A convertible is a car body style with a folding or retracting roof. The collapsible roof section is typically made from flexible canvas or vinyl, although plastic, aluminium and steel have occasionally been used in elaborate folding designs.
The 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show was home to Jaguar’s debut of the C-X16 Concept and since the market’s reaction was so positive, the company has decided to offer a production version. After a long period of teasing, the new Jaguar F-Type has officially been unveiled at the 2012 Paris Auto Show.
The model will be offered in three different trim levels: F-Type, F-Type S, and F-Type V8 S. It will also come with a choice of two engines: a 3-liter supercharged V6 and a 5.0 liter V8 engine. The V6 version delivers 340 or 380 HP, depending on the trim level, while the V8 is only being offered in a 495 HP version. The F-Type was built on the most advanced rigid and lightweight aluminum architecture and with a total weight of just 3,521 lbs, it can hit speeds of up to 186 mph.
"Jaguar is a founding member of the sports car segment with a rich sporting bloodline stretching over 75 years, and in the F-TYPE we’ve reignited that flame. The F-TYPE isn’t designed to be like anyone else’s sports car. It’s a Jaguar sports car – ultra-precise, powerful, sensual and, most of all, it feels alive," said Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar.
UPDATE 04/18/2013: Jaguar has dropped five new videos explaining the technology behind the new F-Type Roadster. The videos explain everything from the chassis and suspensions and up to the driving experience. Enjoy!
Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Jaguar F-Type.
Since last year, rumors have been floating around that Ferrari is going to unveil a new-generation California soon. Quite a strange move from the Italian company, considering the model was unveiled just five years ago. However, with the California being the most successful model in its lineup, we can’t blame Ferrari for wanting to keep it fresh and updated.
Rumors suggested that the second-generation California will use a twin-turbocharged V-8 engine and the latest prototype caught testing by Marchettino at the Fiorano racetrack in the above video adds some substance to these rumors. Listen closely from low engine speeds and you can hear the faint whistling from the engine.
It is believed that the engine will be the same used in the new-generation Maserati Quattroporte - not a big surprise, considering it has been developed in cooperation with Ferrari. This new engine will deliver a little bit more power over the current generation, so we will likely see a 500-horsepower California when the second-gen model rolls out.
The new generation Ferrari California is expected to be unveiled by the end of the year.
The soon-to-be-resurrected Porsche Targa has been caught testing many times, but the only thing we could bring you were some spy shots. Now, YouTube user DrGumoLunatic managed to catch on video the car testing somewhere in the district of Stuttgart, Germany with nearly no disguise on.
As previously rumored, the new Porsche Targa will bring back the famous fixed targa roof option offered for the first time in 1965. This video definitely offers up some confirmation of these rumors, even though the prototype caught testing here tried to hide the targa roof under that fake soft top.
The 911 Targa should be offered with a 3.4-liter direct-injected flat-six engine that delivers a total of 350 horsepower and 287 pound-feet of torque. We anticipate the top trim level of the targa model to feature a 3.8-liter flat-six engine with an output of 400 horsepower.
With the testing phase well under way, we expect to see the new 911 Targa unveiled by the end of 2013.
Prestige car auctions offer a rare glimpse at classic exotics too old, rare or obscure to be on the regular radar. This is partly because the cars that change hands at these sales are the best of the best. They’re the ultra-low-mileage, heated-garage type of meticulously maintained classics that are as gorgeous now as they day they were born.
Two such examples surfaced recently for the first time in nearly 35 years at [RM Auctions: a flawless 1969 Maserati Ghibli Spyder and a stunning red 1971 Maserati Ghlibi 4.9 SS. Celebrated at the time of its debut, the Ghibli faded from center stage with the introduction of the next big style step-change: the 1970s wedge supercar.
Does the Ghibli deserve to be a side note in car history, or was it actually a masterful 1967 execution of an ultra-fast, sleek and luxurious Italian pony car?
Please follow the jump for a deep dive into two true Maserati classics with a full image gallery, original brochures and some highlights in the evolution of the Ghibli’s performance.
The widely anticipated convertible version of the Toyota GT 86 has become a real conversation piece for a lot of folks in the industry. It’s not so much the expectations of following up the popularity of the coupe model as it is the prospective look of the convertible when it has all of its faculties in order.
Recently, Toyota Europe filed renderings of the GT-86 Open Top Concept for patent application and the fine folks over at Car and Driver managed to dig up black and white renderings of the car.
For one, the cloth-top roof is fully closed, revealing what the car would look like in that particular guise. We gotta say, it looks similar, but there’s a noticeable difference to the coupe, particularly on how the cloth roof looks a little more flat than the hard roof of the coupe model.
Perhaps the difference is in the eye of the beholder, something that we freely admit could be the case. But as far as we’re concerned, the convertible looks sexier than the coupe, if these filings do in fact point to the production version of the former.
In any case, separating the two is a matter of aesthetics, considering that the convertible is expected to receive the same 200-horsepower 2.0-liter in-line-four engine that the coupe model already has.
Click past the jump to read more about the Toyota GT 86 Open Top Concept
In 1998, Lamborghini went under full ownership of Audi and the last vehicle to be developed by Lamborghini as an independent company was the Pregunta - a concept car designed in cooperation with the Italian Studio Heuliez-Torino. While all the other models in Lamborghini’s lineup were named after famous bulls, the "Pregunta" got a simpler name: "pregunta" is the Spanish word for "question."
With the Pregunta, Lamborghini wanted to develop a vehicle that was "new, original and impossible to confuse with any other." The concept was unveiled in 1998 at the Paris Auto Show and shown again at the 1999 at the Geneva Motor Show.
Pregunta was limited to only one unit and you can imagine that the chance to actually drive one is pretty rare. Now, the concept has been put on sale by British web site classicdriver.com and can be yours for €1.6 million (about $2.1 million at the current exchange rate).
Click past the jump to read more about the Pregunta.
There are a couple of things we’ve come to know about NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick: 1) he’s got a lot of money, and 2) he loves the Chevrolet Corvette.
By our count, that’s $2.1 million for the first production coupe and convertible models of the new Corvette Stingray.
Despite admittedly paying a little premium for the two sports cars, Hendrick should take comfort knowing that every penny he used to pay for the vehicles will go to a charity. In the case of the recently purchased Corvette Stingray Convertible, that charity is the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute whereas the money he paid for the Corvette Stingray Coupe went to benefit the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
Hendrick has become a fixture in the auction scene for being one of the most aggressive Chevrolet bidders around. Over the past few years, he’s already compiled a pretty impressive list vehicles he’s won through auctions, in addition to the pair of Corvette Stingrays he just added to his collection.
Check out a pair of models and the price tags Hendrick paid for them after the jump
The British market has received a new special-edition smart fortwo. It is called Edition21 and can be financed for as little as £79 ($120.25 at the current exchange rates) per month for clients aged over 21. The model is priced at £9,575 ($14,400 at the current exchange rates) for the coupe and £11,075 ($16,700) for the convertible. It will be built in limited numbers.
This special edition will be distinguished by a black tridion safety cell (white as an option), black mirror caps and a set of sharp 15-inch three-double-spoke alloy wheels. In order to further identify it, the model will also get special "Edition 21" logo on the mirror triangles and a choice of black or white body panels.
For the interior, the Edition 21 adds black fabric or leatherette upholstery and a three-spoke leather sports steering wheel with shift paddles.
This special edition will make use of smart’s 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 71 horsepower.
Those Camaro Hot Wheels models have proven to be quite a hit in the box office. From a concept model that we first saw at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show, the Camaro Hot Wheels model has evolved into a coupe model and most recently, a convertible model.
The latter is set to show its face this week at 500 Festival at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one of the lead-up events for the annual Indianapolis 500 race.
As for the Camaro Convertible Hot Wheels Edition, Chevrolet wanted it to be as distinguishable as its coupe counterpart, so it set out to do just that. The same Kinetic Blue exterior paint finish can be found on the convertible model, as are the matte-black touches on both the hood and taillight surrounds.
New components have also been added, including a new rear spoiler, an upper grille, a front splitter, side skirts, and a new set of 21-inch wheels.
Seeing as this is a Hot Wheels model, you’ll find plenty of brand badging all throughout the vehicle, including special graphics and Hot Wheels flame badges on the exterior, and a black leather trim with red and black stitching with an embroidered Hot Wheels logo.
The special-edition Camaro Convertible Hot Wheels Edition will serve as the Official Vehicle of the Indy 500 before a limited, one-time production run arrives in Chevy dealerships in a few months.
In case you need a refresher, you can find out some details about the Chevrolet Camaro Coupe Hot Wheels Edition after the jump
So here we are on April Fool’s Day eve and we are getting prepared for the most confusing day in the automotive calendar year. You see, nearly all of us Automotive journalists have a comedic age of roughly 12 to 15 years old and we can’t help but toss a few “big stories” your way in the hopes of tricking you into believing a complete fallacy. Even yours truly did so last year with my return of Merkur article.
Apparently, the press folks over at Subaru missed April Fool’s Joke 101 in school, as they attempted to fool us about a new BRZ that was coming out. The “press release” stated that an AWD Diesel Hybrid BRZ was to be released by 2015. Sounds like a great Joke, right?
Sure, it is a great premise for a joke — it almost caught us off-guard — but they completely missed the mark, in our opinion.
First of all, you never want to place a fake press release with the date of “April 1, 2013” when it is only Mach 31st – that’s a dead giveaway. Secondly, you’ve gotta make it somewhat believable. Word it like any other press release and don’t get all cheeky in the release – that just gives it away before you even finish reading it. Lastly, don’t let people know it’s an April Fool’s Day joke until the next day or at least for a few hours, unless it is something that can really cause issues.
Well, Subaru managed to break all three of those rules with their release on the “new” BRZ Hybrid Diesel. I guess we have to give them credit for showing a sense of humor…
Click past the jump to read the fake press release and let us know what you think: hilarious or epic fail.
