Autoblog

Click image for gallery

When we first saw the AC Schnitzer PROFILE, we thought, "Man, that's a slick-looking ambulance." Then we looked more closely and realized it was a BMW Z4. The PROFILE is AC Schnitzer's latest concept creation, based on the current M Coupe, and while it has the guts of a performer, it looks pretty weird.

By the numbers, all's well. 350 horses are paddocked in the engine compartment thanks to a new airbox and remapped ECU. AC Schnitzer also fitted its Short Shift kit and changed the rear axle ratio to 3.91:1. Great.

Not-so-great is the orange-and-white two-tone paint job, which is distracting and pulls attention away from the body kit that is mostly good, actually. However, Schnitzer points to those fender ports and says, "BMW 507!" We see them and think, "Buick!" They call the diminutive roof wing "fascinatingly styled." We think "very ugly" is more apt. The wheels are cool, though. As are the hood vents and exhaust. Nix the portholes, throw the dopey roof wing in the dumpster, paint it one color, and we're in. As currently presented, however, we'll pass, thanks.

[Source: AC Schnitzer]

"The Exelero show car did more for us than all the tweaks to the 57/62 series combined." That's what a source inside Maybach had to say about the gargantuan showcar when speaking of future Maybach models. The Exelero, more than any other, looked like it was built to transport Darth Vader. But it wasn't. Nor was it built just to garner attention, although that factored big in the formula, as well. The purpose of the Exelero was to serve as a high-speed – and high-profile – test vehicle for German tire manufacturer Fulda, who decades prior had embarked on a similar venture with the original Maybach. In short, the Exelero has the go to back up all that show.

In the video after the jump, witness the time-warping power and speed of the two-door performance coupe built on the platform of the Maybach 57, which itself is second only to its big-brother 62 in the rankings of the largest and most obscenely powerful cars on the market.

In so many ways, and in so many words, this is huge.

Related posts:

• VIDEO: Maybach Exelero
• Wow! Maybach Exelero

[Source: Automobiles Deluxe via Motor Authority]

Click on the image above for high-resolution

It's been a regular Maserati love-in over here these past few days. First we got a teaser sketch of the coupe designed by Pininfarina. Then the Trident marque gave us three images of the stunning new GranTurismo in advance of its Geneva debut. Then we brought you the MC12 XX by Edo Competition. And now Maserati has hit us with the press release for the GranTurismo and an additional profile shot. It must be Christmas time for fans of the house that Alfieri built.

The press release confirms certain details about the stylish new coupe and reveals others. The 4.2-liter V8, derived from the Ferrari-designed engine in the Quattroporte, gets a power spike of 9 horsepower up to 405. It's driving through a fully automatic gearbox – presumably the new ZF unit recently placed in the Quattroporte – but we'd speculate the paddle-shifted sequential will find its way in their eventually despite the anticipated availability of paddle shifters on the torque-converting auto-box. Weight is distributed, as reported, in an ideal 49/51 rear bias. The styling was penned by Pininfarina's American wonderboy Jason Castriota, the same guy responsible for the design of the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the custom Enzo-based P4/5 one-off.

The GranTurismo's launch at this year's Geneva show marks the (approximate) 60th anniversary of the launch of Maserati's first road car, the original Gran Turismo, which was also designed by Pinin Farina (in an era when words were separated by spaces).

Follow the jump for the press release, or click on the gallery below, where we've added the new profile shot seen above.

[Source: Maserati]