At the on going auto show in Beijing, China, Ferrari unveiled the new V12 engine that is to be used for the upcoming flagship vehicle which will also feature a high tech hybrid system. The powertrain will make use of the updated version of the HY-KERS system that was previewed in 2010 with the Ferrari 599 GTB.

The latest powerplant for the supercar has been adapted to suit a mid rear setup and be coupled with a dual clutch transmission.

The setup will have a pair of electric motors. One electric motor will be mounted on the gearbox and transfer the power to the rear axle while the other electric motor will only be tapped to run the auxiliary systems like the power steering, air conditioning, onboard systems, and brake servo. The battery pack connected to the electric motors will be positioned on an available space depending on the final lay out of the vehicle.

The goal of the hybrid setup is to make a supercar which can up its power when needed but at the same time decrease its emissions. The new system will also have lighter components for its electronics to get its target of 1.34 horsepower for every 2.2 lbs of addition weight put on by the hybrid setup.

When the car brakes, the electric motor will be serving as generators, the negative torque will be used to recharged the batteries. This important task will have a dedicated ECU to oversee the function, similar to the technology used by F1 race cars.

The F1 technology transfer is not only limited to the recharging capabilities but is also carried over to the traction control, brake distribution, and torque management which guarantees excellent handling. Ferrari foresees a 10% power increase due to the HY-KERS but also gives the car a 40% improvement in terms of lessening its emissions.

Speculators are saying that the new engine will put around 800 to 920 horsepower to the wheels of the new Enzo and if this should be true, the supercar will be the fastest street-legal vehicle launched by Ferrari.

Those who can afford supercars is not really a very patient group of people and we should not be surprise if they want the powerful engine for their car setup.

For these kind of buyers, tuning firm Hennessey Performance offers a McLaren kit from their garage which boasts of 800 horsepower. The package is called as Twin Turbo HPE800 kit and was outfitted to the SRT8 Grand Cherokee on the MP4-12C.

The top exec John Hennessey of Hennessey Performance relates that he was able to enjoy some time close to the new McLaren 12C during the Goodwill Festival of Speed and that he was really impressed with it. Hennessey is excited to give the setup their touch of special performance plus upgrading the appearance of the 12C to make it even more aggressive.

Aside from the additional 200hp, Hennessey also throws in a body kit made from carbon fiber to enhance its aerodynamics, Super Sport Michelin tiles, Monoblock rims, and a dose of Alcantara, leather, and carbon fiber for the interior.

Hennessey did not touch the brakes and suspension as the tuning firm finds them already sufficient.

No price tag has been announced yet but if you will base it on the Jeep with the HPE800 setup at $235,000 while the stock 12C is at $229,000, you will have an idea how much hole the purchase will make on your bank account.

After the death of Steve Jobs, some rumors circulated over the internet and one of these is his SL 55 AMG and its plate number, or the absence of its license number.

Some people say that he just did not care because he can afford the fines while some say that he was able to get a special permit in order to be on the road without one.

The issue was clarified by Jon Callas who worked for Steve Jobs at Apple in several security positions . He revealed that Steve Jobs love to stick with some things in his personal life, like his Mercedes SL 55 AMG. And the ride came with no license plates.

This is why. Steve Jobs or one of his close associates found a loophole in the laws of the state of California giving anyone with a brand new car a period of 6 months before putting a plate number on their vehicle.

So, Jobs talked to the car leasing company so he can changed his car with an identical silver SL 55 AMG after every 6 months. No one knew about this for some reason and no one noticed that he is driving a different car. It was also a good deal for the leasing company since they can sell off an almost brand new Mercedes-Benz which was owned and used by Steve Jobs.

Hats off to this clever man.

Last Sunday, a document from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the agency is handling the first stage of the investigation with almost 26,000 units of 2011 and 2012 Mustang vehicles.

The agency said in a statement that almost 32 complaints have been received about the shifting problems of the Mustang vehicle owners, some of which even claimed that they almost had a crash because of the problem. Some reported having the problem when they were in high speed traffic while some said it was when they are turning left.

As for the Volkswagen Jetta, almost 40,000 units have been going the preliminary investigations about the assumed fuel leak between the fuel line and the fuel injector. According to the agency, the Volkwagen Jetta’s rail fuel system runs up to 1,800 bar/26,000 psi, a high fuel injection pressure.

They said that reported incident happens from 2,470 to 7,764 miles. The agency noted that there was these complaint was similar to the one complaint they have about the 2.0-liter TDI engine of the VW Golf.

The NHTSA’s preliminary investigation usually lasts for a year. If further investigation is deemed important, they will go on to a thorough engineering analysis. Sometimes, the automaker recalls the vehicles while there are also cases when the NHTSA ends an investigation due to lack of evidence.
Ford Company’s spokesperson Wes Sherwood expressed that they will give their full cooperation to review the problem.

However, if you’re not a fan of drag racing worth beetles and their attached turbo-charged power plants, you can always settle for the basic but still iconic basic Beetles. These babies still carry a 2.5-liter V-5 MPI inline engine that is packed with 170 angry horses attached to the VW standard 5-speed manual transmission. The basic price for this basic Beetle is at $18,995. If you still have some bread to spare, you can crank it up to the Tiptronic version with the 6-speed automatic gearbox with the basic price tag of about $20,895.

The 2012 Beetles will come out with three versions, all of which will run with the turbocharged engine or the basic one. The three versions are namely, the Sound and Navi, the Sunroof and Sunroof, and the Base. The topnotch 2012 Beetle, which is the Sound and Navi, comes with a Hi-Fi sound and navigation system from international brand Fender, a panoramic-view sunroof, and a 2.0T engine. With a manual transmission, the price tag will start at $27,995 while DSG gearbox will raise it up to $29,095.

Beetle fans will have to wait for further announcements about the model unit with the 2.0-liter TDI engine that comes with 170 ponies and 236 lb-ft of torque.

The package of Centennial Edition will be available for all the models of Corvette that includes the ZR1, The Z06, and the Grand Sport by summer.

Chevrolet also auctioned out a Z06 Centennial Edition earlier this month to benefit the pediatric cancer division of the Austin Hatcher Foundation. The ID number of the car ends in 00100, the one hundredth 2012 Corvette that rolled off the assembly line.

Chevrolet says it all about their racing heritage with the sinister get up of the Centennial Edition. The speed monster is done with Carbon Flash Metallic finishing and rolls on satin black rims with red calipers.

There are also special badges all over to remind everyone of the racing history of Chevrolet. On the B pillars of he car, there is a graphic logo that features Louis Chevrolet. This is also the case for the wheel caps, and the steering wheel. The headrests also comes with the Chevrolet Centennial logo.

The 2012 Corvette Centennial Edition is also equipped with the meanest suspension technology that makes use of Magnetic Selective Ride Control. This set up comes for all the Centennial models.

For the interiors, the designers dressed the seats with some black leather with red stitches, embossed headrest, and suede accents.

James Bond Aston Martin DB9

The reason that James Bond loves Aston Martins should be fairly obvious, they are really cool. An Aston Martin is a top of the line luxury sports car. Most of the time you have to either compromise performance for luxury or the other way around. This isn’t really the case with the Aston Martin. These are cars that will allow you to ride around in luxury and at the same time provide you with a level of performance that will rival any sports car.

Over the years Aston Martin has had a lot of ups and downs. Some of their cars have been great and some have been not so good. The fact that ownership of the company has changed hands so many times hasn’t helped matters any. A big part of the reason some of the Aston Martins haven’t really been great cars is that they have tried to be too many things to too many people. In an attempt to attract a wider range of customers they watered down the car and this not only failed to bring in the new customers but it also caused them to lose their existing customers.

This has all started to change in recent years. Aston Martin has gone back to what made them great in first place; they are producing high quality luxury sports cars. One of the main attractions of the Aston Martin and probably the reason that James Bond loves the car is that it is always one of the best looking cars out there. No matter what model you are talking about an Aston Martin always looks great. Some of their cars have had performance or reliability issues over the years but they have always looked great. This has continued with the current lineup although in this case at least the performance also matches the looks of the car.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The return of Aston Martin to being a successful maker of cars has been great news for anybody who likes cars that look good and perform great (like the brand new Aston DBS he drove in the last James Bond movie). Hopefully they will be able to keep it up. The sales have been strong in recent years so there is no reason to think that they can’t. Nevertheless they are in a very competitive segment of the car market so there are no guarantees for the future.

It was just really for fun and the car does not follow the lines of the 612 Scaglietti nor is it a preview of the 4-seater vehicle on steroids. The 612 GTO is more of a display of great design lines with the rendered Ferrari borrowing some lines and elements from the One-77 by Aston Martin, 250 GTO, 8C Competizione by Alfa Romeo, and the 458 Italia.

The headlights are similar to those of the 458 Italia, side vents of the 250 GTO, a massive grille work, and hips of the One-77. At the rear end you will see a diffuser, dual exhaust, and a nice glasswork.

The car is truly an eye candy. It received some negative and positive feedbacks as it makes it round all over the blogdome. Some say it is just a patch of every good sports car in the market. Some commented that it looks a hot Japanese speed monster.

For us, the car looks good. The rendering was done in high quality. We are pretty sure Ferrari noticed. Maybe it will give them a hint that the market is looking for the old flare of their design lines.

What do you think?

One of the first things that you might want to look for is rear parking sensors.  This definitely comes in handy whenever you are living in a city that you have to Parall Park a lot, as you never know when you might be backing up too much.  These sensors will actually assist you with parking and truly make sure that you realize how close you are.

You also want to make sure that the antilock brakes are there as well, as this actually stops your cars brakes from locking up, which is safer.

Spring is all about the bright and brilliant colors and I can tell you for sure that there is going to be a heck of a lot more yellow cars on the road, as they it is certainly one of the most popular colors, especially during the spring months.

More and more, yellow is popping up and most of the time, it is not just that banana yellow either, it is actually a yellow that is pastel as well, which is a yellow that I like better.  It is toned down and looks great.

Want to be a little different than the norm?  That is what yellow is all about guys!