After teasing us for quite a while now, Ferrari has finally revealed the official details on their new successor for the 612 Scaglietti. Called the FF - an acronym for Ferrari Four (four seats and four-wheel drive), the new model is the company’s most powerful, versatile four-seater ever, as well as its first ever four-wheel drive car.
The concept car was designed by Pininfarina, and according to Ferrari "the new car represents not so much an evolution as a true revolution." The new model will deliver "unprecedented level an extremely sporty, high-performance character with incredible versatility, superb comfort and sophisticated elegance, guaranteeing both driver and passengers an absolutely unique driving experience."
The new Ferrari FF GT sports car concept made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and a production version will follow by 2012.
UPDATE 03/14/2011: If the new Ferrari FF happens to be in your future acquisitions list, then you should try the configurator Ferrari has just placed online for it. However, we should warn you, no matter what color you choose, the car won’t look any better.
UPDATE 02/02/2012: Ferrari has unveiled a new video presenting the FF in action on the snow. Behind the wheel was World Rally Champion Markku Alen as he performs one of the most amazing drifts.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Ferrari FF.
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While everyone is focused on the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, Infiniti is jumping the gun on the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March by offering the first details on their Electric Sports Car Concept. Nissan’s luxury counterpart has described the ESCC as a highly advanced, range-extending electric sports car that was created to extend the potential for high performance, low emission electric cars.
When explaining the strategy behind the concept, Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd and Infiniti said: "At the Geneva show next year, we will present our vision for a totally new kind of inspired premium performance car. Infiniti already has hybrid and clean diesel models on sale. And with an all-electric sedan on the way, the natural next step was to push the boundaries where performance and the environment intersect."
More details about the new Infiniti sports concept will be revealed in the upcoming months. Stay tuned!
UPDATE 02/02/2012: Infiniti has announced that the concept car to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show will be called EMERG-E and that it "will be the first car from the brand to not only have a range-extender drivetrain offering vivid performance with zero emissions capability, but also one mounted in a mid-ship package for optimal handling." Check out the new teaser images in the gallery provided!
Months after the official unveiling of the new Mini Coupe, the company has decided it was time to "uncover" the Roadster version as well. Of course, everyone already knew what the new Roadster would look like with both the Coupe version and the Roadster Concept unveiled in 2009 making it on the scene before the Roadster.
To be honest, the Coupe and Roadster models are almost identical, except for the soft top, steeply raked windscreen, stainless steel roll bars, and the active rear spoiler that deploys at 50 mph. The new Roadster will be immediately recognized as a Mini thanks to features like the hexagonal contours of its radiator grille, the black border around the lower part of the body, chrome trim strips and surrounds, large circular headlights, vertically stacked rear lights positioned on the outer extremes of the rear end, and the eye-catching surrounds of the side indicators on the front side panels.
Like with the Coupe, the Roadster is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine ranging from the base Coupe with 122 HP up to the John Cooper Works Coupe with 208 HP. The SD version gets a 141 HP turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel engine.
UPDATE 01/30/2012: Mini has announced the official prices for their new Roadster. The model will be offered in three different versions with prices starting from $24,350 for the Cooper Roadster, $27,350 for the Cooper S Roadster, and $34,500 for the JCW Roadster.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Mini Roadster.
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BMW’s dive into the diesel market included not just the M550d xDrive, but the X5 M50d as well. Just like the M550d, the SUV version is powered by the 3.0 liter six-cylinder in-line diesel engine that delivers a total of 381 HP and a peak torque of 546 lb-ft. With this amount of power, the X5 M50d will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155 mph. Fuel economy has been reported at 37.7 mpg.
Compared to a standard X5, the new M50d will be distinguished by an optimized aerodynamic balance and enhanced driving pleasure. In the space reserved for the fog-lamps, the new model has received new air intakes joined by horizontal bars painted in Ferric Grey metallic paint and race-inspired air-channeling flaps that sit below the side air intakes to optimize the car’s aerodynamic balance at high speeds. The BMW kidney grille features titanium-colored vertical bars, while the exterior mirror caps are painted in Ferric Grey metallic. The car sits on a standard set of 19-inch M light-alloy wheels in V-spoke design, but there are alsooptional 20-inch M light-alloy wheels in Ferric Grey metallic.
The new BMW X5 M50d will go on sale in Germany on June 16, 2012 at a price of 82,300 euro ($106,500 at the current exchange rates).
Lamborghini skipped the Detroit Auto Show in terms of any major reveals, but the Geneva Motor Show is going to be a whole different story. The company is planning on unveiling two major vehicles at the show, one of them being the highly anticipated Roadster version of the Lamborghini Aventador and a mysterious second model.
TeamSpeed has a few thoughts on what this mystery model may be. The first is a production version of the Sesto Elemento which we’ve all been waiting for since the concept was revealed in 2010. A second possibility is that Lamborghini could be presenting a concept version of the company’s replacement for the current Gallardo, a model currently known as the Cabrera.
Another possibility is that Lamborghini has finally decided on that third model they’ve been going back and forth on for way too long. President and CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, has stated in the past that a final on either the Lamborghini SUV or the Estoque will be made in early 2012, so this option seems to be the most plausible. If the decision is made, then we’ll more than likely see a concept version of it soon.
Check back with us soon for more details on the mystery model!
