Car & SUV

Hulme Supercars sending F1 concept into limited production

August 9th, 2011 by Car and SUV

After a successful driving debut at last month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, kiwi carmaker Hulme Supercars has announced it will be taking orders and pushing ahead with production of its Hulme F1.

The Hulme CanAm was one of only 55 invited supercars on display at the prestigious event held on the country estate of Lord March. Paul Radisich, double World Touring Car Champion, drove it up the famous Goodwood Hill in front of thousands of spectators.

After receiving interest from potential customers and experts in the Supercar industry, the decision was made to build the Hulme F1 – the hard top concept first displayed at Goodwood back in 2006.

Hulme Supercars is looking to get the car classed as a limited-production vehicle in Europe which means the supercar could be sold freely across the continent. Continue reading “Hulme Supercars sending F1 concept into limited production” »

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Aston Martin forced to scale down Rapide production

June 22nd, 2011 by Car and SUV

While some experts will say the worst of the global recession is over, it’s still doing damage in many key areas – supercars included. The latest injury to this exclusive car market is Aston Martin’s Rapide sports sedan which is struggling to achieve the sales that were expected.

According to recent reports, production of the Rapide is being slashed to 25 cars per week, that’s 1,250 per year. When the four-door was released it was expected to sell at least 2,000 units a year. Considering that the British carmakers annual production load is around 8,000 cars a year total, the Rapide’s poor sales are having an affect on Aston Martin. Continue reading “Aston Martin forced to scale down Rapide production” »

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The Endora SC-1 – another Corvette based Supercar

May 20th, 2011 by Car and SUV

German coachbuilder Endora Cars has decided to dip its toe into supercar waters with a striking retro-inspired machine which it has named the SC-1.

Rendered images have just been released and it’s already clear that the SC-1 borrows heavily from American and European sports cars of the 60′s and 70′s. It’s a mix tape of styles and eras but the most telling design features are lifted straight from the Corvette like the Coke-bottle profile and distinctive rear end. That comes as little shock because the Corvette makes up the SC-1′s platform.

Under the bespoke body lies the chassis and mechanical hardware of the sixth generation Corvette. Endora Cars will offer tempted buyers the choice of three configurations. A base model which comes packing GM’s 6.2-litre V8 with a 325kW output, while a second option is a larger 7.0-liter V8 with 381kW and 636Nm of torque. Topping the range is a supercharged version of the 6.2-litre V8 engine that will put a frightening 482kW of grunt and 817Nm of torque to the rear axle. Continue reading “The Endora SC-1 – another Corvette based Supercar” »

Tags: coachbuilder, Corvette, details, Endora Cars, GM, SC-1, specs, supercar | Posted in News | No Comments »

Lamborghini Aventadors slice through Italian countryside (+video)

May 3rd, 2011 by Car and SUV

Lamborghini keeps showing off footage of its latest raging bull the Aventador and you can’t blame the Italian carmaker because its an amazing machine.

This latest clip follows two Aventador models as they rapidly navigate a rolling piece of Italian country tarmac. It’s the stuff daydreams are made of and there’s no ridiculous special effects just two beautiful machines taking a spirited drive. If you could afford the asking price for the Aventador life would certainly be different.

The Aventador represents the latest in the evolution of Lamborghini’s top supercars. The 515kW carbon-fibre beast weighs in at a ultra light 1,574 kg, gifting it the kind of power-to-weight ratio typically found on a race track.

If you’re inspired by the video below and you have a disgusting amount of cash then Lamborghini will sell you one for around $370,000 USD or $459,500 in NZ money. Luckily, dreams are much cheaper. Continue reading “Lamborghini Aventadors slice through Italian countryside (+video)” »

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Koenigsegg reveals Agera R supercar specifications

March 24th, 2011 by Car and SUV

When Koenigsegg unveiled its brand new Agera R supercar at the recent Geneva Motor Show it received a lot of attention. With a flat white ‘Speed Racer’ style paint job and over 800kW on tap this is clearly a machine not for the feint-hearted. But the exotic Swedish automaker has only now released the full specifications, and they are suitably staggering.

Under the bonnet the Agera R is packing a 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that produces a massive 691kW on standard 95-octane gasoline, but fill the tank with an E85 bio-ethanol blend and you’re going to get a whopping 820kW. All the power is distributed to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, that means a 2.9-second sprint to 100 kph.

The engine is a total beast but there is more to the Agera R than just straight line speed. The carbon-Kevlar body generates 300 kilos of downforce at 250 km/h helped by the car’s turbine wheels which are wrapped in specially-made Michelin rubber. According to Koenigsegg this supercar will also pull a neck-pulling 1.6 g around the skid pad – a figure that can’t be beaten by almost anything else on four wheels. Continue reading “Koenigsegg reveals Agera R supercar specifications” »

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Porsche announces pricing and details for 918 Spyder Hybrid Supercar

March 22nd, 2011 by Car and SUV

It will still be at least two years before Porsche’s new 918 Spyder hybrid supercar reaches production, but that’s not stopping the German carmaker from putting a price tag on it and opening the order book.

The 918 Spyder is to be the most expensive model ever built by Porsche with European prices starting from €645,000 ($1.24m NZD). That’s a large chunk of change to say the least but for the money buyer’s will get the latest hybrid tech and the natural successor to the iconic Carerra GT.

Production of the 918 Spyder will take place at Porsche’s Zuffenhausen plant in Germany starting from September 18, 2013, with first deliveries to commence in November 2013. Porsche plans to limit production of the two-seater model to no more than 918 units worldwide.

The 918 Spyder is closely modeled after the concept study seen at last year’s Geneva Motor Show. However, the production version will not have a full open-top look, instead it will go with removable roof panels that can be stowed in the front luggage compartment. Other differences from the concept include the addition of exterior mirrors and the removal of the side exhaust tail pipes. Continue reading “Porsche announces pricing and details for 918 Spyder Hybrid Supercar” »

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Rossin-Bertin Vorax is Brazil’s V10-powered Supercar

October 26th, 2010 by Car and SUV

Brazil is well known for a few things like it’s fancy football and bubble-butted women but not for its supercars. That may be set to change with the Rossin-Bertin Vorax that will make its debut at the Sao Paulo Auto Show shortly. There’s no doubt the styling won’t be to all tastes but the Vorax has some serious credentials with a carbon fibre body and aluminium chassis. According to its makers, it will weigh just 1,300 kg and be powered by a hard-tuned 5.0-litre V10 lifted from the current BMW M5.

Although untested at this stage, the “base model” 425 kW Vorax should reach 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds and go on to a top speed of 330 km/h. Meanwhile, the harder core 559 kW supercharged variant can do just 3.6 seconds to 100kph and a 372 km/h top speed.

The creators of the Vorax wanted to build a supercar that could compete with the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche – a ambitious goal.

Production of the Vorax coupe will begin at a manufacturing plant in Blumenau, Brazil later this year or early 2012. A convertible version is scheduled to follow the coupe a year later. The plan is to sell between 500 and 1,000 Voraxes for around US$409,836 each.

Check out images of the Rossin-Bertin Vorax in the gallery below.