Tag Archives: testing

Porsche

Porsche LMP1 sports prototype – First Outing Weissach

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Weissach. The new Porsche LMP1 sports prototype, which will compete in the sports car World Endurance Championship (WEC) and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 2014, successfully completed its first rollout today on the Porsche test track in Weissach. Before the eyes of the entire Board of Porsche AG, Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard took his new ‘wheels’ through its initial function check.

Porsche LMP1 Prototype 2014

The LMP1 racer turned its first laps on the circuit several weeks earlier than originally planned. “We are well on schedule,” says Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1. “Our newly formed team has worked with utmost concentration on getting this highly complex vehicle on the track as soon as possible. This allows us a few additional weeks for more testing and further development. From 2014, the regulations are primarily based on efficiency. This makes the competition amongst engineers more interesting and presents us with completely new challenges.”

Since the decision in mid-2011 to return with the LMP1 racer to top motorsport as a works effort, the Motorsport Centre at Weissach has grown significantly. A workshop and an administration building were built and accommodate around 200 employees who are responsible for the design, assembly and deployment of the LMP1 car. From the 2014 season, the racer will be fielded by a Weissach-based works squad.
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Audi, Spy Shots

2013-2014 Audi S1 Sportsback – Spied out Winter Testing

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Audi S1 Sportsback

After the uber bonkers Audi A1 Clubsport which had 495hp Audi have been out testing the sensible Audi S1.

The changes from the regular A1 include 2 extra doors and more practicality than the current range topping 185ps 1.4 tfsi.

Audi was saving the Quattro all wheel drive transmission for this car and is rumoured to be a derived from the club sport obviously with less strengthened parts.
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Jaguar

JAGUAR F-TYPE TO DEBUT IN PARIS

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Jaguar F-Type R Prototype

The F-TYPE, Jaguar’s all-new aluminium two-seater sports car, will make its global debut in production form at the Paris Motor Show on 27th September.

Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar Cars, said: “The unveiling of the F-TYPE in Paris will be a truly significant day in Jaguar’s history as it will mark the company’s return to the sports car market, a market it originally helped to create.

“As its sporting forebears did in their era, the F-TYPE will break new ground by delivering stunning sports car performance while vividly demonstrating Jaguar’s cutting-edge engineering technologies and world-class design excellence. The next step in Jaguar’s sporting bloodline is about to become reality.”

The F-TYPE will be launched as a convertible with a choice of three petrol engines: 340PS and 380PS versions of Jaguar’s all-new 3.0-litre supercharged V6, and a new derivative of its existing supercharged 5.0-litre V8. All will drive the rear wheels through an eight-speed transmission and will be equipped with Stop/Start technology.

Prototype test programme

After we spotted all three variants of the F-Type testing around Gaydon in UK.

Following the F-TYPE’s ‘camouflaged’ public drive at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June of this year, testing of the final verification prototypes has continued in some of the harshest environments in the world.

As its name suggests, this test programme is designed to verify the staggering amount of design work that was carried out by Jaguar’s engineers in the ‘virtual world’, a process in which the company is an industry leader.

More than half-a-million separate F-TYPE design analyses were carried out comprising 10-million CPU hours of processing, creating more than 300TB of data. Had that same amount of initial design analysis been completed on physical cars, the number of prototype F-TYPEs built would have filled the majority of the UK’s motorway network bumper-to-bumper.

The result of all that ‘virtual’ design work is that Jaguar’s engineers are currently concentrating on honing the performance of the physical verification prototypes, to ensure the production F-TYPE delivers truly focused sports car driving reward.

Said Ian Hoban, Jaguar’s Vehicle Line Director: “When you are working on a Jaguar sports car the expectations of the world are huge. We’re really pleased how the attributes have translated from the virtual simulation work we’ve done into the physical world.

“Now, we’re refining and adding those last few percentage points – that true element of honing which the Jaguar test team are delivering – which will turn a great sports car into an exceptional one.”

RangeRover, Spy Shots

2013 Range Rover – Spyshots Less Camouflage

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Here are the latest spyshots of not one but three different prototypes of the 2013 Range Rover all of which in different stages of Camouflage.

No more heavy cladding that hides all the lines and details, now there are only light stickers giving most of the details such as the new head lights, air intakes and so away. We can also notice that the engine hood is more rounded then before and that the grille is more upright.

The platform which is being developed here will be the same platform used with the Discovery range and is the first proper weight reduction exercise with this chassis.

This chassis features a lightweight, rivet-bonded aluminium chassis and various other manufacturing composites throughout the car hinted at reducing the car by nearly 400KG.

This is expected to equate to achieving around 34mpg from its lightened chassis.

All these cars are diesel powered and we expect the Sport to turn up later this month in prototype form.

BMW, Spy Shots

BMW M 6 Series Gran Coupe – Latest Spy Photos

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This is BMWs answer to the Mercedes CLS AMG and Audi flagship S7, the M6 Gran Coupe has been spotted in light camouflage during cold weather testing in Scandinavia. With its deep front spoiler and wider fenders it looks really aggressive and the M trademark quad exhaust pipes finish the back off beautifully.

Powered by the same high revving turbocharged V8 engine as the M5 and the just revealed M6 Coupe and Convertible, the M6 Gran Coupe has atleast 560 wild horses to play with. Rumors are even talking on a 20-40 hp power boost for the M6 Gran Coupe, making it 580-600 hp in total.

All this power will be sent to BMW M´s latest seven-speed Double Clutch Transmission with Drivelogic.

Spy Shots, Volkswagon

2013 Volkswagon Golf Mk VII – Spy Shots

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Here are the latest spyshots of the final production prototype of the MK7 Golf. The cars is still under heavy camouflage so most of the detail and styling cues are still under wraps.

However what is interesting in this new model is the brand new MQB chassis that will be shared with the Audi A3 Etc. It will have a longer wheelbase and will also have more aerodynamic features.

The range-topping Golf models will use a new 2.0-liter TFSI Petrol engine with more producing around 240 hp on the GTI and around 310 hp in the Golf R which will be equipped with VW’s 4Motion 4 wheel drive system.

VW accidently gave us our first look at a very early clay prototype of the Mk7 Golf featuring a agressive snout and more steeply raked windscreen through an official video back in 2009.

Porsche, Spy Shots

Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet – Spyshots

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Porsche have officially unveiled the new 911 in both Cabriolet and Coupe body styles, It is now time for the forced induction growling 911’s.

The prototype here still under heavy camouflage is showing its side intake ports as well as its fatter booty along with an oversized spoiler.

The styling including the headlight clusters will follow the recently unveiled 911’s.

This engine is internally called the GT-R beater but perhaps not in its cabriolet form but I look forward to the comparisons.

The engine will have an output of around 560hp, and perhaps even more interest will be around how many blowers this will have. (Tri-Turbo??)

Look out for the debut of the new 911 Turbo at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March.

Audi, Spy Shots

2013 Audi RS6 Spied Winter Testing

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The current C6 RS6 was discontinued in 2010 and there was no hints of a replacement in development.

It is great to see that Audi have not forgot its Bi-Turbo Quattro’s in this latest prototype to sneak its way from Neckarsulm home of the RS models up to the winter wonderland in northern Sweden.

This car is in mule form on first looks, like a current A6 based Avant sporting A8 wheels.

But on closure inspection we notice the aggressive front bumper leading its way back through to the Ceramic Disks front and back, this is no other than an upcoming RS6 Production prototype.

We are expecting the car to be powered by a V8 Bi-Turbo 4.0 liter engine which is currently in use on the New Bentley Continental GT and the current S8.

But this car will be going head to head with the likes of the BMW M5 & the new AMG C63 so expect BHP to be around 580hp mated to a revised Bosch ESP and EBD safety system and the usual Quattro AWD with DRC.

Enjoy the remarkably uncamouflaged mule and keep an eye out for the production prototypes around april this year.