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This year’s RM Auctions event in Phoenix will feature several classics with serious celebrity provenance. First and foremost is a rare 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder that was alternately owned by Reggie Jackson and Evel Knievel. By itself, the Daytona Spyder is expected to fetch around a million bucks, but that’s only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Also on the roster is a 1929 Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton used by Elvis Presley in the movie Spinout (also estimated at a million +/-), a 1941 Lincoln Continental Coupe (pictured above) given by Orson Wells to Rita Hayworth (~$175k) and a 1949 Cadillac Series 75 Woodie Limousine with custom bodywork by Schwartz commissioned by MGM studios (~$300k). With nearly three months to go before the auction, you can bet there’ll be plenty more interesting vehicles on their way to Arizona for the event. Hit the jump to read about what’s been consigned so far.

[Source: RM Auctions]

Continue reading Celebrity classics on the docket at RM Auctions in Arizona

Celebrity classics on the docket at RM Auctions in Arizona

Hyundai has already shown us its GoGoGear Racing Genesis Coupe and a Rhys Millen Racing Equus. Now we get two more looks at what they’re bringing to SEMA this week. Hyundai has teamed up with DUB Magazine and Mummbles Marketing on a pair of Equus sedans.

The DUB Equus shows surprising restraint. While it wears 24-inch wheels, they blend in nicely with the body kit. Likewise, the grey-black paint scheme is sinister without being SEMA-shouty. Dare we say it? This is one SEMA ride we wouldn’t mind spending some seat time with.

Mummbles Marketing, a new custom shop of out Harrisburg, PA, has turned the standard Equus into a luxo-custom it calls the “Elegant Equus.” Mummbles didn’t just focus on looks, however; some wrenching was done on the Equus’ V8 engine, too. Thanks to a turbo kit from Legacy Innovations, a nitrous system and a Magnaflow exhaust, the Elegant Equus now produces 450 horsepower. Mummbles also adds an extra iPad (over the stock tablet the Equus comes with) that controls the air suspension, rear curtains, stereo and windows.

Check out all four of Hyundai’s 2010 SEMA vehicles in the gallery below. You can also read more about the DUB Equus and Mummbles Elegant Equus in the press releases posted after the jump.

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Hyundai Equus Mummbles and Dubs its way to SEMA

Hyundai Equus Mummbles and Dubs its way to SEMA

First Drive: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

What is it like to drive the blown CL63 AMG? Is the big coupe able to effectively balance performance with luxury and technology? Are there any other full-size two-door vehicles on the market for this low volume Mercedes-Benz to compete with?

Video: Meet the Green Hornet’s Black Beauty

The Green Hornet spends his vigilante nights tangoing with both the law and various shady characters from behind the wheel of a heavily modified Chrysler Imperial. Justice, thy name is body-on-frame.

Hyundai of America wants a Sonata Wagon… do you? [w/poll]

Autoblog has learned that American Hyundai executives definitely want the 2012 Sonata Wagon and are working to build a business case for it.

Also of interest:

• Lexus bombards SEMA with six custom hybrids, one giant wing
• RK Collection Toyota Camry is a little bit NASCAR and a little bit SEMA rock and roll
• Report: Suit alleges Toyota pushed owners to stay quiet about unintended acceleration
• Mercedes-Benz releases own spy shots of SLK testing “magic” roof in Death Valley
• Eagle-eyed readers spot embarrassing Ferrari World mistake

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 10.29.10

Born-Again Big Benz Impresses Despite Electronic Nannies

Each Fall, Mother Nature puts on a spectacular display in many parts of the country. As winter approaches and days become shorter, there isn’t enough sunlight for trees to support photosynthesis. Starved of their source for energy, the leaves on many variants lose their green chlorophyll and expose bright reds, yellows and purples – hues from glucose trapped in the drying foliage.

Upstate New York is unquestionably a spectacular venue for a driving introduction to the 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG. Against a brilliantly painted backdrop, the facelifted full-size coupe, fitted with an all-new twin-turbocharged V8, is a near-perfect chariot for a tour of the Hudson Valley. The 536-horsepower rear-wheel-drive two-door, with its signature greenhouse sans B-pillars, offers an excellent view of the colorful canvas outside the glass. Whether gliding effortlessly down the turnpike, or rustling up a wake of fallen leaves on an autumn country road, the automaker’s flagship in this rarified segment seems to have few peers.

What is it like to drive the blown CL63 AMG? Is the big coupe able to effectively balance performance with luxury and technology? Are there any other full-size two-door vehicles on the market for this low volume Mercedes-Benz to compete with? Keep reading to find out…

Photos copyright (C)2010 Michael Harley / AOL

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

First Drive: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

Some automakers call their cars by name. Others give them alphanumeric designations. The trouble with the latter is that, if you follow a formula, sooner or later the sequence is going to either run out or repeat itself. That’s the issue that Peugeot is looking at with the next generation of its popular hatchback range.

The current model is called the 308, so it would follow logically that its successor be called the 309. After that the French automaker would have to either abandon the traditional _0_ naming scheme that identifies all its products (and the _00_ for minivans and crossovers) and dip into the _1_ range, but even before that comes up, Peugeot’s facing the issue that it already produced a model called the 309 between 1985 and 1993.

Rather than reuse the same nameplate, sources speculate that Peugeot could go for a name designation like it did with the RCZ coupe. The formula would likely follow across the range, leaving sister-company Citroën to stick with its alphanumeric C_ and DS_ naming scheme.

[Source: Autobild via World Car Fans]

Peugeot to ditch numbered nameplates for actual names?

Bentley has managed to make a lot out of one model line. From the Continental has emerged coupe, convertible and sedan bodystyles, in standard, Speed and Supersports engine specs, with a smattering of special editions along the way. But that’s only the tip of the proverbial iceberg compared to what the Flying B marque has in store for the new model, according to reports from across The Pond.

What Bentley appears to have in its sights for the diversification of the freshly-unveiled new Continental is similar to what we’ve seen over at Porsche. The Stuttgart-based automaker rolls out different variants of the 911 on a regular basis, to the point that the current-generation model has over a dozen derivatives on the market. The addition of a new V8 model to slot in under the current W12 will have a multiplier effect on the Continental’s catalog, but beyond that, Crewe is reportedly planning further special editions.

The aim of the broadening range would be, according to reports, to maintain interest in the Continental and help even out peaks and valleys in the company’s sales charts. One way or another, we’re looking at a future filled with machine-turned aluminum and quilted leather, and those are two things of which we can never get quite enough.

[Source: Autocar]

Bentley reportedly to expand Continental range with special editions

Local Motors, the car builder behind the idea of open-source automotive development, showed off its Rally Fighter at SEMA last year. At that time, it only had one car built. Fast forward to the 2010 SEMA show and Local Motors is bringing five of the coupes to Las Vegas.

Each vehicle wears a skin designed by someone in the Local Motors online community. The first car is known as Beta 1, and wears images of Teddy Roosevelt and Pancho Villa on its sides. Beta 2, the company’s second test vehicle, wears livery inspired by Rocky. It was built alongside the three customer-built models to explore the same build process they experience.

The first non-test vehicle was purchased by Local Motors CEO Jay Rogers, which is being used as a daily driver vehicle. Its color scheme was created by a community member who had only been active for 14 days when his vote was chosen. Rally Fighter number four is going to customer Jay Zuppardo, whose family enjoys off-roading and plans to turn the red, white, blue and orange-schemed Local Motors vehicle into a sand rail.

The fifth vehicle is going to the original sales person for Local Motors, John Domolky. His simple black and white paint scheme tones down the exterior style elements of the vehicle without losing its unique appearance. This is crucial for Domolky because he is the first customer to place the vehicle into an urban environment. Rather than commuting around Arizona like the CEO, John Domolky is going to drive his Rally Fighter around the streets of Boston.

Local Motors says it should double the number of Rally Fighters on the road to 10 by the years end. Take a look at the Rally Fighter in action in the video after the jump.

[Source: Local Motors, YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Local Motors ups Rally Fighter fleet to 5 vehicles, all going to SEMA

Video: Local Motors ups Rally Fighter fleet to 5 vehicles, all going to SEMA

If you’re up on your latest cop dramas, you’ll notice that Tom Selleck has not only got his mustache back, but he hardly looks like he’s aged a day. Never mind that it’s been decades since Magnum PI. But it’s also been nearly that long since Ferrari made a GTS.

Those three letters are Maranello-speak for “targa” (dare we use the term on anything but a Porsche without getting a cease-and-desist letter?), and they went the way of the dodo after the 355 was phased out. Since then, it’s been full convertibles or fixed-roof coupes, and nothing in between. Until this one came along, that is.

Called the 612 GTS Pavesi, this car is reportedly the latest product of Ferrari’s in-house customization program. It’s based on the 612 Scaglietti, and features a pair of removable carbon-fiber roof panels up top, a unique two-tone silver and black paint scheme, a revised front end and a reported output boost of 20 prancing horses to bring it up to 550 horsepower (possibly due to the custom Tubi exhaust installation). No word on who the owner is, but Pavesi is the name of an Italian producer of go-kart engines. Whoever it is, you can bet he or she paid handsomely for the privilege. Follow the jump for a closer look in a pair of spy videos.

[Source: autoblog.nl]

Continue reading Video: Ferrari 612 GTS Pavesi one-off brings the T-top back to Maranello

Video: Ferrari 612 GTS Pavesi one-off brings the T-top back to Maranello

Simbol Design’s Lavazza GTX-R slaps a Lego-ized version of the Ferrari Enzo’s snout on an otherwise Pagani Zonda-like body made of carbon-Kevlar built atop a tubular steel frame. And since German powerplants have emerged as the new crate engine of choice for niche manufacturers from Spyker and Wiesmann to Gumpert and Pagani, the Lavazza packs a BMW-sourced 5.4-liter V12, picking up Lamborghini’s tractor-origins mantle with an electro-pneumatic transmission reportedly sourced from a bus. Sources differ on the engine’s output – alternately claiming 489 horsepower or 620 – but either way, 0-60 mph times quoted around the four-and-a-half second sound conservative.

Both coupe and roadster bodystyles are apparently in the works, though there’s no word on availability or pricing just yet. Either way, check out the high-resolution images in the gallery below and a video of this supercar mashup after the jump.

[Source: Simbol Design via Carscoop]

Continue reading Simbol Design’s Lavazza GTX-R looks like a high-speed Enzo-Zonda mashup

Simbol Design’s Lavazza GTX-R looks like a high-speed Enzo-Zonda mashup

The 2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage sits up near the top of the ‘ole Autoblog must-drive car list. While we wait for the day that someone hands us a crystal ‘Emotion Control Unit’ to fire one up, we can sit back and live vicariously through Jay Leno. Mr. Leno recently got to spend some time with the British sports coupe and was kind enough to capture his experience on camera.

Leno remarks that the V12 Vantage is “almost the perfect combination of hardcore track sports car and GT car.” To prove that, he turns the camera over to his tame racing driver, Justin Bel,l who brings the car to Willow Springs and puts it through its paces. Check out Jay, Justin and the 2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage in the video after the jump.

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

Continue reading Video: 2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage drops by Jay Leno’s Garage

Video: 2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage drops by Jay Leno’s Garage

Wiesmann may have been forced to switch from V10 power to the new twin-turbo V8 for their top-of-the-line MF5, but a Brazilian upstart apparently thinks it can secure an adequate supply of ten-cylinder BMW engines even after they’re discontinued. That’s what’s powering the vehicle you see here.

The Rossin-Bertin Vorax is set to debut at the São Paulo Auto Show later this month. It features a carbon fiber body over an aluminum chassis, cradling the Bavarian ten-pot in two states of trim: naturally aspirated with 570 horsepower, or supercharged with 750. The former is said to be good for a 3.8-second 0-62 mph time and a 205 mph top end. The latter marginally improves the acceleration time to 3.6 despite its 180-horse boost, but supposedly raises the top end to 231 mph. Of course, those figures are likely theoretical, as the vehicle appears to exist only in renderings at the moment.

Bankrolled by meat industry scion Natolino Bertin, Jr. and realized by former General Motors designer Fharys Rossin, the Vorax coupe is targeted to hit the market late 2011 or early 2012. A convertible version is slated to follow a year later, with overall production targeted at 500-1000 units in all and prices hovering around $400k.

[Sources: Argentina Auto Blog, Carscoop]

Rossin-Bertin Vorax guns for entry into supercar club with BMW V10 power

MC. The letters are sacrosanct to fans of the Trident marque and its venerable racing prowess. They stand for Maserati Corse, and you may recognize them from the MC12, the Enzo-based homologation special that’s still kickin’ ass and taking names in the FIA GT1 series. More recently the Modenese automaker rolled out a racing version of its GranTurismo coupe bearing those same letters, which has since been followed by a roadgoing version of said racer called the MC Stradale. There’ve been MC Sport Line accessories for the GranTurismo S as well, but until now the Quattroporte has been left out of the fun.

Kicking things off for its four-door model, Maserati has unveiled the Quattroporte MC Sport in Sydney at the Australian International Auto Show. So what are we looking at, a road-going version of the touring car currently being flogged around Italy’s best circuits in the Superstars series? Unfortunately not. What you’re looking at here is the existing Quattroporte Sport GT S – already one heck of a car – with some added trim: carbon fiber interior accents and aluminum pedals, and little else. Not much on their own, but then this is how Modena kicked off the MC program for the GranTurismo, so we’re hoping this is the harbinger of things to come.

[Source: Maserati]

Continue reading Maserati drops MC Sport Line for the Quattroporte at Sydney show

Maserati drops MC Sport Line for the Quattroporte at Sydney show

Wiesmann was in a bit of a pickle when BMW announced it was no longer producing its V10. In addition to the M5 and M6, the high-revving 10 was used to power the Roadster MF5 and GT MF5 and we assumed Wiesmann would make the switch to the new 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine. We were right. What we didn’t guess is that it would be sticking the new mill under the hoods of both the Roadster MF4 and GT MF4. The Wiesmann MF3 will retain its 343 horsepower six-cylinder engine.

No word yet on how much power the twin-turbo will produce when utilized with the MF4, but when stuffed into the engine bay of the MF5 it’s set to produce 555 horsepower, allowing it to run from 0-60 mph in less than four seconds, hit a top speed of 193 mph and become the most powerful Wiesmann ever produced.

[Source: Wiesmann]

Continue reading Wiesmann upgrades all V10 models to twin-turbo V8

Wiesmann upgrades all V10 models to twin-turbo V8

The 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe is a lot of things. It’s a luxury two-door that’s also a muscle car. It’s a supercharged beast with a fire-breathing LSA mounted under the hood. And it’s also a smoke machine. Monticello Motor Club invited a slew of vehicles out for its first annual Drift with the Supercars event, and while a few dedicated drift cars showed up, a handful of other lust-worthy rides arrived to ruin their rubber. The CTS-V Coupe was on hand, sharing the track with a Ferrari 575 Maranello, C6 Corvette, 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS and a Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series.

The Cadillac fared exceptionally well against the rest of the competition and took home the title of Best Drift in New Car. Check out the tire-shredding, sideways action in the beautifully shot video after the jump.

Photos Copyright (C)2010 Steven J. Ewing and Chris Shunk / AOL

[Source: Youtube]

Continue reading Video: Cadillac CTS-V drifts its wheels off at Monticello

Video: Cadillac CTS-V drifts its wheels off at Monticello

SEMA vehicles come in two main flavors: dropped and Dubbed, or race-prepped and rimmed. This Hyundai Genesis Coupe from GogoGear.com Racing obviously falls into the latter, and it “emphasizes racing reliability and high-end performance capabilities.” Not only that, but it apparently took some help from Hyundai’s California Design Center to create the yellow and silver paintwork.

GogoGear.com says “the aim” is to get the engine to produce 330 horsepower and 280 pound-feet, which shouldn’t be a problem. A Ground Control suspension keeps it appropriately snug to the bitumen, and StopTech brakes keep speed under control when corners approach. After we get a close look at this one at SEMA, it’ll be competing in next year’s U.S. Touring Car Championship, and there’s a chance it’ll show up at Time Attack events. More information can be found in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading SEMA Preview: Gogogear Racing Hyundai Genesis Coupe

SEMA Preview: Gogogear Racing Hyundai Genesis Coupe

We weren’t looking for more reasons to pine after the Peugeot RCZ. Initially categorized as a French knock-off of the Audi TT, it seems the slinky coupe from French auto giant PSA has come into its own. But now we’ve got another reason to want one, and its name is the Asphalt edition.

The blacked-out special features a unique Noir Telluric exterior shade with black 19-inch alloys and a black leather interior to match. The 200-horsepower 1.6-liter turbo four co-developed with BMW does the pulling duties overseas, while we’re stuck over here wishing we could get our hands on one.

[Source: eurocarblog]

Film Noir: Peugeot RCZ gets matte black for special Asphalt edition

The biggest news for Infiniti’s 2011 model year lineup may be the all-new M sedan, QX56 SUV, G25 sedan and IPL G coupe, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the automaker’s portfolio sails into the new year unchanged. The smaller EX crossover/wagon thingie, for example, gets a host of new updates including a seven-speed automatic transmission, larger wheel choices and more standard technology.

Curiously, Infiniti is still offering the EX with its smaller 3.5-liter V6, even though the majority of its products now use the more powerful 3.7-liter mill. Still, with 297 horsepower on tap, the EX35 should continue to be a surprisingly engaging steer, and with a new seven-speed gearbox in place, fuel efficiency should be improved for 2011, especially in the all-wheel drive models.

From there, all EX models now come standard with 18-inch wheels (a 19-inch set is available with the Deluxe Touring Package), dual-zone automatic climate control and new exterior paint options including Arctic Blue (pictured). Other changes for 2011 include Active Blind Spot Warming being added to the EX’s technology package and a revised premium package that encompasses both the upgraded Bose audio system and around-view camera system.

The 2011 EX is making its way to dealerships as you read this, priced from $34,150 (*excluding destination fees). A top-end EX35 Journey AWD will set you back $37,750, drastically undercutting the price of BMW’s new (and admittedly larger) X3 xDrive35i that we recently tested. Follow the jump for the full list of 2011 EX changes in Infiniti’s press release.

[Source: Infiniti]

Continue reading 2011 Infiniti EX gets numerous updates, starts at $34,150*

2011 Infiniti EX gets numerous updates, starts at $34,150*

The Zenvo ST1 and Dartz Kombat are coming the to U.S., both brought to you by Indiana importer Red Sea Distribution. The Danish-made coupe will set you back $1,225,000. That price might seem steep for a dressed-up Corvette – even down to the 7.0-liter V8 – however, underneath that fiendishly gorgeous body the engine has been upgraded to a twin-charged, 1,104-horsepower monster that’ll get you to 60 miles per hour in under three seconds. And they’re only making 15 of them per year.

The Dartz Kombat comes in at a much more palatable $225,000, and while you can’t get that whale foreskin interior anymore, you can get all kinds of amour and perhaps even armament that will protect you from, well, everything bar a direct asteroid hit. You can check them both out in the gallery of high-res photos below, and figure out your ordering preferences after reading the press releases post-jump. Hat tip to Alexis

[Source: Red Sea Distribution]

Continue reading Zenvo ST1 gets a U.S. distributor and a price: $1,225,000

Zenvo ST1 gets a U.S. distributor and a price: $1,225,000

Ready to experience the thrill of a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 that produces 536 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque? Unfortunately, that kind of excitement doesn’t come cheap. Mercedes-Benz has announced pricing for its upcoming 2011 CL63 AMG coupe and S63 AMG sedan. The two-door starts at $151,125 and the four-door will set you back at least $138,875. Both are available with the optional AMG Performance Package, which ups the power output to 563 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. A little lower on the power pole sits the restyled 2011 CL550 4MATIC, which starts at $114,025, and is motivated by a 4.6-liter V8 which produces 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque.

The 4.6-liter unit is 20 percent smaller, in terms of displacement, than the engine it replaces, yet produces 12 percent more horsepower, 32 percent more torque and improves fuel economy by 10 percent. The AMG mill also sees considerable gains in power, and thanks to direct-injection and the use of start/stop technology it sees a 20 percent rise in fuel economy.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL [Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz prices new biturbo V8 models

Mercedes-Benz prices new biturbo V8 models

Remember back in the day when BMW revived the Mini and there was just one version? That was the three-door hatchback, but was also a long time ago in product lifecycle terms. These days, the Mini franchise has expanded to include a convertible, the Clubman and the Countryman crossover. There are diesel, gasoline, supercharged and JCW versions of each, and there are more yet on their way: never mind the Mini E or the electric scooter concept unveiled in Paris (let alone the WRC rally version). In the cards are said to be coupe and seven-seat versions of the Countryman, along with production versions of the Speedster and Coupe models unveiled last year in Frankfurt.

Engine choices and one-offs aside, that’s already eight body-styles off one little car. But that ain’t even the end of it. Not according to reports from Mini’s homeland of jolly old England.

Britain’s Autocar magazine reports that BMW is working on two parallel programs to put a Jeep Wrangler or Honda Element-style crossover into the mix as well. One program apparently calls for a high-riding three-door model tentatively known as the Canyon Coupe, a model that revives the old Mini Moke beach car bodystyle. The other is closer to the above-pictured Beachcomber Concept unveiled nearly a year ago, and while doors would be added, so might removable roof panels, frameless doors and a wind-down rear window to give a real open-air experience.

Only one will be given the green light (if at all), but either would offer the All4 all-wheel drive system and a pillarless frame that would allow easier access, as well as a proper four-door version of the next-gen Clubman, addressing criticism that the single rear suicide door on the current model doesn’t work well for right-hand drive markets (like Mini’s own domestic market in the UK).

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: More speculation bubbles up around Mini Moke/Beachcomber/Canyon Coupe models