It was five years ago that the current Ferrari F430 debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show and the storied Italian sports and racing car manufacturer is currently hard at work creating a successor designed to both increase power while decreasing emissions and fuel consumption at the same time. Dubbed the F450 by virtue of its enlarged 4.5L V-8 reportedly based on the present 4.3L unit, speculation has power surpassing that of the 430 Scuderia at 500 horses or more.
While the mule our spy shooters caught undergoing winter testing is still wearing modified F430 bodywork, the larger fenders, air scoops, and exhaust system all hint at the need for a wider stance and increased breathing -- no doubt, for a car that will be creating more power. The F450 will also reportedly receive Ferrari's new dual-clutch gearbox that debuted in the California. The new gearbox features quicker, smoother shift action than the automated manual presently used in the F430.
Spycam: 2011 Ferrari F450
Spy Shots: Production 5 Series GT revealed via BMW TV
As expected, BMW is obviously pretty far along with the production version of the 5 Series Gran Turismo concept that debuted earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show. While show-car details like the thin metal blades connecting the side mirrors from the concept have been replaced with more conventional bits, the general shape of the new GT has been left almost exactly intact. The same can't be said about the interior, which seems to have lost its artful air in exchange for BMW's typically Germanic sobriety.
We'll reserve final judgment for when the production version makes its official debut, likely at an undetermined auto show later this year. Click past the break to see the production BMW 5 Series GT on a video capture of BMW TV, along with the car's German-speaking project leader, Hans-Jurgen Branz.
First Test: 2009 Nissan Cube 1.8S
Quick, what do bulldogs, sunglasses, and Jacuzzis have in common? If you're thinking 1980s beer commercials, you'd be wrong (Spuds MacKenzie was a bull terrier). In fact, these three seemingly disparate elements are all design inspirations for the latest B-segment box van, the all-new 2009 Nissan Cube.
Nissan says the stance and front end of its softly curved box car invokes a "bulldog in sunglasses." They may have a point: The Cube's pinched grille and headlights combine with a jutting front bumper and small wheels pushed to the corners to create a look as awkwardly cute as, well, a slobbering lapdog in shades. Inside, the Cube's soft contours and layout are supposed to reflect a "Jacuzzi lounge," an effect bolstered by a water-droplet motif drizzled throughout the interior details.
BMW Developing 6-Series GT, Z2, 3 Series Supersports & New Mini Variant
We've got some exciting news on the BMW front. Sources over at Germancarzone, say BMW is planning a GT version of the next-gen BMW 6 Series. They also claim BMW is working on a Z2, to be introduced later this year, a 3 Series Supersports, and a new MINI model.
Just a short while after the introduction of the BMW 5 Series GT, the German automaker looks to be in the concept development stage of a BMW GT 6. This concept would be based on the platform for the new 6 Series, expected to hit the market at the end of 2010. Look for it to have some design cues similar to the on-again-off-again BMW CS Concept, with suicide doors in back. The rear-hinged doors should make entering and exiting the car very easy for backseat passengers, while maintaining a flowing look thanks to the elimination of the B-pillar. If it goes to dealerships, a 6 Series GT would be a natural competitor to the Audi A7 Sportback, the Mercedes-Benz CLS, and the forthcoming Porsche Panamera.
First Look: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing" is one of the coolest sports cars of all time. So named because of its unique, roof-hinged doors, the Gullwing was the Enzo of its era: stupendously fast, outrageously expensive, and styled to make an entrance. Clark Gable owned one; Andy Warhol painted one; Ava Gardner crashed one. No Mercedes sports car since, not even the Mercedes-McLaren SLR, has come close to matching the Gullwing's iconic appeal.
The SLR was a bastard-child of a supercar that neither McLaren nor Mercedes-Benz engineers truly felt was their own. McLaren's Gordon Murray, designer of championship-winning Brabham and McLaren grand prix racers, driving force behind the McLaren F1 supercar, thought the SLR overweight and overwrought; the antithesis of his personal automotive design philosophy. For their part, the Mercedes-Benz engineers were uneasy with McLaren's free-wheeling, fast-moving development culture, and skeptical of its methods. The culture-clash car that resulted was blindingly fast and supremely robust, but oddly styled and strangely uninvolving to drive.
Geneva Motor Show 2009: Bleu who? Mansory Linea Vincero more our style
The Bleu Centenaire wasn't the only limited edition Veyron on the floor at the Geneva Motor Show. While Bugatti has created a wide array of individualization programs for its supercar, German tuner Mansory saw fit to create its own and displayed a revised version of the Veyron dubbed the Linea Vincero. We got our first look at the car back in December when it was mysteriously pictured on a dealer web site, but with its official unveiling we now have full details from Mansory. Exterior modifications are relatively subtle and include a new front fascia, shorter hood, LED daytime running lights, side skirts, a diffuser, larger side and rear air outlets and new forged wheels. The interior features carbon fiber accents, special leather seating and trim and an ambient lighting system utilizing LEDs. Unlike the other Veyron models, the Vincero comes with a power upgrade, up to 1109 bhp and 967 lb-ft torque, thanks to an upgraded cooling system and exhaust system. With a total of three planned for production, the Linea Vincero could very well be one of the more popular color combinations out there.
"Vincerò! Vincerò! ¬– I will win", that is the self-confident exclamation from Nessun Dorma, probably the most famous tenor aria from Giacomo Puccini´s opera Turandot. And Vincerò is also the name of the latest automobile accessory line by refining specialist Mansory. Mansory already finds many parallels for the new name: The plot of the aria stems from a Persian tale of 1001 days which also relates to the standard motorisation of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 with 1,001 hp. On the other hand, it should also refer to the origin of Kourosh Mansory, the founder and CEO of Mansory Corporation. And the opera has another reference to the offered product portfolio by ending after three acts. The LINEA Vincerò edition is also not infinite – the project is strictly limited.
It goes without saying that such a sonorous name is only suitable for an absolutely high-quality programme. Already the Bugatti Veyron serial edition sets standards in terms of price, maximum speed and engine power and leaves its competitors far behind when a contender for the super sports car is to be crowned. Whoever now thinks that everything possible has been achieved, can be proved wrong. Already visually, the changes clearly show. The front part gets a comprehensive face-lift including modified wings, a shorter hood and a striking front apron. The LED daytime running lights integrated in the front mount and the implemented stylised "V" as a special tribute to the name "Vincerò" draw even more attention to the car. The newly developed side skirts are the visual and aerodynamic connection between the axles. Larger air outlets at the sides and at the back render optimal engine cooling and in combination with the new diffuser, they underline the powerful car design. Mansory manufactures nearly all auto body parts from ultra-light and high-strength carbon. The applied hardening technique with strong pressure and high temperatures in the autoclave thereby enormously improve the material quality.
In order to perfect the entire visual appearance, Mansory devised new, striking fully-forged turbine-design wheels for the Linea Vincerò in serial dimensions.
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Also, the power engine is refined by Mansory. Technical innovation is combined with technical expertise and thereby, an increased cooling air supply and optimised exhaust system produce an unbelievable 1109 hp and 1310 Nm.
The interior is exclusive and yet functional. Also here, Mansory understands how luxury and technology can be harmonically combined. When traditional craftsmanship, selected materials and stylish design merge, the result is an interior of automobile excellence.
This mainly shows by the LED lights of the new Ambiente-Illumination-System which are fitted in the seats, door linings and the dashboard. The entire passenger compartment glows in a soft light which does not only render a comfortable feeling, but also emphasises the high-quality carbon applications and the especially grained leather. The ergonomically designed airbag steering wheel is both sportive and particularly pliable and is equipped with rocker switches.
The Mansory individualisation programme for the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is offered in a limited edition via the Middle East partner "Prestige Cars Abu Dhabi".
New Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe Revealed Before Geneva Debut
Here comes the E-Class Coupe as will be seen when its takes its first public bow at the Geneva motor show next month.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe is meant to replace the discontinued CLK, so Mercedes has a lot riding on the success of this model.
With the new design, Mercedes says the E-Class will be the "world's most aerodynamically efficient series-production car." That's a bold claim to make but one can see in the newly acquired sleekness of the body that things have changed. This Coupe, in its slight form with no B-pillars and completely retractable side windows, creates a drag coefficient of just 0.24.
