TopSpeed Daily Update |  |
- Hyundai to Unveil the Elantra Coupe Zombie Survival Machine
- Video: Ferrari F12 Berlinetta on the race track
- PSA Tie-In With GM will Likely End Part of its Relationship With BMW
- Video: Jay Leno drives the 2013 Scion FR-S
- Video: Awesomeness in Advertising by Hoonigan.com
- Ferrari North Europe Setting out to Reclaim its Parade of Ferraris Record
- No Nose Job for Acura, Despite a Beak of Monstrous Proportions
- Ferrari 599 GTX by SP Engineering and ADV.1 Wheels
- Porsche has no plans for a baby-Boxster
- Toyota Explains The Scion FR-S's Limited-Slip Differential
| Hyundai to Unveil the Elantra Coupe Zombie Survival Machine Posted: 23 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT
The 100th issue of the comic series "The Walking Dead" is coming up and typically we wouldn't have too much interest in it. However, once we hear the term "Zombie Survival Machine" combined with "Hyundai," our ears perk up a bit. Hyundai has teamed up with the writer of the comic, Robert Kirkman, to create the ultimate Zombie Survival Machine using none other than a brand new Hyundai Elantra coupe. Hyundai has teased a final sketch of the creation, but we are not too sure if this is actually what it will look like. Fortunately, we don't need to wait too long, as Hyundai is unveiling this walking dead survival coupe at the Comic-Con, which starts on July 12th and runs through the 15th. If the sketches are true to the real-life production model, it will bear a V-shaped plow on the front with massive metal spike protruding from the top, which will help turn zombies into shish-kabob. On each rim is another skewer that looks like it is designed to do serious damage to a zombie's leg. Up top you get triple fog lights, because we all know that the zombie apocalypse is never complete without tons of fog. The front, rear, and side glass is all reinforced with steel bars so that even if the zombies manage to shatter the glass, they still can't get into the car – it also works great for carjackers. There's also a winch mounted to the front end and the body panels appear to be steel plated. We all know that this model will, of course, never be produced beyond this special one-off model, but it's bound to be cool nonetheless. Hopefully Hyundai is taking this task seriously and not manufacturing the defense systems out of foam. We want to see real-life metal and a brand new Hyundai that is fit to do battle… Then… Let us drive it, please? We'll update you with complete details on this zombie-fighting Hyundai the second we get all of the information and some rear shots of the car. Until then, enjoy the concept drawing. Click past the jump for Hyundai’s press release. Hyundai to Unveil the Elantra Coupe Zombie Survival Machine originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 23 June 2012 15:00 EST.
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| Video: Ferrari F12 Berlinetta on the race track Posted: 23 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT
The brand new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta is catching attention everywhere for being the most powerful high-performance Ferrari road car ever launched, but there’s no better place to see it than on a racetrack. This new video shows the Ferrari right where it needs to be, allowing us to enjoy its power and fantastic sound at Fiorano with a series of full throttle accelerations and fly-bys. Enjoy the luscious sounds and sights of the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and try not to get drool on the keyboard. As a reminder, the F12 Berlinetta is powered by a V12 engine that delivers a total of 740 HP at 8500 rpm and 508 lb-ft of torque at 6000 rpm. Mated to a F1 dual-clutch transmission, the engine will sprint the supercar from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds and to 124 mph in 8.5 seconds. Top speed goes up to 211 mph. Let us know what you think of the new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta in the comments section below! Video: Ferrari F12 Berlinetta on the race track originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 23 June 2012 12:00 EST.
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| PSA Tie-In With GM will Likely End Part of its Relationship With BMW Posted: 23 Jun 2012 02:00 AM PDT
  The web tying varying automakers to one another is a very complex, yet delicate thing. One strand heading the wrong direction can cause an automaker to break off another connection, and we see it every day. One prime example was when AMG hacked off its advertising ties with Ducati just because Audi bought the company. Really, what do motorcycles have to do with your competing with Audi in the automobile realm? Well, we have another bit of info to pass on in regards to one partnership killing another. Recently PSA, the parent company of Peugeot and Citroen, increased its stake in a partnership with GM affiliate, Opel, to develop four vehicle platforms together. This leads BMW to believe that PSA will not have the ability to fulfill its partnership duties in reference to BMW's developing Hybrid platform. A BMW spokesperson said "We are discussing conditions for the exit of PSA but we will not make any payments," in an interview with Reuters. In addition, PSA has accepted the fact that this new relationship with GM will force it to "change the conditions" in its partnership with BMW. This likely means that BMW will buy-out PSAs share of the investment in the project and take development into its own hands. This will not, however, affect the other relationships that BMW and PSA have going on. The largest of these relationships is the partnership between the two to build the MINI Cooper's engine. We'll keep an eye on what's going on with this development and let you know if anything else pops up. For now, this seems like a pretty open-and-shut case. PSA Tie-In With GM will Likely End Part of its Relationship With BMW originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 23 June 2012 09:00 EST.
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| Video: Jay Leno drives the 2013 Scion FR-S Posted: 22 Jun 2012 11:00 PM PDT
Finally, the review we all have been waiting for! In the latest episode of "Jay Leno’s Garage," Leno was able to get behind the wheel of the brand new Scion FR-S and was kind enough to share his opinions with us! Leno wasn’t alone, of course. Scion also sent over their vice president and general manager, Jack Hollis, to answer a series of questions about the FR-S. As a reminder, the Scion FR-S is powered by a 2.0-liter front boxer engine that can also be found on the Toyota GT 86 and the Subaru BRZ. The engine delivers a total of 200 HP and 151 lb/ft of torque and is mated to a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. What's unique about this new powertrain is that it carries Toyota's new D-4S injection system, a technology that results in direct injection combined with port injection. With separate twin injectors for both direct and port injection, and a high compression ratio of 12.5:1, the D-4S system can increase the power and torque bands of the FR-S over a wide range of engine speeds, all without having to sacrifice the sports coupe's fuel efficiency numbers. The Scion FR-S is now on sale and is priced from $24,930. Video: Jay Leno drives the 2013 Scion FR-S originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 23 June 2012 06:00 EST.
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| Video: Awesomeness in Advertising by Hoonigan.com Posted: 22 Jun 2012 09:00 PM PDT
Way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I was a spritely high school graduate heading into my first semester at college as a business administration – I know, my prospective career took a detour. In between Frat parties, sports, and chasing those of the opposite sex, I found myself in classes, some of which were about marketing correctly. The key to marketing is to get your viewers' attention, flash your product, then leave the viewers with a lasting impression to remember you by. Well, Hoonigan.com absolutely mastered the art of "gaining your viewers' attention" with its latest attempt to peddle its online wares. Not only does this video contain some hooning awesomeness, but it is bursting at the seams with it. Pretty much every single awesome car video we have seen in the last five (or so) years has a several-second spot in this ad. Hell, there is even some Power Wheels hoonage at the 45-second mark and some bicycle hoonage going on at the 58-second mark. All we can do is tip our collective hats to the folks that put together this video and the countless number of hours that must have been put in watching various videos. Just finding the videos alone must have taken hundreds of hours, but then editing them, dubbing Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" over it, and splicing it all together, Phew. Some highlights are the Subaru WRX vs. Snowboarder downhill race at to 50-second mark, the Honda Civic passenger running for his life at the 38-second mark, and the worlds greatest drift pass at 1:23. If there is a single short car clip to watch so far this year, this is it! Video: Awesomeness in Advertising by Hoonigan.com originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 23 June 2012 04:00 EST.
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| Ferrari North Europe Setting out to Reclaim its Parade of Ferraris Record Posted: 22 Jun 2012 08:00 PM PDT
World records are a funny thing, because you can easily set something just by thinking up a new thing that no one else has. Once you do it, you're the record holder, until someone else does it. Ferrari of North Europe did something of that sort in 2007 by setting the Guinness world record for number of Ferraris in a Parade, which ended up being 385 cars. The record was broken recently with a total of 490 cars and Ferrari North Europe plans on reclaiming this title in September. Ferrari has already accumulated more than enough entrants (600) to beat the record, but it wants to make it stick by hitting the 1,000-entrant mark. The event will take place at Ferrari Racing Days at Silverstone Circuit on September 15th and 16th. Ferrari owners get into the Ferrari Racing Day event free of charge and can even register for the Guinness word record attempt by clicking here. The rules of the world record attempt are pretty straightforward. The cars must travel over a distance of more than 2 miles with a distance of no more than two car lengths between each other. Simple enough, huh? So, not only can you get free tickets for taking part in the record-setting event, but you can be forever be recognized as part of a world record in Guinness – whatever that's worth these days. Either way, the Ferrari racing days event is always a blast, and getting free entry makes it all the better. Click past the jump to read Ferrari's full press release on the matter. Ferrari North Europe Setting out to Reclaim its Parade of Ferraris Record originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 23 June 2012 03:00 EST.
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| No Nose Job for Acura, Despite a Beak of Monstrous Proportions Posted: 22 Jun 2012 07:00 PM PDT
 Nearly every automotive brand has its own little gimmick. Ford has its blue oval, Chevy has its bow-tie, Buick has its shields, and on it goes. Acura, however, never really developed a gimmick until recently and it certainly made up for its lack of said gimmick by making one for the ages. Acura's newfound gimmick was what it dubbed "the shield" or as us automotive buffs have dubbed it "the beak." As of late, Acura has received a good bit of flack regarding said beak, and even its own design head admits that it went "a little overboard at some points" when speaking about "the shield." According to multiple reports, however, Acura has no plans to drop the beak any time soon, but it may massage it a little on certain models. We already saw that the nose was slightly reduced on the ILX, though it was still pretty large. The NSX Concept was another that looked as if the beak was trimmed back a little bit, but it was also still very noticeable. It's one thing to have your own little niche carved out in automotive history, but it's another thing when that niche suddenly becomes the focal point for your cars. We are willing to bet that "the shield" gets trimmed down over the next few years and the largest cut down just may happen when Acura finally releases the production NSX. Then again, car companies can be a little stubborn when it comes to admitting failure and letting designs linger around for way too long, so we may be in for several decades of this massive beak. Only time will tell. No Nose Job for Acura, Despite a Beak of Monstrous Proportions originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 23 June 2012 02:00 EST.
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| Ferrari 599 GTX by SP Engineering and ADV.1 Wheels Posted: 22 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT
In their latest joint venture into the tuning world, ADV.1 wheels recently joined forces with SP Engineering to take a standard Ferrari 599 GTB and turn it into one of the most spectacular 599's we've ever seen, with the newly announced 599 GTX. Riding on incredible ADV15 Track Spec wheels which, as the name suggests, host an awesome 15-spoke design with matte bronze centers and an advanced three-piece construction. Created from forged aluminum, the ADV15 Track Spec wheels and the 599 GTX is set to replace the Novitec Ferrari F430 owned by ADV.1 Head Designer and President, Jordan Swerdloff. Rather than completely overhauling the Ferrari's standard, and already impressive 6.0-liter V-12 engine, SP Engineering have installed their GTX bodykit which features a carbon fiber front splitter, side skirts a small spoiler lip with a titanium exhaust system. Finishing off the set up are upgrades to both the suspension system and ECU unit. Head to the gallery to check out the incredible array of photos released with this launch! Ferrari 599 GTX by SP Engineering and ADV.1 Wheels originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 22 June 2012 19:00 EST.
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| Porsche has no plans for a baby-Boxster Posted: 22 Jun 2012 11:30 AM PDT
 There’s been more rumors about the supposed baby-Boxster then there have been about any of Charlie Sheen’s exploits, regardless of whether any or all of them were true or not. We had gotten to the point where we just didn’t know what to believe anymore, but Porsche AG sales chief, Bernhard Maier, has come to save our spinning heads by declaring that the Baby Boxster has been buried. According to him, Porsche has no plans of building a car smaller and cheaper than the Boxster because the company wants to maintain its exclusivity. That decision was made despite Porsche’s plans to sell 200,000 cars a year by 2018. According to Maier, that goal will be achieved just by building sports cars and nothing else. He also said that in order to achieve exclusivity, the company will always offer "one car fewer than the market is able to handle." "To build a Porsche for 30,000 euros currently doesn’t fit our brand," said Bernhard Maier in an interview with Automotive News Europe. "The extraordinary purchase experience is not for free and the entry price is currently covered with the Boxster and in the future by the Macan." We’re not sure if we’re buying this or out. We’re thinking that the Baby Boxster has just been put on hold - as previous rumors have stated - because Porsche has already admitted that the current generation just wasn’t ready for this type of sports car. If the next generation fits the mold for a Baby Boxster, then you can be darn sure Porsche is going to dig out those designs and restart the production process again. Porsche has no plans for a baby-Boxster originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 22 June 2012 18:30 EST.
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| Toyota Explains The Scion FR-S's Limited-Slip Differential Posted: 22 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT
For many people, the term "limited-slip differential," or LSD, just means more grippy stuff and that's that. However, there is actually a little science and physics behind understanding precisely what it does and how it does it. Toyota has done the less mechanically inclined auto buff the service of creating a video that gives the basic outline of what a limited-slip differential is and how it increases traction. While the video is extremely simple and doesn't really get into the inside of the LSD's pumpkin to tell you precisely how it transfers power, it is still informative. Essentially, the Torsen LSD in the 2013 Scion FR-S senses when one wheel is spinning faster than the other (A.K.A. slipping) and transfers more power toward the opposite wheel. The Torsen system is unique in the fact that it can actually increase the power going to one wheel four times, if needed. An LSD is good for two things. The most commonly understood benefit is in low traction situations, like snow, ice, and rain. When one wheel starts slipping, the LSD cuts power from the slipping wheel and transfers it to the one with the most traction, which is exactly the opposite of a posi-traction rear end. The Torson LSD also helps in handling, believe it or not, as when you take a corner at a high rate of speed, the inside wheel tends to lose traction and it also moves slower. The Torsen LSD transfers as much power as needed to the outside wheel, pushing the FR-S through the turn in a stable manner. This is all achieved through the binding and releasing of two gears placed about each side gear in the LSD. For a clearer understanding, you can check out the above video. Toyota Explains The Scion FR-S's Limited-Slip Differential originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 22 June 2012 18:00 EST.
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