R.I.P Bernie Mac 1957-2008

RIP Bernie Mac. one of the great african-american comedian and great actor.

picture of the day

Felipe Massa blowin up the 20k rpm revving 2.8L Ferrari V8 3 laps before the finish line. Sudden smoke then a boom is what Massa's motor did while he was running away to a victory in Hungry.

SLR 722 drop top

As SLR production comes to an end in 2009, it appears Mercedes McLaren are scrambling to compensate poor sales with yet another SLR variant in the form of a 722 Edition Roadster. Joining the already long list of variants which include the 650hp / 478kW SLR 722 Edition, SLR 722 GT, SLR Roadster and the final SLR Speedster currently in development, the 722 Roadster seems like a desperate attempt.
In these spy photos, which appear to be taken outside of an AMG facility, judging by all of the Mercedes-AMG models littering the street, we can see an SLR Roadster carrying all of the visual cues distinctive of the SLR 722 Edition. They include palladium grey 19-inch forged-aluminium wheels, clear coat painted carbon fiber front lip spoiler, red brake calipers and the large brake discs. Also the black-painted air outlets on the bonnet, not to mention the palladium grey-trimmed taillight clusters.

spy shots of the new zonda

Spy photographers were shocked when they saw this supercar prototype racing along an American country road with only a few small pieces of camouflage. Although the badges were covered in black tape, there was no doubt they were looking at the 2010 Pagani Zonda F.
Up front, this next-generation Zonda F will get an all-new front clip. In back, the rear quarter panels have been re-sculpted to allow for significantly increased airflow. The rear diffuser has also been redesigned and there is a totally new air scoop that sticks up from the middle of the engine cover.
Inside, we can see the "Zonda F" nameplate above several toggle switches. Other than a new shifter, we don't see any major interior changes. This Pagani has absolutely enormous 335/30/ZR20 Pirelli Pzero Rosso tires in back and 255/35/ZR19 tires in front. Sitting inside the wheels are equally enormous carbon ceramic brake rotors.
What power plant this supercar might be packing is a bit of a mystery. Pagani certainly wants to keep the motor a secret as the clear engine compartment panels were covered with black tape. Judging from the new, larger air intakes on this prototype, whichever motor resides under the cover obviously needs more airflow than the Mercedes AMG 7.3L V8 found in the current Zonda F.
There are rumors of the 5.4L supercharged V8 from the McLaren SLR 722 or perhaps the bi-turbo V12 from the recently debuted Mercedes SL65 AMG Black series providing motivation for the Zonda F. Whatever the motor, it should be good for 600-700hp. The Zonda F should start production sometime in the first half of 2009. If you want one, count on an price tag of at least $650,000.

Save your money up

Evey year automakers spend considerable amounts of money creating the most extreme racing cars to edge out their competition on the track. Unfortunately, lust-worthy as they are, those competition machines are rarely available to the common consumer to buy. That's where homologation regulations come into play.
The Maserati MC12 campaigns in the FIA GT Championship. In order to enter the championship, which the team took in 2005, Maserati fabricated and offered 50 vehicles to the public. But as devastatingly fast as the roadgoing MC12 was, some customers wanted more. So Modena rolled out 12 examples of the MC12 Corsa (a.k.a. Versione Corse) to satisfy the needs of its most loyal, track-obsessed clients. Based closely on the GT1 racing version, the MC12 Corsa packs a mammoth 6-liter V12 producing 744 horsepower – 121 more than the roadgoing supercar. The Versione Corse compared to the Ferrari FXX: both of them were based on the Ferrari Enzo, both were offered in limited numbers, both were maintained for their best clients by the factory, and most importantly, neither were certified for road use. However, one German customer managed to get his MC12 Corsa certified for street use, and that solitary example is now up for sale. Illustrating the point that depreciation does not apply to the top echelons of the supercar market, the minimum bid on this unique MC12 Corsa is 1.45 million euros – 45% higher than the original sale price from the factory, and it's sure to sell for more than that when the hammer finally drops.

Skunk2 EP3 for sale

Aftermarket parts manufacturer Skunk2 has been churning out go-fast bits for Hondas since the mid 1990s. Initially named Skunkworks, the company's extensive racing efforts and an R&D facility only found in the dreams of most engineers have rocketed it to the forefront of today's sport compact market. Skunk2 is ready to move into the future and is seeking to offload its project EP3 Honda Civic RR in order to make room for something new. Built to show that the Japanese tuners could be beaten at their own game, and loaded with every possible item in the Skunk2 catalog, the ride carries an asking price of $17,000.

The project exclusively uses U.S. domestic market parts. The motor, built with Wiseco pistons, forged Cunningham rods and various Skunk2 components, churns out 254 hp and 190 ft-lbs of torque at the wheels. For the most part, the mods are limited to the performance and interior upgrades, though a few Civic Type R body trim pieces (technically UKDM) and lightweight Volk wheels (apparently domestic distribution counts as USDM) also find their way onto the car. No gaudy shopping cart rear wings or excessively louvered hoods for this rice burner. Check out the gallery for more EP3 images.

Drop top Veryon

Bugatti has surprised us today with the revealing of its open top targa version of the Veyron 16.4 called, Grand Sport. The new Bugatti will receive its public debut at this year’s Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance, on August 16th, 2008 at the lawn in front of the Pebble Beach Lodge.
Bugatti is calling the Grand Sport a roadster with a removable roof. Bugatti has incorporated “innovative structural solutions”, to compensate for a lack of structural integrity normally provided by a roof, however, without sacrificing performance and safety.
The very first build slot for this new car, to be built in Spring 2009, will be auctioned the next day at the renown Gooding auction at the Equestrian Center at Pebble Beach.