Aston Martin DP-100 Vision Gran Turismo 2014

Creating Vision Gran Turismo concept cars has become quite the habit among automakers, as they rushed to showcase their design skills and advanced powertrains in the latest iteration of the franchise. 

This year’sGoodwood Festival of Speed brought yet another futuristic supercar to the game, this time from British-based company Aston Martin .

Dubbed DP-100 and developed in-house by a team led by Design Director Marek Reichman, the concept car highlights a brand-new approach for the company, as its engine is mounted behind the seats. 

The Brits have yet to build sports cars in this configuration, except for the B09/60 Le Mans prototype co-developed with Lola, and the DP-100 comes to put an end to that. At least in the virtual world.

The DP-100 joins a large batch of virtual supercars created for Gran Turismo 6 this year, and will be available for gamers to download starting July 2014. 

There are no production plans waiting to turn this virtual racer into a vehicle for the real world, but the DP-100 is a concept worth looking into from a design and technological point of view.

2014

make:

Aston-Martin

price:

$ 250000

Engine:

V12

Horsepower @ RPM:

800

0-60 time:

3 sec. (Est.)

Top Speed:

200 mph (Est.)

Read More

BMW Vision Gran Turismo Concept 2014

After first showing us some Gran Turismo awesomeness late last year, BMW has finally pulled the covers of its latest concept vehicle, but one that will only be available in the world of Gran Turismo 6. 

This is the 2014 BMW Vision Gran Turismo Concept and as we had expected, it looks positively insane.

Remember when Mercedes became the first company to unveil its own Vision Gran Turismo Concept ? When it did, we all fell out of chairs, blown away by the insanity of Merc’s creation. 

But what it also did was set the bar really high for the rest of the car brands that were preparing their own concepts for Gran Turismo 6.

Admittedly, we had some trepidations on what other companies had up their sleeves. But with the arrival of BMW’s GT6 concept, all the doubts that crept up in our heads about what the car was going to look like quickly evaporated.

At first glance, you get the vibes of the M4 Coupe , albeit one that’s been rebuilt specifically for video game-racing purposes. 

But the best part about this concept is that unlike the Mercedes version, this one looks like its ready to be transformed into the real world.

Should that happen, trust us when we tell you: it’s going to be have a lot of people clamoring for a piece of it.

2014

make:

BMW

Model:

4 Series

price:

$ 100000

Engine:

inline-3

Horsepower @ RPM:

549 @ 6200

Torque @ RPM:

501 @ 1900

Displacement:

3.0 L

0-60 time:

3 sec. (Est.)

Top Speed:

200 mph (Est.)

Read More

Porsche Cayman GT4 Teased In Real Racing 3

Like most of you here, I enjoy some daily racing action on various platforms, the latest of which being EA’s Real Racing 3 for Android,unlike most PC and console games, I find it rather easy to follow and play during the busiest of days. 

For those of you not familiar with the game, it features 105 cars and 12 tracks as of January 2015. 

New features are added by way of monthly updates, and this month’s upgrade was arguably the most surprising yet. As I opened my Nexus 7 to do a couple of laps around Laguna Seca in the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, I found myself staring at EA’s newest update, which included a teaser for the upcoming 2017 Porsche Cayman GT4.

While the image itself isn’t very revealing, depicting only part of the sports car’s front end, the description that comes with it suggests Porsche will use the game to unveil the GT4, allowing Real Racing 3 to make its first-ever exclusive reveal. 

"Participate in the unveiling of a stunning new sports car. Take it on a global press tour, then take one home!," the update says, hinting the Cayman GT4 is already rendered for RR3, with gamers to drive it on RR3’s virtual tracks as soon as the vehicle breaks cover. The "take one home" part obviously refers to having the chance of earning a virtual version of the car for free after completing a series of in-game events.

"Exclusive Worldwide Reveal. A prestigious manufacturer is about to announce a new vehicle... Be the first to take the wheel!," the update goes on to mention, confirming the teaser showcases a global debut. 

Unless Porsche was secretly working on another Cayman, what we’re looking at is indeed the track-focused GT4.

Unfortunately, there is no word on when the big unveil will take place, but judging by EA’s previous updates for RR3, I expect the in-game GT4 challenge to commence sometime next month. As for the actual car, it could pop up simultaneously with the RR3 reveal, possibly at the Chicago Auto Show in a few weeks, or later at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Either way, keep it locked here for updates. Should the GT4 arrive in RR3 only at first, we’ll be back with a batch of in-game screenshots.

Read More

Porsche 911 GTS Club Coupe 2015

The first official Porsche Club of America meeting was organized by founding member and commercial artist Bill Sholar in September of 1955 in Washington D.C. Unofficially called “the gripe group,” the club agreed to have its first official meeting at a local spot called Blackie’s House of Beef. 

Thirteen prospective members rolled into Blackie’s parking lot, but one was asked to leave because he was driving a Volkswagen. 

Fast-forward 60 years, and the PCA now has 140 local regions in the U.S and Canada and boasts well over 100,000 members, making it the largest single-make car club in the entire world. 

This hasn’t gone unnoticed by Porsche, and in recognition of the PCA’s continuing loyalty, Porsche has introduced the extremely blue 911 GTS Club Coupe at its brand new U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

It’s the spiritual successor to the 997-based 911 Club Coupe introduced back in 2005 to honor the club’s 50th anniversary, but this time it’s based on the swifter, sportier Carrera GTS. It uses the same 430-horsepower engine as the Carrera GTS, but has several visual upgrades, some more obvious than others, which I’ll get to shortly.

Only 60 examples of this very special GTS Club Coupe will be built and all are destined for North American shores. 

PCA members will have first dibs to buy 59 of them through a lottery, while the remaining example will be given away to one lucky PCA member in a contest, the details of which are forthcoming.

Read More

McLaren Sports Series

The upcoming 2016 McLaren Sports Series, the company’s entry-level sports car that’s set to debut this year, will eventually arrive in dealerships in four different versions. 

That’s the word from Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, which sheds a bit more light on McLaren’s new product to slot below the fantastic 650S. The report also claims the first member of the new sports car line will break cover in April 2015, at the New York Auto Show, with deliveries to commence in the third quarter of the year.

The sports car will debut on American soil as a coupe, with a Spider variant to show up next. The two will then be joined by a lighter, track-focused version — this one is likely to use the recently revived GTR badge, De Telegraaf notes — and a GT model with emphasis on comfort rather that sportiness. 

Not many details are provided, but the report says the Sports Series GTR will be aimed at the Porsche 911 GT3, which is likely to be the case given the standard coupe will be aimed at the 911 Turbo.

As for the GT version, we are told it will offer extra luggage room in the engine compartment, with access via a side opening. 

The McLaren F1 offered something similar, but it’s unclear whether the Sports Series GT will be equipped with large openings in the rear fenders or employ a different solution altogether.

There’s no unveil info for any of the aforementioned versions except the coupe, but it’s safe to assume that all four iterations of the Sports Series will be in showrooms by 2018.

Read More

Nissan Z 2013

Nissan may have plenty of models to boast of, but the one car that stands out to anyone looking for a vehicle with a little pep in its step is the Nissan Z car. 

Back in 1964, Nissan began toying with the idea of building a sports car to add to their lineup, but it wasn’t until 1969 that a vehicle was actually produced. 

The Datsun 240Z was available in two versions - and proved to be the successful sports car that Nissan had anticipated. 
Six generations later and Nissan had produced many variations of the vehicle, including the ever-popular 370Z . 

Now, after only four years since the latest 370Z was created, rumors are flying suggesting that Nissan is ready to go at it again with a new generation Z. 

Not only will the world be getting one of their beloved sports cars once again, but it may also be powered by a hybrid drivetrain, a rumor we first heard back in 2010 most likely the same one used in the Infiniti M hybrid . 

Yes, the world is going hybrid, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.

Read More

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution XI 2013

The Evo-loving world was in shambles after Mitsubishi Global Product Director, Gayu Eusegi, announced that the company would be killing off the all-wheel-drive turbocharged Lancer Evolution . 

The Evo is one of the best models Mitsubishi has ever offered and fans everywhere were shocked that the company would take such extreme measures. 

A few back pedals later and Mitsubishi President and CEO, Osamu Masuko, calmed the waters by stating that the the Evo X would not be the last of the Evolutions. 

Now, Masuko has offered even more details for the future of the Evo to Japanese magazine, Best Car, stating that "Mitsubishi is fully intent on producing a high-performance car in the future, albeit green." Yeah, join the club, Masuko.

The rumor has long been that the Evo XI would be a diesel-electric hybrid. Such a powertrain would allow the Evo XI to hustle to 0-60 MPH in under 5 seconds while still receiving better fuel economy than the current Evo. 

Now, it seems the technology that was unveiled in the PX-MiEV concept at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show is looking to fit itself into the EVO XI. 

This would mean a 1.6- liter gasoline engine combined with an electric motor that will take its power from a set of lithium-ion batteries. 

The electric motors will power the vehicle at low to middle speeds, while the engine will kick on at high speeds. 

The engine will also provide back up for the motors when their charge runs low. The hybrid system will be combined with Mitsubishi’s S-AWC all-wheel-drive system and active yaw control, technologies that have already been used in the Evo X.

Read More

Audi Wants RS Hybrids In The Next Generation

Last week in our coverage of the new 2016 Audi R8, you may have read a cryptic remark from Audi’s board member for technical development Ulrich Hackenberg, expressing his desire to see some level of electrification in every new Audi. 

It seemed a bit outlandish, at least for the company’s short-term product lineup, but now some new information has surfaced to back it up.

It looks like Audi’s high-performance RS range could embrace electrification soonish. Speaking with Top Gear at the launch of the new RS3, Quattro GmbH Technical Director Stephan Reil discussed the work his division has been doing with hybridization as a means to enhance performance, but his remarks suggest it could be a while longer before we see an RS e-tron.

“We know that it could give us more in terms of straight line performance," Reil told Top Gear. "But it is not just about straight-line performance. 

It is about performance in the bends, how it feels as well. At the moment there are more negatives than positives."

For Reil, another big hurdle is battery weight, but the more it’s reduced, the more likely an RS hybrid becomes. "The next generation will be very interesting," Reil said when discussing current battery tech. "They are getting smaller and lighter. We don’t rule it out."

The highly complex and expensive electronic wizardry needed to make these systems work makes sense for the current crop of hypercars — Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 andPorsche 918 — but we’re still a few years away from seeing it in mainstream performance cars. 

Current rumors suggest you’ll be able buy a next-generation R8 with internal combustion or electric power, but not both.

Read More