AUTO KIWI

The story of Lamborghini Gallardo

2012-02-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

In this episode of the Lamborghini Documentary we listen to the story of the Gallardo, mainly the hard-core version Gallardo LP-570-4 Super Leggera, a 570 bhp, AWD piece of art!

Audi TT RS is here!

2012-02-10T04:57:00.000-08:00

The new Audi TT RS Plus has finally arrived. the German carmaker has just released the first official info and a massive photo gallery of the new model, that will be made available in both coupe and roadster configurations. The car is powered by the well-known 2.5-litre 5-cylinder TSFI engine with direct injection equipping the ‘regular’ TT RS, but its delivery has been boosted to 360 hp and 465 Nm of peak torque, marking a +20 hp and a +15 Nm over the output of its ‘plus-less” counterpart. This unit, in combination with its S-Tronic ‘dual clutch’ transmission, allows the car to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from standstill in just 4.1 seconds (4.2 seconds for the roadster), with a limited top speed of 280 km/h (173 mph). A 6-speed manual transmission option is also available, but with this gearbox the TT RS Plus loses a little in terms of performance as the 100 km/h mark is reached in 4.3 seconds by the coupe and 4.4 seconds by the roadster.

The model obviously uses an all wheel drive power-train and boasts an average fuel consumption of 8.5 l/100 km for its coupe variant and 8.6 for the convertible. Thanks to its light body-shell, 2/3 of which is made of aluminum, the Coupe version with manual gearbox weighs only 1,450 kg, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 4.0 kg/hp (4.2 for the Roadster). The Audi TT RS Plus rolls on exclusive 19″ burnished alloys with contrasting red outline, fitted with 255/35 tires and coupled to 4-piston calipers on the front axle. “Magnetic Ride” suspension are also available as an optional extra.

Aesthetically, the Audi TT RS Plus distinguishes itself from the “regular” TT RS by its glossy single-frame grill, the wing mirror shells made of CFRP, the matt aluminum outline of its diffuser, the front lip spoiler and its burnished oval-shaped mufflers. By the way, the ’sound’ of the car can be adjusted by acting on the flaps integrated in the exhaust system.

Tesla Model X official

2012-02-10T04:43:00.000-08:00

Today, Tesla presented their new Model X and it is basically a SUV version of the Model S. The car features special so called falcon-wing back-doors, which is Tesla language for gull-wings however at front we find ordinary doors. Just as Tesla's other cars it is 100% electric, which means zero emissions coming out the back. It will be offered with either rear- or all-wheel drive. With AWD and the performance option the Model X will do 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, a very respectable figure for a car this size. The production will start late 2013 and the first deliveries should be made in early 2014. Tesla has announced the price to be approximately the same as for the Model S, which means somewhere between $60 000 and $80 000. For further reading, please visit Tesla's Website.

Lamborghini's factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese

2012-02-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

This documentary takes you on a tour around Lamborghini's factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese, northern Italy. Only 850 people work here and together they build the build Lamborghinis.

Production version of Aston Martin Zagato

2012-02-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

It is now possible to order the road-going version of Aston Martin Zagato. It will only be built in 150 examples. It is just as unique as it is expensive: €485 000. For the money you get a car largely base on the V12 Vantage, which means that the it produces 517 bhp and 570 Nm. It comes with a six-speed manual and will go from 0-100 km/h in 4.2 sec and flat out it will do 307 km/h. It weighs 1680 kg and the body is built by hand in carbon fibre and aluminum. The production the unique Aston will start in November this year.

New Morgan Aero Coupe

2012-02-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

This is the latest version of the Morgan Aeromax, and its name is Aero Coupe. It comes with the same engine as the Aeromax however Morgan have managed to squeeze another 28 bhp out of the engine, giving it a total of 390 bhp. It will go from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 sec (4.2 with optional automatic) and flat out it will do 272 km/h (170 mph). Handling-wise, it is largely based on Morgan's GT3 racing car. The production is limited to 100 units, as if an ordinary Aeromax isn't unique enough. It is expected to reach market next year.

The Aero Coupe will be presented next month at the Geneva motor show. This is 7 years after the Aeromax made its debut at the very same show. Until then, we can take delight in these pictures.

Toyota GT 86 Review

2012-02-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

According Chris Harris, this has been one of the cars of 2012 that he really wants to drive. He flew to Spain for only 20 minutes with the Toyota and his making the most out of it. The GT 86 is equipped with 200 turbocharged horsepowers connected to the rear wheels, which should make it a pretty nice car to drift with.

Ferrari 250 GTO sells for €2.5 million

2012-02-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

A Ferrari 250 GTO has been sold for a massive €2.5 million, making it the most expensive car to ever be sold in the U.K. The car is believed to be the one the british businessman Jon Hunt bought in 2008 for €1.8 million. Only 39 Ferrari 250 GTOs were built between 1962 and 1964, making it unique. The car has a 300 bhp V8 engine and it will go from 0-100 km/h in 6.2 sec, all though people might not buy the car for the performance.

Lamborghini Aventador vs 911 GT2 RS vs Mercedes SLS

2012-02-05T01:26:00.001-08:00

If the Lamborghini Aventador can live up to its performance claims, the 691bhp four-wheel drive supercar should easily beat the much cheaper Porsche 911 GT2 RS and Mercedes SLS. Clearly, the only way to find out is a drag race.

EVO Diaries: Ferrari Enzo

2012-02-05T01:20:00.000-08:00

In this video shows Harry us the Ferrari Enzo, which he drove from England to the south of France. A lot of interesting facts about the car that only Harry would tell us.

A celebration to all 911s

2012-02-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

All previous generations of the iconic Porsche 911 gathered to welcome its new family member during Rensport Reunion IV. The new 911 looks fantastic.

EVO Diaries: Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trafeo

2012-02-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

EVO Magazine just got their hand on the Lamborghini Gallardo LP-570-4 Super Trofeo, which is described by Lamborghini to be the most extreme road legel Gallardo so far. This limited Gallardo will only be produced in 150 examples and it will cost 240 000 euros. The 562 bhp V10 engine will make the car go from 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds.

First Picture of New Dodge Viper

2012-01-31T12:49:00.000-08:00

Dodge is now working on a new Viper and this is the first picture on it. A dark silhouette is all we get to see but it looks angry. Really angry. The car will be on display in New York International Auto Show in April. A V10 will still be under the hood, but now it is supposed to be a 8.7 litre.

How is it to own a Pagani C12S?

2012-01-31T09:51:00.000-08:00

Many have never seen a Pagani in person, however, for some it is quite different. Such as for Harry Metcalfe, who is the boss of EVO Magazine. He owns a C12S and has done so for last 6 years. In this video he tells us what he thinks about car is and why he likes this particular model. The car has done 6000 km and was actually the one the Stig drove in opening sequence of Top Gear in 2002. The first part of the review is posted below, the second part can be found here.

Chris Harris and his Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

2012-01-28T01:37:00.000-08:00

Chris Harris have bought a Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0, the last version of the 977 generation. Today he is showing us his brand new car.

Autocar reviewing Mercedes SLS Roadster

2012-01-26T13:17:00.000-08:00

The roadster version of the SLS arrived some months ago and autocar has now reviewed it. It sure does look amazing and the V8 engine makes some really nice noise, but how is it drive? Autocar just found out.

2013 Mercedes SL 550 Official Launch Video

2012-01-26T13:01:00.001-08:00

Mercedes-Benz present a completely redeveloped SL Roadster made for the first time almost entirely from aluminium. The full aluminium bodyshell of this newly developed vehicle weighs around 110 kilograms less than a comparable bodyshell constructed with the technology used for its predecessor. It thus reduces the overall weight of the new SL by 140 kilograms compared to its predecessor. At the same time, the new generation of this luxury sport car can be converted into an open or a closed concert hall. This is thanks to the new bodyshell structure which makes possible the FrontBass system, unique in the world and also celebrating its debut. Another beautifully made video could of the new car can be found here.

Lexus talks about the LF-LC Concept

2012-01-26T12:54:00.000-08:00

This is a video of Lexus themselves talking about their concept car LF-LC telling us the thoughts behind the its design. The people people in the clip are the ones who designed the car in California, US.

Pictures of New Maserati Quattroporte released!

2012-01-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

Sharper lines at the front, quite similar to the the Maserati Kubang concept car.

Two pictures of the new Quattroporte have been released by Maserati themselves. There are rumors ksaying that Maserati is developing a new rear-wheel drive platform. They are also reported to be considering the Ferrari FF four-wheel drive platform. They are supposed to use the same Ferrari V8 as in the old car, hopefully with some updates. Stay tuned for updates.

Fisker Karma on Jay Leno's Garage

2012-01-24T09:28:00.001-08:00

Henrik Fisker, co-founder
Fisker Karma is a luxury-hybrid, which you might have heard of. The four-door saloon starts at 85 000 euros. This episode of Jay Leno's Garage featueres some talk about the car with co founder Henrik Fisker and of course a test drive.

1953 Chevrolet Corvette C1 for sale

2012-01-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

If you have a half million dollar you could buy the 3rd oldest Corvette in the world. 1953 was the first production year of what is known as America's only sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette but only 300 buyers got their hands on the car. This month a car with chassi number five will be on sale at the Arizona-based RM Auctions. The price is expected to be between 450,000 and 650,000 dollars. That is 450 000-500 000 euros, twice as much as a Corvette from 1953 is normally sold for, but this is one of the oldest existing examples in the world.The world's oldest existing Corvette has chassi number three, while the number one and number two have been scrapped. A few years ago car with chassi number 3 was sold for around 800 000 euros. For further reading and updates, please visit RM Auctions.

Supercars at Wilton House

2012-01-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

In August every year, the Wilton House Estate hosts an extraordinary car event. The supercars attracted 10 000 visitors last year to the see many of the most desirable cars on this planet. The video features car such as Mossler MT900, Aston Martin one-77, Jaguar XJ220, Lamborghini Murciélago LP640-4 SV and many others.

New Bentley Continental GT V8 reviewed by AutoCar

2012-01-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

Autocar just got their hands on the new british Bentley Continental GT and they seem to like it a lot!

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet

2012-01-18T13:08:00.000-08:00

Porsche brought their brand new 911 Cabriolet to the Detroit Auto Show and it met the public eye for the first time. The standard Carrera Cabriolet will have a 350-bhp engine which helps the car to reach from 0-100 km/h in 5.0 sec with the manual 7-speed gearbox. The Carrera S comes with 400-bhp and it will go from 0-100 km/h in 4.7 sec with the 7-speed manual. Down below you can see the uncovering of the car at the Detroit Auto Show.

60th anniversary Corvette

2012-01-18T12:42:00.000-08:00

2013 Corvette 427 Convertible Collectors Edition is its name and is a celebration to the 60th anniversary of Corvette. The car will be based on high performance parts from the Z06 ZR1 according to officials. The 7-litre engine produces 505 bhp making it the most powerful engine ever put in a Corvette. The car features also a special spoiler, blue leather interior and the "60th" logo on headrests, wheel caps and the steering wheel. Blue racing stripes are optional. The first car will be sold at an auction this month.

New Porsche Boxter unveiled

2012-01-18T08:46:00.000-08:00

The new version of Porsche's mid-engine, two seater, is both lighter and more powerful than the previous car. The standard Boxer will now have 2.7 litre engine producing 261 bhp, and the Boxster S a 3.4 litre one, producing 311 bhp. The Boxster comes with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed dual clutch PDK box. With the PDK-box, the Boxster will go from 0-100 km/h in 5.7 sec and the Boxster S in 5.0 sec. As well as performance is increased, so is also the fuel efficeny. When on sale in April, the price will start at around 45 000 €. Porsche have released an official promotion video and some pictures.

McLaren's new special edition MP4-12C HS

2012-01-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

As if the McLaren MP4-12C would not be special enough, McLaren rolls out a special edition of the car where the HS stands for High Sport. The car will only be built in 5 examples and two of them have already been sold. The car features a new body kit with a meaner look and new wheels. On the motor side an extra 75 horsepower have been added, giving it whopping 667 BHP. A video of the car can be found here.

Lexus LF-LC revealed at Detroit Motor Show

2012-01-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

Lexus received a lot of attention, when on the media preview day revealed their concept car Lexus LF-LC. It is a front engined, 2+2 coupe powered by what Lexus likes to call "the next generation hybrid powertrain", however, technical details are yet to come.Inside we find two 12.3 inch LCD screens and an and a thing similar to the iPad for controlling navigation, audio and climate system. One four-inch screen is placed on each door for operating windows, mirrors, seat adjustments and entertaiment. The start button of the car is found on the steering wheel. If the Lexus LF-LC will ever reach production can only future tell. If Lexus would decide to do so, it would take 3 years for the car to reach market.

Two motorcyles VS Ford Mustang

2012-01-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

Here is some amazing footage of motorcycles and a 550 horsepower 2004 Ford Mustang Cobra. 8 minutes of pure pleasure, enjoy!