Automotive industry news, it feels like nothing of what they say is really important but put it together and you will get the big picture before the others.
Ferrari president, Luca di Montezemolo, is an ambitious man. After all, he didn’t get to where he is now by sitting on his chair and sipping hot cocoa. A few years ago, he announced that he was investing in a plane to bring a private high-speed rail line to Italy.
It took a couple of years to get to this day, but finally, Montezemolo has unveiled the very first train his company NTV is putting on the tracks in Italy. The train, which is being called "Italo," is the fruit of years and years of testing and development by NTV and is considered as one of the most modern trains in Europe.
How awesome is it? Among the many features of Italo, the few that stood out were on-board wi-fi and a small theater. Yep, a small theater.
NTV is expecting ITALO to have its maiden voyage on March 2012 with the company looking at a goal of carrying 10 million passengers annually across Europe by 2015.
Montezemolo isn’t the only big-time investor in the company. In addition to the Ferrari president, other investors in NTV include Tod’s Shoes CEO Diego Della Valle, the French Rail Company SNCF, and a slew of other Italian businessmen.
Toyota’s announcement for a supercharged version of the recently launched GT 86 sports car was apparently just the beginning of the Toyota/Subaru match of HP wits. Now, Subaru has confirmed that the company is preparing a turbocharged version of the 2.0-liter flat-four engine used in the BRZ, in addition to the previously rumored STI version. The new turbocharged variant will be based on the FA20 engine and will be built at the company’s Oizumi engine plant, where the BRZ and all Toyota/Scion variants are being produced. It will be used in many of the future Subaru models, most likely including a hotter version of the BRZ, as well as the future WRX.
As of right now, there are no other details regarding turbo size or the engine’s final output, but previous rumors have suggested that Subaru was working on a 300 HP BRZ model. This may be the final output for its turbocharged version, unless we’re going to get some extra ponies in addition to that.
Since Mercedes is working away on its next generation SL-Class, units of the current model are fast coming to an end. The last SL R 230 Model Series, unit number 169,434, already rolled off the assembly line at the Bremen plant on November 30, 2011.
This specific SL R230 unit is painted in an Iridium silver exterior color and is powered by a 315 BHP 3.5-liter V6 petrol engine. Unfortunately, no one will actually be driving it because it will be added to the automotive gallery of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, right next to the iconic roadsters that wrote the prestigious 60-year history of the ’Sport Leicht’ range.
Fear not, though, the 2013 Mercedes SL-Class has already been spotted a number of times, each time with less camouflage than before. With this new generation, Mercedes hopes to achieve a lighter sports car. In fact, they have announced that the next SL-Class will be the first Mercedes model produced in large series to use an all-aluminum bodyshell that is about 242 lbs lighter than a comparable steel bodyshell. As a result, the new SL 500 weighs 275 lbs less than its predecessor, while the SL 350 weighs the above-mentioned 308 lbs less than its previous version.
The new 2013 Mercedes SL-Class will be making its world debut in January 2012 at the Detroit Auto Show, but Mercedes will be offering its official specs on December 15, 2011. Stay tuned!
There are two things you need to know about 14-year old Maddy Wagner: she loves supercars and she has autism.
The former may sound trivial compared to the latter, but Maddy doesn’t think of herself any less even with her condition. She has her dad to thank for that. Her father said that it was important for “Maddy not be defined by her autism. I’ve taught both my kids that they can accomplish whatever they believe they can accomplish. Yes, she’s autistic, but in every other way, she’s just like every other teenage girl. I hope people don’t see her as being autistic but rather as being a beautiful young lady who can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.”
And what Maddy set her mind to was a fascination for exotics and one of her holiday wishes was to get a chance to ride in one.
Last week, her wish became a reality, except that instead of riding in one supercar, Maddy was able to sit shotgun in 13 of them. From Bentleys, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and even a Caterham, Maddy’s holiday wish came true with the help of some selfless supercar owners.
All you anxious and restless fans of the Dodge Viper can now rest easy. After a one-year "sabbatical," the 2013 Viper is coiled up and ready to strike at the 2012 New York Auto Show on April 6, 2012.
According to Viper Club of America, no less than SRT President and CEO Ralph Giles confirmed the date for the Viper’s return, complete with a new halo look that is bound to make fans welcome the sports car back with open arms.
Patience has truly been a virtue for Vipermaniacs who have waited long and hard for the Viper to come back from the ashes. Understandably, Dodge execs have been very tight-lipped about the car, opting to keep us sweating at what lies in store for us when the 2013 Viper returns.
There have been many rumors surrounding the new Viper, most of which surround the type of engine that will be found under the hood. The first rumors suggested it would get a new direct-injection 8.4-liter V10 engine that would deliver around 700HP. However, European magazines are talking about a V8 engine with an output of 500 HP for an entry level version. A Viper mule was recently caught testing with the new Viper front end attached to the old body style. Something was cooking under that hood and whatever engine that may be, it will need plenty of fresh air to keep it cool. There was a big air intake in the front bumper and what looked to be three air intakes in the hood. This engine will be a beast and Dodge is doing whatever it can to keep it at bay. Rumors suggest this new engine will not come from Ferrari, but could be a variation of Chrysler’s new 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 with some form of forced induction.
Whatever engine is finally chosen, at the very least, we now have an official date to circle on our calendars. With all the secrecy surrounding this car, that alone is already a battle won.
