All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

2023 Lamborghini Urus Performante – lighter and more powerful

Last year was very successful for Lamborghini when it comes to sales. The largest percentage of vehicles sold refers to the Lamborghini Urus. From 2017 to today, Lamborghini produced over 25,000 copies of its luxury SUV, and in the first half of the year, over 5,000 copies were sold. In order to withstand the great pressure from competitors, the Italian supercar manufacturer decided to present a lighter and more powerful version of its popular SUV, the Lamborghini Urus Performante.

More carbon parts such as wide wheel arches, a new front and rear bumper that lengthen the Performante by an additional 25 mm, a roof spoiler with carbon wings, an Akrapovič exhaust system, a new diffuser, a differential that distributes torque more efficiently and a recalibrated front wheel steering system increase the downforce of the car by an additional 8 percent and improves its performance.

Inside, the Dark equipment package brings slightly different graphics to the cluster and intotainment screen. Through the Ad Personam program, numerous customizations and modifications are possible, including red door handles, unique door sills, aluminum details and a wide selection of leather and Alcantara.

Lamborghini Urus Performante is powered by a 4.0L biturbo V8 engine with 657 hp (490 kW) and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque. That’s an extra 16 hp over the standard Urus, which has 650 hp (478 kW). All these improvements and a weight reduction of 47 kg have improved the performance of the Performante which now reaches 62 mph in 3.3 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds faster than the Urus, with a top speed of 190 mph (306 km/h). It’s mounted on a set of 22-inch wheels wrapped in 285/40 ZR22 (front) and 325/35 ZR22 (rear) PIRELLI P ZERO tires. Drivers can also use Rally mode, which offers better performance on off-road terrain.

When it comes to the price, the Lamborghini Urus costs around $221,506, while the price of the Performante is EUR 218,487 ($217,391.29 according to the current exchange rate).

Source: Lamborghini

News

Mercedes-AMG GT3 Edition 55

Mercedes-AMG recently presented the limited edition Mercedes-AMG GT3 Edition 55 with which the company celebrates more than half a century of existence. It is a racing car with a number of improvements compared to the standard GT3.

The car does not meet FIA homologations when it comes to weight, engine, aerodynamics and exhaust system. This means that the car does not have a silencer on the exhaust system, which is mandatory in FIA homologation, so the sound produced by the V8 engine is more powerful.

At first glance, the Edition 55 is indistinguishable from the standard Mercedes-AMG GT3, except for the paint and decals. Inside, carbon fiber seats with protective mesh are adorned with the embroidered inscription “Edition 55 – 1 of 5”. The contrast is made by the dark shade of gray and the carbon accessories. There’s also a Bosch DDU (data display unit), a high-resolution screen that shows information about speed, revs, engine operating temperature and lap times.

Mercedes-AMG GT3 Edition 55 is powered by a 6.3l V8 engine with 650 hp (478 kW). For comparison, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 has almost 100 hp (74 kW) less according to FIA standards. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential transmission in transaxle configuration with multi-disc, limited-slip differential and traction control.

Mercedes-AMG will produce 5 examples of this car. The price of the car is EUR 625,000, without VAT.

Source: Mercedes-AMG

Auctions, News

2022 Porsche 911 “Sally Special” sold for $3.6 million

Eight months ago, Porsche and Pixar began development of a special car inspired by the vehicle from the animated movie Cars. It is a Porsche 911 “Sally Special” designed by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.

“It’s been an honor to start designing a modern-day Sally with the creative icons behind the original character. The collaboration between Pixar and Porsche is a first of its kind and quite fitting the Co-Creation approach of the recently announced Exclusive Manufaktur Sonderwunsch program that allows customers to realize their dream cars. Whoever gets the keys to this special road car will enjoy many great road trips,” said Boris Apenbrink, Director of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Vehicles at Porsche AG.

Porsche’s intention was to build a car that it would sell and donate all the proceeds to two humanitarian organizations. On August 20, the car was sold at RM Sotheby’s for $3.6 million, which is a record amount for a new Porsche car.

The basis for the construction of this special model was the Carrera GTS, and after many modifications and 10 months of work, “Sally” was born. The whole process involved changes to make the car look as similar as possible to the movie character. It is adorned with custom Sally Blue Metallic, LED Matrix headlights with a full silver frame, five-spoke 20 and 21-inch wheels.

The interior of the car is the work of Sonderwunsch Manufaktur. The seats are upholstered in Chalk leather with Pepita seat inserts while the front seat backs have Speed ​​Blue stitching, the three-spoke steering wheel is upholstered in black leather with blue stitching. The same combination of Chalk leather and Speed ​​Blue stitching can also be seen on the door panels and dashboard. There is also a light-up “Sally Special” emblem on the door sills as well as the inscription “Sally Special 001/001” on the dashboard in front of the passenger.

Under the hood is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine with 473 hp (353 kW) and 420 lb-ft (570 Nm) of torque. It hits 62 in 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 193 mph (311 km/h). Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 7-speed PDK gearbox.

UNHCR said it was grateful to companies like Porsche for trying to help the vulnerable population, most of whom are women and children. “There is reason to hope with the critical support of companies like Porsche and Pixar Animation Studios who have generously stepped up to help ensure their safety and protection in months to come,” said Anne-Marie Gray, Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR .

Source: RM Sotheby’s