TopSpeed Daily Update |  |
- Aston Martin DBS Ultimate Edition
- Audi Q3 Red Track Concept
- Plymouth Duster
- Ferrari Millenio designed by Marko Petrovic and Yanko Design
- BMW M135i
- Lamborghini Gallardo "Toro" by DMC Tuning
- BMW 3-Series Station Wagon
- Mercedes E-Class
- Wolfgang Durheimer to leave Bentley and Bugatti for new role at Audi
- Rotary Supercars and their absence from 2012 Top Marques Monaco
| Aston Martin DBS Ultimate Edition Posted: 02 May 2012 05:00 AM PDT
For the 2013 model year, Aston Martin is producing an all new DBS, which means the current lineup is, of course, on its way out the door. Recently, an inside sat down with Car and Driver, and discussed what the British automaker's plans are with the current DBS. According to the source, the final 100 models of the DBS will be dubbed the DBS Ultimate Edition and will feature a nice array of extra goodies. The source didn't offer too much about what the Ultimate Edition will include, but said to look to the differences between the 2010 DBS and the 2010 DBS Carbon Black for a good idea of what's to come with this model. This would first off mean that there are likely not going to be any mechanical modifications. Then again, 12-cylinder monster pumping out 510 ponies, there is really no need for any mechanical changes. For the most part, the changes will be extra features and a few mild visual changes. The vast majority of the additions to the 2010 DBS Carbon Black Special Edition was making everything black on the inside and outside, except for a few splashes of silver on the inside. The rims were a polished alloy with its inserts painted, you guessed it, black! You also had the option of alloy or carbon black doorsill plates – woo hoo a choice other than black. The 2010 Carbon Black Special edition also added in an upgraded 1,000-watt stereo system. To wrap this all up, we can anticipate a new paint job for the Ultimate Edition, something not already a part of the DBS line. A set of upgraded rims to mimic the paintjob should be expected. Plus, we should anticipate an upgraded stereo system from the already impressive 1,000 watt system on the existing DBS. This is all we know at this point, we will keep you up to date as more info comes out. UPDATE 05/08/12: Itching to see what the Aston Martin DBS Ultimate Edition looks like? Fret no longer because the British automaker recently dropped the covers off of their final DBS models with some catalog photos online! Check it out in all its sleek and spankin’ sexiness. Aston Martin DBS Ultimate Edition originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 2 May 2012 12:00 EST.
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| Posted: 14 May 2012 08:00 AM PDT
Remember the Audi Q3 Jinlong Yufeng Concept that was revealed at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show? Well, it turns out the German automaker has another Q3 concept SUV in the pipeline: the Red Track Concept. Taken from its name, the Q3 Red Track Concept has been finished with a fiery piece of Energy Red color, an ironic color choice considering that the concept SUV is being pegged as a winter vehicle. How else do you explain the carbon fiber skis on its roof? But more than just its supposed purpose, the Q3 Red Track Concept actually looks a whole lot like the Q3 Vail Concept, except that the former has some added aesthetic touches. Either way, the SUV looks all sorts of spicy in that aforementioned Energy Red color. Too bad there’s been no official indication as to whether the Q3 Red Track Concept is bound for production. Whatever the case may be, expect to see the concept at the 2012 Wörthersee Tour, where it is expected to be one of the front and center models in Audi’s booth. Find out more about the Audi Q3 Red Track Concept after the jump. Audi Q3 Red Track Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 14 May 2012 15:00 EST.
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| Posted: 14 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT
At one point Jay Leno was a normal gearhead, just like the rest of us. He was working at a car dealership in Massachusetts when he met and befriended a master mechanic and drag racer Paul Annunziata. Jay went on to become a huge TV star and Paul continued on his racing dream. In the 1970s Annunziata decided he wanted to build a Pro Stock dragster that was also 100 percent street legal. Annunziata succeeded in building his 1,000-horsepower Duster and it went on to win numerous awards. Sadly, Annunziata was stricken with lung cancer, so he decided it was time to let his Duster go. Instead of selling it to some random collector, Annunziata chose to donate the car to his old-time friend, Jay Leno, under the gentleman's agreement that Leno would not sell the car. Jay agreed not to sell the car, but refused to allow Annunziata to just give it to him. In a mutual agreement, Leno paid Annunziata an undisclosed amount for the car and Annunziata did the noble thing and donated the money to a local auto restoration school as a four-year scholarship. Annunziata passed away in 2011 and Jay decided it was time to feature this beloved Duster on his show Jay Leno's Garage, which you can see above. You even get to go for a ride in this amazing piece of machinery. What's more impressive are the five years that Annunziata spent building this car, so we decided to dig in and really show you what went into building this beast. Click past the jump to read about the development of this 1,000-horsepower Duster. Plymouth Duster originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 14 May 2012 14:00 EST.
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| Ferrari Millenio designed by Marko Petrovic and Yanko Design Posted: 14 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT
In the world of futuristic materials and components for future cars, we never thought that carbon fiber would be superseded by something called buckypaper, but if Marko Petrovic's design ever comes to fruition, then we could see a lot more cars being constructed out of this material featuring carbon nanotubes. Buckypaper is currently in its early stages of development but promises to be both stronger and lighter than carbon fiber. Of course, this material is unlikely to ever be used in the automotive industry for at least another 50 to 100 years, so this futuristic concept shows what Ferrari may be producing in the next century and has been dubbed the Ferrari Millenio by its designer. As you can see from the incredibly detailed renderings, the Millenio is a two-seater supercar that features no roof, no windscreen, and no doors, just like the Lamborghini Aventador J speedster. If the car ever reaches production (which is extremely, extremely unlikely), it would feature two electric motors which can be recharged via solar panels molded around the bodywork or through a traditional power point socket. The Millenio also features a whole host of LCD-displays throughout the cockpit with the prominent speedometer being the focal point of the interior. Even though the Millenio was designed well before the introduction of the Lamborghini Aventador J, its lack of well-padded seats like the J could indicate that future sports cars may opt for decreased weight in favor of comfort, but for all we know, by 2112, we may all be flying around in futuristic cars powered solely by energy-efficient and environmentally friendly electronic systems. Nevertheless, it's great to see designers out there continuing to push the envelope of design and that's one thing we never want to change. Ferrari Millenio designed by Marko Petrovic and Yanko Design originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 14 May 2012 13:00 EST.
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| Posted: 29 Mar 2012 05:00 AM PDT
After debuting the M135i Concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, BMW has now unveiled the M135i production version. The new mode will be distinguished by specific exterior and interior design, plus of course an impressive 3-litre, straight six-cylinder engine that delivers an amazing 320 HP. This output allows the car to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds and up to a top speed of 155 mph (electronically limited). The car’s exterior will be distinguished by specific M design elements: a front apron with large air intake vents and three-dimensional flaps on the outer air vents inspired by automobile racing. At the rear there will be an impressive rear apron plus of course dual exhaust pipes. Final touch is given by a new set of 18-inch M light alloy double-spoke wheels. The interior adds Hexagon/Alcantara upholstery, an M leather steering wheel, BMW Individual roofliner in Anthracite, interior trim in aluminum Hexagon with matte Estoril Blue or high-gloss black accent lines. BMW currently unveiled only the three-door version, but the company promised a five-door version will follow shortly. UPDATE 05/14/12:This review has been updated with the official images, details and specs. Hit the jump to read more about the new BMW M135i. BMW M135i originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 29 March 2012 12:00 EST.
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| Lamborghini Gallardo "Toro" by DMC Tuning Posted: 14 May 2012 04:00 AM PDT
Fresh off of their program for the Lamborghini Aventador, German tuning firm DMC is at it again, this time, with a new tuning package for the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. Known as the "Toro" program, DMC fitted the Gallardo with a bevy of new modifications, including a lightweight styling kit and a performance upgrade. Talking about the former, DMC gave the Italian supercar new components that are all made out of carbon fiber. These components include a new front spoiler and sword, side sills and skirts, a new rear diffuser, a rear spoiler, a new rear panel, side mirrors, and rounded sills. Rounding out the exterior modifications are a new set of 20" lightweight forged rims. Moving on to the performance enhancement, DMC took the Gallardo LP560-4’s 5.2-liter V10 engine and added a new titanium sport exhaust system as well as reprogrammed the supercar’s ECU unit. The result is an increased output of 580 horsepower and 424 lb/ft of torque, as well as a new top speed of 205 mph, up from the 201 mph top speed of the standard model. Lamborghini Gallardo "Toro" by DMC Tuning originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 14 May 2012 11:00 EST.
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| Posted: 14 May 2012 03:00 AM PDT
At the end of 2011, BMW unveiled the new generation 3-Series in sedan version, but left the station wagon out in the cold for a few months after that. Now, after we capturing the car during its testing a few times, BMW has finally dropped the official details on the new 3-Series Station Wagon. As expected, the station wagon version will feature the same design language as the sedan model, albeit with an extended rear for better cargo room, 495 liters of stowage room to be exact. The new 3-Series Station Wagon will be offered in three different versions: 328i, 330d, and 320d, all with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, Auto Start-Stop function, ECO PRO mode, and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Power will range from 184 HP to 258 HP. BMW will offer Sport Line, Luxury Line, and Modern Line equipment packages, as well as an optional M Sport package which will be available at launch. UPDATE 05/14/2012: This review has been updated with the official details and images for the BMW 3-Series Station Wagon. Hit the jump to read more about the new 3-Series Station Wagon. BMW 3-Series Station Wagon originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 14 May 2012 10:00 EST.
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| Posted: 14 May 2012 02:00 AM PDT
The current generation Mercedes E-Class was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and since then, the model hasn’t remained many changes. That will all change in 2013 when Mercedes brings out the first facelift for the E-Class. This particular model was just caught testing for the first time with a bandaged up front end to hide some of the changes provided for it. The facelift E-Class will get sleeker looking headlamps with LED Day driving lights integrated in the headlight unit instead of in the bumper. Both the front and rear bumpers will also be upgraded, while the rear lights will get new graphics but will still have the same shape. Another thing that will be changed - even if it’s not visible in these pictures - is the absence of the "Ponton" style rear fenders. Luckily for Mercedes, they just need to change the sheet metal on the rear doors in order to make the old design look fresh and new. The car’s interior will also be updated with new materials, as well as improved Night Assistant, Dynamic Light Assistant, Intelligent Lane Assist, Magic Ride Control, and Head-Up Display. Mercedes E-Class originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 14 May 2012 09:00 EST.
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| Wolfgang Durheimer to leave Bentley and Bugatti for new role at Audi Posted: 13 May 2012 07:00 PM PDT
One could argue that Wolfgang Durheimer has the best job in the world as he runs two of the most prestigious and recognizable car companies in the world; Bentley and Bugatti. As we're sure you know, both of these companies fall under the Volkswagen brand, but if Automotive News Europe is to be believed, changes are afoot within the mega-company. Prior to being in charge of Bugatti and Bentley, Durheimer was Porsche's development chief, and ANE believes that in a re-shuffle of Audi's management board to reduce the age of its seven-board members, Durheimer will leave his current positions and take up the role as Audi's development chief. He is said to be superseding Michael Dick, aged 60, in the role. A selection of other positions throughout the Audi brand are expected to be replaced also, such as the brand's sales chief and purchasing managers to again reduce the average age of the firm's management board. We're not sure as to why Audi and Volkswagen are so keen to have young board members, as employees should be solely chosen on their abilities rather than their ages, but it's likely Audi believes some of its current board members are losing their grasp on the ever-changing automotive industry, and perhaps believes bringing some youth to the team will help. In saying that however, the new members aren't exactly youthful as Durheimer is 53 and will be replacing a man just 7 years his senior, while Luca de Meo is 44 and expected to replace Audi's sales chief, 60-year-old Peter Schwartzenbauer. As a result of this switch-up, the position as CEO of Bentley and Bugatti will be up for grabs but it's unclear who'll be promoted to that position in the near future. Wolfgang Durheimer to leave Bentley and Bugatti for new role at Audi originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 14 May 2012 02:00 EST.
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| Rotary Supercars and their absence from 2012 Top Marques Monaco Posted: 13 May 2012 04:00 PM PDT
  If you cast your minds back to late August 2011, you may remember how we reported that a 2,801HP supercar from little known German manufacturer Rotary Supercars was supposed to debut at the 2012 Top Marques Monaco event, and guess what? Top Marques Monaco recently rolled around and to our surprise RSC was not in attendance. The tiny brand promised that its unnamed supercar would debut at the event and also promised some performance statistics simply out of this world. First and foremost, it predicted it could extract 2,801HP and 2,580lb-ft of torque from an eight-rotor engine which could launch the car from 0-62 mph in less than 1 second and onto a top speed of over 280 mph. Prior to RSC releasing details about its halo-car, it also announced that it was developing a 1,184 horsepower car dubbed the Predator GT and unsurprisingly, no further news has been released about that car either. It too promised to lay down some extremely impressive performance times, but nothing in comparison to what RSC supposedly had up its sleeve. Just a few months ago, if you headed over to RSC's official website, it took you straight to all of their proposed supercar plans and broke down detailed information about each one of them. Now however, the brand's website is simply blacked-out with some contact information and without a single hyperlink in sight. Now we don't know about you, but this has all the tell-tale signs of a car company too ambitious for its own good, which has eventually gone bust. We were always doubtful if RSC could really walk-the-walk rather than just talk-the-talk, but it seems likely we'll never see its near-3000 horsepower hypercar, which is a shame. Rotary Supercars and their absence from 2012 Top Marques Monaco originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 13 May 2012 23:00 EST.
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