Inside Lane Magazine Issue 27 "Summer 2011"

Inside Lane

“We Name Our Perfect Companion For Summer 2011.”

Issue 27

Summer Is In The City

Here we are at last! The sun is in the sky over dear old England giving its residents a break from seemingly relentless rain. This presents the perfect opportunity to sample some alfresco motoring and so we go in search of our 2011 summer conveyance.

Also news from both the track and the road for your reading pleasure.

Lets go, we始re burning daylight just talking here...

sk

-Du l l i T n

Daw

Audi for years consecutively ruled

The Audi R18 TDI is a big change

the most prestigious motorsport

from the previous alfresco endurance

event in history. The Le Mans 24

racers they produced. The 3.7 litre

Hour test man and machine to it’s

V6 diesel has just finished testing

limits and the Germans were on quite

over in the states and baring a

the role until 2009 where the

complete diagnostic is ready for the

Peugeot team stole their crown. The

main event. This year will be a titanic

French racers were set to do it again

battle between the French and the

in 2010 until their cars spectacularly

Germans both bringing all new cars

dropped out one-by-one leaving the

and a hunger for victory. The R18

gates open for some Audi revenge.

has already proven itself to be faster

This year Audi are leaving nothing to

and more efficient than its

chance and hope to dominate

predecessor, two traits that bode well

without the help of lady luck thanks

for an endurance event.

to their new R18.

“The Environment Won’t Know What’s Hit It!”

If the world wants me to drive an

core purpose of being a performance machine.

environmentally caring car it must do two

This gorgeous piece of engineering is limited to

things. Firstly it must not leave me in any form

just 918 examples at the cost of £672,000

of detriment when compared to a standard car.

each. What you get in return for that vast sum

Performance for example is often surrendered

is not just Porsche’s new performance flagship

in favor for more MPG’s or the finished product

but a step into the future of supercars. Its V8

is dulled down to save weight .etc It should

combustion heart is coupled with two electric

behave just like every other car on the road!

motors producing a total BHP reading of

Secondly I would like to see this technology

around 715. 0-62MPH is completed in 3.2

bring more than just better economy to the

seconds and the top speed is said to be over

drive. There are so manny innovative

199MPH. Considering that the car will return

applications for things such as KERS that are

94MPG there is just nothing else quite like it.

only now being taken advantage of. Porsche hit the nail on the head with the 918 Spyder

Production begins 18th September 2013 and

Concept last year and today that very goes on

Porsche are saying that the cars will be

sale.

delivered in the order of who purchases first.

So if you want to be top of the list we suggest

The 918 is a Hybrid. It has all of the ecofriendly tech green peace want in every car but the key difference is that it doesn’t invalidate its

you give your local Porsche dealer a call now.

Lady In Red...

T G m o n Ve Speed is something man has craved since he has been able to walk. It’s a competitive edge that once was a guaranteed meal ticket and gauge for dominance. Today we have supermarkets and no need to chase deer on foot but that craving for blistering acceleration and colossal overall speed is still there. That’s why cars such as the Bugatti Veyron exist, to quench our thirst for dominance. But what if you don’t have a spare million? How do you get would 250MPH+ kicks then?

We reported on the Hennessey Venom GT last year and were absolutely blown away by some of the figures it produced. 267MPH, 0-60MPH in 2.5 seconds, but more importantly a price well under current hypercars. Ok, so at the end of the day it is a highly modified Lotus Exige and so could never hope to be as complete as a Veyron but “bangs for your bucks” is the name of the game… Hennessey have just released images of chassis 3 in a voluptuous red.

Power To The People!

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Saved

The Lancer Evolution, or Evo as it has fondly become known as, is the alternative to the Subaru Impreza. Think fire and ice, red VS blue, religion against science… The Evo is a legend and in its tenth incarnation it is better than ever, the FQ400 being a particular masterpiece. However the cars very existence came under threat when Mitsubishi announce it was to kill off the Evo in favor of a much more “green” model line-up.

Now just weeks after the announcement the Japanese company have made a dramatic Uturn. Due to immense public disproval from fans and Evo loyalists alike the car is to remain in production. This is the right choice as without this car the brand would not be as renowned as it is today.

They promise to “evolve” the car, into what we are not too sure thought rumors of a hybrid Lancer Evolution have been about for some time.

Also Mitsubishi has decided to drop prices of the fabled car in the UK to a very reasonable £29,699.

Watch Out!

Watch Out!

M3 Killer About!

We rather like Mercedes-Benz new C-Class

but also the brilliant Audi RS5 this car has to

Coupe. It still holds a high status demeanor but

have the sheer performance to take on its

with its bold curves really does stand out in

fellow Germans. Lucky for the three pointed

terms of design. The car is to take on the likes

star it does in a very big way. The 6.2 litre V8

of the 3 Series, no easy task, but Mercedes

gives the driver 451BHP under their right foot

feel that this machine has what it takes.

with the capability of doing 0-62MPH in just 4.5

However the arch rival has a weapon that will

seconds. But it is the torque levels that really

merrily drive a stake through the new cars

put this cars main rivals to shame as its 443lb-ft

heart, it is of course the M badge. The

is a vast quantity more than the M3 and RS5.

performance mark of BMW is undoubtably top

Top speed is limited to 155MPH but that

of its class but now Merc have let the crazy

0-62MPH time can drop by a further 0.1

AMG engineers out to play in a bid to combat

seconds by ticking the option for the

the Bavarians.

performance pack bringing total BHP to 480.

The C63 Coupe is equiped with a 7-speed

The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe sure

transmission that can swap cogs in as little as

looks the business with bulging arches and

100ms.

swollen body lines. Challenging not only the M3

Expect to see this monster on the road in July.

Grrr Back Off

“I

Just Try It..

BANG

EAT

Death Wish?

CHILDREN�

Summer Shoot-Out It began with a shortlist of cars we would merrily take ownership of this summer... Key criterial of value for money, excitement and driving pleasure eventually whittled this list down to two. The battle commences and we begin with an Italian stallion.

Ferrari California

A lot of manufacturers are diversifying their product

beige upholstery. I must say at this point that when I

line. Dyson are making hand-dryers, Google are

was shown pictures of this car I didn’t think it

making phones and even Porsche are making four

particularly striking, but in person it was extremely

door super cars. So amidst the fog of creativity

eye-catching with its aggressive bonnet scoop and

Ferrari were feeling a little left out. However making a

sweeping rear curves. So, at least it looks as a

new Ferrari just for the sake of it is a very dangerous

Ferrari should.

thing to do. Make a car that goes beyond the DNA of the brand and it will be scrutinised for not being a

The previously mentioned front mounted 4.3 litre V8

proper Italian stallion, worse still if you make a poor

at the heart of this car produces 460BHP and will

car it could damage the entire brand image. To

keep going to an epic 193MPH! 0-60MPH is done in

ensure they don’t stray from the paddock, Ferrari has

less than four seconds making this one of the fastest

revived one of its most illustrious nameplates…

metal retractable roofed cars in the world. The

California. The original car became one of the most

performance figures speak for themselves, this car is

desired cars the world had ever seen, even Steve

no push-over, and coupled with a fantastic DCG

McQueen bought one! However a simple name

gearbox the car absolutely fly’s. For those of you who

doesn’t make a great car and so the only way to find

don’t know what a DCG gearbox is, it’s a gearbox

out if Ferrari’s latest offering was up to standard was

with two clutches. Basically if you in 2nd gear the box

to get hold of one.

will already have both 1stand 3rd selected, primed for an ultra-fast gear change. Also with it being a 7

This car represents a lot of firsts for the iconic brand

speed, it enables the car to become an amazing GT.

such as; Ferrari’s first front engine V8, Ferrari’s first

The long-legged gearbox is happy to potter around

seven speed DCG (dual clutch gearbox), and

at 60 or go into warp at 160, either way it certainly

Ferrari’s first metal folding roof. The car we were

has the speed of a Ferrari.

presented with was in true Ferrari fashion, red with

The roof is the party peace of the

The result of our red California

This step into a new sector of the

California, being able to retract its

was that it turned many heads,

market was a brave move on

hard-top into the boot in less than

thought the orchestra playing

Ferrari’s part, and I’m pleased to

14 seconds for you to experience

under the bonnet may have had

say it has certainly paid off.

the best alfresco Ferrari has to

something to do with it. The

Despite all its differences in

offer. The F430 drop-top was a

California brings all the pros of a

comparison with its sable mates,

fantastic car, so don’t think for a

coupe without the cons of a rag

it manages to remain pure in

second I’m about to say

top. The chassis is firm and the

Ferrari ethos. Ok, so the rear

otherwise, but the fact it was a

steering responsive; all that

seats can fit little more than a

supercar meant that having the

Ferrari know-how that has been

pineapple in them but you must

roof drown led to people gawping

perfected over 60 years has been

remember this is no BMW or

at whoever was inside. The

personified in this car. Most

Audi, the seats will never be

California is by no means

importantly it goes like a Ferrari

used. This car is powerful,

understated, but it’s much more

should.

beautifully styled, comfortable

discrete in darker shades of paint.

and above all, a Ferrari.

“We have had a loving spoonful of Italian Passion but now it is time for some ruthlessly efficient German Engineering. Enter the Audi R8 V10 Spyder...�

Audi R8 V10 Spyder

The Audi R8 is a collection of impossible things. It is a performance behemoth yet as refined as a luxury saloon. It is a mid-engined supercar yet is practical. It is German but reframes from being stereotypically sterile. When the four rings later decided to laden the astonishing car with a 5.2 litre it quite simply became one of the best cars on sale at any time in history. Now summer is in the city and as temperatures rise well above toasty nothing gave us more pleasure than sampling the R8 V10 Spyder. In essence it is the very same car as its coupe sibling but what effect has cutting its head off had?

A major problem with creating a convertible from a car that was originally designed to be a hard-top is that you remove one of the most structurally integral parts of the car. The result is all to often a great car ruined by extra weight and handling that can be likened to wrestling a moose up a tight staircase. Audi have attempted to reduce this rather unwanted trait by adding extra chassis support and some carbon fibre body panels. The rag top may be 100KG heavier than the coupe but the performance figures from that 5.2 litre V10 do a very good job of brushing the laws of physics aside. 0-62MPH is completed in a rapid 4.1 seconds and the Spyders top speed of 194MPH is by no means sluggish.

The fabric roof can complete the R8’s transformation in just under 19 seconds and if you have the unfortunate luck of being caught out by the British weather, the transition can be made on the move providing you are under 30MPH. Now a fairly obvious side effect of having the roof down is the increase in general noise. Not that I am complaining as most of it is produced in a glorious fashion by the howling V10. The sound is incredible as at low revs it emits a rather growly tone that is enough to scare innocent bystanders into a state of alert but let all 10 pistons come out to play and the symphony is nothing short of epic!

The R8 is all-wheel-drive but thanks to various

feel like a car that is worth £112,000. Better

onboard systems that only Stephen Hawking

still there is a usable boot that you can fit more

could explain, the balance of the machine is as

than just socks in! Unlike many supercars of

precise as a decimal point. Make no mistakes

this caliber the Audi R8 Spyder can also

this is a big car but it darts through corners

achieve an impressive 16 MPG meaning you

with the agility of a mosquito and seemingly

need not feel too guilty about killing the polar

never ending levels of grip. It is so incredibly

bears.

manageable and composed at all times. So much so that words need to be invented to

What you get from this car is something that is

describe just how good the handling is. The

usable everyday and not something just to

car is equipped with a proper 6 speed manual

bring out for a Sunday drive. Just like the

that so satisfying to use that it would be a

coupe it is an utter joy in motion be it bumbling

crime if you chose the R Tronic flappy paddles.

along an A-road or testing your bravery, this

This car flatters you and then rewards you

machine never ceases to impress. It such a

further the more you punish it. But once you

complete product with no real flaws worth

have finished being a hooligan and decided

mentioning. I said that the coupe was “the

that the tyres have had enough torture for one

most complete car I have had the pleasure if

day you can relax and drive home in German

reviewing.” Well I was wrong… The Spyder

luxury. The seats that were holding you in

adds an extra level of engagement and by

place firmly whilst the engine propelled you

being every bit as good as its fixed roof

towards the horizon now hug you in comfort.

counterpart becomes one of the best

The lavish upholstery really does make this

investments in motoring you could make.

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