Now that the Z/28 program is back on track, GM has begun to test its Shelby-killer super Camaro at the Nürburgring. You can check out the vid below; it shows the car scooting around the track and rolling around on unsuspecting German roads.
Unlike Ford's new Mustang Boss 302, which is more in-line with its original iteration, the new Z/28 shrugs off its Trans-Am heritage for range-topping excess that's high power out-putting with better stopping and handling than the current SS.
When the car comes out next year as a 2012 model, there should be a version of the CTS-V's LSA supercharged V8 under the hood. Whether or not the engine will be re-tuned is anyone's guess at the moment, but if it were to strictly carry over I'm pretty sure no one would complain. After all, it's still got 556 horsepower, 551 lb-ft of twist, and a six-speed driving the rear wheels.
Pricing is still up in the air, but if this is meant to go up against Ford's Shelby GT500 we should be seeing it in the mid- to high-40k's before options. More info as it becomes available.
Interested in seeing vids of the new 'anniversarious' Audi quattro concept? You know you are, and we aim to please. As a brief recap, you should know that this RS5-based concept is powered by a 408-horsepower inline-five displacing 2.5 liters that spins all four wheels through a 6-speed stick.
Below, you can check out some videos - one techno-backed and short, the other long, quiet, and mostly slow motion - highlighting some of the car's killer (checkered tail lights) and not so killer (the entire front end?) Details. Click on over to our earlier post for the full deets, but leave your opinions in the comments right down below.
From what we've been seeing in that previous post, a lot of you readers aren't too keen on it. Now that you've seen a little more, has your opinion changed? You just know Audi's listening, so do the comment thing below.
[Updated gallery] Lotus pounced on Paris like a rabid hyena, debuting no less than 6 all-new models. With the new Esprit, a car everyone has been waiting for, Lotus answered some important questions regarding its future mid-engined 2-seat monster. Scroll on down for video, pics, and all the basic info necessary to make a very important decision: to buy an Esprit or not to buy an Esprit?
Using the same supercharged 620-horsepower 5.0-liter Lexus V8 found in the Elite GT we recently showed you, and coming in at 1,450 kg, the Esprit is going to be a bit on the fast side (even in optional hybrid form).
If you're interested in picking up the new Lotus performance flagship, the price of entry will start at a cool £110,000 (about US$175,00 at today's exchange rates) come spring 2013.
Lotus CEO Danny Bahar says, "One has to be very careful when taking on the challenge of reinventing such an iconic classic as the Esprit – everyone has an opinion. There's a fine balance between acknowledging the greatness of the past whilst at the same time rapidly leaping forward to the future and ensuring that this car not only does the name Esprit justice but also the Lotus brand. I think we've managed to find the balance and in doing so created a new icon, a car people will find hard to resist."
Jeff McCabe owns a Porsche 928. However, he wanted an electric Porsche 928 in the vein of the Tesla Roadster that he can't afford. So here's what Jeff did: he removed "over 1,700 lbs" of dead weight by eliminating a bunch of useless stuff like the standard engine, transmission (actually just 1st, 4th, and 5th gears), and a bunch of electronics, pop-up headlights, and so on.
He also replaced the wheels and brakes with lighter units and made sure to ace that heavy glass. Once that 1,700 pounds was in the trash, he added 1,300 pounds in the form of 750 lithium iron-phosphate cells (he originally used lead acid batteries).
The result is a car that can go for 115+ miles before it needs a recharge (versus the ~45 from the lead acid units) and can hit 85 miles per hour (137km/h). Too bad it can't do 88. For some info straight from the owner of the car, check out the vid below. Anyone interested in providing him with a CVT?
Earlier today, we told you about the all-new 408-horsepower Porsche 911 Speedster that will have its world premiere in Paris on September 30 and hit the streets this December. Now we bring you the first video of the limited edition drop-top 911 with the chopped down windshield and double-bubble hard top, both directly inspired by the original 356 Speedster. Scroll down to watch the official promo.
On a side note, if anyone knows where the video was filmed, leave us a message in the comments section below.
Thanks to a tip from Carscoop reader Rafael, we can now share with you the first video footage of MINI's new Countryman WRC prototype, which was caught testing earlier today (Tuesday) at Ponte de Lima in Portugal.
The Prodrive developed and built World Rallying Championship version of the Mini Countryman is powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport to comply with the new Super2000 regulations. Like the road-going model, it also gets four-wheel drive.
According to MINI, the Countryman WRC will be ready to compete at selected rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) before completing the full series in 2012.
Peugeot has released the first full-length TV ad for its flagship 508 sedan that will have its world premiere at the Mondial de l'Automobile (Paris Motor Show) at the end of the month. The 508 sits snugly between the soon-to-be-discontinued 407 and the already defunct 607 range in terms of size.
The ads show off the sedan and wagon body styles on the move for the first time, as well as features such as the push-button start, Audi-esque pop-up information display and (optional) panoramic sunroof. Peugeot has promised standard stop-start across the range.
The 508 goes on sale in Europe early next year, and will be available with a choice of naturally aspirated and force fed 1.6-liter gasoline units, and 1.6-liter, 2.0-liter and 2.2-liter turbo diesels.
A diesel-electric Hybrid4 version is scheduled to be added to the range in mid-2011.
One more teaser like this and we will probably follow BMW's advice and never blog about this electric-thingamajig again... Now, let's see the Bavarians adding this quote on their "dontblogaboutthis" website... Those that don't mind wasting 34 seconds of their time to watch a black prototype with skinny wheels being loaded on a truck in slow motion may follow the jump for the video.
Michael Bay, you need to be taking notes, because this fan-made Transformers short film is epically cool. Created by 21-year old Alexander Vladimirovich Semenov from Russia, the film doesn't use little white trash GM robots or the ridonkulous SR-71 pirate grandpa; instead, it stars a cool old VAZ 2106...I think...and some dinky little cell phone robots.
Oh and the main guy is someone who ends up driving the VAZ Decepticon. Really, who wouldn't want to drive a little 4-wheeled evil?
Instead of what boils down to plain stupid product placement like Jolt the Volt, how about we make this next Transformers a little more down to earth (as crazy as that sounds)?
I know sponsors are the ones writing your checks, but there comes a time when the movie needs to still be a Michael Bay summer blockbuster and not a two hour GM commercial. Check out the slick vid below.
A couple of new photos and a fresh video of BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics concept-faced and current 6-Series Coupe-bodied mystery test mule of some sorts have been uploaded on the Bavarian automaker's "Dontblogaboutthis" website.
Aside from providing some different views of the car, the new material doesn't answer any of the questions we all have about the odd-looking matte-black test vehicle, and from what we gather, BMW will continue teasing us up until the Paris Motor Show.
Land Rover just released some new videos of its upcoming Evoque in motion, and it continues to convince. Interested? Hit the jump for the vids, or head over to our previous post for all the details.
Debuting at next week's Paris Auto Show as a 3-door model (the 5-door's on the way, don't fret), the new mini-Range will get turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel and gasoline engines; the 2.2-liter diesels will come in 150-horsepower and 190-horsepower flavors, while the 2.0-liter gasoline engine will put down a still-undisclosed output (where you at, Rover?).
Not only that, but the diesels post some impressive fuel economy numbers as well. How do you feel about 50 mpg Imperial / 41.6 mpg US from the low-output diesel with 4-wheel drive? Good, that's how.
It will be available in both 4-wheel driver and front-wheel drive (a Rover first), come in three trim levels, and provide owners with one very attractive interior. Live shots are on the way.
Someone has turned Maserati's lovely Quattroporte sedan into a tall, bulky hearse, and there's video of it on a trailer below. Regardless of how it looks, it sure puts the Cadillacs used in America to shame. Unlike Ferrari, who has issues with anyone doing anything heinous to their cars (like making a 360 limousine), Maserati apparently doesn't mind too much.
Spotted near Modena by youtube's lambofanX, who usually doesn't film Quattroportes (but we're sure glad he did), it appears as if there's at least one Italian mortuary out there with mad style. This at least seems a little more appropriate for a funeral compared to those funky car coffins we recently showed you. Who knows, maybe Maserati's just prepping a hearse for the Vatican.
If anyone knows what this is for (other than hauling the deceased, that is) and where it's going, feel free to drop us a line.
Porsche has dropped the 411 on the latest special edition of its 911 before its debut in Paris. After such recent winners as the 911 Sport Classic (with its delicious Fuchs rims and duck-tail spoiler) and the GT2 RS (with its 620 horsepower), Stuttgart's new froggy is called the Carrera GTS and gets a 23-horsepower boost over the basic S but is just as efficient.
Available as both a coupe and convertible, the 408-horse / 310 lb-ft GTS is like a top-range naturally-aspirated model for everyday use; after all, the 435-horse GT3 isn't really a car for child-rearing families.
The car's power bump is the result of "a special resonance intake manifold [in which] six vacuum-controlled tuning flaps switch between power- and torque-optimized geometry, whereas in a Carrera S power unit there is only one tuning flap." Sounds like hocus pocus to me.
Underneath the wider Carrera 4 body is a "classic" rear-wheel drive setup. The extra 44-mm allows the car to have fat tire-wearing, center-locking, grip-providing RS Spyder 19's on a wider track. Porsche says they're painted black, but chances are good they'll cater to your every need if the checkbook's open (green, anybody?).
Body add-ons include a SportDesign front apron and the car's lower body trim painted black. The GTS logos on the doors and tail are going to be silver or black depending on the color of the car, but do yourself a favor and get the rear badge-delete option. The door logos are more than enough.
The interior, meanwhile, gets sprayed down in Alcantara and leather with steering assistance in the form of a chubby SportDesign three-spoke wheel. After all, it's important to be comfortable and collected when you're hitting the limiter in 6th at 190 mph (306 km/h).
Top speed not your bag? Just plain interested in merging and doing the touted 19 city / 27 highway? If optioned with the with PDK and a Sport Chrono Package Plus (which has to be in the Sport Plus setting), a hardtop GTS Coupe will hit 100km/h (62mph) from standstill in 4.2 seconds and then you can just cruise in the right-hand lane.
Once it hits Germany in December, the GTS Coupe will retail for €104,935 (the Cab starts at €115,050), both after a 19% VAT. When it arrives Stateside next spring, prices will be $103,100 for the Coupe and $112,900 for the convertible.
