Now we can officially put all the talk to rest. The New Lancia Stratos, a one-off supercar that was built and designed by Pininfarina as a tribute vehicle to the legendary car of the 70’s, will remain a one-off. And we have Ferrari to thank - or blame - for that.
After the immense popularity generated by the New Stratos when it was unveiled a year ago, there was talk that Pininfarina was looking into building a limited run of the supercar for interested customers. But since the project hinged on Ferrari allowing the company to use the 430 Scuderia as the car’s platform, they had to receive the green light from the Italian automaker to proceed with the program.
Unfortunately, those folks from Ferrari have refused to allow a limited production run of the New Stratos with Ferrari CEO Dr. Amadeo Felisa seemingly content with the one-off project that was built for Michael Stoschek.
We’re pretty disappointed to see the Stratos’ renaissance end even before it actually began, but if there’s a silver lining in all of this, it’s that instead of the New Stratos, Koscheck and his people have set their sights on building a modern version of another old-time classic: the Renault Alpine A110 Berlinette. Talks with the French automaker are already in progress so we’re crossing our fingers that the Alpine will come back to our lives the way the New Stratos should have.
Renault has announced the special edition Megane Coupe-Cabriolet Floride, a model that was inspired by the classic 1960’s version. Just like that model the new Floride edition will be offered in France only with classic Floride Ivory livery, while for the rest of Europe the company will also offer a red exterior paint.
The Floride Ivory paint is combined with a high-gloss, piano black panoramic roof and standard-equipment 17-inch Sari aluminium alloy diamond-effect wheels also finished in ivory. The car’s name casted in a chromed 3D font typical of the era is also visible on the lower bodyside just ahead of the rear wheel arches.
The beauty of the exterior is combined with the elegance of the interior. The car gets seats fully upholstered in red leather, with the side bolsters picked out in ivory, the steering wheel is wrapped in two-tone red/ivory leather, while the dashboard is finished in red with an ivory trim strip.
Renault has launched in UK the special edition Clio Renaultsport 200 Raider. It will be limited to only 50 units and deliveries will begin this October.
The new Clio Rider will be painted in an exclusive matte Stealth Grey or Diavolo Red. Both colors will be contrasted by a gloss black finish to the roof, rear spoiler, F1-style front blade, rear diffuser and door mirrors. The car will sit on a new set of 18” Interlagos alloy wheels also painted in gloss black finish. They will be combined with a lower ride height, stiffer springs and dampers, quicker steering ratio and red finish to the Brembo brake callipers.
For the interior the model adds Recaro seats covered in leather, a zinc grey finish to the centre console and fascia inserts and a white rev counter. The list of standard equipments includes Bluetooth, USB connectivity, automatic climate control and Renaultsport carpet mats
The new Renault Clio - Renault’s offer for the B-segment market, has been caught testing for the first time in the European Alps. The mule caught testing combines the vehicle’s old body to a new front end and, even though it was covered in camouflage, we can still see that the new Clio will adopt a new look; expect to see a new grille incorporating the French manufacturer’s logo right in the center.
Despite the fact that the Alps were just covered in snow, Renault engineers still kept busy by doing some testing on the vehicle’s brakes. We can’t imagine the brakes would need a lot of work considering the Clio is only going to be powered by the milder engines in the current engine line-up. The 1.2 and 1.4 turbocharged tCe four-cylinders will return for the middle ground models, while a new 900 cc three cylinder engine producing 85 HP would be a spunkier alternative for the entry level model. As for the diesel lineup, Renault will be keeping the 1.5 dCi i4 which produces between 75 to 105 HP, but a 1.2 L turbocharged three-cylinder engine delivering 80 and 98 HP may also be in the works.
Expect to see the new Renault Clio at the Paris Motor Show in September 2012. Sales in Europe will begin shortly after and prices will be announced at a later date.
Renault unveiled the third generation Megane in 2008 and, although experiencing some great sales, is now up for a little refreshing. Renault isn’t planning anything big, but the Megane will receive just enough changes to keep the vehicle current and relevant in the market. The first prototypes for this refresher - a five-door hatchback and the Gran Tour - were recently caught doing some hot weather testing in Southern Europe.
Despite the heavy camouflage, the facelift Megane can be seen with a bigger lift that will incorporate the new Renault family look, a slightly modified bumper, and new graphics on the rear lights. These will more than likely be the only changes the hatchback will see. The engine lineup will stay the same, meaning customers can choose between the usual petrol and diesel engines. That being said, rumors are suggesting that the Megane will also be getting a new 1.5 liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine with an output of about 110 HP.
