The Lincoln MKS luxury sedan is entering the 2010 model year with refinements to body and suspension systems, more standard equipment, but also with the addition of the new 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine, the first V-6 direct-injection twin-turbocharged. Prices will range from $40,870 for the FWD version and go up to $47,760 for the EcoBoost AWD.
The MKS comes standard with a 3.7-liter, 24-valve variation of the award-winning Duratec engine that delivers 270 hp at 6,500 RPM and 265 ft.-lb. of torque at 4,250 RPM. Lincoln MKS is equipped with a six-speed SelectShift Automatic transmission.
The 3.5 Liter EcoBoost V6 found under the hood of the all-wheel-drive 2010 Lincoln MKS will produce 355 HP and 350 ft-lb of torque, all on regular grade gasoline. The twin turbocharged 6 cylinder provides the output of a V8 while returning a minimum of 17 MPG around town and at least 24 MPG during highway driving.
For 2010, Lincoln MKS was been treated to a ground-up review of its structure in an effort to improve upon its already ouststanding noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) characteristics. Additional bracing and strategically placed sound-deadening materials have produced a new level of cabin isolation, providing MKS drivers with a sense of sanctuary.
Continuing with the theme of modified Panameras, the German aftermarket manufacturer Cargraphic has just come out with their own assortment of fashionable light weight wheels for the new four door GT car from Porsche. Offering no less than four distinct designs available in a multitude of sizes and finishes means that Cargraphic has something to suit all kinds of tuner’s tastes, including winter drivers.
The Sport rim is a flat 10 spoke three piece wheel with a rather upscale feel to it, this is the perfect option for the Panamera owner who wants to differentiate their ride from the rest of the crowd in a subtle and tasteful manner. The Racing rim uses the traditional BBS mesh style of double spokes is the perfect wheel for the serious tuner who is looking to add both speed and style to their ride, and would compliment a more powerful Panamera quite nicely. For the four door Porsche owner who wants to make his neighbor’s Lamborghini seem tame, Cargraphic’ Model GT and GT-R wheel is a thin split five spoke design that looks like it could have been plucked right out of a Terminator movie.
For drivers who will be taking a trio of passengers with them over ice covered mountain passes, Cargraphic makes it possible to keep on riding in style even though your car is shod with winter rubber. A more economical alternative to their forged offerings is the flow form casted aluminum alloy Intra Sport One 19 inch wheel with matching high performance snow tires to ensure that your Porsche looks good no matter what the weather looks like.
The German tuning firm Gemballa has been modifying Porsches since the early 1980s and their most recent endeavor, the Mistrale based on the Porsche Panamera proves to deliver upon all of the wild Gemballa design cues and insane horse power figures that have made them such a successful force in the high end aftermarket.
However the Mistrale isn’t quite ready for retailers, so until then Gemaballa has come up with a new wheel and ire package for the Panamera to hold Porsche tuning enthusiasts over until they can get all the kinks worked out of the full size version. Yesterday we showed you how far a simple set of wheels can go to improve the look of a vehicle from every angle, so Gemballa has come up with a new set of their 22 inch GT Sport wheels that go a long way to upgrade the appearance of the mildly tuned Panamera. The rims are being offered in two styles, one with rivets in the lip and the other without; the new rollers give the Panamera a staggered stance and are sized to fit a set of 265/30 tires up front an a bit wider 315/25 rubber in the rear.
Gemablla isn’t the only aftermarket manufacturer looking to jump on the modified Panamera bandwagon, after seeing what other companies like Mansory, TechArt and even Lumma Design can do with the new German four door GT car it looks like the sky is the limit as to what we can expect to see in terms of highly modified four door Grand Touring cars in the near future, especially as far as the Porsche Panamera is concerned.
The over the top tuning firm Mansory has a long tradition of taking British sports cars and turning them into wild carbon fiber clad creations that make whatever aggression the car’s design team incorporated simply seem weak. However after the shop’s owner Kourosh Mansory came out with the Porsche CayenneChopster, transforming one of the German automaker’s four door sports cars was the next logical step. So today, the Swiss aftermarket manufacturer is revealing the details about their upcoming customization program for the 2010 Porsche Panamera.
The Mansory Panamera wears an aggressive body kit made from either a high strength polyurethane material (PU RIM) or very exotic and lightweight carbon fiber. Starting off up front the Panamera’s snout is no longer smiling but instead snarling with its inverted vents on either side of the larger front air dam. The hood features a pair of Aston Martin like vents and a set of significantly blistered wheel arches to house the staggered 21 inch wheels with an especially wide set of rollers measuring in at 11.5 inch across in the back. The ground effects package lowers the car by about an inch and gives the GT car a much wider stance, like it is ready to pounce on whatever stands in its way.
The inside of the Mansory Panamera will be tailored to suit a variety of tastes. For the more genteel there is an offering of precious wood trim and fine varnish finishes or for the more modern day consummate driver dynamic carbon carbon fiber and aluminum panels will adorn the tuned Panamera’s interior. However the sport designed steering wheel will remind the driver that no matter which package they choose, they are behind the wheel of a true sports car.
The German tuning house Sportservice Lorinser has just revealed the first details about their appearance package for the 2010 Mercedes Benz E-Class sedan. The package includes a bold blacked out two bar grill like the unit from the smaller C63 AMG, a more aerodynamic front bumper, vented fenders and side skirts, subtle rear and roof spoiler as well as a more aggressive blacked out bumper complete with cutouts for the sport tuned quad tip exhaust.
The German design team at Sportservice Lorinser knew that by incorporating a strikingly different colored insert into the front bumper that it would emphasize the gills in the fenders as well as the intakes in lower hanging side skirts while the black center section of the rear apron serves a similar purpose complimenting the matte black trunk and roof spoilers adding to the tuned E’s attitude.
Finishing off the modified Mercedes is a set of Lorinser’s signature turbine inspired RS9 rims hiding a high performance sport tuned suspension underneath that ensures that the luxury sedan holds tight around turns and keeps the body level. After popping the 2010 E-Class’s hood, Sportservice Lorinser tweaked the 5.5 Liter V8 to produce a maximum output of 435 HP and 420 lb-ft of torque, up from the standard car’s 382 HP and 391 lb-ft of twist. Lorinser has successfully transformed the new E Class form a mid size luxury sedan into a sporty four door ready to take on the Autobahn with its speed inspired aero package and additional elbow grease deposited under the hood.
The market for Japanese turbocharged all wheel drive sport compact cars will forever be dominated by the Mitsubishi LancerEvolution and the Subaru ImprezaWRX STI. These cars were introduced to the U.S. enthusiasts long before either manufacturer decided to bring their cars stateside thanks to videogames like Gran Turismo. However as the Playstation generation grows up these daily driven rally cars must do so as well. Just like Subaru came out with the leather wrapped much more refined STI Limited back at the New York Auto Show in 2007, Mitsubishi is suppressing the attitude of their wild winged wonder in order to create an EVO MR Touring model. Just like the STI, this EVO exchanges its oversized aerofoil for a subtle trunk spoiler that massively tones down the EVO X’s appearance.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR Touring is powered by the same turbocharged 4B11 2.0 Liter MIVEC engine that puts down a total of 291 HP and 300 lb-ft of torque in the standard EVO X. Like all 2010 X’s, the MR Touring comes standard Mitsubishi’s new 6 speed Twin Clutch SST gearbox that is shifted via a pair of magnesium paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel. Other standard items include the EVO’s vented hood, a set of oversized Brembo brakes, 18 inch BBS wheels and Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control system.
The last time that Mitsubishi clipped the EVO of its wing they were aiming at selling the stripped down lightweight RS to hardcore racers that wouldn’t mind that the car had one less gear than it could and that there wasn’t even any sound deadening. However the MR Touring model is based upon the top of the line EVO X and caters towards customers who are looking for leather wrapped Brembo racing buckets and a full stereo system. The new MR Touring is the perfect vehicle for any aspiring EVO owner who wants to fly under the radar in both style and comfort.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Topspeed is running down a list of the most attention-grabbing pink cars spotted anywhere in the world.
We’ve already run down three cars that have been given the pink treatment: an Audi R8, the Donut King Nissan GT-R, and the Hummer limousine. Our next car comes from a brand that is synonymous with class and elegance that is if it didn’t come in a bubblegum pink color scheme.
To be fair to the owner of this vehicle, it’s not the only Bentley Continental in the world that’s been treated to a pink overhaul. Paris Hilton actually has one, too. This particular one, though, gets some serious garish mention for the equally outlandish pink Asanti wheels it comes with. Now, we don’t know exactly as to who the owner of this car is – although we’re secretly hoping that it’s a girl – but we have to be honest, it’s not something we’d come to expect from someone who owns one of the most beautiful-looking sedans in the world.
When BMW decided that the next-generation M5 would cease the use of that unmistakable V10 engine and instead drop it to a twin-turbo V8, the public outcry could be heard miles and miles away.
After all, the V10 engine and the M5 have become synonymous with each other, and not being able to hear the same power come out of the M5 will definitely take some getting used to.
Recently – and amid the camouflage it came with – BMW took the new 5-Series out to the Nurburgring for some laps of testing. It’s hard to make out what the car looks like but for those who are worried that the new 5-Series would lack the bite of its V10 predecessors, we invite you to watch the video of the camouflaged 5-Series and listen to that unbridled roar from the engine. You can’t tell much of a difference, can you?
The Acura TL is entering the 2010 model year with new standard equipments and exterior colors, but also with the addition of a 6-speed manual transmission - the first time Acura is offering a manual gearbox on a Super Handling All-Wheel Drive model. Prices for the 2010 TL range from $35,105 and $43,385.
For 2010, two distinct versions of Acura’s performance luxury sedan will be offered: a luxurious 3.5-liter V-6 engine delivering a total of 280 hp, front-wheel drive TL, and a powerful 3.7-liter V-6 engine with 305 hp TL paired with Acura’s exclusive SH-AWD. Each model is available with an available technology package which adds navigation, extensive electronics and a 10-speaker Acura/ELS Surround® premium audio system.
In addition to the powertrain and technology choices, TL buyers can further customize their performance luxury sedan with tire and wheel upgrades. For 2010, the standard TL is now available with an 18-inch diameter aluminum wheels with all-season tires- giving the TL a more aggressive, sporty appearance. Additionally, the TL SH-AWD (both manual and automatic transmission models) is available with a 19x8-inch 10-spoke aluminum alloy wheel with summer spec high performance tires to further add to the sedans performance capabilities.
Any car enthusiast will tell you that if there’s one race circuit in the world that they’d like to burn rubber on, it’s the Nurburgring Nordschleife race track in Germany. While our chances of ever stepping into the graffiti-laden pavement of Nurburgring may have been little to none in the past, we may finally get our chance soon enough.
BMW will soon release a BMW M5 taxi exclusively for the Nurburgring. OK, so you won’t be behind the wheel of the car, but still, taking a lap of the ‘Ring in the passenger seat of an M5 is still better than anything you could have ever hoped for.
You must be warned, though. BMW Motorsports have said that tickets for the M5 Ring-Taxi are as scarce as snow in the Philippines and that availability – if there’s any – will be announced by BMW around Christmas-time.
Nevertheless, it’s still worth keeping tabs on. After all, you don’t get many opportunities like this in your lifetime, and if you can do it, we guarantee you’ll become the envy of all your car-loving friends, for as long as you don’t tell them that you were just in the passenger seat of the M5.
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