A Go-Ped to Respect (Video)

Yes, you read it correctly. A Go-Ped to respect. Yes, that Go-Ped. That little buzzer that would probably get his owner at least ridiculed, but probably crucified, somewhere in the American south. Those funny little things that sound like they are about to die any time now. Those “vehicles” that any size-wise respectable member of male population would probably have to push uphill due to the fact that the engine in it seems to have been taken from a dying food processor. Provided that any respectable member of male population would ever allow himself to be seen on one. Those things are for children and, if male, before they start growing mustache. The second you start seeing some hair appearing above the corners of your mouth, it’s time to get yourself off a Go-Ped and on something a little bit more respectable and manly. A pink tricycle, for example.

And I don’t care how practical they are. I don’t care about fuel consumption, small size, the possibility of carrying it around and utter lack of problems when it comes to parking. If this is what you are after, buy a small motorbike. You can sit on it, it can take two, it’s similarly easy to park, it is faster, fuel consumption is very close to being the same, and there is usually at least one storage compartment. It is far more practical, and you won’t get laughed at on your way to wherever you’re going.

Still, the subject of this article is exactly the one we mentioned in the title. And the owner is not a person to ridicule. He is one courageous person that would put even the bravest to shame. 

Read more here http://www.mendaily.com/a-go-ped-to-respect-video/

The Fastest Street Legal Production Cars in 2013

Having in mind that this countdown is for the year behind us, this kind of a list is at hand. But first we need to set some ground rules. As the title says, there will be no concept cars, or modified models. Also, the speeds need to be tested and verified, so hear-say and theoretical ideas of what a car can do are not taken into account. Further on, there are several cars that have the same measured top speed. Those will be placed under one position on the list, so you will actually get more than 10 of these machines. Enjoy.

10. Jaguar XJ220

This car was made in the previous century, 1992 to be exact, but it was just that bad that it is still on the list. The top speed of this British, but Italian-looking, monster is 217 mph and 0-60 mph takes only 3.8 seconds. The base price of $650.000 brought you the Twin Turbo V6 with 542 hp that was pushing this car to the mentioned speed.

10. Ferrari Enzo

The price is $670,000, the engine is F140 V12 with 660 hp, the acceleration to 60 mph takes only 3.4 seconds and the top speed is 217 mph. Another curiosity is that only 399 of them were made.

10. Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster

Another 217 mph car. The AMG V12 engine with two turbochargers races to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and produces 678 hp. The base price of $1,850,000 is by far the highest so far on the list, but only five of them were ever made and this information alone is enough to increase the price.

9. Lamborghini Aventador

We are finally moving from the tenth place and increasing the speed by 3 mph to 220 mph. This car has already been discussed on MenDaily and you can find the review here. The acceleration to 60 mph is 2.9 seconds and the engine produces 700 hp all for the price of $379,700.

9. Ascari A10

The same speed, but a bit better acceleration coming to 2.8 seconds from this 5 l BMW V8 engine producing 625 hp. The base price is $650,000 and there should be only 50 of them.

9. Aston Martin One-77

Probably the most prestigious Aston Martin at this time costs $1,850,000 and only 77 of them have been made. The 7.3 l V12 engine produces 750 hp and races this car to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds reaching the top speed of 220 mph.

8. Noble M600

Speeding up to 225 mph of top speed, we come to this car. The car looks pretty inconspicuous, compared to most of the other vehicles on this list, which makes it even more cool because it gives you the opportunity to erase the smug look on the face of some ignorant rich boy owning a Ferrari, for example. Still, you need to be a rich boy yourself, considering that the top speed of 225 mph and the acceleration to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds coming from a 4.4 l V8 with 650 hp cost $330,000. A great car this Noble M600.

8. Gumpert Apollo

225 mph as well, but 0-60 mph in only 3 seconds coming from a 4.2 l V8 with 650 hp for the base price of $450,000.

7. Zenvo ST1

Another car that does 0-60 mph in under 3 seconds (2.9) and that has been reviewed here. The 7 l V8 engine produces 1,104 hp and comes at the base price of $1,225,000. The top speed of this Danish car is 233 mph.  The Danes made only 15 of these, plus this is their first supercar. Judging by this one, the company has a great future in this segment.

6. McLaren F1

The top speed rises to 240 mph and the acceleration to 60 mph is 3.2 seconds. The engine is a V12 unit with 627 hp. This car came at a base price of $970,000 and it was the fastest car of the previous century.

5. Koenigsegg CCX

This Swedish beast races to the top speed of 245 mph and to 60 mph in only 3.2 seconds. The V8 engine produces 806 hp and all this can be yours for the base price of $545,568. Not bad for the fifth fastest car in the world.

4.  Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo

The name told you something about the engine, the other info being that this V8 produces 750 hp that can take the car to the top speed of 248 mph and to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. The price is $555,000.

3. 9ff GT9-R

The top speed comes to 257 mph and the acceleration to 60 mph to 2.9 seconds. The engine is 4 l flat-6 twin-turbo with 1120hp. There are only 20 of these Porsche 911- based beasts and one can be yours for the base price of $695,000.

3. SSC Ultimate Aero

Time for another top speed tie. The acceleration to 60 mph is 2.7 seconds with the V8 engine producing 1183 hp. It used to be the fastest car in the world for three years, until 2010. The base price is $654,400.

2. Koenigsegg Agera R

Another gem from this company is on the list. The top speed is 260 mph with the acceleration to 60 mph of just 2.9 seconds. The engine is 5 l V8 with 1099 hp. The price is $1,600,000. We need to say that theoretical speed of this car goes even further, but these 260 mph have been measured so far.

2. Hennessey Venom GT

The same top speed, but with the acceleration to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. The turbocharged V8 engine has the displacement of 6.2 l and produces 1200 hp. All this can be yours for $950,000. It’s theoretical speed is also higher and it is yet to be tested thoroughly, so this is the closest competitor to the winner.

1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Ok, you could have seen this one coming. The top speed is 267 mph and the acceleration to 60 mph takes 2.4 seconds. The engine is 8 l W16 with 1200 hp, for the base price of $2,400,000. Its older brother used to be the fastest car in the world as well, until it was beaten by the SSC Ultimate Aero in 2007, propelling the company to reclaim the title with this one. Bugatti seems to be unstoppable.

Maserati Quattroporte

Quattroporte means 4-door. Yes, this is a full-blooded Maserati with huge engine, Italian design by Pininfarina, great performance, highest luxury with plush materials and the prestige that this brand name inevitably brings, but with the practicality of a large four-door luxury sedan. Not many people own a Maserati, but the ones that do are absolutely in love with them. That’s why Quattroporte was a big challenge for the brand since it represented a shift from the standard course they followed. So, have they done it? Read on to and give us your thoughts.

Photo: Wikipedia

The way it used to be

                There is something special about sitting in a cockpit of a real sport car. Those cars are usually small and cramped up, leaving just enough room for the driver to operate everything with ease and that’s it. There’s usually no room to take off your jacket while in your car. This is difficult in any car, but sports cars make it damn impossible. And the other passengers? Who cares about them. The front passenger usually gets the same level of luxury and space the driver has, but this is mostly due to the practicality of symmetry. If the laws of physics worked differently, the front passenger would get the “space” rear passengers get. No leg-room, no head-room, hard seats-if any and utter lack of comfort. That’s because they are irrelevant. The main guy is behind the wheel and he is having fun. So, all the others in a sports car are just an unnecessary burden.

Modern times

                This is the way things used to be for a long time. But then the market presented new challenges even for the most iconic of the brands and they needed to comply. While still offering their standard sporting beasts, they needed to create some different models that were to give enough room and practicality for a well off sports car lover to drive his kids to school or even enjoy his adored vehicle on a trip to his mountain house. The challenge was huge. Porsche has done a great job with Panamera and this machine proudly continues the tradition even setting some new standards, Ferrari is doing the same, so it is no wonder that Maserati started following the same path. This is the product.

Read more at: http://www.mendaily.com/2013-maserati-quattroporte-images-and-specs/

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante

If you own a car company that is new, you will need lots of time to get into that high class circle. It’s not just the money you need to invest, but also the prestige that goes with owning a well known sports car, as opposed to owning something new, regardless of the performances on the paper. Also, for the amounts of money you need to give for those cars, peace of mind and prestige need to go with the package. So every new manufacturer needs to go that extra step further in order to get noticed and maybe even earn the cult status for its cars.

Photo: www.fusionest.com/

On the other hand, Lamborghini has been in that high class society for a long time. Every new machine they produce moves the boundaries and sets another bar for the competitors to surpass. Their cars look great, they are instantly recognizable, and they have amazing performance combined with lightweight bodies for ultimate results and pleasure. This is what happens when the engineers from Lamborghini go that extra step further. That lightweight feature is exactly the focal point of the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante. They have managed to reduce the weight of the car by 143 lbs, compared to the Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder and it now comes to 3,274 lbs making the Spyder Performante  the lightest open top Lamborghini.

Exterior                                                              

Being a photographer on a task to do a photo shoot of this car is the easiest job out there. Just point and click. The designers have made sure that this car looks perfect from every angle. The already mentioned Lamorghini’s recognizability is once again here to distinguish it from any other model on the market. Ok, it does look a bit like one of the company’s previous models, Gallardo Superleggera, but for the people who know their Lambos, this car has enough distinguishing features. The front bumper is remodeled, the underbody is completely different, there are new sill elements, the diffuser is different and there is a spoiler you can opt for. Let’s have a look at everything.

Photo: www.fusionest.com/

From the front it is the most different from any other car. The bumper has the function of a large trapezoidal frame that is supposed to serve as the place for the huge intakes. The nose is sharp and very prominent and the LED headlights, though simple in design, fit the picture perfectly, making this car seem very sharp and aggressive and at the same time very harmonious.

Photo: www.fusionest.com/

The side view is always dominated by the line of the car. The line is ascending making this car look smooth, but not boring in any way. The huge air intakes sitting behind the doors and even above them made sure of that. The wheels are lightweight 19-inch titanium ones but the tires at the front and the rear differ. The front ones are 235/35 and the rear 295/30.

Photo: www.fusionest.com/

The back, some would think, offers the least space for playing. But this is not the case here.  The lights are placed high up and the bottom part is marked by a very conspicuous diffuser that keeps the car glued to the road. Above the diffuser there are four exhausts, two on each side. The back seems massive, but sharp on the edges.

Photo: www.fusionest.com/

The body shell of the Spyder Performante is made of aluminum, with significant use of carbon fiber that helped reduce the weight.

Interior

The car of this kind of heritage and price is bound to be packed with the best materials available. Even though this is a full-blooded sports car, the luxury was not set aside. Even the most demanding buyers will find no sensible reason to complain. Still, it is amazing how they managed to put this kind of luxury into this car and still keep in mind the ultimate weight reduction they set out to achieve. Again, the most useful tool in this quest was the use of carbon fiber. It’s everywhere. The tunnel cover, the door panels, the seats’ shells, the space around the transmission lever… The finish is made from Alcantara and it’s black, but there is an option of choosing different colors for the seats and the seat stitching. The color schemes mentioned are the same ones offered for the exterior and they are named Grigio Telesto, Nero Noctis, Bianco Monocerus, Arancio Borealis, and Giallo Midas.

Photo: www.mibz.com/

There is enough room for both passengers in the car, but the driver is the one who is supposed to have most fun. The seats have a firm grip on you and they keep you well in place while the car swirls. Everything is easy to control and operate, the instruments are visible and clear, the steering wheel is lovely and massive and it works perfectly with responsive steering expected from this kind of a car. The central part is not crammed with loads of buttons and distracting design patterns. It’s simple, with everything you need, easy to use and still lovely. The colors of the instruments combine really well with the rest of the interior.

Photo: www.fusionest.com/

Under the hood          

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante has the V10 engine with the displacement of 5.2 l that gives you 570 hp at screaming 8,000 rpm and 398.3 lb-ft of torque at 6.500 rpm. Just like any other Gallardo, this one has the cylinder angle of 90 degrees which significantly lowers the center of gravity of the car, and this improves the handling considerably. This car is simply glued to the road. Turning is very fun and it makes you take the car to its limits, but they are much further than you would think. The weight loss gave us the top speed of 201 mph and the acceleration from 0 to 62 mph of just 3.9 seconds. This being said, the mentioned time is some half a second worse than that of the Ferrari 458 Italia, but reliability issues of the Ferrari and a slightly higher price might make the choice between these two cars difficult, or even tip the bar towards the Lambo.

Photo: www.fusionest.com/

All in all, while the car manufacturers bicker and move their limits in attempts to surpass one another, we are free to enjoy the fruits of their efforts.

Really Bad Car Names

When making a new car there must come a time to think about its name. It can make a big difference in initial reputation, so it is not a trivial task. Now, some companies have got it all figured out. For example, Mercedes-Benz names the cars according to the class they belong to and then add the number that used to mark the displacement. The BMW does a similar thing, just all in numbers. The first digit represents the size of the car and the following two the displacement. And it works like a charm. Some others opted for a different kind of names that should mean something. No one can say that Mustang, Aventador or Carrera are bad names. But these meanings can be pretty dangerous, especially if you don’t research a particular market. For example, there is a Korean drink named Coolpis. Imagine ordering a Coolpis in an English-speaking country. Fun, right? Well, here are some cars whose names were not very well researched.

Dodge Dart Swinger

And it came out in 1969. We can safely assume that it wasn’t very popular with the conservative crowds. Just imagine: “The Missus and I went to the car dealership and saw a lovely Swinger there. We couldn’t wait to get that lovely thing home”. What the hell?! And they had the idea to name the fastback version Beaver. What planet were they on, not knowing the slang meaning? Really, Chrysler?

1970 Swinger

Photo: Wikipedia

Ford Probe

Even before the name was announced, you could have known that something was wrong. I mean, a FWD sport car? And back in 1989? And then the name. Ok, the word does mean loads of things, but “being excited about getting a Probe” is not something you would like to say very often.

Probe based on Mazda design

Photo: Wikipedia

Subaru BRAT

The BRAT part was supposed to be short for Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter. But, I’m not sure anyone in the US realized this. Despite the name it was sold for 15 years. I guess that badly behaved spoilt children were popular at the time.

Photo: Wikipedia

Daihatsu Charade

Daihatsu Mockery. Or Travesty, if you prefer these. Because that is what the word “charade” means. Even better is the Merriam-Webster’s definition of the word that says it is “an empty or deceptive act or pretense”. To be honest, the name might have been perfect, since these slow and tiny rides were not the most adored cars. Crappy design, worse durability and sluggish performance. They even had the 1-litre diesel engine and that was way before the diesels became the respected common rail machines. So you can imagine how slooooow it was. Well, at least they were honest.

This is actually the improved second generation of the Charade

Photo: Wikipedia

Studebaker Dictator

                Ok, the idea was ok-ish, but the timing was so very wrong. They wanted their car to dictate the standards in the industry, but several years later Hitler became known aaaand that was the end of this name.

1937 Studebaker Dictator

Photo: Wikipedia