Ascari Blog
Time to change your desktop: new SL65 AMG Black Series wallpaperFiled under: Supercars, Mercedes-Benz 
Click above for a high resolution image
Mercedes-Benz recently launched a dedicated website for the SL65 AMG Black Series, and it's loaded with goodies for anyone who can't get enough of the uber coupe. The site has detailed info on all of the Black Series' features, as well as some new studio photos that we haven't seen before. Best of all, they've provided six new desktop wallpapers available in normal, widescreen, and iPhone sizes. We've compiled these beautiful high-res photos in a gallery and included the original shots if that's not enough.
[Source: Mercedes AMG] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: Journos flog the ZR-1Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Supercars, Chevrolet 
We've all watched the video of Mr. Mero's fantastic ride around the Nurburgring in the Corvette ZR1; not even the horrid compression that YouTube serves up could ruin the sound of a force-fed LS-series V8. Rides are nice, and we'd hop right on in for adrenaline therapy, but what we want to do is drive the Super-'Vette. 0-60 Magazine shares our thinking, so they stuck their own shoe, Thomas Lyman, behind the wheel and sent him off around Milford. It looks like it was awesome, but everybody's keeping mum until the embargo lifts on August 20th. The video does a pretty good job of speaking for itself. Putting words in our future-mouths, our first impression is likely to go something like "holy mother of pearl!" repeated several times while breathing into a paper bag.
[Source: 0-60]Continue reading VIDEO: Journos flog the ZR-1 Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Schumacher fine-tunes the Ferrari California (w/VIDEO)Filed under: Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Videos, Supercars, Ferrari, Celebrities 
Click above for high-res gallery of Schumacher and the California
Michael Schumacher may have departed the Formula One grid, but he has most definitely not left Ferrari. The seven-time world champion, widely credited with building Ferrari into the power house it is today, still comes around the paddock at various tracks around the world to give the Prancing Horse's latest creations - whether racing cars or road vehicles - a healthy dose of Schuey-trademarked punishment.
After having been intimately involved with the development of the 430 Scuderia - proclaimed as the fastest road-going Ferrari ever to lap the company's private circuit - Schumacher returned to Fiorano to give his input on Maranello's newest offering, the California. And while his opinion is hardly impartial, he certainly knows what he's talking about and his impressions were glowing. Speaking to the conference of Ferrari dealers assembled at the factory, Schumacher proclaimed that "the Ferrari California is very much a Grand Tourer in terms of its usability and high level of interior comfort, it is still surprisingly sporty and fun to drive under any kind of conditions." You could try arguing with him, but you'd probably end up losing - like most of the drivers that have ever tried to go wheel-to-wheel with the most decorated driver in history. Click below to view the images in our high-resolution gallery, and follow the jump to view the video and press release.
[Source: Ferrari]Continue reading Schumacher fine-tunes the Ferrari California (w/VIDEO) Permalink | Email this | Comments
In the Autoblog Garage:2009 Nissan GT-RFiled under: In the Autoblog Garage, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Nissan 
Click above for our high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan GT-R
Nissan recently granted Autoblog four fleeting days with a red 2009 Nissan GT-R. While it seems every major automotive outlet has tested "Godzilla" on the track (including our First Drive), we chose instead to keep it on the streets to see if one of the world's most powerful and fastest accelerating cars could be domesticated by stop-and-go traffic, family errands, and carpool duty. Of course, we only stuck to that routine for a day or two... the rest of the time was spent on the famed canyon roads of Southern California. Follow the jump to read about our 100-hour experience in the Nissan GT-R and don't miss what very well may be the most beautiful gallery of high-res images we've ever published courtesy of our own Drew Phillips and all ready to become your next desktop wallpaper.
All photos Copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
UPDATE: We've rerun the GT-R drive due to pure awesomeness.Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage:2009 Nissan GT-R Permalink | Email this | Comments
TechArt GT Street RS, because the Porsche GT2 isn't mean enoughFiled under: Tuners, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Porsche 
Click above for a hi-res gallery of the GT Street RS
The Porsche 911 GT2 has 530 horsepower, 505 lb-ft of torque and is capable of going 204 mph. And it's not enough. Not for TechArt, at least. You know TechArt. They take Porsches that already push the limits of performance and go all Chuck Yeager on them, probing for new and more crazy limits. Generally they find them, then they package them up and offer them to the moneyed public. Case in point: the new GT Street RS. What begins as a "normal" GT2 turns into a 700-horsepower, 634 lb-ft (860 Nm) warp-enabled street predator when the TechArt people are through messing with it.
The myriad changes include new bodywork that improves the car's aerodynamics, updated chassis components, a customized and caged interior, and a laundry list of underhood modifications. The turbos, intercoolers, headers, electronics, pressure sensor, air filter and exhaust system all get updated by TechArt, facilitating the transformation from factory supercar to ballistic missile with wheels. Now, where'd we leave those launch codes...
[Source: TechArt] Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: First Corvette ZR1 delivered to proud papaFiled under: Auction Action, Supercars, Chevrolet, GM 
Click above for high-res gallery of the Corvette ZR1 at Barrett-Jackson
 The very first Corvette ZR1 has rolled off the assembly line at General Motors' assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and the proud owner of the 638-horsepower hellraiser was there in person to claim his prize. Chevy dealer and Corvette aficionado Dave Ressler won his supercharged Vette at the Barrett Jackson auction back in January for the astronomical sum of $1 million dollars, which equals about 10 times the ZR1's base price of $103,300. Ressler was allowed to sit behind the wheel of his rarified Vette as it completed its assembly run and exited the factory, and let his granddaughter, Ayden Lynn, ride along shotgun. The special ZR1 is set apart from other Blue Devlis with a unique VIN number and a LeMans Blue paint job that will appear on no other car.
After being performance tested, the ZR1 was put in a trailer and carted back to Montana where it will be put in a museum with Ressler's 45 other Vettes, including his #003 1953 Corvette. We know, that's no way to treat a thoroughbred like the ZR1, but at least Ressler's million bucks went to a good cause.
Check out a local news report of the occasion after the jump.
[Source: Corvette Blogger]
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Oz-some: HSV W427 launches Down UnderFiled under: Sports/GTs, Supercars, GM, Holden, Australia, HSV 
Click above for a hi-res gallery of the HSV W427
"She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts." That's what Han Solo says about the Millenium Falcon. You could apply the same saying to the HSV W427 super-duper sedan just launched by Holden's in-house performance division. I mean, that front end has some serious issues, but the Corvette Z06's LS7 V8 lurks behind it, and it's no joke, giving the four-door 500 horses and 471 lb-ft of torque. Production is limited to 427 units total, 90 of which will be produced this year. All of those have already been spoken for at a heady $154,500 Australian dollars, including luxury tax. Buyers also get the opportunity to tour the cars' production facility, and get a letter from Tom Walkinshaw, who started HSV some 20 years ago. The "W" in the car's name is also a tribute to him. HSV says that the W427's angry fascia emphasizes the cooling needs of the 7.0L V8. We think it mostly tells drivers who catch it racing up in their rearview to simply move out of the way...or be swallowed whole. We hear the car runs best when fed a steady diet of FPVs.
A slew of new photos have dropped in conjunction with the car's production launch, all of which can be seen in the gallery below.
[Source: HSV] Permalink | Email this | Comments
London 2008: Lightning GT EV in the fleshFiled under: Hybrids/Alternative, Sports/GTs, Euro, Green, Supercars, Misc. Auto Shows 
Click above for high-res gallery of the Lightning GT
Remember the Lightning GT? We told you about this all-electric supercar a few months ago, and it popped up today in person at the 2008 British Motor Show in London. That officially moves it one step away from the pure vaporware it was yesterday, which is a good thing since we're eager to see the carbon fiber-bodied Lightning actually move under its own power someday. That power will be provided by the same Altairnano NanoSafe batteries used by the Phoenix SUT, though churning out the equivalent of 700bhp through four electric motors in this case. Those motors are also the same PML wheel motors used in the 640-hp electric MINI, so they should be able to handle the 700bhp Lightning. There's also regenerative braking, as well as pretty much every standard conveyance of luxury you would find in a normal supercar including air conditioning, sat nav, full leather, etc. Its maker is claiming a 4.0-second charge to 60 mph for the Lightning, but we'd also like to know what type of range they're expecting in such a positively charged coupe. Unfortunately, details like that and the Lightning GT's price are still pretty scarce, though as before, they are accepting £15,000 deposits. At least it's no longer vapor.
[Source: Lightning GT] Permalink | Email this | Comments
Shelby Supercars promises breakthrough EV, delivers a lot of hyperboleFiled under: Green, Supercars 
Shelby Supercars has just issued its second release this week about its miraculous new project, the Ultimate Aero EV. As we read the announcement, it was obvious that it was exactly the same release from just a few days ago and the hyperbole was in no way toned down. They are promising to deliver a working prototype by February of next year, followed by full production examples by the fourth quarter of 2009. That, in and of itself, is highly improbable, but it just gets better from there. The performance the company is promising is insanely impressive and about as likely to come to fruition as airborne swine or your fairy godmother.
SSC promises two, 500hp electric motors equipped with a triple disc clutch and a six-speed gearbox. As Tesla found out the hard way, making a gearbox last with an electric motor is tough, even with half as much power. But it gets better. SSC promises a power source with extended times between charges, perhaps as long as several years. We're still confused, but we don't think it's a coincidence that the company is making this announcement in the same week it announced its hopes of securing new venture funding.
Building a car powered by an internal combustion engine to go 250 mph is less of a big deal in this day and age. You just need an engine with enough power and a slippery shape. Building the kind of electric car that SSC is promising involves invalidating the most fundamental laws of physics. So for the time being, we remain comfortable skeptical.
[Source: Shelby Supercars]Continue reading Shelby Supercars promises breakthrough EV, delivers a lot of hyperbole Permalink | Email this | Comments
Nissan GT-R laps the Top Gear test track in...Filed under: Supercars, Nissan 
This Sunday, Top Gear will finally get to test the mettle of the Nissan GT-R on the track. Well, "tracks" to be specific. Clarkson's appetite for tail-out antics wasn't satiated by last week's race against the bullet train, so he headed to a track in Japan to get a feel for the GT-R's capabilities at the limit and a chance to wring out Nissan's super coupe past its nanny-imposed 111 mph top speed.
Back in the UK, the Stig finally takes the GT-R around Top Gear's test track and that meant that members of the studio audience got a chance to see the GT-R's lap time. Earlier this morning, we received word that the time had been posted on Wikipedia. We saw it, our jaw dropped and then it disappeared. Wikipedia being, well... Wikipedia, means that we're taking the time with a grain of salt until the show airs on Sunday. While the lap isn't listed any longer, Wikipedia does allow users to view the revisions made to an entry. If you want to spoil it for yourself, feel free, just don't post it in the comments out of respect for the rest of us. We're willing to wait a few more days for confirmation.
[Sources: Wikipedia, Top Gear, Image: CBA-R35] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: Corvette ZR1 gets time on the track at Milford Proving GroundsFiled under: Videos, Supercars, Chevrolet 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Corvette ZR1.
Motive was invited out to the Milford Proving Grounds yesterday to sample GM's latest and greatest Corvette, the ZR1. Thankfully, the online pub was smart enough to mount a camera inside the 638 hp uber-Vette and captured video of Jim Mero, chief engineer and the man that lapped the ZR1 around the Nurburgring in 7:26.4, caning the coupe though the General's test track.
Hit the jump to check it out.
Thanks for the tip Mark.
Continue reading VIDEO: Corvette ZR1 gets time on the track at Milford Proving Grounds Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
More Pics Aplenty: Ferrari CaliforniaFiled under: Sports/GTs, Supercars, Ferrari 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ferrari California, again.
Think you've seen enough of the Ferrari California? We have too, but then 67 new shots of Ferrari's V8-powered grand-tourer surfaced and we felt obliged to thrown them in a gallery for your viewing pleasure. All the details are revealed; from the wheels and vents to the trick gauge cluster and Spartan rear seats. Check out all the shots in the gallery below.
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Spy Shots: Honda NSX interior caught at the 'RingFiled under: Spy Photos, Supercars, Acura, Honda 
We've seen plenty of shots of the Honda/Acura NSX hangin' 'round the 'Ring, but unlike previous photos, the crew at Cartribe was able to catch a brief glimpse of the cloaked mule's interior. A clearer view of the gauges reveals a clean chronograph-like arrangement, with large numerals framed by chrome rings. Although the rest of the dash is covered by camera-proof camo, the three-spoke, flat-bottom steering wheel and integrated switchgear certainly speaks to the V10-powered super coupe's intentions. We're hoping to see the next NSX debut during the upcoming show season, reportedly packing over 500 hp and sending power to all four wheels.
[Source: Cartribe via Carscoop] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
SSC (allegedly) to produce the world's fastest electric supercarFiled under: Concept Cars, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Supercars 
Click above for a gallery of high-res images of the SSC Ultimate Aero TT.
Green performance cars are the new darlings of today's small crop of boutique auto builders. From the Tesla Roadster to the Fisker Karma, and now, the new Ultimate Aero EV. The easiest way for the little guys to attract big attention is to make attractive, high performance cars with green credentials. So, it's with a grain of salt that we bring you news of the aforementioned electric hyper coupe from Shelby SuperCars. Considering that the supercar manufacturer claims that its battery will not require a charge "for six years" (should we proclaim them early favorites for McCain's battery prize?), powering dual, five-hundred horsepower electric motors, the whole thing sounds more than a bit fishy. It deserves noting that the battery technology doesn't exist to support those claims and, while five-hundred horsies can indeed be extracted from an electric motor, that would have to be one big honkin' motor... and they plan on using two in their EV. Guiness World Record for the fastest car? Check. Really big EV aspirations? Double Check. And now, it's time for a reality check.
[Source: Shelby SuperCars] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: McLaren SLR Speedster hits the 'RingFiled under: Spy Photos, Convertibles, Supercars, Mercedes-Benz 
Click above for a hi-res gallery of the SLR Speedster.
The shutterbugs at KGP have captured the forthcoming McLaren SLR Speedster as it hits the Nordschleife for some testing. The car's expected to be lighter but just as powerful as the standard SLR and SLR Roadster, meaning it could conceivably be able to blow their respective doors off. A top end of 220 mph should be available to those who like to stare down the Reaper for kicks, and KGP reports that the car could be unveiled by the end of the month with one Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel.
[Source: KGP Photography] Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: Jay Leno drives the SSC Ultimate Aero, livesFiled under: Videos, Supercars, Celebrities 
Click above to watch Leno drive the Ultimate Aero
We have a lot of respect for Jay Leno. Not only because he owns some seriously impressive cars, but because he actually drives them. Sure, we're a bit jealous, but even more so after watching him drive the SSC Ultimate Aero, the Guinness-certified fastest production car in the world. As you might expect, Leno was initially skeptical of the American-built supercar, but after close inspection and a stint behind the wheel he was truly impressed. The video also has some interesting info, including the news that SSC plans to build more cars -- a 220 mph four-door sedan as well as the world's fastest "green" supercar. Considering what SSC did with the Ultimate Aero, we wouldn't put it past them, but we're skeptical nonetheless. Follow the jump to watch the video.
[Source: Jay Leno's Garage] Continue reading VIDEO: Jay Leno drives the SSC Ultimate Aero, lives Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Rumormill: Acura NSX, RL to get V10 with cylinder deactivation?Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Japan, Supercars, Acura, Rendered Speculation, Rumormill  Not only is team Corvette taking shots at the Nissan GT-R, besting its 'Ring time in the process, so is Acura with its well-publicized NSX replacement. Though we've seen more spy shots, renderings and videos than you can shake a stick at, there are a few more renderings over at 7Tune if you are so inclined. What's more interesting, though, is news that the 5.5L V10 engine expected under the hood of the supercar will include relatively aggressive cylinder deactivation technology. The V10 will reportedly be able to cut its cylinder count in half by running as a 2.75L inline five-cylinder when its full capacity isn't needed. We would imagine that would be quite often, as the car's expected power output of six-hundred horses attests.
In what seems like a highly unlikely possibility, some sources are also reporting that a version of the V10 engine from the NSX could see duty in a future Acura RL sedan. Considering that the RL has never featured anything more than six cylinders underhood, this would be an extremely radical departure for Acura. In other words, don't hold your breath.
[Source: 7Tune] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Yanko Designs renders one-off FerrarisFiled under: Concept Cars, Etc., Supercars, Ferrari 
UPDATE: The designs that Yanko's got on its website are from a past Ferrari design competition, thanks to all the sharp eyed readers who caught it.
As we reported not too long ago, Ferrari is not stupid, and if you've got the obscene cashflow, you can get your own design rendered in Rosso Corsa with a gen-yoo-wine Prancing Horse on the fender. Trouble is, not everyone has a shelf full of sketchbooks with multitudinous supercar designs lying in wait. Even if you do, they're probably not very good. Mastering foreshortening and perspective is not a weekend project, and designing a body that's actually capable of production is also not something the common man, even the uncommonly rich common man, is familiar with. Yanko Design has done some of the heavy lifting for those talentless hacks wanting to join the Jim Glickenhaus society. The Glick went to Pininfarina, but Yanko's collected some former Ferrari design competition candidates to remind us of what could be. The designs are from students, and Yanko's showing some of the ones that didn't make the cut. If these are what students can do, just think of what experienced hands could come up with. Some actually look good, though others would be better off as Hot Wheels cars. Wouldn't it just be cheaper to get one of those Fiero bodykits and put the leftover millions into retirement accounts?
[Source: Autofiends]
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Class warfare: Exotic car owners in MA got massive tax breakFiled under: Government/Legal, Supercars _450.jpg)
Owning a high-end car? Fun. Paying the hefty vehicle tax on it? Not so much -- that is, unless you live in the state of Massachusetts. From the late 1990s to 2007, the state's Registry of Motor Vehicles missed collecting $32 million a year in annual taxes because it used the NADA database to calculate them for some 131,000 exotics or otherwise premium vehicles. Unfortunately for the RMV, NADA's database excludes high-end luxury vehicles, so there was no proper way to tax those cars in the state. If, for instance, you purchased a Bugatti Veyron, instead of paying many thousands of dollars, you could have wound up paying no more than the owner of a Ford Focus.
This is going to suck for owners of affected cars, as the taxman comes to collect what he missed the first time around, right? Wrong. Folks who purchased an affected vehicle through 2007 are completely off the hook. The commonwealth has decided that trying to collect the over $300 million it missed over all those years would be an administrative and legal nightmare. That's a win-win situation for premium car owners in Mass. that's sure to torque off the regular guy, whom the government had no trouble finding and collecting from, as usual. What's scandalous is that no one at the RMV figured this out until now. Bay Staters, that's you're local government (and those tax dollars it collects) at work.
[Source: Kicking Tires] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Lexus cancels next-gen SC, Toyota cancels next AvalonFiled under: Car Buying, Convertibles, Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Supercars, Lexus, Toyota 
Sales of the bulbous Lexus SC 430, one of the vehicles that kick-started the current hardtop convertible fad in the U.S., have slowed so significantly that Toyota's luxury brand has reportedly canceled its replacement. The four-place, V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive vehicle never fit well into any specific niche, as it boasted neither the sportiness of the ragtop Jaguar XK and Porsche 911, nor the snob appeal of the BMW 6 Series. Through the first six months of this year, Lexus sold only 1,230 SC's, down 40% from last year. What fans the Lexus sport coupes/convertible does have need not worry, however, as the brand will be launching the much more potent (and substantially more impressive) LF-A supercar at some point in the future.
According to Inside Line, the SC isnt the only Toyota product without a future. The Avalon entry-level Buick luxury sedan is also on the chopping block. Fans of the boring unpretentious Avalon can instead look forward to an extended-length version of the Camry sedan to take its spot in Toyota's U.S. lineup.
[Source: Inside Line] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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