The Best Sports Car in the World ?
With the return of the legendary ‘GTO’ badge to a Ferrari for 2010, the question being asked by most people familiar with sports cars and Ferrari in particular is, ‘is this the best sports car in the world?’
The model lucky enough to get the GTO treatment and wear the badge is Ferrari’s two seat flagship the 599 GTB Fiorano. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano was introduced in 2006 to replace the 575 Maranello. In it’s first year the 599 won the Evo car of the year, Evo being the premiere Magazine in Britain focusing on driver oriented cars and a global authority on performance cars.
So the 599 GTB was already a great supercar when it first appeared in 2006, featuring a 5999cc V12 positioned at the front of the car longitudinally. It develops 611bhp and 448lb ft of torque and all of that power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 6 speed manual transmission or Ferrari’s 6 speed ‘F1 Superfast’ automated manual transmission with paddle shifters.
The 599 GTB also features magnetorheological dampers which are dampers filled with magnetorheological fluid and controlled by a magnetic field. So by varying the strength of the electromagnet emitting the magnetic field you can adapt individual dampers to continuously altering conditions. This semi active suspension is critical on the 599 GTB in compensating for the basic physics of having the engine out in front of you feeding the driving wheels behind you.
The 599 GTB Fiorano is capable of reaching 60mph from rest in 3.5 seconds and can go on to reach 100mph 2.9 secs later, so from 0 to 100mph in 7.4 secs. It also has a top speed of 205mph.
The only 2 other cars to wear the GTO badge were the race bred 250 GTO in 1962 band the 288 GTO in 1984, both of which are rare and extremely sought after these days. GTO stands for Gran Turismo Omologata and derives from the 2 previous models which were built as homologation specials to allow Ferrari to race them.
The 599 GTO gets the detuned version of the race car spec 599XX 722bhp engine but still produces 670bhp with 457 lb ft of torque. The transmission is a 6 speed paddle shift auto manual with an uprated 60 millisecond gear change time. This will allow the car to hit 60mph in 3.35 secs and will probably be able to hit 100mph from standstill in 6.5 secs and will go on to hit 208mph.
The 599 GTO has a bespoke 6 into 1 exhaust manifold and no doubt will sound fantastic. The underside of the car has also seen some changes to allow the maximum amount of down force to be generated with the minimum amount of drag, so there are no overt or obvious racetrack addenda such as a high rear wing but still the car can generate 144kg of down force at 120mph.
In order to extract the maximum performance from all areas of the car, the Ferrari relies heavily on its VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) system and it’s F1-Trac traction control to exploit the chassis’s razor sharp responses. The car relies on the constant adjustments being made its electronic systems to keep everything in check and pointing forward (or sideways if you are a particularly talented driver).
The result of all of this refinement is a lap time set by the 599 GTO around the Ferrari test track of Fiorano that is 0.9 secs faster than that of the Ferrari Enzo which is a proper mid engined hypercar. So the performance of the 599 GTO is astounding but the real test will be whether that performance can be translated into a truly great driving experience given that there is so much electronic wizardry going on. Only time will tell.
Renault Megane, Elegance Car Product
The images preview below is a performance and detail of Renault Magane which was presented at 2008 Paris Motor Show. This car variant has been sold on the market from November 2008. In the 2010 Renault Magane was produced in six different versions which were manufactured in Doui, France and Valenica, Spain. The text below is official information from the manufacturer:
Design
The new Mégane is a family hatchback of 4.30m in length with a dynamic stance, thanks
particularly to its short front and rear overhang, a 2.64m wheelbase, steeply-raked oofline and wide tracks.
The generous surface area and curvaceous forms of the body panels express sense of robustness and perceived quality. Seen from the side, the feature line extends the crease of the slightly prominent front wings rearward to emphasize the car’s broad, solid shoulders.
At the rear the two-part light clusters continue the feature line and facilitate access to the boot. The wide track dimensions (1.55m) ensure that the car sits squarely on the road, and this sense of stability is underlined by the steeply-raked rear screen and, indeed, by the entire rearend design.
New Renault Mégane’s proportions, the form of the beltline and the large door panels exude a feeling of protection. This blend of fluid lines coupled with the generous proportions of the bodywork also maximizes the visual effect produced by the light reflecting off the body, while the range of metallic paint finishes includes the all-new Ecume Blue.
Particular attention has been paid to reducing the cut lines between the different body panels (e.g. windscreen pillars, fuel filler flap) and the front and rear bumpers discreetly incorporate the parking proximity sensors. The roofline also benefits from specific treatment thanks to the use of laser brazing which eliminates the need for roof trimming. Read the rest of this entry »
Opel GTC Made Debut at 2010 Paris Motor Show
At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, Opel GTC has made its debut. Both the exterior and interior of this elegance car is designed in sporty styling. Both the sculpted shape and tension on the exterior of Opel GTC are achieved by three bold lines. The designer’s intention of this way by limiting the line influence to maximize drama. The vivid exterior look is influenced by vivid red color. Such as the exterior the interior of this car is alive indeed by presence of combination between red and black colors on the seat. For more detail read the official information below.
Exterior Design
In profile, the designers have maximized drama by limiting the amount of lines: three strong lines create tension and 
provide a sculpted shape.
The Opel signature blade is introduced in the same direction as first seen in the Insignia – a fine, crisp line that sweeps upward from the rocker at the beginning of the front door.
A second line encapsulates the door handle and sweeps to the rear, emphasizing the vehicle’s dramatic stance by spreading the surfaces to a fine undercut and a broad shoulder.
The third line following the silhouette of the roof is finished in finely brushed aluminum accentuating the window graphic, which guides the eye to the sharply accented integrated spoiler. The shoulder section is the most dramatic area of the Opel GTC Paris.
The broadest point pulls down to a wide athletic “bulldog stance,” giving the car a very purposeful road presence.
The line from the C-pillar slides into the tail and curls around into the rear spoiler, which is ingeniously integrated into the continuing roof line.
The clean frontal styling features Opel’s typical centerlin
e crease.
It is further accented by intense, very slim eagle-eye shaped headlamps acting as parenthesis between the refined chrome emblem bar and the dramatic low trapezoidal grill which hints at its sporty character.
Opel typical wing-shaped signature LED daytime running lights get a new twist with finely sculptured chrome jewels that are seen easily behind clear glass. The trapezoidal grille is recognizably Opel, but separate from the chrome bar and placed lower, for a race track feel.
The wide stance is accentuated in the rear, where the proportion of the vehicle is most imposing due to the powerful shoulder design. This is further enhanced with the LED taillights and one long stretched “wing” motif, which make the new Opel vehicles distinguishable at night.
The aerodynamics of the dynamic 21-inch wheels is optimized with carbon-fiber inserts which enclose the center caps. Read the rest of this entry »