Hennessey Venom GT hits 270.49 mph, busts Bugatti Veyron's speed record

The Bugatti Veyron SuperSport caught the world’s attention in 2010 when it set the record for the world's fastest production car, but that crown may now have to be passed on. Hennessey Performance announced on Monday that its Venom GT hit 270.49 mph (435.31 km/h) at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, settting a new world speed record for a 2-seat sports car. Driven by former Michelin tire test engineer, race driver, and Director of Miller Motorsport Brian Smith, the time for the Venom GT was independently verified, but has yet to be officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

The blistering run took place on February 14 at the 3.2-mile Space Shuttle landing runway at the Kennedy Space Center with special permission from NASA. Taking place on a straight run rather than on an oval or a varied test track like the Nurburgring, this was a demonstration of flat-out acceleration from a dead launch, while still leaving enough braking space at the end of the run to keep it from ending in a very expensive crash.

“It was still pulling,” says Smith. “If we could run on an 8-mile oval we could go faster than that. On the very top end there was a little wandering but, hey, we’re going 270 mph! The Venom GT didn't require any big corrections, and the Michelins held traction really well.”

Verification of the Venom GT’s speed was by GPS data-acquisition systems manufacturer Racelogic. “The Venom GT attained a maximum speed of 270.49 mph as measured by our VBOX 3i GPS system,” said Racelogic engineer Joe Lachovsky.

The speed record is already steeped in controversy after challenges to the Veyron’s 2013 claim surrounding adjustments to the hypercar’s limiter. But after review Guinness allowed the record to stand.

The previous record of 267.8 mph (431.072 km/h) was set by Pierre Henri Raphanel in the 1,183-hp (870-kW) Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport in July 2010.

However, despite this month’s result, Hennessy cannot officially claim the fastest production car record because that requires making two runs in opposite directions on the same day. John Hennessey explained in an interview with Top Gear that this wasn't possible because NASA wouldn't allow it.

Based on the Lotus Elise/Exige, with which it shares a number of components, the 2,743 lb (1,244 kg), mid-engine, rear-wheel drive Venom GT is not what most people would call elegant, with its carbon fiber and composite/aluminum hybrid monocoque-space frame, massive brake-cooling vents, oversized, yet cramped two-seater cab followed by a rear that looks like someone gave it a swift kick in the pants. That being said, the Venom GT is built for the track, not garden parties, and all the flaring wings and road-gobbling grilles come together in a frighteningly attractive Koenigsegg sort of way.

Inside the Venom GT is a 90-degree, seven-liter V8 engine with twin precision ball bearing turbochargers, an iron block with aluminum heads, electronic sequential multi-port fuel injection pumping a terrifying 1,244 bhp (914 kW) and 1155 lb-ft (1565 Nm) of torque feeding into a Ricardo six-speed manual gearbox.

On the track, this translates into 0 to 60 in 2.7 seconds, so you'd know what it feels like to leave your eyeballs behind. The Venom GT already holds the Guinness World Record of 0 to 300 km/h in 13.63 seconds and the Hypercar World Record for 0 to 200 mph in 14.51 seconds. Beyond its verified speed of 270.49 mph, Hennessy claims that the Venom GT can do 278 mph (447 km/h) flat out..

"“I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid," says company founder and president John Hennessey. "Neil Armstrong was my childhood hero. Even though the astronaut thing didn't work out for me, I am humbled to have had the opportunity to set our speed record on the hallowed grounds of the American space program. Building and validating our Venom GT as the world’s fastest has been a long journey and a lot of hard work. But as President Kennedy once so eloquently said, ‘We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.’ As a result we have built a better car and a better team at Hennessey Performance (HPE)."

If you’re interested in buying a Venom GT, be prepared for a little cry because the record-breaking version sells for US$1 million.

2015 smart forfour to be Smaller Than First Generation

 There was a lot of information about upcoming products at the annual Daimler AG press conference that took place yesterday, with the first official photo of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe (C217) being the cherry on the cake.
The large coupe wasn't the only topic of discussion though, with Dieter Zetsche also letting slip a bit of information about the upcoming smart model lineup.
The smart forfour, for example, will apparently be just 3.50 meters (138 inches) long, which will make it at least 25 centimeters (10 inches) shorter than the first generation of the model, which was phased out from production back in 2006.
Built on the elongated platform from the not-yet-released 2015 smart fortwo, the new forfour will also share most of its body parts with the next generation of the Renault Twingo.
Even though it will be much shorter, interior volume should be larger thanks to its engines being positioned at the rear, underneath the luggage compartment, while the wheelbase will be longer. Both the smart fortwo and the forfour should be unveiled either during the summer or at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in October.

1,500 BHP Bugatti Super Veyron Arriving in 2014

Word has it Bugatti is preparing a final edition of its Veyron supercar. Rumored to have more than 1,500 under the bonnet, the Super Veyron will reportedly arrive next year with a top speed of at least 280 mph (450 km/h).
According to Autocar, the new vehicle is set to arrive with “dramatic weight-saving technologies”, which are said to to make it 440 lbs (200 kg) lighter than the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (4,162 lbs/1,888 kg). As for the power, it will reach the 1,500 bhp figure by increasing the quad-turbo W16 engine’s capacity. The new supercar won’t benefit from a hybrid system.
“We are looking at several options. The reality is that we are not under time pressure because we are confident of selling out the full Veyron production run regardless. Only after that can we see if there is time and appetite for such a program. It would be expensive and time-consuming, so we must be sure it is worth it,” a Bugatti source told Autocar.
The new Bugatti Super Veyron will cost about about £5 million, which means €5.87 million and $7.69 million at current exchange rates.

V2V: What are vehicle-to-vehicle communications and how do they work?

Vehicle-to-vehicle communications moved one step closer to reality this week with the Obama administration’s plans to push the technology forward. The February 3rd announcement outlines a set of proposed rules would be announced for comment by the time this administration departs in 2017, with hopes that sometime around 2020, cars will communicate with each other and alert drivers to roadside hazards ahead. What happened this week was a plan by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to have a plan.

Simply put, the first generation of V2V systems would warn the driver but not take control of the car. Later implementations would improve to brake or steer around obstacles and eventually merge with self-driving cars. Here’s our rundown of V2V technologies and some of the implications…

What’s the only thing better than gasoline? Audi’s bio-gasoline, produced by genetically engineered bacteria

German auto company Audi has entered a partnership with Global Bioenergies to continue work on a new biofuels technology that they hope could make synthetic production of gasoline a viable alternative to extracting it from the Earth. Since the carbon used in making synthetic gasoline is drawn from existing biomass and the atmosphere, it is sometimes called “green gas,” though it’s still not entirely carbon neutral. The Global Bioenergies system can churn through everything from corn to wood chips (with varying efficiency), and can be used by any normal gas-burning vehicle. Being a “drop in” solution greatly increases the technology’s chances of being adopted.

The primary advantage of this new form of biofuel production is that it focuses on creating a molecule less toxic than ethanol. As anyone who’s ever tried making wine will know, yeast and other microorganisms that release ethanol tend to kill themselves when kept in an enclosed space; most yeast species poison themselves with their own waste product, requiring distillation to get much higher than about 20% alcohol by volume. The same principle holds for ethanol in most other contexts — but ethanol isn’t the only molecule we can make.

Efficient diesel engine meets connected tech

The good: A diesel drivetrain gives the 2014 Audi A7 TDI impressive fuel economy for a large car. Connected features include Google local search and Google Earth integrated with navigation. Bang & Olufsen audio delivers detailed and balanced music reproduction.

The bad: The A7 TDI requires additional maintenance in the form of 10,000 mile AdBlue fill-ups. Audi's proprietary audio port requires adapter cables for external devices; a standard USB port would be preferable.

The bottom line: The 2014 Audi A7 TDI includes some of the best connected tech available today in an automobile, and those inclined to put up with a few diesel drivetrain quirks will be rewarded with significantly higher fuel economy than from the gasoline equivalent. 

In heavy traffic on the freeway, I let the 2014 Audi A7 TDI's cruise control handle braking and accelerating, and gave lane-keeping assist a try by letting the car drift over to the left lane line. Cruise control, using its radar to track the car ahead, unerringly handled stop-and-go without my intervention. And before the car crossed the lane line, the camera-based lane assist moved the wheel under my light grip, steering the A7 TDI back into its own lane.

Was I experiencing a glimpse of our autonomous driving future?

Not exactly, as the pull on the steering wheel sent the car on a drift toward Despite not exactly being the future of self-driving, the A7 has been a high-tech showcase for Audi since its launch in 2010, not to mention having an excellent body design that became much copied. For 2014, the A7 adds some driver assistance features, but its connected infotainment system is largely the same as before.

Double down on diesel
The big change for the 2014 model year, as indicated by this A7's TDI suffix, is the inclusion of a diesel engine option.

Over the last decade, Audi's parent company, the Volkswagen Group, developed drivetrain technologies ahead of the competition. The company was an early adopter of direct injection to improve engine efficiency, put quick-shifting dual-clutch transmissions into affordable performance cars, and maintained a line of diesel passenger cars as every other automaker steered clear. Audi benefited from this work, using direct-injection engines in every model and offering diesel versions of the A3 and Q7.

The A7 TDI's design employs a graceful roofline sweeping back to a hatch, making it a five-door sedan.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

For 2014, Audi doubles down on diesel, putting TDI, which means Turbocharged Direct Injection, in the A6, A7, A8, Q5, and Q7.

Like its siblings, the A7 TDI I tested was powered by a 3-liter V-6 engine, turbocharged and mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. As is typical for diesels, the horsepower, 240 in the A7 TDI, looks small given the size of the engine, but torque, at 428 pound-feet, is through the roof. That's compared with a more balanced 310 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque for the gasoline-powered A7.

Given the high torque, you might think the A7 TDI would shred its tires at every start, but Audi's throttle programming lets the power come on smoothly for the most part, making the car an easy everyday driver. There are some quirks to driving this diesel. First of all, if you've got F1 aspirations go for the gasoline A7, or step up to the S7 or RS7 models. The diesel engine doesn't deliver power in a manner suitable for thrashing the turns.

Redline sits at 4,500rpm and, more importantly, peak torque hits in a narrow band, from 1,750 to 2,250rpm. The gasoline-engined A7 spreads its peak torque across a 1,600rpm power band. In practice, the A7 TDI didn't have a lot of punch to power out of a turn with. The engine was prone to surge, churning out uneven acceleration when I had the throttle down. In Dynamic mode, the surging nature of the engine even made holding a steady pace in traffic difficult.

A mess of plumbing hides the engine block under the hood.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

From the outside, the noise from the engine was remarkable enough that CNET's garage attendant asked me if there was something wrong with the car. However, Audi employs enough sound deadening to mask the engine noise in the cabin.

As with other new diesels, the A7 TDI requires a little extra maintenance over the gasoline version. Every 10,000 miles, it needs a refill of its AdBlue tank. The emissions system sprays the AdBlue fluid into the exhaust stream, where it breaks down nitrogen oxide into its component parts.

Long-range driver
Given the power delivery, noise, and extra maintenance, you might be wondering why Audi would bother with diesel at all. Fuel economy is the key here, as the diesel drivetrain in the A7 TDI gives it an EPA-rated 24 mpg city and 38 mpg highway. Audi claims a 650-mile range from the 19-gallon fuel tank.

During my time with the car, the white LED lights indicating fuel level turned off at a glacial pace. At the end of a driving course involving city traffic, 65 mph freeways, and twisty mountain highways, the car turned in a healthy 30.3 mpg. Most drivers will likely average over 30 mpg.

The hatchback allows for 24.5 cubic feet of easily accessed luggage space in the A7 TDI.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Contributing to the city fuel economy is an idle-stop feature, shutting down the engine at stop lights. Although there was no disguising the noise and vibration from the engine's stops and starts, I didn't find the feature hampered my driving. The engine started up readily whenever I lifted my foot from the brake pedal, and the system was smart enough to keep the engine running if it was cold out.

For those that find the A7 TDI's idle-stop too annoying, it can be turned off with the push of a button.

Although the A7 TDI is more of a luxury-efficient car than a sport play, it did handle very well. Quattro all-wheel drive comes standard on all A7s, and the suspension architecture is conducive to flat cornering. When I could keep the engine up in its power band, I could feel how Quattro helped the tires dig into the turns.

Audi's Drive Select feature let me choose from Comfort, Auto, and Dynamic drive modes, or configure a custom feel with its Individual setting. Those configurations included Dynamic settings for the engine and steering response, along with the seat belt tensioner and even adaptive cruise control.

Via: Cnet.com

2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

While most of Japan’s motorcycle manufacturers have taken the cautious approach to riding out the global recession—making minimal updates to existing models, building low-buck econobikes or otherwise hitting the snooze button—Kawasaki is wide awake with the throttle pinned. In the last three years we’ve seen a recession-defying number of new models. They include the ZX-10R, which remains the only open-class Japanese bike to have been completely reworked in the past 36 months, and was the first to come with traction control; the 2011 Ninja 1000, a reasonably priced sportbike for the real world; the 2012 ZX-14R, which simultaneously rehashed and squashed the decade-old horsepower feud with Suzuki’s Hayabusa; the totally reworked 2012 Ninja 650; and the all-new, fuel-injected 2013 Ninja 300. 

upcoming tech gadgets for cops

Many criminals today have tools to evade capture, and now tech companies are doing their best to help law enforcement catch up. License-reading cameras, infrared lights, GPS tracking, enhanced communications, and WMD sensors are just a few of the ways that cops are helping to get criminals, but law-breakers are constantly adapting their methods. Popular Mechanics analyzed all the new technology that is helping the good guys catch the bad guys, and they've come up with a list of the most cop-friendly gadgets. You can check them out after the jump

Google Driverless Car

While the data source is still a secret recipe, the Google driverless car is powered by artificial intelligence that utilizes the input from the video cameras inside the car, a sensor on the vehicle’s top, and some radar and position sensors attached to different positions of the car. Sounds like a lot of effort to mimic the human intelligence in a car, but so far the system has successfully driven 1609 kilometers without human commands!

“You can count on one hand the number of years it will take before ordinary people can experience this.” Google co-founder, Sergey Brin said. However, innovation is an achievement, consumerization is the headache, as Google currently face the challenge to forge the system into an affordable gem that every worker with an average salary could benefit from.

VFR800F & CBR1000RR Fireblade SP

VFR800F 

Two of Honda’s V4 models are significantly enhanced for 2014. The Crosstourer receives further technological upgrades including Honda’s new 3-stage Selectable Torque Control system; the VFR800F sports tourer is given a totally new look and a host of upgrades including ABS, heated grips, adjustable seat and self-cancelling indicators.

With this wide range of new machines for 2014, Honda once again underlines its commitment to offering customers the greatest possible choice of machinery, all with the company’s renowned build quality and durability.

CBR1000RR Fireblade SP

CBR1000RR Fireblade SP

Milan, Italy, November 4, 2013 - Honda today reveals its new motorcycle line-up for 2014 at the EICMA show in Milan, expanding its uniquely wide and varied range with thirteen new or upgraded machines.

The new additions highlight Honda’s tradition of technical innovation and ongoing desire to attract more customers – in particular young customers – to the world of motorcycling.

Core elements of this approach include an increase in the number of A2 licence models to fifteen, and an increase in the number of models equipped with Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) to seven^*1. Honda’s unique motorcycle DCT technology has enjoyed growing popularity in the market, with over 30% of customers choosing the DCT option where available in 2013.

New for Europe in 2014 are the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP, CB650F, CBR650F, CTX1300, CTX700 and CTX700N. A further seven machines are significantly upgraded for 2014: VFR800F, Crosstourer, CBR1000RR Fireblade, Integra, NC750X, NC750S and CBR300R.

Honda’s 2014 line-up contains a number of elements to offer even greater choice to motorcyclists of every type and experience level:

New S-Class takes the lead with self-driving tech

The 2014 S550 shows that Mercedes-Benz took the threat seriously, and designed a car that will force other luxury sedan makers back to their drawing boards. Along with redesigned bodywork, a huge cabin, large LCD panels for instruments and cabin tech, and fuel economy technology, Mercedes-Benz adds an innovative steering-assistance feature that will ease driving and bring the S550 one step closer to being an autonomous car.

Jaguar XJR (Pictorial)

The 2014 Jaguar XJR comes with a seriously powerful engine and a very competent transmission, leading to excellent performance and passable fuel economy. The LCD instrument cluster incorporates brilliant context-sensitive features, and the Meridian audio system is superb.: Despite being a big, performance-oriented sedan, the 2014 Jaguar XJR acts as gentle as a kitten when driven around town, but cabin electronics don't push any tech boundaries.

Refreshed 2014 Honda Civic Si Coupe gets more bark

LAS VEGAS - I was a big fan of the 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe, so I wasn't disappointed when, for the 2013 model year, the Si Coupe went unchanged, despite the many revisions that the Civic Sedan and Civic Si Sedan received as part of the "emergency refresh" of the 2013 model year.

Unveiled today at the 2013 SEMA Show here in Las Vegas, the 2014 Honda Civic Si Coupe finally gets its refresh, bringing it in line with the four-door variant but with styling twists of its own.

The 2014 Civic Coupe gets new headlamps that are visually similar to those of the sedan, but the grille that flows into and joins those lights is more aggressive and streamlined. The result is a fascia that's even less visually complex than the already simplified 2013 design. The Si Coupe model differentiates itself even further with a unique front bumper and air dam that is much angrier-looking, with larger openings at the corners that envelop the foglamps

X-47B

The Navy's unmanned X-47B flies again

The experimental, unmanned X-47B continues to get its sea legs.
The US Navy over the weekend resumed at-sea testing of the X-47B, also known as the Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D), which has put a gleam in the Pentagon's eye about someday equipping carrier strike forces with autonomous aircraft. Before that day comes, the Navy needs to be very, very sure that robo-planes can work smoothly and safely amid all the other activity on and around an aircraft carrier's flight deck.
In an unspecified number of 45-minute flights, the Northrop Grumman-built X-47B performed catapult launches and arrested

ThrustSSC (Thrust supersonic car)

The car was driven by Royal Air Force fighter pilot Wing Commander Andy Green in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, United States. It was powered by two after burning Rolls-Royce Spy turbofan engines, as used in the British version of the F-4 Phantom II jet fighter. The car was 16.5 m (54 ft) long, 3.7 m (12 ft) wide and weighed 10.5 tons (10.7 t), and the twin engines developed a net thrust of 223 kn (50,000 lbf), a power output of 110,000 bhp (82MW), burning around 18 liters per second (4.0 Imperial gallons/s or 4.8 US gallons/s). Transformed into the usual terms for car mileages based on its maximum speed, the fuel consumption was about 55 L/km (0.05 mpg_-imp; 0.04 mpg_-US). By comparison, the Concorde burned about 0.8 gallons/sec (10500 kg/h, 2885 gallons/hr) at full power, with typical 17 miles per U.S. gallon (14 L/100 km; 20 mpg_-imp) per passenger (100 passengers were maximum capacity).