The hardest part of this review is knowing where to start. This car is as rare as hen’s teeth.
There are to be only 500 made of the Alfa Romeo 8C, and only about 50 to make it to the US, so the fact that I am about to drive this is not lost on me. Pictures have circulated on the web and their various tubes for a while of this car, but *sigh* good god, it is jaw dropping in the paint.
If there was a naked woman on the 8C’s bonnet, you’d want her to get off it. Honestly, it’s just ridiculous.
Curves everywhere. The body is carbon fiber and is draped over the chassis to create the most delicious shape on the road. Its like Christina Hendricks on wheels, and if you don’t know who that is, Google her (Note by Adnan: Megan Fox on wheels would do the trick too). Christina’s a red head too, so it’s fitting that the red metallic paint accentuates them all, and those wheels look tremendous. Giant circles reminiscent of the wheels on the VW GTi a little.
The way the front centers around the grill is a thing of beauty, with a little circle of white LEDs in the grill.
The rear end reminds me of the old racing Porsches, and the circular rear lights are the perfect touch. I am a little besotted by the looks of this thing as you can probably tell.
It is now my favorite looking car on the road, beating the Aston Martin DB9. I never thought that phrase would ever come out of my mouth…
The interior is also just breathtaking. The leatherwork in the seats alone is something to study, the aluminum on the wheel and the dash, and the long aluminum paddles behind the wheel are in just the right places. The twin cowls on the main gauges separated with a red screen with a number of other supplemental gauges set off the interior beautifully, and the carbon fiber center console just adds to the overall experience. Its a sense of occasion that can barely be explained.
It was the sexiest car I had ever clapped my eyes on…
…and then I started it up.
Holy mother of god, who tuned that exhaust note? That can’t be legal, surely.
A throttle blip rendered me speechless for about a minute. There are loud cars that are just too loud, and then there are cars that you could listen to all day. I’ve never heard a rumble like this outside of a pit lane. It is intoxicating. A low rumble, with the 8 cylinder 4.3 liter engine just bellowing down the exhaust pipes with no regard for public safety.
After some time to compose myself, I put this thing in sport mode, put it in gear, and released the little electric handbrake, and off I went.
It felt a little light to start with, but then I got used to it. Accelerating towards the first corner, the noise is off the charts, but its a beautiful noise. I let my foot off the accelerator for a moment, and the exhaust just cracked and popped in a way that reminded me of the Panoz race cars, crack, pop, rumble…what road car makes that noise?! Oh, this one. I don’t care how many miles to the gallon this thing was getting, that noise had me accelerating and lifting off more times than I should. I was probably waking the dead in nearby cemeteries and people within a 5 mile radius, but it was an orchestra. They probably woke, listened to it, and smiled. How can you not?
Aside from the the noise, the gearbox was great. Changes up and down were smooth, lots of power, great acceleration, not as tight around the corners as the Gallardo, but still a level above virtually all other cars on the road. Its a taller car, even though its still a small car, so there is lots of headroom and shoulder room. Good visibility out all round. Seats were comfortable and held you in place really well as it went over dips and through curves.
The brakes were good too, as you would expect on a car like this, but moving your foot from one pedal to the other caused the thunderclaps out of the exhaust, so I sort of forgot about the brakes to be honest with you. The aural rewards were far outweighing the driving experience.
The team at Centro Stile Alfa Romeo deserve a medal the size of a large dining table for getting this on the road. If this doesn’t get Alfa noticed, then nothing will. An incredible experience. Not the finest drivers car on the road, but if you want to make a statement, this is the one to get, and being one of only 500 will make it an even rarer proposition. I know its basically a Maserati under the skin, but its a totally different animal and improves (if that’s even possible) on the looks of the Gran Turismo.
The Equus first surfaced around the beginning of this year. At the time, most thought it was a vehicle slated for Hyundai’s home market of South Korea only. Given Hyundai’s relentless drive upward though, it has proved to be much more than that.
Hyundai tested reception of the car in our market by displaying it at the New York Auto Show and placing the car in various Hyundai dealerships around the country.
One thing that should have came through with all the recent vehicles Hyundai has been launching – they aren’t messing around. Most proper luxury sedans in the segment offer two wheelbase lengths available, standard and extended. As such, Hyundai recently let drop images of the the extended wheel-base model of the Equus, dubbed the Equus Limousine, or VL500.
Now the company hasn’t confirmed if it will be coming to the United States or not, but if the past is any guide of the future I’d say there is a good chance. Imagine, it could be like a bargain Maybach! The neat thing though is that Hyundai is even getting into producing armored versions already.
Three armored Hyundai Equus VL500 were built and provided to the Korean Presidential Security Service for use at the G20 summit held in South Korea next year. The three limousines are the first armored cars to be built in the country.
They’re up to snuff too, able to withstand the blast of 15 kilograms of TNT, a level similar to that of Mercedes-Benz and BMW’s armored vehicles. I’m not sure if there will be an armored Equus that is sold to the public, or if they are just made for the country’s leader. Either way, Hyundai is going all-out with the new Equus.
Download Video Download Wallpapers(23) The Spyker C8 Aileron is an advanced mid-engine, two-seat sports car, featuring a longer wheelbase than Spyker's existing sports cars, the C8 Laviolette and convertible C8 Spyder. The Aileron is characterized by a distinctive design, lightweight all-aluminium body construction and an uncompromising engineering package. The Spyker C8 Aileron is hand-crafted, using only the finest bespoke materials to create a unique automotive statement.
The Aileron features an all-aluminium V8 engine producing 400 bhp and generating 354 lbs of torque at 3,400 rpm. The engine is paired to a manual six-speed gearbox, driving the rear wheels via a limited slip differential. For the first time, Spyker is offering an optional automatic transmission on the Spyker C8 Aileron. The Aileron delivers a top speed of 300km/h (187 mph) and accelerates from standstill to 60 mph in a mere 4.5 seconds.
Optional features include a turned aluminium dashboard fascia, elegant 19-inch directional rotor wheels, branded Rotorblade(TM), quilted leather detailing for the cockpit and Chronoswiss dashboard instruments. Additionally, complete custom and unique finishes are available for the experienced connoisseur. Customers may also order a 5-piece Louis Vuitton luggage set exclusively made for Spyker.
Chassis The Spyker C8 Aileron's all-aluminium space frame was completely redesigned with the objective to increase torsional rigidity and to incorporate an all-new suspension system designed and supplied by Lotus. These characteristics provide an ideal foundation for enhanced vehicle dynamics.
Moreover, the Spyker C8 Aileron's dimensions have been optimised for more interior space and to accommodate the optional automatic gearbox. Compared to the short wheelbase of the first-generation cars - the Spyker C8 Laviolette and C8 Spyder - the wheelbase of the Spyker C8 Aileron is 150 mm longer, providing more driving comfort and stability at high speeds. Its front track has increased by 6.1 inches (155 mm). The total dimensions of the front and rear track are now 63.98 inches (1625 mm) and 64.76 inches (1645 mm) respectively, which improves road handling significantly.
Spyker has put tremendous effort in the spaceframe performance of the Spyker C8 Aileron, specifically the structure's efficiency. The utilisation of modern finite elements and numerical optimisation methods has allowed Spyker's engineers to arrive at an exceptionally stiff structure of 29.500Nm/degree. Rigid-node and load-path technology has been employed in order to ensure that the minimum amount of aluminium is used to achieve this performance, thus reducing the overall weight of the vehicle. The dynamic stiffness characteristics of the structure have been carefully tuned in order to minimise unwanted cabin noises and vibrations, which may otherwise detract from the driving experience. These technologies and measures have allowed Spyker to arrive at the most efficient chassis in its history and certainly one of the best in class.
Design The design of the hand-crafted Spyker C8 Aileron represents the latest evolution of Spyker's signature architecture, which is heavily inspired by the company's aviation heritage. In the first-generation cars, the propeller design was consistently applied to many elements of the vehicles. Within the design of the new Spyker C8 Aileron, the emphasis was shifted from the propeller propulsion to the turbine propulsion. As a result, for instance, the bright polished air inlets were converted into turbine-engine-shaped air scoops.
In order to enhance the aerodynamic performance of the car, several changes in styling were made. Most of the shark-like gills have been abandoned, which results in a cleaner, smoother appearance. The front end is now characterized by a larger grille that allows additional cooling. Also the rear diffuser was redesigned for improved functionality. An extra spoiler has been placed under the diffuser, providing additional down force to boost the ground effect produced by the diffuser.
Sometimes practicality gains over design: the split side windows with the characteristic metal frame have been replaced by single-pane side windows that are fully retractable, improving driving comfort.
The outside mirrors, standard in body colour, were redesigned and the mirror body is mounted on two turbine fan blades. The rear lights are made of LEDs (light-emitting diodes). LED lights were also used for the indicators and the sidelights in the redesigned headlight units. The style of the headlights is particularly eye-catching as they follow the body design more closely. This characteristic styling can be defined as a part of the (future) Spyker identity first seen on the Spyker C12 Laturbie and subsequently in the Spyker D8 Peking-to-Paris, which will use the identical headlight units to those of the Aileron.
The Spyker C8 Aileron is available in 16 standard colours, but customers may choose any colour they wish as an option, as well as the Spyker Squadron GT2 colour scheme. The standard colours have been developed by Sikkens Autolakken Nederland and AkzoNobel Car Refinishes. Spyker selected these companies because of their high quality standards and their ability to meet special requirements. Some of the standard colours have been created especially for the Spyker C8 Aileron.
Drivetrain The Spyker C8 Aileron uses the Audi 4.2 litre V8 engine, delivering 400 bhp and is available with two transmission alternatives. The first one is a 6-speed Getrag manual gearbox, with ratios perfectly matched to the V8 engine. A ZF 6-speed automatic gearbox is optional, which comes standard with paddle shifts behind the steering wheel. Both transmissions retain Spyker's trademark exposed gear change mechanism.
Interior Thanks to its longer chassis, the Spyker C8 Aileron has more interior space, which results in a higher comfort level and improved ergonomics. The interior, with its signature Spyker attention to detail, is made of the highest quality leather, from the Litano range of the Dutch Royal Tannery Hulshof. The leather interior is available in 14 standard colours, but any other colour - if desired by the customer - can be ordered as an option.
The brushed aluminium dashboard was completely redesigned to suit the new Spyker identity and to improve ergonomics and functionality, including driver and passenger airbags. Air vents are designed in turbine style and the performance and distribution of the air conditioning was improved significantly. A multifunctional LCD display is integrated between the speedometer and the odometer. The middle console accommodates the standard Kharma sound system (see In-Car Entertainment). A turned aluminium dashboard, as well as Chronoswiss (Spyker's watch manufacturing partner) dials and switches, are available as an option.
More space was created around the Spyker's characteristic floor-mounted pedal box. The impression of professional functionality and ergonomic styling is enhanced by the optimised positioning of the door handle and the hand-brake lever.
In-Car Entertainment With more cars going into the market and the increased popularity of the iPod and similar products, demand rose for a standard factory-fitted sound system. As a result, every Spyker C8 Aileron will feature a Kharma audio system as standard equipment, incorporating a digital radio, Bluetooth interface, iPod connectivity and a navigation system. The Kharma sound system offers a turbine-shaped control mounted on the central gearlever bar and a dashboard display, paired to six Kharma loudspeakers. It can be upgraded with an optional audio package.
The presence of a Kharma sound system in the Spyker C8 Aileron marks Kharma's debut in the world of automotive entertainment. Kharma International produces high-end audio products, sold worldwide through a network of highly qualified distributors and dealers. All Kharma sound systems are developed, assembled and tested in the Netherlands, with the utmost care by a team of highly engaged specialists. These characteristics of high-quality products and exclusiveness are fully in line with Spyker's brand values of craftsmanship and exclusivity.
Suspension & Wheels The Spyker C8 Aileron is fitted with a brand new front and rear independent double-wishbone suspension system developed by Lotus. The new suspension system includes a new kinematic layout of the front and rear suspension, front and rear stabilizer bars, mono-tube dampers, coil over damper steel springs, anti-dive and anti-squat setup for improved handling properties. The suspension components are made of forged aluminium where possible, to keep the vehicle's unsprung weight as low as possible. Shock absorbers are placed vertically within the wishbones.
The Aeroblade(TM) wheels of the first-generation cars are replaced by newly-designed 19-inch alloy wheels. New 12-blade, 19-inch directional rotor wheels, branded Rotorblade(TM), are available as an option. These wheels are inspired by the turbine blades of a jet engine, which hints at the new styling direction while respecting the aviation heritage. The 235/35 size tires in front and up to 295/30 at the rear provide exceptional handling.
Brakes The Spyker C8 Aileron's brakes are supplied by AP Racing, a partner from day one. Black brake callipers with Spyker script are standard. Colour-coded callipers with Spyker script can be ordered as an option. Carbon ceramic brakes will be available as an option.
The ne Alfa Romeo is back at the Frankfurt International Motor Show with world premieres and models currently in production. Alfa Romeo MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde will be powered by a 1.4 MultiAir TBi engine developing 170 hp. The Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde comes with the 17″ satin titanium-finished wheels which is based on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione supercar. The same color is used for the headlight frames and the wing mirrors, while the dark finish of the headlight parabolas is achieved by a brand new metal sublimation technology.
Hey race fans... If you are a fan of the 24hrs of LeMans... there is a FREE video (standard or HD) on iTunes right now. (dont know how long it will be in the free section, but as of today it is). I dont know how long it will be there, but its really slick! Its a documentary by the Audi team, and was just released at the end of March 2009.
From the iTunes main window (assuming you are using the latest version of iTunes) scroll all the way down the screen towards the bottom center section, and click on "SEE ALL". Then scroll down to the bottom of the next screen. Truth in 24 is on the lower left corner of the screen.
Since it's unveiling many people in the U.S. have been hoping that the Fiat 500 would eventually be sold here. Well now that Fiat and Chrysler have hooked up our wish has come true. Its been confirmed that the Fiat 500 will be sold through Chrysler dealerships when it is released and it will be the only Fiat badged model in the U.S.
Chrysler brand CEO and head of sales for all Chrysler Group brands, Peter Fong stated that the Fiat 500 will likely have a dedicated corner in Chrysler showrooms rather than its own retail network like the Mini. Eventually four versions will make it to the U.S., the hatchback, convertible, a wagon and a high-performance version.
The Fiat 500 is expected to be produced at Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico facility in late 2010 or early 2011.
According to the latest reports, it appears that at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Ferrari president a.k.a. Luca di Montezemolo announced the new F458 Italia Spider. There is a bad news though: the production version of the F458 Italia Spider, which will feature a stylish soft top, will have to wait a couple of years because, according to its CEO, Ferrari has to recover after the financial crisis. Of course, if you can’t wait the convertible you can choose the new F458 Italia Coupe which will go on sale in January 2010.
The Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger midsize sedans were pretty much dead under Chrysler's former owner, Cerberus Capital Management, but now that Chrysler has a new owner, the sedans have a new lease on life.
Cerberus had originally planned to kill the Sebring and Avenger at the end of 2010 and close the Sterling Heights, Mich., factory where they are built. The factory could still be closed, but the sedans will continue to be produced until the end of 2012.
The Sebring is slated to get an extensive face-lift in 2011, while the Avenger is slated to get a milder refresh, which may bring it to the market sooner than the Sebring.
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