Sesto Elemento

Sesto Elemento

A technological demonstrator, presented a year ago at the Paris Motor Show, the Sesto Elemento represents the future of super sports cars in line with the Lamborghini Manifesto: according to this, development focuses on handling and acceleration, with lightweight design an increasing priority – now and even more so in years to come.

Not since the revolutionary carbon fibre prototype, the Lamborghini Countach Evoluzione in 1986, has a super sports car brand produced a car weighing less than 1000 kg.

With the Sesto Elemento, Lamborghini’s Research & Development engineers have fine-tuned a cutting-edge package. Beginning with its pure, radical design, Sesto Elemento is the perfect blend between an extremely light weight 999 kg body; a drive train taken directly from motorsport; a power output of 570 hp; a highly responsive V10 engine and superior handling stability guaranteed by Lamborghini’s four wheel drive system. An exceptional power-to-weight ratio of just 1.75 kg per hp guarantees unrivalled performance levels; the Sesto Elemento goes from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds. These values are possible due to the use of a carbon fiber monocoque made of Forged Composite and extensive use of carbon fiber throughout the car, illustrating Lamborghini’s international leadership in composite materials technologies.

Stephan Winkelmann stated: “The excellent feedback and the numerous requests we’ve had from our customers have really convinced us to embark on the challenge of producing a vehicle with unique characteristics. We are proud that what a year ago was just a ‘technology demonstrator’ of future super sports cars, even though in working order, will become a small series reality.

Only 20 units of the new Sesto Elemento super sports car will be produced, and will be destined only for track use. We’re planning to deliver the first cars at the beginning of 2013.” As for the price, if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it…

McLaren Showroom, London

On 21 June 2011, McLaren Automotive will open the doors to its first global retailer, McLaren London. By the end of this year, McLaren will have 35 bespoke retailers in 19 countries worldwide selected by McLaren to offer the best in customer sales and service for a range of McLaren cars, beginning with the ground-breaking new MP4-12C high-performance sports car.

McLaren Automotive has invested nearly £800m since 2005 to establish itself as the world’s newest sports car company. The launch of a new global retailer network is the latest milestone in this development programme.

The flagship McLaren showroom is located at London’s newest and most prestigious address – One Hyde Park: The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, London and, as with every retailer in the new McLaren Automotive network, has been selected for its ability to demonstrate an outstanding track record in offering excellent customer service and aftersales support.  McLaren Automotive is committed to ensuring the experience customers have with their dealers in every market is as revolutionary as the MP4-12C sports car itself. For example, unlike any other automotive manufacturer, McLaren is stocking its retail network with a spare of every serviceable part for the MP4-12C: what McLaren calls its ‘pitstop’ service concept that ensures fast and efficient repair.

Following the London launch, two more McLaren retailers for the UK will open in Manchester on June 30, and Birmingham on July 5. The remaining 32 sites in the global network will be operational by the end of this year, beginning in July and through the summer with the European network in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.

Stunning Jaguar C-X75

Jaguar can today confirm that it will launch the remarkable C-X75 concept car as an exclusive hybrid supercar.

Jaguar C-X75 will become the British marque’s most advanced model to date. It will offer performance on a par with the fastest production cars on the market, while adopting cutting-edge technology that offers remarkably economical running. Jaguar expects this hybrid supercar to deliver incredibly low CO2 emissions of less than 99g/km while being able to achieve in excess of 200mph.

“People expect Jaguar to be innovators – that is when Jaguar is at its best,” said Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar Brand Director. “The C-X75 received an incredible reception as a concept car. We’ve been building on that momentum and there is a clear business case for this exclusive halo model. No other vehicle will better signify Jaguar’s renewed confidence and excellence in technological innovation than this.”

Project C-X75 will be the ultimate expression of Jaguar design and engineering innovation. This high-performance hybrid supercar will stay true to the initial concept design study that made its debut at the 2010 Paris motor show, while fulfilling requirements that allow it to be homologated for road use.

“We were always determined that the Jaguar C-X75 would be as striking on the road as it was in concept form,” said Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar Cars. “This will be the finest looking and most innovative Jaguar ever produced. Even in the world of supercars, we can still produce the most beautiful.”

In an unprecedented move, Jaguar C-X75 will be developed in association with Williams F1 who will provide their engineering expertise in areas including aerodynamics, carbon composite manufacture and hybrid technologies. This association will be at the leading edge of British automotive engineering and innovation.

“Confirmation of this project today signposts Jaguar Land Rover’s continued determination to embrace new technologies,” said Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Dr Ralf Speth. “A supercar like the C-X75 is the logical choice to showcase cutting-edge design, intelligent use of new environmental technologies and motorsport-inspired performance.”

It also marks a new milestone in both company’s histories as Jaguar Land Rover and Williams collaborate for the first time to produce one of the world’s highest performance and environmentally sustainable supercars. The production of Jaguar C-X75 will create more than one hundred highly-skilled jobs in the UK.

A direct technology transfer between elite motorsport and road-going production cars is key to C-X75’s success. The supercar’s chassis will be made of carbon-fibre to create an incredibly lightweight, yet rigidly strong structure.

Aiding the transition from concept to production vehicle is the choice of powertrain. Jaguar continues to develop the use of the micro-turbine technology that was showcased in the original concept C-X75. Jaguar’s parent company Tata has taken a significant stake in Bladon Jets, and will develop this very advanced technology as a medium-term aspiration that will play a part in Jaguars of the future.

To bring Project C-X75 to showroom reality within the timescales of a conventional model programme, an equally innovative powertrain had to be developed. The road-going supercar will use a state-of-the-art, small-capacity, highly-boosted internal combustion engine with one powerful electric motor at each axle.

“The engine’s compact size allows it to be mounted low in the car for optimum weight distribution and to retain the concept’s stunning silhouette. This will make the Jaguar C-X75 a bona fide hybrid supercar capable of silent electric running with an extensive EV range in excess of 50km,” explained Bob Joyce, Group Engineering Director, Jaguar Land Rover.

When C-X75’s motors and combustion engine combine, it will be one of the 
fastest production cars in the world, with a sub-three second 0-60mph time and a top speed in excess of 200mph. Crucially, this performance will be generated alongside incredibly low emissions, with a target of less than 99g/km CO2, thanks to Project C-X75’s lightweight construction and cutting-edge powertrain technology.

Williams F1 has been at the forefront of motorsport engineering for three decades. The project engagement on Jaguar C-X75 is testament to the team’s ambitions and will bring together two leading lights of the UK motoring industry.

“Our new association with Jaguar Land Rover provides us with an exciting opportunity to work with one of the motoring world’s most famous and iconic brands,” said Sir Frank Williams, Co-Founder and Team Principal of Williams F1. “Williams has always considered itself an engineering company and so this project will allow us to combine our technical expertise to create something truly exceptional.”

Jaguar C-X75 will redefine the customer experience, and will set new standards in sales and after-sales services that will be recreated across the range in the future. Only 250 examples will be built, each costing between £700,000 – £900,000 depending on market and local taxes.

“Never before has the company launched such an ambitious, world-beating vehicle programme,” said Carl-Peter Forster, CEO Tata Motors. “This is the Jaguar of the future. The opportunity for innovation like this in the UK is part of the reason Tata Motors invested in Jaguar, and it’s fantastic that products like the C-X75 can become reality.”

Lamborghini Gallardo prior to getting hammered

Smashing job

A vote for consumer rights

A Lamborghini Gallardo was destroyed by a group of men in the Chinese city of Qindao. The owner of the Italian sports car decided to smash it to show his disappointment with Lamborghini.

The Lamborghini Gallardo was bought six months ago, but the engine failed to start on November 29, 2010. The owner contacted the Lamborghini dealer in Qingdao and they transported the Gallardo to their maintenance center. The engine problem wasn’t solved, but instead the bumper and chassis were damaged by the transport. The owner complained by the dealer but they refused to take responsibility in this matter, so the angry owner contacted Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann, the brand’s China headquarters, its after-sales service manager for Asia-Pacific region, and the brand’s owner Volkswagen Group, but the problem was not solved.

Angry about the service, the owner felt his consumer rights were ignored. So he decided that the best way to gain attention was to destroy his car on the 15th of March, which is also World Consumer Rights Day. Apparently, he hired people to publicly destroy his car with hammers and make his statement. This protest was made to provoke public support and goad the manufacturer to respect his consumer rights.

It is also interesting to notice that in China, due to protectionist measures, a Lamborghini Gallardo sells for between $529,000 and $757,000 depending on specification. This makes it a very expensive statement to honour consumer rights and to show off the disappointment about a bad customer experience.

Whilst it makes me wince to see a Lamborghini damaged like that, you have to applaud the very public voice he has had to make his point – I’m sure Lamborghini will be far from impressed as this story has had global coverage…

Record-Breaking Bentley

Juha Kankkunen

Finland’s four-time world rally champion Juha Kankkunen drove a Bentley Continental Supersports convertible on the hazardous frozen waters of the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Finland, at a breathtaking 205.48 mph (330.695 km/h) to set a new world speed record on ice. Kankkunen was in irresistible form with his all-wheel drive, 6-litre, 12-cylinder Continental Supersports convertible which, in line with the Company’s CO₂ strategy, ran on biofuel. The world’s fastest soft top enabled Juha to shatter his own 2007 world ice speed record of 199.83 mph (321.6 km/h) set in the Continental GT at the same location.

With the help of his own experienced team and Bentley engineers, Kankkunen overcame the challenges of temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees, sudden snow blizzards and potentially dangerous crosswinds on the 16.5km track on a 70cm-thick layer of sea ice. The record attempt was driven on a 1000m long measured distance with the speed certified by officials from the Finland Traffic Police. His new world record was based on the average of two runs in opposite directions with measured speeds ratified by a representative of The Guinness Book of Records.

“The last time, I narrowly missed the magical 200 mph mark in a Continental GT. When I heard about the Supersports I was determined to go record breaking again with the Bentley Boys. This time, with over 600bhp under the bonnet, a Quickshift transmission and the security of the all-wheel drive system, the Supersports convertible was the perfect car to go for the record. ” Kankkunen said.

“200mph came up after 5km on sheet ice. Then it was just a question of getting everything right in the timing zone and hoping the snow kept away. There’s nothing to beat driving a Bentley at these speeds; the conditions may be perilous but the car responds so well to the slightest adjustment which gives you the confidence to push even harder.”

As with the previous record-breaking drive in the Continental GT the Anglo-Finnish team used a car with minimum modification. A fully-welded, heavy-duty safety roll-cage, along with Pirelli winter tyres (Pirelli SottoZero II 275/40R20) and a rear bumper-mounted parachute provided reassurance in case of an emergency. Front and rear spoilers provided optimum high speed stability on the treacherous surface.

To highlight Bentley’s environmental commitment to sustainable fuel sources, Kankkunen’s Supersports Convertible was fuelled with E85 bioethanol rather than petrol (gasoline). All models in the Continental range are capable of running on petrol (gasoline), E85 bioethanol or any combination of the two.

A limited edition of just 100 examples of this most extreme Bentley will be made and the car will make its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 1st March.

Grumpert Tournante by Touring

The international stage of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show will witness an extraordinary world premiere. TOURING SUPERLEGGERA will unveil its design concept for GUMPERT. The GUMPERT TORNANTE by TOURING is a static style model projected and engineered to match a new central engine chassis with V8-powered driveline. The Tornante is scheduled as an addition to the GUMPERT model range as of 2012.

In the development of the 2-seater coupe, TOURING was commissioned a design adding elegance, space and comfort to a package rooted in motorsports and competition engineering. The result aims at opening a new class with attributes of superior efficiency, performance and pleasure: the Fast Tourers.

The car’s performance and dynamic properties generated tight constraints for the designer. While respecting aerodynamics, ground effect, engine and brakes ventilation, special attention was given to comfort and ergonomics. From two fairly different perspectives, GUMPERT and TOURING share the philosophy to remove everything that is not essential. Hence the shape is clean, efficient, and well-balanced. Innovative proportions were achieved in the rear section. A typical feature is the gull-wing opening of both the doors and the wide rear hood.

Featuring composite body panels over a light chrome-molybdenum steel space frame with carbon fiber monocoque, the Tornante aims at lightness and torsional stiffness. This principle mirrors the original Superleggera construction method patented by Touring in 1936.

The Tornante has the genes of the GUMPERT apollo and inherits its impressive V8 Biturbo engine. The 4.2 liter unit delivers 700 HP in the basis version. The drivetrain is also an apollo derivative, featuring as standard for the sake of comfort the TT40e gearbox with paddle shift control. The built-in double-wishbone suspension scheme from the apollo is adjusted to the requirements of the Fast Touring mission profile. Alongside the basic version, an alternative powered Tornante is also planned for 2012.

Caterham-Lola SP/300.R

Caterham Cars has opened an exciting new chapter in its 50-year history with the release of its first ever sports prototype racing car for a new one-make series and the trackday community.

Unveiled at the Autosport International Show, the Caterham-Lola SP/300.R is a major new addition to sit alongside the legendary Seven, yet remains true to its lightweight, minimalist DNA to deliver all the thrills of driving a fast, but confidence-inspiring, sportscar.

Caterham-Lola SP/300.R

Created in partnership with another iconic British engineering brand, Lola Cars, the aesthetically-sensitive sports prototype will also feature the debut of Caterham Motorsport’s new supercharged version of the Ford Duratec power plant, expected to produce around 300bhp.

Caterham is in the final stages of development of the powertrain and handling characteristics of the car, in readiness for a one-make championship to start in 2012, while the feasibility of a road-legal version of the car is also being considered.

Caterham-Lola SP/300.R

Only 25 SP/300.Rs will be manufactured each year, allowing Caterham to focus on enhancing the build quality of every vehicle and maximising its renowned one-to-one customer service.

Bearing subtle design cues from the Seven, the first new model from Caterham since the 21 road car reproduces the Company’s core motorsport values of affordability, reliability and accessibility.

“Motorsport is not only part of the history of Caterham, it’s been the lifeblood running through the character of our vehicles – race cars for the road,” explains Ansar Ali, managing director of Caterham Cars. “Today, racing is not only the heartbeat of the business, it’s an intrinsic part of our fabric both here and abroad and the SP/300.R represents the next logical step in the development of our product offering.”

It is the proven organisational expertise and infrastructure that will run the new one-make championship for the SP/300.R, starting in 2012.

SLR Edition

To conclude the production of their flagship, Mercedes-Benz have released a limited edition McLaren upgrade package for the SLR. The new McLaren SLR features innovative aerodynamics for a faster performance, an increase in suspension, steering and an updated luxurious interior. The Mercedes McLaren SLR Edition includes a new body and is exclusively available in twenty five quantities by private order only.

McLaren MP4-12C

Having just returned to my car from lunch, there was a rather lovely looking Ferrari 458 Italia parked next to it. Having pored over the details for a few moments, my thoughts turned to the new McLaren. Will it be able to compete in terms of price given all of its unique aspects (carbon chassis etc).

No sooner had I got to my desk, when I received the Press Release from McLaren announcing those prices. Uncanny. And I think the price point is very good and it will certainly be going head-to-head with the 458. It goes on sale in the UK and Europe in spring 2011 at a groundbreaking price for a carbon chassis-based car. At £168,500 in the UK, and from €200,000 in the EU, it will be the only car in its competitor set to:

• offer a carbon chassis (the MonoCell)
• be conceived, designed and developed within a Formula 1 factory
• offer the heady combination of 600PS, from a 3.8-litre engine producing less than 300g/km CO₂ in a car with a dry weight of around 1300kgs

The 12C’s MonoCell introduces genuine innovation to the automotive industry and new performance standards below £200,000. It is ‘pure’ McLaren, with all parts, from engine to switchgear, designed by McLaren.

Looks like the British finally have a real sportscar to take on the Italians…

Stratos

Stratos

After much speculation in the Automotive Press, information on the new ‘Stratos’ has been officially released. An anonymous European business man is funding the project, where he aims to revive the legendary Stratos after 40 years.

The pictures are from the Fiat test track in Balocco. It shows a fabulous looking car that reproduces the sublime lines of the original Lancia, with a modern edge. It avoids being too retro, but retains the basic wedge shape and round tail lights. It also recognises the original cars power plant – the car from the 70’s had a Ferrari V6 Dino engine and this car uses a modern Ferrari V8. In fact, it was ex-F1 driver Tiago Montero that was driving the prototype for the test – and he claimed it was ‘sensational’ to drive.

Whether this car makes it into a limited production remains to be seen, but we certainly hope it does! Congratulations to all involved with this fabulous project…