Monday 23 May 2011

Wow! It's Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

Body styles: Convertible
Engines: 3.0L V-6, 3.5L V-6
Transmissions: 6-speed manual, 7-speed automatic
Models: SLK300, SLK350


For those that have neither the Gold Card budget of the SL nor the desire for a car that big, Mercedes-Benz offers the SLK. Like its bigger sibling, the SLK seats two and has a retractable hardtop. It first came to market in 1997 to compete with the BMW Z3 and Porsche Boxster. Since then, the Z3 has been replaced by the Z4, Porsche now offers the Cayman and an updated Boxster, and Audi introduced the TT coupe and convertible. As a response to stiffening competition, the second generation SLK was introduced for 2004. New body lines, new engines, and it became slightly longer and heavier; most of that continues into the current model. The SLK last received an upgrade in 2009, when it got new wheels and a new nose. There were three models, SLK300, SLK350, and SLK55 AMG. And unlike the big-brother SL, the SLK is available with a manual transmission. For 2009, the 3.5-liter engine was tweaked to squeeze an extra 32 horsepower and seven pound-feet of torque out of it.So far, there's no word of an AMG version of the SLK for 2011. That leaves two V-6 models, the 300 and 350, and the manual is only offered with the smaller engine. The SLK350 receives new 18-inch split five-spoke wheels. Both models get sport body styling and black inlays in the headlights for no charge.

Its redesign in 2004 gave the SLK a body that put it more in line with the current SL. Front- and rear-end styling is sculpted, and is much more aggressive and mature than the first generation model.
 
As a less-expensive member of the Mercedes family, fewer features come standard on the SLK-Class. The leather two-seat cabin includes a nine-speaker audio system, dual-zone climate control, and manual sport seats; harman/kardon surround sound and digital
 
This is not the sportiest car in its class; that honor goes to the Porsche Boxster. What the SLK does offer, though, is comfortable cruising and elegant style in a compact package. In 2009, steering was changed to a mechanical system that improves feel and response. In the SLK, the 3.5-liter V-6 has more horsepower than in other Mercedes, at 300 instead of 268.
Stability control, traction control, and four-wheel discs with ABS with brake assist come standard. There are dual stage airbags and knee airbags, plus head-thorax airbags, which are integrated into the backrests of the seats.
 SLK300: 17-19 mpg city/26 mpg highway
SLK350: 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway

Sunday 22 May 2011

Do You Know Ferrari FXX

Top Speed: 243 mph / 391 km/h
0-60 mph: 2.8 seconds
Engine: 6.2 liter V12 800 bhp @ 8500 rpm

The Ferrari FXX supercar is manufactured in Italy, along with all other Ferrari's, and was under production by the end of 2005. This sports car is a great display of new car technology, which includes innovations from Ferrari, along with other companies that have continuously contracted parts in association with the Ferrari brand. The Enzo is the supercar that the FXX is based on, but there are specific functions found on the FXX, that are not found on the Enzo, which makes the FXX a complete car of it's own accord. The engine, and other standard operating systems for the car, are modeled after the Enzo as well, but have been modified to accommodate differing fuel standards, and other technological restrictions.

The FXX boasts a very low gear shifting time (under 100 ms), which is essential for a sports car of this high magnitude. The brake pads have also been tweaked in order to create a safer atmosphere for the driver, while still making the car just as superficially viable as its predecessor. The tires are another feature that are highly touted as an individual characteristic of the car, and are custom made only for the Ferrari FXX, not for any other vehicle. Like the Enzo, the features of the Ferrari FXX's interior are custom made for the user, which means that every driver is measured specifically measured for the car upon purchase.

The Ferrari FXX is definitely a supercar that cannot be mass-produced, mainly due to production costs, but also due to the fact that only a select few are willing to purchase such an exotic car due to the extensively high $ 1,773,000 / 1,500,000 euro price. Thus only 29 units of this sports car were built. The Ferrari FXX computer technology held inside the car also makes for a great driving experience, and tells the driver how their technique can be improved to assist their ability to function along with the car.

Everything About Lamborghini Gallardo

Top Speed: 191 mph / 309 km/h
0-60 mph: 4.1 seconds
0-100 mph: 9.2 seconds
0 - 1/4 Mile: 12.4 sec @ 118 mph
Engine: V10 DOHC 4 valve 5-liter

Italian cars have always been on the wish list of every sports car lover, especially the Lamborghini. Of all Lamborghini supercar models, Lamborghini Gallardo holds a very special place and deserves a very special mention. It is an entry-level sports car from Lamborghini and its success is so big that it remains the most-produced Lamborghini car of the company to date. Ever since its introduction to the market, over 5000 supercars have been built which is an unparalleled achievement in the history of Lamborghini. It is considered a competitor to Ferrari 360 and Ferrari F430. The Gallardo sports car is named after a popular breed of fighting bull, which fits it perfectly. When the project of Gallardo was about to get started, it was conceptualized to be a sports car which could be also used for everyday uses. Looking at its details, we will have to say that they have succeeded in doing that.

The super car is amazing to look at with a stylish aluminum space frame. It has a mid-rear mounted engine and the gearbox is placed behind the engine. The Gallardo sports car has a permanent four wheel driving system with low center gravity which makes for a great drive. It has two mounted water radiators in the front and a one sided mounted oil cooler and an independent double wishbone suspension which aptly fits the system. As per the rich tradition of Lamborghini sports cars, a whole lot of attention has gone into the weight distribution system of the car. 42% of the weight is distributed to the front and 58% of the weight is distributed to the rear end. This weight system is said to be the perfect one for a sports car, in order to achieve the best possible traction and for easy braking and handling. It is a compact car, just about 167 inches in length and has been packaged well. In fact, it is considered one of the best two-seater high performance cars in the segment.

The super car Gallardo engine is largely based on the good old straight-5 design of Audi. It has a 520 bhp (382 kW) V 10 engine which is powerful to hit high speeds on both country and city roads. The sports car can hit a maximum speed of 196 mph and can clock 0-60 in four seconds. It has two types of transmissions ? the traditional six speed manual transmission and an electron-hydraulic auto clutch manual, which is aptly called the E-gear. You can make shifts very fast thanks to the control offered by the manual. You don?t have to manually operate the clutch, as it can be controlled by the paddles fit behind the steering wheel. This gives great convenience while driving and works way better than the conventional transmission system. Perhaps the best thing about Lamborghini engineering, particularly in this sports car, is that it has been designed in such a way that it is equally pleasurable to drive on a race track as well as on city and country roads. A lot of attention went into the engineering to make sure that the super car gives the same performance while racing as well as pleasure driving, and they have just got that right.

The cost of Lamborghini Gallardo ranges from $175,000 to $200,000. There are four variants of the Gallardo available in the market namely the Gallardo Spyder, Gallardo SE, Gallardo Nera, and Gallardo Superleggera.