Showing posts with label auto car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label auto car. Show all posts

Tuesday,Jan11,

Find of the Day: 1999 Sbarro GT1 show car


web 1999sbarrogt1concept1 450x295 Find of the Day: 1999 Sbarro GT1 show car
GT1 road cars are hard to come by. Manufacturers are required by some motorsport sanctioning bodies to homologate their racecars with production versions, but these often fetch millions of dollars and are only made in extremely limited quantities. All the more so for Sbarro’s GT1 show car.
Built to celebrate Mercedes’ victory at Le Mans in 1999, the GT1 is a one-of-a-kind (well, two of a kind if you could the twelve-cylinder GT12 that followed the next year) concept built using many Mercedes components. The biggest is the 7.4-liter V8 engine producing 450 horsepower – which may not seem like much for such a big engine, but a huge amount of power by any other measure… especially over a decade ago.
The engine sits as a stressed member of the competition-style chassis, with a composite monocoque acting as its centerpiece, propelling the GT1 to sixty in 4.9 seconds and on to a 200+ mph top end. The cabin features two seats moulded directly into the body and covered in Alcantara (the pedals adjust to compensate) and are accessed through gullwing doors – another Mercedes tribute. And of course the styling is pure Sbarro. But the best part is that this one-off is up for sale. A million euros is the asking price, and if you’re interested you can check out the listing here.

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696299large2 150x150 Find of the Day: 1999 Sbarro GT1 show carsbarro gt1 concept 3 150x150 Find of the Day: 1999 Sbarro GT1 show car


Friday,Jan7,

Toyota sees increased U.S. market share in 2011



toyota logo highlander 2011 450x300 Toyota sees increased U.S. market share in 2011
2010 was as rough a year as Toyota has experienced in many-a-decade, but the Japanese automaker reportedly senses a rebound in 2011. The Detroit News reports that team Toyota predicts that in 2011 it will outpace industry growth due in part to 10 revamped models across its Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands.
And Toyota isn’t just optimistic about its prospects in the year ahead; the automaker feels sales will jump to 12.5 million units on an annualized basis, up a million units from 2010. Many industry analysts polled by The Detroit News seem to agree with that sentiment as well, with figures ranging from 12.5 to over 13 million cars and trucks sold in 2011. Further into the future, Toyota reportedly sees sales hitting 15 million units by 2015.
After the year Toyota had, we are a little surprised that the Japanese automaker is this bullish on 2011. But then again, Toyota struggled as much with an aging lineup as it did with millions of recalls. Ten new models can go a long way toward repopulating dealers with new customers, especially if U.S. car buyers can forget about 2010 as fast as Toyota hopes they do.

Wednesday,Jan5,

GAZ Siber to switch from Chrysler Sebring to MB E-Class?!



volga siber 630 450x300 GAZ Siber to switch from Chrysler Sebring to MB E Class?!
Russian automotive manufacturer GAZ is being courted by a number of handsome suitors, according to Inside Line. While the company currently produces the Volga Siber at its Gorky Automobile plant, there’s some indication that Daimler may want the facility to switch to building the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The move would kinda sorta be an all-in-the-family affair as the Siber is currently built off of the old Chrysler Sebring platform. With Chrysler out of Daimler’s portfolio and Mercedes-Benz looking to take the Russian assault to its rival BMW, the move would make plenty of sense. It would also seem to be a rather large step up from its current configuration.
The thing is, GAZ has also been spending late nights on the phone with the likes of Tata to produce that company’s Indicar. At the same time, General Motors has been wooing Tata to manufacture any number of its vehicles. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to which company will win the GAZ plant’s heart, but Inside Line seems to think that GM has the best bet out of the field of potentials. The reason? Bo Anderson, the new chairman of GAZ, used to be the head of worldwide purchasing for The General. How’s that for a love trapezoid?

Tuesday,Jan4,

China’s BAIC gunning to buy Pininfarina



baic saab 1280 01 copy 450x300 Chinas BAIC gunning to buy Pininfarina
Beijing Automotive Industry Corp, or BAIC, is looking to buy Italian design firm Pininfarina. The Chinese automaker is already working with Pininfarina in collaboration on its upcoming models based on older Saabs.
Since mid-2009, Pininfarina’s family ownership has been looking to unload its majority stake in the company. Interest from several Chinese automakers has been piqued and BAIC is not alone in bidding for the right to purchase the design house. Brilliance and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile have put in bids, as have Indian automakers Mahindra and Bajaj Auto and Canadian parts supplier Magna International.
Regardless of BAIC submitting a winning bid, work with Pininfarina is proceeding and we expect to see the fruits of both companies’ efforts at a car show sometime in the very near future.

Saturday,Jan1,

C7 Corvette rendered by design student with good ideas



corvette c7 robbins opt 450x277 C7 Corvette rendered by design student with good ideas
It isn’t easy redesigning an icon, especially one as popular and well-known as the Chevrolet Corvette. Nevertheless, a seventh-generation Corvette is coming, and while rumors of an exotic mid-engine layout for America’s supercar are unlikely to pan out, it’s possible that the Bowtie brand’s designers could take the Corvette’s look in an entirely new direction.
Student designer James Robbins has his own ideas for what the C7 Corvette will look like. His renderings look like a logical next step in the car’s design evolution, though we’re not fans of some of the details. We particularly like the rear end’s reimagination of the Corvette’s signature round taillamps, albeit perhaps without some of the edgy detailing on the car’s hood. What say you? Check out the rest of the renderings in the gallery below and let us know what you think of Robbins’ C7 Corvette.

2012 Ford Focus gets wrapped up in tattoos



lede 2012 ford focus tattoo 450x220 2012 Ford Focus gets wrapped up in tattoos
Ford really wants owners to personalize their vehicles, and over the past year the automaker has launched custom graphics for the Mustang, Taurus, Fiesta and F-150. Now another car is getting in on the vinyl wrap fun – the 2012 Ford Focus. Through the website FordCustomGraphics.com, 2012 Focus owners can apply vinyl ‘tattoos’ to their cars.
The Blue Oval team did some research and found that nearly four in 10 Millennials have at least one tattoo. It’s not a stretch, then, to figure they might want to throw one on their car. People already put graphics on cell phones, laptops and whatever else is around, so allowing an outlet for automotive creativity makes sense. These automotive tattoos won’t be in short supply, either – Ford is offering over 200 different designs for the all-new Focus.
The graphics range in price from $120 up to $470 and they’ve all been produced by Original Wraps. Of course, each wrap is easily removable should you get bored with the look – something that can’t be said for an actual tattoo. Follow the jump for Ford’s official press release.

Saturday,Dec25,

Hyundai Sonata edges Volt in Autoblog’s informal Car of the Year poll



sonata 450x288 Hyundai Sonata edges Volt in Autoblogs informal Car of the Year poll
The finalists for this year’s North American Car and Truck of the Year awards may have been no big surprise, but the vehicle that our readers think will win Car of the Year honors came as something of a shock.
The NACTOY judges have picked the Chevrolet Volt, Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Leaf as finalists for Car of the Year. While the Leaf saw a little bit of love with 2,820 votes in our unofficial poll, as well as being named European Car of the Year, the final tally came down to a bare-knuckled fight between the Volt and Sonata. Surprisingly, the Hyundai eked out a win with 8,058 votes and 42.7-percent of the total votes cast, which just barely bested the 7,985 votes cast for the Volt and its 42.3 percent of the total vote.
That’s not a huge margin of victory by any means (a statistical dead heat, as they say), but considering that the Volt has whirred away with honors like the Green Car of the Year, Automobile Magazine‘s Automobile of the Year and Motor Trend‘s Car of the Year awards, we fully expected the Bowtiie to handily walk away with our impromptu poll.
We were pretty smitten with both the 2.0T and the hybrid variants of the Sonata when we hopped behind their wheels earlier this year, and buyers have been no less taken with the base model. The 2011 Sonata has enjoyed a huge year in terms of sales with 183,102 units sold by early December, a year-over-year increase of 65 percent.
Meanwhile, the 2011 Ford Explorer handily beat the 2011 Dodge Durango and 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee in our informal North American Truck of the Year poll. You can check out the results from both surveys here, and the stay tuned for when the real winners are announced at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show in early January.

Wednesday,Dec22,

Report: Esprit only new Lotus under development



01lotusespritparisliveopt 450x298 Report: Esprit only new Lotus under development
We were a bit surprised when Lotus rolled out a total of five new concepts at this year’s Paris Motor Show. Lotus unloaded its lightweight guns in an effort to showcase the automaker’s future direction, but the question on our minds concerns which of these concepts will actually see the light of day. According to Autocar, only one of the five concepts is actually undergoing engineering work: the Esprit.
Autocar quotes Lotus insiders who say that the future range-topping Esprit is the only vehicle being fully developed at the moment. The Esprit would be the first of the next-generation Lotuses to grace our presence, sometime around 2013. The Esprit will reportedly adhere to the Lotus mantra of lightness and simplicity, with a curb weight of around 3,300 pounds motivated by a 550-horsepower supercharged V8. No, 3,300 pounds isn’t exactly lightweight by any means, but with 550 supercharged horses on deck, the power-to-weight ratio will still be what we’ve come to expect from Lotus.

Lotus reportedly brought in for chassis work on new Vauxhall Astra VXR



web630 vauxhall gtc 450x293 Lotus reportedly brought in for chassis work on new Vauxhall Astra VXR
From the likes of the Dodge EV to the Ford Cortina, Lotus has had its fingers in all of the Big Three’s pies. But its strongest relationship has historically been with General Motors. The British engineering firm helped develop the engine in the original Corvette ZR-1, engineered the Vauxhall VX220/Opel Speedster, re-engineered the Vauxhall Carlton into ones of its own, and has undertaken a variety of projects for the General over the years. Now the latest reports have Lotus teaming up with GM’s European subsidiaries for a new hot hatch.
Much as it did with the outgoing Vauxhall Astra VXR, Lotus is reportedly hard at work tuning the chassis on the next generation of the model. Previewed by the GTC concept at the Paris Motor Show, the new Astra VXR is tipped to ditch the current model’s electronic differential for a more traditional mechanical one. The engine is rumored to produce in the neighborhood of 280-300 horsepower, with Lotus reportedly brought in to help minimize the torque steer inevitable with that much power channeled through the front wheels.

2014 Lotus Elite loses its roof



lotus elite convert rear34 1285875110 1 450x300 Video: 2014 Lotus Elite loses its roof
Lotus made quite a splash at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The automaker grabbed the spotlight by showing off five new concept vehicles. One of the proposed cars is the Lotus Elite, a 2+2 grand tourer powered by a 611-horsepower, supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine borrowed from the Lexus IS-F. One surprising detail for this Lotus is its weight. The Elite tips the scales at 3,600 pounds, which is a mammoth sum for anything carrying the company badge. The reason for much of that extra weight may lie in the roof, as the Elite is fitted with a retractable folding hard-top.
Losing the roof creates a whole new perspective for both the driver and people gawking at the car as it passes by. The dramatic lines get a visual boost with the top stowed, since the eye has fewer places to wander. The result is an attractive grand touring car that aims to rival similar offerings from the likes of Ferrari,Maserati and Aston Martin, even if it is a heavyweight by Colin Chapman’s standards.
You can let some virtual wind blow through your hair by watching a new Lotus Elite video clip posted after the jump.

Lotus reveals Evora S and Evora IPS ahead of Paris debut



evoraopt 450x236 Lotus reveals Evora S and Evora IPS ahead of Paris debut
Not long after Lotus accidentally leaked its plans to unveil two new Evoras at this year’s Paris Motor Show, we now have the full details weeks before the dynamic duo make their public debut. The Evora S and IPS (which stands for “Intelligent Precision Shift” or “automatic transmission” in layman’s terms) will nicely fill out the Evora range, and we’re aching to get our hands on the former.
For the Evora S, Lotus has tweaked the Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 to produce 345 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque – gains of 69 hp and 37 lb-ft over the standard car. The run from 0-60 happens in just 4.8 seconds and top speed has been raised to 172 miles per hour. What’s more, the Evora S comes standard with a sport button that allows the driver to control the throttle response and activate an exhaust bypass valve. On top of that, pressing the magic switch increases the rev limiter and changes the stability control settings, and we imagine that the end result is more than pulse-quickening.

Lotus willing to build Evora-based sportscars for other automakers?



03lotusevora2010fd1 450x298 Lotus willing to build Evora based sportscars for other automakers?
Lotus is considering offering up its latest sports car platforms to other automakers, and this isn’t the first time. When the Elise debuted in the mid-90s, Lotus sold the chassis to form the basis of new lightweight coupes with different powertrains, the most notable of which included the Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220 and, of course, the Tesla Roadster.
According to recent reports, Lotus has received inquiries from several automakers about using the new Evora in similar ways. While the Evora is all-new, the chassis is built using similar, Elise-like aluminum extrusions riveted and bonded together for a light, strong structure. Since the Evora has been designed around a V6, automakers have the potential to fit a range of larger, more powerful engines. The upsized chassis could also provide a better platform for electric motors, with far less modifications than those required to turn an Elise into a Tesla. However, if any automaker does develop something off the Evora, it’s likely to be a few years away.
Us? We’re thinking about a 3.5-liter Ecoboost-powered, mid-engine mini-Ford GT. How about you?

First factory-built Fisker Karma hits the stage


 

leadfiskerkarmaparis2010 450x298 Paris 2010: First factory built Fisker Karma hits the stage
Staying true to its concept form, the factory-built Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid that hit the stage at the Paris Motor Show retains the concept’s massive 22-inch wheels (Fisker says it’ll be the first production car equipped with standard 22s), sensuous styling, 403-plus horsepower rating and the company’s promise ofachieving 100-plus miles per gallon in regular use. So, what’s exactly different about the factory-built version? Well, the most notable exterior modification is the addition of a (blacked-out) B-pillar, which was apparently required to increase the vehicle’s structural rigidity.
Aside from the added pillar, we can’t really pick out any differences between the gorgeous concept that we laid eyes on a few years ago and this production-ready version that hit the stage in Paris. Fisker still lists a base price of $88,000 and anticipates that deliveries will begin early next year, or so it says. We hope to get up close and personal with the Karma at the upcoming LA Auto Show, but for now, hit up that high-res gallery of live shots that just came in from Paris and hop the jump for more info from Fisker.

1949 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta up for grabs from RM Auctions in Arizona



web630 166mm 450x277 1949 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta up for grabs from RM Auctions in Arizona
As far as Ferraris go, it doesn’t get more authentic than this. What you’re looking at is a 1949 Ferrari 166 MM– the first model made by Enzo Ferrari after setting up shop under his own name – with custom Barchetta coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan. And it’s going up for auction.
Chassis number 0024 M – the 10th of only 25 examples made – was originally displayed at the 1949 Paris Motor Show in Argentina’s official racing colors, yellow and blue, before being sent off to South America to win the 1950 Mar del Plata. True to its name, it was also campaigned in the 1951 Mille Miglia rally, and has since undergone a thorough restoration – including the red paint job you see here.
This authentic piece of Ferrari history is set to cross the block at RM Auctions’ event in Arizona on January 20th, where it is expected to fetch upwards of $2 million. Details in the press release after the jump.

Thursday,Dec16,

Gemballa moves past founder’s murder with 2011 Porsche Cayenne Toronado



web630 gemtornado20111 450x279 Gemballa moves past founders murder with 2011 Porsche Cayenne Toronado
Death is an ominous shadow to cast over a company. All the more so when the death in question was not, as the case were, from natural causes. But in the wake of Uwe Gemballa’s passing, the company that bears his name appears to be emerging from that shadow, creating the beast of a machine seen here.
So far all that’s been released about the new Gemballa Tornado are the images you see here and scarce few details. It’s based on the 2011 Porsche Cayenne, and as you can tell, replaces many of the body panels with carbon fiber. Uwe Gemballa’s successor, Andreas Schwarz, points out that unlike other aftermarket body kits, the composite panels on the Tornado replace the steel ones on the stock Cayenne instead of simply applying them on top. And an aggressive-looking job they’ve done of it, integrating gigantic air ducts, LED running lights, a significantly wider track and restyled taillights, all in a high-contrast treatment while shaving a good 150 pounds off the big sport ute’s curb weight.
Further details on the interior still under development and the engine – tipped to produce some 700 horsepower with a Stage 2 turbo kit – are expected to follow. As will pricing, which promises to be just as astronomical as that horsepower figure, with only 30 examples slated for production.