TopSpeed Daily Update |  |
- Alfa Romeo Cleans up at Concorso d'Eleganza
- Ferrari 206 S Dino Spyder by Carrozzeria Sports Cars
- Vehicular Court: Arrinera Automotive accused of using a Kit Car to build the Venocara
- New details leaked on the Chevrolet SS and Porsche 918 Spyder
- Volkswagen CC R-Line
- North America-Bound Mazdas may Roll out of Chrysler Plants
- Mini Cooper 5-Door
- American Muscle Car Parking
- Spy Shots: Renault Clio heads out for more testing without some of its camouflage
- Ford Fiesta Sedan
| Alfa Romeo Cleans up at Concorso d'Eleganza Posted: 30 May 2012 08:00 AM PDT
Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2012 is in the books and one automaker, which was surprisingly not BMW – the sponsor of the event – cleaned up house by taking home four awards, including the most prestigious award. The winner of three of the four awards is a 1933 6C 1750 GS, an ultra-rare specimen from Alfa Romeo. The main prize that this beauty won was the "Concorso d'Eleganza Best of Show" by vote of the jury, which is the top award. In addition to this top prize, the Alfa Romeo also took home the "Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este" and the "Tropheo BMW Group Italia" by public vote. The 6C 1750 GS was part of a series of road and race cars that Alfa Romeo manufactured from 1929 through 1933. While all of the models have their own special place in automotive history, this 1933 6C 1750 GS is especially rare. This model was designed by Figoni coach builders and boasts a 1,752 cc in-line six-cylinder engine, which cranked out a then-impressive 102 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 126 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm. In addition to the 6C taking home three awards, Alfa Romeo took home yet another award. This prize was handed to the 4C, as it won the "Design Award for Concept Cars & Prototypes," which is voted on by the public. This sleek and sexy sports car takes its styling cues from the 8C Competizione and boasts a 200-horsepower 1,750 cc turbocharged four-cylinder engine. An official at the event was quoted "…the 4C represents the essence a of true sports soul in accordance with the brand’s values: performance, Italian style and technical excellence for maximum driving pleasure in complete safety." And we certainly agree with that interpretation. In closing, we tip our hats to Alfa Romeo and impatiently await the release of the 4C's debut in the U.S. in 2013. Click past the jump to read the full press release. Alfa Romeo Cleans up at Concorso d'Eleganza originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 15:00 EST.
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| Ferrari 206 S Dino Spyder by Carrozzeria Sports Cars Posted: 30 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT
While most of us are still waiting for Ferrari to bring back the legendary Dino name, the classic version is still breaking hearts. One of the only 18 Ferrari 206 S Dino Spyders to be produced has been auctioned by RM Auctions in Monaco for an amazing €2,520,000, or about $3,155,000 at the current exchange rates. The Ferrari Dino 206 S was unveiled in February 1966 and was aimed to race the FIA’s 2-liter Group 4 class against the most powerful of Porsche models. The Dino was up for the task using a 65 degree V-6 engine that had been conceived by Dino Ferrari himself. Shortly after its debut, the Dino 206 S proved what an amazing car it really was: it earned a 2nd place finish at the Targo Florio, 2nd and 3rd at the Nurburgring, and a 6th place finish at Spa. Then, in June 1967 with Richard Attwood and David Piper behind the wheel, it scored another impressive result, this time in the 1,000 Kilometer Nurburgring race: 6th place overall and 1st in class. Hit the jump to read more about the Ferrari 206 S Dino Spyder by Carrozzeria Sports Cars. Ferrari 206 S Dino Spyder by Carrozzeria Sports Cars originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 14:00 EST.
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| Vehicular Court: Arrinera Automotive accused of using a Kit Car to build the Venocara Posted: 30 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT
  Okay, so we wrote a nice review about the Arrinera Venocara supercar hailing from Poland and we make the observation that this car "looks a hell of a lot like a Lamborghini." Apparently, the Polish media thought the same, as Jacek Balkan outright accused Arrinera of building this new supercar from a Lamborghini kit available through Polish kit car manufacturer Bojar. Later, Arrinera's CEO Lukasz Tomkiewicz adamantly denied all accusations and even addressed the usage of an Audi A6 C5 air conditioning panel and instrument cluster. We can admit that the resemblance between the Lambo and the Arrinera Venocara is striking, but the automotive world is chock-full of copycats and information sharing, so it may just be happenstance. We are not prepared to pass judgment until we put all three of the vehicles in question, the Lamborghini Reventon, the Bojar El Toro Kit, and the Arrinera Venocara on trial in TopSpeed court. We will closely examine all of the evidence on each car and come to our final ruling as to whether or not this truly is a slightly modified kit car to help boost the blossoming company's stock, or simply a case of copycatting gone too far. Click past the jump to view the entire TopSpeed trial… Vehicular Court: Arrinera Automotive accused of using a Kit Car to build the Venocara originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 13:00 EST.
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| New details leaked on the Chevrolet SS and Porsche 918 Spyder Posted: 30 May 2012 05:30 AM PDT
 Both Chevrolet and Porsche have already confirmed the existence of the SS performance sedan and the 918 Spyder supercar respectively, but the details offered on both of these models are quite limited. Thank goodness for the internet because now we can tell you more about both models due to some new details that have popped up online! As many probably know, the future Chevrolet SS will be built on the same architecture as the Camaro - an architecture that has already been thoroughly criticized for weighing too much. Chevrolet hopes to change that by working hard on reducing the total weight, a measure that will improve the car’s fuel efficiency, performance, and handling. In order to reduce the weight, Chevrolet will use high-strength steel, electric power steering, and lightweight suspension and interior components. The future SS will also benefit from new safety features like front-collision and blind-spot alert systems. As for the Porsche 918 Spyder, recent tests proved the supercar can hit a top speed of 200 mph and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in sub-3-second. Yep, that’s enough of an update for us! We’re looking forward to finding out more on these two models, so stay tuned! New details leaked on the Chevrolet SS and Porsche 918 Spyder originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 12:30 EST.
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| Posted: 30 May 2012 05:00 AM PDT
No, Volkswagen is not creating a lineup of cars dedicated to your favorite southern rock band, Credence Clearwater Revival. We "Heard it through the Grapevine" that VW is actually moving its sporty trim level, dubbed the R-Line, over to its current sports sedan, the CC. This new trim level is set to debut on June 1st at the Leipzig Auto Show in Germany. This new addition to the CC lineup will give the CC a sixth trim level to accompany the Sport, Sport Plus, Lux, Lux V6, and VR6 4Motion. Though this model receives the R-line badges and sportier appearance, it does not have higher horsepower, like other R-line vehicles, so it won't get you "Up Around The Bend" any faster than the top-level CC VR6. So what can we really expect from this new CC R-line? Does this mean that there is a "Bad Moon Rising" for fellow sports sedans, like the Maxima or 3-Series? Check out our complete review by clicking past the jump and find out if this new VW CC R-line is "Born To Move." Volkswagen CC R-Line originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 12:00 EST.
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| North America-Bound Mazdas may Roll out of Chrysler Plants Posted: 30 May 2012 04:00 AM PDT
 Just a few days ago, we reported that Mazda and Fiat have joined forces to jointly produce a new sports car based on the upcoming redesigned MX-5 Miata. Fiat would use this opportunity to revive the once popular Alfa Romeo Spider, the car whose shoes the MX-5 filled back in 1990. This could not only revive the Spider overseas, but it could also bring Alfa Romeo back into the U.S. market at a reasonable price. Recently, at a Chrysler event, a reporter from Reuters learned that this relationship may go even further than simply jointly manufacturing a sports car. The report states that Fiat is also open to allowing Mazda to use Chrysler plants to manufacture their North America-bound cars. This would obviously help Mazda a great deal, as importing cars from Japan to North American countries is extremely expensive and drives up the cars' MSRPs, which in turn drives customers out of dealerships. There is nothing official, but we could see something like the Ford-Mazda partnership that started in 1979 and effectively ended in 2010. This would result in various joint-ventures between Fiat, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Mazda, making the group one that rivals Volkswagen Auto Group, though a tad less luxurious and expensive. The advancements across the board, however, would be similar. After some tough times, Mazda finally saw some gains in 2011, as its market share increased 9 percent that year, but it needs more to remain afloat. Mazda should see some additional increases over the next few year regardless, as the RX-8, which was down 33 percent in 2011, is being discontinued and the Miata, which was down 11 percent, is being significantly redesigned. A little added boost from a production-cost sharing venture with Fiat and Chrysler could do nothing but help all three rebounding brands and reinvent Alfa Romeo in the U.S. North America-Bound Mazdas may Roll out of Chrysler Plants originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 11:00 EST.
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| Posted: 30 May 2012 03:00 AM PDT
 The Mini Cooper is undoubtedly popular due to its stylish setup, but it has somewhat of a "little" problem: Size. The Cooper only comes in a three-door configuration and being that size does indeed matter, many US customers consider it unsafe, uncomfortable, and not very practical. Mini plans to change that with its next generation Cooper and its new five-door configuration. This new version is aimed especially for markets like US. Aimed especially at markets like the U.S., this five door version will be based on the three-door version, but will get two shortened front doors and two small, conventionally opening doors behind them. This will be a similar layout to the one found in the Countryman, but in a smaller version. On the interior, the rear passengers will get an extra 5cm in legroom, while the front section will be identical to the three-door version. Adding two more doors will make the 5-Door Mini Cooper an ideal family car and will help American customers overcome their fears of impracticality. It will most likely be offered at the same time the three-door version comes out, so expect to see it by the end of 2013. Note: Three-door version pictured. Mini Cooper 5-Door originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 10:00 EST.
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| Posted: 30 May 2012 02:59 AM PDT
American Muscle Car Parking originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 09:59 EST.
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| Spy Shots: Renault Clio heads out for more testing without some of its camouflage Posted: 30 May 2012 02:30 AM PDT
 The 2013 Renault Clio went out testing just the other day, but it seems the French company wasn’t very happy about the results as they took it out again for another round of testing. As you can see, the car has been rid of some of its camouflage here and there and that nasty engine bump we’ve seen in the previous prototype is also missing. The 2013 Renault Clio will benefit from a new exterior design that includes new headlamps, a redesigned front bumper, and a new rear. The interior will also receive some important changes, including the addition of higher quality materials, new safety features, and, of course, some of the latest technologies. As for the engine line-up, customers will get a choice of 1.2 and 1.4 turbocharged tCe four-cylinder engines along with a new 900 cc three cylinder engine producing 85 HP. Diesel fans will enjoy a 1.5 dCi i4 which produces between 75 to 105 HP, plus a new 1.2 L turbocharged three-cylinder engine delivering 80 and 98 HP. Spy Shots: Renault Clio heads out for more testing without some of its camouflage originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 09:30 EST.
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| Posted: 30 May 2012 02:00 AM PDT
Our spy photographers have already caught the facelift version of the Fiesta hatchback testing during winter conditions, but now Ford has taken the sedan model out for a spin around the Nürburgring and our photographers were there once again to see it in action. These images show that the front and rear of the Fiesta have been blocked off from view, clearly indicating that these are the areas where most of the changes have been made. We know that Ford is currently working on new headlights with integrated LEDs, a new shaped engine hood, and new bumpers for both the front and the rear. That modified engine hood comes as a result of the new engine that has been placed in the sedan, but it’s nothing drastic. The Ford Fiesta Sedan will be running with a new 1.0 liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine delivering around 80 HP, an engine first shown in the small B-Max MPV. The new Ford Fiesta Sedan will make its official debut by the end of 2012, most likely at a major auto show like Paris. Ford Fiesta Sedan originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 09:00 EST.
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