2011 Ferrari FX / FX70 - Spied

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To maintain its standing as the indisputable leader of the go-fast world, Ferrari channels most of its energies into its highly successful F1 racing program, and then pumps out a couple thousand really fast road cars per year to sustain it. And every few years, Ferrari builds something that more or less blends both worlds together. These are the superstars of supercars with names like F40, F50, Enzo, the track-only FXX, and soon, the car you see (kind of) here: the FX70.



Underneath the clever camouflage—seemingly cobbled together from the front clip of an F430, the body and rear of a Scuderia, and the outer taillamps of the 599GTB Fiorano—is the chassis of Ferrari’s next big thing.



The massive FXX rear wheels give it away, placed further back in the body than they would be if this was a real Scuderia and, of course, looking far too big for the car—like a little kid wearing his dad’s shoes. Oh, and there’s a big, center-mounted tailpipe that recalls those of the Lamborghini LP640 Murciélago and Reventón.



What’s underneath all that? That’s unconfirmed at this point, but our spies say it sounded completely awesome as it rumbled by, amid rumors it houses either a twin-turbo V-12 of about 800 horsepower, or a more eco-sensitive (in adherence to Euro emissions requirements) twin-turbo V-8 of perhaps 700 horsepower. Either way, don’t expect to catch up to one unless you’re in an F-18 fighter jet.

What we don’t know is if this is the rumored Millechili (or whatever its name will be in production), or will exist in addition to the lightweight two-seater.

Production would be extremely limited and, in proper Ferrari tradition, the precious few will be offered first to the tycoons, royalty, and dictators currently nestled at the top of Ferrari’s VIP list who already own several of this car’s predecessors. And they can each expect to shell out at least a million bucks for one.

2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid First Drive

Article file under http://www.edmunds.com





One or the Other
For the most part, Porsche's approach to the hybrid is a straightforward parallel system, though it's more like that in the new Honda Insight than the more sophisticated technology of the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Prius. The Porsche system differs from Honda's IMA arrangement in that a clutch between the engine and the electric motor allows the V6's crankshaft to be stopped. (The Honda system instead reduces pumping losses by using a VTEC motor to shut the valves while the crankshaft continues to turn.) In any case, stuck between the Porsche's supercharged, 333-horsepower, direct-injection 3.0-liter V6 engine and the eight-speed automatic transmission is a three-phase synchronous electric motor rated at 38 kilowatts (52 hp).



When both the electric and internal combustion engines are working together, there's up to 374 hp available for acceleration. Under deceleration or braking, the electric motor acts as an alternator and feeds juice to charge the 240-cell nickel-metal hydride battery array that's nestled behind the rear axle where the spare tire would be stowed in a conventional Cayenne.



The all-wheel-drive Cayenne S Hybrid has 84 hp more than the base-model Cayenne with its 3.6-liter V6. It has just 11 hp less than the Cayenne S with its 385-hp 4.8-liter V8. Of course this output is still some way from the 405-hp Cayenne GTS, 500-hp Cayenne Turbo and the somewhat insane 550-hp Cayenne Turbo S.



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