The Frankfurt Motor Show is a month away and the entire auto industry is the buzz is already in the air. In what is expected to draw a who’s who of automakers, the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show is shaping up to be one for the books.
One automaker that has kept a low profile for months is now ready to steal the show at Frankfurt. We are, of course, talking about Wiesmann and their latest production supercar, the MF5 Roadster.
For the German-based niche car maker responsible for some past jewels of the road like the MF4 Roadster and the MF5 GT, the MF5 Roadster serves as another culminating moment for the folks at Wiesmann. The long-awaited MF5, a car that in some respect combines the elements of its two predecessors, is the personification of a powerhouse trapped in an unassuming body case. Showcasing its 507-horespower V10 engine - which it actually got from the BMW M5 and M6 – the MF5 can drive from 0-60 mph at just a tad under 4 seconds and reaches maximum speeds of 190 mph.
No photos of the MF5 Roadster have been released (the one photographed above is the MF5 GT) so you can expect that the unveiling of this supercar has become one of the most highly-anticipated parts of the Frankfurt Motor Show. That, and the fact that the Wiesmann only produced 55 of these bad boys at around €190,000 each, makes the MF5 unveiling a can’t-miss show for those going to Frankfurt.
The specialty automaker Veritas has a rich racing history that dates back to the 1940’s. The original cars were tuned BMW’s, the first of which was used in 1947 by the Formula 1 racer, Karl Kling, for a win at Hockenheim. Kling would later go on to Mercedes Benz Silver Arrows fame and Veritas would go on to build very desirable sports cars. So when the post war automaker announced that the RS III supercar would make its world debut at London Motor Show, most speculators expected the new super car to carry a price tag of around $375,000.
It turns out that those estimates were a little conservative to say the least. Well Veritas has just announced that the RSIII will carry a price tag of €342,000; that’s approximately $485,000 here in the U.S. So it looks we will be waiting for the coupe or SUV to come out before the cost will allow us to get behind the wheel of one.
The car is a modern-day interpretation of the classic Veritas racing cars. Just like the original, the Veritas will be powered by a BMW engine, except that this is a modern 5.0 Liter V10 power plant sourced from an M5 and tuned to produce 600 HP. The silver speedster is a bit of a lightweight, tipping the scales at just 2,360 pounds, meaning that the RS III will have an excellent power to weight ratio. This will allow the super car to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.2 seconds and hit a top speed of 217 MPH.
For those less fortunate, Veritas will also offer a V8 powered version with a slightly lower top speed of 204 MPH and a few tenths slower to 60 MPH, cocking a time of 3.6 seconds.
The automaker from Hiroshima, Mazda makes sure to put a little Zoom-Zoom into all their products, and has just put a 20th anniversary version of the world’s best selling two passenger roadster. It looks like the Japanese engineers could be working on using the same fun to drive formula from the Miata into a smaller rear wheel drive roadster.
With the future entry level open-air roadster Mazda is hoping to capitalize on the smaller in size only Kei car market, dominated by diminutive vehicles like the Suzuki Cappuccino. These cars are powered by engines no larger than 660 cc but offer the sort of light weight handling that would make Colin Chapman proud, think smaller car on winding mountain road makes for a more fun ride and costs a lot less to maintain.
Mazda would introduce this more efficient Miata underneath the current MX-5, however the power hungry U.S. market would demand something bigger than a three cylinder in order to be sporty, the automaker would probably power it with something displacing a slightly larger than Kei, 1.0 to 1.3 Liters.
After the German automaker Audi confirmed that the R8 Spider will make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the luxury manufacturer also announced they are now accepting orders for the new open air variant of their R8 super car.
However, while the coupe version is being offered with both a 420 HP 4.2 Liter FSI V8 and a 500 HP 5.2 Liter V10 engine, the roadster version will only come with the high horsepower V10 power plant behind the driver’s head. In addition to the coupe version, the Spider will not have the same iconic carbon fiber side blades, instead it will get a pair of newly sculpted air intakes located just in front of the rear wheels.
For those of you looking to buy an R8 Spider in the U.K. you’ll be happy to know that you can already place an order with Stafford Audi by clicking the link below.
Mazda of Japan has just revealed a special edition MX-5 in celebration of the lightweight roadster’s 20th Anniversary as a member of the automaker’s lineup. Since its inception, the Mazda Miata has been awarded the title of world’s highest production two seater roadster by the Guiness Book of World Records. All of the double decade Miatas will be covered in Crystal White Pearl Mica, a color that is being used for the first time on the fun to drive roadster that will be sold for around $30,000.
The new special edition MX-5 is is offered in two flavors, the first example is based on the Roadster RS version featuring a rag top and six speed manual transmission, while the other will be built upon the VS platform taking full advantage of the vehicle’s power assisted retractable hard top and six speed automatic gearbox.
Setting the 20th Anniversary Miata apart from the rest of the crowd are a set of functional Recaro racing buckets wrapped in red and black leather, exclusive 20th Anniversary badges, clear fog light covers, a glass window for the soft top model and a set of stylish multi spoke 17 inch aluminum wheels
No one expected to see a roadster version of the jet fighter inspired Lamborghini Reventon supercar before the Frankfurt Motor Show this September. However a few lucky individuals will have the opportunity to see it as early as today. That is because the Italian exotic builder has decided to unveil the exclusive luxury speed machine to a select group of likely Reventon Roadster clients.
Details about the upcoming open air Lamborghini are not very clear, especially when it comes to the engine that will power the new Reventon. Initial rumors said that vehicle will use the same engine as the Lamborghini LP670-4SV, but the automaker might have problems putting all that power to the ground safely in a Roadster body. So the only thing that is left is the engine from the Lamborghini LP650-4 Roadster.
Either way it won’t matter which engine they choose, because the most attractive feature of the Reventon is its exterior, and because the it will be built as an extremely limited edition model, demand for the open air Reventon will always be in the stratosphere no matter how much power it makes.
Even if the Ferrari 458 Italia has just been officially announced, automotive enthusiasts are already dreaming about a drop top spider version for the F430 replacement. This open air take on the 458 was done by Jon Sibal. Sibal is an award winning automotive designer and consultant and even though the 458 Spider is based much on Ferrari’s original design, the Italian automaker might want to consider contacting him before they dream up the production version of the Ferrari 458 Italia Spider.
The only question left, is what will the convertible top be made from. Will it feature a canvas rag top like the automaker’s traditional mid-engine spiders or a retractable hard top like the all new Ferrari California?
The 458 Italia is powered by a 4.5 Liter V8 engine equipped with the traditional Ferrari flat crankshaft that gives the mid-engine sports cars their signature bark high up in the RPM band. The unit produces 570 HP at a rather lofty 9000 RPM which gives the future super car a power output of 127 HP/Liter. Weighing in at only 3042 pounds, the new Ferrari will rocket from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.4 seconds and won’t stop until it hits a top speed of 202 MPH. So either with a fixed roof or the wind in your face, the future 458 will be a dream.
What’s better than spotting a glistening Ferrari 430 Scuderia sitting idly in a parking lot? Try 22 of these very cars parked side by side. Apparently, that was the case earlier this week when – yes – 22 Ferraris gathered in Southern California for an impromptu car show mixed in with a leisurely drive along the highways of SoCal.
It’s not often you see a Ferrari 430 Scuderia streaking along the highway but if you were in the area last weekend, you would have been treated to a sight of a little under two dozen Ferraris, which included 16 430 Scuderias and six Scuderia Spider 16Ms. We don’t know if you were prepared for the occasion and brought your cameras with you, but if you didn’t, you can still check out this once-in-a-lifetime gathering of Prancing Horses.
The other day Top Speed reported the pricing for the new Nissan 370Z roadster, we now have a few more details. Get your bank accounts ready, fellas. The pricing for the all-new Nissan 370Z Roadster is finally out.
Since its debut at the New York Auto Show last April, a lot of people have wondered when the car would finally be rolled out of the production line and be made available to the public. That time has come.
Nissan officially priced the car at $37,690 for the six-speed manual transmission and $38,990 for the optional seven-speed automatic. Other variations of the Z370, including a Touring model, goes for $40,520 with a manual transmission and $42, 540 for the automatic gearbox.
The car has drawn comparison from its predecessor the 350Z and while both models have striking similarities, the 370Z has taken some of the elements of the 350 and made it even better. For one, the wheelbase of the 370Z is nearly four inches shorter at 100.4 inches compared to the 104.3-inch wheelbase of the 350. Likewise, the 370’s overall length was also reduced by 2 inches compared to the 350, 167.2 from 169.8 inches.
Even if Audi has decided to hold off on the R8 Spider for pubic consumption, there is still someone who is already enjoying the benefits of going topless. Actor Robert Downey Jr. was recently spotted behind the wheel of the drop top Audi super car while filming the next episode of the Iron Man franchise. The original R8 was introduced to the theater going world when Richard Stark, Iron Man, galavanted around as the playboy that he is pulled up in the 420 FSI HP Quattro super car.
Based on the buzz created by the original, Audi should be very happy with the sequel. The Audi R8 Spider will only be offered with a V10 engine mounted behind the driver. Considering this latest images, we can expect to see the official unveiling in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
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