M Sports Cars Red

Mated to an M engine for the first time is a 6-speed M Sports Automatic transmission with full automatic mode as well as M driving mode.

BMW X6 M Sport Car

X6 M rear

BMW X6 M

X6 m red gallery

M driving mode

Dynamic Performance Control system

x6 m desktop photos

Rossin-Bertin Vorax entring into supercar club

The Rossin-Bertin Vorax will debut this month at the São Paulo Auto Show. Over an aluminium chasis this car features a carbon fibre body, with 570 horsepower, or supercharged with 750. Earlier it was 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds and a top speed was 205 mph. Latter, acceleration time was improved to 3.6 seconds, 180 horsepower boost and top speed increased to 231 mph.

Rossin-Bertin Vorax coupe is aimed to hit the market in late 2011 or early 2012. A convertible version is scheduled to follow a year later with overall production of 500-1000 and an estimate price around $ 400,000.

Mexican Built Mastretta MXT To Debut At Paris Motor Show

The Mastretta MXT has been a work in progress since the sports coupe concept was first shown back in 2007. This year’s Paris Auto Show will see the debut of the production Mastretta MXT, billed as a competitor to the Lotus Elise. The company plans production of some 150 cars per year, 70% of which will be exported to the US or the UK.

The production MXT will use a bonded aluminum chassis and a composite body to minimize weight. Power comes from a turbocharged Ford Duratec motor, good for an estimated 238 horsepower. The car will feature a mid-engine, rear drive layout for optimized handling.

Ford to limit 2011 Shelby GT500 production to 5,500 units

We've just gotten off the horn with Ford's SVT performance division, and we've learned that the Blue Oval's hot-rod arm is going to limit production of the 2011 Shelby GT500 to 5,500 units for this model year. According to Ford spokesman Henry Platts, the move is not the result of slow sales, but rather a desire to maintain exclusivity. In fact, sales of Ford's king of the Mustang range have "exceeded expectations," with in excess of 3,300 orders already placed.

The 550-horsepower GT500 has not only been performing surprisingly well in a down economy, it's been going out the door loaded-to-the sills with options. According to Platts, there have been three times as many GT500 coupes ordered with the $1995 glass roof option as compared to the regular Mustang. In the "News That Makes Us Happy" category comes word that a full 68 percent have been spec'd out with the $3,495 performance package (includes 19- and 20-inch painted forged alloys, 3.73 limited-slip, tuned suspension, Gurney flap rear spoiler, etc.), and additionally, 70 percent of all GT500s have been ordered with the $2,340 electronics package (navi, dual-zone HVAC and Sirius/HD radio). With the GT500 starting at an out-the-door price of $49,495 before options, we're guessing that the GT500 is more than carrying its weight for Dearborn's bottom line.

While Ford is limiting total output of the GT500 to 5,500 units for 2011, Platts says the automaker has no plans to dictate how that shakes out in the coupe/convertible bodystyle mix. That said, if you've been fence-sitting on whether to pick up a GT500 of your very own this year, might we suggest that you make up your mind... quickly.


[Source: Ford]

Perana Z-One: An Automotive League Of Nations

What do you get if you cross Italian styling with American V8 power and South African manufacturing? Unless you’ve got a punch line, Answer is the Perana Z-One, which will go on sale in the U.S. through Superformance after its Concorso Italiano debut in August. American buyers will get an allocation of just 99 units, so you probably won’t be seeing one parked outside of your local trattoria any time soon.

Designed by Zagato, the Perana Z-One debuted as a concept at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show. It’s lines are Italian, but I’m seeing influences from both the C6 Corvette and the Dodge Viper Coupe; somehow, the styling just works without being garish. At a starting price below $100,000, Z-One buyers will get to spec their cars with either the LS3 motor (good for 436 horsepower) or the LS7 motor for the Corvette Z06 (good for 505 horsepower). No floppy paddle shifters are planned, so buyers can look forward to rowing their own gears. As you’d expect from a limited production car that closes in on six figures, the interior will feature plenty of leather, Alcantara and technology, including a standard equipment navigation / infotainment system.

I can’t vouch for the South African manufacturing, although both BMW and Superformance have used South African labor for years. I love the idea of Italian style combined with the Corvette V8’s ease of maintenance, so I give this one a win.

Zagato teases Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa ahead of Villa d'Este

A couple of weeks ago, we reported that Zagato was planning to unveil a new Alfa Romeo at the upcoming Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Now the stoic Italian carrozzeria has released the first teaser image (above) and initial details of what it has in store for us.

The TZ3 Corsa follows in the footsteps of the original Alfa TZ and TZ2, drawing on some 90 years of collaboration between the two companies and commemorating Alfa's centenary. It's based on a carbon fiber tubular chassis overlaid with a lightweight aluminum body. But instead of a show car like the Pininfarina 2uettottanta and the Bertone Pandion that bowed in Geneva, the TZ3 Corsa is a full-on competition machine, commissioned by an unidentified German gentleman racer.

The overhead view looks strikingly similar to the 8C Competizione upon which it's based, and Zagato has released a handful of images of its historic Alfa racers to mark the occasion. The most prestigious of open-air auto shows takes place this year from April 23-25, so stay tuned for more details.

Mazda RX-8 denied re-entry into Europe

According to the crew at Auto Motor und Sport, the Mazda RX-8 won't be coming back to Europe for the 2011 model year. Why? The rev-rific rotary can't pass the Euro-5 emission standards and a replacement won't arrive until 2013.

Mazda Germany exec, Joseph Alois Schmid, told AMuS that retrofitting the current engine would be too cost prohibitive and the Wankel can't adapt quickly enough to Europe's stringent emission standards.

Although a replacement is in the works – and a hydrogen version could arrive within the next few years – the next rotary mill will have to be significantly reworked to adhere to the new standards. But even a revised rotary could have problems in 2014, when the new Euro 6 emission rules take effect.



[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via TTAC]

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Chicago 2010: BMW Alpina B7

Not only will BMW not make an M7, but they even stopped making the incredibly-close-to-an-M Alpina B7 a few years ago. That car could hold its head high against competitors like the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, Audi S8 and Bentley Flying Spur Speed, with extra horsepower, refined handling and unique looks setting it apart from standard 7 series fare. Sadly, that car was only produced from 2007-2008 and since '09 there's been nothing to fill the void.

Today in Chicago we saw a bright light on the horizon. Just in time to do battle with the upcoming Jaguar XJR, Porsche Panamera Turbo and the like, BMW unveiled the 2011 Alpina B7. Functional front and rear fascias and spoilers, 20-spoke, 21-inch Alpina wheels, hand-stitched "Lavalina" leather and Alpina badges and sills differentiate this from lesser 7s.

Underhood there's a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with 500 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque – 100 hp and 66 lb-ft better than the 750i, with a 0-60 dash of 4.5 seconds. Available in short wheelbase for $122,875 or extended wheelbase at $126,775, it's a helluva car for helluva lot scratch.

[Source: BMW]

PRESS RELEASE

The 2011 BMW ALPINA B7 Sedan

BMW returns legendary ALPINA badge to North America.

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – January 8, 2010... BMW of North America announced today that the 2011 BMW ALPINA B7 sedan will join BMW's North American product range as the most dynamic 7 Series model. The BMW ALPINA B7 represents the second generation of ALPINA automobiles based on the BMW 7 Series to be offered in the US. The first BMW ALPINA B7 was offered as a limited edition for the 2007 and 2008 model years. Newly interpreted and based on the current BMW 7 Series platform, the B7 will again set the benchmark in terms of performance, refinement, technology, luxury and exclusivity.

Yielding exquisite levels of power and torque from the twin-turbocharged 4.4 liter V8, and in conjunction with the electronically-adjustable suspension with active roll stabilization, the new B7 promises to offer a spectrum of driving experiences so broad as to be unheard of in this class of automobiles. The evolution of the traditional 20-spoke 21" ALPINA CLASSIC wheels underline the fresh design language found throughout the B7 and impart it a distinctive appearance and powerful stance.

Both short- and long-wheelbase models will be offered. The BMW ALPINA B7 will make its North American premiere at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show in February, and go on sale at authorized BMW Centers in Spring of 2010. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.

ALPINA and BMW. A history of synergy.

ALPINA – a name famous in Europe and the wider world for putting a particular performance accent on BMWs, though not yet so well-known in North America. BMW – a name famous all over the world for motor vehicles of performance, quality, luxury and safety.

The two companies, both at home in the German state of Bavaria, have a long history of working together to produce special BMW automobiles. Burkard Bovensiepen, son of the founder of ALPINA Business Machines and an enthusastic racing driver/engineer, began his automotive career path in 1961 by developing a dual-carburetor setup for the just-introduced BMW 1500 sedan. It was a predictive beginning: to take an already fine-performing BMW (which also just happened to be a practical sedan) and making it perform even better.

By 1964, BMW had officially recognized ALPINA's contribution to BMW performance. Not long thereafter, Burkard Bovensiepen founded the ALPINA company – ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen KG – that continues today, creating special versions of BMW automobiles that offer a particular brand of performance for discriminating auto enthusiasts. Yet outside the circle of dedicated BMW enthusiasts, ALPINA has kept a low profile in North America. In addition to racing versions of BMWs, ALPINA has developed a progression of BMW-based cars based on 3, 5, 6, 8, Z4 and Z8 models and offered them on a limited-production basis. ALPINA is located in the small Bavarian city of Buchloe, some 50 miles southwest of Munich, BMW's headquarters

Sports Automobile For Under $3000

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For more tips and reviews on new sports cars, please visit http://www.newsportscars.org now

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Felipe Massa comes home to Maranello, meets the new 458 Italia, laps Fiorano, smiles for fans

It doesn't seem like it's been that long, but for Felipe Massa, it must feel like it's been an eternity since he's been up to speed. The Brazilian Formula One driver hasn't been at work since July when he suffered a major blow to the head from some flying debris at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

A lot has happened since then: his mentor and former team-mate Michael Schumacher prepared for a comeback and then had to cancel it due to health concerns of his own, the Scuderia promoted test driver Luca Badoer for a couple of races before sending him home, and then Maranello hired Giancarlo Fisichella to fill in and stay on as a reserve driver for the future. Then they picked up Fernando Alonso to be Massa's wingman next year, and somewhere in the middle of it all, Ferrari launched its first all-new mid-engine production car in a decade. (Not to mention the new engine chief they hired, the senior executive they lost or the new designer who is said to be taking over).

Now, after his prolonged absence, Massa has returned home to Maranello for the first time since the crash. He got some practice time in the simulator before hitting the track in a privately-owned, retired F2007 with GP2 tires to reacquaint himself with his craft. And while he was at it, he stopped by the production line to check out the new 458 Italia.

[Source: Ferrari]

New-for-2010 Mitsubishi Evo MR Touring pricing announced, starts at $40,990

Mitsubishi finally posted pricing information on its new top-of-the-Evolution-ary-chart MR Touring model, and it definitely isn't cheap. A bargain to some maybe, but definitely not cheap. We had first seen this uplevel MR at a local car gathering that seems to attract just about every bit of new enthusiast candy, but back then, they were referring to it as the Limited. Now, it's called the MR Touring and with a base MSRP of $40,990, the top dog Lancer finally cracks the 40K barrier, pushing the definition of "bargain." If you go Sharpie-mad and check every box on the order form, the bottom line might make you think you're actually at an Audi dealer. The full boat 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR Touring would retail for – wait for it – $52,728. Yep, a fifty-plus-thousand-dollar-Lancer. (Editor's note: After checking over the list again, we see that some of the options are indeed redundant. Best we can tell, a Touring would run around $47,000, tops. Still quite a hefty sum though.)

For all those greenbacks, however, you'll get a wonderfully chuckable, largely-aluminum-bodied supersedan with a 291-horsepower turbo four-cylinder, a paddle-shifted dual clutch six-speed transmission, Brembo brakes, 18-inch BBS wheels wrapped in sticky Yokohama Advans, all working through Mitsubishi's Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel-drive system to propel you along in any conditions on virtually any surface at alarming speeds. But all of that could be said for the regular Evo as well. So what makes the Touring so dear?

What the Touring adds are creature comforts that make the 40-grand price tag potentially less alarming, turning the car into something that can genuinely be cross-shopped against BMW, Audi, Mercedes and the like with few excuses. It's an Evo for grown-ups.

Standard on the Touring are things like a new higher-res info display between the gauges, an Evo-first moonroof, and genuine leather-covered heated Recaros. The car gains a few pounds with the extra equipment and additional soundproofing – even though it saves a bit by dropping the rear wing in favor of a small lip spoiler. The full list of standard and optional features can be found after the jump along with full pricing information. We've also added a new gallery of high-res pics so you can see all of the detail changes for yourself. At $40,000-$50,000 Mitsubishi is entering highly competitive waters, but we think they will find plenty of buyers. After all, the Evo has never been afraid of a little competition.

[Source: Mitsubishi]

Base Price
$40,990 + $720 destination

Standard Features

• 291-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter DOHC MIVEC engine
• 6-speed Twin Clutch Sportronic® Shift Transmission (TC-SST)
• Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC)
• BREMBO® Braking System
• 2-piece front brake rotors with alloy hats
• Aluminum roof, hood and front fenders
• Enhanced interior noise reduction
• 18" x 8.5" BBS® Forged Alloy Wheels with 245/40R18 Yokohama ADVAN® tires
• Power glass sunroof
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers
• Rear diffuser with dual exhaust outlets
• Color keyed rear lip spoiler (Replaces large rear spoiler)
• Sports ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
• RECARO® semi-bucket racing seats with fixed head rests
• Heated front seats and side mirrors
• Full leather seating surfaces
• Magnesium steering wheel paddle shifters
• FAST-Key electronic keyless entry and starting system
• 710-watt (max.), Rockford Fosgate® performance audio system with nine speakers, including a 10-inch trunk-mounted subwoofer
• 40GB HDD Navigation with Music Server
• Bluetooth® hands-free phone system with voice command recognition
• Seven-airbag safety system including a driver's knee airbag*

Options

Packages
$1999 Navigation System

Accessories
$84 All Weather Floor Mats
$297 Aluminum/Leather Parking Brake Grip
$281 Aluminum / Leather Shift Knob (TC-SST)
$425 Back Up Sensors
$60 Cargo Organizer
$96 Carpet Floor Mats
$456 CD Changer - 6 Disc and Tuner
$107 Chrome Side Mirror Covers
$34 Cigar Lighter
$625 Front Air Dams
$125 Front Brake Air Guides
$515 Front Strut Brace
$319 Intercooler Pipes
$37 "Lancer Evolution" License Plate Frame
$244 Mud Flaps
$2499 Navigation System and Install Kit
$142 RALLIART Spline-Type Wheel Locks
$440 Rear Corner Air Dams
$110 Rear Spoiler Extension
$515 Rear Strut Brace
$506 Rear View Backup Camera
$900 Side Skirts
$85 Side Wind Deflectors
$85 Sunroof Deflector
$32 Wheel Locks

Genuine Mitsubishi accessories are all covered by the limited warranty. Installation labor is not included. See your Retailer for details.

Vehicle Warranty

Bumper to Bumper
3-year/36,000-mile, Bumper-to-Bumper New Vehicle Limited Warranty

Powertrain
5-year/60,000-mile, Powertrain New Vehicle Limited Warranty

Anti-Corrosion
7-year/100,000-mile Anti-Corrosion Perforation Limited Warranty

Roadside Assistance
5-year/Unlimited miles Roadside Assistance

*Airbags can cause serious injury or death to anyone too close to an airbag when it deploys. To decrease the risk of injury from a deploying airbag, all occupants must be properly restrained and seated well back, upright and in the middle of the seat. Do not lean against the door. Always place children 12 and under in the rear seat and use appropriate child restraints. Never place a rear-facing infant restraint in the front seat. See your Owner's Manual and instructions provided with your child restraint for more information.

†See retailer for limited warranty and roadside assistance terms and conditions.

*iPod is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.

JB Design tweaks Lamborghini Murcielago past the 700 horsepower mark

The Lamborghini Murcielago may be getting old, but the raging bull still has some fight left in it. Some figure it just needs a little encouragement. Like JB Design.

The German tuning house has released a comprehensive tuning package for the LP-640 that leaves no stone unturned. The engine can be upgraded to 714- or 750-horsepower specifications. The shift paddles have been replaced with an F1-style rocker lever. An extensive carbon fiber aerodynamic package includes front and rear spoilers, rear diffuser, front air intake side skirts, and front and rear hoods. The wheels have been swapped out for 20-inch Schmidt Revolution alloys with steamroller Michelin rubber. The interior has been refinished in custom leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber trim. The stock exhaust has been replaced by an adjustable system. And the body has been re-sprayed in a custom paint that costs 280,000 euros per liter ($414k).

The cost of the modifications runs half a million euros (about $740k), but JB Design is looking to offload this particular demonstration car for 355,000 euros ($525k). Such a deal.

[Source: JB Design]
PRESS RELEASE:

JB Design presents the ultimate car among the coupés. The LP 640 JB-R is a sports car of breathtaking fascination, menacingly power and uncompromising luxury. The 12-cylinder engine performs now after power level I (28.000,00 Euro) 525 KW (710 hp). The Lamborghini comes in combination with a changed underbody (ground effect) to an unbelievable final velocity. Not until the sports car has reached 370 km/h the air drag decelerates it. Gears are changed using a F1 steering wheel rocker switch.

No question, with the upgraded LP 640 JB-R JB Car Design has raised the bar for competition in the section super sports cars again a lot: with his increased performance up to 710 respectively 750 hp and his VIP-finishing in "Blood to Black Diamond" he not just delivers again a clear growth in output but an individual visual appearance as well. The patent registered finish is only available through JB Car Design. It costs (ready to be sprayed on) 280,00 Euro per litre and is limited to 911 litre worldwide, whereby the exclusivity is guaranteed.

The sharpened version of the LP 640 JB-R is as close to racing as no other car with MOT approval. But luxury is also to be found, as for example in the interior. The whole interior was colour adjusted to the exterior by using high quality materials in combination with dark red Ultrasuede and black smooth leather in bi-colour as well as little extras made of carbon fibre. In addition very decent and in black: tinted windshield, back and side windows (2.370,00 Euro including the approval of the Technical control board).

After having made over the interior it is now turn of the wheelset. New three part 20" Schmidt Revolution aluminium rims with hardened outer rim made of stainless steel in combination with Michelin wide base tires size 265/30-20 and 335/30-20.

As impressive as the sprint on the long straight stretch might be, most fun with the LP 640 JB- R you have in the curves. This is the reason why JB Car Design has intensified the abrasion by using their own aerodynamic-package consisting of front- and rear spoiler, rear diffusor, air intake in the front, side coverings, side skirts, the front opening hood as well as the engine hood. They have newly adjusted the running gear and tuned the super athlete thus he practically sticks to the street.

The built in, premium flap controlled sport exhaust systems offers the best sound at the push of a button. With the provided remote control the customer can change the sound of the exhaust pipe while driving.

The demonstration car is available for a price of 355.000,00 Euro ( YOC 2008, 9.000 km). The original price incl. the costs of the conversion is 500.000,00 Euro!

For further information please contact: www.jb-cardesign.de

Review : Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

Imagine you're a male (Autoblog surveys say most of you are, so this shouldn't be hard). You've been invited to the Playboy Mansion for their annual Halloween party. You arrive, grab a flute of bubbly, get introduced to the crusty remains of Hugh Hefner and after a few minutes lay eyes on the most beautiful specimen of redheaded femininity the world has ever seen. You fight your knees from buckling, walk over and give it the ol' college try. Miraculously, you hit it off. She's entertaining, interesting and a joy to see and be seen with. One thing leads to another and you make your way upstairs into one of Heff's exotically appointed love dens.

You're ready to embark on one of the most pleasurable experiences of your life when... there's no spark. No connection. No chemistry. You use every trick in the book to make things work, but to no avail. Despite her arsenal of attributes, this exquisite example of sensuality just doesn't "do it" for you.

The 8C has been around long enough that you already know what matters. It's stunning, perfectly proportioned and should only be available in one color: Competition Red. Beneath its achingly gorgeous carbon fiber exterior you'll find the same platform that underpins the Maserati Gran Turismo, along with a dry-sump 4.7-liter V8 hand assembled by Ferrari. A six-speed sequential gearbox channels the bent eight's 450 horsepower (at 7,000 RPM) and 354 pound-feet of torque (at 4,750 RPM) to a limited slip differential nestled between the rear wheels, delivering a claimed 0-60 MPH sprint of 4.2 seconds and a top speed over 180 MPH.



Open up the long, upkicked door and another side of the 8C's character unfolds in front of you. The seats, which place your posterior a few inches from terra firma, belong in MOMA. They're masterfully sculpted, assertively clinging to your back and legs, and coated in the finest cowhide old man Giuseppe can rustle up outside Modena.

The dash is another modern masterwork of minimalism, with a faultless blend of carbon fiber and aluminum adorning the center stack, tunnel, doors and steering wheel. Ah, but wait. Something's amiss in the boot-shaped land. It would appear Alfa's beancounters couldn't stomach the cost of a carbon fiber dash, transmission tunnel and two door panels. They're all fake, save the panel housing the start button, transmission modes and parking brake switch. But no matter. After you depress the cold aluminum "Engine Start" button to breathe life into the high-strung V8 ahead of you, the faux fiber is the least of your concerns.



A rousing burble rockets out the rear, followed by an electronically controlled blip before the 8C settles into a soothing, seductive idle. The world melts away as you grab the paddle shifter, engage first, let off of the brake and beginning slowly making your way onto the road.

The ride is on the rough side, as if Alfa's engineers simply figured that Hard directly translates into Handling. But we've endured stiffly sprung rides before and the 8C is a proper exotic, so we want that sense of hardened agility with a wanton disregard for chiropractic costs.

But just as we start to stretch its legs across the rolling hills of the Napa Valley, it becomes abundantly clear that the while the 8C can make it through a workout, it doesn't enjoy the exercise.



The steering wheel, which is a bit on the big side for a such a sporting ride, conveys every lump and divot into your palms, but fails to completely communicate the interaction between the tires and the tarmac. The overly taut suspension crashes along some of the more neglected sections of our drive loop, causing the 8C to skip significantly when speeds increase and corner forces test the aging underpinnings. And while the power delivery and lock, load and explode gear changes – particularly with Sport mode engaged – are enough to send your skull into the headrest, the visceral thrills aren't a product of thrust – they come from manhandling the 8C into submission, keeping all four tires in constant contact with the road and avoiding tail-out, off-road excursions when trying to jump from apex to corner exit.

What we have here is a failure to communicate. And it never went away.



The more we pushed, the more it shoved. And after 20 miles of attempting to connect, all we were left with was a disconcerting air of apprehension. The only bright spot to be found were the brakes, which proved unflappable throughout our drive, providing consistent, fade-free pedal feel time after time. But even that lone light wasn't enough to instill confidence at anything beyond six or seven tenths, begging the question: What happened?

Realizing that only 500 examples would find their way to obscenely wealthy collectors, did Fiat – Alfa's parent company – simply rush the chassis and suspension development, trying desperately to keep costs in check, while focusing solely on appearance? Maybe. But for something so inexcusably attractive, you expect performance to be on par. And it simply isn't. Making the Alfa Romeo 8C Competitizione the one redheaded supermodel we would kick out of bed.

[Source: Autoblog]