speedster Archives

Official: PGO launches Cévennes Speedster in Europe

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Europe, Specialty

2013 PGO Automobiles Cevennes

Now, from the “weird little French car” file, we give you the 2013 PGO Automobiles Cévennes speedster. Powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter BMW four-cylinder engine mounted midship, the little roadster serves up a healthy 181 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. The modest muscle gets to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. Consider our interest piqued.

PGO Automobiles says the new model tips the scales at a scant 2,200 pounds and features a theoretical top speed of 140 miles per hour. That’s plenty fast enough to get you in trouble or get you dead. Fortunately, engineers also managed to bolster the car’s rigidity by 15 percent and a new MacPhereson strut setup front and rear helps the car handle the twisties with a bit more composure than previous efforts from the automaker.

As you may recollect, PGO Automobiles got its start manufacturing kit cars modeled after the Porsche 356. Its clear the company’s designers have held on to some of their favorite elements from that car. Rounded fenders front and rear as well as familiar-looking headlights all harken back to the little German droptop, but elements like the smallish windshield and variety of air inlets clearly identify the car as French. We dig it.

PGO launches Cévennes Speedster in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Mini Speedster on the prowl

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Mini

Mini Speedster spy shot

Spy Shots: Mini Speedster on the prowl – Click above for high-res image gallery

Spy lenses in Germany recently caught sight of the upcoming 2012 Mini Coupe, and now those same crafty photogs just trained their cameras on a quasi-camouflaged Mini Speedster.

Like its fixed-top sibling, we can clearly see a low-slung shape and a pop-up rear spoiler for some added sporty flair. We’re not sure what all that yellow swirliness is supposed to be covering, but we look forward to finding out, and to seeing this runabout with its top in the stowed position.

The two-door drop-top has been rumored to make an appearance for over a year now and it seems we’re getting closer to seeing a production version bathed by auto show stage lights. Since we don’t know when that will occur, the gallery below will have to do for now.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Mini Speedster on the prowl

Spy Shots: Mini Speedster on the prowl

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Mini Speedster on the prowl originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Porsche, First Drive

It May Be Humpbacked, But It’s No Quasimodo.

2011 Porsche 911 Speedster

2011 Porsche 911 Speedster – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s rare. It’s fast. It’s expensive. Meet the 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster. First shown in October at the Paris Auto Show, the $204,400 humpbacked 911 arrives at U.S. dealerships early next year.

On paper, the rear-wheel-drive 911 Speedster appears to be a heavily optioned 911 GTS Cabriolet, albeit one with a bubbled tonneau cover. Having just driven the new GTS with the 408-horsepower 3.8-liter flat-six and Turbo-width rear track, we knew going into this drive that the uprated equipment makes a good foundation for the Speedster. Building on the GTS’ enhanced mechanicals, the Speedster also gets the seven-speed PDK dual clutch, Sport Chrono Plus, Porsche Active Suspension Management and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes. Take it or leave it, this is the only way the Speedster comes.

But so much for on-paper specs. To find out what the 911 Speedster is like on the road, we headed to Palm Springs, California for a mid-winter desert blast.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster: First Drive

2011 Porsche 911 Speedster

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First Drive: 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: 1915 van Blerck Special Speedster is 18′ long with 17-liter engine

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance, Auctions

1915 van Blerck Special Speedster

1915 van Blerck Special Speedster – Click above for high-res image gallery

Make room on your holiday list, boys and girls; here’s something we definitely want to see under ye olde yuletide pine tree this year. On second thought, you’d better make it a redwood.Tucked away in the Other Makes section of eBay Motors is a custom racer with a fire engine chassis and a 17-liter engine borrowed from one of the most famous racing boat manufacturers of the early 20th century. Called the 1915 van Blerck Special Speedster, this awesome ground-pounder is over six feet tall and nearly 18 feet long. All 17-liters of displacement from the vehicle’s engine is soaked up by just six cylinders, each of which has three spark plugs all to itself.

The engine was created by none other than Joseph van Blerck – an engineer who crafted record-setting engines for speed boats in the early part of the last century. According to the seller, the engine produces well over 200 horsepower and is more than capable of scooting the big machine to speeds of over 100 mph. That is, if you’re brave enough to lean on the vehicle’s chain-drive system. You can buy it now for the low price of $199,000, though the seller says that trading is always an option, too. Us? We think it’d make a bitchin’ new sleigh for Santa.

Gallery: 1915 van Blerck Special Speedster

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: 1915 van Blerck Special Speedster is 18′ long with 17-liter engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2010: Porsche 911 Speedster is the Hunchback of Paris

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Porsche, Luxury

Porsche 911 Speedster

Porsche 911 Speedster live photos – Click above for high-res image gallery

You can tell pretty much everything you need to know about the Porsche 911 Speedster just by looking at it. It’s a 911, which means it’s got a flat-six engine in the ass-end and it’s got… ahem, classical styling, for better or for worse. We’ll just go ahead on record right now and say that it’s not nearly as pretty as the original 356 Speedster it’s meant to evoke, but what is?

Moving on, there are 408 horsepower from the 3.8-liter engine driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK, of course, we just like typing the full name) dual-clutch transmission. The run to 60 is dispatched in 4.6 seconds and the top speed is just shy of 190. See the latest Speedster in all its glory in our high-res image gallery of live photos below.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Porsche 911 Speedster

Porsche 911 Speedster

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster

2011 Porsche 911 Speedster

Paris 2010: Porsche 911 Speedster is the Hunchback of Paris originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2010: 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster sings a blue note

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Porsche

Porsche Speedster

Paris 2010: 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster – Click above for high-res image gallery

Another day, another new iteration of the Porsche 911. Not that we’re complaining. This time around we got to feast our lucky eyes on the limited-edition 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster while it makes its world debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

The 911 Speedster is designed to pay homage to the original Porsche 356. Combine the French Racing Blue paint job, 408 horsepower flat-six engine and a low run of 356 models, and we expect the 911 Speedster to be sold out by the time you are done looking through the high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche Speedster

2011 Porsche 911 Speedster front 3/4 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster rear 3/4

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster

2011 Porsche 911 Speedster

Paris 2010: 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster sings a blue note originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Fiat 500 Abarth Speedster in the works

Filed under: Budget, Performance, Europe, Hatchback

Fiat 500 Abarth Essesse – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve been hearing about the supposed introduction of the Fiat 500 to American shores for so long that the car may grow stale before the first one touches soil on our side of the Atlantic. Chrysler and its parent company, Fiat, seem to have grown keen to that very possibility, so to stir the pot somewhat, the two have gotten together and released a few scant details about a performance version that’s also headed our direction.

As we’ve already heard, the 500 Abarth will pack around 134 horsepower from a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a 0-60 run of around 7.6 seconds. If you’re thinking that those numbers aren’t exactly devilish, fear not – the Abarth-tuned cars will also pack reworked suspensions to help them carve up tarmac like a turkey dinner.

That’s cool and all, but the biggest news is that Fiat is actually mulling an Abarth Speedster – a unique new model that is rumored to borrow heavily from the 1959 Zagato Abarth 750. Expect a shorter roofline as well as a folding soft top if the car comes to fruition. No one knows exactly which engine Fiat would snug down into the little topless wonder, but rumor has it that a 163-horsepower version of the same 1.4-liter four-pot is a definite possibility. Sounds good to us.

Gallery: Fiat 500 Abarth Esseesse

[Source: Inside Line]

Report: Fiat 500 Abarth Speedster in the works originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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