Your Contemporary Automotive news / reviews of Philadelphia... » Midsize Cars http://www.contemphil.net Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:28:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Riding on the Highway http://www.contemphil.net/riding-on-the-highway.html http://www.contemphil.net/riding-on-the-highway.html#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:02:39 +0000 admin http://www.contemphil.net/?p=254 Fast cars, girls love them and boys crave for them. Being the stylized image of all that is bad (which, of course, means good), powerful and testosterone-fuelled, cars have been a favourite toy for a lot of men (and quite a few women) since their invention. What is it exactly that makes these beastly machines the [...]]]>

Fast cars, girls love them and boys crave for them. Being the stylized image of all that is bad (which, of course, means good), powerful and testosterone-fuelled, cars have been a favourite toy for a lot of men (and quite a few women) since their invention.

What is it exactly that makes these beastly machines the target of such devotion and lust? What makes us look at machines that can make the fabric labels in our clothes disappear in the breeze with such awe and fascination? Perhaps it is all the unrestrained power waiting to be released by the tap of a foot, or perhaps the lush shapes and sensual curves of an attractive sports car.

What we do know for sure is that while most of us can only day-dream about riding behind the wheel of the fastest car in the world, some lucky fellows (who are liberal about how they spend their hard earned cash) will go to any length to taste that kind of speed and power. But how fast are the fastest cars in the world today? Better yet, which one is the king of speed, the prized target for adrenaline seekers around the world? Let’s find out with our top 3:

1. SSC Ultimate Aero

The top dog on our list has beaten the legendary Bugatti Veyron as the baddest, meanest and certainly fastest kid on the block. Boasting a max speed of 257 mph and shooting from 0 to 60 in the lighting fast speed of 2.7 seconds, it’s easy to be impressed with this bad boy.

The Ultimate Aero is eqipped with a Twin-Turbo V8 Engine with 1183 hp and will set you back (at least!) the modest sum of $654,400. If you are a fan of speed though, the SSC Ultimate Aero is the way to go. The car has been tested by the Guinness World Records and is guaranteed to tear away any apparel labels attached to your clothes and make your hair go back to the 80s.

2. Bugatti Veyron

Fast and light, the Bugatti is the second fastest but the most expensive. The Bugatti Veyron makes for more than a petty purchase with the base price of $1,700,000 (yes, that’s seven figures). The car has a maximum speed of 253 mph and goes from 0 to 60 in a measly 2.5 seconds which gives it a faster sprint than the Aero.

3. Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo

It’s fast and it’s sexy. It’s the car you want to show off. The Saleen S7 boasts an Aluminum V8 Engine with 750 hp and is as smooth as a red panther. At a base price of $555,000 the car is the most affordable on the list but will have you settling with 3rd place in terms of speed, with a max of 248 mph.

]]> http://www.contemphil.net/riding-on-the-highway.html/feed 9 Ram considering new mid-size unibody pickup to replace Dakota http://www.contemphil.net/ram-considering-new-mid-size-unibody-pickup-to-replace-dakota.html http://www.contemphil.net/ram-considering-new-mid-size-unibody-pickup-to-replace-dakota.html#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:19:06 +0000 admin http://www.contemphil.net/?p=69 In a rambling presentation that presented almost nothing of any value, Fred Diaz, CEO of Chrysler’s newly-created Ram brand, did drop at least one little tidbit in passing. Currently the Dodge truck offerings consist of only two vehicles, the full-size Ram and the mid-size Dakota. The long-term fate of the Dakota has been the subject [...]]]>

In a rambling presentation that presented almost nothing of any value, Fred Diaz, CEO of Chrysler’s newly-created Ram brand, did drop at least one little tidbit in passing. Currently the Dodge truck offerings consist of only two vehicles, the full-size Ram and the mid-size Dakota. The long-term fate of the Dakota has been the subject of much speculation but one of Diaz’s slides did mention that Ram was considering a replacement. The key word was “considering.”

Interestingly, the possible replacement would be based on a unibody platform which in all likelihood would be derived from the new Grand Cherokee/Durango architecture. That would be a big departure for Chrysler – jumping into a vehicle type that currently consists of only the slow selling Honda Ridgeline. If Chrysler were to build this vehicle, it would make sense to do something to differentiate it from the big Ram, and perhaps with the right styling and powertrain – perhaps something like the Rampage concept from 2006 – it could be more successful than the Honda.

The current Durango will remain in production until mid-2011 and the new truck, if approved, would not launch until at least then.

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