrain, which, incidentally, was chosen by the fans. Ever the quintessential power junkies, the fans wanted the car to have more power, so Nissan obliged by fitting in a Greddy twin turbo kit that increased the total output of the custom 370Z to an impressive 500 horsepower. To accommodate the increased output, Nissan also added a Greedy Ti-C catback exhaust system, a KW suspension kit, and a stop-tech big brake kit. Moving on to Stage Two of Project 370Z, Nissan went about the interior design of the car, as well as putting it up on the dyno for some much-needed testing. Project 370Z mechanic Steve Lam can be seen on the video discussing the process involved in putting the 370Z up on the dyno, as well as the decisions made on the design of the sports car’s interior. If you’ve been following this series, it’s a must-watch video. If you’re catching up, you can check out part one of the video series after the jump and work your way up to part two. Video: Nissan Project 370Z - Stage Two originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 13:00 EST.
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| Porsche Cayenne Vantage 2 "Lemon" by Top Car Posted: 29 May 2012 05:00 AM PDT
Some people just have the weirdest tastes. Russian tuner, Top Car, has made some of the fanciest tuning programs for Porsche vehicles, but their latest iteration of their vaunted Cayenne Vantage 2 seems to have taken a turn for the lemon. Commissioned by one of its customers, Top Car was tasked to build a Cayenne Vantage 2, albeit with a colorful dress up along the way. So the Russian tuner acquiesced to the request and built the Cayenne Vantage 2 Lemon. As the name suggests, the Porsche SUV has been dressed in a special, one-off color - Citreous Lemon - that’s been accented by a special Pearl Lime paint covering various areas of the exterior. Likewise, the interior of the Cayenne also gets black leather perforated seat centers with lime green piping. The program also includes a new body kit that’s comprised of a new front bumper, wheel arch extenders, side skirts, a new bonnet, kicker plates, a boot lid spoiler, and a diffuser tail. Sounds pretty similar to Top Car’s Cayenne Vantage 2 program, right? In addition, the Cayenne Vantage 2 Lemon also gets the same performance modification done on the standard model, one that includes a new software engine management system, new air filters, and a new sports exhaust system. All told, the SUV is capable of producing an output of 780 horsepower, a significant increase from the standard model’s 500-horsepower output. Porsche Cayenne Vantage 2 "Lemon" by Top Car originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 12:00 EST.
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| 2012 Grand Prix of Monaco is in the books Posted: 29 May 2012 04:00 AM PDT
As always, the Grand Prix of Monaco provided a fairly spectacular showing, likely one of the few in this year's F1 series. As most would expect, Circuit de Monaco lap-time record holder and five-time winner, Michael Schumacher took the pole position, but officials forced him back five grid positions after he caused a collision during qualifying. With the technical nature of Monaco, that pole position is very important and Schumacher's penalty was an ominous sign that this would not be a good race, as he retired due to fuel issues 63 laps in. Schumacher's penalty propelled Red Bull's Mark Webber into the pole position. Webber held onto that pole position, despite a lead change during a pit stop, and took home the checkered flag on a rain-coated Circuit de Monaco. As we said in our preview of the 2012 Grand Prix of Monaco, this race had some serious overall points influence, as the leaders were only separated by a few points each. This victory for Webber places propels him up to a second place tie with Sebastian Vettel at 73 points and puts Fernando Alonso, who finished third, in the points lead at 76. An impressive run by Nico Rosberg placed him in second, just behind Webber, proving that his wide margin of victory in China was not just a one-time deal. This superb finish by Rosberg jumps him up two slots to fifth place overall. From the looks of it, this season is shaping up to be a rather close points race with a few new faces near the top. Unfortunately, the leader board, for the most part, looks identical to the 2011 and 2010 seasons. The lack of parody in F1 has really been its Achilles heel in recent history. An overall points victory by Nico Rosberg would certainly be a push in the right direction for F1, so we'll keep a close eye on his performance. Click past the jump to see the complete placement board for the 2012 Grand Prix of Monaco and the overall points standings. 2012 Grand Prix of Monaco is in the books originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 11:00 EST.
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| Posted: 29 May 2012 03:00 AM PDT
The Skoda Yeti was introduced at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show and, believe it or not, soon became a successful model on the European market. Since then, however, an abundance of new competitors have joined the small-SUV market, so the Yeti needs a redesign to keep up pace. These latest spy shots are the first images of that exact redesign. The prototype caught testing has only been camouflaged at the front and rear meaning that just these two parts will be redesigned. Up front, the facelift Yeti will receive a new front bumper with bigger air intakes for a more masculine look. The chrome bar on top of the grille will also be changed and will get a look similar to the one previewed by the Concept Mission L, which is same one that will be used for the upcoming Skoda Rapid. The graphics on the headlights look as if they will get some changes too. At the rear, there will be a new, redesigned bumper and new rear light graphics. As far as power goes, there have been some new engines in the Skoda family lately, so some of the new engines will more than likely find their way under the hood of the facelift Yeti. Expect to see the new Skoda Yeti launched in September at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. Skoda Yeti originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 10:00 EST.
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| FL Judge Deems it Legal to Flash Lights to Warn Others of a Speed Trap Posted: 29 May 2012 02:00 AM PDT
Nearly every driver has done it, but we all fear getting pulled over for doing it. No, not speeding. We mean flashing your headlights to warn oncoming traffic of a cop car hidden off the side of the road getting ready to pounce on a fast driver. Most of us have been told at some point that the practice is illegal, but I once learned that it actually is not illegal, just frowned upon. Apparently, the police in Seminole County, FL seem to have not gotten the memo that there is no law forbidding it in Florida, or any other state, and handed a ticket to a driver for that exact reason. They certainly got that memo in direct fashion as a Florida judge ruled against the Seminole police saying that flashing your lights to warn other drivers of a speed trap is covered under free speech. This court date was just a civil hearing and the driver still has yet to take the ticket to traffic court, which he surely will win. The worst part of the whole thing is that the police officer gave the driver, Ryan Kintner, the ticket based on Florida's law banning aftermarket flashing lights on civilian cars. Flashing your headlights is in no way having an aftermarket flashing light on your car. That is abuse of power to a "T," but we're not here to debate police and their power. Now, before you all go out there and start flashing your lights like crazy to oncoming traffic every time you see a cop, make sure to review your state, county and city laws in regards to high beam usage. Every state or municipality has a rule on when you have to dim your high beam lights, most of which are at 500 feet from the oncoming traffic or 200 feet from traffic heading in the same direction as you. FL Judge Deems it Legal to Flash Lights to Warn Others of a Speed Trap originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 09:00 EST.
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| Audi Planning to Eliminate Rearview Mirrors in Le Mans Cars Posted: 28 May 2012 09:00 PM PDT
One feature that automakers have teased us with and even installed on concept cars is an LED screen and camera in the place of the old-style rearview mirror. With all of the cameras placed all around cars these days, like Subaru's EyeSight system and the various backup cameras, we are surprised this hasn't become a reality. The assumed reasons for rearview screens not taking the place of rearview mirrors are NHTSA and DOT regulations. Honestly, we don't see why the NHTSA and DOT would think a hunk of glass glued to the windshield is safer than a crisp LED image from an HD camera. Then again those two government offices – as with all government offices – make strange regulations. Apparently an LED screen and camera are plenty for Audi's future Le Mans cars, as the automaker has just announced, via a press release, that its closed LMP prototype will run with an AMOLED screen in place of the mirror and a rear-mounted camera feeding the images to the screen. The main reasoning behind this is that the LMP prototype's cabin is fully closed, with exception of the front windshield, so a rearview mirror would display nothing but the rear wall of the cabin. So, if this technology is good enough for racecars, why are we not seeing it installed in street cars yet? Well, we just very well might, as you likely do not remember, but the rearview mirror was not used on motor cars until Ray Harroun's Marmon "Wasp" used one in the first Indianapolis 500, in 1911. It later became standard per NHTSA regulations for all cars to come with this item, thanks to its overwhelming success in racing. Odds are that if this system is successful in racing that the NHTSA will adopt it, especially given the fact that rearview cameras are soon to become mandatory on all vehicle. Click past the jump to read the full press release. Audi Planning to Eliminate Rearview Mirrors in Le Mans Cars originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 04:00 EST.
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