Aston Martin has taken the wraps of its new Virage Coupe and Virage Volante. Both models are based on the automaker’s VH architecture – so they’re “all-new”… kinda – and are meant to slot in between the DB9 and the DBS in the lineup.
The bonded aluminum chassis, with aluminum, magnesium and composite body panels, receives the familiar 6.0-liter V12 rated at 490 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque.
The standard transmission (a rear transaxle) is a six-speed automatic “Touchtronic 2″ gearbox, helping to deliver a 0-60 time of about 4.5 seconds and maxing out at a top speed of 186 miles per hour.
The suspension is double-wishbone on all four corners, with Aston Martin’s Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Sport mode as standard equipment. read more »
Posted on February 23, 2011 in:
Jaguar
We’ve heard rumblings of a more-powerful XKR. We saw spy shots of the rumored two-door as it blew through the English countryside wearing a dash of camouflage. And now it’s official: Jaguar is bringing a more powerful XKR to the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, and goes by the name XKR-S.
We can only assume Jaguar is sticking with the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 as a motivational tool because the full details won’t be unvieled until next week’s shindig in Switzerland.
However, we have been given a few numbers: 550 horsepower, 502 pound-feet of torque, a top-speed of 186 miles per hour and the ability to run from zero-to-60 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds.
If you weren’t excited enough about Geneva, Jaguar just gave you 550 reasons to start drooling. read more »
Posted on February 23, 2011 in:
Mercedes
There was a time when the Pope set about cruising the world in class and style. While we’ll have no part in arguing the functionality of the current Popemobile, the machine simply can’t hold a candle to the classy lady you see above.
This particular 1965 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman landaulet was built specifically for Pope Paul VI and served three additional pontiffs before getting mothballed in 1985. Why do you care, you ask? Because this particular piece of motoring history is headed Stateside for the very first time as part of this year’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance celebrations next month.
Mercedes-Benz has dug the unique 600 out of storage just for the event. Aside from the standard air-ride suspension, power brakes and heating and air conditioning, this particular model came equipped with bullet-proof glass and a unique rear seat that could be raised and lowered so that the Pope could be more easily seen by crowds. read more »
Posted on February 22, 2011 in:
Smart
Not every future Smart model is in trouble of vanishing – some will never see the light of production. To wit, Daimler’s minicar maker is bringing an all-electric, roofless version of the Smart ForTwo to the Geneva Motor Show, and the Forspeed concept looks surprisingly similar to the the Smart Speedster we got a peek at a few weeks ago.
Overall, the Forspeed echos the Smart Crossblade that was made in limited numbers in the early 2000s. Just to emphasize that the Forspeed is a pure concept, it comes equipped with some interesting taillights, no external door handles and since it’s sans-roof, there’s a toneau cover that can either coat the entire interior or just the passenger side if you get caught in the rain.
The Forspeed’s 41-hp electric motor can yawn the car all the way up to 37 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds and provide a top speed of 75 mph.
That’s not excatly “speedy” as the name implys, but the boost button you see on the dash offers another seven ponies. More important is the ED part of the clumsy “ForspeED” name; it refers to the Electric Drive powertrain that we also find in the Fortwo ED. At least the concept hits 37 mph a second sooner than the standard Fortwo ED. read more »
You know electric cars are in the ascendancy when even the fearsome 4x4s start looking to add an extra little spark to their energy production and storage.
Land Rover has just announced it’ll demo one — there are multiple working versions — of its development prototypes at the Geneva Motor Show next month, treating us to an exhibition of what a diesel engine can do when augmented with some electric firepower.
The Range_e’s design is based on the Range Rover Sport and its 3.0-liter TDV6 core, however the new vehicle is capable of going a full 20 miles purely on its electric charge and touts a whopping 690-mile range altogether
. Let’s hope Geneva shows enough interest in the Range_e to compel Land Rover to turn it into a commercial reality.
Posted on February 18, 2011 in:
Nissan
Rendery concept images not doing enough to pique your interest in the future-Z concept ESFLOW from Nissan?
Maybe you’d be into some honest to gosh pictures of the real thing sitting pretty on a white-walled photo stage, prepping for its glamour shoot.
All Cars Electric has a suite of photos of the inside, highlighting its sweeping lines and decidedly fanciful interior.
The car is said to manage the 0 – 60 sprint in under five seconds while also delivering 150 miles of range from its Li-ion battery pack, helped by a lightweight composite body and aluminum chassis.
Whether the car ever hits production remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt it’s looking good already.
Posted on February 6, 2011 in:
Ferrari
Ferrari is taking a bold leap with the unveiling of its brand-new 2012 FF all-wheel drive shooting-brake.
The Italian automaker also understands basic accounting principles, noting that demand is currently high for any images or video of the four-passenger super wagon, yet yet supply is low. Helping satiate our requirement for a fix of the FF, Ferrari has released five additional photos of the car playing in the snow.
We would prefer to hear the wail of the 651-horsepower, 6.3-liter V12 engine, but we’ll take what we can get. Check out in the 2012 Ferrari FF exploring a winter wonderland in the gallery below. read more »
Posted on February 6, 2011 in:
Mazda
Mazda has announced that the automaker has turned out 900,000 units of its MX-5 Miata since the car first put tire to pavement in 1989.
Of that astronomical number, a staggering 45 percent were sold here in North America, which means that 388,000 of the droptops have been shipped to our continent over the past 22 years.
Mazda attributes the vehicle’s success to its ability to adhere to what made the convertible a sales winner in the first place – offering basic sports car appeal with one of the highest fun-per-dollar ratios of any vehicle out there.
Since 1989, the convertible has undergone two complete redesigns and a slew of minor updates along the way.
The MX-5 crested the 500,000 unit mark back in 1999, and sales of the winsome roadster continue to march on impressively. Click past the jump to check out the full press release on the occasion for yourself. read more »
Posted on February 6, 2011 in:
General
Ugh, fine. We’re sorry. Okay, so that’s not exactly how the BBC responded to Mexico’s Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza, but it certainly didn’t fall all over itself in making a formal apology, either.
In case you need a refresher, Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond quipped on a recent broadcast episode of the hit television series, in reference to the Mexican-built Mastretta MXT sports car, “Mexican cars are just going to be a lazy, feckless, flatulent, oaf with a mustache leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat.”
Not surprisingly, a number of the country’s inhabitants were not amused… including the aforementioned Mexican Ambassador, who sent a letter to the BBC as something of a formal complaint. The BBC responded with a letter in return, which included the following statement: read more »
Posted on February 6, 2011 in:
Toyota
Toyota has big plans to wade into the hybridized B-segment in Europe, and it looks like we may get a peek at the automaker’s first effort in that department at the Geneva Motor Show. The Japanese manufacturer has confirmed that it will unveil its Yaris HSD Concept in March.
The company is keeping the details of the concept to itself for the time being, so there’s little information on what kind of powertrain or fuel economy the car will boast when it takes a bow next month.
Toyota did say that the Yaris HSD Concept will wear some very hybrid-specific design cues, so expect more than a little Prius influence outside. read more »
