top speed galleries: March 2010

2010 Venom GT Hennessey Supercar Concept

Hennessey Performance Engineering today announced that it is introducing the company's first concept car - The Venom GT. Penned by British auto designer, Steve Everitt, the Venom GT would incorporate Hennessey's potent Venom 1000 Twin Turbo Viper V10 powerplant into a light weight mid-engine chassis weighing "under 2,700 lbs". Power would be run through a 6-speed transmission or optional sequential gearbox. With a power to weight ratio of just 2.7 lbs per bhp Hennessey estimates that the Venom GT could attain 0 to 100 km/h times in less than 2.5 sec. and a 0-300 km/h time of around 14 seconds.

Venom GT Hennessey Supercar

The Hennessey Venom GT weights less than 2,400 lbs (1,071 Kg) and to stop the Venom GT, Hennessey added Brembo brakes with 6-piston calipers up front and 4-piston calipers in rear clamping down on 15-inch carbon ceramic rotors. Hennessey plans on building 10 units of the Venom GT annually and four have already been sold at around $600,000 a pop. That means there are only six units left from the first allocation.

Venom GT Hennessey Supercar

SEALY, TEXAS & SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, March 29, 2010 - Hennessey Performance is pleased to introduce the first official images of its Venom GT supercar. Based upon the Lotus Elise, the Venom GT combines a high-tech, lightweight British chassis with a powerful American V8.

Venom GT Hennessey Supercar

“This is not the first time that Britain and America have joined forces to produce a weapon of mass propulsion”, said company founder and president, John Hennessey. “Over fifty years ago the American-built P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft was flown into history powered by a British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. Today the Hennessey Venom GT promises to set a new standard of power to weight ratio in the rarefied air of today's supercar market.”

Venom GT Hennessey Supercar

In the case of the Venom GT, less weight means more performance. The Venom GT will have a production curb weight of less than 2,400 lbs (1,071 kilos) aided by its lightweight carbon fiber bodywork and carbon fiber wheels. Stopping power is delivered via Brembo brakes with 6-piston calipers up front and 4-piston calipers in rear clamping down on 15-inch carbon ceramic rotors.

Venom GT Hennessey Supercar

The Venom GT’s base power plant is the supercharged 6.2 liter LS9 V8 (the same as in the Corvette ZR1) tweaked by Hennessey to 725 bhp. The company will also be offering 1000 bhp and 1200 bhp twin turbo V8 engine variants. The mid-engine V8 will transmit its power to the rear tires via a Ricardo 6-speed gearbox.

Venom GT Hennessey Supercar

Hennessey plans to manage power output by using a programmable traction control system. CFD (computational fluid dynamic) tested bodywork and down force will also help keep the Venom stable at speed. An active aero system with adjustable rear wing will deploy under varying conditions on both the road and racetrack. An adjustable suspension system will allow ride height adjustments according to speed and driving conditions. Finally, power will be put to the ground via massive Michelin PS2 tires.

Venom GT Hennessey Supercar

Hennessey will be building the power plants at its Texas facility. The engines will then be air freighted to the company's assembly facility near Silverstone, England where the Venom GT is built and tested. Venom GT buyer will be offered a 1-day driver orientation and instruction program by a Hennessey factory test driver, at a track in the UK or USA prior to delivery.

Venom GT Hennessey Supercar

Hennessey plans on building 10 units of the Venom GT annually and four have already been sold at around $600,000 a pop. That means there are only six units left from the first allocation. The company plans to establish a network of Venom GT dealers and distributors in the Middle East, Europe, Russia, Australia and Asia.

2011 Nex-Gen BMW Sports Sedan 3 Series Coupe And Convertible

A little after a leaked brochure gave us our first taste of the lightly refreshed 2011 3-Series Coupe and Convertible models, BMW rushed out an official release and a whole bunch of pictures. For the 2011 model year, the Bavarian automaker's bread-and-butter coupe and cabriolet models receive some minor cosmetic touches and updated powerplants.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The most notable - that is, if you're a hardcore bimmer fan- changes on the outside concern the widened kidney grille, reshaped LED headlamps, front and rear bumpers with restyled lower fascias, new exterior mirrors and finally, reworked tail light cluster with a new color scheme.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The only change in the cabin concerns the convertible models and the use of sun-reflective technology to mitigate temperatures on leather seating, armrest surfaces, headrests, and gear shifter. BMW says that this new treatment is able to reduce surface temperatures on dark interior colors by up to 20 Celsius degrees (36 Fahrenheit degrees) and by as much as Celsius degrees (27 Fahrenheit degrees)on light-colored upholstery.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The next-generation BMW 3 Series isn't that far off, with the sports sedan expected to debut sometime in 2011 as a 2012 model. Yet the Munich brand isn't sitting on its hands in the meantime – the current 3 Series coupe and convertible are getting a mild refresh and updated powerplants this spring for the 2011 model year. The most immediately noticeable change are headlamp clusters that get a subtle reshaping to go along with a wider grille and reworked lower front fascia. At the rear, the taillamps retain the same shape, but the reflectors are redesigned with some of the light-pipe styling found in other recent Bimmers.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The 3 Series coupe will now be offered with xDrive all-wheel drive, while the 3 Series convertible gets a new solar reflective leather upholstery that BMW claims helps keep seat temperatures down when the lid is open.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The most significant updates come underhood, where the much lauded twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six is being replaced by a new single turbo version. The revised engine, dubbed N55, has recently been launched in the 740i and the 535i Gran Turismo. The twin scroll turbo has dual exhaust inlets that allow the engineers to better balance the pulses coming in to spin up the turbine faster. This is expected to reduce the turbo lag that some drivers complained about with the outgoing twin turbo setup.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

BMW also claims it has reduced cold-start emissions by routing all the exhaust gases through a single, larger catalytic converter that heats up faster. On the intake side, the throttle is eliminated thanks to the addition of BMW's Valvetronic variable valve control system. The N55 also gets direct fuel injection. The end result is the same 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque as before, but with a fatter torque curve that maintains its peak from 1,200-5,000 rpm.

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

The new design of the taillights is unique to the 3 Series Coupe and Convertible. The rear light cluster feature two-piece L-shapes and are further accentuated by a new color scheme. With two rows of light tubes that illuminate simultaneously, they create a night design with depth and dimension. Integrated flush into the body of the car, the lights are split into two sections and extend up the trunk lid, blending with the character lines from the side profile. These styling tweaks have resulted in a slightly longer length and larger overhangs (29mm (1.14 inches) at the front, and 3mm (0.12 inches) at the rear)

2011 BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible

Though the updated BMW 3 Series Coupe and Convertible will go on sale this Spring, pricing and fuel economy figures haven't been announced as of yet. The former is expected to fall in the range of the current car's pricing, which starts at $37,075 for the 328i Coupe, $42,535 for the 335i Coupe, $45,875 for the 328i Convertible and $52,075 for the 335i Convertible. The latter is expected to be a small improvement in fuel economy for the new single-turbo engine over the current twin-turbo engine's 17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway.

2010 Citroen Sports Coupés Survolt Concept

CITROËN is proposing a new automotive vision with Survolt. Initiated by the Revolte concept car revealed at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Survolt is the continuation of CITROËN’S exploration of distinctive and original electric vehicles. Survolt Concept turns received notions through its radically new vision in a consummate blend of high-fashion glamour and motor-racing extravagance.

2010 Citroen Survolt Concept

Citroen makes a car a typical electric vehicle to answer the wishes of the customer to overcome one’s limits, take things further and dare. It takes the genetic material of Revolte and adds an extroverted sports dimension to the mix. The Citroen Survolt Concept has been declared at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

2010 Citroen Survolt Concept

Citroen Survolt Concept is powered by electricity, thus combining sports performance with environmental respect and sustainable development. Still particularly rare in the racing world, this technological solution also embodies a previously unthinkable alliance. But Citroen dares and creates, transgressing conventions to better sublimate them. With irreproachable ecological credentials, the drivetrain blends driving pleasure, thrills, performance and vitality, and all in extreme comfort, since the car is silent in operation.

2010 Citroen Survolt Concept

Survolt features two-tone paint, hues of fuchsia and charcoal grey, and plays with materials and volumes. It is further characterized by the strong contrasts between the voluptuous bonnet and and sculpted flanks with emphatic wheel arches. At the front, the distinctive Citroen badge reigns above the large oval-shaped grille, while its slim and horizontal head lamps are inspired by sports coupés. At the rear, Survolt features the elegant light signature of Revolte together with a spoiler in an essential reference to motor sport. Inside, Survolt’s cockpit is designed like a floating cell with a glass setting held between chrome-finished roll bars.

2010 Citroen Survolt Concept

Citroen Survolt Concept activated by electric drivetrain and equipped with luxury accessories. It’s has compact dimensions – 3.85 m long, 1.87 m wide and 1.20 m high so the display is sporty and elegant style supermini. At the front, the distinctive vehicle badge reigns elegantly above the large oval-shaped grille, its centre home to the striking double chevron. The body is slim, horizontal head lamps, inspired by high-performance sports coupés, exert a magnetic appeal, while an LED light signature adds a contemporary, high-tech touch.

2010 Citroen Survolt Concept

2010 Pininfarina Alfa Romeo Sports Car Spider Concept

Pininfarina, an Italian car design studio, has released to the public the teaser image of their new Alfa Romeo concept. Pininfarina turns 80 years-old this year. As part of celebrating this important milestone the company will unveil this two-seater spider concept pictured here at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March. It will be presented as a tribute to its long relationship with Alfa Romeo. The unveiling coincides with Alfa's 100th anniversary so it is doubly fitting. The design has been managed by Lowie Vermeersch, head of Pininfarina’s style centre, and the rear reflects the old Alfa Romeo Duetto model, with its cuttlefish-bone inspiration.

2010 Pininfarina Alfa Romeo Spider Concept

A revival of the Alfa Duetto is an exciting proposition, and the prototype will be the same two-seater Spider vehicle. It will have a longitudinal engine placed in the front and rear-wheel drive. No production plan has been established as yet, so we can’t say if this could be an eventual replacement to the current Alfa Spider.

2010 Pininfarina Alfa Romeo Spider Concept

Apart from the obvious not much else is said or revealed about the car. But from this solitary sketch it can be noted that the current 8C Spider has some serious styling competition. The long sloping bonnet, two-door configuration and short rear overhangs are the main signs of a classic roadster. Whether this traditionalist approach will be kept intact with a soft folding roof remains to be seen.

2010 Pininfarina Alfa Romeo Spider Concept

Perhaps the Pininfarina/Alfa Romeo relationship is about to receive a new life. Hopefully the concept is as good, or even better than this sketch suggests.

2010 Lotus Sports Cars Evora Carbon Design Concept

The multi-award winning Lotus Evora provides the basis of the stunning carbon design concept unveiled at the 80th Geneva Motorshow. The car boasts a stylish carbon fibre, leather and alcantara interior, aggressive carbon diffuser and an evocative high tech composite body.

2010 Lotus Evora Carbon Concept

The head turning looks of the Evora Carbon Concept car provide a more purposeful, planted stance with the car looking lower and more aggressive. This styling direction is continued with a structural carbon fibre roof, Lotus Motorsport influenced carbon diffuser and carbon splitter. The Evora Carbon Concept car retains the same class leading handling and high tech aluminium bonded and extruded chassis of the production car.

2010 Lotus Evora Carbon Concept

Donato Coco, Director of Lotus Design announced, “The design of the Evora Carbon Concept car features exotic, high tech materials offering a good synergy with the Lotus brand image, expressing our motor sport heritage and history of stylish sports cars due to which Lotus are renowned”.

2010 Lotus Evora Carbon Concept

Carbon fibre panels with perforated leather and Matt Alcantara are featured in the interior. For example, the dashboard, footwell and inner roof are covered in Alcantara, while exposed carbon fibre can be seen on the centre console, air vents and others. It sports a carbon fibre roof, 19-inch alloy wheels with 235/35 front and 285/30 rear Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres.

2010 Lotus Evora Carbon Concept

While no engine tweaks have been mentioned, the drop in weight means the Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre V6 has a lot less mass to move thus performance has been significantly boosted. Be on the look-out for a production version of the Evora Carbon Concept in the not-too-distant future.

2010 Lotus Evora Carbon Concept

2010 Tesla Electric Roadster TAG Heuer Sports Car Concept

With the 2010 Tesla Roadster TAG Heuer, on display at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, pioneering luxury Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer and electric carmaker Tesla Motors have teamed up in a worldwide partnership as the iconic Swiss brand celebrates its 150th anniversary.