Born From Jets

2006 Saab Aero-X Concept

This car would've saved Saab if they had given it a chance. This is the Saab Aero-X, and although it was made 5 years ago, it's still one of the best looking concept cars I've ever seen. Saab has always used the phrase "Born from Jets" to emphasize their cars as being precise, powerful, and refined for the common man's take. And this car? No exception. Especially, when you get into the cockpit.

Rising Roof

Supercars such as the Lamborghini Aventador, the McLaren MP4-12C, or the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG always provide the driver with a fancy way of getting into his car. When it comes to the Aventador or the McLaren, there are scissor doors that fold up rather than out. When it comes to the SLS, those enticing Gullwing doors makes it look like its flying. Even some luxury cars like the Rolls-Royce Ghost or the Phantom provide the driver/passenger with suicide doors to make people realize that he is a man of power. Saab want their drivers to feel like their flying, and they go by doing so with the Aero-X. You see, instead of the doors folding up, opening out, or going straight up, the whole roof plus the doors open and move towards the nose of the car, making it easy and fascinating for a driver to get in. And when you're in, the cabin seals shut, and you take off. It's like being in an F-15 Fighter Jet.

Concept Car Showroom

Now since it's inspired by a Jets, you would imagine that the Aero-X would be very fast, and it is. Under the hood is a 2.8-liter Twin-Turbocharged V6 that runs on E85 Ethanol producing 400 horsepower. 0 to 60 is done in 4.9 seconds and it will go on to a top speed of 155 MPH. The power from the jet-like engine is sent to all 4-wheels through a 7-speed sequential manual transmission operated from flappy paddles on the steering wheel. So yeah, it's a fast, good-looking, common man's sports car. And it would've made Saab drivers more exciting as well.

The Front Face

Alas, Saab refused point blank to put this road rocket into production. Why? It wasn't their cheap priority. Pity, it would've saved their company. Now, it's going bust with Spyker being sold to U.S. firms. If the Aero-X were to be sold as a production car now, it would've saved Saab from totat destruction. Why? Everyone loves a cool sports car, and Saab was becoming a reputable manufacturer with unique drivers driving them now. Unfortunately, all we can do now is dream. Dream that one day, this car will show up at an auction for us to at least drive it. Anyway, the Aero-X: built from Jets.

Italian Compromise

2012 Pagani Huayra (U.S. Spec)

Huayra fans rejoice! Horacio has decided to respect the regulations set by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and spend $5.7 Million on an advanced airbag system. What does this mean? Well, the Huayra won't be here 'til 2013. But, at least it will be making sales here, in the glorious United States of America. It seems that there are changing winds these season.

A New Wind has Come

2012 Pagani Huayra (U.S. Spec)

Some say that due to an airbag fault, it wouldn't arrive here til 2015, and that the equipment inside it was deemed unsafe by U.S. Regulations. All we know is, it's here, it's been approved by the U.S., and they're accepting pre-orders. Pagani's newest supercar, the C9 Huayra, has officially arrived in the U.S. The car made it's official North American debut here in Pasadena, California, at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design. Why bring Pagani over here? Well, the CEO, founder & owner of the automaker, Horacio Pagani, said that it wasn't for the lack of customers over in Europe. Trust me; there have been many wealthy Americans who've always wanted to add a Pagani to their collection, but unlike most supercars, Pagani isn't in a rush to expand its market. Also, unlike most supercars, the Pagani considers the Huayra a very sophisticated car. So, customers won't only get their supercar. They'll also receive super attention, service, and pampering, all of which the staff is ready to provide. Of course, this means customers won't receive their cars for a while, even after models start selling at the end of 2012. Horacio says that customers must be attended to before orders from new markets can be handled. As of now though, the car is in huge demand in North America, and outside of the continent, so let's see if this works for Pagani. As for the car, each customer will be overjoyed when they receive their copy of this fantastic looking car. Under the hood is a 6.0-liter Twin-Turbocharged 730 horsepower AMG V12 engine. Pagani say it will do 0 to 60 in 3.0 seconds flat on its way to a top speed of 230 MPH. Sounds quick, but is it better than it's closest rival from Lamborghini: the Aventador LP700-4? We'll just have to find out.

Need For Speed World: Porsche 959 Madness

1986 Porsche 959 "Year One" Edition (Need For Speed World)

One of the most anticipated cars of Need For Speed World is here: the Porsche 959. With it's 2.8-liter Twin-Turbocharged Flat-6 engine producing 444 horsepower and all-wheel drive, it did 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds with a top speed of 197 MPH. In the 80's, it was the fastest road car ever built, until Ferrari came with the F40, of course. Nonetheless, in the game, this car may frighten the Murcielago owners. It's just as fast and just as grippy as the Lambo Cop Car that I tested a couple months ago, meaning it should be good fun messing with other racers, including the obnoxious cheaters with M3 GTRs. An interesting fact about this car: even though the NFS dev team created the vinyl and performance, the car itself was not touched by any of them. In fact, this car was created by an 18-year old Russian named Svyatoslav Gampel. He entered contest about a year ago to see who could create the perfect 959. During that time, Need For Speed partnered up with Porsche to find the true 959. Gampel certainly feels honored to have one of his cars in this game, though it's nothing new to him. He's been in the 3D business for 4 years already.  Anyway, I've made two videos showcasing the car's greatness. Check them out below and see if the car suits you in the game.

Happy Birthday Need For Speed World!

1986 Porsche 959 1-Year Anniversary (Need For Speed World)

Celebrate one year of NFS World greatness with one of the greatest supercars of the 80's: the Porsche 959. This car was specially made by an NFS Community member known as Gampel Svetoslav who was chosen by both Black Box Studios and Porsche for making the most accurate 3D modeled 959 ever. Now, his creation will be in your hands. In the rear of this technological marvel is a 2.8-liter 444 horsepower Twin-Turbocharged Flat-6 engine. Mix this with a lightened body and Porsche All-wheel drive, it will do 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 197 MPH. The 959 has been in NFS games since the beginning. It's last NFS game was NFS 5: Porsche Unleashed were it was one of the fastest cars in that game. Now, that it's in this game, does it have a chance against the Lamborghini Murcielago, BMW M3 E46 GTR, BMW Z4 GT3, or Porsche 911 Turbo? I'm going to find out! I'm test driving this car tonight!

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!

The Veyron Killer? I Don't Think So.

2012 Shelby Supercars Tuatara (Courtesy of Jason Tang)

We might've lost the Women's World Cup to Japan (who actually needed the win), but we're determined to be the #1 country of speed. You may remember the last time Shelby and Bugatti faced off. Back then, it was the Veyron and the Ultimate Aero. While Veyron only made due with 252 MPH, the Ultimate Aero soared off with 256 MPH making it the fastest car in the world, even though it was much uglier than the Veyron. Now, it's the Veyron Super Sport vs. Shelby's newest creation, the Tuatara. The one thing I like about this car is that it looks like it will go very fast. If you look at it from a side angle, like so...

Side Angle (Courtesy of Jason Tang)

...it looks like a streamlined jet. And the front looks much better than that oblong mess that was here when the Veyron 16.4 was still around. But, as the new worldwide king of speed, I'd give it a thumbs down. I know Shelby have tried, but if I see that they've implied some science and pure engineering into building this car, I don't think they have what it takes to beat the Veyron Super Sport. And then there's the name: Tuatara. It might've come from a New Zealand lizard, or from their finest craft brewery, but it doesn't sound like a strong name that you would give to a hyper car (no offense to New Zealand of course). For example, Ferrari have the Enzo which sounds dashing and that's because the car is such a pantomime thing. Lamborghini have the Murcielago which is the name of a Spanish bull, and that name fits with that car. It's fast, it's dangerous, it's a screamer, it's mean, it's intimidating, and it demands a known presence: everything that a real bull does. Bugatti, obviously, have the Veyron, which is actually the last name to olden French racer Pierre Veyron, who was the fastest french man round the French circuit back in the day. That name fits with this car. The Veyron is undoubtedly the fastest car in the world leaving all of its competitors in Quad-Turbocharged dust. Shelby, on the other hand, had a whole book of names to choose from, even the "Ultimate Aero III", but instead they went for Tuatara, which is a New Zealand lizard. That name is neither intimidating or manly at all. Anyway, my point is, why settle for a car named after a reptile or a beer shop when you can go for a car named after one fast old french man. I'd go with that.

2012 BMW 650i Convertible: First Drive

2012 BMW 650i Convertible

So, summer's hit full swing. Temperatures are reaching the 100s and above and there's no end to the heatwave in sight, that is, until September or October arrive. So, if you're the business type with millions of dollars at your disposal and you're looking into a comfortable and fast sports car, what do you do? Well, luckily for you, I'm here to help, with a little something from BMW.

Car Meets Art

I'm probably one of the youngest ever to test drive a $100,000 convertible, and fortunately for the company and myself, that's never happening again. Anyway, this is the 650i Convertible, a redesigned, re-shaped, sports convertible for those who love just spending money and driving something relaxing. I got my first look into it at Open Road BMW in Edison. Even in the pictures you see here, you can tell that BMW has done a very good job with it. It, quite frankly, looks absolutely fantastic. What's even better is that it doesn't use as much fuel as the old 650i. The old one had a 4.8-liter 360 horsepower V8 that inhaled fuel ever quarter-inch. This one uses a much smaller 4.4-liter 400 horsepower Twin-Turbo V8 engine from the new 7-Series sedan. And, since it's a smaller engine with more power, it won't need as much fuel as the big 4.8, however I would advise you to bring a $100 bill if you're buying gas with this car, just in case. It will do 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds and hit a limited top speed of 155 MPH. Now, you would imagine a big V8 like this one would sound like something out of a Chevy Camaro SS or, more relatively, the BMW M3 since it uses a non-turbo version of the same V8. But, strangely, it doesn't! It actually sounds like a Ferrari weirdly. I guess it's because the car features two turbos and a Ferrari sized engine.

Just Glorious

As a driver's car, this thing is fantastic. BMW has really spent some time working with the suspension and body to make this car as comfortable as anything. With the top down, this car is exciting. If you're a man, this is the perfect car to take your girly-friend out for a drive. As for technology, it borrows some from the Range Rover. For example, the new Range Rover line (including the Evoque) have cameras all around the car so that the driver can see if he's close to hitting a rock when he's off-roading. The 650i has this same system, only it's a bit different. There are two cameras on each side of the front bumper, a camera on each side mirror, and the traditional rear-view camera hidden behind the BMW badge at the back. Inside the car, you press a button allowing you to see what's coming out on each side of the road in the event that you're in a blind intersection. What's next? A car that uses cruise control, line radars, and bumper radars so that it basically drive itself? Yeah, I believe Mercedes is already working on that.

Glistening in the Sun

So, it handles well, it rides comfortable, has technology from the future, and looks beautiful. Any car with all these features must be quite expensive: and it is. The base price of this car stands at $90,500. The one I drove was available for $108,650. So, if you're a businessman or businesswoman, and like to get to places in a hurry, comfortably, and with the top down, the 650i Convertible is the car for you. Unfortunately, this is my last test drive of the summer, but don't worry. My next test drive: the new Ford Mustang GT 5.0.

Fastest Saloon on the 'Ring?

2012 BMW M5 F10

It's possible, very possible! The M5 E60 put in a time of 8:13, putting it in with the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and the Ferrari 355 GTB. Now, rumor has it that the new F10 put in a lap time of 7:55, which is a second faster than the Chevy Corvette C6 Z06 and the Porsche 996 Turbo and 4 seconds faster than the Cadillac CTS-V sedan. This also puts the car up there with the Ferrari F430 F1 and the Caterham R500 Superlight. Remember, this is only a rumor! But, if it were true, this would make the BMW M5 F10 the fastest saloon to go round the Nürburgring. Sounds fantastic!

Sabine, Your New Taxi is Here!

2012 BMW M5 F10 'Ring Taxi

So, if you were watching the Nürburgring 24 Hour race last weekend, you were probably thinking to yourself, "Man! That is one intense track!" You're right! It is! Mastering the track takes days, weeks, or even months to accomplish. There are more than 150 corners you must conquer in order to completely dominate this track. That can take an awfully long time, but, thankfully, Sabine Schmitz will be willing to help you out. Known as the "Queen of the Ring", Sabine has been the official Nürburgring taxi driver for many years in a BMW M5, and she will be once again with the all new M5 F10. BMW personally took the car here to test the car's ride, handling, and power. It's been notified by many drivers as one of the best performance sedans ever. And now, it's gotten much better with a more powerful 4.4-liter Twin-Turbo 552 horsepower V8 engine which shoots the car from 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 190 MPH (limiter off). As usual, the car will wear the special M Power livery as did the old M5 E60. Only this time, Sabine will shed some seconds off her previous lap times in the old M5.

It's Official! Forza has won!

2012 BMW M5 F10 (Forza Motorsport 4)

I don't think GT5 can rightly redeem itself unless they plan on releasing some DLCs, but it seems that this year, Forza has the upper hand. A limited collector's edition of Forza 4 has just been announced and on the special disc, you'll be able to drive the most powerful M car ever created: the 2012 BMW M5 Sedan. With its 4.4-liter Twin-Turbocharged V8 engine producing 552 horsepower, this car will do 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds and, with the limiter off, will do 190 MPH. Also included in this LCE pack is special CD cover with the M5 on it. Of course, if you just want the car, it will be available for everyone a few days after the game comes out as part of the FM4 BMW M5 fan pack DLC. The car will be enabled with FM4's new Autovista mode, with Top Gear's own Jeremy Clarkson giving this car a proper workout. Also, the car will be added to your garage and a BMW M5 theme will be available to download to your Xbox 360 system. But the M5 isn't the only special car you'll receive in the special pack. You'll also receive the 2008 BMW M3 E92 Coupe, the 2008 BMW Z4 M Coupe,  and the BMW M1 Coupe. Anything else? As a matter of fact, yes! Bundled with the main disc is a special VIP car disk which will give you instant access to these fine rides:

• 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
• 2011 Ferrari 458 Challenge
• 2010 Noble M600
• 2011 RUF Rt 12 R

Not to mention, if you order early, FM4 will give you the "Launch Bonus" car pack which includes these fine five motors:

• 1965 Ford Mustang GT Coupe
• 2011 Koenigsegg Agera
• 1997 Lexus SC300
• 2011 RUF RGT-8
• 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport

But wait! There's More! There's a 10-car add-on pack of Muscle cars that will be available by the time of launch on Xbox Live Marketplace, VIP status in Forza Forums, including special recognition in new community features, leaderboards, and forzamotorsport.net. Meanwhile, back in the actual world, you'll receive book titled "Cars of Forza Motorsport 4 Presented by Top Gear" written by the Top Gear team themselves, that describes the in-game cars from the Autovista experience and features imagery from the game and the Top Gear library and, of course, vinyl stickers featuring the logos of Forza 4, Turn 10 Studios, and Top Gear. So if you want all of this for your Xbox 360, just go here and pre-order.

Gotta Move Quicker

2012 McLaren MP4-12C

The first ever McLaren Automotive Dealership is already up and running in London, England, but don't be surprised if you go in and see no models there, or if the salesmen refuses to sell you one. It's not that he/she hates, but because the MP4-12C is sold out worldwide for supposedly the next 3 years. Initially, their plan was to build 1,000 units each year, but this total could rise to 4,000 if supply meets demand. They won't be doing that with this model though, but maybe with other models in the near future. No matter what the case, they will be sold in the 35 dealerships around the world including London, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Manchester, Birmingham, Dallas, Chicago, Newport Beach, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Miami, Tampa, and other European locations in France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland,  Italy, and Spain. So, if the order books are indeed full, they'll be servicing existing customers rather than luring new ones in. But don't worry. The MP4-12C is here and won't be leaving anytime soon.

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.

1 is a Lucky Number

2012 BMW 1-Series M Coupe

The next best thing to the first-ever M3, the 1-Series M Coupe, has been known as one of the best sport coupes of all time, and if you have one, you were considered a true BMW brother. It sounds good for all the owners, but not as good for those who don't have one as BMW have recently announced that this car will only be available this year. That's right! After this December 31st, it will be no more, leaving some room for the all new M3 F30, M5 F10, and M6 F12/F13. This a truly fantastic car with a 3.0-liter Twin-Turbocharged 335 horsepower Inline-6 engine taking it from 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds on to a limited top speed of 155 MPH. With prices starting below the $50k mark, this is ideally the cheapest M car in the BMW line, which means you'll save much more money on this than on any other superfast coupe. So, what are you waiting for? Get yours now before the year ends.

Mega Mac

2012 McLaren MP4-12C (Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit)

As we all know, the fastest car in the world is the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. We also have heard rumors that the fastest car around the Top Gear Test Track is the McLaren MP4-12C. These are two quite excellent accomplishments for two quite excellent cars, but McLaren wants more. Rumor has it they've started up a new project known as "Mega Mac" in order to compete with the Bugatti Veyron. They say that they'll use the same Carbon Fiber monocell that the MP4-12C currently has. As for power, McLaren were thinking of putting in an 799 horsepower 5.0-liter V8 into the "Mega Mac" thanks to Ricardo. The engine will be connected to a 7-speed Dual-Clutch gearbox from Graziano allowing it to do 0 to 60 in about 2.8 seconds. Will it have enough to match the Veyron? I'm not sure, but it looks like it could be enough. We'll have to wait and see. Prices for the "Mega Mac" are estimated at about £350,000 to £400,000, so even if it's not as fast as the Veyron, it will cost 800k quid less than it. That should be good for your wallets. 

M5 Track Day

2012 BMW Concept M5 (F10)

It looks like BMW's getting ready to debut their premier sports saloon, the M5. Rumor has it that with the limiter off, it will reach 200 MPH on its new 4.4-liter Twin-Turbocharged 552 horsepower V8 engine. That is quite fast for a heavy saloon, even though when it will be released, the limiters will be jammed on. Anyway, other equipment include a new M-Sport 7-speed DCT (Dual-Clutch Transmission), an optional 6-speed manual, and, if possible, X-Drive All-Wheel Drive. Now, I know some of you might be looking at this and getting all angry at BMW for putting All-Wheel Drive and a sports saloon, but this is actually a very good idea. Yes, it might relieve the joy of doing donuts or drifting around corners for pleasure, but what about when it rains or snows? You'll need traction to keep the tires down. The only carmaker I know that can do this with rear-wheel drive is Jaguar. In fact, they've done it on all three cars. But, as for everyone else, all-wheel drive is the way to go, and I think this will come in handy. Well, hopefully they'll make the models separate. Anyway, back to the matter at hand, the production M5 F10 was seen a track in Miramas, France doing some proper rear-wheel drifting for all you tail-happy fans out there. Check out the action below and be sure to tune in this fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show when the car is unveiled.

He Deserves It

2005 Maybach Exelero

Anyone remember this prototype car? It was Maybach's attempt to build an ultra-luxurious supercar to compete with the Ferraris and the Lamborghinis of its time. Under the hood of the car was a 6.0-liter Twin-Turbocharged V12 engine from the Maybach 57S, only this one produced 700 horsepower. 0 to 60 was done in 4.4 seconds, but it could reach a top speed of 217 MPH. Unfortunately, it was about 10x more expensive than any of them as it was valued at, and I'm not making this up, $8,000,000. Only 1 was made and it was featured in Jay-Z's music video "Lost Ones". He never bought it though, and no one has claimed it since then, until now. Yes, I'm here to tell you the name of the man who bought this $8,000,000 super-luxury supercar, and that name is Bryan Williams. Now if you have no idea who Bryan Williams is, don't worry about it, because you may have come across him while listening to some hip-hop. If you still don't know him, then you've probably heard of the rapper Birdman. Yep, he used $8,000,000 of his own money to buy this super-exclusive Maybach. Let's not forget this is a man who owns a $100,000,000 record label known as Cash Money Records, and already has a Bugatti Veyron and Maybach Landaulet in his garage. So, this guy's pretty much set. I hope he enjoys it. 

Eat My Grille, Godzilla!

2011 Hennessey Cadillac Escalade

Hennessey has always been known for producing the most outrageous cars. For example, they've made about a dozen Twin-Turbocharged Dodge Vipers, each having over 1,000 horsepower and each perfecting about 230 MPH. They've even done work with Ford GTs, Chevy Camaros, Nissan GT-Rs, and Cadillac CTS-Vs. Well, Hennessey recently got the crazy idea of souping up a Cadillac Escalade. They took the standard 5.3-liter 403 horsepower V8 engine, put in two massive turbochargers in it, some high flow cylinder heads, and a Hennessey HPE1000 camshaft. The output: 1000 horsepower and a 0 to 60 time of, get this, 3.3 seconds! That means that this SUV has enough power and torque to outrun a Nissan GT-R! Hennessey themselves proved this with a one-on-one drag race against Godzilla, with the result of Godzilla having his tail tied at the finish. Wow! What will Hennessey think of next? Check out the video below to see Godzilla get smoked by a Caddy.

Tennis Power

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG with Roger Federer

More celebrity news today as I found this official pic from Mercedes-Benz of their new CLS63 AMG Coupe alongside Tennis World Champion Roger Federer. These two actually go hand-in-hand in someways. He's a Tennis prodigy with one of the fastest serving arms in the history of the game. The latter is one of the fastest four-door coupes on the planet with a 0 to 60 time of just 4.3 seconds and, with the limiter off, will give the Panamera Turbo a run for its money. He's a gorgeous looking man with a fan base of many, many girls. The latter is a gorgeous looking car, a revolution of the once sought evolution of sporty vehicles. Check out how the rest of the shoot went here.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

2012 BMW Concept M5 (Photos)

[Source: BMW & AutoBlog]