The Hennessey Venom GT Nabs The Title Of The World's Fastest Production Car - For Now.

Bugatti has a little catching up to do - 0.63 mph. to be exact.


above: previous record holder for the world's fastest production car, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Grabbing the title away from Bugatti for the fastest production car in the world, the Hennessey Venom GT set a new world speed record for 2-seat sports cars by reaching a top speed of 270.49 mph (435.31 km/h), beating the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport's previous record of 269.86 mph.





On February 14, 2014, the test was performed at the Kennedy Space Center on the 3.2-mile Space Shuttle landing runway:





Brian Smith, Director of Miller Motorsports Park, drove the Venom GT to its record speed:





A representative from Racelogic, world-renowned maker of VBox GPS data-acquisition systems, was on hand to independently verify and document the Venom GT's highest recorded speed.




The Venom GT was powered with Pennzoil Platinum® with PurePlus™ Technology, a first of its kind synthetic motor oil made from natural gas.



2013 Hennessey Venom GT Specifications:



Optional Upgrades
• Michelin Pilot Sport Cup ZP Tires
• Bare Carbon Fiber Finish
• Right-Hand Drive
• Stefano Ricci Bespoke Interior
• Stereo System Designed by Steven Tyler of Aerosmith

Note: The Hennessey Venom GT design is based on the Lotus Elise / Exige. The Venom GT is created from a base Lotus Elise / Exige and utilizes components including but not limited to the roof, doors, side glass, windscreen, dash, cockpit, floorpan, HVAC system, wiper and headlights. Hennessey Performance and the Venom GT are not associated with Lotus Cars.

Want One?


For more information about the Venom GT or to place an order, please contact John Hennessey by telephone at 1.979.885.1300 or by email at info@venomgt.com

Jalopnik has a nice little history of the world's fastest cars here.

Related links:
http://www.venomgt.com
http://www.hennesseyperformance.com

A Driveable Truck Made Of Ice Makes For One Cool Product Demo.

Here's a product demonstration that will leave you cold...  -49°C to be accurate. Canadian automotive parts retailer and manufacturer, Canadian Tire, constructed a completely drivable truck made of ice on the frame of a Chevrolet 2500HD to test the limitations of their MotoMaster Eliminator AGM battery. The truck was then used in a Canadian television commercial (shown at the end of this post).



They froze this battery to -49°C (-52° Farneheit) , then used it to start up the ice truck built out of more than 11,000 lbs of ice.





The project had numerous challenges. To put 14,000 pounds of ice on a regular truck frame, it had to be welded rigid because if it moves even a fraction of an inch it will crack the ice. And while your ice cubes at home may have a white center because of the air trapped inside, they had to remove all that air so the blocks were crystal clear.




The Canadian Tire Ice Truck even has an ice engraved vanity plate:



And an ice sculpted rear view mirror with an Ice Pine Tree Air Freshener hanging from it:


And ice sculpted side-view mirrors:


More pics:




The television commercial that aired in Canada:


And a look Behind The Scenes:


The tools that went into constructing the Canadian Tire Ice Truck:


Once it was all said and done, the ice truck had to be melted, which required a blow torch:


And here's an artsy time-lapse video (in reverse) of the ice truck....
Melt Video of the Canadian Tire Ice Truck (Extended):


Learn about the car batteries here

information courtesy of Canadian Tire;

Mercedes-Benz Designs A Wicked Car Inspired By A Video Racing Game: The AMG Vision Gran Turismo.

For the new PlayStation® 3 racing game Gran Turismo 6, released just last month, the Mercedes-Benz designers have developed the visionary concept of a super sports car – and created one in full scale: the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo.




Extreme proportions, sensual contours and intelligently implemented high tech blend to form a breathtaking body.






Using the theme "Vision Gran Turismo", the world's leading automotive manufacturers and design studios were to develop concept models which give a unique insight into the further development of the automobile.







Kazunori Yamauchi, Head of Games Development and President of Polyphony Digital Inc., called for a look into the future. Under the basic idea of "Vision Gran Turismo", leading car manufacturers and design companies worldwide were asked to fashion pioneering design models. As virtual vehicles that nonetheless function just like a real car, the visionary concepts will be gradually unveiled in and integrated into the new game Gran Turismo® 6 through online updates.



"With its proportions and its expressive appearance, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo embodies that design philosophy of sensual clarity which is characteristic of the brand. The design of this concept car clearly shows the perfect interaction of emotive, sensual shapes with intelligently placed technologies," said Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Daimler AG.

As a 1:1-scale model, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo celebrated its world premiere at the opening of the new Mercedes-Benz Research Development Center in Sunnyvale, California and debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show.


above: the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo at the Los Angeles Auto Show

During the design development of the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo, the same standards were kept and the same processes followed as for any other concept car or series-production model. All the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studios around the world prepared initial design drafts of their visions. Finally, the best ideas were further developed at the Advanced Design Studio in Sindelfingen as part of a digital design process, and then perfected in a physical 1:1 design process. The interior design was created at the specialised Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy.

Also, the sound designers of the concept car have integrated an elegant, specially developed sound for the eight independent exhaust pipes integrated into the rear lamps (shown below).


Muscuar Bodyshell:


The sports car proportions that are a typical Mercedes-Benz feature have been reinterpreted: the long bonnet has a flowing transition into a compact greenhouse offset to the rear, which takes the form of an aerodynamically efficient water drop to descend slightly at the rear, where it rests on the rear end with broad shoulder contours. The dynamic aura is accentuated by an extended, dramatic side contour and a pronounced bulge to the wheel arches, which blend into the low-slung, muscular bodyshell. The angled headlamps, with their colour scheme and determined look, convey a sense of sportiness and readiness to leap forward.

LED Grille:


Another eye-catching feature is the radiator grille – a reinterpretation of the wide Mercedes-Benz sports car grille with central star. Its shape is reminiscent of the legendary 300 SL racing car of 1952. However, instead of classic louvres the grille of the show car features exclusively LEDs. The variable LED grille with different light patterns is a further development of the diamond grille introduced with the new A-Class.

The Game: Gran Turismo 6 - Standard Edition


• The Gran Turismo® series, recording sales over 70 million* worldwide, reinvents its core game engine in its newest edition for PlayStation®3. Gran Turismo®6 brings with it 1,200 types of car and 76 courses across 37 locations.
• With powered-up online competition, brand-new community functions, the product of collaboration with the world’s automotive manufacturers “Vision Gran Turismo” and more, Gran Turismo®6 is at the forefront of racing game technology.



Gran Turismo
Mercedes Benz