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ArmorTech BMW X6 is the AMC Eagle SX/4 of your dreams

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Crossover, BMW, Russia, Luxury

ArmorTech BMW X6 coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s been tried before, making a coupe out of an SUV – or an SUV out of a coupe. AMC tried it back in the early ’80s with the Eagle SX/4. Both DC Design and Merdad tried it with the Porsche Cayenne. And of course BMW tried it with the X6. The trouble with the X6 is that it has two doors too many to be considered a coupe. The solution? Off with their doors, courtesy of aftermarket firm ArmorTech.

In the process, the Russian coachbuilder crafted longer front doors, jockeyed the positioning of the B-pillar and side glass, and fitted new front seats that can tilt and slide forward to gain access to the rear seats, the access to which never having been a strong suit of the factory X6 to begin with. A number of additional enhancements are also on offer, from suspension, wheels and brakes to exhaust, body kit and custom upholstery.

So, does the removal of the rear doors make the X6 look any better? Give us your thoughts in ‘Comments.’

Gallery: BMW X6 coupe by ArmorTech

[Source: ArmorTech via World Car Fans]

ArmorTech BMW X6 is the AMC Eagle SX/4 of your dreams originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Videos: KBB awards $10,000 to winning reader car reviews [w/poll]

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Humor

KBB reader-submitted auto reviews – Click above to watch the videos after the jump

We’ve seen a lot of consumer-grade video in our day (we’ve made a few, too), and the quality can be less than astounding. So when we got wind of the fact that Kelley Blue Book was hosting a contest awarding $10,000 to the best consumer car review video, we were skeptical of the quality of product we were expecting to see. Good news. We were wrong, and the top videos are pretty darn good.

The top prize has been awarded to Clark Olson for a very funny critique of the 2000 Corolla with actual production-quality video work. In second place was Joel Moss Levinson, who managed to crack us up with a very clever rap featuring a somewhat problematic 2001 Volkswagen Passat. Seriously, it’s pretty hilarious and is jam-packed with actual insight. In third place was an also entertaining take on the 2004 Subaru Forester by Patrick Latimer. Latimer sounded like a full-on auto enthusiast with 0-60 times and a very valid mention of the value of rowing one’s own gears.

The winner was rewarded with $10,000 in cold, hard cash and a trip to sunny California for a video shoot with the KBB video crew. Second prize netted $5,000 and the third place winner received $1,000. Nicely done fellas. Hit the jump to watch the videos for yourself, and chime in via the post-jump poll to tell us if KBB correctly numbered the top three.

[Source: Kelley Blue Book]

Continue reading Videos: KBB awards $10,000 to winning reader car reviews [w/poll]

Videos: KBB awards $10,000 to winning reader car reviews [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Chevy Corvette production to leave Bowling Green for… Lansing?

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, Rumormill

2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible – Click above for high-res image gallery

Even though it was just named the Official State Sports Car of Kentucky not even a month ago, a story from WLNS speculates that Chevrolet Corvette production could move from Bowling Green, Kentucky to Lansing, Michigan. The UAW president and economist who brought it up apparently didn’t suggest that it would happen, they were really just throwing out possibilities to the WLNS reporter.

General Motors’ Corvette rep David Caldwell, though, has doused any idea of this happening. When Autoblog asked him about the story, Caldwell told us that there had been a roundtable about what the Lansing Grand River plant might produce, and various cars were mentioned, including the Corvette. However, as Caldwell notes, “Corvettes are born in Bowling Green,” and “nothing going on in the foreseeable future changes that long-time fact.”

In other words, all of you in the Bluegrass State can relax now.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible

[Source: WLNS]

Rumormill: Chevy Corvette production to leave Bowling Green for… Lansing? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Ferrari 458 Challenge races in

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Europe, Ferrari, Racing

Ferrari 458 Italia Challenge – Click above for high-res image

The 458 Italia, like any other roadgoing Ferrari, draws its inspiration and development from the Scuderia’s considerable racing prowess. Turning the 458 back into a racing car, then, is an extra special feat – one to which Maranello is well accustomed, from the Challenge versions of the 348, 355, 360 and 430 that came before. The new race car will run alongside the F430 Challenge as part of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo next year, the latter of which is also getting a new Asia-Pacific series for 2011 as well.

While the Challenge car maintains the production 458’s 5.5-liter V8 drivetrain, it has gone on a substantial diet that includes thinner body panels comprised of Lexan and carbon-fiber. Ride height has been dropped for circuit duty by 30mm, and the Challenge also gets its own suspension bits and setup with stiffer springs, dampers and aluminum bushings. Center-lock 19-inch racing wheels are banded in slick Pirelli tires, and the whole gorgeous Italian parade reins to a halt with Brembo CCM2 carbon-ceramic brakes from the 599XX. In other big news, the 458 Challenge receives F1-Trac electronics that makes use of specific programs that help set the car up for both wet and dry conditions.

All of this information arrives on the heels of the initial spy shots and the video that followed, with Ferrari having issued an official statement (available after the jump) and the image above. In addition, a small batch of photos have crept their way onto the Teamspeed forums, apparently from the vehicle’s official unveiling in Maranello. You can check them out at the gallery below.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Ferrari 458 Challenge

[Sources: Ferrari, Teamspeed.com]

Continue reading Officially Official: Ferrari 458 Challenge races in

Officially Official: Ferrari 458 Challenge races in originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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