Vyrus 987

The name Vyrus may not be familiar to motorcycle enthusiasts when they begin reading this article, but by the end of it, there’s every chance it will be at the top of their list of “dream bikes.” The small Rimini-based Italian company is currently best known for producing the Bimota Tesi 2D, but the company's new, top-of-the-range, Vyrus 987 C3 4VV naked superbike is just about to propel it to even greater world renown, leapfrogging past a gaggle of superbikes to become the most powerful production motorcycle in the world. It's more powerful than Ducati’s Desmosedici RR, MV Agusta’s F4 312RR, Suzuki’s Hayabusa or Kawasaki’s ZZR1400. The hub-centre-steered Vyrus runs a 211 bhp supercharged 1198cc 1098R Ducati engine, weighs just 158 kg and costs EUR 65,000 (US$91,700).

The 4VV is the lightest and most powerful of four Vyrus variants.

T

he base model 984 C3 2V comes with a 100 bhp two valve 1000DS air-cooled Ducati engine, weighs in at a featherweight 150 kg and sells for EUR 33,400 (US$47,000). Just to put that weight in perspective, a MotoGP bike weighs 148 kg.

Next up the ladder is the 985 C3 4V, which weighs in at 157 kg, uses a 155 bhp 999R water-cooled Testastretta Ducati engine and costs EUR 50,000 (US$70,500).

Second from top is the 155 kg 987 C3 4V which sells for EUR 55,000 (US$77,500) and uses a water-cooled 1098R 1198cc Ducati engine producing 184 bhp

Finally, the range-topping 987 C3 4V V takes the 987 C3 4V and adds EUR 10,000, a supercharger, three kilograms, 27 bhp and, of course, the title of being the world’s fastest production motorcycle.

The machine is full of innovation and incredible attention to detail, and very much a production of Vyrus’ owner, Ascanio Rodorigo.

New Yamaha Ray Z

Building further momentum on its well-received Ray scooter that was targeted at women, the Japanese bike maker has now introduced a more male centric model called the Ray Z priced at Rs 48,555 (ex-showroom Delhi). Also adding to its existing 150cc SZ-R motorcycle range are two new variants, the SZ-S and the SZ-RR priced at Rs 59,500 and Rs 62,500 respectively.

Believe it or not, Yamaha has in fact sold 70,000 scooters since the launch of the Ray, which accounts for 16 percent of the market share. Those are some impressive numbers considering the scooter was built solely for a female audience, which prior to the entry of the Ray was a rather undernourished segment.

As expected, Yamaha had something up their sleeve for the opposite sex as well and here’s proof of that. It is simply called the “Ray Z” and will distinguish it’s more masculine appeal with exterior shades that include a combination of red and black, white and black and even an all black version. 

With weight and power figures identical to the Ray, the Ray Z will cost you a little more than the Ray at Rs 48,555 (ex-showroom Delhi), but a claimed mileage of 53 kmpl should even things out nicely. 

The new Ray Z while keeping the same basic performance of the Ray released in September 2012 has a more sporty look and feel in comparison which is made evident through a smoked-finish visor, an aluminum rear wing-shaped tandem rider grab-bars, a new instrument panel and carbon fibre patterned seat cover material. Yamaha has also launched a string of accessories and riding gear to compliment the Ray Z. 

Audi R8 e-tron

After the E-tron concept and the E-tron Detroit Show car, Audi has brought us the e-tron technology platform based on the R8 from the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. This has turned out to be more than just a publicity stunt or science experiment. Audi is serious about bringing this car to market and has taken the time to develop a completely new ideology behind this electric R8 and the normal gasoline version.

Audi's electric tech may soon find its way under the hoods of their other cars like their flagship A8.

Having the exterior design of the car already completed and in supercar form it was an easier job for the Audi engineers to develop an electric version than if they would have had to start from scratch. The mid-engine design of the R8 provides the perfect location to store heavy batteries without distorting the weight balance that Audi wanted to achieve. In essence, this electric version should be able to compete on the same levels as its V8 and V10 brothers, but will it be as exhilarating?

That all depends on what the driver sees as excitement – The V10 version will provide an unbridled amount of power and harmonious soundtrack to go along with it, but the electric version will incorporate some of the most innovative technology available today. Being able to reach high top speeds in the least amount of time is the most important thing that a sports car can deliver, if it can do it by using batteries than we don’t really see a problem. If Audi can truly create an exciting Quattro experience with its new E-Tron R8 than they will have accomplished something truly special in this emerging market.

Even though the Audi R8 e-tron hasn’t officially been launched yet, it is already a world record breaker. With a lap time of 8:09.099 minutes, the R8 e-tron has just become the fastest production vehicle with an electric drive system around the Nurburgring. The car was driven to success by racing driver Markus Winkelhock.

"The R8 e-tron has given a magnificent demonstration of its potential on the toughest race track in the world," said Michael Dick, Audi AG Board Member for Technical Development. Dick, who completed a fast lap himself in the R8 e-tron, added: "The record-setting drive confirmed that we are on the right track. To us, electric mobility has never been about sacrifice, but rather is about emotion, sportiness and driving pleasure."

It’s been a little over a month since the Audi R8 e-Tron lapped the Nurburgring in record time (see previous update), but Audi has just released the video of the epic achievement. Check out Markus Winkelhock and the Audi R8 e-Tron as the record is created by clicking on the image above.

Harley Davidson Forty Eight

Harley-Davidson makes cult motorcycles.  A motorcycle equipped with a 7.9-litre fuel tank may not sound like a qualified cruiser to many, yet this is what the Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight is all about. The Forty-Eight is named after the year this famous Milwaukee-based bike maker manufactured its first ‘peanut’-shaped fuel tank. Sixty-four years ago, the peanut tank found its way onto the S-125, Harley’s post-war solution to cheap transportation, further justifying the ‘peanut’ nickname. The company has adapted the peanut tank to many Sportsters since, giving it worldwide recognition.  

The menacing-looking Forty-Eight is low slung, with a slim front fender neatly bolted onto its fork tubes. You can’t miss the fat, robust-looking, spoked 130/90 x 16-inch front tyre on this motorcycle. Above, you can see a pair of classic-looking turn signal indicators, along with a chrome-ringed headlight and single-pod speedometer. A glaring oversight, however, is the absence of a fuel gauge. The bike comes with rear-view mirrors that sit unusually mounted under the handlebar; these look swell, but make a good case study of form over function, for compromising the rider’s rearward vision. Palm grips are nice, as are the smart and chunky feeling clutch and brake levers. As with several cruiser bikes, the Forty-Eight’s ignition switch is inconveniently located under its steering column.

Harley-typical switches provide good feel, but follow an unconventional format that takes a little getting used to. The switch for the right indicator sits on the right switch pod, with the left-indicator switch on the other side. Once activated, indicators self-cancel, or pressing the button twice completes the same job. And yes, as with other Harley bikes that adopt this safety feature, there’s no switching off the headlight on a Forty-Eight.

The sleek fuel tank comes with a simple chrome filler lid. Adding to the macho impression are lustrous chrome, twin exhausts and the rear suspension located close to the Forty-Eight’s toothed drive belt. The motorcycle’s retro side panels sit below the low, rather thinly padded riding seat. The right-side panel has a chrome knob which pops up as an oil dipstick when pressed. The minimal look continues with a stout rear fender and neatly fitted turn indicators. A split seat for the pillion comes unfortunately only as a customised option.

The Forty-Eight is a true Harley for being built like a tank, with good overall quality and a reliable air about it.

It deploys a four-stroke, 1202cc, V-twin and air-cooled powerhouse. Each long-stroke cylinder bore and stroke measures 88.9mm and 96.8mm respectively, with a 10:1 compression ratio. The Forty-Eight uses a toothed belt to deliver drive to its massive rear wheel, the fuel-injected engine responding promptly to throttle inputs. The five-speed gearbox shifts in a one-down, four-up pattern, with a slightly heavy, even clunky feel to it.

A highlight of this engine is its lazy torque – 9.59kgm of it delivered at 3500rpm, and it doesn’t require opening the throttle when releasing the well-weighted clutch to get the bike rolling away from a standstill. The Forty-Eight pulls hard from low down in its powerband, the exhausts outputting a crisp bark as one expects from a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. A problem that often proves a major irritant in torrid Indian conditions is excess engine heat being transferred to the rider’s right thigh in low speed traffic conditions. Even so, cruising around and even over 100kph is a breeze, the tall fourth gear allowing for a smooth riding experience at speeds as high as an indicated 150kph, at which the Forty-Eight still has some power in reserve.

The stable, 260kg cruiser uses a conventional frame and suspension, with telescopic front forks and twin shocks at the rear, but it suffers from an overly stiff ride that transmits every bump and road undulation to the rider. The wide handlebar, forward-set foot pegs and thinly padded seat make for a less than ideal riding posture, where the rider’s arms and legs feel too far outstretched for comfort. This riding position can get uncomfortable over long distances.  

Harley also needs to move decisively to correct the high prices currently charged for parts customisation on its bikes, more so since several of these ‘custom parts’ are not far more than should be offered standard with the bike. A pillion saddle and foot pegs cost a hefty Rs 17,000 extra, while one could swap the Forty-Eight’s riding seat for a more comfy ‘springer’ seat, for an absurdly high Rs 38,000.

Straight-line stability is solid at all times. Cornering abilities are decent, though the bike’s low ground clearance could bother riders who try to hustle this cruiser and ride it like cruiser bikes are not built to be ridden. The Forty-Eight comes with disc brakes, front and rear, these working with a nice feel at the levers.

The Forty-Eight returns fuel efficiency of about 20kpl, which is pretty fair for a motorcycle with this much power on offer. Its small tank capacity, however, restricts the cruising range.

Although it’s no plush long-distance cruiser, the Forty-Eight makes an attitude statement all of its own, asking riders to adapt accordingly. Priced at Rs 8,50,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi), this Harley-Davidson bike isn’t about what it lacks, but rather stands more for what it offers, not the least of which is a 64-year legacy and a good helping of that puritan Harley-Davidson feel.

Aston Martin Vantage S

A couple of key points stand out while rifling through the information on that yellow nugget of horsepower you see above. It's the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage S, and of key importance for TG is the fact that a) it's more powerful than ever, and b) it's louder. This calls for an emboldened poweeerrr.

Following on from the Rapide S revealed earlier this year, the new Vantage S replaces the old V12 Vantage, and sports Aston's new AM28 6.0-litre V12 engine, producing the same figures as the Vanquish. So you're looking at 565bhp - up from 510bhp - 457lb ft of torque and a top speed of 205mph. The old car did a piffling 183mph; positively pedestrian.

Aston hasn't revealed the 0-62mph time, but if the heavier Vanquish can do it in 4.1s, expect this car, weighing 1665kg, to go a fraction quicker. Aston assures us that outside of the One-77 hypercar, this new Vantage S is the fastest road-going AM offered, which is nice.

That 6.0-litre gets racing tech, too, including CNC machined combustion chambers and hollow cam shafts. Then there's the new automated manual transmission (for too long a traditional Aston vulnerability), or ‘Sportshift III', a development of the ‘box from the V8 Vantage. We're promised ‘motorsport-style paddle shift changes for optimum performance delivery' using technology filtered down from the company's GT4, GT3 and GTE competition cars. We're crossing our fingers here...

Root around the buttons and you'll find three-stage adaptive damping (normal, sport and track), which - in that order - increase the level of pain your spine/passenger/dignity will suffer. This system also changes the weight of the power steering too (itself quicker than before), and alongside this adaptive damping sits a proper ‘sport' mode. Consider pressing this when the admiring swathes of passers-by have swollen: sure, it sharpens the throttle response, gearshift speed and timing, but it makes the exhaust Very, Very Loud.

In fact, that exhaust was derived from the One-77, and is much lighter and louder than the outgoing car, itself no shrinking violet (think shrieking violet).

Not much has changed externally; the grille's design is a deliberate nod to that CC100 Speedster concept, while carbon fibre vanes replace the old aluminium ones, helping maximise airflow. Elsewhere, there's a set of new 19in ten-spoke lightweight forged alloy wheels, an exterior graphics pack, new seats (with lightweight CF options, naturally), revised stitching and detailing, new leather grades and of course, the myriad of AM options.

Aston chief Dr Bez is rather taken with it, but he would be, wouldn't he? "It is our most extreme Vantage to date," he says. "It is our most powerful engine in a beautifully tailored suit. Elegant, brutal and at the same time easy to control".

With all that yellow, we certainly hope so. Have a click through the pictures and let us know what you think. It really is party time down at AM...

Gran Turismo 6 unveiled, launch slated for December 2013

Gran Turismo 6, the latest edition of the cult racing simulation is expected to be launched by ‘Holiday 2013’. December 2013 then is going to explode with some of the finest and most authentic racing action ever seen on a console.

Kazunori Yamauchi, president of Polyphony Digital and creator of the cult franchise, made the announcement at an event celebrating 15 years of Gran Turismo at Silverstone in the UK. Silverstone circuit is incidentally one of the new circuits to be included in the latest version of the game.

I have been playing Gran Turismo ever since its inception in 1997 and it is undoubtedly one of the most realistic simulators I have ever experienced. Over the 15 years it has been around the game play, graphics and cars have only gotten better. Gran Turismo 6 however isn’t out to revolutionize the series as much as it evolves into another step up the racing games ladder.

Gran Turismo 6 will add to the series several new tracks and layouts, new cars and a revised user interface. But more importantly it sports a revamped game engine that will significantly improve the visual quality and operation. It also increases the flexibility to expand the game with downloadable content as well as connect with other new age devices such as smart phones and tablets with increased social and community functions.

Skip the operational capabilities and extended connectivity and what we can see from the initial trailers is a richer visual experience than what GT5 had to offer. There is also a new range of cars to explore in Gran Turismo 6, and from the initial rushes you can see the Lamborghini Countach, Renault Alpine and then some modern sports and supercars as well such as the SLS AMG and the Alfa Romeo 4C. The list of cars in the Gran Turismo 6 world has gone up by around 200 to a total of 1200. The game will continue to offer the same high levels of customization and there is an improved course maker offering more detail and this includes using the magnificent Spanish backdrop of Andalucia as is evident in the trailer. Gran Turismo 6 also enlisted the assistance of Yokohama and suspension company KW Automotive as technical partners. They not just helped improve the game's physics engine but also enhanced the tyre and suspension kinematic modeling to make the racing experience more realistic.

In fact the physics are so accurate and life like, I have read stories in automotive magazines where reviewers have used the virtual world to review cars from the real world. Every nuance of a car on a race track is accurately detailed. It is very easy to lose focus of the race and instead get immersed in just how the visuals look. Piloting a car around the ‘Ring you can sometimes get thoroughly captivated by the scene unfolding as you car comes out of a corner and the sunlight bounces off the hood. It’s a momentary distraction but at a circuit like the Nordschleife, it can spell doom.

What makes Gran Turismo 6 even more interesting is the GT Academy. This collaboration between Sony Computer Entertainment and Nissan Motor Company aims to discover driver talent from around the globe. The program started off in 2008 and returns yet again in 2013 larger than ever by including several more countries in the program. It essentially uses the games platform to identify talent who eventually participate in live racing events.

The process is simple, fastest gamers from around the world compete in their respective national finals. From the virtual world to the real world, these winners are then invited to take part in the international finals held at Silverstone, which is now also the home of the GT Academy Race Camp. The best of the Academy are then put through an intensive driver development program to qualify for what is one of the best jobs in the world – a race seat in the Nissan GT-R GT3 Nismo in a top flight championship.

It sounds surreal but GT Academy has been doing this for several years now and quite a few of the drivers from this program have found themselves piloting cars at the 24 Hours of LeMans and the Blancpain Endurance Series.

Awesome doesn’t even begin to describe what started off as a game but now is just so much more.

Aston Martin Rapide

The Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door, high-performance sport saloon, which British luxury marque Aston Martin introduced in early 2010. It was first presented as a concept car at Detroit's North American International Auto Show in 2006 and the production version of the Rapide was shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Rapide name is a reference to the Lagonda Rapide, a saloon car produced by Lagonda, now part of Aston Martin. The new Rapide is the company's first four-door saloon since the Aston Martin Lagonda was discontinued in 1989. It is based on the Aston Martin DB9 and shares the same VH platform.

The first cars were rolled out in May 2010, initially built at a dedicated plant at the Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria. The factory initially planned to build 2,000 per year, but relocated to England in 2012 after sales did not meet production targets.

Rapide (2010-2013)

Specifications

• Unit price: $199,950 (USD)
• Engine: 5,935 cc (362 cu in) V12
• Power: 470 bhp (350 kW; 477 PS)
• Torque: 443 lbf·ft (601 N·m)
• Transmission: Six-speed Touchtronic automatic
• Drivetrain: RWD
• 0-100 km/h (62 mph): 5.3 seconds
• 0-60 mph (97 km/h): 5.0 seconds
• Top speed: 188.5 mph (303 km/h)

Equipment

The Rapide's standard features include a tilt-telescoping steering wheel, bi-xenon headlamps and LED taillamps. Leather and walnut trim are standard, with metallic accents; power front seats with memory, cooling and heating; Bluetooth; satellite radio (US version only); and USB and iPod connectivity. The Rapide comes, as standard, with a Bang & Olufsen 16 speaker sound system with two that rise from the dashboard on activation of the system.

Rapide S (2013- )

New front design of the Rapide S

Specification

As part of the 2013 facelift and revisions to the Rapide, the V12 engine is upgraded to now produce 550 bhp (410 kW; 558 PS). Performance improvements include a top speed of 190 mph (306 km/h) and acceleration 0-100 km/h (62 mph) reduced to 4.9 seconds. CO₂ emissions are cut by 23g/km to 332g/km.

Production

Aston Martin opted to end production by sub-contractor Magna Steyr in the middle of 2012, six years earlier than expected. Production of the car was also halted temporarily in May 2011. In the face of a diminishing market for luxury saloons, and to match output to shrinking sales, Aston Martin has to cut annual production from 2,000 to 1,250 in June 2011 - and may go as low as 500 annually.

Motorsports

A Rapide was entered in the 2010 24 Hours Nürburgring. Drivers included Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez. It finished second in the SP 8 class.