Citroen releases another image of the GT

Acura 2+1 design study takes superman shield to next level

Author: admin
Filed under: cars
Date: Sep 21,2008

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Acura

Click above for high-res gallery of the Acura 2+1 Concept

Acura’s new design language, as seen on the 2009 TL, is fronted by a shield-like appendage that has received mixed reviews. The Acura 2+1 — the numbers describe the seating arrangement — by design student Leon Paz is what would happen if you took the shield theme to one natural conclusion. By maintaining the edge throughout the concept’s “modern baroque styling,” Paz has come up we something we kinda dig.

The body is fashioned from a plastic that is harder than fiberglass, and Paz has done a great job in creating lines that evoke skin stretched over a frame. The upper surface is one continuous window that shows off the twin-turbo V6 and the Acura logo for the cylinder covers. There is no hood — at your yearly service, the dealer would lift the glass and perform any engine maintenance.

The 2+1 would be an aspirational step for those who want an NSX but can’t afford one yet. Based on what we’ve seen of the NSX so far, we’d probably rather have the 2+1. However, our most pressing question about the car isn’t about the design — we really want to know what is the meaning of “OW AHH” scrolled in LED’s across the rear? Check out the gallery of high-res images below, and maybe you can tell us…

Gallery: Acura 2+1 Concept

[Source: Diseno Art]

Continue reading VIDEOS: The Goodwrench Report with Stephen Colbert

VIDEOS: The Goodwrench Report with Stephen Colbert

Author: admin
Filed under: cars
Date: Sep 21,2008

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, GM, Celebrities

Click above to watch the video after the jump

Our sides were still hurting from the Bob Lutz interview on the Colbert Report when we read through the GM vice-chairman’s thoughts on having appeared alongside the pseudo news anchor, whom he referred to as a “comic genius”. We managed to stop laughing long enough to note of Lutz’s recollection that Colbert had done a series of television commercials for the automaker’s service division, Goodwrench. The ads were done just a few years ago, when Colbert was still on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart before he had his own program. They weren’t bad, and we’ve got a couple of the clips after the jump for your entertainment.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

First Drive: 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

Author: admin
Filed under: cars
Date: Sep 19,2008

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Supercars, Lamborghini

Click above for high-res gallery of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

A 5.2-liter V10 with 560 horsepower, 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, a top speed of over 200 mph and one of the most beautiful modern designs to ever come out of Italy. It’s the new Gallardo LP560-4, and Lamborghini wants us to drive it. There are certainly more lucrative ways to make a living than being an automotive journalist, but it’s moments like this that we know we made the right career choice. The best news is that we got to drive the new LP560-4 with about two dozen Lamborghini owners. Lamborghini of Orange County recently opened up a new dealership in Newport Beach, and they invited all of their customers down to see the new showroom and go for a Sunday drive. We tackled some of California’s best back roads in the LP560-4 with other Gallardos, Murcielagos, and even a few Diablos. Follow the jump to read on.

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

Leaked Ferrari document reveals details of project FX150

Author: admin
Filed under: cars
Date: Sep 19,2008

Filed under: Supercars, Ferrari

Click above to view the letter

An internal document has apparently gotten lost somewhere along the information super-highway leading from Maranello to Beijing. The letter, bearing the signature of Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, contains vital information on a new supercar coming from Ferrari.

The successor to the Enzo and beneficiary of the FXX program is labeled as prototype “FX150″. According to the document, the supercar will be powered by a mid/longitudinally-mounted twin-turbo V8 producing 794 horsepower and 772 Nm of torque (approximately 570 lb-ft) hooked up to a version of the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission already launched on the California codenamed SF3 (presumably for the third-generation SuperFast gearbox) with shift times down to 50 milliseconds. The carbon fiber construction is said to keep weight down to 1300 kg (~2866 lbs), which, when coupled with the nearly 800hp on tap, is anticipated to propel the FX150 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a blisteringly fast 2.7 seconds en route to a top speed of 390 km/h (242 mph). Testing is stated to begin next month with an eye towards releasing the car sometime next year with a price tag between 1.2 and 1.3 million euros, which is even more than the Bugatti Veyron. It’s not that hard to fake an official document, however, so click above to check it for yourself.

UPDATE: We’ve received correspondence from some fellows who claim responsibility for creating the fake “leaked” document from Ferrari. Turns out it was all just a spoof.

[Source: FerrariChat.com and euro car blog]

Dutch collector eyes final Veyron to form tricolor "flag"

Author: admin
Filed under: cars
Date: Sep 19,2008

Filed under: Car Buying, Euro, Supercars, Bugatti, Special/Limited Editions

Top Gear drives three Veyrons in Abu Dhabi

You might think that owning a single Bugatti Veyron would be enough. But one collector in the Netherlands already owns two, and he’s setting his sights on another. And not just any other, but the very last of the 300 being made.

Harrie van de Moesdijk already owns a blue Veyron and a white one, and wants the final one painted red and delivered to his garage to make a red, white and blue tricolor - the colors of the Dutch flag, to say nothing of the United States, France and the myriad other countries that use the combination on their national banners. Moesdijk (yeah, don’t ask us how to pronounce that, either) might have a hard time securing that final Veyron, though, as it will surely command a premium over the already seven-figure price of the super-exotic hyper-car.

[Source: AutoTelegraaf via Motor Authority]

Lebanon’s first supercar, the Frem F1, coming to Detroit Auto Show

Author: admin
Filed under: cars
Date: Sep 19,2008

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Supercars

Click above for a gallery of the Frem F1

The desire to take on Ferrari has birthed at least one iconic car (GT40) and launched an entire brand (Lamborghini), and for David Frem, a 25-year-old Lebanese design student, the ambition to chase after Italy’s prancing horse has created this: the Frem F1.

After three years of design and fabrication, Frem has created the F1 prototype as a steppingstone to the production version, aptly titled the F2, which is slated to appear at the Detroit Auto Show this January.

The F1 is currently powered by a Volkswagen-sourced 2.0-liter four-pot and mated to an Audi gearbox (DSG?), good for a claimed top speed of 124 mph — assuming it doesn’t undress itself in the process. But if the world’s first Lebanese supercar has any chance of catching up to Italy’s finest, it had better be packing twice as many cylinders and a bit more refinement.

Needless to say, the styling and build quality leaves a lot to be desired. The front end might bare a striking resemblance to Frem’s targeted marque, but the massive upright schnoz and gaping air intakes won’t lend themselves well to European pedestrian impact standards. And if you think the exterior is bad, the foam and wood interior, complete with offset steering wheel held in place by a bent metal bracket, is even worse.

If Frem hopes to have a show-worthy car ready by January, he’s going to need a lot more than just a massive wing and a prayer.

Gallery: Frem F1 Prototype

[Source: NextAutos]

Continue reading MTM supercharges the Audi R8

MTM supercharges the Audi R8

Author: admin
Filed under: cars
Date: Sep 19,2008

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Supercars, Audi

Click above for a gallery of high-res images

MTM has been adding horsepower to Audis for more than 20 years, and they have put that experience into developing a new twin-screw supercharger system that pairs up to the 4.2-liter V8 in the Audi R8. The addition of forced induction brings total output to 552 hp, coincidentally matching the output of the R8’s cousin, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. In addition to the supercharger kit, MTM also offers a complete line of products for the R8 including brake upgrades, 20″ forged wheels, high-flow exhaust system, and a variety of exterior style upgrades. A gallery of high resolution images can be found below and hit the jump for the complete spec sheet.

Gallery: MTM Audi R8R

Continue reading VIDEO: Short documentary on Glickenhaus’ Ferrari P4/5

VIDEO: Short documentary on Glickenhaus’ Ferrari P4/5

Author: admin
Filed under: cars
Date: Sep 19,2008

Filed under: Videos, Supercars, Ferrari

Click above to view video after the jump

Much has been written about the one-off Ferrari created by Pininfarina for wealthy car collector James Glickenhaus. Named the P4/5 after the famous Ferrari racing machines from the 1960s, this Enzo-based bespoke supercar is a modern day legend not just because it’s gorgeous, rare and powerful, but also because Glickenhaus believes it should be driven. He doesn’t just show it at parties attended by the rich and famous, he drives it up the hill at Goodwood. Rumor has it the P4/5 already has 6,000 miles on the odo. Glickenhaus is, therefore, our kind of man, so we were very much interested in this new video vignette that popped up on him and his car.

It’s produced by Brad Farrell, owner and operator of Kilnjox Media, who hopes to make more short documentaries on various car nuts in the Northeast who “get it” like Glickenhaus does. This one’s the first and if reaction to it is positive enough, more will come with a possible cable series in the works. Check out the video after the jump and let us know your reaction in the comments.

Gallery: Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina

[Source: SNY.tv]

Educated Guesstimation: Lamborghini bringing four-door super sedan to Paris

Author: admin
Filed under: cars
Date: Sep 19,2008

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedans/Saloons, Paris Motor Show, Supercars, Lamborghini

Click above to enlarge

Lamborghini’s lofty “new world” teaser has set the Internet on fire with rumors and innuendo, but after some coaxing from InsideLine, an unnamed Lambo exec has denied several speculations and brought about the most obvious conclusion.

Lamborghini’s surprise for the Paris Motor Show won’t be a retro exercise like the 2006 Muira concept, nor will it be a successor to the LM002. Forget about more Versace editions or Superleggera variants. No. It’s most likely a sedan, following the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide into the uncharted waters of four-door supercars.

The project, which began less than five months ago and was given the go-ahead by Lamborghini bosses (independent of Ingolstadt), could share the Audi A8’s architecture with a front-mounted V10 or V12 engine aft of the strut towers for a front-midship arrangement. A V6 isn’t likely, but a next-generation V8 could be equipped on entry-level models. There’s no indication about how power will be delivered to the wheels, but all-wheel-drive seems plausible considering Lamborghini’s recent offerings.

IL’s source at Lamborghini was insistent that the Panamera’s underpinnings wouldn’t be used, going on to say that, “Lamborghini is at a point where we can set off in new and plausible directions with the entire brand image. In a sense, we need to be able to tell customers what they ought to like about our brand. We’re the experts.” Since no one has claimed the title of “expert” super-sedan manufacturer, we’d say that Lamborghini has a good chance of owning it.

UPDATE

According to our direct source at Lamborghini, the information was not sourced from a Lamborghini executive and is simply educated speculation.

[Source: InsideLine]