This Wild One-Off Alfa Romeo 4C Is Coming Up for Auction
If for some reason the normal Alfa Romeo 4C doesn’t look cool enough to you, don’t worry—we might have something better. This is a one-off custom-bodied 4C, and it’s coming up for auction next month at RM Sotheby’s Lake Como auction. It has a striking look with an aggressive take on Alfa design language, and you can own it.
This car, dubbed the Mole Handicraft Construction 001, was built in 2018 after former FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed there would not be a successor to the current Alfa Romeo 4C. The donor car was a 4C coupe that had previously driven 40,000 kilometers (around 25,000 miles). The coachwork was penned by Umberto Palermo of Up Design, and adds some angry muscularity to Alfa’s mid-engine sports car. The headlights are similar to the items used on the Giulia sedan, while the rear reminds me of something from Zagato. The wheels have been replaced with multi-spoke aftermarket units, and the number of exhaust pipe exits has doubled from two to four.
Underneath, the car is still very much a 4C. A 237-horsepower 1.75-liter turbocharged inline-four powers the rear wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The interior has been fit with two-tone premium leather, and looks great.
The car will come up for auction at RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba event on May 25th in Lake Como, Italy. There’s no sale estimate listed, but considering this car is the only one of its kind, we’re betting it’ll be a bit more expensive than a normal 4C.
By: Brian Silvestro, April 29, 2019
For more cars, visit: https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a27309775/one-off-custom-alfa-romeo-4c-for-sale/
Source: https://www.roadandtrack.com/
VW Reckons Its ID R Could Do a Sub-6 Minute Lap at the ‘Ring
Remember the first pictures of the Nürburgring-spec Volkswagen ID R prototype that we brought you last week? Well it turns out that it’s really, really quick.
You know the story by now. Having smashed the Pikes Peak record by over 16 seconds last year, VW has adapted the car to take on the ‘Ring and the current EV record of 6m 45.9s (set by the 1,341bhp NIO EP9).
After a rather short three-month development period, driver Romain Dumas was able to get behind the wheel for some initial testing laps at the Green Hell for the first time on Thursday. And if simulator runs are anything to go by then the ID R could take almost a minute off the NIO’s time.
Dumas has already set a virtual time of 6m 06.17s, but VW has made its sim available to the world via Raceroom and times have been tumbling. At the point of writing, the quickest lap stands at a rather incredible 5m 56.6s. Romain has some work to do…
The main update to the ID R for the Nürburgring is a new aero package with less downforce and a Formula 1-style DRS system. This reduces drag on the straights by as much as 20 per cent and means an increased top speed of over 155mph, despite the twin-electric motor drivetrain remaining the same.
“We could still run a much quicker top speed with the power that we have (670bhp and 479lb ft of torque) but we need to be careful with the energy levels,” says technical advisor and former Sauber F1 boss Willy Rampf. Crikey.
The ID R should comfortably take the EV crown on the Nordschleife then, but just how quickly do you think Dumas could go when things get real? And when will the incredible Porsche 919 have to worry about its 5m 19.6s overall record?
By: Greg Potts, April 26, 2019
For more cars, visit: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/vw-reckons-its-id-r-could-do-sub-6-minute-lap-ring
Source: https://www.topgear.com/
Welcome to the Hennessey VelociRaptor Ranger
America was very happy when Ford announced the Ranger would return to the USA. And it was even happier when the company announced it would do a ‘Raptor’ version. But then its hopes were dashed, its dreams crushed, when Ford announced the Ranger Raptor would not be sold in the States.
Well good news Americans, for John Hennessey has your back. He’s taken the American version of Ford’s littlest truck and created this – the Hennessey VelociRaptor Ranger.
Power comes from Ford’s 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. Stock it makes 270bhp and 310lb ft, but a less restrictive, better sounding stainless steel cat-back exhaust and some ECU tuning mean the VelociRaptor makes 360bhp and 440lb ft. 0-60mph takes 4.9 seconds – two seconds quicker than stock, and faster even than a stock F-150 Raptor. Ford’s own Ranger Raptor, which uses a four-cylinder diesel engine, takes over 10 seconds to hit 62mph.
Hennessey’s ‘Stage 1’ suspension kit lifts the Ranger by four inches. 18-inch alloy wheels and BFG off-road tyres add a bit more height, so in all the VelociRaptor Ranger is six inches taller than standard. You also get a more aggressive front bumper with built-in LEDs and you can spec a winch.
Prices start at $64,950 – or just under £50k. That’s only about £1k more than Ford’s own Ranger Raptor. Only 500 will be built in 2019 so, Americans, get your order in quick.
By: Tom Harrison, April 30 2019
For more cars, visit: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/usa/welcome-hennessey-velociraptor-ranger
Source: https://www.topgear.com/
Behold: The 500bhp, $295K ‘Tactical’ Hummer H1
If indefatigable master assassin John Wick ever needed a new set of wheels, he needn’t look any further. Because the lining of this… this thing is ‘tactical’.
It has been constructed by a Detroit-based company called Mil-Spec Automotive, and we suspect has rocketed to the top of your very latest nightmare. Welcome to #006: the sixth specially built Hummer Mil-Spec’s done.
They started with a 1996 four-door H1, and – much like Singer and Redux do with the 911 and E30 M3 – stripped it down and put it back together again, only better. They replaced the floorplan with a welded aluminium one. They replaced body panels with specially fabricated aerospace-grade aluminium versions. They even ditched weight wherever necessary, and strengthened up the whole truck.
We’re told the most unique aspect of #006 is the adjustable suspension setup. Mil-Spec’s #002 had air-ride, but this one gets self-levelling and a four-inch ride height adjustment (via airbags at each corner, controllable from within the cabin, of course) for better off-road ground clearance.
Eight-way adjustable shocks finish off the suspension setup, while Mil-Spec have binned the standard four-wheel drive for a part-time set-up. Under normal loads – say, on road when evading a horde of less-good assassins – it’s rear-drive, engaging the front axle only when you decide to climb up a mountain. We’re told it’ll be quiet inside, though, thanks to better NVH. NVH! In a Hummer!
The engine? There is one. It’s a 6.6-litre Duramax diesel from the 2006 Hummer, rebuilt and reassembled to kick out 500bhp and 1,000lb ft of torque, which is more than a regular 1996 Hummer would have produced. Do not ask us for a 0-60mph time. A), it really doesn’t matter, and B), we don’t actually know.
There are mighty tyres. It’s finished in black with Kevlar, with semi-gloss trim bits. There’s a bonnet scoop, big bumpers, a winch, and LED light bar. Naturally you can personalise the interior. This one gets… a black interior, with all-weather vinyl replacing the floor carpets. Plus lots of sound deadening. Because screams aren’t fun.
The price? $295,039. As mentioned, it’s the sixth of Mil-Spec’s special Hummer line, and we’re told they’re only building 12 limited edition Hummers. Does thou wanteth one?
The Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato returns!
Remember the Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato from 2011? Of course you do. A love letter to Aston and Zagato’s longstanding, somewhat on-off relationship. Only 150 were made. We drove the very first road-going V12 Zag up the Furka Pass, because we had to.
Now, the V12 Zagato has returned, courtesy of a new brand company called R-Reforged and in celebration of Zagato’s 100th anniversary. Officially, they’re called the TWINS, because there are two.
Thus, there will be only 19 Vantage Speedsters built, accompanied by 19 Vantage Coupes, all built at AF Racing AG’s subsidiary Vynamic GmbH: the former has worked with Aston on something called ‘Valkyrie’ (yeah, no idea what that is), the latter helping Aston prepare its Vantage DTM car.
The specs of the TWINS haven’t been fully revealed, R-Reforged only noting how both will “combine the highest craftsmanship with the extraordinary design language of the 1950s and 1960s”.
We suspect they’ll keep the old, naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 fitted to the original Zagato Vantages, chiefly because it’s one of the finest engine notes Earth has ever heard.
“They are the most beautiful retro-future designed Zagatos to ever be produced,” Dr Andrea Zagato humbly proclaims. No word on price, but they’ll be ready before 2019 is finished. Sweet.
By: Vijay Pattni, April 25, 2019
For more cars, visit: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/supercars/praise-be-aston-martin-vantage-v12-zagato-returns
Source: https://www.topgear.com/
2020 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante Is a 211-MPH Drop Top
It was only a matter of time before this happened: Aston Martin has finally revealed a drop-top version of its DBS Superleggera GT car, sporting the same 715-horsepower, 664 lb.-ft. 5.2-liter twin-turbo V-12 and 211-mph top speed. It has a revised aero package, and looks absolutely stunning.
As you’d expect from a car like this, the DBS Superleggera Volante is basically a DBS with a convertible top. Like the coupe, power gets to the road via a rear-mounted eight-speed automatic ZF transaxle. The 0-60 mph sprint happens in just 3.6 seconds, and 0-100 passes by in just 6.7 seconds—0.2 seconds and 0.3 seconds slower than the coupe, respectively. At a top speed of 211 mph (the same as the coupe), the DBS Volante produces 390 pounds of downforce thanks to a newly designed Aeroblade system shaped to compensate for a lack of a roof.
The soft top is an eight-layer cloth item that takes 14 seconds to open and 16 seconds to close. It can be opened from within the car, or remotely via the car’s key within a 6.6-foot radius. Aston hasn’t cut any corners, going to the most extreme places on earth to ensure the top will operate without issue. From the press release:
Exposed to conditions as extreme as the heat of Death Valley and the extremities of the Arctic Circle during development, the roof mechanism has been put through more than 100,000 cycles. Simulating 10 years of usage into a one-month test, the functional capability of the roof mechanism has been thoroughly tested.
The 2020 DBS Superleggera will be priced from $329,100 in the US, including a $1300 gas guzzler tax—just over $24,000 more than the coupe’s MSRP.
The 2020 Porsche 911 Speedster Will Cost a Crazy $275,000
Porsche has made 911 Speedsters before, but none quite like this. Witness the 2020 Speedster, a creation of Porsche Motorsport, the department behind the brilliant 911 GT3, GT3 RS and GT2 RS. Philosophically, it’s a lot like the 356 Carrera Speedsters that tore up road courses around the US in the 1950s, and that’s a very good thing.
We saw this Speedster in concept form last year, and now it’s ready for production. The gas cap in the center of the trunklid and the “Talbot” mirrors are gone, but thankfully, the 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six and six-speed manual from the GT3 are still here. Now, the engine has independent throttle bodies like a GT3 R race car, for improved response and what we have to imagine is a magnificent noise. It makes 502 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque, which is good enough to get the car to 60 mph in 3.2 second and on to a 192-mph top speed.
The Speedster is based on a 991 Carrera 4 Cabriolet, though its 3230-lb curb weight is about 200 lbs lighter than the car it’s based on. That’s thanks to lots of carbon fiber—the hood, front fenders, and the distinctive twin-hoop rear deck are all made from the stuff. Both the front and rear fascias are made from polyurethane, while carbon-ceramic brakes are standard. Even the roof is manually operated to save weight. This Speedster still weighs about 100 pounds more than a fixed-roof GT3, though. The suspension tuning is basically identical to the GT3, though the Speedster gets unique tuning for the rear-wheel steering system.
Buyers will be able to option a Heritage Design package, featuring a unique silver and white two-tone paint, optional door numbers, and a “Porsche” decal running along the side. The brake calipers are painted black, while the 20-inch wheels are finsih in “platinum satin.” Inside, the bucket seats are wrapped in Cognac leather. Owners who option this trim will also get an exclusive Porsche Design Chronograph timepiece sporting a Speedster theme.
Porsche will build 1948 examples of the Speedster, the number corresponding to the year its first road car was registered. Unfortunately, it won’t be cheap—the MSRP is set at $274,500 plus a $1250 delivery fee. That’s almost double the cost of a GT3, and nearly as much as a GT2 RS. Orders begin on May 7th, and the cars should start arriving at dealers towards the end of this year.
By: Chris Perkins, April 16, 2019
For more cars, visit: https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-shows/new-york-auto-show/a27166760/2020-porsche-911-speedster-production-specs-price-photos/
Source: https://www.roadandtrack.com/
The Aston Martin Rapide E is a 600bhp All-Electric Supercar
So it begins. This is Aston Martin’s very first all-electric, full production car, housed in the rather delightful form of the Rapide. So, meet the Aston Martin Rapide ‘E’.
Recognisably an Aston, then, but without the most recognisable thing of all – a socking great naturally aspirated, 6.0-litre V12. In its place sits a bespoke battery pack encased in carbon fibre and Kevlar, using more than 5,600 lithium-ion cells. Aston tells us there’s 800V and 65kWh in total.
Aston also tells us this 800V system, designed in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering, is better at charging and offers “greatly improved thermal characteristics” than other electrical systems.
We suspect you care less about the thermal characteristics, and more about the speed characteristics. A total of 601bhp and 700lb ft of torque is produced, which is quite a lot indeed. This is sent rearwards and rearwards only, to a pair of relectric motors recording some very intriguing times.
It’ll go from 0-60mph in under four seconds, go from 50-70mph in just 1.5secs, and top out at a clean 155mph. And, because of that fancy new battery, Aston says the Rapide E “will deliver its performance in a consistent and repeatable way as would be expected from a traditional Aston Martin”. So much so, it reckons a full lap of the Nürburgring is possible “with no performance derating”.
So a full range of 200 miles is estimated on the WLTP cycle, and it can recharge at 185 miles each hour with a 50kW charger, or 310 miles each hour using 100kW or more.
Naturally, there are modes – GT, Sport, and Sport+ – and alongside those rear motors sits a limited-slip differential and revised spring and damper rates over the traditional, V12-engined Rapide. Other things? There’s a new honeycomb grille, a redesigned underfloor and a bigger rear diffuser. Plus forged aluminium wheels.
Oh, and wave goodbye to those analogue dials so beloved of many. In their place sits a 10in screen providing all the Informations you require of a spirited electric drive.
“As our first ever all-electric production car, it is truly a historic step,” explains Aston boss Andy Palmer. “One that signals Aston Martin is prepared for the huge challenge of an environmentally responsible and sustainable future.
“As a car company, we cannot afford to passively allow that future to come to us. We have to actively chase it,” he added. Don’t forget, Aston has the Lagonda brand up its sleeve, which will be a fully electric, luxury car brand.
Just 155 Rapide Es will be built, and prices are on application. ‘Lots’, then.
By: Vijay Pattni, April 16, 2019
For more cars, visit: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/aston-martin-rapide-e-600bhp-all-electric-supercar
Source: https://www.topgear.com/
2019 BMW M850i xDrive Convertible Review
I’ve driven the BMW 8 Series three times, first as a prototype nearly a year ago, then again as a production car for a commute and a couple laps around our figure eight handling track a few weeks ago. Then I drove the new M850i convertible around southern Portugal on roads I’d never been on with lanes barely wide enough for the car. The narrow roads, the general lack of guardrails except in the deadliest spots, the jet lag, the 523 horsepower—none of it fazed me. That I should take it easy at first, feel out the car, didn’t even occur to me as I slid behind the wheel and dropped the top. Why would it? I have confidence in the 8 Series.
But wait. This is the convertible. BMW says it’s 258 pounds heavier at a portly 4,738 pounds, and a lot of that weight sits high on the chassis. More weight and a higher center of gravity have surely ruined the car, or at least made it less good, right? To that, I say: meh. That’s less than the weight of two passengers. You can’t feel that difference in a street car, even a light one. It might show up on the Vbox when we test this car in a few months, but it won’t be significant.
It doesn’t matter anyway. Even if the drop top handled a little less well than the coupe or was a little slower, it’d be the difference between super great and really great. Yes, the 8 Series is a large and heavy car, but it doesn’t drive like one. Credit whichever active system or combination of systems you like: rear steer, active anti-roll bars, active dampers, active differential, rear-biased all-wheel drive. The miracle of modern automotive technology is that with enough computers and actuators, you can make a car drive a size smaller. If not for its width, you’d say the 8 Series convertible drives like a 4 Series convertible.
So no, I didn’t think twice about knocking the shifter over to Sport and poking the mode buttons until the gauge reads “Sport Plus.” I didn’t worry it was too much car for the road or that a tag team of physics and horsepower would get me into trouble. I know the 8 Series has a ton of grip. I know that if a freak storm blows in and soaks the road, the 8 Series still has a ton of grip. I know the steering is tight and responsive, never forcing you to move your hands on the wheel outside a parking lot. I know that if a nun carrying a box of kittens wanders into the road, the car has the poise and the reflexes to safely avoid them. I know that if in the middle of that maneuver another nun spilled a bucket of oil in the road in front of me, the 8 Series drifts so beautifully even Jonny Lieberman can look like Ken Block with more beard—but only if you turn all the safety systems off, which no one should ever do on a public road.
By: Scott Evans, April 9, 2019
For more cars, visit: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/bmw/8-series/2019/2019-bmw-m850i-xdrive-convertible-first-drive-review/
Source: https://www.motortrend.com/
WEC Drops Moveable Aero from 2020/21 Rules
The revisions, which include a 110kg increase in minimum weight, follow the decision last month to allow road-going hypercars to compete alongside the new breed of prototypes for outright honours in the WEC and the Le Mans 24 Hours round from September 2020.
Motorsport.com has learned that the rule makers, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and the FIA, have decided that it would be unworkable to try to incorporate what would in effect have been front and rear Drag Reduction Systems into the aerodynamics of road-based machinery such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
The move also reflects an increase in the laptime target for the next generation of WEC frontrunner from 3m24-25s to 3m30s at Le Mans.
A drive for a reduction in development costs was behind the introduction of moveable aerodynamics, which went hand in hand with a ban on more than one bodywork configuration for the prototypes.
Another key tenet of the original rulebook was a strict limitation on the aerodynamic performance of the prototypes.
It is understood that the concept of defining maximum downforce and minimum drag figures has been retained in the latest set of proposals, but the targets have been downscaled to accommodate less-efficient road car aerodynamics.
The minimum weight for all cars, whether pure-bred prototypes or road-based hypercars, is set to be 1150kg. That compares with the 1040kg figure in the regulations published last year and the 980kg minimum that was announced when the ACO and the FIA unveiled their vision for hypercar prototypes last June.
Efforts to balance hybrid and non-hybrid machinery are behind the planned re-introduction of the rule that prohibits the deployment of the front-axle hybrid system below 120km/h (75mph). This rule, which was in place for LMP1 in the WEC in 2012-13, is designed to mitigate the advantage of running four-wheel-drive.
The original hypercar prototype rules set out maximum power outputs from each car’s internal combustion engine and its hybrid system of 508kW (680bhp) and 200kW (270bhp) respectively.
The latest proposals lay down a new maximum of 610kW (820bhp), which combines the outputs from the conventional engine and the energy-retrieval system in the case of hybrids.
It also appears that that it is the intent of the rule makers to drop the fuel-flow limitations that have been at the heart of the current LMP1 category since 2014.
The latest proposals also outline minimum production figures for road-going hypercars. Twenty cars would have to be built within two years of the race version’s debut.
By: Gary Watkins, April 9, 2019
For more cars, visit: https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/moveable-aero-dropped-hypercar-rules/4367243/
Source: https://www.motorsport.com/