McLaren MP4-12C 2011

‘M838T’ is a unique McLaren power unit, developed specifically for the 12C. It is compact, lightweight, very stiff, and offers an uncompromising combination of very high performance and good driveability, with excellent economy and CO2 emission values.

The McLaren MP4-12C is powered by a twin-turbocharged, 3.8 litre 90-degree V8 engine – the ‘M838T’. This marks the start of a new era in ‘core’ segment sports cars – smaller capacity, lighter weight, higher efficiency and more economical power units. The engine has the highest specific power output in its segment which, when allied to its low weight carbon composite chassis, delivers exemplary power- and torque-to-weight ratios.

Taking power and emissions in combination (measured by its horsepower to CO2 ratio), the 12C delivers its power at greater efficiency than any other car on the market with an internal combustion engine, including hybrids.


‘M838T’ features dual variable valve timing and produces around 600bhp and 600Nm of torque. A dry sump and flat plane crankshaft allow the engine to be placed extremely low in the chassis thereby lowering the centre of gravity and improving handling responses. It also features composite cam covers and intake manifolds, which reduce weight and heat transmission into the charge air, as well as Nikasil-coated aluminium liners for further weight reduction.

The suspension for the McLaren MP4-12C breaks new ground, offering hitherto unseen levels of roll control and grip (an almost flat cornering attitude, depending on the programme selected).

Although such track-like responses would normally imply a rock-hard ride, the 12C delivers compliance and ride comfort more akin to an executive saloon car. The mix of occupant cosseting and sporting potential is truly unique. The 12C offers the driver both class-leading ride comfort and class-leading performance.


The whole chassis package produces not only a unique relationship between ride and handling, but also astonishing lateral grip and outstanding traction. The 12C is poised and balanced whether negotiating high or low speed corners, during direction changes, under heavy or light braking and on tightening or opening corners.

The trick behind blending such opposing objectives lies in the innovative Proactive Chassis Control system, uncompromised geometry, and weight distribution.

The suspension is based on double wishbones with coil springs. The dampers are interconnected hydraulically and provide adaptive responses depending on both road conditions and driver preference.

The McLaren MP4-12C has been designed around a demanding mechanical package that puts emphasis on aerodynamics, compact dimensions, performance and efficiency, practicality and comfort. Although the design of the 12C was driven by aerodynamics, it aims to remain contemporary and elegant throughout its lifetime as well as distinctive among its peers.

Frank Stephenson, McLaren Automotive Design Director, helped finalise the design: ‘Like most designers it’s a boyhood dream to work with high performance sports cars. They are the purest expression of speed and purpose and, with increased consumer demand in this market and environmental aims to the fore, offer designers the ultimate challenge.



The 12C design was therefore led by aerodynamics. At McLaren we have been able to use the Formula 1 techniques and the huge expertise that the company has amassed at the pinnacle of the sport,’ explained Stephenson.

‘All the fins, vents and the flat underbody are there for a reason. No styling addenda have been incorporated for appeal or style alone. This aerodynamic purity explains why this car can hit top speed with great stability without resorting to tea tray wings or deep front air dams. I really feel that the styling communicates the 12C’s engineering integrity and technical benefits and it is this purity that makes the design timeless.’

Volvo S60 2011

The production S60 follows in the same basic design theme as the S60 concept car introduced earlier this year, although, as expected, it tones down a few of the concept’s more outlandish details. Still, the look is tasteful and not especially conservative for a Volvo. Although it breaks little new ground, the shape is cohesive and instantly recognizable.


Volvo says that its upcoming all-wheel-drive S60 T6 AWD sedan will list from $37,700 when it goes on sale later this year. The 2011 S60 offers way more in the way of luxury and performance as it guns for more upscale – and more expensive – rivals like the BMW 335i and Mercedes-Benz C350. Though it clearly follows Volvo’s current design language, the S60 promises even more active and passive safety along with sporty performance.

That price represents a roughly $800 increase over the dated outgoing 2009 S60 T5 model’s base price – but the new car adds nearly 50 horsepower, 70 lb-ft. of torque, all-wheel-drive and numerous additional features.


In addition to a new design language, the new S60 seems to demonstrate Volvo’s desire to move toward more slender A- and C-pillars for increased visibility. Over the years, these structural supports have become much thicker on most vehicles for structural and styling purposes. Volvo seems to have kept the styling up to snuff, but no word on materials were used to keep up strength.

Volvo’s latest pedestrian-recognizing safety technology will also make its debut on the S60. Capable of detecting when a collision with a pedestrian is imminent, the system automatically triggers the S60′s brakes to prevent an impact. Volvo points out that more than 4,700 pedestrian fatalities occur in the United States annually and the feature really makes sense in Europe, where 14 percent of all car wrecks involve a pedestrian on the continent’s crowded, narrow streets.



Volvo promises that the S60 will be its most engaging product when it hits the road later this year. The outgoing S60 was neither as sporty nor as plush as its rivals, so the automaker is clearer in its intentions for the all-new model.

The U.S.-specification S60 comes standard with a 300-horsepower, 325 lb-ft. of torque turbocharged inline six-cylinder mated exclusively – for now – to a six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission. At launch, all U.S.-spec S60s will be all-wheel-drive, although a less-expensive model is expected to be offered eventually as a lower cost model.

A sport suspension will be standard, as will City Safety, which can automatically brake the S60 in the event of a pending low-speed impact.

Volvo’s innovative Pedestrian Detection technology adds $2,100 and comes in a package that also includes adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning.

A $1,500 premium package adds a moonroof, power passenger seat and Xenon headlamps, while a $800 climate package brings with it heated front seats, heated windshield washer nozzles, headlamp washers, rain-sensing windshield wipers and an interior air quality system. For $2,700, buyers can specify the multimedia package, which adds a Dolby Pro Logic II audio system by Audyssey, a rear parking camera and navigation.


Other available options include metallic paint ($550), wood interior inlays ($300), front and rear parking assist ($500), blind spot information (BLIS) ($700) and an active chassis ($750). A $850 destination charge applies to all S60s.

The next S60 was originally slated to hit the market early this year, but the current economic slump has pushed that launch back until early summer of 2010. The automaker says that, when the S60 goes on sale, it hopes to move 90,000 units internationally – about a third of which will be allocated to North America.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 2011

Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, side airbags, curtain side airbags, and driver and passenger knee airbags. Among the standard features are keyless access and engine start, leather upholstery, voice-activated navigation system, and hard drive for storing digital-music files.


The 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is the first vehicle wholly designed and built by this German automaker’s performance arm. This two-passenger coupe uses a pair of “gullwing” doors, reminiscent of Mercedes-Benz coupes of the 1950s. The sole powertrain teams a 563-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 engine with a 7-speed automatic transmission.



Optional features include a performance suspension, carbon-ceramic disc brakes, carbon-fiber interior trim, and uplevel Bang & Olufsen audio system. We have not yet tested the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

Toyota Supra 2011

If your reading this and wondering, “hey whats a Toyota Supra” then perhaps this image will refresh your memory, yes thats it, the loud cars with the gigantic wing that you see flying around the city late at night. Believe it or not, they are more than 10 years old and even today their timeless shape and cult following has kept them on Australian roads.


You know when I wrote the Toyota FT-HS Concept article, I was thinking, hey this would be a great idea if it become the next Toyota Supra, and what do you know? Rumours are spreading like wildfire that yes indeed, this car has a great deal of potential to become the next Toyota Supra.

Toyota started the Supra project back in the days when it was still testing the ground to see if it could sell Luxury vehicles in the US, of course, now that Lexus is dominating the luxury segment in the states (and not doing too badly here either), the answer was an obvious yes.

However a few years ago Toyota went a little crazy, they decided that they no longer needed proper sports cars, they dumped the MR2 (After they turned it into the revolting male hairdresser car, which was its last incarnation), they dumped the Celica (having already dumped the GT4 version of the celicas some time ago) and they had already given up on the Supra back in 2002.

So whilst I say toyota gave up on sports cars, they of course had the Lexus IS series, but since Toyota wants to stay very separate to Lexus, there is no point in counting the IS series as part of Toyota’s sports line up. Hence began the era of “Sportivo” the horrible name associated with front-wheel-drive vehicles that were nothing more than a last minute decision to add some “sportyness” to the brand.


Of course for those who bought the likes of Camry/Corollo Sportivos, the sheer shame of driving a car named sportivo should have been enough disappointment, but Toyota has gotten away with having no real sports car for a very long time!

Honda CR-Z 2011

The car is not capable of running solely on electric power. Transmission choices include a 6-speed manual and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that behaves much like an automatic. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, front-side airbags, and curtain-side airbags. All CR-Z models have a “three-mode drive system,” which drivers can change through buttons on the steering wheel.

The 2011 Honda CR-Z is a new, sport-themed subcompact gas/electric hybrid from this Japanese automaker. CR-Z is a 2-passenger, 2-door hatchback that comes in Base and uplevel EX trims. Its sole engine is a 1.5-liter gasoline 4-cylinder engine that pairs with an electric motor for 122 horsepower total. CR-Z requires no plug-in charging, and the hybrid system can shut off the gasoline engine at a stop.

Normal mode is for everyday driving. “Econ” changes engine throttle response and electric-motor operation to prioritize fuel economy. “Sport” alters those same functions to suit performance driving. Automatic climate control and a tilt and telescopic steering wheel are standard. EX versions have a wireless cell-phone link. A navigation system is available on the EX, and versions so equipped likely will be priced as separate models. We have not yet tested the 2011 Honda CR-Z.



Paying homage to the classic CR-X hatchback, Honda will premiere this bad-ass hybrid sports concept at the 40th annual Tokyo Motor Show this month. The Honda CR-Z ($TBD) is a lightweight sports car with amazing styling and a gas-electric hybrid system for clean performance. Standing for "Compact Renaissance Zero," the CR-Z sports an aggressive front end, LED headlights, and big 19-inch wheels. The mesh and glass interior, meanwhile, gives "futuristic" a whole new meaning.

Lexus CT 200H

Interestingly, while Lexus has yet to confirm which markets the CT will enter, our men on the scene report back, "Lexus executives were adamant about a near-simultaneous global launch a year from now. In their own words, the United States and Japan will receive the CT 200h, even if it was developed as an euro-centric model. First deliveries should begin in Q1 2011."

It was just last week that Lexus dropped all the details on its upcoming new CT 200h (click here to refresh your memory), and now, as promised, the Japanese automaker has officially unveiled the hybrid hatchback at the Geneva Motor Show. Naturally, we snapped off a series of live photos for your viewing enjoyment.



Until we get official confirmation on that point from Lexus, take that information and file it firmly in the rumormill folder, but it could mean good things to come for those interested in a fuel efficient premium hatchback to go up against Audi's diesel-powered A3. Stay tuned, there's plenty more on the way live from the show floor in Switzerland

Porsche 918 Spyder

There were tons of surprises at this year’s annual motor show in Geneva, and for one of the largest, we have Porsche to thank.


They unveiled a brand new concept and man, it is a dynamic little doozy.

This concept is known as the 918 Spyder. Porsche, right in Germany, can be thanked for the design, but the creation of this sleek stunner occured in Turin, courtesy of Vercarmodel Saro.

More information as it occurs. Thus far, besides knowing that this is one sexy car, we know that the design revolves around the rather iconic 917.



The result of a mad scientist's experiment involving a 911, a Prius, and the front end of a Ferrari F430, the Porsche 918 Spyder ($TBA) is a new plug-in hybrid concept borrowing bits of all three. A 500hp V8 mid-mounted motor is paired with two electric motors — one for each axle — giving the open two-seat 918 a total of 718hp, good for a 0-62 time of 3.2 seconds, a top-end speed of 198 mph, and yet, amazingly, the possibility for 78 mpg fuel economy. A seven-speed PDK transmission, a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body, powerful brakes, a bevy of driving modes, and that prancing horse-inspired front end round out this eco-enthusiast's dream ride.