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Gallery: 427 Anniversary Big Block

Continue reading Big Block Fever: First Anniversary 427 Big Block ZL-1 on the block at Barrett Jackson

Big Block Fever: First Anniversary 427 Big Block ZL-1 on the block at Barrett Jackson originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While our crew in Detroit was busy bringing you all the latest from the 2008 North American International Auto Show, across the pond the Belgians were holding the European Motor Show. And with all the major automakers putting on the ritz in Detroit, smaller manufacturers took center stage in Brussels.

One of the vehicles making its debut in Belgium was the Ivicta S1, a British-made GT that recently underwent some revisions. Whereas the previous version was strictly a two-seater, the revised interior on the new S1 now includes rear seats. A range of Ford-sourced V8s are available, with the top-of-the-line version producing 600 horsepower and capable of propelling the S1 600 to 60 mph in under four seconds. Invicta's engineers have moved the engine rearwards in the bay and sandwiched the fuel tank under the rear seats to improve the S1's balance, as well. The car's body is made from carbon-fiber, bonded to a tubular steel spaceframe chassis that optimizes rigidity and crashworthiness while keeping the car's weight down to 1,380kg.

Invicta originally began making cars in 1925 but closed in 1933, before the original S1 resurrected the name in 2002 at the Birmingham auto show. The company only makes one product, and only builds one per month.

[Source: Invicta via Motor Authority]

Gallery: Invicta S1

Brussels 2008: Invicta unveils revised S1 600 GT 2+2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The SLR wasn't the only attention-grabbing roadster Daimler-Benz had on display at this year's LA show. Sitting front and center in between all the latest machinery from Mercedes was this unique classic, the 290 Special Roadster.

On loan from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center USA, the bright orange convertible was a one-off drophead version of the 290-series flagship sedan that debuted in February 1933 at the Berlin Motor Show. Taking the place in Benz's 30's line-up where the S-Class sits today, the 290 came in short- and long-wheelbase versions (for personal or chauffeured use) and adopted the company's then-new swing axle technology.

This convertible is one-of-a-kind, built in 1936. It packs a 68hp 2.8-liter straight six driving through a 3-speed transmission and wrapped in some truly classic sheetmetal that gives you an idea for where the guys at Wiesmann may have drawn their inspiration. Check out the gallery below for all the elegant curves and details.

Gallery: LA 2007: Mercedes 290 Special Roadster

LA 2007: 1936 Mercedes-Benz 290 Roadster Special originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last time I saw a car door opened at that angle it had been bent that way by a taxi, but here the Nissan Intima's doors are opened to such extreme degrees "to aid access and egress." The guy behind the concept was keen to impress that the outwardly rotating seats are not purely for use by the elderly and infirm, but are to help the rest of us in and out too. Quite how many able-bodied folk have the patience to wait 15 to 20 seconds to be dropped at the curb is open to debate however.

More likely to see production in the foreseeable future is the Intima's clean diesel V6, outlandish lights, and perhaps even the expansive windshield cum sunroof. More pics lurk beyond the link.

Gallery: Nissan Intima concept

Tokyo Motor Show: Getting intimate with the Nissan Intima originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 01:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chrysler recalling Sebring and Avenger yet again originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Oct 2007 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Long before Henry Ford got into the business, and about a year before Daimler and Benz had a go at it, came "La Marquise". Running on coal, wood and paper, the 1884 steam-engined four-wheeler is considered the oldest running car in the world. And it's going up on the auction block at Pebble Beach next month.

La Marquise has a top speed of 38 mph, and completed a 19-mile road-course demonstration in 1887 with an average speed of 26 mph. That kind of velocity was enough for the car to uphold its record as the fastest in the world... when De Dion-Bouton made another car - a three-wheeler - for La Marquise to compete with in the world's first car race.

The automobile was built for the Count De Dion in France by De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux, the company in which the nobleman was part owner. Remarkably, some 123 years later, the car has only had two owners since. You could be the fourth if you've got the $1.5 to 2 million the car's expected to fetch at auction. (Leno, we know you're reading this....)

Follow the link to view La Marquise on film.

[Source: Gooding & Company via CNN Autos and RideLust.com]

World's Oldest Car steaming its way up to the Auction Block originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jul 2007 07:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V - spy shots

Spy Shot: Cadillac CTS-V engine bay originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jun 2007 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

BMW mulls selling engines to other automakers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 May 2007 14:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click to jump to our high-resolution Koenigsegg image gallery from Geneva

Those Super-Swedes over at Koenigsegg serve up a potent reminder that not all supercars come from Italy. In fact, some of the fastest don't, as evidenced by the Koenigsegg CCX, whose level of performance ranks among the top of the supercar realm.

At the Geneva show, Koenigsegg was in full force, displaying three glorious examples: an "ordinary" orange CCX (as if it could be considered "ordinary" by any conceivable standard), plus a black ethanol-converted CCXR and a white FIA GT1-spec CCGT.

As we previously reported, the Koenigsegg CCX is so potent that it had to be de-tuned and "censored" to meet race regulations to make the CCGT. Power was reduced from 806 to 600 horsepower, and aerodynamic elements had to be replaced to meet specifications. The CCXR, meanwhile, produces more power running on ethanol than on gasoline, making a mind-blowing 1018 horsepower and 780 lb-ft of torque.

Want to see more? Check out our high-resolution image gallery from the floor of the Geneva salon.

Gallery: Koenigsegg at Geneva 07

Geneva Motor Show: Koenigsegg CCX, CCXR and CCGT originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Mar 2007 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above to view 29 high-resolution images

So many have tried to independently build exotic supercars, but few have succeeded so remarkably as Horacio Pagani. The Argentinian-Italian once worked for Lamborghini, and gradually split off until giving birth to the Zonda, designed and built in house with input from such big names as Dallara, Mercedes-AMG and the late great Juan Manuel Fangio, after whom the Zonda was originally to be named.

Having recently revealed plans to build its latest iteration, the track-only Zonda R, Pagani featured a pair of Zonda Fs in Geneva: a deep-blue coupe and an awe-inspiring roadster of bare carbon fiber with vibrant yellow ostrich leather. The Zonda is not a car easily missed in any color, but even amidst all the glitz and glamour of the Geneva motor show, the exposed-weave Roadster F grabbed our attention like a bull by the nose.

Seeing is believing, and photographs don't do this beautiful beast justice, but humbly we offer these, our best attempts at capturing both Zonda Fs on display at Geneva in the gallery below.

Gallery: Pagani Zonda F at Geneva 07

Geneva Motor Show: Pagani Zonda F originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above to view our 15 high-resolution images from Geneva

Despite the conflict over expanding the model line-up and subsequent management change, sales of Bugatti's only model are exceeding expectations. By the end of February, Bugatti had delivered its 60th Veyron - total production of which is limited to 300 units - and has received 140 orders, each accompanied by a €300,000 down-payment.

The super-premium automaker put on a brave face at Geneva so as not to let the kids know that mommy and daddy are fighting. The show stand featured a pair of Bugattis, past and present, both dressed up in traditional French racing blue and black: a new Veyron and a circa-1932 Type 55. The display was unfortunately more restricted than the Swiss naturalization process, but that didn't stop us, as intrepid as we are, from snapping a few good shots for your enjoyment, which you can check out in our high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: Bugatti at Geneva 07

Bugatti delivers 60th Veyron originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above to jump to our gallery of 16 high-resolution images

Enthusiasts and consumers may contend that F1 racing provides only negligible benefit to road cars, but automakers evidently think otherwise, as more and more buy into the top-tier motorsport each year. Each has its own way of bringing its racing success to the road: Ferrari makes nearly-unobtainable supercars; McLaren's even more so. Renault, on the other hand, translates their immense success on the F1 circuit into some of the hottest hatchbacks on the market (even if they're not currently offered stateside).

Renaultsport launched the Clio F1 Team R27 edition to coincide with the racing team's launch of the R27, the Formula One single-seater they'll be fielding in the 2007 season that kicks off in a week. The new hot hatch made its public debut at the Geneva motor show last week. Along with special decals and a "Sirius yellow" finish, Recaro racing buckets, lightweight 17" anthracite rims and a few other special touches, the Clio R27 gets an upgraded "Cup" suspension. The limited series goes on sale this month, and once it's been sold out, the Cup suspension will be made available on the "ordinary" Clio Renaultsport.

The Clio R27 follows on the same formula as last year's Megane Renaulsport F1 Team R26, featuring the same livery and treatment, which was displayed alongside the new Clio R27 and the new F1 car on the Geneva show floor. Check out all the action in our high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: Renault R27 F1 at Geneva 07

Related posts:

• That's Special: Renaultsport hatches Clio Renault F1 Team R27
• Revealed: ING Renault F1 R27 and new title sponsor ING Group
• eBay Find of the Day: Fernando Alonso's Renault
• VIDEO: Renaultsport Clio and R26
• Megane Renaultsport 225 celebrates company's F1 championship
• Renault R26 F1 car meets the new Clio RenaultSport
• Renault plans diesel for Megane RenaultSport in '07

Geneva Motor Show: Renaultsport Clio F1 Team R27 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above to view our 50-image high-resolution gallery

Auto shows give carmakers the opportunity to present the public with their finest models, flaunting their sumptuous lines and pretty faces. (Sometimes they also display a few cars, too.) In this regard some shows are better than others, but this year in Geneva - sounding as it does like an anagram of a female body part (Mulva?) - we feasted our eyes on some of the most jaw-droppingly, show-stoppingly gorgeous models of any show in recent memory. Tough as the task was, we were dutifully at the scene - lenses a-zoomin' and flashbulbs a-flashin' - to capture the best for you, our loyal readers.

The Italians impressed as they always do, and we fell in love with Maserati's sassy covergirl at least as easily as we did with their new GranTurismo. But the biggest surprise came courtesy of Korean carmakers Kia and Hyundai. Check out the high-resolution image gallery below to see the pretty faces of Abath, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Italdesign, Kia, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, Opel, Rinspeed, Spyker, Stola and Tramontana, without whom these poor webloggers couldn't get a smile or a gaze out of girls like these.

Gallery: The Girls of Geneva 2007

The Girls of Geneva 2007 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Mar 2007 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In typical fashion, Ferrari had an impressive presence in Geneva this year. While their corporate cousins across the aisle made a big splash with the unveiling of the Maserati GranTurismo, the marque from Maranello wasn't showing any substantial new products of their own.

As we reported earlier, Luca di Montezemolo - president of Ferrari, chairman of Fiat and veritable don of the Italian automotive industry (also tipped as the potential future president of Italy) - hinted at the unveiling of the 430 Challenge Stradale (an eight-cylinder road car that "will embrace the know-how of weight reduction and high performance learned from our F1 experience") at the upcoming Frankfurt show in September. Montezemolo also spoke about some historic Ferrari paint colors that have been recently resurrected, including a 612 Scaglietti on display in Grigio Ingrid, a shade of gray that was originally commissioned from Pininfarina by Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini for a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM that he bought for his wife Ingrid Bergman.

The Ferrari stand also featured the F2007 Formula 1 car, just over a week before the season kicks off in Melbourne, a 599 GTB Fiorano, a 430 Spider and two 612 Scagliettis, flanked by a team of suitably luscious models, all of which you can see in our high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: Ferrai at Geneva 2007

Geneva Motor Show: Ferrari shifts to neutral in Switzerland originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: 2007 Maserati GranTurismo

Continue reading Geneva Motor Show: Maserati GranTurismo debut

Geneva Motor Show: Maserati GranTurismo debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Mar 2007 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Toyota brought forth the vision of its future hybrid lineup and its name is Hybrid X. The concept car is a styling exercise meant to simultaneously showcase Toyota's industry-leading hybrid drive technologies and preview the company's future styling direction for hybrid models.

You've undoubtedly noticed that carmakers pursuing hybrid technology have taken one of two directions with their styling: make them all but completely indiscernible from their conventional counterparts, or make them stand out as alternative energy vehicles. While its premium Lexus division has opted for the former, Toyota has gone for the latter, as demonstrated by the iconic Prius. Anyone who sees a Prius knows it's a Prius. The Hybrid X previews what could be the evolution of Toyota's hybrid design language.

As you can tell from the images, the styling is dominated by two large U-shaped pillar structures forming an X (hence the name) over the enormous glass cabin that blurs the lines between interior and exterior, even blending the headlights into the dashboard (yes, into the dashboard). In styling the Hybrid X, Toyota's European designers also incorporated two design themes called J-Factor and Vibrant Clarity - seriously, we couldn't have made this up - which you can read about more in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Geneva Auto Show: Toyota Hybrid X concept is the uber-Prius

Geneva Auto Show: Toyota Hybrid X concept is the uber-Prius originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Mar 2007 07:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Geneva Motor Show: Cadillac unveils new 2.9L V6 diesel for CTS

Geneva Motor Show: Cadillac unveils new 2.9L V6 diesel for CTS originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Mar 2007 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.