Saturday, January 19, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Leblanc Mirabeau
Mirabeau is the newest car from Wysstec GmbH and Leblanc cars. A real piece of art with the spirit of race and prepared to FIA/Le Mans standards. With this kind of potential, the Leblanc Mirabeau really belongs on the racing track. The fact that it is street legal, is almost unbelievable. Swiss supercar builders, Leblanc, designed the Mirabeau (named after a corner on the famous Monaco F1 track) to comply with all the FIA / Le Mans Homologation standards to
drive the racing version of the LeBlanc Mirabeau at Le Mans. The way the Mirabeau is set up, it really belongs on the racetrack.The lightweight body of the LeBlanc Mirabeau, made from kevlar and carbon fibre, hides a supercharged V8 engine borrowed from the Koenigsegg CCR, and although it is slightly detuned, it still develops over 700 horsepower.Out of Switzerland comes the Leblanc Mirabeau with a price tag of $645,084. The Leblanc Mirabeau would not look out of place on the set of a Batman movie nor competing at Le Mans. The Mirabeau's engine comes from Koenigsegg, a Swedish supercar manufacturer whose vehicles are also among the world's fastest and most expensive. The Leblanc uses a supercharged, 4.7-liter V-8 with over 700 horsepower. It is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.Like that of a typical race car, the Mirabeau's interior is rather spartan. However, the company is prepared to add options at a customer's request, and it offers a level of communication between buyer and top-level management that one could not find at a
mainstream automaker. Leblanc's Web sites says that if you want a leather interior or other options, you should "feel free to contact our engineering team."To provide the power necessary to legitimately call the Mirabeau a race car, Leblanc selected a supercharged, 4.7-liter V-8 engine created by Koenigsegg. Koenigsegg is known world wide for creating supercars under their own brand. Of course, if speeds of over 250 mph the standard engine provide are not enough, you can always pay for a small upgrade and install a Formula 1 engine.For those in tune with true performance, it goes without saying that the Leblanc Mirabeau is not just a car. In fact, it is really more than a supercar. It is a true racecar. The fact that it was designed for the streets just makes it that much more of a dream to serious
vehicle enthusiasts everywhere.The Leblanc Mirabeau is built to reach one aim: let the heart of a real sportscar driver beat as high as never before.The car is designed and prepared to fulfill all the FIA/Le Mans standards to drive the car in LeMans.With this kind of potential, the Leblanc Mirabeau really belongs on the racing track. That this car can be driven on public roads, is sensational.Specification:
Year : 2005
Engine : 4.7 litre Koenigsegg V8
Transmission : 6 speed sequantial
Max speed : 230 mph
0-60 mph : unknkown
Horsepower : 700 + hp
weight : 815 kg / 1790 lbs
Redline : 7600 rpm
Torque : 850 Nm
Displacement : 4700 cc
Powertrain Layout : Mid Engine / RWD
Friday, January 11, 2008
Lamborghini Murciélago
The Lamborghini Murciélago is a supercar produced by Italian automaker Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. and designed by Luc Donckerwolke. It was introduced in 2002 as the successor to the Diablo. The Murciélago is a two-door, two-seat coupé. To celebrate the company's 40 years in operation, 50 special edition Murciélagos were built during the autumn
of 2003. An open-top version called the Murciélago Roadster was introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year. The roadster features similar performance to the coupé with a more aggressive rear flank, as well as a considerably higher price tag.The Lamborghini Murciélago is 2-seater, 2-door coupé (with the now familiar gull-wing doors) based on the traditional Lamborghini layout: mid-mounted V12 engine, typical Lamborghini transmission with the gearbox mounted in front of the engine and the rear differential integrated into the engine unit, permanent four-wheel drive with central viscous coupler.This layout, successfully employed by Lamborghini for more than 30 years, affords an optimal weight distribution (42% front and 58%
rear) with conspicuous advantages for traction, braking and handling.The Murciélago chassis has been stiffened considerably to achieve a torsional rigidity value in excess of 20,000 Nm/°. The suspension design (independent double wishbones) represents the best possible solution for a high-performance GT and, again, is in keeping with Lamborghini tradition. The external bodywork panels are made from carbon fibre, with the exception of the steel roof and door panels.The rear of the car features two "active" intakes for the engine cooling air. With the exclusive VACS (“Variable Air-flow Cooling System”), the aperture of these air intakes can be varied to suit the driving conditions.
Furthermore, to ensure correct aerodynamic equilibrium at all speeds, the angle of the rear spoiler can also be altered. According to the speed of the car, the rear spoiler can assume three different positions: closed from 0 to130 km/h, partially open (50?) between 130 and 220 km/h and fully open (70°) above 220 km/h. Depending on the aperture of the air intakes and the position of the rear spoiler, the car's Cx coefficient varies from a minimum of 0.33 to a maximum of 0.36.It’s difficult to believe that Lamborghinis were originally nothing more than old military vehicles converted into tractors, but incredibly this was
the starting point for the Lamborghini super cars we know and love today. In fact, not only are Lamborghinis among the most powerful and expensive production cars available, they are also widely considered to be the most stunning in terms of their appearance. Over the years the Lamborghini brand has changed hands a number of times, most notably in 1987 when it was purchased by Chrysler and again in 1998 when the ownership rights fell to the VW group. The current range consists of extremely fast 2-seaters that are mid-engined and have four wheel drive as standard.Specifications:
Engine Type : V12
Displacement : 6192 cc
Horsepower : 580 bhp @ 7500 rpm
Torque : 480 lb-ft @ 5400 rpm
Redline : 7500 rpm
Engine : 6.5L 631 HP
Fuel Tank : 26.4 gal.
0-60 mph : 3.6 sec
0-100 mph : 8.7 sec
Quarter Mile : 12 sec @ 121 mph
Skidpad : .90g
Top Speed : 205 mph
Braking 60-0 mph : 122 ft
Slalom Speed : 65.7 mph
Price : $313,600 - $345,000
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Ferrari F50
1996 marked the 50th Anniversary of Ferrari, and with it came the revolutionary F50. The smooth contours and sleek body became an instant hit. Ferrari had begun designing cars that could be both streetwise and racetrack worthy.50 years of know-how was integrated into the design of this vehicle. 'It will be impossible to do it again,' said Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari president.Designed with huge forward air intakes, low-slung with sleek lines leading to the rear airfoil, the F50 is a 12-cylinder, 4.75-liter engine. With the ability to achieve from 0 to 60 miles
in 3.7 seconds, the F50 banks a top speed of 203 mph. Based on a Formula One engine, the F50 was built and designed in Ferrari's factory in Maranello, Italy. Only 349 models were built, though studies clearly showed a market for 350 such vehicles. Considering it a challenge that would appeal to only the most devoted die-hard Ferrari fans, the F50 had to be difficult to find, and a challenge to own.The F50 was designed solely for its purpose: there was no styling in the normal sense of the word. The surfaces enveloped the mechanicals in a single sweep from the front air intake to the rear spoiler, volumes were kept to the minimum required by the project. Pininfarina succeeded in designing shapes that recalled the great prototype racers. Aerodynamics played an important role from the beginning of the F50 project because: it was a highly advanced car in terms of performance; there was a link between the internal aerodynamic components (cross-flows) and surface layer flows; there needed to be a balance between aerodynamic loads in the dual configuration (Berlinetta and Barchetta) because of the high performance.The chassis of the F50 was made entirely of carbon fibre, weighing 225 lbs 
and offering a torsional rigidity of 25,677 lbs-ft/°. Like a Formula 1 car, occupants sat in the central tub formed by the chassis, and the aeronautical rubber fuel cell was located in a protected position between the passenger tub and the engine and rear suspension. The result was in advanced driving position, with a front to rear weight distribution of 42:58. A oad-bearing element, the F50’s engine acted as a support for the suspension, rear bumper and bodywork elements. To guarantee perfect suspension operation, the engine-transaxle assembly was rigidly attached to the chassis.The suspension and engine-gearbox assembly were mounted via low-fatigue light alloy inserts co-polymerized to the chassis. To optimize the1996 marked the 50th Anniversary of Ferrari, and with it came the revolutionary F50. The smooth contours and sleek body became an instant hit. Ferrari had begun designing cars that could be both streetwise and racetrack worthy.50 years of know-how
was integrated into the design of this vehicle. 'It will be impossible to do it again,' said Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari president. Designed with huge forward air intakes, low-slung with sleek lines leading to the rear airfoil, the F50 is a 12-cylinder, 4.75-liter engine. With the ability to achieve from 0 to 60 miles in 3.7 seconds, the F50 banks a top speed of 203 mph.Based on a Formula One engine, the F50 was built and designed in Ferrari's factory in Maranello, Italy. Only 349 models were built, though studies clearly showed a market for 350 such vehicles. Considering it a challenge that would appeal to only the most devoted die-hard Ferrari fans, the F50 had to be difficult to find, and a challenge to own.The F50 was designed solely for its purpose: there was no styling in the normal sense of the word. The surfaces enveloped the mechanicals in a single sweep from the front air intake to the rear spoiler, volumes were kept to
the minimum required by the project. Pininfarina succeeded in designing shapes that recalled the great prototype racers. Aerodynamics played an important role from the beginning of the F50 project because: it was a highly advanced car in terms of performance; there was a link between the internal aerodynamic components (cross-flows) and surface layer flows; there needed to be a balance between aerodynamic loads in the dual configuration (Berlinetta and Barchetta) because of the high performance.The chassis of the F50 was made entirely of carbon fibre, weighing 225 lbs and offering a torsional rigidity of 25,677 lbs-ft/°. Like a Formula 1 car, occupants sat in the central tub formed by the chassis, and the aeronautical rubber fuel cell was located in a protected position between the passenger tub and the engine and rear suspension. The result was in advanced driving position, with a front to rear weight distribution of 42:58. A structure that made up the fulcrum of the entire system, even from the safety viewpoint, finite element calculation techniques were employed, using programmes that included sandwich elements and multi-ply shells, typical of laminated composite structures. Engineers and designers had to solve problems of the long-term stability of dimensional and structural elements. Tests were carried out on computerized
vibration benches. The interior was designed with efficient functionality, ergonomics, and safety in mind. The multi-sized composite seats were upholstered in Connolly leather and special 'transpiring' material. The driving position was fully adjustable, including the pedals - the control pads adjusted to the driver's shoe size - with an F1-type heelrest. The gear shift was the classic Ferrari unit, with gated selector, lever, and knob all in composite. The rearview mirror was shaped to improve visibility in both roof configurations. All controls were specially designed to guarantee ergonomy, and the environmentally-friendly climate control unit was designed for maximum comfort even when the car is open. Originally owned by the Sultan of Brunai, this Pininfarina coach built automobile, with carbon fiber body construction, is one of 359 cars produced to celebrate the Ferraris 50th Anniversary. The cost per automobile was approximately $569,690.00Specification:
Engine : 4.7 liter DOHC 60 valve V12
Transmission : 6 Speed Manual
Suspension: Front and rear
Brakes : Front and rear
Length : 176 in.
Width : 78 in.
Height : 44 in.
Top Speed : 203 mph
0-60 mph : 3.6 sec
Horsepower : 513 @ 8,500 rpm
Torque : 347 @ 6,500 rpm
Price : $560,000
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