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NEWS ARCHIVE :
2008 Geneva Motor Show
Geneva, Switzerland
March 5, 2008
Mansory, the German coachbuilder of British cars was at it again in Geneva but this time they’ve gone too far. Nicknamed the Stallone, this Ferrari 599 is the first non-British vehicle Mansory has modified. The pearl white and glossy carbon fiber body of the Stallone uses a great deal of carbon fiber and while the quality of the workmanship is top-notch the result is decidedly hideous.
While oddly-angular, the new carbon fiber front fascia does improve downforce and feeds the new intercoolers. That’s right, this Stallone is supercharged! New side skirts and a rear bumper with integrated diffuser are also a part of the package. Somehow they thought an LP640 tail-pipe would look good. We couldn’t disagree more. As well, the fenders of the 599 have been flared to widen the body of the already imposing Ferrari.
Inside the front and rear arches sit new Mansory wheels measuring 20x9-inches up front and 21x11.5-inches in the rear. These new wheels from Mansory were built with light-weight performance in mind. The front 20-inchers weighing 29-lbs. For tires the Stalllone sits on 255/30/20 and 325/30/21 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx rubber.
Most impressive is the supercharger system which was designed specifically for 599. Mansory has always been more of an aesthetic tuner than a performance one, but they have proved their worth by pumping output from 620 hp all the way up to 720 hp. Torque has also been increased from 448 ft-lbs up to 516 ft-lbs. Mansory claims a new 0-100 km/h time of 3.7 seconds, versus the stock time of 3.9 sec.
As no Ferrari would be complete without a lot of red, Mansory went with a full red Ostrich leather interior.
MANSORY Renovatio – McLaren SLR
Proving they haven’t lost their touch, Mansory also unveiled the Renovatio, a matte gold and matte carbon fiber widebody McLaren SLR. One of the new carbon pieces is a new front fascia which directs air into the engine bay and at the new intercoolers. The SLR also receives wider fenders as well as new sideskirts and a new rear diffuser. Particularly impressive are the side outlet exhaust pipes!
When it came to the engine Mansory engineers worked with the philosophy “Evolution, not Revolution.” With that in mind enhancements were made including a new supercharger and intercoolers as well as a remapped ECU. The result is a horsepower output of 700 ponies and a torque output of 649 ft-lbs. Mansory claims this extra power results in a new 0-100 km/h sprint time of 3.6 seconds, compared to 3.8 seconds stock.
New wheels are also a part of the package. Double-spoke five-spoke wheels measure 20x9-inches up front and 20x11.5-inches in the rear with 255/30/20 and 325/25/20 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tires.
Much like the Mansory 599, the SLR also receives a complete interior enhancement package.
LAMBORGHINI Gallardo LP560-4
One of the few ground-breaking OEM cars at Geneva was the new Lamborghini LP650-4. This is not yet another special edition Gallardo but the next iteration of the most popular Lambo. The LP560 features a larger 5.2-liter engine which produces 560 hp – up 40 hp from the previous model Gallardo. This new Gallardo also receives a weight reduction of 44 lbs. This all adds up to a new zero-100 km/h time of 3.7 seconds – 0.2 seconds faster than the 2007 model.
The most surprising aspect of the car might be that it is significantly more environmentally responsible than the outgoing Gallardo. Lamborghini claims the LP560 will achieve 17 mpg, compared to 14 mpg for the outgoing car. On top of that, emissions are reduced by 17 percent.
As for the styling changes they are subtle yet effective. The exotic Italian gets a more rounded overall appearance and yet the front intakes are obviously borrowed from the Reventon.
Infiniti FX50
While the luxury brand of Nissan might be well-known here, it is a relative newcomer in Europe. For that reason Infinity chose to unveil the new FX series at Geneva. Targeted at buyers of high-performance German SUVs, the FX50 comes equipped with a 390 hp V8 engine and a seven-speed automatic transmission that rev matches on the downshifts. We’re a little iffy on the new look, considering how sporty the old FX was.
Impressively, the FX50 will feature the intelligent four-wheel drive system called ATTESA E-TS (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Electronic Torque Split) as well as the company’s Rear Active Steering – both features found on the new GT-R. The FX50’s standard Rear Active Steer system is the first of its kind available in an SUV. Unlike passive rear steering systems, this design features precise, electronic motor-driven control to turn the rear wheels up to one degree, helping generate a nimble steering response at low speeds and enhance stability at high speeds. Rear Active Steer moves the FX50’s rear wheels in accordance with the front-wheel steering angle and vehicle speed, rather than passively following the front wheels. The result is a vehicle that is able to change direction with improved quickness, precision and stability. The FX50 will also come equipped with a Continuous Damping Control (CDC) system which includes electronically controlled shock absorbers.
The FX50 comes standard with the unique Infiniti Around View Monitor utilizes four small superwide-angle cameras – mounted on the front, side and rear of the FX50 – to project an all-around view of potential objects on every side of the vehicle, helping reduce blind spots when parking. The system uses advanced image processing to provide a unique “Birds-Eye View” of the vehicle, making it easy for the driver to position the FX50 for parallel parking by simultaneously confirming the exact placement of the front and rear of the vehicle. The system includes front and rear sonar sensors for camera assistance, also displayed in an easily understandable fashion on the display.
Bugatti Veyron Fbr
In a combined project between Bugatti and the luxury company Hermes, the Bugatti Veyron Fbr proves that there is a worse way to spend money than on the Reventon. Priced at $2.3M you at least get a Veyron – but not much else. The Hermes edition vehicle comes with special leather and paint as well as custom suitcases.
Be sure to pick up the June issue of MLE for an in-depth look at the new creations from Mansory.
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