CAR FERRARI DESIGNS: March 2011

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Design
The car was styled by the entrepreneurial auto-designer, Albrecht von Goertz, based on preliminary drafts prepared by Kurt Bredschneider. It was originally intended to feature a flamboyant shape incorporating rounded mudguards which would have emphasized its kinship with the BMW 502 sedan, but regulations concerning matters such as light positioning rendered such a form impractical. In retrospect, the more square cornered look of the car as it emerged with fully integrated wings may have been more in tune with future styling trends than the original proposal.

Technical
The 503 incorporated the 3168 cc light metal V8 engine from the 502 which in this application delivered a claimed power output of 140 brake horsepower (100 kW) and acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 13 seconds along with a top speed of about 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). The four speed manual transmission was unchanged from that used in the 502, and was originally mounted remotely from both the engine and the rear axle, as on the 502. In September 1957, the drivetrain was redesigned, with the transmission being bolted directly to the engine, as with the 507, and with the shifter being relocated from the steering column to the floor.

Commercial
Also presented at the 1955 Motor Show was the car’s sister model, the BMW 507, a two seater aluminium bodied roadster targeting customers looking for more focused performance. Both would be overshadowed in the marketplace by headline grabbing sports cars from Mercedes Benz. Although the 503 outsold its sibling, sales volumes were dwarfed by those of the rivals from Stuttgart-Untertürkheim.

Audi TT

Specifications

Engine	S62 BMW V8 with dry sump lubrication
Position	Mid-longitudinal
Aspiration	natural
Valvetrain	4 valves per cylinder with variable valve timing
Displacement	4941 cc (302.1 in³)
Bore	94 mm (3.7 in)
Stroke	89 mm (3.5 in)
Power	500 bhp (373 kW; 507 PS) @ 7000 rpm
Power to displacement	101 hp per litre (75.5 kW/L)
Power to weight	420 bhp per long ton (280 W/kg)
Torque	550 N·m (406 ft·lbf) @ 4500 rpm
Transmission	6 speed manual
0-60 mph	3.7 seconds
0-100 mph	8.0 seconds
1/4 Mile	11.8 seconds at 124 mph (200 km/h)

The Ascari KZ1 is a sports car made by Ascari. It can reach 201 mph (323 km/h). This car has a highly tuned BMW S62, a 4941 cc V8 engine originally used in the E39 M5 and Z8. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.7 and to 100 mph (160 km/h) in 8.0. The car is named from the initials of Ascari's owner Klaas Zwart, a wealthy Dutch businessman.

Only 50 Ascari KZ1 cars will be produced, making it among the most exclusive cars produced today; by comparison, 400 of the well-known Enzo Ferrari have been made. Each car is priced at £235,000 and requires 340 hours of handcrafting. Owners also receive the opportunity to drive the car at the Ascari-managed Race Resort Ascari in Spain.

The KZ1 was also featured in November 2005 on the BBC television show Top Gear, where it set the 5th fastest lap time ever recorded on the show at 1 minute 20.7 seconds; currently, the KZ1 holds 23rd place, the third-fastest time being 1:17.3 set by an Ascari A10.