Fastest Caddy in the World?

2012 Hennessey V1000 Twin Turbo

It could be! If Mercedes-Benz ever hands their new C63 AMG Black Series (or even the regular C63 AMG Coupe) to Brabus, they might as well fit in a 7.0-liter twin-turbo V12 with 800 horsepower in order to compete with what Hennessey is cooking up. Basically, Cadillac sent their CTS-V Coupe over to them. With the car in their garage, they replaced the brilliant 6.2-liter 556 horsepower LSA V8 engine with a insane 427 cid 7.0-liter 1000 horsepower Twin-Turbocharged V8 engine with 950 lb.-ft. of torque. They suspect the car to do 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 230 MPH, making it the fastest Cadillac in the World. Let's not forget that the regular CTS-V only costs $63,660 but will do up to 200 MPH if you give it a long enough runway. Even those upgrades are about 2% of the complete conversion of the car from a performance coupe to a Twin-Turbo supercar. Here's the complete list:

Power:
• 1,000 bhp @ 6,400 rpm
• 950 lb-ft torque @ 4,000 rpm

Acceleration:
• 0-60 mph: 3.5 seconds
• 1/4 Mile: 10.9 @ 136 mph
• Top Speed: 230 mph

V1000 Twin Turbo Upgrade Includes:
• 427 cid LS V8 Engine
• Forged Low Compression Pistons
• Forged Steel Connecting Rods
• Callies 4340 Forged Steel Crank
• Balanced and Blueprinted Rotating Assembly
• ARP Main Studs & Head Bolts
• High Flow Cylinder Heads
• Hennessey V1000 Camshaft
• Upgraded Fuel Injectors
• Upgraded Fuel System (Includes Lines, Rails & Pump)
• Twin Ball Bearing Turbochargers
• Dual Wastegates
• Electronic Boost Controller
• Stainless Steel Piping and Exhaust
• Air-to-Air Intercooler
• High-Flow K&N Air Filter
• 160 Degree Thermostat
• Professional Installation
• HPE Engine Management Calibration
• Dyno Tuning & Road Testing
• Hennessey Exterior Badging
• Serial-Numbered Dash & Engine Plaques
• 1 Year / 12,000 Mile Limited Warranty

REQUIRED TRANSMISSION UPGRADE:
• Manual: Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch Upgrade
• Automatic: Performance Build & Torque Converter Upgrade

Braking:
• Brembo Carbon Ceramic Brake Upgrade
• 15.1 inch Carbon Ceramic Rotors (Front & Rear)
• Calipers: 8-Piston (Front); 6-Piston (Rear)

Wheels & Tires:
• Hennessey Monoblock Wheels
• 20x10 inch (Front); 20x13 inch (Rear)
• Michelin Pilot Super Sport Tires
• 275/30YR-20 (Front); 345/30YR-20 (Rear)

Suspension:
• Lowered 1" (Front & Rear)
• Factory Magnetic Ride Control Tuned by John Heinricy

Body:
• CarbonAero CTS-V Widebody Upgrade
• Carbon Fiber Front Splitter
• Carbon Fiber Rear Diffuser
• Carbon Fiber Front Fenders
• Carbon Fiber Extractor Hood
• Carbon Fiber Rear Fender Flares

Interior:
• Alcantara Headliner
• Carbon Fiber Door Sills
• Upgraded Leather & Stitching
• Hennessey Embroidered Heardrests
• Hennessey Premium Floormats

And that's the list. Pretty long, isn't it? That's why Hennessey is only building 12 of these in real life, each costing way over $100,000. So if you're mad, and want one of these, you better call up Hennessey now!

Mini Gets Smaller?

2012 Mini Cooper Coupe

Say hello to the newest creation out of the skunkworks at BMW: the all-new Mini Cooper Coupe. Sounds strange, doesn't it? You would imagine that the current Cooper was already a Coupe, hence it's name Cooper, but now, it seems like it's not the case. It still has the face of the Cooper, the Go-Kart like handling of the Cooper, it even comes in three Cooper-like flavors: Cooper Coupe, Cooper S Coupe, and John Cooper Works Coupe, shown here. All flavors are paired with a 6-speed manual, with a 6-speed automatic option for the Cooper Coupe and Cooper S Coupe. As for power, the Cooper Coupe gets a 1.6-liter 121 horsepower inline-4 engine. This will help it do 0 to 60 in 8.3 seconds and hit a top speed of 127 MPH. According to EU standard, the entry-level Coupe will do 44 MPG, but that's the EU standard. The EPA estimates aren't in yet. Moving on up, you get the Cooper S Coupe which gets a more powerful 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbo-4 engine producing 181 horsepower. It will do 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 142 MPH. If that's not enough for you, then maybe Mr. John Cooper will help with his JCW Coupe. This one receives the same twin-scroll turbo-4 engine as the Cooper S Coupe, but it has been tuned from 181 to 208 horsepower. 0 to 60 is now done in 6.1 seconds up to a top speed of 149 MPH. As for the design, it looks sort of weird. You would imagine that because of the small roof, it would be a convertible, but unfortunately, it isn't. That roof doesn't go anywhere. The only thing on his car that does go somewhere is a small hidden spoiler located near the boot. That goes up when you reach speeds over 50 MPH and comes down when doing less than 37 MPH. But anyway, if you've been craving for this car to come to life, here it is. It hits the showrooms very soon.

Sick Just Turned Black

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe (NYIAS)

You've seen this car in commercials before. It's one of the sickest things to ever come out of Stuttgart: the C63 AMG Coupe. I got an in-depth look at it at NYIAS, and I must say, it looks absolutely, sick! Anyway, this is just the regular AMG Coupe. Later this year, Mercedes will be releasing the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series. Yes, the Black label is back and has chosen something sick to be its carrier. You may remember the CLK63 AMG Black was one of the best AMG cars to come out with a brilliant engine and tight handling. After that car came the SL65 AMG Black which proved to be the most powerful AMG models to come out with 738 lb.-ft. of torque and 661 horsepower. Now, the Black has chosen the C63 AMG Coupe to keep the AMG Madness alive. Rumor has it that the new C63 Black will receive a more powerful 6.2-liter AMG V8 engine producing 500 horsepower. Other features include a lowered ride height, a new, wider bodykit, and new rear spoiler. Color choices will be limited to 5, with black and white being the first mentioned. So if you're in for some sick, and are thinking about buying an AMG car, the C63 AMG Black is coming, so get your wallet ready.

No Place to Hide

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster (Courtesy of Road & Track)

Here it is, everyone, almost completely uncovered! This is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster, which might make its official debut in New York at the International Auto Show along with the C63 AMG Coupe. Road & Track caught this car in action already prepping for what might be its debut in the big Apple on a side-street. As you can see, since it's a roadster, the iconic Gullwing doors have been replaced with regular doors. But, thankfully, the power output remains the same: 563 horsepower from a 6.2-liter AMG V8 engine, the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 in the world. 0 to 60 is done in just under 4.0 seconds on its way to a top speed of 197 MPH. Since it's a roadster, expect it to be a little heavier than its hardtop brother. Also expect it to be much more expensive that its brother, up from $183,000 to about $196,000 to $200,000. So you can expect all of this in the all new Roadster. The only thing bothering me now is when this car will officially debut. AMG Boss Ola Källenius told me months ago that this will debut in Frankfurt, Germany at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, we get news that Mercedes-Benz will unveil two new AMG cars in New York. One of them is C63 AMG Coupe. The other must be this Roadster. Well, the only way to find out is to tune in April 23, where I will be at the NY Auto Show taking pictures and blogging about all the awesome stuff there.

[Source: Road & Track]

Mad Merc vs. Sweet Bike

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe

BMW M3s beware! There's a new kid on the block. The all new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe redefines sheer driving pleasure with raw power and speed. Under the hood of this Mad Merc is the remarkable 6.2-liter 451 horsepower V8 engine propelling the car from 0 to 60 in just 4.6 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155 MPH. And since it's in coupe form, you can expect more crazy drifts and a much wider grin on your face when driving it. This is a fast car, but is it faster then, let's say, an italian superbike?

2011 Ducati 848 EVO

This is the Ducati 848 EVO, one of the greatest superbikes Ducati has ever created, right behind the 1198. Jason DiSalvo took it all the way to a victory at the Daytona 200 a couple weeks ago. A 140 horsepower Testastretta Engine powers this awesome bike all the way up to 160 MPH, about as fast as the Merc. So who would win in a race to the beach: the Steel Horse or the Mad Merc? Well, Mercedes experimented a bit by showing a commercial of who exactly does win such a race. It looks like their new-found relationship with Ducati does come in handy. Check out the race below.

The M3 has Met it's Match...from Mercedes

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe

We've seen the new C-Class coupe. Now it's time for its much more powerful AMG relative to step up to the plate. So welcome everyone to the new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe, a true M3 fighter. As you can see, it looks just like the new C63 sedan, only there are two fewer doors. The engine is the same Affalterbach''s 6.2-liter 451 horsepower V8 engine. 0 to 60 is done in 4.4 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155 MPH. This model, in particular, is wearing the AMG Development Package which increases power from 451 to 481, the 0 to 60 from 4.4 to 4.3, and the top speed from 155 to 174. The M3 has always been hailed as the best sports saloon car of all time. Let's see it keep its title with a Mad Merc chasing after it. The C63 AMG Coupe will make its official debut in April at the New York Auto Show, and I will be there for all of the latest creations from Mercedes and the other manufacturers there. 

Lucky 6's

2012 BMW 650i Coupe

The 2012 BMW 6-series is now complete, thanks to the unveiling of the all new 650i Coupe. It's everything you loved about the convertible, only with a sunroof, a hardtop, and some whale-tail styling. It still has the same 4.4-liter 400 horsepower Twin-Turbocharged V8 engine, 4.8 sec. 0 to 60 time, and 155 MPH limited top speed, you'll just be enjoying all of this with the sunroof open and the windows down. The new 6 will be offered with a 6-speed manual shifter or BMW's new 8-speed automatic. Both transmissions deliver the same output. As far as gizmos and gadgets go, the new 6 will feature a 10.2-inch screen which will be "iPad", in essence, of the visual information system. Then, there's the available Lane Departure Warning system, the Active Blind Spot detection system, rear and top view cameras, a Parking Assistance system, and a 3D heads-up display. Prices have not been announced yet, but since the convertible starts at $90,500, expect this to be a little bit cheaper. By the way, I will be testing a special BMW this April. Stay tuned for that.