car Archives | Page 30 of 32

World’s most expensive car now on display at the Mullin Automotive Museum

Filed under: Classics, Bugatti

1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic at the Mullin Automotive Museum – Click above for high-res image gallery

Back in May history was made when an unnamed buyer shelled out a record $30-$40 million for a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic. Regarded as one of the most beautiful cars in the world, this particular 57SC Atlantic is just one of three built and one of only two still in existence. The sale, done through the Gooding & Company auction house, is the second time this exact car exchanged hands for a record sum. The previous owner, Dr. Peter Williamson, purchased the car in 1971 for the unheard of price of $59,000. The car competed in the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and was easily declared the Best of Show.

While the 57SC Atlantic rarely made public appearances outside prestigious concours events, the Mullin Automotive Museum has announced that they will have the car on display at its Oxnard, CA facility starting on August 10th. “I am honored to have the opportunity to display the Bugatti Atlantic at our Art Deco museum,” said Peter Mullin. “In the historic pantheon of automobiles the Atlantic is without peer.”

Those interested in seeing the car in person can head over to the museum’s web site. Tickets must be purchased in advance for select viewing days. Follow the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic at the Mullin Automotive Museum

[Source: Mullin Automotive Museum]

Continue reading World’s most expensive car now on display at the Mullin Automotive Museum

World’s most expensive car now on display at the Mullin Automotive Museum originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “World’s most expensive car now on display at the Mullin Automotive Museum”

Autoblog speaks with Nissan 370Z designer Randy Rodriguez at 23rd annual Z Car Convention

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Performance, Nissan, Design/Style

Randy Rodriguez, designer of the Nissan 370Z – Click above to read the interview

It’s a rare thing to see a car penned by someone who’s a die-hard fan. More often than not, designers are assigned to vehicles they have little or no emotional attachment to, and as such, the car buying public is regularly supplied with a slurry of bland appliances that do little to acknowledge a car’s model history and next to nothing to advance the vehicle aesthetically.

Thankfully, that’s not the case with the Nissan 370Z. Randy Rodriguez, the guy behind the original design of the 370Z, had owned 10 different Z cars before he sat down to sketch out the latest iteration of Nissan’s low-buck sports machine. Autoblog had the chance to catch up with Rodriguez at the Z’s 40th birthday bash last weekend in Franklin, TN. Hit the jump to read a few excerpts from the conversation, including talk about alternatively powered future Zs and how he drew inspiration for the car’s look from the Discovery Channel.

Gallery: 23rd Annual Z Car Convention

Continue reading Autoblog speaks with Nissan 370Z designer Randy Rodriguez at 23rd annual Z Car Convention

Autoblog speaks with Nissan 370Z designer Randy Rodriguez at 23rd annual Z Car Convention originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Autoblog speaks with Nissan 370Z designer Randy Rodriguez at 23rd annual Z Car Convention”

Rumormill: Production BMW Efficient Dynamics sports car in 2013, M version too!

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, BMW, Diesel

2009 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

A production sports car based on last year’s BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept will reportedly debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and come to market by 2013. According to Germany’s AutoBild, the car which they refer to as the I100 (as part of BMW’s project I which is also spawning the MegaCity EV) will be powered by a hybrid powertrain much like the one in the concept.

A 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine (possibly a diesel) paired with an electric motor based on the architecture of BMW’s mild hybrid 7 Series would drive the rear wheels, while a second motor would drive the front wheels. A lithium ion battery pack is earmarked to provide electrical energy storage, although it’s not clear if the plug-in capability of the concept would be retained.

According to Autobild, it’s also possible that we’ll see an M variant of this car using the 450 horsepower twin-turbo inline-six from the next generation M3 along with set of supercapacitors instead of a lithium battery pack.

Gallery: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

p90047167_highres p90047169_highres p90047179_highres p90047133_highres p90047141_highres

[Source: AutoBild]

Rumormill: Production BMW Efficient Dynamics sports car in 2013, M version too! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Production BMW Efficient Dynamics sports car in 2013, M version too!”

Autoblog attends 23rd annual Nissan Z Car Convention

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Nissan

23rd Nissan Z Car Convention – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Nissan North America headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee played host to the 23rd Annual Z Car Convention this past weekend. While we missed out on Friday’s autocross and drift challenge action, we were on hand Saturday morning for the car show. Owners from around the country rolled out their pieces of Z history, from the 240Z to the 370Z. Nissan itself pulled a few heritage models out of the mothballs and parked them on the lawn for all to enjoy. Talk about tasty.

There were even a handful of vintage machines with nary a Z or Fairlady badge in their bloodline on display as well. We were particularly smitten with the blue Patrol poised to go where no 240Z had gone before. Likewise, there were a bevy of cars from the Z’s racing history nestled at the foot of the Nissan tower. No matter how hard we begged, the Nissan crew wouldn’t let play with the East African Safari 240Z in the open fields around the headquarters, but they did trot out the refreshed 2011 Rogue crossover, and more to the point, they were kind enough to let us have a peek under the fiberglass of Paul Newman’s Bob Sharp prepared 1981 Datsun ZX Turbo. That’ll do.

Gallery: 23rd Annual Z Car Convention

Autoblog attends 23rd annual Nissan Z Car Convention originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Autoblog attends 23rd annual Nissan Z Car Convention”

2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention

Filed under: Budget, SUV, Hatchback, Nissan, Design/Style

2011 Nissan Rogue

2011 Nissan Rogue – Click above for high-res image gallery

We managed to make our way to the 23rd annual Z Car Convention at the Nissan North America headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee this weekend. Aside from a slew of Zed-related goodness of unmatched acclaim, the 2011 Nissan Rogue was also rolled out as part of the celebration. Overall, the little crossover sticks close to last year’s recipe, though some subtle visual updates help the ute better stand out from the rest of the mall parking lot crowd.

The tweaked front fascia now has a more angular look aimed at giving the nose of the Rogue some definition. Likewise, the grille has been massaged to incorporate a larger Nissan badge, and the optional fog lights now reside in sculpted inserts. A chrome strip spans the 2011 Rogue’s flanks, and a similar piece of brightwork now glams up the rear liftgate. Lastly, buyers who opt for the 2011 Nissan Rogue Krom or Rogue SL will get new 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, too. Otherwise, it’s much of the same from Nissan’s compact people hauler. Hit the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Rogue

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading 2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention

2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “2011 Nissan Rogue shows up at 2010 Z Car Convention”

1941 Tatra T87 named The New York Times’ Collectible Car of the Year

Filed under: Classics, Sedan, Etc., Europe

The web has spoken and a 1941 Tatra T87 has been voted The New York Times 2010 Collectible Car of the Year. The rear-engined, air-cooled V8 Tatra beat 30 finalists (overall, there were 651 entrants), including noteworthy cars from Packard and Checker. The T87’s owner, Paul Greenstein, was shocked to hear that his car – one of three Tatras he owns – came out on top. Greenstein says the Tatra has a unique allure that can’t be matched by other manufacturers. For Americans, rarity factors into that, as the Czech marque was never sold in the United States.

Greenstein picked up his car in 2001 for the princely sum of $8,000. At the time, the fin wasn’t in show-quality condition, so he had the T87 shipped to the Czech Republic for a full restoration. Fringe benefits of having the work done in the old country included cheap labor and parts availability that couldn’t be matched in the U.S. Three-and-a-half years and $60,000 later, Greenstein and his girlfriend had their T87 back. Don’t scoff at the cost; recent examples have sold at auction for as much as $125,000. Fortunately, the Times’ Collectible Car of the Year award includes a $5,000 check along with the trophy.

Head over to the The New York Times to read the full story, and be sure to also visit Clunkbucket for a few shots of Paul Greenstein’s T87 taken prior to its restoration.

[Source: The New York Times | Image: Clunkbucket]

1941 Tatra T87 named The New York Times’ Collectible Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “1941 Tatra T87 named The New York Times’ Collectible Car of the Year”

Report: Large SUV segment outpacing small car sales growth in America

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, SUV, Crossover

2011 Infiniti QX56 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Finally, after years and years of stagnation and painfully slow sales, small cars are starting to take a foothold in the United States. Or are they? While conventional wisdom makes us believe that Americans are ready to take the downsizing plunge in the face of – or at least the threat of – high fuel prices and environmental concerns (we’re all still watching the Gulf Coast, right?), it seems that reality may once again set us straight.

Automotive sales watchdog Autodata has found that the gas-swilling large SUV segment is growing at a faster pace than the America’s small car segment. Like statistics? Here we go: With a 19-percent jump over the first six months of 2010, large SUV sales have outpaced small cars (14 percent). Critically, they’ve also outpaced the overall market (17 percent).

Now, before we get our feathers riled up too much, realize that sales of large SUVs still lag way behind small cars – 974,000 to 121,000 through the first half of the year. Further, large crossovers like the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Flex, GMC Acadia and Lincoln MKT are included in those figures right alongside traditional behemoths like the Chevy Tahoe, Ford Expedition, Infiniti QX56 and Toyota Sequoia.

We also expect that small car sales will continue to climb with new models coming to market, such as the upcoming Ford Fiesta, Mazda2 and Hyundai’s Accent and Elantra. That said, there’s always going to be a demand for large and powerful SUVs that can haul people and stuff while towing a boat or camper in cool, air-conditioned comfort, and automakers will be only too happy to provide the thick-margined vehicles for their consumption. For better or for worse.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Infiniti QX56

[Source: USA Today via Kicking Tires]

Report: Large SUV segment outpacing small car sales growth in America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Large SUV segment outpacing small car sales growth in America”

X Games 16 Preview: Autoblog rides shotgun with the stars of Rally Car [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Hatchback, Ford, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Celebrities, Racing

X Games 16 Subaru Practice Session – Click above for high-res image gallery

It was just a short time ago – five years, to be exact – that rallying was introduced as a competition in the X Games. The first event started out in spectacular fashion, with Travis Pastrana beating out the late Colin McRae after the former World Rally Championship winner rolled his car with just a few turns to go.

Since then, the competition has become stronger and car manufacturers have increased their involvement as interest in the sport has increased thanks to ESPN’s mainstream audience. This year looks to be one of the most exciting events yet with a host of new cars, new drivers, new rules and even a new event. Follow the jump to learn about what to expect for this year’s X Games 16 and what it’s like to ride shotgun in a 500-horsepower rally car.

Gallery: X Games 16 Rally Preview – Subaru

Gallery: X Games 16 Rally Preview – ACP Racing

Continue reading X Games 16 Preview: Autoblog rides shotgun with the stars of Rally Car [w/video]

X Games 16 Preview: Autoblog rides shotgun with the stars of Rally Car [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “X Games 16 Preview: Autoblog rides shotgun with the stars of Rally Car [w/video]”

Video: Sunday! Sunday!! Sunday!!! Witness the incredible ManEater funny car!

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Safety, Videos, Racing

Funny car checkup yields some unexpected excitement – Click above to watch video after the jump

If you aren’t terrified on some primordial level of the funny car drag racing class, odds are it’s only a matter of time before natural selection comes a-callin’. Most funnies run a variation on the 500 cubic-inch, supercharged big-block formula while slurping down nitromethane/methanol fuel by the drum. No one’s exactly sure how much power these suckers dish out, but estimates in the 8,000 pony range are typically considered conservative. Yeah. Wrap your noggin around that one for half a second. The whole concoction is designed to hold together just long enough scoot down the eighth or quarter mile, so it should come as no surprise that accidents happen.

We don’t want to blow the surprise for you (you’ll have to watch the video for that), but according to the video’s YouTube comments, the son of the driver was beginning to check his dad’s car over one last time when the vehicle’s supercharger broke a stud. Hit the jump to see what happened next.

[Source: YouTube via CarDomain]

Continue reading Video: Sunday! Sunday!! Sunday!!! Witness the incredible ManEater funny car!

Video: Sunday! Sunday!! Sunday!!! Witness the incredible ManEater funny car! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Sunday! Sunday!! Sunday!!! Witness the incredible ManEater funny car!”

Almost as Quick as the Car: Porsche builds 25,000th Panamera

Filed under: Sedan, Porsche

2011 Porsche Panamera – Click above for high-res image gallery

When the Porsche Panamera was introduced in 2009, skeptics panned the sedan as oddly proportioned and thoroughly unattractive. Later, as the media began to test and review the all-new Porsche, skepticism gave way to fanaticism as the Panamera’s amazing handling and jaw-dropping powertrains won over even some of its biggest doubters. Less than a year after the vehicle’s introduction, Porsche has ample reason to celebrate as the Leipzig factory has just built Panamera number 25,000. That’s peanuts for a mass-market automaker, but an incredible feat for a sports car maker that in most years is thrilled to produce 100,000 models globally.

Panamera number 25,000 is Ruby Red and packs a 300-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 that was added to the lineup back in May. The special Panamera will be delivered to the U.S. market, where to date 5,000 copies of the sedan have been sold. Porsche looks to keep up the Panamera momentum with a hybrid variant that is expected to bow in 2011. Hit the jump to get the details in the release.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Porsche Panamera V6

Almost as Quick as the Car: Porsche builds 25,000th Panamera originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Almost as Quick as the Car: Porsche builds 25,000th Panamera”