Honda reveals HFP-equipped 2013 Accord V6 Coupes, only 500 to be made

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Honda officially released a press statement unveiling the latest version of Honda’s Factory Performance kit for the current 2013 Accord V6 Coupe and beyond.

It was originally shown last year at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas and has since then undergone serious performance testing, compliments of Honda Performance Development, Inc.

“The new Accord Coupe V6 is already a natural on twisty roads, but the HFP package really takes it to a new level,” said Lee Niffenegger in the press release, Honda Performance Development’s senior program engineer. “With a lowered ride height, sport suspension and more performance-oriented tires, the HFP kit definitely provides more controlled body motions and enhanced stability.”

Click here for more news on the Honda Accord.

The HFP package slaps some bespoke 19-inch HFP rollers, a standard decklid spoiler, HFP-tuned sport suspension that decreases ride height, HFP lower spoilers all around, red interior illumination, and other HFP accessories galore.

Pricing equates to a $4,620 package add-on to the existing 2013 Honda Accord Coupe V6’s price of $31,140. Only 500 HFP-equipped Accord V6 Coupes will be made.

For full details, check out the press release after the jump.

HONDA FACTORY PERFORMANCE PACKAGE NOW AVAILABLE FOR ACCORD COUPE V6

07/16/2013 – TORRANCE, Calif. – The limited-edition Honda Factory Performance® (HFP®) package for the Honda Accord Coupe V6 goes on sale today at select Honda dealers in the United States. First shown at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas and recently performance tested by Honda’s North American racing company, Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD), the HFP package adds significantly enhanced vehicle dynamics and distinctive styling cues to the already-sporty Accord Coupe.

To verify that the HFP package is more than just a pretty face, HPD, better known for its pinnacle racing efforts, was enlisted to conduct back-to-back track testing of the Accord Coupe V6 in stock and HFP forms. Their testing revealed that both cars are able performers, but the Accord equipped with the HFP package, utilizing a sport suspension package and 19-inch summer tires, felt more confident and stable and is capable of going around the track faster than the stock car.

“The new Accord Coupe V6 is already a natural on twisty roads, but the HFP package really takes it to a new level,” said Lee Niffenegger, program senior engineer at Honda Performance Development. “With a lowered ride height, sport suspension and more performance-oriented tires, the HFP kit definitely provides more controlled body motions and enhanced stability.”

The HFP package features 19-inch HFP alloy wheels; a decklid spoiler; HFP sport suspension (lowers height by 15mm and enhances handling); HFP front, side and rear underbody spoilers; red interior illumination; HFP floor mats and HFP badges for each side and the trunk. The HFP package, like all Honda Genuine Accessories, carries a 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty when installed at the time of new vehicle purchase, and is engineered to be fully compatible with the vehicle. Enhancing its exclusive appeal, only 500 examples of this limited-edition HFP package will be sold for the 2013 Accord Coupe V6. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of the package, not including installation, is $4,620.

- By: Chris Chin

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2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 Bilstein

Aston Martin, and the damping and suspension specialist, Bilstein, have been partners for a long time and now, the British automaker is paying homage to its long-standing partners with the unveiling of a special Bilstein-liveried V12 Vantage GT3.

It’s safe to say that Bilstein’s iconic blue and yellow colors fit the V12 Vantage GT3 to a tee the same way its dampers do on all of Aston’s road cars. It’s a tie-up that seems natural too, considering the history between the two companies.

And let’s not forget; the V12 Vantage GT3 is a pretty fantastic race car, too, one that is a direct line to Aston Martin’s V12 Vantage road car, sharing the same chassis and base engine, with the latter boasting a 6-liter V-12 engine that produces 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers translate to a 0-to-60 mph time of just 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 190 mph.

With the Bilstein and Aston Martin tie-up, we can only expect big things to come for this car in 2013.

“Bilstein has played an important role in the success of our road cars, providing outstanding performance and quality, and their racing experience at the Nürburgring is second to none," said Aston Martin CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez said.

"I’m very happy that they are supporting us in our ambition to conquer one of motorsport’s biggest challenges.”

The Bilstein-liveried V12 Vantage GT3 will first be seen in action at the ADAC Westfalenfahrt four-hour race (VLN1) on March 23rd before proceeding to the ADAC ACAS H&R Cup (VLN3) on April 27th in preparation for the ADAC Zurich 24-Hour race on May 19th and 20th.

[Topspeed]

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2014 McLaren P1

In today’s world of ungodly-powered supercars, an old hat that has been lost in the shuffle is looking to re-enter the conversation, determined to remind everyone that while their name hasn’t been mentioned in talks of ’fastest supercar on the planet,’ it was a matter of choice rather than cause.

McLaren once held the title of "world’s fastest production road car" in 1998 when the F1 supercar hit an impressive top speed of 240 mph. However, with the new P1, unveiled today at the Paris Auto Show, the company is not aiming for the same thing. according to McLaren, with the P1 "the aim is not necessarily to be the fastest in absolute top speed but to be the quickest and most rewarding series production road car on a circuit."

While McLaren offered no details on the engine to be used in the P1, they did confirmed it will deliver a power to weight ratio of more than 600 HP/tone making us believe that the supercar will be either very light or very powerful. Or Both?

We will have our answer pretty soon, as a production version will arrive withing the next 12 months.

UPDATE 01/24/2013: McLaren has just released a series of official spy shots and a new video presenting the latest testing session of their upcoming P1 supercar. New details reveal that the car was developed using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) aerodynamic modeling and Formula 1-derived dynamics simulation tools. Also, the cars put to tests have been equipped with a highly efficient braking system from Akebono, high-performance Pirelli tires and Mobil 1 fluids. All these updates have been made in an attempt to give the production version P1 "truly outstanding road and track dynamics and performance, coupled with levels of driveability and refinement unprecedented in such a supercar."

McLaren P1 unveil at the Paris Motor Show 2012

McLaren P1 unveil at the Paris Motor Show 2012

Exterior and Interior

"It is engineering design led. Yet it is a striking and handsome car. The P1 reflects McLaren’s core values. It celebrates aerodynamics, great packaging and light weight. It is all about innovative technology. At the very beginning, we sought to develop a car that you could drive to a racing circuit, then press a button and race it. Maximum speed was never a priority. It’s much more technically challenging, and more meaningful, to develop a car that seeks to be the fastest-ever series production car on a racing circuit. That also makes it much more road relevant than just sheer top speed," says Chief Design Engineer Dan Parry-Williams.

The car will feature a carbon fiber Monocell that’s similar to the 175-pound version found on theMcLaren MP4-12C. In addition to that, the Mega Mac will also feature a number of components found on the just-released McLaren supercar, including a re-tuned pushrod suspension, hydraulic anti-roll control, adaptive dampers, active aerodynamics, front and rear spoilers, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, and traction control to name a few.

At the rear a huge rear wing adjusts automatically to boost downforce and optimize aerodynamics. It can extend rearwards by up to 300mm on a racetrack, and by up to 120mm on the road. The car’s aerodynamic is being optimized by those two flaps mounted under the body ahead of the front wheels. These are also actively controlled, and change angle automatically to optimize performance, boosting downforce and aero efficiency, increasing both speed and driver confidence.

The car’s interior has been inspired by the canopies of fighter jets, giving the occupants similar sensations to a pilot. The windscreen is deeper than it is wide, creating a feeling of lightness and airiness inside.

Performance

The McLaren P1 is rumored to come with a 5.0-liter V8 engine that has been developed in partnership with Ricardo. This engine comes with an output of 800 horsepower and is mated to a Graziano seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Performance figures suggest that the Mega Mac will be capable of hitting 0-60 mph in just 2.8 seconds – that’s a tenth of a second slower than the almighty Veyron – 0-100 mph in 5.5 seconds, and 0-200 mph in just 20 seconds.

Other rumors hint at a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine combined with a KERS energy storage system.

However, today McLaren has promised that this new engine will deliver an impressive power-to weight ratio of more than 600 HP per tone.

Pricing

The production version of the McLaren P1, which will be limited to only 500 units, will sell much higher than our initial guesstimates. We previously thought that the supercar will sell in the neighborhood of £350,000 to £400,000, which is about $566,000 to $647,000. But now, McLare announced that the P1 will sell for around $1.2 million apiece. It is anticipated to make its debut in the next 12 months.

Competition

1996 McLaren F1 GTR

Once McLaren unleashes this supercar sometime in 2014, you can expect it to immediately gun for the title of fastest car on the planet, a title the company hasn’t held since the legendary McLaren F1 burst into the scene in the mid 90s.

On that note, the Bugatti Veyron, Pagani Huayra, and the Koenigsegg Agera R should have one on the road and one eye on the rear-view mirror for the McLaren ’Mega Mac’. It may still be a few years away from hitting the road, but the sound of a McLaren’s piercing engine shrieking across pavements is something that the supercars of today should be very cautious of.

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Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Production Begins

It’s hard to comprehend that it’s been over two years since the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento was released at the 2010 Paris Motor Show after numerous teaser shots were released and after much speculation that the car would in fact be the much-anticipated Aventador.

However, the Sesto Elemento still managed to stun crowds as did Lamborghini’s later announcement that the car would be produced in limited quantities just like the Reventon and Reventon Roadster. Well after two years of further development and research, Lamborghini has finally kicked off production for the 999kg supercar.

Lamborghini will produce the car in a new Pre-Series Center at the company’s Sant’Agata headquarters, in a department specifically created for limited run production cars which require extra attention than the Gallardo and Aventador.

Production of the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento will take place across five different workstations with 24 bright lights being utilised to check for any imperfections in the car’s unique matte carbon fiber finish.

Similarly, it’s been confirmed that the production variant of the car is almost identical to the concept, meaning the outlandish interior is also being maintained.

As we already know, the Sesto Elemento is the lightest production Lamborghini ever produced, tipping the scales at just 999kg and producing a power-to-weight ratio of 1.75 pounds per horsepower thanks to the 570hp engine borrowed from the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera.

Consequently, the car can rocket from 0-100km/h in just 2.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 320km/h. With just 20 units being produced, perhaps all the technology, performance capabilities and exclusivity of this car makes its 1.5 million euro price tag seem justified!

[Via Autoblog.nl]

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2013 Ferrari 458 Spider by Capristo

The Ferrari 458 Italia Spider had a pretty big 2012 and 2013 is starting out pretty quickly for the entry –level Ferrari, as Capristo has unveiled its first tuning kit of the year for said model. The tuner is quite famous here at TopSpeed and only last year we saw a sweet tuning kit offered for the Lamborghini Aventador.

As usual, changes the tuner is offering are not overwhelming, but they do add to the overall character of the 458 Italia. From factory, the 458 Italia comes with an aluminum roof to help keep its curb weight to a minimum and Capristo has additionally lowered the car’s weight by replacing the stock hood with a new one made in carbon-fiber unit that features lengthwise inlaid glass and additional vents for better engine cooling.

The price for this update is pretty high, and if you are interested you will have to pay about €9800 (about $12,850 at the current exchange rates). For the money, you will also get the hood painted in the color you desire.

Not too overly exciting, but a cool addition for an owner looking to save a few pounds.

[Via: TopSpeed]

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2013 Audi R8 By B&B

Back in 2012, we saw tons of upgrade packages for the Audi R8 V10 and it looks like 2013 has started in just as impressive fashion as the past year. The first Audi R8 tuning package of the New Year has been announced by the German tuner B&B and it is a good one.

The tuner offers two different upgrade levels for the V-10 engine. In stage 2, the standard power has been increased to an impressive 610 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. In stage 3, the output goes up to an even more impressive 628 horsepower and 431 pound-feet of torque. As a result the R8 V-10 will go from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in just 3.5 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h (0 to 124 mph) in 10.8 seconds and hits a top speed of 203 mph.

The package also includes a new sport suspension system that lowers the car’s ride by 20 mm (0.7 inches) up front and 25 mm (0.98 inches) at the rear. The tuner is also offering a set of 19-inch or 20-inch wheels combined and a set of ceramic brakes.

[Via: TopSpeed]

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