The Hottest Cars Of 2011
- Hannah Elliott
These stunners will turn heads and quicken heartbeats.
Car-lovers take heart: despite Canadian auto sales being essentially flat for 2010, some of the hottest cars to hit the scene in years will make their way to showrooms this spring.
Take the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. Not only is it the world's fastest production car (it hit 268 miles per hour last summer in Germany) but it is also one of the most refined -- with interior cues taken from its sister company, Bentley. Its cockpit is wrapped in hand-stitched soft-grain leather and trimmed to the hilt in carbon-fibre; the rear-view camera, Bluetooth capability and satellite radio make driving to the store a pleasant experience rather than the sweat- and stress-inducing jolt provided by other exotic autos.
The Super Sport's exterior is hot too, with bold lines that look modern but evoke Bugattis from the 1920s and '30s (a continuous crest line down the length of the car, a stirrup-shaped grill).
Sure, you'll pay for all that beauty -- at a retail price of US$2.5 million, only the world's wealthiest people can afford to put a Super Sport in their garages. But those lucky enough to do so will really get something special: A balance of 1,200 horsepower, three suspension settings and a world-renowned dual-clutch transmission.
"It's a real physical sensation," says Bugatti driver Pierre-Henri Raphanel. "The Bugatti is incredible because if I give you more performance, it will normally destroy and contort drivability and reliability, [but the Super Sport can be] controlled with only two fingers on the steering wheel."
Bugatti's not the only marque coming out with stunners. Ferrari's street-legal 599XX variant, the GTO, the elegant Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro and McLaren's first-ever solo production car, the MP4-12C, will quicken lots of heart rates when they hit the streets next year.
One common thread between some of the hottest new cars is an emphasis on weight control. Almost every car on our list, including the Range Rover Evoque, boasts a streamlined frame, light-as-air carbon fibre components or a super-efficient, whittled down engine.
Stephan Winkelmann, the CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, says the future of high-end motoring is about handling, not power. "If you can have a car that decreases in weight with the same power, you will have a much better feeling in the driving experience," he says.
Porsche's latest 911 variant, the lightening-quick GT2 RS, embraces that ethic. Dave Engelman, a spokesman for the Stuttgart, Germany-based company, says Porsche engineers got the GT2 RS to beat its predecessor 911 GT2 off the line by simple addition and subtraction: They upped the horsepower by 90 and pared down the weight by 154 pounds. That gave the coupe a power-to-weight ratio of 4.9 pounds per horsepower, by far the best in its class. They also managed to eke out a 5 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Friday, December 31, 2010
The Hottest Cars Of 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
10 Resolutions You Should Never Make
Have you ever swore to lose 15 pounds, quit dating unavailable men, and take up a new hobby? This year, we advise against it.
1. Get Married by the End of the Year
(Photo credit: Leonard McLane)Marriage is a huge goal, especially if you’re still single, making the odds of failing painfully high. Instead, whether you’re in a relationship or not, focus on what you like about your current situation — you’ve got enough pressure in your life.
2. Go Blonde (Or dye you hair the opposite color it is now)
(Photo credit: Altrendo Images)Changing your look is a great way to jump-start the New Year—if the results are good. Radical beauty moves can go wrong, cost a ton of cash and sometimes make you cry. Why not try highlights first? Easing into a new ‘do will boost the odds of a great outcome.
CHECK IT OUT: Amazing Hairstyles in 15 to 30 Minutes
3. Become famous
(Photo credit: Altrendo Images)Get-famous-fast options usually involve sacrificing your dignity and privacy. Forget the Jersey Shore, honing your talents and polishing your work performance will get you much further, and winning the respect of those you admire is more satisfying and graceful.
4. Buy a New Wardrobe
(Photo credit: Altrendo images)If you're not socking some cash into a retirement fund, you might want to rethink your goal of acquiring a closet filled with fancy new clothes. Instead, consider upgrading with a few basics and accessories.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
From Alaska to Hollywood – the biggest breakups of 2010
From long-term lovers to short-term unions, Hollywood couples have been breaking up (again and again) all year long. At first, we thought it was just a case of the two-timers. But as the year went on, relationships of all kinds fell apart before our eyes. In no particular order, here are some of the biggies from 2010:
Courtney Cox and David Arquette
They're not divorced. Just ask them. But if you and your husband were separated and he went on Howard Stern to discuss his first sexual encounter with a new woman, we'd bet a divorce is imminent.Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey
A total Hollywood shocker, Carrey announced the split via Twitter stating, "I'm grateful 4 the many blessings we've shared and I wish her the very best! S'okay!" From his involvement with her autistic son, to her relationship with his grown daughter—and their constant praise of each other to the media—we thought this five-year love-a-thon was the real deal. Apparently, we thought wrong.Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal
We thought Jake had found true love with America's sweetheart — that is until they broke up and she was immediately spotted with a new hottie. But he quickly moved on as well - to a young blonde named Taylor Swift. Watch your step, Jake. This crooner's known to kiss and tell. Just ask John Mayer.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Kelly Osbourne's 'Just Being Miley'
Kelly Osbourne has bonded big time with Miley Cyrus on the set of the film "So Undercover," currently shooting in New Orleans, but now, she's even starting to look like her 18-year-old pal!
Early Thursday morning, Kelly, 26, posted a photo of herself dressed as Miley, complete with a lengthy brown wig.
PLAY IT NOW: Dr. Drew Reacts To Miley Cyrus’ Controversial Bong Smoking Video
"I'm just being Miley!!!!" Kelly Tweeted.
The former "Dancing with the Stars" contender made the photo a little bit better - she posed next to the real thing. Both Kelly and Miley struck the same pose in the pic.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The ‘Fierce’ Miss Kelly Osbourne
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com , Kelly stood up for Miley, after reports surfaced that her mom, Sharon Osbourne, believes the former "Hannah Montana" star is a bad influence on her daughter.
"Just read in the rags that apparently my mum thinks Miley is a bad influence on me it could not be father from the truth!" Kelly Tweeted on Tuesday. "Actually it's the other way around Miley has us all on a health kick. Gym/early nights There [sic] really scraping the barrel on that one!"
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Michelle Williams still asks why Heath Ledger died
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Actress Michelle Williams says she still can't find the meaning behind Heath Ledger's death three years ago, in a rare interview talking about the late father of her child who died of a prescription overdose.Williams, who since the actor's death in New York in January 2008, has remained mostly quiet in interviews about her former partner, told ABC news show "Nightline" this week she could understand why the public was curious about her grief, but still could not understand why Ledger died.
"I've found meanings around the circumstance but the actual event itself still doesn't have a ... I can't find a meaning for it," she said with tears in her eyes.
The 30 year-old actress, whose romance with Ledger blossomed on the set of "Brokeback Mountain" in roles for which they both received Oscar nominations (he won supporting actor), said she had found "meaning in things and people and relationships that have sprung up and friendships that have strengthened.
"I can find a lot of meaning in that, but not in why," she said.
Williams had split with Ledger when he died but was still sharing duties raising their daughter. To deal with her grief, she said she read "The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion, the Pulitzer-Prize winning account of Didion's year following the death of her husband.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Paris airport evacuated as precaution
Hundreds of people have been evacuated from Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris for fear heavy snow could force part of the airport's roof to collapse.The portion of roof in question is the same one that collapsed in 2004, Britain's Guardian newspaper reported, citing an airport employee.
An earlier report said the roof had collapsed.
Heavy snow has snarled travel throughout Europe throughout the week.
And French airlines were forced to reduce flights to Charles de Gaulle Friday due to a shortage of the liquid used to de-ice planes.
The country's civil aviation authority asked the airlines to cut their flights by half because of the low gycol stocks and predictions of below-freezing temperatures.
Flights had been expected to resume to normal levels at 12 p.m. GMT (7 a.m. ET).
Email scam angers 6-49 winners
An elderly couple from Lower Truro who won the lottery are upset their names are being used for an email scam.Allen and Violet Large won $11.2 million in Lotto 6-49 in July and decided to give their millions away to family and charities.
Now, the couple is disgusted to find out there's an email circulating with their names attached. The email, written in broken English, asks people to help the Larges give away their winnings.
"That really ticks me off," Allen told CBC News, with his wife sitting at his side.
"Anybody that stoops so low as to think that they're going to gain prosperity from us over doing something like this - they got another thought coming."
Police said the email looks like a new twist on an old scam, the Nigerian banking story. They also think it could have originated in Italy.
Sgt. Brigdit Leger with the RCMP in Nova Scotia warned people to exercise due diligence when they receive suspicious correspondence.
"If you're sensing that something is not right, take your time to research it," she said. "There are a number of phenomenal organizations throughout Canada that will help you with that: the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is one."