Monaco is a name and a place synonymous with fast cars. Between the obscenely wealthy residents and high-profile races like the Monaco Grand Prix and the Monte Carlo rally, the tiny Mediterranean principality probably has more horsepower per acre than any other place on earth. The glitz and glamor has left little room for industry, however, so the high performance machinery regularly seen on the boutique and casino-strewn streets of Monte Carlo has all been imported. All those Ferraris and Aston Martins may, however, face some stiff competition soon from a homegrown enterprise launching a Monaco-made supercar of its own.
The Monte Carlo Automobile ALA 50 was unveiled by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco in celebration of his 50th birthday this past March. Not unlike Bugatti or Spyker, the new Monegasque supercar (seriously, that's what you call someone from Monaco) revives the name of the principality's first automaker, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. As expected, the chassis and bodywork (looking something like a cross between a Mosler and a GM EV-1) are constructed entirely of carbon fiber, while motivation comes from a 650hp V8 built by two F1 engine gurus. MCA hopes to campaign the car with three Monegasque drivers at Le Mans in 2010. We'll be watching.
By autoblog
Showing posts with label Supercars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Supercars. Show all posts
Monday, May 12, 2008
Brothers by Design: Alfa MiTo joins 8C for family portraits
When I was a little kid I wanted to be like my big brother. I would dress the same as him, go to the same places as him, do the same things as him... It never really worked because, at the end of the day, I never looked anything like him. So while I doubt I was the only one, I had one eyebrow raised when Alfa Romeo set out to mimic the design of its show-stoppin', range-toppin' 8C Competizione with a new entry-level model. A mass-market hatchback designed to look like an ultra-exclusive supercar? Well Alfa arguably achieved just that with the new MiTo, and to prove that point it's graced us with a whole gallery of new images of the two siblings side by side. The kid brother may look that much more junior in juxtaposition, but the resemblance is uncanny. See for yourself in the gallery by clicking the thumbnails below.
by autoblog
by autoblog
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Lamborghini Reventon #01/20 arrives at Vegas dealership
Sometimes people say the best gifts come in small packages. We beg to differ, because if someone were to deliver us the big 'ol box you see above, we'd probably think it was the best gift ever. In that box is Lamborghini Reventon number one of twenty. Apparently, it's the only example which will be sold privately via a traditional dealership -- in this case, Lamborghini of Las Vegas. The other nineteen were all spoken for before ever leaving the factory. We've attached a sampling of photos here, but to see the complete, step-by-step gallery of the car's unboxing in Sin City, you'll need to drop by Fresh Tarmac. If you're an Autoblog reader vacationing in Vegas, you know what to do if you jackpot one of those hundred-dollar slots.
By autoblog
By autoblog
Snake Skin Green Hennessey Venom 1000TT up for sale
As if 1000 horsepower, 0-60 mph in 2.25 seconds and the huge rear wing didn't attract enough attention. It just had to be in Snake Skin Green. According to Hennessey, this is the first and only Venom Twin-Turbo in this color, and it's listed for sale on HennesseyPerformance.com. It comes with the 1200-horsepower upgrade option, VenomAero body kit, KW adjustable coilover suspension, Brembo brakes, lightweight wheels, and more. The car's new owner will also be able to make Bugatti Veyron owners green with envy as they see this Viper's taillights fading into the distance. Click away in the full-res gallery below.
BONUS: Video of said Venom Viper spinning out while racing a Porsche 911 added after the jump.
By Autoblog
BONUS: Video of said Venom Viper spinning out while racing a Porsche 911 added after the jump.
By Autoblog
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Weber Sportcars "faster one" supercar ready for customers
By autoblog
Like the Millennium Falcon, the Weber Sportcars faster one may not look like much, but it sounds like it might be capable of besting the former's Kessel Run time of under 12 parsecs. Hell, after looking over the manufacturer's stats, we think that the faster one might be able to tear a gaping hole in the space/time continuum.
Billed by its Swiss maker as the world's fastest street legal sports car, the faster one's ugly-but-aerodynamic carbon fiber body covers a vehicle that weighs in at a scant 1,984 pounds (900 kg). That mass is distributed 50:50 and is propelled by a 900-horsepower/774 lb-ft twin-supercharged V8 that begins its life as a garden-variety General Motors LS7 before Weber tears it apart and rebuilds it to its own specifications. The twin-blown eight is then mated to an in-house-developed 6-speed sequential gearbox. Power is directed to an intelligent AWD system (also developed in-house) that can send a maximum of 36% of power to the front wheels.
Stated performance numbers are of the astonishing variety: 0-62 mph in 2.7 seconds; 0-124 in 6.6 seconds; 0-186 in 16.2 seconds; and a top speed said to be over 248 mph. Helping rein in the insanity is a set of 12-piston, 15-inch ceramic brakes supplemented by the car's motorized rear wing, which, like the Bugatti Veyron's, doubles as an air brake when necessary. You can get into all the minutiae after the jump where we've pasted Weber Sportcars' full press release. Weird but wicked, the Weber Sportcars faster one is just the thing to settle that pissing contest you've been having with your Veyron-driving billionaire neighbor. If you give the nice people at Weber (at least) 1.6 million Swiss francs (plus VAT), they'll build one just for you.
autoblog
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