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Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is fastest SUV around Nurburgring

Alfa Romeo managed to set a new lap record at the Nurburgring with their soon to be launched 2018 Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Piloted by the same daredevil who made the Giulia Quadrifoglio the fasted four door sedan around the legendary circuit, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio has become the fastest SUV to do so.

“We specifically engineered and designed the Stelvio Quadrifoglio to set world-class benchmarks and it did not disappoint with a world-record Nürburgring lap time of 7 minutes and 51.7 seconds,” said Reid Bigland, Head of Alfa Romeo.

“We’re proud to now hold two Nürburgring lap time records with the Giulia Quadrifoglio as the fastest four-door production sedan and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio as the fastest production SUV,” he added.

Lapping the infamous proving ground of mainstream automakers in just 7 minutes and 51.7 seconds, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is the halo vehicle of the Stelvio line up. It features some of the best tech of the entire line up and includes the following options:

Ultra-lightweight carbon fiber shell Sparco racing seats, providing maximum lateral support during extreme cornering thanks to more aggressive bolstering, and designed to be the lightest in the segment, while providing comfort for long road trips
Ultra-high-performance Brembo carbon-ceramic material (CCM) brake system

Fabio Francia, hurled the SUV around banked corners with great aplomb as he chased the elusive title of fastest SUV to lap the Nurburgring. The Performance SUV segment isn’t a big one and Porsche has pretty much been the King of the Hill until recently.

But that should change soon as automakers such as Jaguar, Aston Martin and Maserati are gunning to be crowned the best of the best. This is why Alfa Romeo hopes that its latest achievement, proves that the Stelvio Quadrifoglio offers the best mix of high performance, capability and design.

Powering the vehicle is a 2.9-litre V6 twin-turbo engine that produces 505bhp and 601Nm of torque. This colossal amount of power is sent to all four wheels via Alfa’s Q4 all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, which is said to deliver better performance and superior control.

The latest feat makes Alfa Romeo the only manufacturer at the moment to hold the lap record for a production four-door sedan and an SUV. But if these vehicles don’t tickle your fancy, Alfa does offer more docile variants of these performance vehicles for much lower prices.

That said, check out the youtube video below to witness Alfa’s record breaking attempt at the Nurburgring:

Lyft working with Ford for autonomous ride service

Ford has been all over the news these past few weeks and this time it’s no different. The American automaker has teamed up with Lyft, a transportation network company to explore how autonomous vehicles can benefit both parties.

Similar to Uber, Lyft works by connecting drivers to passengers through a mobile app. Those wishing to use the service will need to sign up with Lyft and fill in their details and payment method.

Drivers who wish to drive for Lyft are subjected to stringent security checks including face to face interviews with the company before being approved as a driver. Apart from this, Lyft also limits the number of hours drivers are allowed to operate each day, which does offer passengers the peace of mind of knowing that their driver won’t fall asleep while at the wheel.

Through its partnership with Lyft, Ford will explore the following categories:

How to create a technology platform that it can easily connect with a partner’s platform (such as Lyft’s) to effectively dispatch a self-driving vehicle
Which cities to work with to deliver a self-driving vehicle service based on shared data and information
The kind of infrastructure necessary to service and maintain a fleet of self-driving vehicles to maximise availability to consumers

Ford has been hard at working on research and development of its self-driving technology that includes its Argo AI’s virtual driver system. It is also looking into building the proper infrastructure to allow for better access of this technology by the general public.

Autonomous vehicles are said to be the future of transportation, because once the human element is eliminated from the system, incidents of fatigue related accidents or driver error could be reduced dramatically.

As such, the partnership between Lyft and Ford will involve building a service based around the actual needs and wants of people. They will need to make sure that safety and dependability can be guaranteed in order to convince the general public to trust self-driving technology.

Initially, a joint technology platform will be developed where Ford will deploy human-driven vehicles on Lyft’s network to test the interface and ensure compatibility with Lyft’s app and customer usability.

At the same time, Ford will also connect its self-driving test vehicles to Lyft’s network but they won’t be made available to the latter’s customers. Instead, it will allow the automaker to develop the technology to ensure that it meets the safety requirements and needs of future customers.

According to a statement by the automaker: “The partnership with Lyft will accelerate plans to build a profitable and viable self-driving vehicle business. With Lyft’s network and respected brand experience, Ford expects its ability to scale self-driving vehicles will play a critical role in safely bringing this technology to mainstream consumers.”

Such a partnership isn’t groundbreaking, Lyft’s rival, Uber has partnered with automaker’s like Volvo to test its own version of autonomous transportation. In fact, Uber has been ramping up R&D in this area to push this cutting edge technology to the masses in record time.

Kode 57 is an extremely exotic version of an Enzo

Custom coach-built cars are a rarity these days let alone ones that look far more stunning than the vehicles that they are based upon. Pininfarina, a world renowned coach builder and design house has had a hand in producing some of the most stunning Italian cars the world has ever seen.

Ken Okuyama is former head of design and one of Pininfarina’s most accomplished designers of his generation, who can also lay claim to the design work on the Ferrari Enzo and Maserati Quattroporte. He decided to leave the Italian design outfit to set up his own design house bearing his namesake, and develop his own cars.

His latest creation has been featured on Jay Leno’s ‘Jay Leno’s Garage’ Youtube channel where he gives us a complete walkaround to highlight the extensive work that went into his creation. Check out the video for the full scoop on what was done to manufacture this unique exotic.

This latest project from his firm, is an Enzo resembling supercar that marries Italian styling with aerodynamic functionality. The front end and fenders feature similar styling to that seen on open wheel racing cars. It is fitted with a low profile windshield made from polycarbonate and oozes class and performance unlike anything else on the road.

Powered by a Ferrari sourced 6.0-litre V12 engine that produces 600 horsepower, the car known as KODE 57 is a more extreme version of an Italian sports car. Unlike what we are used to seeing from Ferrari, the top of the front mounted V12 engine of the Kode 57, is left bare and devoid of covers or casings.

The rear seems a bit too busy and a major departure from what we are used to seeing from the Italian automaker, which makes Okuyama’s creation all the more unique. Without the need to refer to a ‘design language guide book’, has allowed Okuyama considerable leeway at cherry picking the best design cues of Italian exotics and combining them with his own visions and designs.

The result is an awesome two seat sports car that emits a distinctive Ferrari V12 exhaust note and looks like a cross between a Ferrari Enzo and a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss edition. It’s a stunning masterpiece built for a very special customer of Okuyama’s, who wanted a unique car that still retained the essence of an Italian exotic.

Fate of the Furious car pack added to Forza Motorsport 7

Fans of the Fast and Furious movie franchise might have an avenue to live out their fantasies in the virtual world through the Xbox exclusive game, Forza Motorsport 7. There is a 10-car pack available for the game that has all the extreme cars featured in the 7th installment of the blockbuster movie series.

The vehicles depicted in the game are extremely accurate, right down to the colour combinations, aesthetic details and their own unique quirks. The most noteworthy and jovial addition to the car pack however, has to be the Chevrolet Fleetline Special.

It was a vintage vehicle use by character Dominic Torreto to compete in an epic, CGI focused race in the heart of Havana, Cuba. Losing trim panels as the race progressed, the Fleetline Special was driven which such gusto while trying to avoid the baddies, that it caught fire towards the end of the race.

https://youtu.be/RmxUlJSnU4Q

Though many considered the scene a bit too far fetched, the excellently choreographed stunts and meticulous level of CGI detailing made for an enthralling movie scene, one for the Fast and Furious record books.

Besides this vehicle, there are a number of other noteworthy mentions that include the weird but functional Rally Fighter, Jaguar F-Type, Dodge Demon and a Plymouth GTX. Evidently, the movie franchise seems to cherry pick its star vehicles based on their actual appeal in the automotive world, which is a very good thing for car fans.

The Dodge Demon, is the most powerful road legal, drag-ready muscle car that is currently available to the public. It is powered by a 840bhp engine that is able to cover the quarter mile in under 10 seconds, a fitting choice for Dominic Torreto.

Known for his love of Dodge made vehicles, the movie character has used several Chargers, including the modern one, Challengers as well as a number of others. But the following is the list of 10 vehicles featured in the new car pack:

Plymouth GTX
Chevrolet Corvette
Subaru WRX STI
Local Motors Rally Fighter
Subaru BRZ
Jaguar F-Type
Chevrolet Fleetline Special
Dodge Demon
Mercedes-Benz GTS
Dodge Charger

The Fate of the Furious car pack will only be made available to those who own the Deluxe and Ultimate Edition bundles of Forza Motorsports 7. Check out the picture gallery below and admire the vehicles that will be featured in the Forza Motorsport 7 game.

Aston Martin’s Project Neptune is a Bond-like submersible

Aston Martin has ventured out of its comfort zone by collaborating with Triton Submarines LLC to build its own version of a submersible vehicle. Code named Project Neptune, the vehicle is said to marry Triton’s diving and operational expertise with Aston Martin’s design, materials, and craftsmanship.

Resembling an ironing box, the sleek boat-like submersible that features dual pontoons and a bubble shaped cockpit, looks something that 007 would use for an underwater mission. Based on Triton’s Low Profile (LP) three-person platform, the vehicle has been built to comply with Aston Martin’s design language and specifications.

The entire project was overseen by Aston Martin Consulting, and should bring to fruition a submersible that is unique, exclusive and built in strictly limited numbers. This division of company offers core business services include providing design, engineering and manufacturing services to select industries, distilling the brand’s essence into new projects.

Speaking of the collaboration on Project Neptune, Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman, said, “Project Neptune is defined by its sleek, elegant exterior. We have used forms and proportions that express the same devotion to design, engineering and beauty that shape our cars, such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar project.”

Triton has in-depth knowledge and experience when it comes to designing, manufacturing and operating submersibles for researchers, explorers and super yacht owners.Founded in Florida by L. Bruce Jones and Patrick Lahey, the team at Triton are committed to producing the safest and best performing, deep-diving submersibles in the world.

Speaking of the newly commission project, Patrick Lahey, President of Triton Submarines LLC said, “We have always admired Aston Martin. The marque represents a deeply held passion for technology, engineering and timeless, elegant design.”

“From our first interaction, it was apparent that Triton and Aston Martin were natural partners and our complimentary values will be realized in this truly exciting project,” he later added.

There seems to a major shift in focus at the company these past couple of years with the automaker choosing to use AMG engines for its upcoming road-going vehicles, entering Formula 1 as a title sponsor for Red Bull Racing and now, kick-starting Project Neptune – its most ambitious project to date.

If proven successful, James Bond will have a whole host of vehicles to show off in his next film, which for the first time will include an actual Aston Martin submarine.

ClearPlex offers your windshield the protection it deserves

A vehicle’s windshield is an extremely valuable components of any vehicle. It’s quality and strength offers 20% of a vehicle’s structural rigidity and determines the level of protection it gives to occupants during thunderstorms or head-on collisions.

And back in the old days, prior to the introduction of modern electronic sensors, windshields attached to most vehicles were simple sheets of glass that weren’t very expensive manufacture. Fitting them in place on a vehicle required minimal effort and the use of a strong bonding adhesive.

The advent of modern surface mounted electronics have made windshields far more sophisticated than they have ever been. On more advanced vehicles, their windshields are fitted with heating elements, rain sensors, electo-film tinting, 360 degree cameras, ambient lighting sensors and a number of others.

Should you have the misfortune of damaging such a windshield, the cost of replacement could hover over the RM4,000 mark. Costs of replacing one from a luxury car can be anywhere between RM3000 to RM7,000 depending on model and workshop labour charges.

Well, this type of repair bill maybe a thing of the past thanks to a new protection film called ClearPlex. It is provided by Reep Group, one of the UK’s leading care care and detailing specialists. Once installed, it will be able to protect windshields from damage that include weather effects, impact from stones and debris thrown up from road surfaces.

ClearPlex, a partner company with The Reep Group, offer a technologically advanced, optically clear, windscreen protection film developed in America in association with NASA. It features UV stabilisers that help reduce heat within a vehicle as well asprotect against 99.9% of UVA and UVB harmful rays.

This means that ClearPlex is the all-round solution for those wanting something that offers them full protection from heat and damage to their windshield. No word yet on when it will be made available over here, but one it does, we will be standing in line to purchase a few.