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Ferrari is an automaker the operates in two spheres: racing and road cars. The company builds the latter to fund the former, but while the two have long operated as fairly separate units, there is plenty of room for overlap. Like its Corse Clienti department.

Established to facilitate privateer racing teams running Ferrari GT cars in various series, the Corse Clienti division also runs the firm’s elite XX development program that allows some of its best customers the opportunity to act as “client test drivers.” In other words, people pay big money – and by big, we mean millions – to test out new equipment developed by Maranello’s skunkworks before it’s implemented on future road cars.

The program started with the Enzo-based FXX back in 2005, which was succeeded by the 599XX in 2009. But like the FXX led to the even more extreme FXX Evoluzione, so has the 599XX. More an upgrade package than a new car, the $250,000 evolution kit includes a bigger front splitter, giant rear wing with moving foils, a 30-horsepower upgrade to 740 and another two years of factory-supported track days.

The most recent was held at Japan’s Suzuka circuit, where the 599XX Evoluzione hit the track for the first time since delivery to its eager new owners. It was also the first time the upgraded track car was run in public, following its debut at the Bologna Motor Show back in December. Of course, now that the 599 range is being phased out, we can’t help but wonder what Ferrari will base its next developmental track car on: the new F12 Berlinetta? The 458 Italia? The upcoming Enzo successor? It’s early to tell, but you can check out the 599XX doing its thing in the video clip and press release after the jump, along with the fresh crop of high-resolution images we’ve added to the gallery.

Continue reading Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione makes its track debut at Suzuka [w/video]

Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione makes its track debut at Suzuka [w/video]

Autocar reports Lexus may be mulling a production version of the company’s LF-LC Concept. After receiving a near universally positive reception following its unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show this year, Karl Schlicht, head of Lexus product planning, reportedly gave the vehicle a 50-50 shot at hitting dealers sometime in the future. Those aren’t great odds, but it is a change of tone from when the vehicle first hit the stage. Back in January, Toyota made it very clear the LF-LC was strictly a concept. As you may recall, the vehicle is a 2+2 coupe with a hybrid drivetrain and a low-slung presence.

According to Schlicht, the vehicle would have never even been considered for production if it had merely been submitted as a design proposal. With a physical concept backed by chorus of positive reviews, the company’s decision makers have evidently been prompted to give the LF-LC a second look.

Schlicht himself is set to become the head of product planning for Toyota and Lexus starting on April 1.

Lexus LF-LC super coupe concept pondered for production

Svelte as it still looks, the DB9 is getting a little long in the proverbial tooth – Aston Martin first launched the 2+2 way back in 2004. As such, it’s high time the British purveyor of luxury GTs gear up to roll out a new model, and this is the best look we’ve had at it yet.

Spied virtually undisguised while undergoing winter testing in the snow, the new DB9 (or whatever AML opts to call it) carries all the trademark elements of a contemporary Aston Martin design. The grille appears to be a little smaller and the rear fenders pack a more pronounced curve. Expect the new V12 GT to arrive sometime next year, but you can check it out now in the high-res gallery of spy shots above.

Aston Martin DB9 successor caught romping in the snow

Back in the summer of 2010, Eric Clapton stopped by the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy, with one request: could they build him a 458 Italia with a V12? Nearly two years later, this is what resulted.

Reportedly called the SP12 EPC (bearing the initials of the famous rock guitarist), the one-off product of the Ferrari Special Projects division first surfaced with a few photos the other day, but now we’ve got video footage of the car moving under its own power away from a London dealership – presumably en route for delivery at the multiple Grammy Award winner’s home.

With styling cues borrowed from the 512 BB – an early mid-engined Ferrari that was never officially homologated for sale in the United States – the SP12 EPC is said to be based on the 458 Italia. Which isn’t a bad place to start. The big question on everyone’s mind, however, is what resides under the hood? Did Ferrari manage to shoehorn in the twelve-pot as hoped, or did it stick with the 4.5-liter V8 in the donor car? Hard to say, but sources point towards the latter.

Follow the jump to watch the blurry, shaky footage and listen to the custom creation rumbling, and share your thoughts – eight cylinders or twelve – in the Comments section below.

Continue reading Footage shows Eric Clapton’s bespoke Ferrari leaving London dealership

Footage shows Eric Clapton’s bespoke Ferrari leaving London dealership

It’s been a little while since we’ve touched on Motus and the company’s all-American MST bikes, but that doesn’t mean it has faded into obscurity. The manufacturer has officially announced pricing on two of its wares. The base MST sports tourer will command a sticker price of $30,975, while the slightly sportier MST-R will set buyers back $36,975. Neither bike will bow with the much-talked about gasoline direct injection system, but that doesn’t mean the in-house V4 engine is any less impressive. The base MST rolls out the door with 165 horsepower, while the MST-R puts 185 hp to the ground.

Make no mistake, these aren’t inexpensive machines. The BMW K1600 GTL lands at a relatively inexpensive $23,200 with just five fewer ponies than the American upstart. Still, the MST-R will offer buyers an impressive list of go-fast hardware, including Ohlins R&T NIX forks, an Ohlins TTX rear shock, Brembo monoblock stoppers and forged aluminum OZ wheels. With a list like that, the MST-R certainly puts the sport in sport tourer.

Both bikes come with removable Givi hard cases as standard equipment as well as a premium Sargent seat and wave rotors. Look for both the MST and the MST-R to begin hitting dealers by the middle of this year. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Motus prices 2013 MST at $30,975

Motus prices 2013 MST at $30,975

The BMW 3 Series and racing go together like slicks and dry asphalt, so it’s no surprise that the world now has its first competition-prepped version of the new F30. According to BMWBlog, BMW South Africa has partnered up with ADF Motorsport to create the 335i racer you see above. The sedan is set to debut at the Wesbank Super Series at Killarney in Cape Town on March 31. All told, the vehicle took less than two months to build with a price tag of $260,000.

The N55 turbo straight six is bereft of power-adding tweaks due to series regulations thta include a restrictor plate on the turbo and limited boost. ADF and friends have worked over the turbo, exhaust, and ECU, however, so the powertrain is still good for over 400 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque – a tidy increase over the 300/300 ratings of the standard production cars.

In addition, the car’s curb weight has been trimmed down to 2,998 pounds. Much of that savings was realized using carbon fiber components from the M Performance catalog. The team also borrowed a set of 14.5-inch front brake discs and 18 inch wheels from the minds at M. ADF Motorsport says this is the first example of a production-based direct-injected racecar.

BMW South Africa shows off first F30-based 3 Series racer

The Spring Festival, held annually in Southern California, has become a sort of mecca for late model Mopar owners, bringing together hundreds of owners of Chrysler’s LX platform cars – Challenger, Charger, Magnum and 300. The event was initially started by a small group of passionate forum members, but it has recently grown enough to garner official support from Chrysler. This year, the Pentastar had a special treat planned for its passionate followers, the debut of the company’s new Challenger Rallye Redline.

Based on the Challenger SXT Plus, the Rallye Redline features the same 3.6-liter V6 with 305 horsepower and 268 lb-ft torque as the standard model, but it gets a host of visual, interior and handling upgrades. For starters, the exterior gets a triple red stripe and new 20-inch wheels with subtle red stripes around the rims. Inside, the theme continues with available Radar Red leather seats.

Don’t think that Chrysler has ignored the Rallye Redline’s performance, though. A Super Sport Group handling package has been added that includes firmer front and rear shocks, larger front and rear sway bars, slightly wider tires and 25-percent quicker steering. Stopping power is also improved with larger brakes included in the package.

Pricing for the 2012 Dodge Challenger Rallye Redline is listed at $28,745 (excluding $925 destination) with availability beginning next month. Click past the break to read the full details in the press release from Chrysler.

Continue reading Dodge unveils Challenger Rallye Redline at Spring Fest

Dodge unveils Challenger Rallye Redline at Spring Fest

Subaru Gives Us Their Sports Car On Real Roads. Does It Deliver?

Last December, our wandering man of intrigue Jonathan Ramsey drove a Subaru BRZ prototype at Japan’s Tochigi circuit under somewhat controlled conditions and was nonetheless very impressed. Then, in that same month, SoCal lad Michael Harley – he who knows a thing or two about hot-footing it on closed circuits – took the practically identical Scion FR-S for many unfettered laps on the island’s short and sweet Sodegaura Forest Raceway. He, too, was left extremely enthused by the experience.

My turn now. We needed a real road test of the Subaru BRZ just to see if this car really does merit the “zenith” part of its name represented by its final letter. Can the stellar handling and light weight we’ve already raved about translate into something you could happily drive every day?

The roads on which Subaru sent me with their new star pupil could not be more appropriate: the ominous Route Napoleon in southern France. This is perfect, because the number of new car drives following the Geneva Motor Show has been mind numbing, and I frankly needed a spectacular car-and-road pairing to recharge my enthusiasm. I can think of no better combo for this than a promising sports car and this insanely technical French two-lane. I am here to find out if, in the real sporting car world, 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque are enough to keep the fire burning in me.

Continue reading 2013 Subaru BRZ [w/video]

2013 Subaru BRZ [w/video]

Dutch website NU recently reported that Volvo expects low demand for its C30 Electric, and therefore it decided to stop building the mostly electric car (it has a small, ethanol-burning heater to keep passengers warm). The original source for this information was a story in the Belgian newspaper The Age that cited Volvo’s government affairs director, Anders Kärrberg. Turns out, this isn’t quite right.

First, Volvo has always said the C30 Electric is a limited program. When the company started making the attractive EV in last summer, the public plan was to make just 250 units. So, the fact that the automaker is getting ready to finish up building the 250 units and then reevaluate the situation is not a surprise.

We asked Volvo’s Malin Persson about the situation, and she told Autoblog that “[it has] never been our aim to continue with production of C30 Electric for a longer period of time.” She added that:

• [Volvo Car Corporation] will not end the production of the C30 Electric – but it has always been a project limited in numbers and time.
• Approximately 200 cars have been built from the first generation, another 50 remain to be built before summer.
• In the second generation, starting after the summer, 100 cars will be built in cooperation with Siemens and with Siemens technology.
• The know-how and experience VCC has gained and will gain from the C30 Electric project will be extremely valuable when taking decisions about the way forward when it comes to electric cars.

So, instead of reporting that Volvo is stopping C30 Electric production, the reality is that 100 vehicles has been added to the build order. How aggressively Volvo continues to push on with electric technology beyond its C30 program – in something like the XC60 plug-in hybrid – remains to be seen. Kärrberg told The Age that Volvo thinks EVs will only make up one percent of the market in the next eight years, thanks to expensive batteries and a hodgepodge of government incentives.

Despite rumors, Volvo not ceasing electric C30 production plans

Porsche is recalling 1,232 examples of its new 911 Carrera S over potential fuel leaks. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing, routing of a coolant line could interfere with the fuel line, causing the latter to to become disconnected. Naturally, a loose fuel line is no small matter, as it could lead to stalling problems or even a fire.

NHTSA says the recall will begin in April, when Porsche notifies owners that they can take their coupes to the dealer to repair the issue free of charge. Follow the jump for the official details.

Continue reading Porsche recalling 2012 911 Carrera S over possible fuel leak

Porsche recalling 2012 911 Carrera S over possible fuel leak

Dodge is taking its new Dart to the races in the U.S. rounds of this year’s Global RallyCross Championship with ESPN. Piloted by Travis Pastrana and built by SRT, the GRC challenger is a little different than the sedan you’d find at the dealership: it puts down 600 horsepower and more than 550 pound-feet from it’s 2.0-liter, four-cylinder to all four wheels.

The 2012 RallyCross season comprises seven rounds, two of which will be the X Games in Los Angeles on June 30 and July 1. It’s the second domestic season for the discipline that’s considered to be “motorcross with cars,” and the number of rounds has more than doubled from the three held last year. ESPN will be airing all of them, so follow the jump for the press release on Dodge’s entry and race info, and click the picture above to enlarge.

Continue reading Dodge to race Dart in Rallycross

Dodge to race Dart in Rallycross

Formula 1 racing tends to work in cycles. One team is at the top for a year or two, then another emerges to dominate the next few. It’s a trend that has seen the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, Renault (now known as Lotus) and even Brawn (today’s Mercedes) win world championships, with Red Bull as the the most recent force to be reckoned with.

Red Bull, clearly the team to beat going into 2012, took the driver’s and constructor’s titles the last two years. The question is, could it defend them for the hat trick this season, or would a new frontrunner step up? The circus rolled in to Sepang, Malaysia this weekend for the second round of the 2012 Formula One World Championship. And it was a thriller. Follow the jump to read how it unfolded.

Continue reading 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix rains supreme [spoilers]

2012 Malaysian Grand Prix rains supreme [spoilers]

The right occasion calls for the right footwear. Aston Martin figures its customers should have the right shoes to drive their GTs, so the British automaker has collaborated with the shoemakers at John Lobb on a special collection of driving shoes.

Called Winner Sport, the shoes are made of full-grain calfskin, lined with sheepskin and perforated in just the right places for a unique look. A joint design effort between Aston Martin design director Marek Reichman and his counterpart Andrés Hernández at John Lobb, they feature bonded rubber soles (in either white or red, with coordinating laces) that wrap underneath the shoe for better pedal control. Like what you see? Click the images to view in higher resolution and follow the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Aston Martin teams with John Lobb for special driving shoes

Aston Martin teams with John Lobb for special driving shoes

Motorsports history buffs take note: an important piece of racing nostalgia has come up for auction. The Toleman TG184-2 Formula One Car Ayrton Senna drove in his rookie season is available for bid in the Silverstone Auctions Spring Sale.

This is the car that carried Senna to his second-place “victory” in the rain-drenched 1984 Monaco GP, as well as third and seventh-place finishes in the British and Canadian GPs, respectively.

Silverstone Auctions hasn’t announced what the vehicle is expected to fetch. The Toleman has been completely restored, and the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine behind the cockpit is in top running order.

The auction will take place at the Silverstone circuit in The Wing building on May 16th. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Continue reading Ayrton Senna’s rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction

Ayrton Senna’s rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction

The New York Times reports the European Central Bank may have inadvertently helped buyers looking to take home a new Volkswagen Up! secure low-interest loans. Volkswagen Financial Services was one of many institutions that took advantage of the €1 trillion the central bank set aside to be loaned out at just one percent interest. Volkswagen borrowed €2 billion (about $2.6 billion USD) of that money, and plans to offer the cash to buyers in the form of loans with low three to four percent interest. While the goal of the low-interest loans was originally to stabilize uncertain markets, automakers and other industries are taking advantage of the effectively free cash.

Mercedes Bank has already taken advantage of the generous terms, and PSA Financing, a unit of Peugeot and Citroën, has made mention of doing the same in an attempt to stave off looming poor sales. According to The New York Times, the European auto industry may be facing down its second downturn since 2009. Registrations for new vehicles were down 8.3 percent between January and February of this year compared to the same period in 2011.

How European Central Bank loans may have subsidized the Volkswagen Up!

The BMW i8 plug-in-hybrid sports car is just the sort of crazy project that could help redefine the BMW brand – and perhaps even the notion of what makes a car enthusiast – for the 21st Century. It’s the sort of out-of-the-box thinking we’ve been waiting for some automaker to deploy, so these new details are exciting.

To start with, according to Britain’s Car, the i8 will only be available as a plug-in hybrid – no conventional, internal-combustion-only version will be offered. That means no M version will be in the cards, at least not an M product in the way we currently define the BMW performance moniker. But the report says the i8 will have a more powerful gas engine than we’ve previously reported, with its 1.5-liter three-cylinder cranking out 223 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque through the rear wheels. The front-drive electric motor is said to be rated at 170 horsepower, giving the i8 a combined 393 hp and 406 lb-ft.

The report claims that the i8 will have a 20-mile all-electric range, a top speed of 156 miles per hour, and sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds. Curb weight is said to be just 3,125 pounds, which is less than most models of the new 2012 3 Series, thanks to the i8’s carbon fiber body and aluminum chassis. Recharge time is said to be six hours, presumably on a 220-volt system. In all, a pretty amazing package.

But here’s the kicker: Car says the i8 will be priced above €100,000, which is $132,600 based on today’s exchange rates. We expect the i8 to hit the market as a 2014 model, and while that price is spendy by plebeian standards, the queue for the car will most certainly be long, at least initially.

Click past the jump if you’ve missed any of BMW’s i8 videos.

Continue reading BMW nixes plan for M version of i8, but production car to have more power? [w/video]

BMW nixes plan for M version of i8, but production car to have more power? [w/video]

Automotive News reports Bentley is staying the course with the company’s EXP 9 F SUV Concept. The ultra-luxury automaker plans to bring the vehicle to the Beijing Motor Show exactly as it appeared at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, despite the fact that the concept didn’t exactly debut to resounding acclaim. Critics described the design as awkward and unbecoming of nameplate like Bentley, but the automaker says it wants to vet the design in as many markets as possible before finalizing the exterior. Here’s hoping the crowds in China are as repulsed as those in Switzerland.

The EXP 9 F has already been green-lit for production, and while we have no qualm with the thought of a high-riding luxury brute with a twin-turbo 12-cylinder engine under the hood, we’d like to see something a little less muddled outside. Bentley says an SUV will give the company a leg up in markets like the Middle East and China, where luxury SUVs remain king. Through the first two months of this year, the company’s sales are up 66 percent in China, putting the country ahead of the United States as the largest market for Bentley products.

Bentley to show SUV concept unaltered in Beijing

Everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes the pickup truck market. The market is so big, in fact, that truck manufacturers regularly unveil new models at the Texas State Fair, and create special models just for the largest of contiguous states in the union. For Chrysler, that means the Ram 1500 Lone Star – a special edition available only in Texas that accounts for 30- to 40-percent of its 1500-series truck sales in the state, or about 80,000 units sold since its introduction ten years ago.

Now that the model has reached that decade milestone, the American truckmaker is keen to get the party started – Texas-style – with an even more special special edition. The Ram Lone Star 10th Anniversary starts out with the Ram 1500 Crew Cab with bucket seats and upholsters them in perforated Katzkin leather with special logos to match those on the dashboard, floormats and the emblems on the outside.

A 5.7-liter Hemi V8 does the pulling duty with 390 horsepower and 407 lb-ft of torque mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, bolstered on the equipment list by 20-inch wheels, an auxiliary power outlet, trailer hitch and more that you can read about in the press release after the jump. The package adds a reasonable $1,500 to the base price for an all-in MSRP of $36,440, with deliveries beginning in the second quarter of the year – but only if you live in Texas.

Continue reading Ram celebrates Texas with special 10th anniversary Lone Star edition

Ram celebrates Texas with special 10th anniversary Lone Star edition

Consumer Reports has just wrapped up an evaluation of subcompact sedans, and the Kia Rio EX has rolled out ahead of the class. The four-door beat out its corporate clone, the Hyundai Accent and the Chevrolet Sonic to take the top spot. Evaluators pointed to the sharp handling and well-optioned interior in the Rio as reasons for the vehicle’s win. The newly redesigned Nissan Versa and unloved Toyota Yaris filled out the top five sedans. And what of the baby hatchbacks? CR once again credited the Honda Fit as leader of the pack, followed closely by the Versa Hatchback and Rio Hatchback.

The organization found fault with the base Chevrolet Sonic’s fuel economy, and found the turbocharged LTZ model to be too expensive. Evaluators also felt the Sonic Turbo “didn’t live up to its sporty aspirations.”

We’ll politely agree to disagree on that one.

All of the vehicles in the evaluation are either too new or scored too low in CR evaluations to earn a coveted Recommended rating. Hit the jump for a look at the full press release and debate amongst yourselves in Comments.

Continue reading Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent and Chevy Sonic top Consumer Reports subcompact shootout

Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent and Chevy Sonic top Consumer Reports subcompact shootout

When Ford unveiled the EcoSport Concept at the New Delhi Auto Expo in January, we were smitten. A pint-sized, good-looking CUV with thrifty engines could do well here in the States. Brazil’s Noticias Automotivas has caught what looks like a production EcoSport sans camo before it undergoes crash testing and, as promised, it looks little changed from the showcar.

The sparkly LED-powered headlights are gone but everything else seems to be very close to what design boss J Mays told us about in New Delhi. The final version is expected to come with two engine options: the 1.6-liter Sigma and the 2.0 liter Duratec.

Despite Ford’s plans to expand the EcoSport beyond Brazil, we’re not hopeful it’ll be sold in North America, as we’ve heard Blue Oval executives dismiss the Fiesta-sized CUV as too small. Be sure to check out Noticias Automotivas for additional photos of the new EcoSport.

Brazilians, this is your new Ford EcoSport