releases Archives | Page 3 of 6

Ford releases new version of the Fiesta S1600, limited to just 500 units

Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchback, Ford, UK

ford fiesta s1600

Another day, another hot-hatch that the United Kingdom can enjoy while thumbing their nose at our relative lack of hot-hatchitude here in the States. Ford has just announced another limited-edition run of Fiesta S1600 hatchbacks.

In 2010, Ford released a 650-car run of 118-horsepower Fiesta S1600 three-doors. A new version for 2011 uses the same engine but ups the power ante to 132 horsepower at 6,700 rpm and 118 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm.

On the outside, the Ford Fiesta S1600 receives a lower front valence, larger side sills, a rear spoiler, rear diffuser and white 17-inch alloy wheels. The car is available in Frozen White or Performance Blue and both color choices get a pair of contrasting center stripes. The S1600 gets upgraded parts on the interior as well. Leather lines the heated sports seats, handbrake cover, gear level and steering wheel.

The Ford Fiesta S1600 will be limited to just 500 units and wears a price tag of £15,895, or nearly $26,000 USD. It doesn’t matter how much it costs in U.S. Dollars though because we can’t buy it here. That said, feel free to read all about what you’ll likely be missing in the press release after the break.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford releases new version of the Fiesta S1600, limited to just 500 units

Ford releases new version of the Fiesta S1600, limited to just 500 units originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Ford releases new version of the Fiesta S1600, limited to just 500 units”

Aston Martin releases details on 2012 Virage Coupe and Volante

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Aston Martin

2012 Aston Martin Virage Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

Aston Martin has taken the wraps of its new Virage Coupe and Virage Volante. Both models are based on the automaker’s VH architecture – so they’re “all-new”… kinda – and are meant to slot in between the DB9 and the DBS in the lineup. The bonded aluminum chassis, with aluminum, magnesium and composite body panels, receives the familiar 6.0-liter V12 rated at 490 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. The standard transmission (a rear transaxle) is a six-speed automatic “Touchtronic 2” gearbox, helping to deliver a 0-60 time of about 4.5 seconds and maxing out at a top speed of 186 miles per hour.

The suspension is double-wishbone on all four corners, with Aston Martin’s Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Sport mode as standard equipment. Wheels are 20-inch alloys, mounted over carbon ceramic disc brakes at all four corners (six-piston calipers up front, four-piston units in the rear), with Pirelli P Zero tires standard.

No word yet on pricing or availablity (feel free to read through the press release after the break), but we’ll be getting all the details on the new Virage at next week’s Geneva Motor Show. Expect driving impressions to come… soon.

Gallery: 2012 Aston Martin Virage Coupe

2012 Aston Martin Virage Coupe

Gallery: 2012 Aston Martin Virage Volante

2012 Aston Martin Virage Volante

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Aston Martin releases details on 2012 Virage Coupe and Volante

Aston Martin releases details on 2012 Virage Coupe and Volante originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Aston Martin releases details on 2012 Virage Coupe and Volante”

Video: VW releases Darth Vader commercial’s deleted scenes, bloopers

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Volkswagen

Volkswagen Darth Vader commercial

VW Darth Vader commercial deleted scenes and bloopers – Click above to watch the video

There are only two car commercials from the Super Bowl that we’re still talking about two days later. The first is Chrysler’s two-minute-long love letter from Detroit to the rest of the country starring rapper Eminem, and the other is Volkswagen’s Darth Vader commercial. Searches on Autoblog for the new Passat, which the commercial happens to be advertising, jumped 270 percent on the day after it aired.

VW wants to make sure we’re still talking about its new brand ambassador, six-year-old actor Max Page, a little while longer, so the company has released this cute video of bloopers from the commercial shoot and deleted scenes that didn’t make the final cut. Follow the jump to see Max slip and fall, be interrupted by a Roomba and finally worshipped by his parents who now fully understand his power.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Video: VW releases Darth Vader commercial’s deleted scenes, bloopers

Video: VW releases Darth Vader commercial’s deleted scenes, bloopers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: VW releases Darth Vader commercial’s deleted scenes, bloopers”

Ferrari releases new dynamic images of four-seater FF

Filed under: Performance, Wagon, Ferrari

2012 Ferrari FF plays in the snow – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ferrari is taking a bold leap with the unveiling of its brand-new 2012 FF all-wheel drive shooting-brake. The Italian automaker also understands basic accounting principles, noting that demand is currently high for any images or video of the four-passenger super wagon, yet yet supply is low. Helping satiate our requirement for a fix of the FF, Ferrari has released five additional photos of the car playing in the snow.

We would prefer to hear the wail of the 651-horsepower, 6.3-liter V12 engine, but we’ll take what we can get. Check out in the 2012 Ferrari FF exploring a winter wonderland in the gallery below.

Gallery: The Ferrari FF playing in the snow

The Ferrari FF playing in the snow

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari releases new dynamic images of four-seater FF

Ferrari releases new dynamic images of four-seater FF originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Ferrari releases new dynamic images of four-seater FF”

Team Lotus releases radical new T128 challenger

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus, Renault, Racing

2011 Team Lotus T128

2011 Team Lotus T128 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Team Lotus has had a busy off-season, principally dealing with the naming rights dispute with Group Lotus and its new Renault team. That issue is still far from resolved, with both teams laying claim to the name, but the Malaysian outfit is taking first blood by launching its new car online before their British counterparts unveil theirs at Valencia. In doing so, Team Lotus becomes the second team to launch its 2011 challenger (following the new Ferrari F150), and the team calls it a complete clean-sheet redesign over last year’s car.

Designed by Mike Gascoyne, the new Lotus T128 is a considerably more radical than the T127 it replaces, which was rushed onto the grid with a more conservative design in order to get the team a foothold in its inaugural season. Swapping the previous car’s Cosworth power for Renault, the T128 also uses a Red Bull gearbox and starts the season without the KERS regenerative braking system permitted for use once again under this year’s regulations.

The T128 sticks with the green and yellow livery after initial plans to switch to the JPS black and gold were aborted before Lotus Renault GP released its own plans for the same. It will be piloted once again by Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen, with its reserve/test drive still yet to be announced. The new car isn’t expected to make its on-track debut until the second day of testing at Valencia, but you can read more about it in the press release after the jump and take your first look in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Team Lotus T128

[Source: Team Lotus]

Continue reading Team Lotus releases radical new T128 challenger

Team Lotus releases radical new T128 challenger originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Team Lotus releases radical new T128 challenger”

Mercedes-Benz releases C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition for Canada

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is an absolutely stunning piece of machinery. We recently had a chance to steer a C63 fitted with the P31 Development Package around the greater Detroit area, and it now looks like our friends to the north are getting a special edition of Merc’s AMG atom bomb all for themselves.

Dubbed the Affalterbach Edition (it’s named after the German town in which AMG’s skunkworks reside), this C63 wears a unique Magno Allanite Grey paint that is accented with red brake calipers, 19-inch black alloy wheels, carbon fiber mirror shells and a subtle lip spoiler. No tweaks have been made to the C63’s powertrain, but the Affalterbach edition comes standard with the normally optional AMG Performance Package, meaning there’s 481 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque on tap. Sprints to 62 miles per hour will be accomplished in a tidy 4.4 seconds.

Inside, the Affalterbach treatment includes things like AMG sport seats wrapped in Nappa leather, red contrast stitching, carbon fiber trim, and special edition logos placed throughout the cabin. Only 30 units will be sold in the Great White North, starting from $81,500 Canadian when it goes on sale in the spring. Follow the jump for Mercedes-Benz’s official release.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz releases C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition for Canada

Mercedes-Benz releases C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition for Canada originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Mercedes-Benz releases C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition for Canada”

Ford releases new Fiesta RS WRC in full livery ahead of season debut

2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC – Click above for high-res image gallery

The World Rally Championship is downsizing. Not in the number of teams participating – that’s actually expected to increase – but in the size of its cars. While Formula One is set to switch to turbo fours, the WRC is switching to smaller cars, similar to the Super 2000 formula. And so, in-line with the new regulations, Ford is switching from a Focus-based rally challenger to the new Fiesta.

The WRC-spec Fiesta RS was revealed in tentative, showgoing livery back in Paris, but the team has now unveiled the car in the full competition livery in which it will take on the world’s most challenging rally stages. Similar to the livery featured on the outgoing Focus, the new Fiesta RS WRC is dominated by the logos of title sponsor Abu Dhabi – which takes over from BP – and secondary sponsor Castrol’s Edge range of motor oils.

Full specifications have still yet to be released, so we’ll have to wait until early February before the new Fiesta RS WRC hits the season-starting Rally Sweden from Feb 10-13. Details in the press release after the jump with high-resolution images of the liveried rally machine in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford releases new Fiesta RS WRC in full livery ahead of season debut

Ford releases new Fiesta RS WRC in full livery ahead of season debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Ford releases new Fiesta RS WRC in full livery ahead of season debut”

Detroit Preview: Cadillac releases images of CTS-V Coupe SCCA race car ahead of official debut

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Motorsports, Coupe, Cadillac, GM, Racing

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe SCCA Race Car

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe SCCA Race Car – Click above for high-res image gallery

Last month, General Motors announced that Cadillac would be returning to the SCCA World Challenge with an all-new, menacing version of the CTS-V Coupe. The race car will officially debut on January 10 at the Detroit Auto Show, but GM has released this first set of photos early, showing the hot new Caddy that’s set to storm the SCCA circuit starting in March.

Two CTS-V Coupe race cars will be commissioned for SCCA duty, driven by Johnny O’Connel and Andy Pilgrim. The first race is set to take place on March 25 in St. Petersburg, Florida, and we’re eager to see what these new CTS-V Coupes look like flying around the track. We’ll have live impressions of the race car live from Cobo Hall next week, but in the meantime, scroll through our high-res gallery of stock shots below. GM’s official press release is available after the jump, as well.

Gallery: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe SCCA Race Car

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe SCCA Race Car

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Detroit Preview: Cadillac releases images of CTS-V Coupe SCCA race car ahead of official debut

Detroit Preview: Cadillac releases images of CTS-V Coupe SCCA race car ahead of official debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Detroit Preview: Cadillac releases images of CTS-V Coupe SCCA race car ahead of official debut”

Video: Pagani releases odd coffee-flavored C9 teaser

Filed under: Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos

Pagani C9 Teaser

Pagani teases… something – Click above to watch video after the jump

The Pagani C9 is coming and it will be here sooner than you think. Slated to arrive in the beginning of 2011, the C9 figures to be a beastly V12-powered supercar ready to pick up where the Zonda leaves off… if it ever actually leaves. Before we get a good look at the production C9, Pagani has decided to go the teaser route. It’s giving us a glimpse of… something, and it’s doing it in video form rather than close-ups of a headlamp or a wheel lugnut.

It’s hard to tell exactly what to look for in the video, but you have to watch until this most subtle of teasers all the way to the end to find it. Hop the jump to view the java-flavored clip. Thanks to all for the tips!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Pagani releases odd coffee-flavored C9 teaser

Video: Pagani releases odd coffee-flavored C9 teaser originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Pagani releases odd coffee-flavored C9 teaser”

Pics Aplenty: Lotus releases slew of new images

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Lotus, Luxury

Lotus Elise concept

Lotus concept cars – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lotus set the motoring community abuzz when it showed up at the Paris Motor Show with a slew of concept cars. These vehicles show the direction Lotus is moving, and each is a polarizing example of a future filled with heavier yet more powerful Lotus sports cars.

The automaker recently brought its Elise, Esprit, Elan, and Elite concept vehicles out to the beach for a day of camera fun. There really isn’t much more we can say about these cars that we haven’t already said… that is, until someone gives us a few sets of keys (and a lesson in holding back ear-to-ear grins). So stop reading and click through the gallery below.

Gallery: Lotus Concept Cars

Lotus Elise Concept Lotus Elan Concept

[Source: Lotus]

Pics Aplenty: Lotus releases slew of new images originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Pics Aplenty: Lotus releases slew of new images”