Touring car driver turned Fifth Gear host has a chance to compare two lightweight convertibles that you wouldn’t normally put in the same category. He admits to liking the Mini Cooper S Convertible but he says that the Mazda MX-5 is much more fun. So which is quicker around their test circuit the Japanese roadster or the BMW owned Brits?
The Italian super car manufacturer who relies on Mercedes Benz for their power plants, Pagani, has just unleashed an all new roadster version of the stunning Zonda R. The new Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster, as it is known, will be a very valuable commodity, limited to only 5 units priced at 1.3 million Euro each.
Behind the driver’s head in the Pagani Cinque Roadster is a hand built twin turbocharged AMG V12 engine that makes 678 HP. That tremendous amount of power lets the rocket ship inspired vehicle to sprint to 60 MPH from a standstill in just 3.4 seconds and hit 200 km/h in under ten seconds and it won’t stop until it reaches a top speed of 217 MPH.
As the coupe version, the roadster features a ceramic-coated titanium exhaust system, the same magnesium/aluminum rims and the same magnesium/titanium suspension.
In an attempt to downsize the fun in their lineup, the automaker from Hiroshima is preparing a smaller version of their popular MX-5, the MX-2, a model set to be unveiled in 2012. Anyone who has ever found himself or herself behind the wheel of Mazda’s current lightweight rear wheel drive drop top will tell you that this reinvention of the classic English roadster is the best new car on the market, for the money. So a smaller MX-5 should also be lighter and less expensive.
The MX-2’s front end has swooping lines that that were strongly inspired by the Mazda Furai concept with some Ferrari California inspired headlamps, while the rest of the body reminds us of the newly redesigned BMW Z4 roadster. The smaller Miata will compete with upcoming models like the Mini Speedster and possible Nissan Urge.
You would think that while Mazda’s engineers were scaling down the roadster that they might have skimped on the output, but not from the Zoom-Zoom family. In an attempt at downsizing and turbo charging the top of the line model will have a 1.6 Liter four, boosted to make 160 HP. With a power package like that, Mazda’s MX-2 could become even more of a hit than the Miata. If enough of these turbocharged sports cars actually move off of dealer’s lots, it could inspire the Japanese automaker to resurrect another great sports car, the RX-7.
This is not the first time that Top Speed has told you about a spider version of the fabulous front engine Ferrari 599 before, but these are the clearest spy shots yet. Ferrari is keeping tight lipped about when exactly the drop top V12 powered GT car will make its auto show debut, but if it doesn’t happen by the end of this year, expect to see it sometime in early 2010.
You may be saying to yourself, don’t those taillights and impression down the side of the car look like a California. Although that may be true, that is exactly what the Ferrari design team wants you to think. Look carefully at the front fenders, right underneath where the impression comes to an end. On a California, there is a small vented area right below this point, but on this spy shot, none. Aside from folding convertible top, the 599 Spider will be identical to the coupe version; best of all is the high revving 6.0 Liter V12 that makes well over 600 HP. That should make for a pretty exciting open air driving experience.
The new Porsche Spyder will be based on the Volkswagen Bluesport Concept, as well as the future Audi R2. The roadster will measure in at 3.99 meters long and feature the same folding canvas roof.
Under the hood Porsche will use a 200 HP 2.0 Liter TFSI power plant borrowed from the VW Golf GTI, that will be mounted behind the driver and in front of the rear axle. An S version should be good for 280 HP. The new model will be inspired by the original Porsche 550 Spyder, unveiled at the Paris Motor Show back in 1953. The smallest member of the Porsche family will be priced starting at around £28,000 ($46,000) when it hits showrooms a couple of years from now.
The only thing that makes sense for any automaker to do when they have a best selling vehicle on their hands, is to come up with a fun to drive variant of that very vehicle. So after the German arm of General Motors, Opel, revealed the first details on the 2010 Opel Astra hatchback version; it only made sense that the automaker announced plans for a drop-top two-seater version of the best sold Opel ever.
The new Astra Roadster will replace the current TwinTop and will compete with other lightweight open air sports cars like future Scirocco CC, Audi TT Roadster and Mercedes SLK.
The top of the line version of the new Astra Roadster will get a turbocharged 2.0 Liter engine that will deliver 270 HP and make this particular Astra able to sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 6 seconds before reaching a top speed of 150 MPH. Opel is also planning on releasing another version will get a downsized and turbocharged 1.4 Liter petrol burning unit for economy making 150 HP as well as an alternatively fueled 170bhp 2.0 Liter CDTI turbodiesel engine.
You may already know that Jaguar is preparing for the launch of the XE in 2012. Next to the V6 and V8 engines, the XE chassis will also be offered with a gas sipping 3 cylinder gas/electric hybrid version, set up similarly to Chevrolet’s upcoming Volt EV. The first concept version of this forward thinking hybrid sports car should make its Auto Show debut sometime in 2010; with this model Tata aims to compete directly with other electric roadsters builders like Tesla and Fisker.
Expect the 2011 XE Hybrid to be powered by a lithium ion battery pack, as opposed to today’s nickel based energy storage devices. The small displacement motor will act mainly to recharge the batteries which they will run off of most of the time, just like General Motors’ car of tomorrow. Good news for the petrol heads in the audience, the traditionally powered modern day E Type is expected to have Jaguar’s new 5.0 Litre V8 engine, making 385 HP, while a 510 HP supercharged version is expected to make an appearance under the range topping sport model.
This electrifying news comes after a report back in April that said Jaguar had an electric Jaguar XJ in the works for 2010, in which the now Indian owned company could benefit from a sizable sack of cash from the British Government.
Even though you won’t be able to enjoy the Ferrari F-450 Spider for at least another 24 months, Audi’s drop top super car may just have to hold you over until then. The Audi R8 Spyder has been spotted in the final stages of testing, and spy photographers were at the right place at the right time to catch it before the vehicle makes its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, ahead of even the hardtop Ferrari.
Like the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, the Audi R8 Spyder will feature a fancy electrically operated folding soft-top convertible roof. The German automaker has chosen to leave out the R8’s signature side blades made from carbon fiber, further distinguishing it from the coupe. However the Audi design team didn’t forget to add a powerfully sculpted side scoop to feed enough fresh air into the mid-mounted engine bay.
Fans of the fabulous 4.2 Liter FSI V8 that makes 100 horsepower per liter will be able to enjoy the sound of that motor behind them with the wind in their face by September, but if you really want to go Ferrari hunting, V10 powered Spyder will debut just six months later.
For all of the hot water GM has been embroiled in these days, the company can take comfort in knowing that its Corvette franchise is doing pretty well. It comes as no surprise then that GM is taking advantage of this situation by increasing the price of the 2010 Corvette ZR1 to $109,530 – a price hike of over $2,910 from the 2009 version.
While GM understands that the price hike might turn off some people from purchasing the 2010 ZR1, a price hike of a little less than $3K isn’t that much considering you’ll be spending over $100K anyway. Besides, we’ve heard from a number of people – most specifically, Corvette Blogger – that dealers have already pre-empted Corvette’s move in jacking up the price of the 2009 Corvette by over $10,000. So it’s not like GM is doing anything out of the ordinary and when you’re a manufacturer that was this close to dropping your production curtains, you’ll take any form of added income any way you can get it.
After Volkswagen revealed their BlueSport concept at the Detroit Auto Show, there were a number of rumors saying that Porsche will also be producing a production version based on the 21st century roadster, as a successor for the classic 914. However the German sports car builder denied those rumors until the bitter end, but apparently the rumors had a hint of truth to them and Porsche is really considering an entry level model priced below the Boxster for their lineup.
So why is the new 914 suddenly back on track? Due to the new Volkswagen-Porsche alliance, the project is now financially feasible because the new platform will be ideal to use as a launch pad for a mid-engine roadster. Expect to see Audi build something using the same platform, like the R4. Volkswagen will still produce the BlueSport clean diesel roadster based on the same chassis.
Under the hood Porsche can choose from the popular 1.4 Liter TSI making 170 HP or possibly even the 125 HP TDI motor. Although we can expect something with a little more oomph from the sportiest member of the VW Group, either way, if Porsche can keep the weight below 2,200 pounds, the new 914 will be a blast no matter what the power plant is in the back.
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