TopSpeed Daily Update |  |
- Tesla Launches Model S Design Studio for Custom Ordering
- David Coulthard sets record by catching a golf ball while driving a Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster
- Saleen S7 by AE Performance and ADV.1 wheels
- Two Men Battle to Parallel Park Their Way into the Guinness Book of World Records
- KTM X-Bow R Police Cruiser by MTM
- Toyota GT86 gets new accessories in the German market
- Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT
- Volvo XC90
- Ferrari to Develop Two Engines for Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia to Share
- Volvo XC40
| Tesla Launches Model S Design Studio for Custom Ordering Posted: 05 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT
Tesla is starting the beginning phases of production for its Model S sports sedan and it is easier than ever to order a model custom fitted just for you. Tesla's new design studio allows you to dive right in and add in the options that you prefer, ranging from performance altering battery packs to interior color and accents. Even if you aren't looking to snag up a new Tesla Model S, the system is pretty cool nonetheless. There are loads of features to choose from, even on the base Model S, which starts out at $57,000 and ranges up to $97,000 when fully stocked with every available option. These options include high-powered wall connector and twin chargers, an 80kWh battery for 4.4-second 0-60 time and 300 miles per charge, a 580-watt audio system, and loads more. The highest price we could build comes in at $110,550. This is the range-topping model S Signature Performance model with optional rear-facing seats, paint armor, panoramic glass roof, and a high-power wall connector. That's still not too shabby for a car that goes up to 300 miles on a charge, hits 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds, and looks sexy doing it. Unlike other car designing sites for more popular manufacturers, Tesla doesn't need to find a model that is the closest to meeting your selected options; Tesla builds your Model S with all of the options you selected. Pretty cool, huh? So, have a look at the Tesla Model S design studio and see what the options are. You will likely be pretty amazed at what these electric cars can offer you, even at the base level. Tesla Launches Model S Design Studio for Custom Ordering originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 June 2012 15:00 EST.
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| David Coulthard sets record by catching a golf ball while driving a Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster Posted: 05 Jun 2012 07:30 AM PDT
We understand if you’re a little bewildered by what the title states. Trust us, when we found out about it, we shared the exact same sentiments. We know that there are some unusual world records out there, but to be honest, we had no idea that there’s now one that involves the farthest distance you can catch a golf ball in a moving car. How come we’ve never tried that before? In any case, F1 legend and AMG brand ambassador David Coulthard used a 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster to accomplish the feat, a record that is now in the process of being entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. For the record-setting attempt, Coulthard was joined by pro golfer Jake Shepherd with the latter being responsible for driving the golf ball as Coulthard blasted his SLS AMG Roadster. From 900 feet where the ball was struck - at a speed of 178 mph, no less - Coulthard managed to catch the ball while driving at a speed of 120 mph. And the best part of this record-setting attempt? It only took two tries for David to catch the ball. Nevertheless, the unusual nature of the entire activity wasn’t lost on the F1 icon. "This world record attempt is definitely one of the most unusual things I've ever been asked to do with a car," Coulthard said. "Jake Shepherd was great to work with and the performance of the SLS AMG Roadster made driving to catch a mid-air golf ball even more exciting. I am honored to have received the Guinness World Record for the furthest golf shot caught in a car." The video of the stunt will be released next month. So for now, check out the photos released by AMG of how it all went down. David Coulthard sets record by catching a golf ball while driving a Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 June 2012 14:30 EST.
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| Saleen S7 by AE Performance and ADV.1 wheels Posted: 05 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT
It's hard to imagine that the American produced Saleen S7 actually went into production exactly 10 years ago, and its theoretical performance figures are still the envy of many automotive manufacturers around the world. Featuring a massive 7.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine, the S7 could pump out 750 horsepower when it was new, and launch to 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds despite being rear-wheel drive. Saleen claimed that the S7 could hit a top speed of 248mph which could have made it the fastest production car in the world, but for some unknown reason, the American company never took it to the absolute limits. Ten years later, the S7 has yet to prove its ultimate performance potential, but thanks to the addition of new ADV5.2 Track Spec SL wheels from ADV.1, the Saleen S7 has finally reached its true potential, despite it only being aesthetically. ADV.1 Wheels joined forces with AE Performance to perform the upgrade and it's suspected that AE performed some minor tweaks to the car's engine, although no details have been released about that. Anyway, the wheels fitted to this particular S7 are true works of art, and are one of the company's lightest wheels, even featuring a titanium nameplate and titanium bolts to cut down on weight and measure 19x9.5 inches at front and 20x12 at the rear. Saleen S7 by AE Performance and ADV.1 wheels originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 June 2012 14:00 EST.
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| Two Men Battle to Parallel Park Their Way into the Guinness Book of World Records Posted: 05 Jun 2012 06:30 AM PDT
It's a mundane and tedious task that no one likes to do and everyone avoids like the plague, regardless of the fact that we all had to learn it before getting our driver's license. That's right; we're talking about the squeezing your car between the front bumper of one car and the rear bumper of the other, also known as parallel parking. Some people are really good at this task, especially those that live in larger cities that have primarily street parking (see: New York City) and some of them are really bad. The guys in the above video are definitely in the former category, as they set the Guinness Books record for the tightest parallel parking job multiple times, constantly one-upping each other. The first driver of the red Mini Cooper manages to perfectly drift this sub-compact ride into a space that is just 21 cm (8.3 inches) longer than his car, which sets the record. He then gets beaten by a second driver that hits 20 cm (7.9-inches). The back and forth continues until the record is finally set in stone at 15 cm (5.9 inches). Guinness uses the term "parallel parking" pretty loosely in this sense, as there is no attempt to pull the car out of the tight space, which is a part of parallel parking. We definitely think that the record should be set by the person that can get the car into the tightest space then out of it without contacting another car, but we are sticklers for reality. Enjoy the video as these high-performance parkers slide their way into curb-side-parking fame. Two Men Battle to Parallel Park Their Way into the Guinness Book of World Records originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 June 2012 13:30 EST.
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| KTM X-Bow R Police Cruiser by MTM Posted: 05 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT
Monaco is pretty well known as the land of supercars, as it has arguably the highest concentration of supercars roaming its streets than any other country in the world. With all of these supercars, it makes life a little difficult for law enforcement to catch speeders. Often times, cars are simply flagged down by foot patrol officers, because Monaco officials know that chasing down a high-powered Lamborghini is fruitless. Another thing about Monaco, which we know from the Grand Prix of Monaco, is that its roads are chock-full of crazy twists and turns, so agility may be even more important than overall speed. So what are the Monaco Police to do when they finally decide it is time for a crackdown on these crazy drivers? Well, buy one of the most lightweight and agile supercars in the world, the KTM X-Bow R by MTM, of course. This MTM-tuned KTM X-Bow R pumps out a low-for-a-supercar 400 horsepower from its 2.0-liter engine. It makes up for this relative lack of power by being the Calista Flockhart of supercars and weighing only 1,700 lbs. To give you a better idea of how awesome this car is, it only has 4.25 lbs per horsepower, which is drastically better than that Lamborghini Aventador's 4.96 lbs per horsepower and the Ferrari 599 GTB's flabby 6 lbs per horsepower. The only supercar to beat the KTM X-Bow R by MTM in weight-to-power is the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, which comes in at 4.15 lbs per horsepower. Now that is some impressive company to be in. If you still don't believe us that the KTM X-Bow R by MTM is the car to be chasing down supercar speeders in Monaco, have a look at the video of the police testing it after the jump. That should be plenty to convince you that it is one bad-ass supercar killer. KTM X-Bow R Police Cruiser by MTM originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 June 2012 13:00 EST.
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| Toyota GT86 gets new accessories in the German market Posted: 05 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT
The Toyota GT 86 is fast becoming a popular sports car choice in a number of worldwide markets, so much so that a country like Germany will receive a host of new accessories for the Japanese sports coupe. Hey, if Italy can get the 86 First Edition, the Germans sure aren’t far behind. Remember, the GT 86 is being prepared as a no-frills sports car, so if you want to add your own personal touches to it, you can do so at your own behest. In order to address people’s needs for creativity, Toyota Germany has released a number of new accessories that can be seen on the sports car. Taking a look at the package, it appears pretty similar to the one being offered in Italy. The racing stripes on the hood and the roof are there, as are the decals on the sides. On the flip side, the German accessories for the GT 86 also include carbon fiber mirror caps, a choice of wheels - the OZ racing Ultraleggera alloys cost €529 ($657) - suspension tweaks, a new JBL sound system, and a touch-screen display with navigation. Those last three accessories cost €189 ($234), €1,045 ($1,300), and €695 ($863), respectively. If you needed proof that the GT 86 is becoming a hot ticket in multiple towns, you only need to look at two countries that are famous for their super cars - Italy and Germany - showing some serious love for the Japanese sports coupe to realize that the GT 86 is here to stay. Toyota GT86 gets new accessories in the German market originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 June 2012 12:00 EST.
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| Posted: 05 Jun 2012 04:00 AM PDT
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG has only been in production for a couple of years, and it has already been superseded by what is, in essence, its successor: the SLS AMG GT. The Mercedes SLS AMG GT was officially launched just hours ago, officially killing off the SLS AMG. The brand new SLS AMG GT has replaced all standard SLS models, despite the changes only being minor. If we haven't already made it clear, then here it is again: the SLS AMG is officially dead, and the car now wears a new name plate as the 'GT,' rather than the GT being a special variant of the standard car. We're not sure why Mercedes decided to replace the standard car with the new GT, but it's clear that the German brand wanted to update the SLS and perhaps decided to slightly modify the name to help differentiate the new car from the old one. Let's jump straight into the details, shall we? Well, to begin with the new SLS AMG GT features the same 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine as the former SLS AMG, however, it's been uprated. With an additional 20 horsepower, this brings the final figure up to 583HP thus giving it more than the Ferrari 458 Italia, one of the car's biggest competitors. Despite this small horsepower increase, torque has remained the same at 479 lb-ft, as has the stunning seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. After all, why mess with a good thing, such as the gearbox? Further technical changes have been implemented for the GT, including a reworked suspension which is said to be more aggressive and stiffer than all previous models. In turn the new car can shoot to 62 mph in just 3.6 seconds, down from 3.7 in the last 2012 SLS AMG model, although that small drop is so insignificant it's almost not worth mentioning. Minor upgrades have also been performed on the interior with the addition of the new Designo styling package being the largest change, while the vast list of optional extras from the SLS AMG can also be optioned on the new GT. The Mercedes SLS AMG GT may not roll off the tongue as nicely as just SLS AMG, but it's something we'll have to get used to. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 June 2012 11:00 EST.
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| Posted: 20 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PST
For the longest time, we have been treated to Volvos that have the cutting edge design of a loaf of bread. It’s been one of the biggest knocks on the Swedish brand, and it appears that the company is determined to introduce a new generation of vehicles that will be a lot edgier than what we’re used to. One of the next-generation models that’s expected to be introduced in the coming years is the Volvo XC90 crossover. Despite its popularity, the XC90 has been around the block for almost 10 years with very little changes being done on it. These design sketches of the future XC90 that the company recently released shows that Volvo may be serious in re-defining the way their vehicles look. The 2014 XC90 will sit atop the Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA), which is the platform for just about every new Volvo in the works. The XC90 is anticipated to be the first Volvo to use this platform and will also be one of the largest to use it. We also know that the XC90 will have a 4-cylinder engine under its all-new hood, as will all vehicles using the SPA platform. Given the XC90's size, its four-pot will likely include the direct injection system and turbocharger that Volvo says will be fitted on most SPA-based vehicles. The exact size of this new 4-cylinder engine is not quite known, but it'll have to punch out at least 200 horsepower to make it competitive against the base level X3 Drive20i. There is also the possibly for a traditional and plug-in hybrid option. The current XC90 is no slouch in the luxury department, but Volvo is expected to punch up the interior a little bit, while still offering 7-person seating capabilities. On this outside, we do have a few images to go off of, and they are rather extreme. The body lines are nothing like you would expect to see on a Volvo, featuring a very high beltline and a wide lower grille. The upper grille is especially wide for a Volvo and the overall appearance of the car just looks sleeker than any Volvo on record. Then again, these are just concept drawings and rarely do these concept drawings really pin down the resulting model. This is all we know about the upcoming 2014 Volvo XC90 for now, but we will continue to update this review as more information becomes available. UPDATE 06/05/2012: This review has been updated with more details on the 2014 Volvo XC90! Volvo XC90 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 20 November 2011 23:00 EST.
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| Ferrari to Develop Two Engines for Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia to Share Posted: 05 Jun 2012 03:00 AM PDT
We often talk about how mergers and shared productions have really made the automotive world do a complete 180 in recent years. A great example of this is back in the late-1980s when Ferrari and Maserati were direct competitors and no one could have ever imagined that in 1999, Ferrari would have complete ownership of Maserati. Then, Maserati ended up being split between Alfa Romeo and Ferrari in 2005. What would be good for a barrel of laughs would be to travel to the mid-1980s and tell Enzo Ferrari that in 2012 his company would be manufacturing a pair of engines for Maserati. Well, all irony aside, that is exactly what's happening, but also included in this €50 million ($62 million) production deal are Alfa Romeo and Lancia. All four of these models are under the only ownership umbrella that rivals Volkswagen AG, Fiat S.p.A., which is what allows them to share information without fear of losing sales to one another. The first engine to hit the market will likely be a twin-turbo V-6 powerhouse that will crank out up to 450 ponies. The second engine to come from this development sharing will be a naturally aspirated (non-turbo) V-8 model that will likely crest the 500-horsepower mark. Alfa Romeo has had plans for a replacement for its sports sedan, the 159, but a proper engine hasn't been developed for it yet. These engines would certainly fit the need and give it a whopping 200- to 300-horsepower increase over the 2011 159's 3.2-liter V-6. For Lancia, we really can't see a model that these engines are suited for, as Lancia currently only has a rebadged Chrysler 200 in its lineup. Maserati can slap either of these engines in any of its cars and it would look right at home, as long as all "Ferrari" badges are stripped. Then again, the automotive world could pay back Maserati by forcing it to slap a "by Ferrari" tag on it like the 1989 through 1991 Chrysler TC by Maserati that we all know and "love." We'll keep you updated on this as more information becomes available. Ferrari to Develop Two Engines for Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia to Share originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 June 2012 10:00 EST.
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| Posted: 05 Jun 2012 02:00 AM PDT
Volvo is intensely testing their brand new XC40 - a new compact crossover built on the V40 architecture. The vehicle was just recently spotted in Norway during a photo shoot, but now our spy photographers have caught clearer images of the future crossover in Southern Europe. The XC40 has been prepped to be a direct competitor to the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. As you can see in these images, this "brand new" XC40 is essentially a higher-riding version of the V40, so it will most likely adopt everything, from its design up to its engine line-up. This means that the XC40 will look exactly like the V40, expect for the obligatory tweaks here and there to make it look like a crossover. Under the hood, we will see the same engine line-up as in the V40, including a turbocharged 1.6-liter petrol engine and a 2.0 liter engine with power ranging from 150 to 240 HP. Diesel fans will get a 155 HP engine. Volvo will also add an all-wheel-drive system to the new XC40 which will be available on high-grade models to improve the car’s off-road capabilities. Expect to see the new Volvo XC40 launched in September at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. Sales will begin in early 2013. Volvo XC40 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 5 June 2012 09:00 EST.
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