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Official: Bentley releases official Continental GT3 details [w/video]

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By Jeffrey N. Ross

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It’s been almost a year since we first laid eyes on the Bentley Continental GT3, but this race-bred Continental GT is finally ready to show off its moves. After debuting last year at the Paris Motor Show, the Continental GT3 makes its racing debut today at the Goodwood Festival of Speed before competing in the FIA Blancpain Series next year.

While Bentley released some of the car’s details last month, we now have all we need to know about this car such as its curb weight of less than 2,866 pounds, its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 packing 600 horsepower and four-way adjustable suspension dampers. The exterior of the car stays true to the design of the Continental GT but has been given a once over to improve aero, and the interior has been stripped down to the bare essentials for racing. This doesn’t mean that all luxury was thrown out the window, though, as the Continental GT3’s steering wheel, door pulls and seat are all covered in hand-stitched leather. Scroll down for the official press release as well as a video showing the car in action.

Continue reading Bentley releases official Continental GT3 details [w/video]

Bentley releases official Continental GT3 details [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Report: Lamborghini Pregunta Paris concept offered at $2.1M [w/video]

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By Jonathon Ramsey

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When the Lamborghini Veneno was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show, there were those who connected dots from it to the Lamborghini Pregunta concept from 1998, and also to the Pagani Zonda that arrived one year later. Near the end of the turmoil that was Lamborghini’s ownership through the mid-nineties, an order was placed with the French Carrosserie Heuliez for a one-off concept car that was “new, original and impossible to confuse with any other car’s shapes,” that would be built on a Diablo chassis. The result was the Pregunta.

It was an aerospace-influenced supercar with carbon fiber bodywork, a 530-horsepower V12 and a claimed 207-mile-per-hour top speed. It employed rear-wheel drive instead of the Diablo’s all-wheel drive, was coated in the same paint used on the French military’s Dassault Rafale fighter jet and had fiber optic lighting, rear-view cameras and a GPS system. It was shown to the world at the 1998 Paris Motor Show, and again at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show.

Thought to be the last concept built on a Lamborghini body before Audi bought the company in 1998, AutoDrome, a French specialist in vintage exotics, has the Pregunta for sale for 1.6 million euros ($2.1M US). You can watch it hit the runway with a Rafale in the video below, then give AutoDrome a call if you’re interested.

Continue reading Lamborghini Pregunta Paris concept offered at $2.1M [w/video]

Lamborghini Pregunta Paris concept offered at $2.1M [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Geneva: Exagon Motors golden-orange Furtive-eGT looks different outside, stays the same inside

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By Sebastian Blanco

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The previous version of the Exagon Motors Furtive-eGT was a subtle – in color, not design – silver. At the Geneva Motor Show this week, Exagon took the wraps off a beautiful copper version of the carbon fiber and honeycomb body. We’re not quite sure why the wrap was necessary, since the car was also shown off at the Paris Motor Show last fall, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s an electric looker with a 53-kWh lithium-ion battery pack (not 57-kWh as was previously suggested).

Thanks to two liquid-cooled Siemens electric motors that put out 402 horsepower between 5,000 and 10,000 rpm, the Furtive-eGT has a limited top speed of 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour) and can go from 0-100 kph (62 mph) in a scant 3.5 seconds. Despite this performance, the orange EV has a range between 360 kilometers (224 miles) on the urban cycle (as tested using the ECE15 standard) and 310 km (193 miles) on the combined cycle (NEDC standard).

That substantial range can be refilled (from 30 percent to 80 percent) using an undisclosed fast charge method in 32 minutes. Exagon is also claiming the batteries in the four-seat EV will retain “more than 80 percent” minimum capacity after 3,000 charging cycles (which should take around 10 years). And if you don’t trust those new-fangled battery things, the Furtive-eGT has an optional range extender to recharge the batteries (not drive the wheels). Adding liquid combustibles puts the car’s fuel economy at something like 69 or 76 mpg (depending on test cycle).

The base vehicle will start at 448,451 Swiss Francs, which is about $477,103 US. If you’ve got that kind of dough, you can order now and take delivery before the end of the year.

Continue reading Exagon Motors golden-orange Furtive-eGT looks different outside, stays the same inside

Exagon Motors golden-orange Furtive-eGT looks different outside, stays the same inside originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Sbarro Réact' E.V. racing into Geneva

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By Danny King

Sbarro Réact' E.V. - front three-quarter rendering

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A year ago, Espera Sbarro Montbéliard School of Design unveiled a two-seat, 137-horsepower, all-electric concept car called Intencity at the Geneva Motor Show. Last September, the school showed off a V8-powered rear-wheel-drive hot rod with 360 horsepower called Eight at the Paris Motor Show. For this year’s Geneva craziness, design house Sbarro (no relation to the Italian food chain) is shooting for a compromise of sorts by pitching a bit of plug-in hybrid-electric trickery.

Next week, Sbarro will show off what it calls the Réact’ E.V. (for “Ecological Vehicle”) in Geneva. The car will combine a 210-horsepower gas engine made by Peugeot with two 137-horsepower electric motors, so we’re talking about a pretty speedy car here. Little surprise, then, that Sbarro says it’ll enter the React ‘EV, which has a 24-kWh battery, in the Monte Carlo Rallye of New Energies in late March.

We’ll know more next week, but we’ve got a few more technical details in the press release below.

Continue reading Sbarro Réact’ E.V. racing into Geneva

Sbarro Réact’ E.V. racing into Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Official: McLaren releases astonishing P1 performance figures

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By Michael Harley

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McLaren took the wraps off its upcoming P1 supercar nearly five months ago at the Paris Motor Show, but the automaker refused to release details about its interior, powerplant or performance – those juicy details would all have to wait.

Yet after a private showing in New York, followed by another exclusive event in Beverly Hills, McLaren began to slowly trickle out information about the P1’s instrument cluster and passenger cabin, before finally disclosing its 903 horsepower hybrid powerplant earlier this month.

Finally, after much speculation, McLaren has revealed the last piece of the puzzle and announced its tested performance figures. The 100 km/h benchmark (62 mph) falls in “less than three seconds” while the 200 km/h barrier (124 mph) is shattered in “under seven seconds.” Lastly, the rear-wheel drive P1 will hit 300 km/h (186 mph) in “no more than 17 seconds” (an impressive 11 seconds faster than its legendary McLaren F1). Those blistering numbers put the P1 among a very small and elite group, with members like Bugatti, Koenigsegg and Hennessey – the fastest road cars on the planet.

If you are wondering how much it costs to embarrass a Ferrari, McLaren also broke its pricing embargo today. Base price, in the United States, is a cool $1,150,000.

Continue reading McLaren releases astonishing P1 performance figures

McLaren releases astonishing P1 performance figures originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Toyota Auris gets new Touring Sports variant

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By Jonathon Ramsey

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Toyota showed off the Touring Sports version of the Auris next to the newly introduced Auris Hybrid at last year’s Paris Motor Show, but didn’t say much about it. Six months later, just ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, the company is crowing about that wagon going on sale with the Hybrid Synergy Drive, creating the Auris Touring Sports Hybrid.

The hauling version of the exceptionally popular Auris hatchback doesn’t just add a hybrid wagon to the compact segment, Toyota says it offers class-leading load capacity of 1,658 liters with the Easy-Flat one-touch rear seats down. With the rear seats up, it offers 530 liters. The little big gulp is possible because the hybrid batteries have been placed under the rear seats instead of being in the luggage area.

It looks the same as the hatchback save for the fact that it’s 285 millimeters (11.2 inches) longer behind the C pillar, has a redesigned tailgate and a lower load floor. Engines beyond the hybrid will match the rest of the lineup: 1.3-liter and 1.6-liter gasoline engines and a 1.4-liter D-4D diesel. There’s a chance we’ll see it in Geneva, if we don’t there’s a press release below to tell you all about it.

Continue reading Toyota Auris gets new Touring Sports variant

Toyota Auris gets new Touring Sports variant originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: McLaren reveals P1 interior shots

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By Jeffrey N. Ross

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We’ve had several chances to get up close and personal with the McLaren P1 since its debut back in September at the Paris Motor Show, but McLaren has literally kept us in the dark about the car’s interior thanks to a heavy tint covering all of its windows. With the company preparing the car for its production debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show, we’re finally getting our first look inside the car courtesy of a few official images.

Opening up the P1’s butterfly doors reveals an interior that was designed to be as close to a racecar as possible, so the lack of amenities and the amount of exposed carbon fiber inside the car are not surprising. From the fixed driver’s seat, which is custom to each buyer and weighs just 23 pounds, the car definitely looks the part of a street-legal racecar with features such as the Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, reconfigurable digital gauge cluster and a carbon fiber waterfall center stack with navigation, audio system and HVAC controls. The long windshield and panoramic roof are meant to give the P1’s cabin a feel similar to the cockpit of a fighter jet.

There’s only a few more weeks to wait to see the car in its full glory, but until then, enjoy the new pictures from McLaren and scroll down for an official press release on the car’s interior.

Continue reading McLaren reveals P1 interior shots

McLaren reveals P1 interior shots originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

McLaren Track Tests Its P1 Supercar: Video

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By Kurt Ernst

McLaren's P1 supercar prototype - image: McLaren
McLaren's P1 supercar prototype - image: McLaren

McLaren’s P1 supercar prototype – image: McLaren

When McLaren debuted its P1 supercar concept at last year’s Paris Motor Show, it was greeted with mixed reaction. On the one hand, who doesn’t love the idea of a new world-class supercar from McLaren? On the other hand, its shape is best described as “controversial,” with perhaps too much attention paid to function over form. The original McLaren F1 was a stunning car, and its current MP4-12C can certainly fit into the “beautiful” category, but even calling the P1 “handsome” was a stretch for some.

The next version of the P1 is reportedly going to make its appearance at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in March, and McLaren has just released a video showing the latest P1 test mule going though its testing routing on track. It’s wearing a unique camouflage wrap, too: those squiggly lines are really track diagrams from all over the world, a subtle reminder from McLaren that the P1 will be backed by a lot of racing experience.

McLaren's P1 supercar prototype - image: McLaren

McLaren’s P1 supercar prototype – image: McLaren

McLaren hasn’t published much detail on the P1 yet, but rumor has it using a version of the twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-8 found in the MP4-12C, enhanced by a Formula One-style Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) for added acceleration. We’ve seen estimates of 800+ horsepower, which should be more than sufficient given the car’s lightweight carbon fiber construction.

It will use active aerodynamics, too, including a rear wing with a variable angle of attack (for downforce in corners, or additional speed in straights) and a moveable front air dam to further increase grip as needed.

McLaren's P1 supercar prototype - image: McLaren

McLaren’s P1 supercar prototype – image: McLaren

Pricing remains a big mystery, but we’ll remind you that it’s meant to go head to head against the likes of the Koenigsegg Agera R and the Pagani Huayra. In that price bracket, performance is a more critical design goal than cost, so prepare to spend accordingly.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Automotive Addicts

Automobiles

Exclusive: McLaren shows P1 at private event in Beverly Hills, reveals more details

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By Michael Harley

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McLaren P1 concept - live at private event in Beverly Hills

McLaren invited us to private showing of its near production-ready P1 supercar in Beverly Hills last night, offering its affluent customers a sneak peek at what promises to be one of the finest – if not the best – sports car in the world when it arrives later this year. While the development team continues to hold many of the coupe’s cards close to its chest, a trickle of details emerged that only served to further whet our appetite for the upcoming exotic.

  • The Volcano Orange prototype (the same one shown at the Paris Motor Show) is fully functional, with a complete operating powertrain. Before each public display, a dark tint is applied to the windows to hide the interior from view.
  • The chassis utilizes a carbon-fiber passenger tub shared with the MP4-12C, with aluminum structures front and rear for crash protection (carbon fiber is lighter, but it doesn’t crush and absorb energy as well). All body panels are carbon-fiber and nearly all exposed metal (including the mesh vents) is made of titanium alloy. The target curb weight is 1,300 kilograms, or less than 2,900 pounds.
  • Based on a recorded engine soundtrack played at the event, and noting a pair of intakes each likely feeding a turbocharger (we spotted genuine gold foil in the engine bay to help to ward off heat), it is assumed that the P1 will be fitted with a high-output version of the MP4-12C’s twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 making about 800 horsepower. A KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), similar to what is used in Formula One, will provide a strong boost of even more horsepower for short periods. While McLaren has avoided all-wheel drive, don’t rule out some sort of electric propulsion on the front axle.
  • McLaren doesn’t have the Porsche 918 Spyder in its crosshairs – it’s too heavy and slow. Instead, it is aiming its sights directly at the upcoming Ferrari F150 (the successor to the Enzo). That said, the British automaker expects its P1 to be the world’s quickest production vehicle around Nürburgring.
  • Assembly should start within the next several months. Only 500 copies will be made, with each costing about $1.2 million.

Expect more mechanical details about the McLaren P1 to be revealed in the next few weeks, with the two-place interior finally unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

McLaren shows P1 at private event in Beverly Hills, reveals more details originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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