2012 Ariel Atom V8 500

No, your eyes are not deceiving you! Ariel have indeed gone completely bonkers and fitted a bespoke V8 engine to the already madly fast, and madly exciting Ariel Atom. The Atom is a refined vehicle that actually works on the road, allowing it to represent the best track day experience. This new V8 version takes crazy to new heights thanks to minimal weight and 500HP – that may not sound like much, but when you consider that the car weighs as much as a postage stamp on a diet, things start to get very extreme indeed.

The Ariel Atom is sort of like a lean, mean, sophisticated bare knuckle boxer that has mastered all forms of martial arts. Lean and mean because of its no frills, barely-there construction; sophisticated because it’s clever; and bare knuckled because it’s raw and uncensored. Something like a Gallardo Superleggera, which can be described in the same context as a WWE Superstar – all drama, flash and very capable - can still be considered slightly under talented in comparison to the Atom. As powerful, but three times heavier than this new Atom V8, anything in the Gallardo’s league, and in fact higher, would flounder against it on pretty much any given stretch of road or track.

Caterham to debut new model at the Autosport International

We haven’t seen anything new from Caterham recently as the British manufacturer seems to he content with just producing continuation models of their iconic Lotus Seven models.

All that, however, was bound to change and now Caterham has announced that it has plans of unveiling a completely new model at the start of 2011. Details are still sketchy at this point, but Caterham has made it known that their new model is going to signal “the beginning of a new dawn for the Company, but one that remains true to the lightweight, minimalist DNA of the legendary Seven."

According to Caterham, this new model is going to be powered by a new in-house engine - the next-generation Caterham Motorsport engine - and is going to be built alongside the Seven. There’s no telling what kind of car this is going to be because Caterham is keeping their cards close to their chests. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait too long before we see the cat make its debut at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham, England on January 13, 2011. That’s about a month away so the wait really isn’t that long.

All New Hyundai Elantra Spotted

We recently spotted Hyundai’s next venture into the Indian car market, the all new Elantra. The 2011 Elantra a.k.a the Avante was unveiled at the Busan Auto Show in South Korea and now will be soon seen in India. We spotted the car during its test runs and we expect the all new sedan to hit the Indian roads in the later half of 2011. We did not get a chance to see the interiors of the car but by the looks of it the one which was tested was a left-hand drive.

We suspect that the Hyundai Elantra Avante will boast of a 2.0 litre CRDi engine. The sedan will be priced between Rs 12-15 lakh, thereby stiffening the competition in that segment. The Elantra, if priced in that range, will compete with the Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic and the Corolla Altis.

2010-Koenigsegg-Trevita

2010-Koenigsegg-Trevita

2010-Koenigsegg-Trevita

2010-Koenigsegg-Trevita

2010-Koenigsegg-Trevita

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers "gas-friendly" solutions, such as the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco model that is expected to deliver an estimated 42 mpg highway, and 2011 Chevrolet Volt that will offer up to 25-50 miles of electric driving and an additional 310 miles of extended range with the onboard generator (based on GM testing). Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com. 

Porsche Cayman R

The new mid-engine coupé is powered by a tuned-up 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine developing 330 hp (243 kW). In the standard configuration it transmits its power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox that propels the car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.0 seconds. Or there is the option of the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) that reduces its acceleration time to 4.9 seconds. For even more impressive sprinting performance, the Cayman R can be supplied with one of the optional Sport Chrono packages, taking it to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds. The new mid-engine coupé is capable of a top speed of 282 km/h (175 mph) with manual gearbox, or 280 km/h (174 mph) with PDK. Its NEDC fuel consumption is 9.7 l/100 km (29.12 mpg imp.) with six-speed gearbox and 9.3 l/100 km (30.37 mpg imp.) with PDK. The main aim during the design of the Cayman R was to improve the two-seater even further in its performance, driving dynamics and agility through consistent weight reduction. With a DIN unladen weight of just 1,295 kilograms (2855 lb) the Porsche engineers were able to reduce the power-to-weight ratio of the coupé with standard manual gearbox to 3.9 kilograms (8.6 lb) per horsepower, with the PDK version weighing 4.0 kilograms (8.8 lb) per horsepower. The largest savings were achieved through the use of lightweight components and doing without convenience equipment. As for the 911 GT3/GT3 RS and Boxster Spyder, an optional lithium-ion lightweight construction battery is also available. In addition, the top model in the mid-engine coupé is equipped with the lightest 19 inch wheels the entire Porsche range can offer. The complete rim set weighs less than 40 kilograms.

2011 Hamann Victory II

Remember the Hamann Victory revealed back in 2007? Well, the tuner is now ready to bring out an updated version of that package with the Victory II based off of the latest Gallardo LP560-4. This newest package includes engine upgrades as well as exterior and interior modifications, but the best part is that it looks as menacing as it does in its matte black attire.

Since the new Victory carries the same name as the original, one would think that many of the same additions would still hold. Well, one would be wrong. This new tuned up Gallardo features some distinct characteristics that it can call its very own, including a new front apron, new side skirts, a newly designed rear wing, and much more. A power boost is also new to Hamann’s latest plaything with a jump of 20hp from the standard Gallardo engine.