2013 Ferrari 458 Italia 2dr Cpe on 2040-cars

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Recap: 2013 Australian Formula One Grand Prix is all about the rubber [w/spoilers]

A pre-season full of talking points was swapped for a brand-new set of talking points after the running of the opening grand prix of the 2013 Formula One season. The consistency of the regulations from last year to this year and the triplicate dominance of Infiniti Red Bull Racing meant that no one would have been that surprised if the relative order of things remained the same. But teams found so many ways to switch things up that, in typical pre-season fashion, no one was ready to make any bets on in-season performance, and a couple of surprising players suffered the ignominy of getting it really wrong: McLaren knew it was in trouble from the very first test, while Williams drivers applauded their car as the best in years, only to have Pastor Maldonado call it "undriveable" on the very first day of practice in Melbourne.
And then there were those Pirellis, the Italian company talking up the fact that its super soft tires would only go off so quickly that it would force teams to pit at least twice during the race.
Even then, no one could have seen the first round of pit stops beginning on Lap 5.

Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari 512M and more immortalized as Lego sets

Lego has announced a slew of new Speed Champions sets, the ones based on actual licensed cars, for 2022. The latest batch includes a smorgasbord of supercars, from beloved classics like the Lamborghini Countach to yet-to-be-released promises like the long-awaited Mercedes-AMG One. There are seven cars in total, released in five sets.  Our favorite is probably the 262-piece Lamborghini Countach, based on a later LP500 variant. Not only does it tick the box of a childhood dream machine, but the angular shape of the real-life Countach lends itself well to being recreated in Lego bricks. Also, it's modeled in white rather than the typical red. Lego Speed Champions Ferrari 512M 1 View 6 Photos We also really dig the Ferrari 512M. It marked the last of Ferrari's V12 endurance racers, and even though it was soundly spanked by the Porsche 917, the cars are undeniably beautiful. The 291-piece Lego set does a great job of capturing its brutal wedge silhouette in brick form. Lego Speed Champions Lotus Evija 1 View 5 Photos Rounding out the single-car sets is the 247-piece Lotus Evija. The electric Lotus has a bit of a generic supercar look about it, but that's not entirely the fault of the Lego kit. Its dramatic vents can't really be replicated with the limited "resolution" of the Lego bricks. Its rear, with unique taillight-encircled air tunnels, is a bit more distinctive. Lego Speed Champions Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR & Vantage GT3 1 View 7 Photos In addition to the single car sets, there are two larger sets of two cars each. One is a 592-piece Aston Martin-themed pack that includes the Valkyrie AMR Pro and Vantage GT3. Again, it's a bit difficult to sculpt the cars' curvaceous lines out of straight-edged bricks, but the effort is admirable. The Valkyrie is probably the more successful of the two, as the Vantage would resemble a Corvette or Viper if it didn't have stickers to clarify the details. Lego Speed Champions Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance & Project One 01 View 9 Photos Last but not least is a twofer comprised of 564 bricks to build the Mercedes-AMG One and seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton's W12 racer. In Lego's official product description the driver is not mentioned by name, but the number 44 gives it away. The model of the One indeed looks like a sharp supercar, but the blocky pieces don't exactly replicate the lines we've seen on camouflaged test mules.

Living up to its name | 2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast First Drive

What's in a name? In the case of the Ferrari 812 Superfast, a numerical reference to its 800-(metric) horsepower, 12-cylinder engine and a not-so-subtle hint at its capability for extreme rates of travel. Only Ferrari, notorious for joyously naming its flagship "LaFerrari," could get away with the moniker. But once you get past the super-obvious nomenclature, it becomes hard to argue with this on-the-nose model name. If you're lucky enough to have sampled the standard F12 and one of the 799 F12 TDFs offered to Ferrari's most loyal clients, you've got a pretty good idea of the 812 Superfast's personality, which involves a blend of the TDF's edginess and the F12's comfort and usability. Even within the rarified world of supercars, the 812's athleticism is impressive despite its veil of approachability. More power, to the tune of 789 horsepower (versus the TDF's 769) combined with weight loss of 132 pounds make it the highest-performance standard production model Ferrari in history. (For reference, the TDF trims an even more impressive 242 pounds, ditching niceties like sound insulation.) Along with mechanical and aerodynamic improvements, the elevated power-to-weight ratio enables it to hit 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 211 mph. The main attraction is, of course, the 6.5-liter V12, which boasts 75 percent new parts and undergoes a series of mods to raise its output while (thankfully) retaining its naturally aspirated soul. A stroked version of the F12's 6.3-liter mill, the V12 features new pistons, new con-rods, a reinforced crankcase, and a trick new direct-fuel-injection system that runs at a staggering 5,076 psi. The system is capable of changing the shape of fuel droplets as they're injected into the combustion chamber, adjusting for around-town drivability or balls-to-the-wall performance. A revised air intake system incorporates a new plenum and bigger air inlet with wider throttle valves for better breathing. Silver lining: CO2 emissions have been reduced thanks to the new injection system and reduced friction from new 5W50 engine oil. Each of the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission's gears has been shortened, which has the virtual effect of producing an extra 50 horsepower – as if the mighty V12 was wanting for oomph. Upshifts can now happen 30 percent quicker, and the engine's ability to rev-match for downshifts occurs 40 percent faster.