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Touring Superleggera ramps up production of Bentley Flying Star

Filed under: Coupe, Wagon, Bentley, Luxury

Touring Superleggera Flying Star – Click above for high-res image gallery

Bentley shooting brake, anyone? Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera can hook you up. The Milanese coachbuilder unveiled the Flying Star at last year’s Geneva Motor Show, and stole our hearts in the process. But since the shooting brake debuted and its order books opened, Touring has only made three examples of the custom creation.

No wonder, as the coachbuilder says it takes 4,000 man-hours to transform a Continental GTC (still the outgoing model, we gather) into the long-roofed coupe. But thanks to increased investment in the form of new equipment and staff, Touring can now reportedly be working on up to five vehicles at a time.

Each example still takes six months to deliver, with total production limited to 19 examples. Fortunate buyers can specify from a range of customizations, including the twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 in states of tune ranging from 552 horsepower (base) to 621 (Supersports).

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Touring Superleggera Flying Star

Live Photos: Jonny Lieberman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Autocar]

Touring Superleggera ramps up production of Bentley Flying Star originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Porsche looking to China for production of Cajun CUV

Filed under: China, Plants/Manufacturing, Porsche

Porsche Cayenne in China

When Porsche was integrated into the Volkswagen group, its new parent company set an ambitious sales target for its latest division: 150,000 units annually. That would require a 50% increase in sales, but Porsche figures it can hit the far more ambitious target of 200,000 units per year for a 100% increase.

To get there, however, Porsche realizes its current production capacity will not be enough. And so it will need to produce vehicles at additional facilities, which could include plants in the United States and China.

The latter would seem a logical first step as the Audi Q5, on which the upcoming Cajun SUV is based, is already being built in China. Beyond the Cajun, however, production in the United States – still the biggest market for Porsche – could be in the cards within a few years.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req. | Image: China Photos/Getty]

Report: Porsche looking to China for production of Cajun CUV originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Chevrolet Camaro Z28 production beginning 1/1/2012

2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to a report from Camaro5.com, Chevrolet has told its dealer body that the long-anticipated Camaro Z28 will begin production on 1/1/2012. This high-output version of the Camaro will be sold as a 2012 model and will come from the factory with a 6.2-liter supercharged engine (we’d guess something in line with the excellent LSA mill fitted to the 556-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V).

Naturally, some massive rubber will be required to put all those ponies to the pavement, and we’re told to expect 285s up front and steamrolling 330s out back. Exterior styling will reportedly include some hood slats in addition to the expected power bulge to clear the force-fed engine, and the interior is expected to see minor updates as well.

Now that the Detroit Auto Show has officially come and gone with nary a Camaro Z28 in sight, our attention turns to Chicago in February and then New York in April. Stay tuned, we sense an unveiling in the near future.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 at the Nurburgring

[Source: Camaro5.com]

Rumormill: Chevrolet Camaro Z28 production beginning 1/1/2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia says KV7 Concept presages some sort of production model; Hamstars to return?

Kia KV7 Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Kia KV7 Concept isn’t only a concept. At the Detroit Auto Show this week, Michael Sprague, Kia’s vice president of marketing, told Autoblog “We tend to use auto shows to presage what will be coming,” and referenced the Kia Kue Concept from 2007 revealing the brand’s design intent as precursor to the Sportage, then the Kia Koup Concept in 2008 and Soul Concepts in 2009 leading to their respective production versions.

The question is what we might see on the retail floor; certainly not the lounge-like seating, the full-length LED dash, or the gill-like LED headlights. Sprague tells AB, “With the KV7 what we see coming eventually is materials on the vehicle that we’d like to see incorporated. Or getting a Kia that’s Wi-Fi enabled, it’s just a question of how soon.” Could this hint at a successor to Kia’s aging Sedona/Carnival minivan?

Either way, it’s likely that the brand’s hilarious Hamstars won’t be selling whatever the KV7 turns into. As to how much longer the furry rappers can keep it moving in the Soul’s ad campaign, Sprague admits “We might have another one in us.” Otherwise, the marketing push is that “we’re going to market more sporty as Hyundai goes more premium,” and the brand’s creative like the Sweet Dreams ad stresses “making rational things fun.”

Gallery: Kia KV7 Concept: Detroit 2011

Kia KV7 Concept

Kia says KV7 Concept presages some sort of production model; Hamstars to return? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept being considered for production

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Truck, GMC, Diesel

GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve already crawled all over the GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept at the Detroit Auto Show, and Mike Levin from PickupTrucks.com took an extensive look at the interior and exterior with designer Carl Zipfel. The questions we really wanted to get answered were, of course, “Are you going to build it? And if not, can we build it?”

As to whether GMC is considering bringing it to market – built on a GMC line or by a partner firm – Zipfel suggested that the company is considering the possibilities. However, right now it remains a concept only and there are no plans to build it.
In its favor is that Zipfel’s team started with a production truck. “It’s the best of the Duramax HD with more off-roading capability,” he said, “built with an existing Duramax diesel and existing supplier connections.”
When asked if a customer could build it, Zipfel said an HD owner could replicate “everything but the lights.” You can’t get the 5’8″ bed on the 2500 Duramax HD, and widening the track by four inches would be a slightly lesser challenge. Otherwise, the chassis wasn’t chopped to create the shortened front end, and Zipfeld said, “We think we’re in striking distance for crash testing if GMC decided to build it.”

Follow the jump for more revelations about the GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept.

Gallery: 2011 Detroit: GMC Sierra All Terrain Concept

Continue reading GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept being considered for production

GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept being considered for production originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lotus to overhaul Exige, Evora ahead of Esprit production

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Lotus

Lotus Exige Cup 260

2009 Lotus Exige Cup 260 – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s no secret that Lotus has monumental plans in the coming years, announcing no fewer than four new models at the 2010 Paris Motor Show that it says will gradually roll out over the next several years. But there’s no denying that the British firm’s current level of success was built on the excellence that is the Lotus Elise, Exige and, most recently, Evora.

That being the case, we’re hoping that a report from Autocar in the UK is accurate and that Lotus has plans to overhaul the Exige and give the Evora a heavily updated interior before the Esprit goes into production in late 2012. We certainly wouldn’t expect wholesale changes to either machine – engineering budgets are surely being diverted elsewhere – but a little something to keep its current models fresh in the eyes of consumers would go a long way towards bridging the gap between the present and the Ferrari-fighting future.

Gallery: 2010 Lotus Exige Cup 260

2010 Lotus Exige Cup 260

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Lotus to overhaul Exige, Evora ahead of Esprit production originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mercedes ML63 AMG rumbles out of production

Filed under: Performance, SUV, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG

Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery

Time to say auf wiedersehen to the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, kids. According to the folks at Autoblog.it (no relation), the Silver Arrow has opted to send the high-power crossover to pasture alongside its oil-burning twin, the ML450 CDI. If true, that means that buyers around the world are now confined to just five engine options including two gasoline lumps and three diesel mills. The most potent of those is the 388 horsepower V8 in the ML500. That’s a far cry from the mighty 510 horsepower that the naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter V8 in the ML63 churned out.

So is that it for high-horsepower high-riders in the Mercedes-Benz stable? We think not. Chances are that the move to kill off the ML63 is just another step in the direction of debuting the all-new ML. Were we the betting type, we’d be willing to lay a few coins on an AMG version of the next-generation ML being part of the party.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG

[Source: Autoblog.it via Auto Evolution]

Report: Mercedes ML63 AMG rumbles out of production originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW Vision EfficientDynamics spotted in Abu Dhabi – is it closer to production? [w/video]

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, BMW, Middle East, Diesel

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept spotted in Abu Dhabi

BMW EfficientDynamics supercar in Abu Dhabi – click above to watch video after the jump

During a recent trip to Abu Dhabi, Teamspeed forum member Captain Stradale caught a glimpse of the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics strutting its stuff for an on-track photo shoot. What makes us most curious, though, is the fact that this gray version of the VED is marginally different-looking than the white concept BMW has paraded around the auto show circuit over the past year (along with the white with blue swirly camo prototype they’ve shown).

The Vision EfficientDynamics, which is rumored to come into production under the name ‘i8’, is expected to be powered by a 328-horsepower three-cylinder diesel-hybrid powertrain. The ultra-lightweight production car is tipped to run from 0-100 in just 4.8 seconds, and during normal driving, the new efficient supercar is estimated to achieve 62.5 miles per gallon.

When we’ll see the production version of the VED is still unclear, though sources have reported that it will show up in 2013, priced from around $200,000. We can’t verify if the gray car in these Teamspeed shots is anything closer to production, but seeing this thing out on the track makes us all the more eager to experience BMW’s efficient hotness for ourselves. In the meantime, check out the spy video after the jump and click on the link below to see more photos at Teamspeed. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: Teamspeed]

Continue reading BMW Vision EfficientDynamics spotted in Abu Dhabi – is it closer to production? [w/video]

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics spotted in Abu Dhabi – is it closer to production? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xenatec Maybach Cruiserio coupe enters production with Saudi investment

Filed under: Coupe, Europe, Maybach, Middle East, Luxury

Xenatec Maybach Crusiero coupe

Xenatec Maybach Cruiserio coupe – Click above for image gallery

Want to get your hands on a Maybach coupe? You’ve got two options. First would be to commission a replica of the Exelero concept car on the chassis of a Dodge Viper. That’ll set you back €550,000, or about $730k at today’s conversion rates. Your other choice is to have Xenatec convert a Maybach 57 S limo into a coupe for €675,000 ($894k).

We brought you initial news of the project back in May, followed by details in October. For a quick refresher, the German coachbuilder brought in Fredrik Burchhardt, designer of the original Exelero, to pen the modified shape for the coupe. The result keeps most of the saloon’s mechanicals in place – including the 600+ horsepower twin-turbo V12 – only with modified bodywork, cabin and (of course) two longer doors instead of four.

Seen until now only in sketches, the Xenatec Maybach coupe has been (awkwardly) dubbed the Cruiserio, and it has just made its debut at Daimler headquarters in Stuttgart. The project is now being underwritten by a €70 million ($93M) investment from AutoKingdom of Saudi Arabia. Over the course of three years, Xenatec and AutoKingdom ambitiously anticipate building 100 examples, and say they’ve already got enough orders to keep them busy for the next year or so. Can’t wait that long? The first example is up for sale out of Riyadh, with a price tag of just under a cool million.

Gallery: Xenatec Maybach Cruiserio

Gallery: Maybach 57 S Coupe by Xenatec

[Source: JamesList via World Car Fans]

Xenatec Maybach Cruiserio coupe enters production with Saudi investment originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: BMW’s production Vision Concept to be called i8

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, BMW, Rumormill, Electric, Diesel

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept

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

We have heard that BMW has has registered a series of “i+number trademarks (i1, i2, i3, i4, i5, i6, i7, i8 and i9) to use for its fuel efficient MegaCity range of vehicles. BMWBlog is now saying that it has heard a rumor that the combination that will be applied to the upcoming (read: 2013 or 2014) version of the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept will be i8. This makes some sense, as a BMW i8 would conjure up images of the never-seen M8 supercar, but BMWBlog is unconvinced. After all, why bring back memories of gas-guzzling supercars when you’re trying to reinvent what one can be? Plus, since the vehicle is so far away, there’s probably no name set in stone yet anyway.

Whatever BMW decides on, it’ll be better than the name that the car was given when we first saw it at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2009. Vision EfficientDynamics is just way, way too long.

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics

[Source: BMWBlog via Green Car Reports]

Rumormill: BMW’s production Vision Concept to be called i8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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