Autoblog

Filming of the latest Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, has been put on hiatus after two stunt drivers were injured during filming. The crash apparently took place while performing a chase sequence where one driver in an Alfa Romeo crashed into a wall while chasing Bond's Aston Martin DBS along the Gardesana, a curvy road that lines Lake Garda. The man behind the wheel of the Alfa was flown to the hospital in a helicopter and is in serious condition, while his passenger sustained only minor injuries.

This news comes within days of the previous crash that put one of the DBSs used for filming into the same lake, and despite the fact that filming was about to be wrapped today, the set remains closed until an investigation takes place. Thanks to all who tipped in.

[Sources: CNN, MI6.co.uk]

Click above for gallery of the Uragano handbuilt supercar

Who doesn't dream of building his or her own supercar? It took four years for him to do it, but Filandri Moreno from Italy has inspirational neighbors such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani. Moreno possibly thought of famed supercar blowhards like Enzo and Ferrucio when naming his car the Uragano, which means 'Hurricane' in Italian, but blowing through 48 months is easy when you've got to design and fabricate a body and frame then populate it with the proper automotive subsystems. Rather than figure out how to set up a backyard foundry, Moreno borrowed an 4.2 liter bent eight from an Audi A8 for motivation and hung a large turbocharger off the rear for good measure. It's tough to say anything critical when someone's realized a goal that most of us will never achieve, but we're honestly underwhelmed by the look and quality of the Uragano's body fabrication. Not that we'd do much better than a lumpy C5 Corvette-looking thing that appears rendered in papier mache. Thanks for the tip, Trent!


[Source: PopSci]

More than twenty years ago, Pontiac dealers sold their two-seat Fiero with a special "option" called the MERA. Essentially a complete re-body over the Fiero's then-advanced space frame, brand-new cars rolled out of the showroom looking much like a Ferrari 308. Over the next two years, 247 Fiero MERA models were built before Ferrari dropped a legal hatchet on the operation, and Corporate Concepts was forced to end production of their "kit."

We had put this blasphemy out of our minds until this week, when police in Rome uncovered a counterfeit car operation once again making fake Ferraris. In the Italian case, real customers (the police called them "car fanatics on a budget") were found to be paying upwards of $30,000 for each of these pseudo-Ferraris. The police report mentions that "donor cars" were involved, but they don't name names.

Photos released by the Italian police quickly confirmed our fears. In one image, a dusty red crackle-finish intake manifold proudly bears the Ferrari name. We recognize it as the 2.8-liter, 140-hp V6 that powered the Pontiac Fiero GT in 1988. The interior bares more irreverence as a knock-off Ferrari steering wheel tries to hide 80's-era GM switchgear. It is painfully obvious that the "Polizia" have stumbled upon an illegal reincarnation of the Fiero MERA, but this time on sacred Italian soil and offering more than one model. It is hard to imagine a criminal ring going this far to make a buck, but we are more stupefied by the knuckle-heads who actually paid them for these cars.

Thanks for the tip Mike!

[Source: Reuters]

Bertone has landed in some very hot water and is facing Italian bankruptcy court within a week. The courts in Turin seem to think that the best thing for the company's 1,300 employees would be for it to shut down and go into bankruptcy protection. But before it draws its last breath, the famous Italian carrozzeria has one last trick up its sleeve, which is expected to be revealed later today.

The coachbuilder has long since evolved from being the small design house it once was into a major manufacturing facility, with capacity to produce 70,000 cars each year. But in order to break even, it needs to build at least 30,000 per year. It was building a special-edition MINI, but that ended over a year ago, and production of the Astra convertible ended two years ago. Over the last three years, according to reports, Bertone has lost €37.3 million ($55.4 million).

Industry insiders are speculating as to what Bertone's plan of action might entail, fueled by a release from chairman, CEO and owner Lili Bertone, which stated that the company received "a letter of intent from an industrial group with a strong track record in the automotive field." That hardly narrows it down, but speculation points towards former Fiat and Telecom Italia exec Gianmario Rossignolo, who is tipped to be preparing to produce a new SUV in Italy. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - subscription required]

Ferrari's newly-minted record isn't in jeopardy, but we bet the driver of the lone Ferrari was kicking pebbles while hanging out with the dude who brought the SLR. Okay, probably not. Pagani's frontal assault on the supercar world, powered by an AMG V12 must have made for some sweet sounds and beautiful sights as 13 of them rolled from Milan through Como Lake to Monte Carlo for the Third International Pagani Gathering. The three-day tour just wrapped up on June 10th, so some owners are likely still en route home.

We're going to put a Zonda on the Autoblog budget request for next year and see if it'll come through for us. Supercar culture is valuable research, so maybe it'd even be tax deductible, since we'd be using it for work. Some of the most exclusive Italian exotics on the market, Paganis are mesmerizing when there's just one. Thirteen in a row must have been cause to stand and stare for as long as you could, before they disappeared at the horizon's convergence point. The website Swiss Car Sightings has put together a gallery of 100-plus pieces of eye candy, so without further ado, Andiamo!

The Italian Post Office is honoring one of the country's most well-known brands, Lamborghini, by offering a commemorative stamp in its honor.

The 85-euro-cent stamp will hit post offices first in Lamborghini's hometown, Sant'Agata Bolognese, before it is offered at offices throughout the country. The campaign is part of Italy's recent efforts to pay homage to the country's greatest moments and products.

The stamp features Lamborghini's golden bull against a black shield background, which looks very similar to the badge affixed to the much-celebrated Lamborghini Miura, built between 1966 and 1973. Any tribute to that masterpiece would surely find a spot in our stamp collection -- if we had one.

[Source: Italy magazine via German Car Blog]

We'll keep this simple: three of the world's finest supercars in one of the world's best supercar playgrounds. The hardcore action doesn't go much beyond each car getting a solo peelout. However, each machine does get plenty of individual, loving, lifestyle-themed attention. And the sights and sounds -- ah, sehr gut and che bella. Enjoy the video after the jump.

[Source: You Tube]

click above image for high-res pics of the Spada Codatronca

Believe it or not, we passed over spy shots of this car being development tested because we didn't believe it was a legitimate model that would one day see production. We were wrong on that one, as today news has come from Italy that the car we once thought was a joke is actually the SpadaConcept Codatronca.

This new supercar was designed and produced by the Italian design house SpadaConcept in conjunction with the tuning firm UK Garage. You may recall that SpadaConcept is resonsible for designing such classics as the Aston Martin DB4, Fulvia Sport Zagato, and more. Ercole Spada and his son, Paolo Spada, who is the company's new design director, drew influences from their original 1965 Alpha Romeo TZ that also featuered a fin-like rear called the "Kamm tail coda tronca" design. The new Codatronca is based on the Chevy Corvette, which might also explain the heavy Mako Shark infuence in the front end design. One thing we can't quite figure out is the digital readout on the vehicle's rear, which seems to display the car's current mph and perhaps even more info on its rump. While it might be a fun feature to rub your speed in the faces of those that get passed, we imagine police officers would also appreciate your velocity being public knowledge.

UK Garage was tasked with updating the Corvette mechanicals and has tweaked the suspension and engine. Three powerplants will be available for the Codatronca customer, including 512-hp version in the TS "Sport Tourism" model, a 513-hp version in the TSV "Fast Sport Tourism" model (that one horsepower apparently makes a big difference), and the big beast, a 700-hp version in the TSS "Super Sport Tourism" model. Performance numbers include a 3-second 0-60 run and a top speed around 208 mph. Clearly, the Spada Codatronca is no joke.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Every time we think we've seen the ultimate in over-the-top bling and luxe, somebody manages to come up with something even more outlandish. This time, it's a custom Maserati Quattroporte crafted by Studio M especially for the "Scrigno Tesori d'Italia" (roughly translated as the Italian Treasure Chest), a luxury show taking place at the Spazio Etoile & Palazzo Ruspoli in Rome from the 16th to the 18th of March.

We've yet to start an Autoblog Italian, and online translators will only take you so far, but here's what we could gather about the bling on this Trident. Most noticeable is the special paint job that blends actual 24-karat gold powder – similar to the silver powder technique used in collaboration with Fiat on the Panda Luxury – giving this Maserati what is undoubtedly an unrivalled luster. This Quattroporte is also fitted with some custom bodywork, and with bigger Trident badges, just in case anyone would miss it rolling by. Inside, of course, the premium touches continue with every surface covered in ultra-soft leather and Alcantara trim, even the trunk. The cabin is also highlighted by lacquered French briar wood panels, though Studio M can also outfit customer cars with woven panels of gold or platinum. The back of the front headrests are fitted with individual LCD panels with USB jacks and SD card readers, almost a foregone conclusion on modern pimped-out rides.

No word on how much this entire treatment would add to the cost of a Maserati Quattroporte, but pushing the limits of good taste as it does, any customer will likely be glad to tell you emphatically.

[Source: La Repubblica]

If you're looking for the ultimate vacation and have the cash to spend, look no further than Red Travel. The stuff-that-dreams-are-made-of tour operator based in Turin specializes in putting together vacation packages that put you behind the wheel of a Ferrari to drive along the Italian countryside, with a variety of options to suit your taste.

Itineraries range from one day to eight, hitting such locations as Rome, Florence, Maranello, Sicily, Venice and Lake Como. You can opt for more countryside or more metropolitan destinations and the packages are completely flexible according to your specifications, even including trips outside Italy to London, Barcelona, Monte Carlo... the open road's the limit. Your own personal concierge will even follow (or forge ahead) by GPS with your bags.

Red Travel's fleet isn't made up of older machinery, either. Their garage is stocked with F430s (coupe and roadster), the brand-new 599 GTB Fiorano and the four-seat 612 Scaglietti. It's by no means a cheap way to travel, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more memorable one. A four-day trip for two in a Ferrari from Rome to Siena and back runs Є4300 each (approximately $5,700), plus a deposit on the car of Є15,000 which you get back when you return the car intact.

[Source: Red Travel via Luxist]