7/15/2012

TopSpeed Daily Update

Range Rover Evoque Vesuvius Copper Edition by Kahn Design
Hublot Ferrari 250 GTO Classic Fusion Watch
Successful 6 month Porsche sales hint at yet another brilliant year
Ferrari FF Vindicator by SR Auto Group
Car Infographics: 40 Years of the Honda Civic
Porsche 918 Spyder will get Race Track package

Range Rover Evoque Vesuvius Copper Edition by Kahn Design

Posted: 14 Jul 2012 05:00 AM PDT

There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight with Kahn Design’s fascination for building aftermarket programs for the Range Rover Evoque. We’ve already seen a couple of versions in the past, but we have to admit, this latest one, called the Vesuvius Copper Edition, blows anything they’ve made out of the water.

The Vesuvius Copper Evoque comes with a completely different - and better look! - than any other program we’ve seen for the SUV. Kahn Design fitted new front and rear bumper spoilers that dramatically alter the Evoque’s appearance. In addition, a new front grille was also added, as well as new fog lamps, LED running lights in the front bumper, privacy glass, stainless steel cross hair exhausts with a twin central tailpipe finished in black, a new set of 22" RS600 wheels finished in matte gray to offer a nice contrast from the SUV’s "Vesuvius Copper" exterior, and brake calipers finished in the same color of the body.

Moving into the interior, the Vesuvius Copper Evoque was treated with a package that features seats dressed in black quilted and perforated leather with Alcantara inserts and Vesuvius copper detailing. Sick as sick can be. From there, the rev counter and speedometer have been turned to red while the central glove box comes in a diamond quilted dress up. From there, the piano black carbon trim also adds a touch of sophistication to the interior look while the Vesuvius sports steering wheel comes with copper stitching. Finally, Kahn badging is present throughout the interior while the heated seats, floor mats, and aluminum machined foot pedals round out the program.

gallery: 2011 Range Rover Evoque

Range Rover Evoque Vesuvius Copper Edition by Kahn Design originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 14 July 2012 12:00 EST.

Hublot Ferrari 250 GTO Classic Fusion Watch

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 11:00 PM PDT

The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO is, without question, the rarest and most sough-after Ferrari ever built. Hardly surprising, too, considering that only 36 models were ever built and it carried an iconic design and ahead-of-its-time mechanics.

This year, the 250 GTO is celebrating its 50th anniversary and Ferrari is preparing for a grand celebration that the car so fittingly deserves. One of the Ferrari’s partners, Hublot is lending its support with the production of the Ferrari 250 GTO Classic Fusion Watch, a time piece that pays homage to the iconic Ferrari.

Unveiled last week in an event at the home of Dom Pérignon Champagne at Abbaye de Hautvillers in France, the special edition timepiece is truly a watch for the books. In celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 250 GTO, Hublot designed the Ferrari 250 GTO Classic Fusion Watch with the finest of details, highlighted by a 45mm encasement machined out of titanium and fitted with a skeletonized Tourbillion movement. The Swiss watchmaker also added GTO references on the watch, including the customized chassis numbers from the cars and the use of barenia calfskin on the watch’s strap. Finally, a unique barrel drum was also designed in the watch, which you can see at the 12 o’clock position. This is as unique and as intricate a detail as you can expect from a timepiece brand like Hublot.

Unfortunately for timepiece enthusiasts, getting your hands on one of these watches is next to impossible...unless of course you happen to own one of the remaining 250 GTOs still in existence today.

Hublot Ferrari 250 GTO Classic Fusion Watch originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 14 July 2012 06:00 EST.

Successful 6 month Porsche sales hint at yet another brilliant year

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 08:00 PM PDT

Despite recently pulling out of the illustrious Iranian car market a few months ago, Porsche managed to achieve some incredible sales results for the first quarter of the year. That impressive sales trend has continued with the German company posting more great revenue figures for the first six months of the year.

Delivering 30,231 vehicles for the first quarter, the latest results show that sales continued to rise throughout the preceding months with an additional 38,940 units being sold, bringing the total six month tally up to 69,171. In comparison to last year, that's an impressive increase of 14%.

Furthermore, Porsche managed to sell 12,699 cars in the month of June, an 18.9% increase over June last year. With the recent launch of the new Porsche 911/991, no less than 14,338 911's were sold over this time period representing an increase of 27.4% from last year.

Unsurprisingly, the Porsche Cayenne was the brand's best revenue raiser selling 34,727 vehicles, another great increase of 15.5% over the same time last year.

While speaking about the issue, Porsche marketing chief Bernhard Maier stated, "Porsche successfully continued on its growth path in the first half of the year. However, we cannot separate ourselves from the economy as a whole. With regard to the European economy in particular, we will continue to monitor developments closely and respond quickly if necessary. Nevertheless, we are currently planning for double-digit growth in 2012."

gallery: 2011 Porsche Cayenne

Successful 6 month Porsche sales hint at yet another brilliant year originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 14 July 2012 03:00 EST.

Ferrari FF Vindicator by SR Auto Group

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT

The Ferrari FF made its world debut in 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show and since then, the only major update it has received came from Novitec Rosso. Tuners just aren’t that excited about revamping Ferrari’s oddly shaped sports coupe and one look at the vehicle will shed some light for many as to why. Now, American tuner SR Auto Group is attempting to justify the FF’s existence by coming up with an upgrade package of their own. The package is called the FF Vindicator, which is surely SR Auto Group’s attempt at convincing us all that this will be the package to redeem the sports coupe.

This new kit was inspired by the Project Era which was based on the Ferrari 458 Italia. It consists of painting the car in a cool white finish and slapping on a new set of PUR wheels in a 1NE design. This setup may have worked for the 458 Italia, but that is another beast entirely. The Ferrari FF may have a 6,262 cc direct injection V12 engine that delivers 660 HP at 8,000 rpm and a peak torque of 503 lbs-ft 6,000 rpm, but its design is just a rolling pile of aluminum poop.

gallery: 2012 Ferrari FF

Ferrari FF Vindicator by SR Auto Group originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 13 July 2012 19:00 EST.

Car Infographics: 40 Years of the Honda Civic

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 11:00 AM PDT

In the ’90s, the Honda Civic was about as common as brightly colored clothes and dual tone socks (don’t lie, we’ve all been there). Kid ’n Play attire aside though, Civics were all the rage due to the ease in which they could be customized, specifically the ease in which the engines could be swapped for more powerful Honda substitutions. Personally, that was our highlight for the Honda Civic, but in total, there were nine generations of the compact car that each had their own unique quality. Now, 40 years, 21 million units, and 60 international awards later, the Honda Civic is coming into its own again, promising fuel economy, sporty performance, smart packaging, alternative fuel, and long-term value. But before we put the spotlight on the New Civic, here’s an infographic to highlight the wonder and versatility that is the Honda Civic.

This infographic goes into the nine generations of the Honda Civic starting with its introduction as a two-door model in July 1973 and ending with the 2012 New Civic. It also goes into the highlights for each generation.

Check out the rest of the infographic after the jump to get more information and remember to check back with us for the next installment in our Car Infographics series.

gallery: 2012 Honda Civic

Car Infographics: 40 Years of the Honda Civic originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 13 July 2012 18:00 EST.

Porsche 918 Spyder will get Race Track package

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT

Customers still have to wait more than a year until the Porsche 918 Spyder arrives on the market, but at this point, we know pretty much everything there is to know about the future hybrid supercar. Here’s another tidbit to add to the bunch: Autocar is reporting that the next 918 Spyder will be offered with a very cool Race Track package - sold at a premium price.

This package comes with a stripped-out interior and the option of being delivered paint-bare (no paint), details that will reduce the total weight by about 30 kilos/66 lbs. Porsche hopes that about 20% of all the 918 units to be sold will be ordered with this package.

The 918 Spyder will be powered by a race-derived 4.6-liter V8 engine combined with two electric motors for a total output of 762 HP and 552 lbs-ft of torque. The model will be priced at $845,000.