Which is fastest – the Ducati Desmosedici RR or the Ferrari 430 Scuderia? Car fans will argue a supercar can out-brake and out-corner a bike, but a bike’s power-to-weight ratio is much better, so in a straight race the car will never even get close enough to the bike to use its ‘magic’ powers. To prove 2 wheels are better than 4 forever, we’re pitching arguably the best road bike in the world against one of the best road cars, in perfect conditions at the Almeria circuit in Spain. Watch the video to see the result.
As humans, we love fast cars. We have a fascination with speed. There’s something hard wired into our brain to react to adrenaline, and we all know how much adrenaline is dumped into out system when we go fast. Over the last 100 years, cars have come along way to say the least! Many believe the Bugatti Veyron to be the worlds fastest production car which is incorrect. It actually comes in 4th position so starting at 50th position and working our way down, here are the fastest cars in the world…
50. Porsche 911 Carrera 4S – 185mph
49. Audi R8 – 187mph
48. Dodge Viper SRT 10 – 190mph
47. Mosler MT900 – 190mph
46. Bentley Continental – 190mph
45. Corvette Z06 – 190mph
44. Aston Martin V12 Vantage – 190mph
43 Aston Martin DB9 – 190mph
42. Cadillac CTS-V – 191mph
41. Aston Martin DBS – 191mph
40. Porsche 911 Turbo – 193mph
39. Nissan Gt-R – 193mph
38. TVR Tuscan – 195mph
37. Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera – 196mph
36. Ferrari F430 – 196mph
35. Audi R8 V10 – 196mph
34. Alpina B5 S – 197mph
33. Ferrari 612 Scaglietti -199mph
32. Bentley Flying Spur Speed – 200mph
31. Bentley Continental GT – 200mph
30. Ascari KZ1 – 200mph
29. Ferrari F40 – 201mph
28. Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 – 202mph
27. Ferrari 575m – 202mph
26. Ferrari F50 – 202mph
25. Porsche 911 GT2 – 204mph
24. Corvette ZR1 – 205mph
23. Ferrari 599GTB – 205mph
22. Maserati MC12 – 205mph
21. Ford GT – 205mph
20. Caparo T1 – 205mph
19. BMW M5 – 205mph
18. Mercedes Benz SLR Mclaren – 207mph
17. Porsche Carrera GT – 209mph
16. Lamborghini Diablo GT – 211mph
15. Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 – 213mph
14. Pagani Zonda F – 215mph
13. Ferrari Enzo – 217mph
12. Gumpert Apollo – 224mph
11. Bristol Fighter T – 225mph
10. Jaguar XJ220 – 227mph
9. Ultima GT-R640 – 231mph
8. TVR Cebera Speed 12 – 240mph
7. Mclaren F1 – 240mph
6. Koenigsegg CCX – 241mph
5. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo – 248mph
4. Bugatti Veyron – 253mph
3. Koenigsegg CCXR- 254mph
2. 9ff GT9 – 254mph
The Fastest Car In The World Is….
So we’ve gone through the top 49, and here is the fastest car in the world, the Shelby Super Cars (SSC) Ultimate Aero. The 1287 hp V8 powers this carbon fibre clad “Hyper-car” all the way to 257mph! It gets to 60 mph in 2.78 seconds, and will power it’s way down a 1/4 mile strip in 9.9 seconds. This is one FAST car!
1. Shelby Super Cars (SSC) Ultimate Aero – 257mph
Interesting to know that SSC are working on (and will be producing) the Ultimate Aero EV. This will be the first 200mph+ electric car powered by a single 500bhp electric motor. It’s worth mentioning that SSC are playing around with bolting 2 of their 500bhp motors together for a 100hp electric Hyper-car. Who says you can’t have an economical Hypercar?
When asked about cool cars and which is the coolest, the Bugatti Veyron will always be up there with the best of them. Here we showcase some amazing pictures (which make cool wallpapers) and video of this beast. The cool Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport is the world’s fastest convertible. With a top speed of 407kmh (252mph) it tops the former record holder, Ferrari’s Scuderia Spider 16M, by 92kmh (57mph).
The powerful 1,001HP roadster boasts a 0-100km/h (0-62mph) time of just 2.5 seconds and, as you’d hope, comes fitted with ceramic brakes for cool, controlled stops from high speeds. These impressive speeds are achievable when the convertible’s polycarbonite roof is fitted, but is engineered with drag reduction in mind – fetching as much as 360kph/224mph with the roof off. If you don’t care for the hassle of a rigid roof, Bugatti have come up with a unique umbrella-like cover (video below) that will protect the interior from the rain and fold back down in a snap.
The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport’s chassis and panels are made from both carbon fiber and aluminum, in a complex re-engineering of the coupe model to maintain crash protection with the roof-less structure. The tires for the car were made specially by Michelin to withstand the high temperatures generated at its high speeds. They will apparently cost $17,000 or £12,000 to replace.
Only 150 examples of this €1.4 | $1.75 | £1.25 million supercar will be made, with around 40 to 50 going to registered Bugatti owners. Unlike with Shelby’s Ultimate Aero, Bugatti are sticking to their old-school roots and will not be releasing an electric version, despite the price tag.
Video of Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport: World’s Fastest Convertible
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Specifications
Layout
Mid-Engine, AWD
Transmission
7 Speed DSG
Differential
Front Axle Differential With Haldex Clutch; Rear Axle With Transverse , Fully Locking
Engine
Displacement 8.0 Liters
Engine Type
Quad-Turbocharged 16 Cylinder
Compression Ratio
9.00:1
Horsepower
1001 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque
922 lb-ft. @ 2200 rpm
Exterior
Curb Weight = 4339 lbs.
Length = 175.7 in.
Height = 47.4 in.
Wheelbase = 106.7 in.
Width = 78.7 in.
Performance
Top Speed 252.9 mph
With Roof in Place, 223.7 mph
With Roof Open. 80.7 mph
With Bad Weather 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) Less Than 2.7 sec
1/4 mile Approx. 10.5 sec
Coefficient of Drag 0.39
Verdict – Cool Car?
Very cool, possibly the coolest car in the world. Fastest convertible car in the world, cool looks, what more could you want! Downside is no cupholder, costly…not only buying the car but the repairs and god only knows what the car insurance would cost on this bad boy!
- Body Style: Convertible, Sports Car
- Engine Type: Gas
- Manufacturer: Bugatti
- Price: $2,100,000 (as tested)
A cool collection of Ferrari 458 Italia pictures and videos. The name derives from the powerplant: a 4.5-litre V8 which Ferrari claims has the highest specific output of any normally aspirated car engine.
It certainly has more in common with superbikes than cars; at 127bhp per litre, the specific output is greater than that of many turbocharged engines. The high-revving 4498cc V8 has very light internal parts and tiny piston skirts, resulting in low rotation inertia and a 12.5:1 compression ratio. It puts out 562bhp at 9000rpm, 500rpm higher than the 430. That makes it the highest-revving Ferrari road car ever.
It means the 458 Italia will be ferociously fast, and Ferrari claims it will sprint to 62mph in under 3.4sec on its way to a top speed of “over 200mph”. While advanced engine electronics and lightweight parts underpin the extra performance, this will be the first mid-engined application of Ferrari’s direct injection fuel system, which appeared first on the front-engined California. It also runs Ferrari’s now-traditional flat-plane crankshaft.
The 458’s engine will be one of the most flexible in Ferrari’s history, too, with 398lb ft of torque arriving at 6000rpm. While that sounds peaky, it’s only two-thirds of the way through the 458’s rev range, and over 80 per cent (318lb ft) is available from 3250rpm.
The direct fuel injection has also helped cut CO2 emissions, producing a claimed 320g/km of CO2, even though it is faster and produces significantly more power than the 483bhp F430 and the 508bhp 430 Scuderia.
Dual-clutch ’box
Ferrari learned a lot developing the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox for the California and it has had to do even more development to fit the unit into the 458 Italia’s engine bay, under the curvaceous glasshouse.
The dual-clutch unit from the California has been modified with different ratios and now shifts even faster than the 430 Scuderia’s 0.06sec. The gearbox’s shift style is likely to be slightly more aggressive than the California’s.
The E-Diff differential and the F1-Trac skid control system have long been the flagship carryover technologies from Formula 1, but the 458 Italia takes them even further and adds another piece of F1-derived technology to the brakes.
Instead of using individual ECUs for the E-Diff and F1-Trac, the 458 Italia has one ECU to control both (as well as the ABS system), resulting in streamlined processing and communication. Ferrari claims a 32 per cent increase in acceleration over the F430 (itself no slouch) out of corners.
The brakes feature a new system called ‘prefill’. When the driver’s foot lifts off the throttle, the pistons in the calipers move the pads towards the discs; that helps to reduce the stopping distance from 62mph to just 32.5 metres.
Aluminium chassis
Ferrari has used its experience from designing the 430 Scuderia’s suspension to create the 458 Italia’s double wishbone front set-up and multi-link rear end, all bolted directly to the aluminium chassis. It’s been developed with the help of Michael Schumacher, who was spotted testing the car.
Ferrari has close ties to aluminium specialist Alcoa, which has built a factory near Modena to produce chassis for the firm. The 458 Italia’s frame uses ideas from both the 430 Scuderia and the Mille Chili concept car.
It uses more advanced bonding techniques than the 430 did, along with manufacturing processes more in line with the aero industry.
F1 wind tunnel
While the 458 was designed by Pininfarina, the shape has been developed using Ferrari’s F1 wind tunnel. The bases of the black intakes in the front bumper deform at speed, closing up the intakes and reducing drag. These intakes also provide downforce and feed air though the radiators ahead of the front wheels.
The car’s shape makes air curve around the cabin and run over the integrated tail spoiler. The flat undertray enhances the effects of the rear diffuser to create 140kg of downforce at 125mph.
Inside, the 458 Italia will take the opportunity created by the more luxurious California to become the sportiest V8 in the family. Ferrari says the steering wheel and dashboard are “new innovations in production cars”; expect a development of the firm’s wheel-mounted manettino switch.
The Ferarri 458 will be built alongside the California in a new production facility at Maranello. The car will be launched at the Frankfurt motor show next month and is expected to go on sale in the UK next spring. It will be more expensive than the F430, so expect prices to start at around £150,000.
Ferrari 458 Italia in action…..