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Watch Bugatti test the first 3D-printed brake caliper
Back at the start of 2018, Bugatti revealed that it was working on the first 3D-printed brake caliper. Now that the year is winding to a close, it's finally ready to show the caliper in action. Bugatti has posted a video (below) of a test that simulated braking at speeds as high as 249MPH. As you might imagine, it was quite the show -- the disc alone reached temperatures up to 1,877F, and there were plenty of flames and sparks as the caliper and disc reached their limit.
Lamborghini's Urus SUV still packs supercar power
To some, the idea of a Lamborghini SUV is tantamount to high treason. Over the past six decades the automaker has introduced the iconic Countach, Diablo and P400 Miura. Those cars inspired lust in our hearts and dug holes out of the bank accounts of the rich. How could the company chase a market with a vehicle you use to pick up your kids at school?
McLaren’s 720S is a glorious nerd-built supercar
While cars are technological wonders, it's not very often that automakers tout the nerdiness of any single feature. McLaren is not your typical automaker, and it proudly notes that the Proactive Chassis Control II suspension system was part of a five-year Ph.D. course at Cambridge University. Whatever those nerds were doing during that time, it worked.
Porsche's latest 911 knows when it's on a wet road
Porsche may pitch the 911 as a pure driver's car, but that doesn't mean it will turn down technological assistants that could get you out of a jam. The company has unveiled the eighth-generation 911 as a 2020 model, and one of its most conspicuous upgrades is a "world first" Wet mode that detects water on the road, prepares control systems and alerts the driver to the slippery conditions. You don't have to tone the car down (say, if you're on a track and expect to slide around), but you only need to push a button to configure the car for safety. The feature will come standard, Porsche said.
BMW’s i8 Roadster is a daily driver in supercar’s clothing
I'm a firm believer that cars can be art. Rolling pieces of design that are a snapshot of a point in time. Very few vehicles do that more right now than the BMW i8 Roadster. A supercar that's got one foot in the future and the other in the now. Except it's not really a supercar; it's something else, and that's OK.
Ford will keep GT supercar from catching fire with a software update
If you're driving in your fancy Ford GT supercar on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca you definitely don't want to see is fire erupting from the engine behind you. Turns out, neither does Ford, especially after one burst into flames earlier this year in Germany. The American car manufacturer has issued a recall for its beautiful flying-buttressed supercar. and will fix the erupting-into-flames issue via a software update. Approximately 200 of the 2017-18 Ford GTs are affected in this recall. The issue arises from hydraulic fluid which may leak from the valve block assembly due to high pressure onto the exhaust. So far, only one owner has been affected by the issue. The driver, who goes by muc.collector on Instagram, was driving casually through Munich, Germany when his car caught on fire. Luckily neither the 52-year-old driver, nor his son, were injured. The car itself only had 43 miles on the odometer, meaning it was likely mechanical issue, and wasn't caused by a crash or reckless driving. Ford was kind enough to replace the driver's GT free of charge, though. View this post on Instagram First supercar I saw when I visited Munich a month ago... | #Ford #GT #FordGT #V6 #EcoBoost #MucCollector A post shared by cem (@itsme.cem) on Sep 17, 2018 at 12:35pm PDT But considering that each Gorilla-Glass-windshielded GT retails for $450,000, it's probably best that Ford deals with the problem sooner rather than later.
Tesla's Roadster prompts Koenigsegg to rethink its supercars
Did you suspect that supercar manufacturers would be nervous when Tesla vowed that its next-gen Roadster would deliver a "hardcore smackdown" to gas-powered performance cars? Your hunch was well-founded. In a chat with Top Gear, Koenigsegg's namesake founder Christian von Koenigsegg revealed that his company started reworking its engines just to remain competitive with the Roadster's vaunted 1.9-second 0-60MPH time. "This is embarrassing," he said.
Lamborghini’s Aventador SVJ bests its siblings in downforce
Last month I drove a Huracan Performante and marveled at the aerodynamic wizardry the automaker used to keep the supercar glued to the asphalt. Called ALA (Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva), the dynamic airflow system can create downforce on the both or either side of the vehicle. It's great.
Audi's PB 18 E-Tron is a supercar spaceship
Ahead of the final unveiling of the E-Tron SUV, the automaker used the car festivities at Laguna Seca raceway to unveil its electric supercar, the PB 18. With over 600 horsepower and a center-positioned driver's seat, it's ready for the track. But also, your luggage.
Audi will unveil its e-tron supercar EV concept next month
Audi's first all-electric car, the 2019 e-tron, hasn't even made its global debut yet, but the car manufacturer is already teasing its next venture. The PB 18 e-tron, billed as an "electric-drive supercar concept", will be unveiled next month during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Lamborghini’s high-performance Spyder turns physics into fun
If you're a car person, you've at least looked at a Lamborghini and wondered, "Are they as awesome as the mystique around them?" Sure, they conjure up images of guys wearing too much cologne while blasting bad covers of popular songs over an EDM beat. Also, there's probably a gold chain thrown in there somewhere. If you toss aside that weird stereotype and really look at the vehicles coming out of Italy, you'd realize they're more than just fodder for posters. They're actually pretty remarkable.
Pininfarina's $2 million electric hypercar boasts a 250MPH top speed
When Pininfarina teased its PF0 electric hypercar in March, it didn't do more than promise a massive amount of power and a 2020 launch. It's starting to dribble out details, however, and it now looks like the PF0 may deliver the best of all worlds -- at a cost. In separate interviews with Wired and The Verge, the company has provided both teaser pictures of the PF0 (surprise: it's sleek) and performance numbers that could make Tesla Roadster buyers at least momentarily nervous. It can reach a blistering 250MPH top speed, reach 60MPH in under two seconds and provide about 310 miles of driving range. You'll no doubt have to be gentle on the throttle to achieve that last figure, but this is theoretically a vehicle you can take on a city-to-city jaunt with some bursts of mind-numbing quickness in between.
Pininfarina will go from designer to automaker with all-EV lineup
For decades, Pininfarina has largely been a design house -- it shaped and built cars, but usually under someone else's name (such as the Ferrari F40). It's apparently ready to become a full-fledged manufacturer, however, and a thoroughly 21st century one at that. Autocar sources have heard that Pininfarina is launching an all-electric car lineup headlined by a hypercar, nicknamed PF-Zero, that would aim squarely at the Bugatti Chiron with a 2020 launch. It would have power comparable to the 1,479HP of the Chiron, and would be based on a modular platform jointly developed by its parent company Mahindra (a Formula E competitor) and Rimac. There would also be more accessible models... relatively speaking.
The most eye-catching cars and tech from NAIAS 2018 in Detroit
The North American International Auto Show's press and industry preview week is winding down, but the show is far from over. Next week the NAIAS opens to the public and if can't make it to the Mitten State yourself but still want a peek at what's tucked inside Detroit's Cobo Center, we've got you covered. HoloLens and VR? Check. A Chevy pick-up with snowmobile treads for tires? Mhrm. Same goes for a Mercedes G-Class Wagon trapped inside a brick of "amber" resin. Hell, we even got the Michelin Man to flex his muscles for a photo. There's a lot to see, so kick back, pour yourself a frosty beverage and peep the slideshow below on the biggest monitor available.
Ferrari plans to build an electric supercar after all
Despite Tesla's lead on the electric vehicle market, large automakers spent 2017 announcing they will transition their gas-powered car models to EVs. But other companies selling more elite vehicles are also throwing their hat in the ring. At NAIAS in Detroit, Ferrari stated it will build its own electric sportscar seven years after its previous president vowed the company would never build an EV.
Tesla reveals a new Roadster, due in 2020
At Tesla's Semi event, the automaker dropped its new Roadster. It'll have a 620-mile range via a 200kWh battery pack."You'll be able to travel from LA to San Francisco and back without recharging," CEO Elon Musk said. The new Tesla Roadster will do zero to 60 in 1.9 seconds, and it'll blast through a quarter mile in 8.9 seconds, before reaching a top speed of over 250 MPH. Oh, and it's a four-seater.
Mercedes teases hybrid supercar with Formula 1 tech
You've seen hybrid supercars before, but likely nothing quite so exotic as this. Mercedes-Benz is teasing the debut of the Mercedes-AMG Project One, a hybrid "supersports showcar," at the Frankfurt International Motor Show beginning September 14th. While the preview image doesn't show much besides a GT-style body (complete with an air scoop on the roof), Mercedes makes much ado of the car's Formula 1 underpinnings -- both powerplants amount to race car technology adapted to "day-to-day" use.
Ariel's electric supercar promises 1180 horsepower
No sooner had rumors started circulating that car manufacturer Ariel had something special in the works than the company came out and confirmed it was true. An electric supercar with more than 1000 horsepower is on its way, and fittingly for a vehicle capable of such impressive speeds, it'll be arriving soon, unveiled fully in 2019 and on sale in 2020.
Chinese EV supercar maker is prepping an all-electric SUV
If you're an automaker, you can't just come right out of the gate with a supercar if you're expecting mass adoption. Well, you can, but maybe it isn't the wisest move? To that end, Chinese upstart automaker NIO (formerly NextEV) has unveiled the ES8, an all-electric sport-utility vehicle made specifically for its home turf. It'll fit seven passengers inside its "all-aluminum body and chassis," according to a press release.
Maserati's first electric car won't be a Tesla rival
Italian supercar makers haven't exactly embraced electric vehicles with gusto (the LaFerrari hybrid is about as close as you get), but that should change in the next few years. Ferrari's sibling brand Maserati tells Car and Driver that it's working on an electric vehicle that would be shown before 2020. And unlike other luxury car brands, Maserati doesn't plan on eating Tesla's lunch. It has to produce something "very different" to stand out, the company's Roberto Fedeli says. Think of something more like the GranTurismo coupe (see above) than yet another upscale sedan.
