/ / Maserati Levante by Startech

 

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This time last year, Maserati was preparing to unveil the Levante SUV at the Geneva Motor Show. Not only was it a signal of the Italian automaker's intentions to go all-in on the premium SUV market, but it also marked a big move to expand its own lineup past the usual coupes and sedans that it was offering. Fast forward to this week and the Maserati Levante is once again headed to Geneva, although this time, it's German tuner Starch that's bringing the SUV with it to the biggest auto show in the world.

The Brabus-owned aftermarket firm is no stranger to these types of events since it's been a regular fixture in Geneva over the past few years. But that was then, and this is now. And as far as "now" goes, the Levante is taking center stage at the Startech booth where it will be showcased in full aftermarket regalia, complete with a new body kit, a massive set of wheels, and the promise of interior and engine upgrades, both of which will come at a later date.

So yes, it's technically an incomplete program, but don't take that against Startech. If anything, the strategy to showcase just a part of the full Levante tuning experience can be seen as a way to build up the kit ahead of when the interior amenities and the power and performance boosts are ready to be unveiled. That's certainly one of way looking at it and for what it's worth - literally and figuratively - the aerodynamic body kit Startech prepared for the Levante does warrant a place in Geneva.
Now if only the tuner had a definite timetable and when the interior and performance upgrades will arrive…

 Continue after the jump to read more about the Maserati Levante by Startech



After three years on the market, the first-generation McLaren Super Series was replaced by a redesigned model at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Dubbed 720S, the core member of the second-generation Super Series has been thoroughly redesigned inside and out and gained a revised, larger V-8 engine.
Introduced in 2014 as a replacement for the 12C, the company's first mass-produced sports car, the McLaren Super Series has had a successful three of years on the market as of 2017. It spawned several road-going and race-spec versions, including the 650S, 675LT, and 650S GT3, forming the brand's most comprehensive family of vehicles yet. But, despite its success and tremendous performance, McLaren decided to give the Super Series a makeover and launch the brand-new 720S in 2017.
Codenamed P14, the successor to the 650S is the first new model in McLaren's new business plan, which includes a £1-billion investment for 15 new products by 2022. Built around a new carbon-fiber tub called the Monocage II, the second-gen Super Series ditched the company’s ubiquitous 3.8-liter V-8 for a new, 4.0-liter unit. Design-wise, The 720S is a significant departure from the 650S and incorporates radical active aerodynamics, as well as loads of new technology in the cockpit.
As you’d expect from a new-generation supercar, the 720S is lighter, faster, and even more dynamically capable than its predecessor. Let’s find out more about that in the review below.
Continue reading to learn more about the McLaren 720S.
Posted: 10 Mar 2017 06:00 AM PST


In a world often taken up by personalization divisions and aftermarket options, it's easy to miss out on the benefits of something as simple as an add-on package. They don't get the flashy reviews or the top-of-the-page headlines, but there is an argument that they're just as effective in giving life vehicle. BMW's M Performance Parts is a good example of that since it's often overshadowed by tuning companies and Bimmer's Individual personalization division. But as it showed in the 5 Series Touring variant of the mid-sized luxury sedan, there's more to the M Performance Parts than meets the eye.
The treatment itself is getting some well-deserved shine at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show where BMW will be displaying the 5 Series Touring with M Performance Parts in all its glory. It might be hard to recognize the difference, but rest assured, the package comes with an assortment of sporty goodies meant to drive up the personality of the 5 Series Touring. Starting with the exterior and moving to the interior and the engine (yep, there's an optional power kit included) the M Performance Parts lives up to its name by turning the 5 Series Touring into a veritable M car.
It may not carry the iconic M badge, but that's just a matter of cosmetics. The BMW 5 Series Touring with M Performance Parts looks and acts like an M car. That in itself is worth giving the station wagon the attention it deserves.
Continue after the jump to read more about the BMW 5 Series Touring with M Performance Parts
Posted: 10 Mar 2017 04:00 AM PST


After several years of rumors and teasing, Renault finally relaunched Alpine and unveiled the brand’s first road-going sports car in more than two decades. To those who aren’t familiar with the original Alpine A110, this new sports car is probably an enigma. The Alpine name doesn’t mean much to the average Joe nowadays, while the fact that it’s developed by Renault doesn’t give it the exposure it deserves. But I think that the new A110 has the potential to become a Porsche Cayman killer, and I’m going to explain why.
For starters, this isn’t your regular higher performance car based on an existing platform. The A110 rides on a bespoke chassis developed specifically for this application, while its lightweight, aluminum body is modern, yet aerodynamic and bears a close resemblance to the original, iconic A110 of the 1960s. In other words, while the Cayman doesn’t have that much history to brag about design-wise, the A110 is based on a vehicle that was launched two years before the Porsche 911. Pretty solid heritage, huh?
But looks are a matter of taste, and as I said before, Alpine is a rather obscure brand after operating as a niche carmaker in Europe only, so let’s move to the things that really matter to a sports car.
Continue reading for the full story.
Posted: 10 Mar 2017 03:30 AM PST


Jaguar entered a new era in 2013, when it launched the F-Type and revived the sporty and innovative spirit it had lost in recent decades. The British company made another step into the future in 2015, when the F-Pace became the first SUV to wear the iconic "Cat" logo. Come 2016 and Jaguar is ready to take a new step into the future, this time with an all-electric vehicle. It’s called the I-Pace, it’s only a concept for now, but will become a production model for the 2018 model year.
Unveiled at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, the I-Pace is loosely based on the F-Pace styling-wise, but ditches Jaguar’s already familiar four-cylinder, V-6, and V-8 powerplants for a pair of electric motors and a battery pack. The I-Pace will become Jaguar’s first-ever electric vehicle when it hits public roads and will essentially bring to fruition the electrification process that the company began back in 2010 with the C-X75 concept.
The I-Pace was created and developed by Ian Callum, Jaguar’s design director and the man who has previously penned cars such as the Aston Martin DB7 and DB9, Jaguar XK, XF, and XJ, as well as the F-Type sports car. Callum also designed the Ford RS200 and Nissan R390 race cars.
Described as a smart five-seater that’s "a performance car, a family car, and an SUV all in one," the I-Pace grants Jaguar entry to the electric car segment, and if performance figures are any indication, the popular Tesla Model X will finally get a worthy competitor.
Updated 03/10/2017: Jaguar I-Pace concept made its European debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show where it received a very cool Photon Red exterior paint.
Continue reading to learn more about the Jaguar I-Pace Concept.
Posted: 10 Mar 2017 02:00 AM PST


We all know competition in the auto world is absolutely ruthless these days. The pressure to make a sale is enormous, and that means each and every update has to be as effective as possible in order to keep a model afloat. For example, take the new Toyota Yaris. While technically just a mid-life refresh, this latest model year of the Yaris ushers in a slew of tweaks, refinements, and additions, which, taken as a whole, might qualify as a whole new generation just a decade ago.
It makes sense when you consider the Japanese brand has sold over three million of these things between 2001 and 2016. That's a lot of Yarises (Yarii?), even when spread out across numerous major markets, including Europe, Africa, North America, the Middle East, and Asia.
Clearly, this subcompact hatchback is an important model for Toyota, and as such, the company invested some 90 million euros ($95.3 million) to improve it. Many of the updates take after the Vitz, the Yaris' Japanese equivalent, and include new styling, more equipment, improved handling, new safety features, and an updated 1.5-liter gasoline engine. There's also an optional hybrid powerplant on the table, with 40 percent of the models sold in Europe being hybrids.
In total, the update consists of some 900 individual new parts. Read on to see how they fit together and why this is more than a simple refresh.
Continue reading for the full story.
Posted: 10 Mar 2017 01:00 AM PST


Dodge has launched yet another teaser video ahead of the 2018 SRT Demon's launch at the 2017 New York Auto Show. Like the other teaser videos before it, this one gives little detail but entices with exhaust noises, supercharger while, and tire smoke. What details are given are clearly gifts from Dodge's marketing department. Today they're milking this debut is a drastic understatement. Nevertheless, there are a few cleverly-planted hints, including the horsepower rating.
Watching the video above, you'll see the Challenger's 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment screen and its SRT Performance Pages. Like the current SRT-branded Dodge vehicles, these pages include auxiliary gauges, G-meter, and powertrain setup options that include suspension, transmission, and engine tuning. However, the Demon's Performance Pages are clearly different.
Not only are they updated, but also contain a new data recorder feature. Look closely enough and you'll spot some other nuggets of information. Check out the clock – 757. Seems awful conspicuous, especially when the new Dyno chart page shows a peak horsepower of roughly 757. The torque curve is just beneath, perhaps around 750 pound-feet. While that's below the rumored 800 horsepower, the dyno chart doesn't even show 800 horsepower on the graph. Interesting. (Or Dodge is playing us.)
For the rest of Dodge's tease, keep reading.
Continue reading for the full story.
Posted: 10 Mar 2017 12:00 AM PST


The newly created Italdesign Automobile Speciali brand isn't wasting any time launching its first model to the (affluent) masses. From the roots of famed car styling house Italdesign, the new marque is presenting the Zerouno at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, an ultra-exclusive V-10 powered supercar that certainly looks and acts like one.
Power and performance numbers haven’t been announced, but in terms of the way it looks, the Zerouno is as good of a debut that Italdesign Automobili Speciali could have had. It's got elements of the Lamborghini Huracán in it, particularly in the front and rear sections. The similarities to Lamborghini's supercar extends deeper too since the Zerouno also makes use of a modular chassis with lightweight materials like carbon fiber and aluminum, just like the regular Huracán. Even the car's powertrain is also identical to the Huracán’s – a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10 that's mounted behind the cabin – although power figures are expected to be different. And if those qualities aren't enough, the Zerouno also features an accented aerodynamic layout, which the company says was done to ensure that the car performs on the track as well as it looks on the Geneva show floor.
Beyond all the design features and the promise of muscle-flexing power, the Zerouno also creates a high standard for Italdesign Automobile Speciali as it tries to embark on its own as a boutique auto brand.
The design house has come a long way since it was acquired by the Volkswagen Group in 2010. As far as debut offerings are concerned, the Italdesign Zerouno supercar is certainly making a good account of itself. All that's left now is for the car to hit the road and prove it's real worth.
Continue reading for the full story.
Posted: 09 Mar 2017 09:00 AM PST


To say that Rolls-Royce makes luxury cars is an understatement. The iconic British firm goes beyond that, and it has been doing so since forever. You know those Bespoke models that pop up from time to time? Well, those aren’t rare, custom cars among standard models. Nearly every single model visits the Bespoke division before leaving the factory, because almost every Rolls-Royce (if not all) is tailored to customer specification. When you’re paying hundreds of thousands for a vehicle, you want to make it your own by adding all sorts of details and materials. It’s as simple as that!
Granted, it’s not wrong to say that Rolls-Royce is a luxury car manufacturer, but judging by the amount of bespoke and flamboyant features we see in most of its cars, we can file these products under "exuberant," "rakish," and in some cases even "ostentatious." They’re opulent means of transportation of opulent people and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, in its wild desire to innovate, a company like Rolls-Royce tends to blow things out of proportion. It doesn’t happen too often, but the unique Ghost Elegance that the Brits displayed at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show is the perfect example.
Yes, I’m talking about the Diamond Stardust paint.
Created for a what appears to be a very demanding owner, Diamond Stardust was created by crushing no fewer than 1,000 diamonds and mixing the resulted dust into the paint, in a process that lasted two months. Sounds pretty fancy and innovative, but there’s just one tiny problem. The dark gray color looks like a dull metallic paint. Sure, it looks as if the color has more glitter than the average metallic paint, but I’m not impressed.
Why is this a big deal? Well, let’s say that Rolls-Royce made a too big of a fuss about this paint and the lengthy process it needed to be created. And it’s not like the Brits discovered how to make flying to Mars more affordable, it’s just a paint that’s not too different from a metallic hue you can get with any Toyota or Hyundai.
I’m anxiously waiting for the paint made from 100 pounds of unobtanium.
 
 
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