Kim Ha Yul Korean Girl

Name: Kim Ha Yul Nationality: Korean Birthday: 18 October, 1986 Profession: Model/Race Queen Height: 168cm Weight: 48kg

Audi R8 Supercar V8 FSI tang with 420 hp power the model.

Launched first exhibition in Paris in 2006, the new R8 is the first in 2007 on the market. The width of the R8 is 1900 mm, much larger than other vehicles but the overall length of only modest height of 4430 mm and 1250 mm.

Hot Girl Sam

Singer:Sam (Hot girl) Full name:Nguyen Tra my Birthday : 1990

Hong Kong Hot Girl

Beautiful Hong Kong Girls.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Lexus planning new small hybrid crossover based on the CT 200h, 300h called CX



It seems that Lexus aims to boost its sales and the only solution would be to introduce new models. Due to the fact that consumers need smaller models, an ideal would be a little crossover, based on the popular CT 200h. The idea is not new to us, as in July, we reported that Toyota plans to launch six new hybrids and one of them would be a new Lexus 300h called CX, which will hit showrooms by the end of 2012.

The new crossover will look like a small RX and will make cars like the Audi Q3, BMW X1 or Infiniti EX. Few sources have confirmed that the new car will use a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with Hybrid Synergy Drive used in the Camry Hybrid and the success HS 250h dedicated hybrid sedan.

According to the magazine Auto Motor und Sport of Germany, the small crossover will be designed for the European market, but that does not mean it will not be available in the United States. A hybrid cross would be less perfect complement to the Lexus RX line composed of 45 percent of sales from the U.S. firm has so far this year.

BMW to launch the Mini for Indian markets



The Germany based BMW recently announced that they will be releasing the luxury car Mini in India in 2012. The small car will be optimized for the Indian market and will feature many interesting accessories.

Andreas Schaaf, president of BMW India, said they plan to develop the brand image of the Mini before its release next year. He also said they will introduce a dealer in Bombay, and two others in the region of Delhi. They also plan to open up to four dealers in 2013 and three more will be added in 2014.

Since the Mini is supposed to be a luxury car, it will be targeting customers top class in India. BMW said that the Mini will probably cost more than 25 INR lakh. The car was intended to be released by BMW in 2009 but the project was postponed for reasons of viability due.

The Mini brand has several models like the coupe, convertible, sedan, compatriot and Clubman. BMW will not release all the alternatives and, instead of introducing selective models only suitable for Indian automobile market.

The premium brand in India over car BMW hopes to increase its activities in the Indian region and aims to sell about 70,000 units per year by 2020. BMW currently manufactures 3 series and 5 series models in India and 7 series cars are assembled from imported kits. High quality car Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are currently the most formidable competitors for BMW that can threaten its share in the Indian markets.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Hyundai's Sub-i10 Maruti 800 Rival to be Called "Eon": India

Hyundai is ready to roll out a small car in India that sits below the i10. Called Eon, the affordable five-door hatch will be Hyundai’s weapon against India’s best seller, the Maruti 800 as well as high spec versions of the Tata Nano.

These sketches show that although the Hyundai Eon will be a bargain basement model, design is still very much on the agenda. We can see the company’s Fluidic Sculpture design in full play here – familiar cues include Hyundai’s hexagon grille, long headlamps and wavy surfacing on the profile.

The rear end is also unmistakably Hyundai with those long vertical lamps. With such sophisticated design, this is a cheap car that doesn’t look cheap.

The same goes for the interior, which is dual toned and equally curvy. The design, which directs one’s eyes to the centre console, is also in line with Hyundai’s latest products.

Reports from India are speculating that the Eon, codenamed HA, sits on a new platform that’s not shared with the i10. Apparently, it will be powered by a 814 cc SOHC 3-cylinder petrol engine with 56 PS and 75 Nm. The speculated ex-showroom price is 2.5 to 3 lakh rupees.

[Source: Hyundai]

Hyundai Veloster U.S. Deliveries Begin



Hyundai announced today that deliveries of the Veloster have finally initiated in America. Today, Daniel Jenkins took delivery of the first 2012 Veloster sold in the United States, becoming the first buyer of the innovative three-door coupe.

The car was delivered to Jenkins at Henderson Hyundai in Henderson, Nevada right after it rolled off of the truck.

[Source: Hyundai Like Sunday]

Kia to Add Third Shift at Zilina Plant


production shift will be introduced at Kia's European production facility in Slovakia, recruiting 1000 new employees in order to keep up with rising demand. Recruitment will be completed by December 2011, allowing three-shift operations at Zilina in the first quarter of 2012.

"The creation of the third shift at Zilina is the latest step in Kia’s long-term process of building cars locally to best meet local consumers' needs and tastes," commented Paul Philpott, Chief Operating Officer, Kia Motors Europe. "Strong demand for all our models and especially our new Sportage compact SUV, made here in Europe, means we need to significantly increase production at our Slovakia facility."

The Zilina plant represents an investment of over 1 billion Euro and is designed for maximum flexibility in order to accommodate new models and respond to market trend fluctuations. The Kia Sportage, Venga MPV and cee'd family can be manufactured simultaneously on each of the final assembly lines.

Kia manufactured over 729,000 vehicles outside Korea last year, with production in Europe, China and the USA accounting for 2.1 million units, 34.2 per cent of the global total. Sales have risen 18.7 per cent in Europe this year, 24.4 per cent in China and 36.9 per cent in the USA. The increased US demand prompted a third shift at Kia's West Point, Georgia plant, building the Kia Sorento and Optima.

In Zilina, the 1000 jobs will cover all stages of the manufacturing process, mainly requiring skilled candidates with a technical background. It is expected that several thousand new jobs will be created at component suppliers across the Slovak Republic as a result.

[Source: Kia]

Thursday, November 10, 2011

MORE IMAGES OF KIA'S GT CONCEPT: FRANKFURT 2011



Apparently, the release of the first official batch of photos of Kia's Frankfurt Motor Show-bound concept car couldn't keep the floodgates from opening as today, a fresh group of pictures were posted online. 


Aside from providing us with a better view of the exterior and a first look at the interior design, the new images also reveal that Kia's so-called four-door coupe concept is aptly named GT. 


While Kia is keeping most details under cover, the South Korean car manufacturer has disclosed that the concept motivated by a 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 delivering a little under 400-horsepower and close to 400 lb-ft of torque, with power channeled to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.


Stay tuned for more details as they become available next week.








Friday, November 4, 2011

2012 Volkswagen Beetle at the 2011 New York Auto Show Car picture and review

2012beetle

  • Competes with: Mini Cooper, Fiat 500
  • Looks like: The last New Beetle, but newer
  • Drivetrain: 170 hp, 2.5-liter five-cylinder with five-speed manual or six-speed automatic; 200-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 140-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel engine, both with six-speed dual-clutch transmissions.
  • Hits dealerships: September/October 2011
It’s difficult to redesign a car based on a classic. That’s probably why it’s taken Volkswagen more than a decade to update the New Beetle. The 2012 Beetle is new from the ground up, but it’s plain to see the design is evolutionary, with the trademark fender bulges and bug-eyed headlights still intact.
The interior gets a full overhaul as well. Unlike the outgoing Beetle, there doesn’t seem to be as much whimsy inside, with a more familiar resemblance to other recent VWs like the new Jetta and Passat.
Under the hood, U.S. drivers will get three engine options, which is again similar to the new Jetta lineup. There’s the base 2.5-liter five-cylinder with 170 horsepower and 22/31 mpg city/highway with a five-speed manual and 22/29 mpg with a six-speed automatic.
A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder puts out 200 hp and get 30 mpg on the highway. That will be the sporty option.
The engine that will likely generate the most interest will be the 140-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel engine that makes 236 pounds-feet of torque. However, diesel fans will be surprised that this engine gets 29/40 mpg and 33 mpg combined in the 2012 Beetle, which is less than the Jetta TDI’s 30/42 mpg.
Still, the Beetle is more about style and history than topping the performance or fuel-economy spec sheets. To determine if it wins in that regard, look at all the pictures below or see it in person. We’ll have a firsthand report on the 2012 Beetle later today. Our New York International Auto Show coverage continues all week.

Kia GT Concept - Review And News



Here’s a change of pace: a Kia sedan whose shape doesn’t remind us at all of any Hyundai product. This four-seat concept, introduced at the Frankfurt auto show, hints at the expected rear-wheel-drive sports sedan from Kia—which would be a first for the brand. It’s looking like a pretty sure thing, while also looking pretty darn good and unlike anything we’ve seen yet from Korea.
Although the production intent is there—we’ve heard from more than one Kia official that this car is in the works—the concept version sticks to the industry standard of auto-show dress-up. For instance, given that copper is currently trading higher than aluminum, we expect the metallic detail that encircles the front quarter-window and sweeps back along the roofline to be rendered in another material come production time. The same goes for the copper-finished brake calipers. The floating, one-piece seats will be replaced with adjustable, crash-ready units, and the side-view cameras swapped for old-fashioned mirrors. Something we haven’t seen before, but which is equally unlikely for production, is the metallic-treated leather. It’s supposed to become buffed and develop patina over time. A permanently visible ass groove is one way to make a car uniquely yours.
Looks like Other Cars, Just Not Korean Ones
Ignore the carbon-fiber wheel fins and sills, the glass-panel OLED interior controls, and the suicide doors, and you still end up with an attractive and eye-catching design. Kia design chief Peter Schreyer has gone on record saying he wants to build more interesting and fun-to-drive cars, and this is one about which he’s clearly excited. The GT’s silhouette reminds somewhat of the Porsche Panamera and Audi A7, which is no bad thing. At least when it comes to styling, where it has in the past diverged most from its Hyundai sibling, Kia seems to be heading in the right direction.




New vehicle platforms being the expensive, engineering-intensive undertakings that they are, we fully expect the production version of this concept to ride on underpinnings shared with Hyundai. Kia even supplied dimensions for the GT (more evidence of an imminent if not already lit green light), quoting a wheelbase of 112.6 inches, which is three inches shy of the Hyundai Genesis sedan’s and 1.6 greater than the Genesis Coupe’s. In other words, it’s doable with the company’s current rear-drive parts.
A Turbo Six This Way Comes
The GT does make use of a new engine, one which we expect to see in the near future powering the production version of the GT concept, as well as other Hyundai/Kia products. It’s a turbocharged version of the direct-injected 3.3-liter V-6 engine the conglomerate sells in other markets. In this application, it’s tied to the new eight-speed automatic seen in theGenesis and Equus, and delivers 390 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. The engine makes sense as the downsized replacement for the Koreans’ current 4.6-liter V-8. When the GT—or some semblance thereof—goes into production, either a turbocharged four-cylinder or a naturally aspirated V-6 will likely power the base model.
Even if it does borrow from the Genesis, a production version of the GT is promised to be much more sport-oriented than Hyundai’s luxury sedan, more like (or a more successful version of) what the new Genesis R-spec sedan is trying to be. For now, we can say with confidence that a rear-drive Kia sedan is coming and will look a lot like the GT concept. As Peter Schreyer said in his closing remarks at the car’s Frankfurt debut, “It may be a dream now, but sometimes dreams come true.” Such openness and honesty about a concept car’s future is yet another refreshing change of pace.

2012 White Chrysler 300C SRT8 Official Photos -Picture and Info



Although this cat already escaped the bag a few weeks ago when our spy photographers nabbed some clear pictures of an unmasked 2012 Chrysler 300C SRT8, we still felt giddy as we sorted through the official details. Indeed, the particulars have us looking forward to overwriting fond memories of the last-gen car—an office favorite for its antics-inspiring 425-hp, 6.1-liter Hemi V-8—with ones created behind the wheel of the even burlier new model.
The Muscle
We’ll cut right to the meat and potatoes. As expected, the new SRT8 is packing a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 engine, producing an “estimated 465 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque.” If those numbers hold up, they represent increases of 40 hp and 45 lb-ft over the outgoing model. The same five-speed automatic transmission is the only gearbox, but as in the 2012 Charger STR8, paddle shifters will live behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel. The wheel, Chrysler says, manipulates a livelier rack than before. The company expects 60 mph to arrive in the high four-second range and the quarter-mile to take just under 13 seconds. Although the new version will be heavier, we don’t see those times being difficult to achieve, as the last car hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and the quarter in 13.2 in our testing. A screen in the IP includes a function to keep tabs on your personal 0-to-60-mph times, maximum lateral acceleration, and quarter-mile times, among other numerical bragging points.
Along with, highway fuel economy is also projected to increase—this by an estimated 25 percent. To that end, the 6.4-liter gets cylinder deactivation, and an active exhaust system allows it to work over a wider rpm range. The engine and exhaust also are said to have a throatier voice, which is most excellent: SRT had a virtuoso as a base point of comparison (listen to the old SRT8 here). 





A bit stiff riding at times, the old model should be trumped by the 2012 and its Adaptive Damping Suspension (ADS). Using variables that include vehicle speed, steering angle, steering speed, throttle position, and lateral force, the suspension automatically adjusts to road conditions and driving style. It offers a choice between Auto and Sport modes, with the latter giving the driver full control of shifting duties. The braking system carries over but cooling is likely to improve from a new belly pan with integrated brake ducting. New motor mounts will attempt to do away with the fun but admittedly un-luxurious muscle-car shake at idle. 
The Luxury
Those seeking the luxury angle of the 300C SRT8 will find the updated interior from the regular 2011 300C a welcome change. Adding to the base car’s vastly improved materials, the SRT8 gets real carbon-fiber trim along with the aforementioned unique steering wheel. Like the normal 300, the center stack also features the 8.4-inch touch-screen display, but here it comes with standard navigation and can control an optional and monstrous 900-watt, 19-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo. Additional luxury can be had from the Premium Leather Interior package, which stretches so-called “Foligno” leather over the door uppers, the instrument panel, the cluster hood, and the sides of the center console. Nappa leather then takes over to finish the doors, armrest, and center armrests. It’s a far cry from the hard plastics of the recent past. 
The Looks
Backing up the underhood muscle are the new front and rear fascias, side skirts, dual four-inch (!) softball-shooter exhaust tips, and unique 20-inch wheels. The kit adds definite visual spice to the already-zesty look of the 300, but you can go one step further: A new Black Chrome package swaps in upper and lower grille surrounds, a rear valance strip, and wheels rendered in the dark shiny stuff. 
The SRT8 hits dealers in the third quarter of this year. We’ll take ours in all black with all the black chrome you’ve got.


2012 Gray Chrysler 300S V6 8-Speed Automatic Photo and Info


It should come as no surprise that our power preference in the brawny Chrysler 300 sedan has been the equally brawny Hemi V-8. Sorting commuter traffic in a big sedan requires power, a commodity abundant in Chrysler’s Hemis and scarce in the first-gen 300’s V-6s. 
But six-cylinder thrift became a lot more desirable with the model’s comprehensive 2011 overhaul, which included an upgrade to a more powerful, 3.6-liter engine. The 3.6 makes 292 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, 42 more ponies and 10 more lb-ft than were produced by the old car’s 3.5-liter V-6. (The first 300 was also offered with a woefully inadequate 178-horse 2.7-liter.) Now 2012 brings the addition of a new ZF eight-speed automatic in place of the previous five-speed for Limited and S V-6 models (the five-cogger carries over in base 300s for now).
Spreading the Load
Eight forward speeds keep the engine closer to its power-band sweet spot, improving both mph and mpg. Paddle shifters are the only way to actuate shifts manually. They add a sporty touch, although sporty is not a word that comes immediately to mind with this luxurious and massive sedan. In any case, although the transmission is eager to get into top gear, it’s sensitive to even subtle pressure on the throttle. 



We can’t say we’re fans of the console-mounted shifter, which appears to have been swiped wholly intact from the Audi A8, which also uses the ZF eight-speed. It’s an electronic selector with lightly defined detents among its four options, and here, as in the Audi, gear selection requires more precision—especially when trying to find reverse—than in most other electronic shifters. 
We didn’t test a 300 with the new engine and the old five-speed auto. But the new combination slices a hefty chunk off the time of the 3.5-liter, four-speed duo we clocked for a comparison test in 2005. The 2005 V-6 hit 60 mph in 7.3 seconds; the 300S does it in 6.6. Making that sprint disparity more impressive is the fact that this 300S outweighs the earlier car by 391 pounds, coming in at 4162. That’s a lot of additional mass. We did test a 2011 Charger with the new V-6 and five-speed, and that 4113-pound car hit 60 mph in 7.2 seconds.




Even so, the 2012 model picks up 6 mpg in the EPA highway rating—31 versus 25—over the old 3.5-liter with rear-wheel drive. We recorded 20 mpg in this test, one more than the city rating and with a barely broken-in engine: This 300S showed just 218 miles on its odometer when it arrived. (Head here for a full rundown on S-model features. Pertinent impressions based on this experience: They make the car look sinister, and the Beats by Dr. Dre audio system sounded pretty damn good.)
Sweeter All Around
Other elements of the V-6 300 are as described in our other reviews of the new-gen car—a more sophisticated exterior, a more refined interior, quiet operation—only now augmented by the seamless eight-speed auto.
Bottom line: The 300 Limited V-6 starts at $32,995, the S, at $33,995. Hemi power starts with the $38,995 300C. So choosing the smaller engine has, yes, positive repercussions on your bank account, but the new transmission means even more positivity in the driving experience, too.View Photo Gallery.

2013 Blue Dodge Viper


What it is: A two-seat super–sports car left for dead in the wake of Chrysler’s stay in Chapter 11 purgatory, exhumed by Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne. Styling is expected to echo elements of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and Zagato’s Alfa Romeo TZ3 concept car. Dealers got to see a design study in September, but it remains shrouded in secrecy. Ralph Gilles, VP of design at Chrysler and CEO of the Dodge division, recently told an industry conference that the styling of the next Viper was inspired by a “naked woman on the beach.” This could be very, very good or—depending on which naked woman served as inspiration—less so. 
Why it matters: C’mon—it’s a new Dodge Viper. Although actual Ferrari hardware is unlikely, the new Viper will have the benefit of Ferrari engineering and development. 
Platform: Front-engine, rear-drive, extensive use of lightweight materials. Beyond that, who knows? 
Powertrain: Speculation raises several possibilities, but the most frequent—and most likely—is a revised version of the 8.4-liter V-10 equipped with Fiat’s Multiair variable intake-valve timing system. Output could be as high as 700 horsepower if Chrysler/Fiat decides to challenge the ZR1 Corvette. If that’s the case, a more modestly priced version may be offered with Chrysler’s 6.4 Hemi V-8. The Viper likely will keep its six-speed manual gearbox. 
Competition: Aston Martin V-8 Vantage, Audi R8, Chevrolet Corvette Z06/ZR1, Porsche 911 Turbo. 
What might go wrong: Although a styling prototype exists, Marchionne and his Fiat cohorts may  yet decide that the Viper business case is untenable.

2012 Silver Dodge Charger SRT8 Official Photos and Info



The Dodge Charger SRT8 is back. 
Scheduled to go on sale later this year, the 2012 Charger SRT8 adopts the 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 that first debuted in the Challenger SRT8 392, here making an estimated 465 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. Those numbers are 5 down from the Challenger in each category, but, uh, who cares? The previous Charger SRT8 had “just” 425 hp and 420 lb-ft from its 6.1-liter V-8. 
The new Hemi’s intake features active air flaps that vary the ram length based on engine speed, and new variable cam timing increases the duration of the intake-valve opening with the goal of stuffing more air in the cylinder. Fuel economy, for what it’s worth, will be improved over that of the outgoing engine, although no figures have been revealed yet. 
We clocked the old SRT8 from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, and that’s about where Chrysler pegs this new car’s abilities (in addition to a stated top speed of 175 mph). But we think it will be a little quicker than that: We estimate the car will cover a 0-to-60-mph sprint in 4.6 seconds, reach 100 mph in 11.0 seconds, and blast through the quarter-mile in 13 flat. Not bad for a four-door sedan that should weigh somewhere around 4350 pounds. 
The rest of the SRT8 story may not be as mouth-watering as the engine, but it’s still pretty juicy. The five-speed automatic carries over from the last car, but this time it’s equipped with steering-wheel-mounted paddles to augment the side-to-side manumatic function of the gear selector. 
The chassis has received plenty of attention, too, with a new pump for the hydraulic steering that Dodge says increases feel, as well as a standard two-mode adaptive suspension. The suspension interprets data such as steering angle and speed, vehicle speed, throttle position, and lateral acceleration to automatically vary shock stiffness. Besides the automatic setting, the driver can also select a Sport mode. Deceleration is handled by four-piston Brembo calipers, squeezing 14.2-inch front and 13.8-inch rear rotors. The brakes also incorporate a collision-anticipation function that tucks the pads snug against the rotors in anticipation of hot car-on-car (or car-on-object) action. A new underbody shield integrates brake ducting to mitigate brake fade. 




Looking Pretty Good, Inside and Out 
The aggressive new front end incorporates a blacked-out grille and center section, while the Hemi’s hat—the hood—is reshaped with a power bulge, air-exhaust vent, and 6.4-liter badging. There are new side sills, and the rear gets restyled, too, with the new fascia sandwiched by a spoiler up top and robust four-inch exhaust tips below. The fancy-pants, split-spoke 20-inch wheels are forged of aluminum. We think the car looks pretty damn good, and all the angry add-ons work well with the deep body-side scallop, which looks a bit overwrought on lesser Chargers. 
The cabin gets its own touches, of course, most notably the flat-bottomed steering wheel—an SRT exclusive piece—and special trim for the IP and shifter surround. The seats, as before, have suede inserts and are aggressively bolstered, but this time around they’re heated and cooled as standard. Rear passengers, while they may not be able to see much out the gun-slit glass, will at least have toasty butts: they get seat heaters, too.




The Car Black Un-Ferrari: Shaking Down the P4/5 Competizione



lt's a haunting sound—the shriek in the distance of a brand-new prototype race car, alone on a deserted test track in the dead of winter. Muffled behind a rise in the land, the four-cam, 4.0-liter Ferrari V-8 blares. With each finger-snap shift of the sequential gearbox, the engine barks, raw gas detonating like rocket fuel in its blast-furnace-hot exhaust plenum. The sharp reports echo around us like gunfire.

It's early February at Vallelunga, a circuit 40 minutes north of Rome. We're here to witness one of this race weapon's many test sessions. The air is clear, brittle. Hatchet chops of 40-degree wind whack at our faces, the chill soaking in like cold whitewater at a midwinter surfing break.

Suddenly, the machine—the P4/5 Competizione—streaks into view, satin-black, lunging like a bad dog. Jim Glickenhaus, the car's owner, beams. "He's really on it now!" Glickenhaus's smile is sturdy, delighted to underwrite the appalling expense of creating this new car. Yet there is a boyish quality in the smile, too. As a young man, he adored the menacing Ferrari 330P4s and Ford Mark IVs of the Sixties, spiritual progenitors of the P4/5 Competizione. Today, he owns a roadworthy example of each of those immortals. Unthinkably, he drives the priceless yellow former Bruce McLaren/Mark Donohue Ford Mark IV and the only existing Ferrari P3/4 on New York public roads. 

With the P4/5C, Glickenhaus means to relive the purity of racing in the mid-Sixties. In those days, a Le Mans entry wasn't allowed to carry sponsor stickers; the simple beauty of the race cars did the advertising. Fittingly, the black-and-white P4/5C sponsor stickers are miniatures aligned beneath the doors. He wants the car to be "free to be beautiful."

The P4/5 Competizione dives into the infield hairpin in front of us. Unpainted, its black corduroy carbon-fiber skin glints in the sun. It has about it a fierce modernity. But blink for an instant, and you'll see the specter of a 1967 Ferrari P4 racing across the legendary biographies of Gurney and Foyt, of Parkes and Scarfiotti. 

FROM (RECENT) PAST TO PRESENT
The P4/5C was conceived to win one race: the demonically difficult 24 Hours of the Nürburgring this June, where it will be driven by a four-man team that includes the great Finnish former F1 driver Mika Salo. The car was designed under engineer and project manager Paolo Garella—late of Pininfarina—in four months, from June to September 2010. Taking full advantage of the latest computational fluid dynamics software, the car was conceptualized and fine-tuned in digital space, eliminating the time and huge expense of testing a prototype in the wind tunnel. It is, of course, an evolution of Glickenhaus's Enzo-based Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina road car that made its debut in 2006 (Garella held the reins on that project, too). The 2006 P4/5 was conceived as a modern homage to his Ferrari P3/4; today's P4/5C takes this homage one rung higher on the same ladder.

The Competizione is so thoroughly convincing that the aggressive Italian racing magazineAutosprint put the P4/5C on its February cover, identifying it, alongside the 2011 Ferrari F1 car, as one of Maranello's racing weapons for this season. Autosprint couldn't believe the car wasn't covertly executed by the factory. 

It was not. The car is 100-percent Glickenhaus's, splitter to Gurney flap. He hired the respected L.M. Gianetti organization and telemetry mavens N.Technology (the two entities teamed up under the name ProTo) to develop the car. Ferrari was annoyed at the confusion but ultimately shut its gums. The P4/5C offers no direct competition to the F430 GTC, Ferrari's GT2-class entry, and will race in the E1-XP2 class (astutely provided by the FIA for wild cards like this one), although it easily could win spectators' hearts with its speed and winsome looks. The fan vote is one competition Ferrari is accustomed to winning, so we could see the prancing horse getting its mane into a twist once more.

As a concession to law and order, however, the P4/5C was designed from the beginning to abide strictly by GT2 rules, even though it won't be homologated per class regs. You'll note that "Ferrari" doesn't appear in the P4/5C's official name, despite the fact that it draws much of its chassis and drivetrain from a Ferrari 430 Scuderia. Initially, the designers planned on using a decade-old Ferrari 333SP chassis and engine as the basis of the P4/5C. But when the team learned that the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring rules allowed neither a carbon-fiber chassis nor the 333SP engine, the donor Scuderia was purchased and its running gear upgraded to full GT2 F430 GTC status (this explains the engine's smaller displacement).

The car carries a GT2 intake restrictor plate, limiting it to 450 hp at 6900 rpm compared with the stock F430's 483 hp at 8500 rpm. (The drivers we spoke with, however, unanimously agreed that the P4/5C positively begs for 200 more hp.) It also will carry a lump of ballast to bring it up to the 2712-pound (1230-kg) GT2 minimum weight. On the plus side, this ballast can be strategically located in the feather-light car to give it better weight distribution. Before being tested, its weight distribution was 40/60 percent, front to rear. At Vallelunga, placing the ballast forward helped the balance, but finding enough front-end downforce proved challenging. 

Mounting the P4/5C bodywork to the Scuderia chassis required some fabrication. There was concern that the P4/5C body, closely modeled on the 2006 P4/5 road car, would not fit low enough to look right. The problem was finessed, however, and the P4/5C skin slipped on at the ideal elevation. The P4/5C's sleek shape and narrow Ferrari P4–style greenhouse compensate for its weight and horsepower penalties by providing ample airflow to the GT2-spec rear wing, which generates excellent rear downforce and low drag. Salo told us the rear downforce was so great that traction control is probably unnecessary, and we would think the low power figure and racing tires also help in that regard.

2012 Car Red 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider



As the auto industry gears up for the 2011 Frankfurt auto show, Ferrari has released the first official photos of the 2012 458 Spider, the roofless iteration of the mid-engine 458 Italia. Other than losing its lid and gaining some structural enhancements, the 458 Spider will be largely identical to its coupe counterpart.
Hooray for More V-8 Wail
Besides shaving the 458’s head, Ferrari altered the car’s throttle mapping, suspension tuning, and “engine soundtrack” specifically for topless motoring. The task of dialing in the sound of the 458’s tightly wound 4.5-liter V-8 for droptop duty seems to us like a two-step process. Step one: Remove roof. Step two: Rev engine. Regardless, the Spider’s soundtrack should be hugely satisfying, produced as it is by the same sonorous 562-hp engine as is used in the 458 Italia. That power is routed through the same seven-speed dual-clutch automatic as is used in the coupe to the same torque-vectoring differential. The 458 Spider also inherits the coupe’s F1-Trac traction-control and performance anti-lock-brake system.





Ferrari claims the Spider will run to 62 mph from a standstill in less than 3.5 seconds before romping on to a top speed in excess of 198 mph. In a recent comparison test, we kicked a 458 Italia to 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds, so the Spider’s figure is probably a bit conservative.
Now You See Me, Now You Don’t
Ferrari’s photos—and a video below—put to rest any doubt as to the style of folding roof the 458 Spider will use. The car’s mid-engine layout makes a folding roof of any kind difficult to integrate, and after seeing the leaked photos of the car we guessed that only a relatively space-efficient soft top would fit beneath its low-slung tonneau cover. Ferrari, however, cleverly adapted its rotating-roof concept from the 575-based Superamerica to the 458 Spider. 
The 458 Spider’s roof is a bit more complicated than the Superamerica’s rotating lid, and it hides under a double-hump rear deck when stowed (the Superamerica’s roof laid itself on top of the rear deck). Ferrari claims this solution is 55 pounds lighter than a soft top and takes up less space. The roof can fold itself down into a space ahead of the engine bay in 14 seconds, and the independently operable rear window doubles as a wind blocker. Ferrari believes the rear window to be so effective that occupants can converse normally at speeds above 124 mph. The roof mechanism is compact enough that Ferrari was able to keep a parcel shelf behind the rear seats. 
To help combat flex, Ferrari did beef up the 458’s chassis to ensure structural rigidity top up or down, but isn’t sharing exactly what it strengthened. The company does, however, claim that the Spider will only outweigh the fixed-roof 458 by about 100 pounds. The 458 Spider will be on display in Frankfurt in September, and a good part of the production run is likely already spoken for. View Photo Gallery