6 posts from April 2008

The 2007 Seat Leon Cupra has been released way back in 2007 but I guess it’s still not too late for me to talk about this fantastic car. One look at the car made me think that it does not necessarily fit your prototypical “sports car” look until you finally get behind its wheels. In a nutshell, the Seat brand is obsessed with creating and manufacturing sports cars without costing too much and I guess they did a pretty decent job with the Leon Cupra, let me correct myself, they did a fantastic job actually. Thus far, the Leon Cupra is arguably the most powerful car that comes from the Seat assembly line, boasting a fantastic 240 bhp that its engine churns out. It’s not only a powerful sports car since it has great aesthetics that every car owner can be proud of.

 On a different note, I was introduced to the Leon Cupra through my old pal Billy who happens to be a big fine of Seat cars, Billy was once a part of the Autopartswarehouse team who went out to form his own car fans group. I was told that he was once a very active member and I felt bad bad that he’s no longer with the club. Meanwhile, the Leon Cupra stands above the competition mainly because of its clear and aggressive style. It has imposing front bumpers that are due to its massive air intakes that are needed to better cool its powerful engine. Aside from that, the Leon Cupra has its exhaust pipe polished to perfection while its perfectly designed wheels certainly show how much craftsmanship was needed in order to finish this car.

 I was actually able to step into the car and what I instantly noticed is its black interior finish that was so unlike the earlier versions which featured a grey one. The steering wheel is also very classy because it’s made of genuine leather, it’s basically a sporty car on the outside with a luxury motif inside. When you go to the technical details of the Leon Cupra, it’s definitely a sports car from the get-go. The 2.0 TFSI engine is capable of achieving 153 mph while it only takes more or less 6.2 seconds for it to accelerate from 0-62 mph. Aside from that, it is capable of surmounting 1000 meters in just 26.4 seconds. There’s no question that the Leon Cupra is built to bring to your destination at the shortest possible time. If you’re always in a hurry, you can cram in style with this auto.

The practical aspect of this car is pretty decent. Firstly, it’s only about 25 thousand Euros which is a pretty good bargain for the quality that it offers. Aside from that, it can cover very long distances without you having to worry about its performance on the road. It’s sports car that can do marathon rides as well so if ever you decide to get one, it’s a great deal overall. The creature comforts of this car can’t be taken for granted as well, its sound system will give you the impression that you’re inside a car concert while driving so that’s loads of entertainment value that can surely take off the stress. Meanwhile, while I was test driving the car, I felt like I wasn’t driving at all because of the very quiet engine that it has.

 Overall, the Leon Cupra is all about efficiency of a sports car without costing too much. I asked Billy if he is selling the car and he said that he will be in the next couple of months.

I’m into classic supercar posting after having been brought by my Autopartswarehouse club buddy in one car show which featured the 1939 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic. Needless to say I’m a huge fan of cars although I’ve just recently discovered that classic cars aren’t any way lesser compared to modern ones.

The 30’s saw a lot of occurrences that pretty much tweaked the history of the world and in terms of the automotive industry it will never be complete without mentioning the 1934 Hispano-Suiza. The Hispano-Suizas are regarded one of the most luxurious, expensive and respected cars during that time and owning one tells a lot about you. The car is almost always associated with the most powerful and elite during that time because of its impressive power and speed.

The first two cars were envisioned and later crafted by Howard R. Darrin who decided to craft the car and gave it a formal, enclosed passenger compartment that had a quieter and less powerful engine. The aesthetics of the car featured parallel lines with two raked widescreens plus a teardrop rear end which according to experts can last for more than 50 years just as long as it can be properly maintained. Future designs of this car featured and afforded the passengers complete privacy because there were no rear windows.

There are very few remaining Hispano-Suiza these days and I doubt if it can meet the basic road standards to today but if ever you’re given the chance to own, there’s no way that you should pass up that kind of opportunity. Here are some pictures of the Hispano-Suiza that you might want to check out:

Last time, I featured one of the earliest if not the earliest “supercar” which was launched way back in the 1930’s. This time, I’m going to follow it up with another classic supercar from the same era which is called the 1934 Voisin C15 Saloit Roadster. This car would have been the preferred car for 30’s Hollywood and I’m not surprised since the Voisin had top-of-the-line technology during that period. The Voisin as it is much popularly known is a French car that has been on the road for more than 70 years. There isn’t much known about its history although it has been said that its humble beginnings started in a place called Etablissement Saliot in a suburb which can be found in LeVallios.

 A guy named Delacluse created a distinct and unique chassis that had a massive hood giving the car an imposing look that was unknown during those times. The car is definitely a throwback roadster that wouldn’t only make your grandpa salivate but everyone else 70 or more years later. In short, the Voisin was designed to stand the test of time which it ultimately achieved over the years. On the other hand, the car has its mystery that until now lots of people is still talking about. First and foremost, the chassis didn’t have a number and its type is until now being argued upon. Although claims have circulated that Delacluse received the chassis from someone and he just modified it.

 Today, the Voisin can be customized and restructured to have its interior look like any other modern car out there. If I’m not mistaken, I saw one not too long ago that had enhanced fenders, a revised cowl, massive headlights, and who would’ve thought, an ostrich skin interior that can’t get any classier. Overall, the Voisin has been the earliest symbol of class and power rolled into one. Although compared to modern supercars, its performance would be negligible, its look still remains to be a classic that cannot be taken for granted.

You think that supercars are all about modernity and fast-paced drives that only emerged a decade ago? The answer is of course no, since the 1920’s our grandfathers have been salivating on their own version of “supercars” which, during that time were the finest cars available with exceptional design and power. Of course, the supercars of today would be far too advanced but when it comes to aesthetics, the supercars of old can surely compete with the best this generation has to offer.

 For a change, I’ll be writing about different supercars that caught the attention of people over the years. They may be “forgotten supercars, modern supercars and classic supercars” but overall these cars had been the toast of the automotive world during their time and some of them can still draw awe from a lot of people. Meanwhile, I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of my favorite cars called the 1939 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic when I accompanied my buddy from the Autopartswarehouse club during one motor show. The experience was amazing because that has to be the oldest supercar that I’ve laid my eyes on.

 Arguably the very first “true” supercar that was ever constructed, the 1939 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic boasts of a 200 bhp engine while at the same time reaching 123 mph as its top speed. The first look at this car tells you that it’s so thirties but its style is so excellent it can compete with the best supercars of today. In short, it’s utterly beautiful despite of the age that it has accumulated over the years and needless to say even the average person can appreciate how much toil was needed to create this car especially during its time. The highlights of its design are the windscreen, riveted fins, oval doors and windows that are shaped like kidneys.

 On the other hand, the Atlantic had extremely complicated craftsmanship involved which resulted into a design that cannot be matched during its time. In fact, Jean Bugatti was even the one who selected the materials and the design needed for this car making this car a special one in the Bugatti world. One peculiar trait of the Atlantic is its riveted panel because initially the chosen material for the panel cannot be welded so the designers needed to use rivets to put things in place. Eventually, standard aluminum was chosen over the flammable electron when orders started to pour in after its exhibition because the latter was a lot more practical than the former.

 Over 75 years, the Atlantic’s chassis had been replaced by the Aerolithe Prototype, Chassis 57374, 57473 and 57391. The Aerolithe Prototype looked bigger because of its more massive radiator and aside from that it is the only one which used magnesium for its body. The 57374 on the other hand is the first production Atlantic that had a characteristic low-set headlight that is slightly protruding. Chassis 57473 didn’t have much difference from its predecessor while 57491 is arguably the most produced version. The 57491 had headlights that made it completely distinct from other cars.  

 1939 might have been a forgotten year even to our parents but the Bugatti Atlantic certainly made it a memorable one. It would be very tough and very expensive for anyone to get his or her hands on the Atlantic Bugatti but if you’re a fan of classic cars such as me get this one if you have the opportunity. The Bugatti Atlantic might have been around for 75 years but it paved the way for the how a “supercar” has too be made and the level of craftsmanship needed to make one.  If there’s one trait that every supercar has to possess is its timelessness which the Bugatti Atlantic certainly exhibited.

Another hybrid car? Maybe not. Toyota has announced that the new Prius will be powered not by a four-cylinder hybrid powertrain but by V6 engine and conventional automatic transmission!

"The Prius V6 bestows the same 'green chic' while delivering the performance and acceleration of a conventional mid-size sedan.", says a Toyota spokesperson.

In place of the HYBRID badge, the new Prius V6 will brag the new HY6RID badge-- which stands for "High-performance 6-cylinder Racing Inspired Design". "Now that's a better way of saying it", reckons my Autopartswarehouse buddies.

News from About.com

2008 has still 8 months to go, but I'm on the lookout for cars to watch out for 2009. Probably by then, I would have purchased another car. I don't know if I could still afford this, but just look at her eternal beauty:

Autopartswarehouse | Audi v-10

Audi RS8 will be officially released in the second quarter of 2009. It will called RS8 in line with Audi's quattro division heritage. Audi engineers have now rework the previous generation 5.2 liter to twin-turbo V-10! Now that's worth the disaster from previous attempts of installing the engine in R8, right? My Autopartswarehouse buddies will be enthusiastic about this!