Autoblog

Ferrari previews Enzo successor's V12 HY-KERS powertrain [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Technology, Videos, Ferrari, Beijing Motor Show

Go back just a few years ago, and you'd easily conclude that Ferrari and hybrids would go together about as well as ice cream and pickles. But a lot's changed since then, and Ferrari is making no secret of the fact that it's developing hybrid powertrains of its own.

The first system it developed is the Kinetic Energy Recovery System, a type of regenerative braking device developed with its sister company, Magneti Marelli, for use in Formula One. That lead to a similar system installed in an experimental version of the 599 called the HY-KERS concept displayed at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. More recently reports surfaced that Ferrari had patented a more conventional hybrid powertrain system, leading to speculation that the KERS type had been abandoned for road-car use - most poignantly in the upcoming successor to the Enzo. But while Ferrari apparently pursues development of that more conventional hybrid system, it appears that its next mid-engined V12 hypercar will adopt an evolution of the HY-KERS system displayed on that green 599 two years back.

A revised HY-KERS system has just been announced by Ferrari at the Beijing Motor Show, where the Prancing Horse also marked the Asian debut of its new F12 Berlinetta. Ferrari says the new system - installed on a V12 engine mounted amidship - is more effective than the one that preceded it, bringing emissions down to 40 percent of what a conventional engine with the same output would produce (compared to a 30 percent reduction from the previous incarnation), all while bringing engineers closer to their target of producing one kilowatt of energy for every kilogram of weight the system adds.

As for the F12, Ferrari has revealed that its latest supercar set a lap time at Fiorano of one minute, 23 seconds, making it the company's quickest road car yet: a full second quicker than the 599 GTO it replaces, and about two seconds quicker than the Enzo, the 458 Italia and the 430 Scuderia. With that kind of progress, we can count on the new hybrid V12 hypercar to set an even quicker time still. Scroll down for the press release and video clip.

Continue reading Ferrari previews Enzo successor's V12 HY-KERS powertrain [w/video]

Ferrari previews Enzo successor's V12 HY-KERS powertrain [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch the Pagani Zonda R's 6:47 'Ring run

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:24:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Specialty, Racing

Pagani Zonda R runs the 'Ring - Click above to watch video after the jump

The visuals to go with the "record." Pagani blasted its Zonda R over the Nürburgring for the purposes of testing production components. Removing all the mystery from the endeavor, the in-car video shows the view out the window as the driver of the R resets yet another bar at 6:47. We put "record" in quotes simply because this flier isn't road legal, so we're in all kinds of gray area. But it beat the Ferrari 599XX, and that's feat unto itself. Follow the jump for the sights and sounds.

Gallery: Pagani Zonda R

[Source: Pagani]

Continue reading Video: Watch the Pagani Zonda R's 6:47 'Ring run

Video: Watch the Pagani Zonda R's 6:47 'Ring run originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pagani Zonda R reportedly sets new Nürburgring record

Noah Joseph — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Europe, MISC

Pagani Zonda R - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you were blown away a couple of months ago when Ferrari broke the 7-minute barrier at the Nürburgring, then hold on to your hat, dear friend, because the Prancing Horse has just been bested by its own next-door neighbor.

Reports from the Old World indicate that a new Nordschleife record has been taken by the Pagani Zonda R. And by some margin, too: After Ferrari lapped the ring in 6:58, its cross-town rival reportedly scrubbed over ten seconds off that time with a 6:47.

Now before you protest that the Zonda R isn't road legal, we'll point out that the 599XX with which Ferrari scored its time isn't, either. Both these Modenese supercars belong to a new category of vehicle known as the track car, bridging the gap between street-legal and race cars with production-based forms. And the Zonda R, it would seem, is the new king.

Gallery: SEMA 2009: Pagani Zonda R

[Source: PistonHeads]

Pagani Zonda R reportedly sets new Nürburgring record originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Inside the cockpit of the Viper ACR's record lap at Laguna Seca

Noah Joseph — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:44:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Dodge

Dodge Viper ACR laps Laguna Seca - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Pushing a performance monster like the Viper ACR around a race track at ten tenths takes some pretty massive cojones. But few tracks require the testicular fortitude of Laguna Seca.

The iconic circuit in Northern California is packed full of decreasing radius corners, off-camber turns, and the indomitable corkscrew. Fortunately, Dodge test driver Chris Winkler was up to the task, and pushed the ACR around dry lagoon to a record-breaking lap time of 1:33.944, edging out its cousin the Devon GTX in the process to claim the fastest road-car lap time around the track.

Now we've got footage that takes us inside the cockpit for the record run, which may seem like old hat to the video game crowd, until you realize this was happening in real life. Follow the jump to check it out.

[Source: Chrysler via YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Inside the cockpit of the Viper ACR's record lap at Laguna Seca

VIDEO: Inside the cockpit of the Viper ACR's record lap at Laguna Seca originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan clocks unofficial 7:26.7 'Ring time, gets dangerously close to ZR1

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Supercars, Nissan

The Battle for top honors at the Nordschleife continues, with yet another revised 'Ring time for the Nissan GT-R. After a second day of testing, Nissan claims that the 2010 model hacked off nearly a second from its time on Wednesday, delivering an unofficial lap of 7:26.7 - a mere four-tenths of second behind the Corvette ZR1's official time and just over a second slower than the Ferrari Enzo. As always, unofficial times should be taken with the appropriate amount of NaCl, and the way things are going, we expect Porsche (or GM) to fire back, at which point Nissan may finally release the GT-R SpecV's lap time.

[Source: GTRBlog | Image: Kislik]

Nissan clocks unofficial 7:26.7 'Ring time, gets dangerously close to ZR1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Porsche 911 GT3 runs the 'Ring in 7:40, reps still claim Nissan GT-R is slower

Chris Shunk — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars, Nissan, Porsche

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 - Click above to view the gallery

The 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 is unquestionably bad-ass. Its naturally aspirated 3.8-liter flat-six provides 435 hp from behind the driver's seat, and its track-tuned chassis can dance with the world's most nimble supercars. The free-wheeling product of Stuttgart has been undergoing testing at the famed Nurburgring in Germany (along with every other sports coupe worth its salt) and it's been timed at an unofficial 7:40. Porsche driving ace Walter Rohrl was behind the wheel for the sprightly lap.

While 7:40 isn't enough time to best the 7:26 from the 638 hp Corvette ZR1, it's a very impressive time nonetheless (BTW - During testing Rohrl posted a 7:45 in a borrowed Ferrari F430 Scuderia). Nissan probably isn't impressed, though, since it recently clocked the GT-R at 7:27. Well, Porsche is still calling balderdash on that claim, telling Motor Trend that the twin-turbo Nissan is only good for a time of 7:56 in stock US form. Just under eight minutes is an amazing time, but almost 30 seconds slower than reports from Nissan.

The Nissan vs. Porsche 'Ring smack-down feels as though its about to peter out, but the grudge match is almost to the point that the GT-R vs. GT3 drama should play out on premium cable. Who can we call to set this up?

Gallery: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3

[Source: Motor Trend]

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 runs the 'Ring in 7:40, reps still claim Nissan GT-R is slower originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corvette ZR-1 knocks four seconds off 'Ring time

Michael Harley — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Supercars, Chevrolet

Click above for our high-res ZR-1 burnout gallery

Back at the Nürburgring, the hot Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 has just ripped four seconds off its claimed 7:26 lap. The new time, with Jan Magnussen at the wheel, is a claimed 7:22.4 for the full 12.93-mile loop. While the number is pretty bloody fast, it is still .3 seconds off the time earned by the Dodge Viper ACR (ouch, those three tenths really have to hurt!). We take these lap times with a grain of salt, as we've yet to see everyone on the 73-turn course under the same conditions, and with officially certified timing equipment. Again, so you don't have to Google the competition's best-claimed Ring times yourself, here they are: Porsche GT2 - 7:32, Nissan GT-R - 7:29, Corvette ZR1 - 7:22.4 and the Dodge Viper ACR - 7:22.1. Thanks for the tip, Xeyad!

Gallery: Covette ZR1 burnouts

[Source: Motor Gears]

Corvette ZR-1 knocks four seconds off 'Ring time originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gauntlet thrown: Corvette ZR1 laps the 'Ring in 7:26.4

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars, Chevrolet

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Corvette ZR1.

Tadge J. Juechter, Corvette's chief engineer, announced this morning that Jim Mero, GM's development engineer, drove the ZR1 around the Nurburgring in 7:26.4. According to the GMNext blog, the run took place earlier this morning and that conditions were good on the track, with the exception of a strong headwind down the main straight. Mero mentioned that he felt there were a few places where he could have gone faster, although no details were provided about why and where.

Juechter makes it clear that the ZR1 that lapped the 'Ring was instock trim, with the exception of safety and communications equipment. As such, the ZR1 was wearing the same Michelin Pilot Sport 2s found on the production model, the chassis alignment and vehicle height were set to factory specs and the unmodified engine was running on pump gas.

The lap began with a rolling start - which falls in line with current industry practices - and the time was confirmed both through an electronic timing system and two hand-held stopwatches. The ZR1 team will be posting a video of their run when they return from Germany and we'll be keeping our eye out for it when it's online the week of July 7th.

Top tip Mason!

Gallery: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

[Source: GMNext]

Gauntlet thrown: Corvette ZR1 laps the 'Ring in 7:26.4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus LF-A mule unseats Porsche GT2 as King of the 'Ring

John Neff — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Coupe, Supercars, Lexus

click above for more images of the Lexus LF-A Concept

A Lexus LF-A mule has unofficially recorded a lap time on the Nordschleife of 7 minutes, 24 seconds. This is not in dispute. What is in dispute is how many seconds faster the LF-A's lap time is than that of the 2008 Porsche 911 GT2, the previous "King of the 'Ring" record holder. Wikipedia notes that the fastest 911 GT2 driven around the Ring posted a lap time of 7 minutes, 32 seconds and was driven by Walter Röhrl, Porsche's company test driver and accomplished WRC driver and road racing pilot. Porsche was so proud of the feat that it produced a snazzy video of the run that you can watch here. AutoExpress, however, which reported on the LF-A's remarkable lap time, claims that the fastest 911 GT2 lap time on the Nurburgring is 7 minutes, 25 seconds, but we could find no evidence on the web of a stock 911 GT2 ever posting a time that fast. Also note that a handful of other cars have posted lap times, but all are either tuner cars or limited production boutique cars like the Pagani Zonda F.

Nevertheless, the Lexus LF-A's time is remarkable and puts it in a class normally populated by purpose-built tuner cars. Its 4.8L V10 churns out a reported 552bhp while slapping the needle against a 9,000 rpm redline. A 210 mph top speed is said to be the car's upper bound, which makes us shake our heads. This is, after all, the brand that brought us the sarcophagus of a car that is the LS sedan. The production LF-A should be able to repeat the performance, but we'll have to wait a while longer while the Lexus supercar finishes baking in the oven. In the meantime, for Pete's sake, someone ship a Corvette ZR1 to Germany!

[Source: AutoExpress]

Gallery: Lexus LF-A Concept

Lexus LF-A mule unseats Porsche GT2 as King of the 'Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVO X vs STI - Tsukuba Lap Times

Justin Gardiner — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Japan, Mitsubishi, Subaru

It didn't take long for Japan's journalists to get the new STI and EVO X side by side, and the results are now officially in. Tsukuba circuit regulars Kazuo Shimizu and Manabu Kawaguchi spent an afternoon thrashing around the notoriously twisty short circuit just north of Tokyo and here (drum roll please) are the best times they could ring out of the AWD rivals:

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X : 1:06:46

Subaru Impreza WRX STI : 1:05:95

So there you have it. The new engine placed further forward in the engine bay of the EVO X than in the EVO IX has indeed proven to be a handicap, while the STI's "wheel at each corner" longer wheelbase plus new double wishbone rear suspension has proved its worth.

Neither car is quite as quick as its immediate ancestor though.

Check out this 15 year rivalry of the EVO vs the STI as recorded at Tsukuba after the jump.

[Source: CAR Top magazine]

Gallery: 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X

Gallery: 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI (JDM)

Continue reading EVO X vs STI - Tsukuba Lap Times

EVO X vs STI - Tsukuba Lap Times originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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