Just when you thought Saab had finally croaked its pulse has given one last beat in the form of a 9-3 racer, which will be fielded in the Swedish Racing Elite League.
The car will be entered by Flash Engineering and will compete against Volvo, BMW and Citroen in the race series.
“I have longed for 40 years to see the fight between Saab and Volvo on the race tracks. It becomes reality this summer and my biggest dream is to get all Saab fans to the TTA races to cheer us on,” said Jan “Flash” Nilsson, driver and Managing Director of Flash Engineering.
The team will be supported by the last surviving remnants of Saab, Saab Parts and the Saab Dealer organization, and will begin testing the car at a secret location next week.
Rarely do concepts this radical ever make it to the showroom floor, but reports are suggesting that Pininfarina’s Cambiano concept could be set for a limited production run.
The Cambiano is a plug-in hybrid that is powered by four electric motors – one at each wheel – that provide up to 150kW each, as well as a 50kW diesel generator to charge the batteries. With sport mode engaged, all this adds up to 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 275km/h.
800km of range in extended mode (dropping to around 200km when going flat out) and CO2 emissions of just 45g/km mean that the Cambiano will be doing its part for the environment as well.
Pininfarina say pricing will depend on the amount of orders placed. Around 10 would mean a cost of over AU$1m, but if numbers were to reach around 70 then the price could drop to as low as AU$500,000.
Jaguar has broken the promise it made last year to put the CX-75 supercar into production, revealing that there will now only be an experimental track model.
Due out in 2013, only 250 examples of the range-extended hybrid will be built, each costing over $1 million.
The CX-75 produces a total of 720kW and 1600Nm thanks to an electric motor at each wheel and a pair of gas turbines which do the hard work. This allows for a top speed of 330km/h and 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds.
In celebration of their continued collaborative success supplying engines to the Red Bull F1 team, Renault has revealed a special edition of its Clio hot hatch.
It’s called the Clio RS Red Bull RB7 (after last year’s F1 car) and it comes with a 150kW four cylinder engine, matte black and yellow paint job, chequered flag roof, black 18-inch wheels and ultra-sticky Bridgestone tires.
Special features on the inside are yellow Recaro bucket seats and an RS Monitor telemetry system.
Unfortunately there are no plans for the RB7 to arrive here, with only France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and Spain announced as markets for the car.
Orders are now being taken for Infiniti’s FX Sebastian Vettel special edition, which was revealed as a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year.
The Vettel version is a more-powerful, lightened version of the luxury carmaker’s SUV. It produces 305kW from its 5.0-litre V8 and has a carbon-fibre rear wing and lowered suspension. The means the 0-100km/h sprint takes only 5.6 seconds.
Production will be limited to 200 vehicles to be sold across Europe and the Middle East for an as yet undisclosed price.
The FX Vettel’s release coincides with Infiniti’s Australian launch, which will take place at this weekend’s Melbourne Grand Prix ahead of the manufacturer’s sales debut in August.
It’s a big change, this new SL. The design is much edgier and more complicated. Complex curves, scoops and sharp lines intersected in so many different areas it’s hard to take it all in initially. There’s plenty of new drama, little hint of the previous F1-inspired shape, apart, that is, from the trademark long bonnet.
There are other innovations. Magic Vision Control is simply dozens of washer jets built into the wiper blades. The boot can be opened and closed by simply putting your foot beneath the rear bumper (as long as the keys are in your pocket). The bass speakers for the stereo are built into the aluminium chassis structure in the footwells to provide more resonance.
The SL 500 has always been powered by a big V8 but now for the first time it is turbocharged. That means a big jump in power, 22%, to 320kW, yet newfound efficiencies and less weight means the SL is now more economical than ever.
It’s pretty well unbeatable being a passenger in this two-seater. But driving the SL is a somewhat detached experience that bypasses the ‘having fun’ bit on its rush to being coolly efficient. Perfect for wealthy ladies of a certain age. But a long way removed from being a genuine ‘sports car’.
Bentley has admitted to that the styling of its controversial EXP 9 F Geneva Motor Show car is just one of several designs under consideration.
The dramatically styled SUV, which Bentley says will become the world’s most expensive off-roader on the market, is to undergo a worldwide tour following the Geneva show, to gauge customer reaction to its looks.
It will travel to the Beijing Motor Show next month and will also privatively be shown to loyal Bentley customers in separate viewings too, as Bentley weighs up reaction to the imposing new SUV.
The firm also admitted it will gauge reaction on social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook.
“This is a research programme that will see us look about this design and alternative designs,” said Product Marketing Manager Marcus Abbott.
“We have two questions – ‘should we do it’ and, if so, ‘what should it look like. The strong reaction to the former appears to strongly say we should – so now, we need to look at design alternatives.”
Bentley customers will play a big part in shaping how the new premium SUV looks, explained Abbott. “There is a marked difference between general public opinion and what our customers want. Customers say they like the upright, command-like stance, and want us to make sure it has real presence.
“We need to make sure this is retained as we work to ensure the proportions are right. It is a matter of looking at it afresh, taking key Bentley styling features and interpreting them.”
The next step in the process is to get approval for the model but, even if this quickly followed, a production model would not arrive before 2015.
Approval does seem likely though: a spokesman admitted there was a strong business case for the new Bentley SUV, sitting above the Range Rover in the $250,000-plus marketplace.
“Many Bentley customers already own SUVs, as part of a multi-car fleet. There is clear demand from them for us to offer them a Bentley solution in this marketplace.”
This is the GTA Spano: the first ever supercar to be made by a Spanish manufacturer.
A limited run of 99 will be produced, with the Spano to receive its power from a 611kW/911Nm 8.3-litre V10. Combined with its lightness (1350kg) thanks to a chassis made from carbon fibre, titanium and Kevlar, the Spano will reach 100km/h from a standstill in 2.9 seconds. Top speed is claimed to be over 350km/h.
All of this power can be sent to the rear wheels via either a sequential manual or automatic seven-speed with paddle shift transmission.
Interior features include a carbon fibre steering wheel, 7-inch LCD screen and a rear-view camera instead of a rear-view mirror. The Spano also has two boots; a 100-litre front one and a 200-litre rear one.
Ford has spilled the details on what goodies the 2013 Mustang will be getting as part of its current overhaul.
Styling changes to the front end include a more prominent grille and splitter, along with bonnet-mounted heat extractors. The side rocker panels now match the Mustang’s body colour, while the rear there is now a high-gloss black panel connecting the taillights.
Ford has managed to squeeze 309kW out the Mustang’s 5.0 litre V8, which can now be paired with either the standard manual transmission or the new six-speed SelectShift automatic gearbox. Ford says that unlike other sequential gearboxes, the Selectshift offers true manual control because it has no override function to second-guess the driver.
On the technology front, the new ‘Stang receives hill start assist (manual model), a 4.2 inch infotainment system LCD screen with track performance apps, and two new choices of audio system from Shaker.
The original Atalanta Sports Tourer first made its debut on March 5 1937 and now, exactly 75 years later, a car enthusiast and a classics restorer have joined forces to bring it back.
Martyn Corfield and Trevor Farrington have teamed-up to merge traditional craftsmanship and modern engineering in the form of the new Atalanta.
The new Sports Tourer will feature a host of modern technology to boost performance, as well as keep it safe, whilst preserving the feel of a 1930s British sports car. 85 percent of the car’s components will be entirely new including the castings, springs and steering system. This will all be housed inside the Tourer’s stunning exterior made from hand-crafted ash and aluminium.
Speaking at the Atalanta’s launch, Corfield said:
“Our aim at Atalanta Motors is to reproduce the positive and enjoyable characteristics of vintage motoring in a reliable and usable manner that is relevant to today’s driving environment.”
“The new Atalanta gives a stylish, exhilarating drive with easily accessible performance and a comfortable ride with engaging handling which delivers driver satisfaction even at modest speeds.”
“Atalanta is about style, innovation and performance.”
Unfortunately that’s about all the details available on the Sports Tourer right now. Drivetrain details and pricing still remain unconfirmed but we do know that Atalanta is taking orders for the car, which be built to individual specifications.
If you’ve always wanted a 1930’s Sports Tourer, this might be your only chance as only seven of the original vehicles remain.
