Auto & Bike Blog

Thursday, 30 July 2020

Lamborghini Essenza SCV12: By The Track & For The Track

Lamborghini seems to have bottomless depths of over the top design to plumb. Just when you think they’ve gone as extreme as they can, they roll out a new car that makes the older models look tame in comparison – case in point, the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12. Painted in a virulent green and styled like a Romulan warship, the Essenza SCV12 is as subtle as a Three Stooges movie. It’s also a track-only car if you’re looking for mitigating factors.

Track Attack!

Yes, that’s sad news for the “famous” Instagram teens who want one of these as soon as they can wrangle their license. Alas, they will have to make do with something as bland as a Sesto Elemento or something. Those of us who have the wherewithal and the inclination, this will be our bad-boy track car of choice.

And that’s what the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 is: a track car. No federal requirements met or even close to being met. Track only, no ifs, ands or buts.

Engine & Powertrain

Developed by Lamborghini Squadra Corse and designed by Lamborghini Centro Stile, the Essenza SCV12 features a massive V12 engine delivering over 830 horsepower. The Capristo exhaust pipes reduce back pressure, improve performance, and emphasize the engine’s unique sound. The gearbox is a sequential six-speed piece designed by racing suppliers X-trac. It works as a structural element within the chassis as well.

Related: The Lamborghini Sián Roadster is a poster-worthy car.

And yes, the Essenza SCV12 is rear-wheel drive only. Thanks to lots of clever trickery, the Essenza SCV12 has an exceptional power-to-weight ratio of 1.66 horsepower per kilo. With its carbon fiber monocoque chassis, the thing should be a closed-course rocket.

Lamborghini Essenza SCV12: Functional Styling

Despite the apparent lack of grace and elegance in the body design, the aero package is pretty good at 1,200 kilos (2,645 lbs.) of downforce at 250 km/h (155 mph). The font hood’s double air intake with a central rib is borrowed from the Huracán racing cars. The front splitter and two lateral elements handle the front aero presentation. At the same time, the sides move air for the engine and gearbox via vertical fins on the side sills. There’s no missing the humongoid adjustable rear wing either.

The Essenza SCV12 comes in four colors: Verde Silvans, Grigio Linx, Nero Aldebaran Gloss, and Arancio California, with logos of long-standing Lamborghini Squadra Corse partners, Pertamina, Pirelli, and Roger Dubuis.

The multifunction steering wheel was lifted from F1 single-seater cars for ergonomics and feel. The driver doesn’t have to remove their hands from the rim with this design. The FIA homologated OMP seat wraps the driver like an anaconda embracing a fat, juicy capybara; you ain’t goin nowhere!

Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 interior layout. Photo: Automobili Lamborghini.

Availability & Special Services

If you’re one of the 40 customers lucky enough to grab one of these from Lambo, you’ll get much more than a car. Essenza SCV12 customers become part of an exclusive club that lets you access the world’s most prestigious circuits. The program includes storage service in a new hangar built at the Sant’Agata Bolognese factory for the Essenza SCV12 club. Your car will have a personalized garage and dedicated services, including webcams to monitor it 24 hours a day using an app.

The on-track fun starts in 2021 with full-blown “arrive and drive” events at FIA Grade 1 homologated circuits. Squadra Corse technical staff, five-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro, and Squadra Corse Factory Driver Marco Mapelli will all be on hand to support.

It sounds like fun, even if Lambo won’t tell us what the cost is. Yet.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 Gallery

Photos & Source: Automobili Lamborghini.

Original article: Lamborghini Essenza SCV12: By The Track & For The Track

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‘Bombshell’: Deus mods the MT-07 with a sharp new kit

Deus mods the Yamaha MT07 with a sharp new custom kit
Since modern motorcycles are far more complex than their predecessors, it makes them harder to customize. But a few bikes buck that trend—like the Yamaha MT-07, and the MT-derived XSR700.

The MT engine and its requisite plumbing are a little cluttered to the eye, but it’s a hella peachy mill, packed into an equally playful chassis. And the rest of the bike’s put together like a Meccano set, making it fun to pull apart and reconfigure. So it’s no surprise that leading custom shops have been producing bolt-on MT-07 and XSR700 kits.

Deus mods the Yamaha MT-07 with a sharp new custom kit

‘The Young Jerk’ is a tight and focused rework on the MT-07, and comes from star builder Jeremy Tagand at Deus Ex Machina in Sydney, Australia. Yamaha Australia commissioned it as a one-off—but once Jeremy got cracking, he decided to take it a step further and use the build as a prototype for a bolt-on kit.

This new kit will fit either the MT or the XSR, in your choice of fiberglass or carbon fiber.

Deus mods the Yamaha MT-07 with a sharp new custom kit
Jeremy started off by putting a call in to fellow Frenchman Simon Dabadie at Dab Design, to help him visualize his ideas. Simon has history with Yamaha builds, and laid down a 2D rendering of the concept; a street tracker, with a monocoque body that would fit over the Yamaha’s OEM frame and fuel reservoir.

Next, the MT-07 went off to Greg Kerba at Sydney Composite, to create the mold for the fiberglass body.

Deus mods the Yamaha MT-07 with a sharp new custom kit
Greg started by stripping the bike down and 3D scanning it, so that there’d be a digital version of the bike to work with. But once the guys laid the 2D design on top of the 3D render of the MT, nothing lined up.

Andrew Simpson and his crew at Vert Design came to the rescue, knocking the renders into shape, so that the final molds could be milled out of timber. Greg then laid down the final fiberglass prototype, which, after a few more adjustments, fit.

Deus mods the Yamaha MT-07 with a sharp new custom kit
Deus wanted the kit to be an easy installation for even most novice of builders—and without having to scar the frame at all. So they tasked Mario at Ricci Engineering with machining a set of five billet aluminum mounting brackets, to interface between the new components and the chassis. It’s a low-stress, bonafide bolt-on affair.

Capping the monocoque off is a carbon fiber seat pan, wrapped in white leather by David Britton from Bad Arse Trim Co.

Deus mods the Yamaha MT-07 with a sharp new custom kit
With that sorted, Jeremy started fleshing out details beyond just the kit. Out back, he fabricated a new tail tidy with a license plate bracket surrounded by six Kellermann Atto LEDs, to handle taillight and turn signal duties. Kellermann BL 2000 bar end turn signals take care of business up front.

The front end’s finished off with a LED-equipped tracker headlight from Dab Design, and a high-mounted fender on a custom bracket from Mario. Further back, Jeremy relocated the MT-07 speedo onto new bar risers, now gripping a set of Renthal Fatbars.

Deus mods the Yamaha MT-07 with a sharp new custom kit
Carlisle Tyre & Accessories hooked the team up with a set of K&N filters to replace the air box, and a two-into-one exhaust system, terminating in an SC Project can. The guys also installed a Power Commander V unit, so that Harley Borkowski at RB Racing could coax a few more horses out of the already pokey motor.

Jeremy kept the stock suspension, wheels and brakes, but swapped the tires for a set of Pirelli Scorpions.

Deus mods the Yamaha MT-07 with a sharp new custom kit
Deus’ design team wanted the Yamaha’s livery to reflect the same sensibilities as their apparel line, so they collaborated with a New York creative studio, Young Jerks, to develop an original graphic. Dutchy’s Motorcycle Spray Painting laid down the design in blue and off white, with a satin finish.

With the MT-07 buttoned up, Deus decided to try two more ideas: execute the kit in carbon fiber, and adapt it to the XSR700. After all, the MT and XSR are effectively the same bike, under the hood.

Deus mods the Yamaha MT-07 with a sharp new custom kit
Jeremy went back to Greg, and asked him to build the same shell—except this time out of carbon fiber. Using basically the same bracket set as before, the kit bolted straight onto the XSR donor.

Jeremy handled the details on this one a little differently. It got a different set of bar risers, with custom made bars, made by Jonathan Okada at Kansai Giant. Dave handled upholstery again, this time with an Alcantara cover. And Jeremy built another custom tail tidy, this time with Purpose Built Moto taillights and blinkers.

Deus mods the Yamaha MT-07 with a sharp new custom kit
The rest of the XSR is mostly stock, highlighting the difference the kit makes. The only other upgrades are a full Akrapovič exhaust system, and a set of Bridgestone Battlax Adventure Cross tires.

The Deus ‘Bombshell’ kit is now available in the material of your choice, with all the required mounting hardware, and looks cracking on either bike. All you have to do is design your own tail light and plate setup (because the OEM stuff gets in the way), and you’re set.

Deus Customs | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Thomas Walk

Builder Jeremy Tagand of Deus, with his custom Yamaha MT-07 'The Young Jerk'

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Wednesday, 29 July 2020

2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 Cabriolet: This Jack of All Trades is Ready for Summer Cruising

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 Cabriolet is here, and I’m not really sure what this car doesn’t do. It seats four, and it’s a drop-top. It has lots of power, lots of safety, lots of tech, and can make hundreds of Julienne fries in just seconds. It removes stains, raises your testosterone, re-grows your hair, and helps you lose weight! Nah, most of those it doesn’t do, but the rest? You bet.

Jack of All Trades

Leave it to Mercedes-Benz to make a car that is almost all things to all people and get it (almost) right. The problem with trying to make one vehicle do everything is that, in a lot of cases, it ends up doing nothing really well.

This is not the case for the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 Cabriolet. No, it’s not perfect. It’s not stupid fast, like a Lambo Huracán Spyder. But it’s quick enough. No, it’s not as practical as a Ford F-150 or other midsize SUV or sedan. But it does seat four and has a decent-sized trunk. Really, it’s a hard car to overlook.

The 2021 drop-top has been slightly redesigned, with a nip here and a tuck there, but like all other Mercedez-Benz cars, it’s the engineering and tech that counts.

Safety & Security

Let’s look at the driver assistance stuff first. Mercedes-Benz has always been at the forefront of this, so it’s no surprise to find the 2021 E Class convert slathered with helpful safety tech. It goes from subtle things, like redesigning the steering wheel to tell when your hands are off (for better use of the semi-automated driving features) to the more pragmatic things like the standard Active Brake Assist. That system can automatically hit the brakes to prevent a collision or lessen its severity.

Interior Treatments

Of course, the Mercedes-Benz E 450 Cabriolet is comfortable and luxurious, but in a German way, not in a Rolls/Bentley British sort of way. For example, the control surfaces sport a high-gloss black finish, while the trim elements and surrounds have a silver shadow finish.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the instrument cluster and media display have more intuitive touch controls. The new E-Class is equipped with the latest versions of the Mercedes-Benz User Experience multimedia system. The standard configuration includes two big, honking 12.3-inch screens that sit side-by-side for a widescreen look.

2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 Cabriolet interior layout. Photo: MBUSA.

Mercedes-Benz E 450 Cabriolet Powertrain

The powertrain is everything you’d expect from a Mercedes-Benz: power, refinement, efficiency, reliability, etc. The in-line six-cylinder engine uses 48-volt technology, an electrical boost that grants an extra 21 horsepower, and up to 184 lb-ft of torque. You’ve got to love it when hybrid tech becomes gearhead go-fast!

All said and done; the E-Class Cabriolet produces 362 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. of torque. The top speed is electronically limited at 130 mph. 4MATIC all-wheel drive is available too.

2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 Cabriolet under the hood. Photo: MBUSA.

Availability

Naturally, Mercedes-Benz does make an E-Class Coupe with the same interior features and powertrain. Both will be available in late 2020. However, our preference is to drop the top and cruise around town, especially since the Mercedes-Benz E 450 Cabriolet has a unique neck-level heating system for colder days. How cool is that!?