More horsepower. One Can Never Have Enough, Really.

Whilst perusing the dailies this lovely morning, I happened across this enthralling article in CAA magazine. Being me, I simply had to add it to my blog, since it directly relates to the things I love and cherish...speed, pretty colors, and leather :P

Article:

Too Fast, Too Luxurious.

The fastest street-legal cars in the world.

By Steve English

Humans have been feeling the need for speed pretty much since we first started walking up-right. From the first domesticated horses 6,000 years ago to the latest precision-tuned super-cars, our civilization’s progress has been measured in horsepower and kilometres-per-hour. The 10 cars listed here represent the pinnacle of personal mobility currently allowed by law and physics. Buckle up, hold on and brace yourself for the g-forces!

All cars are ranked based on posted quarter-mile (0.4km) acceleration times, and only street-legal, full-production models were considered (no customs, no concept cars, no racers).

10. 2002 Lamborghini Murciélago, 11.72 seconds
Named after a legendary fighting bull so renowned for its fighting spirit that it was spared its life, the Murciélago is a powerful beast with slick, movie-star-worthy lines. It really lives up to its namesake, too; incredibly fast, powerful and difficult to tame, the car’s disagreeable handling makes it a tough drive for all but the most experienced super-car enthusiasts. Given its wild styling and (ahem) modest $300,000 US price tag, taming it almost seems worth it.

9. 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, 11.6 seconds
Boasting both a powerful supercharged V8 (top speed approaching 333 km/h) and lav-ishly appointed leather-covered cockpit, the Mercedes SLR McLaren is a muscle car with a country-club pedigree. Hand-built at the McLaren plant in Woking, England, the SLR’s lightweight construction—a carbon-fibre body bolted to a largely aluminum chas-sis—complements its robust 617-horsepower pulling capacity. But make no mistake, this car isn’t for the common rabble: the SLR’s $441,000 US sticker price and two-month waiting period keep it almost exclusively in the preserve of high-rollers.

8. 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, 11.3 seconds
Introduced as a replacement for the 575M Maranello, the 599 GTB Fiorano seamlessly com-bines the elegance of a luxury car with the heart-pounding speed and performance of a super-car. All that torque can be tough to handle, but the Fiorano’s semi-active, aluminum double-wishbone suspension gives it pretty decent handling and a surprisingly smooth ride. But off-the-mark acceleration is where its true colours come out. Hitting 100 km/h in a breathtakingly Ferrariesque 3.7 seconds, you don’t just pull out in this baby, you take off.

7. 2005 Ford GT, 11.2 seconds
Inspired by the classic Ford GT40 that dusted everyone in the 1966 Le Mans 24-hour race, the Ford GT is the rarest of rare breeds: an American-made super-car with an almost reasonable price tag ($150,000 US). A handpicked team of Ford engineers designed the new-look GT to directly rival the Ferrari 360 Modena, a feat they accomplished in style. Made of lightweight aluminum—including frame, suspension and body panels—and sporting a set of fat, road-grabbing Goodyear F1 Eagles tires, this sleek 550 hp behemoth is surprisingly easy to drive. Its slick profile practically begs for a pair of racing stripes.

6. 2004 Porsche Carrera GT, 11.1 seconds
The most powerful production-model car Porsche has ever made, the Carrera GT puts even the awesome 911 GT2 to shame. The ultra-light and ultra-rigid carbon fibre body keeps the Carerra GT’s weight down and its acceleration up, but you really have to be out on the open highway to feel the full force of its 5.7L V10 engine. Once it gets going, the car flat-out flies, capable of hitting a top speed in the neighbourhood of 320 km/h and can come to an impossibly quick stop courtesy of its massive 15-inch ceramic composite brakes.

5. 2002 Mosler MT900 Photon, 11.02 seconds
Produced by the little-known Mosler Automotive company in Riviera Beach, Fla., the MT900 Photon takes Mosler’s already deliriously fast MT900S and somehow makes it even faster. Ba-sically a race car with a few street-legal tweaks, the Photon sacrifices creature comforts for awe-inspiring performance and more speed than most mere mortals can handle. The engine roar drowns out the radio and the seats are hard and uncomfortable, but judging by how it eats up the road, you probably won’t be sitting in them long enough to notice.

4. 2003 Ferrari Enzo, 11 seconds
An automaker with Ferrari’s lineage isn’t going to put its founder’s name on just any old street rocket. Produced in a limited edition of only 399 and designed with input from legendary F1 champion Michael Schumacher, the Enzo is, by all accounts, the company’s zenith. Fingertip steering, responsive suspension and precision engineering throughout make it an absolute breeze to drive. But once you let its 6.0L V12 loose, it turns into a snarling beast. One draw-back: the Enzo requires a special (read: expensive) type of motor oil. Average oil change cost: $732 US. Ouch!

3. 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 10.85 seconds
The Z06 is the super-car equivalent of a welterweight boxer. Generating an impressive 505 horses from its 427ci engine, it packs the mighty wallop of good, old-fashioned Detroit muscle onto a small, light and blindingly fast sporty frame. Lightweight components, including a magnesium engine cradle and an all-aluminum chassis keep the Z06’s curb weight under 1430 kg and help make it the fastest production Corvette ever assembled. All this and a fully appointed interior, too!

2. 2007 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo, 10.6 seconds
It looks European, but the Saleen S7 is 1,247 kg of all-American muscle. Considered the first U,S.-made super-car, the S7 sports a relatively small power plant that packs a mighty big punch, churning out a claimed 750 horsepower and capable of reaching speeds as high as 354 km/h. All that power does come at a price, though. The engine is quite noisy when running in low gear, the shifting is rough and choppy, and the cockpit is a tight squeeze for tall drivers. On the plus side, a one-night stay at the Ritz-Carlton at Dana Point—near the manufacturing plant—is built into the sticker price so engineers can custom-fit the pedals and seat to your exact specifications.

1. 2007 Bugatti Veyron 16.4, 10.2 seconds
With its ultra-limited production run—Bugatti plans to build only 50 of them a year—and a sticker price in the neighbourhood of a $1,250,000 US, the Veyron is destined to be the must-have plaything for the speed-obsessed elite. Cramming 1,001 metric horses onto a street-legal frame, the Veyron is an engineering feat and a half; even its tires had to be specially designed so they wouldn’t disintegrate at top speed. And while you’ll no doubt never get the chance to drive one of these low-slung luxury dragsters, the mere fact that they exist is awe-inspiring enough.

Personally, if I had the option, I'd go for the McClaren. The Corvette, while being GM and therefore right up my alley, still carries the taint of "desperate old guy" car, and while that may sound trite, I cannot help the way I feel. And if I'm spending that kind of cash, I think my feelings require some consideration :P

Also no to the Ford. Sorry, Ford, aside from the AC Bristol Cobra, you have never really impressed me. And this is, after all, all about me. Heh.

Lamborghini, too ostentatious, ditto for the Bugatti. Ferrari, Porsche, ditto. Too much the "hey look at me, I got money so I bought a fast car" mentality for me. Half the owners out there cannot even drive these cars they way they were intended. Losers. You know what I mean.

Yes, I think the Mercedes SLR McClaren suits me admirably well. Classy, lavish, beautiful, tricky to navigate, and fast as hell given the proper circumstances. Yes, in fact, it suits me to a T.

:P

Thank you, all donations happily accepted >:]