Brabus GLK V12 Hits 200 MPH!
World Debut at the DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW
BRABUS GLK V12 = 322.3 km/h from 750 hp / 552 kW
The World's Fastest Street-Legal SUV
Dubai, December 11th, 2009
With a top speed of 322.3 km/h (200.3 mph) the BRABUS GLK V12 has set a new speed record for street-legal SUVs on the Italian high-speed test track on October 19th, 2009. The exclusive special model, powered by a twelve-cylinder twin turbo engine with 750 hp (740 bhp) / 552 kW, celebrates its world debut at the DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW. BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777-0, fax + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777 111, Internet www.brabus.com) builds this high-performance automobile based on the Mercedes GLK-Class. The BRABUS GLK V12 starts at 397,000 Euros MSRP.
The new BRABUS SV12 R Biturbo 750 engine was implanted in the small engine bay of the GLK with meticulous precision. The engineers and technicians drew upon their experience and know-how gathered from the development and production of the special model BRABUS BULLIT, based on the latest Mercedes C-Class.
The displacement engine, lubricated exclusively with ARAL Synthetic motor oil, delivers 750 hp (740 bhp) / 552 kW at 5,500 rpm and produces a peak torque of 1,350 Nm (995 lb-ft) at 2,100 rpm, limited in the car electronically to 1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft).
To achieve this kind of performance, the engine – based on the latest Mercedes 600 twelve-cylinder engine – was completely re-engineered in the BRABUS engine department. Displacement is increased from 5.5 to 6.3 liters with the help of a special crankshaft, larger cylinder bore, special pistons and piston rods. In addition the three-valve heads are precision-machined and fitted with special camshafts.
For maximum power yield the BRABUS engineers have developed a special twin turbo system with two larger turbochargers and more efficient intercoolers. Free-flow metal catalysts and a fully stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system custom-tailored to the GLK body let the BRABUS SV12 R 750 Biturbo engine breathe more freely.
Custom-programmed engine electronics ensure an optimal symbiosis of power yield, running smoothness and especially eco-friendly exhaust emissions. Special mapping and OnBoard Diagnostics II result in clean emissions that meet the strict requirements of the Euro IV standard. The BRABUS GLK V12 is also equipped with the latest driving dynamics systems such as ABS, ASR and ESP.
The enormous power is transferred to the rear wheels via a reinforced five-speed automatic transmission and a BRABUS limited-slip differential with a locking rate of 40 percent.
Together these measures make the BRABUS GLK V12 the fastest street-legal SUV in the world. But it is not just the incredible top speed of 322.3 km/h (211 mph) that are the basis for its fascination. With an acceleration time from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) of just 4.2 seconds and 12.8 seconds to 200 km/h (124 mph) the five-door sets new standards for its kind.
BRABUS manages this extraordinary SUV performance with custom modifications to aerodynamics, suspension and brakes.
The front apron of the BRABUS WIDESTAR version was developed in the wind tunnel. Its large air dams provide radiators and front brakes with ample cooling air. In combination with a carbon-fiber spoiler lip the front apron also minimizes aerodynamic lift on the front axle – a prerequisite for directional stability beyond 300 km/h (186 mph).
Favorable aerodynamic properties were also a top priority for the design of the BRABUS WIDESTAR fender flares on front and rear axle. They add five centimeters (two inches) to the width of the GLK. Custom-tailored rocker panels create a smooth transition between front and rear flares. The rocker panels feature LED lights in their undersides that are activated via the keyless remote or by pulling on a door handle. These lights illuminate the ground next to the SUV for safe entering and exiting the vehicle in the dark.
In the rear the BRABUS roof spoiler reduces aerodynamic lift and thus makes an important contribution to the excellent directional stability of the world's fastest SUV. The rear appearance of the BRABUS GLK V12 is further characterized by the BRABUS rear apron with its centrally located reflector. Custom-tailored cutouts on the right and left side provide the perfect backdrop for the four characteristically shaped tailpipes of the BRABUS stainless-steel sport exhaust system.
The larger wheel houses of the record car provide space for BRABUS Monoblock wheels up to king-size wheels with a diameter of 22 inches. The size 10Jx22 wheels come in five different designs: GLK V12 customers can choose from the new BRABUS Monoblock G five-spoke forged wheels, three-piece Monoblock VI alloy wheels and one-piece Monoblock E, Q and S wheels. High-performance tires from BRABUS technology partners Pirelli and YOKOHAMA can be mounted up to size 285/25 ZR 22.
The BRABUS coilover sport suspension was developed specifically for the twelve-cylinder SUV. It is height-adjustable on front and rear axle and features ten selectable settings each for bound and rebound.
To handle the extreme performance the brakes were upgraded as well and trimmed for maximum stopping power and endurance. The BRABUS high-performance brakes system features 12-piston aluminum fixed calipers and vented and grooved steel discs measuring 380 x 37 millimeters (15 x 1.5 inches) on the front axle. The rear axle stops on six-piston aluminum fixed calipers and vented and grooved 360 x 28 millimeter (14.2 x 1.1 inches) discs.
The interior of the GLK V12 was also refined to reflect the exclusive character of this unique SUV: The GLK V12 comes with a BRABUS fully leather interior that can be further refined with Alcantara elements if desired. The interior appointments are rounded out with an ergonomically shaped sport steering wheel, a speedometer with 330-km/h (205-mph) scale and stainless-steel scuff plates with illuminated BRABUS WIDESTAR logo.
Further exclusive interior highlights are wood trim sets or carbon-fiber trim panels for dashboard, doors and center console in any color imaginable. Custom-tailored consoles for the backs of the GLK front seats provide the perfect multimedia experience. They each feature an integrated seven-inch LCD screen and a DVD player.
AMD Introduces ATI Radeon™ HD 5970: Fastest Graphics Card in the World [1]
Massive overclocking potential enables PC gaming enthusiasts to dominate their gameplay with DirectX® 11 [2] expand the game experience with ATI Eyefinity technology [3] and accelerate with ATI Stream technology [4]
SUNNYVALE, Calif. --11/18/2009
AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the flagship installment in the award-winning line of graphics cards, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970, the fastest card ever created.1 The new ultra high-end model joins a growing list of the world’s first and only graphics cards to fully support Microsoft DirectX® 11 technology and ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology.
Designed to support the most demanding PC games at ultra-high resolutions and image quality settings, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 has unlocked overclocking potential, granting access to every bit of power the card has to offer through ATI Overdrive™ technology.2 Now shipping from retailers and available in the channel, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 also launches today in new Alienware Area-51, Area-51 ALX and Aurora desktop PCs.
Record-breaking overclocking capabilities take Dragon Platform technology to the forefront for users that demand the utmost control in performance tuning. The unrivaled overclocking capabilities of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 are enabled by the unique design of the card, which features advanced fan and vapor chamber technologies and a fully vented exhaust to keep the card cool and ensure overclocking headroom using ATI Overdrive™ technology.2 The formidable combination of AMD Phenom II processors, AMD 7-Series chipsets, and ATI Radeon HD graphics deliver comprehensive tuning, immersive entertainment, and outstanding value.
Enthusiasts can expand their field of view, ATI Radeon™ HD 5970, driving up to three displays at once, delivering an unmatched maximum resolution of 7680x1600 and creating an unparalleled game play experience.3 For the first time ever, ATI CrossFireX™ technology leverages the power of multiple graphics processors to deliver even more game performance in 20 of today’s popular titles when using ATI Eyefinity technology, with more to come.
The ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 graphics card delivers nearly 5 TeraFLOPS of compute power, ensuring superior performance in the latest DirectX® 11 games, as well as in previous versions of DirectX® and OpenGL titles. With the world’s most powerful graphics core built on 40nm process technology harnessing up to 3,200 stream processors, gamers can enjoy DirectX® 11 games now, such as EA Phenomic’s BattleForge™ and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.:Call of Pripyat from GSC Game World, with many more titles on the way, including:
* Battlefield Bad Company 2 from EA DICE
* DiRT™ 2 from Codemasters, arriving December 1, 2009,
* Aliens vs. Predator™ from Rebellion,
* Update to The Lord of the Rings Online™ from Turbine,
* Update to Dungeons and Dragons Online® Eberron Unlimited™ from Turbine.
New features and functionality of ATI Stream technology allow users to harness the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 graphics card to enhance their computing experience, helping to improve the performance of enabled media, entertainment and productivity applications.4 ATI Stream technology and the HD 5970 support both Direct Compute 11 and OpenCL industry standards for application acceleration.
Delivering full-fledged performance when needed, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 also leads in power efficiency by automatically powering down unused GPU resources when not in use, resulting in idle desktop power consumption as low as 42 watts.5
The ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 is supported by a wide range of add-in-board companies, including ASK, Asus, Club 3D, Diamond, Gigabyte, High Tech, MSI, Sapphire, Tul/Power Color, Visiontek and XFX.
To celebrate the launch of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 and to conclude a series of contests created to celebrate AMD’s 40th anniversary year, AMD is announcing the third and final contest designed to give back to AMD fans and supporters. Starting today, fans of AMD on Facebook will be able to enter to win one of 10 Microsoft Xbox 360s or one of 10 Wiis from Nintendo. One gaming system will be given away every weekday for four weeks. Full contest rules and details available online: www.amd.com/40years
“With the arrival of the ATI Radeon HD 5970, the fastest graphics card in the world, we’ve cemented AMD as the unquestioned graphics leader,” said Matt Skynner, vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics Group. “With the holiday shopping season right around the corner, the new card, coupled with the awesome power of ATI Eyefinity technology, is the ultimate setup for serious gamers.”
“The extraordinary performance of the ATI Radeon HD 5970 is a perfect match for the Alienware Area-51, Area-51 ALX and Aurora desktops,” said Frank Azor, senior product planning manager, Dell Gaming. “By offering this level of graphics capability as well as the visual and performance enhancements made possible by DirectX 11 hardware, gamers will benefit from enhanced image quality enabling an incredibly intense gaming experience.”
Supporting Resources
* Pictures: See photos of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 series graphics cards on Flickr
* Press kit: More information on the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 series of graphics cards
* Product page: ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 series product information
* Contest: Enter the third and final contest in AMD’s 40th anniversary celebration for a chance to win one of 20 Wiis from Nintendo or Microsoft Xbox 360s. More information available online: www.amd.com/40years, or enter to win on Facebook.
* Twitter: Follow AMD graphics news on Twitter at @ATIGraphicsFacebook: Become a fan of AMD technology on Facebook
About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.
1. As of November 18, 2009, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5790 scores X12011.1 in 3DMark Vantage Extreme preset, which is the highest recorded single-card score. System configuration: Intel Core i7 965 processor @ 3.33GHz, Gigabyte EX58-UD5 motherboard, Corsair XMS 6GB memory (3x2GB) at 1600MHz (8-8-8-24 timings), Windows 7 RTM x64, ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 1GB GDDR5, Drivers: ATI Catalyst™ 9.10 Beta (8.663.1) / NVIDIA ForceWare 191.07WHQL
2. AMD product warranty does not cover damage caused by overclocking, even when enabled by AMD software. Unlike previous generations of ATI Radeon™ graphics cards, the overclocking potential of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 graphics card has been left uncapped. You control the amount of overclocking to which you subject your card. Please use discretion and caution when overclocking.
3. To enable a third display on an ATI Radeon HD 5970 graphics card you require one panel with a DisplayPort connector.
4. Requires application support for ATI Stream technology.
5. Average idle power of the ATI Radeon HD 5970, as measured by AMD on a typical board in a typical use-case
AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, ATI, the ATI logo, Radeon, Overdrive and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Switzer GTRs Blister Tracks Across the Globe
October has been a busy month for Switzer Performance. After kicking off a 1-2-3 finish at the Moscow Unlimited, the company's tuned GTR Nissans posted record-breaking results (for an R35) in standing mile and dragstrip events in Miami, Moscow, and the company's home state of Ohio.
First up was last weekend's Milemarker-1, a standing mile event in Miami that saw one customer's GTR reach an official 191 mph in the standing mile, despite the extreme humidity and sweltering track temperatures of the Florida Everglades – conditions not usually kind to turbocharged cars.
Next came word of a similarly spectacular quarter-mile pass from one of Switzer's Russian GTR customers – a 10.193 second pass at over 133 mph.
One-hundred and thirty-three miles per hour in a quarter mile, while fast, is still shy of the unofficial R35 trap speed record (10.48 @ 134.3 mph). With that trap speed in mind, another Switzer customer offered to take his car out to Ohio's Dragway 42 for on open test and tune … and recorded back-to-back passes in excess of 141 mph! (141.41 and 141.51, respectively)
Tym Switzer is, understandably, very excited about the car's performances, saying that "it's been an amazing couple of weekends here for us. We really just went to the mile event to see what the car would do, and were excited to break into the 190's in those conditions. The really exciting thing for us, I think, is that all of these numbers were generated by customer cars, with off-the-shelf kits, being driven by their owners. No ringer cars or ringer drivers – that 141 speed was even on all-season tires. I don't know if you can call any of these runs 'official' or 'records', but one this is for sure: these cars are rockets! It's been a great October for the shop and the R35 platform. I couldn't be happier or more proud of everyone's performance these couple of weeks."
Switzer's R35 GTR tuning packages are available now through Switzer Performance dealers. Contact Switzer for more.
