PIR4TE
Banned
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2011
- Messages
- 2,747
- Reaction score
- 74
- Points
- 0
- Location
- AWOL with Ari
- Members Ride
- Black Pearl
Tune it for e85 coz we have a glut of it
In real terms our V8 has the potential to be a world class performer when you modify it to use the subsidised high octane flex fuel, available at the pump mainly on the East Coast. It is like a secret weapon that transforms the much-maligned venerable GM naturally aspirated V8 into another league, with big block torque and 570+ hp at the fly.
How does that compare to factory all-motor exotica around the world?
Given a budget with an upper limit of two million dollars, here's a list of the top performers I found recently:
18. 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera — 562 hp at 8,000 rpm: 5.2-liter, DOHC, 40-valve V10. 397 lb-ft at 6,500 rpm. A lightweight version of the all-wheel-drive Gallardo with its 5.2-liter V10. Lambo claims a 3.5-second 0-60 run.
17. 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia — 562 hp at 9,000 rpm: 4.5-liter, DOHC, 32-valve V8. 398 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm. A thrilling 9,000-rpm power peak indicates how Ferrari engineers its stalwart midengine V8s like race machines. The only transmission is an automated seven-speed manual.
16. 2012 Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition — 562 hp at 8,900 rpm:The Lexus LFA and its magical 4.8-liter V10 would've been eliminated from this list entirely. Fifty lucky LFAs get the Nurburgring package with 562 horsepower and a host of suspension and aero upgrades. It lapped its eponymous racetrack in 7:14.
15. 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish — 565 horsepower @ 6,750 rpm: Aston Martin doesn't mess around with its power plants. There's no forced induction or direct injection or hybrid assist. There's just a big, 5.9-liter V12 with a relatively low 6,800-rpm redline and a relatively high 565 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm. It finishes the quarter-mile in 12.3 seconds at 115.1 mph and makes some of the best noises in the world.
14. 2001 Lamborghini Murcielago — 572 hp at 7,500 rpm: 6.2-liter, DOHC, 48-valve V12. The original Murcielago uses Lambo's well-proven V12 with a bump in displacement to 6.2 liters. It would only get more powerful as time goes on.
13. 2007 Caparo T1 — 575 hp at 10,000 rpm: 3.5-liter, DOHC, 32-valve V8. The engine is based on the Infiniti V8 built for IndyCar racing. And it's in a single-seater built for track work and barely tamed for the street. As close to a street-legal F1 car as there has ever been.
12. 2011 Holden SSV PIR4TE VVT - 576 HP at 6,200 rpm: 6.0-litre, OHV, fourth generation all-aluminium flex fuel V8. New intake plenum, variable valve timing, revised heads, new forged pistons and custom exhaust all help to increase output. Peak torque is 533 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm.
11. 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT — 583 hp @ 6,800 rpm: The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is dead. Long live the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT. The naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 lives on, but instead of making a paltry 563 hp, it now makes 583 hp. There's no difference, however, in practical performance, as the 2013 SLS AMG GT Roadster made near identical numbers on the track. With 583 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, however, it gains about 10 places on our list of the most powerful cars of all time.
10. 2004 Porsche Carrera GT — 605 hp at 8,000 rpm: 5.7-liter, DOHC, 40-valve V10. A bold midengine supercar powered by Porsche's only V10 and its largest-displacement street engine ever. It's an engine that needs to rev, and it shrieks as it does. Rips from zero to 60 mph in about 3.3 seconds and tops out over 200 mph.
9. 2006 Ascari A10 — 625 hp at 7,500 rpm: 5.0-liter, DOHC, 32-valve V8. 413 lb-ft at 5,500 rpm. Tiny Ascari Cars in Britain builds this hypercar powered by a retuned version of the BMW 5.0-liter V8 once used in the M5 sedan and Z8 roadster. Ascari claims a 0-60 time of 2.8 seconds and a 215-mph top speed.
8. 2013 SRT Viper — 640 hp at 6,150 rpm: 8.4-liter, OHV, 20-valve V10. It isn't a Dodge anymore, but the engine is still a massive all-aluminum V10. New intake plenums, variable valve timing, revised heads and new forged pistons all help to increase output. Peak torque is 600 lb-ft at 4,950 rpm.
7. 2008 Lamborghini Reventon — 641 hp at 8,000 rpm: 6.5-liter, DOHC, 48-valve, V12. 486 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm. It's not much more than a rebodied Murcielago LP640, but the looks count for something. Don't they?
6. 2010 Pagani Zonda Cinque — 669 hp at 7,000 rpm: 7.3-liter, DOHC, 48-valve V12. The Zonda R racecar is barely tamed to become the road-going Zonda Cinque. A new sequential six-speed gearbox is also used. Just five were to be built, and then they went and built 5 Cinque Roadsters, too.
5. 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO — 671 hp at 8,250 rpm: 6.0-liter, DOHC, 48-valve V12. A sharpened version of the 599 GTB Fiorano with the V12 tuned for high-end output instead of everyday flexibility. The lightened body makes this big car surprisingly nimble on the track.
4. McLaren F1 LM — 680 hp at 7,800 rpm: The opposite of a homologation special, the McLaren F1 LM was designed to celebrate the F1's victory in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans. A total of five were built, each with a race-worthy 6.1-liter V12 making 680 hp at 7,800 rpm. The F1 LM weighs less than the "normal" McLaren F1 and has race-developed aerodynamics, which limits the top speed to only 225 mph. Easily one of the coolest and most sought-after cars of all time.
3. 2013 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta — 730 hp at 8,000 rpm: 6.3-liter, DOHC, 48-valve V12. 508 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm. The two-seat F12 replaces the 599 GTB Fiorano and features a version of the same direct-injection V12 used in the FF. But it's amped to 730 hp and pumped to just the rear wheels.
2. Lamborghini Veneno — 740 hp: Lamborghini is only making three examples of the Veneno, but calling it the most powerful production car the company has ever built, so we're running with it. The Veneno will cost its three owners $4 million and for that, they get an Aventador-sourced 6.5-liter V12 good for 740 hp. Even with all of those wings, the Veneno is said to top out at 221 mph.
1. 2012 Aston Martin One-77 — 750 hp at 8,000 rpm: 7.3-liter, DOHC, 48-valve V12. 553 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm. Aston swings big with a new flagship featuring the biggest engine it's ever built — enlargement surgery performed by Cosworth Engineering. The One-77 is wide, low, mean and only 77 will be built for about $2 million each.
In real terms our V8 has the potential to be a world class performer when you modify it to use the subsidised high octane flex fuel, available at the pump mainly on the East Coast. It is like a secret weapon that transforms the much-maligned venerable GM naturally aspirated V8 into another league, with big block torque and 570+ hp at the fly.
How does that compare to factory all-motor exotica around the world?
Given a budget with an upper limit of two million dollars, here's a list of the top performers I found recently:
18. 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera — 562 hp at 8,000 rpm: 5.2-liter, DOHC, 40-valve V10. 397 lb-ft at 6,500 rpm. A lightweight version of the all-wheel-drive Gallardo with its 5.2-liter V10. Lambo claims a 3.5-second 0-60 run.
17. 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia — 562 hp at 9,000 rpm: 4.5-liter, DOHC, 32-valve V8. 398 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm. A thrilling 9,000-rpm power peak indicates how Ferrari engineers its stalwart midengine V8s like race machines. The only transmission is an automated seven-speed manual.
16. 2012 Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition — 562 hp at 8,900 rpm:The Lexus LFA and its magical 4.8-liter V10 would've been eliminated from this list entirely. Fifty lucky LFAs get the Nurburgring package with 562 horsepower and a host of suspension and aero upgrades. It lapped its eponymous racetrack in 7:14.
15. 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish — 565 horsepower @ 6,750 rpm: Aston Martin doesn't mess around with its power plants. There's no forced induction or direct injection or hybrid assist. There's just a big, 5.9-liter V12 with a relatively low 6,800-rpm redline and a relatively high 565 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm. It finishes the quarter-mile in 12.3 seconds at 115.1 mph and makes some of the best noises in the world.
14. 2001 Lamborghini Murcielago — 572 hp at 7,500 rpm: 6.2-liter, DOHC, 48-valve V12. The original Murcielago uses Lambo's well-proven V12 with a bump in displacement to 6.2 liters. It would only get more powerful as time goes on.
13. 2007 Caparo T1 — 575 hp at 10,000 rpm: 3.5-liter, DOHC, 32-valve V8. The engine is based on the Infiniti V8 built for IndyCar racing. And it's in a single-seater built for track work and barely tamed for the street. As close to a street-legal F1 car as there has ever been.
12. 2011 Holden SSV PIR4TE VVT - 576 HP at 6,200 rpm: 6.0-litre, OHV, fourth generation all-aluminium flex fuel V8. New intake plenum, variable valve timing, revised heads, new forged pistons and custom exhaust all help to increase output. Peak torque is 533 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm.
11. 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT — 583 hp @ 6,800 rpm: The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is dead. Long live the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT. The naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 lives on, but instead of making a paltry 563 hp, it now makes 583 hp. There's no difference, however, in practical performance, as the 2013 SLS AMG GT Roadster made near identical numbers on the track. With 583 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, however, it gains about 10 places on our list of the most powerful cars of all time.
10. 2004 Porsche Carrera GT — 605 hp at 8,000 rpm: 5.7-liter, DOHC, 40-valve V10. A bold midengine supercar powered by Porsche's only V10 and its largest-displacement street engine ever. It's an engine that needs to rev, and it shrieks as it does. Rips from zero to 60 mph in about 3.3 seconds and tops out over 200 mph.
9. 2006 Ascari A10 — 625 hp at 7,500 rpm: 5.0-liter, DOHC, 32-valve V8. 413 lb-ft at 5,500 rpm. Tiny Ascari Cars in Britain builds this hypercar powered by a retuned version of the BMW 5.0-liter V8 once used in the M5 sedan and Z8 roadster. Ascari claims a 0-60 time of 2.8 seconds and a 215-mph top speed.
8. 2013 SRT Viper — 640 hp at 6,150 rpm: 8.4-liter, OHV, 20-valve V10. It isn't a Dodge anymore, but the engine is still a massive all-aluminum V10. New intake plenums, variable valve timing, revised heads and new forged pistons all help to increase output. Peak torque is 600 lb-ft at 4,950 rpm.
7. 2008 Lamborghini Reventon — 641 hp at 8,000 rpm: 6.5-liter, DOHC, 48-valve, V12. 486 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm. It's not much more than a rebodied Murcielago LP640, but the looks count for something. Don't they?
6. 2010 Pagani Zonda Cinque — 669 hp at 7,000 rpm: 7.3-liter, DOHC, 48-valve V12. The Zonda R racecar is barely tamed to become the road-going Zonda Cinque. A new sequential six-speed gearbox is also used. Just five were to be built, and then they went and built 5 Cinque Roadsters, too.
5. 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO — 671 hp at 8,250 rpm: 6.0-liter, DOHC, 48-valve V12. A sharpened version of the 599 GTB Fiorano with the V12 tuned for high-end output instead of everyday flexibility. The lightened body makes this big car surprisingly nimble on the track.
4. McLaren F1 LM — 680 hp at 7,800 rpm: The opposite of a homologation special, the McLaren F1 LM was designed to celebrate the F1's victory in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans. A total of five were built, each with a race-worthy 6.1-liter V12 making 680 hp at 7,800 rpm. The F1 LM weighs less than the "normal" McLaren F1 and has race-developed aerodynamics, which limits the top speed to only 225 mph. Easily one of the coolest and most sought-after cars of all time.
3. 2013 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta — 730 hp at 8,000 rpm: 6.3-liter, DOHC, 48-valve V12. 508 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm. The two-seat F12 replaces the 599 GTB Fiorano and features a version of the same direct-injection V12 used in the FF. But it's amped to 730 hp and pumped to just the rear wheels.
2. Lamborghini Veneno — 740 hp: Lamborghini is only making three examples of the Veneno, but calling it the most powerful production car the company has ever built, so we're running with it. The Veneno will cost its three owners $4 million and for that, they get an Aventador-sourced 6.5-liter V12 good for 740 hp. Even with all of those wings, the Veneno is said to top out at 221 mph.
1. 2012 Aston Martin One-77 — 750 hp at 8,000 rpm: 7.3-liter, DOHC, 48-valve V12. 553 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm. Aston swings big with a new flagship featuring the biggest engine it's ever built — enlargement surgery performed by Cosworth Engineering. The One-77 is wide, low, mean and only 77 will be built for about $2 million each.
