A distracted owner of a Bugatti Veyron, one of the world’s fastest production cars, accidently drove Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, the French-built automobile into a saltwater lagoon in La Marque, Texas. We also have a link to video of the actual crash of the car into the lagoon at www.galvnews.com
Bugatti Veyron towed from saltwater lagoon
The Aston Martin DB9: The Stylish Grand Tourer
After Ian Callum designed the beautifully styled Aston Martin DB7 back in 1993, few believed that it could ever be bettered. However with the release of the new Aston Martin DB9 in 2004 it seemed that Callum had achieved the impossible, and improved on perfection. This was to be the car that took Aston into the 21st Century bringing them head to head with rivals from Ferrari and Porsche.
The DB9 is powered by 6 litre 450bhp V12 engine that was original used in the DB9’s much bigger brother, the Aston Martin Vanquish S. If they had followed normal procedure this new Aston should have been called the DB8, however Aston wanted to show that this car was a significant step forward and not just and evolution from the ageing DB7. In addition, it was feared that the DB8 moniker would cause some potential buyers to believe the new model was powered by a just a humble V8, so instead the DB9 title was used.
The design and construction of the DB9 was much more advanced than previous Astons, with the chassis and bodywork produced from a combination of aluminium and lightweight composite materials. This gave the DB9 tremendous structural rigidity whilst still keeping the overall weight low, which allowed the DB9 to accelerate to 60 in just 4.7 seconds and then on to a maximum speed of 186 mph.
When compared to the flagship Vanquish S model, the DB9 had much crisper exterior lines with the overall shape looking considerably less bulky than its older brother. Neat touches like the single lever recessed door handles and the slim 501 LED bulbs in the rear lights all added to the stylish and modern design. Inside the DB9 continued the modern feel with brushed aluminium, light coloured woods and even a crystal glass starter button.
To further help the DB9 compete with the stiff opposition in the shape of the Porsche 997 turbo and Ferrari’s F430, a new sports pack was introduced in 2006. Whilst the ride height was lowered and spring and damper rates were improved, Aston also improved on the overall structural stiffness and attempted to reduce the unsprung weight with lighter 19 inch aluminium alloy wheels, and titanium wheel nuts.
Recently Aston has released a more powerful, stripped and lightweight version of the DB9 called the DBS. Despite being used as James Bond’s company car in Casino Royal and Quantum of Solace, this new flagship Aston body kit has been subject to criticism due to the addition of a striking body kit. Detractors say that it disrupts the pure lines of the original, which just goes to show how hard it is to improve on perfection.
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Honda CR-Z Hybrid Sports Car Coming in Fall 2010
The Toyota Prius is such an iconic car that many people believe Toyota was the first company to come out with production hybrids. It was not. Honda was the first, but miscalculated the market and missed out on a huge opportunity. The announcement that the company will be introducing a hybrid sports car, the CR-Z, to the US market in the fall of 2010 is an effort to right that wrong.
The CR-Z is nothing less than a full frontal assault on the hybrid market in the United States. The car is a two-seater that is rumored to incorporate an integrated motor assist system that incorporates a 1.3 liter engine. The CR-Z, which stands for Compact Renaissance Zero, gets its sportiness from both the design and the fact that it is expected to be very light weight.
The initial prototype of the vehicle was shown at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show. It incorporates a longer nose with sleek, banked styling that runs to a higher end, flat rear. If I had to compare it to any other car, it looks like a revved up Honda Insight although with very distinct lines. You can look up images online from the show to see it.
The real beauty of the CR-Z is found in an area that is rarely available in a new, revolutionary sporty car. Yes, I am talking about the price. All indications are Honda is trying to bring this car in to wipe up the market. The proposed retail price is a paltry $20,000. This is the equivalent of a Prius, but with much better lines and performance. Well, at least we think better performance. Honda has released no information on just how sporty the performance will be. Still, one has to imagine it will be better than your average hybrid.
The age of hybrids is in full bloom. The Honda CR-Z seems to fill a niche that has demand these days. With a price in the $20,000 range, it may be a huge hit.