Automotive News

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Supercars, Ferrari

Click on the image above to jump to our 52-image high-resolution gallery

Can’t get enough of Ferrari’s latest hotness? Neither can we, and the first batch of eight official images to come out of Maranello just weren’t enough. So we flew out to Germany and got some more from the 430 Scuderia’s unveiling at the Frankfurt auto show. But that still wasn’t enough. So we got in touch with Ferrari North America to ask for more, but unfortunately our requests went unheeded.

Thankfully our Italian friends over at Automobilismo.it came to the rescue with a whole F1-calibre convoy full of new press images of the new Scuderia, that stripped-out supercar that laps Ferrari’s private Fiorano test track faster than any Ferrari road car in the company’s sixty-year history - including the Enzo.

Without confirmation from Ferrari, we can’t be 100% sure these are all factory-issued, but until we hear otherwise, we give you this gallery of 52 high-resolution images. Enjoy them, because it can’t have been easy for the photographer to get the 430 Scuderia to stay still for long.

[Source: Ferrari via Automobilismo.it]

 

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Filed under: Etc., Euro

While the new season of Top Gear is in full swing, Clarkson and crew are getting ready for their appearance at MPH ‘07, a European petrolhead extravaganza of the highest order. In addition to having over £27,654,000 worth of exotic metal on hand, including every 200+ MPH supercar ever built, Jezza will be racing a rock climber up a 40-foot tall, man-made mountain in a Land Rover Discovery. The steel construction took over three months to build, and will pit Clarkson and the climber against the clock in an indoor arena.

For those of you inclined to make the trek, the event will be taking place in two different locations, on November 1st through 4th in Earls Court and 8th through 11th at Birmingham’s NEC. More information is available at the MPH ‘07 website.

 

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Filed under: Motorsports

If you’ve got your money on Prodrive making an unprecedented F1 debut next season, we’d recommend calling your bookie and changing your bet. The British racing consultancy was preparing to hit the grand prix circuit using equipment obtained through a deal with McLaren, but the agreement that was all but dotted and crossed has reportedly fallen apart.

Neither Prodrive nor McLaren have yet to comment, but according to Autosport.com, the deal is off. As we’d reported previously, Prodrive were to become an effective second McLaren team by using the same chassis next season, but that all depends on the FIA Court of Appeal’s ruling on the legality of such an arrangement. That procedure was, according to Prodrive chief David Richards - also chairman of Aston Martin and former lyteam principal at first Benetton and then BAR-Honda - was the last obstacle standing between the new team and its fight for podiums in 2008. It would appear, however, that McLaren is less than confident that the regulatory body will rubber-stamp the customer-car deal, as they’ve reportedly told their employees not to prepare the additional Prodrive cars.

Mad props to our reader andybee for the tip!

[Source: Autosport]

 

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Filed under: Time Warp, Convertibles, Auction Action, Etc., Ford

Having healthy fascination with the SHO is one thing; that car was kick-ass, so the lust is understandable. This, on the otherhand, is just… wrong. Not even the novelty of a Taurus convertible can redeem this car from being anything more than a wrong-headed bucket of, um, fertilizer. Sawz-All roof treatment aside, there’s still the paintwork to contend with. There’s obviously a lot of time put into the design, but the color choice and odd striping work look more like someone did donuts in a bunch of spilled pigment than any kind of concerted effort to make the car look good. Then again, if you’re chopping the roof off a first-gen Taurus (already made of wet spaghetti), affixing a big, stupid wing to the back and frenching the antennas (let’s repeat that, dual frenched antennas. WTF? It’s an ‘88 Taurus, not a ‘58 Skyliner), you’re not much concerned with the way the end result actually looks. We’re tempted to buy it just to burn it to the ground, it’s only $3500, though apparently an appraiser saw $15,000 worth of value here. We beg to differ, though it’d be a sweet ride for next year’s LeMons effort, which would also ultimately assure its destruction.

Thanks for the tip, Sean!

[Source: eBay]

 

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchbacks, Ford

Spy shooters abroad have snagged a handful of pics proving once again that Ford’s next generation Fiesta will be influenced by the Verve concept shown in Frankfurt. The automaker’s Kinetic design language will influence every aspect of the five-door’s exterior, with a cleanly stylized front clip, tautly drawn headlamps and a steeply raked windshield. The boxy persona of the outgoing model will be dispatched in favor of more curves and sculpted lines, and while the rear spoiler may be a bit of a stretch on this prototype, we’d expect something closer to the concept’s to make it to production.

It’s expected that the Fiesta will find its way to the States once the hatch meets U.S. crash regulations and the styling fits in with Ford’s other American offerings. Our only concern is how the three-bar grille treatment will affect an otherwise faultless front end.

[Source: World Car Fans]

 

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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Wagons/Estates, Japan, Crossovers/CUVs, Suzuki

click above image for more pics of the Suzuki Kizashi Concept

We were fans of the Suzuki Kizashi Concept when we stumbled across it at the 2007 Frankfurt show, and are equally interested in the Kizashi 2 Concept debuting in Tokyo soon. The Japanese automaker apparently likes the concepts so much that it will be spawning no less than three production Kizashi models, including a CUV, wagon and four-door sedan that will reportedly rival the Ford Mondeo in Europe. The sedan will be the first to arrive in 2009, reports AutoCar, with the wagon and CUV slated for production a year later. That fact that this news is being reported by AutoCar, a UK-based automotive news outlet, and that the sedan is pegged as a Mondeo rival suggests these vehicles might not be destined for U.S. consumption. On the other hand, resurging Suzuki needs something to replace the mid-size Verona sedan that’s no longer on sale in the U.S.

[Source: AutoCar]

 

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Filed under: SUVs, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossovers/CUVs, Honda

Recently, Honda has had issues with keeping supply and demand in check with its newest products. Waiting lists for everything from the Civic Si to the Honda Fit have become bones of contention with consumers, and the recently redesigned Honda CR-V was among them earlier this year. Sales of Honda’s cute ‘ute have been on an upwards trajectory during 2007, with over 167,000 units sold thus far — a 44-percent jump over the previous year. Analysts contend that buyers who used to flock to the Ford Explorer are now looking at smaller, more fuel-efficient offerings, bolstering sales of the CR-V along with Toyota’s RAV4.

Honda is constantly trying to keep a balance between imported and domestically made products, so it’s considering doubling the North American production of the CR-V. The move would come at a perfect time, as CR-V sales have officially eclipsed sales of the Explorer, the U.S.’s best selling SUV for 14 years.

[Source: Detroit News]

 

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Filed under: Car Buying, Convertibles, Honda

Click the image above for more high-res shots of the Honda S2000 CR.

Honda has officially priced the 2008 S2000, and for an extra $2,000 you can step up to the track-ready CR model for a cool $36,300 (not including $635 for shipping). As you’ve seen before, the S2000 CR nixes the soft top in favor of an aluminum hardtop, and comes equipped with a revised suspension and new aero bits while simultaneously shedding the pounds. If you’re not inclined to make the trek to the track sans air conditioning and tunes, they can both be added for an additional $1,000.

The new for 2008 S2000 gets redesigned 18-inch wheels, retuned spring and damper rates that improve high-speed stability and steering feel, along with a tire pressure monitoring system and a new instrument cluster with redesigned fuel and temp gauges.

Honda’s full press release is after the jump, and be sure to check out the S2000 CR’s gallery below.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Honda S2000 CR starting at $36,300

 

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Filed under: Car Buying, Convertibles, Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Plants/Manufacturing, Rolls Royce

click above image for more truly awesome shots of the 2007 Rolls-Royce Phantom

A quick snapshot of the world’s richest people shows that the wealthy are padding their pockets at a blistering pace. With all that extra cash at the top of the food chain, cars with big price tags are flying off the shelves. Aston Martin has gone from making only a handfull of cars to producing over 7,000 per year, and Bentley has been riding the wave with its Continental and Flying Spur. The once financially challenged Rolls-Royce is also getting in on the game, enjoying a 22% increase in sales that’s driving its Goodwood factory to the brink. Extra shifts and longer work hours are the result for rank and file, but we’re sure most of them don’t mind the extra coin. With the introduction of a Phantom coupe based off of the 110EX concept from Geneva coming in the next few weeks, the chaps from south England may need to break new ground just to fulfill demand.

It seems the ultra-luxury automaker isn’t concerned with overpopulating the world with Rolls Royce luxury, either. The company is preparing a new lineup for 2010 that will expand Goodwood’s offerings while also increasing the number workers employed. We may yet get a Rolls for more than a week, but then again, maybe not.

[Source: Motoring News]

 

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Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Supercars

Jason Plato, BTCC champion and Fifth Gear presenter, found himself in the midst of a Caparo T1 barbeque while testing the new supercar at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire. According to Plato, he noticed a loss of power while traveling upwards of 150 MPH. He checked the outside mirror, saw smoke and then felt a rush of intense heat. The T1 “spontaneously erupted into a ball of flame,” said Plato, who immediately stopped the Caparo and jumped out after sustaining burns to his neck, face and hands.

He was rushed to the hospital and is expected to consult a burn specialist later today. Plato still intends to compete at the final BTCC race this weekend at the Thurxton Circuit this Sunday, which coincides with his 40th birthday. Just be careful blowing out those candles, Jason.

[Source: Fifth Gear]

Continue reading Jason Plato injured when Caparo T1 bursts into flames at 150 mph

 

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