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Drive an Audi R8 and you’re likely to turn heads just about anywhere you go. Unless, that is, you’re driving it in an area where the four-ringed supercar is already commonplace. Then you’re going to want to look for a way to distinguish yours from all the others. Fortunately, Audi Exclusive has the answer with its new custom R8.

The program, announced on Audi USA’s Facebook page, allows customers to custom order their R8 and specify from a range of special color options. In addition to the range of colors that can be specified for the exterior and the side-blade, Audi Exclusive is offering a set of special interior trims. That way, you can get your cabin decked out in brown leather with red stitching. Or red leather with white stitching. Or how about black leather with brown inserts and piping? Maybe brown with white stitching and piping is your thing.

The possibilities are endless, but we’ve got a half-dozen images of a few configurations released by Audi to give you an idea of what’s in store, so check ‘em out.

Audi USA opens up the palette with R8 Exclusive

Russia is Shangri La if you’re into crazy men building mean-looking one-off supercars in their garages. OK, supercar might be a bit of an exaggeration, considering this home-built Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR replica probably rides on old Lada running gear, but look at it.

It looks like a resurrected battleship with vengeance on its mind. We have no idea what powers it, but we like imagining an apocalyptic sound from the jagged side pipes decorating this beast’s flanks. No high-tech equipment was used to build it, and the guy named the car Valentina after his wife. We doubt she looks nearly so mean…

Russian hand-builds world’s meanest SLR McLaren

Whether you’re driving an F1 car or riding a superbike, getting around any racing circuit this side of the Nürburgring Nordschleife is a rather rapid affair. Which is more than we could say for building one – that bit takes some time. Together with the cash it takes to finance such a venture, that goes some way towards explaining why you don’t see it happening every day. But that’s what’s going on as we speak in Austin, Texas.

The facility is called the Circuit of the Americas, and it’s set to host a host of top-level races starting next year, including Formula 1, MotoGP and the V8 Supercar series porting over from Australia. Of course it needs to be completed in order for anything to drive its 3.4 miles and 20 corners.

Fortunately work is well under way, but don’t take our word for it: the constructors of the first purpose-built F1 track to be built in the United States have been filming the progress, and have released a quartet of time-lapse videos where you can see the construction unfolding before your very eyes. Just follow the jump and click play.

Continue reading Circuit of the Americas in Austin coming together before your very eyes

Circuit of the Americas in Austin coming together before your very eyes

History has a way of putting things into perspective that contemporary developments can’t. Take, for example, the Ferrari 599. Over the years, the front-engined V12 supercar spawned many derivatives, but while the GTO and XX track car stood out among the ultimate renditions of the model, the vast majority of those built were the more common GTB Fiorano version. That’s where Vörsteiner comes in.

The German aftermarket firm makes a series of body kits and wheel upgrades for a variety of vehicles, particularly Bentleys, Mercedes, Porsches and BMWs. But now Vörsteiner has turned its attention to a Ferrari for the first time.

The result is called the 599-VX, and it imbues the 599 GTB with some of the visual aggression of the 599 GTO and 599XX. The package includes an eight-piece body kit with a new front end, hood, side skirts, rear deck lid, rear intake panel and rear bumper with integrated diffuser, all made of carbon fiber. A set of lightweight wheels forged from aircraft-grade aluminum round out the package that is set to be unveiled shortly.

Lucky for you, the good folks at Vörsteiner, eGarage.com and photographer Albert Roxas gave us this sneak peek at what they have in store. Take a closer look in the high-res image gallery for more.

Vörsteiner previews GTO-look Ferrari 599-VX originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Not even supercars are safe from recalls. Audi is recalling certain R8 Spyders for a potential fuel leak, caused by the fuel supply line rubbing against the heat shield in the engine compartment. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this effects droptop R8s built between May 18, 2010 and June 22, 2011.

We don’t need to tell you why a fuel leak is a potential disaster. Anyone who dropped the cash for an R8 Spyder surely will not want to see it go up in flames.

The official recall is expected to begin on August 22, and owners will be able to have their cars inspected and repaired free of charge. Follow the jump for NHTSA’s official release.

Continue reading 2011-12 Audi R8 Spyder recalled for fuel leak

2011-12 Audi R8 Spyder recalled for fuel leak originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Is there an automobile roaming our nation’s roads that you love to hate? Certainly, those with a love for high-octane gasoline and low quarter mile times tend to bitch and moan about the proliferation of hybrids like the Toyota Prius. On the flipside, those with a mind toward fuel efficiency (ie, Prius drivers…) direct their ire toward fuel-sucking supercars and needlessly large SUVs.

According to Fortune, though, there’s one vehicle in 2011 that’s universally hated more than all others: the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. The money-centric source cites numerous reviews from well-known journalists to prove its point… such as this gem from Dan Neil: “The Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet is like a sorbet of mouse scat.”

Ick. We sampled the CrossCab ourselves out in the sunny climes of California, and you can read all about our own experiences with the $47,000 convertible crossover right here. In a nutshell, we don’t hate the CrossCab with the apparent fervor of some reviewers, but we do question whether it was wise for Nissan to invest so much into a vehicle that couldn’t possibly sell in large numbers. Plus, it’s certainly a bit of an ugly duckling, no?

That said, we’re interested in your view. Is the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet your most disliked car of 2011?

View Poll

Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet named Most Disliked Car of 2011 [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Audi is continuing to pour cash into the development of its next generation crossovers, and in addition to a range of new high-riding models, the next Q5 and Q7 are set to go on a serious diet.

According to Automobile, the redesigned Q5 will drop around 220 pounds from its curb weight, while the larger Q7 will reportedly shed some 650 pounds thanks to a new aluminum body.

The aforementioned Q5 will share a platform with the forthcoming Porsche Cajun when it arrives in 2016 and will spawn two new models: the Q4 and Q6.

The Q6 will supposedly take on the BMW X6, with a steeply raked windshield and low-slung hatch, but will maximize cargo and rear passenger space, while making ingress and egress easier.

More interestingly, Automobile says that the Q4 could take one of three shapes: a hardened off-roader, a more luxurious Acura ZDX competitor or a high-performance crossover. Regardless, power for both models will come from a new turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, boosting efficiency over the current supercharged six by up to 20 percent. A plug-in hybrid model is also in the cards, mating the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with a 100-horsepower electric motor.

Next Audi Q7 to shed 650 pounds? originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While we tend to think of Ford as an American automaker – and it is – the fact of the matter is that it has also been in the British market for longer than most automakers have been around altogether. 100 years, all told, and the company has been celebrating that milestone throughout the year in a variety of ways. And this is the latest.

Called the Centura edition, this special Fiesta marks the Blue Oval’s centenary in the UK with a bunch of options bundled into one package. To start with, the special Fiesta nods at its forefather in its color options: British buyers can get it in any color they want, as long as it’s black. Panther Black metallic, to be specific. It’s also got a 1.25-liter Zetec four, chrome mirror caps, 16-inch alloys, daytime LEDs and a slew of automatic do-dads.

While hardly the exclusive GT supercar you might expect Ford of Britain to celebrate with, it is decidedly more accessible. And in the end, wasn’t that what Henry Ford envisioned for the motorist? Details in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Ford celebrates 100 years in Britain with special edition Fiesta Centura

Ford celebrates 100 years in Britain with special edition Fiesta Centura originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hold your horses, ladies and gents. All 700 of them. It appears that earlier reports of the Pagani Huayra’s exclusion from the U.S. market may have been a tad premature.

As you may recall, we reported yesterday on a ruling from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that denied Pagani its application for exemption from certain airbag regulations. The assumption was that this would put a big damper on Pagani’s plans to enter the American market, but if the latest reports prove accurate, that now appears to be little more than a speed bump. And as little as exotic supercars and their drivers like speed bumps, they can, one way or another, be overcome.

According to GTSpirit, Pagani appears to have been prepared for the NHTSA’s refusal. The application had been submitted some three years ago, and since Pagani Automobili had not received a reply until now, it had already begun work on the advanced air bags as required. The request – such as had been granted to other niche supercar manufacturers – was simply to give Pagani some extra time to implement the rules and allow it to sell in the U.S. in the meantime. Clever.

Reports highlight just how far Pagani has gone to heighten the safety measures in the new Huayra with such features as a carbon-titanium passenger tub from which the rear subframe breaks off in the event of a catastrophic crash, and a fuel system that cuts off pressure if the fuel line is severed. In other words, over and above what NHTSA mandates.

The rigorous application of the advanced airbag regulations may mean that Pagani’s planned deliveries for late 2012 could be pushed back to early 2013, but one way or another, Pagani is determined to sell here in the United States. And given the speeds of which its cars are capable, we wouldn’t count on them arriving too late, either.

Pagani Huayra still coming to U.S., just delayed until 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Lamborghini Gallardo has been on the market now for the better part of a decade. Along the way, it has led to countless variants: some with roofs, some without, some with all-wheel drive, some with rear, some with as less than 500 horsepower and some with nearly 570. Soon the entire range will be replaced with a new model thought to be called Cabrera, but before it does, word on the strada is that the Raging Bull marque is planning one last hurrah.

And what a hurrah it will be. Reportedly based on the Super Trofeo race car that’s fielded in the spec racing series of the same name, a “Super Trofeo Stradale” is tipped to debut at next month’s Frankfurt show as the final iteration of the Gallardo.

Little word at this point on just what it will entail, but expect more power and less weight than any variant that has preceded it. For reference, the track-bound Super Trofeo packs a 562-horsepower V10 but with 240 pounds less heft than the standard Gallardo and 88 pounds less than the stripped-out Superleggera. Expect the roadgoing version to hit 60 miles per hour in three seconds flat and run out to a top end of some 210 mph.

We’ll have to wait until we get to the Messe to find out more, but that’s little over a month away, so stay tuned.

Lamborghini to present ultimate Gallardo at Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With Autoline Detroit’s John McElroy

Episode #242 of the Autoblog Podcast is here. This week, Chris and Dan are joined by John McElroy, long-time host of Autoline Detroit, Autoblog columnist and a fixture to listeners of WWJ. We start by getting our supercar fix, mulling the Pagani Huyara and its eventual move to the U.S. market. From there, we bring some informed analysis to General Motors regaining the largest automaker crown from Toyota and discuss the newly-confirmed Cadillac XTS and ATS. Your questions and comments power the last third of the podcast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #242:

• Pagani Huayra makes its U.S. Debut
• General Motors back on top as world’s largest carmaker
• Will the confirmed Cadillac XTS and ATS help maintain momentum?

In the Autoblog Garage
2011 Infiniti M56
2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
2012 Fiat 500

Feedback
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #242

Autoblog Podcast #242 originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Another day, another story of a dealership refusing to honor an eBay Motors transaction. (It seems these tales pop up at least once each quarter.) Today’s adventure in online car shopping comes courtesy of Xou Vang of Anchorage, Alaska, who was the winner of a 2009 Nissan GT-R, with a top bid of $55,100. That’s a pretty good deal on a supercar with only 36,069 miles showing on the odometer. Honda of San Marcos in Texas thinks so, too, which is why it’s refusing to sell the car to Vang for the amount of his winning bid.

This was a No-Reserve Auction. Those of you reading at home will understand what that means, but the dealership clearly does not. In fact, Honda of San Marcos wants Vang to pay $59,000 for the 2009 GT-R, instead of the $55,100 that the now-closed auction calls for.

Xou Vang is turning to the Internet for help, because the dealership is stonewalling him. When Vang was lucky enough to speak to someone there, he was told that the auction was a mistake and his winning bid will not be honored. Apparently, this particular dealership has never seen Internet justice at its finest. Remember the BMW dealer who tried to pull the same stunt? It ended up relenting, and we would be surprised if Honda of San Marcos doesn’t do the same. It made a $3,900 mistake, but the dealership should remain held accountable for the error. Situations like these make us wish eBay Motors would move to suspend dealer accounts when they behave like this.

You can follow his saga on the My350Z.com forums.

UPDATE: The dealership in question has reached out to our friends at Motor Authority, and it seems it’s none to happy about the way it’s being “portrayed.” In fact, Honda of San Marcos is threatening Motor Authority with a lawsuit. Head over there for the full account from Nelson Ireson, who is an editor for MA and just happens to be a lawyer himself.

Another dealership refusing to honor eBay Motors sale [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Entering Its Silver Years With A Supercharged Six

Life for us mammals is comparatively finite. Lacking the luxury of a mid-cycle refresh, the average human in the United States can expect to live about 80 years before their clock stops ticking. That isn’t too terrible in the grand scheme of things. After all, the typical mountain lion is lucky to get 20 years as a feared predator while most guinea pigs go quietly after just eight years in the household cage. Mammals don’t have many options when it comes to getting old.

Not so with the automobile. With few exceptions, the average lifecycle of a passenger vehicle is a short five to seven years. However, instead of sitting idle as its beloved machinery ages into senility, manufacturers treat passenger vehicles to mid-cycle makeovers with new fascias, upgraded electronics and more efficient engines. The intent is to breathe new life into models and make them more appealing lest they get lost amid a sea of younger designs.

The Audi Q7 is in the middle of its fifth model year – pushing 60 in human years. And fresh off a facelift just last year, the full-size SUV receives a complete heart transplant for 2011. The new supercharged V6 is not only engineered to make the seven-passenger vehicle more competitive in a difficult market, but to carry Audi’s first crossoffer towards its eventual retirement. Or behind the shed.

Continue reading 2011 Audi Q7 3.0T S line [w/video]

2011 Audi Q7 3.0T S line [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you’ve already placed your order for one of the fifteen examples of the Pagani Huayra set to reach American shores, you might either be getting your check back in the mail or asked for a bigger one. As it turns out, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is giving Pagani a bit of a hard time.

Back in 2000, NHTSA established new guidelines for advanced air bags. All automakers had to comply with the regulations, but a few low-volume manufacturers like Tesla and Lamborghini were given exemptions. Pagani applied for a similar pass on the grounds that it didn’t have the financial resources to develop such a system, but the administration has denied its request.

As a result, Pagani will either have to go back to the drawing board and develop – at a cost of around $5.7 million – the required advanced airbag system as required by the NHTSA to sell their car in the United States, or else skip out on this market as they did with the previous Zonda.

It certainly would be a shame if we had to admire the Italian supercar from afar like so many before it, but then again, given the immense velocity of which the Huayra is capable, maybe mandating the very best in safety technology isn’t such a bad idea.

NHTSA denies Pagani Huayra airbag exemption for sale in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Harley riders like riding Harleys. But even for the HDMC faithful, certain situations – from bad weather to transporting cargo – call for something with a little more utility. That’s where the Harley-Davidson edition Ford F-150 comes in.

Since the two iconic American motor companies first teamed up in 1999, the collaboration has produced ten special edition F-150s, six Super Duty F-250 and F-350 models and even an F-450 a couple of years ago. All in, more than 70,000 examples have been sold.

For 2012, Ford has given the Harley-Davidson F-150 a revised interior, a new set of wheels, a new color option and some updated graphics. The interior now features snakeskin accents (which ought to go perfectly with those snakeskin boots yer kickin’). The new wheels are machined aluminum, measure a massive 22 inches across and feature painted accents and new hubs. The White Platinum Tri-Coat pictured above now joins the catalog, along with the new (and relatively subtle) gray flame along the flanks.

The enormous 6.2-liter V8 packs a hefty 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque – just a teensy bit more than the V-twin in a Harley hog, and you can read all about the whole package in the press release after the jump and scope it out in the high-res image gallery for more.

Continue reading 2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 arrives, now with more snakeskin

2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 arrives, now with more snakeskin originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It’s not official – yet – but Car and Driver caught Porsche executives discussing a new addition to the lineup. Rumor has it that the German automaker is looking to add a mid-engined supercar to the family, slotting above the 911 range, but below the upcoming 918. This new model will be Porsche’s answer to the Ferrari 458 Italia.

Early estimates on the price tag? Somewhere in the neighborhood of €400,000 – about $568,000 based on current exchange rates (yikes!). Car and Driver speculates that this exotic supercar will utilize a powerplant that produces over 600 horsepower, which should help push 0-60-mile-per-hour times into the three-second range, while top speed could hover as high as 220 mph.

This move should help keep Porsche purists happy, with the knowledge that a high-performance coupe will join a lineup of vehicles they’re entirely in love with. Still, those vehicles (read: Panamera and Cayenne) supply the cash to build super sports cars. You can’t have the sweet without the sour… and in this case, the sour is actually pretty sweet, too.

Porsche hints at new mid-engine supercar between 911 and 918 originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In Australia, a muscled-up showcar has given way to the real thing. Earlier in the year, Ford Performance Vehicles showed off a sinister-looking Falcon GT Sedan, which boasted a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine under the hood. The FPV Concept was shown to the public at the Australian International Motor Show, and the team behind the car were happy with the overwhelming support for the blacked-out brawler. Their thumbs-up reactions helped Ford’s Australian brass give the concept car a green light, albeit with limited production.

The end result is called the FPV GT Black, and it’s limited to a run of just 125 units. There’s only one color choice, and it’s staring you in the face right now. Power is supplied by the aforementioned 5.0, which enjoys a bit of forced induction to help push output to around 450 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. All of that twist is available from 2,200 rpm up through 5,500 rpm.

We already know cars in Australia are more expensive then vehicles sold here in the states, and this limited-edition sedan is no exception. Still, we’re rather curious how the $74,290 sticker price would translate stateside. Still, this is as close as we’ll get to wondering about that, because these sports sedans are staying in Australia. Hit the jump for the official press release.

Continue reading FPV putting concept into production as limited edition GT Black

FPV putting concept into production as limited edition GT Black originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pagani unveiled its new supercar, the Huayra, to the media at the Pasadena Art Center Colleage of Design this past week. The car was initially introduced to a world-wide audience at the Geneva Motor Show in March, but this is the first time the car has been seen on North American soil. In fact, this is the first time Pagani has officially brought any car to the United States despite producing its first supercar, the Zonda, for more for than a decade. Company founder Horacio Pagani said that the reason his company is only now beginning to sell cars in North America isn’t for lack of potential customers. According to Pagani, there was actually quite a bit of interest in the car, but unlike other supercar makers, he is in no rush to expand too quickly.

“At the time, the production capacity was not enough to fulfill all the demand an inquiries that we got from our worldwide customers,” he told us through his Italian translater. “The customers for these very special high end cars are very sophisticated, and when they come to Pagani they have to get not just a supercar but super attention and service together with the car. It’s not easy to properly look after each of them, so this is why, step-by-step, we are developing new markets just to make sure that every new customer coming into the Pagani family is very well looked after and pampered by our staff and to meet every request.”

Unfortunately, that attention to detail and customer service means that U.S. buyers will still have to wait a little longer before getting their cars. Horacio says that current customers need to be attended to before orders from new markets can be handled. “Pagani plans to enter the U.S. market only at the end of the 2012,” he told us. “We already have a huge demand for the car from our existing market, which is outside North America. We have to allow for some time for Pagani to fulfill the demand of the existing customer, and then start with our new ones.”

Pagani Huayra makes North American debut, first customer cars coming at end of 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hulme, New Zealand’s only supercar company, has finally started accepting orders for its long-promised, much-hyped supercar. Along similar lines as the Caparo T1, the Hulme’s goal is to provide an F1 car experience for the street.

To do so, the beast is loaded with a 700-horsepower, Chevrolet-derived V8 stuffed into the middle of a carbon fiber and kevlar shell. Weight is kept down to just over 2,300 pounds, which Hulme hopes will mean a 0-60 sprint of under 3.5 seconds. Denny would be proud.

The order books for the limited-production supercars are now open, but deliveries likely won’t begin until the second half of 2012. Hulme is hoping to get the car classed as a limited-production vehicle in Europe, which would mean the car could be sold freely across the continent.

Hulme finally opens order books originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

At the end of May we got renderings of a hi-po, scissor-doored coupe out of Poland, produced by Arrinera. Now we have video of the car on the streets. Its front end and side profile are very Lambo-reminiscent, but the wild rear end is new, different, and cool. Unfortunately, we don’t get a quality sound-check from the 638-horsepower GM engine stuffed behind the cabin, but at the very least the car is real, and that’s a good start. Follow the jump to watch the Arrinera supercar bring out the gawkers as it hits the pavement.

Continue reading Poland’s Arrinera supercar rolls onto unsuspecting streets

Poland’s Arrinera supercar rolls onto unsuspecting streets originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.