Modern Formula One cars are mid-engined open cockpit, open wheel single-seaters. The chassis is made largely of carbon fibre composites, rendering it light but extremely stiff and strong. The whole car, including engine, fluids and driver weighs only 605 kg. In fact this is the minimum weight set by the regulations – the cars are so light that they often have to be ballasted up to this minimum weight.

The cornering speed of Formula One cars is largely determined by the aerodynamic downforce that they generate, which pushes the car down onto the track. This is provided by ‘wings’ mounted at the front and rear of the vehicle, and by ground effect created by the movement of air under the flat bottom of the car.

A significant difference in the design of the latest breeds of F1 cars is that they make far greater use of vortex “lift,” or in this case, downforce. Since a vortex is a rotating fluid that creates a low pressure zone at its center, creating vortices lowers the overall local pressure of the air.

Since low pressure is what is desired under the car, allowing normal atmospheric pressure to press the car down from the top, by creating vortices, downforce can be augmented while still staying within the rules.

The aerodynamic design of the cars is very heavily constrained to limit performance and the current generation of cars sport a large number of small winglets, “barge boards” and turning vanes designed to closely control the flow of the air over, under and around the car. The “barge boards” in particular are designed, shaped, configured, adjusted and positioned not to create downforce directly, as with a conventional wing or underbody venturi. They are designed so that air spillage from their edges will create these vortices.

The other major factor controlling the cornering speed of the cars is the design of the tyres. Tyres in Formula One are not ’slicks’ (tyres with no tread pattern) as in most other circuit racing series. Each tyre has four large circumferential grooves on its surface designed to further limit the cornering speed of the cars. Suspension is double wishbone or multilink all round with pushrod operated springs and dampers on the chassis. Carbon-Carbon disc brakes are used for reduced weight and increased frictional performance. These provide a very high level of braking performance and are usually the element which provokes the greatest reaction from drivers new to the formula.

Engines are mandated as 2.4 litre normally aspirated V8s, with many other constraints on their design and the materials that may be used. The 2006 generation of engines rev close to 20,000 rpm and produce up to 740 bhp (552 kW).[10] The previous generation of 3-litre V10 engines are also allowed, albeit with their revs limited and with an air restrictor to limit performance.

Engines run on unleaded fuel closely resembling publicly available petrol. The oil which lubricates and protects the engine from overheating is very similar in viscosity to water. For 2007 the V8 engines will be restricted to 19,000 rpm with limited development areas allowed, following the engine specification freeze from the end of 2006. As outright speed and power are effectively being capped it is widely believed that teams will work on improving reliability, and the torque range of the engine to improve driveability.

A wide variety of technologies – including active suspension, ground effect aerodynamics and turbochargers – are banned under the current regulations. Despite this the 2006 generation of cars can reach speeds of up to 350 km/h (around 220 mph) at some circuits (Monza).A Honda Formula One car, running with minimum downforce on a runway in the Mojave desert achieved a top speed of 415 km/h (258 mph) in 2006. According to Honda, the car fully met the FIA Formula One regulations.

Even with the limitations on aerodynamics, at 160 km/h, aerodynamically generated downforce is equal to the weight of the car and the often repeated claim that Formula One cars are capable of ‘driving on the ceiling’ remains true in principle, although it has never been put to the test. At full speed downforce of 2.5 times the car’s weight can be achieved.

The downforce means that the cars can achieve a lateral force of around four and a half times the force of gravity (4.5 g) in cornering - a high-performance road car might achieve around 1 g. Consequently in corners the driver’s head is pulled sideways with a force equivalent to 25 kilograms. Such high lateral forces are enough to make breathing difficult and the drivers need supreme concentration to maintain their focus for the 1 to 2 hours that it takes to cover 305 kilometres.

The BMW 3 Series coupe and cabriolet was firstly introduced at the end of the year 1999 to 2000. The present model has the vehicle body code E46. It uses the same hood structure and the front body as the previous model. The most difference from the previous model is the front headlight and front bumper which can be divided into 3 models, sedan and station wagon models, coupe and cabriolet models and the compact models.

>From the information above, you can see that the minor change for the BMW 3 Series is mostly independent from the fact that there are many models for it. They don’t need to minor change all 3 groups at the same time. The first minor change is for the sedan and station wagon since the end of the year 2001 and come along with the minor change for coupe and cabriolet in the end of 2002 but the actual release date was around March in 2003.

The minor change for coupe and cabriolet models can be easily seen by the front head lights. It includes all high, low beam and turn signal in the same frame and changes the color of the turn signal from yellow to transparent white. The turn signal on the side of the cars moved upward and change to blurry white instead of yellow.

The front hood keeps the same style but the size of the grill was increased 300 millimeters from the previous version, which gives the uniqueness for the 3 Series.

Other than the above, there are other optional accessories such as the Bi-xenon headlights with the angle control system. The headlights will turn as you turn the steering wheel to increase the safety while you driving at night.

The tail lights still use the same style but change the turn signal from yellow to white and the parking light from a big long row was reduce to a smaller size and the break light was changed to LED which is brighter and better compare to the older one.

Rear bumper bas remade by removing the long hole in it and added a black stripe to connect both lights on the bumper.

The dimension for the cabriolet is 4488 millimeters wide 1757 millimeters long 1369 millimeters tall and 2725 millimeters for the wheel base length. The coupe model has the same dimension as the cabriolet except from the 1372 millimeters tall

The interior inside keeps the same common features such as big gauge, RPM needle, speed, gasoline level and temperature arrange the same way as they did in the first 3 Series which we know under the code E21.

A tachometer is a measuring device with the purpose of measuring the speed of a circular plate or disk, or sometimes of a shaft. The word comes from the Greek words meaning speed (tachos) and measure (metron).

A tachometer is typically used in measurement of engine speed in an automotive engine, but was originally used to describe centrifugal force. The German engineer Dietrich Uhlhorn is believed to be the inventor of the tachometer. His interest was in measuring the speed of machines. The use of the tachometer in measuring the speed of locomotives has been common since about 1940, and it is also used in measurements of light rail axle speeds.

The early tachometers were entirely mechanical, but it is interesting to note that the modern day version relies entirely on electronic measurements to register as part of a computerized system. Find more info at http://www.tachometerworld.info

For instance, the tachometer, although described in revolutions per minute (RPM’s) is actually derived in older vehicles from impulses recorded from the low tension side of the ignition coil. Engines which have no ignition system, such as diesel engines, measure the alternator output voltage. In neither case is the engine actually “revolving”, although the pistons perform a somewhat circular dance, when in operation.

Originally, tachometers were used to register and display the range where the engine could be safely operated. To “red line” an engine meant to run the engine at a dangerously high speed. The theory was that over racing the engine would lead to excessive wear and damage to the equipment. Even knowing the possibility of engine damage was never enough to prevent the sound of “revving up” the engine as an invitation to drag race, or perhaps just to let others know that your engine was “hot”

In modern engines, a rev limiter prevents damage due to engine speed over safe levels.

[Introduction]

Nitrous Oxide injection is a popular performance modification that offers maximum returns on spending. The direct outcome of using Nitrous Oxide injection is additional power to your vehicle. This results into better garnering of energy from combustion of fuel, revved up engine and eventual boost in over all performance of the vehicle.

Nitrous oxide is more popular than other performance modifications as besides better performance per unit of money spent, Nitrous installations are easier to accomplish. These installations can be used as and when the need arises. The Nitrous oxide injections are available to meet any magnitude of power need from 25 HP to over 500 extra HP. This performance option caters to the computer controlled fuel injected engines. The Nitrous systems are portable enough to be easily removed or transferred to another vehicle. In comparison to other performance options, Nitrous Oxide systems are feasible, as they cost least and install without much difficulty. To install NOS, all you need are some common hand tools and barely three to four hours time. There is no other performance option that can buy you more performance for lesser money than Nitrous.

Nitrous oxide is colorless, non-flammable and a slightly sweet smelling gas. Also known as laughing gas because of its euphoric effects, Nitrous is also known as NOS after the famous trademark catering Nitrous Oxide injection systems.

[How Does It Work?]

Nitrous oxides functions along identical principle as followed by sodium chlorate upon heating. It constitutes of two parts of Nitrogen and one part of Oxygen (N2O). When Nitrous Oxide is heated to a temperature of about 570 degrees F (~300 degree C), it splits into oxygen and nitrogen. So, injection of Nitrous oxide into the engine results into more oxygen available during combustion. As there is more oxygen available during combustion, the engine can also intake more fuel, and consequently generate more power. Thus, Nitrous oxide is one of the simplest manners to give a substantial horsepower boost to any gasoline engine.

Secondly, when pressurized Nitrous oxide is injected into the intake manifold, it boils and vaporizes. As a result, Nitrous oxide provides significant cooling effect on the intake air. With the cooling effect, the temperature of the intake air reduces by 60-75 degrees F. This in turn, increases air density and subsequent higher concentration of oxygen inside the cylinder. Thus additional power is generated. As per standard rule, every 10 degrees F reduction in intake charge temperature causes 1% increase in power. For example, a 350 HP engine with an intake temperature drop of 70 degrees F shall gain around 25HP on the cooling affect alone.

Thirdly, the nitrogen released during the process of heating also supports the performance aspect. As Nitrogen dampens down the increased cylinder pressure, it controls the combustion process eventually.

Nitrous oxide is colossal just like any other gas. Even its liquid form does not excuse the bulky nature of the gas. The engine requires a huge quantity of Nitrous Oxide to keep the 5-liter engine running at 4,000 rotations per minute (RPM). The speed of 4,000-RPM rate is secured by combustion of 10,000 liters of air every minute. In sharp contrast, the engine consumes only 0.2 liters of gasoline. In nutshell, the engine shall require magnanimous quantity of Nitrous oxide to run your vehicle continuously. Therefore, a car normally carries limited amount of nitrous oxide, which is used very selectively by the driver, by pushing a button.

Nitrous system offers improvement of 1 to 3 full seconds and 10 to 15 MPH in the quarter mile. Other factors viz. engine size, tires, jetting, gearing etc. determine the final results. It is best used with a wide-open throttle, unless a progressive controller is used. It can be safely applied above 2,500 rotations per minute (RPM) under full throttle conditions.

Forged aluminum pistons are one of the best modifications to complement NOS. Other important modifications may be a forged crankshaft, a high quality race type connecting rod, a high output fuel pump dedicated to feeding the additional fuel demands of Nitrous system and a racing fuel with high specific gravity and an octane rating of 110 or more.

For effective performance through Nitrous Oxide, it is important to choose the correct Horse Power for a given application. To elaborate, as the energy will be released in the cylinder, the load on various components to perform will also increase proportionately. If the energy released is greater than the ability to handle the energy, it will amount to wear and tear of the machinery. While 4 cyl. engines allow an extra 40-60 HP, 6 cyl. engines allow 75-100 extra HP only. On identical lines, while small blocks V8’s (302/350/400cid) typically allow up to 140 extra HP, big blocks V8’s (427/454) accept from 125–200 extra HP.

As Nitrous looses the optimal flow rate at very cold temperatures, NOS kit has a nitrous pressure gauge that allows you to monitor the pressure to approximately 800-900 psi. In colder climates, it is always advisable to purchase a bottle heater kit, part # 14161 to keep the ambient temperature to 70-90 degrees F.

Further, the condition of the engine is important to keep in mind while choosing NOS kit for your vehicle. A worn out and poorly tuned up vehicle will not be able to sustain NOS pressure and will be instead harmed by abnormal wear.

Though the button triggering on Nitrous oxide may be held pressed until the bottle containing it is rendered empty, it is recommended that Nitrous Oxide may be used for 15 continuous seconds or lesser. The Nitrous bottle can be easily refilled from any NOS certified distributor. The NOS bottle must not be overfilled as overfilling and/ or too much heat can result into excessive bottle pressures, following a blown out safety seal and eventual release of all the contents out of the bottle.

[Summary]

To wrap up, Nitrous Oxide magnifies the output of any engine – be it stock engine or modified engine, to lend more power and better performance. However, it is important to keep the condition and horsepower of the engine in mind before introducing particular NOS to it to secure positive results only.

So you just got a stock V6 Mustang and you want to make it faster. Well there are a few things you will or should know before you consider this. As im sure a few older gents on here would back me up on this post so here we go.

1. What are your long term goals for this new car?

2. What is your current budget to spend on this car?

3. Do you want to make it a daily driver? Trailer queen? or road course?

4. What is you basic knowledge of vehicles and electrical systems?

5. Do you have the time?

Alot of people want the fastest car, the best looking car or the loudest car. That is becuase everyone who owns a mustang gets the itch. And im not talking about down there, im talking about the power itch, the speed itch, the ability to take that corner at 55 and come out running. With most major bolt on mods, you can do them yourself with some specialty tools and a good set of hand tools. Some require welding, which most places can do for a flat rate of “X” amount of dollars where “X” is the hourly shop rate.

Now were going to get into the specific mods.

CAI- Cold Air Intake.

There are many different type of CAI available on the market. The fender well CAI places the air filter in the fender well to get cool air as it rushes under the passenger headlight. This is an excellent first mod, because all you need are some hand tools and the instructions.

Plastic vs. Metal

These are the two types of materials CAI come in. Some people like the metal chrome brushed ones because it adds a nice look under the hood. Unfortunately Metal heats up from outside sources(ie., engine bay) and internal friction of the air passing through it. Plastic on the other hand stays cool because it is not a conductor of heat. the engine bay heat or air friction will not cause this intake to heat up.

Mass Air Sensor and Housing

This is the peice that is inside your stock air box, and is, in my opinion, one of the bottle necks on the intakes today. The Mass Air Sensor, or MAS, measures the amount of air comming into the engine and sends that information to the ECU, where the ECU does its thing and tell Mr. Fuel Injector’s how much fuel to dump in accordance to the Air Fuel mixture. Lets say you have a 3″ (76.1mm) CAI and a stock MAS. You’ll be pulling in alot of air fairly quickly @ Wide open Throttle, or WOT. Lets do a in home test, if you have a cylindrical container about 6-12″ long get it. If it is open on both ends, blow threw it, and what happened? The air came out the other side with no problems, right? Now cover up 1/3rd of the other end and try again, little harder? Same concept on your intake. Still need convincing? Have you ever tried to vacuum up something to big for the vacuum? kinda struggled didn’t it? exactly.

Throttle Body

This is one of those black sheep parts where bigger isnt better. 99+ Stock I think has a 65mm Throttle Body, or TB from now on. If your not turbo, supered or No2′ed this mod shouldn’t be in the future until after a Power Adder, or PA.

Headers

Well, once again this is another mod that doesn’t really do anything for your vehicle unless you have significant mods and are going for a PA in the future, otherwise, youll get some hourse of “Fun”

Exhaust

The second mod most people will do if not the first on their mustang. When concidering an exhaust you have to take into account that a V6 will never sound like a V8, its impossible unless you buy 2 more cylinders. The stock V6 exhaust comes out of each exhaust manifold and “Y”’s into on right after the catalytic converters. When buying a kit, you can either look for one that is complete, meaning comes with the Y adapter and passenger side hangers for the muffler and tailpipe. Or you can piece together one for a few bucks cheaper and hope it all fits. My advice, dont go cheap, becuase you get what you pay for. Which brings me to backpressure. When your choosing your exhaust make sure you dont go over 2.5″ or else youll lose backpressure. without backpressure the V6 will hate you and will not run right at all. You can go bigger then 2.5″ if your Turboed or Supercharged, other then that I wouldnt recommend it.

Exhaust Tips

We can get this one from our axis the ricers. Exhaust tips dont add HP they add noise, it is more of a placebo effect when you add 3.5″ tips on your 2.5″ exhaust, you think it is faster becuase the box says “adds upto 5 RWHP!!!” well it doesnt. But when you get in your car sounds louder then it did before, so you think its faster.

Under Drive Pulleys

There are a few out there some are cheap and some are expensive. What to look for when buying a set is the hardware they come with, instructions and a package deal. RPM-Outlet has 42% MotoBlue Underdrive Pulleys, or UDP from now on, for around $208 shipped. If you have a big stereo in your car, I would say 2000-5000Watts, you really want to be carefull of the UDP’s. They will slow your accessories a certain %, and could affect your cooling, charging and Air Condition. They wont affect every car, but there is a possibility. Steeda and ARP have some 25% UDP which are a little more expensive and, well your paying for the name mostly. Installation is about a 1-2 hour job depending on your mechanical level. Hint: A pulley Puller helps installation.

Citroen C5 is the large sedan car for adults who crazy about the French style automotive design. The exterior of C5 shows memorable and dignified image. Large front lights are designed by the aerodynamic theory and the few gradient of its make the luxurious feeling. Besides, Front Citroen logo, hood, fender and front bumper are designed to create the car’s image modern. This is the French blending between with classic style and modern style actually.

The report news described about C5 which began manufactured in 2003 that Citroen spend 6,900 million franc to invest in the R&D process and the marketing survey. The C5’s factory, which can produce 920 cars per day, is on Rennes-la-Janais of France. It uses the new platform that developing process take time 3 year. C5 is designed by modern design technology, and it received the strict safety standard and environment standard. The suspension kit, uses the 3rd generation Hydrative system which is entity of Citroen, can reduce the vibration well and it has good road surface gripping attribute.

Citroen had offered three C5’s engine choice. First choice is the V6 benzene engine which has 3,000cc plunger’s capacity with 24 valves. It can generate 152 Kw or 210 Hp. powers at 6,000 rpm, 285 Newton-meters or 30 kilogram-meters torque at 3750 rpm and 232 Km/Hr maximum speed. And the distinctive thing of this engine is VTC (Variable Timing Camshaft) system which can control open-close degree of valves by accelerating rate and engine’s cycle.

Second choice is the benzene straight engine which has 2,000cc plunger’s capacity with 16 valves. It can generates 100 Kw or 138 Hp. powers at 6,000 rpm, 190 Newton-meters or 19.8 kilogram-meters torque at 4,100 rpm and 202 Km/Hr maximum speed.

And the last choice is the 2.0 HDi diesel engine which has a high pressure diesel injection system and common-rail nozzles. It can generate 80 Kw or 110 Hp. powers at 4,000 rpm, 275 Newton-meters torque at 1,750 rpm and 188 Km/Hr. maximum speed. The direct-injection with common-rail high pressure pump which is controlled by ECU and the Variable Geometry Turbo Charger give the good performance on every speed and reduce 20 percent of gasoline usage. And additional merit of C5’s diesel engine is the low loudness like the benzene engine. Also that HDi engine gives better responsibility than old version because the gasoline feeding accord with the engine need.

Furthermore, the 3rd generation Hydractive suspension kit was developed by Citroen which increase the vibrate reduction, road surface gripping and driving performance. It is cooperated between electronic devices which are controlled by computer unit and the improved hydraulic system. It has 4 modes for appropriate usability. H mode for the wheel changing, P mode for the hitch crossing, N mode for the normal driving and B mode for the high-loading.

If you interested Citroen C5, you can ask a near car dealer. You should check the C5’s current price from car magazine or websites before you will buy it. Because different models have different prices.

Brabus CL 5.8 V8 is an exotic coupe car which is the real Germany sport lineage. It’s manufactured by Germany Company (Mercedes-Benz) and it’s tuned by Brabus, the Germany tuning company. Brabus is high-performance aftermarket tuning company which specializes in Germany automotive (Maybach, Mercedes-Benz and Smart). Customers who love sport car can either buy cars straight from Brabus or send in their Mercedes to be customized and overhauled. Brabus buys the particular car from Mercedes and then modifies it in-house according to the customer’s requests if customers order a car from Brabus.

When Mercedes-Benz prepares to debut CL500 to worldwide showrooms, Brabus start configure and tune up it from original to more exotic car. The new modified car has a high power V8 engine, four 20 inch monoblock wheels, aerodynamic kit, sport suspension kit and the high quality leather interior. The new 5.8L V8 engine can generate 597 Nm torque, 400 Hp. / 294 Kw. Horsepower on 5800 rpm and 0-100 Km. / Hr. accelerate time is 5.9 second. Although, Brabus CL5.8 is the high performance car, but it respect to environment atmosphere. It passed emission test from German Vehicle Inspection Agency, Institute for Motor Vehicle Technology in Essen. And its engine is received all of Euro 4 environment standard.

Brabus design team creates the design program for the original entity making of Mercedes-Benz CL500 coupe. Design objective makes impressive visual and good aerodynamic simultaneously. Front bumper and Rear bumper are produced from high quality Pur-R-Rim material. And spoiler installation uses the same Mercedes-Benz standard position. Therefore, Body drilling is not necessity. Designed front bumper reduces tilt car’s front. The sport front spotlight makes the night vision better. Interior design entity of Brabus uses Mastik Leather, the high quality material which is soft and long-lived property. If buyers order to Brabus directly, they can select interior colors and accessories as their like.

Easy way to recognize the original Brabus CL 5.8 V8 is car’s body checking. Texts of car’s rear are “Brabus” and “5.8” (not Mercedes Benz). A star emblem on car’s rear is replaced by “B”, Brabus logo. The twin tail pipe tip is engraved by “B” character. However, it’s hard to verify the engine if you aren’t the expert. Therefore, you should enquire the information about this car from automotive magazines and car websites for the right purchasing.

If you would like a car that looks almost ordinary, but that is as fast as many supercars, buy the BMW M5. Yes, on the outside, this is an ordinary European sedan – but under the hood is a 500 bhp V-10 engine that you might imagine came from a sports-racing car! Will it do 180 mph? No, it could, but it won’t because BMW uses a limiter to prevent you going faster than 155 mph on all its hot cars. Actually, BMW says it will do over 190 mph without the limiter in operation.

The BMW M5 is powered by a very advanced 5.0 liter V-10 engine, ad fits neatly into the standard engine compartment. This is a very special engine, being built in small numbers and at high cost by BMW’s M Center. It’s a 90-degree V-10, which means that it won’t be quite as smooth as some – in theory, at any rate.

ADVANCED 500 BHP V10 ENGINE

Maximum power is 500 bhp at 7,700 rpm – a real screamer this – while the maximum torque of 380 lb ft is produced at 6,100 rpm. Boy, you’re really going to keep this revving if you want to use all that power. Still, when it’s just mooching along at 4,000 rpm, this amazing unit produces quite a chunk of power.

Needless to say, it has all the features you’d expect in a supercar engine, such as a stiff aluminum block, twin overhead camshafts per bank of cylinders and and narrow 4-valve heads. BMW uses its variable valve timing system, and drives the inlet camshafts on each bank by chain, with a gear drive to the exhaust camshaft, a system pioneered by Toyota to save space.

SEVEN-SPEED SEQUENTIAL GEARBOX

Coupled to this marvel of a power plant, which would seem more at home in a slinky coupe, is a seven-speed sequential gearbox. This is the latest development of the BMW sporty semi-automatic. BMW claims it’s the first seven-speed box of its type. Mercedes-Benz has a seven-speed automatic, and Audi has a CVT with seven stages, but these are not quite the same.

Why all these seven-speed boxes? Well, for maximum acceleration, and so that you have the right gear coming out of any corner, the more gears the better. When you’ve got that many gears, the shift pattern gets pretty complicated with a manual box, so they’re going for either automatics or semi-automatics.

To go with the powerful power train are bigger brakes than standard, wider wheels and tires, and stiffer suspension. The handling is surprisingly good for such an ordinary-looking car.

HOT PERFORMER, QUIET LOOKS

The result of putting this engine in the BMW 5 Series is very hot acceleration for such a big car: 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, and 0-125 mph in 15.6 seconds.

Will people pay over $100,000 or so for a 500 bhp sedan? You bet they will. There are a lot of people out there that want supercar performance, but don’t’ want to have to struggle to get in and out of the car. They also want to travel with plenty of luggage, and have room in the trunk for two sets of golf clubs – and more.

And they’ll get a real kick from burning off cheeky guys in sports cars who get in the way. Cars that are much faster than they look, which we used to call Q cars, have quite a market. What’s it like to drive? Well, at normal speeds, the car is very quiet, and you would not know how power you had. In fact, there is a switch on the steering wheel which limits power to 400 bhp. To get the full 500 bhp, you need to press that.

So, most of the time you’ll drive with 400 bhp, and the problem is that the engine does not have a lot of power until you get to 5,000 rpm, an the power keeps coming in until you get to 8,000 rpm. You need deserted roads to use that power, but the car works pretty well in traffic and normal commuting. Not quite so good in everyday use is the gearbox. It does not have a torque converter, so it can be quite jerky when you shift up.

You might think that 6 liters was enough to make the Corvette two-seater fast enough, but not for the competition department lurking inside GM. They wanted to be able to compete head-to-head with the European supercars in the international endurance races for sports cars.

To do so, they took a leaf out of Ford’s book. In the 1960s, when Ford found it could not compete with the smaller Ferraris at Le Mans with the 4.2 (ex-Indy) or 4.7 liter engines, they brought out their 7-liter mill. And it was so much bigger than the competition that they won. So the guys behind the Corvette decided to produce a 7-liter version of America’s favorite and most famous sports car.

By the way, the 7 liter Corvette more than competes with the Dodge Viper SRT-10, which could give the standard Corvette a bit of a run for its money. Of course, this is not just any old engine. This is a very special version of its GEN IV 7.0 liter V-8.

This 2006 Corvette is challenging for muscle car of the year with no less than 500 bhp on tap at 6,200 rpm. Maximum torque from this mammoth engine is 475 lb ft at 4,800 rpm. This is bound to be a stunner with a top speed of about 185 mph and 0-60 in under 4.0 seconds. GM expects the quarter-mile be under 12 seconds.

To give durability, the engine has been beefed up in a number of ways. First, the connecting rods and inlet valves are now made of titanium – these weigh about half as much as steel ones and are used in quite a number of high-performance engines. Because of the low weight, the titanium parts put less load on other critical parts of the engine - the crankshaft, bearings and in this case the valve gear as well. The titanium valves also allow the engine to rev faster safely.

In fact, titanium used to be an aerospace-only material because it was so expensive, but it is now bein gused more in exotic cars and the heads of golf clubs, helping the lesser pros feel not so outclassed by Tiger Woods as they might with ordinary drivers.

You will see that the Corvette 7 liter is intended for the race track by the fact that the engine has a dry sump lube system. A dry sump system prevents the oil in the oil pan from slopping away from the pick-up on fast cornering – the sort you can do only on a track – and thus damaging the main bearings.

Instead of staying in the oil pan, the oil is pumped out to a tank, and then pressure fed from there directly to the engine bearings and other critical areas. Definitely a system for top supercars.

The underpinnings of the car have also been beefed up with a new aluminum perimeter frame which reduces weight. Further weight reduction comes with a new magnesium engine sub-frame. To ensure the car is stiff enough, it will be available only as a hardtop. The front fenders and wheelarches are now carbon fiber composite panels, which also reduce weight.

But there’s more…

To get all that power onto the road, and to get it to stop, bigger wheels, tires and brakes have been fitted. The front brake discs are now 13.9 inch diameter, and 19 x 12 inch wide rims are used at the back; front wheels are 18 x 9.5 inches. Such massive rear tires for a car with 50:50 weight distribution suggest that the car will have a tendency to oversteer – smoky drifts could be the order of the day!

All-in-all, this is a really special car, developed to compete with the best.

Type R model expected in Derby by early spring.

THE hotly-anticipated Honda Civic Type R will go on sale in March and everything points to it being well worth the wait.

Honda promises that it will be just as exhilarating to drive as the outgoing Type R while being a more refined super hatchback, with improved comfort levels.

Integrated styling and handling tuned for enhanced responsiveness and predictability are among its other strengths.

The model will be powered by the naturally-aspirated, high-revving 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine that powers the current Type R, but the unit has been significantly reworked to improve responsiveness using a new balancer shaft and drive-by-wire throttle control.

Maximum power is now 201PS, reached at 8.000rpm (previously 200PS at 7.400rpm) and Honda reports the car is more responsive generally, while improved aerodynamics ensure it cuts through the air more cleanly. Slightly lower gearing compensates for a small increase in kerb weight.

Acceleration figures are expected to be virtually identical to the 6.6 second 0-62mph time of the outgoing car - and the new car should match its top speed too, powering on to 146mph.

There’s little doubt the model will attract much attention in the street thanks in part to seven-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels and a deep front spoiler incorporating a larger air intake.

A body-coloured tailgate rear spoiler follows the kick-up line from the rear quarter windows in providing added down-force. At the front, a black honeycomb mesh grille replaces the glass panel of other Civics.

While more discreet than on the outgoing car, Type R logos feature throughout.

Firstly, the front brake callipers wear the insignia, and stainless steel inserts on the door sills also carry the badge. Inside, it’s all about the driving experience. Front seats are racing-style buckets with large black alcantara bolsters and red stitching, red fabric seat cushions and backs.

The effective dual-zone, two tier dash, which is common to other Civic models, also features in the latest Type R, but with red illuminated dials set off by gun-metal effect switch panels on either side of the central display. The gearshift knob with aluminium-finish has a black boot with red stitching. Expect to see the new model at Lookers Honda in Derby next March. Prices have yet to be announced.