Tuesday 30 April 2013

Porsche 996 Carrera 4S



Same model but different cars. They were both parked in Manchester and are both +Porsche 996 Carrera 4S (2004 for the blue one and 2003 for the silver one). Their 3.6l flat 6 engines develop 315bhp, which allow them to complete a 0-62 in 5.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 174mph (280km/h) This is a third evolution of the legendary Porsche and surely not the last one on the blog!

Monday 29 April 2013

TVR Meeting Chatsworth

 Sagaris / Tuscan Convertible / Tuscan Coupe
 
 
Cerbera / S Series / Tuscan
 
TVR Sagaris, 4.0 straight six engine, 324bhp
 
TVR Tamora, 3.6 straight six engine, 350bhp 
 
 
This post is happening thanks to my friend (and reporter) SP who was at Chatsworth house on Sunday, not knowing what was happening there until he arrived. You will have guessed, it was one of the yearly TVR gatherings. The pictures were taken outside the house and in the grounds. Even if there only seem to be a few TVRs around, the day saw hundreds of them lined up on the field, from 1950s Granturas to Griffiths, to Tuscans, S Series, Chimaera, Cerbera, Tamora and Sagaris, most of them seem to have made it there! An event to remember for next year!
 
So SP, thanks again for the great pictures!
 
 
For more pictures of the whole day, check :

+TVR Car Club

Sunday 28 April 2013

Vauxhall VXR8


 
Vauxhall's answer to the big American muscle cars: the VXR8! Like its predecessor -the Monaro- the VXR8 is powered by a V8 engine. This one is a 6.2l V8 with 430bhp. 0-62 in 4.9 seconds and top speed of 155mph (250km/h) limited, which put the VXR8 in the same performance category as a BMW M3, a Maserati Gran Turismo or a Porsche 911 Carrera!
I am not sure I would buy one (considering you could have the M3 for the same price) but I would definitely go on a track day with it!
 
By the way, the fact that the front of the car does not appear fully is due to the wall of the Manchester car park I was in, rather than my poor ability to take great shots!!!
 
+VXR 

Saturday 27 April 2013

Range Rover Overfinch



After the +Range Rover Sport from two weeks ago, I am now adding the "real" Range Rover spotted in Manchester this morning! And even better, this one has been prepared by the Leeds-based company +Overfinch. Overfinch specialise in the modification of Range Rovers, Range Rover Sports and even the new Evoque. (a picture of which should appear in a next post) These Overfinch Range Rovers have become very fashionable amongst celebrities, football players in particular.
The key modifications are generally stylistic with specific aerodynamic kits and wheels, and sometimes mechanical. Looking at the Brembo brakes (yellow callipers) and the specific Overfinch sports exhausts, I reckon that this particular model has had the mechanical upgrade too.
This Overfinch was born as a Range Rover Vogue with a 4.2l supercharged V8 engine. The 390bhp SUV would have taken 7.5 seconds to reach 62mph and would have had a top speed of 130mph (209km/h). With the engine upgrade (only available on the 4.2 supercharged version), the power is increased by 50bhp to reach 440bhp, the ECU is re-programmed and both the supercharger and the induction system are uprated. Finally, the electronic speed limit is lifted. As far as performance is concerned, I haven't been able to find what the upgrade brings to the table, but I would think both 0-62 and top speed are slightly improved.
A real celebrity Dream Car!!!


If you know the exact performance figures for this car, feel free to post them in the comment box!

Source:
http://www.overfinch.com/the-collection/vogue-gt/previous-models/performance/engine-upgrades/

Friday 26 April 2013

100 Years... Happy Birthday Aston Martin!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In 1913, Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin founded Bamford and Martin Ltd soon to become Aston Martin. The very first car was produced in 1914 and since then, the company and its successive owners gave birth to 30 distinctive models. So this year, Aston Martin is celebrating its 100th birthday.
As a car/Aston Martin enthusiast and an avid brochure collector, I checked the Aston website for some information about the Centenary and came across a digital brochure about the company's history, models and centenary events taking place throughout the year. Unfortunately, the brochure was only available for download and my email to their customer service, enquiring for a paper copy, was unsuccessful. Thankfully, I managed to get in touch with someone very helpful, who was willing to send one to me. I hoped for two weeks, and yesterday, it was by the door, waiting for me. And what a brochure!
I know the blog is about cars I see on the street, but I had to mention Aston's 100th year and this truly exceptional brochure!

Thank you +Aston Martin !


Thursday 25 April 2013

Aston Martin DB9 Volante



One more +Aston Martin for the collection , this time a DB9 Volante photographed outside John Lewis Cheadle (with a typical English weather!) The rain plus the fact that these pictures were taken with my old Samsung phone a few months ago, explain why the pictures aren't of amazing quality. The Volante is a great looking convertible but I have always preferred coupes...
Under the bonnet, like with the DB9 coupe, there is a 5.9l V12 with 450bhp. The Volante can reach 62mph in 4.9 seconds and 186mph as a top speed (299km/h)
I don't know about you but I never get tired of looking at Aston Martins. They are just things of pure beauty.

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Thank you! Merci! Danke! Gracias! Grazie! спасибо!

Just a short post to say thank you to all of you who have been following this blog. After three and a half weeks, we have made it and went past the 1,000 page views. I hope you enjoy what you see and what you read, even if the pictures aren't always top-quality (and probably some of the articles either!!!)
Thanks again for your interest and don't hesitate to leave comments if you feel like it!
 
See you tomorrow for another post!
 
E.

BMW M6 V10


 
 
After the new M6 a few posts ago, here is the previous model spotted in a street off St Ann's Square in Manchester. This one still had the 5.0l V10 engine (shared with the M5 at the time) with 507bhp. 4.6 seconds for the 0-62 and 155mph (250km/h) as a top speed. I think it was time for +BMW to make its 6 series evolve as this model started to look a bit dated (with the exception of the M6 of course!!!) 

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Maserati 4200 Gransport Coupe



 
 
After the Quattroporte yesterday, a smaller +Maserati today. Here we have a very nice coupe, the 4200 Gransport. The pictures were taken a few months ago in a Manchester car park (even managed to capture the sun!!!) The Gransport version of the car it recognisable because of the distinctive body kit (side skirts and front grille in particular) and it has an extra 10bhp compared to the standard version. The 4.2l V8 engine therefore delivers 395bhp in the Gransport compared to 385bhp in the standard version. That means 0-62 in 4.7 seconds and top speed of 180mph (290km/h)
These older Maseratis are still very nice looking cars and you can pick a one up for around £15k (standard version) So pretty cheap for an Italian sports car!

Monday 22 April 2013

Maserati Quattroporte


Here is the 4-door +Maserati, the Quattroporte, spotted in a car park in Cheadle. It is a nice looking sport saloon with a 4.7l V8 engine. The 430bhp take the Italian to 62mph in just 5.4 seconds and is capable of a top speed of 174mph (280km/h). I would still rather go for an Aston Martin Rapide though!
I wonder whether Bono (the lead singer of U2) still has his...

Sunday 21 April 2013

Mercedes SL55 AMG

 
Always one of my favourite, the Mercedes SL55 AMG (fifth generation) I think it is a stunning looking car (despite the poor quality of the picture) and I would be more than happy to have one on the drive!
Under the bonnet, there is a 5.4l V8 engine which develops 493bhp. 4.7 seconds to reach 62mph and top speed of 155mph (250km/h) electronically limited of course!
The SL55 shared the V8 with the SL500 while the SL65 and the SL600 shared the V12 engine.
The facelift Mercedes applied to the SL in 2008 spoilt the look of the car according to me. However, the new model released in 2012 is much more appealing (still not quite as beautiful as this one though...)  
 

Saturday 20 April 2013

Jaguar XKR Coupe



In a car park in Wilwslow: a +Jaguar XKR with a Performance Black Pack. The Performance pack gives a very sporty look to the car (love the contrast between the red brake callipers and the black wheels/paint!) As far as performance is concerned, the XKR has a 5.0l 510bhp supercharged V8 engine, it covers 0-62 in 4.6 seconds with a top speed of 174mph (280km/h)
I wouldn't mind one of these!

Friday 19 April 2013

Insider 4 - Mclaren MP4-12C


 
 
Will you recognise the badge on the steering wheel?
It isn't one you see often... Yes, it is a sports car manufacturer... Yes, they are also involved in F1...
Yep, of course, Mclaren!
This picture was taken in a McLaren MP4-12C in the Knutsford showroom.
 
 

 

Thursday 18 April 2013

Excalibur


Spotted in Libourne (France) last summer, this not-so-common American Excalibur. The Excalibur was presented to the public in 1963. It first had a 290bhp V8 Studebaker before swapping it for a GM 300bhp Corvette V8 engine. Weighting only 950kg, performance was pretty good, 0-62 was covered in under 5 seconds and top speed was supposed to be around 160mph (257km/h)
 
 
Source:


Wednesday 17 April 2013

Ferrari California & Ferrari F430 Spider


"Buy one, get one free!" / "Une Ferrari peut en cacher une autre!"
Spotted on a car-park in Wilmslow, these two Ferraris: on the left, the California (460bhp, 4.3l V8), and on the right, the F430 Spider (483bhp, 4.3l V8).
I wonder whether you can bulk-buy Ferraris?...

+Ferrari

Tuesday 16 April 2013

BMW M6 V8


Spotted on Deansgate Manchester on Saturday morning, a +BMW M6 (2012 model). The 6-series started to look old-fashioned until this new model came out in 2012. This one is -I find- quite a success, and so is the new M6. Under the bonnet, the M6 share the same 552bhp, 4.4l twin-turbo V8 as the M5. It is capable of 0-62 in 4.2 seconds and of a top speed of 155mph (250km/h) electronically limited. Now, the car is also available with what BMW call the "M Driver's Package" which removes the electronic speed limit and allows the driver to reach 189mph (304km/h) [of course, on a track!]

Monday 15 April 2013

Porsche 911 Carrera 2S Convertible



I told you I would upload more 911! This one was spending the day in Knutsford. It is a +Porsche Carrera 2S Convertible! Its engine is a 3.8l 385bhp flat 6, capable of taking the car from 0-62 in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 188mph (302km/h)! This 911 was registered in 2010 (997 model).
Notice how you can cheat with your number plate. It looks like 911 but is in fact S11 with the screw attaching the plate to the car positioned in such a way that it creates that 911 illusion! Clever, don't you think?

Sunday 14 April 2013

Insider 3 - Rolls Royce Ghost


Third post in the "insider" category, and again, the same question: Which car does this steering wheel belong to?
Yes, a Rolls Royce, but try to be more precise...
Do you give your tongue to the cat, as we say in France? (in other words, do you give up?)
Right, this picture was taken behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce Ghost 6.6l V12 563bhp.
Very luxurious car, for which you really need a chauffeur!
Notice my reflection in the piano black centre of the steering wheel!

+Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Saturday 13 April 2013

Range Rover Sport Autobiography SDV6


 
Like I mentioned in my previous post (about the Porsche Cayenne), some cars are to me typical Cheshire Dream Car, and the +Range Rover Sport is one of these. I shot this one in Knutsford, but to be honest, I could have done it pretty much anywhere around here. These car are on absolutely every single road around. Driving through Deansgate in Manchester this morning, I saw three brand new ones parked one after the other...
Anyway, once again, it is far from being on my Dream Car list, but for many people, it will occupy one of the top spots of theirs!
This one is a diesel version of the beast, a 3.0l, 255bhp V6 diesel to be more precise. 0-62 in 9.3 seconds and 124mph (200km/h) as a top speed. Not the performance of a Cayenne Turbo or even of the Range Rover Sport 5.0 V8, but some people just love the car! (I don't!!!)
 

Porsche Cayenne GTS Red



Short trip to Manchester this morning, on the way back to the car, I walked past this one, a +Porsche Cayenne GTS in cherry red (unusual colour...) This is a relatively new model (facelift visible and data tells me the car was registered in Septembre 2012!)
The Cayenne GTS has a 4.8l V8 engine developing 420bhp. It is capable of 6.5 seconds for 0-62 with a top speed of 156mph (251km/h)
Like with Range Rovers, we are looking at a Cheshire Dream Car!!!

Friday 12 April 2013

Ferrari F430 Spider (Video)


Here we have a +Ferrari F430 Spider leaving a car park in Wilmslow. Listen to the sound produced by the 483bhp, 4.3l V8 engine!
0-62 in 4.1 second and top speed of 193mph (310km/h)

Insider 2 - Bentley Mulsanne


After my first Insider post, here is another one. Will you manage to guess which car I am sitting in? I know it's a Bentley, but which one?
A clue? It is a big Bentley... Replacing the Arnage...
Yes, this is the steering wheel of a Bentley Mulsanne.
For those of you who couldn't picture the Muslsanne, here is a picture taken outside Bentley Manchester:

 
 

Thursday 11 April 2013

Ferrari California HS




What a car!!! A beautiful +Ferrari California. I know red isn't my favourite colour for a Ferrari but still, the California is stunning! Now for those of you who scrutinise my pictures, you will have noticed something in the second picture... yes it was taken at the Stratstone +Ferrari and +Maserati garage in Wilmslow, BUT, the car was actually parked outside the building and didn't have any price or description sign, therefore, it could have just been a privately owned car parked there! (I know, I am bending my own rules...)
Anyway back to the car. The California is a "2+2" convertible with a hard top. Under the bonnet, it has a 4.3l V8 engine with 490bhp. 0-62 is covered in 3.8 seconds and top speed is 193mph (310km/h)
This particular California is one of the new HS models, recognisable by the chrome front grille and side vents.
(yes it is a Silver Mercedes SLS parked next to the California!)

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Grey


 
We had it in white a few posts ago, now here it is in grey with yellow brake callipers! (it isn't the same car before and after a re-spray, they are two different cars!!! ;-) ) Of course it is another +Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4. I spotted this one outside the Jolly Thresher pub in Lymm a few months ago. I love the contrast of the grey paint and the yellow callipers.
Performance hasn't moved since the last post:
5.2l V10, 560bhp, top speed of 202mph (325km/h) and 0 to 62 in 3.7 seconds.

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

 
Early 2004 for this +Aston Martin Vanquish, predecessor of the DBS. Taken in Wilmslow, a beautiful example of the 5.9l V12 Aston with 460bhp. 5.0 seconds to reach 62mph and top speed of 190mph (305km/h) This isn't the Vanquish S which was produced beween 2005 and 2007 (when the car and the factory both went out of production) and had an extra 64bhp.
Last model to be produced in the old factory in Newport Pagnell, the Vanquish also marked the return of 007 to Aston Martin as his official car!

The second generation Vanquish came to life at the end of 2012 and is now available.
Here is a picture of it, taken outside Aston Martin Wilmslow

 

Porsche Panamera Platinum Edition V6 Diesel


 
Slightly unusual for a Dream Car to be a diesel, but things evolve and diesels are becoming more and more powerful and efficient (just look at the Audi R10 TDI race car, 36 victories out of 48 races including victories at Le Mans)
Here we have a +Porsche Panamera Platinum Edition with a 250bhp 3.0l V6 diesel engine. 0-62 in 6.8 seconds and top speed of 150mph (241km/h)
To me, the Panamera is far from being the best-looking 4 door saloon but some will disagree (I know for a fact that Richard Hammond will agree with me! See +Top Gear Series 15 Episode 3)
Notice the 911 Carrera 2S driving past on the first picture!