Thursday, August 6, 2009

Ferrari 458 Italia: First Official Photos and Details on F430's Replacement

It's official: Ferrari has taken the wraps off its latest incarnation of the mid-rear engined supercar ahead of the two-seater's world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Named '458 Italia' with the figure representing the displacement and number of cylinders of the engine, the F430's successor has been designed by Pininfarina and sports an all-new 4.5-liter V8 unit with direct-injection that cranks out 570HP at 9,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 540Nm or 398.2 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm, over 80 per cent of which is available from 3250 rpm.

At 127HP per liter, the new V8 engine has the highest output per liter in the company's production-model history. As with the California, the 458 Italia is equipped with the firm's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that sends power to the rear-wheels. Acceleration from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) comes in under 3.4 seconds while the supercar can achieve a maximum speed in excess of 325km/h (202mph).

Not that your typical Ferrari buyer will pay any attention to economy and CO2 figures, but Ferrari claims that 458 Italia consumes 13.7 l/100 km (17.2mpg US) on the EU combined cycle with 320 g/km of CO2.

Based on a new aluminum chassis, the Ferrari 458 Italia has a dry weight of 1380 kg or 3,048 lbs with a power-to-weight ratio of 2.42 kg/HP and a 42-58 percent front-rear weight distribution.

Maranello's new supercar features the latest generation of the E-Diff, F1-Trac and ABS systems which are now all controlled by the same ECU with Ferrari supporting that the 458 Italia produces 32 percent more longitudinal acceleration out of corners compared to previous models.

As for stopping-power, the 459's brakes feature what the company describes as a "prefill function" whereby the pistons in the callipers move the pads into contact with the discs on lift off to minimise delay in the brakes being applied. This results in a reduced 100-0 km/h (62-0mph) braking distance of 32.5 meters.

As with all modern Prancing Horse models, the 458 Italia's styling has been heavily influenced by the requirements for aerodynamic efficiency with Ferrari claiming that the car generates 140kg (309 lbs) of downforce at 200km/h (124mph). Aside from the completely flat underbody, the 458 Italia's nose also sports small aeroelastic winglets that generate downforce and, as speed rises, deform to reduce the section of the radiator inlets and cut drag.

Ferrari has released only a single photo of the 458 Italia's interior depicting the new steering wheel which houses most of the main controls and is clearly inspired from the F1 cars.

We'll have more information and photos on the new 458 Italia closer to the Frankfurt Motor Show.

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Ferrari 458 Italia – Technical specifications

Dimensions
Length	4527 mm (178.2 in.)
Width	1937 mm (76.3 in.)
Height	1213 mm (47.8 in.)
Wheelbase	2650 mm (104.3 in.)
Dry weight	1380 kg (3042 lbs)*
Weight/power ratio	2,42 kg/CV (7.16 lbs/kW)
Weight distribution fr/r	42%/58%
Tires
Front	235/35 ZR20 8.5"
Rear	295/35 ZR20 10.5"

Honda Adds Petrol Engine Option to Accord Type S Line-up

Honda is expanding its European market Accord Type-S line-up with the addition of a petrol-engine model powered by the same 2.4-liter four-banger with 201 HP that we find in the other versions of the Accord, which by the way, is sold in the States as the Acura TSX. Up until now, the Accord Type S, which made its official debut at the Geneva Show earlier this year, was offered exclusively with Honda's 180-horsepower 2.2-liter turbo diesel.

Despite the promising logo, the Accord Type S does not feature any mechanical upgrades as changes are limited to a new aero kit with front and rear aprons, side skirts, smoke chrome finished grille and clear indicator covers along with newly styled 18-inch alloy wheels.

Complementing the suite of exterior changes, are aluminum sport pedals and footrest, sport seats in a combination of fabric and leather plus a aluminum and leather shift knob for the 6-speed manual gearbox (buyers can also opt for an automatic transmission).

In Germany, the Accord Type S 2.4 will be offered in a limited run of 900 units with prices starting from €32,000 (about $46,100 US at today's exchange rates).

VIDEO: Nissan's All-Electric 2011 LEAF Compact Hatch in Action

This past weekend, Nissan swiped the covers off the LEAF, a production-ready, fully electric model that is plans to sell in Japan, the United States and Europe before the end of 2010. The compact-sized five-door hatchback is powered by a 107 horsepower electric motor that draws energy from a set of lithium-ion batteries similar to the ones found on your everyday cell-phones, laptops and other electric appliances. You can watch the LEAF in action right after the jump.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Ferrari 458 Italia Auto Picture

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Mercedes follow BMW and Honda out of F1's door

recession of global economic continuing and the in-fighting in Formula could soon cause another manufacturer to drop out of Formula One. Mercedes-Benz is considering whether to stay on F1 or follow BMW and Honda in withdrawing. Automakers are questioning the relevance and benefits of competing in F1, and the debate at Mercedes has been going on for several months although no decision has been made... yet. Perhaps if relevance is what Mercedes is looking for, they may go back to sports car racing which is increasingly embracing alternative drivetrains, particularly in the American Le Mans Series.

Mercedes-Benz owns 40 percent of the McLaren team and supplies the engines to both McLaren and Brawn. If Mercedes does decide to pull out, it's not clear how that would affect McLaren. McLaren was an F1 stalwart long before Mercedes came on board and could conceivably continue, perhaps using engines from Cosworth. Interestingly, the withdrawal of automakers could take F1 back to the 1970s when most of the teams were independent and aside from Ferrari and Renault most used Cosworth DFV V8s.

[Source: F1-Live]

F1 Mugello July testing

F1 Mugello July testing pictures and photos

2009 Jenson Button at the London triathlon