Nissan-ZEOD

Nissan-ZEOD

The Nissan ZEOD RC is a hybrid electric racing car which will compete in the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
The ZEOD RC is designed by Ben Bowlby, who previously created the 2012 Garage 56 entry DeltaWing which had also been backed by Nissan. The ZEOD RC will utilize a hybrid electric drivetrain with lithium ion battery packs in a chassis similar in design to the DeltaWing. The ACO announced during 2013 that Nissan Motor Company had been granted the Garage 56 entry for 2014. Nissan unveiled the car, known as the ZEOD RC, during the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend.

With its triangular shape and fuel-efficient powertrain, the Nissan ZEOD RC shows that racers can save the environment and capture the imagination.
Nissan first showed the ZEOD at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans back in June, or rather it said the car existed. Four months later, Nissan has revealed the complete car.
ZEOD stands for Zero Emissions On Demand, and Nissan hopes to campaign it at next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. While Nissan refers to it as an electric car, the version that will actually hit the track next year will have a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine – based on the powerplant used in the Juke NISMO and Nissan-powered DeltaWing racer – supplemented by two electric motors.

We’ll see how this unusual racer stacks up against conventional designs at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans. The ZEOD will be the year’s Garage 56 entry, occupying a special spot on the grid reserved for experimental vehicles. Because of their experimental nature, Garage 56 entries are considered unofficial, and don’t compete for the podium.
The first Garage 56 entry was the DeltaWing: a Nissan-sponsored car that the ZEOD borrows heavily from. The DeltaWing reportedly performed well at the 2012 Le Mans race, but it was knocked out of contention after a Toyota TS030 Hybrid collided with it.
If the ZEOD doesn’t meet the same fate, Nissan hopes to apply its tech to a top LMP1-class car, and try for an overall victory.

 The updated Nissan ZEOD RC benefits from a more streamlined shape with optimized cooling and improved aerodynamics. Although billed as an electric vehicle and not a hybrid, the ZEOD RC pairs a 1.6-liter turbo four with a pair of electric motors. Its regenerative braking system is derived from the Leaf RC, and after 11 laps, it's said to be capable of taking another around the Circuit de la Sarthe under electric power alone, making it the first racecar capable of doing so. Nissan has further stated that it hopes the lessons it garners from this project will help in its development of a new LMP1 to challenge for overall victory at Le Mans in the near future.

 Nissan unveiled the groundbreaking, innovative ZEOD RC - the world's fastest electric racing car that will reach speeds of more than 300km/h with electric technology at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The ZEOD RC (Zero Emission On Demand Racing Car) will make its race debut at next year's Le Mans 24 Hour. The global leader in electric vehicles for the road, Nissan will trial variants of new electric drive train technologies as part of its intended future return to LM P1 competition to challenge for overall victory at the world's most prestigious endurance race.

Nissan's invitation from the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) to compete in the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours was announced by Nissan Chairman and CEO, Carlos Ghosn in Japan in February. The car will compete under the ACO's 'Garage 56' entry - an additional spot on the grid for vehicles that showcase new and innovative technology.

Lamborghini Reventón

The Lamborghini Reventón (Spanish pronunciation: [reβenˈton]) is a mid-engine sports car that debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was the most expensive Lamborghini road car until the Lamborghini Veneno was launched, costing two million dollars (~€1.5 million, or ~£840,000). Its top speed was recorded in Dubai, UAE at 221 miles per hour (355.7 km/h). The official press release stated that only 20 vehicles would be sold to the public, with one additional car (marked as 00/20) produced for the Lamborghini Museum. Although early rumors indicated the total number would actually be 100,each Reventón is stamped with its number in the sequence of 20 between the driver's and passenger's seats.
Despite the exterior being new, almost all the mechanical elements (including the engine) are sourced directly from the Murciélago LP640. According to the official press release, the Reventón exterior styling was inspired by "the fastest airplanes".

 The Reventón is named for a fighting bull, in line with Lamborghini tradition. The bull, raised by the Sihota family, was best known for killing famed Mexican bullfighter Fahad Iqbal in 1943. Reventón means "Small Explosion" or "burst" in Spanish, when used as a noun. In the vernacular, it is also used to define a very large party or a night in town. In automotive terms, it means "blowout, flat tire" when used as a noun. When it was used as the name of a bull, however, it was intended to be interpreted as an adjective, a quality or property of that bull in particular. In this last sense, Reventón means "he who seems to be about to burst".

Interior

The instrument panel in the Reventón comprises three TFT liquid crystal displays (LCDs) with two different display modes. The instruments are housed in a structure milled from a solid aluminium block, protected by a carbon fiber casing. The car's instrumentation includes a "G-Force-Meter" which displays the magnitude and direction of the g-forces acting upon the car. The seats of the Reventón are black leather and brown Alcantara.

Exterior

The Reventón features an all-new carbon fiber exterior. All Reventóns have the same exterior color, described as "mid opaque grey without the usual shine."
Lamborghini has also picked up some of parent company Audi's design language. It is the first Lamborghini to incorporate daylight running lights into the headlamps. Seven light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at each headlamp flank the bi-Xenon main beam and stay lit whenever the car is in movement. Due to the high temperatures in the rear lower part of the car, special heatproof LEDs are used for the indicator and hazard lights, stoplights and rear lights with a triple arrow optical effect.

Production

The first car went to Lamborghini of Las Vegas, and was allegedly sold to Khalid Abdul Rahim of Bahrain.
On 21 November 2008, Lamborghini announced the delivery of the last Lamborghini Reventón to a British customer of the official Midlands dealer, Lamborghini Birmingham. However, CarsUK's later report disputed the official claim, and revealed that the car #20 was delivered to Lamborghini Houston, as were two other cars.

Sales

Of the original 20 coupes, 10 were delivered to the United States, 7 to Europe, 1 to Canada, and 2 to Asia.

 A roadster version of the vehicle was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The car would use the engine from the Murciélago LP 670–4 Super Veloce. Autocar has since published a report, in June 2009, saying that potential buyers have been shown the car–although a Lamborghini spokesman told the publication that reports of the car were "just speculation". Production was set for a run of 15 units, with a MSRP of €1,100,000. The Reventón Roadster has a slightly lower top speed than the Reventón, its top speed is 205 mph and it takes just 3.3s to reach 62 mph.

 

Infiniti-M35h

Infiniti-M35h

The "M" nameplate has been used on various mid-luxury cars from the Infiniti luxury division of Nissan.
The first iteration was the M30 Coupe/Convertible, which were rebadged JDM Nissan Leopard.
After a long hiatus, the M nameplate was used for Infiniti's mid-luxury sedans (executive cars). First was the short-lived M45 sedan, a rebadged version of the Japanese-spec Nissan Gloria. The next generations, the M35/45 and M37/56/35h/30d, became the flagship of the Infiniti brand and are based on the JDM Nissan Fuga.

Infiniti released a completely redesigned M for the 2006 model year to compete directly in the mid-size sport luxury class, against such class stalwarts as the BMW 5-Series, Lexus GS, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The Infiniti M was released in February 2005, almost exactly at the same time as the new 2006 Lexus GS.
The Infiniti M uses a much more rigid version of the G35/350Z/FX Nissan FM platform and is available with the common VQ-series 280 hp (208 kW) 3.5 L V6 in the M35, or the Q45's 335 hp (249 kW) 4.5 L V8 in the M45. This generation of the Infiniti M is sold in Japan as the Nissan Fuga.

Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (AWD)

1:21 Demonstration Video
(2011 Infiniti M shown)
Infiniti's Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (AWD) provides power where and when you need it, instantly adapting to changing conditions. By constantly monitoring wheel-spin, throttle position and vehicle speed, this system automatically diverts up to 50% of the available power to the front wheels, enhancing traction and control in adverse conditions. When all-wheel drive is not needed, the system sends 100% of the power to the rear wheels for more responsive road performance.

While being 177 mm (7.0 in) shorter on the outside than the last flagship Q45 at 5,069 mm (199.6 in), the M45 boasts more interior space, greater performance, a superior rear multilink suspension and front double wishbone, and friendlier ergonomics due to its 30 mm (1.2 in) longer wheelbase. The Q45 was no longer imported from Japan after the 2006 model year, making the M45 the flagship car of the Infiniti marque.
All-wheel-drive models, called the M35x and M45x, use a sports car-derived system (ATTESA-ETS) to send all power to the rear wheels until slip is detected.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse (2013)

Lamborghini Gallardo

The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car built by Lamborghini, their most-produced model to date with over 10,000 built in its first seven years of production. Named after a famous breed of fighting bull,the V-10 Gallardo has been Lamborghini's sales leader and stable-mate to a succession of V-12 flagship models—first to the Lamborghini Murciélago (4,099 built between 2001 and 2011), then to the current flagship Lamborghini Aventador.

Gallardo

The first generation Gallardo came with a 5 liter 90 degree V10 (4961cc), based on Audi's 4.2 Liter V8 developed by Cosworth. The Gallardo offers two choices of transmissions, a conventional (H-Box) six-speed manual transmission, and an advanced six-speed electro-hydraulically controlled semi-automatic robotized manual, which Lamborghini abbreviates to "E-gear". The "E-gear" allows the driver to make shifts much faster than they could with a manual transmission. The driver shifts up and down via paddles behind the steering wheel, but can also change to an automatic modeFor the MY2006 (launched in late 2005) Lamborghini introduced many changes to the car to counter some criticisms garnered from the press and owners. These were based on the limited edition Gallardo SE. The exhaust system was changed to a more sporty one (including a flap to make it quieter around town), the suspension was revised, a new steering rack was fitted, the engine power was increased by 20 bhp to a maximum of 520 metric horsepower (382 kW; 513 hp), and the biggest change was an overall lowering of the gearing, especially in 1st to 5th. The result was a much improved car; it handled and turned better, sounded better under full throttle and the extra power and lower gearing made an already fast car into a much faster one.

LP 560-4

Presented at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, the Gallardo LP 560-4 is a significant refresh of the Gallardo, powered by a new 5.2 L (320 cu in) V10 engine that produces 560 PS (412 kW; 552 hp) at 8,000 rpm and 540 N·m (398 lb·ft) at 6,500 rpm of torque. Featuring "Iniezione Diretta Stratificata" direct fuel injection system to improve efficiency; fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions have been reduced by 18% despite the increase in performance. It also has a new design inspired by the Murciélago LP 670 and Reventon.The new engine, 40 PS (29 kW; 39 hp) more powerful than in the previous car, comes with two transmission choices: 6-speed manual or 6-speed E-gear, the later of which was revised to offer a Corsa mode which makes 40% quicker shifts than before and decreases traction control restrictions, a Thrust Mode launch control system was also added. Accompanied with a 20 kg (44 lb) weight reduction all the improvements add up to a claimed performance of 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds, 0-200 km/h (120 mph) of 11.8 and a top speed of 325 km/h (202 mph).The MSRP base price is $198,000 in the USand £147,330 (including NavTrak vehicle tracking system and delivery package) in the UK.The first US car was sold in 16th Annual Race to Erase MS charity auction for $270,000 to former True Religion Jeans co-founder/co-creator Kymberly Gold and music producer Victor Newman.

LP 570-4 Superleggera

In March 2010, Lamborghini announced the release of the Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera, a lightweight and more powerful version of the Gallardo LP 560-4 in the same vein as the previous Superleggera. With carbon fiber used extensively inside and out to reduce weight to just 1,340 kg (2,954 lb) making it the lightest road-going Lamborghini in the range. The 5.2L V10 on the LP 570-4 gets a power bump over the standard Gallardo to 570 PS (419 kW; 562 hp) at 8,000 rpm. Performance has been improved to 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.4 seconds, and a 325 km/h (202 mph) top speed.

LP 570-4 Spyder Performante

In November 2010, Lamborghini announced the LP 570-4 Spyder Performante, a convertible version of the LP 570-4 Superleggera. Employing the same 570 PS (419 kW; 562 hp) 5. 2 L V 10 and with a curb weight of 1,485 kg (3,274 lb), heavier than the coupe as usual with coupe based convertibles, the LP 570-4 Spyder Performante goes from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.4 seconds, to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 12.0 seconds and has a top speed of 324 km/h (201 mph)

LP 550-2 Coupe and Spyder

Following the LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni and LP 550-2 Bicolore special editions, the LP 550-2 Coupe was offered by Lamborghini in the 2011 model year as the lowest priced model in the Gallardo line-up. The rear-wheel drive LP 550-2 Coupe was distinguished by unique black side skirts and "LP 550-2" badging, suspension tuning borrowed from the Valentino Balboni edition and came equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission with E-gear available as a cost option. In 2012, the LP 550-2 Spyder was introduced with the same specifications as the Coupe, as the lowest priced Spyder model.

LP 550-2 Balboni

Limited to 250 units, this Gallardo was named after Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni and to his request, unlike the contemporary line-up, the Balboni is rear wheel drive, reducing the curbweight by 30 kg (66 lb) to 1,470 kg (3,241 lb). The engine was rated at 550 PS (405 kW; 542 hp). Other features include re-calibrated optional E-gear transmission, redeveloped 45% limited slip differential, full leather black upholstery with white colour strips, Polar white centre console, a stripe down the centre of the car, and a badge below the left side window bears the signature of Valentino Balboni and the production number of the car. Lamborghini claims the LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni can reach a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph) and reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Gold edition (2012)

The Gold edition was designed exclusively for the Chinese market and was unveiled at the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macau International auto show. Only 10 will be made at a price of 3.988 million yuan or $810,000.

LP 550-2 Super Trofeo (2010–)

The LP550-2 Super Trofeo is a version of LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni for Hong Kong market. It does not include the centre stripe in the original car. It includes e-Gear transmission, Super Trofeo body kit (tail wing, front and tail diffuser, side skirts), front and side airbags, TFT screen with USB/iPod connection, GPS with Bluetooth, front axle height control

LP 550-2 Tricolore

Presented at the 2011 Turin Auto Show, the Tricolore is a special edition in a similar vein as the Bicolore; with stripe mimicking the Italian flag running thought the body of the car, meant to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification.

LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale

Presented on the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Super Trofeo Stradale is a limited (150 units) version of LP570-4 Superleggera. Boasting a dry weight of 1,340 kg (2,954 lb), it's 30 kg (66 lb) lighter than a comparably equipped LP570-4 Superleggera. Esessentially a road version of the Super Trofeo race car, equipped with the same adjustable rear spoiler that offers an aerodynamic load 3 times that of the stardard Gallardo LP 560-4 for increased dynamic stability during tight, high-speed driving. Another element taken directly from the racing version is the removable engine hood with quick-release system. The vehicle included Rosso Mars body colour, 6-speed E-gear transmission

Bianco Rosso (2012)

Exclusive to the Japanese market, it is limited to 10 units and based on the Gallardo LP560-4 hardtop coupe only. The Japan Limited Edition Gallardo Bianco Rosso comes with the white exterior color while the side mirrors and engine bay lined in red, matching the theme of Japan's flag. The Bianco Rosso commemorates 45 years of the Italian automaker's presence in the Japanese market.
Prices start at around 25.41 million yen ($320,100 US) and it was launched in May 2012.

LP 570-4 Squadra Corse (2013)

The Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse is considered the street-going version of the Gallardo Super Trofeo race car. Though the Gallardo Squadra Corse’s mid-mounted 5.2-liter V-10 makes the same 562 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque as the rest of the Gallardo lineup (and the Gallardo racecar), the extensive use of carbon fiber and aluminum, has allowed Lamborghini to get its all-wheel-drive supercar’s dry weight down to just under 3000 pounds. This special edition is given a rear wing that reportedly produces three times more down force than the standard Gallardo’s spoiler, while the carbon composite hood is equipped with a quick-release system, and thus removable. The Gallardo Squadra Corse is distinguished from the rest of the Gallardo lineup by its Italian flag-inspired green, white, and red decal strip that starts just ahead of the V-10′s side-air intakes, and a black-painted hood, diffuser, air intakes, and wheels. The Gallardo comes in yellow, white, gray, or red, while its brake calipers come in red, black, or yellow.