Thursday, February 28, 2013
KoenigseggAutomotive is asking us to celebrate “0-100-10″ at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, releasing a teaser image featuring carbon fiber with yellow stripes.
At last year’s Geneva Motor Show, Koenigsegg showed off a render for its 100th car, so chances are, we’ll get to see the Swedish automaker’s 100th creation at this year’s show. As for the 10? Speculation is abound, but it could mean that Koenigsegg will launch a limited collection of 10 vehicles to commemorate its 100th car.
First Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda on sale for $2.75 million
First Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda on sale for $2.75 million
Published February 28, 2013
FoxNews.com
-
thegoldenoldies2012
-
thegoldenoldies2012
-
thegoldenoldies2012
If only your Voyager appreciated like this.
A 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, which cost about $4,300 when new, is currently listed on Ebay
with a buy it now price of $2.75 million.
with a buy it now price of $2.75 million.
But it’s no ordinary ‘Cuda.
The alpine white coupe is the very first Barracuda built with a 425 hp, 426 cubic-inch Hemi V8 engine, and one of just 284 produced with a four-speed manual transmission.
Considered by many as one of the greatest muscle cars in history, the 1970-1971 Hemi ‘Cuda has become one of the most sought-after collectibles of the era in recent years.
An even rarer ‘71 convertible, one of just 11 built, was recently sold at auction for $1.3 million, while a similar one took in $2.2 million back in 2007.
The fully-documented example on offer is a base trim level Barracuda complete with 8-track player, leather seats and only 17,750 miles on the odometer.
The Hagerty Price Guide lists the value of a top condition ‘Hemi Cuda at $228,000, but the first from the factory is certainly worth more than that.
How much more?
Well, this same car was listed in 2011 for $3.2 million, but apparently there were no takers.
The Ebay auction ends on Saturday, so we’ll have to wait until then to find out what the market thinks about it this time around.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/02/28/first-plymouth-hemi-cuda-on-sale-for-275-million/#ixzz2MEkKDFzW
Ford GT Hybrid?
Next Ford GT To Come Back as a Hybrid?
Images: Auto Express
There’s some scary years looming on the horizon for the performance-geared machines being built by the auto industry. As United States mandated 2016 mpg rules demand a combined fleet fuel economy will have to increase to 34.1 mpg. This of course, becomes more threatening as the passenger car numbers go from 33.3 (next year) to 37.8 mpg.
So while this threatens the future of our current muscle cars, Ford seems to be preparing for the storm with a positive outlook. The Blue Oval boys are readying an all-new mid-engined supercar GT. But this time around with hybrid power. The resurrection of the famous Le Mans racer was met with plenty of fanfare and threatened the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren.
This time around, Ford is looking to topple the aforementioned supercars by employing the most advanced technology available to deliver massive performance numbers while adhering to gestapo-level fuel regulations.
Source Auto Express noted that while the 2005 GT was styled heavily after its original source material, using plenty of styling cues from the original GT40, the latest interpretation is likely to leave the retro styling behind in favor of a more sharpened, modern look. Auto Express wrote, “Evoking memories of the 1995 Ford GT90 concept, which had a 720hp quad-turbocharged V12, the new GT will put an updated spin on the GT40’s design, with a huge front air intake, angular headlights and vents in the bonnet and flanks.”
While looking futuristic and modern, the overall proportions and mid-engine configuration will remain mainly the same. The big news is found under the big rear-mounted hood in the form of the GT’s supercharged V8 plant which will feature extra power at the touch of a button via an electric motor driving the front wheels. Wait, what?
Believe it or not, this is very similar to the that on the Porsche 918 Spyder. Moreover, the new GT’s electric motor arrangement will add the ability to run solely on electricity for brief periods of time, qualifying the new GT Ford’s green credentials. While the GT’s total power output is estimated around 600hp, the new GT will still keep up with other supercars with three-second 0-to-60mph times and a top speed surpassing 200mph.
Shelby Mustang GT350
This mean Mustang was perhaps the ultimate pony car
| By: t
The 1965 Shelby Mustang GT 350 (Credit: Ford).
This week in 1965, a former race car driver with a sharp eye for business opportunities debuted his Frankenstein beast of a car: The Shelby Mustang GT350, a high-performance variant of the Ford Mustang, starting a long history of souped-up Mustangs that made fans drool.
The Shelby Mustangs offered way more power and race-car tuning than Ford could offer off the production line. As one of the car's first brochures pointed out: "You don't just make great cars. You breed them."
The Shelby Mustang was the result of a now iconic partnership that Ford had entered with the late automotive legend Carroll Shelby, who died last May. Though the car was often called a "Cobra," it is not to be confused with the Shelby Cobra, which was a Ford-powered, two-seat sports car also produced by Shelby during the same time. This was mostly a marketing ploy and a heinous way of confounding casual car fans. The two cars sharedthe Cobra emblem, same paint schemes and "Cobra" valve covers.
Carroll Shelby's general strategy was to put big engines into smaller, lightweight cars. And the Ford Mustang was his car of choice, tuning it to his legendary standards to create perhaps the ultimate pony car.
The Shelby Mustang began life as a stock Mustang. It was shipped to Shelby American in Venice, Calif., where it received high-riser manifolds, had its Ford Falcon rear axles swapped with heavy-duty Ford Galaxie rear axles, and was given larger rear drum brakes, among other modifications. The Mustang also employed a bigger 4.7L V8 engine, which, after modifications, produced a mean 306 hp.
All in all, this was one badass car. And it had to be, in order to truly embody the insane name of the vehicle. A Mustang Cobra? Think about how terrifyingly awesome that animal hybrid would be.
The Shelby Mustang remained in production until 1970, just 5 years after its debut. Though it disappeared from the automotive marketplace for a long while, the car was reintroduced in 2007 as the Ford Shelby GT500. And now, Shelby American says they're getting back into the business of modifying Ford models. At the North American International Auto Show last week, the company showed off a modified Ford Focus, called the Shelby Focus ST. The Shelby modifications will cost $14,995 on top of the $23,700 base price for the Focus ST.
Today, the Shelby GT500 remains a favorite of critics and car enthusiasts alike -- a worthy successor carrying on Carroll Shelby's legacy.
The Shelby Mustangs offered way more power and race-car tuning than Ford could offer off the production line. As one of the car's first brochures pointed out: "You don't just make great cars. You breed them."
The Shelby Mustang was the result of a now iconic partnership that Ford had entered with the late automotive legend Carroll Shelby, who died last May. Though the car was often called a "Cobra," it is not to be confused with the Shelby Cobra, which was a Ford-powered, two-seat sports car also produced by Shelby during the same time. This was mostly a marketing ploy and a heinous way of confounding casual car fans. The two cars sharedthe Cobra emblem, same paint schemes and "Cobra" valve covers.
Carroll Shelby's general strategy was to put big engines into smaller, lightweight cars. And the Ford Mustang was his car of choice, tuning it to his legendary standards to create perhaps the ultimate pony car.
The Shelby Mustang began life as a stock Mustang. It was shipped to Shelby American in Venice, Calif., where it received high-riser manifolds, had its Ford Falcon rear axles swapped with heavy-duty Ford Galaxie rear axles, and was given larger rear drum brakes, among other modifications. The Mustang also employed a bigger 4.7L V8 engine, which, after modifications, produced a mean 306 hp.
All in all, this was one badass car. And it had to be, in order to truly embody the insane name of the vehicle. A Mustang Cobra? Think about how terrifyingly awesome that animal hybrid would be.
The Shelby Mustang remained in production until 1970, just 5 years after its debut. Though it disappeared from the automotive marketplace for a long while, the car was reintroduced in 2007 as the Ford Shelby GT500. And now, Shelby American says they're getting back into the business of modifying Ford models. At the North American International Auto Show last week, the company showed off a modified Ford Focus, called the Shelby Focus ST. The Shelby modifications will cost $14,995 on top of the $23,700 base price for the Focus ST.
Today, the Shelby GT500 remains a favorite of critics and car enthusiasts alike -- a worthy successor carrying on Carroll Shelby's legacy.
2014 McLaren P1: Staggering Performance Estimates, $1.15 Million Price Tag [2013 Geneva Auto Show]
McLaren’s piece-by-piece introduction of the 2014 P1 supercar continues, and the latest morsels of info to be released are the car’s impressive performance estimates. Previously, the British sports-car maker revealed the P1′s staggering output figures and details of its hybrid powertrain, so naturally the next stuff to come out should be what those output figures translate to in terms of straight-line speed.
Turns out, McLaren thinks the 903-hp P1 can warp its occupants’ faces to the tune of a sub-three-second 0–62-mph time. According to the brand, the P1′s acceleration hardly will taper off after 62 mph—124 mph apparently arrives in “under seven seconds” and 186 mph is attained in “no more than 17 seconds.” The supercar has an electronically limited 218-mph top speed. All of this speed and acceleration is handled by bespoke Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires designed specifically for the P1.
- Comparison Test: McLaren MP4-12C vs. Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche 911 GT2 RS
- Road Test: 1000 Miles in the McLaren MP4-12C
- Instrumented Test: 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4
Besides teasing us with the P1′s sure to be insane dynamic capabilities, McLaren also revealed how much it plans to charge U.S. customers for the pleasure of owning its newest and best creation. Deep-pocketed buyers will need to shell out $1.15 million, but they had better hurry—McLaren also revealed it will build just 375 P1s for global consumption. Look for final details on the P1 to trickle out before or at the 2013 Geneva auto show.
We all know that London has become a hotbed for supercars in recent years, particularly those owned by summer vacationers from Arab countries who essentially have more money than God.
The thing is, they don't always play nice. They drive recklessly in their Ferraris and Bugattis, flagrantly disobey traffic laws, and keep people awake at night with their roaring engines. The drivers are also followed by exotic-loving photographers and videographers dubbed "Carparazzi" who document their every move.
At least, that's what the residents of the tony Knightsbridge section of London say. They're ramping up their complaints against the people they call "Gulfies" and trying to get the police to clamp down on them.
The issue is at the center of a new documentary on Channel 4 called "Millionaire Boy Racers," which airs tonight in the UK, according toThe Daily Mail.
The Mail spoke to several Knightsbridge residents who are unhappy with the high-dollar hooliganism, including this woman whose name is Panda:
Knightsbridge resident Panda Morgan-Thomas, 59, has been leading a campaign to clamp down on the unruly driving - and she said it has become a constant pain every summer in recent years.‘I'm inundated with local residents complaining, not being able to sleep and I think people's tempers are getting somewhat jaded. It is quite difficult to be sleep deprived and carry on with a normal life.'
Knightsbridge resident Justin Downes added: ‘I've seen the area move from being a very quiet, residential area to being cosmopolitan in a way which is rather extreme.
‘I think the supercars are a manifestation of too much-ness. These cars are brought in by what we call the "Gulfies".
‘They come in to the area around Harrods to show off their cars and drive recklessly in a way that if you were a UK citizen you would be prosecuted for dangerous driving.'
London police have come down on these tourists for insurance and registration violations, often impounding their cars. The residents say that hasn't really put much of a dent in the problem.
But one thing about the newspaper's story surprised me. While the Londoners have complained to police, none of the people who were interviewed admitted to ever having talked to the drivers of these cars. One 27-year-old Saudi supercar owner said that if people were to complain to him, he'd listen. So what's the real issue they have with these guys? Is it a legitimate complaint about hooliganism, or is it motivated by xenophobia or even jealousy? I have to wonder if the residents aren't missing out on a chance to build some bridges and solve things by talking it out.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Barrett-Jackson OC '10: 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner "Hammer" has fame, nets fortune
1970 Plymouth Road Runner "Hammer" – Click above for high-res image gallery
This big-block '70 Plymouth Roadrunner was at SEMA last year, but many readers may better remember it from its appearance as a feature car in Hot Rod magazine, a spot on the television show RIDES, and its big-screen debut in The Fast and the Furious franchise. Vin Diesel's character, Dom Toretto, showed up in the closing minutes of Tokyo Drift behind the wheel of this malevolent Mopar, and it made enough of an impact that it returned in the 2009 follow-up as well.
Underhood, there's a supercharged 500-cubic-inch Mopar wedge pumping out 750 horsepower. To those familiar with the car, it's known simply as Hammer. The bidder who brought home this Plymouth also got a GMP limited edition 1:18-scale die-cast model of the car. Its closing bid of $175,000 made Hammer one of the top sellers at the 2010 Barrett-Jackson Orange County auction. Check out our mini-gallery below.
2013 Audi R8 4.2 and 5.2 Coupe and Spyder
Audi's halo car catches up with the rest of the line.
Audi has revealed the refreshed 2013 R8 and the changes, though minor, nicely update what is one of our favorite sports cars. It may not be readily apparent, but the R8 recently celebrated its fifth birthday—its aggressive-yet-spare styling has aged well. To that end, Audi didn’t mess much with the mid-engine, all-wheel-drive R8’s basic cosmetic goodness. The company also didn’t do much with the mechanicals, including the wonderful V-8 and V-10 engines, although there is a new dual-clutch automatic available.
The LED Pioneer
Even though Audi has yet to release U.S.-specific information, the updates announced by Audi Europe will carry over to the R8 we get here. The cosmetic changes include new LED headlights and taillights, as well as a tweaked front fascia and grille. The new headlights are full-LED units that incorporate Audi’s latest LED accent strip in place of the old car’s bedazzled eyelashes, which consisted of individual light-emitting diodes. Audi also fitted the R8 with the latest take on its iconic single-frame grille, which features beveled upper corners for more pizazz. The outer front intakes get new accents to match the tweaked grille.
The R8’s taillights now light up with a pulse of light that runs from the inside to the outside. We must say that these fancy flashers have us as excited as we’ve ever been about blinkers, and we look forward to seeing them in action. Audi previewed this lighting trick on the LED-tastic A2 concept at last year’s Frankfurt auto show. For the closest real-life analogue to these fancy blinkers, think of the sequenced rear-indicator lamps on Ford’s Mustang and you’re pretty much there.
New Transmission, New Trim Level, Same Engines
The R8’s 430-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 and 525-hp, 5.2-liter V-10 engines both carry over for 2013. The much-beloved, gated six-speed manual transmission also survives—though a stick option won’t make it to the next-gen R8. Audi is swapping last year’s R tronic single-clutch six-speed automatic for a new S tronic seven-speed dual-clutch auto. The new transmission will no doubt be smoother than the old, track-oriented R tronic unit, which tended to be balky on the street.
 |
We’re quite pleased both engines and a choice in transmission will continue to be offered for 2013: We’ve tested and liked pretty much every current variation of the R8, from the 4.2 Spyder all the way up to the5.2 coupe; we also have driven—and slept in—the track-ready GT coupe.
There is a new trim level for 2013 called the V10 Plus, but so far it’s only been confirmed for Europe. On paper, the Plus sounds a lot like the current-gen, limited-production R8 GT. The Plus gets a more powerful version of the regular R8’s V-10, upping output to 550 hp; specially tuned springs and dampers; as well as aero and styling upgrades. That’s just 10 fewer ponies than you got in the outgoing GT; the new trim level eschews the GT’s wild rear wing and hard-core, track-focused theme.
The 2013 Audi R8 goes on sale later this year in Europe, and U.S. availability shouldn’t lag too far behind. We suspect the freshened R8 will make an appearance at an auto show soon—most likely in Paris this fall—but Audi hasn’t yet confirmed an official debut. View Photo Gallery
If you’re a fan of muscle cars, with straight 40-weight in his veins and morehorsepower
in his garage than most villages in Europe, chances are good you don’t spend a lot of time hanging around the Post Office, waiting for the release of a new series of stamps.In fact, based on its declining revenues, very few people hang around the Post Office these days, or even use its services. That’s why we’re bringing you news of a new series of “America on the Move” stamps, called “Muscle Cars
Forever.”The limited-edition “Forever” stamps (meaning that you can use them to mail a first class letter, as long as there’s still a Postal Service) go on sale tomorrow, February 22, and honor the tire-smoking glory of the 1966 Pontiac GTO, the 1967 Shelby GT-500, the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, the 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda and the 1970 Chevelle SS.
Collectors can also buy uncut press sheets, first day covers, a set of five digital color postmarks and a ceremony program, too, all via the USPS website. Though the Postal Service has offered poster-sized artwork in the past, it doesn’t sound like prints of the Muscle Car
series will be produced or marketed.The Muscle Cars Forever series joins two other car-themed collections, “50s Sporty Cars” (released in 2005) and “50s Fins and Chrome” (released in 2008) in the “America on the Move” series.
While we can’t predict if the USPS-issued Hemi ‘Cuda will ever appreciate as much as the Plymouth-minted version, one thing is certain: the Postal Service ‘Cuda is the only one our bank accounts can handle. US Postal Say Muscle Cars Forever
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)