World's Best Drag Race

The video features a drag race between 11 Supercars on an empty airstrip. Presented by Motortrend, this 1.5 million dollar amped up drag race is one of the spectacular in drag racing history.  Following are the cars with the specs:

SR. No.	Supercars	Horsepower (hp) / Torque (lb-ft)
1	BMW 1-Series M	335 / 369
2	Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca	444 / 380
3	Porsche 911 GT3 RS	450 / 317
4	Chevrolet Corvette Z06/Z07	505 / 470
5	Ferrari 458 Italia	557 / 398
6	Nissan GT-R	530 / 448
7	Audi R8 GT	560 / 398
8	Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG	563 / 479
9	Lexus LFA	552 / 354
10	Porsche Cayman R	330 / 273
11	Lotus Evora S	345 / 295

With such cars in the grid, it is practically impossible to decide which one will cut the finish line ribbon first. But after a breath-taking quarter mile race, the results are as follows:

Position	Supercars	Finish Time (sec)	Top Speed (mph)
1	Nissan GT-R	11.2	121.8
2	Ferrari 458 Italia	11.3	125.6
3	Audi R8 GT	11.5	125.1
4	Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG	11.7	124.1
5	Lexus LFA	11.9	123.7
6	Chevrolet Corvette Z06/Z07	11.9	122.5
7	Porsche 911 GT3 RS	11.9	120.7
8	Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca	12.4	115.0
9	Porsche Cayman R	12.7	111.0
10	BMW 1-Series M	12.8	110.2
11	Lotus Evora S	12.9	109.9

Such drag races are very rare as it require lot of effort, cost, teamwork and planning. But it finally pays off.

[youtube width="465" height="335"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm_TXu5Ekrw[/youtube]

The Greatest RC Car Chase Ever

The video features a police pursuit sequence of Remote Control (RC) cars. The video is developed by NFS: Most Wanted (2012) team as a part of a promotional activity prior to its release. Four RC vehicles: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, Porsche 911 Carrera S, Ford Mustang and Nissan GTR are controlled by top RC car drivers. These cars are in pursuit by the three RC Chevrolet Corvette Police Interceptors and a helicopter. Nissan GTR dodges one police car by jumping through the billboard whereas the red Ford Mustang forces a police car to crash against a fruit cart. In the final climax scene of the movie, the Mustang jumps over the helicopter with the help of a raised surface. The video simply depicts the miniature version of real cop car chase and has been executed flawlessly.

[youtube width="465" height="335"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEROVWDp3n0[/youtube]

Lamborghini Gallardo LP56-4 RC Drift

This video exhibits exceptional drifting skills of a Remote Controlled Lamborghini Gallardo LP56-4. This yellow body-colored (with black vinyl) car flaunts red underglow neon lights.  The drifting is carried out in an indoor facility which is actually a miniature version of a drift track with sharp and multiple turns, street lighting, car parking areas and a tunnel which provides a realistic feel to the whole circuit. High-speed video cameras have been used to capture the speed of the car and show it at a slower rate, so that the viewer can actually see the front wheels turning in the opposite direction as that of the turn, which is responsible for drifting, of course with the handbrake in use.  The best part of the video is towards to the end when the Gallardo is made to turn nearly 360 degrees to slide park around the fence, and then exactly adjacent to the remote controlled BMW M3.

[youtube width="465" height="335"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN4U9uU-ykM[/youtube]

Need For Speed "The Run_ Escape The Police"

Need for Speed: The Run (NFS: The Run) is the eighteenth installment in the NFS game franchise series and last installment in the third generation NFS games. Developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts, The Run thrives on an exhilarating plot, thrilling gameplay and extraordinary graphics. Jack Rourke is valiant mechanic who runs a garage in San Francisco, but is in debt from a mafia gang. He hears of a racing event called “The Run” which is a cross-country race from San Francisco to New York City involving 210 street racers and has prize money of $25,000,000. If he wins this, he gets a clean slate and an improved life.

This particular video features the final escape scene from Las Vegas where the player (Jack Rourke) has to fight with the cops after being arrested. While being handcuffed, a distraction on the road helps the player to fight the cop and flee. As the cops and the police dog chase him, the player has to dodge them. The game not only offers high class racing, but also involves players controlling the action sequence. Towards the end of this video, the player has to dodge a few cars on the street and a truck trailor before finally escaping Las Vegas.

[youtube width="465" height="335"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2J933w-l-w[/youtube]

Need for Speed™ Most Wanted 2012 Trailer

The video features the official announcement trailer for Need for Speed Most Wanted 2012. Developed by Criterion games and published by Electronic Arts, it is the nineteenth title in the NFS game franchise. The game is just released in early November, 2012 on X360, PS3, PC, PS Vita and iOS. The creators have kept the basic features and gameplay same as the original Most Wanted (2005) with some minor changes here and there, which immensely enhance gameplay and graphics. The city is changed from Rockport (in MW 2005) to Fairhaven. Instead of 15 blacklist racers (in MW 2005), there are now 10 racers. One not only needs to outrun the cop and rivals, but also outsmart your friends in the Autolog feature which is actually competition-between-friends feature. Due to the new cross-compatibility social system called Cloudcompete, players are allowed to use the same profile through different devices and format, which basically strings together the game across various platforms.

The trailer features five gamer vehicles; Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, Porsche 911 Carrera S, Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 and Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. It also features Dodge Charger SRT-8 Police Interceptor as police vehicles.

[youtube width="465" height="335"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Imb_hTVmw[/youtube]

Best Car Drift on Subaru

This video features the “Gymkhana Two Project” in which the professional rally driver; Ken Block demonstrates his extraordinary drifting skills in Subaru Impreza WRX Sti hatchback. Many breathtaking stunts are performed which include sharp turns while drifting, close touch turns, close passing between objects, drifting over water balloons, drifting inside a closed facility, drifting over tube lights and many more. At 2:05 – 2:10, one can see how he accurately finishes off the drift near the edge. One of the best feature of the video is at 3:10 – 3:35, where Ken drift around a person shooting a paint ball at him. Towards the end, Ken performs a spectacular stunt passing below a trailor which explodes at the same time. High speed videography is used to enhance the stunt effects.

[youtube width="465" height="335"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6tzBgVhR40[/youtube]

Ferrari 458 Italia vs Others Drag Race

The video features a straight 1 mile drag race wherein Ferrari 458 Italia races with three other cars independently. The first race is between Ferrari 456 Italia (570 HP) and Audi RS6 (750 HP). Ferrari beats Audi by 0.2 seconds with a top speed of 292.68 km/hr. Ferrari, then races with Nissan GTR MK.1 (600 HP) in the second drag race wherein Nissan wins by a huge margin of 0.8 seconds at top speed of 289.98 km/hr. In the third and the final drag race, Ferrari competes against Chevrolet Corvette (750 HP). Though Ferrari gains huge acceleration at the start and is ahead of Corvette, but after about half a mile Corvette’s powerful engine helps it to finish the line first with a top speed of 310.73 km/hr beating Ferrari by huge margin of a second.

[youtube width="465" height="335"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe67DRzOctc[/youtube]

Best drift ever (BMW M3)

The video features a long drift sequence of BMW M3 on the famous drift track in Weeze, Germany. The yellow M3 with black and white “Flexaforte” vinyl is driven by a drift expert, Berend van Berkel on an early morning. The track is wet due to fog and previous rain, which makes it difficult to control and handle the car. Berend has done an excellent job with the drifting and also keeping up with the front car which has cameraman Rob vd Spank. In the background, many cars can be seen drifting on the circuit. The final drift starting at 02:25 is the most spectacular one.

[youtube width="465" height="335"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZvx6KjILsc[/youtube]

Acura NSX Concept

The Acura NSX Concept is a successor to the two decades old original Acura NSX launched by Honda. The new Acura Concept was first revealed at the 2012 Detroit Auto show and it highlights the effort put by the company designers & engineers to test the boundaries between evolution & revolution. With the introduction of a next generation hybrid powertrain in this supercar, Acura once again wants to prove that ultra-high performance is at the core of their DNA.

Exterior

As soon as one sees the Acura NSX Concept, he or she can immediately come to know that every part in the car has been assembled manually by craftsmen at Acura. The sheetmetal used for packing this high end car will definitely make the heads turn. Inspite of having borrowed Audi R8’s general dimensions and style which includes the wide track, cabin pushed close to front axle etc, this Acura concept definitely has a visual identity of its own. On the front the thin LED headlamps dominates the upper half of the grille. To the sides the panels are relatively clean except for the character line that neatly folds into the roofline itself. And finally the rear side gets a thin line of LED that wraps into the fenders covering the entire rear width, which effectively serves as both brake lights as well as centre mounted stop light.

Interior

Just as the exterior of the car can make any one turn their heads, the luxury inside the car also makes everyone mind-boggled. Though many details on the interiors are yet to be known, it has been known for sure that the Acura NSX Concept gets a waterfall instrument panel having a twin cockpit theme that was originally used in the NSX.

Engine & Performance

The Acura NSX Concept will be powered by a 3.5 liter direct injection mid-mounted V6 engine producing atleast 308 hp of maximum power and a torque of 266 lb-ft.  The concept will also utilize a new hybrid form of Super Handling-AWD (SH-AWD) system, which would drive the rear wheels by means of a seven speed dual clutch gearbox. And unlike the current SH-AWD system, the new system will send power to the front wheels by a pair of electric motors. Each motor is assigned to a wheel, and the system has the ability to accelerate the outer wheel during turns, creating a yaw and hence improving the car’s ability to turn in and rotate.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZWPRICK0_w[/youtube]

Conclusion

As of now it’s still unclear whether the company will use the same architecture of the Acura NSX Concept or perhaps share its platform with some other vehicle when it comes to production. According to officials the development program of this vehicle is still in its initial stages, but the company has promised that the production version will roll out of the company’s plant in Ohio within the next three years.

Citroen Numero 9 Concept

Among the various concept cars displayed at the Paris Motor Show 2012, Citroen Numero 9 Concept was one of the eye catchy concepts. This sleek looking concept can be considered as the company’s continuous effort to push the Citroen DS lineup higher in the market. The Numero 9 is also a reflection to the various design elements to be found in three brand new DS models soon to be launched in the market. These include a C-segment compact sedan, a midsized D-segment sedan and an SUV. Launched earlier at the 2012 Being Auto Show this car is definitely an effort to bring back the French auto company from its hard hit crisis.

Exterior

The Citroen Numero 9 concept features a shooting brake design while at the same time maintains the tradition & sophistication of the current DS models. The main highlighting feature on the exterior design is the new front-end identity with a grille that’s sculpted in 3-D and LED-headlights which end in daytime running lights. Also the other interesting feature in this vehicle is the new floating roof which has a chrome trim below it with clear DS marking on it. The concept is painted in black and gets an impressive set of 21 inch wheels. Other setup on the exterior includes a rear spoiler that reinforces the fastback effect, windscreen pillars that allows air flow around the cabin and turbine shaped wheels rims which increases the air flow around the wheel arches hence reducing both turbulence as well as fuel consumption. Overall the vehicle measures 4.9 m in length, 1.94 m in width and 1.27m in height.

Interior

The Citroen Numero 9 concept will no doubt have unique onboard comfort with generous spacing which we can come to know from its exterior dimensions itself. Providing plenty room for the front as well as rear passengers, the vehicle also has three glass areas in the roof which creates a friendly welcoming ambience inside the cabin. More details on the interiors are yet to be released.

Engine & Performance

Just like most of the present generation concept cars the Citron Numero 9 concept too is powered by both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by batteries. So the main power generating source among the two is the 1.6 litre THP petrol engine that generates 225 PS of peak power and a max torque of 275 Nm. Backing this is an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery. This one generates a maximum power of 70 PS. The power from the IC engine goes to the front wheels while that from the electric motor goes to the rear wheels. Performance vice this concept vehicle can accelerate from 0-100 Km/hr in just 5.4 seconds while reaching a top speed of 244 km/hr (152 mph).

Conclusion

The Numero 9 is presently just a concept. However many of the ideas & technologies shown in this car can be implemented in today’s hybrid cars making it more fun and safe to drive.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHhFy7dfDgM[/youtube]

Mahindra XUV 500

After conducting an extensive research in the global markets, the Indian auto giant Mahindra & Mahindra came up with its fifth UV product being sturdiest and finest design ever, Mahindra XUV 500. Manufactured and assembled at Chakan and Nashik plant in Maharashtra, this Sports Utility Vehicle was launched in the Indian market in September 2011. It will be marketed in South Africa by 2013. Mahindra XUV 500 is the first Indian SUV to incorporate the monocoque chassis design, which means that its body and chassis are one piece as contrary to the conventional design which consists of frame covered with metal sheets. This design not only decreased the weight of the XUV 500, but also improved the safety during impact conditions. Ranging between 12 – 14.5 lakhs, the impressive exterior styling, advanced comfort features and carefully-calibrated hype has translated into 35000 XUV 500s sold within one year in India.

Exterior

Mahindra XUV 500 has exteriors to die for. Its killing jungle cat-like looks has created an impact on the young generation and is definitely the talk among the Indian auto market. Mahindra has successfully resembled this machine like the Cheetah, which was the initial design plan. From the front, dominant upper-jaw shaped chrome plated front grille with honeycomb mesh endorsing the patented Mahindra logo, headlamp cluster with twin rounded headlamps with integrated side indicators and horizontally placed daytime running lights below the headlights, long trapezoidal shaped air dam with integrated recessed fog lamps at either ends and the sleek V-shaped ridge on the long bonnet, all add up to the looks of the pouncing Cheetah.

From the side, the bold and sharp lines expending from the headlamps to the tail lamps, streamlined roof rails, dominant front and rear wheel fenders, arc-shaped ridge above the rear wheel fender, outside rear view mirror with integrated turn indicator and parking light, five spoke 17-inch alloy wheels and paw shaped door handles aggravate to the Cheetah theme of the XUV. From the rear, large boot with curved ridges, stylish vertically arranged three sectioned tail lamps, roof mounted stop lamp, rear wiper on the rear window, stop warning indicators, twin exhausts and spare wheel placed at the bottom of the boot add up to the exteriors. Mahindra XUV 500 measures 4585 mm in length, 1890 mm in width and 1785 mm in height with a ground clearance of 200 mm.

Mahindra XUV 500 Colours

Mahindra XUV 500 comes with the following colour options:

• 
  
  
  Amazon Green


• 
  
  
  Moon Dust Silver


• 
  
  
  Tuscan Red


• 
  
  
  Black


• 
  
  
  Opulent Purple


• 
  
  
  Dolphin Grey


• 
  
  
  Satin White

Interior

When it comes to interiors, Mahindra XUV 500 has the best to offer in its segment. This seven seater SUV offers wide range of interior features which include dual tone dashboard having four stylish AC vents; long central console featuring 6-inch touchscreen with voice activated monochrome colored display, AC and audio controls; cruise controls and audio controls mounted on the four spoke athletic tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel; dual tone interiors with high quality fabric leather upholstery; automatic temperature control HVAC and illuminated door handles. Also incorporated are the wide range of comfort features like remote central locking, remote operated tail gate, mHawk engine to reduce noise and vibration, reading lamps and mobile charging points all inside the SUV, height adjustable lumbar supported front seats, spacious glove box, sunglass holder and tinted solar reflecting glass on front windshield.

Engine & Performance

The Mahindra XUV 500 is powered by a massive 2179cc mHawk engine which delivers an impressive max output of 140 bhp @ 3750 rpm and a max torque of 330Nm @ 1600-2800 rpm. This engine gets the fifth generation variable geometry turbocharger as well as direct injection technology which ensures that the vehicle gets an instantaneous acceleration, making the XUV jump from 0-60 km/hr in just 5.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 175km/hr. The transmission for this vehicle is a six-speed manual gearbox as of now, however an automatic version may come up on the international edition. And when it comes to mileage the vehicle inspite of giving all this power gives you an excellent efficiency of 15.1 kmpl as per ARAI.

Type	Displacement(cc)	Max Power (BHP/rpm)	Max Torque (Nm/rpm)
Diesel	2179	140/3750	330/1600-2800

Safety

Mahindra have not compromised even a bit when it comes to the safety of Mahindra XUV 500. The XUV underwent a thorough and stringent dynamic testing in Australia, South Africa, Sweden, China, USA and Europe. Some of the primary handling and safety features include monocoque design for spacious, safe and robust cabin, independent McPherson suspension for the front wheels and Multilink suspension for rear wheels, electronic stability program (ESP), hill hold and hill descent controls, rollover mitigation, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake distribution (EBD). Other safety and security features include dual airbags for driver and front passenger, side and curtain airbags, tubeless tires, Intellipark system, digital immobilizer, NexTrac (electronically controlled torque management system), smart wipers automatically responsive to the rain and smart headlamps which turn on automatically in dark.

Specifications

Features	Base Variant (W6 2D)	Top Variant (W8 4D)
Engine	2179 cc, 4 Cylinder, 16 Valve	2179 cc, 4 Cylinder 8 Valve
Transmission	Manual	Manual
Fuel Tank Capacity	70 L	70 L
Power	140 bhp @ 3750rpm	140 bhp @ 3750rpm
Mileage (City/Highway)	12.0/15.1 km	12.0/15.1 km

*The top variant (W8 4D) features DVD player, ORVM with turn indicators, alloy wheels, electric folding rear view mirror, leather seats, leather steering, front side airbag, seat belt warning, stability control system and engine check warning

Price

Version	Ex-Showroom Price
Mahindra XUV 500 W6 2WD	Rs. 11,85,569
Mahindra XUV 500 W8 2WD	Rs. 13,38,162
Mahindra XUV 500 W8 4WD	Rs. 14,47,761

Audi Crosslane Coupe

The German automobile giant has revealed its futuristic Audi Crosslane Coupe concept at the 2012 Paris Motor Show held last month. Although this car came as a surprise from Audi; it has definitely managed to pull attention from every concept car lovers. This new concept from Audi is a fusion of a coupe, a convertible and a crossover model. Even though this car will be smaller than the Q3 crossover, it is most likely to be badged Q2 when it makes to the production version. Also the Crosslane Coupe will be the first of three sportier crossover model the company will introduce following which would be Q4 and the Q6.

Exterior

The Audi Crosslane Coupe concept is an entirely new blend of technology, engineering and design, which the company looks forward to implement in its future Q models also. From the front one can see that the concept gets a muscular power dome on the bonnet along with new type of dashing LED headlamps as well as dominating single frame grille and smooth surfaced air vents. From the sides the vehicle does get a bit of attention as well as coupe like characteristics because of its big wheel arches as well as the flat C-pillar and big doors. Finally onto the rear the tail lamps definitely have a trademark Audi design with aluminium rear diffuser that gives a bit of sporty touch to the vehicle. Overall the Crosslane coupe concept does have a distinct futuristic look which has already impressed a lot of visitors at the Paris Motor Show.

This compact Audi crosslane coupe concept is made out of three materials namely aluminium, CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced polymer) and GFRP (glass fibre reinforced polymer) which along with the multi-material spaceframe gives the vehicle new record in terms of weight, cost and energy usage in a life cycle assessment. The 2+2 seater crosslane concept measures 4.21 metres in length, 1.88 metres in width and 1.51 metres in height.

Interior

Just like the exterior, the inside of this concept is made of sharp angles and trapezoidal openings. Starting from the dashboard, this one has a very clearly tuned one towards the driver just like that of any other sports cars and the instrument cluster on it gets bright screen colour instead of traditional type. The 2+2 seats gets soft semi-aniline and velvet leather in tan and black colour that provides a well balanced ambience to the occupants. There are services like “Escape Manager” which is kind of new online service inside the car that helps the passengers to review and comment on the routes they are travelling on as well as send photos and videos recorded on the road. Apart from all these the crosslane has an interesting movable trunk space that can be pushed forward or backward to easily allow access from inside the cabin and open up space for two rear seats.

Engine & Performance

The Audi Crosslane Coupe concept is definitely one step above all the present Hybrid vehicles, thanks to the dual mode power-trian which it has. This helps the coupe to use electricity in combination with the petrol engine especially when the car is cruising at high speeds. So the main power generating source for this car is the 1.5 litre turbocharged three cylinder petrol engine that develops a power of 130 PS and a torque of 200 Nm. In addition to that there are two electric motors, the first one being  EM1 which basically acts as a starter and alternator while the second one is EM2 which powers the vehicle to a total of 177 PS of power and a torque of  250 Nm. The total power system in the vehicle helps it to sprint from 0-62 mph in 8.6 seconds time while gaining a maximum speed of 113 mph.

Conclusion

It is definite that the even numbered Q models will be sportier than their siblings which are odd-numbered. Though it’s not clear but it can be expected that the production version of Audi Crosslane Coupe concept would arrive by year 2015, and at that time it would competiting against rivals like BMW’s Mini countryman and Paceman Duo.