Travel on cars

Filed under: Supercars, Bugatti

Mike Connor from Motor Trend apparently rubs elbows with all the right people, as his sources within the VW Group say that a second car for Bugatti developed under the title of Project Lydia is not going to happen, despite the rumor that we “cut-and-paste blogs” reported a few weeks ago (Thanks Mike, we think you’re a big jerk, too). Project Lydia was supposed to be an extreme, track-focused version of the Veyron propelled by an even more powerful version of the brand’s 8-liter quad-turbo W16 engine. Connor reports that while an “inch-thick dossier” on Lydia exists, execs decided it was redundant to build an even faster version of the Veyron. Instead, he claims Bugatti’s second model will be a four-door sedan with a coupe profile that’s powered by the Veyron’s engine mounted up front. As far as we’re concerned, Connor’s tale of a Bugatti super sedan, which isn’t new, is still a rumor like the one we reported about Project Lydia, so believe whoever you want. (more…)

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sports/GTs, Geneva Motor Show, Supercars, Alfa Romeo

Bertone’s not about to let an uncertain future stop it from moving forward. Or is it? With its salvation plan rejected by the courts and its future left hanging in the balance, the famous Italian design house is suffering from an apparent crisis in leadership. Automotive News reports that the company’s vice-chairman Marie-Jeanne Bertone, daughter of the late Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone, confirmed that the company will be present at the upcoming Geneva auto show. Meanwhile the mother superior, company chairwoman Lilli Bertone, says otherwise. All the while the company released a statement saying that it will be unveiling a new concept at the show, now less than three weeks away. This has all the drama of a Mario Puzo novel, and we just don’t know what to expect.

The concept car that Bertone will (or won’t) show in Geneva is reported to be the Alfa Romeo BAT 11 concept. For those unacquainted, BAT stands for “Berlinetta Aerodinamica Technica” - we’ll let you unravel the enigmatic translation - and was used on a series of concept cars designed by Bertone for Alfa Romeo in the mid-1950s (right). The BAT 11, meanwhile, is said to be based on the Alfa 8C Competizione - a rolling work of art difficult to improve upon - but exists only as a styling exercise with no interior. Like its namesake forbearers, the design of the BAT 11 promises to focus on sleek wind-cutting aerodynamics. It’d be a pity if we didn’t get to see it.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req’d]

Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Auction Action, Dodge

We’ve seen the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 in Orange, Black and Silver now, but the most sought after color for the car’s first model year will undoubtedly be Blue, or rather B5 Blue if you want to get technical. That’s the color that adorns Challenger #43, a rolling tribute to Richard Petty that is currently up for auction on eBay Motors until Friday, February 22nd. The Smurfy hue is meant to replicate the Petty Blue, or Corporate Blue, that covered The King’s race cars during his stock car racing career. (more…)

Filed under: Economy, Hatchbacks, Ford

There are many vehicles manufactured by Ford that never see the United States market, and the subcompact Ka is one of those offerings. It can be found roaming the streets of Europe and Latin America (totally different versions that happen to share the same name, we’re told), and it’s actually quite popular in the United Kingdom where the second generation model is eagerly awaited. (more…)

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Chrysler, Dodge

While new fuel economy regs have put the General’s rear-wheel-drive offerings into a holding pattern (we think), Chrysler will soldier on with its RWD LX platform into the next decade. According to The Car Connection, Chrysler plans to makeover the 300 and Charger in 2011, but the reason the Pentastar people are keeping it rear-wheel-drive isn’t to sate the public’s lust for FR cars, rather there’s no budget to develop a new front-wheel-drive platform. (more…)

Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Audi, UK

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi TTS Coupe and Roadster.

Not that it makes a huge bit of difference here in the States, but Audi released the pricing for its TTS Coupe and Roadster for our friends abroad and it gives us some indication about what we can expect to pay when the duo of hotted-up TTs make it Stateside. The coupe will come in at

Filed under: Etc.

With LA, Detroit and Chicago now behind us and the shows in Geneva and New York coming up, it seems like a good time to take a swing on down to Florida, where the Miami International Boat Show opens today. The show is a great spectacle for anyone with even a little saltwater mixed in with the octane in their blood - I went a couple of times as a kid - but what brings our attention to Miami this time is a pair of Pininfarina-designed speed boats being (literally) launched at the show.

Although both of these wave-skimming missiles are designed by the famous Italian house of style, built by American shipyards, and derived from offshore racing, the huge difference in size sets them far apart. The Challeger PF 36 Limited Edition (above), as its designation implies, measures 36′ bow to stern. It’s powered by a pair of supercharged 8.2-liter racing V8s producing 662 horsepower… each. That’s enough to push the fully-loaded Challenger PF 36 to a top speed in excess of 95 mph.

The new Magnum 80′ (right) is another story altogether. Built by the Miami-based company founded by legendary speedboat creator Don Aronow, the latest Magnum yacht to be designed by Pininfarina measures over twice as long as the Challenger. Fortunately, although a number of engine options are available, the show model has nearly four times as much power as the Challenger: twin turbodiesels pushing a staggering 2400hp apiece through Arneson surface drives, propelling this four-bedroom rocket to 60 mph.

We’ll gladly take one of each for those rare opportunities to leave the traffic behind and get out speed on in sublime Italian style. Check out the images in the gallery below.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertibles, Geneva Motor Show

All right. Let’s get one thing out of the way right now. The picture above is not the LigHT concept that Webasto will be showing in Geneva. No, that square-jawed little number is the aftermarket firm’s Welcome 2 concept that debuted back in 2003, based off a Mercedes CL500. With that out of the way, Webasto will be showing off a roadster concept next month that plays off the German company’s idea of “Moving Innovations” by featuring a vehicle that includes a “hybrid top” that makes use of new structural materials and some kind of auxiliary heating system. We’ll be on hand in Geneva to get all the details, but in the meantime, check Webasto’s press release after the jump. (more…)

Filed under: Etc., Tech, Chrysler, Dodge

We may not know exactly which vehicles Chrysler will still be making by 2009, but we do know the automaker will offer Sirius Satellite Radio through 2017. Chrysler has had plenty of success with its Sirius offerings, so the long-term contract should come as no surprise. The take-rate for the audio technology across the Chrysler product line is a hefty 70%, and Sirius gave the Pentastar first crack at Sirius TV in the company’s minivans and SUVs. Let’s just hope that Chrysler’s deals with interior suppliers don’t last well into the next decade as well. (more…)

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupes, Lotus

Lotus just keeps churning out more variants of the Elise and Exige, but the major difference between those other limited-edition models and the Exige Sport Cup 260, is this is the automaker’s ultimate track-day version to date.

Powered by the 257 hp, Toyota-sourced 1.8-liter mill and a Roots-type Eaton M62 supercharger, the 2,046-pound coupe rockets to sixty in four seconds, passes 100 mph in 9.9 seconds an on to a top speed of 147 mph. A heavy-duty clutch sends power to the standard six-speed manual and on down to an LSD, with a plate-type limited slip available as an option. A new instrument pack with a revised graphic design keeps tabs on the blown four, while new aerodynamic bits (producing 40 kgs of downforce at 100 mph) and variable traction and launch control keep things planted at speed. (more…)