Autoblog

Gorgeous Disco Volante returning to Geneva a runner

Seyth Miersma — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo, Luxury

One year after bringing the super stylish and unforgettably named Disco Volante to the Geneva Motor Show as a styling exercise, coachbuilders Touring Superleggera have got a followup to get excited about. This year's version of the slinky Disco will come complete with Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione running gear - 4.7-liter V8 engine and all. We've got just the one teaser image of the car, above, which obviously serves to highlight the fact that this Disco Volante is no hollow shell.

In ten months worth of hard work, the Italian craftsmen have completed a ready to drive product, with "many parts" constructed from carbon fiber, and a hand-beaten aluminum body. While the short press release doesn't specify about production plants, Touring has intended this Disco Volante to be a low-volume re-body of the 8C, available for purchase, from the get. We'll look for more information about how many and how much, when we see the car in person at the Geneva reveal.

Continue reading Gorgeous Disco Volante returning to Geneva a runner

Gorgeous Disco Volante returning to Geneva a runner originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Touring Superleggera Disco Volante Concept looks Alfa familiar

Zach Bowman — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Alfa Romeo, Design/Style, Luxury

It's been 60 years since the 1952 Alfa Romeo C52 Disco Volante concepts lounged on the stages of the world's auto shows, and Touring Superleggera has taken to marking the occasion with a Disco Volante of its own, a striking coupe that has just debuted at this year's Geneva Motor Show.

The modern flying saucer pays homage to its ancestors with flat-top fenders and a split grille. Even so, it's hard to miss the vehicle's donor. Not surprisingly, the new Disco Volante is built on the bones of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, and relies on the same 4.7-liter V8 found in that machine. As such, buyers can look forward to 443 horsepower pumped exclusively to the rear wheels.

That's right. We said "buyers." This Disco Volante will be available in limited quantities (the company isn't saying how limited), though expect to pay a pretty penny for each one. Touring Superleggera says each example will be coachbuilt to order. Look below for the full press release after checking out our high-res gallery.

Continue reading Touring Superleggera Disco Volante Concept looks Alfa familiar

Touring Superleggera Disco Volante Concept looks Alfa familiar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2011: Gumpert Tornante by Touring makes the Apollo look like an Aztek

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, MISC

Gumpert Tornante by Touring - Click above for high-res image gallery

Remember the Gumpert Apollo? It boasted world-beating performance while wearing a face only a mother could love. Thanks to design firm Touring Superleggera, the Apollo now has a much better looking new sibling sharing the Gumpert stable. It's called Tornante, which, according to Google Translate, means "hairpin bend" in Italian. For all we care, it could mean "Sexy Catfish" because it's a huge leap forward in style when compared to the Apollo, even if the split-window Chevrolet Corvette rump is derivative and more than a little unflattering.

Just because this new Gumpert is softer doesn't mean it has any less bite than the Apollo. Gasoline is fed to the mighty 4.2-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which produces 700-horsepower. The Tornante utilizes the same TT40e transmission as the Apollo but received paddle-shifters.

We're still waiting for more details to rise to the surface, because word on the Geneva streets is that Gumpert has an even more powerful version planned for the future. Apollo owners, feel free to remove the bag from your head and head-on out to your local Gumpert dealer. Just tell them you want "the prettier one" this time.

Gallery: Gumpert Tornante by Touring: Geneva 2011

Gallery: Gumpert Tornante by Touring

Continue reading Geneva 2011: Gumpert Tornante by Touring makes the Apollo look like an Aztek

Geneva 2011: Gumpert Tornante by Touring makes the Apollo look like an Aztek originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gumpert announces Touring-designed Tornante for Geneva

Noah Joseph — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, MISC

2010 Gumpert Apollo - Click above for high-res image gallery

There are plenty of companies making a single line of supercars. Pagani, Weismann, Spyker, McLaren... we could go on and on. But if you're going to pick a serious fight with established names like Ferrari and Lamborghini, you're going to need a second line. And that's precisely what Gumpert has in store for us at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

You may recognize the name Gumpert as the company behind the Apollo, a ridiculously fast and extreme exotic supercar. It was founded by one Roland Gumpert, former head of the motorsport division at Audi, whose engine powers the Apollo with as much as 800 horsepower.

The Apollo, however, is derided as having been thoroughly worked over by the ugly stick. And that's where Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera comes in. The Milanese coachbuilder has designed a new mid-engined V8 "fast tourer" called the Tortante with a composite shell over a space frame and carbon fiber monocoque. Enticing to be sure, and you can read the full announcement after the jump, but for the moment that's all we have to go by.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Gumpert Apollo

Photos copyright (C)2011 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL

[Source: Gumpert]

Continue reading Gumpert announces Touring-designed Tornante for Geneva

Gumpert announces Touring-designed Tornante for Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Touring Superleggera ramps up production of Bentley Flying Star

Noah Joseph — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Wagon, Bentley, Luxury

Touring Superleggera Flying Star - Click above for high-res image gallery

Bentley shooting brake, anyone? Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera can hook you up. The Milanese coachbuilder unveiled the Flying Star at last year's Geneva Motor Show, and stole our hearts in the process. But since the shooting brake debuted and its order books opened, Touring has only made three examples of the custom creation.

No wonder, as the coachbuilder says it takes 4,000 man-hours to transform a Continental GTC (still the outgoing model, we gather) into the long-roofed coupe. But thanks to increased investment in the form of new equipment and staff, Touring can now reportedly be working on up to five vehicles at a time.

Each example still takes six months to deliver, with total production limited to 19 examples. Fortunate buyers can specify from a range of customizations, including the twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 in states of tune ranging from 552 horsepower (base) to 621 (Supersports).

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Touring Superleggera Flying Star

Live Photos: Jonny Lieberman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Autocar]

Touring Superleggera ramps up production of Bentley Flying Star originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Bentley considering five-door fastback to rival Porsche Panamera?

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Bentley, Luxury

Touring Superleggera Flying Spur - click above for high-res image gallery

Those wacky Germans. They're always on the hunt for the next new niche and the second one of them discovers the next big thing in automotive packaging, the others dog pile on. The most obvious example is the Mercedes-Benz CLS - the so-called four-door coupe. Mercedes beat everyone to market with their swoopy, low-slung sedan. Then BMW did the CS Concept, Volkswagen launched the CC, Audi is readying the A7 and BMW will most likely put the four-door Gran Coupe Concept into production. Still not convinced? How about X3/Q5/GLK?

Now it looks as if Bentley is now looking to muscle in on Porsche's new niche, the five-door sport-luxury yacht, the Panamera. What's that you say, Bentley's British? Sure, in execution, but peel back the skin a bit and the Continental rides on a Volkswagen/Audi chassis - the Phaeton and last-gen A8 if you must know. Let's not forget that Bentley's president is named Franz-Josef Pfaegen and that he considers the Continental to be Bentley's, "911." That's 911 as in Porsche 911, not emergency/national tragedy. So yes, Bentley is as German as schweinebraten und hefeweizen.

In a conversation with the actually-British Autocar about the next generation Continental, a source within Bentley admitted that they're looking at adding a five-door Panamera-type hatchback to the super coupe, sedan and convertible line up. They feel there's growth potential in that particular body style. Bentley has been in rapid growth mode since Volkswagen rebooted the brand in 2003 by launching the Continental GT. Adding a five-door would only further expand the brand's appeal to the world's wealthier citizens.

Should Bentley build it? Why not? That said, it should also be building a three-door shooting brake version like Touring Superleggera's doing with the Flying Star. However, a five-door probably has a slightly larger audience. Additionally, if the new Bentley hatch is anywhere near as useful as the Porsche Panamera, owners will love the car. Besides, a Panamera-like Continental will be as close as we'll ever get to a twin-turbo W12, AWD Bentley station wagon. Bring it.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Touring Superleggera Flying Star

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Bentley considering five-door fastback to rival Porsche Panamera? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2010: Touring Superleggera Flying Star is our kind of coachbuilt wunder car

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:08:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Bentley, Luxury

Touring Superleggera Flying Star - Click above for high-res image gallery

The majority of auto journalists are car freaks by nature. One of the many defining characteristics of a car freak is an undying, unadulterated love of any sort of shooting brake. If you're not a car freak, or just don't know the term, a shooting brake is a two-door station wagon. Why is this bodystyle so beloved? Many reasons, but let's just chalk it up to the impracticality of a sports car mixed well with the practicality of a station wagon. What can we say, it's a boat floater.

For Geneva, Italian car maker Touring Superleggera showed us freaks their new, stunning Flying Star. Built at the request of a customer and with the full cooperation of Bentley, the Flying Star is a shooting brake built from the Bentley Continental GTC. Honestly, there's not all that much to tell. Underneath the new skin sits... a Bentley Continental GTC, complete with its 560-horsepower, 479-pound-feet-of-torque twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12. Or, if you insist, Touring Superleggera will build you a GTC Speed-based Flying Star with 610 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. Oh, and there's a support structure between the rear shocks that acts as both a hard structure for the new roofline and an integrated roll bar.

The real story, however, is being told by your eyeballs. Many of us have never been all that enthused by the shape of the Continental. But the Flying Star, well, it completes the design. How good? Four of us Autobloggers were gathered around a single laptop ~~gasping at~~ admiring Touring Superleggera's handicraft work. So yes, we think this is a very wonderful looking car. 100-percent picture perfect? No, as the tailgate's not quite... something. But let's not be petty, the Flying Star is fantastic looking.

Useful, too, as you can fit four golf bags in the rear. You might be wondering why a two-seat vehicle would need to carry four golf bags, but if you look closely you'll notice two additional seats in back. They of course fold down, allowing the Flying Star to swallow even more golf bags (no official word on exactly how many).

Besides the Flying Star's overall shooting brakeness, our favorite part has to be the woven leather "boot carpet," i.e. a beautiful material that covers the rear cargo area, the back of the rear seats and the rear floormats. Have we ever been excited about carpet before? No, never. And we doubt we ever will be again. That said, we doubt we'll be seeing any coachbuilt cars that get us as excited as the Flying Star. Now word on price (think: expensive!) but Touring Superleggera will be building just under 20 examples per year. Go car freaks, go. Full press release after the jump.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Touring Superleggera Flying Star

Live Photos: Jonny Lieberman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Touring Superleggera]

Continue reading Geneva 2010: Touring Superleggera Flying Star is our kind of coachbuilt wunder car

Geneva 2010: Touring Superleggera Flying Star is our kind of coachbuilt wunder car originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera to launch Bentley Continental shooting brake in Geneva

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Hatchback, Bentley, Specialty, Luxury

Earlier this month, we heard rumors that coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera planned to introduce a new bespoke version of the Bentley Continental GT. Now we've got confirmation that the firm will indeed introduce an shooting brake based on the GT at the Geneva Motor Show early next month.

Only 20 three-door estates are planned, and they'll reportedly be built atop the buyer's choice of a regular Continental GT or an uplevel Continental GT Speed. This will be the company's first product based on a vehicle from Bentley, though past models included the likes of Ferrari, Aston Martin and Lamborghini.

We don't have many details other than the teaser sketch above and that the GT will have two rear seats that fold independently, making for what we can only assume will be the World's Most Luxurious Six-Foot Luggage Parcel. An electrically operated folding tailgate is also on the menu.

[Source: Classic Driver]

Coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera to launch Bentley Continental shooting brake in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carrozzeria Touring coming back with new Superleggera and Bellagio Fastback

Noah Joseph — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Spy Photos, Classics, Performance, Wagon, Europe, Maserati

With Italian coachbuilders like Bertone and Pininfarina struggling to retain profitability, now may not be the best time to establish (or re-establish) another. But that isn't about to stop Holland-based Zeta Europe BV, which owns Borrani wheels and has acquired the rights to the defunct Carrozzeria Touring. The coachbuilder was originally established in 1926 and popularized the advanced Superleggera construction method, consisting of small-diameter tubular frames draped with thin-gauge aluminum sheetmetal and employed on numerous Alfa Romeos, Maseratis, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Aston Martins, among others. The name Superleggera was revived for the recently-terminated lightweight Lamborghini Gallardo, though strictly speaking the supercar did not use the classic construction method.

Carrozzeria Touring is now gearing up for a revival with a new Superleggera, to debut in a week at the famous Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, the classic motor show where a trophy honoring Touring's founder is awarded each year. Aside from the teaser silhouette image shown above, little is known about the new Superleggera, but we're looking forward to finding out. The coachbuilder is also anticipated to show the Ballagio Fastback, an estate wagon based on the Maserati Quattroporte (like the one on which we previously reported), previewed by a teaser mixed in with the classic images on the company's new website.

[Source: VirtualCar and AutoWeek]

Carrozzeria Touring coming back with new Superleggera and Bellagio Fastback originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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