Battery or not Battery, that is the question to Porsche.

Like the idea of Porsche’s hypercar without the batteries? Tough, Wolfgang Hatz tells Jason Barlow. It ain’t happening.

Wolfgang Hatz is a big man with a big job. He’s the Porsche board member responsible for R&D, the very life-blood of what has always been and remains an engineering-led company.

But he also has a big laugh, and an engaging habit of setting up his anecdotes like a stand-up comedian, before knocking them out of the park with a punch line. Some of them are even quite funny. It’s fair to say that this is not your standard German automotive bigwig behaviour.

He’s also refreshingly happy to wander off-piste conversationally. Porsche means so much to so many of us that he’s well used to deflecting criticisms from purists about modish and therefore allegedly anti-Porsche innovations such as four-wheel steer and all-electric steering.

Well, we better get used to it: if Hatz has his way, there’s plenty more where that came from.

“I visited Google’s HQ last week,” he tells me. ‘They have these things called “moon shots” [part of the company’s Google X skunkworks]. They embark on all sorts of projects, and there’s no need for a business case. Out of every 10 they develop, nine might go nowhere and only one will work. But that one idea could be revolutionary. I love that philosophy.’

Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page dislikes the corporate disease of incremental growth, and rather than accepting 10 per cent improvement, he wants to promote a culture in which things are done 10 times better than the competition.

Hatz would like to do the same at Porsche, but he accepts there are hurdles. “We’re an engineering company, and Google is too. The challenge we have is that the car is the most complicated mass produced product in the world.”

Google, of course, is also zealously promoting the idea of fully automated cars, an idea that gives TopGear.com the collywobbles. Sure, a zero fatality/zero collision future is unarguably a good thing, but where does it leave the idea of a car that does more than just schlep from A to B? A Porsche, in other words? Hatz smiles.

“We make driver’s cars. So automated technology is not a priority for us. It is not an area in which we need to be pioneering. The truth is that nobody really needs a Porsche, but lots of people still want one. Realistically, the idea of autonomous driving is not going to happen within the next five years.”

Hatz, like other R&D figures, concedes that a world of autonomous commuter vehicles in dedicated lanes is feasible, with sports cars reserved for weekend hedonism. We still don’t much fancy the idea.

He’s an early adopter, the first person during his time at BMW to acquire an Apple Mac, and one of the first people in Munich to twig onto the possibilities of the internet. He’s also good friends with Elon Musk, whose Tesla Model S he greatly admires. This guy clearly loves his technology.

But the plug-in hybrid, he insists, is the best bet for Porsche for the next five to 10 years, and not an all-electric powertrain. “The plug-in hybrid offers the best synthesis between performance and sustainability,” he says.

As to the slow progress in battery technology – experts reckon on an approximate eight to 10 per cent efficiency gain per year versus 20 to 25 per cent in conventional internal combustion – he anticipates greater progress. “The mobile phone and the iPad radically changed things. Whoever can change the battery cell and improve its range and overall efficiency will change the world.”

He also reminds us that the 918 Spyder’s hybrid systems are integral to the car and its performance, and not merely a marketing fig leaf. In fact, it would have been five seconds slower round the ‘Ring without the hybrid support, even though the electric motors, battery cells and ancillaries weigh 314kg.

So even though it would fit with Porsche’s ideology, there will never be a conventionally powered 918 Spyder Clubsport or RS. There’s no need, Hatz says. Having driven the 918, we can only
agree.

How much faster does anyone really need to go?

Let us know what your thought are.
Source Jason Barlow and www.topgear.com

Porsche Introduce the new luxury Cayenne

Hemingway is always interested in all the updates and improvements ,made to their luxury car fleet and the new luxury version of the Porsche Cayenne, the platinum is good news for us and all our clients.

Porsche has unveiled a new luxury version of its sporty SUV called the Cayenne. The new version of the SUV is called the Cayenne Platinum Edition and it includes some of the most requested options as standard features. The outside of the special Platinum edition is covered in Platinum Silver Metallic paint.

cp-1

 

Inside the vehicle, Platinum versions get an exclusive two-tone standard interior in Black Luxor Beige. The Platinum version of the SUV will be available in the normal gasoline-powered Cayenne and the diesel version. The SUV gets an eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission, Power Steering Plus, Park Assist, and the Convenience package. The car also gets the Bose Audio Package as well.

The convenience Package includes the Porsche Communication System with a 7-inch touchscreen featuring navigation and BiXenon headlights. Other interior features include a driver memory package seat, moonroof, and heated front seats. The Cayenne Platinum also gets auto dimming mirrors.

The Platinum edition can be had with other colors standard including black or white. For an additional charge, more colors are available including Meteor Grey Metallic, Basalt Black Metallic and Mahogany Metallic. Carrara White is a color available exclusively on the Platinum version. Partial leather is standard on the Platinum model with full leather optional. The base engine is a 3.6L V6 and pricing starts at $63,300. The diesel version uses a 3.0L turbo diesel and starts at $66,900.

SOURCE: Porsche

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Inside the vehicle, Platinum versions get an exclusive two-tone standard interior in Black Luxor Beige. The Platinum version of the SUV will be available in the normal gasoline-powered Cayenne and the diesel version. The SUV gets an eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission, Power Steering Plus, Park Assist, and the Convenience package. The car also gets the Bose Audio Package as well.

The convenience Package includes the Porsche Communication System with a 7-inch touchscreen featuring navigation and BiXenon headlights. Other interior features include a driver memory package seat, moonroof, and heated front seats. The Cayenne Platinum also gets auto dimming mirrors.

The Platinum edition can be had with other colors standard including black or white. For an additional charge, more colors are available including Meteor Grey Metallic, Basalt Black Metallic and Mahogany Metallic. Carrara White is a color available exclusively on the Platinum version. Partial leather is standard on the Platinum model with full leather optional. The base engine is a 3.6L V6 and pricing starts at $63,300. The diesel version uses a 3.0L turbo diesel and starts at $66,900.

SOURCE: Porsche , www.slashgear.com

 

Lamborghini Cabrera Teaser

The video has to be one of the most irritating released in a long time but it does mean that we are going to see more of these “teasers”  over the next few weeks.

 

Lamborghini have released this teaser for the Lamborghini Cabrera. Dubbed “The Plan,” the clip follows three very annoying friends who embark on a “secret mission” to break into Lamborghini’s factory and see the highly-anticipated Cabrera before anyone else.

 

Unfortunately, the video doesn’t show anything but our spy photos (poor quality sadly) have shown the model will have an aggressive exterior that borrows cues from the Aventador.

 

Nothing is official, but the car is expected to use a naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine that produces approximately 600 bhp (447 kW). It will likely be connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which could enable the car to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in roughly 3.2 seconds.

The Cabrera is expected to be introduced before Christmas, so expect to learn more in the coming weeks.

 

The two rendered pictures provide a potential look for the upcoming Lamborghini Gallardo successor due most likely in 2015.

Set to receive the Cabrera moniker, the baby Lamborghini will probably blend in some of the design ideas seen on the Sesto Elemento and Aventador but without losing several familiar Gallardo cues. Judging by the attached spy photos, the most significant changes are expected at the back, while the front should incorporate more angular headlights.

Source: Lamborghini and www.worldcarfans.com

 

Ferrari F50 Dance

We´re pleased to let you know that Tax The Rich is at it again. We thought we would share a moment of gratuitous Ferrari appreciation.

The group that loves to use supercars for something other than garage decoration has already had its way with a Ferrari Enzo, 288 GTO, and a pair of F50s. Its latest video features Ferrari’s supercar of the 1990s dancing solo.

 

In this video, a red F50 drifts and skids around the countryside, the driver pulling some moves most supercar owners wouldn’t dare attempt. The whole thing was filmed with a high-speed camera, so there’s plenty of slow-motion goodness.

Anyone who saw the last season of Top Gear will be familiar with this filming style, which breaks down the action of a car drifting around a corner into what appears to be a series of still images edited together.

 

At one point, the F50 even skids through the shot with its brakes fully locked; a puff of tire smoke from the rear wheels is the only indication that this isn’t a bit of editing trickery.

The F50 was probably the least-loved of Ferrari’s flagship supercars. Sandwiched between the paradigm-shifting F40 and Enzo, it just doesn’t have as much historical importance. The bulbous 1990s styling doesn’t help matters, either.

Still, with a limited production run of just 349 units and an F1-derived 4.7-liter, 520-horsepower V12 in the engine bay, the F50 is highly collectible. With an estimated 0 to 62 mph time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of around 202 mph, it’s no slouch either.

 

It also looks pretty good in slo-mo. Put it on full screen and turn up the volume.

As always, it’s great to see a supercar actually being driven instead of just sitting under a car cover waiting to be auctioned off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDDbELb-qCU&feature=share

Source Stephen Edelstein , www.motorauthority.com and of course Tax the Rich.

 

The Aventador goes on a long trip, good call?

Matt Farah is given a Lamborghini Aventador to drive to Vegas and in this YouTube clip answers many questions we are asked about driving this car for long distances.

Matt asks “What could be the perfect car to ride you to a major tuning show?”  One that costs at least half-million dollar of course! Enter in the Lamborghini Aventador used by Matt Farah on his 700-mile road trip.

 

With a 6.5-liter, V-12 engine that delivers a total of 700 horsepower at 8,250 rpm and 509 pound-feet of torque at 5,500 rpm in tow, the Aventador is able to rocket from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and up to a top speed of 217 mph.  Comfort, on the other hand, is not part of the Aventador package, according to Farah.

With an average fuel consumption of 14 mpg, it means that Matt needed at least 50 gallons of gas for this trip, and with an average of $3.20 per gallon, he had to pay $160 to get to LA. That number may have been slightly lower, had Farah kept his cool and not maxed out the V-12 at every opportunity. Then again, could we really resist the temptation to hear that sweet V-12 scream at us? We highly doubt it.

 

Check out the video to see if Matt finds the Aventador the right car for such a long journey!

 

Thanks to Simona at www.topspeed.com and of course Matt Farah.

 

 

 

 

The first test drive of the Porsche 918

Some photo´s taken by amateur camera, quality is compromised.

Just over one year ago, Porsche announced to the world that the 918 could lap the Nurburgring in 7 minutes, 14 seconds thanks to its 795-horsepower V8 hybrid powertrain. Then just a few weeks ago, Porsche subsequently announced that the car actually develops 887 hp and can lap the Nurburgring in a mere 6 minutes, 57 seconds, which is faster than any other production road car in history.

Make of that what you will, but what matters now is that the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder is here in its final specification, costing $845,000 to start or $929,000 in its 90-pound-lighter Weissach Pack form.For the time being it is the fastest road car on the planet.

Porsche’s official performance claims for the Weissach Pack 918 are nothing short of breathtaking. How about zero to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, zero to 124 mph in 7.2 seconds, zero to 186 mph in 19.9 seconds and a top speed of 215 mph?

According to Porsche’s legendary test driver Walter Rohrl, the 918 is “quite a lot quicker than the [Bugatti] Veyron up to 180 mph,” beyond which it’s debatable whether anything else matters.

Driving the 918 is a slightly strange experience to begin with, even though one of Porsche’s main targets when fine-tuning the car was to make it as natural and intuitive as possible. In E-drive mode, for instance, it’s powered purely by the two electric motors: one for the front axle, the other for the rear. Together they generate enough power to launch the 918 from zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds.

The spooky thing in E-drive is that there’s no perceptible noise from the two electric motors. Instead you just turn the key, select Drive, press the throttle and glide away. With the lithium-ion battery pack fully charged, there’s about 20 miles of range in E-drive.

Press harder on the accelerator and — boom! — the V8 is awakened and you find yourself being propelled by a combination of gasoline and electric power. At that point the monster from within reveals its true colors and you realize that the 918 is, in fact, still just a good old-fashioned V8 supercar at its core.

The transition is surprisingly smooth so long as you’re not clumsy with the pedal, and if you then back away from the throttle for a few seconds, the V8 will switch off and you’re back into electric mode again, listening to the air rushing by the massive 21-inch diameter, 325/30 Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tires rumbling away beneath.

Select Hybrid mode and you get an instant combination of the gas and electric motors, but still with relaxed responses from the throttle and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Select Sport and the responses from everything (engine, gearbox, V8 and both the electric motors) become sharper and keener, and then you can go up again to Race mode. Even more aggressive still is the “Hot Laps” program, in which the ESP allows a bit of slip from the rear and dishes out even more torque to the front axle under wide throttle openings to dial out mid-to-late-apex understeer.

But it’s the initial hit of torque from the electric motors that provides it with such shattering response. In 7th gear at 50 mph it picks up with the same kind of thump that a GT3 delivers in 3rd gear at 70 mph, no exaggeration. And that’s in cuddly old Hybrid mode, remember.

Twist the dial on the steering wheel round to Race and then hit the throttle and the response goes from “good” to “good grief.” And in “Hot Laps” mode it goes up a big notch again to the point of feeling uncomfortably explosive in the way it leaps forward at the mere whiff of a decent throttle opening.

Don’t even try to think about what it feels — or sounds — like at 8,000 rpm in a low gear because things happen so fast in the first three ratios that you won’t actually be able to recall the details. Only by selecting a high gear at low revs is it possible to drink in what occurs in this car in its most potent setting, and even then the din from the V8 is so loud, and the speed with which you are thrust toward the horizon so completely overwhelming, that you may not be able to remember much about that either.

The way it changes direction is astonishing for something so big. Understeer is pretty much nonexistent at sane speeds, and the flatness with which it corners — and the composure it displays as a result — boggles the mind. The steering is also quite brilliant in both its accuracy and precision, even though it may lack the last millimeter of feel beside the very best analog systems. The rest of the driving experience is so intense that there isn’t room for a hit of old-school-style driver appeal. Better still, Porsche would appear to have all but eradicated the artificial feel to the brake pedal that early prototypes apparently suffered from.

 

This Is the Sports Car of the Future.

In isolation the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder is a really quite fantastic amalgam of ultra-high-tech and conventional engineering and, as a result, provides a hitherto undreamt about combination of massive performance, reasonable refinement, surprising drivability and quite incredible real-world economy for a car of this kind.

But the best bit about it is how natural and pure it feels to drive. At its core, and despite its dizzying technology, the 918 is just a cracking good thing to climb aboard and go for a blast in. And it’s cataclysmically fast, too, without ever feeling scary or edgy or overwhelming.

Most drivers could, after a while, get quite close to what this car can do near its limit. It really is that friendly to drive. And some people will get closer to the edge in it than ever before. There are other similar supercars on the horizon like the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari, but they will need to be very special to deliver a wider range of abilities than the 918.

sourced from www.edmunds.com

Even Santa cant help

Even Santa can’t help now—LaFerrari is sold out . CNBC’s Robert Frank reports only 499 models of LaFerrari were made and all models have been sold. Marco Mattiacci, Ferrari North American president and CEO, provides insight on the success of this car already.It’s the fastest production car Ferrari ever built. And the most powerful. And, priced at $1.4 million, it’s the most expensive.

But even if you have the money, you probably can’t get the LaFerrari. It’s sold out. Heminway is currently negotiating for this car and hope to be able to offer it to clients from mid 2014.

“This car is going to be the benchmark of the auto industry,” said Marco Mattiacci, the president and CEO of Ferrari North America. “The combination of incredible design, Italian heritage, make this car the hottest car in the world right now.”

Unveiling the car for the first time on U.S. national television, Mattiacci said, the plan was to build just 499 LaFerraris of which 120 will go to the U.S., but all are already sold.

LaFerrari is Ferrari’s first supercar in more than a decade, after the Enzo launched in 2002. LaFerrari is a technological wonder, with a semihybrid engine that combines a 12-cylinder, 6-liter combustion engine with an electric engine that creates a combined 960-plus horsepower.   Source: Ferrari   LaFerrariThe car can do zero to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds and has a top speed of 220 mph. It set a record for the fastest time ever for a production Ferrari at the company’s Fiorano test track.

LaFerrari is also part of a new strategy for Ferrari to make its brand and its cars more exclusive. While Ferraris have always been one of the signature toys of the very rich, the rise of even pricier, more limited-edition supercars—like Bugatti and Pagani—have driven Ferrari to limit production to give its brand even more cache.

The company announced this year that it will build only 7,000 cars—down from just over 7,300 last year. In the nine months ended in November, Ferrari’s revenue is up more than 6 percent to $2.3 billion and profit is up 20 percent to $350 million.

Mattiacci said wealthy consumers right now are increasingly seeing Ferraris as investments—especially as prices for vintage collectible Ferraris soar. A 1967 Ferrari N.A.R.T. Spider sold this summer for $27.5 million, making it the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction.

Ten years ago, the Enzo had a sticker price of $650,000, and Enzos are now selling for about $2 million, said Mattiacci. LaFerrari, he said, will likely follow the same value curve.

“The trajectory of [the LaFerrari] car is going to follow exactly the vintage Ferrari cars. This is a unique piece, the first hybrid Ferrari,” he said.

sourced from CNBC’s Robert Frank.

Happy Birthday Maserati

Get ready to spend the next year wishing Maserati a happy birthday–as the Italian automaker enters its hundredth year in business this December. The company was officially founded on December 1, 1914, starting operations on December 14, 1914. That makes December 2013 the start of its hundredth year, and for the next twelve months, the historic marque will host celebrations all around the world.

There’s plenty to celebrate: Maserati’s history is long and illustrious, even when compared to fellow domestic marques like Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Lamborghini. The firm produced its first car, the Tipo 26, in 1926. It took its first victory that year in the Targa Florio, the first of many for the marque in virtually every major racing event. Maserati has taken two Indy 500 victories, 9 wins in Formula 1, and the 1957 F1 World Championship at the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio. It produced its first passenger car in 1947, and since then Maserati has also been known for beautiful luxury sports cars and sedans–something that continues to this day.

A series of activities is planned to celebrate the centenary, and all will be held under a new centennial logo. It features the familiar Maserati Trident–inspired by the Neptune fountain in the center of Maserati’s home city, Bologna–the Maserati text, and the 1914 and 2014 numerals. Maserati has also set up a website–maserati100.com–to keep owners, fans and collectors informed of the year’s festivities.

The biggest event will be an official Maserati gathering in Modena from September 19-21, 2014. As many as 250 Maserati models from all over the world are expected to descend on the town, with driving routes on local roads and even track sessions available. If  need to rent a Maserati through Hemingway for the event make sure you contact us now so that we can reserve the Maserati of your choice. The Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari in Modena will also host a series of historic models, and this Friday, Maserati will be presented with a special centennial book to celebrate its last 100 years.

Want to keep up with all of this on Twitter? There’s even an official #Maserati100 hashtag. Here’s to the next 100 years.

Courtesy of www.motorauthority.com.

Lamborghini Veneno Launched

The 3.3 million euro Lamborghini Veneno car has made its first public debut in a manner befitting such an expensive and exclusive car – on a fighter aircraft. Now Lamborghini has come out with an official release and pictures of the car’s grand premiere. Here’s the official word – listing out all the details about this super exclusive machine along with a few more images.

Sant’Agata Bolognese, 2 December 2013 — The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster made its public debut on board the Italian naval aircraft carrier Nave Cavour on 1 December 2013.

At an exclusive ‘Italian evening’ attended by authorities, clients, VIPs and media, the limited edition super sports car, of which only nine will be produced, was formally unveiled on the flight deck of the 240 metre ship while docked in Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed port.

“The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster is one of the world’s most exclusive cars with the most extraordinary performance,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Lamborghini, commenting on the event. “We are honored that Lamborghini was chosen to represent the Italian car industry in the UAE, as a perfect example of iconic Italian super sports cars, and that we have the opportunity to show the Veneno Roadster for the first time in Abu Dhabi. Lamborghini has an extremely strong following in the region for its super sports cars, with the Middle East one of our largest markets in the world.”

The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster is a fully road legal, open top car, bringing the aerodynamic efficiency of a racing prototype to the road, with extreme design and breathtaking performance. The nine units will be built during 2014, priced at 3.3 million euro excluding taxes.

Lamborghini Veneno official World Premier Italian aircraft carrier.

With a maximum power output of 552 kW / 750 hp, the V12 Veneno Roadster accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds, with a top speed of 355 km/h. Shown in Abu Dhabi in the specially developed colour ‘Rosso Veneno’, each client will be able to individualize the colour of his Veneno Roadster to suit their personal preference.

The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster was unveiled in the presence of His Excellency Giorgio Starace, Italian Ambassador to the UAE and the Admiral of High Seas Forces, Paolo Treu. Guests on board Nave Cavour enjoyed hospitality from chef Corrado Corti of Italy’s famous Hotel Splendido in Portofino, who flew in especially for the occasion. Singer and actress Elena Bonelli opened the event with the Italian national anthem; fashion designer Giada Curti offered a tableau vivant of her creations with ten top models. One of the happy few to sit in the Veneno Roadster was former captain of the National Italian soccer team and 2006 world champion Fabio Cannavaro.

Lamborghini Veneno Roadster – a collector’s Masterpiece of Engineering and Design.

The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster is an open racing prototype with an extreme design and breathtaking performance. And it is one of the world’s most exclusive automobiles – not more than nine units will be built during the course of 2014 and sold at a price of 3.3 million Euros (excl. tax).

The Veneno Roadster is extreme and guarantees an intense driving experience – because open means truly open. There is no roof, just a strong rollover bar for optimum safety. The design is focused on optimum aerodynamics and stability through fast corners – with handling akin to that of a racing prototype. Yet it is fully road legal.

With a maximum output of 552 kW / 750 hp, the Veneno Roadster accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds and top speed stands at 355 km/h. The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster is driven by a twelve-cylinder engine with a displacement of 6.5 liters and is equipped with the extremely fast-shifting ISR transmission with five modes, permanent all-wheel drive and a racing chassis with pushrod suspension and horizontal spring/damper units.

Lamborghini Veneno official World Premier Italian aircraft carrier.

The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster brings the aerodynamic efficiency of a racing prototype to the road. Every detail of its form pursues a clear function – exceptional dynamics, optimum downforce with minimal drag and perfect cooling of the high-performance engine. Therefore the Veneno Roadster is unmistakably a Lamborghini; it sticks firmly to the consistent design philosophy of all the super sports cars from Sant’Agata Bolognese. That includes the extreme proportions, as well as the powerfully arrow-shaped front end and the interplay between razor-sharp lines and precise surfaces.

The entire design of the Lamborghini Veneno Roadster has been laid out for perfect airflow and downforce. The front end works as a large aerodynamic wing. The visual division of the rear fenders from the car body is a reference to the world of racing cars and optimizes the aerodynamic flow. The smooth underbody transitions into a substantial diffuser framing the four sizable exhaust pipes divided by a splitter. Large openings serve to ventilate the engine bay and direct airflow to the rear wing. The design of the adjustable rear wing is the product of motorsport experience and extensive aerodynamic simulation to ensure optimum airflow in the interaction of the rear wing with the rear diffuser.

The design of the exclusive alloy wheels is also determined by aerodynamic functionality – a carbon-fiber ring around the wheel rim works like a turbine to deliver additional cooling air to the carbon-ceramic brake discs. The intense paint color “Rosso Veneno” was developed exclusively for the Veneno Roadster, although each single customer will be able to individualize his own vehicle to suit his personal preferences.

The Veneno Roadster is further proof of Automobili Lamborghini’s unique competence in CFRP-based lightweight design. A monocoque made from carbon-fiber reinforced polymer forms the basis of the Roadster. All exterior parts are made from CFRP. The Veneno Roadster meets all safety and registration requirements worldwide, and naturally also incorporates a full complement of safety systems from airbags through to the adapted ESP handling system.

Carbon fiber dominates also the interior of the Veneno Roadster. The carbon fiber monocoque is visible inside the car around the central tunnel and the sills. The two lightweight bucket seats are made from Lamborghini’s patented Forged Composite. The woven carbon-fiber CarbonSkin is used to clad the entire cockpit, part of the seats and the headliner. Like a hi-tech fabric, this extremely fine-looking carbon-fiber matting fits perfectly to any form and reduces the weight of the vehicle.

The systematic, carbon-fiber, lightweight design of the Veneno Roadster is not only visible, it is also evident on the scales: with a dry weight of just

1,490 kilograms (3,278 pounds), the Veneno Roadster benefits from a powerto- weight ratio of just 1.99 kg/hp (4.38 lbs/hp) which guarantees a performance that is nothing short of mind-blowing. Even the stunning acceleration figure of 2.9 seconds cannot adequately describe it. Despite an aerodynamic setup configured for extreme downforce, the Veneno Roadster possesses exceptionally low wind resistance which allows it to reach a top speed of 355 km/h (221 mph).

Thanks to Motoroids.

 

Ferrari LaFerrari Backended

It was bound to happen at some point. No matter how expensive, rare or special a car may be, the risk of an accident or any other sort of serious crash always exists. And the new Ferrari LaFerrari isn’t immune from an accident-free life. Thanks to car spotter Marchenttino, today we have an image and a few details regarding the first LaFerrari accident. The incident took place on a highway around Mantova, Italy, an area known for Ferrari testing. From the looks of the single image taken, the LaFerrari was rear-ended by a truck. No one was injured and the car doesn’t look too bad, but that truck driver has some serious explaining to do for smashing into a $1.3 million car. We all have bad days but can you beat this lorry drivers after he backed into a Ferrari LaFerrari? Give us your “worst ever day” stories. Article thanks to Jay Trougott . http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2013/12/1/LaFerrari-Gets-Rear-Ended-by-a-Truck-7717392/#sthash.dtpTCdGe.dpuf