Fast cars & cool cars

The original model from Ferrari, the 599 GTB is a cool coupe with great looks, beautiful design, powered by 612 horsepower, that make it a really fast car, going from  0 to 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds.

And as if the 599 GTB Ferrari wasn’t cool enough, Hamann put their imagination and experience into transforming this Ferrari into something that is called “the Italian Batmobile” or “the Black Beauty” (Schwarze Schönheit) or the Hamann Ferrari 599 GTB.

Hamann worked its magic on the Ferrari 599 GTB’s V12, adding 53 horsepower by fitting a high-performance sports header that includes racing catalytic converters. More on the Hamann Ferrari 599 GTB.

They also focused on the bodywork, adding some cool shapes of carbon fiber in a nice spoiler and a spoiler lip and also an adjustable diffuser flap.

The new Chevrolet Equinox Sport announced by GM for 2008 is a performance-oriented varsion of the already known Chevy Equinox compact SUV.

The first noticeable change brought for this new model of Chevrolet Equinox is the 3.6-liter DOHC V6 engine, that takes the place of the regular Equinox’s 3.4-liter engine. Thus, the new 2008 Chevrolet Equinox Sport becomes a fast car, with an impressive 263 horsepower (compared to the 185 horsepower of the regular Equinox Chevy). The new Equinox Sport goes from 0 to 60 in under 7 seconds.

But, what else is cool about this car… GM has lowered the suspensions and has eliminated the roof rack for a sportier and cooler appearance.

The 18 inch wheels, the 6 speed automatic with manual mode gearbox, the easy access to the flexible rear seats are just few of the cool features of this new sporty fast car.

At the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit Honda has unveiled a new concept car: the Honda Accord Coupe Concept. It is for the first time when Honda presents an Accord concept car at a major auto show. The Accord model is Honda’s best-selling model in North America and for this version Honda has prepared a more powerful and lower-emissions V6 engine providing higher fuel efficiency with the incorporation of Honda’s next-generation Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology.

But besides being a fast car, this new Accord concept is a very cool car with a six-sided grille and projector headlamps that recess deep into the front fenders which contribute to an unmistakable and aggressive front fascia.

The styling is a departure from previous models with more defined rake that is accented by a fastback roofline. The shoulders are more muscular and sides are deeply scalloped. Read more about Detroit Auto Show: Honda Accord Coupe Concept.

In December 2006 MINI has announced to introduce the new MINI Convertible, the Sidewalk, at the 2007 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

This new jewelry from MINI will be available from April this year in four paintwork colours. Like all the other editions of the MINI hatch, the Sidewalk promisses to become popular in a short time, featuring some luxurious and exclusive options, like Malt Brown English Leather upholstery, 17″ Night Spoke light alloy wheels, bi-colour leather steering wheel and gear knob and special ‘Sidewalk’ interior trim, floor mats, badges and door inserts.

So with such a luxurious cool design, the new 2007 MINI Sidewalk will be a very cool and popular car and it will be available on the One, Cooper and Cooper S.

The gearboxes (five-speed manual or six-speed automatic) on all models will be equipped with a Steptronic function, making the driving of this cool fast car an incredible experience. The new model will be powered by an incredible 1.6-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that develops a maximum of 118 horsepower, going from 0 to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds and reaching a top speed of 126 mph.

Over the years, Ford Motors has produced under the Mustang name some very stylish and cool sports cars, with fast engines and luxurious interiors.

Some of these models are the GT/CS (California Special), Cobra II, King Cobra, SVT Cobra, Cobra R, SVO, GT Bullit, Mach 1.

 

In 2006, at the Los Angeles auto show, Ford has unveiled a new concept of a fast and cool car, the Giugiaro concept.

But besides these original Mustang cars from Ford, there are some modified Mustangs that have conquered the hearts: the Shelby Mustang, the Steeda version and the Roush model.

All of these cars are Mustangs that have suffered modifications made by a third party.

Edmund’s Straightline has published a spy shot of the unrevealed 2008 Dodge Dakota and thet speculate that the 3.7 liter v6 engine will be replaced by the new 4 liter V6 engine from Chrysler and that the V8 engines should have enhanced power. So the new 2008 Dakota should be even faster than the previous car model: the 2007 Dodge Dakota.

From the looks of this latest spy photo, the 2008 Dodge Dakota will get a revamped grille and a new set of headlights by late next year. See spy shots of new 2008 Dodge Dakota.

But let’s hope that the new Dakota from Dodge will receive important changes on the interior as well.

The new grille (also crosshair as a Dodge signature) and headlamps look like inspired by the Dodge Nitro compact SUV’s (and the general opinion is that this grille isn’t the one of a cool car) and the new 2008 Dodge Dakota from Chrysler is expected on the market in late 2007.

The 2007 Dodge Dakota already offered great capabilities on the mid-size truck market, with it’s flexible fuel V8 engine (the 4.7 liter Magnum bringing an amazing 230 hp - this engine being the top for this cool car from Dodge), the Dodge Dakota Quad Cab offering the most interior space, the new dual position tailgate, the passenger seat belt reminder and more.

Recently, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Lamborghini has introduced the new 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster. This cool car is the convertible version of the already known Murcielago LP640 coupe, introduced earlier this year (in February).

There is no surprise in the power output of this cool and fast car - 640 horsepower (hence the name Murcielago LP640), but the 12 cylinder V engine was extended from 6.2 to 6.5 litres. The new LP640 Roadster is an amazingly fast car: it reaches 100 km/h (60mph) in just 3.4 seconds and the maximum speed is 330 km/h (about 200mph).

Another cool feature of the Murcielago Roadster from Lamborghini is the constant all wheel drive but which channeles 70 percent of the engine power to the rear and the rest of 30 percent to the front.

The engine is coupled to a six-speed manual or automatic box.

But the new LP640 Roadster is not all about power, it is also about looks, having revised rear lamps, rear diffuser and tail-pipe and new 18 inch rims. Also the interior has gone through a great facelift for more confort.

This Roadster will hit the market in 2007.

After a five years of hard work, the Huet brothers, founders of the HB Classic Drivers Club in the Netherlands, have finally managed to put together the car of their dreams. This cool car, named the Huet Brothers Special will be presented for the first time at the Amsterdam Auto Show and it will be launched worldwide at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007.

Inspired by the mythical Barchetta racing cars, it looks very much like a 1950’s road racer, but the Dutch brother’s cool car prototype will have some high-tech touches never imagined back in the 50’s.

The HB Special’s mechanics is also of English derivation, the entire car being based on the Triumph GT6, a British sports car produced between 1966 and 1973 not so widely known, but quite capable.

One of the high-tech touches of this cool car from Huet brothers is the bodywork made from carbon fibre and aluminum that keeps the weight down to just 750kg. This, combined to the propeller - a 2.5 liter 6 cylinder engine also from the Triumph GT6, but upgraded to unleash no less than 180 horsepower - makes out of the classic dream car of the Dutch brothers not only a cool classy car, but also a very fast car.

The gearbox has four gears in an H pattern. Unlike the original version which had 105 -150 horse power, the engine for the HB Special enjoys over 180 horse power. Read more about the HB experience.

Chip Foose has presented at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show in Las Vegas his personal ultimate dream car, a dream car that he has always wanted to build back from his student days at Art Center College of Design: the JL Full Throttle Hemisfear. His dream has become possible through a RC2 Corporation sponsorship.

Chip Foose himself considers the JL Full Throttle Hemisfear Coupe as a cross between a muscle car and a hot rod. This new cool car from Foose in the concept stages was to be equipped with a specially built 426 Hemi engine and a ZF transaxle, with the motor visible through the rear window.

The result was amaising, and it couldn’t be otherwise, not only because of the 3 million dollars spent on the development, engineering and construction of this cool car, but also because anything with Chip foose’s name on it is amaising. The JL Full Throttle Hemisfear is made out of green carbon fiber, has custom seats, engine and valve covers.

The JL Full Throttle Hemisfear is programmed to go on the Championship Auto Show tour, so also on the famous “AutoRama” in Detroit (being included in the Championship tour). Can’t wait to see the results of this fast cool car and see the powerfull 540 hp on the road.

Foose’s ultimate dream car is powered by a new Mopar Performance 392 HEMI SEFI Crate Engine, which is visible through the car’s rear window. This high-performance Dodge powerplant, constructed of all-new components, sports a deep-skirted cast iron block with cross-bolted mains, CNC ported aluminum twin-plug cylinder heads, and delivers a monster 540 horsepower and 490 lf ft of torque. Read more on the JL Full Throttle Hemisfear at the SEMA Show in LA.

The Korean manufacturer Kia Motors has recently presented the sketch of a new cool concept car, the Kia Kue concept, which will be introduced for the public at the North 2007 American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in early January.

The design is very cool and futuristic, with narrow windows and 22-inch tires on a a monocoque platform and the Kia Kue concept doesn’t look much like a regular CUV or SUV. It seems that, through this concept car that aspires to be a crossover utility vehicle with SUV characteristics and capabilities, Kia Motors is suggesting the styling directions for it’s future vehicles.

The new Kia Kue concept has a wheelbase of more than 114 inches and a lenght of 186 inches and according to Kia Motors it is ment to offer an exhilarating driving experience.

There is no certainty regarding the production of this concept, but it seems that the Sorrento SUV is about to suffer a facelift as a 2009 Sorrento version and to be built on a new platform.