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What supercar owners want more than anything else is street cred. It’s that indefinable blend of sleek and sexy styling, outrageous power, and genuine racing heritage that motivates a few people to put down the price of a decent house on a car intended primarily to impress friends and deliver weekend thrills. Only Lamborghini has managed to play in this league without the requisite competition rsum.

Then there’s Steve Saleen, a man seen by many as the world’s most successful Mustang tuner. He is that and more, but how does that qualify him to build a twin-turbo supercar and charge $585,000 for it — a price in the lofty range of the Ferrari Enzo, Porsche Carrera GT, and Mercedes SLR McLaren?

True, Saleen hasn’t campaigned his S7 Twin Turbo car in Formula 1, nor has he racked up umpteen wins at Le Mans, as have Ferrari, Mercedes, and Porsche. But despite the sterling racing heritages of their companies, the Enzo, the Carrera GT, and the SLR haven’t raced at all. Meanwhile, a racing version of the S7, the S7R, has won seven various GT championships and will be entered again this June at Le Mans. Moreover, that S7R, and the roadgoing S7 Twin Turbo, are virtually identical, built side by side using the same technology — with the exception that the street car, with its pair of turbos, is much more powerful.

This direct kinship with its racing brother is noticeable as soon as you press the start button in the S7 Twin Turbo. The 7.0-liter V-8 bursts to life with a raucous rumble that is unattenuated by any mufflers. Saleen relies on the two turbos and four catalytic converters to remove the harshest notes from the firings of each of the nearly quart-sized cylinders.

Ease into the throttle, and the S7 surges forward with the effortless ease created by 750 horses pushing against just 2968 pounds of car. With 427 cubic inches of V-8 derived from Ford’s NASCAR engines and pressurized by two Garrett turbo-blowers working at a mild 6.0 psi, the engine generates enough thrust to scare you at just about any rpm. Floor the throttle when you’re rolling along in first gear on a dry, straight road, and the engine fries the rear tires when the boost comes up. On a winding road, it doesn’t much matter whether you run in second, third, or fourth gear because there’s enough power in any of them to summon big-time oversteer if you’re clumsy in a corner.

When you need to shed some speed, you’ll take comfort in brakes whose feel is undiluted by any form of power booster. The S7 has twin master cylinders connected by a balance bar, exactly what you find on most race cars. The setup delivers the reassuringly hard pedal and precise modulation that help hold the giant Brembo disc brakes on the edge of lockup.

Although it’s power assisted, the S7′s high-mounted rack-and-pinion steering is as precise and responsive as the brakes. Move the Sparco steering wheel just a millimeter, and the S7 responds immediately. Run over an invisible dip in the pavement, and the steering wheel wiggles in your hands. Snake through a series of rapid esses, and the S7 transitions without waiting for the suspension to unwind its body roll or transfer weight from one front tire to another. The car simply reverses the direction of its turn

instantly.

This is steering that makes a Porsche Cayman S feel sluggish, and you certainly don’t want to rely on one hand to control the S7 while you yak on a cell phone in your other. But after a day behind the wheel, it became second nature while retaining its magically quick moves.

Couple this steering with giant Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires, a race-derived suspension, and a chassis that Saleen engineering V-P Bill Tally says is 50 percent more rigid than a Ferrari Enzo’s, and you get a car that is very hard to push to the limit on a public highway. Even when you think you’re flying through a turn at an outrageous clip, the car still reacts sharply to steering corrections, indicating there’s plenty of remaining grip.

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/06q2/saleen_s7_twin_turbo-road_test

all new 2010 AUDI R8 V10 revving and flooring it on the road

While our own lawmakers hem and haw about whether or not to extend further aid to the ailing U.S. auto industry, Land Rover is getting some help to make its SUV-only lineup relevant. The UK government has offered the company 27 million (roughly $37 million) toward the 400 million (about $552 million) estimated cost of bringing the

concept to production. Land Rover Managing Director Phil Popham says: “Clearly, the actual development cost is many multiples of 27 million, but it is a welcome investment and certainly helps in the current environment.”

First seen at last year’s Detroit show, the vehicle would be badged as a Range Rover and be smaller, lighter, and more efficient than any of the brand’s past products. Popham adds that: “The LRX is in the cycle plan and will be shown in 2010 for likely sale in 2011: diesel, hybrid, and small-capacity gasoline engines are in the plan.” Production is still dependent on final engineering validation, however.

This third entry in the Range range would create a family within the Land Rover brand, adding to the original and the

-based . We were all for the LRX concept when it debuted, and would be glad to see the two-door-coupe look remain if the project is approved. The production version would be built at the company’s Halewood facility.

The grant is being offered under the Grant for Business Investment scheme, which offers money for sustainable business investment. Jaguar Land Rover is also reportedly seeking 500 million from the UK government as part of a 2.3 billion package that is being considered for British automakers and suppliers. Popham is at pains to stress that: “We’re not looking for bailouts. There’s a lack of liquidity throughout the sales chain, from the automakers to consumers, so we have requested loan guarantees that would free up working capital.”

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/09q1/land_rover_receives_uk_grant_offer_to_build_smaller_more_efficient_range_rover-car_news

Silverstone has played down suggestions the British grand prix is once again in doubt.

After the Donington fiasco, the Northamptonshire circuit re-secured its formula one race contract and has completed radical circuit improvements that are said to have locked-in the race’s new 17-year deal.

But the Telegraph reports on Tuesday that after making a profit in 2009, the circuit-owning British Racing Drivers’ Club has recorded a $3 million loss for 2010.

The report said the reason for the loss was the fact tickets could only be sold seven months before last July’s event in the wake of the Donington uncertainty.

Indeed, with revenue growing 23 per cent in 2010, BRDC chairman Stuart Rolt insists he is “very pleased and encouraged” by the latest figures.

Source: http://uk.autoblog.com/2011/06/14/british-gp-secure-despite-silverstone-loss/

British Grand Prix Final 2007