Despite everyone’s sincerest efforts, the Corvette ZR1 has managed to fall off the internet’s radar over the past two weeks. The last we heard was that the ZR1 was in Germany making it’s “official” laps of the Nurburgring. Where it has been since then is anyones guess. Even the Cadillac CTS-V has already been to Germany and back, complete with video evidence and a new lap record to boot. So, what gives? Someone leak something already, this waiting is making me anxious.
However dumb this may sound, Autospies.com is reporting that Car and Driver has declared the new BMW M3 the winner in a battle between the Nissan GT-R and Porsche 911 Turbo. Ridiculous is an understatement.
Lets break this down: The Nissan GT-R is faster on the track then either the 911 Turbo or BMW M3. It is both faster and quicker in the 1/4 mile then either the 911 Turbo or BMW M3. So, what we can only assume is that Car and Driver is using some highly subjective “fun to drive” trickery to get the M3 to come out on top. My guess is that the M3 was awarded “best soul” and “best use of obnoxious M-badges” or some other meaningless rating to overturn the GT-R’s and 911’s much greater performance figures.
Give me a C6 Z06 and I’ll run circles around that high-strung piece of Bavarian Viagra.
The rumor mill is churning with reports that Pagani is set to release a road going version of their famed Zonda R. The car is reportedly named the Pagani Cinque, with “Cinque” being italian for 5; in reference to the limited production run of only 5 vehicles. The above picture is the supposed car in question, but we’ll have to wait and see what Pagani has to say about all this.
[Source: TeamSpeed via Jalopnik]
Motortrend compares the $30k Pontiac G8 GT against Nissan’s $30k Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV and here’s what happened:
Cut to the Quick
The Maxima’s DOHC, 24-valve V-6 makes a stirring 290 hp at 6400 rpm. The G8 GT’s pushrod V-8 churns out 361 horses at 5300. Even allowing for the G8’s greater bulk (it weighs nearly 400 lb more than the Nissan), its 71-hp advantage means straightline sprints are no contest. While the Maxima is quick-0 to 60 mph in 6.1 sec-the G8 is a full half-second quicker, gunning to 60 mph in just 5.6 sec. (The Pontiac’s numbers are well off the 5.3-sec runs we recorded with another test car-same track, same driver-in our April issue; stay tuned to motortrend.com for updates as we investigate this anomaly.) Launched fender to fender on the dragstrip, the Maxima quickly disappears in the G8’s rearview mirror. What’s more, the G8 is more viscerally thrilling, its V-8 booming with brawn and its six-speed auto cranking off quick, smooth upshifts. The Maxima’s CVT seems downright quirky in comparison.
In the other direction, braking, the G8 is stopped from 60 mph while the Maxima rolls on for another 19 ft.
Edge: G8. Not even close.
The G8 also went on to win the handling contest, out cornering the Maxima at will. And even the fuel economy isn’t far off for the large V8 Pontiac, getting 24mpg to the Maxima’s 26mpg.
And in case you’re wondering, here’s their reasoning for even comparing the two very different vehicles:
As we see it, if you’ve got around $30,000 to spend on a sport sedan, you want to know your options-and you’ve got important choices to make. At that price, Nissan’s brand-new Maxima proffers a high-output V-6, an advanced continuously variable transmission, oodles of electronic conveniences, and what’s claimed to be one of the best-performing front-drive chassis in the world. And for roughly the same money, Pontiac’s new G8 GT delivers the thunder of a big-bore V-8, a six-speed automatic, and a fat-tired rear-drive platform. Both are roomy, eye-catching four-doors. Both promise driving thrills far above the common sedan paradigm. One is a wonder of 21st-century can-do; the other radiates the iconic aura of the 20th century’s glory days. How do their behind-the-wheel experiences differ? And which one makes the more compelling case for your cash?
Full Article: 2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV vs. 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
Car news has been relatively mundane lately… I haven’t had a slower week then this in a long time. So, in light of that, I have found this very odd forum posting listing the “101 Uses For Jeremy Clarkson.” Some of my favorites include Faith Healer, Extra on Lost, and Gargoyle… Enjoy at your own risk here.
Car and Driver has a review up of the best Corvette not made by Chevrolet, the 2008 Pratt and Miller Chevrolet Corvette C6RS.
“The C6RS is what a Corvette can become when not restricted by the requirements of assembly-line-based manufacturing,” says spokesman Brandon Widmer of Pratt & Miller Engineering and Fabrication, the outfit GM hired to build its enigmatically successful C5.S and C6.R race cars. That’s right, the same cars that have been pummeling the field in American Le Mans Series races for years, and the same cars that have clinched five class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. If anyone knows how to make a Corvette more exciting, it’s these guys.
If given the option, picking between this and the Corvette ZR1 would be a terribly complicated task. Look for a preview of the Corvette C6RS here on this site in the coming days.
Full Article: 2008 Pratt and Miller Chevrolet Corvette C6RS - First Drive Review
It’s no secret that Bugatti has refused to let Top Gear’s Stig take a Veyron around their test track, despite having loaned them numerous other Veyrons for top speed runs and car vs plane contests. Well, thanks to some very rich individuals over in the UAE, it looks like the Stig will finally get behind the wheel; albeit in the hills of Abu Dhabi and not Dunsford Park.
Reportedly, Top Gear sent out an urgent distress call to anyone willing to lend them a Bugatti Veyron for a “photoshoot.” However, instead of one, they got three. “No other place in the world could we have found three Bugattis in a span of 48 hours,” said Charlie Turner, the creative director for the magazine.
There is also a report of a Koenigsegg CCX taking on two of the 1001hp Bugatti supercars.
We didn’t realize it was a Top Gear event until we went to dinner and a group of Brits sat at the next table and started arguing about how they would cut the shots of three Veyrons doing 200 mph down the Abu Dhabi corniche with the Jebel Hafeet shots…something about the Stig being chased out of town by the Veyrons in a Koenigsegg. - Evolve.ae forum member
The photo to your right is of the Koenigsegg CCX on set with the Veyrons… So by all indications, all of this looks to be true.
[Source: PassatWorld, et al]
The video is actually rather obnoxious, but i’ll let you judge for yourself. That aside, the white LP560 is absolutely gorgeous.
[Source: YouTube]
