New Sport Audi GT3

Audi GT3 Sport

Like most performance car manufacturers these days, losing those extra kilos in their flagship coupe showcases their abilities to build a more serious out and out coupe than the base model, which has to cater to a wider audience and is still built to a certain budgeted cost. Manufacturers like Porsche have long known this and you can see in their 911 series of cars. You have the basic Carerra which becomes the Carerra S, which then morphs into the GT3, which then becomes the GT3 RS. Each model slightly more performance oriented than the one before up to a point where it goes pretty extreme and lots of weight loss is the key to increased performance.

So now Audi has created a lightweight version of their flagship coupe the R8 and are calling it the R8 GT. This car weighs 1525kgs compared to the R8 V8 4.2 which weighs in at 1625kgs. As if hearing about a 100kg weight loss in an a car already made from the already light aluminium alloy isn't enough Audi has mentioned that this car comes with the V10 engine used in the, very obviously named R8 V10. So we have extra power coupled to the weight loss.

Now for the weight loss details, which I find interesting. The R8 GT has a windshield made of thinner glass. The glass used between the cabin and the engine compartment as well as the rear hatch is replaced with polycarbonate plexiglass. All of the above took 9kgs off the car. The rear wing is now CFRP, removing 1.2kg. Thinner sheet aluminium and additional cutouts were made to the aluminium hatch for the luggage compartment up front saved 2.6kg.

The rear hatch for the engine is now replaced with carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and removes a further 6.6kg at the rear. The rear bumper and sideblades (those R8 design features so clearly noticeable) is also CFRP and saves 5.2kg and 1.5kg respectively.

Being German, hence very efficient and close to the verge of suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder they also attacked the mechanical components of the R8. They shaved 1kg from the brake system, 4kg from the brake disc caps, 9.4kg from the battery, 2.3kg from the air intake system and 2.8kg from the engine bay insulation. The exhaust system also uses a lighter design and construction method.

They also tackled the interior and the carpet utilised in the R8 GT weighs a good 7.9kg lighter than previously. How do they make carpets so much lighter in such a small car? Was the base R8 using a really thick pile of carpets? They also threw out the normal electrically adjustable sports seats and used seats that were more race car like and lost a really substantial 31.5kgs.

The R8 GT comes with the 5.2liter V10 engine and Audi have messed about with it and it now produces 560bhp, up from 525bhp. Torque is bumped up by 10Nm to 540Nm and all of this makes 0-100km/h in 3.6seconds, 0-200km/h in 10.8seconds with a top speed of 320km/h (198.4mph).

The transmission used in the R8GT is the R-tronic sequential manual transmission. It is basically a manual gearbox with a solenoid effected electrohydraulic clutch and works through a flappy pedal gear shift. The gear changes at full song takes just 1/10th of a second. As usual in cars nowadays there is two modes in automatic and two modes in manual for the gear changes. Launch control is also added and all of these systems go through a transmission that basically channels 15% of the power to the front and 85% to the rear, making the R8 GT very rear biased. Of course, up to 30% of the power can be channeled to the front if required.

Other than that, Audi mounts lightweight internally ventilated, carbon fiber ceramic brake disks on the R8 GT.. Together they weigh 9kg less than their steel counterparts of the same size. They measure 380 millimeters (14.96 in) in diameter up front and 356 millimeters (14.02 in) at the rear.

The 19-inch forged wheels are 8.5 J x 19 up front and 11 J x 19 at the rear, and are shod with size 235/35 and 295/30 tires, respectively. Audi will mount 305/30 tires together with optional wheels on the rear axle upon request. Cup tires, which offer the ultimate in performance on dry roads, are available for racing enthusiasts.

Only 333 are available worldwide and Audi have not mentioned whether they will be produced in right hand drive for those of us that drive on this side of the road. I hope they do, as it is a meticulously engineered car that should be enjoyed by those of us driving on the "right" side of the road.

New Sport Corvette ZR1

Corvette ZR1 Sport

After years of speculation, spy photos, and rumors, General Motors revealed its Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 as a 2010 model. As expected, the ZR1 is the most powerful and most expensive Corvette model ever. In fact, the ZR1 is expected to be the first production Corvette to hit a top speed of 200mph.

The time has arrived, no more gossip, unidentified sightings or gibberish. General Motors is releasing its 2009 model of the Chevrolet Corvette, called the ZR1. As anticipated, the ZR1 Corvette comes out the gate as the most powerful Chevy Corvette model ever built. It is also the most expensive but a fraction of what a competing Porsche costs.

The all-new LS9 engine is based on a modified LS3 6.2-liter block and is expected to deliver 100 horsepower per liter. One can expect the motor to produce 620 horsepower with approximately 600 pound-feet.

Some performance test numbers have not been disclosed by GM due to some ongoing tweaking. However, it's safe to say the ZR1 should go from zero to 60mph close to the 3.0 second mark since the Z06 does it in 3.6 seconds. Moreover, the Z06 only has 505 horsepower compared to 620 for the new ZR1.

The ZR1, according to Chevy engineers, sports a power to weight ratio that is nothing short of outstanding. It is said to have a better power to weight ratio than the Porsche GT2, the Ferrari 599 and the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. In summary, the new Corvette is said to weigh nearly 200 pounds more than a Z06 and to push some of the weight to the front just a tad to yield a 52/48 front/rear ratio.

GM engineers utilized the Z06 chassis as a base, but tweaked the front and rear independent suspension to work with the ZR1's ultra-wide tires for increased road traction. According to GM, the car achieves 1g cornering grip.

The ZR1 features GM's Magnetic Selective Ride Control (MSRC) suspension system which is an adjustable suspension system. The system adjusts every millisecond and offers sharp handling during aggressive driving, and a comfortable luxurious ride when cruising on open roads or along the countryside. Corvette chief engineer's claim due to the MSRC damping control, the ZR1 has a less adventurous ride over bumps than its predecessor, the Z06.

Other tweaks in the chassis area include Brembo calipers which hug large carbon-ceramic rotors which are typically made for Ferrari's Enzo and FXX. The CCM is needed due to the ZR1 having the largest wheel width and diameter of any Corvette produced. The rims measure 19 inches up front and 20 inches in rear diameter. The width of the rear is a colossal 12 inches, while the front wheels are close behind at 10 inches of width.

It all sounds good, so when can you drive it. You'll have to wait a bit until first spin, which is a few months off. Maybe the numbers above can convince you to wait for the fastest, high-tech, and perhaps the most unique Corvette ever made.

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