2013 Lexus GS 350 F-Sport
BASE PRICE $53,465
PRICE AS TESTED $56,600
VEHICLE LAYOUT Front engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
ENGINE 3.5L/306-hp/277-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6
TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3825 lb (52/48%)
WHEELBASE 112.2 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 190.7 x 72.4 x 57.3 in
0-60 MPH 5.5 sec
QUARTER MILE 14.0 sec @ 100.9 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 105 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.91 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.7 sec @ 0.70 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON 19/28 mpg
ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY 177/120 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS 0.87 lb/mile
In pure stock form, the Corvette ZR1 is a performance beast with its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine pumping out 638-horses and 604 lb-ft (819Nm) of peak torque. However, German tuning firm TIKT believes that there's plenty of room for improvement so it introduced a new take on the ZR1 with its Triple X package.
It all starts with the ZR1's eight-cylinder powerhouse that gets modified cylinder heads, camshafts, valve springs and compressor ratios plus a larger throttle valve, a completely modified exhaust system, a reprogramed ECU and changes to the cooling system.
The tune sees the 6.2-liter unit deliver an output of 758HP (769PS) and a peak torque of 671.2 lb-ft (910Nm).
TIKT then moves on to better the Corvette ZR1's handling through the use of new race shocks, a lowered suspension by a claimed 50mm (1.9 inches), more powerful brakes and a new set of Zerra Ultralight Evo 2 alloy wheels.
The final touches come in the form of an aero package that includes a new front bumper with a splitter, side skirts and an oversized rear wing, all made from lightweight carbon fiber.
Another embargo has fallen by the wayside, at least partially. We have a lot to tell you about the 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo, but much of it has to wait until the car is revealed tomorrow afternoon at the Detroit Auto Show.
What we can show and tell you, what's already out and about on the Internet, are these three images and the basic specs below.
Note that the standard Veloster's 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine produces only 138 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque. The extra 63 horsepower afforded by the addition of a turbocharger, among other mechanical upgrades we'll talk about later, makes the Veloster instantly competitive with other sport compacts like the Volkswagen GTI, Honda Civic Si and Mini Cooper S.
Make sure to come back tomorrow afternoon when we call tell you all we know about the 2012 Veloster Turbo, as well as share live images from its debut at the Detroit Auto Show.
2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo
201 horsepower / 196 pound-feet of torque
Six-speed manual or dual clutch transmission
2,800 pounds (up from 2,584 pounds)
27 City / 38 Hwy
The Detroit Auto Show dam is busting and the latest news to trickle through is that Honda is bringing an Accord Coupe Concept to show off. The concept will "reveal the styling direction" of the 2013 Accord, which – by the time it goes on sale in the fall of 2012 – will enter its ninth generation and 36th year of bringing harmony to people the world over.
Honda suggests the production car itself will have a "dynamic and aggressive profile," which is something we'd like to see – perhaps recent doldrums have lit some adventurous fires. We won't put money on it just yet, but when paired with baby brother Acura's 2013 RDX and ILX and NSX concepts we expect the Honda playground to host some interesting toys. There's a press release after the jump with a little more info.
Press Release
2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept to Make World Debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show
12/11/2011 - TORRANCE, Calif. -- A concept vehicle revealing the styling direction of the next-generation Honda Accord Coupe will debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show January 10, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.
The Accord Coupe Concept will convey the dynamic and aggressive profile of the ninth-generation 2013 Honda Accord set to go on sale in the fall of 2012. John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president of sales, will introduce the concept vehicle at a press conference, which will also be broadcast live via webcast at http://hondanews.com/live/2012naias-honda (link will be live Jan. 10).
A leader in style, performance, safety, efficiency and value since the introduction of the first generation model in 1976, the Accord remains one of the best-selling cars in America. The 2012 Accord was recently named to Car and Driver Magazine's '10Best' list for a record 26th time and was ranked as having the highest initial quality in its segment in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Initial Quality Study (IQS). The introduction of the ninth-generation Accord marks 30 years of U.S. production of the model at the Marysville Auto Plant in Marysville, Ohio, the first Japanese car assembly plant in the U.S.
Since sports car loving Akio Toyoda became President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, the Japanese group seems to have found new interest in building performance cars: just think of the recently unveiled Lexus LFA and twin sisters Toyota GT 86/Scion FR-S. But this could be just the beginning.
In an interview with Drive.com, chief engineer Tetsuya Tada stated: ‘Right now the 86 will be a mid-size sports car, I would like to have one smaller and one larger. One would probably be a Supra follower. Nothing has been decided yet. It would be like a Supra successor.” Mr.Tada also added that the model is likely to be another cooperative effort with Subaru, in the same fashion as the Toyota GT 86/Subaru BRZ pair, although it will have to depend on the concept.
Toyota is trying to shake off its reputation for building dull but dependable cars and the 86 is a key part of the company’s strategy to have cars that are ‘’fun to drive'’, and with somebody like Mr.Akio Toyoda at the helm - who said that “I believe that if it is not fun, it is not a car” - we expect it to retrace the splendors of its glorious sporty models of the past, such as Celica, MR2 and, obviously, Supra.
