Potent Porsche

This march, at the Geneva motor show, Porsche will unveil the 2011 911 Turbo S. This new Turbo packs more power than ever.

Engine and Transmission: This new car has a 3.8-liter six-cyllinder boxer engine that gets a 30

horsepower boost to 530 hp and a 516 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to Porsche's seven speed PDK gearbox which rips off rapid shifts. The PDK gearbox has two clutches. One for the odd gears, and one for the even gears. Under full acceleration, the gearbox will anticipate an upshift and prepare the second clutch for the next gear. This system allows for faster shifts than even the most accomplished racing drivers can pull off on a traditional manual gearbox.

Performance and Economy: The powerful 3.6 boxer six along with all wheel drive will launch the car to 62 mph in a blistering 3.3 secconds. This is a clean supercar, too. Not only will it burn the competition on the tarmac, but it achieves 24 miles per gallon on the highway while doing so.

Styling: The Turbo S remains visually similar to its lesser Turbo sibling. It has more sculpted intakes in the front and rear bumpers. The car receives the Sport Chrono package and 19-inch Sypder Design wheels that have a center locking feature. The interior receives a beautiful two tone leather treatment.

The Price: The car arrives in the United States in May, with the coupe starting at $160,050; the open-air version starts at $171,150.

What do you think? Is the 2011 Porsche 911 Tubo S an overpriced version of the already amazing Turbo, or is it a good investment that can keep up and perhaps even outperform its more expensive competitors, the Ferrari 458 Italia, and the Lamboghini Gallardo Lp-560?

Picture Credit: www.netcarshow.com

North American Exclusive: BMW 335is

On sale this june exclusively in the United States and Canada is the BMW 335is. BMW's goal with the new car is to bridge the gap between the 335i and the m3. 

Specifications:

• 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline 6
• 320 Horsepower
• 332 lb-ft Torque
• 0-60 mph: 5.1 seconds
• Fuel Economy: 20 mpg (est.)

The Details

Exterior/Interior: The 335is models are distinguished from their milder 335i siblings by a more sculpted M sport front fascia with black kidney grilles, a new rear bumper with a functional diffuser, and M sport side skirts. The coupe has larger air intakes which feed an upgraded cooling system. Standard on the is models are 18-inch alloy wheels with performance tires, and a new sport exhaust system with polished black tips. 

Inside, you get upgraded sport seats which add more support under hard cornering. Giving an edgy look to the inside are a set of steel pedals, new gray gauges with a 335is badge in the tach, and an M sport steering wheel with paddles for DCT-equipped models. A new, sporty diamond texture aluminum trim is available, and additional 335is badging decorates the interior. 

Performance: The music from the reworked exhaust system indicates that this car is a serious performer. The sound goes from a rich burble at low revs to an irresistible howl at full song. The reworked twin-turbo 3.0 I6 develops 320 horsepower at 5,900 rpm and 332 lb-ft of torque from 1,500 to 5,000 rpm. The car has an overboost mode that hikes the torque up to 370 lb-ft for up to seven seconds at a time. 

A six-speed manual transmission is standard with a short action M sport shift lever. BMW's seven speed DCT transmission with launch control is optional, a first for the 3 series. With the launch control engaged, the car will reach 60mph in a blistering 5 seconds. Keep in mind, this is a conservative claim from BMW. 

The renowned handling characteristics of the 3 series are further improved in this is model. Autoweek says: "with 50/50 weight balance, solid grip and steering that is quick, precise and tactile, the 335is has confidence-building balance and reflexes that let you handle slides and power-oversteer without a sweat."

My Take: Who needs the m3? In my opinion, the twin-turbo inline 6 in the 335is in practical terms is much better than the V8 in the m3. First of all, it is much cheaper to modify the twin turbo 6 than it is to modify the naturally aspirated V8. For less than $5k, just with a mere ECU tune, you can probably squeeze 100 more hp and 100 lb-ft of torque out of the inline 6. Also, with much more torque that is available at a much lower rev count, the 335is is easier to live with everyday on the normal roads. 

The Final Verdict: The 335is is an amazing car. It is an everyday driver that is just as comfortable on the roads as it is on the track. It is not as ferocious as the V8 m3, nor does it try to be, but with rock-solid handling and a very powerful twin turbo 6, it can sure keep up.

Autoweek Drives The 2011 Aston Martin Rapide

February 8, 2010-"The new Aston Martin Rapide sedan is every bit as smooth and sinuous to drive as it looks on a show stand or in the pages of a magazine. That's as it should be. during its development, the car covered almost 5,000 miles around the Nürburgring's tortuous Nordschleife. We got to drive maybe 100 miles in a Rabide, none of them at the Nürburgring or even at Silverstone, which was just down the motorway. But we did manage to get an idea of what the Rapide was like form behind the wheel. 

It was almost exactly like the DB9 Coupe.

That's a good thing. the DB9 remains one of our favorite grand touring performance coupes, and the Rapide takes as much of its chassis and powertrain from that splendid beast. The Rapide rides on the same VH (vertical/horizontal) architecture as the DB9. The frame is made from a complex of extruded aluminum, aluminum honeycomb and a whole bunch of bonded aluminum plates. With each new model, the engineers at Aston get better at tweaking this platform, and thus the Rapide is 7 percent stiffer than the DB9 from whence it sprang.

The Rapide's body-in-white weighs just 693 pounds. The whole car, with fluids and fuel, weighs 4,378 pounds. That's almost 500 pounds more than the two-door DB9 but within a few pounds of the Maserati Quattroporte, the Porsche Panamera and the Mercedes-Benz CLS, all of which offer similar takes on the Rapide's sexy supersedan theme. 

But those competitors all come with V8s underhood, even in their topmost models, while the Rapide is powered solely by a mighty 6.0-liter V13. It's exactly the same naturally aspirated engine found in the DB9, with peak power of 470 hp coming at 6,000 rpm. Peak torque is 443, lb-ft at 5,000 rpm. engineers compensated for the Rapide's extra weight by tuning the six-speed ZF Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission for better response to the extra load. There's also a lower final drive ratio of 3.46:1, compared with the DB9 automatic's 3.15:1.

Don't let the full-size curb weight dismay you, though; the Rapide goes from 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds and tops out at 188 mph.

That's in a straight line. The car is just as impressive when going around corners. To achieve its 49/51 weight distribution, the Rapide uses a rear mounted transaxle connected to the front-mounted V12 via a torque tube concealing a carbon-fiber prop shaft. Upper and lower wishbones front and rear locate 20-inch wheels wrapped by Bridgestone Potenza tires. The setup is taut but not anywhere near harsh. Ride and handling are controlled without intruding on the luxury ride. 

When you do find an appropriately twisting bit of highway, a button on the dash allows you to select comfort or sport for the adaptive damping system. The dynamic stability control system can be switched off entirely by holding the button down for five seconds. The transmission also has a sport mode that allows quicker and more forceful shifts that come at higher engine speeds. Again, not too quick or too forceful-this is a GT, not a sports car. Pull back on the magnesium paddles, and the transmission automatically goes into its manual mode, allowing shifts with both hands on the wheel. To make drivers forget that there is an extra foot of length out back, the engineers quickened the steering ratio from 17:1 to 15:1. From the driver's seat, you rarely think about the extra 12.2 inches trailing behind you. It's only in dinky English parking lots that the full size becomes cumbersome. On the open road or on the motorway, particularly from 3,000 rpm to 5,000 rpm, the car just feels strong.

Inside, it's all luxury all the time. The standard Bang & Olufsen audio system offers 1,000 watts of power blasted through 15 speakers. Those rear seats are what we might call snug but what everyone at ASton insists will make you feel "cosseted" (to be treated as a pet, pampered,

 coddled; we looked it up). Regardless, a real adult can fit inside and not have to scrunch, sort of like John Glenn in a Mercury space capsule, only lined with leather and featuring fewer buttons. Thanks to some scraping away by engineers, there is even a little more room than when we last rode back there during hot-weather testing in the summer. 

Look for Rapides to arrive in U.S. showrooms in April, priced at $199,950. Our test car stickered at $204,940, with cooled seats and a rear-seat entertainment system. Those prices approach double those of some models from the competition. But with only 666 Rapides a year coming to the United States, you will not see yourself coming and going. Then again, if you do, it will likely be pretty fast."

 

My Take-Aston Martin sure does know how to make beautiful cars. This new Rapide is no exception. They use the best materials and incorporate them in a very aesthetically pleasing

 design. Where Aston is lacking is in the engineering department. For example, the new Porsche Panamera Turbo (on the left) costs ofer $50K less than the Aston, but hits 60 mph over one second quicker. Driving is not all about going in a straight line, but I still expect the Porsche to be a better handling car. Nevertheless, the Aston does win in the looks department. I just feel that a driver more oriented to performance would prefer the Panamera. After all, the purpose behind these new sedan/coupe cars is to offer a perfect combination between sportiness and luxury. The Rapide, despite its high sticker price, is not only luxurious and beautiful, but also can still compete in the performance department. The Aston is more of an emotional purchase than a rational purchase. I would still save the money and go with the Panamera Turbo. 

Don't forget about the Bentley Continental Flying Spur, either. It is the only other potential competitor that offers a 12-cylinder engine. In a w format, the engine in the Bentley also adds two turbochargers. It may not be as agile as and sleek as the Rapide, but it offers a similarly high level of quality while being a more comfortable and spacious car. In a straight line, it offers similar acceleration and a slightly higher top speed at around 200 mph. 

The new trend lately for these major companies is to offer a sleek sedan that bridges the gap between a sports car and a people carrier. The Panamera Turbo and the Aston Martin Rapide may be very expensive, ($135K and $200K respectively), but they offer the best of both worlds. Considering the alternative option of buying a sedan and a sports car, these sedan/coupes are priced pretty reasonably. 

The Rapide's Competitors:

• Porsche Panamera
• Maserati Quattroporte
• Mercedes-Benz CLS
• Bentley Continental Flying Spur
• Upcoming Audi A7
• BMW M5

Hey!

Hey everyone, this is my first official post on the blog. I will be updating weekly with automobile news and entertainment. If you are interested in cars, this is the blog for you. I hope you enjoy it!