2012 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

The new 2012 Mercedes-Benz SL has been formed almost entirely with aluminum and, as a result, weighs nearly 125kg less than the SL predecessor.

The aluminum bodyshell and lower weight means the car is a lot more agile and easier to handle than previous Mercedes-Benz SL cars. The aluminum shell isn't the only outstanding new feature of the 2012 SL, either!

Engine

The BlueDIRECT engines in the new SL are far more powerful and yet up to 29% more economical than other SL engines. The fact that the car is carrying a lot less weight also aids less fuel consumption and increases the dynamism of the car.

In comparison to other SL versions, the 2012 edition offers a lot more comfort to drivers, thanks to the lengthening the body and the slight increase in width of the car. While the car has slightly larger dimensions that what you'd normally expect, it means there's a lot more space for you to enjoy inside the car (both shoulder room and elbow room have increased).


New Features

Several new features have been incorporated into the new SL including the unique and highly efficient Magic Vision Control system and the Front bass system. The Magic Vision Control system allows your windscreen to be wiped clean without obscuring your vision since it doesn't splash water across the whole windscreen. Fully heated wipers are also available for the first time, so you can stop ice forming on your wiper blades during cold weather.

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque eD4 Prestige

Somewhere in an Austrian Alpine forest, a gravel track winds upwards. It's about one-in-five steep, and this afternoon a few inches of fresh snow have fallen. We're in an Evoque, and every so often there's a blink from the traction-control light, but our progress up the mountain remains steadfast. So far, so Range Rover.

But this is a bit different, because only the front wheels are connected to the engine. This is the new 2WD economy Evoque: simpler, lighter, more economical. But very nearly as good.

There are now three versions of this 2.2-litre diesel engine. The eD4 is the 2WD, with manual transmission only, and it makes 150bhp. The TD4 is also 150bhp, for 4WD, and gets a little more mid-range torque. Then there's the 190bhp SD4, which is the one we've driven in our previous Evoque diesel stories.

At low-to-medium speeds, the eD4 feels pretty well as sprightly as the 190 4WD auto. I'm confident of this judgement by the way, because I jumped straight out of one into the other. After all, the lower-powered car is usefully the lighter. By shedding drive to the rear, it does without a front take-off from the gearbox, a propshaft, a rear diff and rear halfshafts, plus one or two other bits. That takes the weight drop to 75kg. It's only above 60mph, for motorway hills and main-road overtaking, when power starts to be needed to overcome aero drag, that the SD4's extra kick shows up. Sadly the eD4 is a bit of a slug in those situations.

It's still a lot of automotive desirability for a small amount of company-car tax. With the efficiencies of a manual gearbox, idle-stop and lighter weight, the three-door Evoque eD4 gets in a 129g/km. Now just look at the design, and cast your eyes around the interior. Even in basic Pure spec (£27,955 for the five-door, another grand for the Coupe), it's hardly spartan.

OK, what else do you lose along with the drive to the back wheels? Well, the handling is still mighty impressive and controlled, and the ride still supple. But it denies you the option of MagneRide damping, which means it's both a little foggier in bends and a little less plush on straights compared with the 4WD with that option.

Hennessey Viper Venom 700NM Rare Special Edition

Recently Neiman Marcus Direct & Hennessey Performance Engineering partnered together to introduce the 2008 Neiman Marcus Special Edition Hennessey Viper Venom 700NM. The Viper Venom features a fantastic jet black paint that makes the car shine in the light.
The Venom will price at $179,500 and it’s a steal if you know anything about cars. Under the hood you have a 700HP engine with 645 lb-ft torque and the ability to reach 0-60 Mph in 3.3 seconds reaching a top speed of 214 mph. Inside the car there is custom black and red leather throughout with a limited edition dash plaque. It also features matching luggage which is just one of the added bonuses of buying luxury cars.

Only seven 700NM Viper Venoms will be made and with the purchase of one of these you receive a full one day of high-performance driving school at Lonestar Motorsports Park. If you want even a slim chance of owning this Special Edition Viper then you need to call 1-877-885-7077 Monday April 10th 2008 at 9:00am PST. If you can’t call the number exactly at 9:00am then you probably won’t be able to own this vehicle.
It’s a one of kind world class performance car and can match up against almost any other in the market at this time. The sheer speed packed under the hood of this car is unreal and without properly adjusting you won’t even be able to drive it. The limited edition Viper Venom is for the car enthusiast who already has a stunning collection.

2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is all set to enter the racing arena. The 2012 version has undergone extensive modifications. The difference in the car's exterior is easily noticeable.

Forty-eight mm has been added to the width of the car and it has been built to comply with A.C.O. 'LM' GTE regulations.

Performance

The car is fitted with a six cylinder 'Boxer' engine and has a capacity of four liters. To comply with the mandatory GTE regulations, the car has been fitted with an air restrictor. The engine generates a power of 460 HP. It is a rear wheel drive.

The gear box is the Porsche sequential 6 speed gearbox and it is operated by steering wheel paddle shifts. The high performance engine, coupled with the efficient gearbox makes it a car to reckon with on the racing circuit.

Exterior Aerodynamics

Front and rear panels have been adapted to match the arches above the wheels. The aerodynamically efficient body shape is complemented by the new air intake duct. The air inlets, located on the sides of the car towards the rear, have replaced the air inlet on the hood.

Porsche is carrying out extensive testing on this model. The company announced that the company's testing programs on various race tracks around the world are proceeding in full swing and they were fully satisfied with the technical parameters and performance of the car.

2012 Shelby GT 50th Anniversary Edition

Shelby America is celebrating 50 years of style by producing 100 cars of 3 famous Mustang variants: the GTS, the GT350 and the GT500 (the Super Snake). Fifty models of each car will be decked in white and feature gold stripes, the other fifty will be black and feature gold stripes.

Since only 300 are being manufactured, the 50th Anniversary editions have become an instant collector's item and each represent a piece of automotive history.

Exterior & Interior

In addition to the gold stripes on the exterior, several other nods to the 50th anniversary are present in the interior of the cars. The color gold naturally represents the 50th anniversary and is used in the premium black leather stitching on the seats plus there is an embroidered anniversary logo present on the seat backs.

Along with the gold stripes, gold stitching and commemorative anniversary badge, each Shelby anniversary car comes with special wheels, car cover, unique VIN number, a special delivery ceremony, exclusive merchandise and a number of upgrades including 6-piston front brakes.

The interior isn't the only thing to get a style revamp, the base GTS and GT350 models both feature matte black wheels (for the black vehicles) and chrome wheels (for the white vehicles).

The classic 'deep draw' hood, unique rear and front fascias and Shelby badge all make the anniversary editions a classic beauty to behold. The GT500 (a.k.a. Super Snake) gets another set of upgrades too: leather shifter, perforated seat insets and painted rear quarter window plates amongst others.

Engines