Bespoke automaker TVR understands that a comeback as a brand is a challenge in the US and offering a supercar first up may be its best chance. It sure has the Swordfish hype to get things going its way but eventually, it will be the supercar that will decide the destiny and not some movie cameo. TVR should be ready with its sports car possibly at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the car will be developed in Germany. A crate’ engine integration from either GM or Ford will help the Russian brand to save money on engine development and homologation.
The Chinese have a growing appetite for top-notch cars with the 4,000th Lambo Murcielago also sold to a Chinese customer and now Porsche is ready to debut its Panamera V6 at the Beijing Motor Show in April. The Panamera V6 is an entry level Panamera and so is the Panamera 4 which too will be unveiled at the event.
The Panamera V6 bears semblance to the Panamera S but the difference is that the V6 comes with a dual-exhaust system instead of the four-tailpipe cluster. Other differences include a black window trim and minor styling changes on the outside. On popping the hood, one gets to witness the 296bhp 3.6-liter V6 that renders 400Nm of torque. Courtesy of this engine, the car dashes from 0 to 60mph in 6 seconds while the P4 edition achieves the feat in 5.8 seconds. Both these models will go on sale in May for a German pricing of €75,899 for the Panamera and €84,110 for the Panamera 4. The models shall arrive in US in June.
Lamborghini is in high spirits as the Italian moniker has managed to roll out the 4,000th Murcielago from the assembly line in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy.
Lamborghini President Stephan Winkelmann was pleased to achieve the feat as he believed that Lamborghini was successful with its product strategy and model range. Precisely, the 4,000th model was the LP 670-4 SuperVeloce featuring a 6.5L V12 beast that produces 661hp with 660Nm of torque. This amazing engine power helps the car dash from 0 to 60mph in 3.2 seconds while the super sports car achieves a top speed of 212mph. It will be a Chinese customer who will receive this landmark model that embraces Arancione Atla Orange on the outside and Alcantara material with black sports seats on the inside.
Auto fanatics are aware that the Pagani C9 is slated to go public before this year’s end and it will come with a whopping price tag (€900,000) but what is more of a mystery is the shape it will adorn. There are no certain images available which is why C9 prototype spy images gain a lot of importance. Speaking of spy shots, here’s something happening in South Africa — two C9 prototypes spied in Johannesburg, one inspired by the Zonda F, while the other one featuring a rear belonging to the Zonda R territory. Even the typical Pagani quadpipe has been retained plus there are holes drilled for a dual pipe set-up so we are not quite sure what the end product will embrace. The Pagani C9 is expected to house a 700 PS 6.0L V12 engine which will generate up to 1000Nm of torque. Looks neat, don’t you think? [Images by WCF]
The latest set of spy shots said to be that of the Ferrari 599GTO have surfaced from Italy and now the hardcore speed fanatics are more than certain that a Ferrari 599GTO does exist and it is already in the works in Modena. Speculation is ripe that the 590GTO will be a road going version of the 599XX concept based on the 599 GTB Fiorano.
The 599GTO will ‘probably’ feature a 6.0L V12 beast which is capable of producing 515 kW derived from the Enzo motor. The amazing displacement will help the car clock 0 to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds which is 0.5 seconds quicker than the GTB. The 599 GTO will do a maximum of 350km/h which will make it one of the fastest red devils ever, comparable with the landmark Enzo. The car should be out in the market in a couple of months bearing a whopping price tag of around $464,950.
Over the years we’ve loved many different versions of the Alfa Romeo 159 and with 100 years for the moniker arriving, Fiat promises a special treat at the Geneva Motor Show. This one is a teaser sketch of the Stile Bertone’s version of the Alfa Romeo 159 which will expectedly be a two-door coupe. Other than this, famous Fiat design houses Pininfarina and Italdesign Giugiaro will also ready their design proposals for the event, which will surely please the Alfa Romeo admirers. While Bertone’s two –door coupe design will be launched to celebrate the centenary celebrations in 2012, the other two design firms will also contribute equally with Pininfarina already working on a two-seater spider. The spider will feature a 444hp producing V8 beast from the 8C Competizione. Bertone will sure reveal more teasers before the event to keep the fanatics interested.
The brains from Modena cannot ignore the fact that the world is turning “green” (protecting the environment, more or less, that is) hence why Ferrari has confirmed the debut of a 599 hybrid, a fuel efficient version of the 599GTB.
The Ferrari 599 hybrid will be break cover at the Geneva International Motor Show in March. Ferrari made the decision public at the introduction of the 2010 Ferrari F10 Formula 1 car. Ferrari is keen on bringing the F1 technology to the street vehicles and the 599 hybrid is being considered as the stepping stone where the KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) has been evolved to reduce fuel consumption in tandem with regenerative breaking. It will run on a system based on Li-on batteries and an electronic motor which will be placed on either side of the transaxle. The KERS system will serve as electric power boosting the energy produced. The entire petrol-electric combination will improve the fuel consumption by 35% rendering combined economy ratings of 14mpg.
Europeans have fallen head over heels for the two-seater exotic sports coupe, the new Lexus LF-A, as the commuter is in high demand on the old continent. The V10-engine powered beast capable of churning 522 hp and going 0 to 62mph in 3.7 seconds, is a limited edition model with only 500 units being produced and production beginning later this year. With orders being received from over 56 countries, each unit will come with an estimated base price of $350,000 to $375,000; a price that Europeans are seemingly not bothered with. So we wonder, what financial crisis?
This may not come in as great news for the Honda NSX enthusiasts as it has been taken off the production line, but we’re here to make sure you know a complete replacement of the model will be this new Honda HSV-10 GT. Honda is aiming at mass production instead of the limited edition models and HSV will initiate the process. The GT model will compete in the GT500 Class of the Super GT Series replacing the previous model that won Honda the 2007 Drivers’ Championship. HSV-10 GT will come with a 3.4L naturally aspirated V8 engine which can render 500+ horsepower at 392+ of torque. This replacement model is 65mm longer and 100mm wider than the NSX and its wheelbase in 170mm longer in comparison. The GT version of the car will be first seen on the Suzuka Circuit in March.
It looks like supercar developers are popping out from every corner and the latest to try their hand, come from Turkey. Courtesy of the high-speed boat producing company Yonca ONUK, Turkey will see its first supercar Onuk Sazan burn the tar in the near future. Currently, a prototype of the car has been developed by Dr. Ekber Onuk who was inspired to do so in order to honor his son Onuk Sazan, who passed away in a car crash in 1996. The rear wheel driven prototype runs on an engine borrowed from the LS7 Vette and is capable of producing 512hp at 635Nm of torque. This combination is mated to a five speed manual gearbox which helps the prototype achieve a top speed of 300km/h. Only five street legal models will be built every year and the production ready model may come with a Nissan 3.5-liter V6 VQ34DE turbocharged engine that produces 485hp at 588Nm of torque.
The Ferrari is never short of challengers and no matter who poses a threat, the prancing horse comes out victorious. This time around the challenger hails from America and it is dubbed the Rossion Q1 Supercar. Talk about its roots, the Rossion Q1 is based on the British Supercar Noble M400 as Rossion Automotive acquired the production rights from the British moniker in 2007. Q1 made it to Italy to shoot a video and also announce the European distribution of the supercar by Hybrid UKGARAGE of Bergamo. On paper, the Q1 is a pretty capable scorcher that runs on a 450hp 3.5-liter biturbo V6 engine and it can pelt from 60mph in 3.1 seconds. The combination of the high pony count with 390lb-ft of torque helps the car hit a top speed of 189mph. The power transmission happens through a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox while the Q1 also uses a Quaife limited-slip rear differential. Neat, eh? [via autoblog.it]
