Category: Car News

Lexus Unveil Turbocharged RC 200t Coupe

Designed to take on the BMW 4-Series and Mercedes’ upcoming C-Class coupe, the new Lexus RC 200t will feature a turbocharged 2.0 litre petrol engine, delivering 241bhp.

The latest addition to Lexus’s coupe range will sprint from 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds, pitching it directly against the Audi A5 2.0 TFSI and BMW’s 428i.  In keeping with other Lexus models, no manual gearbox will be available.  The sole transmission for the RC 200t will be an 8-speed automatic gearbox powering the rear wheels.  According to Lexus, fuel consumption will be 40.3mpg, with CO2 emissions of 166g/km.

Within the coupe range, the RC 200t will sit just below the 470bhp, V8 powered RC F.  The car is likely to feature a different suspension setup to the RC F, but is expected to share the same double-wishbones at the front and rear.  It should also be lighter than the RC F, which weighs a substantial 1765kg.

From the teaser image released by Lexus, it appears the syling differences will be subtle, with the RC F’s distinctive bonnet bulge removed and slats used in the front grille rather than a mesh.

Further details about the new car are expected to be released at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

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A Purple McLaren 570S Heading To Pebble Beach!

McLaren’s Special Operations division (MSO) will unveil two bespoke versions of its new entry-level 570S supercar, at this year’s famous Pebble Beach concours event in California.

The first 570S will be finished in Mauvine blue’ (purple) with carbon black leather interior and the second will be in Ventura Orange with a host of MSO styling tweaks.

The two 570S coupes will showcase the wide range of individualisation options McLaren offers to customers who want something different.  

Another exclusive offering will be the 650S Le Mans, which is built to celebrate the 20th anniversary of McLaren’s victory at the at the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race. Only 50 of this special edition will be produced and they have already been sold.

The 2015 Concours d’Elegance takes place on Sunday August 16 at Pebble Beach in Monterey, California.

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Icona Vulcano; A Titanium Supercar! 

Following its debut at the Shanghai motor show in 2013, the Icona Vulcano, will be appearing in near-production form at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

The Volcano was inspired by the world’s fastest plane, the Blackbird SR-71, and uses predominantly a titanium and carbonfibre body. The titanium structure, which is claimed to be the first of its kind, allows hot air to escape from the engine and to reduce air turbulence generated from the wheels. 

The Volcano is powered by a supercharged V8 engine which is sourced from the Corvette ZR1 and produces 670bhp and 620lb ft of torque. The firm claims that the supercar can manage 0-60mph in 2.8 secs and a top speed of 220mph.

The car’s powertrain has been developed by Claudio Lombardi, an ex-Scuderia Ferrari director, and thus the hints of Ferrari in its proportions and detailing.  The interior features a low-slung seating position, a driver-centric dashboard and eye-catching instruments.

More information will be revealed at Pebble Beach at the 2015 Concours d’Elegance.

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Aston Martin Vantage GT12; The Ultimate Version of Vantage.  

The new Aston Martin Vantage GT12 is a race-derived special edition dedicated to the company’s success in the global GT3 race series.

Based on the V12 Vantage S road car, and inspired by the Vantage GT3 race car, the GT12 makes extensive use of lightweight materials inside and out to reduce its kerb weight by up to 150kg.

Visually, the Vantage GT12 is easily distinguished from the V12 Vantage S thanks to its extensive aerodynamic package which enables the GT12 to produce seven times as much downforce as the standard Vantage V12S. Most striking at the front is the horseshoe graphic in the bonnet, whereas at the rear, is the large, fixed wing.

The engine is the same as the V12 Vantage S, but with some modifications. Power has been increased from 565bhp to 595bhp and torque is up from 620Nm to 625Nm. Aston claims the GT12 can manage 0-60mph in 3.5sec, which is remarkable for such a powerful a rear-wheel drive car.

Only 100 Vantage GT12s will be built, and all are sold out already before the car making its first public debut. Prices start at £250,000 and can rise up significantly if any of the tempting options are chosen, such as, a Bang & Olufsen hi-fi for £5495 or the painted stripes and graphics for £6995.  

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This is the New 2015 Mercedes C-Class Coupé! 

The new Mercedes C-Class Coupe has finally been revealed ahead of its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

The new C-Class will reach the UK this October and is anticipated to become a very strong contender among the mid-sized premium brand coupés. 

The new Coupe features a softer, classier look than its predecessor, with a sportier glasshouse, a heavily sloping roofline, a more aggressive rear bumper, uniquely shaped headlights and a bold grille with diamond-shaped inserts.   

Inside the cabin, the car gets unique front sports seats with integral headrests and two individual rear seats. A Bluetooth-compatible entertainment system allowing internet capability through a mobile phone comes as standard, whereas the Distronic Plus system, which enables the car to autonomously steer in order to remain in its lane at speeds between 0 and 124mph, comes as optional.  

Also on board is the Collision Prevention Assist, which is able to carry out autonomous braking at speeds up to 124mph, as well as the Attention Assist function, which warns the driver of inattentiveness and drowsiness.

Even though performance has not yet been announced, the C-Class Coupe is expected to manage the 0-60mph sprint in around 7 seconds and it will be offered in the same range of petrol and diesel engines as the normal C-Class. An AMG Line trim is available with a full AMG model on the way. 

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BMW M4 GTS Concept; The Pinnacle of BMW Performance.         

The BMW Concept M4 GTS made its first public appearance at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California.

Based on the current turbocharged M4 coupe, the M4 GTS is a lightweight, track-focussed road car, with more power and aggressive aerodynamics.

It showcases BMW’s new technology, which includes an innovative water injection system that increased the power and torque of the GTS’s 3.0-litre twin turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine to produce over 460bhp and nearly 450lb ft of torque.

M division engineers focussed on developing a road car that’s optimised for the track and as Frank van Meel, president of BMW’s M division, said “…despite its outstanding track ability, it is still fully road legal.”

The new M4’s carbon fibre front splitter and rear wing are both manually adjustable to aid aerodynamic balance, and the bonnet is made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic to help reduce the standard M4’s 1595kg kerb weight.

The car also features OLED (organic light-emitting diodes) rear lights which omit a full surface and homogenous illumination rather than a single point of light as with a regular LED light.   

The limited-edition M4 GTS model will appear at Frankfurt Motor Show next month and the production version is expected to be in the showrooms by Spring 2016. 

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The Roofless Lamborghini Aventador SV Is Here!  

The first images and details of the open-topped Aventador Superveloce Roadster have been revealed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California.

The LP750-4 SV Roadster is based on the Aventador SV coupe and uses the same 6.5-litre V12 engine with the 740bhp maximum power output at 8,500rpm. Compared to the hard-roof SV, the SV Roadster can do 0-62mph in 2.9s that is just 0.1s slower, at the same top speed of 217mph.

The SV Roadster follows the same styling as the coupe, but with a gaping rear diffuser, slashed side-sills, a jutting front bumper and a massive motorsport-style fixed rear wing. The removable roof is made from two separate quick-release panels, each weighing less than 6kg. The SV Roadster also features a pop-up rear windscreen that can be raised and lowered by the driver in order to reduce noise and wind when the roof panels are removed. 

Lamborghini confirmed that only 500 Aventador LP750-4 SVs will be built and deliveries of the £350k Roadster will start next Spring. 

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Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf Goes On Sale from £696,000!

Originally destined exclusively for the Middle East, customer demand forced the company to offer the Lagonda Taraf for sale in selected markets, such as, the UK, Singapore, South Africa and in EU-compliant continental Europe. 

Each Lagonda will be hand built by Aston Martin’s special projects division and its near £700k price tag places it well above other super-luxury saloons, like the Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Bentley Mulsanne, which cost £373,824 and £229,360, respectively.

The new Lagonda is built on an aluminium body structure encased in carbon fibre body panels to keep the weight of the long saloon in line with its performance. Powered by a 550bhp 5.9-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine the car produces 537bhp and 465lb ft of torque and it’s capable of reaching 0-60 mph in just 4.4s at a top speed of 200mph.

The luxury limousine is designed to evoke the spirit of the historic Lagonda of the 1970s and Aston Martin’s design director, Marek Reichman, referred to the car as  a ‘Concorde amidst airliners’  and added that “…the new model has been created as a piece of exceptional automotive art.”  

Precise pricing details remain confidential as each Lagonda Taraf will be individually crafted and the luxurious bespoke interior will be built to customer’s specification. 

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Meet the New Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe.

Mercedes-AMG has officially revealed details of the new AMG C63 Coupe, which will make its European debut on 15th September at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The AMG C63 is similar to the all-new C-Class Coupe but with a more aggressive bodykit that includes wider arches, a new front bumper with beefier air intakes, larger wheels, chunky side skirts and quad exhausts.  

The car features AMG’s 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 engine producing 469bhp and 650Nm of torque in the ‘base’ variant, and a whopping 503bhp and 700Nm in the ‘S’ model.  The ‘S’ model can manage the 0-62mph sprint in 3.9 seconds, just slightly faster than the saloon,  at a limited speed of 155mph.

Inside the cabin, AMG badging, optional AMG Performance seats and bespoke instruments are the only real changes over the standard coupe, although the seating position is lower than the saloon.

Official Prices have not yet been revealed but a small premium over the base C63 Saloon’s £60k starting price is expected. The new Mercedes AMG C63 coupe is due to go on sale March 2016.

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Several Records Smashed at Pebble Beach Classic Car Auction!

Pebble Beach is considered to be one of the world’s most prestigious classic car events, and this year proved again that motors can be lucrative investments.  

Over $128m classic cars were sold during the event, with 3 cars sold above $10m and 26 cars below $1m, breaking thus the company’s record.  

The auction demonstrated how important provenance is and how it can affect a car’s value. A 1976 930-series Porsche 911 Turbo, which was once owned by Steve McQueen (image), was sold for £1.25m, that is around 10 times the value of a standard 930. 

Similarly, car’s heritage and rarity proved to be equally important. A 1953 Jaguar C-type Lightweight was sold for $13.2m as it was one of just three made and it ran at Le Mans in 1953 and 1954.  

Ferrari managed to gather the highest bids (seven of the top 10 sales) with a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider sold for $16.8m and a 1962 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale for $15.5m.

One of the auction’s highlights was a collector’s private collection, named the Pinnacle Portfolio, which was sold for $75.4m breaking the record for a private collection sold in a one-day auction!

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