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

Common Rail Diesel Engines - The Big Comeback of the Diesels

20 years ago this was the deal. If you want a fast car, do not buy a  Diesel. Same goes for if you wish to hear your own thoughts while driving, if you need to see something other than loads of black smoke coming from behind you, if you worry about the environment, and if you do mind asking yourself whether it will start in cold winter mornings and, when it does start, if you do mind waiting for about 15 minutes for it to warm up enough to run normally.

The only reasons they existed were a lot better fuel efficiency, high expected mileages (some old Mercedes diesels were known to run more than 600,000 miles) and the fact that they could run on almost anything oily, including used cooing oil. 

But more strict laws about emissions and ever-improving fuel efficiency of petrol cars made the developers do something to improve the diesels. Common Rail diesels are what they came up with. And they are great. Remember all those downsides of diesels from the first paragraph? Forget them all. And still keep the better fuel efficiency.

Keep reading at: http://www.mendaily.com/common-rail-diesel-engines-the-big-comeback-of-the-diesels/

Zenvo ST1 – Beast From the North

Danish company Zenvo is just celebrating their first decade of existence, but they already have a hypercar that is actually able to compete with the most revered names in the industry. With somewhat different philosophy and complete dedication, Zenvo is quickly making a name for themselves in one of the most difficult niches out there. How is this possible?

The design

Design is always important for a sports car. Paying huge amounts of money for a car should provide you with the looks that are outstanding, or at least distinctive and thought provoking. The first thing Zenvo had in mind while constructing the ST1 was the design. They say that all sports cars out there at the moment look the same and that they wanted to make a car like no other. While we could argue against this point of complete uniformity in design, we can also agree with it to some extent. So, let’s have a look at the ST1 and see what they came up with.

The ST1 prototype is actually more like a completely finished car rather than a prototype. It is smooth, with beautiful lines and believable looks. Keen attention to detail is evident wherever you lay your eyes and it by no means looks like a work in progress.

Looking at the front of the ST1 we can see the headlights groups consisted of three angled circular lights at each side that direct the view towards the honeycomb grille that is placed very low. Above it there are massive gaps that look like air intakes which are also angled towards the grille. The inconspicuous fog lights are cleverly placed low below the headlights.

Zenvo ST1 front view

The back is also great. The cars lowering roof line falls below the line of the rear wheels thus leaving room for a non-protruding spoiler which connects the two sides. The spoiler is subtle, but effective. Despite all this, the back seems like a one-piece movement that is cleverly saved from clean monotony by the lights and exhaust grouping on each side.

Zenvo ST1 rear view

However, side view is simply amazing. Even the sharp lines neatly flow  from one shape to the other, always following the same pathway and rounding up the appearance in every respect. We can see how confident they were from the fact that the ST1 is usually shown in white, which is the color that fails to mask design flaws. If a car is white, it needs to be beautiful.

Some might say that Zenvo did not entirely succeed in creating a different car. We could find some similarities with other sport cars – namely the LFA, and even the R8 and – but the ST1 is hands down the best looking one of them all. Somehow they managed to make it screamingly aggressive and elegantly subtle at the same time.

The 'screamingly aggressive' part

Interior

The interior is sleek and everything is easy to operate and instantly readable, which is very important for fast information processing and reacting the significance of which you will understand when you read what’s under the hood. The steering wheel seems massive, but it leaves clean view of the five-piece instrument cluster.

The seats are amazingly supportive and comfortable enough, having in mind that this is an extremely fast car (wait for it).

Other than that, not much else is going on that could distract you from the road. The central part begins with the two vents, continues down towards the multimedia screen and central console that consists of a protruding transmission stick, three large dials and a strangely placed parking brake.

Still, you can choose to customize the interior features deciding from a variety of colours, leather or Alcantara and aluminum and carbon fiber details.

Under the hood                                                                 

I barely sustained myself from telling you what’s in the heart of this beast. The engine is a 7l V8. Now, you might wonder why it is just the V8, and not V10 or even V12. The reason for this lies in the reduced length of the V8. More cylinders would require the wheels to be taken further back and this would impair the design greatly.

But, trust me, the ST1 lost nothing due to this. The engine is turbocharged and supercharged and it produces a mind-blowing 1,104hp at 6,900rpm and road-melting 1,050 lb-ft of torque at 4,500rpm. And they said that the design was the main focus. Having in mind the amazing weight reduction that brings the ST1 to weigh only 1,376kg (3,033lb) the car is able to reach the top speed of 233mph and enjoy the accelerations to 62mph in 3 seconds and to double as much in 8.9 seconds. And the sound is just amazing.

The engine is paired with a single-clutch 7-speed transmission that has the mentioned stick shifter, but also the F1 paddles that are available in automatic mode. Stopping power is entrusted to Brembo carbon fiber disks.

Final word

It is difficult to take the words of the creators seriously when they say that they did not aim to create the fastest car in the world so as not to ruin the design when you look at the figures and 1,000+ horsepower, but in all fairness, the ST1 is far more than just a fast car. The design is definitely more than successful and you will be pressed to find a more beautiful and complete supercar. Add to this the house-built engine and the stunning performance and the highly regarded competitors will have to start worrying about the sales, right? Well, not entirely. Only 15 ST1s will be made so, even though the car certainly poses a threat to other cars in its niche when it comes to design and technology, it is not very likely to hurt anyone’s sales.

Photos: http://www.netcarshow.com/

2015 JAGUAR F-TYPE COUPE

Jaguars have always been something else in automotive industry, very distinctive and often a subject of that love-it-or-hate-it story, just with far more people who love them. The same goes for the new F-Type Coupe. Still, times have changed for everyone and Jaguar needed to comply. The XJ220 from the beginning of the nineties was one of the first steps in the modernizing direction and it turned heads of the entire industry. From then on, the Jaguars have become more and more acceptable for larger groups of consumers with their design and price alike.

Jaguar F-Type Coupe

Today, even sports cars from Jaguar follow the same route. They are not as distinctive as they used to be and they follow the modernized design route, but they have managed to perform the transition perfectly. The modern Jags are not like the old ones, but they are absolutely lovely. Their 2011 hybrid concept called the C-X16 is the proof of this. The following year they announced that the design of the C-X16 will be basis for the non-hybrid F-Type. The same year they presented the 2013 F-Type Convertible and the 2013 LA Auto Show was the setting for the first unveiling of the 2015 model F-Type Coupe.

The design             

Now, the convertible is pretty cool. Sleek and powerful looking, it is a great car to enjoy on a sunny day, but the simple addition of a roof for the Coupe model changed the appeal of the whole car. And this for the better. The roof made the car seem more robust – not that the convertible seemed fragile, mind you – and it added a wonderful roof line and rear windows.

Jaguar F-Type Convertible

The Coupe side view

The rear windows, though small, make a huge difference in the side view of the new F-Type. They lead the roof line towards the rear of the car, making the roof seamlessly connect the front and the rear, and the ascending line at the windows’ bottom, that abruptly rises after the door window ends, strongly accentuates the muscular nature of the section above the rear wheels. Relative lack of B pillars makes all the glass surfaces at the side seem unified.

The roof facilitates an impeccable transition from the front to the rear. The car is highest just above the seats and the curve rapidly brings the roof down as it reaches the rear where it connects with the ascending line of the rear window. The back of the car, looking from the side, seems abruptly cut but this just adds to the aggressive looks.

Coupe with the aluminum roof

From the front, you can see the large grille at the centre at whose sides there are four air intakes in total. Above the intakes sit the headlights which are placed widely apart which leaves lots of room for the hood that seems massive.

The back starts off with a narrowed top and spreads as the view goes down ending with four round exhausts and a prominent diffuser.

F-Type Coupe back view

Interior

First the roof again. There are aluminum and glass versions and both provide identical rigidity.

The steering wheel is covered in leather and filled with easy to use buttons near the place where your thumbs should be. The round central part with the horn, airbag and the Jaguar logo is somewhat strangely lowered making the instrument cluster very visible, but also creating an unusual effect that some may not like.

The central console is large, easy to operate and tastefully designed. It is dominated by a large screen and three dials which lead the view towards the transmission stick.

With top materials, great finish and clean design, the interior looks like a cockpit where the driver is the main guy and everything revolves around him. Even the separating bar that hugs the transmission stick hiding it from the passenger bluntly shows this. The leather seats are comfortable and they provide great support in bends.

Under the hood

There are no compromises with the Coupe. Jaguar puts great amount of trust into this car calling it “the fastest, sportiest Jaguar road car in history” in a very tough competition. This might come as a surprise having in mind the mentioned XJ220 with the top speed of 217mph, and the Coupe does not run that fast. But, it actually beat the XJ220’s Nurburgring lap of 7 min 25 sec by six seconds.

Just like with the Convertible, there are three engine options. The most powerful one is the 5l V8 that goes inside the Coupe R and it is a beefed up version of the one from the Convertible. It produces 550hp at 4,500rpm and 502lb-ft of torque from 2,500 to 5,500rpm all of which make the Coupe run to 60mph in 4 seconds and reach the top speed of 186mph. The weaker options are the 3l V6 ones with 340hp for the Coupe and 380hp for the Coupe S. These versions have the 0-60mph time of 5.1 and 4.8 seconds and top speeds of 161 and 171mph respectively.

All engines are paired up with the ZF ‘Quickshift’ eight-speed automatic transmission and you run through them using paddle shifters.

The handling is aided by the improved Electronic Active Differential and new torque vectoring system, modified spring rates, adaptive dumping and probably optional ceramic brakes with amazing pre-fill feature that increases pressure when you release the throttle thus making breaks more responsive when driving more aggressively. All of these features make the Coupe a lot more precise, responsive and fun to drive than the Convertible.

Final word

The Coupe is definitely a greatly improved Convertible. It is so much better that it actually presents a capable competition for the leaders in the market such as the Porsche 911 Carrera S. It has more power, more torque and a similar price, but it is about 550lb heavier as well. Having in mind that the new Carrera is a misleadingly smooth beast, some might even prefer the more energetic F-Type Coupe R. Speaking of price, the starting MSRPs of the Coupe, Coupe S and Coupe R are $65,000, $77,000 and $99,000 respectively.

Photos: www.jaguarusa.com