October 6, 2008
The Paris Motor Show is one of the big international car shows, so expect to see a few cool concept cars pop up here over the next week.
This car is the Lada Revolution 3 concept. It's a a closed sports coupe that will be further developed for a new race series planned for next year.
Engine options are a Renault-derived 2.0L turbocharged engine with 245hp, or a new 3.7L V6 sourced from Nissan with 350hp. The car has a plastic body sitting on a lightweight steel chassis and weighs a total of about 2,431lbs.
While this is only a concept, the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show will unveil a production version of the car that should be for sale sometime in early 2010.
You can check out a few more pictures of the car over at Global Motors HERE. Thanks to Motor Authority for the info.
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October 4, 2008
The new Lamborghini Estoque has made it's debut at the Paris Auto Show this week. Not really what you would expect from Lamborghini, but it is a four passenger car.
The Estoque is named for the sword used by a Matador in a bull fight. The car is a mid-engine with the motor placed behind the front axle. The car sits extremely low at just 4.43 feet high, but still provides plenty of interior space for all four passengers. No solid details have been given out just yet, but there are a number of engine possibilities, including the V10 from the Gallardo LP560-4, a turbocharged V8, a V8 with a hybrid mode, or even a high-performance TDI.
I'll post more information about it as soon as I track some down.
You can catch a number of hi-res shots of the car over at Autoblog HERE.
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October 2, 2008
The Citroen GT, or GTbyCITROËN which is it's official title, is a supercar concept created by a partnership between car maker Citroën and Polyphony, designers of the driving simulation game Gran Turismo 5 on Playstation 3.
There had been teasers about the car for quite some time, and it was officially unveiled recently at the Paris Auto Show. You can check out more pictures of the car over at Jalopnik HERE. Below is the press release:
GTbyCITROËN: TAKING SPORTSCAR DESIGN INTO A NEW DIMENSION
The amazing GTbyCITROËN is the first ever car to be specifically designed to bring the virtual and real worlds together. The car makes its global premiere at the Paris Motor Show where visitors can actually drive the car in a true to life simulator on the Citroën stand.
GTbyCITROËN, a joint venture between Citroën and the makers of Gran Turismo, was created for the eagerly anticipated 5th game in the multi-million selling Playstation series.
At almost five metres long, GTbyCITROËN packs the latest hi-tech racing equipment into an exaggerated sporty frame. Planted on 21-inch, diamond-effect, aluminium wheels, the car’s gullwing doors, over-sized rear end with mobile spoiler, gaping air intakes and flat underside exude the qualities of an accomplished racer.
With chrome chevrons on the smooth, aerodynamic, front end asserting the car’s Citroën identity, the GTbyCITROËN is bursting with styling cues typical of the Company’s creative flair. The sharp lines and sculpted body are emphasised by the white-to-grey flared paint work which gives the car a forceful look and an impression of speed - even when it’s standing still.
The sleekly muscled racer sports a large wraparound windscreen adding to the impact of the car’s size and dynamic appearance. Penetrating blue LED headlamps and slim-line carbon fibre rear view mirrors - which appear to be suspended in mid-air - add to GTbyCITROËN’s futuristic racing style.
Premium materials used throughout GTbyCITROËN’s hi-tech interior reflect the car’s distinguished and refined personality. In contrast to its light body work, the cabin features a darker, more brooding colour scheme with two padded racing seats finished in black leather and fitted with four point harnesses. The dark leather, along with copper and steel touches inside the cabin and a low-slung driving position, create an opulent and powerful racing environment. Important on-board data is displayed via a red LED head-up display, allowing drivers to maintain focus on the track.
In the game, the GTbyCITROËN showcases Citroën’s dedication to the environment with an electric drive train powered by a fuel cell, totally eliminating pollutant emissions.
Kazanori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc and creator of Gran Turismo, commented, “GTbyCITROËN shows how the worlds of virtual and real-life motoring can join together to create a truly innovative partnership. To see the GTbyCITROËN take shape in our game studios and then for real has been a truly unique experience - as our work normally stays in the digital world.”
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September 16, 2008
I had mentioned that the Ultimate Aero had taken the top spot from the Bugatti Veyron as the world's fastest car back in September HERE.
Well, one of the Aeros has popped up on Ebay, for a starting price of $594,250.00. There's been no bids on it so far, and as of this writing there's only about 36 hours left on the auction. The car is a 2007 production model, and has 969 miles on it.
You can check out the car on Ebay HERE, and even if you're never going to bid on it, the auction has a ton of pictures of the inside and outside of the car, so it's worth it if you just want to get some details on what almost $600,000 buys these days.
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September 10, 2008
The AMG Gullwing is expected to be shown as a production model at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, with a concept being shown at the Frankfurt next year.
The car will have a hand-built 6.2L V8 engine that should produce 580hp. The car's curb weight will be around 3637 pounds, and have a 0-60mph speed of less than four seconds and a top speed in excess of 186mph.
The price of the Gullwing will be approximately $234,000, and there should be between 3,000 and 5,000 units per year built.
You can see some more updated shots of the car, with more news, over at Motor Authority HERE.
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August 27, 2008
Supercar Life, the only event of its kind that allows you to drive a collection of the world's most elite supercars, on a private racetrack, at the speeds they were designed for. The event is a rare opportunity to spend an entire day behind the wheel of a Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Aston Martin DB9, Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series or a Porsche Turbo 997.
The event is held at the New Jersey Motorsports Park near Atlantic City, and the scheduled dates are August 26, 27, Sept 9 and 10, and Oct 7 and 8. The basic entry fee is $4,990 for the Track Package, which includes tuition from pro drivers in the Rolex Grand-Am series, catered meals brought to you trackside, an in-car DVD of your day and a post-event champagne celebration. The Luxury Package ($5,690) adds area hotel accommodations and all ground transportation back and forth from the track.
You can find out more details on the events at the Supercar Life site HERE.
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August 26, 2008
If you're looking for speed, without giving up gas mileage, then you definitely need to add this car to your list.
The Iceni comes with a Duramax turbo diesel engine that produces 550 horsepower at 3800 rpm. The car can go from 0-60mph in just 3.9 seconds, the quarter mile in 12 seconds, and has a top speed of 170mph. All that sounds impressive, but it's the gas mileage that's really interesting.
The car has been set up to run on biodiesel, so it's better than the normal gas guzzler right off the bat. The next piece of the puzzle is that the car maker Trident has created what they call "torque multiplication".
“Diesels operate more efficiently within the right rev range and fewer revolutions mean less friction. So a 2.5-litre diesel engine hammering down the M4 at 4,200rpm is not very efficient when with modification it could be doing it at 1,000rpm. Diesel engines are torque rich, but brake-horse power poor," says Phil Bevan, the chief designer.
Probably with the Bugatti Veyron’s 1,000bhp-plus in mind, Bevan insists he is not interested in bhp. “It’s a myth,” he says. “The most important thing is optimizing the efficiency of an engine. In Formula One, the optimum rev point is 18,000rpm, which means that all gear changes occur at this figure. With the Iceni R it is 3,500rpm, and our computer model shows that at 56mph the engine generates 402rpm and that works out at 71.5mpg.”
That's right, the car can get up to 70 plus miles per gallon. A single tank of gas will take you over 1,000 miles.
There's even more to it than mph though. Bevan explains that the General Motors diesel engine has its first service at 100,000 miles and the gearbox is sealed for life. “The stainless steel chassis has a 100-year guarantee, while the Kevlar carbon fiber body means that it’s a car that you can hand down to your grandchildren,” he says.
The car will still cost you a pretty penny or two, starting at around $110,000. You can read more about the car over at the Trident site HERE.
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August 25, 2008
The Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG was already the sportiest models in the Mercedes lineup with 525hp. German tuner Kicherer decided to make it even better. Applying lessons learned from its previous K60 Evo, the tuner has upgraded the 6.2L V8 engine to produce 560hp and 495lb-ft of torque, putting it into near supercar territory. The 0-62mph sprint takes just 4.3 seconds (0.3 seconds faster than the standard SL63), with an electronically controlled top speed of 198mph.
Pricing for the package starts at approximately $32,175 plus, of course, the cost of the Mercedes SL itself.
You can read some more details, and see a few more pictures, over at the Motor Authority site HERE.
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August 22, 2008
This '05 Chevy Silverado 2500HD is known as the "Carnivore". It was designed to be the last word in tailgating with Freedom Grills on the hitch and on the front bumper along with enough entertainment equipment to fill most people's houses including a total of 7 TV screens, a KVH satellite, and a refrigerated center console.
The truck cost an impressive $250,000, so you really have to want to BBQ in it to really make it worth the price. The package come complete with:
Suspension - Full-Traction 6" suspension system, Weld Racing DUNE 8 wheels, Toyo Tires Open Country M/T, Dual front shocks and SSBC Force 10 brakes.
Performance - Factory Vortec 6000 V8, Superchips Flashpaq Tuning, Goodmark cowl induction steel hood, Borla 304 stainless steel cat-back dual exhaust, Airaid cold air intake, PML differential cover and 5 - Optima YellowTop batteries in custom rack mount.
Exterior Modifications - Freedom Grill FG-100 & FG-50 Tailgate Grills, Flamed custom paint by Kolor Kreations/Alley Rat Custom Cycles, Drop down bed sides on SPAL linear actuators, LEER tonneau cover on Joyce Dayton screw-drives, Custom screw drive mount guard – Action Audio & Motorsports, Solid surface counter tops and butcher block tailgate cutting board, Shaved tailgate, Roll-pan, Flamed Chrome Polished Grille with LED backlighting, Defiant chrome light bar with PIAA lights, Kodiak Sidewinder retracting side steps, Bushwacker fender flares, Powervision Power mirrors, PIAA windshield wipers, BedRug bedliner, Smoothed & painted door handles and a Front hitch receiver.
Interior Modifications - Doug Corson custom 2-tone interior, Logo stitching by Four Winds, Webasto Hollandia Grandview panoramic sunroof, Eclipse CD/DVD Multi-Source Receiver with navigation, MTX Speakers in Action Audio custom flamed speaker pods, 7” headrest monitors, Daddy Cool refrigerated center console, NuImage stainless steel gauges and billet control knobs, Trenz Billet aluminum pedals and door sills and Gemico steering wheel & armrest trim.
Bed Audio & Video - Rosen Entertainment 15” flat screens, KVH TracVision A5 satellite system mounted in the tonneau cover, Custom flamed speaker pods by Action Audio housing MTX speakers & amps, JVC head unit, and twin satellite receivers with F15 fighter jet controls, Eclipse Rear View “Grill Cam” Camera, 110 Electrical Outlet for stainless steel blender and Freedom Grill bottle openers.
You can read a little more about the truck, see more pictures and buy one if you have $250k burning a hole in your pocket over at the Freedom Grill site HERE.
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August 21, 2008
Normally not the place to sell a super car, Hennessey Performance Engineering choose the online auction site to handle the sale of the 1,000hp , 235.4mph top speed Ford GT. In addition to it's massive power, the Hennessey GT also sports 856lb-ft of torque. All that force is able to take the GT to its measured top speed of 235.4mph in less than two miles from a complete stand still.
The starting price of the auction is $229,500, which is $90,000 over the car’s $139,500 base list price. The extra 90K covers the installation of a GT1000 Twin Turbo system, plus twin Garrett ball-bearing turbos capable of increasing boost from the stock (supercharged) pressure of 13psi to 18.5psi. Custom tuned software, a rev limit raised to 6,800rpm and a full turbo-back exhaust are also included.
Despite being a very high-performance car directly from the factory, the Hennessey GT1000 also gets an upgraded Penske two-way adjustable coilover suspension upgrade system for superior handling and adaptability.
As of this second, the auction has about 6 1/2 days left, and zero bids so far. You can check out the auction over at EBay HERE.
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