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It’s been almost a fortnight, which just might be a record, since we last visited a previously unheard-of supercar-maker. Next up to keep the high-po exotic ball in play is Tushek Supercars, hailing from Slovenia (that’s here), with its quaintly archaically named Forego T700. The company just made an appearance at the Top Marques Monaco with its first car, the 444-horsepower Renovatio T500 (pictured in our gallery below) with a modular hardtop, but the T700 will push things much further.

Founder Aljosa Tushek told Autocar the T700’s targets: less than 2,200 pounds, more than 700 horsepower, up to 3.3gs for cornering. That latter number sounds like a math error would not only double the Renovatio’s number, it would triple the cornering force sustained by the Lamborghini Aventador around the Nardo test track.

The limited-to-30-units Renovatio is priced at £245,000 ($394,934 U.S.) with deliveries promised later this year. Due in 2013, you can expect the T700 to outdo the T500’s price by at least double as well, and you can expect both of them to never be sold in the U.S.

Slovenian supercar builder aims to tackle Lamborghini Aventador

Porsche fettler RUF is bringing six new products to the Geneva Motor Show, showing off what it has in mind for the 991-model 911. The company announced on its Facebook page that its 300-square-meter stand will showcase the “stunning CT”, “rocket RT”, “racer RG”, “luxury RX”, the “grandfather of RUF Turbo cars” as well as a surprise.

The image above was surreptitiously captured at the RUF shop and is purported to be the new CTR3, hiding a 700-horsepower, twin-turbo flat six good for a sub-four second run to 62 mph and a 235 mph terminal velocity. It is shaping up to be a very good Geneva show.

RUF unveiling six new models in Geneva

The Roding Roadster 23 is one of the few complete surprises we’ll expect at the Geneva Motor Show, the tiny Swiss company having managed to avoid getting its car snapped so far. In development for five years, the company’s released a bit more info on it before the reveal: still limited to 23 examples, the turbocharged inline-six has been identified as a BMW unit with 320 horsepower 332 pound-feet, the carbon fiber monocoque includes carbon fiber A-pillars, the front and rear subframes are aluminum and carbon fiber, and it will come with an installable roof.

There’s a battery-electric Roadster in development that we don’t expect at the show. Using a Siemens battery pack, it will weigh 2,475 pounds compared to the gas engine’s 2,090 pounds. Two electric motors can provide 320 max horsepower combined, but max torque rings the bell at 1,844 lb-ft combined. Continuous numbers are a still-heady 126 hp and 738 lb-ft combined.

No clue on pricing, but in spite of its Audi R8-ness, if it manages to look like the rendering and perform as promised, we imagine Roding will find 23 good homes soon enough.

Roding Roadster confirmed for Swiss reveal

In spite of the near-Pavlovian howling that commences anytime the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is mentioned, and in spite of the 5GT falling so short of its sales target that BMW has been forced to consider bringing back the 5 Series Touring, the ungainly hatch has outsold that wagon during its time on our shores. And that was before it got dressed up with an M Sport package.

It shouldn’t be a surprise then that the 3 Series GT is still rushing our way, with a report on BMW Blog (not connected to the company) declaring it will be here in March 2013. BMW is promoting the hatchback 3 as “the alternative to alternatives, a style conscious car with the dynamic prowess to match its looks,” which smacks of PR-speak veering dangerously close to Newspeak.

We’ll find out soon enough, nevertheless, for the moment, the 3GT is claimed to offer the cargo capacity of the 5 Series sedan but with even more room for everyone’s legs. It is predicted to wear a slightly different face than the rest of the 3 Series line and have frameless windows (the rendering on BMW Blog has frames). Power should be from the current 3 Series lineup of turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines.

BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo coming next March

Sure, the refreshed 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe now looks more aggressive, but the real story is under the hood, with new powertrains that pack more punch and a few more gears, as well. The V6 Genesis Coupe now features direct injection, while the turbocharged four has a new turbo and intercooler setup. Both models are available with eight-speed automatics and get slightly better fuel economy, as well.

The 3.8-liter V6 in the Genesis Coupe now makes 348 horsepower and 296 pound-feet of torque, up from 306 and 266, respectively. The 2.0T model gains even more, going from 201 horses to 274, with torque improving from 223 lb-ft to 275. (All numbers cited are with premium fuel.) Both cars retain their six-speed manuals, but now have a Hyundai-developed eight-speed with paddle-shifters as the automatic option. Despite the new automatic, fuel economy goes up by just a single digit. More importantly, Hyundai says the new V6 is good for a 0-to-60 time in the low five-second range.

There’s plenty more to this mid-lifecycle revision, including seven new exterior colors and some new hues for the interior, which has also been improved. Other hardware upgrades include a re-calibrated, quicker steering rack, front strut camber adjustment, and revised damper settings. The Genesis Coupe also gets the Hyundai BlueLink telematics system.

It’s pretty clear from the extent of this refresh that Hyundai is playing to win in the suddenly revved-up sports coupe segment. Just a few years back, several automakers had written off these enthusiast-focused models, but with new introductions like the Scion FR-S and this much more capable Genesis Coupe, things are looking good for lovers of affordable performance cars. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe turns up the wick with big horsepower boosts

2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe turns up the wick with big horsepower boosts

We’re not big fans of speed cameras. The tickets are expensive, there is no facing the accuser, there are questions of accuracy, and in some cases, these cameras don’t even appear to be helping out the governments that install them financially. And don’t even get us started about many cases in which red light signals are manipulated to increase ticket counts. While we’d like for these cameras to go the way of the dodo, the fact is that these devices are only getting better.

The latest device to strike fear in motorists is Simicon’s Cordon seen in action here. This device will be able to follow up to 32 vehicles across four lanes at the same time. It can deliver both wide-angle and close-up shots of every car, and it can simultaneously gauge speed and map vehicle position. It even has an available advanced license plate recognition system. Sound scary? It gets worse. The Cordon is also more difficult to spot, as it can be mounted on a tripod or road sign. The devices will be easy to update as well, as it can use WiFi, 3G or WiMAX to quickly sync with databases.

Cordon isn’t on U.S. streets yet, but our sister site, Engadget, says that the devices will begin landing in North America by the first quarter of 2012. Hit the jump to watch video of the Cordon in action during a field trial, and feel free to join us in fear.

Continue reading Cordon multi-target speed camera is terrifying

Cordon multi-target speed camera is terrifying

Five years ago, a gent named Art Morrison won the Gran Turismo Award at SEMA for his 3G Corvette. A come-hither restomod, Morrison had tucked a bucket of modern internals – like his own chassis supporting an aluminum V8 with 538 horsepower and a Viper transmission – under the body of a 1960 Corvette. The prize meant that his car would appear in Playstation’s GT5, which it did the following year (as seen at right).

Matt Farrah, in his guise as Mr. Smoking Tire, got the 3G Corvette out of the video game and onto the cambered apexes of Nevada’s Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch. What happens after that looks and sounds a lot better than anything you’ll see in GT5. Follow the jump to check it out.

Continue reading Matt Farah drives the Art Morrison 3G 1960 Corvette

Matt Farah drives the Art Morrison 3G 1960 Corvette

With three different variants of the 2013 Lexus GS in the pipeline, Lexus is taking to the Frankfurt Motor Show to highlight the hybrid version just a few weeks after the GS 350 debuted in Pebble Beach.

Nothing’s particularly different on the outside of the GS 450h compared to its standard sibling, with the exception of a few hybrid badges and Lexus’ trademark blue logos. Under the hood, an Atkinson Cycle 3.5-liter V6 with a 13:1 compression ratio, some intake tweaks and a high-output, water-cooled electric motor brings output up to 338 horsepower and an undisclosed amount of torque. In standard Eco mode, the PCU dolls out 500V on justice while Sport increases voltage to 650V to maximize off-the-line acceleration. Lexus claims a 0-60 mph time of 5.6 seconds, but isn’t giving up fuel economy numbers just yet.

All the runnings bits from the standard GS carry over unchanged, including the Lexus Dynamic Handling System with four-wheel steering. Expect more from the show floor tomorrow, but in the meantime, check out the first batch of images and press release below the fold.

Continue reading Lexus debuts GS450h ahead of Frankfurt

Lexus debuts GS450h ahead of Frankfurt

Nobody can throw an anniversary party like the folks at Pebble Beach. To celebrate 50 years of the Ferrari 250 GTO, the world’s most famous classic car show convened an incredible collection of Enzo’s most coveted creation. And what a gathering it was. More than half of the 39 250 GTOs in existence were on display – the official number quoted was 22, although we could only count 21. The line of cars literally stretched farther than our cameras could capture. Factoring in the going rate of $25 million for a 250 GTO, the collection of Ferraris represented more than half a billion dollars worth of Pininfarina sheet metal and V12 engines.

Some of the more notable 250 GTOs present:

1961 Ferrari 250 GT Sperimentale, chassis 2643GT: This is regarded as the 250 GTO prototype, being the first Ferrari to combine the 250 SWB chassis and the race-spec 3.0L V12. The car raced at Le Mans in 1961 and at Daytona in 1962 with Stirling Moss behind the wheel.

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3223GT: This is the first official 250 GTO built. The car has several distinctive features including mis-matched headlights that were thrown on the car during a race at Daytona to help the drivers see the wall on the banking at night. This car was selected as the best in class.

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3705GT:This 250 GTO has one of the best racing histories, finishing first in class at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, second overall. The car won every race it entered in 1965.

1964 Ferrari 250 GTO/64, chassis 5571GT:The first of three Series II 250 GTOs that features the lower and shorter Pininfarina body. The car raced at Sebring and Le Mans and was driven to victory at Daytona by Phil Hill.

You can see these 250 GTOs and the rest from the 50th anniversary celebration at Pebble Beach in the high-res gallery above.

Ferrari 250 GTO gathering takes over Pebble Beach

We’re sure the suits at Fiat are excited about finally managing to launch the 500 here in America. It seems the folks at Chrysler’s customizing arm, Mopar are just as happy to see the little Italian land in the States. To show their enthusiasm, Mopar has announced a plethora of parts that will allow Cinquecento owners to make their new hatchback their own.

We’re talking about 20 or 30 items here, either. Mopar has 500 fever, and will offer over 150 parts and accessories for the little Fiat. This includes everything from custom key covers, exterior decals and roof racks on to a WiFi-supplying Uconnect system offering 3G broadband internet.

Check out a few of the Mopar goodies in the gallery, and read more about the items in the full press release after the jump.

Continue reading Mopar releases 150 accessories for Fiat 500

Mopar releases 150 accessories for Fiat 500

Continue reading 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S Edition 918 Spyder

2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S Edition 918 Spyder

Honda has launched a new compact wagon in its home market of Japan. Called the Fit Shuttle, the mini MPV comes in two flavors; the Fit Shuttle 15X and the Fit Shuttle Hybrid. The 15X gets its name from the 1.5-liter i-VTEC motor under the hood, which returns nearly 44 miles per gallon using the Japanese 10·15 testing procedure, which matches that of the standard Fit. If you desire even more fuel efficiency, the Fit Shuttle Hybrid utilizes a 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine that’s paired with Honda’s IMA hybrid system. The hybrid will leisurely sip fuel at a rate of nearly 59 miles per gallon using the same test, again matching the regular Fit Hybrid.

Both Fit Shuttle variants are five-passenger people movers that feature a veritable arena of cargo space, relative to the vehicle’s compact size. Storage is readily available above the low load floor, but there’s more hiding underneath. The rear row of seats can be stowed, creating a flat cargo space. The varying rear end arrangements allow for a wide variety of cargo to fit inside the Fit Shuttle.

Besides the cargo being comfortable, passengers will be entertained by the InterNavi system that’s equipped with the Linkup Free system. Utilizing a 3G connection, Linkup Free allows users to quickly transmit and receive data while on the go.

The Honda Fit Shuttle 15X starts at 1,610,000 Yen, or about $19,943 U.S. at current exchange rates. Pricing for the Fit Shuttle Hybrid begins at 1,810,000 Yen, which is around $22,420 U.S. Click past the jump for the full press release, and check out the all-new Honda Fit Shuttle in the included image gallery.

Continue reading Honda Fit Shuttle goes on sale in Japan in gas and hybrid spec

Honda Fit Shuttle goes on sale in Japan in gas and hybrid spec

BMW 3 Series GT shakes its rump

Vicki Butler-Henderson has driven her fair share of amazing cars. She started racing karts when she was a kid, has been an instructor at Silverstone and has been a TV host and automotive journalist since the mid-1990s. Suffice it to say, it takes a lot to impress Ms. Butler-Henderson.

As the following video shows, the 2011 BMW M3 GTS managed to do just that. She describes exactly what she loves about the GTS while hooning its wheels off around a very wet, very slippery test track, and between guttural sounds and breathless description, Butler-Henderson points out that the M3 GTS’s prodigious power, phenomenal brakes and telepathic steering make it “an amazing, amazing car.” Click past the jump to check out the footage for yourself.

[Source: Youtube]

Continue reading Video: Vicki from Fifth Gear takes BMW’s M3 GTS out for some fun in the rain

Video: Vicki from Fifth Gear takes BMW’s M3 GTS out for some fun in the rain

We’d bet that most Dukes of Hazzard fans figured out by age 10 that no 1969 Dodge Charger could take the abuse dished out by the Duke boys. And even if you thought the General Lee could really nail all those jumps, you probably didn’t feel so confident about “Crazy” Cooter Davenport’s ability to do the same in his 1968 Chevrolet pickup.

If only everyone had this much common sense. Beyond the jump is video proof that all would-be stunt drivers should befriend a mathematician and a physicist before attempting any stupid jumps. The beginning of the video looks promising enough, as the beat-up old Silverado approaches the dirt ramp, but it doesn’t take long for the epic fail to unfold. Good thing the driver was wearing a helmet, because this does not look like a minor collision. Hit the jump to watch and cringe for yourself.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Wince-inducing Chevy Silverado jump attempt

Video: Wince-inducing Chevy Silverado jump attempt

With the 2011 Chicago Auto Show out of the way, manufacturers can now turn their attentions toward Geneva. Apparently, Gumpert has done just that. As we’ve heard, the supercar manufacturer is planning to yank the sheets back on its Tornante next month, and we now have a decent idea of what the bruiser will bring to the table when it arrives. The newest Gumpert will offer up a little more refinement than the speed-above-all-else Apollo, and the grand tourer will likely boast a more comfortable cabin and civil ride as a result.

Don’t expect performance to fall off by any massive degree, though. Buyers will still get to sink their teeth into the juicy 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 engine responsible for sending the Apollo’s tires to the smoky beyond. The mill will still be bolted to the same TT40e transmission, though a new set of paddle shifters will handle cog-swapping detail.

There is some word that Gumpert is also working on an alternative-power drivetrain, but details are skimpy on that machine at the moment. Feel free to click past the break for the official press release.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL

[Source: Gumpert]

Continue reading Gumpert Tornante details come into focus ahead of Geneva

Gumpert Tornante details come into focus ahead of Geneva

There are plenty of companies making a single line of supercars. Pagani, Weismann, Spyker, McLaren… we could go on and on. But if you’re going to pick a serious fight with established names like Ferrari and Lamborghini, you’re going to need a second line. And that’s precisely what Gumpert has in store for us at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

You may recognize the name Gumpert as the company behind the Apollo, a ridiculously fast and extreme exotic supercar. It was founded by one Roland Gumpert, former head of the motorsport division at Audi, whose engine powers the Apollo with as much as 800 horsepower.

The Apollo, however, is derided as having been thoroughly worked over by the ugly stick. And that’s where Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera comes in. The Milanese coachbuilder has designed a new mid-engined V8 “fast tourer” called the Tortante with a composite shell over a space frame and carbon fiber monocoque. Enticing to be sure, and you can read the full announcement after the jump, but for the moment that’s all we have to go by.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL

[Source: Gumpert]

Continue reading Gumpert announces Touring-designed Tornante for Geneva

Gumpert announces Touring-designed Tornante for Geneva

You remember Vertu, don’t you? The upmarket Nokia division makes a range of luxury mobile phones for the jet-setting crowd, and back a few years ago, they were cranking out what seemed like an endless stream of special editions connected in some manner or another to cars. Whether it was the automotive-grade construction or specific branding, the Ascent model in particular had an automotive theme to it.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen any new models coming from Vertu with that car enthusiast bent, but now the brand is back with another Ferrari-branded mobile device. The latest Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari edition is decidedly lower-key than its predecessors – in color scheme, anyway – with a matte black PVD-coated titanium construction and subtle hints of red on the keypad, the hand-stitched leather trim on the back and the crackle-finish side grip styled after Maranello’s trademark cam covers.

The new Ferrari phone is built atop the refreshed model released last year, and packs a 2-inch QVGA sapphire crystal display and quad-band 3G connectivity for use around the world. And of course the requisite Prancing Horse logos. Only 2,011 examples will be offered to those who find the Motorola or Acer Ferrari phone too plebeian, with a price tag sure to stretch well into four figures.

[Source: Vertu via Engadget]

Vertu prances back in with a new Ferrari-branded mobile phone

A derby-and-mask shod Seth Rogen and a mask-wearing Jay Chou owned the weekend box office reprising roles that were originally created in 1936: The Green Hornet and Kato, a superhero and his martial-arts-maven sidekick that began as a radio show in the 1930s. If the trailers are to be believed, this is the first superhero film in which the sidekick is more badass than his boss. It actually makes sense, though, because the first actor to play the role of Kato onscreen was none other than Bruce Lee in his first big American role. But what is perhaps most important about our current duo is the wheeled fiend they’ll be driving: a Chrylser Imperial called Black Beauty. A supercar long before there were Murcielagos and Veyrons, Black Beauty is so significant to the story that it gets just as much time and space as the superhumans in the trailers and on the billboards.

For The Green Hornet television show of 1966 and 1967, with Van Williams as the stinger leading Bruce Lee, two Black Beauties were built by star Hollywood carmaker Dean Jeffries, both based on 1966 Imperials. The first of those cars, the driving car, has disappeared into the void that we assume also contains Amelia Earheart and the aliens who made crop circles. But the second car, the hero car with all the gadgets – that still work, mind you – that one is parked in The Petersen Museum in Los Angeles. And because Autoblog enjoys doing its homework before going to see a film, we went to see it.

Continue reading…

Photos copyright (C)2011 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL

Continue reading Meet The Green Hornet’s original Black Beauty

Meet The Green Hornet’s original Black Beauty

Jeep has proclaimed itself as “one of the world’s few, true icons.” Normally, we’d take issue with such a brazen statement, but in the case of Jeep, we don’t really disagree. In fact, in a good portion of the developed world, the word ‘Jeep” is synonymous with sport utility vehicles in general… like Kleenex or Coke.

With that in mind, Chrysler think it’s time to celebrate Jeep’s 70th anniversary in 2011, and as you might expect, the off-road specialist is releasing a slew of special editions to commemorate the occasion. All of the new 2011 models – one each of Jeep’s five models – will be available in a unique Bronze Star exterior paint in addition to Bright Silver and Black along with the appropriate spate of 70th Anniversary badges.

All five 70th Anniversary Jeeps will come with a dark perforated leather interior (either Dark Slate or Dark Olive, depending on the model) with Chestnut stitching, Berber carpeting (yes, really), unique cluster overlays and 70th Anniversary logos on the radio. Past that, each model gets its own set of touches that will set it apart from its non-Anniverarized siblings.

We’ll grab some live photos of these machines here at the Detroit Auto Show soon enough. In the meantime, get the complete details in the press release after the break, and also be sure to peruse all the milestones in Jeep’s 70 years of history.

[Source: Jeep]

Continue reading Detroit 2011: Jeep celebrates 70th Anniversary with special edition models

Detroit 2011: Jeep celebrates 70th Anniversary with special edition models