Kief Cars » Sports Cars

Ferrari 458 Italia Introduced

Henno Kruger — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:59:10 +0000

The Ferrari 458 Italia has been introduced at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, currently ongoing in Germany. The sports car was codenamed the F142 and was long rumoured to be named the F450, but it will be called the Ferrari 458 Italia. The car takes its name from the engine, a 4.5 litre V8. The Ferrari 458 Italia has a 7 speed dual clutch gearbox which directs power to the rear axle. The car’s aluminum structure helps keep weight under control.

The Ferrari 458 Italia will be capable of doing 0 – 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. According to Ferrari the car is “a completely new car from every point of view: engine, design, aerodynamics, handling, instrumentation and ergonomics, just to name a few”. The Ferrari 458 Italia is just over 4.5 meters long and just over 1.9 meters wide. The car will be able to reach a top speed of +/- 325 km/h (202 mph). Despite the engine being bigger than the ones used in the Ferrari 458 Italia’s predecessors, the emissions are reduced and the car is quite economical. The car is capable of travelling 100 km on 13.7 liters of fuel. This sports car promises to be one of the most memorable Ferrari vehicles, in my opinion. Because of the price tag on this vehicle, it’s highly unlikely that we will see many of these cars on the roads of South Africa. It will probably cost more than R2 million here if it’s ever released here.

Audi R8 Spyder 2010 Revealed

Henno Kruger — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:34:06 +0000

The German Auto Manufacturer, Audi has officially unveiled the Audi R8 Spyder at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. The sports car is powered by a V10 5.2 litre Audi FSI engine which was also recently fitted into the Audi R8 Coupe. The car is capable of accelerating from 0 – 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 313 km/h. This 2 seater vehicle is fitted with an Audi Space Frame (ASF for short). The Audi R8 Spyder is not fitted with sideblades behind the doors. The side panels and large cover over the storage compartment is made of a carbon fibre composite.

The Audi R8 Spyder is fitted with a electro-hydraulically controlled soft cloth top which opens and closes in 19 seconds to reduce the car’s weight. The soft cloth top is available in 3 different colours and is even capable of opening and closing whilst the car is travelling at 50 km/h. The Audi R8 can be optionally fitted with the first ever seatbelt microphone, which can serve as the vehicle’s hands-free unit. For this option, 3 small microphones are fitted into both seatbelts. At least 1 microphone is ideally positioned relative to the speaker system of the car, when the seat belt is on. A 4th microphone is fitted into the windshield frame. When the hands-free unit is active, at least 2 microphones combine with a noise reduction system to ensure clear conversations even if the driver is whistling down at top speeds down the highway with the Audi R8 Spyder’s top down. Audi plans to release the Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro in early 2010. At this stage it’s unclear whether this car will be released in South Africa. Only time will tell if we’ll see this glorious vehicle here. There will be hefty price tag for this car though, so brace yourselves.

Related Links:
Audi – Official Website

Lotus Evora 2010 Preview

Henno Kruger — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:30:07 +0000

The Lotus Evora was developed under the project name Project Eagle and this sports car was launched on 22 July 2008 at the British International Motor Show. The Lotus Evora continues the tradition of naming all Lotus models with names that start with the letter “E” (like the Exige and Elise, etc previously). Apparently “Eagle”, “Exira” and “Ethos” were also considered as names for this vehicle. It’s the first all new production vehicle introduced by Lotus since the release of the Lotus Elise in 1996. The Lotus Evora is larger than the other cars in the Lotus family. The car will weigh between 1350 kg and 1380 kg (depending on body style), has rear wheel drive and is fitted with rear mid Toyota 3.5 L engine. The Lotus Evora will be launched in 2 body styles, a 2 seater and a 2+2 passenger coupe. The Lotus Evora is fitted with a 6 speed manual transmission. The car can reach 0 – 60 mph (100 km/h) in 4.9 seconds and has a top speed of 162 mph (261 km/h). On the 12th of August 2009, the Lotus Evora was awarded Britain’s Best Driver’s Car of 2009 title by British motoring magazine Autocar. It’s expected that the Lotus Evora will be a competitor for the Porsche Cayman. The car has gone on sale in the United Kingdom in 2009 and should reach American shores by next year.

There has been no mention in the South African media of this car. Lotus has a very small market share in South Africa so theres doubt about whether the Lotus Evora will be launced here. I’m sure that there are Lotus enthusiasts in South Africa, but apparently not enough of them. You could probably look in the classifieds for a 2nd hand Lotus since the Lotus Evora could set you back a few hundred thousand Rand.

Lamborghini Countach Classic Sports Car

Henno Kruger — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:22:02 +0000

This mid-engined sports car was produced by Lamborghini from 1974 to 1989. The Lamborghini Countach was the predecessor of the Lamborghini Diablo and the successor to the Lamborghini Miura. In it’s 16 year lifespan 2,042 Lamborghini Countach cars were built. This car was only produced in one body style, a 2 door coupe. The car was styled by Marcello Gandini of Bertone design studio. Gandini and Bertone Design studio is also credited for the design of the Lamborghini Miura.

This truly is a classic car. The Lamborghini Countach has been used in various movies and television series over the years and is probably the best known Lamborghini car in history. Sports Car International ranked the Lamborghini Countach as #3 in a list of the top sports cars of the 1970s. It was also listed as #10 on the list for top sports cars of the 1980s. The prototype / concept for the Lamborghini Countach was first introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1971 as Project 112. Over the years the various Lamborghini Countach models were fitted with 3 different engines. All engines were V12s and varied between 4.0 litre and 5.2 litre. The Lamborghini Countach had 5 generations, the LP400, the LP400S, the LP500S, the LP5000QV and the 25th Anniversary edition. This car is definately one of my favorite sports cars. You’ll probably still pay a huge amount of money for the Lamborghini Countach (if you can find one). Otherwise you’ll probably find a kit car or replica in the classifieds, but that wouldn’t be the real thing though.

VW Concept R

Henno Kruger — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:56:50 +0000

The VW Concept R was unveiled at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show. The car is a sporty 2-seater roadster with mid-engine and rear wheel drive. The VW Concept R is powered by a V6 3.2 L FSI petrol engine with a maximum output of 195 kW / 261 hp. Apparently this is strong enough to enable this sports car to reach 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds. The VW Concept R was based on the VW Golf Hatchback. The car is 4,1m long, 1,8m wide and 1,2 high. The VW Concept R is fitted with a 6 speed direct-shift transmission and has a top speed of 250 km/h which is electronically limited. This concept car has a Volkswagen logo which is generated digitally by a display and begins to pulsate in the OLED screen when the ignition is turned on by the driver. The pulse stops when the ignition is activated. The seats are not adjustable at all. The correct seating position must be found by electrically moving the polished metal information block of the instrument panel, including the steering wheel and pedal cluster back or forth in order to find the correct seating position. The VW Concept R’s seats are filled with active foam. The active foam adapts to the body shape of the driver and passenger. This is a first for sports car. In 2005 VW confirmed that they intend to build a production car derived from the VW Concept R concept car. It’s 2009, no production model based on this vehicle has been released yet, but the VW Concept Blue Sport was revealed at the 2009 North American Auto Show, which is derived from the VW Concept R.

This is a very stylish looking car. No two ways about it. I doubt that this car will ever be transformed into a production car. And should this become a production vehicle its highly unlikely that it will make it to South Africa. I will keep my fingers crossed though. In the meanwhile I’ll look around in the classifieds for a 2nd hand vehicle instead. The VW Concept R probably will not be within my price range if its released here.

Maserati Grancabrio

Henno Kruger — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:58:21 +0000

The Maserati Grancabrio is going to be launched at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany in September. This car looks very stylish and would certainly be a contender for the world’s most beautiful car, if there were a competition for the title. It’s the first 4 seater convertible to be released by Maserati since it’s foundation in 1914 in Bologna, Italy. The Maserati Grancabrio will be made available to the public in 2010. According to a Maserati spokesperson this sports car “enriches all 5 senses in a shared open-air experience, without sacrificing comfort and performance.” The Maserati Grancabrio is fitted with a canvas roof and 4.7 litre V8 engine. This truly promises to be a remarkable sports car with quite a hefty price tag.

Maserati are well-known for their luxury cars around the world, they need no introduction.This cars seems to living up to expectations. After all, it’s a Maserati, not a car built in someone’s backyard. Pity I won’t be able to afford this, might have to look for a replica in the classifieds instead.

Peugeot RCZ

Henno Kruger — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:29:05 +0000

The Peugeot RCZ sports car will make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany in September 2009. The Peugeot RCZ was first revealed as a concept car in 2007. The first production model houses some really advanced technology. The Peugeot RCZ is fitted with an active rear spoiler, twin-scroll turbo charger, direct petrol injection, variable valve lift and variable valve timing, Hill Assist to help with maneuvers on steep gradients, an intelligent traction control system or ASR, an electronic brake force distribution or EBFD and emergency brake assist or EBA. It’s the first car to be revealed by Peugeot which doesn’t use the usual zero numbering system, which means that Peugeot considers this to be a special vehicle. A hybrid version of the Peugeot RCZ will also be presented as a concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2009. The hybrid is rumored to be able to do 100 km on 3.7 litres of fuel, which would make it the most fuel efficient sports car if it were available today. The Peugeot RCZ will go on sale to the public in 2010.

The Peugeot RCZ looks very stylish to me. The question is just what the price tag will be on this car and whether it will be available in South Africa or not. Still, this may be outside my price range for a vehicle. Peugeot has built up quite a huge fan base in South Africa, so I ‘m sure that if this vehicle is released here I would be able to find a cheap 2nd hand Peugeot RCZ in the classifieds in a few years.

Related Link:
Peugeot – Official Website

Nissan 370Z

Henno Kruger — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:09:21 +0000

The Nissan 370Z is a 2 door sports car. The vehicle is the successor to the Nissan 350Z. The Nissan 370Z is actually 100mm shorter than the Nissan 350Z. The Nissan 370Z is also 32 kg lighter than the Nissan 350Z. The car is fitted with a 3.7 litre V6 engine and a 6 speed manual transmission with Nissan’s Syncro Rev Match function. The Nissan 370Z comes with all the bells and whistles. One of the most stylish Nissan vehicles to date in my opinion. This stylish vehicle is definately a head-turner. The Nissan 370Z went on sale in June 2009. The vehicle produces 332 bhp (248 kW). Definately not for the faint at heart. The car’s top speed is 248 km/h (155 mph), electronically limited.

Since the Nissan 370Z model has been released, Nissan 350Z owners may have tried to sell their vehicles to their neighbours or possibly via the classifieds to other buyers. If I owned a Nissan 350Z I would feel quite intimidated by the Nissan 370Z. It’s truly a symbol of stylishness and beauty on the road.

Cars in the movies: Lamborghini Diablo

Henno Kruger — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:05:50 +0000

The Lamborghini Diablo has been used in various movies and TV series. This sports car has been used in Dumb and Dumber in 1994, Bedazzled in 2000, RPM in 1998, Boiler Room in 2000, Bait in 2000, Thursday in 1998, First Wives Club in 1996, to name just a few. Only 2,884 Lamborghini Diablo’s were produced between 1990 and 2001. The car was the successor released for the Lamborghini Countach. The car was succeeded by the Lamborghini Murcielago. The Lamborghini Diablo was released in 2 body styles, a 2 door coupe and 2 door roadster. This sports car was released with 2 different engines, a 5.7 litre V12 and a 6.0 litre V12. I must admit that this has always been one of my favorite sports cars. I’ll never be able to afford a car like this though, but a boy can dream. Maybe I’ll pick up a car like this in the classifieds one day, who knows. It will still cost more than an arm and a leg though.

Related Link:
Lamborghini – Official Website

Ferrari California

Henno Kruger — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:20:45 +0000

The Ferrari California was released as a grand touring sports car at the Paris Motor Show in 2008. The car is 2 door hard-top convertible. The Ferrari California is fitted with a 4.3L V8 motor. The car revives the “California” name used for the Ferrari 250 GT from the late 1950s. This the first Ferrari with a V8 front engine, the first Ferrari with 7-speed dual clutch transmission, the first Ferrari with a folding metal roof, the first Ferrari with a multi-link rear suspension and the first Ferrari with direct petrol injection. This car has been awarded the 2009 Best New Convertible award by the Du Pont Registry. The Ferrari California has a top speed of 310 km/h (193 mph) and can do 0 – 100 km/h in under 4 seconds. The car was officially launched at 2 cities, in Los Angeles in the USA and Ferrari’s home town of Maranello in Italy in September 2008.

Since one has to pay over $200,000 for this vehicle, the Ferrari California will never be in the grasp of my budget, but a boy can dream. This truly is one of the most beautiful Ferrari sports cars and convertibles I’ve ever seen. It came as no surprise to me when I found that the Ferrari California had been sold out until 2011. Ferrari is going ahead with production for 2,800 cars in 2009 and 3,000 cars in 2010. According to sources at Ferrari, 60% of buyers who ordered the car have never owned a Ferrari. This means that Ferrari have definately made an impression with this car. It saddens me to say that one will not find a car like this listed on a classifieds website. Owners of Ferrari Californias will probably hold on to their investments than re-sell them as bargains. The collector types will probably store their Ferrari California and take it out for a spin once a year.

Cars in the Movies: Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

Henno Kruger — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:57:56 +0000

Aston Martin is not a very huge brand in my home country, South Africa. One can find other sports cars here though. I’m not a big fan of British auto manufacturers, but this car is far superior to previous models out of Britain. James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) drove the Aston Martin Vanquish in the movie, Die Another Day. This car was designed by Ian Callum and was manufactured by Aston Martin between 2001 and 2007. The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish is capable of doing 315 km/h. The car was based on a 1998 GT Concept car called the Project Vantage which was first introduced in 1998 at the North American Auto International Auto Show and had its debut with a V12 engine. A production model was introduced in the year 2000 by Aston Martin and production started on the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish in 2001. From it’s introduction it was considered as Aston Martin’s flagship vehicle. This car was the successor to the Aston Martin Virage / V8 Vantage. It’s highly unlikely that one would find a bunch of these vehicles advertised in the classifieds. The Aston Martin Vanquish definately is, in my opinion, a very high quality vehicle and one of the most stylish ones ever produced.

Related Link:
Aston Martin – Official Website.

Cars in the Movies: Audi R8

Henno Kruger — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:09:18 +0000

The Audi R8 is a sports car with a longitudinally mounted mid-engine and uses the trademark “Quattro” four wheel drive. The Audi R8 is based on the Audi Le Mans Quattro Concept car which was presented at the International Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland and the International Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany in 2003. The car is also derived from the Lamborghini Gallardo. The Audi R8 was officially released in September 2006 at the Paris Auto Show. By the end of 2008 almost 10,000 units had been built. The Audi R8 was exquisitively designed, developed and manufactured by Quattro GMBH, a private sibsiduary of Audi. Audi upgraded its plant in Neckarsulm, Germany for €28 million where 70 workers fit 5,000 unique parts by hand. The plant is capable of producing 9-15 cars per day. 95 lasers inspect the entire car in 5 seconds to ensure that over 220 measurements are within 0.1 mm of the programmed plans. If you ever watched the movie Iron Man and wondered which car Tony Stark (Robert Downey Junior) drives in the movie, this is the car.

This car is priced between R1.4 million and R2 million ($175,000 – $250,000) in my country, South Africa. This is completely out of my price range. I suppose I’ll look around in the classifieds for a cheaper 2nd hand car. For now I’ll continue dreaming about owning a car like this one day, or maybe I should just buy a car bed instead.

World’s 3 Most Expensive Cars

Henno Kruger — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:05:37 +0000

There has always been a list of cars that are so overpriced that they are only available to an elite group of individuals. Although I will never be able to afford one of these cars listed here today, there is absolutely nothing wrong with admiring them. After all, we are allowed to dream and we will continue doing so for years to come.

Buggatti Veyron: With a price tag of $1,7 million, this is the most expensive car in the world today. This is also the 2nd fastest car in the world, capable of reaching a top speed of 407 km/h (253 mph). This is definately not for those who are faint at heart. The car is named after Pierre Veyron who won the 1939 Le Mans 24 hr Endurance race whilst racing for the original Buggatti company. Only 200 units have been built since it’s release in 2005. Most people would probably call this a sports car, but its definately in a class of its own, a true supercar.

Lamborghini Reventón: This mid-engine sports car made its debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany in 2007. It has the ability to reach a top speed of 340 km/h (210 mph). With a pricetag of $1.6 million it’s the 2nd most expensive car in the world today. According to an Official Lamborghini press release, only 20 of these cars are to be released to the public. In true Lamborghini tradition this car is named after a fighting bull which belonged to the Don Rodriquez family. This particular was most famous for killing a bull fighter in 1943. In Spanish Reventón means “explosion” or “burst” when used as a noun. The Lamborghini Reventón is also the most expensive Lamborghini ever released. I’ve always been quite a fan of the Lamborghini brand.

Mclaren F1: This car was released in 1994. This car was named as the world’s fastest production car when it achieved a top speed of 386 km/h (240 mph) back in 1998. With a price tag of $970,000 it’s the 3rd most expensive car in the world. Even though this car was released 15 years ago, it still outperforms the supercars of today. Only 100 units of this elite powerhouse have been built over the years.

When I look at cars like these I can do nothing but dream. These cars completely outside my budget limit. Guess I’ll have to find a much cheaper car in the classifieds or possibly sneak into some elite person’s mansion and hide in the boot of one these babies (just kidding).

Cars in the Movies: Chevrolet Camaro (5th Generation)

Henno Kruger — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:05:27 +0000

This car is best-known for being featured as Bumblebee in both Transformers movies. The 5th generation Chevrolet Camaro is dirived from the 2006 Chevrolet Camaro Concept and 2007 Camaro Convertible Concept. Production was approved in August 2006 but has only started in March of 2009 and the car is marked as a 2010 model. When the car was used in the first Transformers movie in 2007 it was still in concept phase. A modified fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro was used in the sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in 2009. As far as I know this car will not be released in South Africa by Chevrolet. It would probably cost a ton to import a car like this to my home country. I will probably find it easier to buy a 2nd hand Chevrolet Camaro in the classifieds, otherwise I’d simply have to go on living without ever owning one.

Related Link:
Chevrolet – Official Website

Mazda MX-5

Henno Kruger — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:33:15 +0000

The Mazda MX-5 is also known as the Miata in North America and Roadster in Japan. The car is a 2-seater roadster sports car. The Mazda MX-5 was first introduced by Mazda in 1989 and is currently in it’s third generation. It has won over 150 awards since it has been introduced. It was announced as the 2005-2006 Car of the Year in Japan and the 2005 Car of the Year in Australia. This definately is one of my favorite sports cars. The Mazda MX-5 was unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show on February 10, 1989. The 2nd generation was introduced in 1999. The 3rd generation of the Mazda MX-5 was introduced in 2006.

The Mazda MX-5 is a very popular sports car. One can find adverts for persons selling their 2nd hand cars and parts in classifieds publications all around the world. By the end of 2008, more than 730,000 units have been sold worldwide. I’m sure that Mazda will bring out a new shape MX-5 in the future as this has definately been one of their most popular and successful vehicles to date.

Cars in the Movies: Ferrari 575 M Maranello

Henno Kruger — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:27:09 +0000

This was the Ferrari model driven by Will Smith in Bad Boys 2. The Ferrari 575 M Maranello was produced by the Italian car maker between 2002 – 2006. This model was an update for the Ferrari 550 Maranello. This sports car boasts a 5.7 litre V12 engine and is capable of reaching 327 km/h (203 mph). The car can reach 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.2 seconds. In my opinion, this is probably not a car for the faint-hearted.

This definately is one of my favorite Ferrari’s. This is thanks to the car chase scene in Bad Boys 2. I can imagine that there’s probably nothing on earth like putting pedal to the metal in the driver’s seat of a Ferrari 575 M Maranello.

Related Links:
Ferrari – Official Website

BMW Z4

Henno Kruger — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:21:59 +0000

The BMW Z4 is a rear-wheel drive sports car made by German auto maker BMW. This model replaced the Z3, a first-generation production started in 2002 at BMW’s plant in South Carolina in the US. BMW won with Automobile’s Magazine “Design of the Year Award” with it’s debut. There have been 2 generations of the Z4. The second-generation Z4, which had it debut this year (2009), is built by the Regensburg plant in Germany as a retractable hardtop roadster. The BMW Z4 has been released as a coupe and roadster.

Here are some photos of the BMW Z4 (Both generations):

This truly is one of the most stylish cars I’ve ever seen. The BMW Z4 is definately not cheap. This powerhouse of German engineering is quite expensive. A guy on the street would probably have to page through classifieds publications or check on websites for bargains or wait until he gets a huge inheritance.

Subaru Impreza

Henno Kruger — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:12:37 +0000

The Subaru Impreza is a compact car which was first introduced by Subaru in 1993. The Subaru Impreza is the only vehicle in its size class which offers an All Wheel Drive (AWD) model. There have been 3 generations of Subaru Impreza’s:

First generation – GC/GF/GM (1993 – 2001) – Offered in a 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan and 5-door station wagon.
Second generation – GD/GG (2001 – 2007) – Offered in a 4–door sedan and 5–door station wagon.
Third generation – GE/GH/GR (2007 – present) – Offered in a 4–door sedan and 5–door hatchback.

In recent years Subaru have gained quite a market share in the South African motoring market and will probably continue to gain market share. One can find plenty Subaru vehicles in classifieds publications which are for sale as 2nd hand vehicles. Here are some photos of some of the models:

Related Links
Subaru – Official Website.

Porsche Boxster

Henno Kruger — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:25:27 +0000

The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engined roadster built by the famous German motor company. The first model was released in 1996. A 2nd generation version was introduced in 2005. This definately is one of my personal favorites.

Since I can’t afford such a luxurious vehicle I’ll have to look for second hand sport cars for sale in one or other classifieds publication.

Related Links:
Porsche – Official Website

Ferrari F50

Henno Kruger — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:49:20 +0000

The Ferrari F50 was introduced in 1995 to celebrate Ferrari’s 50th anniversary. The F50 is a 2 door, 2 seat convertible with a removable hardtop. It was fitted with a 4.7 litre naturally-aspirated 60-valve V12 engine. There were only 349 units produced between 1995 and 1997 of this vehicle. Let’s face it, your average man on the street can’t afford a car like this, but it’s still nice to look at.

Here a few pictures of the Ferrari F50:

It seems that I’ll have to look for second hand sport cars for sale in the classifieds since I can’t afford this beauty of a car.

Related Links:
Ferrari – Official Website.