Next summer's Concourso Italiano held during the Pebble Beach weekend in August will feature a gathering of Ferrari F40s to celebrate 20 years in the U.S. There's actually a Ferrari F40 Reunion Group and it's aiming to attract as many as, wait for it, 40 F40s to the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch on August 13th.
Porsche is getting a jump on the 2009 L.A. Auto Show next month with the announcement of an all-new, top-of-the-line Boxster model.
Dubbed the 2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder, it dispenses with a roof to reduce weight and gets a modest ten-horsepower increase over the current Boxster S. Porsche also mentioned some suspension modifications, but didn't get specific. Overall, the Boxster Spyder weighs just 2,811 pounds, which is about 133 pounds less than the Boxster S.
Worldwide sales are expected to begin in February of next year.
Last week we reported that sources had told Inside Line that the McLaren MP4-12C's introduction to the U.S. market might be delayed and the company had pulled out of the L.A. Auto Show next month.
McLaren responded to the report saying that although there were some discussions about showing the supercar at the L.A. show, the company eventually decided it was too early given the car's expected launch date in 2011.
We were also told that McLaren might be having difficulty setting up a North American dealer network to which a company spokesman said, "And if discussions so far are anything to go by we're not going to be short of people who want to retail the brand for us in the US."
So at this point it looks like the MP4-12C is scheduled for an early summer 2011 on sale date in the U.S.
Spy photographers caught the first full-fledged prototype for the next-generation BMW 3 Series being trailered between development labs in Munich, Germany. Based on the 7-year gap between the E46 BMW 3 Series (1999) and E90 3 Series (2006) sedans, we're likely looking at either the 2012 or 2013 BMW 3 Series sedan here.
Although 3 Series mules have been on the scene for a while, this prototype is believed to have all of the final styling hiding beneath the camouflage. As on the next-gen BMW 5 Series, the redesign appears to a be a conservative one. The front end appears broader, though, and the car seems to have a slightly wider track and a longer wheelbase and body.
Second photo is after the jump.
Continue reading Spy Photos: Next-Generation BMW 3 Series.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
With the base 3.7-liter V6 engine, the Lincoln MKS is a pretty ordinary luxury car with an uncomfortably large price tag. In our full test of an all-wheel-drive 2009 MKS, we came up with a 7.5-second 0-to-60-mph time (7.2 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a dragstrip) and a 15.4-second quarter-mile at 90 mph. These are hardly the numbers of an elite luxury sedan, and the fact that the engine feels and sounds strained while moving the 4,300-pound MKS certainly doesn't help.
But Ford's twin-turbocharged and direct-injected, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, newly available for 2010, is supposed to change all that. If you've seen the Loveland Pass advertorial, you know that this is trumpeted as the V6 engine of tomorrow -- the one that performs like a V8 without the fuel economy penalty.
Frankly, it better perform like a V8. The EcoBoost option is only available on AWD versions of the 2010 Lincoln MKS, and it adds $5,000 to the price tag right off the bat. Additionally, our fully loaded MKS EcoBoost tester has the $3,500 Ultimate Package (Rapid Spec 201A), which includes a dual-pane sunroof, hard-drive-based navigation with real-time traffic and weather, plus a rearview camera; and a THX 5.1 surround-sound audio system. It also has the EcoBoost Appearance package ($2,995), which provides 20-inch chrome wheels and all sorts of additional flair inside and out, plus adaptive cruise control with collision mitigation ($1,310) and active parking assist ($535). Total damage? $56,625. That easily puts it in the price territory of the Mercedes-Benz E550 and Jaguar XF. Granted, the EcoBoost V6 works miracles in the Ford Flex, but that wagon only costs $40K.
We didn't attempt a hill climb in our Lincoln MKS EcoBoost, but we did take it to the Inside Line test track. Follow the jump to see how it did.
Continue reading IL Track Tested: 2010 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost.
A Panamera coupe? That's the word according to a recent report in the UK magazine AutoExpress. They claim it's in the works for 2012 despite other rumors that Porsche's new overlords at Volkswagen intend to make the Panamera a one lifecycle pony.
Should the new Porsche coupe make it to production, it could overtake the 911 as Porsche's premier coupe. Certainly not in terms of performance, but at least in terms of price.
Not that it would be any slouch in the engine department as it would likely use all the same powerplants as the Panamera sedan. With a 500-horsepower V8 topping the range, the Panamera coupe would match up well with say, a Bentley Continental GT. Sounds good to us, but Volkswagen might have some reservations about creating competition for its already existing products. Expect to see something by the end of next year if Porsche decides to go through with it.
You may have seen some of these before. Rich guys like to show off you know. Regardless, these ultimate garages still stir the soul in a way only serious car enthusiasts can truly appreciate. There's a 25 page string on Luxury4play.com if you want to see more.
Audi's biggest and most expensive sedan has been on the market for too long. Sure, it still looks as good, or better, than its competition, but it's a little behind in the technology and power department.
This prototype of the 2011 Audi A8 was caught testing at the Nurburgring recently. It's scheduled for a official debut in the next few months, but this test mule gives a pretty good idea of what it will look like.
Power will continue to come from a V8 in standard models and a W12 on the top-of-the-line version. An aluminum spaceframe chassis will form the structure and quattro all-wheel drive will remain standard as well.
Look for the official debut of the 2011 Audi A8 at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show in January.
Spy Video: 2011 Audi A8 on the Nurburgring
Acura has officially announced that it will add a Sport Wagon version of the TSX sedan to its lineup next fall. Already on sale in other markets as the Accord Touring, the TSX Sport Wagon will likely get all the same specs as the current sedan. Acura says it will provide further details as the on sale date gets closer.
We're just a week away from Chrysler's big strategy meeting where it will roll out its product plans for the next few years. Part of that plan will be a new Chrysler 300C and this test mule is the fist indication of some progress with the program.
There's not much to see here as most of this prototype wears current sheetmetal and SRT trim, but the camouflage over the front end likely means there's some sort of engine testing going on with a new front fascia.
Will the Hemi V8 remain? Probably, but the next-generation 300C will likely put more emphasis on smaller engines given the stricter fuel economy standards on the way, not to mention the fact that this 300 may underpin some Alfa Romeo and Lancia sedans in Europe.
We'll have more details next week, but it looks like Chrysler is still moving ahead, for now.
There's been a change of plans for the Cadillac CTS-V challenge scheduled for Thursday. Jaguar originally said it would provide a XFR for journalists to drive, but has now backed out over safety concerns according to company spokesman Stuart Schorr. That leaves a field of just two challengers for now -- an Audi RS4 and a BMW M5.
In response to the sudden departure of the XFR, Bob Lutz told a GM fan site the following:
"I think it means that the European high-performance sedans are excellent, even superb cars, but quite possibly not ready for racing laps right out of the show-room. The CTS-V is not only quicker, but will, in totally untweaked, stock form, run hot laps at any race track until it runs out of fuel. Transmission oil and diff oil temps are stable, engine oil temp doesn't go up, brakes get a bit more pedal travel, but don't fade. The street tires get a tad greasy, but handling and control remain excellent. "May the best car win"! (It wins automatically if the competitors won't show up!)"
The Bob Lutz/Cadillac CTS-V smackdown/stunt planned for this Thursday at the Monticello Motor Club in upstate New York, will follow a simple five-lap format.
Each competitor, chosen by General Motors to take on Bob Lutz and the Cadillac CTS-V, will receive five consecutive laps of the course. So subtracting an out-lap and a cool-down lap, each competitor, of which there will be about 10 total, will receive three flying laps. The quickest single lap at the end of the day will decide the winner. There will apparently be no second-chance round.
The schedule of events looks like this (all times are Eastern):
8:30 am-11:30 am -- Track opens for practice
11:30 am-11:45 am -- Introductions, driver meeting, etc.
11:45 am-1:00 pm -- lunch
1:00 pm-2:30 pm -- timed laps
May the best Cadillac CTS-V, er, car win.
Late last Friday, Cadillac unveiled its short list of participants in the CTS-V challenge. After receiving over 100 entries, the Cadillac brain trust narrowed the field down to three journalists and four consumers.
Cadillac provided brief descriptions of the four consumers and their cars while the journalists were also given token summaries. Cadillac says it may add additional entrants later, but the contest is Thursday, so assume this is the list for now.
Who would you put your money on to beat Bob Lutz?
Consumers:
Tom - Audi RS4
Michael C. - BMW M3
Michael M. - BMW M5
Chris - Cadillac CTS-V
Journalists:
Wes Siler - Jaguar XFR
Jack Baruth - Jaguar XFR
Lawrence Ulrich - TBD
Just in case you didn't get your fill of the Lexus LFA last week, here's one more peek at one of its many impressive parts.
This was on display at a supplier booth. It's the LFA's torque tube that connects the engine to the trasnsaxle out back. Looks more than sturdy enough to help harness the power of the car's sick-sounding 4.8-liter V10.
Cadillac has announced the group of participants in the Cadillac V-Series Challenge.
The challengers that have been chosen to take on Bob Lutz and the CTS-V is limited to just three auto journalists (notice there's no specific car listed for any of the three) and four private car owners with no last names.
Cadillac's list and copy describing each participant after the break.
Continue reading Cadillac V-Series Challenge Participants Announced.
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