The Caparo T1 is the devil on four wheels. There are widespread tales of the T1 attempting to harm anyone who tries to tame it. Autocar must’ve heard these stories and decided to leave the driving to two-time Formula One World Champion Mika Hakkinen.
The T1′s unusual layout allows for a passenger to ride slightly behind the driver. That’s the vantage point from which Autocar magazine’s Mark Tisshaw took in the action.
His narrative is a bit dry, but we’re assuming that’s because Hakkinen and the Caparo fried his senses. Click past the jump to watch footage of a Caparo T1 not harming anyone. Thanks for the tip, Tim! read more »
Posted on April 2, 2011 in:
Ford
Ford hasn’t said much about its supply situation in the wake of the earthquake in Japan, but now the automaker has no choice but to spill the beans. The Detroit News reports that Ford will shut down its Louisville, Kentucky plant next week due to a parts shortage.
The facility produces the Ford Expedition, Ford Super Duty trucks, and the Lincoln Navigator. Ford sales analyst George Pipas did not identify the part that was in short supply, though he did add that high gas prices have helped slow sales of these vehicles anyway.
Ford will also shut down its Flat Rock, Michigan plant, where the Mustang is produced, because the automaker already has a 116-day supply of the pony car. In Europe, Ford will idle the Genk, Belgium plant that produces the Mondeo, S Max and Galaxy minivan to help prevent future shortages.
Ford announced that events in Japan could further affect future production, but at this point it isn’t interested in divulging the extent of its supply issues. Ford is actively searching for other parts sources wherever possible.
The re-imagined Baldwin Motion Chevrolet Camaro has broken cover, packing 800 horsepower from a supercharged LS7 V8. The first car will go to Joel Rosen, the originator of the Baldwin Motion cars.
Rosen’s personal car has the top-of-the-line Phase III 427 SC package, and will be shown to the public for the first time April 8-10 at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Florida.
As pictured, the car isn’t quite ready for delivery. Before Rosen takes possession, it’ll get wheel center caps, a front spoiler, exhaust extensions and Motion graphics. If 800 horsepower is too much Camaro for you, Motion has slightly less powerful options.
Posted on April 2, 2011 in:
Audi
Audi is backing up its goal of dominating the premium electric vehicle segment by 2020 with a new e-tron prototype. This plug-in hybrid, based on the A5 Coupe, is packed with all the technological wizardry you would expect of a premium-segment prototype, and even has some features you might not expect, like the ‘through-the-road’ drivetrain setup that takes advantage of the large plug-in battery to power all four wheels.
At the front axle, the drivetrain has a conventional power-split hybrid setup, consisting of a compact 33 kilowatt (45 hp) electric motor and 2.0-liter TFSI turbocharged gas engine. The engine alone packs 211 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Moving to the back of the car is where things get interesting. Ditching a conventionally heavy all-wheel-drive setup, the A5 e-tron’s rear wheels are powered by a 60 kW (81 hp) electric motor, and there is nothing physically linking the front and rear axles.
As other companies, like Peugeot, know, a through-the-road setup helps to reduce weight, and with the generous use of carbon fiber and aluminum, the prototype tips the scales at no more than a production A5 Quattro that uses the same gas engine. With a 40-mile electric only range and the ability to cruise in EV mode at speeds up to 62 miles per hour, we think Audi may have a winner here. The company just needs to bring the car into production
Posted on February 23, 2011 in:
General
The weather is finally beginning to turn warm in parts of our great nation, and with spring looming, plenty of people have an eye on scratching their road trip itch.
Before you take to any wide-open expanse of tarmac, it might be worth taking some time to note some of the worst speed traps in the country.
Yahoo Autos has gone through the trouble of ranking the top 10 cities with the worst speed traps in the U.S., and while no one should be surprised to see that Los Angeles, California has claimed the number 10 spot, there are a few surprises on the list.
Colorado Springs, Colorado managed to break into the top five with a number four ranking. The locality boasts a heady 186 speed traps, and local law enforcement says that they’re happy to write citations for drivers who exceed the limit by 1-4 mph. read more »
Posted on February 23, 2011 in:
MINI
Mini’s latest production car – the Countryman – may be the automaker’s largest offering to date, but now the brand known for its pint-sized fighters is returning to its roots with its latest concept.
But this isn’t a preview of the next-generation Cooper – oh no, no, no – it’s the Rocketman (cue Elton John). At just over 11 feet long, the bug-eyed little hatch is slightly shorter than a base Cooper hardtop and uses a unique three-plus-one interior seating arrangement.
It isn’t gonna be a long, long time before we see the Rocketman in person, either – the concept makes its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week.
In creating the Rocketman, Mini’s main focus was to keep its petite body as light as possible. A carbon spaceframe makes up the main construction, and things like weight-saving wheels with an enclosed surface structure reduce drag to improve fuel economy. read more »
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 »
