Top Gear
Top Gear
Many people know about the 2008 Top Gear pilot that was filmed for NBC but wasn't picked up. Now, the American version of Top Gear is actually going to happen -- History Channel has comissioned ten episodes, the first of which will run late this fall. The hosts will be Adam Ferrara, actor and comedian; Tanner Faust, racing and stunt driver; and Rutledge Wood, Speed Channel NASCAR commentator.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS
It's only saved 1kg, but Porsche re-designed it anyway. It sums up the whole philosophy of finessing perfection, this obsession with detail. To give you another example, the carbon-fibre rear wing has a non-uniform profile between the sides and centre because the airflow is different over the wheelarches compared to the middle of the car. And the amount of downforce this RS generates at 100mph is the same as the old car had at 190.
The exhaust silencers are now titanium, the single-mass flywheel has had 1.4kg shaved since the gen-one RS, the brake hubs are aluminium and save 1.2kg a corner. The list goes on: lightweight wheels; aluminium body panels; plastic rear window; canvas straps for internal door handles; no heavy, flappy paddle gearbox (Preuninger: "Grandmas can use paddles. They aren't challenging"). Even the leather has gone from the dash and doors - tap on the roof and it sounds thin, like a caravan's. There's also an option to spec a lithium-ion battery, which brings a 10kg weight-loss benefit. And costs £1,268.
Many people know about the 2008 Top Gear pilot that was filmed for NBC but wasn't picked up. Now, the American version of Top Gear is actually going to happen -- History Channel has comissioned ten episodes, the first of which will run late this fall. The hosts will be Adam Ferrara, actor and comedian; Tanner Faust, racing and stunt driver; and Rutledge Wood, Speed Channel NASCAR commentator.
Porsche 911 GT3 RS
It's only saved 1kg, but Porsche re-designed it anyway. It sums up the whole philosophy of finessing perfection, this obsession with detail. To give you another example, the carbon-fibre rear wing has a non-uniform profile between the sides and centre because the airflow is different over the wheelarches compared to the middle of the car. And the amount of downforce this RS generates at 100mph is the same as the old car had at 190.
The exhaust silencers are now titanium, the single-mass flywheel has had 1.4kg shaved since the gen-one RS, the brake hubs are aluminium and save 1.2kg a corner. The list goes on: lightweight wheels; aluminium body panels; plastic rear window; canvas straps for internal door handles; no heavy, flappy paddle gearbox (Preuninger: "Grandmas can use paddles. They aren't challenging"). Even the leather has gone from the dash and doors - tap on the roof and it sounds thin, like a caravan's. There's also an option to spec a lithium-ion battery, which brings a 10kg weight-loss benefit. And costs £1,268.
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Sunday, April 25, 2010
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BMW announced the production version of the all-new BMW ActiveHybrid 7. Based on the newest BMW 7 Series, BMW ActiveHybrid 7 comes with an upgraded twin-turbo, High Precision Direct Injection, V8 engine with a 3-phase synchronous elec¬tric motor gives the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 a combined output of 455 hp and maximum torque of 516 lb-ft (preliminary figures). Power is transmitted via an 8-speed automatic transmission with the electric motor positioned between the engine and the torque converter. The BMW ActiveHybrid 7 accelerates to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds (preliminary), while delivering fuel economy approximately 15% better than the 750i.