Lamborghini Asterion: the future of Lamborghini's?

And so, the inevitable has finally happened. The last vestige of V12-only lunacy has been breached. This is the new Lamborghini concept, a car that will almost certainly make production. But it is a hybrid. Now that Lamborghini sees no way out of the choke of EU emissions regulations with its hungry V12/10 monsters, it turns (reluctantly) to hybrid power. 

But is it as bad as you undoubtably think it is? I have given the issue a lot of thought and have decided that it is not quite as bad as you initially think. For starters, it is called the Asterion, which shows that the people at Lamborghini haven't given up completely. Indeed, the team are working harder than ever so that this car will not be the one to destroy their reputation forever. Another redeeming feature is the keeping of the fire-breathing V10, just mated to an electric motor.  And the V10 is the 5.2 litre V10 from the Huracàn. This combo results in a not-unexciting total of 910BHP an 0-62mph in 3 seconds. And (maybe not entirely accurate) a claimed 282MPG, 98g/km CO2, full-electric range of 30 miles and no congestion charge in London. The looks are not as exotic as the Aventador but it is still unmistakably a Lamboghini. Although the hefty batteries and motor do enlarge the weight, so the top speed is 185mph, which is obviously soooo slow. So, Lamborghini trying to stay true to its values while also embracing the future. It's just a shame the future isn't a solo V12 engine screaming into the distance

Nev

So is this the right direction for Lambo to go? Comments would be appreciated in the comments box. Thanks.

Lexus RC-F: German super saloon rival?

So, new cars have been released and so my blog has returned after a long absence.

As you may remember, there was a car called the IS-F. It came from a boring brand called Lexus who many people criticised for being expensive Toyotas. They weren't very good and weren't made particularly well. Nobody really cared about any new models they brought out. Until the IS-F. It was based on the boring IS saloon but was made to rival the BMW M3. And it blew it into the dirt. But still people didn't buy it as the brand image remained. But people remembered. So now there is a successor. The RC-F. And it looks like a cross between the super LFA and the blistering IS-F. It once again tries to take the fight to the German super saloons but this time hopes to increase sales as well. It definitely matches the price of its German counterparts, at £59,995. As well as its space age looks, it boasts a 5.0 litre V8 producing 471BHP and 0-62 in 4.5 seconds, which definitely isn't slow. It features a lot of driver aids and has the purpose of being "driver-friendly", and, using normal Lexus knowledge, manages 28.2 MPG from its big V8 and hefty 1,765KG weight, which is quite impressive in my opinion.  But it won't match the new BMW M4. But it may still achieve more sales than the IS-F. It deserves them.

Nev

Ferrari F40: the greatest Ferrari ever?

Over the last couple of months, when the car industry has been very quiet and I have no new cars to think about and fantasise about ownership, I always think about the best cars ever. Not the newest, not the fastest, not the prettiest, but just the best. Vague, I know, but there are some cars that, to me anyway, are just undoubtably the best. Lamborghini Muira? Check. Audi Quattro? Check. Shelby Cobra? You bet. Ford Mustang Mach 1? Yep. But to me at least there is one car that I always come back to in these times of automotive pondering. The Ferrari F40. The best Ferrari accolade is a very tough one for anyone to give. Especially if they value their life. So let's consider the evidence for the F40.

The F40. The last car to be approved by Il maestro himself: Enzo Ferrari. It was also the first production car to pass the magic mark: 200mph (albeit only by 1mph). Powered by a twin-turbo V8, it generated a not-very-mighty-in-today's-world 471bhp but did have 426 torques and only weighed 1100kg's. It subsequently hit 62 in an amazing-for-1987 4.1 seconds. And had pop-up headlights. Seriously, if that doesn't change your mind I don't know what will. With a low and sexy shape and an eyebrow-raising rear wing, it's no wonder that it's value today can get to astronomical value of £750,000. That's more than a new Porsche 918. And if a car from 1987 is still worth more than a brand new hypercar, it must be good. The best? Absolutely

Nev

Mclaren P1 GTR

For those of you who already thought the Mclaren P1 was hardcore. Get a load of this. The Mclaren P1 GTR. Descendent of the Mclaren F1GTR, the car that won Le Mans on its debut in 1995. This car is the track-only version of the already hardcore P1, this car will cost double the normal car's already eye-watering price tag. Which means the GTR will cost an astronomical £1.98 Million.

So what makes it worth the price? Well, the massive rear wing replaces the "discreet" retractable one on the road car. This generates even more downforce, and coupled with its upgraded electric motor and tweaks to the engine meant that it should generate about about 986bhp, roughly the same as the original Bugatti Veyron but quite a bit lighter, equivalent of a Caterham seven lighter in fact. This means that it will obviously out-drag  the road car and sprint to 62 in under 2.8 seconds.the front of the car is wider and the body has been reprofiled for more aerodynamics. Anyone lucky enough to own one gets access to the F1 teams simulators and can take part in six exclusive track days per year. Most of the details are unavailable at the moment as it is still in development but the message still comes through. Be. Very. Afraid. Could this car be in retaliation to pictures of a Laferrari XX? Over to you, Ferrari.

Nev

The Italian Grand Prix

Last week was the turn of another historic race track to appear on the calender: Monza. With its historic banking no longer used on the track but still shows how tricky the circuit is. Qualifying on Saturday saw Lewis Hamilton edge Rosberg to take pole, with Bottas bagging Williams a second row start.

The race itself was very eventful. Ricciardo failed to gain a hatrick of victories because his Renault power unit failed to give him enough speed to catch the leaders. Surprisingly, Fernando Alonso-the only driver to have gained points in every race so far-had a power unit failure midway through the race which brought his record to an end. In the end Lewis Hamilton led the race comfortably to win the Italian Grand Prix, With Nico Rosberg finishing in second and Filipe Massa gaining his first ever podium for Williams. The next race is in Singapore, next week.

Nev

The Belgian Grand Prix

With all of the teams recovered over the summer break, it was time for Formula 1 to get under way once more. And what a circuit to start of the second half of the season. The circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Arguably the best circuit on the calendar. With its gradient changes and famous Eau rouge corner, everyone was itching to see another spectacular race there. And what a race it was.

It all started with qualifying. Which turned out to be a very soggy affair. With a massive downpour 20 minutes before the race, it was surprising it was not delayed. The famous circuit certainly caught some people out, With many an off-track moment and spin. In the end it was Rosberg who gained pole, with Hamilton in second and Sebastien Vettel in third.

The actual race dawned dry, to the relief of some people. Sebastien Vettel overtook Rosberg on the first corner to take second, before trying a daring over take on the inside on the straight after Eau rouge, something he did last year when he went on to win. Unfortunately the Mercedes car was too fast and the move was not completed. Elseware on the grid, Andre Lotterer came to a stop only 6 laps into his F1 debut and Pator Maldonado and Jules Bianchi also retired early on. After a brief battle between Rosberg and Hamilton there was contact between the two, with Rosberg losing some of his front wing, with shredded one of Hamiltons tyres. This took Hamilton out of the race, with him retiring 10 laps from the finish.Daniel Ricciardo mangled to take a stunning back to back win, closely followed by Nico Rosberg and Valterie Bottas taking another podium. Ferrari looked in good shape aswell, with Raikkonnen finishing fourth. The next race is Italy, in two weeks time. Can Ricciardo take another victory? We'll have to wait and see.

Nev

Below: Hamilton with his shredded tyre

Mercedes AMG GT: serious 911 rival?

Unfortunately, the Mercedes SLS is no longer in production. After a good number of years of being the super cool supercar, Mercedes has decided that enough is enough, and stopped production. And the car featured is its successor, the AMG GT. A car built from the ground up by AMG. The car you see is in disguise paint as it is not going to be released for another couple of month (probably November). It is not a supercar like the SLS, though. No, this is Merdedes' Porsche 911 rival, a sports car sitting at roughly £110,000 for the AMG GT S. As it is a sports car and carries a vague 'usable' tag, there are no gull wing doors sadly.

As a car it uses an evolved version of the SLS's chassis, and reduces physical proportions, although there is still the telltale long SLS style bonnet. The engine is the first of the new AMG motors that will power the next generation of Mercedes AMG. This is the first in line for the new 4.0 litre V8 bi-turbo engine, which has its turbos nestled between the V- a 'hot V' formation. The AMG GT S develops 501 bhp from this new engine, and delivers 479lb ft of torque from fairly low revs. Although no official figures have been released regarding top speed or acceleration, think about 180mph and 3.5seconds as an estimate. It promises to definitely take the fight to the 911. We'll just have to wait and see who comes out triumphant.

Nev