Okay, we are not going to go through the whole process again about how Porsche may get a version of Volkswagen’s BlueSport Concept. A rendering of the roadster is a good excuse to focus on the Porsche side of the speculation, but for those that don’t know the whole story, just read this.
The basics are if Porsche gets in bed with the VW Bluesport, it could either serve as the new smaller, lighter Boxster or slot under the Boxster as a 914 revival. If Porsche does develop a brand new car, don’t expect the name to be 356, Speedster or anything else significant from Porsche’s history. The German company is too proud of its heritage to be reduced to selling car on nostalgia.
If a Bluesport Porsche does go into production, no matter who does the actual assembly, Porsche would still be the one to make the engine. The likely candidate would be it’s planned four-cylinder powerplant.
Remember that this is a lot of speculation. Porsche has a lot of obstacles including a large investment in facilities, and it would need to find a way to distinguish the next Boxster so there would be no cannibalization. But if this plan does come together, we could expect to see the new roadster by 2013.
The new 2009 BMW Z4 is about to hit the showroom, so for those of you who missed the Z4 promotional stunt, here is how Robin Rhode decided to showcases the new BMW Z4...as a giant paint brush.
The German automaker also released an iPhone app that lets you be the artist.
Alright, time to travel back into the murky waters that is the Volkswagen Group’s lineup mash-up. Here’s what we do know: Audi will get a version of the Volkswagen BlueSport concept. How it fits into Audi’s family is the debate.
Audi has been using a codename R4 on a mid-engined project. The thought was that the R4 would be the Audi based off the BlueSport. This rumor itself was already pretty tricky, and was explained last month. Now Auto Express is using the codename R2 for the VW based roadster, which could move the playing field.
If plans for a R2 and R4 both exist then, it could mean multiple cars coming from both Porsche and Audi. Porsche is possibly getting a version of the BlueSport chassis that could go to a 914 revival. An earlier rumor pegged the R4 to share many pieces with the Porsche Boxster. So one possibility is that the R4/Boxster/Cayman could play big brother to the BlueSport/R2/914 chasis.
But all this is speculation also would mean that the Volkswagen Group is laying out a lot of money on new designs at a time when cash is tight. Plus there are plenty of questions still to be answered: Is there really room in the Audi lineup for a R2 and R4? How many chassises will Audi be utilizing? Is this just a case of one car going under two names?
Only time and Ritalin will give us the answer.
Lamborghini finally revealed today the special edition Murcielago LP 650-4 Roadster. It will be limited to only 50 units and the price will be around $400k.
The LP 650-4 Roadster is powered by a 6.5 litre V12 engine that produces 650 hp and a peak torque of 660 Nm. It makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 3.4 seconds and can hit a top speed of 205mph.
On the exterior the car combines grey bodywork with a special bright orange Arancio LP 650-4 featured on the front spoiler and sills. Also the special edition is being distinguished by LP 650-4 logo applied to the car’s exterior.
On the interior continues the same grey-and-orange paint scheme with an asymmetric dash design, with black Alcantara Nera on the driver’s side, including door panel and central tunnel, and black leather Nero Perseus on the passenger’s side.
Press release after the jump.
> More
.
It only makes sense that Mercedes would choose Detroit in January to debut the windowless and topless SLR Stirling Moss edition, right? This snow-in-your-hair super roadster will make its first public showing at the North American International Auto Show.
The last and most extreme version of the Mercedes SLR will be limited to 75 units and cost €750,000 (about $1.07 million at direct current rates.) The only thing separating the drive from nature in this speedster is the sleek carbon fiber bodywork, and a tonneau cover that can be applied over the passenger area à la old school topless racers.
The SLR Stirling Moss comes with the 5.5-liter supercharged V8 from the 722 SLR, which makes 650 hp. Without a windshield, this roadster can still hit a rip-your-face-off top speed of 217 mph.
More pics and press release after the jump
> More
Mercedes has just revealed a new image gallery for the SLR Stirling Moss, the last variant of the carbon fiber bodied McLaren built supercar. The SLR Stirling Moss will have a limited production run of only 75 units, priced at around $1 Million each.
The super-roadster is powered by the 5.5-liter supercharged V8 from the 722 SLR, which generates 650 HP. With no glass surrounding the driver, this open air monster will can still reach a top speed of 217 MPH. Hold on to your toupee!
By now you have most likely heard about the world’s smallest 4 passenger car that comes with a 1.0 liter engine that gets 54 miles per gallon. The iQ is what Toyota likes to call a premium minicar, that is because even though the car is diminutive in size, weighing about 2,200 pounds, it is still priced around 1.5 million Yen (about $15,000). What you may not know is that Toyota has been planning on producing an open air version of the iQ for quite some time.
The Japanese publication, Motor Magazine, released this rendering of the funky roadster that sources at Toyota claim is scheduled to make its world debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon that will be held from October 23 through November 8, 2009.
Mercedes can’t seem to keep its future sports cars under wraps. Not only have we seen a lot of spy shots and new info on the future SLS (formerly SLC), but now we’ve got one of the smaller, more afforadable future SLK.
When the new SLK hits the market in 2012, it will likely get a design updated to look more like the latest Mercedes family line. This should include a flatter grille like the one from the SL, and LED lights will be integrated into the lower half of the front bumper.
Some of the biggest news may be in the engine bay where Mercedes may offer an oil burner for the hardtop convertible. If given the green light, the likely candidate would be the 2.2-liter diesel unit already in service in the E-Class and C250. The engine produces 202 hp and 368b ft of torque, which could give this SLK a 0 to 60 mph time of about six seconds.
No word yet if the U.S. will be included in the new diesel SLK, but considering North America’s fear of diesel and love of power, we may just keep the 3.0-liter 224 hp gas engine for the base model.
Fiat was the first one to launch a special edition 500 to celebrate Barbie’s 50th Birthday. Today is time for Beetle to go pink. The car was transformed by customization artists ABD Racing Werks, Katzkin Leather and Interiors and FoamMolders.
From top to bottom and interior to exterior, Barbie® doll’s New Beetle convertible has left no detail unfinished. From the white custom leather interior and convertible top to the hand stitched floor mats and pink quilted leather lined door pockets and arm rests, even the dipstick is painted to resemble her favorite lipstick.
The New Beetle convertible is equipped with a motorized vanity in the trunk and plenty of rhinestone accents and vanity mirrors. Over five shades of paint were mixed together to create the perfect pink color for Barbie doll’s car.
Press release after the jump.
> More
This is definitely not the first time you’ve heard about a future baby R8, known as the R4. The last reports suggest that the Audi R4 will be in fact the production version of the BlueSport concept revealed by Volkswagen at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
This is the first time that anyone has said that the R4 will use a smaller powerplant than the ones found in the TT. This means that we will see a range of 1.4 TSI, 1.8 TSI and 2.0TDI engines. The engine from the newly launched TT RS might also be used in a powerful high-performance version of the R4.
The Audi R4 will be offered in both coupe and roadster bodies. The baby R8 will be priced between the Volkswagen production version of the BlueSport concept and a Porsche based on the same architecture. Can you say 914?
Pages: 
1 comment
Picture Gallery
RSS -
Webmaster free news |