Autoblog

There was an official release of the all-aluminum Bugatti Pur Sang somewhere in Frankfurt this week, but it wasn't at the official Frankfurt Auto Show. In fact, once it was shown -- presumably, once -- it wasn't seen again. Not much of a loss, really, because you won't be likely to see one either: Bugatti's only making five of them. That's even more exclusive than the edtion-of-twenty Lamborghini Reventon.

The Pur Sang is a standard-issue Bugatti stripped of all of its paint. That means raw aluminum and carbon fiber face the 200+ MPH elements in their naked states. We don't know how it looks in person, but in pics we'd have to say it's the prettiest Bugatti we've seen. Without the two-tone paint job, the car doesn't remind us of a giant Stacy Adams shoe. It's also a couple hundred pounds lighter, not that you were looking to shave weight or tenths off the car.

And heaven only knows how Bugatti will decide who gets the five examples. But of course, if you really wanted one you can always stop by Earl Scheib and have your Bugatti stripped. Since it only costs $99 to put paint on a car, it's probably not much more to take it off. Just an idea. In the mean time, be sure to check out the hi-res gallery of pics.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Click the image above for more hi-res pics

Neither Daniel Craig nor his latest avatar made an appearance at the Frankfurt Auto Show, but that's all right. If we had a choice of meeting Bond or his car in person, we'd have to go with the car. And there it was, the DBS, "the ultimate luxury sports car," lurking in Aston's area. Beneath the sculpted, vented snout are twelve cylinders that snarl out 510 HP and 420 lb-ft. Power gets from motor to road via two pairs of 20-inch wheels, and you'll get from 0-60 in 4.3 seconds, all the way to a leisurely 191 mph. Which is just fast enough to enjoy a Vesper Lynd before you've really got to start concentrating on the road. The question with the DBS isn't "Are you man enough?", but rather "Are you gentleman enough?" All yours for $265,000. Plus tax, of course.

For full specs on the DBS go here. And be sure to check out the gallery of hi-res pics.

click above image to view high-res gallery of the Fiat Grande Punto Abarth SS

Fiat has big plans for the resurrected Abarth brand, wasting no time with a 180 HP splash in the body of the Grande Punto Abarth SS. Fiat plans to use Abarth as an in-house tuning and racing concern, and this car demonstrates the kind of tuning they have in mind.

There are two Grande Punto Abarths: the base model comes to the party with "just" 150 HP, but the SS takes it up to 180 HP. The Abarth SS models also get a nice body kit that looks like it came from a Transformers spare parts bin. The interior is clean and basic, but not spartan, and well-laid out. Good luck to anyone who doesn't plan on racing everyone and everything at every stop light. For a small hatch, it's one of the hottest cars out there -- check out the special edition Frankfurt Auto Show wheels -- and the hottest presenters didn't hurt either.

Check out the press release after the jump, and be sure to check out the gallery of hi-res images.

click above image to view a full high-res gallery of the new Audi A4

Audi put together its usual unveil shebang, with cameras, prompters, giant screens, a famous person come to sing praises, and a giant crowd. The audience surrounding the two cars being showcased, the RS6 Avant and the A4, made the venue look more like Wembley than a Frankfurt Motor Show hall. Other than Bryan Adams emerging with a guitar and an acoustic version of "Run to You," we didn't understand any of the press conference, which was entirely in German. Based on the presenter's body language, however, Audi feels very good about what it has and where it's going.

The new A4 takes plenty of lines from the A5. It's still svelte, it simply has a few more creases for you to catch your eye on. Along with a compendium of changes inside and out -- detailed in the exhaustive press release -- there are new engines that provide better power, get better economy, and exhale less pollution. The 1.8-liter is the runt of the petrol lot, and gets 160 bhp. The 2.0-liter diesel makes do with 143 bhp, but comes good with 260 ft-lb. The largest engine available is the 3.2 FSI with 265 bhp and 0-60 in 6.2 seconds.

Click Read for an exhaustive press release, and be sure to check out the hi-res gallery of photos from the reveal.

click above image to view high-res gallery of the Audi RS6

When Satan is going to have some friends over and needs to go shopping, he grabs the keys to the Audi RS6 Avant. Why? Because it's a station wagon -- and it will only come as a wagon to begin with -- that costs more than 101,000 euros, which is nothing short of hellish. It also has 580 HP, though some claim that's a bit of false modesty and the car actually has 600 HP. Then there are the ceramic brakes riding massive rotors, the perfect cure for The Nefarious One's hot foot. Inside, curvaceous buckets taper upward to curved horns for headrests. And finally, while it has a face and a mien that many people could love, it takes a demon -- speed or otherwise -- to truly appreciate.

Inside is stitched leather and carbon fiber and alcantara for days. The car only comes as a tiptronic, but it's been recalibrated for very short shift times. There is absolutely no reason for a supersonic station wagon, especially one that doesn't come with helmets and re-entry suits, but who cares? It's hot enough for Hades, and the guy who runs it.

Click Read for the Audi press release, and be sure to check out the gallery of hi-res photos.