Mercedes Benz McLaren SLR Stirling Moss

Mercedes-Benz and McLaren are adding the crowning glory to the model family of their highly successful SLR super sports car with a new, uncompromisingly spectacular car. There is neither a roof nor a windscreen to separate the driver and passenger from the outside world; they enjoy unadulterated high-speed excitement with all the attributes of a speedster.

The new SLR Stirling Moss is also characterised by the most sophisticated technology and a breathtaking design which reinterprets the SLR legend. With 478 kW/650 hp the SLR Stirling Moss accelerates its V8 supercharged engine from standstill to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 350 km/h – no other series-production car is at the same time so open and so fast. This extreme concept makes the new high-performance sports car a legitimate bearer of the name of the British motor racing legend and Mille Miglia record-holder Stirling Moss, who drove the legendary Mercedes-Benz SLR racing cars from victory to victory during the 1950s.

The exclusive SLR Stirling Moss rounds off the current SLR family and is limited to 75 units. It is priced at 750,000 euros. The SLR Roadster will cease to be manufactured at the end of May 2009 as planned, and production of the SLR Stirling Moss will commence in June 2009.

Three letters are all it takes to make car fans` hearts beat faster: SLR. In the 1950s the Mercedes-Benz SLR 300 celebrated victory after victory. It won the Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio as well as the Tourist Trophy. It was driven by the stars of the time: Juan Manual Fangio and Karl Kling – and, first and foremost, by the British racing driver Stirling Moss. At ten hours, seven minutes and 48 seconds he still holds the Mille Miglia record.

This is why the modern-day version of the legendary SLR carries the additional words "Stirling Moss" in its name. As the new SLR Stirling Moss unites the character of the current SLR models with the fascination of the SLR of 1955. The core values of both the historical and the present-day SLR models include an exciting new design, innovative technology, high-class materials displaying perfect craftsmanship, and, above all: a unique driving experience for all the senses.

Whilst the 300 SLR earned its spurs on racing circuits the world over, the new member of the SLR family is not designed for the racetrack. Although it sets new standards in terms of technology, performance and excitement – just like its forebears – it is aimed at individuals who have exquisite requirements and nurture very special dreams.

2009 Mazda MAZDA3 i Sport 4-Door

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Two Production Cars Faster than the Bugatti Veyron

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is commonly thought to be the fastest production car in the world. With 1001 horsepower on tap, it easily smashed the previous production car land speed record set by the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo. Bugatti has used the "fastest production car in the world" myth to its advantage, but in reality, the Veyron 16.4 is not the world's fastest production sports car at all.

Two uber sports car models, one from an American sports car legend and the other from a company known for modifying Porsche 911s and other German sports cars to ludicrous levels, have each eclipsed the production car world road speed record set by the Veyron in 2006.

The SSC Ultimate Aero: World Record Holder

One is from Shelby Supercars, better known as SSC, and set the new Guiness World Record for top speed by a production sports car in late 2007, beating the top speed of the Veyron 16.4 by nearly 3 mph for a verified world record land speed of 411.76 km/h (255.83 mph), for a verified claim to the fastest factory-built production car in the world.

9ff GT9: Germany's sports car king

The other blazing fast supercar is from German Porsche tuner 9ff. You may not have heard of the 9ff GT9, but you will. 9ff has been modifying Porsche 911s to halo performance levels for years, but the German expert sports car tuners have begun with a 911 GT9 and then changed practically everything but the headlights, resulting in a brand new blazing fast German supercar with enough juice to beat the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 head to head.

The 9ff GT9 has recently recorded a documented top speed of 409 kilometers per hour, or 254.1 mph, enough to knock the Bugatti Veyron down to third on the list of all time fastest production cars. Some might balk at this, looking at other highly tuned models such as the Hennessey Motorworks Dodge Viper, and compare them to the 9ff GT9, saying the GT9 is really just a Porsche on amphetamines.

9ff has fought back against this assertion by offering 20--yes, only twenty--GT9 production models for sale complete with 409 km/hr speeds direct from the factory. That is, if you dare to try it in a car with no airbags. You can get one yourself, if you hurry, and happen to have €498,000 (around $785,000 USD) lying around.

A bargain, considering you'd likely pay $2 million to say you were riding around in the world's fastest car, and be oh so wrong.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S

SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S Engine by AMG

Delving into the performance specs that make the 2009 SLR 722 S so unique starts with the engine. The supercharged 5.5 liter V8 is hand-built by AMG along with the engines used in the new SL 65 AMG Black Series. It was only in the recent past that AMG began building the engines for the Benz high performance division's cars in-house, by hand. The result is an out-of-this-world power output of 650 horsepower and 605 lb-ft. of torque.

Specs like these are enough to take the featherweight SLR McLaren 722 Roadster 722 S from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.7 seconds, all the way up to a top speed of 208 mph. In the modern horsepower wars, there are many supercars with performance numbers like the McLaren 722. It is its bold and unique styling that sets the German wonder apart.

The SLR McLaren Evolved - More Than Just a Chop Job

While Bugatti opted for a Targa-style removable roof panel for its open-air supercar, the Veyron Grand Sport, Mercedes-Benz AMG and McLaren have engineered the SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S for high speed driving with its soft top raised or lowered. The top is made from a "high tech material," says Mercedes-Benz, with a woven look that blends right in with all the carbon fiber on the new SLR.

Safety for occupants is always a pertinent issue when traveling more than 200 miles per hour with the top down. The expected on-demand roll bars are included, of course, and Mercedes-Benz/McLaren ensure that this car has sufficient passive safety features to keep its drivers... alive... in the event of a crash.

Super Limited Run Fitting of the SLR 722 Name

The first SLR McLaren 722 Edition sold out faster than Superbowl tickets, leaving Mercedes-Benz's most rich and discerning customers clamoring for more. Only 150 examples of the 2009 Roadster 722 S will be released, becoming available Jan. 1, 2009. Base price has not been announced to the public, but if you have to ask...

Mark your calendars and dump the 401k, the SLR McLaren 722 has returned.

Jaguar S-Type

The S-Type, Jaguar's mid-sized offering both price- and size-wise, comes in three different versions, each with it's own engine. The base model comes with a 235 horsepower, 3.0 liter V6 engine, with the next level up offering a 300 horsepower, 4.2 liter V8. The highest trimmed R model comes with a V8 engine as well, but it's supercharged and has 400 horsepower. The transmission is the same on all three trims: a ZF six-speed automatic, with traction control standard.

Cosmetic changes are the real differences between the 2008 Jaguar S Type and last year's version. All trims now have the same bumper as previous year's R editions, and have wheels that are an inch larger than last year, 18 and 19 inches, respectively. As well, the grille sports a circular Jaguar badge and features horizontal lines with slimmer vertical ones. The tail lights have been redesigned to look more high tech, and instead of fog lights, the R edition has mesh inserts which allow air to reach the oil coolers. (The R edition also has twin tailpipes, a spoiler on the trunk, and xenon head lights, while the other trims do not.)

Aston Martin LeMans LMP1

2009 is a hugely significant year for Aston Martin at Le Mans and the challenge of reclaiming victory in this famous race for Aston Martin and Great Britain was simply too great to ignore," said Aston Martin Chairman, David Richards. "However, we do not underestimate the task. While we have won the GT1 class for the last two years, competing against the proven speed and endurance of the diesel-powered cars with all their years of winning the prototype class, will be a massive undertaking. Nonetheless, I see this as a great opportunity to showcase the ingenuity of British engineering talent.

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro: breathtaking performance

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro rockets from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 3.9 seconds. In the version with the sequentially shifting R tronic it reaches 200 km/h (124.27 mph) in another 8.1 seconds.

Even then its propulsive power hardly lessens: it`s sufficient to reach a top speed of 316 km/h (196.35 mph). The immense force, the spontaneity and the thrust of the acceleration, plus the sound of the engine – all these impressions coalesce into a breathtaking sports car experience.

The V10 plays a concert with growling bass tones and powerful high notes, which grows into a grandiose fortissimo as the engine revs up. This sonorous acceleration doesn`t reach its limit until 8,700 rpm.

The 5.2-liter powerplant uses direct injection according to the FSI principle developed by Audi. A common rail system injects the fuel into the combustion chambers with up to 120 bar of pressure.

Direct injection reduces the susceptibility to knocking and provides a certain amount of cooling through the evaporation of the fuel, which in turn supports a high compression ratio of 12.5:1. This in turn contributes to superior performance and improves fuel economy. The R8 V10 with R tronic gets by on an average of 13.7 liters per 100 km (17.17 US mpg).