Porsche 911 Turbo

This is Porsche’s new 911 Turbo, with an enlarged and twin-turbocharged engine producing more power, plus the option of a twin-clutch gearbox that features proper gearshift paddles.

What’s the new engine in this new Porsche 911 Turbo?

Unbelievably, it’s the first entirely new engine in the 35-year history of the Turbo. Essentially it’s the same direct-injection 3.8-litre flat-six that you’ll find in regular 911s, but now fitted with variable geometry twin turbos to give a healthy 493bhp, a 20bhp increase over the current car.

Porsche also claims CO2 emissions are down by around 18%, fuel consumption is improved, the 0-62mph time is cut to 3.4 seconds and the top speed is up two notches to 194mph.

A six-speed manual is still standard, but for the first time the seven-speed double-clutch PDK gearbox is available. And the good news for enthusiasts is that although the counter-intuitive rocker switches are standard, customers can opt for proper steering wheel-mounted paddles. Spec the optional Sport Chrono Package and whether you pick the paddles or switches, the steering wheel also comes with an integrated display for the Launch Control and Sport/SportPlus modes.

Other tweaks include new front and rear lights, a mildly revised interior in line with the rest of the 911 range, and changes to the four-wheel drive hardware.

The new 911 Turbo will officially be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in September, before going on sale in November 2009. The coupe version will cost £101,823 (up from £99,679) and the cabriolet is priced at £109,048, a £3144 increase.

Mercedes-Benz SL550

Of all the Mercedes-Benz models that could be accused of being born with a silver spoon in its mouth, the SL arguably tops the list. Unlike many grand-touring cars, the Mercedes SL has never been forced to compromise its blue-blood personal-luxury/sport ideals with feigned attempts at practicality to please executives or attract buyers. It has, more or less, remained an unapologetic take-it-or-leave-it proposition since it debuted nearly six decades ago, and the 2013 SL550 does nothing to alter its course. Cool, Quiet Confidence Every move the 2013 SL550 makes is steeped in a competent, laid-back confidence; pin the throttle, and the car takes a moment to gather itself, as if saying to the driver, “Okay, dude, you ready? This is gonna be pretty awesome.” And with that, the seven-speed automatic downshifts, the twin turbos gorge themselves on air, and the whole shebang takes off, pulling hard to an observed 159-mph top speed (Mercedes claims an electronically limited 155). Life in th...

McLaren 650S Sprint

McLaren’s new 650S model now comes in three flavors, the standard road going 650S, the competition-spec 650S GT3 for serious racers, and now there’s the 650S Sprint which is aimed at track enthusiasts who still want a little bit of comfort. The 650S Sprint also replaces the MP4-12C-based 12C Sprint as McLaren’s track toy for the super-rich. Compared to the road model, the 650S Sprint features increased downforce and better cooling airflow to the 3.8 litre twin-turbocharged V8. It also features a competition-spec fuel tank and quick-fill cap, a larger radiator borrowed from the GT3 car, a new hood with additional cooling ducts for the radiator, front wing louvres for improved airflow, reduced ride height and recalibrated damping and spring rates, 19-inch center-locking race wheels with either Pirelli slicks or wet tires, onboard air jack system, and an upgraded braking system. On the inside the McLaren 650S Sprint features a stripped-out design with a FIA-approved rol...

Lamborghini Canto – What the Murcielago could have been?

Back in the late 1990s, when Lamborghini were starting to realise they needed a replacement for the ageing Diablo, they started reviewing design proposals from various automotive design firms. Zagato’s offering was the Zagato L147 SuperDiablo, or as it was to be later known, the Lamborghini Canto. The Lamborghini Canto first appeared in 1998, it arrived only two years after another Zagato designed Lamborghini concept had been unveiled, the Diablo-based Raptor. The cars shared a number of similar features, including the wraparound windows, triangular lateral air intakes, and trademark double-bubble roof. However of the two, the earlier Raptor was probably the better looking. Clearly Ferdinand Piech – head of the Volkswagen Group – thought so too. After VW bought Lamborghini in 1999, one of his first decisions was to review the Canto’s development and redesign the concept. The car was re-engineered and the rear extensively restyled to include smaller air intakes....

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