7:56.234 minutes. That’s the record lap time of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive on the Nürburgring, making it the first electric series production vehicle to make the loop in under eight minutes.
NISMO, Nissan’s performance arm, has always been a bit of an odd duck. It never had quite the sanctioning of AMG or M, or even F-Sport, instead being relegated to a 370Z with a tweaked suspension and an aftermarket parts catalog. That’s all set to change, as NISMO is now the official global performance car and motorsports sub-brand for Nissan.
Ford seems quite committed to the hot hatch in the United States, as the Dearborn-based manufacturer has just announced another speedy five-door for the North American market. Slotting below the 252-horsepower Focus ST is this, the 197-horsepower Fiesta ST.
With subtle styling that has evolved glacially over the its 50-plus-year history, the Porsche 911, even when it is a brand new model of Porsche 911, is really designed to be the kind of performance car that walks softly and carries a big stick. Unless the 911 in question happens to be given over to tuners TechArt, in which case it’s more likely to be running, screaming bloody murder, and thrashing its big stick wildly through the air.
Just before its premiere at the Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan has previewed the exciting Juke Nismo Concept. It takes the the popular, young compact crossover, and makes it even more in tune with the enthusiast mindset and driving style.
When General Motors introduced the first Chevrolet Cobalt SS for 2005, it was praised within the sport compact scene for its supercharged power and relatively cheap price point, though the car didn’t really have the overall refinement to make it something extra special. Thus, Chevy has gone back to the drawing board and come up with something it can really be proud of. This latest addition to the Cobalt lineup was tuned and tested on Germany’s Nürburgring and finally has the power and poise to be taken seriously as a true performance car.