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.
While Porsche is trying to delay the official launch of the new generation 911 Turbo, our spy photographers have caught the convertible version testing yet again, this time wearing less camouflage than ever. Compared to the standard 911 models, the future Turbo variant will be distinguished by wider rear fenders, additional cooling vents, a new active rear spoiler, and of course, a soft-top for those nice long drives.
Under the hood, Porsche has placed the same 3.8 liter turbocharged flat six engine tricked to deliver a few more HP compared to the current model. Just like all of the other 911 models previously launched, the future Turbo model will get auto start/stop, thermal management, electrical system recuperation, and the world’s first seven-speed manual transmission (or an optional PDK). Porsche has also been working on improving fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, so expect to see a drop of up to 15%.
The new 911 Turbo, in both coupe and cabrio versions, will be launched sometime during Summer 2012, so stay tuned!
The 1967 model year was the debut year for the Plymouth Belvedere GTX, which most enthusiasts simply know as the Plymouth GTX. The GTX was always one of the top performers in the 1960s, but was also a refined muscle car, receiving the nickname “The Gentleman’s Muscle Car” in its early years. Unfortunately, the GTX was a late arrival to the muscle car area and only lasted five model years.
In its debut year, there were 12,115 models built, which makes it a rather rare car in itself. Options were not scarce for the 1967 GTX, as it had two engines available, a 425-horsepower, 426 cubic-inch V-8 Hemi or a 375-horsepower, 440 cubic-inch V-8. It also had two transmission options, a three-speed automatic and a four-speed manual.
In addition to the engine and transmission options, there was also coupe or convertible options available. One would assume that the convertible four-speed manual option with a Hemi would be a popular option combination, due to its raw power and ability to shift with the wind in you hair, but that’s not the case. Only seven of these convertible models with four-speeds and a Hemi engine rolled off of the assembly line in the 1967 model year.
That makes this one of the rarest vehicles on the planet, let alone one of the rarest muscle cars ever built. To boot, it is a natural rarity, as opposed to a planned one, like a special edition. It just so happened that dealers ordered so few of this option combination that the factory only produced a few.
If you want to own one of the most rare mass produced automobiles on the planet, now is your chance, as RK Motors Charlotte has just placed a convertible 1967 GTX with a Hemi and a four-speed up for auction on Ebay.
Now we know that it’s rare, but how has this vehicle held up over the course of the past 45 years?
Click past the jump to read our full review on this rare vehicle.
The past few days have been pretty busy for BMW. First they unveiled the 3-Series Station Wagon and after it the 1-Series three-door and the M135i. And now the US market has received a new model to its 1-Series line-up: 135is offered in both coupe and convertible version. Prices will start from $44,145 for the coupe model and $48,845 for the convertible and sales are scheduled to begin this fall.
The BMW 135is is powered by a TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 engine that delivers a total of 320 hp (+20 hp increase compared to the 135i) and 317 lb-ft of torque (+17 lb.ft). The engine features Valvetronic throttle-less intake technology, direct injection and a single twin-scroll turbocharger and has been combined with a standard 6-Speed manual transmission or an optional 7-Speed Double Clutch Transmission, but also with a Performance exhaust system.
The new 135is will be distinguished by exclusive 18" wheels, unique high-gloss black kidney grill, black mirror caps and special exterior badges in additional to the standard M Sport Package components. For the interior BMW will add stainless steel pedals, special interior badges and optional black leather seats with blue stitching for the standard sport seats.
We already knew that McLaren was planning a roadster version for their new MP4-12C model, but now it has been confirmed: an official debut will be made by the end of 2012. The new MP4-12C Spyder will be identical to its coupe brother, except of course, for its drop top appeal.
Just like the coupe version, the future Spyder will be offered with a V8 engine, as will every other model from the British company, because there will be no V12 engine offered in any McLaren models in the near future. This, however, doesn’t mean that the upcoming successor for the legendary F1 will only deliver 593 HP. McLaren said that the V8 engine has been built to be very flexible and can be tuned to any desired level.
The next F1 supercar will have conventional side-by-side seating (unlike the 1+2 layout of the original McLaren F1), a V8 engine coupled to a dual-clutch transmission, and plenty of lightweight carbon fiber. It will be unveiled sometime in 2013.
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.
In the world of futuristic materials and components for future cars, we never thought that carbon fiber would be superseded by something called buckypaper, but if Marko Petrovic’s design ever comes to fruition, then we could see a lot more cars being constructed out of this material featuring carbon nanotubes.
Buckypaper is currently in its early stages of development but promises to be both stronger and lighter than carbon fiber. Of course, this material is unlikely to ever be used in the automotive industry for at least another 50 to 100 years, so this futuristic concept shows what Ferrari may be producing in the next century and has been dubbed the Ferrari Millenio by its designer.
As you can see from the incredibly detailed renderings, the Millenio is a two-seater supercar that features no roof, no windscreen, and no doors, just like the Lamborghini Aventador J speedster. If the car ever reaches production (which is extremely, extremely unlikely), it would feature two electric motors which can be recharged via solar panels molded around the bodywork or through a traditional power point socket.
The Millenio also features a whole host of LCD-displays throughout the cockpit with the prominent speedometer being the focal point of the interior. Even though the Millenio was designed well before the introduction of the Lamborghini Aventador J, its lack of well-padded seats like the J could indicate that future sports cars may opt for decreased weight in favor of comfort, but for all we know, by 2112, we may all be flying around in futuristic cars powered solely by energy-efficient and environmentally friendly electronic systems.
Nevertheless, it’s great to see designers out there continuing to push the envelope of design and that’s one thing we never want to change.
Sure, Lotus may be facing some incredibly tough times at the moment, but there’s no question that in the good times, the relatively small British marque produced some of the finest sports cars in the market. In fact, the Lotus Elise is often the benchmark for handling which others aim to replicate, and the Elise’s twin brother the Exige is no exception to that rule.
Not only has the Exige been transformed from its very first-generation, gaining power, weight, speed, and size, it still manages to maintain that unique Lotus flavor, and this is a point which is evident in the following review conducted by Chris Harris for the Drive network.
Before you check out the video, remember that while it’s an extreme version of the regular Exige, it’s nothing compared to the range-topping Evora GTE which is actually the most powerful production car ever produced by Lotus. That being said, the Exige S is still an extremely capable sports car with its supercharged 3.5-liter V6 engine delivering no less than 350HP.
Combine that with extremely sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires and an overall weight of just over 2,200 pounds, and you have one of the finest sports cars on the market.
Here’s hoping that Lotus can sort itself out over the coming months as we can’t foresee a future without Lotus being an integral part of it.
BMW is throwing the automotive world for a loop in the coming years as a few of their models will be getting name changes to make room for a denser lineup. We already know the future 3-Series Coupe and Convertible will be sold as a 4-Series and now the future generation 1-Series Coupe and Convertible will also be getting a name change: They will adopt the 2-Series nomenclature. The future 2-Series Coupe has already been rendered so it was high time for us to get the 2-Series Convertible a little attention.
The BMW 2-Series Convertible will arrive a few months after its coupe brother and will be sportier than the current 1-Series. Under the hood, there will only be four-cylinder engines: a 2.0 petrol with either 150 HP, 177 HP, or 218 HP and a 2.0 turbodiesel with 214 HP. These engines will be combined with either a six-speed manual transmission or an optional eight-speed automatic transmission. An xDrive system will also be offered to make the car even more fuel efficient.
Expect to see the new BMW 2-Series Convertible launched in late 2013.
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.
Starting in the 2013 model year, BMW will stop offering a 3-Series Coupe and Convertible. Instead the new models will wear the 4-Series moniker, while the 3-Series name will only be kept for the sedan and station wagon. BMW is currently under intense testing of the future 4-Series Convertible and in the past few months, we have brought out plenty of spy shots. And the spy shots keep coming. This series of spy shots capture the future 4-Series Convertible with its top down so we can have a better look at the interior.
The 4-Series Convertible will be placed under the 6-Series Convertible in terms of price, but it will combine design elements from the 5-Series and 6-Series, as well as carry the now famous BMW wide kidney grille. Under the hood, the new model will feature the latest four and six-cylinder petrol and diesel units found in the BMW lineup, including the new 245 HP 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine.
Expect to see the new BMW 4-Series Convertible launched in 2013.
