Ever fantasized about getting hurled over sixty miles per hour high above the earth’s dust, strapped to a bucket seat? Well, that’s what you’ll get paying for a ride on Ferrari World Abu Dhabi’s one of two amusement rides. It features carriers that resemble the Ferrari F430 Spider each having four individual buckets seats, 2 up front and 2 behind. This is totally unadvisable for people with dentures, geek eyeglasses or toupees. But then again, if you’ve gots the money, you’ve gets the carnival ride of your life. Your kids are going to be begging for this ride. They’ll appreciate it better than your million dollar prancing horse. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi’s looking to get its gates opened late this year.
So what’s it like to be a resigned Lamborghini senior test driver? Well, apparently, Mr. Valentino Balboni has driven too many all wheel drive Lambos to be sick of it. Actually, he’s spent more hours driving Lambos than any fan and owner could ever dream of. And that’s why he designed his namesake, the LP550-2, with rear wheel drive.
The result? Sheer awesomeness. Remember folks. The beauty of rear wheel drive as compared to all wheel drive, quoting Mr. Balboni is “You need to control the car, the car doesn’t control you.” This is not a marketing hype for RWD, folks. It’s the real deal, coming from someone who’s spent his life designing AWD supercars.
And with that we leave you with Mr. Balboni powersliding in winter wonderland. Just click on the link below. Enjoy.
Finally, someone listens. I have always been an advocate of old school technology. And this opinion by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is a clear indication that there are other people out there who care to see the dangers lurking behind too much technology in modern cars. According to LaHood, “some of these car manufacturers are putting all these gadgets and bells and whistles that are going to distract people.” Exactly.
With already around 6,000 fatalities plus over half a million injuries related to distracted driving, the kind secretary has mustered enough courage to talk to car manufacturers about it. Not that he’ll be successful in the near future. Car manufacturers know it’s in-car entertainment and technology that consumers want, so it’s going to be one hell of a tough battle.
Secretary LaHood, you have the full support of all the old school drivers out there. And to those of you who prefer using an iPhone to play music in your car over the conventional radio, watch out because your days may be numbered.
Part of what makes Ferrari road cars so freaking ultimate is the fact that they bother to spillover their Formula One technology onto their production road cars. And here’s further evidence – the 599 hybrid. It’s set to debut at the Geneva International Motor Show this coming March and will showcase the KERS (kinetic energy recovery system). This announcement was made during the unveiling of the 2010 Ferrari Formula One car in Valencia.
The KERS system uses several Li-on batteries and an electric motor to provide boost that will bring fuel economy up by 35%, or to a combined economy rating of 14mpg. The only downside is the engine is going to be shifted out in front, and will likely result in a different prancing horse altogether. Well, we’ll just have to see how it turns out. Ferrari is making a compromise between performance and economy just to keep up with the green revolution.
For those Porsche fanatics who aren’t content with owning just the Italian make’s cars, Porsche Design has something new for you. Feast your eyes on the P’9522 Black Edition mobile phone.
Porsche Design says that the phone comes packed with innovative functions, such a fingerprint sensor. Apart from that, details on the phone are still a little sparse.
The phone’s body is “milled from a block of solid aluminum”. “As is typical for Porsche Design, the black has a functional background: the Chronograph I is derived from the appearance of the non-reflective instruments used in racing cars, in which everything right down to the instruments is matte black. This avoids unwanted reflections and guarantees easy readability,” says Porsche Design Group CEO Dr. Juergen Gessler.
The P’9522 Black Edition is slated to become available by the end of January.
Being a Mercedes Benz owner and an iPhone techie does have its perks. Like getting to use the mbrace iPhone app, for instance.
The mbrace system lets you do a bunch of stuff to your beloved Benz from the convenience of your iPhone’s touch screen. The app’s screen display looks like a Benz key fob, with unlock, lock, and locate buttons. So you don’t need the car keys to lock and unlock your car’s doors. It’s a handy solution to those scenarios where you accidentally lock the keys in your car. No more bending wire hangers or sticking pointed objects into the door lock.
The app’s locate system is also especially nifty. Just in case you forget where you parked your Benz, the car’s and the iPhone’s GPS systems team up to point you to your car. The mbrace app will even show you Mercedes Benz dealers around your area.
Oh, and you’ll need to subscribe to the app monthly, too. Definitely a small price to pay considering the benefits.
If you’re a hardcore video game racer and you managed to miss out on the first GT Academy, then we’ve got good news. Nissan and Playstation are bringing the GT Academy back.
The first GT Academy, launched in 2008, gave video gamers a chance to prove that they’re not good only on the virtual racetrack. The top video gamer got to participate in a racing progrem and get behind a race-spec Nissan 350Z for the European GT4 Cup.
The second GT Academy is looking to be even bigger than the first. The competition is divided into 5 stages; by the last stage, the top twenty racers from each participating country will be pared down to two ultimate competitors. The racer that outshines the other gets to drive the 370Z at the Cup.
If you don’t mind the grueling work the Academy requires, mark December 17, 2009 on your calendar. The time trial to be launched by Playstation on that date will be your only way to the 2010 GT Academy.Source: AutomobileMag, Playstation.Blog.Europe
If you just can’t get enough of Italian automaker Ferrari, then you might want to put Ferrari World Abu Dhabi on top of your “Places to Go” list.
Sitting on 2,500-hectare Yas Island, about 10 minutes from Abu Dhabi’s airport, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will be the world’s largest indoor theme park. The park is scheduled to open in 2010, with 20 attractions for visitors. Rides include the world’s fastest roller coaster, a G-force simulator, and various racing simulators. A “flume ride” will also give visitors a view of the heart of a Ferrari 599 motor.
“Each (attraction is) designed to bring to life a different part of the Ferrari story,” according to the automaker.
If you happen to drive a Chrysler-made car, here’s a little something that might cheer you up.
Mopar, Chrysler’s accessories and parts division, has announced earlier this week that its online store will be including components for live TV in Chrysler vehicles.
The new technology, called FLO TV, will allow drivers of Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler cars to watch up to 20 channels. It’s made possible by a small antenna that can be mounted on the vehicle’s roof.
The components for FLO TV will be available for installation at dealerships as early as December this year.
What better way to make an already exclusive super car more exclusive, than to riddle it with millions of that thing which girls call their best friend. That’s right – a million diamonds – and the car maker gallant enough to do it is none other than Koenigsegg, maker of the superb CCXR super car.
While in the midst of taking over troubled car brand Saab, Koenigsegg has just released to the automotive press what seems to be their most exclusive model yet - the Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita.
‘Trevita’ is a Swedish term which literally means ‘three whites’. True to its name, only three units will be made of this rare piece of beauty and performance.
Koenigsegg engineers back in Sweden developed a carbon fiber material which has a special ingredient thrown into the mix – diamond finish. Dubbed as the ‘Koenigsegg Shimmering Diamond Weave’, it sparkles under the sun revealing what seems to be millions of small diamonds.
This super car is sure to be a hit with the wife, girlfriend, mom, grandma (err, maybe not) - any special woman in your life. Other than its tooth-grinding performance, which rivals that of the Bugatti Veyron if running on bio-fuel, it also comes equipped with an infotainment system, a chronological instrument cluster plus paddle shifts to help the ladies keep their hands on the steering wheel.
A carbon fiber wing plus ABS carbon ceramic brakes are only natural features of a super car. A hydraulic lifting suspension system, however, is not. It’ll allow you to set the ride height to suit whatever road conditions you’re driving on - just like a real track car.
So there you have it folks. It sure beats giving a big diamond ring for your anniversary or proposal. You have to be lucky enough, though. Chances are very, very slim that you’ll get your hands on even one of the three going into production.
