Exotics and Luxury | Cars, Watches, Houses, Garages » Audi

Florida Standing Mile – Top Gun Run March 14th, 2010

E&L — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:06:15 +0000

Written by Kerry Stratton

I’ve been attending car related events my entire life be it car shows, races, runs or whatever nothing can stand up to my newest love the standing mile. These events appeal to the reason why anybody becomes a car guy (or girl)… going [very] fast! In the last few years I’ve attended a few of these types of events and this one made them all look like a walk in the park

Chris and I decided to head to the Dade-Collier Airstrip in Ochoppee, Florida literally at the last minute, planning our day as we were in the car driving in fact. If you’ve never heard of Ochoppee I don’t blame you this small unincorporated area of Collier county with a population of under 100 is known only for having the worlds smallest post office; in early March however unbeknown to the rest of the world it held host to some of the fastest cars in the world.

Out of the entire lineup, two cars stood out; one being the 1800hp twin-turbo Ford GT built by Performance Power Racing and the other being Eddie Bello’s infamous 993 Turbo. Both cars were gunning for world records and both accomplished their goals; 253 MPH in the Ford GT (the overall standing mile world record) and 232+ MPH in the Porsche (911 standing mile world record). Check out the pictures and video below.

Shout-outs to the guys from Heffner Performance and Juan from TurboWax!

Palm Beach Supercar Experience 2010

E&L — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:05:35 +0000

Written by Kerry Stratton

The 2010 inaugural event for Palm Beach Supercar Experience (formerly Supercar Weekend) beat the weather and went off without a hitch. This years collaboration definitely took the Supercar event concept to the next level. Building on the last four years, this event truly brought together the best of the best in rare and exotic vehicles on the beautiful newly restored West Palm Beach waterfront. Read after the break for further coverage and photos!

While the weather didn’t play nice all day (intermittent sunshine and free afternoon carwash), it didn’t stop the crowd from enjoying the show. Well over 100 cars were in attendance…everything from tuned Camaros to a Ferrari F50; which was all boss, but the definite show-stopper was the yet-to-be released Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing. The first Mercedes designed in-house by AMG is absolutely stunning and pictures do it very little justice. It’s quite deserving of the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 cover. I can’t wait to see it on the road! And with the initial specs, the eventual Black Series will be phenomenal. How do you make a great car better? Simple. Lose some weight.

Another eye-catcher was the all-electric zero-to-sixty in 3.7-seconds Tesla Roadster Sport; I’ve been interested in these cars since they came out and have been patiently awaiting their representation in Florida. Customers who were very patient in taking delivery of their Roadsters made out well; they had the opportunity to upgrade to the much improved Sport. Come to find out, Tesla now has a dealership open not far from Miami that we will most definitely be paying a visit to in the near future. We were one of the lucky few allowed to sit in the car this weekend so I’m thinking a test drive is in order!

Other highlights included multiple Murcielago SVs (a sick Matte Black LP640 spotted @City Place), a Ferrari FXX and a couple Spyker C8s.

If you’ve never been to this event, you really should check it out either at one of the two other dates this year (in New Orleans and the Hamptons) or on the flip side at the 2011 Palm Beach Supercar Experience. With all the new cars expected to drop between now and then, it should definitely be on every enthusiasts’ calendar.

(There are more pictures to come!)

Pictorial: Sebring Winter Testing 2010

E&L — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:16:05 +0000

Written by Kerry Stratton

Our very own Chris Grosser spent last weekend at the winter testing session for the American Le Mans series at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida. Chris is currently on vacation but wanted to share his pictures. Which will be included below the break.

Preview: Palm Beach Supercar Experience February 26-28, 2010

E&L — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:01:04 +0000

Of all the events I attended last year, Palm Beach Supercar Weekend is the one I still catch myself talking about. With a new decade brings a new chapter to this event, not only have they added two dates to the calendar (New Orleans and the Hamptons) but changed the name entirely; buckle up for the Palm Beach Supercar Experience!

This year’s event is structured very similar to the past, track day at Palm Beach International Raceway on Friday the 26th,concourse down Flagler Drive and cocktail party Saturday the 27th, with another event on Sunday the 28th (this years added event being a VIP owners corral at the Winter Equestrian Festival). General admission to the track day and concourse event are $24.00 a-piece, with children under 12 being free. The remaining events are VIP-invite only.

If there is any chance you’ll be in the Palm Beach area in late February, you MUST at least check out Saturday’s concourse show. The best of the best are always in attendance; from the one of one Ferrari P4/5 to the now e-famous Sharpie covered Lamborghini Gallardo, all with the beautiful Palm Beach Intercoastal Waterway, Downtown West Palm and Palm Beach Island as a backdrop. This truly is an unforgettable experience!

Cars On Fifth – Naples, Florida – Feb. 6, 2010

E&L — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:25:49 +0000

Written by Kerry Stratton

There are very few things in life I enjoy more than a good exotics car show, even better when it’s in my own back yard. In the past, the ‘Cars on Fifth’ event has not only been a successful in regards to consistently drawing over 400 cars and 20,000 spectators but also as a charity event for ‘Eden of Florida‘ (a non-profit organization striving to improve the lives of children and adults with Autism).

This being the sixth annual event planned by the Naples Ferrari Club follows the same working formula:

Shut down Fifth Avenue South (a major shopping district and the closest thing to a ‘Main Street’ as Naples has).
Bring in the best of the best muscle cars, classics, exotics and of course Ferraris
Open the floodgate and let the crowd pour in

Fortunately Chris and myself were lucky enough to get a chance to see every car at least once and sit down to breakfast at a reasonable hour before step three happened.

Similar to last year, the definite show stopper was a Koenigesegg however this year it was the super rare CCXR Trevita, a car made entirely out of diamond coated carbon fiber and one of three slated for production in 2010. Also there was it’s slightly less rare twin a black CCXR (which has been making it’s rounds the past few weeks).

Also nearby was the Conquest Knight XV SUV, I had been reading about this behemoth in magazines but until a few weeks ago had never seen one. Seriously, I think King Kong would have a hard time prying this thing open. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, imagine an Excursion, with a 6.8 Liter V10 biodiesel powered motor, 4,000 pounds of added armor plating and luxury features that make a Rolls Royce sweat (seriously this thing is AWESOME inside).

To me the biggest draw, were three matching Ferrari F40′s, this has been one of my favorite cars since I was a little kid, and seeing them in person always gives me goosebumps. The highlight of my weekend was pulling out of a friends neighborhood the night before the show and having one fly past me… in the rain. Try as hard as it could my little Nissan just couldn’t keep up however I did manage to grab a few shaky iPhone photos.

The local dealerships were once again present. Ferrari of Tampa and Central Florida both brought a collection of new and vintage Ferraris in their signature red trailers. Newcomers Lamborghini of Sarasota made their debut with both a Gallardo and Murciélago. Not to forget our locals AutoQuest and Naples Motorsports who both brought selections of their inventories.

If you’re ever in the area when this event is going on, you must check it out! Not only are there awesome cars, but all proceeds support a local charity… proof that car guys really do have hearts!

Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI

Zach — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:24:40 +0000

The Audi R8 5.2L FSI V10

Audi just introduced their highly anticipated update to their flagship sports car, the Audi R8. The new Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI comes equipped with a 5.2L V10 producing 525 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque – enough to launch this car from 0-60 in a mere 3.9 seconds.

Audi R8 4.2 V8 vs Audi R8 5.2 V10

Two extra cylinders and one extra liter of displacement
The 5.2L V10 produces 105 horsepower over the 4.2L V8
The 5.2L V10 produces 78 ft-lb of torque over the 4.2L V8

Update 1/13/09 - More R8 V10 Photos Released

PRESS RELEASE

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro: breathtaking performance

The new 5.2-liter, ten-cylinder engine puts out 525 hp

Sprint to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, top speed 316 km/h

High-performance sports car with striking design

Ingolstadt – Audi is launching the next variant of its top-of-the-line model. With the R8, the brand has established itself at the forefront of high-end sports cars from the very start – and now comes the R8 V10. Its 5.2-liter, ten-cylinder engine churns out 386 kW (525 hp) and 530 Nm (390.91 lb-ft) of torque, which makes for breathtaking performance. With superior Audi technologies such as quattro all-wheel drive, the lightweight aluminum body, the innovative all-LED headlights, and its striking design, the
R8 V10 takes pole position against the competition.

The R8 V10 is the result of cumulative know-how from Audi’s string of Le Mans victories. Its naturally aspirated engine combines racing technology such as dry sump lubrication with FSI gasoline direct injection. The ten-cylinder design is the perfect synthesis for impressive top performance, mighty pulling power, and low weight. Starting in 2009, this engine will also prove its potential on the world’s racetracks – in the new R8 racing car Audi is developing for customer teams in conformance with the GT3 rules.

The V10 engine in the production sports car will be almost identical in construction to the one in the racing version. Its displacement is 5,204 cc, at 6,500 rpm it delivers 530 Nm (390.91 lb-ft) of torque, at 8,000 rpm its power tops out at 386 kW (525 hp).

The specific power output is 100.9 hp per liter of displacement – and each hp has to propel only 3.09 kilograms (6.91 lb) of weight, because the Audi R8 V10 in the version with the six-speed manual gearshift weighs only 1,620 kilograms (3571 lb). The engine accounts for 258 of these kilograms (569 lb) – that’s only 31 kilos (68 lb) more than the V8.

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro rockets from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 3.9 seconds. In the version with the sequentially shifting R tronic it reaches 200 km/h (124.27 mph) in another 8.1 seconds. Even then its propulsive power hardly lessens: it’s sufficient to reach a top speed of 316 km/h (196.35 mph). The immense force, the spontaneity and the thrust of the acceleration, plus the sound of the engine – all these impressions coalesce into a breathtaking sports car experience. The V10 plays a concert with growling bass tones and powerful high notes, which grows into a grandiose fortissimo as the engine revs up. This sonorous acceleration doesn’t reach its limit until 8,700 rpm.

The 5.2-liter powerplant uses direct injection according to the FSI principle developed by Audi. A common rail system injects the fuel into the combustion chambers with up to 120 bar of pressure. Direct injection reduces the susceptibility to knocking and provides a certain amount of cooling through the evaporation of the fuel, which in turn supports a high compression ratio of 12.5:1. This in turn contributes to superior performance and improves fuel economy. The R8 V10 with R tronic gets by on an average of 13.7 liters per 100 km (17.17 US mpg).

For maximum dynamics: low center of gravity engine

The technical refinements of the long-stroke ten-cylinder engine include dry sump lubrication, which allows the engine to be mounted low within the chassis. The wide cylinder angle of 90 degrees also makes for a low center of gravity. The crankcase is a high-strength aluminum-alloy casting produced in a complex process. The connecting rods are made of forged steel, the pistons of aluminum. The four camshafts are chain-driven and each is adjustable through 42 degrees. This provides great latitude in controlling the valve timing. In combination with the straight, flow-optimized ducts of the intake manifold, this improves the charge throughout the entire speed range.

The R8 5.2 FSI quattro has a six-speed transmission. A precise and smooth-shifting manual transmission comes as standard equipment. The sequential R tronic is available as an option. The high-tech gearshift conveys an authentic racing feel – with the rocker switches at the steering wheel and the short shifting times of usually less than one-tenth of a second. When the driver actuates the Launch Control program by pressing a button, the R8 V10 takes off in a vehement quick-start with electronically controlled tire slip – both with the R tronic and with the manual transmission.

A contributing factor to the wide lead in traction and driving safety of the Audi R8 V10 over the competition is quattro all-wheel drive – it’s the superior technology especially for a high-performance sports car. Four powered wheels get more grip than two. They enable the driver to step on the gas sooner when coming out of a curve. It’s not only the traction that benefits, but also the transverse dynamics and the stability.

44 to 56 percent – the ideal axle load distribution

The Audi R8 chassis offers both dynamic performance and astonishing levels of comfort on long distances. This high-performance sports car from Audi eagerly responds to any steering action with instant ease, achieves lateral acceleration of up to 1.2 g, and handles any situation with superb driving safety. Its mid-engine design provides an ideal axle load distribution of 44 to
56 percent.

The wheel suspensions on dual aluminum wishbones front and rear – a classic racing technology – are optimized for neutral self-steering characteristics. Even more than in the eight-cylinder R8, this setup is designed for maximum performance. 19-inch wheels equipped with tire pressure monitoring display are standard equipment. Their 10-spoke Y design is exclusive to the R8 V10. Tire sizes are 235/35 front and 295/30 rear.

The car features a high-end damper technology as standard: Audi magnetic ride adapts the characteristics of the suspension in milliseconds to the nature of the road surface and to the driving style. Suspended in the oil of the shock absorbers are tiny magnetic particles which, when a voltage is applied, rearrange themselves so as to slow down the flow of oil through the valves.

In the R8 V10, deceleration is provided by an extremely muscular braking system – eight brake pistons at the front and four at the rear grasp the brake disks, which are ventilated and perforated to ensure unimpeded heat transfer. The brake disks on the front axle have a diameter of 380 millimeters (15 in); the rear discs span 356 millimeters (14 in).

The R8 5.2 FSI quattro is optionally available with a ceramic brake system whose disks are made of a composite material containing high-strength carbon fibers and abrasion-resistant silicon carbide. These are especially light: their combined weight is nine kilograms (19.84 lb) less than the weight of equivalent steel disks. The ceramic brakes can easily cope with the harsher requirements of racing, won’t corrode, and have a typical service life of 300,000 kilometers (186,400 miles). Their calipers are painted charcoal gray and emblazoned with the inscription “Audi ceramic”.

Typically Audi: Sharp lines and an elegantly curved roof

The wide, full shape of the R8 5.2 FSI quattro seems to hug the road. The brawny proportions and prominent wheel wells underscore its potential. The high-precision styling of the lines and the elegant curve of the roof are typical Audi features. A continuous contour optically connects the front, the wheel wells, the sides and the rear. Located well forward, the cab visually expresses the mid-engine design. The vertical air scoops (sideblades) on the sides are also indicative of the engine location. The massive aluminum gas cap is mounted flush within the right sideblade.

The design of the Audi R8 has already impressed experts, as evidenced by the double victory in the “World Car of the Year Awards 2008″. In the ten-cylinder model, the styling has been sharpened up even more.

The front air inlets, which feed air to the coolers, and the lip of the front apron are painted in high-gloss black. The number of cross-braces has been reduced from four to two. The vanes of the single-frame grille have a striking chrome finish.

A very distinctive highlight of the R8 V10 are the all-LED headlights as standard equipment. Audi is the world’s first automaker to use LEDs for the high beam, low beam, daytime running lights, and turn signals. Each headlight integrates 54 of these high-tech light sources. With a color temperature of 6,000 Kelvin the LED light closely resembles daylight, which is less tiring to the eyes in night driving. Further advantages of the LEDs include brilliant illumination, low energy consumption, and a virtually unlimited service life.

Special details also distinguish the body of the R8 V10. Its sideblades are more accentuated than in the eight-cylinder version. The side sills are more striking and wider; the exhaust grilles at the rear windows have a matt aluminum look. Through the large rear window, the ten-cylinder engine is clearly visible in its consummate technical beauty.

When in motion, this Audi high-performance sports car creates a downforce that keeps it in firm contact with the road – thanks to a rear spoiler which deploys automatically at 100 km/h and the fully enclosed underbody, which terminates in a sharply upward-curved diffuser. The dominant color at the rear end is high-gloss black, including the settings of the LED tail lights. The air outlets at the rear end also have only two cross-braces, and the exhaust system terminates in two large oval tailpipes.

Audi sets the example – in body weight and rigidity

The body of a sports car must be especially lightweight and rigid. Audi meets these requirements with the technology of the Audi Space Frame (ASF) and its high-tech aluminum construction. The body-in-white of the R8 V10, which includes an engine frame made of ultra-light magnesium, weighs only 210 kilograms (463 lb), and the quality of its lightweight design – the relation of weight to torsional rigidity – is the best in the sports car segment. The body is composed of profile extrusions, sheet aluminum and very complex gusset castings, all held together by 99 meters (325 ft) of welding seams, 782 rivets, and 308 special screws.

The interior of the R8 V10 provides a unique racing ambience at the luxury level. Its dominant element is the so-called monoposto – a wide arc that contains the steering wheel and the cockpit. As always in an Audi, the workmanship is of the highest quality. The surfaces of the dashboard and doors are lined with fine materials and adorned with precisely stitched decorative seams. Many customizing solutions are available: Audi supplies leather in a wide range of colors, packages with a carbon and piano-lacquer finish, or a made-to-measure luggage set. quattro GmbH, which has developed and is producing the R8 V10, also provides solutions for unconventional requirements.

The great everyday utility of the Audi R8 V10 is based in part on its spacious interior made possible by the long wheelbase of 2.65 meters (8.69 ft). Drivers and passengers of any size will always find a perfect sitting position. Visibility too is surprisingly good. Slender hinge pillars optimize the obliquely forward field of view. Another advantage for convenient everyday use is the luggage space: 100 liters (3.53 cu ft) fit under the front hood, another 90 liters (3.18 cu ft) can be stowed behind the seats. There is also room for two golf bags.

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro combines its colossal performance with a generous complement of standard equipment. Highlights include heatable seat covers made of Fine Nappa leather, a driver information system, the navigation system plus and the Bang & Olufsen sound system along with deluxe automatic air conditioning and an alarm system. The instruments and the gearshift knob are decorated with red rings; the footrests and the rocker switches of the R tronic have an aluminum finish.

The list of options includes other highly attractive features – such as the Audi parking system advanced with its integrated rearview camera or numerous Audi exclusive customization options. Various leather packages provide a luxurious touch, while the bucket seats from the Audi exclusive program bring a highly concentrated racing atmosphere into the R8 V10.

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro will be rolled out in Germany in the second quarter of 2009 at a basic price of EUR 142,400.

YouTube: Audi R8 Testing on the Nurburgring

Audi R8 Sliding Around a Corner on the Nurburgring

Price: £142,400 ($192,400 USD) – Euros price is official, USD is not.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Exotics and Luxury | Cars, Watches, Houses, Garages » Audi

Florida Standing Mile – Top Gun Run March 14th, 2010

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Palm Beach Supercar Experience 2010

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Pictorial: Sebring Winter Testing 2010

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Preview: Palm Beach Supercar Experience February 26-28, 2010

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Cars On Fifth – Naples, Florida – Feb. 6, 2010

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Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI