Wings of Nike Sport Cars Concept

Wings of Nike Sport Cars Concept

"Nike of Samothrace - ancient Greek statue - represents Goddess of victory and sea battle. Conveys a sense of action and triumph as well as portraying artful flowing drapery through its features which the Greeks considered ideal beauty", is the inspiration of the name.

Wings of Nike Sport Cars Concept

Idea to this Concept car was to reborn the spirit of victory and passion in different way to honor legends which shouldn't be forgotten. Reviving the spirit of victory and passion to honor the classic Formula 1 cars, designer Darko Nikolic has created a supercar concept dubbed the “Wings of Nike” (WON), representing triumph and ideal beauty in Greek mythology, which brings blood quickening and sophisticated of 50s look with seriousness of limousines from 30's was a huge challenge.

Wings of Nike Sport Cars Concept based off a smorgasbord of 1930s and 1950s era cues, including wings, extended fenders, chrome bumper, suicide doors, and a roadster style rear end. The chassis is formed from lightweight aluminum, and its outer shell from carbon fiber. Capturing the sport heart in the sleek, stylish body of limousine, the futuristic sport sedan flow the lines to connect parts, spreading almost individually, along the whole body for superior aerodynamics.

Wings of Nike Sport Cars Concept

The power engine of the Wings of Nike Sport Cars Concept is a 7.3-liter V-12, generating a comfortable yet potent 750 bhp, delivered by four (all wheel drive) 22-inch dubs, and egged on by a 7-speed dual plate clutch transmission. The brakes are ceramic for superior stopping power, and the black and red exterior finish to symbolize its sporty character, which further is enhanced by a chromed bumper, white circles on tires and doors opening backwards.

Wings of Nike Sport Cars Concept

Technical specifications:

Class: grand tourer, supercar

Type: 4-door sedan

Body made of: carbon fibre with aluminum sub-frames/ aluminium

Engine: 7.3l V-12 (750 bhp)

Transmission: rear-mid based 7 speed dual clutch/twin plate clutch

Layout: front-engined, all-wheel drive

Breaks: ceramic breaks by Brembo

Design: Darko Nikolić

Rhinoceros 3D modeling: Darko Nikolić

V Ray renderings: Miloš Ličina

Photography director: Darko Nikolić

Post production: Darko Nikolić

Wings of Nike Sport Cars Concept

Ferrari 458 Challenge at Vallelunga

The fine tuning of the newly born Ferrari 458 Challenge continues and, based on the production 458 Italia, is already undergoing testing to help get it ready for full competition. The test site: Vallelunga. The drivers: Maurizio Mediani and Jaime Melo.

No matter, considering any word on the latest challenge car from Maranello is worth noting. The lighter track model is based on the production 458 Italia, which 0-60’s Chris Harris recently called “a paradigm shift in the way Ferrari approaches the subject of performance cars.” Look for the first 458 Challenge to grace future rounds of Ferrari’s one-make championship series.




Press Release

The fine tuning of the newly born Ferrari 458 Challenge continues and, as from yesterday, it was at the Vallelunga circuit for a test, with two drivers, the Italian Maurizio Mediani and the Argentine Jaime Melo, taking on the role of test driver, as they took turns at the wheel of the Prancing Horse sports car. At the end of two days at the Roman circuit, both men were pleased with what had been achieved.

According to Mediani the 458 Challenge is “very quick and extremely good fun,” its handling inherited from the road going car from which it is derived, combined with modifications made for its specific use in racing. Melo, just back from the fifth round of the American Le Mans Series, in which he races a F430 GT2 run by Team Risi Competizione, highlighted how much the driving experience is enhanced by the electronics systems operated with the now classic manettino on the steering wheel, a first for a car used in the Ferrari one-make series. “I am sure that Prancing Horse competition owners will be very pleased with this car,” commented the Argentine before leaving the circuit to prepare for the next ALMS round, which takes place on 7 August at the Mid Ohio circuit.

Official: Porsche 918 Spyder Concept

Porsche has just announced that it's putting the 918 Spyder into production. First unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year,

The 918 Spyder offers the performance of a super sports car, with a top-end speed of 198 mph and acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in just under 3.2 seconds. Its high-revving V8 combustion engine pumps out more than 500 horsepower, and is paired with two electric motors: one on the front axle, and one on the rear, which add an additional 218 horsepower to the mix.

The petrol part of the 918's drivetrain is a 500bhp mid-mounted V8 engine that is shared with Porsche's RS Spyder race car. This is combined with a pair of electric motors that add another 218bhp to the 918's tally. One motor drives the front wheels while the rears are powered by both the petrol engine and the remaining electric unit.

The Spyder is planned to provide an outstanding 78 mpg, putting even your Prius to shame. What kind of price tag does a car with this unique combination of supreme performance and low fuel consumption come with? A starting price of $630,000.




Press Release

Decision taken by the Porsche Supervisory Board

Green Light for Series Development of the 918 Spyder

Stuttgart. In its session today, the Supervisory Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, gave the green light for series development of the Porsche 918 Spyder. Reflecting the overwhelming response from the public and customers to the Concept Study, the Supervisory Board gave Porsche's Board of Management the mission to develop a production model based on the car already presented. This concept version of an ultra-high-performance mid-engined sports car with plug-in hybrid technology made its debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and at Auto China in Bejing, hitting the headlines worldwide.

Michael Macht, President and Chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche AG: "Production of the 918 Spyder in a limited series proves that we are taking the right approach with Porsche Intelligent Performance featuring the combination of supreme performance and efficient drivetrain concepts. We will develop the 918 Spyder in Weissach and assemble it in Zuffenhausen. This is also a very important commitment to Germany as a manufacturing base."

The Concept Study of the 918 Spyder allows CO2 emissions of just 70 g/km, corresponding to fuel consumption of 3.0 litre/100 km (94.1 mpg imp) in the NEDC, on the one hand, and the performance of a super-sports car, on the other. This extremely efficient drivetrain technology then forms a symbiosis in the 918 Spyder with truly outstanding design and high-tech motorsport achievements. Further product details of the 918 Spyder will be disclosed in the months to come.

Ferrari 458 Challenge debuts at Maranello

Ferrari has officially unveiled today the 458 Challenge racing prototype that will compete in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli in the 2011 season.

Based on the 458 Italia, the Challenge features a modified dual-clutch F1 gearbox, an 'E-Diff' electronic differential, and an 'F1-Trac' traction control system with settings for wet / dry conditions. Other goodies include a race suspension (with solid aluminum bushings, stiffer springs, and single-rate dampers), high performance Brembo CCM2 brakes (from the 599XX), and 19-inch wheels outfitted with Pirelli tires.

The new 458 Challenge also has a specific suspension set-up with solid aluminium bushings, stiffer springs, single-rate dampers, centre-nut 19” racing rims, larger dimension Pirelli slicks and a ride height lowered by 30mm all round. It is also equipped with the new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes which debuted on the 599XX, Ferrari’s extreme experimental laboratory car, and which are integrated with an ABS system that features two configurations – low grip and high performance for dry surfaces.

The 458 Challenge is also much lighter than the 458 Italia, thanks to a thinner body shell and the extensive use of carbon fiber and Lexan.

The 458 Challenge will run alongside its 430 Challenge predecessor in the 2011 Series, while the latter is phased out. Ferrari also plans to expand its Ferrari Challenge series next year, adding a new series in the Asia-Pacific region.


Press Release

The 458 Challenge has made its world premiere debut in Maranello during the Annual Dealer Meeting, a traditional event that brings together the representatives of Ferrari’s international sales network.

The new berlinetta, which will flank the F430 Challenge in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli in the 2011 season, is the fifth model used by Ferrari in its one-make championship which, next year, will be extended to include a new Asia-Pacific series.

Coming just a few months after the Frankfurt Motor Show unveiling of the 458 Italia on which it is based, the 458 Challenge introduces a number of important modifications to adapt it for competition use.

The direct injection 4497 cc V8 remains strictly in production tune, with an output of 570 hp at 9,000 rpm. That said, modifications have been made to the gear ratios and calibration of its dual-clutch F1 gearbox to guarantee higher torque at lower revs. The 458 Challenge is also equipped with the E-Diff electronic differential already employed on the road-going version, a first for Ferrari’s track-only cars.

Significant work has also gone into cutting the car’s weight. This focused on both the exterior and interior with Ferrari’s engineers concentrating in particular on reducing the thickness of the bodyshell panels and on using lightweight materials, such as carbon-fibre and Lexan.

The new 458 Challenge also has a specific suspension set-up with solid aluminium bushings, stiffer springs, single-rate dampers, centre-nut 19” racing rims, larger dimension Pirelli slicks and a ride height lowered by 30mm all round. It is also equipped with the new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes which debuted on the 599XX, Ferrari’s extreme experimental laboratory car, and which are integrated with an ABS system that features two configurations - low grip and high performance for dry surfaces.

Another first for a Ferrari Challenge model is the adoption of the F1-Trac traction control system, the most sophisticated of its kind. Developed in-house by Ferrari, the F1-Trac system constantly monitors levels of grip for maximum high-performance road-holding. Two specific track-biased calibrations – wet and dry - have been developed for this application, with control logic and strategies derived from Ferrari’s extensive racing experience in the F1 and GT championships. The F1-Trac is completely integrated with the E-Diff to guarantee maximum acceleration out of corners.

The required ABS, F1-Trac and E-Diff calibration settings are selected via the manettino on the steering wheel, the first time this solution has been adopted on a model developed for the Ferrari Challenge series. The driver can thus either chose from the WET or DRY configurations. In high grip conditions it is also possible to select CT-OFF to de-activate the F1-Trac traction control.

In the course of the intensive development sessions involved in honing the 458 Challenge for the track, the engineers also managed to improve the car’s lap time at Fiorano by two seconds over that of its predecessor, resulting in a new record of just 1’16.5”. Equally impressive is the amount of lateral grip the new car generates – up to 1.6G.

With the new 458 Challenge, Ferrari is offering its sportier clients - professional and gentlemen drivers alike - a car that is extremely responsive, with great performance and superb handling. This mid-rear V8-engined berlinetta will allow Ferrari Challenge participants to enjoy to the full the exhilarating cut and thrust of the race weekends on the world’s leading circuits, as well as the passion that has always been an integral part of Ferrari’s one-make championship.

Bugatti has unveiled the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport [Video]

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport achieved a new landspeed world record for production cars. the Veyron Super Sport set an average top speed rating of 431,072 km/h (268 mph). Piloted by Bugatti test driver Pierre Henri Raphanel, with German inspection officials (TÜV) keeping watch, the car topped out once at 428 km/h and second time at 434 km/h. A representative of the Guinness Book of Records was on hand to witness the new world record.

With output bumped up from 1,001 horsepower to 1,200 horsepower, torque swelling to 1,106 pound-feet and a revised aerodynamic kit, Raphanel managed runs of 265.9 and 269.8 mph for an average terminal velocity of 267.81 mph and a new world record for a production car.

The Veyron 16.4 Super Sport comes with four enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers that have been used to boost the power of the 16-cylinder engine to a total of 1200 HP, the chassis

Out go the large overhead air scoops, replaced by deep air ducts. The front air intakes are wider, the rear diffuser is larger and the double exhausts are now big enough for large animals to hibernate in. And get this: Bugatti has played with the engine to develop even more power.
The headline figures: 1183bhp, 1106lb ft, 268mph

The new Super Sport, which Bugatti plans to produce in a limited run of no more than 30 units, is set to be the last hurrah for the Veyron 16.4, taking overall production of the flamboyant, quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter 16-cylinder supercar to 300 units since its introduction in 2005.




Press Release

Land speed world record with the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

The new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport takes production sports cars to a whole new dimension

Wolfsburg/Molsheim, July 4, 2010 - on a beautiful sunny day at 25 degrees the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport achieved a new landspeed world record for production cars, on the proving grounds of the Volkswagen Group at Ehra-Lessien (nearby its headquarters at Wolfsburg). In the presence of the German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) and a representative of Guinness Book of Records the Super Sport achieved an average top speed of 431 km/h.

Saturday, 2 pm - Bugatti's Pilote Officiel Pierre Henri Raphanel puts his helmet and gloves on, pulls the safety belts tight whilst the engineers check the car a very last time: tyre pressure, temperature, all systems go. Then the orange black Super Sport crosses the light barrier, from now on the time will be taken, within one hour the car has to drive from South to North and then in the opposite direction. No one but the driver is allowed to touch the car during this time. The tension rises. A few minutes later we can hear from the left side the sound of a starting jumbo jet coming closer towards us. First we perceive the headlights of the Veyron, then we can recognize the shape of the car, a loud wooosh.... and Raphanel dashes in top speed past us. The GPS-tachometer stops at 427, 933 km/h. Now the same procedure from the opposite direction. This time the car reaches 434, 211 km/h. As average top speed the representatives of the "TÜV"and Guinness generate a value of 431, 072 km/h (268 mph). This even hit Bugatti's engineering team by surprise.

"We took it that we would reach an average value of 425 km/h," explains Bugatti's chief engineer Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, "but the conditions today were perfect and allowed even more."

The climax of the Veyron series: the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

Had a model been especially popular or highly successful in races, Ettore Bugatti's customers often pushed the master to tease out of the engine a few horsepower more for their future car. Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. had been in a similar situation when their existing customers asked the companyto not only design their second model optically differently but to also create a version with a sportierand more extreme driving experience. The result is a car with a uniquely high performance of1,200-hp (882 kW) offering experienced drivers a whole new dimension of excitement, with a maximum torque of 1,500 Newton metres and a limited top speed of 415 km/h (to protect them tyres) but, the technique of the Super Sport is identical to the record car. The first five Super Sports to come off the production line will constitute a special series of their own, with the same configuration as the landspeed record car.

The Super Sport is a consequent of the further development of the classic exclusive 1,001-hp Bugatti Veyron 16.4, launched in 2005. This model offers a stunning set of specifications, such as the twin clutch gearbox with seven speeds, the extraordinarily precise driving performance in bends and excellent stability when braking and accelerating.

Continuous work in extreme performance ranges lead to constantly new conclusions, which enabled the engineers at Bugatti to develop the Veyron into a direction in which the driver can reach new dimensions. Every modification is designed to produce an even more powerful car for an agile ride. Four enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers have been used to boost the power of the 16-cylinder engine, and the chassis has been extensively redesigned to maintain safety at extreme speed - thanks to slightly raised main-spring travel, stronger stabilisers, and new shock absorbers with a complex architecture originally developed for racing cars. This gives noticeably more precise control of the wheels and the car as a whole. With lateral acceleration of up to 1.4 G and improved interaction between the tyres and the intelligent all-wheel drive system, the Super Sport offers perfect handling and even more powerful acceleration of 1,500 Newton metres on corner exits.

The body has been fine-tuned to improve aerodynamic efficiency and maintain perfect balance in every situation, while the new fibre structure of the all-carbon monocoque ensures maximum torsion rigidity and passive safety - at reduced weight. The skin is made entirely of carbon-fibre composites, and the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is available in 100 per-cent clear-lacquered exposed carbon on request.

Dynamic exterior

Every detail of this car, and not just its use of advanced motorsport technology, harks back to the pioneering spirit of company founder Ettore Bugatti. This brilliant designer came from a family of artists, and his philosophy was always to combine mechanical perfection and exterior beauty. This ethos remains alive and well at the company, and the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is wholly unmistakeable, with every external modification serving to coax greater performance from the car.

The Super Sport's flat, elongated silhouette is immediately recognisable. The 16-cylinder engine gets its air from two NACA ducts integrated into the roof, rather than from scoops above the engine. The front air intakes have been expanded and reshaped, with the lower one extending elegantly around the sides to the wheel arch. The revised back looks sportier due to the double diffuser and a centrally arranged exhaust system.

Bugatti has a tradition of making super-sport versions of successful models, usually with racing chassis and supercharged engines. These cars were considered as true racing machines for diehard Bugatti devotees. The most successful were the type 55 and type 57S; only around forty of each were built.

Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. has sold 260 Veyrons and 35 Grand Sports by now, of which 249 Veyrons and 22 Grand Sports had been delivered. The Super Sport will begin production this autumn at Molsheim along with the Veyron and the Grand Sport. The first five cars - known as the World Record Edition – are in a special black exposed carbon and orange finish and have already been sold.

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport will appear for the first time in public in California at the Pebble Beach Concours weekend in mid-August and will be featured at The Quail, Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca and on the concept lawn of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.