Fast-Autos supercar news

Fast-Autos News

Mercedes-Benz CL 65 AMG: 612 bhp!

The power race goes on! Here is Mercedes-Benz with the hottest CL yet – 612 bhp from a turbocharged V-12 engine. It's a wonder that such a massive engine will go into the compact CL, but here it is, offering the high performance you always get when you put a big engine into a small car.

What is amazing is that Mercedes-Benz keeps churning out high-powered cars that compete with each other. This one is powerful enough to challenge the company's SLR McLaren – in a straight line. The ultra-powerful AMG 6.0-litre V12 biturbo engine – already installed in the S 65 AMG and SL 65 AMG gives the svelte coupé a truly enormous kick up the pants.

This massive and superb engine produces 612 hp at 4800-5100 rpm and maximum torque of 737 lb ft (1,000 Nm) from 2,000 to 4,000 rpm. These figures are pretty astounding, but the speed over which maximum power and torque are developed is a result of recent developments in turbocharging, and make the power much more available than when you need to rev to 7,500 rpm to get any power. The CL 65 AMG hits 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and reaches the120 mph in 13 seconds.

Features of the car include 20-inch AMG forged wheels, AMG sports suspension, based on the Active Body Control system, and a new AMG high-performance brake system with new double-frame sliding calipers. To give the car plenty of stopping power when the brakes get hot, composite blind drilled brake discs are fitted. Diameters are a massive 15.3 in (390 mm) at the front and 14.4 in (365 mm) at the rear! These are just huge.

What AMG can't do is reduce the weight of the car much, or lower the center of gravity which is much higher than is normal with this much power. So it will not be competing with exotica, but will give some people a shock. Ten years ago, who would have thought there would be so many cars around with 600 bhp!

BMW goes coupe-sedan

Hard on Jaguar's heels comes a BMW concept car for a coupe-like sedan – a trend I forecast a little while ago. Called CS, the concept car lacks the balance and poise of the Jaguar C-XF, and has a bluff front end, no doubt to leave plenty of room for the biggest V-12 engines.

Otherwise it is a pretty neat fastback design with strong rear fenders, apparently to emphasise the fact that this is a rear-drive car. The fenders do give the style some form. The point is that BMW is moving toward lower, more sporty shapes.

The CS is the same length as the M5 at 200.8 inches (5,100 mm) or in length and 53.5 inches (1,360 mm) high. That's about 4 inches lower than the M5 but the same height as the 650i/M6. A step in the right direction for some people but not for others.

Elfin MS8 Streamline gets 460 bhp!

To celebrate its 50th Anniversary, Elfin is producing a small batch of cars based on the MS8 Streamline, but with a coupe roof. To turn the rocket-like performance of the Streamline into a super-rocket, each car is powered by a Walkinshaw supercharged V-8 producing 460 bhp at 5,600 rpm and a massive amount of torque – 486 lb ft (660 Nm) at 4,400 rpm. This is enough to give the Elfin the performance of many a 600 bhp exotic car.

This is still just as compact as other MS8s, but gets a roof, which is cutaway to make room for gull-wing doors. As the rear of the car is so short, the roof is slopes down quite steeply. With that extra body work, the car is a little heavier than other MS8s at 2,420 lb (1,100 kg), which gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 418 bhp per tonne, up with the most powerful exotic cars on the planet.

This is the first fruit of Elfin being taken into the GM empire, as part of Walkinshaw Performance which used to be involved in many racing programs in the UK, but now produces some high-performance engines and components for GM Holden. Elfins will be sold throughout Australia, and also now have an outlet in the UK – so expect these very quick cars to be available much more widely form now on.

Mitsubishi Sportback looks good

Coming soon, along with the EVO X is the Sportback, built on the same platform as the Evo X – in fact, this might be the body for the Evo X, but also for lesser-powered cars. Anyway, it gets the aggressive new Mitsubishi front end, with a very smart fastback design. Looks very good, and should do a lot for Mitsubishi.

Also spent a bit of time around the new Audi TT. It is rather understated in appearance, and is spoiled by the very high waistline and shallow roof dictated by the tall transverse engine package from the Golf/Passat. A pity about that, and also that the car is just a little too short and high to look as exciting as it might. C'est la vie!