Top Supercars of 2011
Supercars.net COTY Lamborghini Aventador
Without a doubt, Lamborghini's new Aventador created the biggest splash in 2011: it was the star of every major motor show after its debut at Geneva in March. We just hope our supercar of the year gets a proper motorsports program.
Geneva also brought us the new Koenigsegg, Pagani and Ferrari which solidifies its spot as the supercar show of the year with Dubai taking a close second.
Top restoration of the year has to go to Jerry Seinfeld's 550 Prototype which debuted as part of the Rennsport Reunion IV festivities. Peter Mullin's 1934 Voisin C25 Aérodyne also gets a special mention for winning Pebble Beach.
For the last post of Supercars.net in 2011, we close with the top 10 Supercars of the year:
1. Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 (CF Chassis, Inboard Suspension)
2. Pagani Huayra (CF Perfection)
3. Koenigsegg Agera R (1115 bhp, Swedish Charm)
4. Shelby GT500 Coupe (200 mph mustang from Ford)
5. Aston Martin V12 Vantage Zagato (Anglo-Italo Success, Track Ready)
6. 9ff GT9 CS (1000 bhp, Porsche)
7. Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale (Reinvented Viper)
8. Ferrari FF (World's Top 4-Seater)
9. Porsche 918 RSR ‘Racing Lab’ (Ready for Le Mans)
10. BMW i8 Concept (The Future by BMW)
Mullin's Masterworks
Mullin's Feature Display
The best collection of French cars outside France is at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. Over 50 French masterpieces are on display including one of three surviving Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantics.
Names like Avions Voisin, Talbot-Lago, Bugatti and Delahaye fill the room similar in layout to the pre-war Paris Motor Show.
Many of the cars have been chosen for their originality including selections from the secret Malmerspach collection. Of the 62 Malmerspach cars, 17 are Bugattis and five are on the museum floor, just as they were found after 45 years in hibernation.
With a rotating display of vehicles, the presentation at Mullin is always changing. Our gallery offers a look at the museum from August of this year. For those of you in Europe, many of the cars will be at the upcoming Retromobile show for a feature display.
Donkervoort GTO
2012 Donkervoort D8 GTO
For the new year, Donkervoort has prepared the D8 GTO. It's a modern interpretation of the Lotus 7 concept with an Audi heart and Dutch soul.
New to the D8 is the fully modern TFSI Audi Inline-5 engine which is turbocharged and has direct gasoline injection. This thoroughly modern engine from the Ausi RS3 offers up to 400 bhp in a car that weighs only 700 kgs or 1540 lbs.
Donkervoort plan to build 25 examples and half were taken after the launch party.
6th Generation SL
2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 500
Today Mercedes-Benz released details on the sixth generation SL 500.
The new model receives an all-aluminum body, the M278 V8 and 7-speed automatic transmission.
Mercedes-Benz Europe is calling the car an SL 500 BlueEFFICIENCY while stateside it will be released a year later and known as the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550.
Within the coming year we expect Mercedes to offer a V12 in the new R231 platform and the M157 V8 from the 2011 AMG range.
Bentley's New V8
2012 Bentley Continental GT V8
Today Bentley announced they would launch their new V8 at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It will be offered in the Continental as a fuel-efficient alternative to the complex W12.
It's obvious that the new 4.0 liter V8 is a variant of the 4.0TFSI used in the Audi range. All aluminum, it uses direct injection and twin scroll turbochargers to produce 500 bhp. The 8-Speed transmission is probably a new 4WD version of the ZF 8HP that hasn't been officially announced.
Bentley will release the full performance figures as they apply to both the Continental GT and Continental GTC in the summer of 2012. Minor updates of the interior and exhuast might extend to the whole range as well.
BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé
2012 BMW 650i Gran Coupé
Today BMW revealed a sedan variant of the 6-series known as the Gran Coupé.
This new bodystyle is aimed as direct competition to the Mercedes-Benz CLS which invented the 4-door coupe concept back in 2003.
BMW's feature car for the Gran Coupé is a 2013 650i with many of the interior refinements from the individual program. They will also offer the model as a 6-cylinder 640i Gran Coupe and diesel 640d Gran Coupe in the summer of 2012.
BMW first began making sports sedans back in 1939 with the 335 and continued after the war with 1955 BMW 502 ‘Barockengel’.
Two New Prancing Horses
2012 Ferrari 458 Grand Am
Today Ferrari announced their initiative to support a Ferrari 458 in America that conforms to Grand-Am specification.
Based off the GT3 car from Michelotto, the new 458 Grand Am will be initially raced by Scuderia AF Corse in 13 rounds of the Grand Am Championship. Three 458 Grand Ams should start the season at the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Ferrari also revealed details of their Tailor-Made program to offer unique options and finishes on their range of cars. As an example they designed the Ferrari 599 GTB 60F1 from the 599 HGTE.
Catching up with Brabus
2011 Brabus SLS AMG Roadster
Over the last few weeks Brabus has created some spectacular show cars including the SLS AMG Roadster built for the Essen Motor Show.
The SLS Roadster show car was built up with a full suite of Brabus upgrades including their opulent interior package which is one of our favorite upgrades. They also developed a body kit and exhuast system for the SLS Coupe which are extended to the Roadster.
At the Dubai Motor Show Brabus debuted the 800 Coupé that features the bored and stroked V12 from the Rocket 800. Brabus call it the world's fastest and most powerful luxury coupe.
