Autoblog

Hydrogen has been touted as a viable fuel source for decades, and seemingly every day, some new or upcoming hydrogen-powered milestone is reached or discussed. However, in nearly every case, hydrogen is being touted as a standalone fuel source. But what about using pure hydrogen mixed with gasoline to increase fuel economy and reduce emissions?

Ronn Motors, of Texas, has built a car it claims will do does just that. Called the Scorpion, the engine is a 3.5-liter, six-cylinder VTEC from Acura, equipped with two turbos and an intercooler to take it from 280 hp to 450 hp. The turbo'd six is connected to an on-demand hydrogen system that breaks down water molecules and holds them in a non-pressurized tank which doesn't necessitate the need for a hydrogen refueling station. The hydrogen is drawn through the intake manifold and between 30 and 40 percent hydrogen is mixed with the gasoline. As less gas is used, Ronn Motors says the Scorpion can do 40 mpg.

DuPont Registry just named the Scorpion a Publisher's Choice as "one of America's first premium eco-exotics." True, the Tesla might be more eco, but to our eyes the Scorpion (rendering) has got the exotic thing properly nailed. But when can you get one? According to Ronn, the car will be out this fall. And when you want to get it off the lot, the 2,100-pound Scorpion will supposedly take you to 60 in no more than 3.5 seconds. Ronn will probably even throw in a full tank of gas... and water. You'll need to provide the take-home money: $150,000. Click the link to get the full story, and check out the gallery of hi-res images below.

Gallery: Ronn Motors Scorpion

[Source: Ronn Motors]

It's hard not to follow a story like the veritable fleet of new supercars set to follow the controversial Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The supercar came out of the partnership between Benz and McLaren in Formula One, but while the racing cars have been highly competitive, the SLR has been less so. As a result, Mercedes and McLaren are going their own separate ways for the next generation of high-performance exotica.

Mercedes, with in-house rodders AMG and its racing spin-off, HWA, is preparing two new models to succeed the SLR: the SL65 AMG Black Series (which has been spied many times over) and the SLC (which we've seen disguised in Dodge Viper bodywork). McLaren, meanwhile, is anticipated to produce the new P11 mid-engined supercar on its own, without Mercedes input. The dissolution of the car-producing enterprise between the two powerhouses is not expected to affect their joint grand prix racing program.

The last iteration of the SLR – following the original coupe, the Roadster and the 722 – will be a limited-production lightweight speedster, on which we recently reported. Despite all its available variants, Mercedes has sold fewer than 1600 examples of the SLR to date.

[Source: Automotive News Europe – sub. req'd]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Pagani Cinque

The word "cinque," as in Pagani Cinque, means "five." The newest Pagani is the road-legal version of the racetrack-only Pagani Zonda R, and there will sadly be but five of them made for which all are already spoken. Not that we would have bought one, but it would have been nice to have had the opportunity.

The Cinque, with 678 horsepower and 575 lb. ft. of torque will teleport from 0-to-60 in 3.4 seconds, and at 186 MPH the car creates more than half its own weight in downforce. It also gets a sequential 6-speed transmission, and you can flick through the gears with paddles or a gear shift on the center console. That console and the racing buckets that face it will probably be made entirely of carbon fiber.

Pagani has created a bespoke titanium and carbon fiber material that means the Cinque weighs 40 pounds less than the Zonda F. Weight savings are also achieved with titanium monobloc wheels, as well as the magnesium and titanium Ohlins suspension. It is the very definition of a supercar: fast, light, rare, hot. Be sure to check out the new gallery of hi-res photos of the Pagani Cinque below, because that's probably as close as you'll ever get to one.


[Source: Motor Trend]

Click the image above for a high-res gallery of Iconic GTR photos

This is what you need to know about the Iconic GTR: 800 horsepower and 2,200 pounds. Claudio Ballard's dream was to blend the best of modern tech with the best of classic design, and the result is a roadster that takes many of its design cues -- and its monumental power-to-weight ratio -- from another iconic car, the Shelby Cobra. In this case, a carbon fiber body meets F1 tech, heated and cooled carbon fiber seats and synthetic sapphire in the dash. But again, we all know what this car is really about: 724 horsepower/ton. Yeah. Production of the 100 GT's that will grace the planet is to begin in the fall. If you want one, give Mr. Ballard a call once you get your hands on $600,000. Follow the jump for the specs and press release, and check out the hi-res galleries of pics below.

Click above to view gallery of the Saleen S5S Raptor

Though Saleen won't be officially unveiling its new supercar, the S5S Raptor, on stage until tomorrow, we've got pics and details for you now. Though slated to slot below the hardcore S7 in Saleen's lineup, the S5S Raptor looks no less the part of a high-powered high-performance sports car. It's powered by a supercharged 5.0L engine mounted amidships producing around 650 horsepower and 630 lb-ft. of churn on a steady diet of E85 ethanol.

Developed as a collaboration between Saleen and specialty builder ASC -- both of which are owned by the same private equity firm -- the car is plenty of tech and a bit of throwback. The aluminum chassis 2-seater can get from 0-60 in a supercar-standard 3.2 seconds. When it's time to stop, six-pot calipers hidden by 20-inch wheels clamp down on 15-inch rotors up front. The retro bit: a six-speed manual gearbox. A paddle-shifting sequential is also in the works and may be ready when the car goes into production in 2010. Compared to the S7, the S5S is another relative domestic bargain at only $185,000.

We'll bring you live shots of the S5S Raptor tomorrow when it officially debuts, but until then, check out the gallery of shots below.

UPDATE: New high-res images added to gallery below. Look for live pics of the car's official debut tomorrow.

[Source: Inside Line]

With California being the world's single largest market for cars and also the most populace place for supercars, it's no surprise that every now and then you'll spot a rare exotic supercar rolling along one of its many highways. However, to see more than fifty exotics roll past, including several Ferrari Enzos and a Bugatti Veyron, is simply bizarre. Get ready to be hypnotized by your monitors to this piece of automotive fr0n (that's "porn" in geek speak) captured in glorious HD.

Start counting them as they past, one Lamborghini Diablo, one Bugatti Veyron, a Ferrari Enzo, a Murcielago, another Murcielago and, you guessed it, another Murcielago. The list goes on and on. Click the Read link below to visit this video in HD.

Thanks for the tip, Fred!

[Source: Socal Speed Zone]

It's another slew of Corvette Blue Devil/SS/Stingray/Who-Really-Knows spy shots, this time in yellow with some modifications. Speculation continues that it will have a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with a carbon fiber roof and hood, which probably does not include the transparent Plexiglas panel that was all the buzz a few months back. There's a new decklid lip, conjecture about a second vent higher up the front fenders, and a different shape for the lower rear fascia.

It also is possible that the uber-Corvette will ditch its Goodyears in the closet and slip into some Michelins for the big dance, a first for the Vette it seems. The rubber shoes in the photo contain markings and designs particular to each wheel. The rear rims -- the same staggered, double dual 5-spoke design seen before -- measure a whopping 20-inches, and slight mud flaps do little to hide their girth.

Thanks for the tip, Marco!

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

In early 2008, the Lexus LF-A will go on sale on China. The price: $264,700. That's a lot of yuan, even with the expected markup for the Chinese market. Zeng Lintang, vice president of Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co, said that the car will sell "for more than 2 million yuan." By comparison, in China, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS sells for about 1.9 million yuan, and a Ferrari F430 sells for about 2.6 million yuan. ThePassionatePursuit actually compared the price ratio of a Lexus LS600hL sold in China and the U.S. and guesses the car could cost $129,703 USD when it goes on sale here. Lexus has talked about creating a car that can compete with Ferrari performance-wise. We'll soon see if it can also compete price-wise.

[Source: Gasgoo via The Passionate Pursuit]

A Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche Cayenne, Carrera, BMW and possibly 15 more high-end auos have been sentenced to death via steam roller by the President of the Phillipines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The cars had been smuggled into the country through a former US Naval base in Subic, and Pres. Arroyo is determined to make a spectacle of their destruction and discourage other would be smugglers from attempting to avoid import taxes. The event will be even broadcast live across the country, and will no doubt appear on You Tube soon after. We'll let you know when it does.

The Phillipines used to auction cars that were caught being smuggled into the country, but since the smugglers were usually the auction winners and got their cars back, President Arroyo will sacrifice sculpted sheetmetal, carbon fiber and low-profile rubber to make a point to her people.

Thanks for the tip, Paolo!

[Source: INQUIRER.net]

It's the Ultimate List, at least until it becomes the Penultimate List the next time some publication decides to go through the exercise of picking the best of all time, and then justifying the results. Automobile Magazine has picked up the gauntlet for its September 2007 issue, and selected what they've termed The 25 Greatest Cars of All Time. Of course nobody's going to agree with each one of their picks, but their list is a good one, backed up by solid explanations for each picked. Thus, it's hard to fault the gang at Automobile - they love cars as much as the rest of us, and most of the cars that made the cut would likely also be our picks.

For some outside perspective, there are sidebars sprinkled throughout the feature with figures like Mario Andretti, Walter di'Silva, and Caroll Shelby (among others) opining on their idea of the greatest car of all time. You could accuse us of being sentimental fools, but it's heartening to see the past so well represented, even when more modern cars can run rings around the four-wheeled icons that made the cut. Choices are organized into five categories: Dynamics, Innovation, Supercars, Racing, and Icons.

More after the jump, including Automobile's original list of 150 nominees and a few of those selected as the Greatest of All Time. Click the Read link to view Automobile's final list of 25 cars.

[Source: dBusinessNews.com]