 The Noble M600 wasn’t on sale already? That’s the question that popped up when info came out that the production version was now ready for sale. It turns out the blue car we saw on TV, magazines, and the web was a prototype.
According to Autocar, the all carbon fibre M600 is expected to cost around £200,000, with the first car expected to appear at the Peter Smith Sports Cars showroom, in Derby-England, between 10 and 13 February. Performance promises to be amazing, thanks to the M600 weighing less than 1200kg, and being powered by a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 engine producing 650hp and 602 lb ft of torque, it will do 0-60mph in 3.5sec and reach an estimated top speed of 225mph. Alex Kisiri  Keen Mercedes enthusiasts might have heard that Mercedes Benz was thinking of replacing the wonderful 6.2-litre V8 in the next C63 AMG with the new twin-turbo 5.5-litre AMG unit. Early information has revealed that the 2012 C63 AMG will in fact keep the naturally aspirated 6.2, and comes with 451hp and 443 lb ft of torque. Like before, there will also be a performance pack that will increase the horsepower output to 481hp and get a top speed of 174mph (280km/h).
Though the engine remains the same, the old torque converter automatic transmission has been ditched in favour of the seven-speed MCT transmission found in the E63, CLS63 and SL63 AMG.  The V8 Vantage S is the latest car to join Aston Martin’s glamorous line-up. Aston Martin says the Vantage S will bridge the gap between the standard V8 Vantage and the GT4 racer that inspired its design.
It comes with the same 4.7-litre engine as the standard V8 Vantage, but with a little extra power – 10hp more to be precise. The extra grunt means a power output of 430hp at 7300rpm and 490 Nm of torque (361 lb ft) at 5000rpm.  One of the most anticipated cars of the year has finally been seen by the public eye – the Pagani Huayra. Designed to be the replacement of the legendary Zonda, it comes complete with a new chassis, powerplant, and a design aimed at giving aerodynamics a hard time.
The monocoque is made from Pagani’s famous mix of carbon fibre and titanium, while the rest of the body, including the new gullwing doors, are carbon fibre only. This means that the Huayra remains a lightweight like its predecessor at 1350kg (around 2970lbs).  It’s about time we gave some attention to a front wheel drive car, and the Mini Cooper S gets it. Introduced in 2002, its purpose was to carry on where the original Mini left off, and that was to offer huge amounts of fun in a small package.
A supercharged 1.6-litre engine producing 168hp and 155 lb ft of torque sent power to the front wheels of the Cooper S via a six-speed manual transmission (automatics were optional), which allowed it to get from 0-60mph in 7.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 135mph (213km/h). The engine also won the 2003 International Engine of The Year award in the 1.4- to 1.8-litre category.  Ferrari have revealed an all new model called the FF. Designed to take over the 612 Scaglietti’s role of four-seat grand tourer, the FF comes complete with a new direct-injected 6.3-litre V12 engine, and - a first for Ferrari - all-wheel drive.
The all wheel drive system, named 4RM, weighs 50 per cent less than a conventional four-wheel drive system, according to Ferrari. The FF also comes with the latest in electronic stability programmes, which includes an intelligent torque distribution system, as well as a magnetorheological damping system and all new Carbon-ceramic brakes from Brembo.  According to a report on Insideline's website, the McLaren MP4-12C is set to cost $231,400 when it goes on sale in the United States this summer. The pricing includes a $2,400 destination charge, but does not include a gas guzzler tax.
The MP4-12C will be powered by a twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 connected to a seven-speed double-clutch gearbox, with the unit being good for 592hp and 442lb ft of torque. The closest competitor will, without doubt, be the Ferrari 458 Italia, and in terms of performance the McLaren has 30hp more than the Ferrari, but at $227,325, the Ferrari is slightly cheaper. A comparison test is long overdue. Can't wait. Alex Kisiri Superformance, the famous manufacturer of Shelby-licensed AC Cobra replicas, are keen to bring their MKIII roadster even more into the 21st century. Follwing information about fitting the Ford Mustang GT's 5.0L V8 into the classically-shaped roadster, Autoblog have been able to post this video of the roadster in action. The 412hp engine sounds good in the Mustang, but in the roadster, it challenges God's authority. Enjoy.  With an official unveiling expected for the Geneva Motor Show in March, leaked pics of the new C-class coupe show how Mercedes Benz have merged elements of the newly facelifted sedan to a sleek coupe body. The new coupe is also expected to get the new engines destined for the sedan, which means a range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, a brand new V6 engine, and a V8 AMG powerplant for the hot model. More details on the new coupe to follow.    |
