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.
There are some “versus” videos that we come across that once we read the titles we simply just keep moving. Things like “Dodge Viper vs. Tomahawk Superbike” come to mind. C’mon, same engine but the bike weighs over 1,000 pounds less. Yeah, no need to watch that one. Other times titles are so intriguing we cannot pass them up, regardless of how obvious they seem.
In a day’s work, we came across this gem titled “Aston Martin vs. Inline Skater” and thought “what the…” Thinking it was going to be some sort of goofy prank, we almost skimmed right past it, but figured watching it wouldn’t hurt.
To our surprise this is a legit video of a German man racing an Aston Martin Vantage, from what we can tell. You may be wondering how the man on the skates plans to keep up with the Aston Martin, which has about 400+ horsepower. Well, he specially fitted three miniature jet engines, which produce 300 horsepower, onto a suit and used them to propel him down a 1/4-mile straight. According to the driver of the car, the skater claims that he has reached upwards of 120 mph and had no objections after finding out the Aston Martin could clear a 1/4-mile in 13 seconds.
You might still think there’s no chance for the inline skater, but you may be shocked to see just how fast those inline skates will go. Plus you can get a good laugh at the driver of the Aston Martin as he is more impressed with the speed of the skater than trying to win the race.
Sit back and enjoy the video above. Oops, we almost forgot, don’t try this at home.
Last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show Jaguar has announced the C-X16 Concept and because people’s reaction was quite positive, the company has decided to offer a production version. The new sports car will be named F-Type and will be announced later in 2012 with sales to begin in mid 2013.
The future Jaguar F-Type will be powered by a new 3.0-liter V6 engine that delivers a total of 250 HP in a normally aspirated version and 375 HP in the supercharged R version. Jaguar has also confirmed that the future F-Type will be built as a two-seater convertible and will feature all-aluminum construction. The model will be priced under the current XK, or at about $85,000.
"That car will be called the F-TYPE, and it will be unveiled in production form later this year. The core appeal of Jaguar’s cars is their sporting heart, and that heart will beat stronger than ever before in the F-TYPE. Its development is a vivid representation of the confidence and ambition of the Jaguar brand, and the desire amongst our engineers and design team to produce a world-leader in a market segment that we have been absent from for too long. But no longer – the F-TYPE is coming."
Let’s check the facts on the BMW i8. We have learned that the i8 is heading into production and we know that there is an i8 Spyder now in the “concept” phase. One thing we haven’t seen or heard yet is real life driving videos. On April 2nd, Bimmerpost was kind enough to post a video of the i8 Spyder driving in several situations.
The first video is a nighttime drive in an “undisclosed” location, which is obviously Port Boulevard in Miami, right by the Heat’s home court – yeah, we played sleuth and got an actual picture from the exact position the cameraman was in (after the jump). The second video is of the i8 Spyder cruising through a car garage, which again is likely in Miami.
Okay enough of playing detective. This is the first time we have actually gotten good audio of this gasoline-electric hybrid running and it sounds absolutely awesome. In the first video you can hear the turbocharged 1.3-liter engine and the electric motor working in perfect harmony, making the perfect sound for a “future” car. Hearing it makes us think of The Jetsons meet Back to the Future Part II.
What we can’t wait for is the first time they let someone outside of BMW test the i8 and really push it hard. Hearing this car cranking away at high rpm is likely a sweet melody. We’ll just have to wait a while for that. Until then, we can just enjoy the videos.
Click past the jump for additional videos and our crack detective work on Google Maps.
This awesome roadster was crowned America’s Most Beautiful Roadster for 2012 earlier this year at the 63rd annual Grand National Roadster Show. The custom 1927 Ford Track T Roadster, better known as the "Indy Speedster," is owned by Bill Lindig of Houston, Texas, and was built by SoCal Speed Shop in Pomona, California. The craftsmanship that went into this roadster is absolutely amazing. It features an Art Chrisman built small block engine. The 352ci Ford makes over 450HP and is mated to a Tremec T5 five-speed transmission. And don’t think for a second this is just a show car; Bill actually does drive the Indy Speedster.
The Indy Speedster project goes back 16 years. Bill’s friend, Indy car driver Jack Howerton, wanted a racecar-inspired hot rod like the old sprint cars he used to drive. About 12 years ago, Jack started the Chrome-moly chassis, but never finished. Later, he brought in Moal Coachbuilders, and they made some progress, but the car was still very far from complete. Finally, Bill asked Jack to sell him the roadster, and promised him it would get finished. Jack sold the car to Bill, Bill took it to SoCal Speedshop, and the rest is history. As you can tell from the video, no corners were cut and this hot rod was done right.
The Grand National Roadster Show, once known as the Oakland Roadster Show, is the longest running indoor car show in the world. It was held at the Fairplex in Pomona, California for the ninth consecutive year. The show features the best of the best when it comes to roadsters, and this year the Indy Speedster proved to be the absolute best.
Hit the jump to watch America’s Most Beautiful Roadster for 2012 on HOT ROD Unlimited
Mercedes-Benz is due to release likely one of the most impressive vehicles that it has in many years at the upcoming New York Auto Show. This 2013 SL65 AMG has been at the forefront of automotive news lately, so its details have been pretty well documented.
We all know that it will feature a 6.0-liter V-12 engine with twin turbochargers, which will pummel concrete with its hefty 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. This impressive power plant will link to a seven-speed transmission, which Mercedes has dubbed the SpeedShift Plus. This drivetrain combination launches the SL65 AMG to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. The SL65 AMG wouldn’t be complete without at least a little driver input and Mercedes solves this, from the looks of it on the video, by fitting the SL65 AMG with paddle shift controls on the steering wheel.
Just a few days ago, we released a video of the SL65 AMG cruising down a desert road and it turns out that was actually the filming for a complete teaser video, which Mercedes-Benz just officially released. By the looks of it, this is going to be one mean, nasty, yet sexy machine that would entice anyone with the means to lay out $300K to put one in his driveway. We know if we had the means to buy it, this impressive luxury machine would be in our driveways the day it’s released. We do know that its European release is coming in September 2012, but its U.S release is still uncertain.
Take a look at the video for yourself and see if you don’t suddenly find yourself looking at your budget and trying to see if you can squeeze the 2013 SL65 AMG into it.
The wonders that tuning programs can do to sports cars never cease to amaze us. This particular one, a current generation Porsche 911 Twin-Turbo Cabriolet, comes courtesy of Wheels Boutique and Vorsteiner.
Taking the German sports car, Vorsteiner’s dealership in Florida built a program that consists of the German tuning firm’s V-RT program. Made mostly out of carbon fiber, Vorsteiner’s V-RT program includes a new front bumper that enhances the body lines of the svelte-looking 911. The front bumper comes with larger carbon air intakes for the radiators while ridding the car of the factory fog lights and the headlight washer bezels. Moving to the rear, the 911 Cabriolet was also fit ted with a new rear bumper that has been designed to provide the sports car with a wider stance. Enlarged side intercooler extraction vents are also part of the program, while a new molded carbon fiber rear diffuser with integrated twin aero fins rounds and a heavily modified rear deck lid and wing round out the aero modifications on the German sports car.
No performance modifications were added, but even if the new 911 Cabriolet has just been unveiled, the current model still packs a meaty punch in the form of a 3.8-liter six-cylinder twin-turbo horizontally-opposed engine mated to a six-speed manual transmissionthat packs 500 horsepower. It possesses a 0-62 mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 193 mph.
If Volkswagen is offering a Convertible version for the Golf, why shouldn’t Opel apply the same treatment to their most successful model: the Astra? The upcoming Astra Convertible has been caught testing during some winter conditions, and as you can see, the roof is still just temporary and has nothing to do with the real deal. We expect the real one to be a conventional soft top instead of the retractable hardtop used on the Astra TwinTop.
The engine line-up will be similar to all the other models in the line-up, meaning we will see a choice of eight different engines mated to a six speed transmission. The diesel options will range from 1.3 to 2.0 Liters producing anywhere from 95 HP up to 160 HP. The petrol engine will range from 1.4 to 1.6 Liters and will pump out anywhere from 100 HP to 180 HP. However, the suspension will be borrowed from the Astra GTC.
The new Astra Convertible is set to make its world debut by the end of 2012.
Updated 05/23/2012: The future Opel Astra Convertible went out for a new testing session, this time with the top down.
Subaru and Toyota are continuing their sports car courtship by releasing drop top versions of their BRZ and GT-86 models in the next couple of years. We’ve already drawn up the BRZ Convertible, as well as Toyota’s more affordable Scion FR-S Convertible, but now it’s time for the GT-86 to get its turn on the drawing table.
Except for the roof, the GT-86 Convertible will feature the same design and technology as the coupe model. It will be a compact rear-wheel-drive sports coupe with an aerodynamic body that rides low to the ground to improve handling and allow it to cut through the air with ease. The fascia will be completely aggressive with long slit-looking headlights giving it a mean and intimidating look, as well as an enlarged lower grille and a bold "Scorpion" styling to the lower grille. Under the hood, it will feature the same 2.0 liter, naturally-aspirated petrol engine with 200 HP at 7000 rpm and 151 lb-ft of torque at 6600 rpm. This engine will be mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.
The new Toyota GT-86 Convertible will be unveiled sometime in 2013 and will cost about $2,000 more than the coupe model. The Japanese market will be the first to receive it and they will be followed by the rest of the world.
It’s been about four years since Dimora Motorcar promised the creation of the Natalia SLS2 Supersedan, the world’s first hand-built, $2 million, 16-cylinder production vehicle that was going to put the Bugatti Veyron to shame, or at least it was going to be if DiMora ever got around to actually producing it. Now, after potential owners’ faces long ago turned purple from holding their breath, DiMora has just announced a new division and the development of two new sports cars. Pardon us if we skip the part where we say when we expect it to debut.
The company’s new Neoclassic Automobiles subsidiary will have the mission of combining 21st century technology with classic 1930’s elegance. Their first two new models expected to illustrate this styling direction will be the Adina Sportster and Vicci Super-Coupe.
The first anticipated vehicle, the Adina, will be powered by a GM sourced LS3 V8 engine with an output of 431 HP. It will offer an Italian burl wood inlaid dash, lamb’s wool carpeting, etched glass, and a removable hard-top, among other things.
The second model, the Vicci Super-Coupe, will be offered with either a 431 HP LS3 V8 engine, or a more powerful 638 HP LS9 engine combined with an independent suspension. Customers will be able to choose between a 4- or 6-speed automatic transmission, or the 6-speed manual transmission. The Vicci will feature a carbon-fiber dashboard, Italian leather seats, fly-by-wire electronics, a stereo with engine diagnostics, paddle-shifters on the steering wheel, wire wheels, back-up cameras, GPS, and much more. It will also be offered with an optional, removable hard-top.
Bentley put a hold on developing any new models in order to work on a new 4.0 liter, twin turbocharged V8 engine that we already expected to see in the Continental GT V8 at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Details for the Coupe model were already revealed to that effect, but now that the auto show has opened its doors, the new Continental GTC V8 was there, welcoming the auto industry with open arms with its new engine and a total of 500 HP and 487 lb ft of torque. In Europe, the GTC V8 is priced at €149,600 - or about $191,000 at the current exchange rates. Prices for the North American market will be announced at a later date.
"With the new 4.0 liter V8 engine we are widening the appeal of the latest generation of Continentals, introducing a completely new driving experience. The new engine will have all the exhilarating power, drama and performance you would expect from a V8 engine sporting the famous Bentley wings, effortlessly delivered with our characteristic ‘wave of torque’. This is complemented by innovative powertrain technology that delivers exceptional fuel efficiency and emissions," said Wolfgang Dürheimer, Chairman and Chief Executive, Bentley Motors.
UPDATE 02/20/12: Bentley has released a new crop of images for the Continental GTC V8, all of which you can check out in the gallery below!
UPDATE 03/19/12: Bentley has unveiled a very cool promo video for their latest Continental GTC V8. Enjoy!
Hit the jump to read more about the new Bentley Continental GTC V8.
