May 3, 2011
Very cool looking car. From what I understand, the car was created to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Alfa Romeo. There's only a few of them being made, so there's probably no chance most people are going to get one. No ideas about the car's stats.
Here's the press release, but I think it might be translated, as it seems a little goofy at times:
Zagato TZ3 Stradale
The "TZ3 program" managed by Zagato to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Alfa Romeo (1910-2010) ends with the delivery of the TZ3 Stradale.
The initiative started in 2009 with the manufacturing of the "one off" TZ3 Corsa which won the Villa D'Este Design Concept Award in 2010 and followed with nine (9) TZ3 Stradale.
Two different approaches for the same tribute.
The TZ3 Corsa is a track car. It is not a design exercise. It is a Neo-Classic car.
The TZ3 Stradale is a Design Exercise. It is not a race car. It is an Avant-garde car.
The TZ3 Corsa is a tribute to the Alfa Romeo and Zagato racing heritage. It is a one off.
The TZ3 Stradale is a tribute to the Alfa Romeo and Zagato street legal heritage. Just 9 examples in the world.
In total 10 collectible cars for the 100th anniversary of Alfa Romeo made by its most prolific contributor, both with race and road legal bodies.
The TZ3 Corsa celebrates men and machines of the Alfa Romeo Zagato racing heritage:
• Scuderia Ferrari (20s and 30s)
• Alfa Corse (40s and 50s)
• Autodelta (60s and 70s)
• Scuderia Zagato (80s and 90s)
The TZ3 Stradale celebrates the road legal heritage of Alfa Romeo Zagato coupés:
• RLSS, 1500, 1750, 2300 and 2900 Zagato (20s and 30s)
• 6C 2500 Panoramica, 1900 SSZ and the Giulietta SVZ (40s and 50s)
• SZ, 2600 SZ, Giulia TZ and Junior Z (60s and 70s)
• S.Z. and R.Z. (80s and 90s)
The TZ3 Corsa is based on a mono shell carbon fibre chassis, coupled with a tubular frame and a handbeaten lightweight aluminium body. It's equipped with a front-central V8 90° 4.2 litres engine and 6-speed sequential gearbox.
The TZ3 Stradale is based on the Viper ACR mechanical chassis with a carbon fibre body. "Bellezza necessaria" is the inspiration of this car which matches for the first time an USA power train and can represent the first American Alfa Romeo.
Following Zagato's gentlemen-driver heritage, TZ3 Corsa has been commissioned by the Alfa Romeo Zagato collector Martin Kapp. The first TZ3 Stradale has been delivered to the US Alfa Romeo and Zagato collector (and Saratoga Automobile Museum's board member) Eric King. The TZ3 Stradale n°2 and n°3 will be delivered in Japan and Europe.
Both TZ3 Corsa and TZ3 Stradale boast a typical Kamm-tail (K-tail) layout. This solution became famous in Italy with the "Coda Tronca" bodies which were tested by Zagato in the beginning of
the 60s. They reached their apex on the Alfa Romeo TZ and TZ2.
Kamm Effect is part of the functional design approach that aims to the aerodynamic efficiency.
According to this, the CX can be lowered by keeping compact volumes at the same time. The reduction of the wind resistance is assured with the Kamm Tail design, without any need of a very stretched "drop" shape of the tail.
You can read a little more about it, and see some more pictures, at the Autoblog site HERE.
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April 12, 2011
So the second prize here will actually get you out to Vegas. They're giving away five trips in total, so that's nice. On the flip side, if you take first prize, getting a car out of it doesn't suck.
Here's the basic details:
Register now for the chance to win a 2012 Honda Civic LX Coupe and an IZOD Shopping Spree at Macy’s!
You could have the chance to win one of the first-prize Civic LX Coupes and an IZOD Shopping Spree at Macy's (based on eligible entry dates) or the opportunity to win a second-prize trip to the 2011 IZOD IndyCar® Series race in Las Vegas. At the event in Las Vegas, you will be given a key to a 2012 Honda Civic LX Coupe that will be parked on the track before the race. Hop in the car and if your key starts it, you win it!
The contest runs until September 5, 2011, and you can enter it HERE.
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March 28, 2011
This is the car that's rumored to go into production in 2012. It's a rear-wheel drive sports car with possible a 2.0-liter four cylinder boxer engine in it. There's not a lot of hard data on it yet, but here's the press release (note: there's a alot of heritage stuff in the middle, so most of the good details are near the end):
FT-86 II concept – Embodies Toyota's Reborn Passion for Sports Car Driving
- Toyota has been creating exciting sports cars for over 50 years
- 2000 GT established Toyota's global reputation for sports car manufacturing
- Corolla Coupe, Celica, Supra and MR2 consistently popular on the global market
- FT-86 II concept previews the next generation of Toyota sports car
- Entirely driver-focused concept designed to capture the intrinsic joy of driving
- Boxer engine for light weight, low centre of gravity and optimum power-to-weight ratio
Heritage – Half a Century of Passion for Sporting Performance
'When the Toyota 2000 GT was built, I was eleven years old – and I loved it. I said: "I want to drive something like this when I grow up". My dream came true when I drove a 2000 GT in a vintage car rally. That was a really great experience.
I want young people to feel those same desires when they see a new Toyota sports car. I want to transfer the thrill of the race track to our vehicles, and make driving fun and exciting for our customers.'
Akio Toyoda – President, Toyota Motor Corporation
Since Toyota began the development of its 2-cylinder boxer engined Sports 800 in 1962, the company has maintained a long history of creating exciting, driver-focused sports cars that have proved as popular with the public as they have been successful in competition.
The beautiful 2000 GT, first displayed at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show, helped establish the company's global reputation as a sports car manufacturer. This 2.0 litre straight-six-powered coupe finished third in the 1966 Japanese GP and went on to establish three world endurance records, including the fastest average speed continuously over 16,000 kilometres – 207km/h.
A convertible 2000 GT appeared in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice. Sadly – created as a movie one-off merely because the film's star, Sean Connery, could not fit comfortably in the standard coupe – it was never made commercially available.
In the US, former Le Mans winner Carroll Shelby entered the 2000 GT in the 1968 Sports Car Club of America's C-Production category. Despite little development, the lead car notched up four wins against the hitherto dominant Porsche 911.
In response to the focus of the annual Japanese Grand Prix on sports racing cars with larger engines, Toyota launched its first purpose-built racer in 1968, the Toyota 7, which featured a mid-mounted, 3.0 litre V8 subsequently upgraded to 5.0 litres. The 1970 Toyota 7 Turbo was the world's first turbo-engined racing car.
Before its launch in 1984, Toyota appointed legendary US racing driver Dan Gurney for the testing and development of the MR2. Toyota has always understood the value of motorsport and a racing driver's analytically skills for improving its road-going models. And the MR2 gained a well-deserved reputation as one of the best handling sports cars of all time.
Seven generations of the Celica were sold throughout the world for 36 years between 1970 and 2006. The first Celicas incorporated rear-wheel drive powertrains, and were praised by sports car enthusiasts for their agility. The Celica GT, introduced in Europe in 1974, featured a five-speed transmission and wider tyres.
Appealing strongly to the European market, the redesigned Celica of 1985 featured front-wheel drive and the powerful, 2.0 litre 3S-GE engine.
The Celica also achieved considerable success in competition. The Celica Twin-Cam Turbo achieved three consecutive Safari Rally wins between 1984 and 1986. Taking its first World Rally Championship win in Australia in 1989, the all-wheel drive Celica GT-Four went on to record back-to-back WRC driver's and manufacturer's titles in 1993 and 1994. The GT-Four was the first Japanese car to win both driver's and manufacturer's WRC titles.
Toyota's Supra was launched in 1979. The first two generations of the car were based on the Celica, the Supra only becoming a model in its own right with the third generation car of 1986. Its roots may be traced back to the 2000 GT, all four generations boasting straight-six engines and rear-wheel drive.
Engine cubic capacity rose with each generation from 2.5 litres to 2.7 and then 3.0 litres, culminating in the 1993 model year. VI Supra's 320 hp engine with sequential turbocharging, which gave the car a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 5.2 seconds, and a governed maximum speed of 250km/h.
With its reputation for delivering pure excitement and embodying the fundamental joy of driving, the Corolla Levin AE86 is the inspiration behind Toyota's latest sports car concept, the Future Toyota-86 II.
The Corolla Levin AE86's front engine, rear-wheel drive powertrain, compact dimensions, light weight, impeccable balance and superior power-to-weight ratio made it the must-have choice for rallying and circuit driving throughout its 1983-1987 production life. Even today, the AE86 is still a popular choice with private rallying teams.
Sharing its predecessor's front engine, rear-wheel drive credentials, the FT-86 II concept introduces a new generation of sports car which perfectly recaptures the exhilarating spirit of the last Corolla Levin AE 86.
Passion is Back: FT-86 II concept Gives Form to the Intrinsic Joy of Driving
With the proportions of its long, low bonnet, high wings and rear-set cabin paying homage to Toyota's illustrious sports car history, the dynamic power of the FT-86 II concept gives the clearest indication yet as to the final design of Toyota's next sports car.
The FT-86 II is an entirely driver-oriented concept, designed to give form to the intrinsic joy of driving through precise, instantaneous responses to even the smallest throttle or steering input, for those who regard driving as a passion rather than a necessity.
Under a design concept that Toyota's European Design Development centre, ED2, has dubbed 'Functional Beauty', its bold, sweeping form has been generated entirely through the constraints of function, and aerodynamics developed from F1 technology.
Its low, highly aerodynamic bodyshell stretched tight over the engineering hard points, the FT-86 II concept's muscular body work has been made as compact as possible. Featuring a long, 2,570mm wheelbase, the concept is 4,235mm long, 1,795mm wide and just 1,270mm high.
Rather than relying on a heavy, large displacement powertrain for its performance, the FT-86 II returns to Toyota's sporting roots by combining a free-revving boxer petrol engine and a 6-speed manual transmission with compact dimensions, light weight and a low centre of gravity for the best possible power-to-weight ratio.
Both powertrain and driving position have been set as low and as far back as possible to optimise balance for maximum poise, high speed stability and dynamic agility. Allied to a front engine, rear-wheel drive format, this awards the FT-86 II lively, accessible performance, highly engaging, readily-exploitable dynamic abilities and maximum driving pleasure.
The FT-86 II concept is the result of an August 2009 announcement that Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries will launch a jointly developed compact rear-wheel drive sports car. European sales of Toyota's new sports car will begin in 2012.
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March 8, 2011
Not a lot is known about the car yet, and it's still just a concept. However, the car maker is seriously considering putting it into production. What is known, is that it has a 1750cc direct-injection turbo engine that gives it a little over 200hp. That doesn't sound like a lot, but with the car only weighing 1873 lbs, it'll zip from zero to 60mph in somewhere in the 4 – 5 second range. You can read a little bit more about it over at Autoblog HERE.
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March 2, 2011
Yet another car I want, and can't afford. It's engine is a 6.5-litre V12 that outputs 691HP. That much power is estimated to accelerate the car from zero to 60 mph is 2.8 seconds. No word yet on the top speed. The car is also estimated to cost around $370,000. If you want to read all about it, you can hit the Autoblog site HERE.
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February 23, 2011
This car is very cool. I love everything about it from the classic look, to the flat black paint job. As it's a smaller company, they're not going to be pumping a lot of these out, so it's on the expensive side at around $110,000. It's also a hybrid, so there's not a lot of horsepower under the hood. If I had the cash though, I'd still grab one. Here's a little bit about the company concept:
Opening the way to new vehicle design
The Imperia Automobiles project is clearly ambitious.
It involves nothing less than creating a new vehicle concept, implementing new technologies, and at the same time introducing a new approach to driving and the pleasure it brings.
It is ambitious too because this vehicle aims to join a stubbornly exclusive segment where quality standards are very high.
And it is even more ambitious because Imperia Automobiles is proposing a world 1st in the sector, both a small revolution and an incredible evolution.
The design of this vehicle hinges on three remarkable requirements:
* Environmental concern, through motorisation based on Plug-in hybrid engine technology supplemented by path-breaking autonomy in electric mode.
* The pleasure of sport driving, obtained through high-level performance.
* Attention to design, conveyed through its neo-retro lines inspired from Imperia history that will seduce the most demanding amateur.
3 parameters, 1 solution
There are vehicles that at present offer one, or even two, of these characteristics. The originality and relevance of the Imperia Automobiles concept rest in the fact that it is the only one able to meet all three of these requirements at the same time. The Imperia is indeed a world first.
In keeping with the times, the Imperia project is part of a major trend in today’s world which, quite rightly, is concerned more and more with the environment and sustainable development. It also enables its potential purchasers to satisfy their taste for technology oriented towards pleasure and aesthetic refinement whilst still making a socially-responsible gesture.
You can read all about the Imperia GP, and catch some more pictures of it, at the site HERE.
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February 17, 2011
Fantastic looking car, and it doesn't hurt that it can go from zero to 60mph in 3.0 seconds. Not sure of the top speed, but it has a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 that produces 600 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, and might possibly be the best supercar on the market. As with anything called a supercar, it's not going to come cheap, but it's price tag of $231,400 isn't outrageous. You can read a detailed review of the car over at Autoblog HERE.
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February 11, 2011
I actually almost bought a Charger recently, so I love this version. No idea on price yet, but it's going to be a bit more expensive than the usual.
The car has a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 that produces 465 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. This should give the car a 0-60 time in the high 4 second range, and a top speed or around 175mph.
You can read a little more about it, and see a number of other pictures of the car, at the Autoblog site HERE.
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February 10, 2011
I still really love the look of the Camaro, so this one would be my first choice, though it's going to be a little expensive I'm sure. The most impressive thing about it is a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine that outputs 550-horsepower. Considering the 2010 Camaro SS at 422hp could hit 60mph in 4.9 seconds, this one might be able to do it in the low 4-second range.
There's also a number of other upgrades to the ca, and you can read about them, and check out more pictures, over at the Motor Trend site HERE.
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February 9, 2011
The car is based all in black, and only 987 of them will be made. It's other claim to fame is that its engine as been upgraded to 320hp. Not really all that impressive, but it will get you from 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds. Though you can lower that to 4.9 seconds if you upgrade to the Sport Chrono Package Plus.
You can see a few more pictures, and read a little more about it, over at the Autoexpress site HERE.
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