Ryca Motors CS-1 – Click above for high-res image gallery
In case you hadn’t noticed, cafe racers are in. In fact, retro in general has been seeing a resurgence of sorts for the last decade or so, and there’s a certain intrinsic charm to motorcycles designed to be sportbikes before the term sportbike actually existed. Established motorcycle brands, such as Ducati with its and , have taken note with production models that ape the design of low-slung classics with dropped handlebars, raised exhausts and sloping seats.
As much as we appreciate those bikes, it’s important to note that cafe racers were highly customized by their owners and were therefore much more unique than the bikes they were based on. As such, we’re finding ourselves rather intrigued by the CS-1 from Ryca Motors. Starting with the well-known Suzuki S40 (or the Savage, as it was previously known) means that parts and service will never present a problem, and that bike’s easygoing 650cc single cylinder powerplant lends itself to the cafe racer look with relatively little effort.
Casey Stevenson, formerly an engineer at NASA, designed the CS-1 to be a fun and fuel efficient machine that could be built on a small budget and sold as a small run of production models and kits. Want one? A check for $9,500 will get you a CS-1 brand new off the showroom floor, and $8,000 will get you a bike built atop a gently used donor. If you already have an S40 or Savage, you can get it converted for $5,500 or you can buy the complete kit for $3,200.
Like most of the motoring world, our automotive lives really got off the ground at age 13. We suddenly realized that in just three short years, we would be legally allowed to drive our very own cars, and that revelation started a chain reaction of magazines, posters and models that eventually led to our first set of keys. We may have even been known to sketch a barely recognizable dream car or two. We weren’t, however, cranking out professional-grade renderings of a version of the .
Here’s the deal: Team Speed forum user PorscheCarreraGTMay6 has been so kind as to share his vision of what a genuine hybrid racer might look like. That’s all fine and good. After all, the internet is awash with plenty of Photoshopped what-ifs, but what makes these really special is that A) the person claims to be 13 years-old and B) the renders are drop-dead gorgeous and C) there’s a good chance we’re going to see a 918 Spyder racer within the next few years. The user even cranked out a YouTube video and a solid description of the reasoning behind the model.
You can check out the full forum thread , and be sure to to see the video for yourself. Keep your eyes out. If this kid is actually 13 years-old, they’re going to set the auto world on fire.
Rosie Huntington-Whitley – Click above for high-res image gallery
Please excuse us while we take a little trip down lane. Word on the web is we now know who will be replacing in the next scintillating Transformers flick. Shia Labeouf will be locking lips with none other than Rosie Huntington-Whitley. Who is that, exactly? Good question. Huntington-Whiteley has spent the majority of her days prancing down a runway in her unmentionables as a Victoria Secret model. The best part? The 23 year-old model-turned actress doesn’t have a drop of acting experience. The jokes write themselves.
Fox was reportedly to give the main character a new love interest, though rumor was that the actress had also spent her off time berating director Michael Bay for any number of perceived character flaws. Our guess is Bay got tired of hearing the insults and told Fox to take a hike. Now back to your regularly scheduled content.
Rhys Millen Racing PM580 frame – Click above to view the video
The folks at HRE Performance Wheels dropped by the Rhys Millen Racing shop to check out the progress on the new car. Millen and his crew are in the process of building an Unlimited Class racer to crack the all-time record on the Colorado mountain. Millen will attempt to both recapture the record that his father held for 13 years and record the first ever sub-10-minute time.
The PM580 is powered by a V8 engine mounted in the middle of a steel tube-frame chassis. Aside from the engine, the rest of the chassis looks rather conventional, until you see the carbon-fiber bodywork that looks more like something destined to hurtle down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans rather than up the side of a mountain.
Unlike your mobile data plan, at Pikes Peak Unlimited means exactly that: anything goes, including active aerodynamics. The angle of the upper plane on the rear wing is automatically managed based on a yaw rate sensor and lateral accelerometer. When the car is on the straights it flattens out to a 10-degree angle, but as the car turns in, it tips up to 50 degrees to press the rear end down. It’s fascinating stuff and you can check it out in the video .
Next generation BMW 6 Series convertible – Click above for high-res image gallery
has had a remarkably steady flow of new product hitting the market in the last couple of years, and now that the latest 5 Series is starting to hit the streets and the X3 is coming this fall, one of the next models in line for a rework is the 6 Series.
The new coupe and convertible will be the last of the “Bangle Butt” models to go under the knife, and none too soon. The redesigned convertibles have been running everywhere from Arvidsjaur, Sweden to the Nurburgring since last winter, but always with the top up. The latest batch of images from our intrepid spy shooters show a test driver enjoying a bit Munich sunshine in the spring.
When the new 6 debuts publicly either later this year or early next we’re expecting it to feature much of the same design language we’ve seen on the latest 5, 7 and Z4, with tight side sculpting, stretched headlamps and an overall look that is both cleaner and more muscular than before.
If you aren’t already on the list to purchase a 2011 , you’re officially out of luck. During a speech to the Detroit Economic Club today, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that the U.S. market allotment for the first year’s production of Leafs is already sold out more than six months before the EV even goes on sale. Nissan has now received 13,000 orders for the $32,780 – quite impressive for a vehicle almost no one’s driven.
So far, the orders are comprised of refundable $99 deposits, so it will be interesting to see how sales and orders hold up once people begin getting calls from dealers. Prior to going on sale in 2008, the also received thousands of orders before deliveries began – and we all know how well that turned out. While the Leaf will undoubtedly be a much more pleasant and practical car to drive than the Smart, it remains to be seen how customers will react once they get used to the real world electric range.
Ghosn remains extremely bullish on electric vehicles and will be adding production capacity in both the United States and Europe over the next three years.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. is mostly known for his ability to pilot Ford Mustangs in a sideways – he currently leads the points race in the 2010 Formula Drift season – but over the last year the Maryland native has also been busy launching his own car brand, RTR, beginning with last year’s show at SEMA with the debut of the .
Not one to rest on his laurels, Gittin will be following up the RTR-C with perhaps something even more impressive. In a collaboration with Team Need for Speed, the drifter/car builder will unveil another Mustang at the 2010 SEMA show dubbed the RTR-X. Based on a 1969 Mustang using a Dynacorn replacement body shell, the RTR-X will feature the 5.0-liter V8 from the 2011 Mustang GT and a one-off sub-frame from Art Morrison. You can follow the until its debut at SEMA in November and even over at SpeedHunters. Hit up the gallery below to see Gittin’s upcoming creation in more detail.
2010 Ford Start concept – click above for high-res image gallery
While Volvo’s fate isn’t perfectly clear yet, it appears that everyone might have been best served by severing ties with the foreign branches of its Premier Automotive Group: , , and . True, Ford didn’t get to fully benefit from the labor it put into the cars those brands are unveiling to accolades right now, but it spared itself the continued financial and brain drain on its core brands.
It was a drain that was also felt by the company’s design arm, headed by J Mays. Referring to how thin The Blue Oval’s design resources were stretched, Mays called the efforts “an inch deep and a mile wide.” Part of it was that there were simply so many new models to keep track of, the other part being that so many of those cars had such vastly different requirements – an Aston couldn’t look like a , and even though an Aston could use Volvo’s switchgear it shouldn’t look anything like S80 or an .
Now the team can focus on wrapping the company’s products and concept cars (like the shown above) in the “” design language developed a few years ago. That, Mays says, is also easier because of Ford’s rationalization of its platforms – something that also could not have been as completely without selling the company’s PAG brands.
The is perhaps the most important vehicle in ’s lineup, and though the automaker has given it a few minor tweaks for the 2011 model year (fascia nip/tuck, new N55 single-turbo mill), an all-new version is in the works for 2012. We’ve seen all covered in BMW’s signature swirly paper, but our spies have just caught the wagon Touring version of the new 3er roaming around European streets, as well. Aside from the obvious addition of a more capacious boot, not much should differ between the 3 Series sedan and wagon when it hits showrooms, which figures to feature a range of new engines and a design more akin to that of the F10 and new .
We’re sure that the new 3 Series Touring will fare well in European markets, but it’s unclear how the wagon will be received here in the States, especially since BMW is rumored to be working on a – similar to the that launched earlier this year. However, the may cause BMW to rethink its product planning, and the new 3 wagon will be perfectly poised to do battle with the likes of the and , as well as the new TSX Sport Wagon from which will be arriving in early 2011.
No word yet on when we’ll see the production version of the next-generation 3 Series, though we certainly won’t rule out a possible debut at this year’s Paris Motor Show. For now, click through the gallery below to see the 3 Series Touring showing off its new rump.
Remember those that was poised to purchase Italdesign Giugiaro? Well, they’re rumors no more, as the two storied firms have just announced that it’s a done deal. The German automaker will acquire a 90-percent stake in the design house, and the Giugiaro family, which currently owns the company outright, will retain the remaining 10 percent.
It is currently assumed that Volkswagen will keep the 975 employees at Italdesign, adding them to its own design department. Reports indicate that VW will also retain the services of the elder Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son, Fabrizio, who currently serves as the company design head. For what it’s worth, the Italian design house styled some of VW’s most successful and iconic models, including the original (or Rabbit, depending on your country of birth) and Scirocco.
Hit the jump for the official joint press release, and be sure to check out some of the best collaborations between the two companies in our high-res image gallery below.
Lancia Centro Stile concept sketches – Click above for high-res image gallery
Lancia’s website links to Centro Stile, the design section of the brand, where you can find all manner of concepts drawn by the same people who might be by the end of the year. There are a couple of oldies in the bunch, but then there’s the sketch above, a concept coupe, and a new take on the that’s rumored to be under consideration as a bound for the U.S.
The thing that gets us most about these sketches is how utterly far away they are from Chrysler’s design language, stoking all kinds of questions about how the two brands will be combined. Sergio Marchionne has said that because Chrysler and Lancia don’t overlap in terms of vehicle sizes, the two brands could be joined to create a full line-up. Based on these designs we’re thinking there will be a Jekyll and Hyde line in there, because we just can’t wrap our heads around the pictured coupe with goggle-eye headlights and a giant grille.
Have a look at the other sketches in the gallery of high-res photos below, and maybe you can tell us how a Lancia Ypsilon becomes a Chrysler Ypsilon and doesn’t look like a bad episode of “Will it Blend?”
Turkey’s Autopia Europa – Click above for high-res image gallery
Istanbul, Turkey will reportedly be home to the world’s largest auto dealership, called Autopia Europia. The space is so big it’s probably more convenient to think of it as an industrial complex, rather than an auto dealer: more than two million square feet, each of the five floors almost 20 feet high, 200 auto sales outlets hawking new and used metal, shot through with 56 eateries, 48 repair shops, 24 banks and 42 insurance companies. And that’s just a taste of the options.
Perhaps the most unusual feature of Autopia Europia is the test-drive track on the roof of the building. The building’s developers expect six million visitors per year, and we can only imagine they’re including a lot of foot traffic in that estimate. With a 900-car parking garage, even with three people in every car, it would take nearly seven years to accommodate that many guests. Construction has just begun so they’ve probably got a couple of years to crunch those numbers again.
You can have a look at it in the gallery of high-res renderings below, or in the video . Hat tip to Brian!
2010 Ford SVT Raptor 6.2 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Unless you’re a died-in-the-burlap save-the-planet kind of person, you probably think the is freakin’ cool. There’s not a factory truck on the planet that can with equal ease, grace and unmitigated speed.
The 2010 Raptor genuinely has no competition In the world of production trucks, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. If you bent the ear of the right engineer, he would admit that the 2010 SVT Raptor was supposed to launch with the 6.2-liter SOHC V8 we’re testing today. The aging 310-horsepower 5.4-liter Triton mill included at launch was never the perfect fit for the radical Raptor. Too tame.
From the truck’s introduction last Fall, everyone knew the would be better. But no one knew how much better until now. Read about our wild test drive (and brief flight) after the ummm… jump.
Gallery:
Photos by Rex Roy / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc. and Ford Motor Company
Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 – Click above for image gallery
This is the , the car Cosworth said would “humble” supercars. With a 0-to-62 sprint happening in just 3.7 seconds it’ll be quicker than a whole bunch of exotics, and at £49,995 ($71,368 U.S.), it’ll be a whole lot cheaper as well. If that sounds like a boatload of cash for a warmed-over WRX, well, it is. But bear in mind that thanks to factors like the 17.5 percent Value Added Tax, UK pricing is rather different than what pricing in the States would likely look like were Cosworth to sell the CS400 here.
The 395-horsepower, 398-pound-foot Cossie Scooby benefits from a thorough rework of its boxer-engined details, boasting new pistons, con-rods, turbocharger, exhaust and ECU mapping among its many modifications. Aiding the ’s all-wheel drive get power to the ground is a lowered suspension with components from Bilstein and Eibach.
Looks-wise, a different front bumper fitted with mesh inserts, a rear spoiler, a track widened by 12 millimeters, and 18-inch alloys over bigger AP brakes will make sure cognescenti don’t confuse you with anything else. Identification will also be made easier by the fact that there will only be 75 made for the UK market only, and available it’ll be available in red, silver, and dark gray. Thanks to everyone for the tips!
When gets around to expanding its line-up next year, the first model to benefit from the badge will be a compact MPV reportedly badged the Alpha. The small van will apparently be based on a stretched version of the current Prius platform, will add a third row of seats and should be the first production Toyota hybrid with a lithium ion battery pack. Toyota is currently testing a fleet of plug-in Prius hybrids with lithium batteries, but those aren’t slated for production until 2012.
The seven-seat Alpha is expected to be about one foot longer than the current Prius hatchback, while a shorter, five-seat version of the Alpha that may look similar to the from 2007 and could retain the nickel-metal hydride batteries of the current Prius to keep costs down. If all goes according to plan, expect the Prius Alpha to launch around March of next year.
2010 Suzuki Equator – Click above for high-res image gallery
Remember the – the overlooked, rebadged version of the that went on sale in early 2009? There hasn’t been much to talk about the slow-selling Fronquator, but now a recall involving vehicles manufactured between November 2009 and March 2010 (a whopping total of 582 units) brings the little truck into the front of our minds again.
According to the official recall statement from NHTSA, the Equator’s lower control link bushing collars may not contain welds that meet strength specifications, which can alter the wheel alignment over time. The safety recall is taking place as you read this, and dealers will replace one or both lower control links if necessary. The full details are available in NHTSA’s statement, after the jump.
Giorgio Bartocci Lamborghini Super Trofeo Crash – Click above to watch video
The Super Trofeo Cup saw a massive accident during Round 4 of the season. From what we can tell, the number 22 LP560-4 driven by Giorgio Bartocci got off into the gravel on the last turn before the front straight. It’s unclear whether Bartocci was nudged by another racer or whether a mechanical failure caused the slide, but either way, the car hit the wall at considerable speed and nearly disintegrated on impact.
The driver’s side door sprung open as the car slid down the tarmac, and Bartocci could be seen flailing outside the vehicle. When it finally came to a stop, the Raging Bull turned into a raging fireball. Fire crews initially took longer than expected to pull the driver from the wreckage and were seen using underpowered fire extinguishers to battle the blaze. The is expected to investigate the incident. Amazingly, Bartocci survived the ordeal and is currently in intensive care.
Lamborghini canceled the remainder of the event and rounds six and seven have been indefinitely nixed as well. for a video of the incident.
2011Volkswagen Jetta – Click above for high-res image gallery
A cameraphone-wielding member of GMInsideNews has caught what looks to be a pair of prototypes in Michigan, and while it’s hard to tell the full extent of the changes or the size of the sedans, he appears to have snagged the next-generation undergoing testing.
Even with the and Chrysler minivan providing a bit of scale, it’s hard to pin down the dimensions of the prototypes. However, we’re more inclined to assume that the VWs are the refreshed Jetta, particularly based on the roofline, greenhouse and overhangs, as well as the , which looks markedly more assertive than what we see here.
While the odd Toyota-like badge on the boot is a nice touch, don’t expect that element to make it to production. Instead, the 2011 Jetta will finally replace the current model’s ovoid headlamps with the more angular, aggressive units found on the refreshed and GTI. Out back, the trunk benefits from a subtle lift and tuck, with new rectangular taillamps and slightly blistered fenders finishing off the refresh. Assuming our product cycle prediction hats are on straight, we can expect to see the new Jetta in person later this year, with sales beginning in early 2011.
Infiniti Performance Line teaser – Click above for high-res image
Hot on the heels of the recent revelation that is working on slated to debut at this year’s Pebble Beach extravaganza, we’ve come across a trademark filing by Nissan North America for “IPL.” What’s IPL you ask? Infiniti Performance Line, a new catalog of in-house developed upgrades which – according to the filing – will include everything from air filters to cat-back exhaust systems, and – more intriguingly – “automotive engine parts, namely turbochargers and superchargers.”
The approach is likely to be similar to how NISMO develops and markets parts for or, more accurately, launch of its F-Sport performance line.
This new line of performance parts will likely be unveiled this August in Pebble Beach and be fitted to the . How extensive the modifications are remains to be seen, but as , one of the models set to debut will be “performance oriented,” and if forced induction is part of the package, we’re anxiously awaiting our rendezvous with the modded coupe this summer.
Kelley Blue Book Top 10 Cars for under $18k – Click above for high-res image gallery
Being in the market for a cheap new car used to mean resigning yourself to time bombs like the Citation or windups like the Geo Metro or Aspire, but the times, they are a-changin’, and the good folk at Kelley Blue Book have worked up their very own top 10 list of cool cars for under $18,000.
Not surprisingly, the 2011 nabbed a mention thanks to its 28 mpg city, 40 mpg highway EPA rating and mile-long standard feature list. Likewise, the new 2010 received a spot on the list. The Korean automaker’s new long roof manages 23 city and 30 mph highway thanks to its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
The base also made the cut – another 2.0-liter bruiser, the baby brother of the Evolution nabs 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. also got some love on the KBB list with its . When optioned with the five-speed gearbox, the car walks away with 23 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. Rounding out the list is the ever lovable . Just like the Suzuki, if you want a few more miles per tank, you’ll need to opt for the manual transmission. Thusly equipped, the little Honda can 28 mpg city and up to 35 mpg highway.
Want to see what else made the list? or visit KBB for the whole list.
