2012 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Series 51 – Click above for high-res image gallery
The Continental has become the default choice for the upper crust of car buyers that it’s become known as the of the luxury market. The thing is, not everyone wants to pull up the country/yacht/private club in the same thing everyone else is driving. It’d be a shame, though, if more individualistic customers were deterred from considering the Bentley, because it’s one heck of a car. So to offer a little extra touch of individuality, Crewe has rolled out the Series 51.
Already on the coupe and convertible, the Series 51 edition can now be ordered as well on the Continental Flying Spur sedan. The choice trim level gives customers a broader range of color options, including two-tone exteriors, three-tone interiors, special veneer choices, and new nine-spoke, graphite-finish 19-inch alloys unique to the Series 51 (and different from the 14-spoke dubs on the coupe and convertible versions). Crewe’s design team has put together 14 special color combinations for the Bentley Continental Flying Spur Series 51 (which also challenges for the title of longest name yet), but buyers can specify an infinite array of combos of their choosing.
Along with the Series 51, Bentley has announced new front-fender air vents for any Flying Spur, as well as blue brake calipers, and the inclusion of a new touchscreen infotainment system on the Spur or the coupe and convertible – an upgrade that was far overdue. Full details can be found in the press release after the jump, along with the high-resolution images in the gallery below.
If Volkswagen has taught us anything, it’s that you can never be too rich or have too many high-dollar automakers under your umbrella. Europe’s largest auto group already encompasses , and , is in the process of absorbing , and makes a couple more six-figure sports cars with badges. But according to reports coming in from Europe, VW has its eyes set on acquiring yet another top-dollar automaker: .
Given that it already owns Maranello’s most direct competitor, you might be inclined to file this report in the “wild rumor of the day” category and be done with it. And while you’d certainly be justified, there’s a whole lot of eyebrow-raising statistics surrounding this report. Rival Fiat group has been looking for ways to raise capital to keep both itself and going, and selling stake in Ferrari has been tipped as a possible avenue. Reports have also Volkswagen – which reportedly has some $27 billion in cash on hand – with a possible Alfa Romeo takeover.
For his part, Fiat/Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says neither is on the table, but Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech has shown us nothing if not a penchant for buying up any brands he fancies. Given the fact that Fiat needs cash and Volkswagen is willing to spend, we wouldn’t rule anything out just yet.
We two next-generation prototypes out testing, showing off its slightly revised shape and new exterior features. We can only imagine what sort of rigorous testing procedures are involved with creating a new 911, so it doesn’t surprise us to see the the almost-naked back out on the road again.
Mum’s the word on exactly what lies underneath the 911’s new skin, though have stated that the 3.6- and 3.8-liter flat-sixes will carry over unchanged, though a new electro-hydraulic steering could be on hand in an effort to improve overall efficiency. We’ve heard rumblings about more spacious rear seats and an electronic parking brake being fitted to the new 911, as well.
We expect Porsche to take the wraps off of the new 911 sometime early next year, possibly at March’s . Until then, get another glimpse at Porsche’s pride and joy in our gallery of spy snaps below.
Haven’t we seen this play called before? Take a well-regarded European model, tweak it for the U.S. market, slap on a badge from a beleaguered North American brand, and hope for a touchdown. Indeed, the conforms to what has become ‘ version of the spread offense. Never mind that this wasn’t a winning strategy for , which tried selling various derivatives of Opel models from The General’s European operations before its demise – GM is back at it with the Regal.
Dredging up a name from the past is a curious move for a brand that wants to reinvent itself to appeal to a younger audience. (Even more curious is that the Regal moniker has dubious value, having been hung on all manner of mediocre and mostly badge-engineered cars over the past four decades.) Yet for all the skepticism inherent in the “new” GM going back to its old playbook, the Regal might actually be the car that makes this offense click.
2010 PorscheCayman – Click above for high-res image gallery
has officially announced its plans to reveal a “mid-engined sports car” next week at the , in addition to showing off its latest crop of models – the and . It might sound vague, but we’re placing bets that the German automaker’s big reveal is the , a sort of “hardtop .”
According to earlier reports, the Cayman CS will be motivated by the automaker’s 3.4-liter flat-six, with power expected to be around 333 horsepower. Much like its kin, the Clubsport’s main objective will be lightness, with sources saying that anywhere from 162 to 184 pounds will be shed from the stock Cayman S body. This means things like fabric door pulls, aluminum body components and lightweight alloy wheels will be on hand, keeping the Clubsport focused on being a nimble, spirited track day queen.
We’ll have the official word live from Los Angeles next week, so stay tuned. To read all of the elusive details, for Porsche’s press release.
is out to give us all a little taste of better living through chemistry. The company has partnered up with the minds at the Fraunhofer Institute to develop a windshield that’s resistant to fog, frost and ice. The scientists managed to apply a thin layer of indium tin oxide to the outer layer of the glass, and they say that the compound does a good job of keeping frost from forming all the way down to zero degrees Fahrenheit. Pretty impressive.
Volkswagen marketing gurus have taken to calling the coating “Low-E” for low thermal emissivity. How does it work? Details are scarce at the moment, but the manufacturer is saying the compound helps to keep heat from radiating skyward, essentially keeping the glass just a bit warmer than the ambient temperature. While the Low-E tech won’t guarantee against fogging or frosting, it does greatly reduce its likelihood.
So how long will it be before the windshield in your new is immune to Old Man Winter’s shenanigans? No one is saying for sure. VW is still ironing out a few kinks at the moment, including the fact that the indium tin oxide wreaks havoc on both radio and cell phone signals.
There are plenty of people in the world who, if the mood struck them, could stroll into a dealership and lay down cold hard cash for a vehicle of their choosing. We aren’t exactly privy to the financial records of Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider or Kevin James, but odds are that the quartet of comedians could count themselves among that crowd. This makes the fact that Adam Sandler reportedly just bought each of the stars of his newest movie a brand-new Italian exotic even more hilarious.
Word has it that Sandler wanted to show his appreciation to Rock, Spade, Schneider and James, so he shelled out around $800,000 for four unique Maserati models. We guess that a card just doesn’t adequately say “thank you for helping me rake in $270 million on Grown Ups.”
Let this be a lesson to all you bosses out there: when bonus season rolls around this year, skip the fruit cake in favor of a key fob.
2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 – Click either image for high-res image gallery
As if the wasn’t tempting enough with 440 horsepower and killer good looks, is throwing in a few extra goodies to make it that much more desirable.
First off, the Blue Oval announced today that owners of the new Boss 302 will receive a dual set of keys, one of which, ‘TracKey,’ activates a secondary PCM race tune that alters nearly 200 engine management parameters for the 5.0-liter V8. “From an engine management standpoint, we’ve done just about everything possible to give TracKey users a full race car experience,” says Jeff Seaman, powertrain engineer. “It’s not for use on the street – for example, the deceleration is set up to preserve the brakes, and the throttle response is very aggressive. A skilled driver on a closed course will really appreciate the benefits.” The TracKey also features a two-stage launch control feature similar to the one on the that can be controlled via buttons on the steering wheel.
Not wanting all of that new technology to go to waste, Ford has also announced that it will be offering customers a complimentary track day to test out their new ride. Offered through Team Mustang and Ford Racing, Boss 302 owners will be treated to driving instruction and track time at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT. Owners will need to book their own travel arrangements, but once there, everything is free of charge.
With the way things are shaping up for the Boss, we’re already pondering second mortgages and/or raiding our children’s college funds for one of the coolest pony cars ever. If you’re good at resisting such temptations, hit the jump and read all of the details in the press releases from Ford.
James Glickenhaus’ P4/5C takes shape – Click above for image gallery
The that will race in next year’s Nürburgring 24 is taking shape. All we have at this point are a bunch of shots of carbon fiber layups being adhered to a roll cage, but shouldn’t that be enough? At this rate it looks like the car, using an chassis, will be ready early next year for testing, which should give the four drivers named to the team -Mika Salo, Nicola Larini, Fabrizio Giovanardi, and Luca Cappellari – plenty of time to find any cracks in its blood red armor. The next video segment of the racer’s gestation should be coming online soon, but in the meantime check out the shots below to see the P4/5C’s progress.
Red Bull X1 full-size model – Click above for image gallery
Polyphony’s Gran Turismogames tread the line between fantasy and reality with the balance of a trapeze artist. Not only are the games themselves a close approximation of reality, but once in a while, reality jumps out of the digital world and into the tangible.
A couple of years ago the game’s creators worked with the French automaker to give birth to the GTbyCitroën – a supercar designed specifically for the game. But then they made it into a concept car and put it on display. And while it never came to be, they even considered a limited production run.
The latest collaboration brought the on board for the . Again, an extreme high-performance vehicle designed specifically for the game – this time a vision of what an F1 car could be if not for all the pesky regulations. Initial reports that the car is powered by a turbine engine are now being corrected to an F1-derived, direct-injection, twin-turbo V6. Fortunately, the 1483-horsepower output remains.
Actually building the X1 into a functioning track car would be a little pointless and undoubtedly extremely expensive, but they have made a full-size mock-up that will be unveiled during the game’s launch party, scheduled (don’t hold your breath) for Madrid in a few weeks’ time. Here’s hoping GT5 can follow that same fantasy-to-reality trajectory and land in our hands on (the revised and revised again) schedule.
Let’s try this again. After having his invitation to speak at the Detroit Economic Club rescinded last month, Steven Rattner, the former auto advisor to the Obama Administration, will get another chance to speak to Detroit. The Automotive Press Association is now hosting a lunch where Rattner will speak with members of the media on November 15, just three days before launches its IPO.
The APA says that Rattner generated quite a bit of automotive news over the past year, and that it only makes sense for the organization to give him a chance to speak directly to local news outlets.
We doubt the former car czar will answer too many hard-hitting questions, though. Rattner is currently on a tour to , “Overhaul: An Insider’s Account of the Obama Administration’s Emergency Rescue of the Auto Industry.”
[Source: Image: Neilson Barnard for Fortune Magazine/Getty Images]
2012 Ford Focus – Click above for high-res image gallery
This January CEO Alan Mulally will as one of the keynote speakers of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It’ll be the fourth time Mulally has headlined CES, and this time he’ll have one of The Blue Oval’s most anticipated new products in his corner. The has been named the official car of 2011 CES, an honor that will give the forthcoming C-Segment blockbuster the spotlight right in time for its launch. The Focus enters the market early in 2011 with most of Ford’s latest technology including Sync, MyFord Touch and Wi-Fi capability.
Ford Marketing, Sales and Service VP Ken Czubay calls the Focus the best of what Ford has to offer, adding that the vehicle will deliver “class-leading features and technologies as well as an expected 40 mpg.” Ford will showcase the Focus in several ways at CES “including more product-specific signage, displays, demonstrations and materials.”
The Focus is actually the second straight Ford to claim the title of “official car of CES,” as the Taurus held the title at CES 2010. Hit the jump to read the Ford’s release.
A McLaren crossover? You can’t be serious? Well, no more serious than or . Both of these have done sport-utes, and word has it that soon.
This project, however, comes a couple of steps short of that. Collaborating with McLaren, the students at Turin’s (IED) were assigned to create their vision of what a McLaren crossover could look like, circa 2020. The assignment called for hybrid drivetrains, mid-engine layouts, two-seat cabins and four-wheel drive. Thirty-three designs resulted, which were whittled down to 11 finalists and three winners.
The Holon, Torok and Bio Renovatio are what the winners were called, each to be made into a 1:4 scale model. Like ‘em or hate ‘em, that’s as far as they’re likely to go, but for the students who created them the sky is the proverbial limit. Check ‘em out in the gallery below and the trio of videos .
2010 Audi A1 Wörthersee custom – Click above for high-res image gallery
If you were surprised chose to for the top-spec version of the A1 premium hatch, hold on to your hats, because the rumor mill is spinning up again. This time, reports direct from Germany suggest that Ingolstadt may choose to skip the S1 altogether and go straight to the top with a new RS1.
The move would necessitate the adaption of the A1’s chassis to accommodate all-wheel drive as , with power potentially coming from the same 2.0-liter TFSI engine found in the , and the Cooper JCW in its sites. A series of visual upgrades would undoubtedly distinguish the RS1 from its more pedestrian stablemates, with reports tipping its arrival for early 2012.
Lamborghini LM002 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Few rumors have been as pervasive over the years as the rebirth of the Lamborghini LM002. Originally designed for military applications, the Countach-powered LM002 blended Sant’Agata’s background in tractors with the exotic supercars for which they’re now known. Ever since, reports of a follow-up have ebbed and flowed, resurfacing once again on an / platform.
Like the upcoming Porsche Cajun, the project codenamed LM00X is reportedly based on the platform. The LM00X could retain the Cajun’s three-door body-style, infused with Lamborghini styling and the lightweight construction themes spearheaded by the concept. Word has it that the would find its way into the Lambo crossover’s engine bay, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Raging Bull’s own V10 on offer, tipped to arrive as soon as 2012.
It looks like we finally have a rendering to go with the rampant speculation about the introduction of a Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet. The ever-talented Jon Sibal has turned his attention to the drop-head Vee-Dub, and has worked up what he thinks the car might look like should the the people’s automaker decide to pull the trigger on the project, which will reportedly commence in the spring of 2011. Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the board for , has already said that he would like to see a convertible version of the sixth-generation Golf, and as we all know, anything that Winterkorn wants, he typically gets.
Sibal’s rendering certainly makes for a snappy dresser, though we’re guessing that the production version will use a slightly beefier roll bar system. Of course, it’s entirely possible that the topless Golf could do away with a center roll section altogether in favor of something similar to the sturdy hoops found in the . Hop over to for a high-res look at the machine.
2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible – Click above for high-res image gallery
When you grow up in Detroit, the is so much more than just another performance car. It’s arguably the most iconic automobile born within these city limits, and anyone who’s called the area home can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride while driving the Blue Oval’s pony through the Motor City. It’s like eating a hot dog at the ballpark – you can’t explain why, but it just tastes better.
At the tippy top of the Mustang hierarchy sits the with its supercharged 5.4-liter V8, 550 horsepower and an exhaust note that will wake the neighbors. Our love for the GT500 has run deep since its debut in 2006, though most of that affection was never given to the convertible. The droptop Ford suffers from substantially more handling and rigidity issues than the coupe, and when you consider the added price that Ford charges to lob off the roof ($5,000, in this case), it can seem like a puzzling proposition.
For 2011, Ford has tweaked the GT500’s core, not to mention stiffening individual components of both the front and rear suspension setups. That, combined with a new electric power assist steering system, means this should be the most driver-focused GT500 yet. Thus, we put the top back and basked in the warm Michigan sun to rekindle our love with Detroit’s most powerful pony car. This, friends, is our kind of end-of-summer lovin’.
Jay Leno drives the Rossi SixtySix – Click above to watch video
Remember the Rossi SixtySix? It first entered our radar at , when we saw renderings of the C6-meets-63/66 Corvette. We didn’t hear any more about the car until this summer when it was announced that . Fast forward a few months and the car, as most cars tend to do, has ended up in Jay Leno’s Garage.
Leno spends some quality time with the Rossi SixtySix, as well as its Director of Design, David R. The car’s design inspiration is the C2 Corvette, but the underpinnings are all modern since it’s a C6 underneath the skin. And despite its model name being the SixtySix, there’s a split window in the back, which came from the 1963 Corvette. The point isn’t to mimic a specific model year, however, but rather to create a unique version of a car that many people love. We think the end result does a better job than the we saw at the beginning of 2008.
Regardless of the name, the SixtySix is all . Rossi takes a modern C6 donor car and applies its own body work to the chassis. The cost, including a base Corvette, will run you $130,000. The tires, wheels and suspension receive an upgrade but the powertrain remains stock. It’s up to you where you want to start under the hood, be it with the 435-horsepower base Vette or the 505-hp Z06. We’re going to assume you wouldn’t do this to a .
After talking design, Jay takes the car out on some local Southern California roads, providing real insight into a car that has gone from vaporware to very real. to check it out.
is happy with its third quarter results, which boast a 10 percent increase in revenue from last quarter’s $28.4 million to $31.2 million, an improved gross margin of 30 percent from 22 percent previously, and a net loss of $34.9 million compared to its second quarter figure of $38.5 million. While an improvement from just a quarter ago, the large net losses this year stem mostly from development costs associated with the upcoming sedan, which is planned for launch in 2012. R&D costs alone shot up from just $1.3 million in last year’s Q3 to $26.7 million this year. According to CEO Elon Musk:
We are very pleased to report steady top-line growth and significant growth in gross margin, driven by the continued improvement in Roadster orders and our growing powertrain business. Roadster orders in this quarter hit a new high since the third quarter of 2008, having increased over 15 percent from last quarter. While some of this is due to seasonal effects associated with selling a convertible during the summer months, we are pleased with the global expansion of the Roadster business and the continued validation of Tesla’s technology leadership position evidenced by our new and expanding strategic relationships.
The Palo Alto, California-based electric carmaker continues to work hard in the fourth quarter. October was a busy month that included the company’s in Fremont, CA and the signing of a $60 million development deal with for the electric version of the . In November, in Tesla stock. With the company’s to develop next-generation battery packs on track, the planned launch of the more affordable Model S in 2012, and the continued growth of incentives being offered by countries around the world for the purchase of electric vehicles, Tesla may just yet prove its doubters wrong.
