The English automaker Mini will officially add a fifth model to their lineup, after the forthcoming Mini crossover, this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The upcoming Mini Speedster will be a strictly two-seater and offer a much more attractive alternative to the Mini Cabriolet. The Mini Speedster will be offered with the standard engines that are offered in the Cooper’s lineup, but in keeping with the speed theme there will also be a 1.6 Liter turbocharged four cylinder making 208 HP, just like the unit found in the Mini Cooper JCW.
Speedsters are sportier versions of cabriolets; unlike roadsters they still have a convertible top, but going with the whole speed theme, they are shorter and much more minimalistic. The windshield on a speedster is usually raked further back than standard models, this makes the open air speedster look like it is at speed even when standing still. Behind the occupants, speedsters tend to have some sort of a double hump structure on the rear sill that helps the air flow over the occupant’s heads and give the profile a much more complete look. It is not necessary for a speedster to feature more aggressive bodywork, but that is the case with the new Mini.
It is official; Audi will unveil the R8 Spyder at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The German automaker will also show off an all-electric version of their mid-engine super car, the purpose of the electrified R8 is to showcase an environmentally friendly super car, stating that not just small cars can be green.
The four ringed manufacturer will also show off their A5 Sportback. The modified coupe will be powered by a 4.2 Liter V8 making 354 HP. This could be cue to the return of the vehicle that started the whole performance four wheel drive craze, the Audi Quattro. Unfortunately for fans of the company’s larger automobiles, the next generation A8 luxury limousine won’t make a public appearance until Geneva in 2010.
Audi revealed today at the Geneva Motor Show the most powerful TT version ever: the TT-RS, in both coupe and Roadster versions. Sales of the Audi TT RS begin in March; deliveries are scheduled to begin this summer.
The RS model distinguishes itself from the rest of the TT line with larger front air vents, twin-spoked alloy wheels, a fixed wing at the back and a new rear diffuser.
Under the hood Audi placed a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine with direct gasoline injection that produces 340 bhp and 330 lb.-ft. of torque. The TT RS Coupé makes the 0 to 100 km/h sprint (0 to 62 mph) in 4.6 seconds, and the Roadster needs a tenth of a second longer. Top speed is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph), but Audi offers an option to raise the limit to 280 km/h (174 mph).
The five-cylinder unit marks Audi’s return to the odd numbered engine. This is important for Audi because it’s had a long tradition of five-cylinders in performance cars. It dates back to 1976 when Ferdinand Piëch developed the unit for the 5000 series, that was later used in the rally-dominating Quattro cars of the 80s.
Press release after the jump
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Look out Tesla and Fisker, because there is a new EV roadster on the market, and it is being built with the precision of a Swiss timepiece. Brusa is a Swiss company with a long history dealing with electronics. However, only recently have they been toying with the idea of an electric sports car, a new competitor for the American made Tesla Roadster.
The shape of the electric roadster is inspired by the classic Porsche 550 Spyder and is powered by a a couple of 95 kW electric motors – one for each of the rear wheels. The electric engines are powered by a 16 kWh lithium polymer battery pack from Kokam. With all that potential energy stored up, the Spyder can sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in under 5 seconds, and with a range of 77 miles the Brusa is perfect for a sunday cruise or even commuting to the office.
Bad news for Volkswagen Bluesport and future Porsche 914 fans, even though it should come at no surprise, it is still a let down. Ever since Porsche announced that there will be no new entry level offering in the line-up, Volkswagen has also announced that due to the current economic situation, their open air, diesel burning BlueSport model has been put on hold.
Volkswagen did not shut the door on the concept, saying that there is still a chance for a production model, but only after the world goes back to buying cars. So, for Volkswagen fans the good news is that the German automaker will eventually offer a roadster. The only question is when?
The VW BlueSport Concept is powered by a mid-mounted 2.0 Liter TDI with common rail injection engine making an adequate 177 HP. VW says that the clean diesel convertible can go from 0 to 60 MPH in just 6.6 seconds and has a top speed of 140 MPH, all while returning 55 MPG. Now that sounds like fun, both behind the wheel and at the pump.
MG is preparing to unveil two new of its light weight mid engine sports cars. The first new MG TF will be an entry level version called the TF 135, priced at £13,511. The sporty little MG will get a 1.8 Liter 16v K-series engine that makes 135 HP, hence the TF 135.
The second is a special edition that marks MG’s 85th anniversary. This is a very special car and will be available in three distinct colors, complete with 85th anniversary graphics on the outside and stunning aubergine leather trim on the interior.
Welcome back BMW. The last Z4 looked like a merger of compromise. It brought together round designs and aggressive cuts that made the car never too cuddly and never too aggressive. It was the girlfriend you went out with not because of how she looked, but because she had a good personality.
Now that’s all changed. There is only one look to this car, and its pure evil. The body now has more better proportioned design, and with the new hard top up, the rear half has a profile that resembles the previous generation Z4 coupe. The most important part is the front. The new Z4 has an intimidating and shark-like look that wants to say, "I have a secret...and that is I could kill you."
The interior has improved slightly. The new Z4 has switched the position of the radio and climate controls from the previous generation, and everything comes closer to looking like the BMW Z8’s interior (without the confusing center-mounted dials.)
The new Z4 comes in two models for North America, both using the same 3.0-liter inline-six cylinder engine. The sDrive30i has 255 hp, and the sDrive35i uses twin-turbos (one turbo designated for three cylinders each) to upgrade to 300 hp. All variants of the new BMW Z4 come as standard with a 6-speed manual gearbox. As an option, the BMW Z4 sDrive35i is available with BMW’s newly developed double-clutch sport automatic gearbox.
The BMW Z4 sDrive35i makes the 0 to to 60 mph sprint in 5.1 seconds with the manual transmission and 5.0 seconds with the seven-speed double clutch sport automatic. The sDrive30i accelerates from a 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds with a manual and 6.0 seconds with the automatic. Both models are limited to a top speed of 130 mph (150 mph with the optional Sport Package).
The new Z4 will be seen in the flesh next month at the Detroit Auto Show, and sales will begin on May 9th.
Full details in the press release after the jump
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Officials from the German automaker Audi have confirmed that for 2011 there will be a drop top version of their mid-engine supercar. The Audi R8 Spyder features a full length convertible top and will be offered in both eight and ten cylinder versions.
The open air R8 was originally rumored to be offered with three different engine configurations, but sine Audi has dropped the TDI variant, the car will be offered with either 420 HP or a very exclusive 500 naturally aspirated horses. The base V8 will be offered starting around $135,000.
So, if the R8 Spyder isn’t the mysterious Audi to be unveiled on the company’s 100th anniversary that only leaves one option, the RS5, we can only hope.
Makers of the classic American GT racing icon, AC Cars have recently revealed their sixth generation Cobra at the Top Marques car show in Monaco. The MkVI is an open-top sports car based on the design of the Le Mans winning AC Cobra built by Carroll Shelby in the 1960’s featuring many of the original car’s physical characteristics while incorporating a lot of modern technology under the skin.
The AC Cobra MKVI will be offered in two versions: GT and GTS. The GT will get a 6.2 Liter V8 that will produce a maximum output of 437 HP, while the GTS will deliver a ground pounding 647 HP. Weighing in at only 1,025 Kg, the lightweight GTS sports car is capable of hitting 60 MPH from a standstill in approximately 3.3 seconds.
The new Cobra was built incorporating an all new aluminum body construction featuring a light weight gull wing hardtop.
Press release after the jump.
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Mini’s parent company BMW are taking a step in the right direction. Coming up with a model to compete head to head with sports inspired roadsters like Mazda’s MX-5. Dubbed the Speedster, the future Mini promises to be the fastest model in the line-up.
The Mini Speedster promises to be a genuine sports car, with a shorter and wider stance than the standard model. Not to differentiate itself from all other Minis, the Speedster will keep the split front grill, hood scoop and center exit exhaust that have become standard issue on all of the modern Mini models. However the Speedster will ditch the cramped rear seats found in Mini Cabrio the becoming a strictly two seater.
The new open air Mini is expected to be launched in 2011 for a price of around £18,000. Expect a JCW version to follow shortly after.
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