In 1993, at Donington Park, one of the best Formula 1 drivers of all time, Ayrton Senna, drove his perfect course, 1:18.029. 31 years later, his nephew Bruno driving a McLaren Senna set a new fastest lap time, for production cars, on this track with 1:30.5.
It was a big moment in Formula 1 history, and Senna not only took the win, but set the record lap time. At that time he was driving a McLaren MP4/8 and from the fifth starting position, he reached the first place in the first lap. He decided to show his best. Driving like never before, he managed to overtake all his rivals. He crossed the finish line with a lead of 1 minute and 23 seconds, outpacing all but the runner-up for the entire lap.
The McLaren Senna was produced between 2018 and 2019. It is powered by a 4.0-L twin-turbo V8 engine with 800 hp (596 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. This 1,198 kg (2,641lbs) heavy car reaches 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.8 seconds with a top speed of 335 km/h (208 mph). It is equipped with a carbon Monocage III chassis and body panels.
Giannini Spettacolo is a project of the company Giannini Automobili based on the Fiat 500, which will be produced in only 200 units and will cost 133,000 euros.
The Spettacolo is equipped with unique body panels that give it an aggressive look, a new front fascia, larger intakes and a prominent splitter. The aluminum hood features Formula 1-inspired air vents and integrated details that go over the headlights, which add to the distinctive look. There are also wider fenders, more massive door sills and a set of 18-inch wheels. At the back there are side vents and a rather large rear spoiler and a redesigned bumper in which two exhaust pipes are placed above the diffuser. It should also be noted that customers can choose various options for their car through the configurator, including body colors and stickers. The rear bench has been replaced with two carbon monocoque seats.
The development of this model lasted 150 days, and the credit goes to Paolo Mancini, co-founder of FV Frangivento Automobili. The first example was unveiled this month at a private event in Rome and is based on the 2012 Abarth 595.
When it comes to the powertrain, the Giannini Spettacolo is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-L T-Jet four-cylinder engine with 250 hp (186 kW) and 265 lb-ft (360 Nm) of torque. That is significantly more power than all previous Abarth models, including the upcoming Abarth 600e and the 595/695 series. Power is sent to the front wheels via an automated manual transmission, but a manual transmission is also available. The 985 kg car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5 seconds with a top speed of 280 km/h (174 mph).
These days, the Bavarian carmaker is very active. At the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este we saw the unique and exotic concept car Skytop, and now after the redesigned M3, the improved BMW Series 3 is coming to the market.
The new Series 3, in addition to the new colors (Arctic Race Blue Metallic and Vegas Red Metallic), comes with the M Sport package, which is standard on the M340i, new 19-inch M twin-spoke wheels, as well as a Jet Black finish. Buyers can also choose a new BMW Individual 19-inch set of Y-spoke wheels. It is equipped with an improved chassis, stiffer brackets that connect the rear shock absorbers to the body, a revised steering system to reduce effort in Comfort mode.
The interior of the new Series 3 is decorated with a new steering wheel, lighting integrated into the lining around the new central air vents, and customers can choose between nine different colors and adjust the lighting intensity according to their wishes. The Sensatec dashboard is enhanced with Galvanic controls, which give a unique glow to the window switches, door lock button and air vent knobs. The infotainment system, which runs BMW Operating System 8.5, has also been improved. New are the start screen, more intuitive operation and improved menu structure.
Fineline Light open-pore wood trim is now standard on the 330i, while the M340i gets diamond-patterned M aluminum accents. Buyers can also get open-pore aluminum or Ash gray wood trim, while the M340i offers carbon accents.
When it comes to the powertrain, the 330i is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-L four-cylinder engine with 259 hp (193 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque. The engine has been upgraded and now features redesigned intake ports and combustion chambers, as well as innovations in camshaft control, injection, ignition and exhaust routing.
The BMW M340i is powered by a new 3.0-L TwinPower Turbo 6-cylinder engine with a 48V mild hybrid system with a total output of 391 hp (291 kW) and 398 lb-ft (539 Nm) of torque, which is 4 hp and 39 Nm more than its predecessor. That’s enough to accelerate the car from 0 to 100 km/h in just over 4 seconds (with AWD) with an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). The engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
