Porsche 911 Turbo S 2014

Posted on May 3, 2013 by JP Zakher

On this 40th anniversary Porsche is now presenting the technological and dynamic performance peak of the 911 series, the new generation 911 Turbo and Turbo S. At the heart of the new Turbo is a rear-mounted, turbocharged, 3.8-liter flat-six engine, making use of twin, variable-turbine-geometry turbos. For the standard Turbo, the result is 520 horsepower, allowing it to achieve 0-100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds. Not quick enough you say? You can opt for the S version with 560 hp, and a 0-100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds. A PDK, 7 speed dual clutch transmission will be the only transmission responsible to drive the ponies to the road. (manual won’t be available).

For an even faster and more precise power distribution to the two axles, Porsche developed a new all-wheel drive system (PTM) with electronically controlled and activated multi-plate coupling which is water-cooled and can drive higher levels of torque to the front wheels. The new Turbo is equipped with a rear-wheel steer system that consists of two electro-mechanical actuators that allow for a 2.8-degrees of rear-wheel steering, and improved steering response and turn-in. For added down-force, Porsche developed an active aerodynamic system, “Porsche active aerodynamics (PAA)”, a first for Porsche. It consists of a retractable three-stage front spoiler, whose segments can be pneumatically extended, and a rear wing with three adjustable wing positions.

Even though I always hated the “homogeneity” of the 911 range, this new Turbo is looking good, very good indeed. It obviously looks like the new Carrera but yet it feels very special, very different from it. Porsche have finally created a Turbo that deserve its name, a Turbo that is not just a more powerful of Carrera but a “range” on its own. When Bugatti has been using Active Aerodynamics for more than 5 years now, it would have been a shame for the new Turbo to not be equipped with such a system that is very effective on such high performance cars. The “Turbo S” writing on the front spoiler is such a sexy detail. The tail pipes remind me of the ones being uses on all of Mercedes AMG models. Right? Looking forward to seeing this beauty fill our Lebanese streets like its older sister did.

BMW 1M, Perfect Balance

Posted on April 21, 2013 by JP Zakher

The 1 Series M Coupé is not like other 1 Series models. It is not just a remapped version of the 135i as you would expect it. It is a proper M car. For a start it uses the suspension, the brakes, the wheels and the sport limited slick differential of the BMW M3. They have then been specially modified for use in this car. Think of it as having all of the best bits of the M3, but with more than 100 kg less mass to carry around. This baby M is equipped with the 3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine of the Z4 sports car delivering 332hp at 5,900 rpm and 332lb/ft of torque (370 lb/ft available in over-boost mode) which sounds respectable but by no means exceptional for an M-car.

You would be surprise, its 50:50 weight balance, perfectly advertised in the video below, allow it to be as fun if not more fun to drive than its bigger sister, the M3. The M botton available on the steering wheel releases the exhaust and sharpens the throttle response. Small, compact and with its muscular wheel arches it is one of my favorite cars. A perfect M car targeted to a young generation. I just love the fact that it is only available with a proper manual gear box. A transmission that has been available for decades and won’t grow old over time, the better driver you are the faster you can shift gears. The interior is sporty and at the same time classy for everyday use. The alcantara, red stitches and M badges accentuates the fact that it is an M car. I just have a small problem with its name. Why wasn’t it called simply the M1? With an M1 badge at the back. Well other than that It is by far my favorite BMW.

Ferrari FF Joins The Dubai Police Patrol Cars

Posted on April 17, 2013 by JP Zakher

The Italian police have always been famous for owning the fastest patrol cars in the world, two Gallardo LP560-4, to chase the most outlaw street racers. A couple of weeks ago they were dethroned by the Dubai police department announcing the arrival of an LP 700-4 Aventador patrol car. The tweet by Dubai Police HQ stated “Latest #Dubai_Police patrols, now at your service,” with it was attached the pic of the Aventador equipped with a police siren. The pic was taken in front of the Dubai Mall, the world’s biggest shopping center. Well the “at your service” part of the tweet is not exactly true, this 700hp supercar’s function is just to cruise in tourist areas to impress foreign travelers and give a “classy” and “wealthy” image of Dubai. For car chases, the Dubai Police has at its disposal a couple of brand new Chevy Camaro, an american muscle car that is powerful enough and not that expensive to repair.

Like all that was mentioned above wasn’t impressive enough, the Dubai Police Station just announced the arrival of a new supercar to the patrol team, a 6.3-liter V12, 651hp Ferrari FF. I suspect that the Ferrari, like the Aventador, won’t be used to chase wealthy Dubai citizen that decided to have some fun with their supercars. Instead the FF will be used to cruise around crowded and tourist areas to impress the foreigners. At a time when the biggest part of the world is going through a financial crises, Dubai strikes once again with another impressive spending, adding another achievement to their “Most Impressive in the World” collection.

Jaguar commercial: The XKRS-GT

Posted on March 27, 2013 by JP Zakher

Jaagg is going mad at the New York motorshow. Presenting the fastest Jag to ever hit the streets, an XKRS with two extra letters: GT. These two additional letters transformed the regular XKRS into a wind slicer. The front-end gets a new carbon-fibre splitter, along with carbon winglets, venting in the bonnet, a carbon fibre diffuser and a fixed rear wing, which contributes to a maximum 145kg of downforce.

The standard XKR-S’s drivetrain remains, with a 542bhp and 680Nm of torque 5-litre supercharged V8 driving the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox. The mix of the carbon fiber aerodynamics parts and the supercharged V8 result in a 0-100km/h in 3.9 sec instead of 4.2 sec. This bullet is not only the fastest jag but also the first to be equipped with carbon ceramic brakes. The wheel-arch have been extended for improved air flow and superior brake cooling.

It would really be awkward going to the office in such a car. It is definitively not suitable for daily use but would be perfect for a Sunday drive. With its modified Eibach springs the ride won’t be very comfortable specially on our beloved Lebanese roads. But who cares about comfort when you have a car with a massive rear spoiler at the back, some mustaches at the front and yellow brake calipers in the middle. The commercial reminds me of the XFRS one which you can access by clicking here. The only difference is that this car is advertised as a track car (which it sort of is) rather than a road car. It is what I call a typical “roaring around the circuit” commercial.

Alfa Romeo Commercial: The 4C

Posted on March 12, 2013 by JP Zakher

The mini supercar, it was labeled at the Geneva motor show were it was officially revealed to the public. The Alfa Romeo 4C marks the return of the brand to the world of lightweight sports coupés, an extraordinary event. When all the other supercar manufacturers were focusing on power delivery, Alfa Romeo decided to focus on agility. The power, delivered to the rear wheels, is provided by a 1.7 turbo 4 cylinder engine delivering 240hp and 258 ft.lb of torque which is ok performance. The transmission is a TCT (Twin Clutch Transmission), automatic transmission which is being used on most of the cars available at this 83rd edition of the Geneva Motor show. With the small Giulietta costing around 45000$ in Lebanon the 4C is gonna cost a minimum of 75000$. So what is so special about this new Alfa Romeo coupés?

Well it weight: 895kg. You read it right, eight hundred and ninety five kilograms. Putting in mind that a Suabru BRZ weighs 1230kg, that is staggering. Because it’s so light, in power-to-weight terms, it has 268bhp per ton. That’s more than the lightest Porsche Cayman S (246bhp per ton), and even a base model 911 Carrera (253bhp per ton). Add that to a mid-mounted engine, it burns the 0-100km in just 4.5 seconds. This 240hp car promises to be very agile through the corners and fast in a strait line.

I think that it is this agility aspect that is implemented in the commercial:it is so light that is cuts through air and is faster than the wind. A bit far fetched but I like it. Regarding the car itself, I loved it. It looks amazing, very sporty, very aggressive, yet so classy, so Alfa. The small painted Italian flags similar to Zonda’s ones on the side mirrors are a lovely detail. Its shape is very neat and beautifully drawn. Looking at the side of the car, the front bonnet and headlights reminded me of the 911 look. Well maybe it is just me. Any way, even with all of that said, and knowing that we are in the 21st century and that technology has evolved dramatically, I would still think twice before buying an Alfa. They had such amazing yet fragile cars in their history that I am still a bit reluctant. Still, I find this 4C, as Alfa Romeo mentions it at the end of the commercial, a “Pure Alfa Romeo”. I just hope that it won’t break down like a pure Alfa.

Ferrari Commercial: LaFerrari

Posted on March 10, 2013 by JP Zakher

Ferrari-LaFerrari_2014_side

Arriving at the Geneva motor show, everyone expected the P1 to be the only star of the show they were surprised to find 2 other, the Lamborghini Veneno and the LaFerrari, the new breed of the Enzo. Since the Venom is gonna be owned by only 3 persons on the planet, two Americans and a guy from Saudi Arabia we can forget about it and focus more on the two main rivals, the P1 and the LaFerrari.

Developed in 499 examples and in collaboration with the F1 Scuderia Ferrari team and drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa LaFerrari is the fastest Hybrid production car ever build. It is equipped with a 6.3 liters V12 engine that revs to a maximum of 9,250 rpm and delivers 800hp combined to it, a HY-KERS electric motor with 163hp. This adds up to a total output of 963hp and 900 Nm of torque coupled with the F1 dual-clutch gearbox to the benefit of optimal weight distribution. The electric motor works in collaboration with the V12 making sure torque levels are high at low revs. The batteries are charged under braking (even hard braking with the ABS active) and every time the V12 produces more torque than required, such as in cornering. In the latter instance, rather than the being sent to the wheels, the excess torque is converted to energy and stored in the batteries.

The design of the car was achieved by putting an Enzo into a wind tunnel and fine tuning it. The chassis is made with no less than four different types of carbon-fibre. The seats are melted into it. It is the steering wheel and the gas and braking paddles that can be adjusted to fit the drivers dimensions.The seating position is very similar to the one in an F1 racing car: very low, close to the ground making sure the center of gravity of the car is as low as possible. LaFerrari benefits from an active and instantaneous aerodynamic system. Five flaps (two in front one in the middle and two at the back) located under the car and big rear spoiler generate downforce when needed without compromising the car’s overall drag coefficient.

LaFerrari? What sort of name is that? What is the next one gonna be called LaFerrari II or something? Replacing the famous Enzo and after 11 years of research, I think that a more interesting name for it could have been found. The over-all look of the car is fine but I have some problems with a couple of details. The front bonnet is and the back are very inspired by the Enzo, which is good. However the front lights and the rear ones are stolen from a 458 Italia, the side mirrors look like a mixed of the Mclaren MP-4 and the Zonda ones and why is steering wheel in sort of a square shape? For a successor of the Enzo I think it should have been more refined, it is not “magical” enough. I feel like the Ferrari team was so focused on the performance and tech stuff that they missed out a bit on the design phase. In case you feel like watching an Enzo drift on dirt, you can always click here. (The P1 will be reviewed and compared in another post later on).

Mercedes Commercial: The A45 AMG

Posted on February 16, 2013 by JP Zakher

Mercedes finally revealed the AMG version of their small A class hatchback model. What they came up with is the most powerful series production four-cylinder turbo engine in the world. Its output? 360hp and 450Nm of torque!! YES 360HP!! A 4 matic all wheel drive will make sure to transfer that power safely to the road through a 7 speed dual clutch gear box. Being an AMG car, its engine is hand built following the AMG philosophy of “one man one engine”. The beasts exhaust system is fitted with an exhaust flap that provides a striking engine sound when the throttle is open and during gear shifting. This flap makes sure that the exhaust is silent during normal, calm driving sessions and shouting out loud during more sporty and aggressive sessions.

Mercedes-Benz-A45_AMG_2014 interior The look of the car is unfashionable, it is simple and sexy from the outside and damn does it look luxurious on the inside! With this model Mercedes has jumped at the head of the hot hatch category, a market in which they were totally absent. The super expensive RS3 with its 2.5 liters turbocharged V5 delivering around 340 hp looks ridiculous compared to this new Merc. Even though I wasn’t a big fan of Mercedes Benz, I am really considering buying this new model in the coming years. Being a hot hatch enthusiast, the RS3 was high ranked in my list of favorite cars, it has now been outrun by this outstanding A45 AMG. The AMG team, I salute you. To hear this beast farting, you can check its first track test by clicking here.

Mercedes SuperBowl Commercial: Soul

Posted on January 30, 2013 by JP Zakher

For this years Big Game, Mercedes decided to feature its most recent creation, the CLA 250. This gorgeous four doors coupe will feature a 2.0 litre in line 4-cylinder engine delivering 208hp and 258 lb/ft of torque. It will be available in front wheel drive, the AWD edition will be released later on this year. A sportier version, the CLA45 AMG, will be released celebrating the 45th anniversary of Mercedes. It is said that it will feature a twin turbo charged edition of the in line 4 delivering around 320hp. Looking forward. I love this car it’s design is amazing. The wonderful front grill will be also featured in the Class A AMG hatchback.

For this commercial Mercedes are focusing on the cheap price of this new smaller version of the CLS. The main idea behind the commercial is: Why would you sell your soul to the devil to get everything you ever wanted when you can have it at just 29.999$. The idea is not very innovative but the execution is well done. Usher, Kate Upton and Willem Dafoe are featured in this commercial. Why? It is a Big Game commercial!

Aston Martin Centenary: Vanquish Flying to Dubai

Posted on January 19, 2013 by JP Zakher

The first Vanquish Centenary edition was revealed yesterday at the top of the 1000-foot-tall Burj Al Arab hotel. How did it get there? By Helicopter!! The $300K special edition and first of a series of 100 Aston Martin Centenary, flew attached to a helicopter and landed on the helipad of the famous hotel. This one of a kind event was attended by UAE dignitaries and Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez. Dubai is made for these types of crazy and extravagant events. Where else in the world would you see a $300K Aston Martin attached to a helicopter flying 1000 foot above the ground?! You can check the previous post about the Centenary anniversary of Aston Martin by clicking here.

Aston Martin Commercial: 100 years of Power, Beauty, Soul

Posted on January 14, 2013 by JP Zakher

Aston Martin has revealed this video as a tribute for it’s 100 years of existence since it has been founded by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin. It features some of the most iconic models and celebrities that contributed to the built of the brand’s long history, transforming it into the acclaimed make that it is today. Celebrating it’s 100th anniversary, Aston started by revealing the Centenary Edition Vanquish. It is a customized version of the already astonishing and gorgeous Vanquish. The engine power delivery is gonna be very similar to the regular Vanquish, 565 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. The modifications are gonna be mainly aesthetic. The Centenary edition is gonna feature a special paint job like the one shown in the picture above and special leather seats with silver stitches, details that were reserved to the One-77 hypercar. Aston Martin is gonna produce 100 Centenary edition of the Vanquish, V8 Vantage, DB9 and Rapide. So I don’t really think we will be seeing any of these special edition models on the streets but damn they are gonna be gorgeous!!

People who have booked for Centenary Edition will receive a free gift package, yes “free”, that includes two glass keys, two bespoke key pouches made from the same interior leather, solid silver cufflinks featuring the Aston Martin logo, solid silver Rollerball pen and high quality Bang & Olufsen headphones. Happy birthday Aston!!