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Tesla Launches Roadster 2.5, Tree Huggers Have A New Latest And Greatest Ride
Hot on the heels of Tesla’s IPO (which is down $1.89 as of 3:40 PM today) comes their newest product, the Roadster 2.5, which receives a host of largely inconsequential updates designed to keep an old model in the public eye just a little bit longer (perhaps Tesla isn’t that different after all). The Roadster gets the…
Audi R8 Spyder Gets 4.2-Liter V8 With 430-HP
Even though everything seemed all but confirmed until now, Audi has finally released the detailed info on their R8 Spyder sporting a 430-hp, 4.2L V8 powerplant. We first reported on the 4.2L FSI availability in February, and it’s interesting to see that it will have slightly more power (10-hp) than the R8 V8 coupe. Audi’s…
Report: Volkswagen’s New Roadster Greenlit For Production
British automotive tabloid AutoExpress is reporting that Volkswagen‘s long awaited two-seat sports car has been approved for production. Designers have reportedly stayed true to the Bluesport concept that previewed the car at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The car is expected to weigh in at around 2600 pounds, roughly the same weight as a Mazda…
Mazda MX-5 Miyako Special Editon
Mazda’s Miata is notorious for the sheer number of special editions that have been released. Since the 1991 British Racing Green edition, the company has had one Special Edition model for nearly every year of production from 1991-2006. In 1999, Mazda launched the 10th Anniversary Edition to commemorate a decade of Miata sales in North…
BMW Performance Releases Carbon Fiber Bits For M3
Because Ed Hardy shirts, Bluetooth ear pieces and driving down main arterial roads in second gear is not enough to show the world how “sick” you are, BMW Performance has released new carbon fiber accessories for its M3 coupe, sedan and convertible. Available for purchase are new mirror caps, a decklid spoiler and a front…
Lamborghini Builds 10,000th Gallardo
10,000 cars is a minuscule number for most car makers. It’s thought that most major car makers (think The Big 3 or Toyota) can pump out close to that many in a day. For a specialist supercar maker, 10,000 cars is a massive amount. If any supercar was going to do it, it would be the Lamborghini…
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 SuperSport For Sale For The Low, Low Price Of $2.4 Million
Attention hedge-fund managers, rappers and those with family money; Bugatti’s new Veyron 16.4 SuperSport is for sale, and the French/German supercar maker wants to get you into the driver’s seat of one of their supercars for the rock-bottom price of $2.4 million. In all likelihood, the car is probably sold out, as only 30 units…
2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Spied
The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro was spied by some intrepid members of the Camaro5 forums. Unfortunately, the cars were out on a gloomy, rainy day and so their roofs were up, which is generally an unflattering position for any ragtop. Mechanically, not much will change between the coupe and the convertibles, with the same V6 and…
Lotus Ditches Lightweight Philosophy As It Pursues Volume Manufacturing
We can already hear the cries of “sellout” from enthusiasts across the world. Lotus announced that they were abandoning their “lightweight and simple” design philosophy in favor of increasing volume and building more technologically advanced, luxurious and upmarket sports cars. Proton, the Malaysian owner of Lotus, pledged in 1996 to make Lotus profitable within 5…
Report: Internal Strife Delays Audi, Porsche, VW Sports Cars
In a case of large-scale office politics gone awry, Volkswagen‘s Bluesport concept (pictured above) along with proposed models from Audi and Porsche, have been placed on indefinite hold after internal fighting, and a focus on volume passenger cars led to the projects being stalled. Porsche and Audi are resistant to the idea of a new…
Tesla Unveils Plans for Cabriolet, Crossover and Van in IPO Presentation
American electric car maker Tesla is about ready to launch its IPO and go from a small niche market automaker to possibly a large international electric vehicle powerhouse. But in order to make hat next big step CEO Elon Musk needs money, and lots of it. So before he opens up his company to the…
Honda Planning Toyota FR-S/FT-86 Competitor, Combining S2000 and Beat
Honda is planning a rival to the Toyota FR-S (formerly FT-86) sports car, combing the concepts of the S2000 and the Beat minicar. According to a report by Motor Trend, the new two-seater roadster would use a modified version of the Fit platform using a a rear-mid engine layout. What isn’t clear is if Honda…
Chrysler Sebring Convertible To Stay In Production
The Chrysler Sebring convertible is possibly one of the most maligned cars on sale today. Known for its less than stellar driving dynamics, build quality, styling and, well, just about everything else, the Sebring convertible really only has price going for it – and that’s exactly what its place in Chrysler’s lineup is guaranteed for…
Porsche Design Sketch Hints at 928 Successor/Panamera Coupe
Rumors of a Porsche 928 successor based on the Panamera and even a Panamera convertible have been floating around online for months now, but this might be the most credible evidence yet that such a car is in the works. Posted on the home page of Porsche Consulting’s website, the design sketch is no more…
Lotus RGB Special Edition Models to Honor Roger Becker as 1.8L Models Eliminated
Lotus will launch two special editions models at the end of this year, both to celebrate the dedication of its long-time vehicle engineer Roger Becker, and to mourn the loss of the 1.8-liter engine. That’s right, new Euro 5 emissions regulations are set to mark the end of the 1.8L-powered Lotus Elise and Exige and…
Porsche 918 Spyder To Make Appearance At Pebble Beach
The Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance is possibly the world’s most exclusive collector car show, attracting celebrities like Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld and Ralph Lauren. The venue is the perfect place for Porsche to show off its upcoming 918 Spyder, which has been all-but-confirmed for production. Porsche is looking to find 1000 people to express interest…
Corvette Stingray Speedster Concept Spotted In California
The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept made its original debut at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, but that hasn’t stopped somebody from preparing a new, topless variant. Speculators think that since the car was spotted in Beverly Hills has led some to believe that this car is being used in the filming of the third Transformers…
Fourth-Gen Mazda MX5 To Go Rotary-Hybrid? Not So Fast
We’ve heard of people swapping Mazda rotary engines into older Miatas, but if reports out of Japan are to be believed, the next MX-5, due out in 2012, will come standard with an all new, super efficient rotary engine – as well as a hybrid system. 7Tune is reporting that an article in the Japanese…
Tesla Releases IPO Details, Expects To Raise $185 Million
The end goal for most venture-capital financed start-ups is to issue an IPO and help get some money into the hands of those investors brave enough to give the company money at the early stages. Tesla Motors, perhaps the first Silicon Valley car company(and headed by Elon Musk, a former dot-com executive), is about to…
TC-Concepts Builds Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series Convertible
It looks like the Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series is a true winner, with more and more replicas coming out of the woodwork. TC-Concepts has now produced their own version of an AMG Black conversion, allowing any SL-owner to do it themselves while preserving full use of their convertible roof. The German Tuner teamed up…
Rapper Sued For “Off-Roading” in Rented Lamborghini
Rapper-chick Nicki Minaj rented a 2006 Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster as a prop for her “Massive Attack” video. As you can see in the screen shot above, she didn’t really take care of it. Minaj rented the Lambo from Hollywood Exotic Car Rental for $1,750/day (a very reasonable rate in California), and used it for filming…
Lexus SC430 Eternal Jewel Special Edition Marks End of the Line for Lexus Drop-Top
With the SC430 set for elimination this summer, Lexus has announced a new Eternal Jewel special edition for sale in Japan. Just 200 versions of the car will be built with exclusively features like a contrasting roof color and a new and more elaborate selection of interior finishes. Each model will also come with special…
BMW Recalls 1 Series for Fire Concerns
BMW has halted deliveries and placed a recall on all 2008-2011 model year 1 Series models due to the risk of a fire in an accident. The issue is related to insufficient space between the seat belt tensioners in the B-pillar and the insulation surrounding those parts. BMW is worried that in the case of…
Mini VP: Coupe, Roadster, To Arrive Within Two Years
Two stripped down models will join the MINI range within two years of the debut of the MINI Countryman crossover, one a Coupe, the other a 2-seat Roadster. “The Coupe will arrive six months after the Countryman, and the Roadster 12 months after the Countryman,” said Jim McDowell, Vice-President of MINI USA. The Countryman will…
