Autoblog

Hey, if you missed the For Yor Eyes Only Lotus Esprit sale a couple of years ago, your shot to own another Bond-driven Lotus is on the horizon. In December, Bonhams will auction one of the two 1976 Lotus Esprit S1s used in The Spy Who Loved Me. The film is well known for the car/motorcycle/helicopter chase that culminates with the Lotus flying into the drink and turning into a submarine (one of those famous prop cars sold last year); and the Stromberg hench-babe giving chase in a JetRanger turning into a charcoal briquette.

A look at the photos Bonhams includes with its listing make it pretty clear that the interior used in the chase sequence's dialogue scenes between Roger Moore and Barbara Bach did not match the one in the actual car being auctioned. The proud new owner of this one will surely revel in the splendor of its green-and-red plaid motif! Bonham's expects this Esprit to fetch more than £80,000 -- a healthy premium over what less famous S1s go for on the open market.. Still, we'd fork it over in about two seconds if we had that kind of walking around money. For some of us, this car was our first exposure to the Esprit, and it looks as good as ever. (Even better with Barbara Bach riding shotgun...)

Follow the jump to relive The Spy Who Loved Me's chase sequence.


[Sources: BBC, Bonham's]

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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]

Infomotori's commissioned designer has come out with several more images that elaborate on the speculation surrounding Audi's possible release of a premium B/C segment competitor. Such a vehicle will assuredly be dubbed the A1, slotting below the A3, and aimed squarely at other German luxury offerings, as well as the MINI Cooper.

Andrea Rosati takes several cues from Audi's Shooting Brake concept, but manages to utilize more of the lines from the recently released TT and R8. The corporate gaping maw front clip is present and accounted for, as are the seven-spoke wheels pulled straight from the RS4. From there however, the diversions become more apparent, with a much more upright stance that runs counter to Audi's current low slung offerings, as well as narrower headlamps that are pulled back at a more extreme angle to the outsides of the vehicle, starkly contrasting the lights currently employed by the TT.

Although we have normally dispatch most artist's renderings as pure speculation, there were a few trick elements that we'd like to see utilized on future Audis: namely, the angular central exhaust outlet and the Audi-logo-turned-third-brake-light.

Follow the "Read" link for all the renderings, a few pics of the Shooting Brake Concept and some speculation on possible powertrains.

[Source: Infomotori.co.uk]

Tonight's overnight enjoyment comes in the form of this undated (though recent-looking) video of an Audi S1 in full banzai mode as it frolics through a course set up to show off its godlikeprowess. The sound never gets old, and the 20something-year-old Audi looks as ferocious today as it did back in it's Group B salad days. At least this time, it doesn't have hundreds of people standing in its path.

It's winged mayhem on tarmac, and we could sit here watching and listening all night.

[Source: YouTube]

...and I mean that in the best, best way.

It's short and sweet, but you get the point. The front-mounted camera perspective demonstrates the utterly ridiculous power of the Audi S1 and the equally ludicrous behavior of the spectators. Röhrl is a surgeon behind the wheel. It's unbelievable, and no, we are not worthy.

Trust me, I'll find more to post over the weekend.

[Source: YouTube]