Showing posts with label Ascari. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ascari. Show all posts
Friday, April 29, 2011
The relatively unknown Ascari KZ1, (pronounced K-Zed-1 by the English), is the product of Klaas Zwart’s desire to manufacture a truly exclusive super car (Only 50 are built). The title of “super car” gets thrown around quite a bit in automotive circles. Having the highest horsepower, the fastest top speed or being the most expensive or prettiest is not enough. If it were, than the Bugatti Veyron would be the hands down “King of Super Cars.” (I personally think it looks like a deformed Audi TT). Instead the super-car designation is given to a car with a combination of elements not least of which is a reasonable level of real-life drivability. From those that have driven the KZ1, and I am not yet one of them, there are quite a few who claim that it may be the most super of all “super cars.”
Power is provided by a naturally aspirated, 5.0-liter BMW M5-derived eight-cylinder engine. The hand-molded aluminum engine ignites 500 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 406-ft. lbs. of torque @ 4,500 rpm. 0-60 is attained in 3.7 seconds and the car has a top speed (LIMITED for European road worthiness mind you) to 200 mph! According to the BBC television show Top Gear it posted the fifth quickest lap time EVER recorded on the series at just over one minute and 20 seconds. Despite the absence of an electronic stability control system, maneuvering and handling at high speeds are managed with ease due to the mid-motor position. Ok, that’s all well and good, but the real kicker is that it still manages 18 mpg in town and 26 mpg on the highway. All is well indeed.
The one complaint given about the KZ1 is that it may be so good, so refined and so polished, that it actually eliminates one of the main thrills of driving such a vehicle; the possibility of danger. Even the design, which is certainly appealing, isn’t overly exotic either. The interior, in fact the entire car, is what you would expect from something that is the result of 340 hours of handcrafted excellence. The interior color of each car is matched to the exterior based on the customer’s specifications.
With mileage better than some SUV’s and a ride that is actually feasible for a daily commute, there really isn’t much of an excuse not to like the KZ1. I’m sure when a car costs $450,000, gas mileage is not even a blip on the radar of concern for the buyer. But it is impressive nonetheless and proof that performance doesn’t have to be at the expense of mileage.
Source:http://www.ridelust.com
Sunday, October 11, 2009
A10 Ascari sports car V-8 engine
The Ascari A10 lightweight carbon fiber body of less than 3,000 pounds is designed more for the racetrack than the road. There were only a few models of this fast car built, somewhere between 10 and 50, and although expensive, it promises incredible speed and power.The Ascari A10 sports car, developed by British manufacturers and similar to the Spanish GT version, is rated in the top ten supercars for 2006.
The power of the Ascari A10 comes from the modified BMW 5.0 liter V-8 engine, with the standard six-speed sequential transaxle, where the gearshifts operate as paddles, similar to other race cars. Additions and modifications to the engine, however, include cams with advanced timing, new rods, and pistons, as well as a dry sump lubrication system. It has the same steel sub-frame for the power train and rear suspension as the KZ1 sports car, but the height of the coil spring units can be adjusted hydraulically on front and rear. This is a unique feature, not found on most other supercars, where adjustments can only be made manually. Handling should be easier than before, with front and rear anti-roll bars installed, which are also adjustable. The builders of the A10, not to be outdone by their competitors and to ensure adequate braking at such high speeds, have installed ventilated ceramic disc brakes, with 6-pot calipers on the front and 4-pot calipers on the rear.
Ascari A10 rear view image
The exterior design of this luxury race car is more dramatic than its predecessor the KZ1, with wider headlamps, a different grille, and higher wheel arches to accommodate larger rear tires. In addition, it features a splitter in the front, fixed rear wing, and five detachable body panels for added race trace utility. Even with standard features such as a battery isolator, rollover cage, electric windows, and air conditioning, it still weighs 55 pounds less than the KZ1.
Klaas Zwart, the owner of Ascari, may well have designed the fastest exotic car in the UK, outperforming the Ferrari Enzo as is claimed. The A10 is certainly a rare and distinctive car, one that is much desired to own.
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