The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive set a new speed record for a production electric car at the Nurburgring.
The electron-drives Mercedes SLS AMG managed to get round the ‘Ring in seven minutes and 56.2 seconds, which also makes it the first EV to break the eight-minute barrier on the infamous German track.
Last year the R8 e-tron came close with a lap time of 8:09.099 minutes after Audi engineers raised the standard car’s speed limit from 124 mph (200 km/h) to 155 mph (250 km/h).
The four motors powering the SLS Electric Drive deliver thrust to all four wheels. That’s a good thing, since the powertrain serves up a mind-blowing 737 lb.-ft. of torque. Mercedes-Benz estimates the SLS Electric Drive needs less than 4.0 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. Top speed is electronically-limited to 155 mph.
In addition to its brute force, the Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive also features a unique carbon fiber structure built around its battery system that helps improve overall stiffness and dynamics. Then there are the racing-style pushrod shocks and carbon ceramic brakes to harp on about, but the aspect that draws the most attention is the sophisticated torque vectoring system of the car developed using Formula One technology.
The Mercedes SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive celebrates its sales launch in June 2013. The purchase price is approximately $550,737 USD. (Don’t count on us reviewing it.)
This is the Aston Martin CC100 Speedster Concept, and it was unveiled earlier this week at the Nordschliefe, ahead of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. The V12 powered one-off car was designed by Aston Martin to celebrate the company’s centenary, and was piloted around the Nürburgring by Aston CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez. Racing royalty, Sir Stirling Moss drove the 1959 Aston Martin DBR1 alongside the CC100, acknowledging the designers who claim that the CC100 was inspired by the Le Mans winning 1959 racecars.
Aston claims that the two-seat CC100 Speedster was created in under six months time. Powered by the British automaker’s well-known naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V12 and six-speed sequential manual paddleshift gearbox, 0-100 kmph should be dealt with in four seconds and it should go on to hit 290 kmph. But we all know that Aston Martins aren’t really about power and flappy paddle gearboxes. To reinforce our point, just look at it.
A polar opposite of Lamborghini’s sharp and angular 50th year celebratory model, the Egoista, the CC100 is elegant, smooth and flowing. The long sloping hood, strong haunches, and even the side-view mirror stalks seem to have sacred proportions. The CC100 Speedster Concept isn’t the fastest or the most outrageous car in the world, what it is, is a throwback to the beautiful racecars of half a century ago. What it is most of all, is an Aston Martin.
Nissan realised the gamble they had made by discontinuing one of their most successful cars, and thus did not want to hurry the GT-R back simply to pacify enthusiasts. Carlos Ghosn, who became Nissan’s CEO in 2001, along with chief designer Shiro Nakamura made sure that no stone was left unturned in its development. Their brutal attention to detail was the reason that between 6 and 8 years were spent on the GT-R and the production model wasn’t unveiled until 2007.
2005 GT-R Proto Concept
The first GT-R prototype was displayed at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, further pushing the case that Nissan had been planning for this since before the R34’s discontinuation. At the 2005 edition, Nissan said that the production GT-R would be almost entirely like the on-display GT-R Proto and the 2007 edition finally witnessed the much anticipated unveiling of the production version of the GT-R. Nissan’s first supercar, the new Godzilla, had created a ton of hype over the previous half decade. Has it lived up to it?
That would be a resounding ‘yes’.
The well-balanced and extremely capable powertrain of the GT-R
Powered by a twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 engine, the R35 (as the GT-R’s chassis is encoded, succeeding the Skyline GT-R R34) models manufactured between 2007 and 2010 produced 478 bhp and 588 Nm of torque. With a 0-97 kmph time of 3.5 seconds, the sub $70,000 (costing half that much in Japan), 4-seater was thrown well into supercar territory. Over the years the powertrain has been regularly upgraded, producing an incredible 545 bhp and 628 Nm of torque in the 2014 model.
The 2014 Nissan GT-R has a special launch control called ‘R-Mode Start’ and Nissan claimed that this could get the GT-R from 0-97 kmph in 2.9 seconds. However, they were slightly mistaken. Comparison tests have now proven that it can get there in an unbelievable 2.7 seconds. That’s faster in terms of acceleration than the $1.7 million Koenigsegg Agera R hypercar, as well as almost every production car in the world. Even though the 2014 model now starts at $100,000, it still costs a fraction of its very fast, yet slower accelerating peers. It also managed an astonishing time of 7:24.22 at the Nürburgring, making it one of the fastest production cars in the world around the famous racetrack.
2012 GT-R Track Pack
The GT-R is all about grip, grip and then some more grip. The reason for its brutal acceleration is because of the very intelligent ‘ATTESA E-TS’ all wheel drive system designed by Nissan. Used in conjunction with a rear mounted six-speed dual clutch semi-automatic transmission, it puts the GT-R’s power to the road with as much efficiency as the extremely skilled workers who build it by hand. For this reason, Nissan confidently encourages its customers to drive the GT-R in snowy or wet conditions, claiming it will perform just as well as in dry conditions. The stiff suspension may mean decreased ride quality in everyday usage, but is crucial in making the tyres cling to the asphalt at all times, and allow the GT-R to produce the figures that it does.
2009 GT-R SpecV
2009 saw the arrival of the even higher performance Nissan GT-R SpecV. Powered by the same engine as the base GT-R, the SpecV produces the same horsepower, however larger turbos, a reworked suspension, carbon ceramic brakes as well as a weight reduction of 60 kg allow it to accelerate faster and corner harder than the base GT-R. Because 3.5 seconds just wasn’t quick enough.
Visible changes include a carbon fibre spoiler, grille, brake ducts and an exclusive paint job called the ‘Ultimate Black Opal’. The rear seats were completely removed, the front seats were replaced with carbon fiber Recaro seats, and most of the interior trim was covered in carbon fiber for further weight reduction.
Brimming with more state of the art technology than Tokyo, the GT-R is a tech geek’s dream come true. Its body construction has a ‘Premium Midship (PM)’ platform, which is a hybrid unibody assembled using high-precision, ultra-low-tolerance jigs. The PM platform allows the transaxle to be placed at the rear, which is connected to the lightweight V6 engine at the front through a carbon composite prop shaft. This results in near perfect weight distribution making the GT-R very balanced improving vehicle dynamics significantly. The tyres are filled with nitrogen instead of air to ensure pressure retention for longer periods, reducing drag and creating more stability. Another stand out feature is the customisable multifunction display in the dash, developed by the creators of the Gran Turismo video game series. The amazingly functional display shows all kinds of information like cornering forces, oil pressures, brake pedal positions and steering angles among many others. Nobody knows who Nissan really had in mind when they chose to include the Playstation like display, but the inner nerd in me definitely likes the idea of knowing how many g’s I’m cornering at.
The GT-R’s lines are inspired by Gundam Robots from Japanese Anime, the rear three quarters were shaped by Nissan’s American designers whereas the roofline was taken care of by their European designers.
According to Shiro Nakamura,
The GT-R is unique because it is not simply a copy of a European-designed supercar; it had to really reflect Japanese culture.
Very modern looking, the GT-R is quite large for a supercar, but considering it can seat 4 people, comes with a lot of kit and offers a sizable boot, the curb weight of 1,740 kg is reasonably low. It doesn’t retain a lot from the Skyline GT-R save for its signature four round taillights and although featuring a contemporary design, it may not turn every head on the street. But its aggressive front end, flared wheel arches, rear spoiler and large wheels give it tons of character. The designers at Nissan have really managed to strike the right balance between a supercar, and a daily driver, getting the GT-R’s proportions uncannily spot on.
A large number of petrolheads claim that a $100,000 supercar should look the part and that the GT-R simply doesn’t. “It’s too bulky, look at that rear end. Wouldn’t you much rather spend a 100 grand on a 911 Turbo? Atleast you’ll be driving a Porsche, not a Nissan.” And that’s the dilemma this car creates everywhere it goes. Its a $100,000 Nissan. Some people claim that the computers are too intelligent, that they don’t feel like they have any control over the car themselves. The GT-R is faulted simply because its not an Audi, or a BMW or a Porsche.
Well, they’re all wrong. The GT-R is a celebration, of the legacy of the legendary Skyline, and of the sheer brilliance that is Nissan. All of us haven’t owned or driven or even seen Skyline GT-R’s, but we’ve all watched the Fast and Furious films, played Need for Speed and seen YouTube videos of a tuned 700 bhp GT-R obliterating a Lamborghini Gallardo. The GT-R is an amazing feat of engineering and a prime example of what mankind is capable of producing, given the right amount of dedication, and attention to detail. It’s the perennial underdog, the David among many Goliaths.
If I had $100,000 to spend on a car, I know exactly what I’d get myself.
No petrolhead in the world needs an introduction to the Nissan GT-R. Disturbingly fast and ridiculously awesome, the GT-R holds a unique place in the world of motoring. Relatively practical and cheaper to the cars it’s usually compared with, the GT-R may just be Nissan’s only contribution to the world of supercars. This intoxicating cocktail of characteristics makes it a very interesting animal altogether, powerful and glorious, yet not the leader of the pack. However, the GT-R didn’t pop up in the middle of the night out of nowhere. It’s a carefully crafted successor to a long lineage of cars worthy of their own plaques in the automotive hall of fame. If you were unaware of the GT-R before just now, I’d like you to meet Godzilla.
It all began with the 1969 Nissan Skyline GT-R, the first ever to flaunt Gran Turismo Racer as its name. With a 2.0-litre 160 bhp engine, it was marketed alongside the Nissan R380 racecar, to showcase the Skyline’s racing heritage. A replacement came in 1973 but due to a gas crisis in the early 70s, demand for sports cars plummeted, and only 197 cars were produced. This was the last GT-R until 1989, when Nissan dropped the R32 on the world.
The Nismo R32 eats your car for breakfast. Image credit: illmotion.com
Nissan designed the GT-R R32 to dominate Group A racing. Regulations required the engine to multiply its displacement by 1.7 putting the Skyline in the 4000 cc class. This further required the use of 10-inch wide tyres, so Nissan developed a special all-wheel drive system to assist it with traction. Then they realised that this added a 100 kg of weight. What do Nissan do next? They decided to put a 2.6-litre engine in, compete in the 4500 cc class with 11-inch wide tyres and a new engine block. And the result? A beast of a car producing a mammoth 600 bhp. This kind of stuff only happens in storybooks, and at Nissan’s engineering labs.
The all-wheel drive system and the 2.6-litre made its way on to the production R32 GT-R. But due to Group A homologation rules, Nissan was required to sell a series of the Skyline GT-R which more accurately reflected the car they use in Group A racing. This series was launched in 1990 as the Skyline GT-R Nismo edition (Nismo or Nissan Motorsport being Nissan’s high performance division). 500 Nismo R32 Evolution models were sold to the public and 60 were held by Nissan to be made into race cars. A lighter car with an upgraded engine came with the GT-R N1 in 1991 designed for Group N racing. To celebrate the success of the R32 in both Group A and Group N racing, 1993 saw the introduction of an even higher performance model, the Skyline GT-R V-Spec (Victory Specification) and the V-Spec II in 1994. Performance stats like those of the R32 GT-R were unheard of in a car which cost less than $35,000. The R32 was a humongous success selling almost 44,000 cars.
Image credit: Matthew Everingham
The R33 GT-R came in 1995 with a few powertrain refinements but the same engine as the R32. The V-Spec edition had a sport suspension with lower ground clearance, a new all wheel drive system with an active limited slip diff, and 4-wheel independent ABS. Late 1997 saw the arrival of the high performance Nismo R33 400R with an upgraded engine producing 400 bhp and 470 Nm of torque. Capable of hitting 97 kmph in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of over 300 kmph, only 44 400Rs ever saw the day of light making it a collector’s item. The R33 was the first production car to lap the hallowed Nürburgring racetrack in under 8 minutes.
1999 saw the arrival of the arguably the most influential Skyline GT-R to date. The R34 Skyline GT-R and its numerous variants are the reason the GT-R name still exists today, and how. An instant hit with the growing tuner car culture in Japan and the US, the R34 was immortalised in pop culture through the Fast and the Furious films, the Initial D manga series and the Gran Turismo video games. The standard GT-R opted for a 2.6-litre engine and all wheel drive system. A major change was the 5.8″ multifunction display on the dashboard which tried to satisfy the inner geek in all of us by showing different live readings of engine and vehicle statistics. Multiple high performance variants were introduced such as the V-Spec and V-Spec II having racing suspensions, revised ECU maps and underbody diffusers. 2002 saw the coming of the GT-R V-spec II Nür and the Skyline GT-R M-spec Nür, named after Nürburgring where the Skyline was developed. The V-Spec II Nür had over 330 bhp under the hood, but due to its unbelievable tunability, tuners have been able to churn out over 500 bhp from even standard R34 GT-R’s. Over 3 years, the R34 was released in a total of 9 variants selling more than 12,000 cars.
Nismo Skyline R34 GT R Z Tune
The R34 was a real gamechanger for the Skyline range. The GT-R was suddenly an international underground phenomenon. Home-tuned street racer GT-Rs were popping up all over the States and Japan. It was successful on the track as well. People were amazed how Nissan had managed to milk so much performance from a relatively small engine and a relatively cheap mid-range car. There was genuine disappointment among the automotive world and genuine enthusiasts when Nissan announced in 2002 that the GT-R name would no longer be associated with the Skyline. The Skyline still exists in form of the Infiniti G35 range, but its not really a Skyline, is it? Tuners went back to their Toyota Supras, Honda Civics and Mitsubishi Evos quite baffled.
Once in a while a GT-R R34 V-Spec pops up in the ‘used cars’ section of the classifieds, and its not long before a 30 year old banker is standing in his garage with a spanner in hand, admiring the car he dreamed of owning when he was a 17 year old. As for the successor to the Skyline GT-R, Nissan had a few tricks up their sleeves. More on that in part II, to be out soon.
If its tough to shave off those last few seconds per lap in your Jaguar XKR-S, the Tata owned British manufacturer has unveiled the XKR-S GT at the New York Auto Show just for you. Specifically tuned for the racing circuit, the GT managed a time of 7:40 at the hallowed Nurburgring race track, which is faster than the Murcielago SV, the SLS AMG as well as the Zonda S. It goes from 0 to 100 kmph in less time than you can say Jaaaaaaaaaag; well in 3.9 seconds actually. Safe to say, the XKR-S GT is blisteringly fast. It’s also very rare. Only 30 will be made and sold purely in North America with the US getting 25 of these beasts. Oh, and it costs a measly $175,000.
This car can produce some serious downforce, 145 kgs of it in fact, helped to no end with that massive carbon fiber wing at the back and all those aero bits added all over the body. It sports a sharp, equally large carbon fiber air splitter at the front, and diffuser at the back sits pretty right in between the quad-exhaust pipes. With bright yellow carbon ceramic brakes, Pirelli Corsa tyres and a high performance Eibach tuned suspension, the GT means business. It has a 5.0 litre supercharged V8 engine producing almost 550 BHP and even if the all the aero bits make it look like its come out of a Need for Speed game, this car definitely belongs on the track.
Jaguar has one of the richest racing heritages of all time, and in recent years has been working very hard to reassert itself among its peers and offer performance as well as comfort to its loyal customers. The GT is a reminder of what Jaguar can do when it comes to fast cars. It looks mental, and goes like it too.
So if you have $200,000 saved up to spend on a street-legal car tuned for the racetrack, should you buy the Jaguar XKR-S GT? In a word, no. You should buy this instead:
