In September 1983 Ferrari previewed a convertible version of the Mondial Quattrovalvole, the drop top four valver was soon followed up with a production version in January 1984 at the Brussels Salon. This model was aimed specifically at the sunny climates of the American west coast, but European models were also produced. The Mondial Cabriolet stayed into production until 1985, during which time 629 examples were produced, in both right and left hand drive versions.
The exterior design was the same as for the Mondial Quattrovalvole coupe version: same wedge body shape with the radiator grille beneath the front bumper. Apart from the folding canvas roof, the overall shape was identical to the sister model, including the black plastic wrap around bumpers front and rear, together with the large trapezoidal air intake grilles for the engine bay on the body sides behind the doors, and paired circular rear light assemblies, with Mondial Cabriolet badging to the tail panel.
It featured the same extended center console with the ventilation controls incorporated into it, and the radio forward of the gear change as the coupe. Similarly the door panels and steering wheel were identical to the coupe version. The rear seats of the cabriolet were closer together than on the coupe, to allow for stowage of the hood assembly, and the headrests were omitted. The hood was provided with a matching canvas cover when in the lowered position, with a leather cover available as an option.
Michael Schumacher’s aborted comeback with Ferrari after Felipe Massa’s season ended with a head injury may have been canned prematurely.
And while we were all disappointed that Schumi’s return to F1 didn’t materialize, we now have rumors that the seven-time world champion may be returning to race in 2010.
Schumacher and Mercedes GP (formerly Brawn GP) are in ‘preliminary talks’ over the prospect of Schumi driving for the team in 2010. With Jenson Button’s sudden defection to McLaren, Mercedes GP has yet to find a teammate for Nico Rosberg and Schumacher’s name has been brought up recently. If Schumi does decide to race for Mercedes GP, it would create a vaunted all-German pairing that could rival both Ferrari and McLaren.
Looking deeper into all of this, it doesn’t seem as far-fetched as it sounds; after all, Schumacher’s relationship with team principal Ross Brawn has been well-documented with the pair being responsible for Ferrari’s dominance for the better part of the decade.
In the event that Michael Schumacher ends up in Mercedes GP, it automatically makes the 2010 F1 season all that more tantalizing, so much so, that March can’t come soon enough.
Among all of the states in the US, California holds the distinction of having the most exotics and supercars roaming around the streets. After all, the glitz and glamour that comes with being in California affords most people the moolah to get their hands on one.
So it comes with a tinge of irony that three of the biggest exotic makers – Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bentley – have all decided to skip the LA Auto Show
The news that three of the most prestigious manufacturers have decided to pass on LA when a spokesperson for the event told the Detroit Bureau that the decisions by Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini to skip LA hinged on the fact that they’ve decided to ‘put their resources to better use’.
Translation: “We don’t want to incur any unnecessary expenditures, like showing up for an event like the LA Auto Show.
One of the downsides of owning a high performance vehicle is that as soon as winter approaches and the mercury drops, those sticky summer tires become hard and brittle and don’t work nearly as well as they did just a few months ago. Another issue with wearing your Sunday best while out playing in the snow is that every bit of salt and debris will do a number on your finely finished wheels. However the aftermarket manufacturer Cargraphic has come up with a combination to ensure that not only will your Aston Martin look as good as it can all year round, but owners won’t have to compromise their car’s level of grip either thanks to the combination of winter spec Cargraphic IS-ONE wheels and Dunlop Wintersport rubber for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and DB9 super sports cars.
Mercedes Benz is still paying off the plastic surgeon for last year’s facelift to the SL-Class grand tourer, so we don’t expect them to do anything drastic anytime in the near future. However that hasn’t stopped the over the top aftermarket specialists at FAB Design from making a few changes of their own, and this time the changes are more than just cosmetic going further than skin deep.
The FAB Design SL has been given a new face with a very aggressive wide mouth front bumper, vented wide body fenders for the front and rear as well as a new diffuser underneath, however our favorite part of the bright white SL’s exterior are the color matched deep dish rims. Meanwhile FAB has raised the 6.0 Liter bi turbo V12’s output up from a mere 517 HP and boosts it well past the carbon fiber clad Black Series’ 650 HP and 738 lb-ft of torque up to a total of 750 HP and an astounding 738 lb-ft of torque. And while the SL’s top speed is electronically limited to a super car like 192 MPH, the sprint from 0 to 60 MPH now takes less than four seconds.
The German tuning firm MTM has released the official details about their upgrade package for the Audi TT-RS sports car. Inspired by the Ur-Quattro S1 from Group B rally racing, the MTM TT-RS combines a powerful turbocharged five cylinder engine with Audi’s patented Quattro all wheel drive system to create a compact tuner car that is capable of besting even R8 super car owners.
MTM is offering the power package in three different stages. The top of the line upgrade gives the lightweight four wheel drive a total of 424 HP, 84 more ponies then from the factory. This level of output allows the TT-RS to sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in four seconds and reach a top speed of 184 MPH. The other to packages offer TT owners either 404 HP or 408 HP, now we aren’t quite sure as to what makes up the 4 HP difference between the two, and MTM wasn’t getting into the specifics. Rounding out the upgrade package, MTM has also fitted the TT-RS with a set of their signature BIMOTO sport rims available in either 19 or 20 inch diameters as well a variety of spacers to get the car’s stance just right. No matter which combination of power and style you choose, it will take a very exotic 5.2 Liter V10 for any other Audi to come close to the level of performance available from this MTM modified TT-RS.
The German automaker Volkswagen has a long history with the independent motor vehicle manufacturing firm Karmann, most notably the classic VW Karmann Ghia that was styled by the Carrozzeria Ghia and constructed by the coach builder Karmann. More recently the Volkswagen Group announced that they have acquired the land, machinery and equipment at the Osnabrück site that formerly belonged to the Karmann holding company. The best part about the acquisition is that VW is planning on setting up a new manufacturing subsidiary and eventually break ground on a new project.
Production at the Osnabrück facility isn’t scheduled to begin until 2011, however current projections detail the creation of over 1,000 jobs by the year 2014. There has been no mention of whether VW will keep the Karmann staff on for the new project, however it would be foolish to let all of those experienced automotive craftsmen go due to their extensive experience building limited edition vehicles. One of the models that will be built at the Osnabrück site is the Volkswagen BlueSport diesel roadster as well as a drop top Cabrio version of the next generation Golf VI. It’s always nice to see old friends getting back together.
Lexus recently unveiled the compact hybrid LF-Ch Concept earlier this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The forward thinking hatchback is a preview as to what the future of luxury will be all about, set to compete head to head with other efficient space saving luxury vehicles like the the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 when the LF-Ch makes its scheduled debut sometime in 2012.
In an official statement, Lexus General Manager Mark Templin said that "There is a group of buyers growing up now who won’t buy cars by the pound. We have already seen a structural shift to the smaller and lower-priced segments of the luxury market over the last couple years." The compact premium segment has been strong in congested urban areas for years, especially in Europe. The challenge that not only Lexus but a host of other automakers are setting for themselves is how to get the American market to warm up to the idea of paying mare and getting less. One of the steps that will most likely be taken when the LF-Ch becomes production ready is the use of a conventional power train in order to pass the savings along to the customer, but with any success you can expect Toyota to release a hybrid versions shortly after.
The next generation BMW 5-Series luxury sedan has just made its world debut. As expected the design of the all new 5 takes cues from both the 7-Series limousine and the 5-Series GT crossover, all coming together to give the 5-Series a a much more elegant and streamlined appearance.
BMW will power the new 5-Series with a V8 as well as an assortment of six cylinder engines burning both gasoline and diesel. The new car’s lineup will range from the fuel efficient BMW 520d making 184 HP, the 535i powered BMW TwinPower Turbo using High Precision Injection and VALVETRONIC variable valve timing that cranks out 306 HP as well as the top of the line 550i powered by a 407 HP eight cylinder engine; just to name a few.
As part of BMW’s new car lineup, every new 5-Series models will come equipped with an eight speed automatic transmission. Aside from the the German automaker’s automatic transmission optimized for efficiency, the new 5-Series will come standard with other gas saving features like EPS Electric Power Steering that takes some stress off the drive train by reducing parasitic drag and frees up a few more horsepower at the same time. One thing that is for certain is that the new 5-Series is guaranteed to impress new car shoppers.
Ford’s ’10 Unleashed campaign has given us some pretty good entertainment over the past couple of months. There was the touching story of a blind man getting his first taste of sitting behind the wheel of a 2010 Mustang, there was that owner who decided to turn his Mustang into a rally car, and of course, there was the four Need for Speed gamers who took their video game skills out on a real race track.
The latest instalment of the hit campaign sees the 2010 Mustang take on a group of professional skateboarders in a sort-of can-you-top-this competition.
Of course, we need to have a certain level of perspective as to how this challenge played out. After all, the 2010 Mustang had the decided advantage of computer-generated graphics on its side. So, in a nutshell, you can say that the competition wasn’t done on an even playing field – no pun intended.
Check out the videos after the jump to see who rocked whose wheels.
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