Seeing as both brands fall under the BMW umbrella, it wasn’t really a far-fetched idea to have British luxury automaker, Rolls Royce, and German carmaker, MINI, tie up for a special edition project. The question wasn’t so much if these two highly regarded brands could collaborate, but more of when they would do it.
Apparently, that question has finally been answered.
At the Shanghai Auto Show, MINI and Rolls Royce will introduce a limited production Cooper S model called the “MINI Inspired by Goodwood’, a direct homage to the latter’s base of operations in Goodwood, England.
The car was developed with the help of the Rolls Royce design team and, together with the folks from MINI, they created a car that will be produced in only 1,000 units. The “MINI Inspired by Goodwood” is decked out with the kind of exclusive and luxury amenities that only Rolls Royce can be known for.
It’s been a long time in the making, but hey, at the very least we finally get to see the car in full production guise. Let’s just all hope that this car won’t cost as much as a Ghost or a Phantom.
UPDATE 08/19/2011:: The whispers of Mini sending some of this special edition MINI’s 1,000 units over to the US were correct, but we don’t have to pay the converted price of $68,000. Nope, official pricing for the Mini GoodWood sits at $52,000, according to reports. This new, lower price still makes the MINI Cooper S "Inspired by Goodwood" the most expensive small premium car. Hey, Rolls Royce inspiration doesn’t come cheap, especially considering the Mini Cooper models in the States cost between $19K and $28K, depending on the model. All in all, Mini will be sending 140 units over to our side of the pond. Orders will begin next month and the first deliveries will be made in the second quarter of 2012. (MotoringFile)
More details on the MINI Cooper S "Inspired by Goodwood" by Rolls-Royce after the jump.
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Next to the Veyron Super Sport Black Carbon Edition, Bugatti also brought the Veyron Grand Sport Matte White to the Shanghai Auto Show. Not much was changed for the fastest car in the world, but the new color combination adds an icy appeal to the overall look of the car.
As its name suggests, this special edition comes painted in matte white combined with blue carbon elements on the Bugatti’s lower section and blue finished alloy wheels. The interior is also painted in a crisp blue and is combined with white stitching on the seats, steering wheel, and gear lever. An aluminum console is also present to dazzle the potential buyer.
The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Matte White continues on with its 8.0L W16 engine because why on earth would anyone change that? This engine produces a spectacular 1001 HP and sprints the car to an impressive top speed of 217 mph.
"This Grand Sport is an example of the versatile possibilities customers have when designing their unique Grand Sport in co-operation with the Bugatti team", explained the President of Bugatti Wolfgang Dürheimer at the Auto Shanghai. "We will continue to expand the design possibilities for the Bugatti brand."
This special Veyron was specially built by the Bugatti customization team to its destined owner‘s exact specifications. That’t right, this baby has already been sold.
Bugatti is lighting up the Shanghai Auto Show floor with a special edition Bugatti Veyron Super Sport developed especially for the Chinese market. The special edition will be completely painted in black visible carbon carbon, then combined with an interior that mixes "Snow Beige" and "Beluga Black."
The black carbon paint is combined with polished and anodized aluminum insertions, a new set of alloy wheels, EB logos on the wheel caps, and a fuel filler cap and rear lid. The interior of the Bugatti special edition will get "Snow Beige" leather for the seats, and that color will transfer over to the floors mats and the stitching on the steering wheel as well. The doors and center console are all dressed up in carbon fiber.
Under the hood, everything remains unchanged. This beautiful beast will feature a 16-cylinder engine with a total output of 1200 HP. With this amount of power, the Super Sport will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds and will hit a top speed of 267 mph.
Bugatti will only build one unit of this exquisite vehicle, and to make matters worse, that model has already been sold to a customer in China.
Just when there were doubts about the future of Mercedes’ A-Class, the German automaker comes out and releases what is arguably the hottest looking hatchback concept we’ve seen in a while.
This is the Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class, and oh dear Lord, does it look mighty divine. We can’t get enough of the concept’s overall design, especially that sharp as a tack, starry, starry night-inspired grille. Of course, we don’t expect each and every element of the Concept A-Class to make it to the production version, but at the very least, we know the direction Mercedes is taking with their hatch-segment models.
Yeah, no more of those box-shaped, minivan-looking cars whose only redeeming value was that it had the brand’s tri-star logo on it. But the new Concept A-Class really is something else. it’s got edge, it’s got attitude, and it’s got class.
UPDATE 04/20/2011: Car and Driver had their way with Mercedes and ended up coaxing some wonderful news coming out of the New York Auto Show. The Mercedes Concept A-Class is indeed headed to the production line and it will also find its way over to the States. Sweet!
UPDATE 09/08/11: The Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class is getting some serious technological juice courtesy of a range of new connectivity functions, including Twitter and Facebook integration, text-to-speech translation of email messages and status updates. The whole concept may still be year’s from being produced commercially, but it does give us an idea on what the future Mercedes infotainment system is going to look like. Check out the video to find out more about the Concept A-Class’ fancy new digs.
UPDATE 10/15/11:Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes in the building of a concept car, especially one that packs all the technology that comes with a concept like the Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class? Well, you won’t need to wonder anymore because the German automaker has released a video detailing exactly how the whole deal goes down. Check it out by clicking the photo above.
Details on the Concept A-Class after the jump.
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Kia has unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show a new sedan model based on the Rio platform. It will be called K2 and was designed and engineered specifically for the Chinese market. Sales will begin this June, and it will be followed by a five-door hatchback later in August.
Speaking at the Kia press conference at the Shanghai Motor Show, Hyoung-Keun Lee, Vice Chairman of Kia Motors, said, "We are confident that this all-new model for China will provide the momentum needed for Kia not only to remain as one of China’s fastest growing automotive brands but also to become a top 10 automaker in the local market in terms of quality and customer satisfaction."
The new K2 sedan takes its inspiration from the popular K5 sedan, or Optima as you might know it, including sophisticated lines that create a dynamic, bold and sophisticated exterior appearance. The Chinese customers will have to choose between a 1.4-liter or 1.6-liter Gamma petrol engine mated to a manual or automatic transmission.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Kia K2 sedan.
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