Early Shots and Details on the BMW X1
BMW’s press department has released official photos and early details on the European X1, its new entry sport-ute. From what we gathered, three diesel engines and one petrol will be offered to the EU market; rear- or all-wheel-drive is available. The figure BMW boasted was for its diesel-powered sDrive18dcame to 45 mpg in the European driving cycle and had a top speed of 124 mph.
US specs and pricing are unknown.
Hurst Honors the Late King of Pop with a New Challenger Special
Not really.
The Hurst gang is putting out an entry-level “Competition Plus” edition of the Dodge Challenger, for those unable or unwilling to fork over the heavy expense of higher models. The Competition Plus is really an upgraded setup akin to what you saw with the Shelby GT: there’s a special Eibach suspension, a fierce Magnaflow exhaust, 20″ alloys, exclusive color schemes, blackened labeling, a large hood scoop, a short-throw shifter, and an embroidered interior matched to the exterior tone.
It may surprise you all to hear that this could be our favorite Challenger yet–we stress the word could. The upgrades are practical and everything looks good, but we’ll hold off until we see final pricing.
Diesel Dropped as a Priority for Automakers
For those of you still hanging onto the idea of a diesel renaissance here in the States, there’s bad news: Automotive News has reported that the six of the biggest names in the auto business have halted their diesel development plans for the US.
Honda, Nissan, Toyota, GM, Ford, and Chrysler execs felt the cost in making diesel engines fully compliant with US (and especially California) air standards was too high; in addition, consumer perception was not favorable enough to dent the move towards hybrids.
Honda had been on the forefront among the six, with diesel variants of the Accord, TSX, and TL in the pipeline. One-by-one, management axed the proposed diesels, eventually putting the whole project on hiatus. Plans from BMW and Volkswagen, however, appear to be moving forward.
Norton Transformer Short a Hit; Possible Lifetime Deal in the Works
Here’s a charming little short from Steve Twist titled Norton, a brief bit about the troubled life of a rusting English robot. Word is Twist may be working on a contract for a cable TV series on Lifetime.
Sportec Unleashes SPR1; North Koreans Seek to Weaponize It
Swiss tuner Sportec is looking to make the SPR1 its starmaker in the tuner world. Besides trimming weight through composite panels (now under 3,000 lbs.) and adding a re-enforced cabin for protection, tuners have pushed the 997 Turbo’s 3.6 L flat-six to put out 858 hp. That extreme figure allows the SPR1 to hit sixty in three seconds and achieve a top speed of 236 mph.
According to CNN, the Sportec is so extreme that Swiss police have had to detain it upon hearing North Korean agents sought to stuff it full of uranium and ram through the DMZ.
What Happens When You Supercharge a Scuderia?
German tuner Novitec has released the latest custom Ferrari, the Scuderia Spider 16M. Cosmetic changes over the standard Ferrari F430 are minor–a carbon composite theme inside the cabin, blacked-out tail lamps, and 20″ wheels… The real shocker comes from the within the powertrain compartment. Engineers have installed not one, but two superchargers. Power peaks at 696 hp at 8,400 rpm; torque comes in at 503 ft.-lbs. Those outstanding numbers come to a 44% rise in horsepower and a 47% hike in torque.
If only Novitec could to the same with Aprilia’s underpowered RS125 sport bike, I could live happily.
A Closer Look at the Gallardo Spyder LP560-4
The Lamborghini Gallardo has become a very popular item among the wealthy exotic car crowd since its 2004 inception. Beyond the fact that it’s less expensive than its larger sibling, the Murcielago, the Gallardo’s smaller dimensions and lighter body have garnered it preference from the Sant’Agata collection. Even with that, Lamborghini has tried to keep the Gallardo fresh with improvements and specials.
Video: TOP GEAR-Bugatti Veyron Vs. Mclaren F1
If you missed last night’s Top Gear, you missed a hell of a show. The main part of the episode was the Bugatti Veyron racing the Mclaren F1. I don’t want to ruin anything, just watch the video and enjoy. So Bugatti or Mclaren?
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BMW M3 E92 Dressed In Flat Black By RDSport
Matte Black or Flat Black if you will is becoming the color of 2009. Every person seems to be doing this upgrade or downgrade depending on how you look at it to their car which can cost around $3,000. RDSport of California is responsible for this gorgeous BMW M3.
View the rest of the images after the jump…. Read more
Video: Lamborghini Murcielago LP460 Showing Off
Artonmotion has released a new video in HD promoting the IForged Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. The video is shot very nice and is just awesome. Enjoy the video.-Thanks for the tip Matt
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