2011 Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow Concept

If you are in the market for a car like no other that will grab the attention of everyone along the strip, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow is the perfect vehicle for you.

This car debuted during the 2011 Los Angeles Design Challenge that attempted to find the best film car to use in movies. This sleek vehicle includes a unique body, fast speed and futuristic features.

Future from the Past

Innovative designers from Germany and the United States collaborated to create this model. This vehicle is more of a work of art than a common mode of transportation. The body is a combination of the 1930s Silberpfeil racecar and the 1950s Uhlenhaut SLR.

Mercedes-Benz also relied on its Formula 1 racing history to influence the design of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow Concept. The car is long and loaded with plenty of curves. It also adds pieces of current designs that help to identify the Mercedes-Benz line, such as the noticeable front grille.

The diagonal hubless roller track provides for steering in every direction, called omni-directional driving. The vehicle also features a Mag-Tech roof system that consists of a lightweight magnetic surface. The roof can be dropped to form a convertible or raised for a solid surface.">

Sci-Fi?

This vehicle blends utility and adventure. The car is easy to handle, while featuring an appearance straight out of sci-fi movies. The vehicle was made to commemorate Mercedes-Benz's 125th anniversary and is a testament to the innovation that the company provides.

The bright light strips help to draw attention to this one of a kind vehicle. The hubless wheels give the illusion that the car is floating over the road.

With its sleek design, unique maneuvering abilities, futuristic features and a style that is certain to attract the attention of anyone nearby, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow Concept would be an ideal vehicle to own.

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Kourtney Kardashian: Trouble In The Rolls Royce

Kourtney Kardashian looked like she was having some issues getting in and out of Scott’s Rolls Royce over the weekend. Good thing she was wearing shorts!

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Posted in: Kardashian,Kourtney,Rolls,Royce,Trouble

2012 Fiat 500C Review

In the auto world, the letters F.I.A.T. stand for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, or Fiat, a company founded in 1899. But Fiat hasn’t sold cars in the United States since the mid-1980s, when spotty reliability issues had many owners thinking F.I.A.T. stood for “Fix It Again, Tony”. Now Fiats are making their way back into special boutique U.S. showrooms with the Fiat 500, a moniker that began just after World War II in Europe. It was a small, inexpensive, high mileage car that put Italians back on four wheels. If you couldn’t afford a Fiat 500, your next option was a Vespa motor scooter.

FAST FACTS

1. Like the standard 500, the Cabrio is powered by a 101 hp 1.4L 4-cylinder. 2. Rather than a conventional convertible roof, the 500C retains the car frame but uses a sliding fabric top. 3. 500C models start at $19,500 for the Pop and $23,500 for the Lounge.

The current Fiat 500 has the same DNA and mission statement as the original and has captured dozens of awards in Europe, including the 2008 European Car of the Year, and the 2009 World Car Design of the Year, and we were anxious to get some seat time in this Italian midget. 

CUTE OUTSIDE, EXCELLENT INSIDE

When you first look at the 500C, you might think the bubble top car was styled by Disney’s Pixar animators in Radiator Springs, rather than in Italy. The words little, cute, tiny, and really small come to mind. In fact the only car in America that is smaller is the Smart Fortwo, which is nothing more than a glorified golf cart. The Fiat is even smaller than a MINI or a Volkswagen Beetle. But like those two cars, the room inside for the driver and front seat passenger is quite acceptable. For the rear seats, only short-legged passengers will be comfortable, but at least they will have a rather easy access to get back there, as the whole front seat moves forward to offer a generous opening.  

The interior styling is cool retro Italian, and it works visually. Our test car had a multi-colored interior with two shades for the seats and other trim, giving the 500C an interesting visual appeal, and making the car look far more expensive.

The main gauge is a large round affair with the outer ring for the speedometer and the inner ring for the tachometer. All controls are simple and easy to use – unlike the MINI. A nice touch is a fold down armrest on the driver’s seat, making it feel like a captain’s chair. The seats are comfortable, nicely bolstered, and even heated. The tilt steering wheel has controls for the radio and cruise control. The front side windows operate up and down, but the rear side windows are fixed.

OPEN-TOP MOTORING

The “C” in the cars name stands for Cabrio, but that’s a bit of a misnomer. What this Fiat has, in reality, is a very large sliding fabric sunroof, since the door frames and roof rails remain in position, while the rag top slides back until it bunches up on the rear hatch, which then blocks the view behind the driver. Fortunately, the car sits so low that the vehicles behind it can be seen, especially the looming grills of SUVs.

There’s a nice pop-up wind diffuser so one can drive with the top down and still have a quiet and windblast-free cabin. We’re sure many women will appreciate this feature and it goes without saying that the 500C will be more of a hit with the XX chromosome set. On the downside, the Cabrio also causes some loss of cargo space behind the rear seats – from 9.5 cubic feet to 5.4. But the rear seats fold down to accommodate longer items.

BETTER SUITED TO CITY STREETS THAN TWISTY ROADS

The Cabrio is equipped with the same motor that all 500’s come with – a 1.4-liter, 4-cylinder, which puts out 101 hp at 6500 rpm and 98 lb-ft of torque that reaches its peak at 4000 rpm. Despite a curb weight of just under 2,500lbs, you won’t be winning any drag races in the Fiat 500C, even if you’re trying to pull away from a school bus at the stop light. 

Using the 6-speed manumatic and hitting the “sport” switch will help a bit with acceleration and aids in a sportier feeling, but with the skinny tires, soft suspension, and heavy front end weight bias, there are few sporting thrills to be had driving this car. This automatic transmission was made available just for the American market, and it isn’t as smooth shifting as it could be. It also reduces gas mileage significantly

The short wheelbase will upset the car over large bumps and broken pavement, but for the most part, the cars feels solid and sturdy, and there’s no cowl shake like you would find on true convertibles. It’s a bit top heavy on quick side-to-side maneuvers, and there’s plenty of body lean. The steering is on the light side, but not twitchy. The brakes work well, with decent feel. On the upside, the turning circle is tight and compact, and the Fiat will be a breeze to maneuver on tight city streets, and to parallel park.

THE VERDICT

We doubt that the Fiat 500C, or even the standard model for that matter, will be the car that brings Americans back to the brand in large numbers. Its clean exterior styling is pleasing, and the Italian chic interior will appeal to women, just as the Beetle and MINI do. Unfortunately, those looking for an economy car will be disappointed by the rather unimpressive 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway mileage figures from this Cabrio with the 6-speed automatic. Standard transmission models rate much higher at 30/38 mpg. Oh, and Fiat recommends Premium fuel.

Then there’s the price. The Fiat 500C Lounge starts at $23,500. (The base Pop version starts at $19,500). Our test car had the $1,250 Leather Luxury Package adding the heated leather seats, and auto dimming mirror, and $400 for the Tom-Tom Navigation system, and another $300 for the 15” aluminum wheels. With $500 destination charge the total came to $25,950. A MINI Cabrio starts at $25,600 and a Miata starts at $26,100. Both offer more performance and handling, a true convertible top, and better gas mileage. 

Fiat sales have been well below company expectations and the 500C certainly isn’t going to bolster those figures. More of a novelty than a novel idea, putting Fiat on the map in America will take a more mainstream offering. Aside from the interior and the car’s originality, arguably the most attractive quality of the 500C is the cachet of the brand’s return to America.

Source: auto guide

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Lotus signs deal with Mansory as official tuner for bespoke models

Lotus has appointed German luxury vehicle tuner Mansory as the new official tuner for bespoke models and they promise that a new collaboration will be unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in September.

Mansory will be trimming up Elises, Exiges and Evoras in the future and the new Paris car is claimed to be an ‘exciting new model variant’.

Lotus already relies on Germany-based Mansory to produce the Evora GTE which resulted in the chrome red Swizz Beatz example and also the Lotus F1 edition, finished in raw carbon fibre. Because the F1 edition became so sought after, it makes sense for the companies to collaborate further on bespoke vehicles and so according to Lotus Mansory has been anointed Lotus’s ‘Official Customisation Studio’.

Hethel says it has already taken ‘around 250 orders and leads’ for the GTE and will be working closely with designers and engineers “to produce modifications that scream individuality and quality.”

Kourosh Mansory, founder of Mansory Design and Holding GmbH, said that “At Mansory, we have always been passionate about British cars, and the cooperation with Lotus is the perfect partnership as it meets our quality standard of production on the highest technical level combined with masterly craftsmanship and the most precious materials.

“As the Official Lotus Customisation Studio, we amplify the existing options with harmonically designed aerodynamics and ultra-light aluminium rims. High-quality accessories and stylish interior fittings complete the Mansory assortment.”

Source: Auto Guide

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Posted in: bespoke,Lotus,Mansory,models,official,signs,tuner

Dodge Dart rally car previewed for Global RallyCross Championships

2013 Dodge Dart rally car to be driven by Travis Pastrana

0-60mph in 1.9 seconds

Dodge and SRT Motorsports have confirmed they will be entering the Global RallyCross Championships using a modified version of the new Dodge Dart. A rendering of what the model is likely to look like has also been released adding substance to the anticipation ahead of the first race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26th.

The 2013 Dodge Dart rally car is due to be piloted by Travis Pastrana who is four-time Rally America Champion. It will be powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that generates 600hp (447kW / 608 PS) and 745Nm (550 lb-ft) of torque and is mated with a Sedav 4-wheel drive gear box.

The body work will also receive a bunch of upgrades whilst the interior will be stripped of all unnecessary comfort features. It results in a kerb weight well below the 1,456kg (3,211lb) that its production version is rated at.

"The sport is extremely exciting and the on-track action can be brutal on the drivers and the cars," said Bailey. "The cars are jumping higher than ever and landing safely", commented Reid Bigland, President and CEO - Dodge Brand. "The Dart rally car is lightweight with a very powerful motor. The zero to 60 mile-per-hour times are incredible, as low as 1.9 seconds, so with Travis behind the wheel, we can't wait for the season opener."

Source: World Car Fans

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Ferrari SP12 EPC leaked

Ferrari SP12 EPC live photos - low res - 22.3.2012 / MPSPhotography

Reportedly built for Eric Clapton

The first pictures of the Ferrari SP12 EPC have hit the web, ahead of its official unveiling later this year.

Reportedly built for singer Eric Clapton, the model is based on the 458 Italia and features unique bodywork that draws inspiration from the 512 BB. As such, there's new bumpers, a wide grille and a retro rear end.

Clapton apparently wanted the car to be equipped with a V12 engine, but Ferrari reportedly told him it wasn't feasible. However, we wouldn't be surprised if the 4.5-liter V8 has been upgraded to produce more than 570 PS (419 kW / 562 hp) and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque.

Little else is known about the model, but it was apparently built by Ferrari's Special Projects division which has previously created the P540 Superfast Aperta and Super America 45.

Source: Twitter and Autoblog.nl

 

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Posted in: Driving,Portia,Rossi

The New 2012 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Video

Aston Martin has released a new promo video for their 2012 facelifted Vantage V8.

Having adopted the style from the Vantage S, the entry level model features a new lower front bumper design with air splitter, redesigned side-sills and a new rear bumper equipped with an integrated diffuser.

Performance updates taken from the Vantage S include quicker steering, larger brakes and wider tyres.

Powering the 2012 V8 Vantage is a 4.7-litre V-8 engine putting out the same output of 420bhp ( 426 PS/313 kW ) compared to the Vantage S output of 430bhp (436 PS/321 kW) and 490 Nm (361 lb-ft) of torque.

A six-speed manual transmission comes as standard, but the optional six-speed Sportshift automated manual transmission has been replaced with the seven-speed Sportshift II.

The Vantage V8 will come with a price tag of £84,995 (about R1, 031, 839) in the guise of both coupe and roadster whilst the Vantage S will start at £99,995 (about R1, 213, 939) .

Watch the promo video below:

Source: World Car Fans 

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Posted in: Aston,Martin,Promo,Vantage,Video