Intoxicating rpm of a powerful motor. A breathtaking vacuum behind a speeding supercar. This is an endurance sport. This is the thrill of the audience. High-speed cars have a special charm - keen drivers understand this. The fact that they are getting faster worries each of us. We are thrilled to watch incredible cars vying for the title of the fastest in the world.
This year they are lighter, sleeker and more powerful than all the previous ones. Now, with top speeds well above the previous golden threshold, the latest supercars are works of art in motion. We'll introduce you to some of the 2021 German champions - genius cars from historic car factories.
German cars at lightning speed
Many people wonder which car is the fastest. One can argue here for a long time, but most supercars are not allowed in the street traffic or are not serial. We deliberately bypassed tuning projects and vehicles not permitted for use on normal roads, and left the definition of "the fastest hypercar on the planet" to racing experts and the Guinness Book. The hunt for new records will never end. Koenigsegg, Bugatti, Hennessy, Noble, Pagani, Rimac, Lambo, Shelby, McLaren and other title-hungry manufacturers do not stop bringing more and more powerful players into the ring.
Today we want to focus on a specific group - German-made serial machines. It's always interesting to see how far their engineers can go with all the constraints imposed - both legal and physical. Here are ten examples of their finest creations - extremely beautiful, fast, and expensive.
1. Gumpert Apollo
On the initiative of Audi specialist Roland Meier (MTM), former Audi motorsport director Roland Gumpert took over the Apollo project in 2003. The result is a street racing car whose base version is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 650 hp. and a maximum torque of 850 Nm.
The plant guarantees 360 km / h. The model, which has performed well in racing competitions and is available in different versions (Basic, Sport, Enraged, Speed, etc.), has received a permit for driving on public roads.
Apollo IE (Intensa Emozione), which stunned the crowd at the 2018 Speed Festival, is based on advanced German engineering thanks to HWA's involvement in the creation of a 6, 3-liter naturally aspirated V12 generating 791 hp. (582 kW). It powers the "upper" configurations of the car (if you don't know, HWA is the initials of the founder Hans-Werner Aufrecht, the founder of AMG).
After the release of 10 copies of IE, Apollo promises not to stop, but to use the experience to "revolutionize the industry fundamentally" and "disrupt the legacy of the inherited structure of the automotive industry." Overly ambitious, but the car is really amazing.
2. Dauer 962 Le Mans
Former race car driver Jochen Dauer has received permission to use the "tamed" racing car on normal roads. Three-liter six-cylinder boxer twin-turbo, 730 hp, 700 Nm. The maximum speed according to registration documents is 402 km / h. Extremely rare, but still a production car. Several copies settled in the garage of the Sultan of Brunei, others went to equally wealthy hands.
3. BMW M5 CS
The M5 Competition is a great car, but the M5 CS takes it a step further. Automotive physics has its own laws: plus in engine power and minus in weight provide better maneuverability and higher speed.
In the M5 CS (stands for Clubsport) BMW applies these basic principles of dynamics: the eight-cylinder biturbo engine now produces 635 hp / 467 kW (plus 7-10 kW compared to the M5 Competition), and the weight has been reduced to 1825 kg (about 70 kg lighter). Thanks to this, the CS performs a standard sprint from standstill to 100 km / h in 3.0 seconds and accelerates to 305 km / h.
4. Porsche 918
Porsche is one of the few companies whose cars are known for their exceptional performance even in “home”, non-racing versions. Therefore, it is not surprising to see its products on the lists of the best cars of our time. Including the legendary roofless 918 Spyder, one of the first hybrid supercars to deliver extraordinary performance. Its hybrid V8 proved to be much lighter and more efficient than most conventional engines. This beautiful 887-strong car accelerates to "hundreds" per hour in 2, 3 seconds and effortlessly brings the speed to 345 km / h.
In addition to hybrid engines, some of the 918's technologies have already been adapted for other models, according to Porsche. The recuperation system is also used in a similar form in the 919 Hybrid LMP1. In addition, the 918 Technology Platform has opened up new possibilities with solutions such as a full carbon body, fully variable aerodynamics and adaptive rear axle control.
“These and other innovations have already been incorporated into production sports models such as the 911 Turbo, 911 GT3 and 911 GT3 RS,” said the Porsche engineers.
5. Porsche Cayenne S
You can think whatever you want about Porsche's off-road crossovers, but the manufacturer, previously leaning exclusively towards luxury sports cars, has long sold far more Macans and Cayenne than 911, Boxster or Cayman.
This all-wheel drive handsome man is 4, 85 meters long with a V8 engine with an output of over 400 hp. well equipped and impeccably finished. The speed parameters are also impressive: acceleration in 5, 9 seconds up to 100 km / h, "maximum speed" up to 258 km / h. There are also 550 hp turbocharged models. One downside: Porsche's maintenance costs are significantly higher than most of the other brands on our list.
6. BMW 650i
As an elegant coupe or spacious convertible, the third generation of the BMW 6 Series looks really good. The 4.4-liter turbocharged V8, coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive, produces a whopping 450bhp and a performance that rivals a sports car.
A comfortable cruiser with a length of 4.9 meters accelerates to 100 km / h in just 4.6 seconds; BMW electronically limits the top speed to 250 km / h.
7. Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
Mercedes-Benz makes everything from small hatchbacks to limousines and SUVs to luxury coupes, and with the latest updates, pretty much any of them deserves a spot on this list.
The 720-horsepower AMG GT Black Series (730 PS / 720 bhp) is perhaps the least representative model, but it's still a Mercedes, and we love it for its insane aerodynamics, muscle car ambiance and Nürburgring lap records. Explicitly track-oriented, but road-legal, it epitomizes German automakers' single-minded approach to satisfying speed-hungry motorists.
The Black Series (the sixth since 2006) has always represented something special. Mercedes says it's the most polished AMG ever, and while we've heard the same thing about the R Pro version, it has a lot to be proud of. Performance metrics alone are not enough to capture the talents of a black GT, but for the record, it sprints from 0 to 100 km / h in 3.2 seconds (R Pro in 3, 6) and, with high downforce, effortlessly picks up speed. up to 325 km / h.
8. Mercedes-AMG CLK GTR
Mercedes is known for top-notch executive cars - expensive, high-tech and luxurious. The AMG CLK GTR was built for Le Mans. This beast, weighing over a ton, was powered by a giant naturally aspirated LS600 V12 engine delivering 612 horsepower / 730 Nm. Such an enormous potential allowed him to reach a top speed of 334 km / h in a straight line. It should be noted that only 25 units of this model were approved for use on public roads.
9. Audi R8 V10 Decennium
Audi continues to build some of the most amazing high performance vehicles on the market. Decennium is the most expensive version of the R8. The starting price of this beast is 215 thousand dollars. It is powered by a 620-horsepower 5.2-liter V10, allowing the car to accelerate to 100 km / h in 3.2 seconds at a top speed of 331.8 km per hour.
10. Ruf CTR Anniversary
Another 911, you say? Not really, as Ruf's status as a manufacturer means that its Porsche-based products stand out. And in the case of the CTR Anniversary, the resemblance is literally very subtle: this neatly redesigned Porsche sits on Rufa's own carbon chassis and wrapped in the same (carbon) retro body.
Inspired by the legendary 1987 CTR Yellowbird, the current CTR Anniversary with a dry weight of just 1200 kg (almost half a ton less than the 911 Turbo S) uses a 3.6-liter flat-six (designed by Porsche and retuned by Roof) delivering 710 liters to the rear wheels..with. via manual transmission and limited slip differential. Fans who still admire Stefan Roser's legendary roundabout on the original Yellowbird will appreciate this combination.
There are many high-speed cars among Mercedes and BMW models, and motorists often argue about which cars are better - Mercedes or BMW.