Sunday, June 10, 2012

The Meguiar’s Car Pack



Soon the Meguiar’s Car Pack will be available! On Tuesday June 5, the latest mix of cars to add to your Forza Motorsport 4 garage will be here. This pack includes one of the most prominent ALMS race cars in recent history, some classic untouchable convertibles, a supercar destroyer, and a couple of speed demons from Europe and Japan. Pre-war coupes to rally car champions to cars owned by Elvis and more; these cars speak to many different styles but all are very stylish. The Meguiar’s Car Pack will take you back in time, knock you back in your seat or, depending on your mood, provide the peace and relaxation of a country drive on a sunny summer day.


2011 Chevrolet #4 Corvette Racing ZR1 
Corvette Racing has truly made a name for itself since they began competing in 1999. In addition to more than 80 wins, several manufacturer championships, and “Green Challenge” wins, Corvette Racing and the #4 have won their class at Le Mans multiple times, including the last two out of three years. They are always a threat to winning the GT class and finished second in the ALMS overall standings in 2011. The team’s consistency earned them one victory and nine top five finishes in the ten races of the ALMS season. Pushing the Corvette and its E85-fueled, 5.5-liter, 485-horsepower, LS5.5R small block are driver’s Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen. Richard Westbrook joins in the fun for the three endurance races of the ALMS season. Take your turn at the wheel of this seasoned and proven racing competitor in Forza 4. 

1959 BMW 507 
Only 252 of these sleek and sensuous cars were built in an attempt to fill the gap between the Mercedes-Benz 300SL and the much more affordable MG’s and Triumphs of the era. The beatific lines were penned by Count Albrecht Goertz who designed the earlier 503. These cars were hand-built and, even at a price of $11,000, BMW was losing money selling them. However, the car made a statement for BMW and, when the likes of Elvis Presley bought one, production remained worthwhile. The 507 is powered by an overhead-valve, aluminum-block, 3.2-liter, V8 with dual-carburetors. Total horsepower is about 150. Power is transferred to the wheels through a four-speed transmission. Hydraulic front-disc brakes and an independent suspension with dual A-arms control the cars speed and handling. The 507 could do up to 136 mph depending on what final-drive ratio was ordered and 0-60 was an impressive 8.8 seconds. The chances of seeing a 507 anywhere outside of a museum these days are pretty slim, so take it on the track in Forza 4 and experience the next best thing.



1940 Ford De Luxe Coupe 
Yes, a pre-war Ford in Forza Motorsport 4. It’s difficult not to appreciate this car. While hard to find nowadays, the Ford Coupe has been an icon since its inception and sold millions in its time. The flathead V8 alone is a piece of history. It could be said that hot-rodding began with this car when our veterans came home from World War II and wanted something affordable they could work on and build up. The design reflects the Art Deco period, with its bold and sweeping lines and minimal flashy exterior components. The original, begging-to-be-modified flathead V8s puts out a mild 60-85 horsepower. Although weighing in at only 2,970 pounds the De Luxe Coupe is fairly light and responds well, once upgraded to modern componentry. But, just tooling around bone stock is like taking a trip back in time. Either way, the De Luxe Coupe offers a completely new Forza experience. Aaahooooogah!

2011 Aston Martin Cygnet 
One of the most prestigious brands in the automotive world has decided to enter the city car market. Aston has done so by taking the successful Toyota iQ and dressing it up to more aptly address their significantly upscale market. The iQ or Cygnet is a front-engine around town ultra-compact that is capable of up to 106 mph. The 97 horsepower four-cylinder delivers optimum mileage and with the Aston accoutrements provides its passengers distinctive creature comforts. While similar to the Smart For Two in shape and size, the Cygnet is a four-seater. It also differs by being front wheel drive. So for those who want the convenience of a city car with its super short wheelbase, incredible turning circle diameter and fuel sipping mileage but still desire luxury to enhance the experience, the Cygnet delivers.

1958 MG MGA Twin-Cam 
Penned by MG Designer Syd Enever, the MGA was “the first of a new line” of MG’s to come out following the TD chassis. The seats are slung lower, due to the floor being attached to the bottom of the frame sections, opposed to the top as they had been previously. The MGA repaired falling traditional MG model sales upon its initial release. Previous models of the MGA were powered by a fairly low-compression 68 horsepower inline four-cylinder. In 1958 the high performance Twin-Cam was added. It had a high-compression DOHC aluminum head that delivered 108 horsepower. The cars were also fitted with Dunlop four-wheel disc brakes, a huge improvement over the four-wheel drums of earlier MGA’s. The Twin-Cam came with knock-off steel wheels that were unique to the model. Those wheels and a small logo near the vent were the only distinguishers of this Twin-Cam model.  Top speed was found to be 113 mph and 0-60 could be accomplished in 13.3 seconds.

1997 Maserati Ghibli Cup 
The Ghibli Cup was the highest power-to-weight ratio car of its time, with its 330 horsepower, 2-liter, dual-overhead cam, 24-valve, intercooled, twin-turbo V6 and 3009lb curb weight. To handle all that power, the Ghilbi comes with Brembo brakes and a four-way adjustable suspension. The car’s name was taken from the original Maserati Ghilbi of 1966 even though its style is not reminiscent of its ancestor. The body is very close in design to the much more contemporary and recently retired Biturbo. This luxury sport coupe delivers exhilarating performance and Italian style in a functional package.

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series 
If the AMG version isn’t enough to satisfy your need for power and sophistication, the AMG Black Series takes the C63 a step further. This car offers up more than 500 horsepower by borrowing the engine from the SLS AMG supercar. Utilizing the same seven-speed automatic found in the C63 which provides four shift modes and launch control, 0-60 can be accomplished in 4.3 seconds and a quarter mile can be cleared in around 12 seconds. Maximum air flow is achieved through a gaping central air intake and a front splitter that comes to a precise point. Flared fenders accommodate wider tires in front and back. To say the least, this car not only looks the role, but has the machinery to back it up.

1987 RUF CTR Yellowbird 
It was deemed the “Yellowbird” by Road & Track editors during a two-day event at VW’s Ehra-Lessien track where the journalists were collecting data for a story called, “The Fastest Car in the World.” The blow-off valve for the twin-turbo, (the only twin-turbo 911 in the world at the time) chirps like a canary, further validating the name. During that event it reached 211 mph. Alois Ruf custom built the car for the event. He took a standard 930 and replaced the steel doors, hood, and decklid with aluminum ones, modified the engine significantly (including two huge turbos) and installed the Ruf five-speed gearbox that helped build his company. The car weighs only 2,662 pounds, coupled with 469 horsepower and 408 ft.-lb. of torque. Only 29 were built and they are known to outclass almost any high performance car of the time.

1992 Toyota Celica GT-Four RC ST185 
Toyota produced 5,000 GT-Four RC ST185’s to meet homologation requirements for Group A Rally competition. The 1992 racing version was named the “Carlos Sainz Edition” in honor of the Spanish drivers racing achievements including becoming Toyota’s first world rally champion in 1990. While this is not the racing version, it does deliver 10 more turbo-charged horsepower than the normal GT-Four for a total of 232 horsepower, and with its distinctive hood and front bumper the GT-Four RC is a much sought after model. The ST185 was the most successful rally car Toyota built, winning the driver’s championship in 1992-1994 and earning the manufacturer’s championship in 1993 and 1994. The WRC was previously dominated by European car makers and Toyota’s success precedes the later winning WRC histories of Subaru and Mitsubishi.

1963 Volkswagen Beetle 
“Herbie” was a 1963 Beetle. Disney’s “The Love Bug” was not just a fun-loving story of a car with a human personality but was also an exciting touring-car racing movie full of exotic European cars. In short, it’s a must-see for any VW or racing aficionado. For many, the arrival of the VW Beetle in America in 1963 meant an affordable car with great mileage and a look that was not only endearing, but immensely popular.  Initially known as “The People’s Car” – a car capable of carrying two adults and three children at a speed of 62 mph-- and based on Ferdinand Porsche’s 1931 design, the Beetle gave the average family a real car for the price of a motorcycle. For 1963 the “Bug” had a 40 horsepower flat-four connected to a transaxle pushing the car from the rear and was stopped by four drum brakes. It’s interesting to think where vehicle design would be today without the Beetle. The car’s influence is profound and its popularity unceasing, proven by being known as “the best-selling car of all time.”





No comments:

Post a Comment