Tag: fastest

Video: 1985 288 GTO lays claim to World’s Fastest Ferrari with 275.4 mph run

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Videos, Ferrari, Racing

P4 by Norwood Ferrari 288 GTO

World’s Fastest Ferrari – Click above to watch video after the jump

We’ve seen a lot of special action from the Bonneville Salt Flats this year, but this just about takes the cake. The guys from P4 by Norwood, a Ferrari tuning shop, are laying claim to the title of the World’s Fastest Ferrari with a record run of 275.4 mph averaged over two sprints. Using a stock-bodied 1985 288 GTO, owner Steve Trafton managed to snag not only the title of world’s fastest Ferrari, but the world’s fastest sports car (AA/BFMS) at the same time. The Prancing Horse beat out the previous record holder by just over 3 mph.

Interestingly enough, Thrafton skipped using a high-dollar Italian mill for this car’s beating heart. Instead, there’s a 540 cubic-inch big block General Motors V8 wedged down into that slinky body. Two Borg Warner 80-mm turbos help shove a full 17 pounds of boost into the eight-pot. Thrafton isn’t saying exactly how much power the car is laying down, but it has to be enough to move a planet on command if need be. Hit the jump to watch the Ferrari do what it does best on the Utah salt.

[Sources: Seattle Post Intelligencer, YouTube]

Continue reading Video: 1985 288 GTO lays claim to World’s Fastest Ferrari with 275.4 mph run

Video: 1985 288 GTO lays claim to World’s Fastest Ferrari with 275.4 mph run originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official MSP Numbers: Chevy Caprice is quickest, fastest police car… barely

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GM, Police/Emergency

2011 Chevrolet Caprice police car

2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV — Click above for high-res image gallery

The numbers are in, folks. This year’s Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation pitted Ford’s Jurassic Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (the new Taurus-based Police Interceptor was reportedly on hand, but its numbers won’t be included until next year), Chrysler’s 2011 Dodge Charger Police Pursuit model and General Motors’ Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle against each other in a no-holds-barred fight to the finish. And let’s just say the results are closer than you might think.

For instance, as pointed out by the proud parents at Chevrolet, the Caprice did, in fact, manage to set the best acceleration times to 60 miles per hour and 100 mph. But… and there’s always a but… the 2011 Charger was pretty much neck-and-neck with the Caprice. In fact, the Charger was quicker to 20, 40, 50, 70 and 80 mph. So, which one is really quicker? Pretty much a photo finish, if you ask us.

Also, top speeds between the two competitors were within spitting distance: 148 mph for the Caprice and 146 for the Hemi-powered Charger. There’s plenty more intriguing data as well, such as the fact that the new Pentastar V6-powered Charger was, on average, almost exactly as fast around the race track as its more powerful V8-powered sibling, and both were about a second behind the Caprice in the lap time derby.

And what of the old stalwart? Ford’s age-old Crown Victoria did its best, but was still over two seconds behind at 60 mph and a woeful 10 seconds afield by 100. Top speed for the Vic was 129 (with a 3.27 rear end, which was even slower in acceleration tests than its 3.55-equipped brother), and its lap times were well behind that of the Caprice and Charger.

Braking tests also favored the new Caprice and Charger. Chevy’s entry posted a projected 60-0 stopping distance of 128.3 feet and the Charger managed to come to a halt in 133.9 feet (133.2 with the V6). For comparison, the Crown Vic needs 141.6 feet to haul itself down from speed.

One final note: If acceleration is really what an officer is into, perhaps he should consider a switch to two wheels. Kawasaki’s Concours 14 ABS Police bike hit 100 mph in under 10 seconds and the BMW R1200 RTP did the deed in under 12. See the complete preliminary testing results here at the link below.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car

[Source: Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation]

Official MSP Numbers: Chevy Caprice is quickest, fastest police car… barely originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bobby Cleveland brings Fastest Lawnmower crown back to USA [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, Specialty, Racing

World's Fastest Lawnmover

World’s Fastest Lawnmower – Click above to watch video after the jump

One minute, you’re the king of going fast on a lawnmower. The next, you’re number two behind a man from the UK. That’s what happened to Bobby Cleveland, but he didn’t sit idly by on his grass clippings – he went out and brought the title of World’s Fastest Lawnmower back to the United States with a new speed record of 96 miles per hour.

Cleveland set a world record back in 2006, with a speed of 80.792 mph. His mark was then bested by Don Wales whose Project Runningblade mower was clocked going 87.833 mph. Bobby Cleveland wanted to be the first to cross the 100 mile per hour threshold, but 96 mph is still a mighty leap over Wales’ mark. The way these two are going back and forth it’s only a matter of time before one of them hits that magic number, but until they do, check out Cleveland’s latest run after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Bobby Cleveland brings Fastest Lawnmower crown back to USA [w/video]

Bobby Cleveland brings Fastest Lawnmower crown back to USA [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bugatti Veyron vs. BMW S1000 RR – Which is fastest?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., BMW, Bugatti, Motorcycle

2010 Bugatti Veyron versus BMW S 1000 RR

Car guys insist that their four-wheeled machines are as fun as any motorcycle. The two-wheeled, leather-clad bike folks laugh at this notion, then scream off into the twisties at 9,000 rpm. The discussion can go back and forth until both parties are blue in the face. Inside Line decided it would be fun to put two powerful examples, one car and one motorcycle, to the test. These aren’t just run-of-the-mill vehicles, either: In one corner is a 2010 Bugatti Veyron while in the other sits a 2010 BMW S 1000 RR. The battleground? Forest roads around Molsheim, France

The Veyron obviously has the power advantage, thanks to its quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 engine that produces 1,001 horsepower. The 190-horsepower BMW, however, has a huge weight advantage and the agile bike can get around any Citroën-shaped obstacles that it might come across.

The staff at Inside Line give the nod to the bike, for a number of valid reasons. It makes more sense in a day-to-day atmosphere, can slip through traffic, and when the luggage rack is applied it has more cargo capacity. The S 1000 RR also gains an edge when comparing maintenance costs. Changing a tire on a bike isn’t too much of a hit to the wallet, but to change the full set of rubber on the Bugatti costs $90,000. Furthermore, there are only two machines in the world capable of handling that job — one in France and another here in the US.

Regardless of the outcome, the pair both represent unique forms of engineering excellence and the real winner of the shootout is Inside Line. Getting to spend time with either vehicle is a treat, but getting to do it on a scenic French road is a dream. Head on over to Inside Line to live vicariously through their lucky contributor.

[Source: Inside Line]

Bugatti Veyron vs. BMW S1000 RR – Which is fastest? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Videos: World’s Fastest Street Car drives 1,200 miles, whips off 6.95 ET @ 209 mph

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Videos, Chevrolet, Racing

Larry Larson and his six-second street-driven Nova – Click above to watch videos after the jump

Technically, there’s nothing wrong with putting your race car on a trailer and towing it to the track. In fact, as anyone who has tried to use a track rat as a daily driver can tell you, a car can be either a racer or a commuter. Rarely can it do both effectively. But there’s a certain subset of drivers out there for whom “trailer queen” is as dirty a phrase as any four-letter word you could think of. Hot Rod Magazine has worked up an event just for these folk. It’s called Drag Week, and the rules are pretty simple. Cars must run five tracks in five states over five days, lowest ET wins and everyone has to drive their bruiser from track to track. No trailers allowed.

This year’s king of the heap is Larry Larson and his 1966 Chevrolet Nova, a racer that is staking its claim for the title of world’s fastest street car. A twin-turbocharged 565 cubic-inch big-block Bowtie V8 supplies the grunt, and though it’s never been on a dyno, estimates put it at more than 2,300 horsepower. As a result, Larson can launch the car down the quarter mile in 6.95 seconds at 209.1 mph, even after driving the car on public roads for five days straight – some of it in pouring rain, no less. Hit the jump to see a few videos of the machine.

[Sources: 1320 Video via YouTube, Bang Shift]

Continue reading Videos: World’s Fastest Street Car drives 1,200 miles, whips off 6.95 ET @ 209 mph

Videos: World’s Fastest Street Car drives 1,200 miles, whips off 6.95 ET @ 209 mph originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: World’s Fastest backhoe is pointless wheelstanding amusement

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Etc., Humor, Specialty, Racing

World's Fastest Backhoe

World’s Fastest backhoe – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Drag racing and construction vehicles do not typically mix well. Unless someone is trying to quit their job in dramatic fashion, heavy equipment is confined to slow speeds and hard labor. The JCB GT backhoe chooses to disagree. Thanks to a 1,300 horsepower engine, this drag racing backhoe (one of the weirdest phrases ever typed) rips away from the tree and down the line. Perhaps they were inspired by videos of wheel-standing loaders and drifting semi trucks?

The folks at JCB are no strangers to speed. A few years ago, their diesel-powered salt flats racer hit 350 miles per hour and at one point they expressed interest in purchasing Jaguar. We’d love to see how driving the Dieselmax compares to handling the JCB GT. We’d wager the backhoe is scarier to drive…

See the JCB GT in action after the jump.
[Source: Streetfire via CarDomain]

Continue reading Video: World’s Fastest backhoe is pointless wheelstanding amusement

Video: World’s Fastest backhoe is pointless wheelstanding amusement originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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G-Power tuned BMW M5 World’s Fastest Sedan with 231 mph top whack?

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Performance, Europe, BMW, Luxury

G-Power M5 Hurricane RR – Click above for high-res image gallery

The mad scientists at G-Power have reworked the company’s sinister M5 Hurricane into something even more impressive. Meet the M5 Hurricane RR – an 800 horsepower beast that G-Power claims is the fastest sedan in the world. The company started by plopping a new set of superchargers onto the M5 sedan’s already potent BMW V10. With a theoretical capacity of 900 horsepower, each belt-driven supercharger delivers air to a single bank of the engine. According to the tuner, this configuration allows for 25 percent more air to enter the combustion chamber. The engine’s internals have been completely reworked and balanced to handle all of that extra boost as well.

All of that mojo is good for a top speed of 231 mph on track, which the company says makes their matte monster the fastest four-door extant. If lofty top-speed numbers aren’t your bag of tricks, maybe acceleration figures are. G-Power says that 0-60 mph takes around 4.35 seconds and 0-120 mph clicks by in 9.5 seconds. Yep, that’s pretty darn quick for a two-ton sedan. Even better, G-Power will be more than happy to convert any old BMW M5 into the beast you see above, all for the low, low price of $71,780 – plus donor M5. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: G-Power M5 Hurricane RR

[Source: G Power]

Continue reading G-Power tuned BMW M5 World’s Fastest Sedan with 231 mph top whack?

G-Power tuned BMW M5 World’s Fastest Sedan with 231 mph top whack? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World’s fastest 3D film showcases SLS AMG

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Celebrities, Luxury

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG – Click above to watch video after the jump

We finally know what Mercedes-Benz was up to when Tiff Needel stopped by the Isle of Man to drop in on some sort of high-budget commercial shoot. It turns out that the Silver Arrow wanted to nab the title of the world’s fastest 3D film by shooting David Coulthard as he pushed the company’s new SLS AMG to 167 mph. The whole shindig was captured by an army of camera vehicles, including at least one helicopter, a boom truck and, fittingly enough, another SLS AMG. The company even talked rally fiend Robbie Head into piloting the lead car ahead of Coulthard.

The full feature will air this coming Sunday on the Sky 3D pub channel, but the rest of us can catch the action when the footage hits Mercedes-Benz dealerships all over the world later this year. Here’s hoping they’ll hand out some equally classy 3D specs just for the occasion. Hop the jump to enjoy a lengthy teaser of the feature as well as a making of video showing just what goes into creating a film with an extra dimension.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 3D Feature

[Source: Piston Heads]

Continue reading World’s fastest 3D film showcases SLS AMG

World’s fastest 3D film showcases SLS AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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