Every time we see Pininfarina make the news with a new concept it’s developing, we can’t help but get excited about what the Italian coachbuilder has in store for us.
Well, it looks like Pininfarina is preparing something; a concept, it appears, that will make its debut at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este later this month.
The concept, which has been dubbed as the one-off Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe, was designed and collaborated with BMW and comes as a notable successor to the BMW Z4 Zagato Coupe that BMW and Zagato also introduced at last year’s event.
Not much is known about the model except that it’s going to be a huge luxury sedan in more ways than one. Aesthetically, it will be feature a long wheelbase, a stretched bonnet, short overhangs and a set-back greenhouse with a smoothly sloping roofline. Thinking about these descriptions it’s easy to be reminded of the German automaker’s 8 Series line.
Actually, the connection to those 8ers from past decades doesn’t just end with its looks. The Gran Lusso Coupe is also reported to carry a monster V-12 engine that will be based on the 6.0-liter turbocharged engine that produces an output of 535 horsepower.
That’s as much as we can tell you because that’s the limited information BMW and Pininfarina have released. In the meantime, click past the jump to revisit the car the former brought to the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este last year: the Z4 Zagato Coupe
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Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) announced today the first details on the Gen-F lineup, which it has dubbed "the greatest performance production cars ever built in Australia." The new Gen-F lineup will include five different vehicles: Maloo, Clubsport /Clubsport Tourer, Senator Signature and the range-topping GTS.
The new Gen-F lineup received a more sophisticated, modern and integrated design, with the GTS version being distinguished by updated bumpers, a larger super-flow performance spoiler finished in body color with “Pitch Black” accenting and 20-inch forged-alloy wheels in Satin Graphite.
Holden is also offering an all-new premium interior with new seats and fabrics, instrument panel, cluster, gauges, center console, trims and finishes. The GTS version if offering tons of standard features, like its 9-speaker Bose premium audio system that includes: an 8-inch high-resolution, color touch-screen display; a USB input; single CD player with MP3 compatibility; hard-drive storage; and full iPod integration.
Click past the jump to read more about the HSV GTS.
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After years of teasing and concept reveals, the Acura NSX is finally going to be a reality. This was confirmed by a press release from Honda informing us that it had selected a production facility: an all-new, 184,000-square-foot Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. This production facility will be inside Honda’s former North American Logistics facility nearby Honda’s R&D and engineering operations.
Little is known about the production version of the NSX except the fact that is will carry a mid-mounted, direct-injected V-6 engine and Acura’s Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system. The Sport Hybrid SH-AWD uses a trio of electric motors – one mated to the engine and two driving the front wheels – to help boost the V-6 engine’s performance and overall vehicle stability. The latest concept’s engine hooked up to a dual-clutch transmission and we expect the same from the production model. Unfortunately, Honda released no information on the total output and performance of the NSX, so we are in the dark here. We do figure to see at least 400 horsepower from the 2016 NSX and a 0-to-60 mph time around 4 seconds.
The 2013 NSX Concept is likely the one that is most similar to what the NSX will actually look like, minus the crazy headlights and wheels. The red and black leather interior is very realistic for production and the body isn’t too over the top to be considered for production.
Production will begin in Ohio in 2015, making this a 2016 model year not the 2015 model year that anticipated earlier. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
Click past the jump to read more about the NSX Concepts
*Image Note: All Images are of the various NSX concepts, not the production model
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The Porsche 911 is in its sixth generation (991), but for most Porsche fans the real 911 is the 996 series - especially if you consider the body hasn’t changed that much since then and that was the first 911 with a water-cooled engine.
With this in mind, German tuner OK-Chiptuning unveiled the Manta Porsche tuning kit. If you were wondering where the name comes from, the answer is rather strange: the kit was inspired by the cult classic model Opel Manta developed between 1970 and 1988.
The kit is based on a 996 Turbo model, which in standard form, delivers a total of 360 horsepower. However, for the Manta Porsche kit, the tuner managed to squeeze an amazing 650 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque from its six-cylinder engine.
In order to obtain this amazing increase, the tuner offers a K24-Turbolader, a GT2-RS air cooler, larger injection valves and a higher-flow fuel pump. There is also a Sachs-Performance-clutch and an exhaust system with continuous 70 mm (2.75 inches) tubes.
Click past the jump to read more about the Manta Porsche by OK-Chiptuning.
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Subaru BRZ is a nice sports car, but with quite a disappointing output for real car addicts out there. Luckily for us, where Subaru decided to stop at just 200 horsepower, Crawford Performance comes into focus and increases the output to more than double.
By adding a new turbo, replacing the standard exhaust system and doing some ECU upgrades the tuner obtained an output of 450 horsepower. There are no official detail on the peak torque, but it looks like it has been tripled, so we guess it is somewhere in the 450 pound-feet area. Now, this looks like a number more suitable for a sports car, no?
The guy over Drive took this car out for a test drive in an attempt to see how the updates improved the car’s performance and phenomenal dynamic features. According to them, this package managed to "add to the BRZ’s performance without taking away from it’s character."
Click past the jump to see Drive taking the Crawford-tuned BRZ to task and to read more on the base BRZ.
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The Gumball 3000 Rally is an event that brings some pretty interesting project cars out of the woodwork. This year, we’re already seeing a whole lot of them with the latest one coming from Nissan and French publishing house L’Ecurie and INTERSECTION Magazine.
The two will actually be part of the pan-European parade and for this trip, they decided to deck out a unique Nissan 370Z Nismo. In what could very well be an attempt to showcase the 370Z Nismo on the streets of Europe, the Japanese automaker and the French publication house entered the 370Z Nismo as "Car 56" for the parade as an ode to the garage number (56) the Nissan DeltaWing occupied at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
As far as aesthetics go, INTERSECTION Magazine gave it a pretty unique camouflage livery that it designed specifically for the event. That livery and all the added goodies Nismo added to the Z ensures that this special-edition model is different from the rest of the 370Zs out there.
Best watch out for this unique iteration of the Japanese sports car at the 2013 Gumball 3000 rally. It will be piloted by INTERSECTION Magazine contributors Patrice Meignan and Jeremy ‘Jey’ Taltaud.
Click past the jump to read about the Nissan 370Z Nismo
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After revealing the ILX Concept at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January, Acura has quickly followed it up with the production version at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. Carrying the same ILX name, the new sedan will be offered with a choice of two different engines, as well as a Hybrid version for those with a particular love for the environment.
The Acura ILX addresses the young buyers that are looking for their first luxury vehicle. Acura has promised the ILX will be a cheaper alternative to models like the Buick Verano and the Audi A3.
"First-time luxury buyers tend to place a high value on exterior styling, affordability and environmental issues, and that’s what we have created with the new Acura ILX," said Jon Ikeda, head of the Acura Design Studio. "The strategy behind this new model is to position ILX as the first opportunity for many young buyers to enter the luxury market."
UPDATE 05/13/2013: Acura has announced prices and some minor upgrades for the 2014 ILX. See more after the jump.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2013-2014 Acura ILX.
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The BMW M5 was first introduced at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1984, so if you do a little math you’ll find that in 2014 the model will celebrate its 30th anniversary. To mark the event, BMW is unveiling a special-edition M5. Or at least this is what a strange M5 prototype caught testing near the M factory in Garching suggests, as it was wearing a “30 Year Limited Edition” badge on its dashboard.
From the same plaque, it appears that the special edition will be limited to only 300 units. Everything else seems to be identical to the standard M5, except some dark chrome gills added to the exterior. Also, the prototype seems to be an American version, judging by the U.S.-only manual option and the orange markers on the front fenders.
Before this special edition gets the opportunity to hit the market, the M5 will receive a revision and the addition of a new Competition Package.
Click past the jump to read more about the standard BMW M5.
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The production-version CLA-Class made its world debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show and even though it’s a young model, it already received lots of tuning kits. The latest kit comes from Piecha Design, which decided to offer the luxury four-door coupe a sportier appearance while retaining the car’s overall elegant appearance.
The kit is based on the CLA 250 fitted with the Sport cosmetic package. The tuner adds an aerodynamic package that includes a restyled front bumper with a chin spoiler and a pair of matte-silver air splitters. The kit continues with new front wings and side skirts, new roof and trunk spoilers and for the rear, a new diffuser that hides the four 90 mm (3.54 inches) tailpipes. These tailpipes can also be applied to all the other models in the CLA lineup.
The new Mercedes CLA GT-R by Piecha Design was unveiled at the Tuning World Bodensee in Germany.
Click past the jump to read more about the Mercedes CLA GT-R by Piecha Design.
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Wheels Boutique out of Miami has made its way onto our pages a few times in the past with its 911 Turbo, F430, Panamera and Supersports, so it’s no surprise to see it sneaking its way onto our pages again today.
This time around, however, it comes bearing a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, which is a beauty in its own right with its sporty exterior, luxurious interior and powerful 6.2-liter V-8 engine under the hood. The tuner began by stripping off the front and rear bumpers, the trunk spoiler and the rear diffusor and replacing them all with clear-coated carbon-fiber units to lower the weight, increase aerodynamic efficiency and to simply make it look cooler.
At the corners, Wheels Boutiques used its specialty in rollers to pick out the perfect set of ADV.1 wheels to help round out the package.
No tune is ever complete without a bump in horsepower, which Wheels Boutique was happy to perform. Thanks to a new Akrapovic exhaust system, the engine now produces 575 horsepower and 489 pound-feet of torque.
Click past the jump to see this tune up close
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