Inside Lane
E L L
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I K i r a r r e “F
Issue 25
McLaren’s New Baby
Hello folks! Well it has been a very busy time in the motor industry these past couple of weeks. From some of the most anticipated car launches to preparation for the up and coming Geneva motor, its all been happening. This issue we can finally reveal all on McLaren始s new supercar and pitch it against a formidable foe, the Ferrari 458 Italia. Porsche also sprinkles a little bit eco-friendliness on the Panamera and much more. Go on, turn the page... You known you want to!
Think of Ferrari‌ A company full of prestige, heritage, passion and a never-ending hunger to win. At the forefront of the badge if the Ferrari racing division and most
Ferrari Bullied Into Changing F1 Car Name
prominently within that
Ferrari are poised with
their Formula One team.
their new F150 racer in
This team is the most
a bid to claim the
successful in the history of
Formula One world
the sport and one that is
championship. The car
admired the world over.
was named to celebrate
Naturally the red baron
the 150th anniversary
has made a few enemies
of Italy’s union and
over the years but none
even sports the national
more bitter than with Ford.
flag across its rear.
Now they are the very
However Fords best
reason Ferrari must
selling pick-up shares
rename their 2011 F1 car.
this name and after threatening legal action Ferrari have changed the nameplate to F150th Italia. The bad blood between these two stems from when Enzo Ferrari pulled out of a deal that would have seen Ford take ownership of the Ferrari road car division. The sale was given to Fiat instead after Mr Ferrari found that the brand would no longer be able to race in competition, and after all the sale was only being offered so Enzo could fund his F1 team.
BMW Watch Your Step!
BMW and Mercedes are two of the closest
shares 0% of the previous cars traits and
rivals in the industry. Each brand gunning
the complete redesign really does show
for the luxury sport market with each of
this. The muscular sculpture and
them mirroring a model to counter the
curvaceous rear quarter means it certainly
competition. Some clear examples of this
has the looks to rival BMW’s white knight.
would be the BMW X5 and the Mercedes
Prices start at £30,000 for the 152BHP 1.8
ML, the 7 Series and the E-Class. However
litre but engine capacity can rise further, if
Mercedes-Benz have yet to produces an
you are willing to spend more of course, to
adequate combatant to rival the might of
a 302BHP V6 block. A V8 AMG model
BMW’s 3 Series. Ok, so in 4 door form
should make an appearance at some point
there is the C-Class but as a coupe? The
this year. The interior is the same as every
old CLK was something to avoid and so
other C-Class in the range but that is no
BMW have enjoyed a period of peace for its
bad thing as luxury with a hint of
most prestigious model. But that is about to
performance characteristic is just what Dr
change…
Benz ordered. Can the C-CLass Coupe tango with the 3
Introducing the new Mercedes-Benz CClass Coupe. The brand new car has
Series? We shall just have to wait and see.
Green Machine
In a world where we are rapidly being herded towards “greener” forms of transportation, what happens if you want to retain a performance car? Would you be shot at dawn? Forced to do 20 years manual labor? The answer is a combination of these as the highly taxed machines attempt to choke the owners into submission. However all manufacturers these days must show some form of greenery in order to exist, or else they will be pushed into the sea, and so we are seeing the emergence of the eco-friendly supercar. Porsche are next to take the plunge. The German company recently announced 3 all-electric Boxster test cars last week but anything of that sort of caliber is at least a year or two away for the public. Today Porsche has launched the Panamera Hybrid, a luxury performance machine that is enough to trick the boarder guards to the road. Based on the Cayenne’s powertrain, the 3.0 litre V6 still produces 330BHP but it is also mated to an electric motor meaning 44BHP of that grand some is clean. 0-62MPH arrives in 6 seconds and the top speed of 168MPH is more than enough to please those looking for a tower of power yet maintaining some green credentials. £86,146 is what it will take to net a Panamera S Hybrid.
“STEP BACK...”
“Or I’ll Eat Your Face!”
The muscle car clashes in America were just as hotly contested as the European hot-hatch wars of the 90’s. Each attempt to outdo competitors simply resulted in a cycle of ever leaner, meaner incarnations. In the US it was all about the Mustang, the Challenger and the Camero. Power was the ruling of the day and roadracing was all the pedigree these titans needed. With Ford cranking the Mustang up to 12 lately Chevrolet thought now was a good time to retaliate by reintroducing one of their most fabled nameplates‌ The ZL1.
The original car of 1969 was a successful racing car and only 69 were ever produced, so this car has to further the ZL1 reputation or end up soiling the name forever. How does a 6.2 litre V8 with 550BHP and 550lb-ft of torque sound? Yeah, we got a bit excited too! Breaking the stereotype this muscle car has been engineered not only for the quarter mile but also when the road gets twisty. Brembo breaks and magnetic ride control may be technology of the 21st century but just like its predecessor this ZL1 is all about putting its competition back in its place. The new angry styling is an ample warning to all about the beast that lays beneath.
French Connection
Bonjour, ca va? Vengeance? Oh oui! Be it in Peugeots mother tongue or just plain english the French company are after just one thing this year‌ Revenge! Last year the team were set for a potential 1-2-3 finish at the legendary Le Mans 24 hour, but lady luck was not on their side. One by one the cars choked to death from mechanical failure and by the morning Audi dominated the top step. This didn’t please the French team one bit and so this year their all-new car is out to gain what should have been theirs last year. The Peugeot 908 HDi FAP may share the name of its predecessor but let it be known that it is for nostalgic reasons and not because it is a modified remnant of last year. It has a new 3.7 litre V8 diesel as well as revised aerodynamics but retains the same successful driver line-up as last year. Obviously reliability has been worked upon and they hope this year the title of the most prestigious race will again go to them.
It Lives!
Recently the legendary Lancia Stratos had new life breathed into it in the form of a modern day incarnation. Originally a concept but brought to life by a privateer the new Stratos maintains the very same ethos as its forefather. Ferrari power, short wheelbase and performance to match any other supercar is all standard; and now the popularity of this one-off has earned it a limited production run.
The car is based upon a Ferrari F430 but has been modified to the point where it simply uses the Italian supercar as a donor for parts. The 4.3 litre V8 packed with 540 BHP will get this blast from the past from 0-62MPH in just 3.3 seconds. Many motoring journals have credited the little car on just how well it handles with even Ferrari’s Chairman expressing his admiration. More than 40 customers have ben confirmed as interested in purchasing an example and so the cars production begins. The only real snag is that it will cost them just shy of £500,000.
McLaren
MP4-12c
“First They Came To Break Records... Now They Are Here To Break Ferrari”
It is easily one of the most anticipated cars of 2011. Every motoring journal is climbing over each other to get the keys to McLaren’s first new road car for 18 years. The MP4-12c is set to do battle with many supercars in the coming months but none more so than the Ferrari 458 Italia. The McLaren/Ferrari battles of F1 will explode onto the road forming some very exciting comparisons. We received the official technical data for the McLaren a few days ago but thanks to a very strict embargo we could only tell you today. However it was worth the wait to hear some of these numbers.
McLaren MP4-12c Performance Data: Engine: 592BHP V8 twin-turbo. 600Nm of torque. Weight: 1301KG Efficiency: 24.2 MPG Speed: 205MPH Acceleration: 0-62MPH 3.3 seconds (3.1 seconds with Corsa option) 1/4 Mile: 10.9 seconds Breaking: 62MPH-0MPH= 100ft, 124MPH-0MPH= 403ft. Transmission: 7 speed SSG with Pre-Cog Body structure: Carbon fibre MonoCell with aluminum front and rear frame. Active aerodynamics: McLaren Airbrake