Next year the elite car manufactures are certainly not depriving the world of fast cars with sharp looks, but everyone’s got their own idea of what a sexy car should look like. If you ask me, I say Shelby is the hottest chick in town but Mustang fans say the SMS 302 rivals her speed and beauty. Perhaps there’s a good argument but it wouldn’t be fair to spit out a bias opinion without evaluating all the top supercars joining us this coming year.
The market is aggressively open to powerful cars pushing their way through the competition this time around, taking the automotive industry up more than a few notches to say the least. McLaren, Ferrari, Bugatti and oh yes, Mercedes all have their engines revved up ready to smoke the track, but what would a supercar list be without a Lamborghini? Boring, that’s what; 2011 introduces the Lamborghini Gallardo 570-4 Superleggera, yet another bone chilling display of aerodynamic beauty.
The Superleggera of next year is as close to a street legal race car as they come; perfect for you So Cal dessert folk. She’s 154lbs lighter than the last Lambo, and rocks a 570 horsepower 5.2-liter V10 engine. Naturally she’s green to symbolize the envy reflected in the eyes of all those who get the pleasure of seeing this bad girl wiz by.
The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is the Ettore bloodline’s latest creation, and alive she is indeed. Mastering their legacy of combining mechanical excellence with pure artistic beauty, this vehicle was built for racing in style. There are too many modifications made to this design to mention in this particular article, but to list a few, here you have it. Four enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers have been installed to boost the power of the 16-cylinder engine, which gets its air from two NACA ducts integrated into the roof, rather than from scoops above the engine.
The front air intakes have been reshaped and expanded, with the lower one extending elegantly around the sides to the wheel arch that, combined with the double diffuser and a centrally arranged exhaust system gives this model a sportier look. Additionally, slightly raised main-spring travel, stronger stabilizers, and new shock absorbers with the complex architecture developed specifically for racing cars is the reason this vehicle maintains safety at maximum speed giving this car noticeably more precise control of the wheels. Really, what more could you ask for?
Back to the hottest girl on the block, this year’s Shelby Ultimate Aero is stirring up some controversy; some say she’s ugly. One thing that can’t be denied is that this one is a record breaker. This bad girl is light on her wheels and quick to tear it up. With her twin turbo, weighing in at 2,750lbs (unstripped) she reached a top speed of 257.11mph on pass one and achieved 254.55 on the return when Washington State temporarily closed a two lane highway so that your highness could burn some rubber. That’s a record in case you didn’t know. Not to mention the Ultimate Aero achieved 0-60 mph in 2.78 seconds and 1/4 Mile in 9.90 seconds at 144 mph. With performance like that who needs looks? You can’t see her when she flies by you anyway.
Shelby’s rival this year is of course a Mustang. Offering two versions of the Ford Mustang GT SMS 302, one will be the 4V variant sports a naturally aspirated V-8 engine with a 5.0L displacement, the other is the SC which makes use of an SMS 296 Supercharger. The SMS 302 4V with the naturally aspirated V8 will have an output of 440 horsepower and a torque of 400 pound feet due to a 4-valve head design, improved pulley drive, high flow design exhaust system, performance filtration, and optimal fuel calibration and does 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and 1/4 Mile in 13.5 seconds at a speed of 116 mph. The 302 SC boasts of 535 horsepower and torque of 450 pound feet. This Mustang can speed up from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds reaching the 1/4 mile in 12.1 seconds at 119 mph. Blah, blah, blah… the truth is she’s pretty.
But so is the Ferrari FX70 rumored to be housing a twin turbo V12 at about 800 horsepower and the McLaren MP4 12C, a supercar at it’s best. This has been a long awaited car and supposedly the template for the MP4-12C has actually been the McLaren F1, the mid-engine supercar powered by a BMW V12 that was built between 1993 and ’98. Keep your eyes peeled for these elite beauties. Speaking of which…
Have Mercy! The day has come; in 2011 Mercedes finally introduces their first ever supercar, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG also referred to as the New Gullwing. Mercedes is keeping tight-lipped when it comes to the looks of this car keeping her undoubtedly extravagant beauty a well kept secret, but what we do know is that this vehicle is powered by a 6.2 liter 32 valve V8 engine that makes 563 horsepower, and 479 lbs of torque. It includes a new magnesium intake with 8 separate velocity stacks; two electronically controlled throttle plates that feed the intake, and a new equal length exhaust manifold that reduces backpressure. Like always Mercedes goes big and rides smooth. Aren’t you just glad this supercar is finally here?
