Roadster cars are convertible compact sport cars, more or less luxurious but with a bold look and providing lots of feedback to the driver. they are the fun fast cars by excellence
The Top Marques Monaco is without question one of the most important dates on the tuning calendar, particularly because of the location it’s held at every year. Nothing speaks more to millionaires throwing their money around than Monte Carlo, and some of the best tuners use that platform to show off their latest programs.
Now that the 2012 Top Marques Monaco is drawing closer, we’re beginning to see a host of tuners preview some of the cars they’re bringing to the event. One in particular is Mansory, which only recently wowed us at Geneva with not one, not two, not three, but four programs for some of the finest exotics in the land.
For Monaco, it appears that the Swiss tuner will be bringing their very first program for the Ferrari 458 Italia Spyder, appropriately called "Monaco." Now, in the interest of full disclosure, Mansory hasn’t come out with anything about their Top Marques offerings and this video of what looks like a preview image of the 458 Italia Spyder Monaco is all but that.
Nevertheless, we expect great things from Mansory and a year after they wowed us with the Siracusa, we’re not putting anything past them when it comes to what they can do to a topless version of the 458 Italia.
It seems like it was just last week that we were reporting that Porsche was officially announcing the Pajun. Oh, that’s because it was just last week, but now Porsche is reneging on its upcoming plans to add in an entry-level performance sedan. In an interview with Stuttgarter Zeitung, Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller made it quite clear that the Pajun is not a certainty, yet.
Per Automotive News, Mueller stated that the Pajun is in no way a done deal and might arrive in five to six years. The words “might arrive” are dripping with uncertainty and leave all of us pretty much standing around wondering what’s going on. Being car folks, we understand that Porsche needs to be very careful with its fan base, so we get it that they are a little secretive at this time.
Many enthusiasts did not take to well to the Panamera’s release a few years ago and they certainly had their voices heard. Placing a vehicle below it may cause a complete uproar in the Porsche world, so it is best for Mueller to be as indecisive as possible with this potential launch.
One car that was undeniably axed in the same interview was a smaller entry-level roadster. This sub-Boxster, or baby Boxster as many were calling it, was completely eliminated, as Mueller stated "We would do no good to the brand if we were to lose traditional Porsche customers" when he was asked by Stuttgarter Zeitung about the baby Boxster project.
So for all of you fresh grads dreaming of a smaller and cheaper version of the Boxster as a graduation present, you can forget about it. For those that were hoping for a sports sedan under the Panamera, we’ll just have to take the old wait-and-see approach.
Porsche has just dropped a series of new official details and images on their upcoming 918 Sypder, and while we were reading the press release, our spy photographers sent us a new set of spy shots of the upcoming supercar. We’re guessing these photos were taken in the same place the "official" spy shots were taken, but our images show the car from a few more angles.
The future 918 Spyder is set to be unveiled at the end of September 2013 as planned, with the first customers receiving their vehicles before 2013 is out. It will combine a 4.6 liter V8 of combustion engine and two independent electric motors – one on the front axle and one in the drive line, acting on the rear wheels - for a total output of more than 770 HP according to Porsche. However, if rumors are true, then this Porsche will be dishing out somewhere in the 800 HP area (570 HP from the V8 engine, 120 HP from the rear electric motor, and 110 HP from the front one). The hybrid supercar will also have an impressive fuel economy of 3 liter per 100 kilometers and Porsche says it will come with "spectacular solutions such as a full carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque with unit carrier, fully adaptive aerodynamics, adaptive rear-axle steering, and the upward-venting “top pipes” exhaust system. "
All of that gets us truly hyped about this hybrid monster, but the Porsche 918 Spyder will be priced in the $850K area and only 918 units will be built, so don’t expect to see it on every street corner.
For the 2013 model year, Aston Martin is producing an all new DBS, which means the current lineup is, of course, on its way out the door. Recently, an insider sat down with Car and Driver, and discussed what the British automaker’s plans are with the current DBS.
According to the source, the final 100 models of the DBS will be dubbed the DBS Ultimate Edition and will feature a nice array of extra goodies. The source didn’t offer too much about what the Ultimate Edition will include, but said to look to the differences between the 2010 DBS and the 2010 DBS Carbon Black for a good idea of what’s to come with this model.
This would first off mean that there are likely not going to be any mechanical modifications. Then again, 12-cylinder monster pumping out 510 ponies, there is really no need for any mechanical changes. For the most part, the changes will be extra features and a few mild visual changes.
The vast majority of the additions to the 2010 DBS Carbon Black Special Edition was making everything black on the inside and outside, except for a few splashes of silver on the inside. The rims were a polished alloy with its inserts painted, you guessed it, black! You also had the option of alloy or carbon black doorsill plates – woo hoo a choice other than black. The 2010 Carbon Black Special edition also added in an upgraded 1,000-watt stereo system.
To wrap this all up, we can anticipate a new paint job for the Ultimate Edition, something not already a part of the DBS line. A set of upgraded rims to mimic the paintjob should be expected. Plus, we should anticipate an upgraded stereo system from the already impressive 1,000 watt system on the existing DBS.
This is all we know at this point, we will keep you up to date as more info comes out.
UPDATE 05/08/12: Itching to see what the Aston Martin DBS Ultimate Edition looks like? Fret no longer because the British automaker recently dropped the covers off of their final DBS models with some catalog photos online! Check it out in all its sleek and spankin’ sexiness.
UPDATE 05/14/12:Aston Martin has announced prices for the new special edition DBS Ultimate: $287,576 for the coupe and $302,576 for the roadster version.
In the 1950s, car racing was nowhere near what it has become today. The majority of the cars on road circuits were more about how good the driver was and how well the car was tuned. This meant that the majority of the cars were lightweight and only had between 200 and 250 horsepower. Having said that, there always has to be some sort of exception and the exception here is the 1953 Ferrari 375 MM Spider and RM Auctions has one set to go to auction on May 12th, 2012.
The Ferrari 375 MM Spider managed to completely dominate the World Sports Car Championship between 1954 and 1957, winning a total of 11 races and having seven more podium appearances (top 3 or 4 places). It also won two national championships in Argentina in 1954 and 1955.
In 1957, the car was retired following a crash. Post-retirement someone managed to get a hold of this storied racer, pulled out the Italian V-12 and dropped in a U.S.-built V-8 engine, which really seems pointless to us. After the V-8 muscle went into it, this once famed roadster just disappeared from automotive history.
In 1983, this American-powered Ferrari resurfaced and made its way back to home. In Italy, Count Zanon di Valsiurata repaired the image of this car by reinstalling its Italian power plant and restoring it to an acceptable condition.
How does this one-time powerhouse of the WSC and 1 of 15 Pininfarina examples ever built stand up to 2012 standards?
The Talbot line of racecars had quite a storied racing history, despite the fact that they were constantly out-powered by the likes of Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, and Alfa Romeo. Talbot always relied on its impeccable fuel mileage and extreme durability to conquest these giants of the race world in endurance racing, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
By far, Talbot’s biggest achievement was its 1-2 finish in the 1950 24Hours of Le Mans, using T26 Grand Sport and a Talbot-Lago Monopasto. The chassis that was originally scheduled to run in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans, chassis No. 110057, but hit a few snags and was not quite ready for the race. Following the victory, the driver of its replacement in the Le Mans purchased it and began its racing history.
Unfortunately, this 1950 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport had none of the success that its replacement had, as it had a long string of did-not-finish results stretching from 1951 through 1953. The curse of 110057 came to a head when Guy Mairesse was tragically killed in it when he crashed this T26 during testing at Coupe de Paris at Montlhèry.
After that tragedy, its owner at the time, Georges Grignard, parked it in its transporter and laid little more than an eye on it for four years until a savvy T26 enthusiasts, and its current owner, caught wind that one was sitting unused at Grignard’s house. The purchase almost never happened, as it was reported that Grignard wanted an unreasonably high price for this crashed racer, but apparently the two eventually came to terms.
If you have ever wanted to own a piece of Le Mans history, this is the time, as RM Auctions is offering chassis 110057 up for auction on May 12, 2012. Despite its cursed past, this is a rare model that is sure to fetch a premium and will only continue to go up in value.
In 1965, the Aston Martin DB5 was on its way out of showrooms and the new DB6 was being shown off at the London Motor Show. Between these two events lies the shortest-lasting production model convertible ever produced by Aston: the 1966 Aston Martin Volante.
The Volante was based off of the 37 remaining unused 1965 DB5s, but donned the more luxurious amenities of the DB6. When this model debuted, it was nicknamed the “Short Chassis” in an effort to help distinguish it from the longer DB6. As a result of the name, many people mistook that as meaning it was actually a shortened version of the DB5, which it is not.
Despite its awesome performance for the era, sharp looks, and popularity, the Volante was only an interim car. It was used just to bridge the gap between the time that the DB5 left and the DB6 hit showrooms. This means that production ceased as soon as the 37 unused DB5 chassis were converted.
Coming across a rare Aston Martin like this happens just about as often as you have a chance of seeing a Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster. Okay, maybe it’s a little more likely than seeing those, but you get our point. Well, get your wallet and passport ready, as RM Auctions is just about to auction off one of the 37 1966 Aston Martin ’Short Chassis’ Volante units on May 12th, 2012 in Monaco.
So how does this classic Brit motorcar look, feel, and drive?
Click past the jump to read our review and find out.
In the past few years, the BMW Z4 has been nearly forgotten. Practically no changes have been made to the sports car since the second generation was unveiled in December 2008, except for the addition of a new four-cylinder engine for the 2012 model year. Now, well-placed company insiders have confirmed that BMW is working on a replacement for the Z4 and that it will be launched in 2015. The new Z4 will be more agile and sportier, but the exterior changes will be "relatively modest in order to avoid alienating fans of the current sports car."
BMW plans to make the current hood a little shorter because they feel it inhibits fast driving. However, it is not very sure how short the new hood will be because customers are pretty excited about this feature, especially here on the US market. The next Z4 will also carry the current four-cylinder N20 engines because they are lighter and offer a more favorable weight distribution.
While most of us were hoping that Lamborghini would offer the roadster version of their latest Aventador supercar in March at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, the company decided against it and extended the anticipation even longer. Now, Italian magazine Quattroruote, has offered a few more details on the upcoming Aventador LP700-4 Spyder.
According to the magazine, the new Aventador Spyder will feature a removable, solid roof and not a soft-top roof like the Murcielago Roadster. The retractable hard top should detach into two sections, separated in a transverse direction. It will be made of carbon fiber just like most of the other body components. This material will keep the weight of the car down and make the roof easier to maneuver. The magazine also reports that the Spyder version will feature an increased number of carbon fiber applications.
Expect to see the launch of the new Lamborghini Aventador Spyder in the coming months.
The recent 33rd Vienna Motor Symposium brought out some of the most amazing details about Volkswagen’s future plans, ranging from internal combustion engines to hybrids and electrics. However, one of the most amazing announcements involved a diesel engine for the future Porsche Boxster.
This isn’t the first time Porsche will be offering a diesel engine for their models - they are already doing it with the Cayenne and Panamera - but offering it in two large models and then going to a tiny sports car is quite a jump. It may sound crazy, but Porsche has indicated that it could happen in the future.
Porsche R&D Chief and VW Group’s engine guru Wolfgang Hatz said at the conference that he is "firmly convinced the internal combustion engine will remain dominant in the foreseeable future. The diesel has arrived and is a firm part of our strategy. There will be more powerful variations with Porsche-like performance. It would be wrong to say no to a Boxster diesel for all times."
This news follows the announcement of the Porsche Boxster E, which has been in the prototype stage for a couple of years ans should be debuting for the 2013 MY. The Boxster E is powered by two independent electric motors - one on the front axle and one on the rear - that develop a total power output of 241 HP and a maximum total torque of 398 lbs-ft at a maximum engine speed of approximately 12,000 rpm. With this amount of power, the car will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 124 mph, all while producing zero tailpipe emissions.
The question is which type of engine would you prefer for the Boxster: a diesel or a full electric? Let us know in the comments section below!
