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New footage has emerged of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 attacking the Nurburgring, and as you'll see, it has set an interesting lap time – 7:29.60 min. That is a very quick lap time, 11.67 seconds faster than the previous ZL1, and faster than a Mercedes Benz SLS AMG – proving that muscle cars are now evolving in to very capable track cars. The car in the video is equipped with the optional ten-speed automatic transmission, and just shows why more and more people are opting for modern, fast-shifting autos to get the best out of a performance car.
The Geneva Motor Show closed its doors yesterday, and like many who end up going to car shows, SOC has prepared a wish list if ever one was to win the lottery. Do you have a wish list of your own? Go ahead and share it in the comments section. Written by Alex Kisiri
 The Chevrolet SS marks the return of a rear-wheel drive Chevrolet sedan to North America since production of the fourth generation Caprice ended in 1996. North American police have had rear-drive Chevrolet Caprices for a few years now, while civilian versions of that car have been on sale in the Middle Eastern market for a bit longer. News of the Chevrolet SS will definitely be a delight for North American Chevy fans who miss being able to have rear-wheel drive fun, but at the same time having some level of practicality.  The new LT1 is the first of the fifth generation of GM small block aluminium engines, a 6.2-litre V8 set to debut in next year’s all new Chevrolet Corvette. GM fans will notice that it is the same size as the LS3 unit found in the current Corvette, however there are a few differences. Although the basic architecture of the LT1 is the same as the LS3’s, the cylinder block casting is new. The LT1 has more new features, such as: direct fuel injection; variable valve timing; Active Fuel Management, which shuts down half the eight cylinders at low speed; a new cylinder-head design; new sculpted piston design; a tri-lobe design for the single camshaft; as well as a ‘runners in a box’ intake manifold – a system with individual runners that help increase airflow efficiency. 2013 Dodge SRT Viper    The 2013 Dodge SRT Viper is without question one of the most anticipated cars of the year, and you can see it simply by going to the New York International Auto Show.
Hardcore Dodge fans will be thrilled to see the Viper again, especially since it was thought that the previous version would be the last one. To make the fans even happier, it keeps its gigantic 8.4-litre V10 engine, and has even more grunt at 640hp and 600 lb.-ft of torque – still from a naturally aspirated engine. In terms of layout, we still get the classic long nose, short rear look, accompanied by an all new aggressive looking body with side-exiting exhausts. The driver will make use of a six-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels, while being cocooned by a modern-looking cabin. Opel Ampera/Chevy Volt  Apart from winning the 2012 Car of the Year award, it’s a plug-in hybrid car that looks good too. The specs? It has a 150hp electric motor along with 370Nm of torque, with a claimed range of up to 80km (50miles) on a fully charged battery pack. Its 1.4-litre engine is there only to power a generator when the battery range is low (the engine doesn’t send power to the wheels at any time) – which then extends the range to 500km. It is expensive though – prices start at CHF 52,900 (around $57,000) in Switzerland. Ferrari F12 Berlinetta  The F12 Berlinetta drew a huge crowd on press day. It was easily one of the most anticipated cars of the show – and with 740hp, it’s easy to see why. Its 6.3-litre V12 engine is the most powerful of any Ferrari road car, which definitely makes it a standout car. However powerful the engine might be, the design might divide opinion – looking a bit similar to the FF at the front. However, all is certainly forgotten as you approach its 212mph top speed.
 The 2012 Geneva Motor Show is anything but short of exciting new cars. There are far too many cool cars to have them all posted here, but with more than 100 photos, it's more than just a taste of what the show has to offer. Make sure you come back next week for the ultimate standouts of the show.
 If you’re a car enthusiast, people close to you might have asked you “why do you like cars so much?” And chances are you weren’t able to give them a direct answer. There are many things that make us tick when in comes to a car; the design, the quality, the noise it makes, the history, the performance, etc. But occasionally we get other things, like flames shooting out of the exhaust. If like me, the sight of flames (the real kind, no flamethrower kits here) coming out of the exhaust causes the caveman in you to come out, then you’ll enjoy checking out these videos of awesome flame spitters. |
