[Super Cars] New Ferrari Store Opens in Athens, Greece, More to Come

Lately, Ferrari stores are popping up like fast-food chains all over the globe. Joining the other Prancing Horse retail locations around the world, including those in Milan, Rome and Venice in Italy, London in the UK, Barcelona in Spain, San Francisco and Miami in the U.S., Macao in China and Dubai in the U.A.E., is the company's first store in Greece, located at the heart of Athens in Kolonaki street.

According to the Italian exotic supercar maker, the Ferrari Store development programme includes plans to bring the number of openings to more than 50 within the next to two years in Europe, America, and the Middle and Far East.




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Posted By tyson9500 to Super Cars at 11/25/2009 01:49:00 AM

[Super Cars] 2010 Dodge Viper ACR to Debut at LA Show, Breaks Lap Record at L...

The subtly revised 2010 Dodge Viper ACR, which is set to make its world premiere at next month's Los Angeles Auto Show, has set a new lap record at the Laguna Seca with a time of 1:33.915 as recorded by Motech in-vehicle data recorder (1:33.944'' as unofficially recorded by trackside clock) breaking the previous lap record of 1.35.117 set by a Devon GTX this past August. The 2010 Dodge Viper ACR was piloted by SRT vehicle dynamics engineer, Chris Winkler.

"It was definitely exciting but a somewhat uneventful lap overall from behind the steering wheel," said Winkler. "The Dodge Viper ACR has amazing power and handles like a dream, so following my first practice here last month, I came away pretty confident that we'd be able to set a new record."

In the final year of the Viper's production, the hardcore ACR, (first introduced in 2008), receives a series of upgrades including a shorter fifth gear ratio that changes from 0.74 to 0.80 for improved high-speed acceleration and higher straightaway speed, a new short-throw shifter and a redesigned rear wing to further optimize aerodynamics and improve rear yaw downforce.

Dodge says that these improvements result in an increase in top speed of 4 mph, to 184 mph (296 km/h) for the 2010 model.

There are no other changes for the Viper ACR that is powered by an 8.4-liter V10 engine with 600 horsepower and 560 lb.-ft. of torque, for a 0-60 mph (96km/h) acceleration in under 4 seconds, quarter-mile time in the mid 11-second range and 0-100-0 mph in 11 seconds flat.

Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand and Senior Vice President, Product Design Office, Chrysler Group LLC, said that the company plans to release several special edition models during the last year of the Viper including a Laguna Seca edition to commemorate the record lap. All in all, around 500 Vipers will be produced in 2010.







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Posted By tyson9500 to Super Cars at 11/24/2009 11:47:00 PM

[Super Cars] New Audi A8 to be Unveiled in Miami on November 30

We first though that Audi would perform the world debut of its new A8 luxury sedan at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. When that didn't happen most bets were on the LA Auto Show in December. Turns out that Audi had a different idea altogether as the company announced today that the world premiere of its BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class challenger will take place at the Audi Pavilion, a temporary museum structure in Miami on November 30, in a special setting amidst selected art works from a new exhibition.

Aside from the lightweight aluminum chassis, expect to see a revised engine line-up that will include the firm's new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 petrol unit. The Audi flagship will go on sale worldwide in early 2010.



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Posted By tyson9500 to Super Cars at 11/23/2009 01:16:00 AM

[Super Cars] Porsche Panamera Turbo with Engine and Alloy Upgrades by Mcchip

For Porsche Panamera owners looking for a more subtle tuning touch, Germany's Mcchip has wrung a few upgrades for the sport saloon that include a reconfigured ECU, and new tire and alloy wheel combos. With the new software, the Panamera's 4.8-liter turbocharged V8 produces an output of 550 horsepower and 775Nm (571.6 lb-ft) of torque, up from the standard car's 500 HP and 700Nm.

If the Panamera Turbo is equipped with Porsche's Sportchrono package, the V8's torque is bumped to 845Nm (623.3 lb-ft). In both cases, the extra muscle results to an increase of the sport saloon's top speed by 8km/h (5mph) to 311km/h (193mph). The price for the reprogrammed ECU is set at €1,499 (US$2,230).

To complete the package, Mcchip offers Panamera customers two different sets of tires and alloy wheels from Cargraphic.

The first set includes 22-inch rims shod in Continental tires size 265/30 R22 up front and 305/25 R22 at the rear for €7,969 (approx. US$11,900), while the second set comprises of 22-inch alloys wrapped in Dunlop Sport rubber size 265/30 R22 at the front axle and 295/25 R22 at the rear axle for €8,089 (about US$ 12,000).




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Posted By tyson9500 to Super Cars at 11/18/2009 01:16:00 PM

[CARS-MANIA] Fesler-Moss 2010 Camaro Limited Edition with ZR1 LS9 and a $150,...

For those that want to go the whole nine yards with the 2010 Camaro Fesler-Moss packages, muscle car builder Chris Fesler and former GM specialty vehicle director Jon Moss, have created the Limited Edition package. That is, if you're actually willing to spend more than what it would cost you to park a brand new Corvette ZR1 and a loaded 2010 Camaro SS in your garage, as the Limited Edition Camaro is priced at a hefty $150,000 or $110,000 if you provide the donor car.

That kind of money buys you an LS9 supercharged V8 engine (same as on the ZR-1) and an array of cosmetic and mechanical upgrades including but not limited to, an adjustable coil over suspension, 22-inch alloy wheels, Corvette-style door handles and a full carbon-fiber bodykit.

In addition to these upgrades, the Limited Edition Package 2-day training course at the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving.

Fesler-Moss said that it plans to limit production of this high-end version to 60 units per year.

Fesler-Moss 2010 Camaro Limited Edition Package Specs:

Adjustable coil over suspension, front and rear sway bars, 6-piston Fesler branded race brake upgrade, Fesler branded stainless steel bi-modal exhaust system, color-matched engine block, 6-speed manual transmission, billet, carbon fiber or black reverse lights, stainless steel hood struts, stainless steel trunk struts, carbon fiber interior accents, color matched leather seating, suede headliner, carbon fiber pillar gauge kit, heat and sound barrier, a custom sound system, Fesler-Moss badging. 22-inch Fesler-Moss wheels and tires, custom color paint scheme with painted racing stripes, Corvette-style door handles, Fesler billet grille with hideaway headlights, Billet RS taillights, carbon fiber Fesler-Moss body kit.

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Posted By tyson9500 to CARS-MANIA at 11/22/2009 01:23:00 AM

[Super Cars] Porsche Unveils New 911 GT3 R 480HP Racer

Building on the 911 GT3 Cup, Porsche has developed yet another racing car for the 2010 motorsport season. The new 911 GT3 R is based on the international FIA GT3 regulations and its designed to replace the 911 GT3 Cup S. The 'R' model is powered by a larger-displacement four-liter six-cylinder boxer engine that delivers an output of 480-horsepower driving the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox.

Weighing in at just 1,200 kg or 2,646 lb, Porsche's new racer makes use of the extra-wide body of the 911 GT3 RS street-legal sports car.

The German firm says that it has equipped the car with an anti-lock brake system (ABS), traction control and an electronic throttle with 'blip' function on gearbox down-changes in order to make the new GT3 racer easier for drivers to get used to than its predecessor.

According to Porsche, the new model is more appropriate for the ambitious amateur racing driver rather than purely experienced professionals.

The 911 GT3 R will make its world debut on 14 January 2010 at the Birmingham Motor Show with first cars to be delivered to Customer Teams from spring 2010. The base price of the 911 GT3 R is €279,000 (US$ 415,000) plus local sales tax/VAT.




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Posted By tyson9500 to Super Cars at 11/22/2009 01:14:00 AM

[CARS-MANIA] Chocolate Dipped Porsche 911 Carrera S Just in Time for the Holi...

As is customary in the West, during the Christmas season, retailers decorate their stores accordingly for the holidays. But while most are content with a tree and some flashy ornaments, a Porsche dealer in The Netherlands came up with the crazy idea of covering a spanking-new 911 Carrera S in milk-chocolate.

Before the chocolate mix was applied on the car, the 911 Carrera S was carefully wrapped in plastic. All in all, Porsche Centrum Gelderland said that the pastry chef in charged used around 175 kilos or about 386 pounds of milk chocolate for the body along with a few kilos of white chocolate for the lights and trim.

The 'sweetest' 911 Carrera S in the world will remain in the dealership until the end of the year and until then, the temperature in the showroom will be kept under 27 degrees Celsius to prevent the chocolate from melting.

Via: Autoblog.nl and Porsche Centrum

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Posted By tyson9500 to CARS-MANIA at 11/21/2009 01:26:00 AM

[Super Cars] JE Design Turns the Wick Up on the 2010 SEAT Leon FR TSI and TDI

The tuning specialists over at JE Design are planning to debut their 2010 Seat Leon FR at this month's Essen Motor Show in Germany. The performance package includes upgrades for both the TSI gasoline and TDI diesel versions of the Spanish hatchback. In its latest form, the 2.0-liter TSI petrol engine delivers 211HP and 280Nm of torque. With JE Design's engine kit that's priced at €1,499, the TSI's output is lifted to 270HP and 335Nm reducing the Leon FR's zero to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time from 7.1 to 6.2 seconds.

The 170HP 2.0-liter diesel engine's gets a nudge to 204HP and 380Nm of torque. This extra muscle helps cut 0-100km/h acceleration from 8.2 to 7.6 seconds. The price for this kit is €1,339 Euros and also includes VAT, assembly and warranty.

The tuner shop offers a set of lowering springs (€159) to bring the car 35mm closer to the ground while there's also an adjustable coilover suspension (€979) that allows the driver to drop the vehicle's height between 15mm and 40mm. A set of 19-inch multispoke alloy wheels shod in 225/35R 19 rubber priced at €2,930 complete the performance tweaks.

For the exterior, JE Design offers a bevy of upgrades including headlamp covers (€89), LED daytime running lights (€299) and its aerodynamics package that comprises of a front spoiler (€279), side skirts (€299), rear apron (€299) and the centre diffuser attachment (€99) plus a four-pipe muffler system (€899) and a pair of Lamborghini-style scissor doors (€1,499).

Finally, the interior can be modded with a leather treatment for the seats, door linings and the centre armrest (€1,599), a two-stage seat heating function (€379) and even a massage system with twelve programmes for the front seats (€429).




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Posted By tyson9500 to Super Cars at 11/20/2009 01:20:00 AM