Autoblog

Lamborghini Reventon #01/20 arrives at Vegas dealership

Alex Nunez — 2008-05-11T09:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Car Buying, Supercars, Lamborghini

Click above for photo gallery

Sometimes people say the best gifts come in small packages. We beg to differ, because if someone were to deliver us the big 'ol box you see above, we'd probably think it was the best gift ever. In that box is Lamborghini Reventon number one of twenty. Apparently, it's the only example which will be sold privately via a traditional dealership -- in this case, Lamborghini of Las Vegas. The other nineteen were all spoken for before ever leaving the factory. We've attached a sampling of photos here, but to see the complete, step-by-step gallery of the car's unboxing in Sin City, you'll need to drop by Fresh Tarmac. If you're an Autoblog reader vacationing in Vegas, you know what to do if you jackpot one of those hundred-dollar slots.

Gallery: Lamborghini Reventon unboxed in Las Vegas

[Source: Fresh Tarmac]

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Snake Skin Green Hennessey Venom 1000TT up for sale

Drew Phillips — 2008-05-10T18:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Tuners, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Dodge

Click above for a high resolution image

As if 1000 horsepower, 0-60 mph in 2.25 seconds and the huge rear wing didn't attract enough attention. It just had to be in Snake Skin Green. According to Hennessey, this is the first and only Venom Twin-Turbo in this color, and it's listed for sale on HennesseyPerformance.com. It comes with the 1200-horsepower upgrade option, VenomAero body kit, KW adjustable coilover suspension, Brembo brakes, lightweight wheels, and more. The car's new owner will also be able to make Bugatti Veyron owners green with envy as they see this Viper's taillights fading into the distance. Click away in the full-res gallery below.

BONUS: Video of said Venom Viper spinning out while racing a Porsche 911 added after the jump.

Gallery: Hennessey Venom 1000TT SRT Coupe

[Source: Hennessey Performance]

Continue reading Snake Skin Green Hennessey Venom 1000TT up for sale

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Sam Hubinette filming Gallardo drifting commercial for Lamborghini

Merritt Johnson — 2008-05-10T13:26:00+00:00

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Supercars, Dodge, Lamborghini

He usually spends his time behind the wheel of a Dodge Charger, but recently Samuel Hübinette made an exchange for something with a lower roofline. Lamborghini asked him to take a seat in a 2009 Gallardo for the filming of a European-market commercial set on the streets of Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Blowing tire smoke for the camera is nothing new to Sam since his blue Mopar-mobile has been featured in many a BF Goodrich tire commercial. Unlike the Charger though, the Gallardo isn't quite the towering elephant. It is also equipped with all wheel drive, a feature that requires a bit more driving finesse in order to pull off an extended slide. Look for the spot to hit YouTube sometime in the not too distant future. Also follow the link to see a few more of Sam's photos from filming.

Thanks for the tip, Eric!
[Source: Samuel Hubinette Blog]

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9ff proves the GT9 is stupid fast, tops 253 mph

Drew Phillips — 2008-05-09T20:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Tuners, Coupes, Supercars, Porsche

Click above for a high resolution gallery of the GT9

There are only a handful of cars that can strike fear into the Bugatti Veyron. The Koenigsegg CCX comes close with a top speed of 242.42 mph, and the SSC Aero Twin-Turbo is even faster, hitting a two-way average speed of 255.83 mph and officially taking the crown of world's fastest car back in September. These über-fast supercars will now be looking over their shoulders with the new kid on the block, the 9ff GT9. Based on the Porsche 911 GT3, 9ff stretches the chassis about a foot and chops the roofline for improved aerodynamics. A carbon-kevlar subframe houses a twin-turbo 4.2-liter flat-6 pushing out 987 bhp. Our German is a bit rough, but we can translate enough of Autobild's recent story on the 9ff GT9 to know they achieved ridiculous speeds in the super Porsche at the Papenburg high speed oval in Germany. 409 km/h to be exact, which roughly translates to 253 mph. We're not sure if there is more speed left in the GT9 to top the Bugatti or the SSC, but it's impressive nonetheless.

Gallery: 9ff GT9

[Source: Autobild.de]

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New McLaren supercar expected for 2010

Jeremy Korzeniewski — 2008-05-09T10:13:00+00:00

Filed under: Supercars, Mercedes Benz, Rendered Speculation, Rumormill

With the mostly unloved Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren set to get the official axe in 2009, the path is clear for the next McLaren-branded supercar to be unveiled. Expected to be built at its facility in Woking, England, McLaren has plans for the as-yet-unnamed vehicle to compete with Ferrari's incredible F430. Rumored to be powered by a 550-horsepower V8 engine featuring a basic design snagged from Mercedes and built by Mahle (that of the former Cosworth tuning fame), the power-to-weight ratio should handily outdo that of the Prancing Horse. Shortly after the new coupe codenamed P11 is unveiled, a convertible version is also expected.

True hardcore McLaren enthusiasts should mark 2012 as the year that McLaren returns to form with a proper replacement for its awe-inspiring F1 of a few years back. Powered by a lightweight version of the P11 architecture, this car codenamed the P12 is expected to be powered by a V10 engine with over 600 horsepower. The waiting list will likely start right... about... now.

[Source: Autocar]

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KEY FOR-D-GT kit fixes Ford supercar's only fault

Chris Shunk — 2008-05-08T18:13:00+00:00

Filed under: Etc., Supercars, Ford

The Ford GT is on the short list of coolest cars in the 21st century, with up to 600 horsepower, killer retro looks, and Ferrari F430-beating athleticism. Buyers were more than happy to accept a limited edition Ford supercar, but many owners were less than thrilled with Ford's corporate key and fob. While it sounds a bit petty, sharing a key with an F-150 just doesn't scream exotic track star.

The creative key kit crafters over at ExotiCARe have remedied the situation with a limited edition kit that turns your pedestrian keys into a car starter worthy of a Ford GT. The easy to install kit is nothing more than silver-finish covers for your existing keys, which doesn't exactly seem like $295 well-spent, but for those who can afford a $175,000 sports car it may be a deal. ExotiCARe is only making 350 of the kits, so there is an exclusivity factor, as well. Is $295 too much for nothing more than key decoration that you have to assemble yourself? You tell us after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Andrew!

Gallery: KEY FOR-D-GT

[Source: ExotiCARe]

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Spy Shots: Corvette ZR1 attacking the Nurburgring

John Neff — 2008-05-07T14:26:00+00:00

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Supercars, Chevrolet

Click above for high-res gallery of ZR1 on the 'Ring spy shots

Corvette Chief Engineer (and Autoblog commenter) Tadge Juechter said last week that the new ZR1 "will be able to take the production-car track record at any racetrack" and should lap the famed Nurburgring race track in Germany in "seven minutes, twenty-something seconds." Considering Nissan just posted a new official lap time of 7:29 for the GT-R and that the GT-R V-Spec is reportedly clicking off laps in 7:25, them sounds like fightin' words. Well, the ZR1 is officially being flogged around the Ring as we speak, though no one has yet to report a lap time for this gorgeous red prototype that was spotted by KGP photographers. BridgetoGantry.com reports that yesterday there was a helicopter over the track "chasing something that sounded very V8 and awfully supercharged," so perhaps lap times will soon be forthcoming. We imagine the supercharged LS9 V8's 628 horsepower and the ZR1's 205-mph top speed will not disappoint.

Gallery: Corvette ZR1 on the 'Ring - spy shots

[Source: KGP Photography]

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Audi R8 sold out "for months"

Chris Shunk — 2008-05-07T08:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupes, Supercars, Audi

Click above for more high-res shots of the Audi R8

The Audi R8 has supercar looks and red-hot demand, so if you want to own the stunning German two-seater, you'd best get to the back of the line. Buyers of the mid-engine Audi have picked up every model that will be made for months, which tells us what we already knew: the R8 is a legitimate smash hit. Oddly, Audi isn't specifying how many R8s it has sold since the vehicle's introduction, and it's likely the German automaker won't go out of its way to ramp up production and risk ruining the all-wheel-drive supercar's buzz-factor.

It's no surprise that the R8 is so successful on the sales floor, but the downside is that the vehicle's sustained popularity is keeping higher performance editions off the market. If a 420-hp 4.2L powerplant can take you to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, just imagine what a 580-hp twin-turbo V10 will do on dry pavement.

Gallery: 2008 Audi R8

[Source: Inside Line]

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Corvette ZR1 production set at 2,000 units worldwide

Damon Lavrinc — 2008-05-06T16:28:00+00:00

Filed under: Supercars, Chevrolet, GM

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Corvette ZR1.

Corvette ZR1 chief engineer Tadge Juechter recently sat down to participate in a live chat on GMNext to answer questions about Chevy's new supercar, with topics ranging from fuel-economy to production numbers.

GM hasn't run its fuel economy test yet, but in a previous release from the General, it expects the ZR1 to be the most fuel-efficient 600-hp vehicle on the market. Juechter did say that the ZR1, "will be somewhat less [fuel-efficient] than a Z06," which is currently rated at 15/24 by the EPA, "and we expect a small gas-guzzler tax [on the ZR1]." Production will be limited to 2,000 units each year for worldwide consumption and pricing will be revealed sometime this month.

Juechter went on to say that ZR1 accessories wouldn't be made available for lesser Corvette models, so buyers won't be able to option up for carbon-ceramic brakes or Michelin tires on their Z06s. When asked if engineers considered all-wheel-drive for the ZR1, he emphasized that making the vehicle as lightweight as possible was a top priority and that an AWD system "would have added too much mass." And on the topic of price gouging by dealers, Juechter said only one thing: "We're strongly encouraging dealers to charge MSRP." Good luck on that.

Gallery: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

[Source: InsideLine]

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Spy Shots: Ferrari F149 spotted, sans butt-camo

Damon Lavrinc — 2008-05-06T14:31:00+00:00

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Ferrari

Click above for a gallery of Ferrari's Project F149.

With the debut of the Ferrari 149 GT California (or something like that) just around the corner, new shots of the Ferrari mule have surfaced at Autogespot, revealing a few more details about the entry-level Fezza. Unlike some spy pics we've seen that obscure everything from the B-pillar back, these newest images show a steeply raked rear windscreen that terminates into an artificially elongated trunk, rumored to house a folding hard top. The front clip is sporting a large radiator intake and the hood stretches back in true Ferrari style. As reported before, Project F149 is rumored to be powered by a 4.7-liter V8 producing 480 to 500 hp. More details are expected soon. We're standing by.

Gallery: Ferrari F149 Spy Shots

[Source: Autogespot via Jalopnik]

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eBay Find of the Day: Batmobile from Tim Burton's first bat film

Chris Shunk — 2008-05-06T07:55:00+00:00

Filed under: Auction Action, Etc., Supercars

Click above for gallery of the Batmobile

The Michael Keaton/Jack Nicholson Batman is and probably always will be my all-time favorite movie, and the ostentatious Batmobile was one of my most cherished Hot Wheels. Owning the flat-black exotic has always been a less than realistic goal, but thanks to eBay, someone will have that chance. If you like the Batmobile as much as I do, and unlike me have at least $500,000, you can actually purchase the Dark Knight's superhero-mobile on eBay.

The Batmobile on auction is number five of five, and with only 54 miles on the odometer, it is one rare bird indeed. It has no doors, and the only way to get behind the wheel is to jump in through the roof. The 20-foot long Batmobile hides a 5.7L Chevy small-block under-hood that hasn't been driven in five years, and judging from the pics on eBay, it's an automatic, too. It does make sense for Batman to fore-go manual shifts, since he needed to use his free hand to fire 50-caliber machine guns. Somehow we have the feeling that heavy artillery isn't included in the auction, but at least you can look like your car can blow things up. Nobody has bid on the item yet, and at 500-large we're guessing this auction has a chance of reappearing soon at a lower starting price. Thanks for the tip, Steve!

Gallery: Batmobile

[Source: eBay]

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"Hello dad, I totaled your Ferrari - what time is dinner?"

Jonathon Ramsey — 2008-05-05T10:58:00+00:00

Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Etc., Supercars, Ferrari, Australia

Somewhere, a father in Melbourne weeps. There were 16 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradales imported to Australia and New Zealand. There are now 15. A proud dad gave his son the keys to his so-rare-it's-almost-extinct Ferrari, and his son got a little too frisky with the audacious redhead. She didn't appreciate his advances, he lost control of the situation, and that little redhead introduced him to a pole... at a high rate of speed by the looks of it.

And as if that didn't beat all, the kid had to call home. While news crews watched. And filmed. Only to have newspapers and blogs spread the story around the world. No word on what his father said, but it probably rhymed with "Why I oughta @#%$*&%!"

Police say the driver was speeding, which means he must not have seen these commercials. But now, at least, he has a theme song, so sing along: "To you other kids all across the land, take it from me, parents just don't understand..." Thanks for the tip, Patrick!

[Source: Sydney Morning Herald]

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Spied? BMW M1 Prototype caught undisguised (maybe)

Drew Phillips — 2008-05-04T20:59:00+00:00

Filed under: Concept Cars, Spy Photos, Coupes, Supercars, BMW

Click above for high-res version

We've been debating whether or not this is a real photo or an expert rendering, but if it is a photoshopped image of a BMW M1 prototype, then it is very convincing. According to FreshTarmac.com, this photo was taken in a hangar in Spain. It shows a sleek two-door, probably mid-engined coupe with attributes of the new M3 incorporated into its design, especially the front fenders and hood. With BMW introducing the M1 Hommage Concept at the Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este last week, we hope this means that is already considering a production version. Come on BMW, build it! Thanks for the tip, John!

[Source: FreshTarmac.com]

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Another bloody Veyron: Presenting the Sang Noir

Jonathon Ramsey — 2008-05-04T18:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Bugatti

Click the image above for a photo gallery of the Bugatti Sang Noir

A darker, evil-er Bugatti Veyron has been born to run alongside the Pur Sang: the Sang Noir. Word is the newest variant has been created to be a tip of the hat -- that would be "chapeau!" in French -- to the Bugatti Atlantique 57S. It gets a slightly different front grille with matching side mirrors, black headlight surrounds, exclusive wheels, and an interior dressed in what looks like electric orange. All in all, the car appears to share nothing with the Atlantique other than the name Bugatti and choice of exterior color. But it's not like that would keep you from buying it, would it?

Gallery: Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir

[Source: 4WheelsBlog via AutoSpies]

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Corvette ZR1 engineer says GT-R won't be King of the 'Ring for long

Damon Lavrinc — 2008-05-02T13:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Supercars, Chevrolet, Nissan

The Nissan GT-R's 7:29 lap record won't stand for long if Chevrolet has anything to say about it. Speaking with InsideLine, Corvette Chief Engineer, Tadge Jeuchter, says that the ZR1, "will be able to take the production-car track record at any racetrack," and that although Chevy doesn't have a production version of the uber-Vette at the Nurburgring yet, they're expecting a lap time of "seven minutes, twenty-something seconds." That sounds like smack-talk to us. But while the ZR1 might have the potential to best the GT-R's 'Ring time, the 550-600 hp elephant in the room is the forthcoming GT-R V-Spec, which is already putting down (roughly-timed) laps around the North Loop in the 7:25 realm. Let the battle begin. We're making popcorn now.

Gallery: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Gallery: Nissan GT-R (US-spec)

[Source: InsideLine]

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Lamborghini wants less Audi DNA in its products

Damon Lavrinc — 2008-05-02T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Supercars, Audi, Lamborghini

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.

Say what you will about the Germanification of Lamborghini; it's producing damn good cars. Audi's stake in the Raging Bull has helped move Lamborghini from a quirky, inscrutable supercar producer to a purveyor of some of the finest road-going rockets our generation has ever seen. But according to Audi pres Stephan Winkelmann, the magic number for cross pollination of the two brands is 20-percent. "In the future, we will always work together just on the hidden parts - parts that will not touch the DNA of Lamborghini," Winkelmann told Autocar.

That pronouncement by Winkelmann is an attempt to quell criticism that the Gallardo shares too many components with the Audi R8 and that the majority of parts sharing will include unseen components, like electrical, plumbing and other, smaller pieces. "We have a quality benchmark with Audi," Winkelmann said, "[Lamborghini] gets the best and fastest, and Audi gets us the cheapest."

Gallery: Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

[Source: Autocar]

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Shelby celebrates 85th birthday and 1966 Le Mans victory with Commemorative GT40

Drew Phillips — 2008-05-01T21:57:00+00:00

Filed under: Time Warp, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Shelby

We got our first look at Shelby's 85th Commemorative GT40 back in January at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. It's as close as you can get to the real thing without spending millions on an original GT40 with the chassis and body nearly perfectly replicating the original. Shelby Distribution has now issued an updated press release as well as the official photos. The GT40, built by Superformance but officially badged a Shelby, celebrates both Carroll's 85th birthday as well as the dominating 1-2-3 Le Mans win in 1966. It's available in all three colors of the original race cars - Arcadian Blue, Black, and Red - as well as unique Shelby badging on the door handles, headlights, side graphics, and floor mats. No engine specs are available since each comes as a rolling chassis, but the engine bay is built to accommodate any Shelby-badged V8 crate engine. Anything but a 427ci V8 would be just plain crazy, though. Follow the jump for the press release and check out nearly fifty high resolution photos in the gallery below.

Gallery: Shelby 85th Commemorative GT40

[Source: Shelby Distribution USA]

Continue reading Shelby celebrates 85th birthday and 1966 Le Mans victory with Commemorative GT40

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JDM Nissan GT-R benefits from U.S. market tweaks

Damon Lavrinc — 2008-05-01T16:56:00+00:00

Filed under: Supercars, Nissan

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Nissan GT-R in action.

While sitting through what felt like the longest press conference ever before we got some seat time in the Nissan GT-R, one of the engineers on hand mentioned that Godzilla's suspension would be tweaked for the U.S. market. When asked why, the response wasn't entirely clear, so we assumed that the changes would be made to adapt the GT-R to our less-than-perfect road surface. Apparently, that's not the case.

The suspension revisions, which involved modifying the spring rate by 0.1kg/mm to make the GT-R's coils a bit stiffer, will be accompanied by three harder engine mounts and a firmer transaxle mount that limits movement of the engine and gearbox under cornering forces. However, these changes aren't just for vehicles bound for Stateside consumption. The tweaks have also been implemented on the latest batch of JDM vehicles and are going to be ported over to the UK models when they arrive next year. While the changes are minimal, it's proof that Nissan's engineers are dedicated to improving every facet of the GT-R to ensure that it remains on top. Or, to quote the GT-R's chief vehicle engineer, Kazutoshi Mizuno, who spoke with Car, "The GT-R is my son... a son grows up and it's my duty as father to keep improving it."

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Nissan GT-R

[Source: Car]

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More images of Carrozzeria Touring's coachbuilt Maseratis

Noah Joseph — 2008-05-01T15:57:00+00:00

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sports/GTs, Wagons/Estates, Euro, Supercars, Maserati

Click on the images to view the Carrozzeria Touring Maserati A8 GCS and Bellagio Fastback in high resolution

The reborn Carrozzeria Touring made a big splash at Villa d'Este. As the featured marque of the Concorso d'Eleganza this year, the fathers of the classic Superleggera construction method took the wraps off two stunning coachbuilt Maseratis. While we wait for Touring to release more information on the swoopy A8 GCS sportscar and Bellagio Fastback, the Carrozzeria has graced us with a few new images of the two cars.

The photos of the A8 GCS show the custom coupe in a much better light than the initial batch, and there's another shot of the Quattroporte-based Bellagio, as well. As you can see in the latter, the side windows on the wagon are blanked out, but while the extension might not do any favors for blind-spot visibility, we hardly think that's the point as the design and craftsmanship appear second to none. Check out the images in the two galleries below to see for yourself.

Gallery: Carrozzeria Touring Maserati A8 GCS

Gallery: Carrozzeria Touring Maserati Bellagio

[Source: Carrozzeria Touring]

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Despite rumors, next Acura NSX won't be priced around $200k

Damon Lavrinc — 2008-05-01T12:57:00+00:00

Filed under: Supercars, Acura

Click above for a gallery of the Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept.

Acura is slated to release its NSX replacement sometime around the turn of the decade, but despite what you may have heard circulating the 'Net, it's not going to be priced to compete with Ferrari and Lamborghini. There's little doubt that Acura's 500+hp, V10-powered super sled has Italy's finest in its sights, along with the perennial show queen, the Lexus LF-A, but even with current exchange rates between the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar, the successor to the NSX won't be carrying a sticker around $180,000. After contacting Mike Spencer, one of Acura's press people, he confirmed that the comments he made were taken out of context and that definitive pricing for the new vehicle is still a long way off. He would only say that the exchange rates would have an effect, but it would be unfair to attempt to guesstimate on price this early in the game. Considering that the last NSX was knocking on the $100k door before it was killed off in 2005, we'd expect a higher sticker for the next model, but pulling a number out of the air, comparing it to other vehicles in the segment and claiming it as fact, is hardly fair. As such, we'll wait for a formal announcement from Acura so you can start saving your pennies for the NSX's upcoming replacement.

Gallery: Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept

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