Archive for the ‘roadster’ Category
September 9th, 2010 | 
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You can always count on LA Lakers forward Ron Artest to do something that gets him in the headlines. And on the same breath, you can always count on TMZ to be right there in the middle of the action – whether its taking the actual photos or obtaining them from somebody else.
Recently, Artest was flagged by an LA police cruiser while he was driving an Eagle Roadster. Yeah, you know that over-sized go-kart, right? It’s got a 3.5-liter Chrysler V6 engine that produces 253 horsepower with a four-speed automatic transmission, hits 0-60 mph in just 4.2 seconds, and has a top speed of 152 mph.
Apparently – at least according to TMZ – Artest was pulled over because the registration on the Eagle Roadster was expired. What’s more, the car wasn’t even registered to the quirky Laker, but from some dude who lives in Tennessee.
Artest, though, was eventually sent on his way, but not before this photo caught him smiling during the entire proceedings. Only Ron Artest can get away with something like this, which leads us to believe that him and Los Angeles really are made for each other.
LA Lakers forward Ron Artest gets pulled over while driving an Eagle Roadster originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 9 September 2010 19:00 EST.
Ownership of TVR has changed hands a couple of times, with the future of the company changing with each signature placed on the dotted line. Recently, sometime in June 2010, it was announced that TVR would be working together with Gullwing – a specialist German firm – to prepare a new model that would start production in September 2010. Well, here we are in September, and we haven’t heard a thing about the new model.
Turns out, Jurgen Mohr – a former TVR owner and now Gullwing chief – and TVR boss Nikolai Smolenski were unable to reach an agreement on the terms of the new model and so TVR has decided to move along on its own. Its creation is said to be a roadster model featuring a Corvette V8 engine.
Apparently, the new model will be designed by TVR man, David Martin, and will most likely be built in UK, but TVR secretary James Oxley said “we’re keeping our options open.”
As for the engine to be placed under the hood, Smolenski said “We looked at every engine available — including making our own — and decided that the Corvette was the most powerful off-the-shelf design going. Fitting it to our chassis allows us to meet all current regulations and is not too big a step.”
TVR prepares new Corvette V8-engined roadster originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 8 September 2010 16:00 EST.
With 252 HP under the hood and a weight of 1,477 lbs you would say that the Lotus 2-Eleven is not a difficult car to handle. However, on a race track like the Nurburgring, things are a little bit different.
While there are no details on what exactly happened, the video is more than explicit. Apparently, the driver was driving too fast and lost control while trying to take a corner. The car ended in a bulwark, but luckily, the driver was able to get out of the car on his own two feet, and with little injury. The car, on the other hand, saw the short end of this destructive stick.
The 2-Eleven makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 3.6 seconds and can hit a top speed of 155 mph, so it’s apparent that the power under this hood is just too much for some of its owners!
Video: Lotus 2Eleven crashed at Nurburgring originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 7 September 2010 20:00 EST.
Even testing prototypes need fuel, right? And when you just so happen to be the guy at the next pump, the most obvious thing to do is start snapping some pictures! The next generation Porsche Boxster has been caught refueling somewhere in Germany without even a hint of camouflage!
The next Boxster will get a newly styled convertible cockpit and stronger, but also more fuel-efficient engines from 270 hp. There are also rumors saying the next Boxster will get a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood. There will also be center-mounted exhaust pipes like the current Boxster and restyled side mirrors.
We also have to remind you that the next Boxster will be longer in order to make room for the next “baby Boxster.” This baby will need to sit on the bottom of the Porsche lineup, so the bigger Boxster will indeed need to become bigger, or longer in this case.
Expect the official debut sometime in 2011.
Next Porsche Boxster caught while refueling originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 7 September 2010 17:00 EST.
Posted in Porsche, Porsche Boxster, Spy Shots and Rendering, roadster, sports cars | 
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After making its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the 918 Spyder Concept is on its way to the Museum of Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen where it will be displayed starting October 1 through 7, 2010.
The 918 Spyder is powered by a V8 engine delivering more than 500 hp and three electric motors with overall output of 218hp. The engine emits just 70 grams CO2 per kilometer and has a fuel consumption of just 3.0 liters/100 kilometers (94 mpg imp). Despite this the car’s performances are impressive: the sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just under 3.2 seconds, top speed of 198 mph, and a lap time on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring in less than 7:30 minutes, faster than even the Porsche Carrera GT.
Press release after the jump.
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width="180"Porsche Museum displays the 918 Spyder Concept Study originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 3 September 2010 21:00 EST.
Chalk up another achievement for Mazda and it’s iconic roadster, the MX-5.
Twenty years after the roadster landed in the UK, the MX-5, aka the Miata, hit the ever-prestigious 100,000 units sold. It has been widely regarded that the MX-5 is one of the most popular vehicles of all time and the roadster has been a hot seller in the UK since it first arrived in 1989, compromising of over 10% of the vehicle’s global sales figures.
The Miata’s popularity in the land of fish and chips reached its apex a few years ago in 2007 when the venerable roadster sold an unprecedented 9,234 units in the UK alone.
Mark Cameron, sales director of Mazda UK, made no bones about the appeal of the MX-5 to the British car-buying market. “We are the biggest market for this car due to our love of open-top two seat sportscars”, he said.
“The Mazda MX-5 finds its roots in the British heritage of soft top sportscars and has been loved by British motorists since the day it arrived on these shores.”
It’s quite an achievement to sell 100,000 models of the same car encompassing three generations in one country alone. So let’s toast a cup of tea to Mazda for the milestone achievement. At the rate it’s going, we won’t be surprised if the MX-5 continues to sell like pancakes across the pond.
Mazda MX-5 hits 100,000 units sold in the UK originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 3 September 2010 11:00 EST.
In the middle of all the hoopla that comes with the Pebble Beach Concours, one car, that nobody saw, supposedly made an appearance that now has the Internet abuzz.
From what we’ve heard, it looks like the Ferrari 599 Roadster made an appearance at Pebble Beach for a select group of owners, all of whom got a sneak peek at the new Ferrari supercar. Not much was made of the super-duper secret showing during the event, which pretty much explains why nobody even saw the car on the Pebble Beach grounds.
But with rumors circulating that the roadster was, in fact, present during the event, a poster from Luxury4Play uploaded what appears to be a scanned letter from Ferrari North American CEO and President Marco Mattiaci to a certain Nicolas Jimenez – we’re guessing he was one of the select owners that were invited for the sneak peek – where the former thanked the latter for his visit to “our Ferrari 599 presentation at Pebble Beach.”
Mattiaci then goes on and writes “the first feedback from the highly selected group of friends visiting us at Quial Meadows has been enthusiastic on this upcoming limited-edition product,” suggesting that Ferrari may have been asking for some input from its customers regarding the 599 Roadster.
It looks like Ferrari may have pulled a fast one on all of us by keeping this event so tightly guarded. But as is the case in the auto industry, you can’t keep a secret too long and, at some point, something’s going to get leaked out.
Ferrari 599 Roadster made an appearance at Pebble Beach? originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 1 September 2010 10:00 EST.
Posted in Ferrari, Pebble Beach Concours, Supercars / Exotic cars, ferrari 599, roadster, rumors |
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The next generation Porsche Boxster is getting revealed more and more each day. The car is currently under intense testings before the official debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.
The next generation Boxster will feature center-mounted exhaust pipes like the current Boxster and restyled side mirrors. Take a look at the Panamera and you’ll be able to see the general idea for the exterior of the Boxster. The Boxster may take the center stack feature from the Panamera as well.
Under the hood the Boxster will use a slightly revised version of the 310-HP 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine, but rumors suggest that it might receive an advanced four-cylinder engine making about as much horsepower as the current 2.9-liter six (255). This new engine is rumored to debut in the new base-level Boxster. And like the 918 SPyder, the new Boxtser may also receive a hybrid version.
The 2012 Porsche Boxster will be built on a platform that is around 173 inches longer than the current one. This lengthening is vital to the lineup if Porsche wants to be able to squeeze in the future baby Boxster.
Next generation Porsche Boxster spied originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 23:00 EST.
Posted in Porsche, Porsche Boxster, Spy Shots and Rendering, roadster, sports cars |
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In the midst of all of these fiery stories we’ve scattered about in the past couple of weeks, we finally get to write something good about the Ferrari 458 Italia. The 458 range is set to be expanded with two new models: the GTS Spider version coming in the spring of 2011 and the Scuderia, the sportier version, shortly thereafter. Today we will focus on the GTS version.
Despite previous rumors suggesting the Spider version would be offered with a fabric roof, it seems that the future 458 Italia Spider model will actually be getting a glass roof that flips upright electrically and disappears behind the seats. This is being done to ensure the car will be even more comfortable.
Under the hood the 458 Spider will use the same 4.5 Liter V8 engine equipped with the traditional Ferrari flat crankshaft as the coupe version. The unit produces 570 HP at a rather high 9000 RPM and sprints the car from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 202 MPH.
We can only hope that Ferrari will solve the fire problem by next spring.
Ferrari 458 Italia GTS rendered originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 30 August 2010 19:00 EST.
Who remembers the Spice Girls? We know we do, but while most of the girls have gone on to live normal lives after the band, Posh Spice, also known as Victoria Beckham, has gone on to more glamorous things.
Over on that auctioning giant eBay, there is a new car for sale that once belonged to the wife of English football superstar David Beckham. The car is a TVR Cerbera that was built to the personal specifications of Mr. Beckham.
The English built sports car has been in dry storage as a part of a private collection for the last six years and wears the number VRM: W8 TVR. The body is covered in Crystal Topaz, which is a very rare pearlescent blue that was picked out by Victoria. The interior is covered in magnolia leather with Royal Blue Stitching.
Some of the options include a six-disc CD auto-changer, 18-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, privacy glass and an ice detector. Under the hood is a 4.5-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 380 pound feet of torque. When pushed to the limit, the car can hit 60 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds and on to 195 mph.
So, hop on over to eBay to place your bid on this very precious ride.
Victoria Beckham’s TVR Cerbera For Sale On eBay originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 26 August 2010 18:00 EST.
At the Nurburgring Nordshleife Public day, the awe inspiring SLR Stirling Moss edition turned up to do a lap or two of the infamous Nordschleife, a very noble cause considering the many dangers on the Northloop, and the whopping 750k euro price tag.
The car was inspired by the 1955 300 SLR that Moss guided to the Mille Miglia record of ten hours & seven minutes and 48 seconds.
The power unit consists of a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 from the SLR 722 edition, meaning there’s a whopping 641bhp and 605lb ft, taking the speedster to 62mph in sub 3.5sec and onto a Vmax of 217mph.
The performance is a level above that of the rest of the Mercedes McLaren range thanks to a handy weight loss regime, including a carbon fiber body shedding approximately 200kg from the Standard SLR.
Owners will be able to personally compare the two, as the 75 Stirling Moss editions are only available to current SLR owners.
It rounds off production of the SLR – the best selling supercar ever, at around 1700 units.
It’s also the end of the McMerc supercar partnership – the Germans are going their own way with the SLS and McLaren is making its first independent car since the legendary F1 in the form of the MP4-12C.
Mercedes Mclaren SLR Stirling Moss takes a lap on the Nurburgring originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 August 2010 15:59 EST.
Posted in Mclaren, Mercedes, Mercedes SLR-Class, Spy Shots and Rendering, cool fast cars, roadster |
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Swabian engineers of the technology tuning company MKB add 345 hp to the Mercedes-Benz SL 65 Black Series
During this past weekend the Porsche 918 Spyder made its appearance at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. However, a few days before that the car made its driving debut on a closed road in Monterey California. Behind the wheel was Porsche AG Design Chief Michael Mauer.
The 918 Spyder is powered by a V8 engine delivering more than 500 hp and three electric motors with overall output of 218hp. The engine emits just 70 grams CO2 per kilometer and has a fuel consumption of just 3.0 liters/100 kilometers (94 mpg imp). Despite this, the car’s performances are impressive. The sprint from 0 to 60 mph is made in just under 3.2 seconds while top speed goes to 198 mph. The most impressive performance number for the Porsche would have to be its lap time on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring of less than 7:30 minutes. This is faster than even the Porsche Carrera GT.
Video: Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid makes driving debut originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 16 August 2010 11:00 EST.
We may not have been able to attend the Pebble Beach Concours, but, thankfully, TeamSpeed was. And, not only did they attend, but they already have some pictures that are worth splattering all over the place; pictures of the Porsche 918 Spyder as it is shown off at a private Porsche event.
There’s no way Porsche can hold this car back from the production line. Well, okay, there is one way. It’s rumored that the prototype Spyder took five months and $20 million to build! That may be a small kink in Porsche’s plans that will hopefully be fixed.
The production 918 Spyder will feature a complete carbon fiber shell as did the concept, but will have an aluminum front end to comply with U.S. safety standards. On the inside, the Porsche already has a beautiful touchscreen center console and camera rear view mirrors.
The Porsche 918 Spyder is powered by a V8 engine delivering more than 500 hp and three electric motors with an overall output of 218hp. The engine emits just 70 grams CO2 per kilometer and has a fuel consumption of just 3.0 liters/100 kilometers (94 mpg imp). It can make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in just under 3.2 seconds while its top speed goes to 198 mph. The Spyder can also produce a lap time on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring seven minutes and 20 seconds, which is faster than even the Porsche Carrera GT.
Check out the photos for the Porsche 918 Spyder that are hot off the press!
Fresh new photos of the Porsche 918 Spyder originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 13 August 2010 17:00 EST.
Reynard is well known for its impressive results in the Indy500 competition, but recently the company decided it was time to move forward. In their attempt to change things up a bit, they have unveiled their first street legal car. It is called Inverter, weighs only 440kg, and is powered by a 180bhp Fireblade engine. The car will be built in both right- and left-hand drive and will be priced at £35,000 ($55,000 at the current exchange rates).
The Inverter’s smooth and flowing shape was developed in an F1-spec wind tunnel. At the back, there is a fixed rear wing that helps the vehicle in achieving 1200kg of downforce. Drivers can sustain more than 3.00g while cornering.
The coolest part about this street legal car is that Reynard is utilizing an open source design. That basically means that anyone can manufacturer and design their own parts at a lower cost. This is possible through the website that Reynard has put up so people can view the car and its components online. So, if building a car is one of your biggest dreams, Reynard is now offering you this amazing chance.
Reynard Inverter – a 440kg road car originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 12 August 2010 18:00 EST.
When Porsche unveiled the 918 Spyder Concept, they announced it would have a better Nurburgring time compared to the Carrera GT supercar. Of course, at that time, no one expected that the time would catapult to being a full eight seconds faster.
Originally, Porsche claimed that the Carrera GT would have a ’ring time of 7:32. The Carrera GT surprised them with an actual time of 7:28. This time, Porsche estimated that the 918 Spyder would have a time of 7:30 and their vehicle surprised them yet again with a time of 7:20. Porsche may not have a good reputation for calculating potential ’ring times, but their cars sure have a good reputation for clobbering them.
The 918 Spyder is powered by a V8 engine delivering more than 500 hp and three electric motors with overall output of 218hp. The engine emits just 70 grams CO2 per kilometer and has a fuel consumption of just 3.0 liters/100 kilometers (94 mpg imp). Despite this, the car’s performances are impressive: the sprint from 0 to 60 mph is done in just under 3.2 seconds, while top speed goes to 198 mph.
All we can say about this is that we are happy that Porsche has decided to take the Porsche 918 Spyder to production as a limited edition supercar. It should be beautiful and powerful, and Porsche has made sure the price tag will match it. It is estimated that the Porsche 918 Spyder will cost about $650,000. Someone really rich is going to enjoy this car.
width="180"Porsche 918 Spyder reports a Nurburgring time of 7:20 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 12 August 2010 13:00 EST.
Back in June a mystery Gallardo Spyder prototype was caught testing at Nurburgring. Now the car is testing again, only this time we know what it is. Check out the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera Spyder.
The prototype caught testing features the same wheels, diffuser, and rear bumper as the Superleggera model, but has a smaller rear wing. Its coupe brother is powered by a 5.2 liter V10 engine that delivers an incredible 570 hp. The result is a sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and from 0 to 124 mph in about 10.2 seconds later. Top speed goes up to 202 mph. Expect the roadster version to deliver the same performance, with most likely a lower top speed due to the aerodynamics of the fabric top.
The Superleggera is all about losing weight, so expect the roadster version to also focus on that same idea, but with a little extra for the addition of the top’s weight. However, total weight will be kept in the 3000 lbs area.
Like what you see? Love to hate it? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
New spy shots of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera Spyder originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 11 August 2010 19:00 EST.
Posted in Lamborghini, Lamborghini Gallardo, Spy Shots and Rendering, Supercars / Exotic cars, convertible, roadster |
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Next Friday at Monterey, RM Auctions will be offering a stunning 2006 Spyker C8 Spyder for auction. The car is expected to be sold for a price between $150,000 to $200,000. It has less than 400 miles on its odometer.
The Spyker C8 Spyder is powered by a 400 bhp, 4,172 cc, mid-rear mounted Audi V8 engine with aluminum block and heads, dual overhead camshafts, five valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, and electronic sequential-port fuel injection. The engine is mated to a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox in rear transaxle and a four-wheel independent suspension. It only weighs 2,750lbs which makes for an astounding power to weight ratio. The 0-60mph sprint is made in just 4.4 seconds. The C8 Spyder also features fuselage-type styling, rear “cannon-port” vents, a prominent wide grille intake, a propeller-inspired steering wheel, an engine-turned dash insert, and more.
The limited-production C8 Spyder is a hand-made convertible sports car with room for two. It is finished in Metallic Blue with a tan leather interior and comes from a large private automobile collection.
If anyone is interested then we suggest they head on over to Monterey before this beauty gets snatched up by someone else.
2006 Spyker C8 Spyder for auction at Monterey originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 10 August 2010 15:00 EST.
Next Friday at Monterey, RM Auctions will be offering a stunning 2006 Spyker C8 Spyder for auction. The car is expected to be sold for a price between $150,000 to $200,000. It has less than 400 miles on its odometer.
The Spyker C8 Spyder is powered by a 400 bhp, 4,172 cc, mid-rear mounted Audi V8 engine with aluminum block and heads, dual overhead camshafts, five valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, and electronic sequential-port fuel injection. The engine is mated to a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox in rear transaxle and a four-wheel independent suspension. It only weighs 2,750lbs which makes for an astounding power to weight ratio. The 0-60mph sprint is made in just 4.4 seconds. The C8 Spyder also features fuselage-type styling, rear “cannon-port” vents, a prominent wide grille intake, a propeller-inspired steering wheel, an engine-turned dash insert, and more.
The limited-production C8 Spyder is a hand-made convertible sports car with room for two. It is finished in Metallic Blue with a tan leather interior and comes from a large private automobile collection.
If anyone is interested then we suggest they head on over to Monterey before this beauty gets snatched up by someone else.
2006 Spyker C8 Spyder for auction at Monterey originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 10 August 2010 15:00 EST.
We have some new details for you on the new next-generation Mazda MX-5. This will be the last car – except for the new 5 – to carry the Nagare design language and it should hit dealers around 2012.
The current MX-5 has gained a bit of weight since its creation in 1989, but Mazda is putting the sports car on a diet. The company’s engineers are worried that the MX-5 is getting a tad too fat, so they will focus on reducing the car’s weight for the next-generation model.
Mazda has set a target weight of 2,200 pounds for the next MX-5. That is roughly 300 pounds off of the current car’s weight. The car will also drop the 2.0-liter motor in favor of a 1.6-liter and an optional 1.8-liter.
The standard gearbox will be a six-speed manual, but buyers who don’t want to use this car to it’s full potential can get a dual-clutch semi-automatic. We aren’t sure if a hardtop version will be available, but there will most likely be one. We can’t wait.
New Details On The Next-Generation Mazda MX-5 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 5 August 2010 09:00 EST.
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