Edo Competition BMW M5 Dark Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery
You can’t stop the relentless march of progress, but it doesn’t hurt to stop and take a look around every now and then at what you’re leaving behind. Take the , for example. The is, in every measurable way, better than the car it replaces. But we sure are going to miss that screeching V10.
Edo Competition is, too, and to bid farewell to the ten-cylinder super-sedan, the company has come out with one last modification package. Called the Dark Edition, the German tuning house has taken an M5 wagon and turned it into something fierce. By fitting new cats, air filters and exhaust and tweaking the ECU, they’ve boosted output up from 500 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque to 555 hp and 413 lb-ft. Tasty.
All that extra muscle is said to be enough to drop half a second off the 0-62 mile-per-hour time, now down to 4.2 seconds, while raising the previously limited top speed from 155 mph to an Autobahn-crunching 190. And with the long-roof body-style, that means you can take the entire family, all their luggage and the dog on your high-speed jaunt to just about anywhere the road can take you.
The engine mods are coupled with a full aero kit, 20-inch alloys riding on a thin band of Dunlop rubber and a revised interior. And though the press release – which you can check out along with the high-res images in the gallery – makes no mention of a brake upgrade, we’d hope an outfit like Edo would know how to keep all that muscle in check.
Aston Martin V12 Zagato – Click above for high-res image gallery
Few collaborations have set the presses and Intertubes alight quite like the Aston Martin V12 Zagato. Rekindling a five-decade-old partnership, the British purveyor of luxury GTs and the Italian design house unveiled their latest collaboration on the shores of Lake Como to rave reviews. And keen to show it’s not just a pretty face, then took the beauty-and-the-beast machine to the Nürburgring to race.
Just the other day, we brought you of Aston’s apparently inadvertent (or decidedly low-key) confirmation that the V12 Zagato would reach the market, however limited in production. Now, reports indicate just how few will be built – and how expensive they’ll be.
According to Dutch publication AutoWeek.nl, Aston will build only 150 examples of the V12 Zagato, each with a price tag of £330,000. If accurate, that would place the Zagato at nearly twice the purchase price of the , and about two and a half times as expensive as the on which it’s based.
By either account – direct conversion or relative price from Aston’s U.S. line-up – that comes out to about $500,000 based on current conversion rates. Whether the rare beauty of the Zagato is worth a pair of top-of-the-line production Astons is open for debate, but we have no doubt Gaydon will have little trouble selling every last one.
Did you know that just the steering wheel in a modern F1 racer costs about as much as your car? That a driver will lose about four and a half pounds over the course of a grand prix? Or that an F1 car gets about 3.1 miles to the gallon?
The numbers in Formula 1 racing are absolutely staggering, but fortunately, our friends over at Netcars have mapped it all out in the most user-friendly way possible: that’s right, an infographic.
Some other tidbits of information: an F1 car takes just 1.7 seconds to hit 62 miles per hour from a standstill, and can top out around 257 mph. And to slow the car from 200 mph coming down a straightaway to 115 for a sweeping corner, it takes about as much force as it would to make an elephant jump 33 feet in the air. Seriously. But we don’t want to give it all away – click on the to view the infographic in full detail.
Mercedes-Benz AMG Black Series – Click above for high-res image gallery
The won’t be officially unveiled until July, but Canadian forum Beyond has managed to get the inside scoop early.
Canadian AMG dealers let the cat out of the bag by asking customers who have reserved one of these rockets if they’d like to enter a contest to go to the N
ürburgring. With a little sleuthing, Beyond was able to uncover the plan and connect the dots from there.
The car will reportedly be let loose at the Nürburgring during the German GP, packing a 6.2-liter, 500-plus-horsepower V8. The engine comes loaded with internals taken straight from the supercar, and is backed by a seven-speed gearbox and locking differential. Sounds tasty, and if our time in the latest is anything to go on, we’re sure that the Black Series will be nothing short of spectacular.
Few platforms have served as well as ’s VH architecture. The flexible platform has underpinned everything the automaker has produced (save the bespoke One-77) since 2003, but it’s growing a little long in the tooth. Little wonder, then, that Aston is pursuing a new platform, and the company has now confirmed it has obtained the funding to get there.
The financial backing comes from a bond issue, bringing in £304 million ($487 million) from investors. With the capital in place, sources anticipate Aston will begin working on its next generation of vehicles in 2012, with the first of the new models to debut in 2015 or 2016.
The question at this point is where that new platform will come from. Aston could develop the new architecture in-house, but the likely scenario has it adapting the aluminum platform from the as part of a being discussed with to produce a new range of and Lagonda limousines together.
We’ll found out sooner or later, but in the meantime, Aston is expected to facelift its entire core range over the next couple of years to keep them fresh – and compliant with new regulations, particularly concerning pedestrian impact. for the press release on the bond issue, and watch this space for more information as it emerges.
BMW Motorrad Concept Vehicle BMW E-Scooter – Click above for high-res image gallery
The Motorrad Concept Vehicle BMW E-Scooter is all-electric, but does its best to provide the range of a regular, internal-combustion-engine scooter. The point of this exercise was to create an electric mount that could take the place of a scooter commuter in terms of range, power and convenience. The E-Scooter has a daily range of 100 kilometers (62 miles), and it’s battery can be fully charged in three hours from a household outlet.
Speaking of that battery, instead of a proper frame, the aluminum casing for the battery and liquid-cooled ancillary systems acts as the frame. BMW says the powerplant is strong enough for “safe and reliable overtaking” on highways and for “hill starts on steep slopes” with two on board.
Lacking a hub motor and planetary gearbox, a toothed belt runs from the electric motor to a belt pulley on the swinging fork pivot, where a drive pinion controls power to the rear wheel via a roller chain. Intense, yes, but what else would you expect of BMW? For all the info, check out the gallery of high-res photos below and the press release and videos .
On the heels of last week’s official starring Akio Toyoda comes a new image that appears to show the full vehicle. Judging by how closely the headlamps of the car you see here resemble the ones on the red car that Mr. Toyoda was standing by, this very well may be what the all-new will look like. The best-selling mid-size sedan is expected to make its official debut later this year.
Buyers shouldn’t be surprised to find the proven 2.5-liter four-cylinder and 3.5-liter V6 to provide motive force, backed by six-speed automatic transmissions. If the pictures are indeed accurate, the Camry’s looks are going to to evolve slightly and pick up some -like cues. Dimensions aren’t likely to change much from the current Camry, and the quality of the interior outfitting is going to be a key point of interest. We’ll have the full details later this year.
Today is the 4th of July – Independence Day – and as a country, we’re all taking a break from the normal work routine to celebrate America’s 235th birthday. (She’s looking good in her old age, isn’t she?) Like many of you, we’ll be kicking back with family and friends today, but never fear, we’ve still got plenty of content coming your way.
In the spirit of Independence Day, be sure to check out our , in which two of our editors argue over which droptop muscle car is the most American – the or . Cast your vote for which car should be most honored to wear the Stars and Stripes, but fair warning: The Mustang is already off to a commanding lead.
From all of us here at Autoblog, Happy Independence Day.
BMW M3 CRT – Click above for high-res image gallery
Thinking about dropping your kid’s college fund on the new ? With about 100 pounds of excess weight stripped out, four doors and the a bored-out 4.4-liter, 450-horsepower V8 under the hood, it’s bound to be an instant collector’s edition. But don’t head down to your local dealership with bearer bonds in hand just yet, as reports indicate that all 67 examples sold out almost as soon as they went on sale.
No problem, you figure. You’ll just place your order for the slick instead. Well, not so fast, bub. Apparently that one sold out just as fast, with the entire run of 20 cars gone in a scant 34 minutes. Don’t worry, though, because with sales moving this fast, you can bet BMW will offer another special or two before the car is phased out later this year. Just be on the ready – cash in hand – when it does.
If you ever looked at that suggested their station wagons were the next logical step up from a , well, you can stop snickering. Sure, it may still be a long shot, but appears to be getting serious about offering performance-oriented automobiles.
A couple of weeks ago, we brought you a that indicated Volvo was forging a closer relationship with Polestar, the racing outfit that fields the company’s entries in the Scandinavian and World Touring Car Championships. Volvo, it seemed, had already turned to Polestar to squeeze a bit of models, and according to the report, was prepared to utilize Polestar’s talents even more in the future.
A clearer picture of that that partnership is now emerging, and so far, it looks promising. Their first collaborative project is tipped to be a production version of the baby-blue, unveiled last year. If given the go-ahead, we could be looking at a limited run of 500 cars priced around £50,000 in the UK – about the same as a .
Like the concept, the production Volvo/Polestar C30 would be the first to carry the PCP badge – referring not to the chemical narcotic, but standing, somewhat repetitively, for Performance Concept Prototype. Similar high-performance versions of Volvo’s other products would follow and wear the same nameplate, creating a subdivision for Volvo that would be equivalent to what has in AMG and what does with its M division.
Aston Martin V12 Zagato – Click above for high-res image gallery
Take a look at ’s website and you may notice a new model listed in its portfolio. Slotted in between the One-77 and the sits the V12 Zagato, effectively confirming the new model’s place in the company’s production lineup and accompanied, in the fourth slide showcasing the model, by the statement “only a strictly limited run of road going cars will be built”.
The V12 Zagato is based on the Aston Martin , but features fresh bodywork penned by the namesake Italian design house. The car celebrates of fifty years of collaboration between Aston Martin and Zagato, dating back to the original DB4 GT.
Following the at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in May and the model’s at the Nürburgring, this is the closest thing to an actual production confirmation we’ve seen so far. Given where Aston has placed the model among its existing products, a very high purchase price is probable. We look forward to further official confirmation regarding the V12 Zagato’s market availability.
Dan Neil on DC drivers – Click above to watch video
. In fact, Neil has built an entire career around ruffling people’s feathers and not saying sorry. In a clip from SPEED’s upcoming , Neil calls out drivers in Washington, D.C. as the worst, not in America, but in the world. Harsh.
That said, we can’t say we disagree. As far as we’re concerned, thumb screws are preferable to an afternoon spent trying to traverse the D.C. Beltway. Click the image above to at The Car Show’sFacebook page.
While was the most notable record-breakingtime at Pikes Peak this year, the addition of new paved sections also allowed a new best time to be set for the motorcycle class. Carlin Dunne, the owner of Ducati Santa Barbara in California, dominated the motorcycle division in a stock Multistrada 1200, completing the 12.42 mile course in 11:11.32.
Dunne’s fellow Ducati riders didn’t fare so well. Six-time winner Greg Tracy fell on the slippery, gravel-covered pavement, and Mark Cernicky, after qualifying second, suffered a flat tire just a few minutes into his run.
The record for an electric motorcycle was also broken at Pikes Peak this year. , besting the record set last year by more than four minutes.
Follow the jump for the PR from Ducati, and you can see photos of Carlin Dunne and his Ducati Multistrada 1200 at Pikes Peak in the gallery below.
With the over-65 population growing at a rapid rate (), automakers are intent on making driving easier for the elderly. To that end, automotive supplier TRW is developing a folding steering wheel concept that retracts into the dashboard, allowing older drivers to get in and out with ease.
The wheel is bisected into two smaller handles that fold inward when the vehicle is shut down, mounting nearly flush with the rest of the dashboard. When the driver gets back in, the wheel extends outward to the driver’s chosen position and can be set at multiple angles for different users.
Ideally, TRW’s steering wheel solution would be part of a larger initiative to make driving easier for people with limited mobility, and partnered with voice commands and more legible buttons and interfaces, the wheel could be part of a elderly-focused equipment package as early as 2016. Full details in the press blast .
Fortune joined this weekend’s parade of all things USA with its list of “100 great things about America.” Be forewarned: the list itself is exceedingly dopey. After all, Clif bars, 60 Minutes, GEICO commercials, and LeBron James are among the things that Fortune somehow manages to rank ahead of the men and women collectively serving in our armed forces. (They’re number 64, for whatever that’s worth. Fortune separates out the SEALs, ranking them #5.)
Thanks to our nation’s obsession with them, cars and car-related items dot the list as well. A few even crack Fortune’s top 25: Detroit (#14), the (#11) and interstate highways (#2). sits at #51, drive-in movie theaters (the remaining few) occupy the 87th spot, Kevin Spacey’s Honda commercial voice-overs rank 41st (not making any of this up) and Exxon Mobil comes in at #88.
To read the whole , head over to Fortune, where you’ll also learn that duct tape (#16) ranks ahead of the Bill of Rights (#17).
Fortune joined this weekend’s parade of all things USA with its list of “100 great things about America.” Be forewarned: the list itself is exceedingly dopey. After all, Clif bars, 60 Minutes, GEICO commercials, and LeBron James are among the things that Fortune somehow manages to rank ahead of the men and women collectively serving in our armed forces. (They’re number 64, for whatever that’s worth. Fortune separates out the SEALs, ranking them #5.)
Thanks to our nation’s obsession with them, cars and car-related items dot the list as well. A few even crack Fortune’s top 25: Detroit (#14), the (#11) and interstate highways (#2). sits at #51, drive-in movie theaters (the remaining few) occupy the 87th spot, Kevin Spacey’s Honda commercial voice-overs rank 41st (not making any of this up) and Exxon Mobil comes in at #88.
To read the whole , head over to Fortune, where you’ll also learn that duct tape (#16) ranks ahead of the Bill of Rights (#17).
Earlier this year, one poor, smartphone-toting driver was . But unlike the rest of us, he wasn’t speeding. Through the use of running on his Motorola Droid, a bit of spreadsheet geekery and a meeting with a judge, he was able to prove his innocence and avoid a fine.
Back in February, we that, through a bit of hackery, could get the job done. But has done one better with the introduction of its for Android.
The app tracks your exact speed through GPS data every five seconds, logging the results. A large display shows your current rate of travel, along with your highest speed in the past five minutes. All the data is compiled into a spreadsheet (accessible via Excel or similar apps) so you’ve got proof to show the police and the man in the black robe. There’s also an option to post your current speed to Facebook providing a useful, if slightly opt-in-Orwellian, timestamp to share with your friends.
A free, ad-supported app is currently available or , with the ad-free version running $4.99. for the full details.
Fiat 500 Marcia Corta by Camal – Click above for image gallery
We’ve seen all sorts of things done with the . People have , , , and even . The latest, however, could prove the most intriguing.
Founded by a couple of former Pininfarina designers, a new outfit called Camal is working on the project you see here. Called the 500 Marcia Corta (Italian for short gearing), the idea is to give the Cinquecento a more rally-inspired look.
The signature elements are quad rally lamps, giant grille opening and full aero kit with side skirts, fender flares and rear ring. A rear bumper mimics the look in front, integrating a new exhaust system.
The creators are reportedly looking for funding to get their project off the ground. In the meantime, check out the renderings in the gallery for a closer look.
When you buy beef jerky, some Bridgestones or a Bulgari, you don’t spend six hours researching how much the retailer paid for the product. For that matter, when you buy a building, you don’t ask how much the builder put into it. When it comes to cars, though, consumers can never be deterred from scrutinizing the dealer’s actual costs. Hence the spotlight shined on dealer ‘holdback,’ which is a sum of money paid to a dealer by the manufacturer after a car is sold.
, holdback makes up anywhere from one to three percent of the price of a car. In the most nefarious interpretation, holdback is a built-in rebate that spikes the dealer’s invoice price. If a manufacturer wanted $20,000 from a dealer for a car, knowing that it might need to pay a two-percent holdback once the car is sold, the manufacturer makes the dealer pay $20,400 for the car. That $20,400 is now the official invoice price that appears on the breakdown. Once the car is sold, the dealer gets a check for $400.
Holdback is an inexact number. It could be pegged to the base MSRP or the configured invoice or the configured MSRP, for instance. But it can allow the dealer a number of follow-on benefits, including being able to sell a car at invoice price and still make money. Not that a dealer would let it go for invoice, and $400 isn’t much on a $20K transaction, but you get the point. TrueCar has a table of holdback percentages for various manufacturers, but be as wary of having too much information as too little.
Steve Haywood with the Bowler Nemesis – Click above for high-res images
Bowler is not a well-known automaker, and with good reason. Its vehicles, based on mechanicals, aren’t street legal. They’re rally-raid off-road racing machines; Defenders with an attitude. But Bowler has big plans, ushered in by new ownership and management.
The company was recently up by CPP – the same Coventry-based coachbuilder that now owns as well. Bowler’s new managing director Steve Haywood comes to the company from his previous position as chief engineer at Land Rover, so he knows a thing or two about producing capable off-roaders.
Company founder Drew Bowler will remain responsible for the motorsports division, but the arrival of Haywood means Bowler will mount an assault on the street-legal performance SUV market.
His first responsibility will be launching the new Bowler Nemesis, which will bring the company to the road-legal consumer market for the first time. The Nemesis prototype will be on hand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.
