Showing posts with label car design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car design. Show all posts

Aston Martin's CC100 Is One Super Sick Speedster (over 30 photos).





A unique year produces a unique and visionary car. Created as a stunning celebration of Aston Martin’s century of sports car excellence, the ‘CC100’ is a concept car reflecting the sporting heritage and exceptional design capability woven throughout 100 years of Aston Martin history.



CC100 looks back to a proud past and forward to an exciting future. A clear affinity with the legendary 1959 Le Mans and Nürburgring winning race car DBR1 can be seen in the design, with forward-looking features shaped from the same advanced materials and expert engineering used throughout our contemporary model range.








Using the latest iteration of Aston Martin’s naturally aspirated V12 engine, CC100 includes unique engine mountings to ensure the powerhouse sits low down in the chassis. This specially machined drive-train powers the CC100 from rest to 62 mph in a little over four seconds, while the top speed is limited to 180 mph.




Mated to a six-speed hydraulically actuated automated sequential manual transmission and controlled via steering column-mounted paddle shifts CC100’s lightweight gearbox delivers truly sporting changes perfectly suited to the Speedster’s track-focused nature.



With a body and interior crafted from carbon fibre, tooled and provided by low volume specialists Multimatic, Aston Martin designers used this aerospace standard material to create a unique design features and to also ensure CC100 both light and lithe.








Designed and constructed in less than six months, the CC100 represents a shining example of the Aston Martin flexibility.





Expert modellers worked intensively to turn these initial designs into a tangible, physical form. All Aston Martins are initially created by hand, shaping each line, measuring each dimension precisely and working to create perfect aesthetics. Finely honed to create the exact blend of sporting aggression and beauty CC100 had become more than a concept.







As an open-topped speedster, the interior and exterior boundaries merged together and from the start CC100's racing cockpit was an integral element of the concept. The team wanted a lightweight, race car environment and used inspiration from DBR1 to design a slim dashboard proportion with compact racing seats. Further design cues came from a theme of post-war aeronautical engineering, giving rise to complex interior panelling and dynamic wing forms.




Trimming and finishing the interior meant using the same material artistry found on our road cars. Lightweight carbon fibre provides structural rigidity with a unique weave also creating a dynamic cockpit environment. Racing seats are clothed in the finest Bridge of Weir leather but fitted with full safety harness. Glass control buttons and the same distinctive glass ECU starter match those found throughout the Aston Martin model range.




Revealed to the world at the ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring race, CC100 was driven on its debut by Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez. Alongside him on this unique celebratory lap of the iconic Nordschleife was DBR1, the same car that completed the 1000km of Nürburgring in 1959, crewed by the same man - Sir Stirling Moss.




"CC100 is the epitome of everything that is great about Aston Martin. Fantastic heritage, exceptional design, superb engineering and an adventurous spirit." -- Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez

all images and information courtesy of Aston Martin

Mexico Unveils A New Supercar, The Vuhl 05. And Here's 40 Photos Of It.







The VŪHL 05 is a brand new street-legal road car being built in Central America by the Echeverria brothers. Details on the extremely lightweight, six-speed manual Supercar have just been released and I have the "official" photos that all the car mags have PLUS lots of unofficial images of the vehicle for you.





In case you were wondering, 'Vuhl' stands for ‘Vehicles of Ultra High Performance.’ The car was developed for enthusiasts who appreciate an intuitive engine and a fast vehicle that is great fun to drive.



above: VŪHL (pronounced ‘vool’) stands for Vehicles of Ultra High-performance and Lightweight and is the brainchild of brothers Iker and Guillermo Echeverria.

The Unveiling  at London's Royal Automobile Club
Before I get into the technical specs, details and many more photos, here are 10 pics from the Global Preview and first unveiling held at London's Royal Automobile Club on July 3rd:









above: TheVŪHL 05 at London's Royal Automobile Club

above: Sir Stirling Moss and Tim Keown, Chairman of the FIA Foundation are talked through the car by Guillermo Echeverria

More Pics and Technical Details:






There's a mid-mounted 2.0-litre Ford Ecoboost engine, with 285bhp and 310lb ft. Because of the featherweight aluminum monocoque chassis, the power to weight ratio is an impressive 400bhp per tonne. So the Vuhl will do 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 152mph.



above: the Vuhl 05 being tested on a secret track mid-June

The Interior:
Lots of attention is paid to the details. The interior of the VUHL 05 features fancy carbon fiber bucket racing seats, a quick-release suede trimmed steering wheel, data acquisition system, and water-resistant Dinamica suede trim. An integrated HD Camera mounted into the bulkhead between the seats has a record button on the dash that allows you to view your driving experience. Simply plug in a USB stick afterwards to download it.








Exterior Close-ups and details:











Specs:


The company’s blue-chip backers include private investors and the Mexican Government.

Vuhl hopes to have the first customer cars into the UK for spring 2014 and the brothers Echeverria are also talking to representatives in the USA about getting it over here. For the UK, prices will start at about £70,00 ($104,153.42 USD)


images courtesy of VŪHL Automotive and Simon Cudd of Bell & Ross