Autoblog

Chinese bus companies tell drivers not to hit supercars

Chris Tutor — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST

Being a bus driver in China must be awful. Lots of traffic, lots of people, no tipping. And the job has just gotten worse in Jinghua, where a bus company has instructed its drivers to please stop hitting expensive supercars.

To illustrate the point, drivers were shown a poster with supercar logos to watch out for and how much the associated cars were worth. Hit a Lamborghini, you'll be out 5 million yuan (almost $800,000 USD). And right there, the last vestige of fun was taken away from the under-appreciated Chinese bus driver.

The poster even includes the Shelby Super Cars logo, which can't possibly be all that common in China. Odder still is the omission of the Porsche insignia, which we take to mean it's open season on Boxsters and Caymans.

Chinese bus companies tell drivers not to hit supercars originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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James May explains why supercars are 'pointless' - do you agree? [w/poll]

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: UK, Celebrities

2010 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery

Here we go again. Dante should have made the question 'Do Supercars Make any Sense?' one of his levels of hell near Sisyphus, since so many people love to wail and moan and gnash their teeth on it in circular fashion. James May, a.k.a. Top Gear's Captain Slow, has taken up the query and come to the conclusion that the speedy little devils are pointless.

He intends to make his point by asking, "what benefit has accrued to Italy, principal arbour of the mechanism of the Renaissance, by their existence?", and then by comparing the effect that supercars have have on the world to the effects produced by Gore-Tex and penicillin and the radio and the Maxim gun. Mr. May, you have us there - we'd rather our doctor prescribed us antibiotics and not a Ferrari if we had a staph infection. That is, unless we had at least seven days to live, in which case we'd take the Ferrari and trade a ride in it for a prescription.

Most supercars are as useful and as pointless as marshmallows, with little technology actually trickling down to more affordable machinery - at least on a consistent basis. In fact, we're mildly surprised there's any debate left in this issue - even in jest. If May wants to talk about pointless things, let's start with the Salad Shooter or anything else sold by infomercial. We'd live without a Lamborghini Murciélago as soon as we'd live without s'mores, which means that we'd do it but we'd really rather not. Maybe the world hasn't been changed by supercars, but our world has, and that's good enough for us. Ergo, when May ends his piece with "Prove me wrong," we'll admit we can't. But we can prove his article pointless.

How about you? Do you see supercars as pointless exercises? Take our poll below and then weigh in with your thoughts in Comments.

Gallery: First Drive: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport

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[Source: Telegraph]

James May explains why supercars are 'pointless' - do you agree? [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vote for your favorite obscure supercar for Episode #191 of the Autoblog Podcast!

Dan Roth — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:19:00 EST

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For Episode #191 of the Autoblog Podcast, we thought we'd hand it over to the audience. Your topic: Forgotten (and wholly awesome) supercars since 1990. There are, of course, the cars that made a splash: Ferrari's F40, the McLaren F1, Lamborghini's iconic Countach and its Rubenesque replacement, the Diablo all fall within the 1990-2010 timeframe, but so do comparative oddities like the Cizeta-Moroder V16t, Isdera Commendatore 112i and Consulier GTP.

You and your fellow readers can add your choices to the box below, as well as vote on the suggestions of others. We'll skim the cars that get the most votes and offer our individual and widely varied takes on your choices. What, you're still here? Off to Wikipedia with you!

Vote for your favorite obscure supercar for Episode #191 of the Autoblog Podcast! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Famed designer Jason Castriota to pen for Shelby Supercars

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Design/Style

Bertone Mantide - click above for high-res image gallery

While definitely one of (if not the) fastest production cars in the world, the SSC Ultimate Aero has seldom been praised for its looks. Somewhat resembling just about every other supercar out there in one detail or another, the styling has charitably been described as everything from derivative to kit car-ish. Shelby Supercars wants to do something about that. Now that they've proven they can get their car up to its claimed top speed of over 255 mph, the next step is to get a few more of them out the showroom doors. To that end, the company is said to be courting supercar designer Jason Castriota to pen a fresh look.

Jerod Shelby, the "Shelby" in "Shelby Supercars," has apparently tapped Castriota to design SSC's next generation hypercar. If Castriota's name sounds familiar, and even if it doesn't, he is the designer of record behind the Pininfarina P4/5, the Bertone Mantide (shown above) the neo Maserati Birdcage and the Rolls-Royce Hyperion. Having recently left his post at Bertone, Jason will become the exclusive designer for SSC's next two cars and will add a degree of credibility to the team, or at least that's the plan. According to the Tri-City Herald, the cars will actually be badged with his name to hammer home that point.

While the new Aeros will carry a price tag double the current cars' at $800,000 to $900,000, the company says it will also develop a "little brother version" that will retail for just $300,000. Production targets are a dozen or so Aeros and about 50 Aero-lites per annum. The cars might also show up in a reality TV series that is being pitched to chronicle the project.

Gallery: Monterey 2009: Bertone Mantide

[Source: Tri-City Herald]

Report: Famed designer Jason Castriota to pen for Shelby Supercars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kepler Motors Motion supercar to debut at Dubai Motor Show

Drew Phillips — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Misc. Auto Shows

Kepler Motors Motion - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's hard not to be skeptical when a company that no one has ever heard of announces a brand-new supercar. A few have managed to last more than a few years, like Koenigsegg and Pagani, but most seem to disappear just as quickly as they appear. Russ Wicks, founder and CEO of Kepler Motors, is evidently undaunted by the statistics and is launching his new supercar, the Motion, this week at the Dubai International Motor Show.

To their credit, Kepler Motors seems to have all right pieces to the puzzle. The Motion features all the makings of a 21st century supercar like a carbon fiber composite monocoque chassis and body, active suspension and aerodynamics, and a seven-speed sequential transaxle. The all-important horsepower rating is an impressive 800 thanks to the combination of a modified Ford 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 that drives the rear wheels and a 250 hp electric motor that sends power to the front. Yes, it's a hybrid.

While we remain skeptical, we wish Kepler Motors the best of luck. They will surely have their hands full filling their proposed production limit of 50 cars that are set to be delivered to customers at the start of 2011. We will be sure to bring you any updates regarding the supercar startup, but until then check out the gallery below or read more about the Motion in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Kepler Motors MOTION Supercar

[Source: Kepler Motors]

Continue reading Kepler Motors Motion supercar to debut at Dubai Motor Show

Kepler Motors Motion supercar to debut at Dubai Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2009: Apollo Oh, No - Latest Gumpert is one Raging Smurf

Chris Paukert — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Supercars

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Gumpert Apollo Speed

Despite its massive performance credentials, the Gumpert Apollo has endured more than a few knocks for its extreme function-over-form design. After seeing the new, more powerful Apollo Speed in the flesh, we can report that the naysayers are likely to keep jawing, particularly given this car's Raging Smurf two-tone paint.

The renovated Gumpert is lower and meaner, with the buyer's choice of 650-, 700-, or 800- horsepower specification, along with revised aerodynamics, new taillamps, and ultra-aerodynamic disc wheel covers. Inside, there are different four-point seat harnesses, a detachable steering wheel, and a two-tone interior loaded with blue Alcantara.

Given that the new Speed can run to 60 miles-per-hour in three seconds dead, hit 124 mph in 8.9 clicks, and storm to a top whack of 224 mph, however, we suspect that Gumpert owners will at least take a measure of comfort in knowing that they can outrun all hecklers.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Gumpert Apollo Speed

Continue reading Geneva 2009: Apollo Oh, No - Latest Gumpert is one Raging Smurf

Geneva 2009: Apollo Oh, No - Latest Gumpert is one Raging Smurf originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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$100k+ Caddy a go, again?

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Supercars, Cadillac

During an interview with David Sedgwick of Automotive News, Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman, revealed that plans to offer a Cadillac in the $150,000 to $180,000 realm are still on the table. Although production of the 2003 Sixteen concept has come up in previous conversations, within GM, it has always been more of a styling exercise, built to influence future Caddy designs. That said, the General has researched the idea and came away impressed with the business case.

Another option would be the production of a vehicle similar to the 2002 Cien concept (pictured) that Lutz maintains would cost less to produce, but would sell in smaller numbers.

If such a vehicle would come to fruition, expect power to come from a V12, a V10 or even a hybrid powertrain. The latter may be more appealing, as Lutz admits that federal fuel economy standards are going to have a great deal of influence on future models and GM's focus is beginning to turn towards more efficient vehicles.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

$100k+ Caddy a go, again? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Mar 2007 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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