Maserati MC12

Introduction

Right, lets start off with the Enzo Ferrari, a true legend. The people of Ferrari named it after the founder of the company, so there's some real heritage there. How does the top of the line Ferrari relate with the Maserati ?, Well the Maserati IS an Enzo in a tracksuit to say the least.
The MC12 is a race-car, built to compete in the FIA GT Championship. This was a breakthrough for Maserati as they were returning to racing after a staggering 37 year break. The regulations only allow cars who have be sold to the general public(a minimum of 25 road going units have to be sold to call it a production car). That's exactly what Maserati did, but then again it was a Ferrari based Maserati, who wouldn't want that, for that reason all 50 of the production cars were called for even before any of them rolled off the assembly line.

Carbon-Fiber clad interior 

Interior

It is actually a race-car and a minimalist interior would be what one excepts, but on the contrary, Maserati have crafted most of the interior out of Carbon-Fiber, which does not only look cool but it also saves weight off the car. Luxuries like Air Conditioner are also available. There is an array of buttons on the center console referring to different modes and traction control and stuff. The ride height can also be controlled from within the car.
No radio, car stereo system, then again who needs it when you can revv the glorious Ferrari \V12 up-to 7700 RPM.
For the real world however, there is a big flaw, the rear windshield is not really practical, but maybe is shouldn't be, because if someone wants practicality, they should go and buy a Suzuki Liana.

Exterior

One would expect it to resemble the Enzo Ferrari, but they would be wrong, the only thing visibly in common is the front windshield. MC12 is larger in every dimension, with a sharper front end, the aggressive grooves and edges of the Enzo are lost in favor of a much smoother overall design. 

This was achieved after rigorous testing in the wind tunnel. These enhancements gives the car a lower drag coefficient than the Enzo. The body is entirely made out of Carbon-Fiber  (as stated before, the interior is as well). The track(distance b/w front and rear wheel) is the same as for the Enzo. The rear wing is something one won't miss, really necessary for the performance and responsible for keeping the car on the ground in the corners and a high speeds. The down-force created by the wing actually shifts the cars weight distribution to the rear as the car speeds up.
The air-intake is located on-top of the cabin, in form of a roof-scoop, which looks pretty radical. A feature most of the people miss is that this car has a removable roof, just like a targa top !
All but one of the cars were finished in White/Blue, the one being in black.

Performance

Featuring the same V12 power-plant from the Enzo, the engine has been derated from 650 to 620 hp

The PowerHouse

@ 7500 rpm and 657 to 652 N.m @ 5500 rpm. The redline is reduced from 8200 to 7700 rpm. It uses the same transmission as-well, just gave it a fancy name. This translated into a 0-100 kmph (62mph) time of 3.7 seconds. In every aspect, may it be 0-100 or 200, or the top speed, the Ferrari is faster.

Features

Not many features to talk about here, because RACECAR.

The hard work did actually pay off for Maserati, the MC12 wining 40 out of the 92 races it entered at FIA.





PhotoCredits : http://www.maserati-alfieri.co.uk/alfieri100/mc12-0007a.jpg

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BMW 7-Series (G11/G12)

Introduction

CFRP construction

So the new Mercedes S-Class has been here for a year or two now. And naturally BMW had something cooking to compete with it. The constant battle of trying to be better, may it be performance oriented entry level luxury sedan/coupe (M3 vs C-Class AMG) or high end luxury sedans (7-Series vs S-Class). At the end it doesn't really matter, as from a customer's point of view, the better car is the one that suits his/her style better, irrespective of how they perform or deliver their uber-luxury features. Because someone who can fancy a 6 digit+ car isn't really bothered to compare them.
Back to the point, the 7er, a question might pop into the reader's mind is that why does the car has two chassis codes, G11 and G12, well G11 is designated for the normal car, and the G12 is the code for the long-wheelbase version. Keeping the environmentalists happy, the cars are also available as all electric plug-in Hybrid.
The car is constructed using carbon-fiber reinforced polymer(CFRP) stuff which is usually found in super-cars. This allegedly makes the car lighter, as much as 130 kgs of weight is shaved off from it's predecessor.

Interior
Being inside the latest 7-Series is sensational, all class, quality just as one would expect from BMW. You have endless control of your car with the help of the iDrive system, which might be a bit too complicated for some people. Every surface in the interior feels premium to touch, materials used include Alcantara, leather and wood. In addition, one gets two touch screens, voice recognition and even gesture control(first time ever in a production car). Heads up Display is standard. As we select the driving mode, the gauges change accordingly, blue for Eco mode, red for sports mode. The rear seats have a lot of legroom, especially in the Long WheelBase version !

Exterior
With a length of 5.1 meters(G11) and 5.24 meters(G12), the new 7-Series is a car with presence. It features the famous kidney grill with headlights extending backwards, which boasts the priceless LaserLight technology. To add a little bling, BMW have added a chrome trim that runs along the base of the doors, in addition the window peripherals are also chrome plated. Moving to the rear, the quad exhaust pipes peeping out of chrome frames in the bumper.


Performance
All the engines available are turbocharged for improved performance and efficiency, it can be ordered with engines ranging from Inline-4 to V-8. The 7-Series isn't really a sports model or anything but expect nothing less than sub 5 second 0-100kmph (0-62mph) times. With that performance it can easily beat most roadsters with FR layout for example the Mazda Miata. For more details, visit BMW.

Features


The transmission can be linked to a satellite system so the car adjusts the shift timing, depending on the situations coming up on the live satellite system. The front grill is electronically controlled, it can be opened or closed as required by the engine, this reduces drag, increasing fuel economy. The car is even fitted with a very intelligent suspension system. It literally rides on a cushions of air ("bags" of pressurized air instead of coil-overs), when weight is added onto the car, the on board computer does some math and alters the pressure in each of the "bags" keeping the ride height constant. Not surprisingly, the car inherited the soft closing doors from its predecessor. BMW has also added Integral Active Steering (a fancy phrase for Four Wheel Drive Steering) into all four wheel drive models !
The car is riddled with radars and cameras to alert and help the driver, The drivers is also made aware of blind spots via a special warning system. In addition, while reversing, full 360 degree view of the car from the top is shown on the display screen to give an easier understanding of the surroundings while parking or moving about in tight spaces - it can also park itself. The cameras can read the speed limits off traffic signs and adjust the speed accordingly.
The car can also be ordered with a smart key, which allows a bunch of stuff to be controlled via the key-fob itself, including remote control parking (self parking) and auxiliary heating. It can also display the amount of fuel left in the car (along with the range), status of the doors & windows and even service notifications.




PhotoCredit : http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/7series/sedan/2015/showroom/gallery.html