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Earlier this year, Volvo and Polestar debuted the C30 Polestar Performance Prototype hot hatch, showing what would happen if a Swedish touring car were tuned down for road car use. It’s a menacing little devil, what with its turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five boosted to 405 horsepower, Haldex all-wheel drive, massive brakes and raft of other performance add-ons.

The team at Autocar recently had the chance to flog the Polestar C30 around Volvo’s proving grounds, saying that the hatch feels like a well-sorted version of Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution or even a “junior Nissan GT-R.” High praise, indeed, and we don’t doubt them. Obviously, we won’t be seeing a production version of the vicious C30 anytime soon, but this exercise mostly shows what sort of performance machines could come from a partnership between Volvo and Polestar. This would certainly give BMW’s M and Audi’s S/RS divisions a run for their money, and we’ll never complain about having too many hot hatches on the market.

Follow the jump to watch Autocar’s test of the Polestar C30, and head back to our earlier post to read all the details about the road-ready touring car.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Autocar calls Polestar Volvo C30 a ‘junior Nissan GT-R’

Video: Autocar calls Polestar Volvo C30 a ‘junior Nissan GT-R’

Enough is enough here, people. Sure, Mansory has given us a couple of lookers, like the Bugatti Veyron Vincero and the Aston Martin Cyrus. But there isn’t enough carbon fiber in the world to make up for some of its more questionable lapses in judgment. We’re talking here about the Pepto-pink Bentley, the gilded Rolls, and this latest Porsche Panamera.

Now the renderings which Mansory released back in October didn’t look bad, per se. At least not in relation to the unfortunately-shaped vehicle on which it is based. But somewhere along the line from conception to realization, all measure of good taste appears to have gone right out the window. One of the many windows, anyway.

It’s hard to argue with what Mansory has done under that long front hood. After all, what’s not to like about boosting the Turbo’s output from 500 horsepower all the way up to 690? The claimed four-second 0-62 sprint is hard to find fault with too. But they’ve lost us after that. The exterior has been fitted with an outlandish carbon fiber body kit, including front skirt, hood, LED running lights, wheel arches, side skirts, diffuser and rear wing. And those specially-designed wheels, of course. But if you can’t stand the sight of the garish bodywork, don’t even dare check out the custom interior with its Polo-Sport-on-acid two-tone leather upholstery. If you’re a glutton for punishment, though, you can check it all out in the gallery below. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you.

[Source: Mansory]

Man, Sorry Just Doesn’t Cut It: Porsche Panamera Turbo by Mansory

These interwebs are full or rumor and conjecture. The juiciest tidbits we publish here for your consideration and amusement. The latest? That the upcoming roadster version of the Ferrari 458 Italia will receive a retractable hard top.

Now if you’re thinking – given the “unavoidable” extra weight – that a hard top on a performance exotic makes about as much sense as a screen door on a proverbial submarine, we dare to challenge that assumption. Maybe that was once the case, and arguably still is for most automakers, but Ferrari’s carved out a niche for itself as an expert in lightweight construction and advanced design.

Say what you will about the Ferrari California, but during its development Maranello claims to have found the use of a hard-top convertible mechanism was actually lighter in weight than an equivalent fabric roof would have been. (Not to mention that, in true Prancing Horse style, it’s the fastest in the business.) And remember the Superamerica it made out of the 575M with that innovative flip-top invented by former Pininfarina designer (and deputy Ferrari GM) Leonardo Fioravanti?

Couple those past experiences with reports that the convertible version of arch-rival McLaren’s MP4-12C could also go drop-tin-top, and suddenly a 458 Spider with a hard top doesn’t seem quite so far-fetched.

[Source: Teamspeed.com via Motor Authority]

Rumormill: Ferrari 458 Spider to go hard-top?

It’s been far too long since Toyota’s products have been imbued with anything short of clinical, appliance-like precision. Handling prowess and communicative steering has taken a back seat to ruthless efficiency, especially true when you turn to the company’s eco-friendly vehicles such as the Prius, where the entertainment factor is basically non-existent. Toyota chief executive officer Akio Toyoda doesn’t believe this is a viable path to the future, and has ordered company engineers to spice up the brand’s products.

Before the Pedalgate debacle, Toyoda gave several speeches where he constantly talks about “seasoning” the company’s lineup of bland vehicles and points out that future products will be “fun to drive.” Toyoda notes that the company’s hybrid sports car concept, a convertible loosely based on the retired MR2, is exactly the type of thing to expect from Toyota in the near future. As Toyoda said of the MR2 hybrid concept, “I wanted a car that shows what we are aiming for, something affordable, fun to drive and good for the environment.” Making eco-friendly cars is something that’s apparently quite easy for Toyota, but upping the enjoyability quotient from behind a Toyota steering wheel still presents a challenge. Still, we’re definitely looking forward to the time when the combination of “fun-to-drive” and “Toyota” are no longer diverging concepts.

[Source: Autoweek]

Toyota CEO wants to add “fun to drive” to eco-friendly vehicles

Rejoice, Bimmer fans. If you thought the new BMW interest in the world of hybrids and EVs spelt the beginning of the end for your favorite driving machine, think again. Word has surfaced that the company is planning a multitude of different versions of its Megacity EV, including at least one sports car. While chatting with Autocar, Ian Robertson, the head honcho of sales and marketing for the company, said that the Megacity will be made primarily of carbon fiber in order to hit weight targets, and that it will in fact be sold under the BMW banner instead of a newly-minted nameplate.

That’s all fine and good, but what about this sports car? The publication cites an unnamed BMW board member as saying that the Megacity platform will spawn multiple variations. Combine that with word from Inside Line that the Bavarian automaker is mulling the creation of a genuine sports car to compete with the likes of the Audi R8 and Mercedes-Benz SL, and you’ve got a recipe for a genuine EV bruiser. Word has it that the creation would be sculpted in the image of the Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept.

The IL crew also says that there’s also plenty of indication that the ever lovely Grand Coupé will inspire the replacement model for the current 6 Series by late 2012. That’s no bad thing in our book.

Keep in mind that all of this is still quite a ways off, though. The Megacity isn’t expected to see the light of day until 2013 at the earliest, and any other progeny would crop up in the years to follow. In the automotive universe, a lot can change in two years.

[Source: Autocar, Inside Line]

Report: BMW Megacity to spawn EV, Sport models, Gran Coupe coming in 2012

If you’ve felt an unexplained disturbance in the automotive force recently, it can probably be attributed to the scheduled arrival of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage on American shores. We’ve been lusting after this thing since it first cropped up as concept way back in 2007, and now the ridiculously wealth or the fantastically in debt can finally get their paws on the car here in the U.S. The recipe is simple – take the brawny, 510 horsepower 6.0-liter V12 from the DBS, cram it into the engine bay of the lithe Vantage, add louvers and call it a day. Sorta.

Aston Martin has taken it upon itself to prime the collective American pump for the V12 Vantage debut by releasing a quick teaser video. It’s dipped in sweet, slow-motion glory shots of the car doing what it does best – sending tires to their smoky grave and conning otherworldly speed out of seemingly plebian strips of asphalt. There are even a few shots of the race-derived version loftily beating its way around the Nurburgring. We’re in love. Hit the jump to see it for yourself.

[Source: Aston Martin via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Aston Martin V12 Vantage rocks our world

Video: Aston Martin V12 Vantage rocks our world

The Indy Racing League has yet to announce the selection of its new chassis, but in the meantime has announced new engine regulations that will take effect in 2012.

The saga of engine suppliers in the series has been a convoluted one. During its inaugural season in 1996, carry-over engines from CART were allowed, but were replaced the following season by naturally-aspirated V8s provided by General Motors (under the Oldsmobile Aurora name) and Nissan (bearing Infiniti livery). Toyota and Honda came on board in 2003, while GM rebadged its program under Chevrolet as Oldsmobile was being shut down. Three years later Honda got the exclusive and has been supplying all the teams on the grid since, but that contract is nearing its end.

In its place, the IRL has issued a new open formula in the hope of drawing a diverse array of manufacturers to the series. For the first time since splitting with CART (with which it has since reunited), IndyCars will race under turbocharged power. Ethanol will continue to fuel the series, but beyond that, teams and engine suppliers will be free to use as many as six cylinders (in whatever configuration they choose), with displacements not exceeding 2.4 liters and power ranging between 550 and 700 horsepower.

The use of turbocharging and the variety of configurations allowed under the new formula should make for some interesting racing, and we’ll be waiting to see which manufacturers jump – or pass – at the opportunity.

[Source: Autosport]

IndyCar goes Turbo: 2012 engine regs open to multiple manufacturers, configurations

Here in the U.S., the Smart ForTwo has proven less than successful considering the needs of most of drivers. Sold here on the merits of its efficiency, the Smart’s true element is in the cities of Europe, where the small size allows nose-in parking and a diesel powertrain that’s actually pleasant to drive. Mini and its BMW parents think that there may be something to Smart’s success, even though the company has said in the past that small city cars aren’t profitable.

According to an Autocar source, a Mini city car concept may debut within the next year. Part of the impetus for the reversal is BMW’s backing of a three-cylinder engine, as well as a heavy focus on component sharing with the upcoming BMW MegaCity and other models under the BMW umbrella, along with new production techniques. The car should be smaller than the current Mini, though larger than the Smart. Details like chassis layout and styling have not been divulged, though back in the Rover days, Mini showed off the Spiritual concept (pictured above) and there was talk of a production version. However, how it fares in the marketplace will hinge on how well BMW packs value and the trademark Mini verve into its tiny shell.

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Mini working on city car

We’re going to go out on a limb and say… most likely Judging by the recent teasers and previous spy shots, this single image of the 2012 Ford Explorer appears to be the real deal. And we like what we see.

Although the futuristic lines of the Explorer America Concept have been considerably toned down, the new crossover is notably more svelte than its predecessors. The exterior styling is more an amalgamation of current FoMoCo design cues, specifically the Edge-like headlamps and de-chromed tri-bar grille. The contouring on the front bumper is an interesting touch and the darkened A-pillars do their best wrap-around windshield impression.

If all goes according to plan, the all-new Explorer should arrive early next year, riding on a Flex/Taurus-based unibody platform with EcoBoost power being sent to either the front or all four wheels.

[Source: TheMustangSource]

Is this the 2012 Ford Explorer?

This was bound to happen sooner or later. Over the last ten years, Mercury’s sales numbers have plummeted, and currently, the brand only accounts for 0.8 percent of Ford Motor Company’s overall market share. In a press conference this afternoon with Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, and Derrick Kuzak, group vice president of product development, the automaker has officially announced that Mercury will be discontinued in the fourth quarter of this year.

With all of the forward momentum that Ford has been experiencing over the past few years, no brand-specific models were introduced to the Mercury lineup. What’s more, the vast majority of recent Mercury purchases were made through discounts offered to retirees, friends and family. Mercury’s dealer network (coupled with the Lincoln brand) is currently in the process of being notified about Ford’s decision, and owners are reassured that existing Mercury products can still be serviced at any Ford or (newly standalone) Lincoln dealer.

But it isn’t all bad news down in Dearborn – Ford is using Mercury’s demise as a better reason to seriously beef up the Lincoln brand. Including the 2011 MKZ Hybrid and refreshed 2011 MKX, Ford is expanding the Lincoln lineup with the addition of seven all-new or wholly refreshed vehicles, including the brand’s first-ever C-segment vehicle, possibly related to the C Concept that we saw at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Furthermore, Lincoln will be offering EcoBoost powertrains across the entire lineup, including the next-generation Navigator full-size SUV. Ford is committed to making Lincoln substantially more prosperous in America, saying that the brand will house more useful features and technology than any other competitor, as well as offering the most fuel-efficient lineup of luxury vehicles.

For full details about Mercury’s demise and Lincoln’s expansion, follow the jump to read Ford’s official press release.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Officially Official: Ford kills Mercury to expand Lincoln lineup

Officially Official: Ford kills Mercury to expand Lincoln lineup

1960 Pininfarina X Concept – Click above for image gallery

The Space Age was all the rage back in the late 50s and early 60s. Man was heading to the moon, the Jetsons were captivating our imaginations and even items as mundane as toasters and hairdryers looked like space ships. Car design was certainly no exception, and this was one of the most radical examples.

Designed by Pininfarina to test the limits of aerodynamic efficiency, the X Concept reconfigured the family sedan into something decidedly out of this world. The concept may look like a trike, but it actually has four wheels: one in front, two in the middle and one more around back, to give the wheelbase an X shape. Power came from a 1.1-liter Fiat engine with just 43 horsepower. Hardly enough to propel the little machine into outer orbit, but enough to push its svelte shape – try a drag coefficient of just 0.23 (lower than a Prius) – down the road.

Only one example was ever made, and now (appropriately enough) the Aero Toy Store in Fort Lauderdale has got it for sale at a staggering $3 million. Sound steep? Try JamesList, where the same dealer listed it for less than half that.

[Source: Aero Toy Store via CarScoop]

Pininfarina X Concept takes us back to the Space Age, into seven figures

Jay Leno just keeps on living the car-obsessed dream. The comedian recently got a chance to hop into the cockpit of the Advanced Design Tramontana – answering the question about what would happen if you threw an Ariel Atom, KTM X-Bow and five kilos of cocaine into a blender and left it on for an hour or so. The car weighs around 2,700 pounds, which seems like quite a bit considering that there’s a carbon fiber monocoque at the heart of this beast, but there’s a surprise in the engine bay. A 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12 from Mercedes-Benz provides 750 horsepower to the rear wheels. The faint of heart can dial back the gusto to a more manageable 540 with the flick of a switch.

Advanced Design actually decided to plop an honest-to-goodness sequential six-speed gearbox behind that massive mill. Feel free to hop the jump to see the full clip from Jay Leno’s Garage, complete with some very wild hair. It’s cool, Jay. We won’t judge.

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

Continue reading Video: Jay Leno’s Garage welcomes Tramontana supercar

Video: Jay Leno’s Garage welcomes Tramontana supercar

Jay Leno just keeps on living the car-obsessed dream. The comedian recently got a chance to hop into the cockpit of the Advanced Design Tramontana – answering the question about what would happen if you threw an Ariel Atom, KTM X-Bow and five kilos of cocaine into a blender and left it on for an hour or so. The car weighs around 2,700 pounds, which seems like quite a bit considering that there’s a carbon fiber monocoque at the heart of this beast, but there’s a surprise in the engine bay. A 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12 from Mercedes-Benz provides 750 horsepower to the rear wheels. The faint of heart can dial back the gusto to a more manageable 540 with the flick of a switch.

Advanced Design actually decided to plop an honest-to-goodness sequential six-speed gearbox behind that massive mill. Feel free to hop the jump to see the full clip from Jay Leno’s Garage, complete with some very wild hair. It’s cool, Jay. We won’t judge.

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

Continue reading Jay Leno’s Garage welcomes Tramontana supercar

Jay Leno’s Garage welcomes Tramontana supercar

Xenatech conversions – Click above for image gallery

Wonder where this firm Xenatech came from? The German company made headlines a couple of weeks ago with sketches of a Maybach coupe it intends to bring to market, but as you may well have guessed, the luxo-Merc isn’t the first chop job the company has undertaken.

Swing by the company’s website and you’ll find photochops of all manner of vehicles – most of them German, natch – that have been turned from sedan into coupe, coupe into sedan, and much more. The first few look like simple stretch jobs of sport-utes and sedans like the Audi Q7, Mercedes G-Class and Bentley Continental Flying Spur. But delve a little deeper and you’ll find an Aston Vanquish shooting brake, Lexus LS460 coupe and pickup versions of the Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg. A few of them are even a little prophetic: a Mercedes CLS wagon and four-door versions of the Porsche 911 and BMW 6 Series.

The best part is that Xenatech claims some of these have actually been made, though it isn’t saying which. Our fingers are crossed for that 7 Series with the extra headroom. Check out some of our favorites in the gallery below.

[Source: Xenatech via PistonHeads]

Frankenstein’s Garage: Maybach coupe isn’t Xenatech’s first conversion

For years , Buick has produced the GL8 minivan for the Chinese market. It’s based on the late-1990s Pontiac Trans Sport. With that van being severely outdated for the better part of a decade now, Buick’s just about ready to replace it with an all-new design. The new GL8 (we don’t yet know if the name badge will carry over) has been spotted out testing and it looks very much like the Buick Business Concept that debuted last year in Shanghai.

One of the more interesting visual elements of the concept was its dipped beltline, similar to those on the Hyundai Genesis coupe and the more recent Honda Odyssey concept. The interior of the Buick van looks very upscale, in keeping with what we’ve seen in the new LaCrosse and Regal.

Considering that the prototype in the spy photos still doesn’t have completed light clusters, it’s likely that the GL8 replacement won’t officially debut until next year’s Shanghai show.

[Source: auto.163.com]

Spy Shots: China-only 2011 Buick GL8 minivan spotted

In its latest newsletter update, Carbon Motors has revealed that it’s received over 14,000 reservations from over 400 police agencies for its new purpose built E7 police car. However, it’s best to bear in mind those are just reservations for slots in the production schedule. As of yet, no one has placed a firm order for the E7 because Carbon hasn’t even announced pricing. While the concept of a vehicle built specifically to meet the needs of police forces certainly sounds good on paper, the E7 will undoubtedly be expensive.

Besides using plenty of bespoke hardware that won’t benefit from economies of scale, it will be powered by a BMW 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine – a phenomenal engine and much more fuel efficient than anything else currently available in the police market, but coming from Munich will certainly elevate the price.

It will be very interesting to see how many reservations get turned into firm orders once pricing is announced. Make the jump for the full details.

[Source: Carbon Motors]

Continue reading Carbon Motors claims 14,000 reservations for E7 police car

Carbon Motors claims 14,000 reservations for E7 police car

Now that Jaguar is safely secured under the financial blanket of Tata Motors, the automaker is becoming more ambitious in its efforts to expand its model range. Tata has promised a yearly investment of £1 billion for the next five years, which means Jaguar will have the funding it needs to get new products cranked out. In talking with Auto Express, Jaguar Land Rover boss Carl-Peter Forster has reportedly confirmed that a few new models are in the pipeline, including the F-Type sports car, which we saw in concept form back in 2000 (pictured above).

This certainly isn’t the first time that we’ve heard rumblings about F-Type production, and we’ve seen plenty of speculation about what the new sports car will look like. Rumors have suggested that the new sporty Jag will compete with the likes of the Porsche 911 or Audi R8.

When will a finished F-Type be on the road? Your guess is as good as ours, but due to Jaguar having just refreshed its entire model range within the last few years, we’d assume that the ball is indeed rolling on this new sportster.

[Source: Auto Express]

Report: Jaguar F-Type gets the greenlight

Often imitated, never duplicated. We’re talking about the Maybach Exelero, the high-speed test bed commissioned from Daimler by Fulda tires. Unfortunately, only one was ever made, and it was subsequently sold for nearly $8 million, reportedly to an African diamond tycoon named André A. Jackson.

Since then, the Exelero has prompted a few wannabes in various forms, from the Brabus-tuned Maybach 57 Nardo top speed test vehicle to the “Black Ruby” and the latest Xenatech coupe. Now a company in Switzerland is apparently offering replicas of the original Exelero based on the Dodge Viper.

Little in the way of details is available at this point, save for the Viper’s 8.3-liter V10 and 23-inch wheels. The manufacturer is offering the replicas – made to order to the buyer’s specifications – on luxury classified site JamesList for €550,000 (about $670k). That may seem like a lot, but it’s still a far cry from the eight million asked for the original.

[Source: JamesList/JamesSpotting]

Viper-based Maybach Exelero replica available for order, yours for only $670k

Secrets Revealed: Germany’s Das Neue Motorrad set to release all new production motorcycle

With production of the Veyron coming to an end, speculation has been rampant over what Bugatti will build next. A super-sedan based on the 16C Galibier concept could still get the green light. A 1,200-horsepower “Super Veyron” has also re-entered the rumor mill of late. Even an entry-level roadster was mooted at one point. But a new project could give us a clearer (and more radical) picture than ever before.

According to the rumormongers over at Auto Express, Bugatti is currently working on a massively powerful electric supercar that could eclipse the notions of what was previously thought possible with battery power. A test mule based on sister-company Bentley’s ubiquitous Continental GT is reportedly undergoing testing at present, powered by two giant electric motors and an advanced lithium-ion power cell to deliver the equivalent of 800 horsepower and some 1,600 lb-ft of torque, all available instantly from a standstill. Yowza!

Such technology would doubtlessly draw from the work sister-company Audi has been doing with its successive e-Tron concepts. But as AE points out, this wouldn’t be the first time Bugatti has experimented with electric power: Back in its heyday under founder Ettore Bugatti’s direction, the original company built the Type 56. Originally built as a one-off, public demand prompted the Molsheim marque to bring it to market.

The rumored Continental-based prototype may be strictly a one-off at the moment, but if demand could force the Type 56 to market in the 1930s, it certainly could do the same today.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Auto Express]

Rumormill: Bugatti developing secret Continental GT-based electric supercar