Aston Martin AM 310 Vanquish

The company has returned to one of its coolest ever names with the new AM 310 Vanquish, which, consequently, consigns the DBS to the history annals. This new Vanquish will now sit at the top of the Aston tree, and so it should - with the exception of the One-77, it's the most powerful car they will build.
Gallery: the new Aston Martin Vanquish
Power comes from a thoroughly reworked version of the venerable all-alloy 6.0-litre V12, positioned 19mm lower than the DBS for improved agility. It features a revised block, a new head, dual variable valve timing, an uprated fuel pump, enlarged throttle bodies, a revised ‘big wing' intake manifold and fully machined combustion chambers.
As such, it now produces 565bhp and 457lb ft of torque - delivered lower down the rev range, says Aston - sent through a six-speed automated manual transmission that results in a 0-62mph time of 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 183mph. That's 8mph less than the outgoing DBS. Ferrari's F12 Berlinetta - the Vanquish's probable sparring partner - comfortably eclipses these stats, but of course, battles like this are won in the heart, not the head. Both these cars' collective worth in the real world won't rest solely on bald facts.
Still, it's no runner-up in the tech stakes; every single panel on the Vanquish is made from carbon fibre, and AM's ‘Vertical Horizontal' (VH) aluminium architecture has been re-engineered to be 25 per cent stiffer than the DBS. The front has also been redesigned (to allow for that engine lowering) and is now 13 per cent lighter than the DBS.
And for the first time on an Aston, there's a proper motorsport-derived Launch Control system too. There's also stability control, torque control and adaptive damping (normal, sport and track), and as is the protocol for such cars these days, it clocked up thousands of hardened testing miles at the Nürburgring before being signed off.
Of course, you'll be wondering about those looks; familiarly Aston but with a hint of One-77. That's the idea: while the One-77 is actually the fastest and most powerful Aston ever built, it's sold out, so Aston wanted to stay faithful to the original V12 Vanquish ("so beloved of AM fans worldwide") while paying respect to the One-77.
It's a similar story inside too, with a One-77-esque centre console, infotainment system and even an identical steering wheel. And compared to the DBS, there's less reason for your limbs to complain inside: legroom is up 37mm, shoulder room broadens out by 25mm, elbow room by 87mm, and knee room extends by 50mm. And you can configure that interior as you wish: it's available as a proper four seater (2+2), or as a strict two seater (2+0). You know which box to tick. And we doubt you'll care much, but Aston has somehow found acres of boot space over the DBS: the new Vanquish gets 368 litres (186 litres for the DBS).

Says Dr Ulrich Bez, Aston CEO: "The Vanquish is the ultimate expression of Aston Martin design ethos, engineering innovation and technical ability. I believe the car unveiled today once again puts this great British brand at the top of its class."
Prices start from £189,995, with first deliveries expected later this year. Welcome back, Vanquish, we've been expecting you...

 http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/aston-martin-am-310-vanquish-2012-06-20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfppgZzb0yY

Cleo RS nearly beats Focus RS round Millbrook

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae4RqTW5UDU

Golf GTI convertible

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New Ford focus ST

What is it?
The 2013 Ford Focus ST picks up where the SVT version left off after the 2004 model year by transforming the pedestrian Focus--a nice but otherwise serviceable car--into a true enthusiast's ride, stuffing a high-output engine underhood, installing a sport suspension underfoot, dressing the interior with some serious seats and equipment and generally giving a performance nod to every aspect of the car.
Where your regular Focus models make do with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-banger turning out 160 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque, the ST model gets the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine with all of its accompanying tech features: high-pressure direct fuel injection, turbocharging and twin independent variable camshaft timing. All of that adds up to 252 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, with a trick overboost feature that allows for extending that peak torque for 15 seconds at a time.
Enthusiasts have more reason to rejoice: Every ST also gets the requisite six-speed manual gearbox; there are no automatic or dual-clutch transmission options available. And every ST sold in North America will be the five-door. European markets will get the option of a wagon but nowhere will the Focus ST be built as a sedan.
The suspension sees some serious revisions, too, from its stiffer springs and shocks to a beefed-up antiroll bar. The ride height has been lowered by 0.4 inch. But the bigger news is with the steering system, which gets completely redone for the ST and sports a variable-ratio steering rack. The setup reduces sensitivity when driving in a straight line, but quickens up nicely when cornering.
Standard across the ST lineup are a host of electronic features we particularly appreciated, including a stability control system with three levels of intervention (including completely off!), a torque-vectoring control system that acts like an electronic limited-slip differential and a cornering understeer control system that does exactly what its name implies.
The design really plays up the car's performance credentials, too, with revised front and rear fascias featuring more aggressive details, from the one-piece grille to the single center tailpipe. Below the front bumper the splitter dips lower and sweeps around the corners, with fog lamps inset deep and wide. The ST also gets unique 19-inch alloy wheels and an integrated roof spoiler.
Inside, all STs gets larger, thicker steering wheels, unique shifters and pedals and a dark headliner, as well as a unique gauge cluster for turbo boost, oil pressure and oil temperature. Up-trim ST2 cars add some nicely bolstered part-leather Recaro sport seats, dual-zone climate controls and an upgraded Sony audio system. ST3 models get full-leather, eight-way power-adjustable and heated Recaros, HID headlamps and a navigation system.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120621/carreviews/120629957