World's Most Powerful

January 10, 2006 There are few automotive announcements that could turn attention from the new model frenzy currently underway at the NAIAS (Detroit) Show, but overnight news from Maranello has done just that, when Ferrari announced the forthcoming Pininfarina-designed 599 GTB. To be shown for the first time on February 28 at the Geneva Motor Show, the 599 GTB will be the most powerful V12-engined production car of all time. The latest interpretation of a theme that has seen such classics as the 250 GT, the 275 GTB, and the 365 GTB4, the 599 GTB replaces the most recent in that great line of berlinettas, the 575M Maranello. The new car is a concentration of Ferrari's most innovative and technologically advanced engineering solutions applied to a mid-front engined two-seater coupe.  Read More

December 29, 2005 At the extreme outer limits of automotive performance, several marques continually push the boundaries. For a long period of time, the MacLaren Mercedes F1 was the world’s fastest car, before Koenigsegg lifted the crown. The specifications of the outrageous Veyron waited some time before going into production, but now the mantle of the world’s fastest roadgoing car rests safely with Bugatti. The title of the World’s Most Powerful Series Production Car will change in 2006 though when the new Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG becomes available. Its ultra-powerful AMG 6.0-litre V12 biturbo engine delivers performance that many sports car drivers can only dream about: it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and 0 to 200 km/h in just 13.3 seconds. The compelling top-of-the-line model of the brand new S-Class delivers 450 kW and reaches peak torque of 1000 Nm – more than any other vehicle in this segment.  Read More

December 14, 2005 The prospect of a diesel-engined racing car competing at the highest level became reality in Paris yesterday when Audi pulled the wraps off the new R10. The R8 it replaces has been dominant in its sphere of global sportscar racing and Audi has set itself a monumental challenge in attempting to maintain its winning form with a totally new 5.5-litre, 12-cylinder twin-turbo TDI engined racecar. Diesel engines are very different to those normally associated with car racing – they are quiet, economical, with broad mid-range torque. The R10’s usable power band apparently lies between 3,000 and 5,000 rpm, an unusually low rev range for a racing engine and one which needs far less gear changes – but hey, it’s a diesel and diesels have never been raced successfully against their petrol-engined cousins … but the Audi R10 produces over 650 hp and a colossal 1,100 Newton metres of torque and promises fascinating high tech gawking as the team prepares for its race debut at the Sebring 12 Hours (USA) in March. If Audi can pull off a win in the race for which its is built, the twice-around-the-clock Le Mans 24 Hour Race in France on June17-18, 2006, it will be a unique triumph ... and one which might mark the beginning of an exciting new ear for the once much maligned diesel.  Read More

September 23, 2005 For several years now, the 178bhp Kawasaki ZX12 has had the most horsepower of any production motorcycle, though it has played second fiddle to the 175 bhp Suzuki GSX1300 Hayabusa (named after the Japanese Peregrine falcon, one of the few animals on the planet which can travel at 300km per hour which it does during a dive) because the Hayabusa has a higher top speed – the Suzuki’s aerodynamics enable it to more than make up for the slight horsepower deficit and it has now held the title of the world’s fastest production motorcycle for six years since it launched. The Hayabusa’s top speed as measured by the Guiness Book of Records is 317 km/h. But Kawasaki’s just announced ZX14 company flagship boasts 1400cc, much slipperier aerodynamics and the most horsepower and highest top speed of any production motorcycle EVER! The publicity conscious Kawasaki is keeping mum on the exact figures but the rumours emanating from Japan indicate we are just about to see the world’s first 200bhp production motorcycle and one with a top speed of waaay over 200mph. Full details inside.  Read More

July 16, 2005 Not as yet presented in an automobile, Mercedes-AMG has released details of its new high-revving, large displacement 6.3-litre V8 engine. Developed entirely by AMG, this engine generates 375 kW/510 hp at 6800 rpm, with a maximum torque of 630 Newton metres, making it the world’s most powerful naturally aspirated eight-cylinder production engine. That’s around 20 percent more torque than comparable naturally aspirated engines in this performance class. Made completely from high-strength aluminium, the V8 has a wealth of features derived from motorsport such as a variable intake manifold, the vertical arrangement of the intake and exhaust ducts, variable camshaft adjustment, a particularly rigid closed-deck crankcase and cylinder walls with a new LDS coating.  Read More

February 9, 2005 The Mercedes-Benz E 200 NGT switches from natural gas to petrol at the press of a button, does 227kmh and performs on par with the E200 KOMPRESSOR in either mode, and can halve running costs if run on natural gas alone. Throw in Mercedes exceptional retained value resale figures and the equation looks like a winner for when the right-hand drive models become available mid-year.  Read More

Tuesday July 22, 2003: Packing a 400MHz Intel ARM processor and 64MB of memory and built-in wireless "Wi-Fi" capabilities, the Tungsten C is far and away Palm's most powerful handheld ever.  Read More

If the Seven Wonders of the World was updated for the 21 st century, the Wartsila-Sulzer RTA96-C turbocharged two-stroke diesel engine could be a contender. If you are a student of the internal combustion engine in all its wonderous configurations, then feast your eyes on this set of numbers which outline the truly astounding engineering feat. It is the most powerful and most efficient engine in the world today.  Read More

Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg specialises in brutally fast exotica - Koenigsegg's CC8S is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most powerful production car. With the introduction of the CCR at the Geneva Motor Show, they have effectively broken their own record - 806 hp at 6,900 rpm. The two-door, two-seater CCR's outrageous figures don't stop there. With a dry weight of 1180 kg, it has a power to weight ratio of 1.46 kg per hp, which is another industry best figure. With so much horsepower and so little weight, it's no surprise the CCR runs a standing quarter mile in nine seconds flat, with a terminal speed of 235kmh. The CCR does 0 to 100 kmh in 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of close to 400 kmh (245mph), thanks to a slippery Cd (drag co-efficient) of just 0.297 and a very low frontal area (1.825 m2).  Read More