7/09/2012

TopSpeed Daily Update

De Tomaso officially bites the dust - again
Japan Eyeballing the 2020s for Introduction of Automated Vehicles
Video: Beautiful baby-blue chrome Bugatti Veyron Centenaire snapped in London

De Tomaso officially bites the dust - again

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 05:00 AM PDT

When De Tomaso made its comeback at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, a lot of people speculated on the brand’s revival and the impending future it had after going down the pipe in 2004.

Unfortunately, the initial optimism surrounding De Tomaso ended up being short-lived as the company has officially declared bankruptcy - again - in Livoro.

This latest development comes as a devastating blow for fans of the Italian automaker, a lot of whom have been looking forward to seeing what the company has to offer since it flogged eight years ago. Among the plans called for a five-door crossover called the Deauville, a future limousine model, and most importantly, a revival of arguably its most iconic model, the Pantera supercar.

All of that, however, is no longer relevant as the company, after years of uncertainty over securing a deal with Chinese investment firm Hotyork, has thrown in the towel. The initial plan was for the latter to buy majority shares of the former, amounting to a figure of €70 million, but when the money never came, any chance of us seeing the all-new Pantera supercar prowling the streets went up in smoke.

Tough luck. Really, really tough luck.

De Tomaso officially bites the dust - again originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 8 July 2012 12:00 EST.

Japan Eyeballing the 2020s for Introduction of Automated Vehicles

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 11:00 PM PDT

We do our best to keep you in the loop when it comes to new and cool developments in the automotive world. One of the hottest topics going right now in the U.S. is automated driving. Though it is still several decades away from being a national reality, although some states are legalizing autonomous cars, we are still seeing some progress. The leader in this technology to date in the U.S. is the Google Prius, but other automakers - such as Cadillac and Ford - sniffing around the automated car sector.

In Japan, however, they are taking the bull by the horns and setting up an outline for national implementation of an autonomous driving system. According to a report from Tech-On, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) is starting to piece together how to make automated driving a reality in as little as eight years.

Starting immediately, the MLIT will start piecing together the problems related to automated driving and neatly package it in an interim report that is due for release in March of 2013. Some of the issues at hand have to include: driver attentiveness, driver override ability, handling of accidents, and infrastructure development.

The MLIT has already employed the help of Toyota, Nissan, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (A.K.A. Subaru), Honda, and Mazda in this project. Heading up the entire team is Yasuo Asakura, a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

For now, this is all just talk and we will see if anything ever comes of it. If this is actually a serious deal, it could drastically accelerate the timeframe that we in the industry have set for automated cars. We will keep a close eye on this situation and update you if any new details come up. Until then, enjoy your steering wheel, while you still can.

gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius

Japan Eyeballing the 2020s for Introduction of Automated Vehicles originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 8 July 2012 06:00 EST.

Video: Beautiful baby-blue chrome Bugatti Veyron Centenaire snapped in London

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT

Summer in London, England just wouldn't be complete without a selection of insane supercars cruising through the busy streets with herds of 'car spotters' following their every move. Thanks to Shmee150, we can bring you what is arguably the most unique Bugatti Veyron Centenaire you'll ever see.

As a standalone car limited to just four units, the Bugatti Veyron Centenaire was produced in a range of four colors to help celebrate the racing histories of four different European nations. Despite the fact that the Centenaire looks incredible completely stock, the lucky owner of this example actually fitted it with a blue-chrome wrap and blacked-out wheels to help create the incredible work-of-art you see.

On top of that, the side windows and windscreen have been heavily tinted to help accentuate the beautiful blue wrap. As a result of this, we'd argue that this is quite a tasteful color choice and not overkill in anyway, unlike this gold-wrapped Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4.

So would you cruise the streets of London in this beast?