Porsche Confirms 918 Spyder's 7:14 Nürburgring Time

Only a day after the official brochure of the 918 Spyder leaked on the web, Porsche confirmed reports that its hybrid supercar posted a 7:14 lap time at the 20.6 km (12.8-mile) Nürburgring track on September 18. Porsche said that the prototype was packing 795HP, which is the first time the automaker is being specific about the 918 Spyder's "770HP-plus" output.
The automaker added that the car was available for only one lap noting that it started from a standstill, was fitted with standard Michelin production tires and was equipped with the optional “Weissach” package that reduces weight by 34 kg (77 pounds) by ditching most amenities such as the air conditioning and the audio system.
Even though it did not set any records the Stuttgart-based company is more than happy with the time set by the 918 Spyder.
“By turning in a fabulous time of 7:14 minutes, the 918 Spyder prototype has already fully confirmed the viability of its future concept after just a few months on the road”, said Dr. Frank Walliser, the project’s overall leader.
With the Nordschleife being its home turf and Porsche already having a history of defending its reputation on this particular track, we bet that this is just the beginning…
After all, future 918 clients who will have the opportunity to own one may not choose to splash out more than US$60K on a paint job, but surely want top bragging rights as far as their hypercar's 'Ring time is concerned.
By Andrew Tsaousis

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Daihatsu Exhibits D-R and D-X Roadster Concept

 

The 20th Indonesia International Motor Show that takes place in the capital city of Jakarta from September 20 to 30, saw Toyota's subsidiary, Daihatsu displaying two concept roadsters at its stand. The D-R and D-X, first seen at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, represent two different styles in the small roadster segment, with both cars based on the same chassis and powered by a 660cc (0.66-liters) two-cylinder turbocharged engine with direct-injection technology.
While the D-R is more stylish and elegant, the D-X is tough and aggressive. Daihatsu says that resin-based body has parts that are interchangeable thus allowing owners to enjoy two different styles.
The automaker has no current plans to produce the "D" series studies.

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Mercedes-Benz for a Joy Ride While he Was in Jail

Receiving a ticket for running a red light is nothing new - unless, that is, you were in jail and the police had impounded your car at the time, which is the case of 25-year old Rashad Lewis from Queens, New York. Lewis' story started on Friday, August 3, when the 25-year old junior at Berkeley College was pulled over for a traffic violation while driving his luxury Mercedes-Benz CL coupe in New York City.
"The cops said I ran two red lights," Lewis told the NY Post. The police said that while searching his vehicle, they found 13 fake credit cards, and as a result, both Lewis and his friend, Gregg Humphreys, 22, who was sitting on the passenger side, were arrested on charges of criminal possession of a forged instrument and taken to jail. In the meantime, the Mercedes-Benz coupe was impounded by the police.
“I posted bail and was released the next week," said Lewis
About a couple weeks after he posted a $3,500 bail and returned to his home in Queens, Lewis received for running a red light, which allegedly took place on August 4, when he was in prison and his car was supposedly parked at the Springfield Gardens Auto Pound in Queens.
“My first reaction was, ‘Are you guys serious?’ I had a whole bunch of emotions running through my mind. I felt violated. I don’t know if they could have committed a crime in my vehicle. I was really shocked. I was mad,” he told the NY Post.

Photos of Three-Door 2013 Volkswagen Golf

We knew that it was only a matter of time before Volkswagen would launch an online configurator for the all-new 2013 Golf Mk7 on its German website after the introduction of the car in Berlin on Tuesday, but what we weren't expecting to see were the first images (CGIs, to be precise) of the three-door variant. Leaving aside the absence of the rear- and the longer front-doors, there aren't any other cosmetic changes to the body of the three-door hatchback, which is something that we anticipated since VW is covering the sportier compact segment with the Scirocco.
Volkswagen's German website configurator allows you to customize and fit numerous options on both the three- or five-door Golf models.
If you scroll down, you will also find images taken from the German market launch brochure.
For full details on the Golf VII, check out our comprehensive post that includes initial specifications, photos, and videos of the five-door hatchback by following this link.
Kudos to Luka C. for the heads up!

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