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Official: Lotus getting into the motorcycle business

Filed under: Lotus, Motorcycle, Racing

Lotus founder Colin Chapman is famously quoted as saying something to the effect of “Simplify, then add lightness.” We’re a bit amazed that it took this long, but someone appears to be taking that message to heart at the British marque, losing a couple of wheels, a clutter of bodywork and a whole mess of weight. No, Lotus isn’t planning another spindly Seven-style trackday racer, it’s getting into motorcycles.

Well, sort of. As an automaker, Lotus apparently isn’t directly behind this two-wheeled effort, but it does appear to have officially lent its brand and logo to a new company, Lotus Motorcycles, which counts former Volkswagen Group designer Daniel Simon, Germany’s Holzer Group and auto racing team Kodewa among its partners. The latter builds and races Lotus’ T128 Le Mans Prototype in the World Endurance Championship series.

The new company is touting an as-yet unseen motorcycle, a racing-inspired “hyper bike” called C-01, releasing only the image above – a carbon fiber fuel tank trimmed in Lotus’ trademark black and gold livery. Details are tough to come by, but the project is said to include a powertrain good for around 200 horsepower and construction involving titanium, carbon fiber and aerospace-grade steel.

The C-01’s shape will come from Simon, a designer who has not only worked at Bugatti, he’s also credited with a few Hollywood fantasymobiles, including the Lightcycle from Tron: Legacy and more recently the “Bubbleship” spacecraft used by Tom Cruise in Oblivion. The company promises that the legendary Lotus 49 racecar was a “main inspiration” in its conception, and “all color schemes pay homage to iconic Lotus racing liveries.” We can’t wait to see more, but we’ll have to – at least a little while. The company says we can expect further images and information in “the next few weeks.” For more, check out the company’s statement released via Facebook by scrolling below.

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Lotus getting into the motorcycle business originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Nissan shows off Le Mans Prototype, says it’s world’s fastest electric racer [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Nissan, Electric, Racing

Nissan ZEOD RC Le Mans prototype - front three-quarter dynamic view

Nissan has announced plans and details around its upcoming all-electric racing car, the ZEOD RC. The Zero Emission On Demand Racing car is said to be capable of a top speed in excess of 300 kilometers per hour (186.4 miles per hour), is shaped a bit like the closed-cockpit version of the DeltaWing (albeit, to our eyes, better looking) and will make its debut in 2014 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This weekend, visitors to the race will have the opportunity to view the prototype near the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Nissan’s ZEOD RC has been invited by Le Mans organizers to compete as the Garage 56 entry in next year’s race; that’s essentially a spot on the grid held for vehicles with new and/or cutting edge technology.

Short of announcing a partnership with Michelin to develop tires for the EV racecar, however, Nissan is mum on any kind of battery or motor specification for the ZEOD. The press release (below) offers a sense that the Nissan and Nismo teams have still got a lot of work to do before the 2014 race. Ben Bowlby, designer of the ZEOD RC, says “We have many options to consider and test. The test program is part of a longer term goal of developing a system and a set of rules for this type of technology in partnership with the ACO that would be best suited to competing at the highest level of this sport.”

The ultimate goal of the ZEOD RC program, in terms of racing at least, is to sort out the feasibility of a LM P1 all-electric class for future Le Mans racing. Continue on below for more information, as well as a video about the ZEOD RC project.

Continue reading Nissan shows off Le Mans Prototype, says it’s world’s fastest electric racer [w/video]

Nissan shows off Le Mans Prototype, says it’s world’s fastest electric racer [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Top Gear returns for Series 20 on June 30

Filed under: UK, Celebrities, TV/Movies

Top Gear UK

Good news, petrolheads: Top Gear is coming back for its 20th season, starting on June 30. Yes, we mean the original UK version of the hit motoring show. Time to get those DVRs fired up… hopefully that means it will air on BBC America in the States around the same time.

While we don’t have any specific indication as to what we might expect from Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May (plus The Stig, naturally), we’re certain that season 20 will include plenty of beautiful camera work, exotic locations, the fastest cars in the world, the slowest cars in the world, celebrity guests and, of course, a handful of so-called challenges that pit the hosts and their ingenuity against one another.

Want more? Satiate your never-ending Top Gear fix by scrolling through a dozen teaser images showing scenes from the upcoming show at this link.

Top Gear returns for Series 20 on June 30 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Spyker to appeal dismissal of Saab lawsuit against GM

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, GM, Saab, Spyker

Spyker CEO Victor Muller in front of Spyker building

It seems as if Spyker CEO Victor Muller has made a decision on whether or not to pursue a legal battle between his company and General Motors. Spyker has announced it will appeal a US District Court decision to throw out the company’s lawsuit against GM. As you may recall, on June 10 Judge Gershwin Drain ruled tht GM had a right to approve or disapprove Spyker’s sale of Saab to Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile. Spyker sued GM for some $3 billion, claiming that the American automaker had forced Saab into bankruptcy by stopping Spyker from transferring intellectual property to its Chinese partner.

Spyker has said only that it plans to appeal the decision. Until now, the company has been silent about the ruling. GM, meanwhile, has said it is pleased with the original outcome. You can read the quick Spyker press release below for more information.

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Spyker to appeal dismissal of Saab lawsuit against GM originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: SRT Viper GT3-R is ready to kick racetrack butt

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Racing, SRT

SRT Viper GT3-R race car - front three-quarter view

This weekend, SRT Motorsports will be focused on returning to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Viper GTS-R, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t looking a bit further down the road. While the GTS-R is the factory-backed racecar running at Le Mans and in the America Le Mans Series, SRT is also preparing to introduce this new Viper GT3-R for private race teams to run in various GT3 classes around the world.

Culminating from a collaboration with Riley Technologies in Mooresville, NC, the SRT Viper GT3-R uses many of the same performance technologies as the GTS-R. While a stock Viper produces 640 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, the GT3-R’s unrestricted V10 lays down 680 hp and 640 lb-ft. This car goes on sale – ready to race – later this year with a starting price estimated at around $459,000. Scroll down for more info on the newest member to the Viper family.

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SRT Viper GT3-R is ready to kick racetrack butt originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jun 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Aston Martin V12 Vantage S hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, priced at $184,995

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin

Aston Martin unveiled its new V12 Vantage S last month, and while the Gaydon firm dumped on us a lot of knowledge about its updated 12-cylinder sports car at the time, a couple key specs were left out: price and the quickness. Aston Martin corrected those omissions today, announcing that the V12 Vantage S will accelerate to 60 miles per hour in just 3.7 seconds and arrive in US dealerships early next year with a starting price of $184,995.

Its sub-four-second 0-60 time makes the V12 Vantage S the quickest car in Aston Martin’s current lineup, and second quickest of all time behind only the limited edition One-77 supercar. Credit the updated 6.0-liter AM28 V12 engine for the boost in urgency. The new mill outputs 565 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque, increases of 50 and 37, respectively, over the twelve-cylinder it replaces. Likewise, the new seven-speed automated manual transmission, which can also be found in the V8 Vantage S as well as Aston’s FIA GT racecars, deserves some credit for having brought an extra gear and 55 fewer pounds to the party.

As for the price, $184,995 might seem like a 401k-cracking amount to us mere middle class citizens, but it’s actually a reasonable increase over the prior V12 Vantage starting price of $180,600. Considering the laundry list of mechanical improvements that Aston has made, all of which are chronicled here, it’s actually quite the bargain. Seriously, it’s like Aston Martin is daring you to buy it. Scroll down below for the official press release.

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Aston Martin V12 Vantage S hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, priced at $184,995 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Tata Nano updated, world’s cheapest car gets CNG option

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, India, MISC

2013 Tata Nano - blue

Back when it went on sale in 2008, the Tata Nano was heralded as something of a new Model T for developing economies. As the world’s cheapest new car – and not by a little – the four-door Indian runabout was poised to usher in a new age of personal transportation to the world. But things didn’t quite work out that way, and the discount rear-drive minicar has seen its sales fortunes undone by all manner of issues, from reports of fires and quality issues to protests at its assembly plant and poor public reception. But Tata Motors isn’t giving up on the Nano just yet, having just unveiled a newly updated design and a compressed natural gas (CNG) model.

The new updates don’t register as much more than a mid-cycle refresh, with small differences outside like a new rear fascia with mesh inserts and additional chrome trim. More meaningful updates indoors include a revamped center console and a new twin glovebox, updated upholstery, body-color trim bits and available extras that include remote keyless entry, a four-speaker AmphiStream audio setup with Bluetooth and USB hookups. Minor controls have also been relocated for improved ergonomics, and there’s a slightly larger steering wheel to ease parking maneuvers. In addition, a range of new personalization kits are available, including things like body graphics, aero kits, different alloy wheels and contrasting roof treatments.

The conventional two-cylinder gas powertrain remains unchanged, giving 37 horsepower. The new bi-fuel Emax model runs on gasoline and, with the flick of a switch, CNG. The four-stroke, 624-cc engine features an aluminum head and block, and it offers 37 hp on gas and 33 on CNG, while the torque peak sits at 38 lb-ft under gasoline power and 33 lb-ft on natural gas.

Along with the revamped Nano, Tata Motors also rolled out updated versions of its Indica, Indigo, Safari and Sumo models.

Tata Nano updated, world’s cheapest car gets CNG option originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jun 2013 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: ATS Sport 1000 is ready to be your trackday Italian

Filed under: Performance, Specialty, MISC, Racing

ATS Sport 1000 Street - front three-quarter view

Late last year, Italian sports car automaker Automobili Turismo e Sport, better known as ATS, announced that it was getting back in the car-making game after a 50-year hiatus, with a two-car lineup consisting of the 2500GT and the track-ready Sport 1000. Designed to take the world’s ultra-focused trackday cars like those from Radical, Ariel and BAC, the latter model goes on sale “worldwide” – including the US – by the end of this year in Race and Street versions. Starting prices of 24,990 euros and 43,500 euros have been announced for the two models, but US pricing hasn’t been announced yet (a straight conversion yields $33,000 and $58,000 ballpark figures).

Anteing up the extra money for the Street model (shown above) will get you headlights, taillights, mirrors and… an engine. This version comes with the same mill found under the gas tank of a Kawasaki Ninja 1000, good for over 200 horsepower. Weighing in at just 1,100 pounds, this should be plenty of power for the Sport 1000 Street; Race models are available without an engine, but can also be equipped with motorcycle engines from Honda, Kawasaki, MV Agusta, Suzuki or Yamaha. ATS has also given the car a fully adjustable suspension, six-speed sequential gearbox and a limited-slip differential.

The super-lightweight Sport 1000 is built in either left- or right-hand-drive configurations, and it uses a stainless steel frame and a fiberglass body. We can only imagine how much lighter (and more expensive) this car would be if it made use of aluminum and carbon fiber. Measuring about 165 inches in length and 63 inches in width, the Sport 1000 is longer and slightly narrower than a Mazda Miata, but without bumpers and a windshield, it will probably take some doing to register in the US, even as a homebuilt.

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ATS Sport 1000 is ready to be your trackday Italian originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jun 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Renault-Nissan debuts new Common Module Family for future vehicles

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Nissan, Renault

Renault-Nissan Alliance's Common Module Family platform - exploded parts diagram view

Platform sharing is nothing new for the 14-year-old Renault-Nissan Alliance, but this partnership is set to introduce new modular platform components that will eventually underpin 11 Renault models and three Nissan vehicles by 2020. Rather than being a typical platform, the Common Module Family (CMF) actually represents five segments of a platform that can be used in various applications, and one of the first vehicles to use this architecture will be the 2014 Nissan Rogue (spy shots of which are shown below) when it arrives “in late 2013.”

As pictured in the image above (click to expand), CMF is composed of four chassis component, principally the front underbody, rear underbody, engine bay and cockpit as well as a common electrical system. Besides the next-gen Rogue, future Nissan models to share CMF will include the Qashqai and X-Trail, while Renault models will start using the platform next year on vehicles including the Scénic and Laguna. The CMF architecture is expected to help the Alliance reduce the parts cost of a vehicle by up to 30 percent and reduce the entry cost by up to 40 percent. The official press release with more details about CMF, and what it means for Renault-Nissan, is posted below.

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Renault-Nissan debuts new Common Module Family for future vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Mini deletes center rail in Countryman, Paceman

Filed under: Crossover, Hatchback, Mini

Mini Countryman rear seat center rail

When Mini first introduced the Countryman, it only came as a four-seater, with a center rail between the two seats that could house things like cup holders and could be slid back and forth. Buyers could even opt for a full-length center rail that ran from just aft of the gear shifter all the way back between the rear seats, like we did in our long-term 2011 Cooper S Countryman All4, shown above.

Shortly after the Countryman’s launch, Mini was able to offer the vehicle with a proper rear bench seat; the company could not offer this at launch due to NHTSA guidelines that governed the minimum vehicle width for three-person seating, but those rules were changed. And now, we’ve received official confirmation of something we reported last year: the Countryman is losing its center rail and four-person seating arrangement altogether. Moving forward, buyers will only be able to spec a Countryman with the bench seat, and a cup holder will be affixed to the back of the forward cabin’s center console.

The larger-but-smaller Paceman will also be losing the center rail between its rear seats, but the car will remain a four-seater, instead having a console between the two rear seats that houses a cup holder, an iPod cozy and a 12-volt outlet, according to USA Today.

These changes affect all 2014 model year Countryman and Paceman models, which will go on sale later this summer. Both models will also have a $100 price increase (thanks to now-standard heated mirrors and washer jets), and the Cooper and Cooper S models can now be had with a John Cooper Works appearance package. Scroll down for the official release from Mini.

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Mini deletes center rail in Countryman, Paceman originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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