TopSpeed Daily Update |  |
- Video: Mercedes releases David Coulthard's record-setting, golf ball catch with the SLS AMG Roadster
- Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S are the Fastest Selling Cars in the U.S.
- Smart Fortwo electric drive
- F1 banker comes clean with accepting bribes from Bernie Ecclestone
- BMW M3 GTRS5 Limited Edition by Vorsteiner
- Gymkhana 5 set to debut on July 9
- Porsche Exclusive 911 Carrera S
- Will.I.Am's "Concept Car" Gets Impounded
- Volkswagen Golf R Convertible
- Ferrari 599XX Evo auctioned for $1.77 million
| Posted: 21 Jun 2012 08:30 AM PDT
Earlier this month, Mercedes announced that they had set a pretty unusual world record. With F1 legend David Coulthard and pro golfer Jake Shepherd supplying the theatrics, Mercedes managed to set the record for the farthest distance a golf ball has been caught in a moving car. Unusual is probably an understatement to describe the attempt. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty cool record to be involved in. Mercedes promised to release the video next month, but apparently they couldn’t contain their excitement, releasing it earlier than all of us expected. The record grab, which was independently verified by the Guinness Book of World Records, only needed two takes to accomplish. Very impressive work, indeed. You can check out the video of Coulthard’s golf ball catch with the SLS AMG Roadster by clicking on the image above. There are also a number of subsequent angles of the catch, so make sure you check those out as well. Video: Mercedes releases David Coulthard's record-setting, golf ball catch with the SLS AMG Roadster originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 21 June 2012 15:30 EST.
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| Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S are the Fastest Selling Cars in the U.S. Posted: 21 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT
Inventory turns are the bane of a car dealership sales manager's existence, as the general manager will ride the sales manager like a rented mule if a unit stays on the lot past 30 days. In reality, the average car sits on a dealership's lot for a little over 50 days – that's a lot of gripe sessions from the GM. According to a report from Edmunds, via our pals at Auto Blog, the sales managers at Subaru and Scion dealerships can breathe easy every time a shipment of new BRZ or FR-S models comes rolling in on the back of a transporter. Why would these managers be so happy to see a truckload full of these new sports cars? Well, because the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S are No. 1 and 2 on the fastest selling vehicle list, respectively. There is barely enough time for the driver to unload the cars and for the service team to perform a safety check and get it detailed before a deal is being worked and the car is being driven off of the lot. Yup, the BRZ lasts a whopping four days in the dealership before turning into a sale and the FR-S lasts only five days. This is all well and good, but another issue is starting to rear its head, and that is the fact that there just are not enough BRZ and FR-S models to go around. Toyota will only make about 10,000 FR-S models and Subaru is planning only 6,000 units, which at the current pace will be completely sold out well before the end of the model year. We are willing to bet that neither Subaru nor Toyota will leave any money on the table, so we anticipate seeing production numbers ramped up in the coming months, if sales keep going the way they are. If Mazda is willing to increase the number of special edition RX-8s it is producing to keep up with demand, Subaru and Toyota likely will too. Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S are the Fastest Selling Cars in the U.S. originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 21 June 2012 15:00 EST.
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| Posted: 21 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT
Daimler's Smart lineup has been begging for an electric variant since its inception, due to its small stature and focus on being more "green" than other cars on the road. It took some time, but Smart finally did debut an electric variant and it is now due for an upgrade. Well, after much delay, the redesigned Smart electric drive – yes, it's all lowercase letters to stay true to the "smart" way – is finally set to hit the streets without hitting the filling station. With the influx of EVs in the marketplace, can the puny smart fortwo really stand up to the challenge? The fortwo has always been a niche car and adding in the hum of an electric motor in the place of its three-pot gasoline power plant just places it into an even narrower niche. Only time will truly tell whether this car will gain any traction in the EV market, but we are all set to dive into it and tell you what to expect. We will also let you know if this car is one for the ages or one that you can live without. Click past the jump to read our full review. Smart Fortwo electric drive originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 21 June 2012 14:00 EST.
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| F1 banker comes clean with accepting bribes from Bernie Ecclestone Posted: 21 Jun 2012 06:30 AM PDT
Former F1 banker, Gerhard Gribkowsky, is expected to be sent to jail for corruption and abuse of trust, and in an effort to have his sentenced reduced, he’s going down swinging. The former BayernLB risk officer has admitted to receiving $44 million of bribe money from F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone. The DAPD news agency quoted Gribkowsky admitting to the Munich state court that the bribery charges were "essentially true." On top of that, Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport also quoted the former banker saying that Ecclestone offered him "a huge pile of money." Apparently, that ’huge pile of money’ is around $44 million. For his part, Ecclestone has denied bribing Gribkowsky, although he did admit to paying off Gribkowksy after the latter threatened to snitch to the UK tax authorities to do a tax inquiry on the 81-year old Formula 1 boss. All this drama in the circus that is Formula 1 isn’t entirely new to a lot of folks. But this raises concerns on just how political the sport can be. If the sport’s most powerful man can admit to paying off somebody just to keep the UK tax authorities out of his nose without even the slightest inquiry, you know something’s wrong with that picture. F1 banker comes clean with accepting bribes from Bernie Ecclestone originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 21 June 2012 13:30 EST.
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| BMW M3 GTRS5 Limited Edition by Vorsteiner Posted: 21 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT
Vorsteiner is preparing to say goodbye to the legendary BMW M3 E92 with a very cool GTRS5 limited edition. Built in a run of just 40 units, the GTRS5 adds both an aggressive look, as well as functionality and performance to the executive car. The new tuning package is built on the heritage of the GTRS3, but has its own distinct characteristics. Vorsteiner paid very special attention in redesigning the front end bumper covers. The front bumper is designed with additional vertical vents to allow for improved airflow, while the rear bumper cover integrated diffuser features slightly longer aero fins to assist in creating additional downforce. Next to these new elements, the kit also includes wide arch front fenders, extended side skirts, and wide arch rear quarter panels, all made in carbon fiber. The car sits on a new set of 19" Vorsteiner VS-310 forged aluminum wheels and will be further identified thanks to a chrome trunk badge emblem and embroidered floor mats. As an option, the tuner is also offering a GTS3 carbon fiber vented race hood, a GTRS3 carbon fiber boot lid, and a new E9X M3 titanium sport exhaust system. BMW M3 GTRS5 Limited Edition by Vorsteiner originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 21 June 2012 13:00 EST.
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| Gymkhana 5 set to debut on July 9 Posted: 21 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT
A lot of people know Ken Block from his rallying forays with the Monster World Rally Team. But for all of his accomplishments in rally racing, a certain segment of his fan base love him more because of another reason. The fifth installment of the Gymkhana series will debut on July 9, 2012, and the good news is that the video is going back to its roots. The latest version - Gymkhana 4 - veered away from the raw, playground feel and steered towards a more Hollywood-centric approach. For Gymkhana 5, Block is going old-school. "My idea for Gymkhana FIVE was simple," Block said. "I wanted to build on the ultimate playground concept from Gymkhana THREE, and bring the franchise back to that raw and fast feel that the earlier videos had." For Gymkhana 5, Block and his crew trooped to San Francisco to shoot the video. "I've always wanted to film a Gymkhana video in a city and there are few places as unique and iconic with such amazing topography as San Francisco," he said. Check out the teaser video of Gymkhana 5 and be one with the rest of us in waiting with baited breath for the video to arrive. July 9th can’t arrive soon enough. Gymkhana 5 set to debut on July 9 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 21 June 2012 12:00 EST.
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| Porsche Exclusive 911 Carrera S Posted: 21 Jun 2012 04:00 AM PDT
If you are not completely satisfied with the new 400 HP Porsche Carrera S, the company is now offering a new power enhancement kit developed by the Porsche Exclusive department. The new kit will increase the 3.8-liter boxer engine’s output from the standard 400 HP up to 430 HP. As a result, the 0 to 60 mph sprint will be made in just 4 seconds and top speed will go up to 190 mph with the PDK tranny and 191 mph with a seven-speed manual gearbox. In order to obtain these impressive updates, as well as keep the same fuel economy, Porsche added different camshafts and an entirely new variable resonance intake system design with six air flaps and a resonance flap. A Powerkit can be activated at the push of a button, making the two exhaust lines merge and generating a powerful engine sound. Next to these changes, the new Porsche Exclusive 911 Carrera S also comes with a series of exterior updates. These changes will include a new front apron with powerful air intakes and a fixed rear spoiler in legendary "ducktail" form. For customers who want even more, Porsche is also offering an Aerokit Cup which includes an additional fixed rear wing over the rear spoiler and a special front spoiler lip with additional air intakes. The interior will receive lots of decorative trims, including brushed aluminum and carbon. Porsche Exclusive 911 Carrera S originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 21 June 2012 11:00 EST.
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| Will.I.Am's "Concept Car" Gets Impounded Posted: 21 Jun 2012 03:00 AM PDT
  For a while now, Black Eyed Peas member, Will.I.Am, has been prancing a DeLorean DMC-12 wrapped in a body kit and some rather odd looking headlights around calling it a (ahem) "Concept car" for his new "car company" dubbed "IAMAUTO." In reality, this is literally nothing but an uglier version of the original crap box that hit the market in 1981. Saying that any rendition of the DMC-12 could be uglier than the original may seem rather impossible, but this monstrosity takes the cake. Its sheer ugliness is not the news though. The news is that the LAPD has recently impounded this "concept" car. Though we wish we could say it was impounded for lowering property value, we cannot, but it is for an equally boneheaded reason. Will.I.Am was caught driving this thing around L.A. without a license plate, registration, or VIN plates. We venture to say that list can also include insurance, as you typically cannot insure a car without a VIN. So why did Mr. I.Am decide to take his "concept" on an un-plated and extremely illegal spin? According to reports, the musician said he just wanted to feel what it was like to drive his concept car on the street. Um, a few problems… First, that is no more a concept car than a 1987 Fiero with a Ferrari kit is a concept car. Secondly, you are a multi-millionaire pop star, pay to have the thing registered before driving it or take it to a track to drive it! We're not here to pass judgment on the guy, but please use that 3-pound hunk of water, lipids, protein, carbs, soluble organics, and inorganic salts inside of your skull (A.K.A. your brain) next time you think about taking an un-plated and unregistered car for a spin. A silver lining in the whole situation is that Will.I.Am was, according to reports, extremely cooperative with the police. So we have to give him credit for that, at least. Will.I.Am's "Concept Car" Gets Impounded originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 21 June 2012 10:00 EST.
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| Posted: 21 Jun 2012 02:00 AM PDT
Volkswagen is already offering a Convertible and a GTI Convertible for their Golf line, so it would be ridiculous not to apply the same treatment to the most powerful model in the Golf line-up: the R version. Our spy photographers have caught the first prototype for the R Convertible, proving that Volkswagen is getting serious about dominating the automotive world. While the GTI Convertible is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 210 HP, the R Convertible will get the same engine as its hatchback brother: a 2.0 Liter turbocharged four cylinder engine that delivers 270 HP (the US version gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 256 HP). It’s still unclear if the convertible will also get four-wheel drive, but we think it will need it to get all the power to the road. Just like the Golf R, the Convertible version will be distinguished by a sportier look and new wheels with bigger brakes. Expect to see the new Golf R Convertible launched sometime in 2013. Volkswagen Golf R Convertible originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 21 June 2012 09:00 EST.
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| Ferrari 599XX Evo auctioned for $1.77 million Posted: 21 Jun 2012 01:00 AM PDT
 A few weeks ago, we reported that Ferrari will auction off a 599XX Evo with all the proceeds being used to help the victims of the recent Italian earthquake. Now, the company has announced the results of the online auction: an impressive 1.8 million euro ($2.28 million) were raised, with 1.4 million euro ($1.77 million) coming from the sale of the 599XX. Ferrari hasn’t announced who the lucky client that acquired this impressive model was, but they did announce that it was an American client. The model will come with a plaque signed by Chairman Luca di Montezemolo and Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. "A pole position result: I knew I could count on the big-heartedness of the Ferraristi but they've still managed to surprise me once again," declared Ferrari Chairman, Luca di Montezemolo. "I would like to thank all the clients, collectors and enthusiasts that did their bit. Their bids have sent out a message of warmth and solidarity to the people in our region affected by this tragedy." Ferrari 599XX Evo auctioned for $1.77 million originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 21 June 2012 08:00 EST.
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