An auto show or motor show is a public gathering of automobile manufacturers which includes demonstrations of current automobile models, new debuts, and concept cars.
Anytime someone has a car like the Mercedes SL65 AMG and gets an opportunity to do some tuning work on it, that person shouldn’t even think about hesitating.
Now if that person happens to live in Japan, there’s even more incentive to bring their German sports car to the boys over at Veilside, considering that they’re in the process of unveiling a new aerodynamic body kit at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon.
Developed under Veilside’s new Black Fortune sub-brand, the aerodynamic program consists of a complete overhaul of parts, including a new front bumper spoiler, new side skirts, a new rear bumper and diffuser, a new rear spoiler, and a slew of other parts, all of which are made entirely out of carbon fiber.
Coming from the same guys that worked on a Mercedes SLR McLaren under another one of their brands - Premier4509 - Veilside has made a habit of building some swanky programs for Mercedes. In the case of the Black Fortune program for the SL65 AMG, Veilside will be limiting it to ’only’ 300 units at a cost of €30,000 - $38,450 - for the entire package.
Nissan’s in-house tuning division, Nismo, has been busy the past few months rolling out performance tuned concepts one after another. We’ve already seen the Juke Nismo Concept, the 370Z Nismo Concept, and the Leaf Nismo Concept a few months ago.
Unveiled at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon, the Micra Nismo comes packed with some appealing aerodynamic modifications that’s right in line with what the Juke and Leaf had.
On the outside, the Micra Nismo comes with a bolder styling that’s a far departure from the mild-mannered look of the standard model. It has a modified front grille, a redesigned door mirror design, a new rear lip spoiler, and a slew of other aerodyamic parts that adds an aggressive tone to the little hatchback. Just like the Juke Nismo Concept, the Micra Nismo was given a Pearl White paint finish with matching red highlights. Inside, Nismo also added and modified a few more amenities, including new sports seats, a custom steering wheel, and a dash of high-quality interior trim.
Then there’s the performance enhancements. Despite not releasing any figures for the car, Nismo wasn’t unabashed in saying that the Micra Nismo comes with a lowered suspension, as well as getting fitted with new light alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance tires.
A few months ago, we caught wind of a new auto channel being developed on YouTube called DRIVE. The channel, which features some fascinating auto segments, is the brainchild of some of the most prominent auto journalists in the industry, including Chris Harris, Matt Farah, and Leo Parente.
A few days ago - actually, it was on the 1st of January - the channel finally went live with a debut episode focusing on one of the most famous races in the world - the 24 Hours of Nurburgring - and the overall experience behind it, particularly taken from the point of view of the people who have spent their lives devoted to the thrills of endurance racing.
The video is 13 minutes long, but rest assured, it’s worth every second, especially if you fancy knowing the history and esteem behind arguably the greatest 24-hour endurance race in history.
Get your popcorn ready, fellas; this video is a must-watch.
Every year, we’re treated to a number of completely new supercars that are built from all corners of the world. 2011 offered a number of those babies in the form of the Hulme F1, the Vision SZR, and the TranStar Dagger GT-D Outlaw.
Now that we’ve flipped over to the new year, expect a lot more of these little-known exotics to come out of the woodwork, with the first example coming from - of all places - India.
The car is being built by DC Design and is expected to be the showcase car of the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo. Little details are known at this point, but we did get an initial teaser that gives us a sneak peek of what the car will look like. Judging from the silhouette, it appears that it’s being developed as a mid-engine supercar with a unique profile and a jet-style cockpit.
Under the hood of this still-to-be-revealed supercar is a Honda-sourced V6 engine that is being prepared to receive an output of around 400 horsepower. Combine that with a svelte frame and you’re looking at a car that’s poised to impress the auto world.
DC Design is looking into building around 300 initial examples of the supercar at a price that’s being hinted at around $56,000.
In the next episode of Ultimate Factories, National Geographic will be taking a tour inside Lamborghini’s famous factory, giving everyone the chance to watch how the limited edition Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is built. As usual, the show is the perfect combination of learning how a great car is built and watching some of the greatest footage in the world.
Now that the Aventador has come into play, some may have forgotten about the SV, so here’s a reminder. The Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is powered by a 6.5 liter V12 with an increased output of 670 HP and a lighter weight compared to a standard Murcielago, 220 lbs lighter to be exact. As a result, the car will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds and hit a top speed of 212 mph.
You can watch Ultimate Factories starting January 2012 on Thursday nights at 8P et/pt, on National Geographic.
Some people really do have a twisted sense of imagination, don’t they?
We really don’t have any idea how somebody can dress up a Ford Cargo truck using the iconic Shelby Mustang as in inspiration. The people behind this piece of work, which was on display at the 2011 Fenatran Show in Sao Paulo, Brazil, apparently thought that it would be a fantastic idea to do just that.
So, against seemingly every fiber of sense known to man, they went and dressed up this Cargo 1932 with an orange paint finish and matching black stripes as an ode to the Shelby Mustang. Imagine all the brain cells that were roasted during this build. Of course, a creation like this features more than just a sketchy color scheme; it also needs a special new body kit - check - a dressed up interior - check - and a new suspension set-up - check. Heck, even the rear of the truck was designed to look exactly like the rear of a Shelby!
Speaking of the interior, the people behind this Shelby-inspired Ford Cargo saw fit to add black decoration materials on the interior, as well as a new set of sports seats and a sports steering wheel.
Behind all the questions surrounding Optimus Prime’s bastard cousin of a truck, here’s one thing we do know: When Carroll Shelby started his line of special Mustangs, this wasn’t what he had in mind.
We’ve waited for this show since the summertime so you need to excuse us for getting all geeked up about its premier episode tonight on Speed. Featuring some of the best rally drivers and drifters this side of the galaxy, the Battle Cross Gymkhana Series will see these racers burn rubber on some of the most extreme locations you can find. As you can imagine, the first episode will be held in a steel mill, which is always a good location if you want dust to fly and mayhem to ensue.
The two drivers that will be featured in tonight’s episode will be 2011 Rally America Champion David Higgins and teammate Dave Mirra in their respective Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally cars. As far as mechanics go, the whole competition is centered around two challenges with the first one going to whoever posts the fastest lap while the second one will be awarded to who could do it with more style.
The show will be hosted by rally driver Andrew Comrie-Picard and former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler and the judges will be rally driver Stephan Verdier and drift maestro Samuel Hubinette.
The show kicks off tonight, November 17, 2011, at 10pm EST, so be sure to be in front of your TVs when the flags are waved and the sand-flying chaos ensues. Or if you’re anything like us, set your DVR and get the opportunity to fly by commercials.
Anybody that has ever had an appreciation of classic cars knows that the annual Woodward Dream Cruise is one of the can’t-miss events of the calendar year.
Held annually at Michigan’s legendary Woodward Avenue, the world’s largest classic car cruise is shaping up to have another memorable 2011 staging, complete with over 30,000 classic vehicles and an attendance that’s expected to reach well over 1.5 million people.
This year, the Chevrolet-sponsored event will be held on August 20th when you’ll see some of your favorite cars in history. An event like this brings out all types of cars from different generations. You name it, it’s there: from hot rods, classic cars, muscle cars, rat rods, art cars, TV cars, and everything else in between. In fact, at least one of every type of Mustang model made since the car debuted in April 1964 will be in attendance, as well as the Shelby GT500, both street and racing versions of the Boss 302, and the Mustang GT and V6 Coupe with performance package. Getting back to the main sponsor, Chevrolet, the Detroit-based company is bringing many cars from their past, present, and future, including the Cruze, Camaro, Corvette, Volt, Sonic, and ZL1 Camaro.
If you happen to be in the area this weekend, you’ll get a first-hand look at some of those classic rides that you’ll have the chance to check off of your bucket list. But if you’re not within the vicinity, you can still keep up-to-date with the latest happenings courtesy of the event’s official radio station, 104.3 WOMC. Head over to the WOMC website and find out everything you need to know about the Woodward Dream Cruise 2011.
In the rough and tumble world of pick-up trucks, the constant development for the baddest, meanest, and most powerful off-roader is a constant race for automakers determined to build the most imposing of them all and find the one that can be called the kingpin of all-utility vehicles. At the International Motor Show in Buenos Aires, Chevrolet introduced their latest offering to the fold, the Colorado Rally Concept. Next the concept will be making its way to Franfurt for its European premiere.
Based on the Colorado line of pick-ups that are considered one of the most popular in the world, the Colorado Rally Concept is the latest iteration concept that shows the new direction Chevrolet is undertaking for their next-generation off-roaders, particularly those that have rally racing in their future.
"Chevrolet has built trucks right from the start and they are an essential part of our brand. Through its purposeful design, refinement and uncompromising capability, the Colorado Rally Concept creatively reinterprets our proud heritage," said Wayne Brannon, President and Managing Director of Chevrolet Europe.
More details on the Chevrolet Colorado Rally Concept after the jump.
Some will argue that Top Gear will only go as far as Jeremy Clarkson takes it, and to a certain extent, there’s some truth to that. But that’s not to say that his co-hosts, Richard Hammond and James May, are scrubs by any stretch of the imagination. As a matter of fact, one of them is going to get his own show in, of all places, America.
That’s right. The Hamster himself is crossing over to the other side of the pond. As BBC continues to expand its line-up in our neck of the woods, one of the shows that has already been confirmed will feature Richie Boy in a show called ’Hard Drive with Richard Hammond.’
The show is being being pegged as something along the lines of the World’s Toughest Driving Tests. Hammond will be traveling across the vast expanses of our wondrous land in search of the weirdest machines that he can get to move faster than Captain Slow ever could. We don’t know what kind of contraptions are going to be in store for us, but we’re definitely digging the concept of the show.
Let’s hope that the show more than lives up to the pretty awesome concept.
