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Posted by MatriXxX99 on 11:42 PM 02/01/2004
The Porsche Boxster is a worthy successor to the legendary 550 Spyder dating from 1953: common to both are the mid-engined roadster concept, low weight, excellent agility, and a high level of driving pleasure. Porsche is now celebrating the 50th birthday of the 550 Spyder by launching a powerful Boxster S special edition limited to 1953 units and bearing the name “50 Years of the 550 Spyder”. It is to be premiered in Detroit/USA early in January 2004, and its introduction on international markets is scheduled for March 2004. The list price on European markets will be 50,900 Euro. In Germany the car will sell at 59,192 Euro including added-value tax and specific national charges.
The Boxster and the 550 Spyder share a striking number of common features., starting with the body lines, which are of timeless elegance and clearly demonstrate their origin and relationship. Then as now, every part of the car is dedicated to the demands of the enthusiastic driver. The Porsche Boxster too has already become a modern classic.
To enhance the Boxster driving experience still further, Porsche engineers have given the special “50 Years of the 550 Spyder” edition a series of sought-after equipment details and technical features that have not been available for the Boxster so far. The output of the Boxster S’s 3.2-liter flat-six engine goes up by 6 bhp to 266 bhp (196 kW) at 6,200 rpm. The special edition has a top speed of 266 km/h (standard Boxster S: 264 km/h) and sprints from zero to 100 km/h in a mere 5.7 seconds (Tiptronic S: 6.4 seconds). Its maximum torque of 310 Nm is available at 4,600 rpm.
The exhaust system, which has a specially styled, stainless-steel tailpipe, delivers the typical Porsche sound. Porsche technicians have reduced the 6-speed gearbox's shift travel by 15 percent, a noticeable benefit that contributes to even greater driving pleasure whenever the car is accelerated. Tiptronic S, permitting driver selection of the chosen gear at shift paddles on the steering wheel, is an optional extra.
True roadster character is emphasized by lowering the body by 10 millimeters and by especially sporty suspension settings. This sports suspension improves the car’s roadholding still further and permits higher lateral acceleration values. Porsche Stability Management (PSM) is installed as a standard feature on this special edition, to ensure optimum safety in all driving situations.
The brakes are another important safety feature. The drilled brake disks have a diameter of 318 millimeters at the front and 299 millimeters at the rear. Exclusively for this special edition, the four-piston aluminum brake calipers of monobloc design have an aluminum paint finish. They are easily visible behind the larger 18-inch Carrera wheels (the standard model has 17-inch wheels). The spokes are painted in seal gray and provide additional visual emphasis. A colored Porsche coat-of-arms adorns each wheel hub cover. Five-millimeter wide spacers at all four wheels give the special “50 Years of the 550 Spyder” edition an even more powerful appearance and firmer road stance. Another feature that sets this model apart from the standard Boxster S are the silver-painted grills above the openings in the rear struts, which recall the closed rear view of the 550. The Boxster S lettering at the rear is chromium plated and polished. The color of the padded front of the safety roll bars matches the interior. An on-board computer, Litronic headlamps with dynamic beam angle adjustment and a cleaning system are also standard.
Most of the 550 Spyders built in those days were painted in silver. The special edition has therefore been finished in gleaming silver metallic, a color so far reserved for the Carrera GT and the “40 Years of the 911” model.
The soft top is in Cocoa, a dark brown color used by Porsche for the first time on this special edition. The same two colors dominate the car’s interior, with matching carpet and floor mats with the Porsche inscription.
Dark gray natural leather is available as an alternative. In this combination the carpets and the folding top are in black. Both leather equipment lines have exclusive visual features that give the interior a special character. It can be seen and felt on the center panels of the standard heated sport seats, the handbrake lever, the gear lever gaiter, the inside door handles and the padded sport steering wheel. The black dials have chromium-plated decorative rings. Painted in GT-silver metallic, the seat back shells, the rear section of the center console, the handbrake lever, the grooved bar on the dashboard, the switch panel and the back of the safety roll bars form a color contrast. The ball-shaped gear-lever knob is made of aluminum combined with Cocoa leather. The (optional) Tiptronic gear shift cover is highly polished, like the Boxster S lettering that stands out well against the black door sills.
This Boxster S special edition bears a limited-edition plate on the center console indicating the car's production number. The automatic air conditioning and top-quality Porsche CDR-23 radio with audio package are standard, and also a windbreak.
Porsche introduced the 550 Spyder in October 1953 at the Paris Motor Show. The two-seater was the first sports car specially designed in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen with racing in mind. In the years that followed the Spyder, which weighed only 550 kilograms, scored numerous triumphs on racing circuits and in the then popular road races. These successes are a mosaic element contributing to the Porsche brand’s fame and its current familiarity among the general public. The type designation of the racing sports, incidentally, was not derived from its weight as is sometimes assumed. It was, in fact, the 550th Porsche design project.
The 550 Spyder has retained a secure place in the hearts of car enthusiasts through its performance in the Carrera Panamericana in 1954. On the fifth and last occasion that the world’s toughest road race was held, Hans Herrmann came third in the overall ranking, directly behind two sports cars with substantially larger engines and won his class.
This was followed by countless successes in motor sport, earned by the factory team and by private entrants. The 550 was powered by a four-camshaft 1,498-cc engine developing 110 bhp. This was designed by von Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann, who later became chief executive officer of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, and made a significant contribution to Porsche’s racing triumphs right up to the nineteen-sixties.
Posted by MatriXxX99 on 11:09 PM 02/01/2004
Performance
Zero To Sixty - 3.8 seconds
Top Speed - 322 km/h
Engine
V-8
7011 cc
16 valves
price : $375,000.00
Posted by MatriXxX99 on 11:02 PM 02/01/2004
Performance :
Zero To Sixty - 4.0 seconds
Top Speed - 355 km/h
Engine :
V-8 Twin-turbocharged
5733 CM³
Price : 1.500.000 DM
Posted by MatriXxX99 on 10:52 PM 02/01/2004
ASTON MARTIN AMV8 VANTAGE CONCEPT: A NEW DIRECTION FOR ASTON MARTIN
DETROIT, MI Jan. 6, 2003: Aston Martin has again reinforced the new direction the company is taking by unveiling a spectacular concept car that's destined to become the most significant model in the company's 89-year history.
Previously codenamed AM305, the Aston Martin AMV8 Vantage is the basis for a smaller third Aston Martin model, due to be launched in 2005, and will sit alongside the DB7 and the flagship Vanquish. The AMV8 Vantage will be hand-assembled at Aston Martin's state-of-the-art production facility at Gaydon, in the United Kingdom, which is currently under construction.
The name Vantage—which will also be adopted for the production version—was chosen due its long historic links with Aston Martin. This time it's a specific model name rather than denoting a high performance version.
The AMV8 Vantage is a tailored two-seater sports car that retains a front mid-engine/rear-wheel drive layout. Its design work was undertaken by Henrik Fisker, Aston Martin's Design Director, and his key objective was to produce a thoroughly modern Aston Martin. Another aim was to ensure that the interior layout and equipment were unique to Aston Martin and could be easily carried over into the production car.
There are also a number of traditional Aston Martin design cues which have been incorporated into the AMV8 Vantage's styling such as the front grille shape and the typical side strakes found on all Aston Martin models.
Chassis and Body Structure
The AMV8 Vantage is the first model to use Aston Martin's unique VH Platform Strategy (Vertical/Horizontal), which will form the basis for all future Aston Martin models.
"Much of the technology that has been developed from the Aston Martin Vanquish will be adopted for the production AMV8 Vantage," said Jeremy Main, Director of Product Development for Aston Martin. "It has a unique body and chassis constructed from aluminum and composites, AMV8 Vantage is a very advanced sports car offering high degrees of engineering efficiencies, structural integrity, and torsional rigidity."
Styling
Visually stunning, the look of AMV8 Vantage is very much of a modern Aston Martin. However, like all Aston Martin models there are subtle lines and embellishments that help create a powerful-looking sports car. In fact the design brief was to make the car look like a muscular athlete wearing a tailor-made suit.
From the exterior, AMV8 Vantage is striking and perfectly proportioned from every angle. Each carefully detailed feature provides graphic evidence of the painstaking craftsmanship and quality, which are synonymous with the Aston Martin marque. Adamant that AMV8 Vantage should not be a pastiche of retrospect design, Henrik Fisker created a pure, elegant, and classic body that reflects the heritage and tradition of the Aston Martin brand.
The long bonnet (hood) and two-seater cabin create an instantly recognizable stance, while minimal front and rear overhangs, combined with a wide track, appear to push the rear wheels out and enhance the extremities of the bodywork.
"AMV8 Vantage features many of the design cues that have become the basic DNA for all Aston Martin models," said Henrik Fisker. "It was important to ensure that the car's design was pure, clean and modern, while at the same time you should be able to put your hand over the front nose badge and still recognise the car as an Aston Martin."
Interior
One area that has received considerable development is the AMV8 Vantage's cabin design. Great effort has been made to ensure that everything the driver and passenger touch is bespoke and Aston Martin unique. This is something also that will be carried over into the production car.
The AMV8 Vantage features a host of switch gears, which perhaps owe more to the styling cues of premium watch design and prestigious home entertainment systems than from car instrumentation. Finished in an imaginative combination of different leathers and anodized aluminum, customers will be offered an infinite choice of body colors and upholstery schemes as well as the option of being able to request different materials.
"From the outset, the look, feel, and functionality of the interior was a key priority," said Henrik Fisker. "Aston Martin is taking a new direction in its approach to design. We wanted to ensure the AMV8 Vantage reflected the new direction that Aston Martin is now taking—modern, advanced technology but above all Aston Martin design."
Powertrain
The all-new engine is a 4.3 liter, low emissions all alloy V8 which is unique to Aston Martin. This new V8 will use the latest technology to deliver outstanding performance in all environments.
The layout of the powertrain adopts a transaxle configuration, whereby the front mid-mounted engine is connected to the transmission—at the rear of the car—via a torque tube. This configuration provides the car with near perfect 50:50 weight distribution, outstanding handling characteristics and excellent all round capabilities.
Conclusion
While the production aspirations for the AMV8 Vantage is higher than any of the previous Aston Martin models, the car will still retain a high degree of exclusivity—an important characteristic of the British marque.
"The Aston Martin AMV8 Vantage will enable us to appeal to a larger market. Aston Martin will never ever become a volume car manufacturer, but this model will allow just a few more people to enjoy the Aston Martin experience," said Dr Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin. "The AMV8 Vantage is a really significant model for us as it will allow Aston Martin to become a true player in the global sports car market."