Online Find of the Day: Ferrari 599XX puts the seven-figure track car into perspective

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Ferrari, Racing

Ferrari 599XX on JamesList

Ferrari 599XX on JamesList – Click above for image gallery

Anything you can do, I can do better. It might as well be the battle cry sung along the autostrada between Maranello and Sant’Agata Bolognese. Because Ferrari and Lamborghini have been at each other’s throats like the Sforzas and the Medicis for decades. So if you thought the notion of Lamborghini charging €2 million for a track-bound production version of the Sesto Elemento sounded crazy, look no further than their cross-town rivals for the precedent.

Here’s a rare Ferrari 599XX – and a sinister one at that, decked out all in black – up for sale in France. It’s one of only 30 examples made for the company’s exclusive client test driver program and packs a screaming 720-horsepower 6.0-liter V12 with all the latest wind-cheating, stop-watch trouncing technology the company’s considerable army of engineers has come up with. It’s not every day that one of these goes up for sale. In fact, this is the first one we’ve seen.

So what’s the asking price? €1,315,600 – used. (That’s about $1.9 million at current exchange rates.) You can bet it was driven hard, too. What’s more, someone will most likely snap it up in due course. And if someone can spend €1.3 million on a used Ferrari track car that’s based on an existing production model, suddenly it doesn’t seem so far-fetched to imagine Lamborghini finding 20 buyers willing to shell out €2 million on a completely new one.

Head on over to JamesList for the full listing. We’ve got the regrettably low-res images of this particular example compiled for your viewing pleasure in our gallery, but for a better look at the gaggle of 599XXs we encountered up close and personal at Miller Motorsport Park, follow the jump.

Continue reading Online Find of the Day: Ferrari 599XX puts the seven-figure track car into perspective

Online Find of the Day: Ferrari 599XX puts the seven-figure track car into perspective originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Subaru shows off 2012 Impreza with lighter figure, impressive fuel economy

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Hatchback, Subaru

2012 Subaru Impreza Five-Door

2012 Subaru Impreza five-door hatchback – Click above for high-res image gallery

We just gave you a deep dive look at the 2012 Subaru Impreza. Now, we get to see the fourth-generation Subaru in its four and five-door flesh on the floor of the 2011 New York Auto Show. The new car is lighter and more fuel efficient, boasting a very impressive 36 mile per gallon highway fuel-economy rating. How is the new 2012 Impreza able to claim the title of most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive car in the United States? Dropping a few pounds doesn’t hurt but there’s a bit more to it than that.

Beneath the hood lies a brand-new 2.0-liter horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engine, which produces 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. When paired with Subaru’s new CVT, the Impreza achieves the aforementioned 36 mile per gallon highway fuel-economy rating, and also returns 27 mpg in the city. And though the 2012 Impreza occupies the same footprint as the model it replaces, the wheelbase has been pushed out an extra inch, which allows for more interior space yet no trunk room was compromised.

The lightened-up Subaru Impreza sedan and five-door hatchback are scheduled to arrive at your local dealership later this summer. Follow the jump to read the full official press release from Subaru and check out our galleries of high-res live images from the show floor below.

Gallery: 2012 Subaru Impreza Five-Door: New York 2011

2012 Subaru Impreza Five-Door: New York 20112012 Subaru Impreza Five-Door: New York 20112012 Subaru Impreza Five-Door: New York 20112012 Subaru Impreza Five-Door: New York 20112012 Subaru Impreza Five-Door: New York 2011

Gallery: 2012 Subaru Impreza: New York 2011

2012 Subaru Impreza: New York 20112012 Subaru Impreza: New York 20112012 Subaru Impreza: New York 20112012 Subaru Impreza: New York 20112012 Subaru Impreza: New York 2011

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Jeff Glucker/AOL

Continue reading New York 2011: Subaru shows off 2012 Impreza with lighter figure, impressive fuel economy

New York 2011: Subaru shows off 2012 Impreza with lighter figure, impressive fuel economy originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: MT five-figure supercar comparo pits Corvette Z06 vs. Shelby GT500 vs. GT-R

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Nissan

nissan gt-r corvette z06 and mustang shelby gt500 in a drag race

Motor Trend tests three sub-$100,000 supercars – Click above to watch video after the jump

Motor Trend is on a quest to determine the best budget supercar. Ford, Chevrolet and Nissan stepped up to the challenge with the 2011 Shelby GT500, 2011 Corvette Z06 and 2012 GT-R. Total cost of the vehicles used in this 1,585-horsepower shootout? $244,290… or $37,040 less than the 570-horsepower $281,330 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera we tested in 2010. Perspective, folks.

This comparision is not about high-dollar exotics, however, because M/T is looking for the best sub-$100,000 performer. The 2012 Nissan GT-R develops 530 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6. The American muscle machines perfer V8 power with the supercharged 5.4-liter GT500 producing 550 horses and the 7.0-liter Z06 pumping out 505.

The Shelby GT500 certainly represents the best bang-for-your-buck due to its $55,330 as-tested price tag. Yet both the Z06 ($98,010 as-tested) and GT-R ($90,950) offer equally appealing performance at a relative bargain.

Motor Trend took all three super coupes to the drag strip and the Streets of Willow road course. The winning car is not much of a surprise (hint: it’s not American) but the resulting videos are still fun to watch. Click past the jump for clips of the drag race and the road course testing, then head over to Motor Trend to read about the test.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Continue reading Video: MT five-figure supercar comparo pits Corvette Z06 vs. Shelby GT500 vs. GT-R

Video: MT five-figure supercar comparo pits Corvette Z06 vs. Shelby GT500 vs. GT-R originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Six-figure classic British GTs on the block at Barons

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Auctions, Aston Martin, Bentley, UK

1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkI – Click above for high-res image

Motoring anglophiles will want to check out the upcoming Barons’ auction at the Sandown Park horse racing track in Surrey, England. The auction house has a pair of rare classic coupes crossing the block in what looks like splendid condition and with exceptionally low mileage.

First up is a 1963 Bentley Continental Coupe by Mulliner. One of only 11 built (and one of eight right-hand drive models), the Mulliner coupe is reportedly in as-new condition with just 91,000 miles on the odometer, only 3,000 of which have been put on in the last 15 years. It’s expected to fetch between £90,000 and £125,000 ($145k to 200k) when it goes up for grabs on October 26.

Barons’ is also following up former Aston Martin chief David Brown’s DB2/4 MkIII, which it sold last month for more than twice its top estimate at £207,000 ($330k), with another rare Aston: a 1953 DB2/4 MkI purchased new by an elderly doctor who barely ever drove it. It was mostly unused until its current owner bought and restored it. Only 11,000 miles have been put on the car overthe past 57 years, with presale estimates putting it in the same ballpark as the aforementioned Bentley.

There’s more to read about in the press release after the jump, including a Jaguar E-Type, a Rolls-Royce, a ’34 Talbot and a Ford GT40, so check it out.

[Source: Barons]

Continue reading Six-figure classic British GTs on the block at Barons

Six-figure classic British GTs on the block at Barons originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 18:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympic figure skater uses leaf blower to dry Porsche Boxster, burns down mansion instead?

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Safety, Porsche, Celebrities, Canada, Luxury

Having unintentionally set at least one vehicle aflame inside of a garage ourselves, we know it takes cat-like reflexes and a certain presence of mind to keep from reducing all of your worldly possessions to cinders in that type of situation. It also helps to not try to dry out the interior of your Porsche Boxster with a leaf blower. That’s exactly what Olympic figure skater Kurt Browning was allegedly trying to do when his droptop went all toasty. According to The Toronto Star, the city’s fire department says that Browning left said leaf blower unattended, the car caught fire and his house went up shortly thereafter.

Browning had attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the damage was already done. A total of 80 firefighters and 10 trucks were on hand to attempt to reduce the damage and protect surrounding homes from potential fire. No one was injured in the blaze, but the house is said to have suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. We’re guessing the Porsche is a lost cause, too.

[Source: The Toronto Star | Image: George Pimentel/WireImage.com]

Olympic figure skater uses leaf blower to dry Porsche Boxster, burns down mansion instead? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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