At last: A really lightweight Aston Martin
A power output of 600 bhp and a kerb weight of 3,520 lb (1,600 kg)
give the Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS concept terrific performance.
To date, despite aluminum frames, Astons have been just a mite on
the heavy side, but this concept car, likely to come onto the market
this year, changes all that.
To produce the V12 Vantage RS, Aston Martin has taken the V8 Vantage
and stretched it a little to take the terrific V-12 engine. That was
not enough for an RS concept, though, so the engine has been tweaked
to the sort of power you expect from a top supercar - 100 bhp per liter.
Needless to say, this latest Aston shares the styling of the newer
models, but looks more sporty thanks to the air outlets in the hood,
which are part of a fully ducted cooling system.
There is a splitter at the front, air intakes for the brakes
- now carbon ceramic to save weight and give better high-speed
performance. At the rear there is a small wing which is raised
automatically at speed - almost essential these days on a supercar.
To reduce weight, the hood and trunk lid are molded from carbon fiber,
as on the DBS.
Nor is the engine just a tuned up version. It is a dry sump unit,
designed for racing, forged pistons and revised cylinder heads and
camshafts. Peak power is achieved at 6,250rpm and peak torque of 508 lb ft (690Nm)
is at 5000rpm.
With a power-to-weight ratio of about 380 bhp per tonne, the V12 Vantage
RS concept is the fastest accelerating road car ever built by Aston Martin,
with a 0-60 mph time of under 4.0 seconds and 0-100mph (160km/h) of
8.5 seconds - that's very quick.
Corvette ZR1 rises to the challenge
No doubt vexed by the power of the new Dodge Viper SRT-10, GM has
upped the anti with the launch of the 620 bhp Corvette ZR1. No, this
is not a souped up 7.0 liter mill, but a supercharged 6.2 liter version
of the all-new LS9 V-8. Torque is pretty massive, too, at 595 lb ft
(823 Nm). This new Corvette is expected to exceed 200 mph.
The hand-built engine gets its power from a new Eaton Roots type
supercharger with four lobes instead of three, which is said to
improve response up to the red line of 6,600 rpm. It has an intercooler
to improve performance, and gives a big increase of power throughout
the range.
The engine is coupled through a twin-plate clutch to a six-speed
manual box, and the torque tube and drive-shafts have been beefed up.
To improve handling, the suspension has been tweaked and lowered,
and magnetic damping is standard. As a result, tests show that the
ZR1 can corner at over 1.0 g, which used to be the hallmark of real
racers.
Weight is reduced by carbon-ceramic, drilled disc brakes
- 15.5-inch-diameter (394-mm) at the front and 15-inch-diameter
(380-mm) at the rear. Of course, these also improve braking
performance, and are now found on most 200 mph supercars.
Michelin has developed some Pilot Sport 2 tires specifically for
the ZR1- P285/30ZR19 at the front and P335/25ZR20 at the rear.
To make the car look different, it has a transparent window in the
carbon fiber hood, a carbon fiber roof panel and cross member and
front apron. Of course, these panels reduce weight a tad, too.
What about the weight? Pretty cool, this Corvette ZR1 weighs just
3,350 pounds (1,519 kg) , a good deal less than the Aston Martin V12
Vantage RS concept, which is fairly light. So, the ZR1, with a
power-to-weight ratio of 405 bhp per tonne, will be a stunning
performer.
Over 1,000 bhp for Koenigsegg CCX Edition
Joining the makers of special versions of their cars is
Koenigsegg with the CCX and CCXR Edition models, which are more
powerful and have different exterior appearance and interiors form the
standard models.
Both engines have the latest supercharged 5.0 liter V-8. Only 14
CCX Editions will be built, and each engine develops 888 bhp while
the CCXR develops 1018 bhp on a gasoline-ethanol mix. Only 6 cars
will be built to this specification.
These cars are more track biased than the standard models,
with stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, reset dampers and lowered
suspension. They have large adjustable rear wings, larger front
splitters and side strakes for increased down force and unique
forged wheel design.
The 888 hp CCX costs 1,330,000 Euro,(about $2.0 million) and the
1018 hp CCXR 1,500,000 Euro (about $2.2 million) for E85 version.
