Friday, July 13, 2007

New Audi R8

Audi R8 The new Audi R8 has made a flying start, with Audi customers being able to take possession of the company’s sporty top model since the start of June. 1.500 units of the 420 bhp mid-engined two-seater have already found their way to dealers and buyers. Craft-scale production of the R8 is now running at top speed in Neckarsulm: the maximum possible number of 20 vehicles is being produced per day.
It has been possible to order the R8 since September 2006 – and several thousand customers did so without even test-driving their dream sports car. In the German market, the entire production capacity for 2007 is sold out.
Additional wishes for top levels of individuality can now be fulfilled: the Audi exclusive programme from quattro GmbH offers a host of optional extras which give the Audi R8 an even more exclusive look and feel. For example, a range of leather packages in high-quality fine nappa leather or Alcantara/leather allied with carpet and headlining in fine materials with exclusive colours. A tailor-made offer for the R8 is a five-piece luggage set in high-grade leather, which is colour-coordinated with the interior of the Audi R8 ordered.

Source: Audi

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Lincoln MKR concept drive

Lincoln MKR conceptLincoln MKR conceptLincoln MKR conceptLincoln MKR conceptLincoln MKR conceptLincoln MKR conceptLincoln MKR conceptLincoln MKR conceptLincoln MKR concept In the late '90s, the designers at Cadillac defined a new look that they dubbed Art and Science, which has since spread to all of Cadillac's production models. Whether you like the look or not, at least when you see a modern Cadillac you know what it is. Lincoln is late to the party, but at least they are now going to try. The design team at Lincoln led by chief designer Gordon Platto and exterior designer Xitij Mistry took a look back at all the classic Lincolns and what made them special, and then created a modern look and style that still invokes hints of the brand's storied heritage.
The MKR has a number of features that will be showing up on upcoming production Lincolns, starting with the 2009 Lincoln MKS. The split "bow wave" grille of the MKR invokes the look of the 1936 Lincoln Zephyr and, combined with the narrow horizontal headlights, will become the face of Lincoln much like the vertically stacked lights and the trapezoidal grille have become the face of Cadillac. The biggest change to the production MKS from the 2006 concept will be this new face. Since the MKS project was started before the MKR, a lot of things were already finalized so the MKR elements stop at the face.
Another prominent feature of the MKR that will adorn future production models is the shoulder chamfer. The concept features a curving character line that stretches from the outer edges of the headlights back to the taillights. Rather than a single sharp edge the corner has been shaved off providing two parallel lines sandwiching an angled surface. The roof line will also be reflected on the street with it's thick, forward leaning cantilever C-Pillar.
On the inside the elevated floating console provides a good armrest location and a cockpit feel without the feeling of sitting in a bathtub. This is another feature that may turn up in future Lincolns. As a concept most of the interior including the instrument cluster was non-functional. Even the driver door latch wasn't working so the door could swing open at any moment which thanks to the low speeds was not really a problem.
The day Ford invited us out to the track to sample the concepts turned out to be exceptionally steamy with temperatures in the low 90s and humidity to match. Since concepts generally don't have their cooling airflow worked our or in many cases implemented at all, this meant that the cars typically had to sit for several minutes between short bursts of activity to allow them to cool. Although the Lincoln MKR was advertised as having a twin-turbo direct injection V6, it actually runs with a standard Mustang 4.0L V-6. The two highly visible turbos are strictly for show on this particular car. Because of the heat, Ford removed all the cladding that hides the engine on the show stand.
One of the prominent design features of the MKR is the full glass roof stretching from the firewall to the trunk lid with a Lincoln logo on the underside of the glass. While this looks fantastic on the show stand, on this hot day in a car with windows that don't retract and no air conditioning the short drives were definitely a blessing. The Lincoln MKR literally was a greenhouse and if anything like this roof is ever built it will need some kind of filtering to minimize the heating effect. You can't really evaluate anything about the way the car drives trolling around at 10-15 mph, but under the bright sunshine this machine sure is gorgeous. If Ford makes good on its promise to incorporate these design elements into future Lincolns, the brand might have a future after all.

Source: Ford

Porsche 997 Turbo BTR-XL by SpeedART

SpeedART 997 Porsche Turbo BTR-XLSpeedART 997 Porsche Turbo BTR-XLSpeedART 997 Porsche Turbo BTR-XLSpeedART 997 Porsche Turbo BTR-XLSpeedART 997 Porsche Turbo BTR-XLSpeedART 997 Porsche Turbo BTR-XLSpeedART 997 Porsche Turbo BTR-XLSpeedART 997 Porsche Turbo BTR-XL

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Lamborghini Coatl

Lamborghini Coatl

2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe

2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe PRESS RELEASE:
Rolls-Royce bought at auction for £800,000
A Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé has been bought at a charity auction for £800,000. The successful bid was made at the 9th Annual White Tie and Tiara Ball held to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Overall the event raised in excess of £6 million, with £3.1 million raised at the auction alone.
The Rolls-Royce was bought by a private buyer who will take delivery of his new car later in the summer. The event took place at the private residence of Sir Elton John and David Furnish.
Rolls-Royce unveiled the new Drophead Coupé in January this year. The two-door, four-seat convertible is hand made at the company's manufacturing plant at Goodwood, and combines the latest aluminium technology and engineering with the very best in hand craftsmanship. The result is a car that many have already hailed as the ultimate in convertible motoring. Rolls-Royce has now begun full production of the new car.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chairman and CEO, Ian Robertson, said, "We were delighted that the Phantom Drophead Coupe raised such a significant amount on the night and that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars had the opportunity to support The Elton John AIDS Foundation in their continued fight against this global epidemic."

source: Rolls-Royce