The Spanish automaker GTA has returned to the Geneva Motor Show, this time with a production version of the company’s Spano supercar. The coupe boasts a laundry list of exotic materials on hand, including a unibody shell constructed of titanium, kevlar and carbon fiber. All told, the package tips the scales at a scant 2,970 pounds.
A total of 840 horsepower comes courtesy of an 8.3-liter V10, all of which is dumped on the rear tires through a seven-speed transmission. According to GTA, the Spano can hit 62 mph from a dead standstill in just 2.9 seconds. If you’re keeping track, that’s faster than the just-unveiled .
As impressive as the go specs are, the vehicle has some stout stop-ware to match. AP supplied a set of front discs that are nearly 15 inches in diameter squeezed by mighty six-piston calipers. Too cool.
Of course, you’ll pay for the privilege of being faster than the new Prancing Horse. No list price has been announced just yet, but with the stack of wild materials and heady horsepower on hand, you can bet your last penny this thing won’t come cheap. GTA expects to deliver the first models by late 2012.
Here’s an age-old recipe for awesome pie: Take one small chassis, add one massive engine, sprinkle with forced induction and serve smoking hot. Brabus has followed that recipe to the letter with the new unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
The brawny C-Class features a bored-out version of the 5.5-liter V12 that typically powers the . With 6.3 liters of displacement and two turbos shoving air down the engine’s throat, the car is good for a limited 800 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque. If Brabus could have found a transmission capable of standing up to the ludicrous amount of power on tap, the car would be spitting out 1,047 lb-ft. With its wings clipped, the meanest C-Class of them all still manages to hit 62 mph in around 3.7 seconds.
Just when you thought matte black paint had grown stale, Brabus builds a car worthy of the hue. for the full press release.
We haven’t found any official info on it yet, but this is the take on the . As with the German tuner’s , the Aventador is rather toned down for a Mansory. It gets new bodywork up front that includes wider fenders squeezing a narrower hood, and a larger lower intake with carbon fiber protruding everywhere.
More CF is laid over the top, from the bases of the A-pillars all the way to the end of the engine cover, and there’s a CF wing and a rear diffuser. It reportedly puts out , and will sprint from a stoplight to 62 mph in 2.8 seconds. Since the sole has been sold, this may be the next wildest bull out there.
Sure, you could likely with any number of mind-blowing and reality-bending supercars… but if you really want to break away from the pack with something that’s as fast as it is different, we direct your attention to the matte blue machine above.
For 2013, has updated the with more power – a staggering 1,140 when the tank is filled with E85 – one-piece hollow carbon fiber wheels, nano-surfaced cylinder sleeves, a so-called Triplex suspension setup co-developed with Öhlins Racing, standard stability control (which certainly sounds like a good idea considering the number of horses at its disposal…), a new exhaust system and downforce-adding front winglets.
We’d say that counts for a pretty thorough refresh of the Agera R for 2013. Have a look at our high-res image gallery of live photographs from the floor at the to take in the 273-mile-per-hour goodness, and then for the full rundown from Koenigsegg.
So, you find the a bit too demure for your tastes. You’re either high enough to play hopscotch in the clouds or suffering from some sort of psychosis. Maybe both. You’re likely also the target demographic for the red sled you see above.
Hamann has given the convertible supercar a little more of everything at the Geneva Motor Show. Wild bodywork, heaps of carbon fiber, massive 21-inch wheels and a peak output of 636 horsepower are all part of the Hamann Hawk package.
The vehicle is more than just a body kit and a little extra horsepower, however. The droptop has received a few suspension tweaks in the form of a new set of coilovers complete with progressively wound springs. All told, the car can sit as much as 1.18 inches lower than stock.
Jump inside, and you’ll enjoy a full custom interior swaddled in plenty of suede, leather and other rich materials. Hey, it’s not our cup of tea, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be yours. for the press release.
The all-new 991 variant of the has only been on sale for a few months, but renowned Porsche tuner Ruf is already hard at work applying its patented blend of power, handling and braking to the latest 911.
On hand at the are two new 991-based Rufs, the Rt 35 Anniversary (green, above) and the RGT 8 (yellow). The Rt35 is a rolling celebration of Ruf’s 35 years in business and beats Porsche to the punch by offering a twin turbo kit for the Carrera S, outputting 621 horsepower and an equally astounding 608 pound feet of torque through a standard seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Ruf isn’t citing a 0-60 time, but claims the Rt35 tops out at a little over 205 mph.
The original RGT 8 and shocked Porsche purists by packing a race-derived V8 where the flat-six would traditionally reside. This updated version based on the 991 uses a similar 4.5-liter V8 good for 543 hp and 368 lb-ft of twist, all routed through a proper six-speed manual gearbox.
Finally, Ruf has updated its flagship CTR 3 in a new Clubsport variant, with copious quantities of carbon fiber both inside and out and powered provided by a twin-turbo flat-six outputting 740 hp and 708 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed sequential gearbox puts the power down, further ensuring its status as a track machine that’s barely suitable for a run to the corner store. Bonus Ruf porn in the video .
SPEED’s Brad Fanshaw joins us, Bentley EXP 9 F Concept, Chevrolet Volt production idle, SLP Grand National and GNX Regals
Episode #272 of the is here, and this week, of joins Chris, Dan and Zach. Topics include the Bentley EXP 9 F SUV Concept, Chevrolet idling Volt production and new high-performance Buicks. Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our , thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #272:
In the Autoblog Garage
Hosts: , ,
Runtime: 01:12:34
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Take a Nissan Micra, give it the face of a , let designers from Renault work on the rear and add a sweet white and orange interior and you have yourself a B-segment concept that calls the Invitation.
On the ground in Switzerland at the , Chris Paukert agrees that the Invitation is “Fit-esque,” and that it looks good in person. Not bad in photos, either. The official Nissan press release describes the design as, “The clean fluidity of the silhouette hints at its dynamic potential and showcases class-leading aerodynamics for enhanced efficiency. “
Expect a production version of the Invitation sometime in 2013 in Europe. No indication from Nissan about U.S. availability, though.
Check out the full press release for more details.
We’ll admit when we saw drawings of the McLaren MP4-12C as we thought it just another Mansory moment. Perhaps it was the dull grapefruit color, muddy black contrasting bits and burnt yellow wheels. However, seeing it in person at the , we’ll admit it has our attention. Yes, it’s overdone. But that crimson starfire metallic paint, properly glossy carbon fiber and muted gold ten-spokers are something we’d rock for at least one night.
Mansory’s take on Woking’s baby is wider and more powerful, goes faster, stops quicker and gets better gas mileage. And it looks like a solar flare. On wheels. And that’s all right with us. See what you think of it in the gallery of high-res photos or take a peek at the official press release .
With the gone and the on its way out the door, has a few holes in its line that and are happy to fill with the all-new and , respectively.
Enter the V40, a five-door hatch that’s one of the most attractive designs from Sweden since the Ikea Skürg. It’s a svelte bit of kit, with an organic fascia bleeding into a subtly sculpted hood and capped off with a sloping roofline that can be had in full panoramic glass.
Like the exterior, the interior is a mild evolution of Volvo’s current design ethos, with a minimalist, floating center stack situated beneath a large touchscreen display.
Power is provided by Volvo’s ubiquitous 254-horsepower turbocharged five-cylinder mated to either a six-speed automatic or manual gearbox, good for a 6.7-second run to 60 mph. Start-stop tech and regenerative braking are standard, along with Volvo’s usual suite of safety features.
But alas, the V40 is not for U.S. consumption. Which is a shame, because the States could benefit from an alternative that slots in with the entry-level Germans. Check out the complete press release .
Those are the names of the four new Up! models that has to the , the latest expansion of the supermini that by now has than the United States of Tara.
You might think the Swiss Up! is named for the its Geneva debut location, but instead it’s all about versatility, like a Swiss Army knife. We couldn’t get a view inside the car, but the name association is taken to the extreme with knife holders on the backs of the front seats. How’s that for practical?
The Cargo version is a bit more self-explanatory, turning the small car into a reasonable delivery vehicle that will carry 49 cubic-feet of goods. The X Up!, on the other hand, is designed for adventure, with searchlights and a roof box. The Winter Up! comes ready for the mountain slopes with snowboards on the roof and a higher ride height to clear icy hurdles.
None of these clever new concepts will be available when the first Up! model goes on sale in Europe this week, but they do show that VW is serious about thinking outside the standard econobox. The Swiss Up! is the snazzy red one pictured above, and you can see all four models in the galleries we’ve included from the show floor.
introduces four new Up! concepts, because we didn’t have enough already
We’ll come right out and say it: The isn’t exactly pretty. And while this new adds all of the go-fast appearance bits befitting any AMG model, it doesn’t exactly help the big roadster’s appearance. And by the way, when we say big, we mean big. The photos don’t quite do it justice – this is one seriously large two-seater.
Large and in charge as it may be, the 2013 SL63 AMG is actually far prettier beneath the skin. For one thing, it’s 275 pounds lighter than the model it replaces, thanks largely to the use of high-strength but lightweight aluminum parts. Even so, this bad boy tips the scales at just over 4,050 pounds, but never fear – there’s one heck of a powerplant underhood to get this grandaddy moving with a quickness.
Just like the entire new crop of AMG products, the SL63 uses Merc’s twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter M157 V8, good for 530 horsepower and 593 pound-feet of torque. Tick the box for the optional AMG Performance Package and those numbers increase to 557 and 664(!) respectively. With that additional grunt, the SL63 will shoot to 60 miles per hour in just 4.1 seconds (4.2 without the Performance Pack), on its way to relaxed top speed of 186 miles per hour (non PP-equipped models top out at 155).
Glorious as it all sounds, we still can’t get past the fact that the once-timelessly beautiful SL continues to get uglier and uglier with each new generation. Sigh. See for yourself in the attached high-res image galleries.
“The is an ‘extreme’ sportscar that puts an evolutionary imprint on the concept that is built into Bertone’s dna: the mid-rear engined berlinetta.” So says in the press release you’ll find . Who are we to argue?
As is customary with such machinery from the styling house, what we have here is a distinctive wedge shape with an impossibly massive windshield that sits as close to the ground as physics will allow. It looks kind of like an orange and grey dust buster … and we mean that in the nicest way possible. Named after founder Giovanni Bertone’s son, the Nuccio was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Turin-based styling house.
As far as what’s under the doorstop-shaped bodywork, we only know it features a 4.3-liter V8 with 480 horsepower that comes from – we’ve heard through the grapevine that the Nuccio is based on the guts of a Ferrari F430. Feel free to browse the press release , and be sure to scroll through our high-res image gallery of live photos above. And if you like it, rumor has it that at least one may be available for sale…
Despite the current trend, not every car looks good with its top lopped off. We’re looking at you, and . The doesn’t get any prettier after losing its roof and seems to get, well, a little softer, more, ok, we’re just gonna say it – girly. A bit like the earlier VW Cabriolets but with enough horsepower to leave its critics in the dust.
That power comes from the GTI’s 2.0-liter turbo four and six-speed gearbox (manual or DSG), which should make it a super-fun car to toss around back roads.
Folks in the UK can pick one up later this year. Available in the States? Not likely, unfortunately.
Claimed by some to be the crookedest road in the world, San Francisco’s briefly became the crookedest waterfall in the world last Saturday.
The driver of a silver Buick told a resident of the street that he swerved to avoid a car of tourists in front of him and ran down a fire hydrant at the very top of the hill. Water streamed 14 feet into the air and gushed down and through the street’s eight switchbacks.
Greg Brundage, told the , “If you had a raft, you could have ridden down the street.”
We’re surprised no one tried and hope we get a call the next time Lombard’s flooded. One of our more adventurous staffers will be right over to brave the rapids.
Check out the story at for more on the Lombard splash of a crash and more photos.
What’s Italian for thrilling? The Brivido. (Well, it’s Italian for ‘thrill’ anyway.) And we see what they’re on about. The underpinnings come from parent company , including the supercharged 3.0-liter 360-horsepower V6 engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox. Coupled with an electric motor, this hybrid GT can scoot to 60 in 5.8 seconds while exhausting just 154 grams per kilometer of carbon dioxide. Slippery aerodynamics allow for a top speed of 171 miles per hour and also provide a sleek shape that can seat four passengers in comfort.
Though Giugiaro is quick to point out that this is a fully functional prototype, it’s got concept written all over it. Take, for instance, the giant gullwing doors that serve as portals for the front and rear seats, the two-sided instrument cluster full of LCD screens (including an iPad for the passenger) and joystick-style steering apparatus.
And if one Brivido Concept is good, two Brivido Concepts must be even better. Giugiaro brought along a second machine in race trim (above), sporting distinctive Martini Racing livery. We don’t have any details on what’s underneath the fetching bodywork, so we suggest you see it for yourself in our high-res image galleries above and below. Feel free to read all about the road-going Brivido , where you’ll also find an official video.
The has officially bowed at the Geneva Motor Show. The stunning little coupe packs the same 360 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque as the we know and love here in the States, but with around 100 fewer pounds to lug around. still isn’t saying where the weight savings comes from, though we’d wager the coupe boasts lighter seats and less crash garb than its U.S. counterpart. Even with the all-wheel drive coupe’s slimmer curb weight, the TT RS Plus still does the 0-62 mph dash in 4.1 seconds, which is identical to the standard not too long ago.
Does that make us love the two-door any less? Hell no. The brawny turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine under the hood is a thing of beauty and the two-tone wheels and eye-searing red paint are absolute traffic stoppers. Did we mention it tops out at 174 mph? Job done.
The production team from Korea averted a serious disaster after a helicopter used during filming crashed into the Arizona desert. Amazingly, both the pilot and the camera person escaped the incident relatively unharmed. CNN reports that the pair credit their survival to the thick exterior of the retired military chopper.
to watch the video of the actual crash. The footage only reveals the last few seconds before the impact, but the aftermath video shows a chopper that is wrecked nearly beyond recognition. We’re amazed and thrilled that nobody was seriously injured.
It’s been 60 years since the 1952 Alfa Romeo C52 Disco Volante concepts lounged on the stages of the world’s auto shows, and Touring Superleggera has taken to marking the occasion with a Disco Volante of its own, a striking coupe that has just debuted at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.
The modern flying saucer pays homage to its ancestors with flat-top fenders and a split grille. Even so, it’s hard to miss the vehicle’s donor. Not surprisingly, the new Disco Volante is built on the bones of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, and relies on the same 4.7-liter V8 found in that machine. As such, buyers can look forward to 443 horsepower pumped exclusively to the rear wheels.
That’s right. We said “buyers.” This Disco Volante will be available in limited quantities (the company isn’t saying how limited), though expect to pay a pretty penny for each one. Touring Superleggera says each example will be coachbuilt to order. for the full press release after checking out our high-res gallery.
showed off a few photos of the last month, and then . If you’re one of the no-more-than 150 customers who manages to take one home, then here are detailed views of what you can expect. The rear end is particularly striking, even with a wing that’s the least stylized object on the entire car.
The £330,000 aluminum and carbon fiber coupe hides 510 horsepower and production tricks borrowed from the One-77. Deliveries will begin toward the end of this year, but you can explore its glory now in the gallery of high-res photos from the floor.
