2013 Dodge SRT Viper

Monday, December 31, 2012

Information Specification Image Review 2013 Dodge SRT Viper

A new logo, a tweaked name, a new look, and a new drivetrain: the 2013 Dodge SRT Viper is reborn, back after a two-year hiatus and Chrysler's acquisition by Fiat. Will it live up to the old one's reputation for ferocity, performance, and outright speed? Might it even repair the last Viper's somewhat blemished build quality?

Based on what we've seen at the official reveal of the 2013 Dodge SRT Viper at the 2012 New York Auto Show, the Viper is poised to bite back with a new level of driving finesse and interior craftsmanship.

 Powertrain:
Speculation raises several possibilities, but the most frequent—and most likely—is a revised version of the 8.4-liter V-10 equipped with Fiat’s Multiair variable intake-valve timing system. Output could be as high as 700 horsepower if Chrysler/Fiat decides to challenge the ZR1 Corvette. If that’s the case, a more modestly priced version may be offered with Chrysler’s 6.4 Hemi V-8. The Viper likely will keep its six-speed manual gearbox.

 Too bad then, that it's not so good – just a blurry, poorly lit image that seems like it's more Photoshop than photo. So we went ahead and tried to enhance the image we plucked off of SRT's Facebook page ourselves. If there's one thing we can see for certain from these pixels, it's that the new hood design – with two front-mounted, rear-facing scoops – is confirmed.
source:autoblog.com,caranddriver.com,thecarconnection.com

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2013 Ferrari Enzo

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Information Specification Modification Image Review  2013 Ferrari Enzo

 “We want to surprise people, not only giving money, but also the presentation of the car” , told Automotive News Europe Luca di Montezemolo in Geneva. It can therefore be expected that the successor to the Enzo will be presented to a select group of potential customers at the end of this year. Italian manufacturer has not yet decided where the car will be shown publicly. Spokesman for Ferrari said that the most likely date would be a car showroom in Detroit or Geneva next year. Given, however, fair rank and status of the car the more likely site for the presentation will be fair in Geneva.

The 2012 Ferrari Enzo is a 12 cylinder mid-engine berlinetta named after the company’s founder, Enzo Ferrari. 2012 Ferrari Enzo was built in 2012 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style electrohydraulic shift transmission, and Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite disc brakes. Also used are technologies not allowed in F1 such as active aerodynamics and traction control. After a downforce of 775 kg (1,709 lb) is reached at 300 km/h (186 mph) the rear wing is actuated by computer to maintain that downforce.

 Power, according to foreign media reports, the new car will be equipped with maximum power of 789 hp 6.2L V12 engine, KERS kinetic energy recovery system can also provide an additional power of 117 horsepower. The expected new car 0-100km / h acceleration time of less than 2.5 seconds, top speed can reach 408km / h. The new car is very likely to release the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

The new flagship of the Lamborghini LP 700-4 listed makes Ferrari gradually fall into the passive, the Enzo’s successor, naturally became the latest competitive weapon, this weapon is very likely to become the Bugatti the most powerful competitors.

 Ferrari says its hybrid system, known as “HY-KERS”, has reduced fuel consumption by 40 percent in testing and has also improved vehicle acceleration. Ferrari says a HY-KERS equipped car is about 3 seconds faster to 200kph than a gas-only car.

The hybrid system will add about 265 pounds to the vehicle’s weight, but Ferrari will combat that through the extensive use of carbon fiber. Felisa noted that the Enzo successor will use Formula One grade carbon fiber, which is lighter and stronger than the carbon material used in the construction of the original Enzo.

Samsung Electronics will provide the lithium-ion batteries for the hybrid, but Ferrari will construct the battery packs at its F1 racing headquarters in Fiorano, Italy.
source:topgearcar.net,newscanon.com,forums.corvetteforum.com

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2013 Dodge Dart

Saturday, December 29, 2012

 Information Specification Modifation Image Review 2013 Dodge Dart
The single most important thing about the 2013 Dodge Dart is that it proves Chrysler is still in the game. The new Dart compact sedan may not leapfrog every other compact on the market to set lofty new heights of excellence. But it's stylish, fun to drive, offers some pioneering features for the segment, and is competitively priced. And the last time the company introduced a sedan you could say that about--the Chrysler 300--was 2005.

From the car's roominess inside to its strong Dodge design roots, the Dart is a breath of fresh air in a compact segment that threatens to become even more beige than it has been. Just consider the competition.
On one end is a newly strong competitor, the Hyundai Elantra. It's undeniably stylish, gets great fuel economy, and offers plenty of value for the money. On the other end is the aged, invisible, unappealing Toyota Corolla (due to be replaced for 2014), saddled with an archaic four-speed automatic transmission and numb electric power steering. In between are the stylish but pricey Ford Focus, the good-citizen Chevy Cruze (still the quietest highway cruiser of the class), and the somewhat disappointing all-new 2012 Honda Civic.

"This car didn't even exist on paper in June of 2009," Marchionne told Steve Kroft on CBS's "60 Minutes" days before the first press drive in Healdsburg, California. Dodge didn't have any dual-clutch or 2.4-liter R/T versions to sample, just the 1.4-liter turbo and 2.0-liter, some with the six speed automatic, some with the Honda-slick six-speed manual.

"It's got a little Italian flair," Kroft noted.

"Yeah. Just enough to make it interesting, and it avoids the pitfalls of being Italian," Marchionne replied.

So, mechanically, it's sorted.

Three years is a short time to bring a new car to market, even if it starts with the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. By now you've read about most of the changes, including 1.2-inch-wider tracks, a longer wheelbase, and 12 inches more overall length than the hatchback Giulietta. Chrysler tweaked suspension geometry for rougher roads in the U.S. to include a dual-rate rear in the Dart, firm in one direction and multi-rate in the other. It has 68-percent hot-stamped high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel, and active grille shutters in the lower front fascia.

Back in the Game
The 2013 Dodge Dart is a strong effort, a car that should instantly allow Dodge to compete with its established rivals after several years on the compact sidelines. It looks great, is priced aggressively, stacks up nicely in terms of power and efficiency and offers a whole slew of premium options.
Beyond that, the Dart handles; it has mojo. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta DNA that went into it has emerged intact, albeit in a somewhat larger, trunkified form.

From where we sit, the 2013 Dodge Dart is definitely worth a closer look. There's an obvious comparison test in our near future but, whatever the outcome, Dodge's return to the increasingly important compact segment should help put it on a path to a far rosier future.
source:motortrend.com,thecarconnection.com,insideline.com

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2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Review

Thursday, December 27, 2012

 Information Specification Modification Image Review 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
The ultimate Ford Mustang - Shelby GT500 - raises the bar high on performance with the introduction of the new 2013 model that goes on sale next year delivering 650 horsepower and a top speed of more than 200 mph.

"SVT keeps the Shelby GT500 on the cutting edge of technology and takes muscle car performance to new heights," said Jost Capito, director of Global Performance Vehicles and Motorsport Business Development. "We encapsulated every aspect of performance in this car - whether it's 0-60, top speed, racetrack or quarter-mile times. Beyond that, the daily driver also will find this car perfectly fits his or her needs."

The 5.8-liter V8 aluminum-block engine produces 650 horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque, making it the most powerful production V8 in the world. The 3,850-pound car also stays exempt from the gas-guzzler tax.

Nearly every part of the powertrain has been optimized for producing the additional horsepower, including a new supercharger, new cross-drilled block and heads, updated camshaft profiles, a new carbon fiber driveshaft and upgraded clutch, transmission and axle.
A larger, more-efficient supercharger flowing more air through the engine is key to helping produce the massive 650 horsepower. The new TVS series 2300 creates 2.3 liters of displacement and is a unique design to the 5.8-liter engine.

While punching out the 5.4-liter aluminum-block V-8 out to 5.8 liters, the GT500’s powertrain crew also updated the heads for better cooling, changed the camshaft profiles, added piston squirters and higher-flow fuel injectors, swapped the old supercharger for a larger and more efficient TVS unit that ups boost from 9 to 15 psi, and fitted a larger intercooler. The result is an extra 100 hp and 90 lb-ft compared to the 2012 model. The cooling system was upgraded to dissipate the excess heat, and a carbon-fiber driveshaft, upgraded clutch, strengthened transmission (with revised gearing), and sturdier rear axle were deemed necessary to cope with the extra grunt. To help the driver cope, the GT500 is equipped with an adjustable launch-control function.

Despite the GT500’s barbaric output, Ford has come a long way from the muscle cars of yesteryear, wherein engineers fitted a bigger, more powerful engine and called it good. A new front fascia is home to the same revised headlights as the other ’13 Mustangs, and there’s a new front splitter. That last bit is important, as Ford says the new GT500’s top speed is in excess of 200 (!) mph. Chew on that, Camaro ZL1. Heck; chew on that, Corvette Z06, with your piddling 198 mph. Overall, Ford says the 2013 GT500 has 33 percent more downforce at 160 mph than its predecessor. With a factory Mustang joining the 200-mph club, drivers will appreciate standard Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers in the front and larger rotors and new pads at all four corners.

The new Shelby GT500 will be priced right on top of the Camaro ZL1, too — $54,995, including shipping, for the GT500 coupe, with the GT500 convertible fetching a $5,000 premium above that.
The Shelby GT500 coupe debuted last fall at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, while the convertible was unveiled earlier this year at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show.

For an extra $3,495, the 2013 Shelby GT500 can be ordered with the SVT Performance package, which comes bundled with a Torsen differential, 19-inch painted forged-aluminum front wheels, 20-inch painted forged-aluminum rear wheels, 265/40R19 front and 285/35R20 rear tires, Bilstein adjustable dampers, unique rear springs, unique instrument cluster and unique gearshift knob.
source:netcarshow.com,caranddriver.com,insideline.com

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2013 Subaru WRX STI Review

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

 Information Specification Modification Image Review 2013 Subaru WRX STI

After its recently revealed "Motion V" program was announced late last year, Subaru bosses arranged a special briefing for potential investors. At that meeting, senior staffers laid out a road map of what models and new technologies would be unveiled up to 2015.

It started with the all-new Impreza of last year, the BRZ and Forester which will go on sale this year, the Exiga minivan in 2013, the all-new WRX (which will diverge from the Impreza platform) and a brand new sport wagon for 2014, and the all-new Legacy in 2015.

Of note on the technology side is a new direct injection turbocharged engine slated for introduction by the end of this year. And that's just part of Subaru's powertrain plans.

Aside from a name change, the 2013 Subaru WRX will get an all-new platform to call home, along with a new engine underhood. Subaru is dropping "Impreza" from the WRX nameplate, but will continue building the car from the Impreza platform. Subaru wants to distinguish the Impreza as its mainstream small car offering while highlighting the WRX's gravel-spitting, rally-racing heritage. As such, the new WRX will likely ride on a slightly shorter wheelbase and use lighter-weight suspension components and unique suspension geometry for enhanced performance handling.

The 2013 WRX will use a new turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder engine that, while a half-liter smaller, will make more power than the engine in the current model. Aided by direct injection, the new four-cylinder should make close to 270 horsepower and, coupled with the new WRX's expected weight loss, help achieve better fuel economy than the current model's 19 mpg city/25 mpg highway. Expect a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive to come standard.

 It is a similar position to that taken by Honda in Australia, which recently announced it will be introducing a diesel variant of the British-built Civic hatch in 2013.

This is likely to be related to the existence of a powerful and highly efficient new 1.6-litre unit that will debut at Geneva next month and is set to replace the well-regarded 2.2-litre diesel used on several European-market Hondas.

Mr Senior said he expected Impreza volume to remain steady despite the arrival of the fourth-generation model.

This is largely due to pressure on the factory, which is operating at 100 per cent capacity and working hard to satisfy exceptionally high demand for the new XV, more than 650 of which were sold locally in the two weeks immediately following its launch last month.
source:motortrend.com,edmunds.com,goauto.com.au

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2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Information Specification Modification Image Review 2013 hyundai genesis

According to Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik, 2011 marked the highest calendar-year sales ever for the Genesis coupe. The self-confessed factoid freak calmly references this fact from the passenger seat of a 2013 Genesis coupe as we skim across the Nevada Desert floor at speeds well over the century mark. Krafcik is busy peppering me with questions about the car—and other cars, and Apple, Sony, BlackBerry, and the current state of EPA regulations, among other topical concerns—and snapping photos when we roll over a cattle grate without drama; doing so in the pre-refresh Genesis coupe would have sent reverberations throughout the entire car. He smiles approvingly, then returns his attention to his BlackBerry and begins hammering out another series of messages. Note to Genesis coupe suspension engineers: Now may be the time to ask for a raise.

We gave you a look at the Genesis’s revised fascia when it debuted at the Detroit show back in January, and we can now confirm our suspicion that the hood is an entirely new stamping, a costly proposition for a simple midlife revamp. Paintwork on the dozen or so examples we examined was flawless, and the Genesis looks light-years better—and bigger—in the flesh than in photographs. But the real news is the pair of significantly reworked engines residing under that fresh hood.

For 2013, Hyundai engineers put the squeeze on the Genesis Coupe's naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V-6 with nice, cooling, high-pressure fuel being sprayed directly into the combustion chamber, permitting the compression to rise from 10.4:1 to 11.5:1, bumping output (on premium fuel) to 348 hp at 6400 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque at 5300 rpm. In addition to implementing direct injection, engineers made numerous chassis, body, and interior tweaks to Hyundai's sportiest rear-drive offering, all in the name of keeping up with the 323-horsepower 2012 Chevy Camaro and soon-to-be-released 305-horse 2013 Ford Mustang. Considering all these improvements to the Gen Coupe, now may not be the best time to save a few bucks on the outgoing model, or to rush out and plop money down on one of the Americans.

THE VERDICT

Considering the significant upgrades made to the 2013 Genesis Coupe, the price hike is understandable. The car looks better inside and out, the power upgrade is impressive, plus, in a nod to enthusiasts and in an effort to further grow the car’s following, driving dynamics have been improved.

All these factors combine with the unique value packaging of Hyundai’s rear-drive sports car to make it not just a stand-out, but a stand-alone pick. True, in the entry-level range it doesn’t offer the purist appeal of the Scion FR-S, and in top-trim it’s still no G37, but in each comparison there are strong arguments to be made for the Hyundai, be it price, style or the fact that when compared to a car like the FR-S it has an edge when it comes to the level of sophistication.
source:caranddriver.com,motortrend.com,autoguide.com

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