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Sunday, January 25, 2009

Airlift Suspension System for Porsche 911 and Audi R8

If you've ever driven a lowered sports car - or any lowered car for that matter- then at some point you will have definitely faced a problem 'negotiating' obstacles such as car park ramps, speed humps, high curbs etc. Cargraphic, a specialized Porsche tuner, has come up with a solution for this problem in the form of the "Airlift Suspension System". Available for the Porsche 996/997 and in the near future, the Audi R8, patented automatic level control system enables the car's front suspension to rise by 55mm.

As with other systems of this sort, the "Airlift Suspension" will automatically lower the car back down to normal ride height once it has reached a speed of 50 km/h (31mph).

However, one unique feature of the suspension system is that in the Porsche 911, it can work with the PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management). The Cargraphic Airlift Suspension is available in 2 versions, a complete kit that includes BILSTEIN B16 suspension or as an upgrade kit for OE coil over suspensions

Goldish &Chrome Mercedes C63 AMG

Slathering a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG in a goldish-chrome finish is one way of telling the world that a- you do have a lot of ~~petrol~~ spending money, and b- your taste buds are as dead as a dodo bird. Of course, it does not take a rocket scientist to guess the origin of this one-of-a-kind Merc – and yes, it’s Dubai, the world’s capitol of bling-bling. In particular, the chrome-finished C63 AMG saloon was spotted outside one of the world's largest shopping centers, the Mall of the Emirates. If you are up to it, ~~puke~~ click through to see the rest of the photos.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Ferrari California 2009

Already the source of hot debate thanks to its styling, the Ferrari California, the latest Prancing Horse from Maranello, is an open-top Grand Tourer designed to attract buyers who may not have considered a Ferrari in the past.

While the California features four seats in a 2+2 arrangement, a folding hardtop, and a pass-through for long items when the rear seats are folded, the new Ferrari hasn't forgotten its roots.

Built on a platform shared with the popular Maserati GranTurismo, the California features a multilink suspension in the rear instead of the double-wishbone setup more common to Ferraris.

Under the hood, Ferrari's first-ever direct-injected engine, a 4.3L V-8, punches out 460 hp, hustling the car to 62 mph in under 4 sec, according to Ferrari.

Bringing the power to the ground is another Ferrari first, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that borrows the 599 GTB Fiorano's F1-Trac traction-control system, but is expected to provide a smoother ride than Ferrari's F1-inspired paddle-shift gearbox found in the F430.

Bringing the ride to a halt are carbon-ceramic disc brakes clamped by Brembo calipers. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but is expected to be north of the F430's $210,000 price tag.

Suzuki Kizashi Sedan Spyshots Ahead of Uncovered

Suzuki’s upcoming competitor in the ferocious mid-size sedan segment, the Kizashi, has been spotted by our spy shooters yet again, this time revealing the car almost entirely.

Camouflage that amounts to little more than extensive decal work is all that stands between us and the final Suzuki product, a tallish, yet forward looking car that will need every advantage to bring the fight to entrenched competition from the likes of Honda and Toyota.

A crossover version of the Kizashi, as well as a station wagon variant, is apparently in the works for the newest Suzuki lineup—both previewed by concept versions of the car over the last two years.

The engine range should be headed up by a 3.6-liter V-6 making roughly 300 horsepower and likely available with four-wheel-drive as an option—this is a Suzuki after all.

There should also be a 150 horsepower 2.5-liter four that will most likely be responsible for the bulk of model sales. Read the shooter’s comments below.

We have seen spy shots of Suzuki’s first mid-size sedan, the Kizashi, before but these are the best shots of that car so far.

We managed to snap this prototype wearing only light camouflage while testing in Germany earlier this week. Well, it’s almost completely without camouflage.

With several previews in the last 12 months, this is the closest one to production. Later a CUV and a wagon will follow. The CUV and the wagon have also been previewed as concepts and are official announced by Suzuki.

Engine line-up will be topped by a 3.6 liter V6 with about 300 horsepower, maybe even with optional four-wheel drive, while the volume seller probably will be the 2.5 liter, 150 horsepower strong four-cylinder engine.

Brabus SLR McLaren at Essen Motor Show 2007

ESSEN, Germany — Brabus caps its display at 2007 Essen Auto Show with a new take on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren roadster.

This super SLR McLaren is under Brabus' typical fashion, upgrading with new camshafts of its 5.5-liter V8, along side with a fuel cooling system and a high-performance exhaust system. And output climbs to 650 horsepower.

Coupled with a clutch-type limited-slip differential to enhance traction, the Brabus SLR roadster rockets from rest to 60 in less than 3.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 209 mph.

An aero body kit includes a carbon-fiber front spoiler and rear diffuser. Brabus fits its Monoblock VI multipiece wheels, shod with 255/30ZR20 tires in front and 305/25ZR20s in the rear.

Customers can choose from Pirelli and Yokohama performance rubber.

Interior upgrades of Brabus SLR McLaren include hand-crafted leather upholstery and unique waffle-pattern leather carpeting, as well as carbon-fiber accents.