Porsche Carrera

History

Released at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show, Porsche's Carrera GT was a final production version of the concept car first seen at the 2001 Paris Auto Salon. It was Porsche's first limited production supercar since 959 production stopped in 1988. At the time of launch, it was one of the few available products that rivaled the Ferrari Enzo.

Unlike the 911, which carried the company for four decades, the Carrera GT was complete bottom up design. Its styling was thankfully unchanged from Paris show car and departed from the traditional Porsche shape which the 959 couldn't escape.
Motivation for the Carrera GT came directly from Porsche's successful motor sports program and the Porsche WSC-95 Le Mans prototype. After winning Le Mans twice in 1996 and 1997, Porsche revived an old V10 engine for the 1999 season but it was shelved only two days into track testing. Fortunately, the 5.5 liter V10 was used in a one-of 2001 Paris Auto Salon concept car which was received well enough for production to begin two years later. Final Assembly commenced at Porsche's Leipzig plant and the car sold with an MSRP of $440,000 USD, $515,000 CAD, or €390,000.
Originally a production run of 1,500 cars was planned. But Porsche announced in August, 2005 that it would not continue production of the Carrera GT through 2006, citing discontinuation was due to changing airbag regulations in the US. As of May 6, 2006[update], 1,270 GT's had been manufactured, with 604 being sold in the United States.

Engine specifications


The Carrera GT is powered by a 5.7 litre V10 engine producing 612 DIN (605 SAE) horsepower (450 kW),whereas the original concept car featured a 5.5 litre version rated at 558 hp (416 kW). Porsche claims it will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 3.9 seconds and has a maximum speed of 330 km/h (205 mph), although road tests indicated that in reality the car could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and 0-100 mph in 6.8 seconds, while 0-125 mph in 9.9.
The Carrera GT has a basic five colour paint scheme which includes Guards Red, Fayence Yellow, Basalt Black, GT Silver and Seal Grey. Custom colours were also available from the factory. A traditional six-speed manual transmission is the only available transmission, in contrast to its rival the Enzo Ferrari which is only offered with a computer actuated paddle shifted manual gearbox. Attached to this gearbox is a beechwood gearknob which pays homage to the wooden gearknob used in the Porsche 917 Le Mans racers. In its second year of production, a limited edition carbon fibre knob was also made available. With the Enzo Ferrari priced initially around $660,000 USD, the Carrera GT base price of $444,400 USD makes the dream of owning a piece of Le Mans inspired technology somewhat more attainable.
The Carrera GT has large side inlets and air dams that help cool the large V10 engine that had 612 bhp (456 kW; 620 PS)[citation needed] framed by the carbon fibre rear hood. Fitted with Porsche's latest Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite brake system, the 15 inch SGL Carbon disc brakes make an impressive appearance underneath the 19 inch front and 20 inch rear wheels. Similar to other Porsche models, such as the 911, the GT includes an automated rear wing spoiler which deploys above 70 mph (110 km/h).

Futures

Notable technology includes a pure carbon fiber monocoque and subframe, dry sump lubrication and inboard suspension. The carbon fiber monocoque and subframe were produced and assembled by ATR Composites Group of Italy. The spolier of the Carrera GT extends into the air when the car reaches about 60 miles an hour and evens out the air flow, which causes less drag. The Carrera GT radiator is about five times the size of a 911 Turbo's. Unlike some of its rivals, the Carrera GT does not feature dynamic stability control, but it does have traction control. Porsche claims that over 75 technology patents have been filed during the development of the Carrera GT.


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AUDI R8

AUDI R8 HISTORY
The Audi R8 is a mid-engined sports car introduced by the German automaker Audi in 2006
The R8 is based on the Audi Space Frame, largely derived from the Lamborghini Gallardo. It is built by Audi AG's wholly owned private subsidiary company, quattro GmbH


Audi announced in 2005 that the name of the successful R8 race car would be used for a new road car in 2007, the Audi R8, based on the Audi Le Mans quattro concept car, appearing at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show and 2003 International Motor Show. The R8 was officially launched at the Paris Auto Show on 30 September 2006. There is some confusion with the name, which the car shares with the Le Mans winning R8 LMP and also the 1989 Mk2 Rover 200, codenamed R8.

Interior

The seats show a distinctive but subtle shine, matching the science fiction feel of the dashboard. With curving contours the seats clearly betray the comfort they offer as they silently sing a siren's song to the potential driver. The sleek adjustment levers at its base take no steps away from the metallic, futuristic feel of the Audi R8. Situated between the front seats is what seems like an extension of the dashboard sporting the parking brake and cup holders for the comfort of the driver and passenger. Sharing this space is the shifter, which is surrounded at its base with a reflective metallic disk. The shifter knob itself is a simple shape and it too sports the metallic color of its base.

Engine Specifications
The top speed of the Audi R8 is reported at 187 mph (301 km/h).
The 0-60 mph (96 km/h) speed is reported at an incredible 4.4 seconds.
To top that off, the 1/4th mile (400 m) time has been registered at 12.5 seconds at 113.2 mph (182.2 km/h).









The Audi R8 also features a V8 (4.2 L) or a V12 (6.0 L) engine (with a V10 planned) along with a 4.2 L (4163 cc) displacement. Finally, it is important to know that the engine clocks in at 414 bhp (309 kW) at an incredible 7800 rpm. The default transmission is a standard Audi manual gearbox or an Audi "R-tronic" gearbox. These transmission options are also available on the Lamborghini Gallardo, yet another feature these two cars share in common.
This arrangement allows the driver to do anything from simply drive around town doing errands or maneuvering heavy city traffic. With a top speed of 301 km/h, the Audi R8 is sure to impress any potential driver. For anyone brave enough to truly open it up, this engine can eat up highway like a light snack. The best part about it is the sound it puts out, when the engine is running slowly, it is a strong, yet dulled hum, a beautiful but unobtrusive sound. Once the driver takes it past 5,000 rpm the beast really wakes up and lets loose its roar. Any fan of speed and power would hunger for more , which the 4.2L V8 FSI could easily provide.





















 

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