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.
Chevrolet has only made the Grand Sport option available two other times in the Corvette’s history. The original Grand Sport was a track-only special with a 550 hp V8, and the 1996 version was the only Corvette to use the LT4 engine. So our biggest concern when we heard rumors of the return of the Corvette Grand Sport was that Chevrolet was not going to be able to deliver a car that lived up to the historic name.
For the third edition Chevrolet reached into the Corvette part’s bin and pulled out sort of a “best of” package for the standard Corvette. Even though there is no new engineering on the latest Grand Sport, we are now happy to report that it is still an intriguing option.
The standard 430 hp 6.2-liter V8 is untouched (436 hp with two-mode exhaust). What is added includes the Z51 performance suspension (the GS replaces this option package), wider fenders wells, wider tiers (18-in front, 19-in rear), and larger brakes. It also borrows elements from the Z06 like the front bumper, rear spoiler and rear brake ducts.
The 2010 Grand Sport can be ordered with 1LT, 2LT, 3LT and 4LT trim packages and in four exterior colors, as well as two-tone seats with Grand Sport embroidery. It can be had as a coupe or convertible.
When it goes on sale, the Corvette Grand Sport coupe will retail for $55,720 while the drop top will set you back a couple thousand more at $59,530.
Press release after the jump.
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Irmscher, the Germany-based tuning firm has just unveiled their latest creation to fight the war against overweight ridiculously powered big budget supercars with their lightweight Irmscher 7 kit car that can be purchased for less than 20,000 Euros.
Following in the footsteps of Callin Chapman’s original Lotus 7 and the later Caterham iteration. The Irmscher 7 is set to compete head to head with other affordable sportscars like the Ariel Atom that are capable of supercar like performance.
You can have your 7 in four different flavors. The base model is powered by a 2.2 Liter naturally aspirated Opel power plant producing 150 HP. There is also a 2.0 Liter turbocharged model with 210 HP and the next up the line makes 265 HP. However the top of the line Irmscher 7 weighs only 725 kg and makes 280 HP giving it an excellent power to weight ratio which allows it perform like a vehicle 100 times more expensive.
The Irmscher 7 is a versatile machine; it comes complete with a fully adjustable suspension for the track and creature comforts like air-conditioning and a rag top for rainy days. So for those looking for speed on a budget or those just wanting to pretend to be Jim Clark, the Irmscher 7 is worth taking a look at.
Mercedes knows its sports cars are not just about how it performs on the road, but many of its customers also like the feeling of having the wind in their hair and letting the worlds see how wealthy they are. So while it may have taken three years for Mercedes to develop a droptop version of its first gullwing sports car, the 300SL, the upcoming SLS AMG may have a soft top as soon as a year after its premiere.
The new gullwing car from Mercedes will make its first appearance this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and the first car could be on the road as soon as next spring. Once that’s out the door, Mercedes engineers will work to ditch roof and add “butterfly” doors similar to the ones on the SLR roadster. This version of the SLS may be on the auto show circuit in time for the 2010 Paris Motor Show (Frankfurt and Paris alternate years).
The roadster is expected to get the same 571 hp 6.2-liter V8 engine that will be used in the SLS gullwing coupe.
With all the excitement over the V10 Audi R8, we almost forgot abut the convertible version. Last time we checked in with the droptop supercar it was scheduled to be in European showrooms by the end of the year, and there was still debate on wether it would be a full convertible or a targa roof. Now we have some clarity.
For starters, North America was always going to have to wait until 2010 for the first R8 roadsters, but now it appears even Europe will have to wait until next year. The combination of strong international demand, and the need to space out the introduction of the V10 and the topless R8 has pushed everyone into 2010.
Also the R8 will be a full convertible. An Audi representative told Inside Line that Audi USA rallied hard for a full convertible because it was likely to have more appeal on our shores.
It’s not too hard to imagine the rumored Lamborghini Reventon roadster, just chop the little roof section and voilà la. But if the people at Global Motors are going to take the time to make a rendering, then we’re happy to revisit the idea of a 670 hp, €1,200,000 (about $1.6 million) roadster.
Rumors are going around that BMW has approved a two-seat speedster version of the Mini. Although the design will be different (including more angular design and rear tonneau cover,) underneath the skin it will likely share many components from the other models, including the 208 hp 1.6-liter engine from the JCW Mini.
The 370Z Roadster made its world debut at the New York Auto Show. Premiering less than five months after the coupe version, the roadster truly just takes the advantages of the 370Z and chops off the top. This means the 370Z Roadster is lighter, shorter and more powerful than its predecessor.
Just like the coupe, the droptop is powered by the same 332-hp 3.7-liter DOHC V6 engine (up 26 hp from the 350Z Roadster). Included with the engine is Variable Valve Event and Lift control (VVEL) and the redline is raised about 1000 rpms to 7500. The engine mated to either a seven-speed automatic transmission with Downshift Rev Matching, or close-ratio six-speed manual with available SynchroRev Match (it ‘blips’ the throttle to keep the car in the next gear’s powerband). Estimated fuel economy with both transmissions is 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.
The 370Z Roadster is being offered in two different versions: 370Z Roadster and the 370Z Touring Roadster. The Touring version will be available with two packages: Sport Package, with 19-inch RAYS forged wheels and Bridgestone Potenza tires, Nissan Sport Brakes, SynchroRev Match (6-speed manual transmission only) and Viscous Limited Slip Differential; and the Navigation Package, with Hard Drive-based Nissan Navigation System, 9.3GB Music Box Hard Drive and USB connectivity.
Full details and more pics in the press release after the jump.
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Just a little reminder about the Nissan 370Z roadster at the New York Auto Show. We’ve been enjoying the coupe for a few months now, and we almost forgot to keep our eyes peeled in New York this week for the droptop version. Like the coupe, the roadster will be powered by a 3.7-liter VQ37VHR engine with VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift) rated at 332 hp at 7,000 rpm and 270 lb-ft of torque at 5,200 rpm.
We’ll have all the details later this week from New York.
When a high school band needs to raise money, it has a bake sale; when Lamborghini needs to raise money, it drags out the old castings it has for an ultra-rare supercar and whips up an new batch without a top.
This seems to be the best explanation for rumors going around about a roadster version of the Reventon in the works. After all the current economy has caused Lamborghini to see a slowdown in sales and it possibly put the brakes on the Estoque, so what better way to get some cash by tapping into the ultra rich one more time.
Lambo won’t have a whole lot of work it has to put in to taking off the Reventon’s top. The roadster can likely utilize many of the production molds from the coupe. Also much of the engineering work can likely be borrowed from the Murciélago LP650-4 Roadster, and it will likely borrow the 670 hp engine from the Murcielago LP 670-4 SV.
Although the coupe was limited to only twenty units, the topless version will be an even more exclusive show. The roadster will be limited to nine cars, priced at €1,200,000 each (currently about $1.6 million).
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