Latest news with #V12
Forbes
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
New Italian V12 Hypercar Brand Debuts With More Than 2000hp
Italian hypercar newcomer Giamaro Automobili has debuted a rolling version of its Katla. Photo: ... More Giamaro Automobili Italy's Motor Valley has given birth to another high-horsepower, high-cost protagonist with the launch of the Giamaro Automobili brand. The same region that gave the world Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Dallara and Pagani has just seen the unveiling of the four-turbo, 7.0-liter V12 Giamaro Katla hypercar with more than 2126hp. Weighing a claimed 1450kg, the Giamaro Katla is based on a carbon-fiber chassis, with all of that power driving only the rear wheels via an seven-speed gearbox, with an 11-speed, paddle-shift transmission also under development at Cavezzo, near Bologna. A four-turbo V12 powers the rear-drive Katla hypercar. Photo: Giamaro Automobili But Giamaro also revealed an upcoming second model, the Albor, which will share the Katla's V12 engine and carbon-fiber tub, but use them in a different way, with a different philosophy. The unfortunate-looking Giamaro Albor will share its engine and carbon-fiber chassis with the Katla, ... More but has a more crossover SUV stance. Photo: Giamaro Automobili Named after the Albor Tholus volcano on Mars, the Albor will follow the Katla into production after at least a year's wait, with a slightly more crossover-SUV stance than the inaugural Giamaro model. The Giamaro Albor looks even more confused from the rear, but will be quick. Photo: Giamaro ... More Automobili So far, the Giamaro brand, founded by Italian bedding specialists Giacomo and Pierfrancesco Commendatore, has launched only one model and has focused on its incredible V12. After developing an astonishing two-stroke V12 just to see if it could be done, Giamaro turned its attention to a more conventional four-stroke V12, with four turbochargers nestled inside the 120-degree hot vee between the cylinder banks. The quad-turbo V12 shares nothing with any other internal combustion engine on sale today, and even a 7.0-liter capacity is enormous by Italian standards. The engine revs to 9000rpm and Giamaro insists it doesn't need electric boosting because its 1481 foot-pounds of torque is more than enough to propel its light chassis towards the horizon. The schematics show the 7.0-liter V12 barely squeezing in to the carbon-fibre tub of the Giamaro ... More Katla. Photo Giamaro Automobili. It's so powerful that Giamaro promises to deliver the Katla with three keys: a white one for between 396hp and 790hp, a black key to deliver up to 1647hp and a red key to punch out the maximum of 2126hp. Giamaro has yet to make performance claims for the Katla - named after Iceland's most potent volcano - but the two-seater is expected to easily top 250mph. 'This engine represents everything we stand for — a passionate love letter to pure engineering ,' Giacomo Commendatore said. 'There's a spirit in the V12 that no other configuration can replicate. It speaks a visceral language, straight to the heart. It doesn't just move — it takes hold of you, ignites your senses, and leaves a lasting impression." Giamaro has gone for an interior of conventional design but high-quality materials. Photo: Giamaro ... More Automobili. Beneath the Katla's body is a carbon-fiber monocoque that weighs 170 kg and Giamaro claims it delivers over 40kNm/deg of torsional rigidity and more than 16 kN/mm of flexural stiffness to put it on a par with neighboring Pagani. It runs custom Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires and all the significant suspension components, from the double wishbones to the uprights and arms and the rear suspension supports, are machined from solid 6062 T6 aluminium alloy. It uses both active aerodynamics and active suspension, with electrically adjustable dampers that continuously fine tune the road holding, and it also constantly adjusts its ride height to match the aerodynamic targets at every speed. Each axle has its own central third spring to deliver almost infinite suspension adjustment and fine tuning. It stops with 420mm carbon-ceramic front brakes and 10-piston calipers, while the rear is anchored by 410mm carbon-ceramic discs with four-piston calipers. The Katla will be 189 inches long, 79.8 inches wide and just 46.8 inches high, riding on a 108.3-inch wheelbase. 'We founded Giamaro Automobili to create something rare, authentic, and unrepeatable — something with soul, courage and clarity of purpose,' Giacomo Commendatore said. 'For us, a car must be more than fast or beautiful. It must stir something deeper — it must transcend. It must connect with the person who lives it, becoming an extension of their identity. Our goal was never to chase trends or numbers, but to create machines that evoke feeling, provoke thought, and leave a lasting mark. "Giamaro is for those who believe a car should move the heart before it moves the wheels.' The company is based around its R&D center in Cavezzo, but is officially in Castelfranco Emilia, within 30 miles of Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini. It is also restoring the decrepit 17th-century Villa Pietramellara to house the ambitious Palazzo Giamaro as a welcome space for clients.
Motor Trend
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
2026 Rolls-Royce Ghost Review: Expert Insights, Pricing, and Trims
Reviewed by Alex Leanse Calling any Rolls-Royce 'entry-level' seems preposterous, but if a vehicle in this lineup must have that designation, it's the Ghost. Despite being the cheapest Rolls-Royce, the Ghost still has all the automaker's ultra-high-end craftsmanship and luxurious driving dynamics. Once, the Ghost was based on the BMW 7 Series, and the current generation that went on sale for 2020 is built on Rolls-Royce's bespoke Architecture of Luxury platform. It's also offered with an extended wheelbase or in sport-inspired Black Badge specification. What's New Rolls-Royce gave a significant update to the Ghost for 2025, so changes for 2026 are likely to be few. For model year 2025, the Ghost gained: Updated headlights, bumpers, and wheels Reshaped dashboard Improved tech and connectivity features Additional paint and trim choices This page will be updated with more insights and photos as information becomes available. What We Think Aside from other Rolls-Royce models, few vehicles can match how incredibly quiet and smooth the Ghost is. That sure is lovely, but given that some rivals come close to that luxury for significantly less money, is the Ghost worth it? With its strong, silent V-12 engine and incredible refinement, the Ghost is very nice to drive . But it's not exactly fun to drive, given the light steering and relaxed responses to its controls. Upgrading to Black Badge specification doesn't help much. Nevertheless, the Ghost is a stupendous car, packed full of materials and design details of the highest craftsmanship and quality. It's very expensive, but the Ghost could be worth it for drivers who demand luxury beyond reproach. Top-Ranked Competitors: MotorTrend Tested Under the Ghost's long hood is a 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V-12 engine, backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission with AWD. As standard, the Ghost's engine produces 563 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration from 0 to 60 mph took 4.2 seconds in MotorTrend testing. In Black Badge specification, output rises to 592 hp and 664 lb-ft, which should reduce the 0–60 mph acceleration time to approximately 4.0 seconds. MPGs Fuel economy for the Ghost is approximately 12/19 mpg city/highway, figures that won't cause the slightest bit of bother to anyone who can afford the car in the first place. Safety Ratings and Features Driver assist and active safety features on the Ghost include: Front automatic emergency braking Lane keep assist Blind-spot monitoring Adaptive cruise control Seating Configurations The Ghost can be built to seat five occupants by equipping the three-across rear bench seat. Alternatively, a rear seat with a fixed center console is available, reducing capacity to four but improving comfort for rear passengers. Technology Infotainment In addition to a digital gauge display, the Ghost comes equipped with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Mobile app integration allows for remote viewing of the vehicle's location and functions. Various USB ports and a wireless charging pad keep devices powered up. Sound System The Rolls-Royce Bespoke audio system in the Ghost comprises 18 speakers and a 1,400-watt amplifier. Available Upgrades By choosing the Rear Theatre Configuration, the front seatbacks gain a 12.0-inch touchscreen for each rear passenger to use. Other upgrades include a 360-degree camera and head-up display. Value Standard Features As standard, the Ghost comes equipped with luxurious features including heated front and rear seats, power-closing doors, front and rear parking sensors, an illuminated grille, and a polished Spirit of Ecstasy figurine at the front of the hood. Standard 20-inch wheels can be upgraded to 21 or 22 inches. Recommended Trim Get the standard Ghost in your dream configuration, or the Extended version if you plan to hire a chauffeur for the car. Skip the Ghost Black Badge, as its suspension tune roughens the ride without delivering a commensurate increase in sportiness and driving enjoyment. Ghost Extended For buyers seeking a chauffeur-driven car, the Ghost Extended could be a good choice. This model has a longer wheelbase and body than the standard Ghost, adding 6.7 inches of second-row legroom on top of the 42.3 inches already offered.
Motor 1
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Giamaro's Quad-Turbo V-12 Is Insane: 'The King of Engines'
When our colleagues at Motor1 Italia broke the story late last year on a quad-turbocharged V-12 from a brand-new automaker, it's safe to say it caused a stir. Now, Giamaro Automobili has revealed its first two cars, the Katla and Albor, and both feature this mad, 2,100-plus-horsepower engine. We got the chance to visit Giamaro a week before its official reveal event this Thursday to see this V-12 in the metal. Here's everything we learned. Giamaro is working with Turin engineering firm Italtecnica, which it has a stake in, for the engine. The V-12 displaces 7.0 liters, and rather unusually, it uses a 120-degree bank angle, with its four turbochargers nestled in the valley between the cylinder banks. To our knowledge, no one has ever made a 120-degree V-12 before, and in fact, the only production 120-degree engines are McLaren's and Ferrari's current V-6s. But 120 degrees is one of the three possible angles for a V-12—along with 60 and 180 degrees—that allows for an even firing order, and perfect primary and secondary balance. Opening up the V-12 compared to the more common 60-degree angle made room for the hot-vee turbocharger arrangement, which helps shorten plumbing and improves throttle response. It also allows for a lower center of gravity. In theory, a 180-degree V-12, a flat-12 like Ferrari used in the Boxer and Testarossa, could have lowered the center of gravity further, but Giamaro deemed it impractically wide. The hot-vee arrangement requires intakes on the side of the engine, and it also takes up space that could be better used for other components. Giamaro also says the 120-degree bank angle helps with cooling. There's simply more room to dissipate the massive amount of heat that the exhaust system and turbos generate. Though the engineers are quick to point out that thermal management is still a massive challenge in an engine like this. Photo by: Chris Perkins / Motor1 The V-12 displaces 7.0 liters, and rather unusually, it uses a 120-degree bank angle, with its four turbochargers nestled in the valley between the cylinder banks. A clear inspiration for this quad-turbo V-12 design was the Bugatti EB110, a car that Giamaro's head engineer, Loris Bicocchi, worked on, and Giamaro founder Giacomo Commendatore is a big fan of. Like with the EB110, Giamaro's V-12 has its four turbochargers working in parallel, essentially one for every three cylinders. Once again, it's the best solution for response times. Like a bespoke racing engine, the Giamaro V-12 is entirely gear-driven—ie, no chains, no belts—and it uses a dry-sump oiling system with six scavenge pumps to ensure adequate lubrication in all scenarios. Commendatore also tells us the block is made from an aluminum alloy used in Formula 1, while the crankshaft is made from an aeronautical alloy. Some numbers. The V-12 in the Katla makes 2,128 horsepower at 9,000 RPM and 1,481 pound-feet of torque when you use the car's red key, which unlocks all the possible performance. A black key limits output to just 1,648 hp at 8,500 rpm and 1,147 pound-feet, while a white key lets the owner choose a limit between 394 and 789 hp. The Katla's upright suspension with wishbones Photo by: Chris Perkins / Motor1 Photo by: Chris Perkins / Motor1 All that is funneled to the rear wheels only via a seven-speed transaxle available as a manual or paddle shift and a mechanical limited-slip differential. It comes from CIMA, a company in Bologna that makes road and race-car gearboxes. Giamaro is also developing its own 11-speed dual-clutch for future use, though I offered to Giamaro's engineers that the engine has so much torque, they probably only need one or two gears. Giamaro and Italtecnica have put over 500 hours on the V-12 on the dyno, and the engine is also out testing in the real world in camouflaged prototypes. And I got to see it in a Kalta prototype with no bodywork. The sound and the power emanating from the thing is like nothing you've ever heard before. "[The V-12] is the king of engines," Commendatore tells Motor1 through an interpreter. "We could've gone with a 16-cylinder engine like Bugatti, but the V-12 is the engine that guarantees the perfect balance between power and visceral sensation. It's the best configuration possible." Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Motor 1
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
This High-Riding Hypercar Packs a Quad-Turbo V-12
Not content to release just one V-12 hypercar, Giamaro Automobili has surprised us with this, the Albor, a high-riding coupe with that crazy quad-turbocharged engine in the middle. It's unlike anything we've ever seen. Giamaro founder Giacomo Commendatore calls it 'badass.' The company isn't yet releasing specs, but he tells Motor1 that it's taller than an Alfa Romeo Stelvio if you include the two roof scoops feeding the V-12. He considers this something new, a 'vertical' hypercar, that's not quite an SUV, but not quite a traditional performance car either. Photo by: Giamaro Automobili Like the Katla, the Albor is based around a carbon-fiber monocoque and features styling by Turinese design house Camal. It's named for a Martian volcano, Albor Tholus, to reflect its powerful, otherworldly vibe. The V-12 is a co-development with another Turin company, Italtecnica, which Giamaro owns a stake in. We don't know specs for this car yet, but in the Katla, this engine makes over 2,100 horsepower and pairs with a seven-speed transaxle with a choice of manual or paddle shifts. The car is being developed by a team led by Loris Bicocchi, a legend in the supercar world who's worked for Lamborghini, Bugatti, Pagani, and Koenigsegg. It's further away from production than the Katla, which Giamaro plans to start building next year, so the company has only revealed the car as a full-scale model. But, we should see this become a reality by the end of the decade. It'll be a reality like nothing we've ever seen before. 9 Source: Giamaro Automobili More From Giamaro This Quad-Turbo V-12 Hypercar Aims To Take on Pagani Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Tom's Guide
16-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
Acer launches 2 new tablets at Computex 2025 to take on the iPad — meet the Iconia V11 and V12
Acer has launched two new Android-based Iconia tablets at Computex 2025 with an eye towards capturing budget-conscious customers on the lookout for a new Android tablet. The Iconia V11 and V12 arrive running Android 15 powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 processor backed by up to 8GB of DDR4 RAM. Judging from the European pricing (U.S. and U.K. prices haven't been revealed yet) of €289 for the V12 and €229 for the V11, we're looking at sub-$300 mid-tier devices vying for a spot on the best cheap tablets list. So, what do you get for the money? Acer is packing these devices with 11- and 12-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio screens with up to a 2K resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. Both tablets feature an aluminum chassis and while the V12 weighs in at 595g (1.3 pounds), the V11 is quite a bit lighter at 500g (1.1 pounds). Both devices come with an iPad-style magnetic folio case that doubles up as a kickstand with three different viewing angles. Both devices come with an iPad-style magnetic folio case that doubles up as a kickstand with three different viewing angles. Acer also has an accompanying stylus it's selling separately. You only get one color option, and it's an eye-pleasing "mist green". There's 256GB of built-in storage in each tablet with the option to expand that up to 1TB via microSD. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Acer quotes a 10-hour battery life from the integrated 8,000mAh batteries — but that's obviously something we'll have to test independently once we get our hands on these tablets. Camera-wise, you're looking at an 8-megapixel rear shooter and a 5-megapixel front one for video calls. Again, we'll have to test these out in the hand to determine if the quality is any good. USB fast charging is on offer and Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 round out the connectivity options. Acer has a 4G LTE version of the Iconia V11 for anyone who wants to include a cellular connection. We won't know exactly how good these devices are until we've got them into the Tom's Guide testing labs for a full review. But it's safe to say competition to offer the best cheap tablets is fierce right now. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 can be had for under $200 at Amazon right now thanks to a 13% discount. For Android users, this is a solid entry-level option with a 10.4-inch 2,000 x 1,200 display and a Snapdragon 662 processor inside along with 3GB of RAM. Of course, for those with a little bit more to spend, there's the 11-inch iPad (10th generation) which is hovering at $321 at Amazon at time of writing due to an 8% discount. That's the best overall cheap tablet you can buy right now and a tough opponent for Acer to match. The Iconia tablets are far from the only products Acer is unleashing at Computex this year. Tom's Guide will be reporting from the show floor all week so make sure you check back for the latest news as it happens.
