Posted on 08 January 2009 by sheppy
Photograph: Manchester Evening News Syndication
Although no news reports that I can find say it, the car that Cristiano Ronaldo crashed looks like it was one of the new Ferrari 599 GTBs. It’s a shame to see one die so early…especially when I haven’t actually had a chance to see it in the flesh yet! The front was badly smashed although the identifiable rear remained fairly intact.
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Posted on 08 January 2009 by sheppy
Our fastest cars for less than £20k was quite a popular post so I thought I’d follow it up by adding some extra cash to our budget. This chart gives us £30,000 to spend on 5 fastest 0-60 cars.
We’ve chosen to leave out the Westfield Sport and the Caterham Seven. Of course, great cars, but more track cars than practical in our opinion so we’ve skipped them. Soon you’ll be able to play around with this stuff for yourself, for now, put up with me and my charts..!
5. Nissan 350Z 2dr coupe V6 GT 309bhp – £29400
First up is the Nissan 350Z V6 GT which comes in just within our price range and goes from 0-60 in 5.5 seconds. This car like many of the others in our chart doesn’t stop till it hits 155mph. This 2 door coupe really feels the acceleration because of its weight and its engine size.
Overall this is a compact and driveable, a real driver’s car, and without a doubt, a heavyweight in the performance field.
4. BMW 1 Series 2dr coupe 135i M Sport - £29755
Jeremy Clarkson raved about this in his review at the start of 2008 and rightly so. A new BMW for under £30k, with incredible performance enabling you to hit 60mph in 5.3s. He also comments on the ride, the handling, and the fantastic way the turbo reacts when hitting the gas. It also looks much better than some of BMW’s more recent cars.
3. Lotus Elise 2dr open 1.8 R - £28550
The Lotus Elise 1.8 R breaks the 5 second 0-60 time in our chart hitting 60mph in 4.9 seconds. Not the most comfortable or practical of cars, and is pushing the limit on our decision to not use impractical cars like the Caterham and the …. However, it has a roof, even if in this case it can be removed, therefore makes it into our chart at number 3.
There’s only milliseconds in it for the rest of the chart, so the Lotus only misses out on the top spot by 0.2s. It’s supreme handling, weight and grip makes it tremendously fast around corners too. Find a nice stretch of road which plenty of corners, and you’re sure to enjoy every second.
2. Subaru Impreza 5dr hatchback 2.5 WRX STI – £26595
The rivalry between the Impreza and the Evo is well known, and have always dominated the market for practical high-performance cars. You could quite easily fit the family with luggage into the Impreza, and indeed some of the lower spec models are meant for just that. This particular 2.5 WRX STI model is the high-end Impreza with performance in mind. Boasting acceleration to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds certainly aids its reputation.
The Impreza is the cheapest car in our chart, and you could probably buy one even cheaper right now.
1. Mitsubishi Evo 4dr saloon 2.0T FQ-300 GS - £27849
Our fastest car for less then £30k is the Mitsubishi Evo with a 0-60 time of just 4.7 seconds. You have to have respect for the super-car rivalling time from these high-end practical cars. Apart from the huge spoiler, you would probably think the Evo is your usual family saloon – perhaps a sporty looking one at that. However, the spoiler is certainly there for a reason, holding the beast to the road.
Posted on 07 January 2009 by sheppy
F1-X in Dubai (Artist's impression)
If you haven’t heard this tidbit of news already, a new Formula 1 themed park is to open later this year on a 70-acre site. It could only be in Dubai, the haven for the biggest and best hotels, parks, attractions, tallest buildings…etc the list continues! It will be the world’s first ever Formula 1 theme park with 20 rides including 3 rollercoasters.
With the popularity of Formula 1 growing, despite its already worldwide popularity, the new theme park could attract (and will attract, let’s be honest!) thousands more people to Dubai.
Look for for F1-X on your next visit to Dubai, opening in the Autumn.
Posted on 06 January 2009 by sheppy
Ferrari are going to be using their traffic lights system which gave them heaps of troubles during their 2008 season. After having some severe issues which could have contributed to Massa’s loss of the championship, they switched to the traditional lollipop system for the last 3 races. After investigation and some fixing of some bugs, the traffic lights are coming back.
Hopefully for the Ferrari pit team, they’ll avoid their 100 metre sprint down the pit lane this next season. Having said that, I’m semi-hoping that we’ll see a repeat of the amusing scenes of the team trying to get in on the track racing action themselves.
Posted on 05 January 2009 by sheppy
Ferrari are going to launch their new F1 car for the forthcoming season on 12 January, the earliest of all the constructors. Toyota and Mclaren will follow on the 15 and 16 January.
New 2009 regulations are in effect and are expected to be visible on the new cars. These will be aerodynamic modifications. Slick tyres are also going to be permitted for the new season.
