Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Top 10 most expensive cars in the world

1-Bugatti Veyron $1,700,000


The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is the most powerful, most expensive, and fastest street-legal production car in the world, with a proven top speed of over 400 km/h (407 km/h or 253 mph). It reached full production in September 2005. The car is built by Volkswagen AG subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS and is sold under the legendary Bugatti marque. It is named after racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti firm. The Veyron features a W16 engine—16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders


2-Ferrari Enzo $1,000,000


The Enzo Ferrari, sometimes referred to as the the Ferrari Enzo and also F60 is a 12-cylinder Ferrari supercar named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2003 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fiber body, F1-style sequential shift transmission, and carbon-ceramic brake discs. Also used are technologies not allowed in F1 such as active aerodynamics. After a maximum downforce of 1709 pounds (775 kg) is reached at 186 mph (301 km/h) the rear spoiler is actuated by computer to maintain that downforce.

3-Pagani Zonda C12 F $741,000


The Zonda C12 F debuted at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. It is the most extensive reengineering of the Pagani car yet, though it shares much with its predecessors including the 7.3 L V12. Power is increased to 602 PS (443 kW/594 hp) with a special clubsport model producing 650 PS (478 kW/641 hp). The company promises a 3.2 second sprint to 60 mph (97 km/h, a top speed over 374 km/h (225 mph) and it will be the queen in braking from 300 km/h to 0 (186 mph to 0). The Zonda F clubsport has a power to weight ratio of 521 bhp/ton (384 W/kg) . Compare, for example, the Enzo Ferrari which has a power to weight ratio of 483 bhp/ton (356 W/kg).

4-Koenigsegg CCX $600,910


The Koenigsegg CCX is the latest supercar from Koenigsegg. CCX is an abbreviation for Competition Coupe X. The X commemorates the 10th anniversary of the completion and test drive of the first CC vehicle in 1996. The CCX is intended to be more suitable for the U.S. market and thus engineered to comply with US regulations. The CCX is powered by a Koenigsegg designed and assembled, all aluminium, 4700 cm³ DOHC 32-valve V8 based on the Ford Modular engine architecture enhanced with twin Rotrex centrifugal superchargers with response system, 1.2 bar boost pressure and an 8.2:1 compression ratio. The engine produces 806 hp (601 kW) and 678 lbf.ft (920 Nm) on 91 octane (U.S. rating) gasoline, 850 hp (634 kW) on 96 octane (Euro rating) gasoline and 900 hp (671 kW) on biofuel.

5-Porsche Carrera GT $484,000




The Porsche Carrera GT is a supercar, manufactured by Porsche of Germany. The Carrera GT is powered by an all-new 5.7 litre V10 engine producing 612 SAE horsepower (450 kW). Porsche claims it will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62.5 mph) in 3.9 seconds and has a maximum speed of 330 km/h (206 mph), although road tests indicated that in actuality the car could accelerate from 0-60 in under 3.5 seconds and to 0-100 in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 335-340km/h (209-212.5mph).

6-Mercedes SLR McLaren $455,500




The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a sports car and supercar automobile co-developed by DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars. It is assembled at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. Most people presume "SLR" to stand for "Sportlich, Leicht, Rennsport" (German for "Sport; Light; Racing"). The car's base price is £300,000 or $455,500. The SLR has a supercharged 5.5 (5439cc) litre dry sumped 90 degree V8. It produces 466.8 kW at 6500rpm (626 hp) and 780 N·m (575 ft·lbf) torque at 3250 - 5000 rpm.

7-Maybach 62 $385,250




The Maybach 57 and 62 were the first automobile models of the Maybach brand since the brand's revival by DaimlerChrysler. They are derived from the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept car presented at the 1997 Tokyo Motorshow (which was based on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan). DaimlerChrysler attempted to buy the Rolls-Royce/Bentley marque when Vickers offered the company up for sale. When this attempt failed (they were outbid by BMW and Volkswagen respectively) they introduced the Maybach as a direct challenger in 2002. Both models are variants of the same ultra-luxurious automobile. The model numbers reflect the respective lengths of the automobiles in decimetres; the 57 is more likely to be owner-driven while the longer 62 is designed with a chauffeur in mind. The engine is a Mercedes-sourced 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12, generating 550 hp.

8-Rolls-Royce Phantom $320,000




The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a luxury saloon automobile made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, a BMW subsidiary. It was launched in 2003 and is the first Rolls-Royce model made under the ownership of BMW. It has a 6.8 L, 48-valve, V12 engine that produces 453 hp (338 kW) and 531 ft·lbf (720 N·m) of torque. The engine is derived from BMW's existing V12 powerplant. It is 1.63 m (63 in) tall, 1.99 m (74.8 in) wide, 5.83 m (228 in) long, and weighs 2485 kg (5478 lb). The body of the car is built on an aluminium spaceframe and the Phantom can accelerate to 60 mph (100 km/h) in 5.7 s.

9-Lamborghini Murcielago $279,900




The Lamborghini Murcielago is a GT and supercar automobile made by Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. and designed by Luc Donckerwolke. It was introduced in 2002 as the successor to the Diablo. The body style is a two door, two seat coupé. The LP640 version was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March of 2006. It features a 6.5 L engine, now producing 640 bhp, improving performance substantially. There were also a few minor external changes, primarily to the low air intakes.

10-Aston Martin Vanquish $255,000




The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish is a supercar manufactured by Aston Martin since 2001. It rose to fame after being featured as the official James Bond car in Die Another Day, the twentieth James Bond film. In the film, the Vanquish has the usual Bond film embellishments, including active camouflage which rendered the vehicle virtually invisible. The Vanquish is powered by a 5.9 L (5935 cc) 48-valve 60° V12 engine, which produces 343 kW (460 hp) and 542 N·m (400 ft·lbf) of torque. It is controlled by a fly-by-wire throttle and a 6 speed 'paddle shift' or semi-automatic transmission. A special V12 Vanquish S debuted at the 2004 Paris Auto Show with the power upped to 388 kW (520 hp) and 577 N·m (426 ft·lbf).

Spyker C8 and C12 Feature in Movie Rogue



Spyker X8 Spyder and C12 Laturbie make film debut

Spyker Cars has been chosen for another major Hollywood motion picture. The Spyker C8 Spyder and the Spyker C12 LaTurbie will make their international film debut in the Lionsgate action thriller ROGUE starring Jet Li and Jason Statham. The Spyker C8 Spyder, a 400 horsepower convertible sports car, has a key role in the movie. It will be driven by the movie's main character and protagonist, ROGUE (Jet Li) during, amongst other, several sensational driving scenes. The 500 horsepower Spyker C12 LaTurbie has a supporting role. Spyker has delivered three cars (two C8 Spyders and the C12 LaTurbie) to the set. Filming started in March 2006 in Vancouver, Canada and will wrap in May 2006.

Victor Muller, CEO Spyker Cars, says: "Philip Attwell, ROGUE's director, was immediately impressed by our cars when he first saw them at the Los Angeles Auto Show. He approached us on the spot for the use of a Spyker for the movie's main character, ROGUE (Jet Li). There is no doubt in my mind that this is a wonderful opportunity for us. Jet Li and Jason Statham are both such successful actors. Also, Jet Li's appearance and international star status and the movie itself are a perfect match with our sleek and powerful cars. Our role in ROGUE will continue to strengthen and further confirm our position in the top segment of the market for exclusive sports cars. As both actors are also leading international stars, ROGUE will give our worldwide brand recognition another major impulse. We are absolutely thrilled to be part of this exciting movie."
THE MOVIE

ROGUE is an engaging, high-crime thriller which will have audiences on the edge of their seats. Lionsgate has acquired the screenplay ROGUE by Gregory Bradley and Lee Anthony-Smith. Lead actors are Jet Li and Jason Statham. Philip Atwell will direct it with Cory Yuen as the Martial Arts Action director. Producer of the film is Steve Chasman, Current Entertainment, in association with Lionsgate (www.Lionsgate.com). Steven Chasman has also produced action thrillers such as The Transporter 2.
THE CARS

The Spyker C8 Spyder is an elegant two-seat convertible sports car with an all aluminium Audi V8 engine with 400 hp, a top speed of 300 km/h (187 mph) and an acceleration of 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds (0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds). The car has a manual six-speed gearbox, rear wheel drive with limited slip differential and ABS. The lack of a header rail creates an unobstructed view causing a sensational open air feeling. Prices for the Spyker C8 Spyder start at 216.500 euro ($ 269,500), excluding options, any taxes and ex factory.

The Spyder used in ROGUE (chassis number 020) has a silver exterior, a burgundy red interior, a turned aluminium dashboard fascia and is fitted with elegant 19"Aerobladeâ„¢ wheels in magnesium with central locking featuring five propellers.

The Spyker C8 Spyder was voted 'Best New Exotic Car 2006' by duPont Registry's prestigious car magazine Exotic Car Buyers Guide, chosen from more than 100 cars. The C8 Spyder was also chosen by the luxury lifestyle magazine Robb Report for its December 2005 Ultimate Gift Guide which features 21 extraordinary and ultimate gifts only.

The race version of this car, the Spyker C8 Spyder GT2R, has been entered in 10 races for the 2006 season, including the entire 2006 Le Mans Endurance Race Series, the 12-hours of Sebring and the 24-hours of Le Mans and some FIA GT races. Spyker has entered two cars for each race.

The Spyker C12 LaTurbie is a powerful 500 bhp two-seat convertible sports car with an automated manual six-speed gearbox and which runs a W12 engine. The top speed is 315 km/h (196 mph) with an acceleration of 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds (0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds). The C12 LaTurbie is fitted with Spyker's in-house designed 19" Aerobladeâ„¢ wheels as standard. Further specifications include rear wheel drive with Drexler limited slip differential, ABS and a light weight aluminum space frame with integrated roll cage. The double twin exhausts produces the signature Spyker sound. Prices, including glass hard top, start at 276.500 Euro ($362,500), excluding any taxes and ex factory.

The Spyker C12 LaTurbie used in Rogue (chassis number 055) has a Royal Blue exterior, a magnolia yellow interior and a turned aluminum dashboard fascia.

All Spykers are completely hand-built and custom-built using bespoke materials. The spectacular performance cars combine state of the art technology, unique design features and engineering excellence. Spyker is carried by passion for heritage, design, craftsmanship, performance and exclusivity.







Avro’s 720 Mirage Ford GT


The Ford GT may be in the process of passing into supercar history, but that hasn't stopped Avro Motor Cars from taking one last spin at making the beast faster. The Brooklands-based tuner recently announced a 10-car run of modified GTs called 720 Mirage. Avro partnered with Roush Technologies to push the GT's power output to 720 horses. The company previously teamed up with Roush to produce the 600RE edition of the GT.

The additional urge comes courtesy of a larger Whipple supercharger and Accufab throttle body, inlet sleeve and X pipe exhaust, among other minor modifications. Specific output is 720bhp at 6950 rpm and 815Nm (627 pound-feet) torque at 4800 rpm. Unleash that power and the 720 Mirage will run to an un-governed top speed somewhere north of 220mph.

Suspension upgrades include a 5mm wider track and a 25mm drop, as well as KW Variant 3 adjustable coil-overs. Six-piston AP Racing brake calipers are used in the front, and drilled and slotted rotors sourced from Stillen are installed front and rear. The modifications are subtle but should help to ensure that the Avro 720 Mirage can handle its increased power with the same poise as the factory version.

The 720 Mirage stands out thanks to a distinctive metallic orange paint job with matte-black detailing. The wheels are blacked out as well. Avro adds special decals and sill plates, and ditches the GT's rear bumper in the name of weight savings for an even more exclusive appearance. Naturally, there's a numbered plaque on the console.







Sunday, March 23, 2008

Geneva '08 Preview: Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4


After circumnavigating the whole of the Geneva expo center, a strange force drew us to a minimalistic booth on the west side of the complex. There, we were afforded our first live glimpse of Lamborghini's newest exotica, the Gallardo LP560-4. As its name implies, the gussied-up Gallardo is sporting 560 hp from its new, direct-injected 5.2-liter V10. Hacking off 20 kilos from the curb weight allows the LP560-4 to rocket to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 201 mph, all the while increasing fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions by some 18-percent.
While the exterior upgrades are minimal, once spotted they jump out at you. Up front are what appear to be new headlights, as well as a third intake or inlet that possibly directs air underneath the car. Positioned front, center and low between the two larger intakes, the new inlet adds some angles to the front end that are very reminiscent of the angular Reventon. Lamborghini has also added new vertical intakes ahead of the front wheels, though otherwise the profile remains the same except for new (and gorgeous) wheels. The largest exterior alteration is the rear end, which has been totally redone. The taillights are wider and shorter, a black grille stretches the entire expanse of the rear, and a pair of dual exhausts now exit within a black housing above a purposeful looking rear diffuser.






N78 Comes Loaded with Wi-Fi, HSPDA, GPS, Touch Surfaces, Tricorder.....



The new Nokia N78 candybar cellphone comes absolutely loaded: HSPDA 3G support, Wi-Fi connectivity, FM music transmitter and integrated Assisted GPS. The later has obligatory Nokia Maps support and automatic geotagging of photos taken by its 3.2-megapixel sensor with Carl Zeiss optics. Unlike theprevious N73, the
$507 (350 euros) pianoblacktabulous N78 gets rid of real keys in favor of touch surfaces, with raised lines on the front to give you tactile feedback. Full details after the jump.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Tissot T-Touch

The Tissot T-Touch is the wilderness lover of the Tactile family which currently consists of the High-T, the Silen-T, and the newest member of the family, the Tissot Navigator 3000. You might not guess just from looking at it, but the Tissot T-Touch feels just as at home in the woods, in the mountains, or on long treks as it does in the office or at a cocktail party. The T-Touch combines good looks, rugged functionality, and impressive innovation in way you rarely see in the watch world.


Features of the Tissot T-Touch


Touch crystal. I love showing this feature to people for the first time because they are almost always completely amazed. Like the rest of the Tactile family, the T-Touch has a touch-sensitive sapphire crystal. Rather than jamming repeatedly on a mode button, simply activate the crystal with the right center button, then touch the crystal in one of seven different areas to change modes, or to return to the default time mode.


Compass. The Tissot T-Touch's built-in compass can measure magnetic north as well as calculate geographic north.


Thermometer. The range of the T-Touch's built-in thermometer is -10 C (15 F) and 60 C (140 F). (If you're in an environment which significantly exceeds that range, you should be more concerned about your life than your watch.) It is accurate to about 1 degree C (1.8 F), and the resolution is .4 C (.7 F).


Barometer. The range of the built-in barometer is 300 hPa (hectoPascals), and it is accurate to + or - 3 hPa. The resolution is 1 hPa.


Altimeter. Wherever you have a barometer, you usually have an altimeter, as well, since it is possible to calculate altitude by measuring atmospheric pressure. The range is -400 meters (-1300 feet) to 9000 meters (29,500 feet) with a resolution of 1 meter (3 feet).


Chronograph. Resolution of 1/100 of a second, maximum time of 9:59':59". The T-Touch's stopwatch can record a single split time.


Alarm. The alarm is a daily alarm -- nothing special -- though it is nice and loud, which I really like. The only thing I don't like about the alarm is that the only way to set it is by incrementing or decrementing minutes which can get a little tiresome if the time you want to set it to is 12 hours away. Fortunately, the minutes do speed up the longer you hold down the buttons (there are three different speeds) which makes it better, however I would rather be able to set the hours, minutes, and meridian separately.


Analog and digital displays. The LCD can be configured to display the time or date, or data from one of the other many functions. The analog portion of the watch is even used to convey different types of information depending on the mode. (More on the watch's hands below.)


Dual time zone display (unofficial). This is not an official feature of the Tissot T-Touch, meaning I guess you're not really supposed to do it, but there is a process you can go through to synchronize the analog time with the digital should they ever fall out of step with each other for any reason. If they can be synchronized, I hypothesized, they can be un-synchronized. And indeed they can. During the synchronization process, when the instructions tell you to line the hands up precisely at 12:00, simply add your second time zone's offset, and suddenly you have watch capable of displaying dual time zones.


Bidirectional rotating bezel. The bezel contains the four compass points rather than numbers so it can be used to orient a map.


Semi-perpetual date. That means the T-Touch does not have a pre-programmed date function. Rather, it knows how many days are contained in each month, and can generally do a pretty good job of keeping track of the date that way, but gets tripped up between February and March. The instructions say, "For February it is necessary to reset the date when it is only 28 days" which at first I thought must be a typo. According to those instructions, the watch always assumes that it is a leap year, and adds an extra day to February. I tested the watch to see if this was actually the case, and discovered that this was indeed the watch's behavior. A little strange, if you ask me. If I were designing a watch without a pre-programmed date function, I would assume that every year was not a leap year and give February 28 days since leap years only come along every four years (unless the year is divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400). Anyway, this is a minor point, but something Tissot might want to consider changing in the future. The point is, if you get yourself a Tissot T-Touch, make sure you check your date every year around March 1st.


Metric and American units.


Water resistant to 30 meters. (3 ATM, 3 BAR, or 100 feet).


Luminescent hands. (No backlight for the LCD.)


Quartz movement. For all of you who got here by doing a search on Google for "Tissot T-Touch battery," it takes a Renata CR 1632 which should last about 12 months. I know that seems a little short, but consider all the features it's expected to power.



42 mm in diameter, 150.36 grams.


2 year warranty.



Corvette 2008

The 2008 edition of the sixth-generation Corvette, available as a coupe or convertible, has an all-new, more powerful V-8 engine. The pre-eminent American sports car also benefits from refinements in driving characteristics including improved steering feel. A host of exterior and interior refinements, like the new Custom Leather-Wrapped Interior Package and a new keyless access fob, raise the Corvette’s luxury status and the feeling of craftsmanship.


The new, 6.2 liter LS3 small-block V-8 is the standard engine in both the coupe and convertible models. It is rated at 321 kW (436 hp) and 586 Nm of torque. The LS3 with the six-speed paddle-shift automatic is the fastest automatic-equipped Corvette ever.




Corvette Z06 The Corvette Z06 is the fastest, most powerful production car ever offered by General Motors and developed alongside the Corvette C6.R race car. For 2008 the Corvette Z06 combines the attributes that have made the sixth-generation Corvette a sales success across Europe, with raw power, endurance and race-winning know-how.




The Corvette Z06’s 7.0 liter V-8, LS7 engine delivers 377 kW (512 hp) at 6,300 rpm and 637 Nm of torque at 4,800 rpm. In a car weighing 1,418 kg, that adds up to 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 3.9 seconds in first gear and a top speed of 320 km/h (approximately 198 mph).



Nokia N96


An update to the all-powerful nokia N95? The nokia N96 promises just that, with a 5- megapixel camera with csrl-zeiss lens, a flash a a VGA camcorder that plays and records clips at 30 frames per second. An impressive 16GB os internel storage apart, the micro-sd can accomodate up to 8GB cards.

Macbook Air


Not content with reinventing the MP3 player, making computer's cool, and giving a much-needed leg up to the colour white's popularity. Apple is now shrinking the laptop to the point where is has to run around the shower to get wet. The new macbook air is the thinnest laptop ever. How thin? At it's slimmest point, it's thinner than an ipod nano. You want specs? It's got a substantial, 13.3-inch LED with camera perched above it for video calling, five-hour battery life and a choice of 80GB or 160 GB Hard drive or 64GB of flash memory. An amazing touchpad works like the iPhone's screen, letting you pich-zoom, rotate and swipe web pages and photos with ease.

Price: $2,200