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Porsche 918 Spyder to get more power when it reaches production?

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Porsche

Porsche 918 Spyder – Click above for high-res image gallery

What could be better than a mid-engine Porsche with a 500-horsepower 3.4-liter V8 and an additional 218 ponies courtesy of a pair of electric motors? More power, obviously. And that’s exactly what a report from Autocar alleges is going to take place for the upcoming 918 Spyder. According to the report, Porsche is said to be enlarging the displacement of the gas-swilling engine in order to extract more grunt from the mill.

The Brit pubs goes on to posit that the production 918 Spyder, which was first seen moving under its own power at Pebble Beach, will sport both soft and hard tops along with a somewhat beefier front end in order to provide adequate crash resistance. Also, somewhat predictably, the concept’s 22-inch wheels are very likely to be downsized and the side exhausts may be rerouted to the rear when the hybrid supercar hits the market.

Assuming all goes according to schedule, Porsche is said to be planning a run of about 1,200 918 Spyders, each costing over $625,000 (£400,000) when it finally goes on sale sometime around 2014.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: Porsche 918 Spyder at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Porsche 918 Spyder concept in Monterey

Photos copyright (C)2010 Frank Filipponio/AOL
[Source: Autocar]

Porsche 918 Spyder to get more power when it reaches production? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Moto Guzzi V7 Clubman reportedly set for production

Filed under: Motorcycle, Design/Style

Moto Guzzi V7 Clubman – Click above for high-res image gallery

As is the case in the automobile world, what’s old is suddenly new again. While some homages to the past may be better left right where they are, others are simply due to come back in vogue. Such is the case with the classic cafe racer motorcycle, which some might argue never actually went out of style in the first place. And we totally dig the effective use of simple touches that make Moto Guzzi’s V7 Clubman stand out from the rest of the Italian manufacturer’s lineup.

Take, for instance, the sloping single-passenger humped saddle and the tiny front windscreen and number plate, which is mimicked on either side of the rear fender. Add in a highly polished fuel tank and an upswept Arrow exhaust system and you’ve got the perfect modern reinterpretation of a classic street racer. Makes us want to do the ton on our way to the Ace Cafe just looking at it…

That dream may soon be a reality, it seems. According to Motorcycle-USA’s monthly Euro Gossip report, the handsome Guzzi is headed for production in October. The supposed additional $1500 over the standard V7 Classic seems reasonable for all those aforementioned upgrades. We’ve contacted Moto Guzzi for an official word on whether or not the bike will come to the States, but in the meantime feel free to take a look at our high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Moto Guzzi V7 Clubman

[Source: Motorcycle-USA]

Moto Guzzi V7 Clubman reportedly set for production originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Lancia Stratos revival won’t be one-off, production planned

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Specialty, Luxury, Lancia

The story of the coachbuilt Lancia Stratos gets more curious by the day. Although it appeared that the homage was a Pininfarina-designed one-off for a wealthy and anonymous European, Car & Driver has done some snooping of its own and reports that it wasn’t exactly designed by Pininfarina and it won’t exactly be a one-off.

Supposedly in the works for four years, word is the new Stratos was penned by Jason Castriota when he was still at Pininfarina before departing for Stile Bertone. Italiaspeed has a sketch of a Stratos with a different front end, signed by Castriota, that was published in the Japanese magazine Zoom. If that sketch is accurate it could jibe with what a tipster wrote to us, saying that the client had asked the front end be changed to something more traditional. Even though the C/D notes the photo above as having been taken on Pininfarina’s roof, according to C/D it is Bertone that will get credit for this new Stratos – and we supposed Castriota will, too, eventually.

The best news for all those commenters disappointed that there would be just one: rumor is this thing is going into production. If true, it would be a huge deal for Lancia, an underperforming brand with rebadged Chryslers that would have this to parade around the world. Everyone wins. And to that shadowy, monied-up American, if you made this happen, we salute you.

[Source: Car & Driver]

Rumormill: Lancia Stratos revival won’t be one-off, production planned originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bloomberg: Lamborghini Estoque production hopes not dead, still under consideration

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Performance, Europe, Lamborghini, Rumormill, Luxury

Lamborghini Estoque Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Just when you thought that hallowed Lamborghini was safe from the threat of a new mega saloon, news like this crops up. While speaking with interviewers, company CEO Stephan Winkelmann said that adding a third model to the Lamborghini lineup would be a good way to shore up diminished sales. The company hasn’t quite been able to maintain its pre-recession numbers with sales down 18 percent compared to last year.

What exactly does Winkelmann have in mind? A four door designed to compete with the likes of the Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte. If that means something along the lines of the mighty Estoque Concept, our hearts wouldn’t exactly be broken, even if that means diluting the Lamborghini gene pool somewhat.

For now though, the new model is simply Winkelmann’s best guess at how to get buyers back behind the wheel of a Raging Bull. Before the company goes dumping cash into development, it will need to see sales of both the Gallardo and Murcielago improve in a big way.

Gallery: Paris 2008: Lamborghini Estoque LIVE

[Source: Bloomberg]

Bloomberg: Lamborghini Estoque production hopes not dead, still under consideration originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do Want: Singer Vehicle Design delivers its first production 911

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Porsche

Singer 911 production car debut – Click above for high-res image gallery

We first spotted Singer’s 911 Concept in Monterey last year at the historic races at Laguna Seca. From afar, it just looked like another classic Porsche 911, but a closer look revealed much, much more. We met up with Singer and the car back in Los Angeles for a photoshoot and were astounded at the creativeness, attention to detail and absolute beauty of the car. Singer told us that they were hoping to build a production version, but with a targeted selling price of a little under $200,000, we feared that the concept might be the only one ever built.

Thankfully, as it turns out, there are at least a few wealthy car enthusiasts with a taste for a hand-built, vintage 911 with carbon fiber bodywork, custom interior and a modern Porsche flat-six power. Singer completed its first production 911 late last week and delivered to its lucky new owner at their facility in Sunland, CA with a small gathering of those who helped make the car happen.

The car is finished in Singer Racing Green with a Grow Green and Terra Cotta striping package and is heavily optioned with a 410 horsepower 3.82-liter flat-six, Brembo brake package, Bilstein coilover suspension, RSR steering wheel, Heuer chronograph clock, leatherweave seats and more. Building of the second production car will start later this month with a third beginning in October. Check both the mean green machine and the stunning orange Laguna Seca model in our high-res galleries below.

Gallery: Singer 911 Production Car Debut

Gallery: 2010 Singer Porsche 911

Do Want: Singer Vehicle Design delivers its first production 911 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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

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[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.

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GM will increase Volt production by 50% – to 45,000 units – in 2012

President Obama toured the General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck facility where the automaker will build (can we say “is building” yet?) the Chevrolet Volt today, and as any good PR person will surely agree, you can’t let an opportunity like that go by without making an announcement of some sort. So, GM has something to say and it’s big news, too: GM will increase Volt production capacity by 50 percent in 2012.

Details are as follows: Instead of making 30,000 Volts in the U.S. in 2012, GM will now make 45,000. These numbers are lower than production numbers we heard rumors of in years past, but they’re good news for fans of plug-in vehicles. Is the increase a response to positive reaction to the Volt’s $33,500 after-tax-rebate price tag? Maybe, GM said in a statement that, “In the past few weeks, more than 25,000 people have joined the Chevrolet Volt enthusiast list.”

The news is good for the President, too, since the White House is pushing The American Auto Industry: A Comeback Story message this week. Part of that is an interactive version of the White House map showing places where the government has supported automakers, which you can find here.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

[Sources: General Motors, WhiteHouse.gov]

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GM will increase Volt production by 50% – to 45,000 units – in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Porsche approves 918 Spyder for production

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Hybrid, Porsche, Electric

Porsche 918 Spyder concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

As expected, the Porsche supervisory board has approved the development of the 918 Spyder concept into a series production model. The 918 debuted as a concept at this year’s Geneva Motor Show with a plug-in hybrid powertrain claimed to provide 78 miles per gallon.

The concept used a 500-horsepower V8 along with a pair of electric motors with 109 hp each and a lithium ion battery that can provide 16 miles of emissions-free driving from grid energy. The powertrain is not expected to be changed much for production and Porsche has not announced when 918 will be available. There has been speculation that the production model could cost up to €500,000 (about $650,000 USD), although if it comes to the States, it should be eligible for a federal tax credit. Even with up to $7,500 it still makes the Chevrolet Volt look downright cheap.

Before you start looking in your couch cushions for a down payment, check out the official press release after the jump and our high-res gallery below.

Gallery: Porsche 918 Spyder concept

[Source: Porsche]

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BREAKING: Porsche approves 918 Spyder for production originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW reportedly green-lights 6 Series Gran Coupé concept for production

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, BMW, Luxury

BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé concept – Click above to watch video walkaround after the jump

As a testament to its success in starting the four-door coupe movement, the Mercedes-Benz CLS is nigh on its second version, yet competitors have only recently begun to crowd the room. With the Audi A7 about to gain membership in the club, BMW couldn’t hang back, so it has reportedly slapped a sales date on the 6 Series Gran Coupe concept: it’ll be here in 2012.

Rumored for the summer of 2012 by German publication Automobilwoche, that puts its introduction a year behind the next-generation 6 Series. Engines are said to be a mix of gas and diesel, and BMW evidently spoke of a potential hybrid application. Perhaps most importantly, design cues such as the frameless doors and LED lighting will be carried into production. Those trick exhaust tips, however, not likely. Follow the jump for a video walkaround of the exterior and check out our high-res gallery below for a refresher.

Gallery: Beijing 2010: BMW Concept Gran Coupe

[Sources: Automobilwoche (translated), BMW Blog]

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BMW reportedly green-lights 6 Series Gran Coupé concept for production originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ICONIC Motors announces production of AC Roadster to start in 2011

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance

2011 ICONIC Motors AC Roadster – Click above for high-res image gallery

Most small American supercar companies don’t seem to have the best of luck, which is why we were somewhat skeptical when we first heard of ICONIC Motors. The concept was impressive if not somewhat unbelievable – a lightweight roadster with an aluminum 6.9-liter V8 putting out 800 horsepower with design cues inspired by the legendary Shelby Cobra. The GTR, as it was then named, made its debut at the 2008 Amelia Island Concours, and we got our first look at the car at the New York Auto Show shortly thereafter.

We haven’t heard much from ICONIC since then, but apparently the company has been quite busy finalizing the production version that includes a few design changes from the original concept. In the last two years, ICONIC has also formed a partnership with AC Cars, and the car has officially been renamed the AC Roadster. ICONIC has scheduled a 2011 release date for customer cars and states that they currently taking orders. Follow the jump for full details in their latest press release.

Gallery: 2011 ICONIC Motors AC Roadster

[Source: ICONIC Motors]

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ICONIC Motors announces production of AC Roadster to start in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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