If in case all the news and rumors surrounding electric supercars have become a little too much for our gas-guzzling friends, it is worth pointing out there is a future for these type of cars. The only caveat, as has always been the case, is that someone actually builds something that could be considered as such.
The latest automaker to have their names attached to building ’e-exotics’ is British automaker, Bristol. You might remember these guys for their storied history in aviation manufacturing and their crossover into the automotive industry with the 200-mph Fighter sports car. However, now it appears as if the British company is looking at breaking into the electric segment.
According to EVO, Bristol wants to build an electric supercar that can hit up to 200 mph. Ambitious as it sounds - and it does sound very ambitious - the British automaker is serious enough to already have plans for putting in two separate electric powertrains for the front and rear wheels. These dual drivetrains will each have two motors, allowing for each wheel to have its own more, which could very well make for a very interesting car.
While the hope and dream for the car’s realization is still years away - if it ever gets there - Bristol at least has an important ally by its side in the form of its parent company, Frazer-Nash, which has been spending a lot of its time working with and helping develop range-extending powertrain systems for other manufacturers.
If Bristol manages to achieve producing a 200-mph electric super car with all the luxury bells and whistles that come with it, who knows, they might end up being a trail blazer in their own right.
The power of extravagance knows no bounds, especially for those who just can’t seem to get enough of it. Then again, when you have the ability to just throw money around like its disposable paper, we suppose that you can do pretty much anything you want, including plating your Ferrari supercar in gold.
This is the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano that has been worked on by Hamann so there’s some top-level tuning in the car already. We already saw this car in the past but it’s certainly worth repeating: this bad boy is plated...with gold.
Apparently, the car belongs to a wealthy and high-profile individual from Dubai and was recently spotted in London being accompanied by no less than a Mansory-tuned Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. If a six-figure Rolls-Royce can serve as the ’bodyguard’ of this gold-plated 599 GTB Fiorano, then it certainly speaks volumes as to how extravagant this 673-horsepower, gold-plated Ferrari really is.
The only thing that boggles our mind is how he can get around town, let alone bring it to another country, without being worried about all the eyes that will inevitably fix their attention on his one-of-a-kind Ferrari.
Check out this gold-plated 599 GTB Fiorano in the streets of London after the jump
Full story
The GranTurismo S Automatic has turned out to be Maserati’s most sold model on the British market and, as a thanks to their customers, the automaker is now offering a new Sport Pack as a bonus. The new add-on further enhances the GranTurismo S Automatic so that it delivers a performance oriented experience, but don’t expect that experience for free; the new package is priced at £3,840, or about $6,240 at the current exchange rates.
The most important feature of the new Sport Pack is a revised exhaust system which keeps its bypass valves fully open in Sport mode to provide an even richer sound. Next to this, the package also includes body colored side skirts and front winglets, a stylish black grille featuring the Maserati Trident logo with red accents, black mesh side grilles, black look headlights, an integrated rear boot lid spoiler, and oval exhaust pipes. Grigio Mercury Neptune-design alloy wheels finish off the Maserati’s sportier look.
Other than that, the GranTurismo S Automatic’s specifications remain unchanged. Look for the usual 4.7-liter V8 engine that delivers a total of 440 HP and a peak torque of 361 lbs-ft at 4750 rpm to get the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds flat. Top speed remains at 183 mph.
Top Gear’s 17th season flew by just like that, didn’t it?
The sixth and final episode aired over the weekend, and unlike the past episodes, this one more than lived up to the expectations. Richard Hammond got the show off to a promising start with a great segment about the Lamborghini Aventador. From there, the show picked up some steam with a pretty hilarious segment featuring Jeremy Clarkson and James May as they embarked on an electric-car crusade around town. Some unforeseen circumstances resulted in a few mishaps, but all in all, the duo managed to make the most out of their respective cars - Clarkson had the Nissan Leaf while May had the Peugeot Ion - to finish their adventure in one piece. But even that wasn’t enough to convince the two about the potential of electric cars in the future.
Fittingly, the final segment of season 17 took a more serious turn with an inspiring story about a Cross Country racing team in Wales for disabled British soldiers. It’s a humbling way to end a very interesting season and puts into perspective what the human spirit is capable of accomplishing despite the challenges that seemingly lies in front of it.
Details after the jump.
Full story
Oh the tragedy! Many Americans may not be too familiar with Katie Price, but over in the UK, Price is widely known for her television appearances, her lackluster singing career, and her published books. With so many hobbies, we can only imagine that this little harlot has plenty of money to spend which is evident in her newest toy, a Bugatti Veyron.
Price laid out £1million - or around $1.6 million at the current exchange rates - on this beautifully fast supercar and plans on ruining it by painting it pink to match her other vehicles. Yeah, she has other pink cars to boast of. A close source to her said: "She will anger petrol-heads worldwide by turning such a beautiful, iconic machine bright pink. But at least it will match her other cars." Just goes to show that money can’t buy taste.
In addition to the high cost of the supercar, it seems Price has also purchased a rather expensive "F1" license plate. The Sun doesn’t say anything about the F1 plate slapped right on the front of the car, but it looks very similar to the license plate auctioned off in 2008 to Afzal Kahn (Kahn Design owner) for £440,000 (about $880,000). We don’t know for sure, but with the amount of money Price throws around, we wouldn’t be surprised.
