It’s another Thursday, and that means another edition of Fastest Lap With The Tone! Now that I’ve gotten into the groove of writing about double the amount of cars from previous weeks, the nervous breakdowns have stopped, and things are proceeding quite smoothly.
This week we have another diverse group of reveals from Turn 10. Everything from pickup trucks to luxury German sedans are scrutinized. Let’s say we proceed, shall we?
1. 1958 Aston Martin DBR1
Beautiful, classy, and sophisticated; that’s how I would describe anything Aston Martin makes. They are the manufacturer of my favorite car of all time, the Aston Martin DBS. They are quintessentially British, a fact that is confirmed by the fact that Aston is James Bond’s car of choice.
The DBR1 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 and is a racing car legend. It comes with a 3L six cylinder engine that is capable of 254 BHP.
2. 1957 Ferrari 250 California
Ah, the Ferrari 250 California, another classic that simply oozes with sensuality. This is one of the most popular Ferrari models for collectors, and for good reason. Just look at it! This model was created to target US buyers and was model by Scaglietti to imitate Ferrari’s racers at the time.
This beauty comes with 3L V12 that could pump out 240-260 BHP. It’s a beautiful but powerful car that shows why Ferrari has won the world over with their automotive brilliance.
3. 1956 Jaguar D-Type
I imagine that this car is the sort of thing that people had in mind in the 50′s when they picture a car of the future. Just look at it; everything about this design screams Buck Rogers and the Jetsons! In 1957, the D-Type took the top five of six spots in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, a huge feat.
This car comes with a 3.4L straight six engine capable of 245 BHP. It’s top speed of over 170 MPH is fast by today’s standards, but imagine what people thought back in the late 50′s!
4. 2006 Audi RS4
The Audi RS4 is Audi’s way of muscling in on the foothold that BMW and Mercedes-Benz has on luxury/performance sedans. The RS4 was no slouch, either. It comes with a 4.2L V8 capable of a mindblowing 420 BHP. Honestly, if I were working in BMW’s M Division or Mercedes’ AMG Division, I would be just a little scared…
5. 2009 Audi Q7 V12 TDI
This is the car that I am thinking seriously about buying. With a child on the way, I’m going to need something with a little more space, but my passion for performance and quality need to remain unscathed. I also don’t want to pay the prices of a BMW or Mercedez. Since the wife has vetoed a SRT8 Challenger, stating that it isn’t a good “family car,” my sights are set on the Audi Q7 TDI.
This particular model comes with a 6.0L twin turbo V12 that can produce 493 BHP. Because of a revised suspension, it also handles like a dream. What not to like?
6. 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro
The R8 is a strange car to me; I can’t stand the way it looks, but I am beyond impressed with what it can do under the hood. I also like the Quattro system, which was responsible for so much rally dominance back in the day. As a supercar, it kind of sits in the middle…there are better and worse cars out there for around the same price. I like it’s performance; I just wish it didn’t look so weird and unbalanced.
This version of the R8 comes with a 5.2L V10 engine that can produce 525 BHP. It’s not a light car, however. It weights 3,571 lbs, which is pretty darn heavy.
