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You have to applaud an automaker like Bugatti. Not content with being second place in the production car top speed category, the automaker created the monstrous Veyron Super Sport which, with a top tested speed of 267.81 miles per hour, holds the record for the world’s fastest production coupe. Now, here at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, Bugatti has officially debuted the next chapter of its top speed world domination story, because why settle for just having the world’s fastest coupe when you can have the world’s fastest convertible, too?

Meet the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. It’s a pretty simple (yet technically astounding) package: Take the 1,200-horsepower, 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged W16 from the Veyron Super Sport and fit it under the hood of the roofless Grand Sport. Vitesse nomenclature aside (that’s French for ’speed’, by the way), just think of this as a Super Grand Sport.

Bugatti states that the Grand Sport Vitesse is the most powerful production roadster of all time, and once this thing hits the street, it’ll surely be the fastest, too. “Once again our engineers worked hard to demonstrate that Bugatti is able to constantly redefine the boundaries of what is technically feasible,” states the automaker’s President, Wolfgang Dürheimer.

Scroll through our attached image gallery to see the Grand Sport Vitesse live from the Geneva show floor and check out the official press release after the jump.

Continue reading Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse is where top speed goes topless

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse is where top speed goes topless

This is not a concept car. We repeat, this is not a concept car.

It’s one thing to create a convertible version of the gorgeous Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, it’s another thing to take off the roof and the windscreen, fitting two small wind deflectors in front of the driver and passenger compartments. Climate control? Gone. Navigation/infotainment system? Forget it.

What you do get, however, is what Lamborghini calls “an utterly indescribable experience of power and dynamics.” The J Roadster uses the same 700-horsepower, 6.5-liter V12 as its hardtop kin, and Lamborghini states that the open-air J will hit speeds as high as 186 miles per hour. In an effort to save weight even further, the automaker has used a new carbon fiber fabric called “Carbonskin” that is apparently soft and supple enough to be used on the seats and interior trim. Regardless, we’re sure that once you’re actually driving this beast at speed, you won’t really care how good the fabric under your butt is.

But let’s get back to that whole “not a concept car” thing. The J Roadster you see here is for sale. How many more will be produced? None. It’s a one-off, one-run deal, and put away your pocketbooks – it’s already been sold for a cool 2.1 million euros. Check it out for yourself in the attached high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Lamborghini Aventador J is beautifully bonkers

Lamborghini Aventador J is beautifully bonkers

Despite staying rather quiet last year product-wise, Mitsubishi actually enjoyed a very strong sales comeback, led by its new Outlander Sport compact crossover. That crossover’s larger cousin, the Outlander, has remained largely under the radar for most consumers, with a modest 2010 facelift eking out a bit of sales life for a model that has been making the rounds since 2006. That will change in 2013 with the introduction of this new Outlander, which moves away from the single-frame grille in favor of a more horizontally oriented look.

It isn’t immediately clear to what extent the Outlander is all-new, as the vehicle appears to have some unusually large overhang that suggests a revision of an older chassis, but we understand that this is a new architecture underneath. Offering a size that’s similar to the outgoing model, the Outlander will continue to offer both five- and seven-seat configurations, with the third row reserved for small children. In addition to a range of gas and diesel models available in various markets paired with a new six-speed automatic or manual gearbox, a plug-in hybrid variant is in the cards as early as later this year.

For more, see our gallery of live shots and the official press release after the jump.

Continue reading 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander lets it all hang out

2013 Mitsubishi Outlander lets it all hang out

Give the people what they want. And when it comes to China, the people – or more accurately, the gilded class – want their rides long. Extra long. And Ruf is all too happy to oblige, stretching a Porsche Panamera S some 400mm; 250mm at the B-pillar and another 150mm at the rear door.

The effect inside is even more luxurious than its standard stablemate, with acres of legroom and a custom quilted upholstery fit for even the most oversized NBA retiree. From the outside, it’s… awkward, as most stretches of this variety are.

But the obvious question is obvious: Why buy a Porsche when your confined to the back? Regardless, give your chauffeur a gift this spring by plunking down the $250,000+ Ruf is expected to ask for the Panamera RXL.

Ruf stretches Porsche Panamera to gloriously hideous effect

We’re almost ready to record Episode #272 of the Autoblog Podcast, and we’re excited to be joined this week by Brad Fanshaw of Car Warriors on SPEED. Check out the topics below and you can join us live via UStream, as well, and we’ve embedded our UStream player after the jump. Thanks for listening!

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #272

• Bentley EXP 9 F Concept
• Chevrolet Volt production idled
• Grand National and GNX Buicks from SLP

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #272 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern

Autoblog Podcast #272 goes LIVE at 10PM Eastern

While Conan O’Brien may not be the car guy that Jay Leno is, for our money, he’s funnier. Especially when he’s doing vehicular bits on air, in this case, rubbing elbows with monster truck drivers.

But Coco doesn’t just play the redneck card and point and laugh. He actually suits up in full Nomex and drives one of the most famous monster trucks of all time, Grave Digger. While Conan’s performance behind the wheel is pretty tame by Monster Jam standards, he sure seems like he’s having fun and it translates into some laugh-out-loud comedy.

No matter how you might feel about the sport of crushing derelict vehicles, we’re pretty sure there’s some little part of everyone that would like to get behind the wheel of one of these awesome trucks and unleash 1,500 horses of destruction at least once in their life.

Click past the jump to watch the full video.

Continue reading Conan drives Grave Digger monster truck

Conan drives Grave Digger monster truck

Turn 10 Studios made some big waves when the video game developer announced it had finally come to an agreement with Porsche and EA Games over a licensing deal that would see the German sports cars make it into the Forza Motorsport 4 universe. Autoblog recently sat down with Dan Greenawalt, the director of Turn 10 studios, for a quick chat about the Porsche DLC, Forza Horizon, the new level cap for Forza Motorsport 4 and the relationship between Forza and Gran Turismo.

Autoblog: Porsche has been pretty territorial about licensing their products in terms of video games. How did the Porsche expansion pack play out? How did you make it happen?

Dan Greenawalt: Well, many many years ago Porsche and EA Games signed a long-term deal regarding how Porsche was going to be licensed. That deal has been resigned many times over the years. Because of the nature of that deal, EA has the exclusive rights and the discretion to sub-license Porsche as they see fit.

Porsche has been in the last three Forza Motorsports through a sub-licensing deal with EA. For Forza Motorsport 4 we were not able to find terms that were agreeable to all parties, but we stayed at the table. It took some time to value the brand in such a way that everyone agreed.

Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini are kind of like the holy trinity of auto brands. They pull in a lot of people. They have prestige around the world. Finding that value and agreeing on that value is really what it came down to.

Hit the jump to continue reading the conversation.

Continue reading Turn 10 talks Forza Motorsport 4 Porsche DLC with Autoblog

Turn 10 talks Forza Motorsport 4 Porsche DLC with Autoblog

It’s the battle of 1986: The best Shelby “Goes Like Hell” Dodge extant or a four-wheel-drive Volkswagen Vanagon powered by a flat six from a Porsche 911. Both of these awesome rides popped up in our inbox this morning, thanks to our favorite automotive classifieds site, Bring A Trailer. Argument ensued, with good cases made for both.

The Shelby Dodge is, of course, based on the Omni econobox. But with a turbocharged 2.2-liter four making 175 horsepower and a curb weight around 2,200 pounds, the GLHS was a real performance car. With a bit of tuning, the turbo Dodge engines were capable of topping 200 hp; this in an era in which V8 Ford Mustang GT’s were barely pumping out 200 horses. Given that only 500 Shelby GLHS’s were built, we’ve got to imagine you’d be hard-pressed to find a better example than this one, claimed to have just 6,600 miles on the odo. It’s for sale by a Michigan dealer on eBay.

The Vanagon is the sort of project we all dream of undertaking in our backyards. With a 3.2-liter, air-cooled six pulled from an ‘89 911, we don’t imagine this Syncro will have any problems making it up any mountain passes. Dumping the VW wasserboxer is a favorite Vanagon owner pastime, and given the historic relationship between the companies, we think it’s only right to source Porsche power rather than the more common Subaru engine swap. The Syncro is for sale on TheSamba.com.

So help us resolve the Autoblog Staff Argument of the Day and vote in our poll, and click on the galleries below to see lots of photos of these two sweet vehicles.

View Poll

Settle our Dispute: 6,660-mile Omni GLHS or Porsche-powered Vanagon

File this one under sketchy. Temple of VTEC has been tipped off to what is purported to be a patent filing for an Acura NSX Convertible. And as you can see from the photo above, that’s about all we have to go on.

Is this in fact a droptop version of Honda’s supercar? Or is it nothing more than Honda’s due diligence to protect its intellectual property rights? Either way, it’s got the NSX fans in a tizzy trying to figure out what exactly it means, when they can (dream about) buying one, how much they’ll (never be able to) pay and why the original NSX is better/worse than the new one.

Feel free to continue these and other arguments here on Autoblog. Check out the original post and related comments on Temple of VTEC for more fodder, but not before taking a gander at the images above.

Acura NSX Convertible revealed in patent drawings?

It is expected that the BMW 4 Series – which will be what we used to call the 3 Series coupe and convertible – is expected to be revealed sometime later this year. Nevertheless, it still has much to hide, since it’s wearing the same amount of all-sheathing camouflage as when we saw it four months ago.

This is the convertible version, and it is figured to be the new 3 Series with a few tweaks at the front. It is capped by a folding hardtop and presumably uses the same engines offered in the 3. When the camo does come off, we’re anxious to see if the lower front intake really does retain the shape of a Wallace-and-Grommit smile.

BMW 4 Series Convertible spotted buttoned up for winter

We love ourselves some Ford Transit Connect. The funky-looking little vanlet is so endearingly functional that we’re happy to forgive its lackluster drivetrain and questionable interior. Now it appears that Ford aims to address at least one of these ails with its big brother, the upcoming larger Transit Van.

Ford has announced that buyers of the van that will eventually replace the aged Econoline in America will be able to order Ford’s twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine that puts power to the Transit’s rear wheels. Ford hasn’t released any specifics on power output or fuel economy just yet, but the same engine is good for a heavenly 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque when bolted to the F-150 where it accounts for 40 percent of sales.

Even in that heavier chassis, the EcoBoost V6 returns 18 mpg combined compared to 23 mpg combined for the smaller Transit Connect Van with its 136-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Ford also hasn’t said what we can expect in terms of tow rating or gross vehicle weight, though those are certain to keep pace with the current E-Series van as a result of the staggering amount of torque available from the turbocharged, direct-injection Ecoboost V6.

Continue reading Ford Transit van will be offered with EcoBoost V6

Ford Transit van will be offered with EcoBoost V6

The Volkswagen Group is comprised of 11 brands producing 240 vehicles across 49 factories throughout the world. So the best way to show off the range of the VW family is to cram a few thousand journalists and VIPs into a massive makeshift stand to outline the Group’s goals, what’s in the pipeline and what you’ll be able to buy later this year.

To that end, VW pulled out all the stops on the eve of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, bringing along 10 vehicles from across the range. We’ll be delving into the details of each over the next two days of show coverage, but before that happens, you can read all about what we saw tonight from the cheap seats after the break.

Continue reading Volkswagen Group previews its wares on eve of Geneva show

Volkswagen Group previews its wares on eve of Geneva show

Though the Geneva Motor Show doesn’t open until tomorrow morning, automakers have thrown the doors open on their own evening events in order to get a captive audience away from the show. We’ve just returned from the bright lights of Mercedes-Benz and its new A-Class reveal, and we have to say, it looks far more enticing than spy shots had led to us to believe.

Displayed in a trio of uplevel trims, we were particularly taken with the bold surfacing on the car’s two-box profile, as well as the unique and premium-looking “diamond” grille treatments derived from last year’s more radical New York Auto Show concept car. Even the interiors come off as upscale, with convincing carbon fiber-look dashboard treatments and round HVAC vents that riff on those of the SLS AMG gullwing.

Simply put, the loaded interiors we saw put even the updated C-Class cabins to utter shame, and they shade those of the current Audi A3 (a new one is being introduced here in Geneva), Volvo C30 and anything in the Mini portfolio. They even seem to be surprisingly roomy – we observed a journalist who had to be six-foot, six-inches find a comfortable seating position without issue. Said scribe had also driven to the show in a new M-Class and proclaimed the materials in the new A-Class to be “not that far off.”

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatches new level of refinement for its class [w/video]

Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatches new level of refinement for its class [w/video]

We record Episode #272 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and we’ll be joined by Brad Fanshaw from the SPEED Channel’s Car Warriors. You can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below, check out our discussion topics or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #272

• Bentley EXP 9 F Concept
• Chevrolet Volt production idled
• Grand National and GNX Buicks from SLP

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Submit your quesetions for Autoblog Podcast #272 LIVE with Brad Fanshaw

If the Geneva Motor Show is good for anything, it’s getting a closer look at some of the world’s more lust-worthy vehicles, including the Bentley Continental GTC V8. Like its hardtop twin, the GTC gets its power from a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine good for 500 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque. Coupled to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, the engine can push the big convertible to 60 mph in a scant 4.7 seconds. Top speed is a suitably ludicrous 187 mph, though Bentley says the GTC V8 produces better fuel economy than ever before.

How much better? The forced-induction V8 delivers up to 40 percent better fuel economy than models equipped with the heavy-breathing W12 engine, thanks in part to a cylinder deactivation system that allows the engine to run part-time on just four cylinders.

While the GTC V8 comes with 20-inch wheels as standard equipment, buyers may also opt for 21-inch rollers if they so desire. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Bentley debuts Continental GTC V8 before Geneva

Bentley debuts Continental GTC V8 before Geneva

The Chevrolet Volt may not be selling well, but it’s one of the most lauded cars in history. Today the plug-in hybrid was named the 2012 European Car of the Year, an award it will share with its European fraternal twin, the Opel Ampera.

The Volt won North American Car of the Year in 2011, while also picking up car of the year accolades from Motor Trend, Automobile, and nabbing Green Car of the Year from Green Car Journal. Britain’s What Car? awarded the Vauxhall Ampera – as the Opel model is called in the U.K. – its Green Car of the Year award, as well.

But the Volt has been at the center of one controversy after another, since even before it was launched. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into a battery fire showed the car was not defective, but it led to the Ampera being delayed. Recent negative publicity among right-leaning political pundits has contributed to making the Volt something of an enigma for General Motors, which just announced it was suspending production of the slow-selling car.

While Europe was never envisioned as the prime market for the Volt/Ampera, GM says it already has 7,000 orders for the Ampera and that the company expects to hit its target of 10,000 sales this year. Certainly, winning this award, presented at the Geneva Motor Show for the first time this year, should help.

The Volt/Ampera finished significantly ahead of the Volkswagen Up! and Ford Focus in the European Car of the Year voting, which included a field of 35 vehicles.

To read the full press release, click past the jump.

Continue reading Chevy Volt and Opel Ampera named 2012 European Car of the Year

Chevy Volt and Opel Ampera named 2012 European Car of the Year

The Aventador J adheres to a pretty simple recipe, namely dispense with everything unnecessary to going fast.

Let’s cut to the chase here: Yes, it’s a real car, and yes, it’s for sale. Lamborghini makes that point clear at the end of its press release, and we imagine the furor among the 1% to get that first spot in the queue will be enough to rival the 99% on iPad 3 launch day.

The Aventador J adheres to a pretty simple recipe, namely dispense with everything unnecessary to going fast, like the climate control and nav systems. Lambo has also given the roof and windshield of the Aventador LP700-4 coupe the Sawzall treatment, fitting small wind deflectors instead. The company says it’s going for a two-seat sport-bike effect, so it’s done some other interesting things to lower the curb weight of the J.

Notable here is the use of a new carbon fiber fabric called “Carbonskin” that Lamborghini claims is soft enough to be used on the seats and interior trim. Carbon fiber is used in more traditional ways throughout the rest of the car – in the bumpers, designed to increase downforce, the front air scoop, complete with winglets, and in the huge rear diffuser.

Powered by the same 700-hp 6.5-liter 12-cylinder as the standard Aventador, the all-wheel-drive J is capable of speeds over 300 kph (186 mph), meaning the driver and passenger had better have their helmets at the ready.

Click the images above to see our full gallery of images and look below for the full press release.

Continue reading Lamborghini Aventador J roadster is a sport bike built for two, and it’s for sale

Lamborghini Aventador J roadster is a sport bike built for two, and it’s for sale

There once was a time, not so long ago, that if you wanted a luxury SUV, your options basically came down to a Range Rover. The Bentley of off-road vehicles, they called it. But those days are behind us, as nearly every luxury automaker is making a sport-ute of its own. And soon, so will Bentley.

Called the EXP 9 F, the vehicle you see here is a concept, er, truck, that Bentley will unveil at the Geneva Motor Show this week. Although still a design study, strictly speaking, the EXP 9 F previews what could emerge as a third model line for Crewe to roll alongside the Continental and Mulsanne. Power comes from the same 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 as found in the Continental, but in a drastically different form, and V8 and hybrid propulsion are also being considered for production.

Charting new territory for the Flying B marque, the EXP 9 F aims to apply traditional Bentley styling cues to an SUV shape, from the oversized air intakes to the split rear tailgate. And based on these images… well, let’s just say we’re not convinced yet. The interior space, however, looks as pleasant a place to be as any vehicle ever to roll out of Crewe. And if that blend of questionable shape and beautiful cabin sounds familiar, look straight to the Porsche Cayenne, a vehicle ushered into reality – a first for its brand as well – by the same Wolfgang Dürheimer who now heads Bentley.

We’ll reserve final judgement for when we see it tomorrow in person in Geneva, where Bentley says it will be evaluating public reaction with an eye towards potential production. In the meantime you can check out the images in the gallery above and the press release below for a closer look.

Continue reading Bentley previews luxury performance SUV with EXP 9 F concept

Bentley previews luxury performance SUV with EXP 9 F concept

The Volkswagen Cross Coupe is back and headed to the Geneva Motor Show this week, this time with an innovative diesel hybrid drivetrain under the hood.

Details are scarce at the moment, but the company says a TDI engine works in conjunction with not one, but two electric motors to propel the vehicle. All told, the combination is good for fuel economy of 1.8 liters per 100 kilometers on the European cycle, which translates to a staggering 130 miles per gallon. It’s worth remembering, however, that European and domestic testing cycles vary greatly.

Even with the vehicle’s impressive fuel economy, the Cross Coupe has over 300 horsepower on tap and a top speed of 136 mph. We certainly like the sound of that combination. So, is a diesel hybrid from Volkswagen headed to production anytime soon? Hard telling. Odds are we’ll hear more when the Cross Coupe debuts later this week. Hit the jump for the brief press release.

Continue reading Volkswagen revisits Cross Coupé concept for Geneva, now with PHEV drivetrain

Volkswagen revisits Cross Coupé concept for Geneva, now with PHEV drivetrain

Now that Forza Motorsport 4 developer Turn 10 Studios and Need for Speed developer Electronic Arts finally “found the right terms,” you can have Porsche in your Forza. The Porsche Expansion Pack will be available for 1,600 MS points or $19.99, and will reward you with 30 products from the Stuttgart maker including the 2010 911 Sport Classic. Turn 10 says that seven of the 30 will be completely new to the series, which probably means you can expect the return of classics from Forza 3 like the 962.

The pack isn’t included in the game’s Season Pass, but your Porsche Expansion Pack won’t just get cars, either: there will be 20 new events, 10 XBox Live achievements and a Rivals Mode all based on Porsches as well. The pack is scheduled to be available on May 22 and will take FM4’s car count (with DLCs) to 625. The licensing deal isn’t long-term, so if Porsches are your thing you should mark May 22 on your calendar.

The other two new events on the Forza 4 horizon are that level caps have been raised from 150 to 999, and a new game called Forza Horizon is on the way. It’s being developed by an outside studio called Playground Games and no one seems to know anything about it beyond Turn 10’s assessment that “it’s a fast-paced pick-up-and-play racing game.” There’s a video trailer for Horizon after the jump which won’t tell you anything more than you already know, but sounds pretty cool.

Continue reading Porsche Expansion Pack bringing 30 cars to Forza Motorsport 4 [w/video]

Porsche Expansion Pack bringing 30 cars to Forza Motorsport 4 [w/video]