 Have you ever bought something simply because it was very cheap? I’ve done this more times than I can remember - how else would I end up with a pair of Nike skate shoes that I’ve only worn once in five years? A friend of mine has recently bought something really cheap as well – a 1999 Honda Logo he found posted on Switzerland’s glocals.com. It cost him all of CHF 250, and in a country where cars cost roughly twice what they do in North America, calling it a bargain is a bit of an understatement.  Aston Martin has taken the lid off, literally, the V12 Vantage to create the new V12 Vantage Roadster. The V12 Vantage Roadster uses the ubiquitous 6.0-litre V12 doing service in most of the Aston Martin range, and it produces 517hp at 6,500rpm and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque at 5,750rpm. Acceleration from 0-62mph takes 4.5 sec, while top speed is 190mph (304km/h).  The Mercedes Benz CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake has been officially revealed, and it looks set to carry on with the AMG V8 madness. As with most of the AMG range these days, it comes with the twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 producing 525hp and 700 Nm (516 lb/ft) of torque, while customers opting for the Edition 1 package get 557hp and 800 Nm (590 lb ft) of torque. Acceleration times from 0-62mph are 4.4 and 4.3 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 155mph. McLaren MP4-12C Spider   This is without question the Ferrari 458 Spider’s arch rival, and with 625hp it is 55hp more powerful than the Italian drop-top. The McLaren MP4-12C Spider also comes with a retractable hard top, and may be operated at speeds of up to 30km/h (19mph). The twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 engine sends its power and 600 Nm of torque through a seven-speed SSG dual-clutch transmission, enabling the 1,474kg (DIN weight) Spider to get from 0-62mph in 3.1 sec (the same as the 12C coupe) and reach a top speed of 204mph (329km/h) – 3mph less than its coupe sibling. |
