The New CL63 will feature a 5.5 liter twin-turbocharged engine that produces 536 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The previous naturally aspirated 6.2 liter engine has gone extinct. If that isn’t enough AMG offers a Performance Package that increases power to 563 hp and 664 lb-ft. You can see 0-60 mph in just 4.4 seconds, or 4.3 if you decide for the Performance Package. In these days, efficiency is key. Mercedes has reduced fuel consumption by 27 percent, even with this added power.

If you need to get to work even faster, Mercedes-Benz can offer you the CL65 AMG which holds a 6.0 liter twin-turbo V12 for 621 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque.

You can pick up the CL63 for $145,200 and the CL65 for $207,170. Both AMG CLs are fitted with plenty of new standard equipment as well. Check out a variety of new pics as well as further information in the press release below.

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AMG 5.5-LITER V8 BITURBO ENGINE

Performance, innovation and efficiency in perfect harmony

July 24, 2010

Increased performance and torque, reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emissions – these qualities are perfectly united in the new AMG 5.5-liter biturbo engine. Mercedes-AMG is confronting the challenges of the future, and demonstrating that dynamic performance can be perfectly combined with fuel economy. The result: a maximum output (with the optional AMG Performance Package) of up to 563 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque.

The new AMG 5.5-liter biturbo engine combines performance, innovation and efficiency to a previously unknown extent. This is made possible by a unique combination of innovative high-tech systems such as direct gasoline injection, twin turbochargers, air/water intercooling and the Controlled Efficiency stop/start function. The 2011 AMG CL models will be in U.S. showrooms this November.

Mercedes-AMG is systematically following the trend towards increasing efficiency: with a displacement of 5461 cc it is precisely 747 cc below the 6208 cc of the naturally aspirated AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine. Nevertheless, it develops more output and torque. The 2011 CL63 AMG develops a peak output of 536 hp and maximum torque of 590 lb-ft. In conjunction with the AMG Performance Package these figures increase to 563 hp and 664 lb-ft. The torque curve in particular shows that no other engine in this power class is able to match the figures delivered by the new AMG biturbo motor.

Despite an increase in horsepower and torque as compared to the naturally aspirated V8, AMG engineers have been able to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions considerably. With an estimated fuel savings of 27 percent, engine specialists consider this to be nothing less than a quantum leap. CO2 emissions have likewise been significantly reduced by approximately 30.

These improvements in efficiency and environmental protection have no negative effects on the car’s performance. On the contrary, as the new AMG 5.5-liter V8 biturbo fully lives-up to AMG’s brand commitment to “performance”: the CL63 AMG accelerates from zero to 60mph in 4.4 seconds, and has a top speed of 155 mph (electronically limited). With the AMG Performance package, the highperformance Coupé reaches the 60 mph mark in 4.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 186 mph (electronically limited).

Combination of twin turbocharging and direct gasoline injection

Mercedes-AMG is presenting an attractive high-tech package with its combination of biturbo charging and direct gasoline injection with spray-guided combustion. The innovative injection technology brings distinct advantages to fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, thanks to higher thermodynamic efficiency. Particularly fast and precise piezo-electric injectors spray the fuel into the combustion chambers, ensuring a homogenous fuel/air mixture and highly effective combustion. An electric low-pressure pump delivers the fuel from the tank to a high-pressure pump in the trunk with a pressure of 87 psi. The fuel pressure in the highpressure rail is controlled between 1,500 and 3,000 psi on a fully variable and demand-related basis.

Two turbochargers and efficient air/water intercooling

Two turbochargers located next to the cylinder banks supply the eight cylinders with fresh air. At their maximum speed of 185,000 rpm under full load, the two turbochargers force 3,860 lbs into the combustion chambers per hour. The maximum charge pressure is 14.5 lbs, and 18.8 bar with the AMG Performance package. Thanks to their specific, compact construction – the turbine housings are welded to the exhaust manifold – there are significant space advantages and the catalytic converters also heat up more rapidly.

The new AMG V8 is the first turbocharged engine to dispense with the usual blow-off valve. This innovative solution enables the compressor housing to be made extremely compact. To ensure agile responsiveness with no time lag, all the air ducts in the intake tract are as short as possible. The wastegate valve, which reduces the pressure in the exhaust system during negative load changes, is vacuum-controlled via an electropneumatic converter. This allows dethrottling under partial loads, which in turn lowers the fuel consumption.

Like the existing AMG 6.0-litre V12 biturbo engine, the new eight-cylinder directinjection unit uses very efficient air/water intercooling. The low-temperature cooler with its water circulation is space-savingly accommodated within the V of the cylinder banks. It effectively cools down the intake air compressed by the turbochargers before it enters the combustion chambers, and maintains a constantly low intake temperature under full load. A large radiator at the car’s front end ensures metered cooling of the water circulating in the low-temperature circuit. This guarantees a high output and torque yield in all ambient temperatures and operating conditions.

Extremely short charge-air ducting makes for outstanding responsiveness. The stainless steel pressure pipes for the fresh and charge air are produced by the hydroforming process, have a wall thickness of only 0.03 inches and are designed for very low pressure loss.

Aluminum crankcase with Silitec cylinder liners

The crankcase of the new AMG 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine is made of diecast aluminum. The low (dry) engine weight of just 450 lbs is the result of uncompromising lightweight construction methods, and leads to the car’s very balanced weight distribution. The bearing cover for the main crankshaft bearings is of grey cast iron, and is bolted to the crankcase for high rigidity. Cast-in Silitec cylinder liners ensure that the eight pistons operate with low friction.

Drilled pulsation holes in the crankcase lead to a higher output and fuel savings under partial load: above the bearing blocks there are longitudinally drilled holes which connect adjacent crankcase cavities. Normally the upward and downward movement of the pistons causes air to be forced into and extracted from the sump, which leads to increased internal friction losses and therefore a reduction in output. The pulsation holes prevent this by ensuring effective pressure compensation between the cavities.

The forged crankshaft of high-grade 38MnS6BY steel alloy rotates in five main bearings, has eight counterweights and has been optimized with respect to torsional rigidity, inertia, low rotating masses and a long operating life. A twomass viscous damper mounted at the front reliably eliminates vibrations. Each connecting rod journal on the crankshaft carries two forged, cracked connecting rods. In the interests of low mechanical friction and high wear resistance, the lightweight pistons have a metallic contact surface. Pressure-controlled oil-spray nozzles in the crankcase ensure that the highly stressed piston crowns are efficiently cooled.

Four-valve technology with variable camshaft adjustment

Perfect charging of the combustion chambers is ensured by large intake and exhaust valves, of which there are four per cylinder. The exhaust valves, which are subject to high thermal loads, are hollow and sodium-cooled. Four overhead camshafts operate the 32 valves via low-maintenance, low-friction cam followers. The infinitely variable camshaft adjustment with a range of 40 degrees on the intake and exhaust sides depends on the engine load and engine speed, leading to outstanding output and torque values. This also results in consistent idling at a low speed.

Depending on the engine speed, valve overlap can be varied for the best possible fuel/air supply to the combustion chambers and efficient removal of the exhaust gases. The variable camshaft adjustment is carried out electromagnetically via four pivoting actuators, and is controlled by the engine control unit. The camshafts are driven by three high-performance silent chains, which have considerable advantages in noise comfort compared to cylinder roller chains.

Efficient oil supply and water cooling

Efficient oil delivery under all load and operating conditions is ensured by an oil pump with an electrically controlled compression stage. The oil pressure can be varied between 29 and 48 psi, which has advantages in terms of friction and fuel consumption. An extraction stage integrated into the oil pump for the two turbochargers prevents oil from being mixed into the charge air and exhaust gases, thereby helping to reduce emissions even further. Both the sump and the extraction point have been optimized for maximum lateral acceleration and efficient lubrication. The oil capacity is 11 quarts.

The combined water/oil cooling system is a particularly innovative solution: initially the engine oil only flows through the oil/water heat exchanger. If the cooling performance of the very compact cooler is insufficient, the flow is directed through the external engine oil/air cooler by an oil thermostat. The advantage of this system is that the engine oil warms up (via hot engine coolant) more rapidly. A selectable water thermostat ensures rapid warming of the coolant when starting the engine and driving off.

The engine coolant is cooled using the particularly effective crossflow principle. There is a transverse flow of coolant through both the crankcase and the cylinder heads. Additional cooling slots in the cylinder head ensure more efficient cooling of the combustion chambers, which has advantages during combustion: it enables earlier ignition timings to be chosen without incurring the risk of knocking.

Highly efficient engine electronics for every function

All the engine functions are executed and controlled by a particularly efficient Bosch MED 17.7.3. control unit. This state-of-the-art engine computer not only controls the direct gasoline injection, charge pressure, camshaft adjustment and variable oil supply, but also communicates with all the other onboard control units. The microprocessor has more than 30,000 different parameters and functions stored in its memory, and is able to perform up to 260 million individual operations per second. To reduce the load on the engine control unit, the eight individual ignition coils have an integral electronic module known as an ignition amplifier at each cylinder. These ensure a strong ignition spark at all engine speeds and under all load conditions. Eight highvoltage powerstages are responsible for highly precise fuel distribution to the piezoelectric injectors.

Effective emissions technology with new catalytic converter boxes

The requirements for the exhaust system of the new AMG 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine were complex: low exhaust emissions, compliance with country-specific standards and a characteristic AMG engine sound. The CL63 AMG complies with all the current EU-5 emission standards, as well as meeting all the requirements of the US market (LEV-II standard, On-Board Diagnosis II and lambda sensor diagnosis).

The turbochargers are welded to the exhaust manifolds, while air gap-insulated manifolds with a wall thickness of only 0.04 inches ensure a rapid catalytic converter response. For efficiency and to save space, this concept has a tandem catalytic converter housing on each side of the vehicle: adjacent to the firewall, two thin-walled ceramic substrates are grouped into each housing. This solution makes the previous, additional underbody catalytic converters unnecessary. The two ceramic substrates differ to ensure rapid and efficient emissions control: the front one is coated with palladium, while the rear one has a bimetal coating of palladium and rhodium. One lambda sensor per row of cylinders is located in front of each catalytic converter housing, and there is a lambda diagnostic sensor between each of the two thin-walled substrates.

The lambda sensors are necessary for demand-related lambda control. In all operating conditions, the components of the intake mixture can be precisely controlled to avoid damaging the catalytic converters. This also benefits fuel consumption under full load, as the mixture can be leaner than in engines without this control system.

Twin-pipe AMG sports exhaust system for a characteristic sound signature

The twin-pipe AMG sports exhaust system has a pipe cross-section of 2.76 inches from the manifolds to the rear silencers. When designing the sound, the aim was to create a perfect synthesis of aggressiveness and the comfort on long journeys that is the hallmark of a Mercedes. The goal of the developers was to achieve an emotional experience when accelerating and rev-matching, but unobtrusiveness at constant speeds. Unpleasant frequencies or droning noises were effectively eliminated during a series of painstaking tests. The sports exhaust system emits a sonorous eight-cylinder sound that is typical of AMG, while the striking chrome twin tailpipes feature a new design.

PRELIMINARY EQUIPMENT LIST – 2011 CL63 AMG

Standard Equipment

Comfort/Convenience

* COMAND system with 40GB hard-drive GPS navigation
* Bluetooth interface for hands-free calling
* Voice control for audio, telephone and navigation
* 11-speaker harman/kardon LOGIC7® surround-sound system with Dolby Digital 5.1, HD Radio®, in-dash 6-disc DVD/CD changer, in-dash SD card reader, media interface, & SIRIUS® satellite radio
* Central controller with 8″ COMAND display
* Power tilt/sliding sunroof
* Rear window sunshade
* Bi-Xenon headlamps with active curve illumination and cornering lights
* KEYLESS-GO
* Electronic trunk closer
* PARKTRONIC with advanced Parking Guidance
* AMG premium leather interior
* AMG performance steering wheel with aluminum shift paddles
* AMG instrument cluster with RACETIMER
* AMG 14-way power heated and active ventilated front seats with adjustable
* lumbar support and memory
* Drive-dynamic multicontour front seats with 4-level massage
* Interior ambient lighting feature

Performance/Handling

* 536 Horsepower @ 5,500 RPM
* 590 lb-ft of Torque @ 2,000 – 4,500 RPM
* Acceleration: 0-60 mph: 4.4 sec.
* Top speed: 155 mph (electronically limited)
* AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sport transmission with Sport, Comfort and Manual shift modes
* AMG-specific power-assisted speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering
* AMG-calibrated Active Body Control (ABC) suspension
* Front: AMG-calibrated 4-link independent with antilift control and stabilizer bar
* Rear: AMG-calibrated multilink independent with antisquat and antidive system
* AMG high-performance two-piece braking system
* Front: Internally ventilated and cross-drilled 15.4″ discs with dual sliding calipers
* Rear: Internally ventilated and cross-drilled 14.4″ discs with sliding calipers
* 20″ AMG twin 5-spoke alloy wheels
* 255/35 ZR20 (front), 275/35 ZR20 (rear) high-performance tires
* AMG sport exhaust system with dual twin chrome tailpipes
* AMG aerodynamic sport styling

Safety/Security

* New vehicle 4-year/50,000 mile warranty
* Mercedes-Benz mbrace™ emergency calling and convenience system
* New vehicle 4-year/50,000 mile warranty
* Mercedes-Benz maintenance system
* 24-hour roadside assistance program
* Steel-reinforced cabin with front & rear crumple zones
* 3-point seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiters
* ISOFIX anchor and tether system for child seats
* Adaptive dual stage front airbags including driver knee airbag
* Side airbags mounted in front and rear
* Full-length head protection curtain
* NECK-PRO active head restraints
* 4-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock and Brake Assist
* AMG 2-stage Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
* PRE-SAFE® (predictive occupant protection system)
* Roll-over sensor
* Anti-theft alarm with engine immobilizer
* Night security illumination
* Tire pressure monitoring system
* Panic button remote key
* Emergency trunk release inside cargo area

Optional Packages

Premium 2 Package ($TBD)

* Rear view camera
* Drive-dynamic multicontour front seats with massage
* Night View Assist PLUS with Pedestrian Detection

Driver Assistance Package ($TBD)

* DISTRONIC PLUS with PRE-SAFE® Brake
* Active Blind Spot Assist
* Active Lane Keeping Assist

AMG Performance Package ($TBD)

* Top speed delimitation to 186 mph
* Power increase (+27 hp/74 lb-ft)
* Carbon Fiber engine cover

Stand Alone Options

* Wood/premium leather steering wheel
* Heated steering wheel
* SPLITVIEW Dual-content viewscreen
* 20″ AMG Twin 5-Spoke forged wheel
* Carbon Fiber Trim

Paint

Black, Magnetite Black, Jade Green, Capri Blue, Flint Grey, Barolo Red, Iridium Silver, Palladium Silver, Diamond White

Upholstery

Black Premium Leather, Savanna/Cashmere Premium Leather, Ash/Grey Premium Leather, Sahara Beige/Black Premium Leather

PRELIMINARY EQUIPMENT LIST – 2011 CL65 AMG

Standard Equipment

Comfort/Convenience

* COMAND system w/ 40GB hard-drive GPS navigation
* Bluetooth interface for hands-free calling
* Voice control for audio, telephone and navigation
* 11-speaker harman/kardon LOGIC7® surround-sound system with Dolby Digital 5.1 with HD Radio® ,SIRIUS® satellite radio, & media interface
* Central controller with 8″ COMAND display
* Power tilt/sliding sunroof
* Rear window sunshade
* Bi-Xenon headlamps with active curve illumination and cornering lights
* KEYLESS-GO
* Electronic trunk closer
* PARKTRONIC with Parking Guidance
* DISTRONIC PLUS with Parking Guidance and Active Blind Spot Assist
* Rear view camera
* Night View Assist PLUS w/pedestrian detection
* AMG exclusive leather interior with V12-design diamond cross-stitching
* AMG performance steering wheel with aluminum shift paddles
* AMG instrument cluster with RACETIMER
* AMG 14-way power heated and active ventilated front seats with adjustable lumbar support and memory
* Drive-dynamic multicontour front seats with 4-level massage
* 8-way power heated and active ventilated rear seats
* Interior ambient lighting feature

Performance/Handling

* 621 Horsepower @ 4,800 RPM
* 738 lb-ft of Torque @ 2,000 – 4,000 RPM
* Acceleration: 0-60 mph: 4.2 sec.
* Top speed: 186 mph (electronically limited)
* AMG SPEEDSHIFT 5-speed transmission with Sport, Comfort and Manual shift modes
* AMG-specific power-assisted speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering
* AMG-calibrated Active Body Control (ABC) suspension
* Front: AMG-calibrated 4-link independent with antilift control and stabilizer bar
* Rear: AMG-calibrated multilink independent with antisquat and antidive system
* AMG high-performance two-piece braking system
* Front: Internally ventilated and cross-drilled 15.4″ discs with dual sliding calipers
* Rear: Internally ventilated and cross-drilled 14.4″ discs with sliding calipers
* 20″ AMG twin 5-spoke forged alloy wheels
* 255/35 ZR20 (front), 275/35 ZR20 (rear) high-performance tires
* AMG sport exhaust system with V12-design dual twin chrome tailpipes
* AMG aerodynamic sport styling

Safety/Security

* Active Lane Keeping Assist
* New vehicle 4-year/50,000 mile warranty
* Mercedes-Benz mbrace™ emergency calling and convenience system
* Mercedes-Benz maintenance system
* 24-hour roadside assistance program
* Steel-reinforced cabin with front & rear crumple zones
* 3-point seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiters
* ISOFIX anchor and tether system for child seats
* Adaptive dual stage front airbags including driver knee airbag
* Side airbags mounted in front and rear
* Full-length head protection curtain
* NECK-PRO active head restraints
* 4-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock and Brake Assist
* AMG 2-stage Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
* PRE-SAFE® (predictive occupant protection system)
* Roll-over sensor
* Anti-theft alarm with engine immobilizer
* Night security illumination
* Tire pressure monitoring system
* Panic button remote key
* Emergency trunk release inside cargo area

Stand Alone Options

* SPLITVIEW Dual-content viewscreen
* Carbon Fiber Trim

Paint

Black, Magnetite Black, Jade Green, Capri Blue, Flint Grey, Barolo Red, Iridium Silver, Palladium Silver, Diamond White

Upholstery

Black Exclusive Leather, Savanna/Cashmere Exclusive Leather, Ash/Grey Exclusive Leather, Sahara Beige/Black Premium Leather

We all know the Cadillac CTS is a beauty on its own. This new world-class sleek design is very appealing and can perform as well. The 304-horsepower, direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 found under the hood of the standard Coupe is pretty capable on its own. For those of you wanting a little more power and a little tweek to the design, take a look at the CTS-V.

The 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe has a supercharged V8 that makes 556 horsepower and comes with a six-speed manual transmission as standard equipment all for under $65,000. With all this power you also get whats expected in a fully loaded luxury Cadillac.

What should you expect in the V version? As far as appearance, you can see a bulgier hood, sharper front grille, larger fog-light surrounds, and dual centered exhaust tips. The sedan’s 19-inch wheels wrapped in low-profile Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires (255/40-series up front, 285/35 out back) also come on the Coupe. For some serious stopping power you can see the same large brakes, 15-inches up front and 14.7-inches in the rear.

With all these outstanding features we have also noticed some setbacks as well. The raked rear window and abnormally large C-pillar make for obnoxious blind spots. Cadillac responded to this by saying they lowered the seat height by two inches to compensate for the shorter roofline. But still, we find it hard to believe that effected any of the visibility.

The CTS-V wears the same interior that you would expect to find in the standard CTS. Some argue the interior could use a little work for a pricetag of over $60,000, although it still seems to be very sleek and clean in the dash and instrument panel.

But for the CTS-V we can tell where the major improvements were focused on. With 556 horses beating under the hood we are sure you won’t be too worried about touching all the little gadgets. For transmissions, you get an option of a Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic transmission or Tremec TR6060 manual transmission. The automatic transmission features the modern paddle shifters but we are finding that these are not the best in design or ergonomics. We would recommend the 6 speed manual transmission if you are really looking to get a handle on 556 horses.

To quote the reviewers at autoblog, “The CTS-V Coupe’s acceleration is simply staggering, and with your foot pressed to the floor, you’ll hit 60 miles per hour just before “four Mississippi” escapes your lips. Asking the rear wheels to distribute 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of twist is a big task, and you can easily squeal the tires from every stop, even with traction control fully engaged. It’s all in good fun, though as we like a car that bites back. The engine and exhaust noise emitted under hard acceleration further stimulates the thrill of full-throttle thrust, especially since there’s a split second in which you only hear the roar of the 6.2-liter LSA V8 before the supercharger finishes spooling. Just as you start to take in the grumble from that fierce piece of all-American aluminum muscle, the supercharger’s whine takes over; the two noises playing together in symphonic harmony”.

The CTS-V is a little chunky weighting in at 4,237 pounds with the automatic transmission. This is in consideration of the added 1.6 inches of width along with the Magnetic Ride Control suspension setup. With a performance car like this it is highly likely you will see a sport mode. This mode engages the Magnetic Ride Control, damping rates are adjusted every millisecond, and the transmission keeps you in the powerband throughout a turn. Power is always available when you need it. 556 horsepower is maxed at around 6,100 PRM but the 551 lb-ft of torque will kick in at 3,800 RPM.

The V Coupe’s 54/46 front/rear weight distribution helps to eliminate any sort of nose-heavy, understeer-prone tendencies optimizing the coupes handling performance. For you drift kings the CTS-V comes with a button to turn off traction control so you can burn through those low-profile tires even quicker. Get a little too scared and the six-piston front and four-piston rear Brembos will provide ample and easily modulated stopping power.

The CTS-V coupe wears a pricetag of $62,990 which is about $1,000 over the sedan. Not a bad deal for a machine like this.

[Source: autoblog]

Ford will finally be pushing the Mustang fully into the modern world.  The next incarnation of the popular sport coupe is reportedly scheduled for the 2014 production year.  New details are emerging, indicating that Ford will install a fully independent suspension on the next model: a first for the Mustang.  Along with that are a rumored turbocharged inline-four motor, a new 6-spd. manual-shift, and the use of a global platform.

Mazda will finally retire the RX-8 and resurrect the RX-7 nameplate.  This has been speculated on for at least three years, but the move can now be verified.  Not only is the moniker moving downward, but so is the target price.  The RX-8 currently runs around thirty grand and starts at $27,200 (minus fees).  Mazda will be seeking to move the new rotary coupe to a starting price around $24,000, along with a spec boost to better compete with America’s resurgent sport coupes.  Expect more developments in the next quarter.

No, we’re talking about the 1970s exotic.

BMW’s entry-level compact coupe will be set to enjoy an “M” variant in the next year.  The M1 will widen the BMW menu and help tackle Audi’s insurgent S3.  Leftlane is reporting that the M1 won’t borrow the M3′s 4.0 L V-8, but will come with a higher-output turbo’d inline-six putting out around 330 hp.

The figure sounds docile to us–we’d imagine 350 being a minimum.

Audi’s finally bringing its 2.0 L gasoline turbo-four to the A5.  The 2.0T will pump out a respectable 211 hp (forty-four less than the V-6) and come with the choice of a 6-spd. manual or a Tiptronic gearbox.  (The 3.2 will lose its manual-shift amid the changeover.)  The 2.0T will still benefit from all-wheel-drive as standard equipment.

Pricing, with destination, comes to under $37,000.

We reported a couple months back about a rare 1965 Shelby Daytona up for auction at Mecum.  The seller had hoped to have his car become a record-holder with a final bid between $10,000,000 and $11,000,000.  The final bid was nowhere near those figures.  The seller and Mecum group claim there was a post-auction offer of as much as $7,500,000, but the seller was still unsatisfied.

Here we go again.  The seller is pushing the Shelby coupe on the block once again, hoping this season’s Monterey auction will bring in a willing buyer up to the seller’s financial standards.

That’s going to be a hard sell.  With a shaky economy, classic American car values in the dumps, and an astonishingly high sales expectation, we find it very unlikely this car will hit the eight-figure mark.  The only cars we can count hitting eleven million have been Ferrari’s revered 250 Testa Rossas and GTOs.  Still, this Daytona is in marvelous condition, is extremely rare, and has real history behind it.

Shelby’s put out official pics and specs for the 2010 GT500 Super Snake.  The Super Snake, unlike the regular GT500, is an actual Shelby project undertaking directly by the company staff.  (The GT500 uses the Shelby name pretty much for marketing purposes.)  The benefit of having the Ford/Shelby name running side-by-side is that Shelby’s own tuners can market their specials as being almost factory-grade.

There shouldn’t been much need for marketing with the refreshed Snake.  This GT500 uses a juiced supercharger instead of a needle in the ass.  With an upgraded intercool and exhaust system, the Super Snake will put out 630 hp in stage one trim, or an unfathomable 725 hp with the stage two setup.  (The regular GT500′s max output is 540 hp.)

All this power requires added tweaks to support the extra muscle.  Suspension’s been extensively modified with stiffened springs, reinforced struts, and strengthened antiroll bars.  Baer six-piston ventilated disc brakes bring in the necessary stopping power for the SC’d 5.4 L V-8.

So just how much does all this serpent glory come in at?  The Super Snake is considered a performance package: stage one is $29,500; two is priced at $33,500.  With the GT500′s approximately $45,000 sticker, expect to be doling out $75,000 for the 630 hp package and $79,000 for the 725.

If George Michael had pulled this out at that park restroom years ago, we can all be sure he wouldn’t have gone to jail.