Rumors have been swirling since 2011 regarding the Chevrolet SS and we were amongst the first to start discussing it. The rumors cooled off up until a few weeks ago when after 40 years of using the “SS” logo, GM finally decided to trademark it. Later the rumors became even more certain, as OnStar, GM’s in-vehicle communication system, mistakenly put the 2014 model lineup on its site. Within that lineup was a model dubbed the SS Performance.
This all adds up to a solid case that the Chevrolet SS Performance is on its way to the U.S. According to the rumormill, this would also result in the Holden Commodore SS, which was once used as the Pontiac G8, becoming the vehicle that dons the 2014 SS Perfomance badges.
With this release, Chevy would finally have a performance sedan to stack up against the likes of the Charger R/T and the Ford Taurus SHO.
UPDATE 05/17/2012: Chevrolet has officially confirmed that their new SS Performance Sedan will be a 2014 model and will arrive in dealer showrooms in late 2013. A racing version will compete at the 2013 Daytona 500. The model will be built in limited edition and will carry a derivative of the award-winning global rear-wheel-drive architecture that spawns performance vehicles like the Chevrolet Camaro.
"As a passionate race fan and performance enthusiast, I am thrilled that Chevrolet will deliver a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR racecar in the SS that is closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale," said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. "The Chevrolet SS is a great example of how GM is able to leverage its global product portfolio to deliver a unique performance experience that extends beyond the track. I am personally looking forward to driving it."
Click past the jump to read our full review of the anticipated SS Performance and how it stacks up against the competition.
Up until this point, we’ve only been able to show you a couple of low-quality teasers of the Pagani Zonda 760 RS, a car which defines what a supercar should be all about as it’s the most powerful car ever produced up until now. However, today we have something very, very special for you.
Not only have a few incredible pictures of the car been officially released, Pagani owner and Evo Magazine owner Harry Metcalfe was lucky enough to drive this one-off piece of automotive art on some incredible Italian country roads.
The video is yet another one of the Evo Diaries series and is undoubtedly the most exquisite one they have ever done. The test begins off with Harry following the 760 RS in one of just a couple Zonda prototypes, which has evolved since the very first 6.0-liter V-12 up until its current 7.3-liter spec very similar to the unit fitted to the Cinque.
Despite the incredible prototype being extremely unique by itself, the 760 RS is something else entirely. Harry confirms that it cost the Chilean owner 1.6 million pounds or the equivalent of $2.5 ‘Benjamins.’ Nope, your eyes are not tricking you, that is in fact twice the price of the Huayra, and Metcalfe points out that the 760 RS is a very similar car to the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, while the Huayra could be considered as an extreme 911 Turbo.
Metcalfe goes on to confirm in the final seconds of the video that Lewis Hamilton did in fact purchase a 760 dubbed the ‘760 LH’ just like we reported, so hopefully some photos of that will be released in due course.
We brought you news about the possibility of Renault reviving the Alpine name and producing a brand new concept based around the original car just a couple of weeks ago, and already more details about this possible, yet-to-be-confirmed car have surfaced.
Originally, Renault was rumored to have stated that a successor to the legendary Alpine A110 would debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show in late September, but according to Autoblog.nl, the new car could be debuting much sooner at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix late this month. This wouldn’t be the only new car said to debut at the event, as reports have also suggested that McLaren will unveil the McLaren F1 successor in a private display during the festivities.
If this turns out to be true, then debuting the car at the Monaco Grand Prix could be a great move on Renault’s part, as it’s not only an integral part of Formula One and one of its key engine suppliers, but the media buzz around the famous race will help the French company get some recognition for reviving this legend.
The car in question will only be a concept version, and is rumored to be dubbed the ‘ZAR,’ although we’re somewhat doubtful that the ZAR name would make it to production. It seems a return to ‘Alpine’ would be preferable. Autoblog.nl has also revealed that the new Renault sports car may be completely electric and help lead the sports car market into more efficient territory.
However, if Renault does decide to create an electric Alpine for the 2014 or 2015 model years, it’s likely it would also offer the car with a conventional internal combustion engine if it really is a tribute to the original.
It’s yet to be confirmed if the Monaco display will be conducted in private or not, but if it is, expect a few shots to leak onto the net in the days following the event.
In a press release issued on April 19, 2012, BMW outlines that 7,600 units of the 2012 3-series are being recalled as “they have front seat head restraints that exceed the downward movement limit of 25mm in the highest position” outlined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Fortunately, this recall will only impact North American vehicles rather than cars being impacted across the globe.
Cars affected were produced between October 18, 2011 and March 18, 2012 and BMW will notify all owners who have cars produced in that time period, and of course all repairs will be conducted free of charge.
BMW only discovered this fault in late April while the 2012 3-series has been in production for well over 6 months and the German brand could have saved itself a lot of trouble by thoroughly checking over all prototypes before entering any world markets.
Nevertheless, recalls seem to be a part of the automotive industry and they just go to show how restrictions vary from country to country and they also show just how difficult it is to enter a variety of markets, something Pagani knows all too well.
The Scion FR-S may be the unfortunate love child created from the Subaru and Toyota sports car collaboration, but the American company still has ambitious plans for its latest sports coupe. It has revealed that it plans on shifting 20,000 units annually for the foreseeable future.
Scion’s vice president Jack Hollis stated that "We’re confident we can sell every one we get our hands on.” So it’s clear that Scion believes the FR-S can help give the brand that little boost of life it’s been looking for for many, many years. Not a great deal of reviews have been published about the Scion FR-S, but if it’s as similar to the Toyota GT 86 and the Subaru BRZ as we’re led to believe, then it should be a true sports car which Scion should be proud to sell.
Just as a quick reminder, the Scion FR-S shares the same 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder engine as both the GT 86 and BRZ, and produces no less than 200HP. Sure that may not sound like a lot, but the FR-S tips the scales at around 2,500 pounds and when combined with a manual transmission and rear-wheel drive, the FR-S promises to be the perfect, affordable driver’s car.
Porsche has been dominating the sports car market for such a long time that Maserati is finally ready to take the outright crown from them with rumors emerging that Maserati is developing a brand new mid-engined sports car to compete with the 911 likely to share various performance aspects with the Ferrari 458 Italia.
Maserati is clearly on the rise and even though the Italian economy may be struggling, the brand hopes to bring a new SUV into the market in the next few years, while a facelifted version of the Quattroporte is also in the works. Additionally, Maserati may offer its own version of the Alfa Romeo 4C sports car which it’s helping to produce, so things are definitely looking positive at Maserati.
Many companies have tried and failed to compete with the Porsche 911 in terms of driver involvement, and with the next Porsche 911 GT3 said to retain a six-speed manual transmission, Maserati certainly has its work cut out for it. Rumors were initially fueled by comments made by Maserati’s CEO Harald J. Wester about the possibility of reviving the GranSport name.
As we’re sure you know, the GranSport was the predecessor to the GranTurismo but if the car were to use the GranSport name, it’d differ in almost every other aspect. First and foremost, it’s likely to feature a mid-engined V-8 powerplant like those found in the Audi R8 and Ferrari 458 Italia, but so as to not enrage Ferrari, it’s said to be priced below the 458 Italia hinting that it won’t be a true competitor to it.
If this car does come to fruition, it could share components with the 458 Italia but is unlikely to debut anytime before 2014.
McLaren has been facing some massive changes in the past few years with the MP4-12C re-energizing the British automaker after in excess of a decade with no new cars rolling into showrooms. Furthermore, McLaren has been furiously expanding its dealership network across the globe during this time, with one dealership even recently opening in Australia.
However, it’s the U.S. which seems to be the most profitable market for McLaren with MotorTrend reporting that 40 percent of the 1000 MP4-12C’s currently ordered are heading to America and for those who don’t find mathematics their forte, that equates to 400 units. So it goes without saying that the MP4-12C is extremely appealing across the U.S.
On one hand this is a huge shock, as the U.S. is already up there as one of Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s biggest markets, but on the other hand it shows that McLaren’s efforts to open up a network of dealers in the U.S. has paid off.
It’s currently unclear if any private U.S. customers have had their MP4-12C’s delivered, after McLaren ‘recalled’ them due to various complaints from road-testers. Either way, McLaren sales in the U.S. are sighted to rise even higher in the coming years with the F1 successor currently being developed, while various variants of the MP4-12C will also be produced, possibly even an MP4-12C Shooting Brake.
The market for track-only race cars available to all members of the public has grown substantially over the past few years, so much so that various manufacturers are now building cars specifically for track-days. At the upper end of the market, we have the Pagani Zonda R and the Ferrari 599XX, but there are more affordable alternatives available for U.S. buyers, and the Caterham SP/300.R is the latest. Dyson Racing recently received its first unit, before Caterham ships more 300’s across the pond.
Dyson Racing will be the sole distributor of the SP/300.R in the U.S. market, and this latest delivery will surely prompt Caterham to sell more in the U.S. If, of course, there are enough prospecting customers out there. As a matter of fact, Dyson Racing received chassis #1 and plans on using the vehicle for demonstration purposes to convince wannabe-racers to splurge around $95,000 for the car.
It’s worth keeping in mind that the SP/300.R isn’t road-legal in any state, so if you live in the middle of nowhere with no race tracks in sight, then this incredible track-car obviously isn’t for you. Fortunately however, all citizens will be able to enjoy the following two videos which Caterham recently released in conjunction with Dyson Racing taking delivery of the first SP/300.R.
Remember the days when vans were cool? You know, you would cruise down the strip in your mom’s minivan and pick up all of your friends to head out to the coolest hangout spots… Oh wait, vans were never cool, what were we thinking? Well, that is until Mercedes decided to get into the van-making business.
At the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz rolled into the show with its all-new customized Viano VISION DIAMOND. This ultra-luxury van, which is not yet available in the U.S., puts most modern-day limos to shame with its features. Add in the fact that it is large enough to move around in comfortably, unlike limos, which typically have standard headroom, and you have essentially a luxury home on the go.
Mercedes did not release too much information on this machine, but there is enough information obtainable just by looking at it to determine that this thing is flat out awesome. The Viano VISION DIAMOND would certainly eliminate any kids embarrassment of riding to school in a minivan, if this just so happened to be said minivan.
Click past the jump to check out our full review on the Viano VISION DIAMOND.
The Lamborghini Aventador’s newest rival will hail from...
We’ll give you a few seconds to mull this one over. Could it be Italy? Maybe Japan? China, India, Germany? Heck, maybe even Korea? Nope, this new beast will hail from all 7,827 square miles of the Republika Slovenjia, Slovenia to us English speakers.
Little known and fairly new supercar manufacturer, Tushek Supercars, recently revealed its all new 444-horsepower, Audi-powered Renovatio T500 at the Top Marques in Monaco, but that’s not the big news. The big news is this developing supercar manufacturer’s future plans of annihilating the all-mighty Aventador.
After Tushek completes its estimated 30 Renovatio T500 production models, it will turn its focus to the Forego T700 – yeah, weird name, huh. Tushek has some fairly lofty goals for this machine, including a sub-1,000 KG (2,204 pounds) curb weight, more than 700 bhp, and a gut-checking 3.3 lateral Gs (the average human can handle just 5 Gs).
This would place this new supercar squarely in the lead, when compared to the Aventador, in the all-important pounds-per-horsepower rating, as the T700’s rating would be about 3.14 pounds per horsepower and the Lambo’s rating is 4.96 pounds per horsepower. On a small scale that looks like a tiny difference, but in the grand scheme of things, that difference is humongous.
By our rough guess-timation, the Renovatio T700 would range in the 2-second area from 0 to 60 mph, about 0.8 seconds faster than the Aventador. The most impressive stat is the 3.3 lateral Gs that this car is expected to handle, as the Aventador can only handle 1.05 Gs on the skid pad.
We tend to take this all with a big grain of salt, as this is purely speculation by a company spokesperson at Tushek. Chances are that this car, if it makes it to production, will be about on the same level as the Aventador and it will not hold 3.3 Gs. There is no way that any production car can handle that amount of force.
It is still unknown if Tushek plans to sell this model in the U.S., but we are certain that some savvy buyers can get it here somehow when it arrives in 2013.
