Click above for a high-res gallery of the SL65 AMG Black Series.

After months of spy shots and speculation, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series is finally out in the open. And with a $320,000 price tag, a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 and only 200 units on their way to the U.S., it's a serious stopgap between the deceased SLR and Mercedes' 2011 SLC gullwing supercar.

Mercedes' in-house tuners applied their tried and true philosophy to the SL65 AMG Black Series, beginning with a carbon fiber hood, fenders and trunk, along with nixing the retractable hard top in favor of a fixed carbon fiber roof with an integrated roll cage. As such, the Black is 550 pounds lighter than the stock SL65, coming in at 4,122 pounds.

Seven vents - three in the bumper, two on the hood and two in the fenders - feed copious quantities of air to the 6.0-liter V12, fitted with a duo of upgraded turbochargers. Power is up to 661 hp available at 5,400 rpm, while torque remains the same at 738 lb.-ft. With a five-speed automatic gearbox equipped with AMG's speedshift software, the Black can hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds on its way to a gearing-limited top speed of 199 mph.

Expect the SL65 AMG Black Series to debut in Paris, with sales beginning in the U.S. early next year.

Gallery: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series

Continue reading Schnell! Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series

Schnell! Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: BMW 135i Official Shots

Pics Aplenty: New official shots of the BMW 135i originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Like father like sons: Mansell boys sign for Champ Car Atlantic series originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ferrari is apparently running out of F1 teams to supply with engines, so it's looking to other racing series altogether for new customers. For the current season, the Maranello-based team had to have the rules bent so that they could supply their engines to not one but two additional teams on the grid (Spyker and Toro Rosso). No wonder then that half of the cars that finished in the points at this past weekend's penultimate Chinese Grand Prix were powered by Ferrari.

Like other single-seater racing series, A1GP, the self-described "world cup of motorsport", uses the same chassis and engines for all the teams. Lola and Zytek have been supplying the cars and power respectively, but with contracts up for renewal, rumors started to fly when Ferrari's sporting director Stefano Domenicali was seen at Silverstone during an A1GP test session. Ferrari has now confirmed that they're in negotiations with the series' organizers.

Rumor has it that the engine deal isn't the only thing A1GP chief Tony Teixeira is discussing with Ferrari, as insiders tip the South African businessman as a potential partner in Scuderia Toro Rosso, which would effectively become Ferrari's B-squad in the developing "super team" saga.

[Sources: F1i.com and autosport]

Ferrari negotiating engine deal with A1GP originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's been thirty years since BMW introduced the first incarnation of its flagship luxury sedan. The original 7-Series (codenamed E23) made its market debut in 1977 to replace the four-door version of the smaller 6-Series and to compete with offerings from competitors, chief among them Mercedes-Benz.

Since then, the 7-Series has become a staple of the high-end luxury car market, doing battle with such models as the Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8 and Lexus LS. It is now in its fourth incarnation (not counting facelifts and cosmetic tweaks along the way), and has come a long way in the past 30 years. With the "controversial" styling, insanely complex iDrive system and worldwide portfolio of a dozen different variants, it's doubtful a buyer of the original 7 would even recognize its successor today.

From all of us at Autoblog, we wish the ultimate Ultimate Driving Machine a happy birthday. We look forward to a return to the simpler luxury sports sedan that we'd come to know.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Happy 30th, 7-Series! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Jul 2007 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above to view in high-resolution

While Bimmerphiles are still unwinding from the excitement of the launch of the 1-Series coupe, and the spy shots of the upcoming 1-Series convertible, a team in France has been hard at work building a 1-Series-based Dakar racetruck.

The monster truck called the Trio is the brainchild of Pascal Boutet, and shares about as much in common with the 1-Series hatchback, whose likeness it bares, as a NASCAR stocker shares with the family sedans they're made to resemble. Under the fiberglass body, the unique chassis cradles BMW's stock 3-liter six-cylinder turbodiesel delivering 265 horsepower. The Trio will be hitting its top speed of 185 km/h (115 mph) when it hits the trail in the 2008 Dakar rally.

Gallery: BMW 1-Series Trio Dakar

[Source: Carscoop]

BMW 1-Series Trio ready to tackle Dakar originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Coming soon to a TV near you: Click and Clack originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jul 2007 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Poor Jacques is all washed up. Where this writer was born and raised, JV was a homegrown hero who lived up to his family name by taking the checkered flag at the Indy 500 (and the CART championship) and going on to win the Formula One title only two years later. But when you've reached the top, there's only one way to go. Unfortunately for Canadian race fans, that's the direction Jacques has been going for the last ten years.

After running out of F1 teams that would sign him, Villeneuve tried to salvage his reputation with a move to NASCAR, which both he and fellow grand prix defector, Juan Pablo Montoya, spun as a move sideways, not downwards. JP made a go of it, but JV's fortunes have not been so favorable, and, aside from an upcoming drive for Peugeot at Le Mans, he's had to sit out his first full race season since the start of his career.

When trying to organize a deal to race this season in the second-tier NASCAR Busch Series, the addition of a race in his hometown on the track that bears his father's name only seemed to sweeten the deal. The negotiations broke down, however, leaving Jacques without a ride. But he remains hopeful that he will make his debut in stock cars at the Montreal event this August.

"We are taking our time to do it properly. There is no point in rushing," is what Villeneuve had to say about getting behind the wheel for the Montreal race. Big words for a man who's used to going fast.

Related posts:

• Audi DTM wants Villeneuve and Montoya
• Update: Villeneuve's NASCAR deal
• Anyone got $18 million for Jacques?
• Villeneuve and Montoya close in on closed wheels
• Not coming for you, Ricky Bobby: NASCAR sans Villeneuve in 07
• Villeneuve headed for the Busch leagues
• Reports: Villeneuve signed NASCAR deal with Roush
• Mais, oui! NASCAR developing a French connection?

[Source: Autosport]

Villeneuve down but not out - still hopeful for hometown NASCAR debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

NASCAR has a solid reputation as a race series firmly entrenched in the southern United States, but has been fighting hard to defeat that image and branch out of Old Dixie. With races lined up in such northern locations as Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, New Hampshire and Wisconsin, NASCAR has long since established itself with the yanks, but with races planned for Mexico and Montreal, the good ol' boys are looking to expand internationally, as well.

It seems that south and north of the border isn't far enough, however, as NASCAR officials recently made a trip half-way around the world to China in order to look into reaching the biggest potential audience in the world.

NASCAR insists that they're not looking to set up a top-tier Nextel Cup race in China, just some junior series events. You've got to figure they've got their sites set on something more ambitious than that, however. The last venture into the Far East finished in 1998 after NASCAR held three annual exhibition races in Japan.

The international expansion forms part of a bigger campaign NASCAR has been waging to establish itself as a top-tier racing series, and the recent defection of F1 stars like Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve hasn't hurt any, either. No doubt that NASCAR has also been keeping a close eye on competing race series, including Formula One, which has been setting up more international races each season; ChampCars, which is planning a return to Europe; and most of all the Speedcar Series, which is gearing up for races across Asia in American-built stock cars.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Red Flag: NASCAR goes to China originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's a sad state of affairs when the pure talent of a racing driver isn't enough to advance his career. In the case of Sebastien Bourdais, the top teams on the F1 grid have apparently been blind to his domination in Champ Cars, as our favorite Frenchman (okay, second favorite, after Talladega Nights arch-villain Jean Girard) looks like he's headed for his fourth consecutive title in the open-wheel series.

Enter Nicholas Todt, who is out to change Bourdais' fortunes and secure him a drive for the 2008 Formula One season. The fellow Frenchman did wonders for Felipe Massa, who started out at Sauber (then powered by Ferrari), then took a test seat at Ferrari (where Nick's dad Jean is king), before moving him back to Sauber (still with Ferrari engines) to race for another season, before taking the race seat at Ferrari alongside Schumacher. Now Massa is a contender for the title.

Nicholas Todt has now signed on to manage Bourdais' racing activities in Europe. In between ChampCar races, Bourdais is driving at Le Mans for Peugeot, and has been testing for Scuderia Toro Rosso. Todt has reportedly arranged for the talented 28-year-old driver to test again for the STR, which uses engines supplied by (you guessed it) Ferrari, and the rumors are that they might have secured a race seat with the squad for next season.

Could Bourdais prove to be the next star "rookie" in F1? Time will tell, we hope, but this proven entity is no rookie. Shame he'll have to start from the back of the grid, but his apparent willingness to do so only confirms his determination.

Related post:
F1 is missing out on Sebastein Bourdais

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Report: Toro Rosso gives Bourdais wings! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Clarkson's at it again, casting shadows of doubt on the future of Top Gear. The celebrity automotive journalist (perhaps the most well-known, period) claims that while the BBC program ranks among the most watched television shows on the air, and that its audience continues to climb "like an F-15 on combat power," Top Gear is facing serious problems which could jeopardize its future.

The first, according to Jezza, is that following Richard Hammond's miraculous recovery and return to the show, the production schedule got horribly delayed. Clarkson figures that it takes about half a year to produce a season, which puts them severely behind schedule for the next series. Even if the show were to return in October, which he figures is the earliest a new series could air, Clarkson cites disgruntled fans who lamented the lack of content in the hastily-produced and recently-concluded 9th season.

"The series that's just finished was full of us three cocking about, and almost completely devoid of anything you might fairly call a 'road test,'" surmised Clarkson in his recent column. "This has gone down very badly with the people in internet land." (Hey, is he talking about us?)

Clarkson fears that most television viewers don't want to see him and the gang driving Ferraris and Lamborghinis, but just want to be entertained, and that if and when the show does return for a tenth season, it stands the danger of being watered-down. But it's the extraordinary track tests and tire-munching road trips that made the show as popular as it is. Top Gear, it seems, needs to be rescued from its own success.

Cheerio for the tip, Kim.

[Source: Top Gear]

Save Top Gear from its own success originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 Apr 2007 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Motor Authority reports that a senior engineer has said that if a hybrid proves to be more economical in the real world than its diesel counterpart, then BMW will build one. Speculation is that such a car would be the next-generation 5-series, and then a hybrid X5 in 2010, both of which would utilize diesel-hybrid powerplants.

What was once a clear-cut hybrid vs. gasoline-powered fight has morphed into hybrid vs. a range of new and traditional alternatives (such as the responsibly driven and maintained economical gasoline engine, as this Autoblog Green piece points out). BMW hasn't been alone in supporting diesels over hybrids, seeing as hybrids are only superior in stop-and-go traffic. As soon as highway driving or sheer driving distance is included, hybrids lose their advantage.

BMW is working with DaimlerChrylser to develop its hybrid drivetrains.

[Source: Autocar]

BMW might enter the hybrid pool with next-gen 5-series originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Vertu has long been cultivating an image of association with the pinnacle of automotive excellence through their branding, use of materials and special editions. The latest effort is a collaboration with Ferrari, that Italian stallion that seemingly manages to get its name on everything these days.

Following on the heels of the exclusive Racetrack Legends series, the Ferrari Challenge edition is likewise based on the sporty Ascent handset that features proprietary "liquid alloy" construction, jewel bearings, a sapphire crystal screen and distinctive leather trim. The Ferrari version is differentiated by a Prancing Horse emblem near the mouthpiece, black and red leather with embossed Ferrari insignia, and a drilled accelerator pedal on the back.

[Source: Sybarites]

Continue reading Vertu rides the Prancing Horse

Vertu rides the Prancing Horse originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Who ever would have thought a Will Ferrell movie would ever be considered "prophetic," even jokingly? The absurd story of a French racing driver switching over from F1 to stock cars as the last remaining challenge is coming to life again and again. But unlike Jacques Villeneuve (or Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya), Jean Alesi isn't gunning for NASCAR. The former Formula One star is the first big name to sign on to the Speedcar Series.

The new racing league will pit 24 drivers against each other in identical 600-hp stock cars in 18 races over 9 weekends across Asia. We hope to get a glimpse at the cars in a few days when Alesi hits the Virginia International Raceway for the first test session on March 5-6. What we know now is that the specially-built cars will feature a tubular fiberglass chassis and power from 600-hp engines built in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The inaugural season of the Speedcar Series, which is backed by F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, kicks off in November and runs through April 2008.

[Source: Speedcar Series via F1-Live]

Jean Alesi fronts new Asian stock-car series originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2007 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Another racing legend shuffled off this mortal coil: Benny Parsons dead at 65 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Those Bavarian wunderkind over at BMW just took the wraps off the latest 3-Series convertible, complete with folding hard-top. But even as impressive as the range-topping 335i is, what with its twin-turbo inline-six hitting the 300 mark in both horsepower and torque, there's yet more power underway: an all but completely undisguised M3 cabrio has been caught undergoing cold-weather testing way up north in Sweden, blasting past Saabs and Volvos.

Like the rest of the 3-Series convertible range, the M3 cabrio will feature a metal roof protecting four passengers from the elements and retracting at the push of a button to let the sunshine in. As with all M models, you'll be able to tell it apart from its more ordinary siblings by the wider fenders, sportier bumpers housing bigger air intakes and four exhaust tips, plus of course the requisite M badging. While the power bulge pictured on the hood is reportedly fake, under the hood is where the action is, where the M3 will pack a V8 pumping out over 400 horsepower, derived from the award-winning M5/6's V10 but with two cylinders lopped off. Power will be put down initially though BMW's Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) until the Bavarians are ready with their own anticipated dual-clutch gearbox.

Insiders predict the M3 coupe to bow at Frankfurt this coming September, but the convertible version probably won't be ready before 2008. Expect to take a penalty in both price and performance for the folding tin-top.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Spy Shots: BMW M3 Cabrio originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Jan 2007 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Detroit Auto Show: Chevrolet Volt Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Jan 2007 00:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While we're always keen to give you the latest sneak peek at upcoming models and revisions to existing ones, BMW's 5-Series carries a little more weight than most. The 5 has long been the benchmark sports-luxury sedan against which all others, from Cadillacs and Lexus to Audis and Alfas, are measured. It's like a new Porsche 911 coming out, only BMW's designers (love 'em or hate 'em) actually have some, you know... imagination. So it's with particular intrigue that we closely follow the developments in the Bavarian's mid-size sedan.

The facelifted 5-Series will get a new nose, complete with restyled headlights and a new front bumper with a revised air dam. Around back the rear bumper and skirt get smoothed out, while the interior gets some mild revisions including a new automatic shift lever. On the juiced-up side of the range, the M5 gets some visual enhancements of its own, predictably more aggressive than its steroid-less stable-mates.

The update is far from a major one, so if you weren't a fan of the styling before, this facelift is not about to change your mind. Just enough to keep us on our toes.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Spy Shots: facelifted BMW 5-Series originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Dec 2006 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We just can't seem to get enough of Jacques Villeneuve's impending switch to NASCAR. Maybe it's the converging of the two worlds of motorsports, the tragic failure of a one-time king, his heroic stature in this writer's home town, the legendary association of the name.... The latest news on JV's deal with Roush Racing comes from the Globe & Mail, one of Canada's largest national newspapers.

While at first we reported that Villeneuve was looking for sponsorship to start his own team with assistance from Roush, it now seems the sponsorship cash is to pay his way into a Roush racing seat.

The deal would start Jacques in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2007. (Yeah, that's right...from F1 cars to pick-up trucks.) Later in the season, he'd move on to the second-tier Busch Series, which will feature a race in the champ's hometown of Montreal next year on the F1 circuit that bears his father's name. If and when Jacques would graduate to the top-level Nextel Cup will likely be determined by how he does in Craftsman and Busch. Bonne chance, Jacques!

[Source: F1i.com]

Update: Villeneuve's NASCAR deal originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Dec 2006 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The BMW 1-Series hatchback has been met with mixed reviews. Yes, it's a BMW for less than the price of the 3-Series, but the hatchback market is crowded and the 1-Series doesn't always stack up to the competition. But the Bavarians are giving it another go with a new version, set to debut at Geneva in the spring and spy shots of the facelifted hatch are hitting the net.

While the current model is available only as a five-door hatch, the new version will offer a broader array of body configurations. The five-door will be joined by a three-door, followed by coupe and convertible models.

The main differences you can see on the facelifted test-mule are the revised front and rear ends, including the bumpers and lights. Godspeed, little Bimmer.

[Source: World Car Fans]

SPY SHOTS: BMW 1-Series facelift originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Nov 2006 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.