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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…
Platinum Motorsport Unveils Custom Rolls-Royce Phantom for Chad OchoCinco
Well this vehicle certainly puts a whole new meaning to the term ‘baller’. Chad OchoCinco has become more of a celebrity than a potent wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals the past couple of years, and now it’s really showing with this beautiful Rolls-Royce Phantom built in collaboration with Platinum Motorsport. Sure his fame started…
2011 Range Rover Unveiled
The venerable Range Rover has been given a few upgrades for 2011, including an all-new 4.4L diesel engine displacing 309 bhp and getting 30.1 mpg. The new diesel is also coupled to an 8-speed automatic, which should filter down to the rest of the lineup soon. The new Range also gets a rotary knob similar…
Gordon Murray Sells T25 City Car Design To Unnamed Manufacturer
Gordon Murray is eager to stress that his firm, Gordon Murray Design, is not in the business of producing cars, especially not his new T25 city car. “We’re not a car company; our business is selling intellectual property for the production process,” Murray told Auto Express. Murray’s proclamation comes on the heels of his announcement that he…
MINI Countryman to Compete in WRC in 2012?
MINI is set to join the World Rally Championship in 2012, competing with the new Countryman crossover. Rumors to this extent swirled just ahead of the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year where the Countryman was unveiled, but nothing ever came of it. The MINI fans at MotoringFile say the project is still in the…
MINI Taunts Porsche in Rocky IV Training Montage
It’s possibly the best 80’s montage of them all; yes, we’re talking about the training scene from Rocky IV where the underdog Balboa trains in a wooden hut in the Russian countryside while Captain Ivan Drago (aka, Dolf Lungren) pumps up on steroids and makes use of the world’s most sophisticated machines to tone his…
Big Pimpin Borat Style: Kazakhstani DIY Phantom Conversion
Pimpin’ ain’t easy, even in the U.S. But what about in Kazakhstan? Unless you’re a mobster, a chauffeur, or a car thief, odds are, you’ll never get to drive a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Most people outside of major cities have never even seen one. That fact may work to mechanic Ruslan Mukanov’s advantage, as he’s simply…
Jaguar XKR Goodwood Special Headed to Production
Jaguar will build a production version of the 523-hp Goodwood Special XKR that debuted at last years Goodwood Festival of Speed. Jaguar managing director Mike O’Driscoll confirmed the plans in an interview with PistonHeads.com, commenting that the new model would essentially be a production version of the one-off show car. Power will come from a…
MINI Exploring New Models Says Design Boss
In a recent interview MINI design boss Adrian van Hooydonk admitted that the BMW sub-brand is looking at expanding with new models in the future. “Because Mini is on the threshold of turning into a proper brand, we will be looking at a pallet of models for the future,” he told AutoCar. But that’s not…
MINI Re-Challenges Porsche to Road Atlanta Race: Puts Justin Bieber Tickets on the Line
Exploiting social media for all it’s worth, MINI isn’t about to let up on its David vs Golliath challenge. As we’re sure you recall, MINI recently challenged Porsche to a race at Road Atlanta. Porsche subsequently declined, trading MINI’s fun jabs for biting disdain of the fun British brand. (Funny, we always thought German’s were…
First Production Hennessey Venom GT Delivered (Photos Galore!)
Ladies and gentlemen, your Veyron-killer is here. Today marks the delivery date of the first production Lotus Elise-based, ZR-1 powered supercar known as the Hennessey Venom GT. While several engine configurations are available, including 725-hp and 1000-hp versions, chassis #01 packs the full 1200-hp punch. All that twin turbocharged madness has only 2,800 pounds to…
Vauxhall Astra VXR to Get 300-HP; Could Be Offered in U.S. as a Buick
In an effort to compete with the impressive Ford Focus RS and Renaultsport Mégane, General Motors is reported to be building a new Vauxhall Astra VXR with as much as 300-hp. So why should you care? Well, because the Astra shares its underpinnings with the Buick Excelle, which recently launched in China and is set…
Audi Sweeps the Podium at the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans
When the clock struck 12 today at Le Circuit de La Sarthe, Audi took home a stunning sweep of the podium at this year’s running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With the Peugeot 908’s showing considerably more pace during qualifying, not even Audi Motorsports boss Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich would have predicted a 1-2-3…
Porsche Shoots Down Proposed MINI Race At Road Atlanta
MINI’s challenge to race their Cooper S against a Porsche at Road Atlanta didn’t go over so well. The publicity stunt initiated by MINI USA’s Jim McDowell was met with a terse and dismissive response by Porsche Cars North America CEO Detlev Von Platen today, as he issued a statement where he declined McDowell’s challenge,…
Bentley Mulsanne Sold Out Until 2012
Bentley has announced that all build slots for their new Mulsanne sedan are sold out until 2012, not bad for a car that retails for $285,000 in the USA. The British luxury car maker said that they will be increasing production in the future to help with the pent-up demand, but that’s not saying much;…
BMW’s Active Sound Design Gives MINI Cooper V8 Sound [video]
Last week we brought you a story about an innovate technology BMW is working on called Active Sound Design. The primary use of the technology is in sound deadening using an electro-acoustic system (aka, your car’s stereo) to minimize or change the sound you here. This is particularly important for BMW when it comes to…
Aston Martin DB9 Replacement Coming in 2013
Aston Martin is planning to introduce an all-new DB9 model in 2013 or possibly 2014, with a new look, updated engine and reduced weight. The underlying structure of the car won’t be all-new, however, with Aston recently scrapping a plan to develop all-new chassis – instead opting for a significant refresh to the current lineup….
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…
Lotus, Bugatti, Ferrari Battle It Out At Laguna Seca (Video Inside
Gentlemen, turn up your speakers. The title really needs no further explanation. A Lotus Exige S, Bugatti Veyron and a Ferrari F430 get together and go toe-to-toe on Laguna Seca. There aren’t too many in-car shots, but the ones that do exist show the Ferrari driver shuffle steering (a big no-no among race car drivers)…
MINI Coupe On Sale Next Summer, Roadster to Follow Six Months Later
The production MINI Coupe is set to hit dealerships across North America next Summer. According to Mini Vice President Jim McDowell, MINI will use a six-month buffer between models an with the Countryman crossover set to arrive in February of next year, the Coupe should then be available in August of 2011. That would then…
Mini Vs. Porsche Race Is A Great Publicity Stunt That Might Just Work
A video and a series of print advertisements from MINI has the BMW subsidiary throwing down the gauntlet against German sports car maker Porsche, challenging them to a “race” at Road Atlanta, daring them to let their 911 Carrera go up against the diminutive MINI Cooper S. This challenge sounds fun on paper, but MINI never really defined the…
Aston Martin Planning New Le Mans Prototype Racer for Next Year
As Aston Martin prepares to hit the track at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, the company has bigger plans to continue on racing prototypes well into the future. According to AutoSport, Aston Martin Racing will begin building six all-new ground-up prototype racers. Currently Aston Martin Racing runs two cars in the LMP1 field,…
MINI Planning 7-Seat ‘Countryman Plus’ Model
The MINI brand looks to expand in a big way – and not just in numbers either. While several new models are set to debut over the next few years, the biggest news might just be an even bigger model. According to a report by the notoriously speculative AutoExpress, MINI plans to introduce a larger…
Project Kahn Expands Land Rover Line with Freelander RS200 Package
Afzal Kahn, CEO of Project Kahn, markets himself with a bold claim: the king of aesthetic conversions. While it might be a little overboard, Project Kahn does do a fantastic job with their RS-series packages for various Land Rover vehicles. Their RS600 for the Range Rover Sport was widely successful and their RS300 partnership with…






