From last night’s Fifth Gear, here’s Tiff Needell taking the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 around town before heading to the track to see what it can do. Powered by a 6.5 L V12, the Aventador cracks the 100 km/h (0-62 mph) mark in just 2.9 seconds, while top speed is 350 km/h (217 mph).
Month: October 2011
Auto Bild drives the MINI Coupe
Jorg Schlockermann and Dirk Branke drive the new MINI Coupe for Germany’s Auto Bild magazine. Priced at € 26,948, the John Cooper Works model produces 211 hp and can crack 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.4 seconds, before running out of steam at 240 km/h (149 mph).
BMW head-up display technology
Head-up display is the transparent display system that presents data to the user, removing the need to look away from their usual viewpoints. Initially developed for the aviation industry, with more modern devices mounted within the pilot’s visor, BMW was the first European auto manufacturer to transfer this technology to the motor vehicle in 2004, as a feature of its ConnectedDrive on the BMW 5 Series.
Typically, it takes around one second to glance at a speedometer or satellite navigation device, which means that, scarily, while a driver is distracted to the point where their eyes are not on the road, the car travels around 14 metres when at a speed of 50 km/h (31 mph). The time it takes to assess instrumentation is reduced by more than a half, when a head-up display is utilised.
A light source inside the car’s instrument panel beams data through a Thin Film Transistor Display (TFT). The signal then passes through specifically shaped mirrors before being projected onto the curved windscreen.
[Source: BMW]
Motor Trend looks at the Science of Speed with Porsche’s 911 GT2 RS
Producing over 600 bhp, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS is capable of hitting 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and boasts a top speed of 205 mph. Here, Motor Trend goes into great detail, analysing the science behind its high-speed cornering capabilities.
Audi A1 e-tron pilot begins in Munich
Beginning today, Munich’s streets will be home to 20 Audi A1 e-tron models as trials of the compact city car take place.
Ten millionth Audi A4 and Audi 80 produced
Coinciding with the release of the new Audi A4, the Ingolstadt giant is also celebrating the production of its ten-millionth midsize saloon model.
Rolling off the Neckarsulm line, the milestone vehicle, a Misano Red Audi S4 model, marks 39 years production of what started out as the Audi 80. Beginning in 1972 with the B1 model, by 1994, four generations of the 80 had been produced. It’s successor, the first-generation (B5) A4, made its début in 1994, and by March 2011, the five millionth model had been produced.
We’ve added a new ‘history’ video from Audi, as well as footage featuring what must surely rank as a favourite model amongst motorsport fans – the Sport quattro S1, driven by Stig Blomqvist.
[Source: Audi]