Battered and bruised, Lexus had on display one of the two LF-A race cars that competed at this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hour race. We’re left to assume this isn’t the model that caught fire during the grueling endurance car race.

The showing of the car is surprising considering Lexus didn’t exactly hang with the best. Still, it did manage an impressive 7:13 lap time in the ‘almost stock’ class, meaning we should expect the production model to deliver impressive performance.

When it does finally make its way to the street, the LF-A will be powered by a 550hp V10, capable of a top speed of 218 mph. The production model is expected to debut at the Tokyo Auto Show this Fall.

The LF-A marks a new direction for Lexus, moving outside its luxury comfort zone and into the territory of exotics. Importantly, one of the two LF-A racers at the Nürburgring was piloted by Toyota’s newly appointed CEO Akio Toyoda.

GALLERY: Lexus LF-A Race Car

After its world debut at the Geneva Auto Show last March, Aston Martin has kept its One-77 supercar under wraps, until now. Making its U.S. debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, we had a chance to get more familiar with the car at a private event the night before.

When Aston first announced that this flagship supercar would have  carbon chassis and an aluminum body we thought perhaps the PR folks had reversed the order of what they meant to say. But they didn’t.

Feeling like a pure-bred track car, the carbon chassis is exposed as soon as you open the door with carbon side sills and carbon floors. In fact, the driver sits surrounded by the light-weight material. The carbon fiber monocoque, as it’s called, is the same sort of carbon frame used in a Formula 1 car. Aston Martin has combined this high-technology chassis with traditional coachbuilding practices including hand-rolling the aluminum body panels. All this light weight material helped to keep the supercar’s weight down to just 3,300 lbs.

Significant attention was paid to the vehicle’s aerodynamics, and one of Aston’s product experts let us in on an interesting bit of technology found just behind the front fender. Air ducts found there will actually close mechanically at high speeds (around 150 mph) to help reduce lift. Along with a subtle front splitter and massive rear diffuser, the One-77 will gets hidden rear spoiler that pops up at speeds above 100mph.

The motorsorts technology continues elsewhere in the One-77 with a suspension setup similar to a true race car, with horizontal shocks, as opposed to vertical ones. Aston even designed the rear of the car so this setup is visible through the rear glass.

Amazingly, while the One-77 doesn’t look excessively large, it is actually 2 meters wide (5.56 feet). That is wider than a Lamborghini Murciélago! 

Additional racing technology can be found under the hood, where a 7.3-liter V12 engine, topped off with carbon fiber intake manifolds, makes an incredible 750hp.

As the name suggests, just 77 versions of the One-77 will be hand built at a cost of $1.8 million.

GALLERY: Aston Martin One-77

Jaguar’s new XJ flagship made its U.S. debut today during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, with pricing announced for the first time. Introductory XJ models will start at $72,500 with the high-powered XJL Supersport listing at a substantial $115,00.

All XJ models are powered by a version of Jaguar’s new 5.0-liter direct-injection V8 engine, with the standard XJ putting out 385hp and 380 ft-lbs of torque. Opting for an extended wheelbase model (XJL) will up the base price to $79,500.

XJ Supercharged models, which make 470hp and 424 ft-lbs of torque, will retail for $87,500, with extended wheelbase models just $3,000 more.

As for the top-level XJ Supersport, it starts at $112,000 and adds $3,000 for the extended wheelbase model. Impressively, this model makes 510hp and 461 ft-lbs of torque from a more potent supercharged 5.0 V8, helping it to hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.

Acceleration for all models is up significantly over the outgoing model with Supercharged models making 18 percent more power and the base engine making the largest improvement with 28 percent more power. Also helping acceleration is a sophisticated all-aluminum chassis, ensuring that the XJ is at least 300 lbs lighter than competitors from BMW and Mercedes.

And make no mistake, the 2010 Jaguar, currently reserved for the straw-hat type, is now aimed squarely at a wider (and younger) market, a part of a new move by its Indian owner Tata Motors to increase market share and product volumes.

GALLERY: 2010 Jaguar XJ

The best thing about the DBS Volante is that, top down, you can more thoroughly appreciate the sound of the Aston’s viciously powerful V12 engine.

In town for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Aston Martin had a selection of DBS Volante’s on hand and invited AutoGuide to test out the latest Bond car in Monterey – one of the few places in the world that can make even Monte Carlo look middle-class.

Blasting through the Northern California hills we’re happy to report that due to the DBS’s already extra-potent V12 engine, the added weight in the convertible model doesn’t effect performance… not that you can feel anyway. Making 510hp and 420 ft-lbs of torque it will hit 62 mph in 4.3 seconds… ever-so-slightly slower than the coupe.

One reason for this is that Aston kept the weight gain to a minimum, with a total curb weight of 3,990 lbs. – roughly 250 lbs more then the coupe. That might seem like quite a bit at first but many convertibles, especially hard-top ones, can weigh as much as 500 lbs more than their coupe counterparts. Aston chose the soft top to keep the weight low and retain a useable amount of trunk space. We should also point out that the sub-4,000 lb curb weight is actually very good for a full-sized grand tourer.

And rather than just cut the top off, Aston redesigned the DBS with a new line that runs along the entire length of the car and a new decklid spoiler.

The DBS Volante is one of the few vehicles on the road that’s as nice to look at as it is to drive.

For a full run-down on the DBS Volante be sure to check out our Reviews section later this week. For now we’ll just list some initial impressions:

LOVE IT:

-Intoxicating exhaust note

-Looks that thrill

-No real performance loss on drop-top 

LEAVE IT:

-Annoying backwards gauges

-Tiny gear indicator

GALLERY: 201 Aston Martin DBS Volante

One of six 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupes set a record at the Mecum Auction today in Monterey, California, fetching a bid of $7.25 million. The price is the highest amount ever paid for an American car at auction. Mecum’s auction took place at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa on the Del Monte Golf Course, just one of many such auctions occurring around the Pebble Beach Concurs d’Elegance.

The Cobra Coupe, CSX2601, is one of just six models build by Carroll Shelby to compete against the dominating Ferraris in the FIA World Manufacturers Championship. This particular car captured the World Manufacturers Championship in 1965 in Reims, France with legendary racer Bob Bondurant behind the wheel.

Bondurant was on-hand today and drove the Cobra Coupe onto the auction block in Monterey.

“This hand-built car beat the fastest cars in the world and has now added another ‘win’ to its list of accomplishments. It certainly finished in record form again,” said Dana Mecum, president of Mecum Auction.

“Truly the best part about auctioning the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe has been sharing the stories of its amazing history with millions of people across the country. This race car’s greatest moments and its legacy as America’s world champion will be cherished for generations to come. 

GALLERY: 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe 

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Tomorrow at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, for the first time Porsche will show off its new Panamera model to the public. Today, Porsche invited AutoGuide to take the controversially-styled Gran Turismo out for a spin on the winding Northern California roads that surround that world-famous golf course.

At 9 a.m. I’m stretching the Panamera’s legs on a nearly-deserted stretch of California’s Pacific Coastal Highway. With a 4.8-liter V8 generating 400hp and 369 ft-lbs of torque mated to a wickedly-quick seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission, I’m attacking the curves and blasting down the straits, completely oblivious to the fact that this is a four-door. It sure doesn’t feel like it.

While Porsche’s Cayenne is excellent… for an SUV, the same philosophy isn’t true of the Panamera. It’s not good… for a four-door. It’s just damn good.

The handling is superb with a chassis that doesn’t know the meaning of body roll. And yet the suspension soaks up bumps in the road. It also does an amazing job of keeping the car planted on the ground, as I discovered after hitting a dip in the road at some serious speed. As I popped out the other end of the dip, it actually felt like the suspension sucked the car back to the asphalt.

The steering is precise and direct, like any Porsche. The throttle and brake are responsive and the brakes provide excellent initial bite… like any Porsche. I experienced absolutely no understeer and even with the traction and stability control nannies on, there’s still plenty of room for fun. And the naturally aspirated V8 delivers bountiful amounts of linear power. 

Inside, the cockpit is truly incredible. With Porsche’s motorsports background and a long history of sports cars, it’s no surprise that the interior of pretty much every model up until now has followed a more basic philosophy. The Panamera, however, is a luxurious oasis, and yet maintains a true Porsche sports car feel. With supple leather coating almost every surface, the Panamera also features solid aluminum trim pieces and (on my model) Teneo wood. And for the first time, possibly ever, I have to say I not only liked the wood trim, but loved it. Instead of plastic-looking overly-lacquered wood, this stuff has more of a matte treatment, giving it a genuine organic look.

There are a lot of buttons, knobs and switches inside, which Porsche PR boss Gary Fong says was a conscious decision. Porsche would rather opt for more easy-to-use buttons, than have drivers hunting through an information system to find what they’re looking for.

I was happy to see a simple-to-use touch screen navigation system and was impressed with the redundant screen located inside the main instrument cluster, meaning a driver doesn’t have to look far to see what’s next on the map.

Now because the Panamera is a four-door, it’s necessary to dedicate a little copy to those two back seats. Equally as sporting as the front ones, there is more than enough room for my long-legged 6’1″ frame, directly behind the driver’s seat – which I had just been sitting in.

My solitary critique of the Panamera remains a big one; the car’s design. Straight on, it’s fabulous, but once you start to see that bulging rear, it’s hard not to shake your head and wonder how the designers came up with it, and how that look made it all the way to production. There are two ways to look at it: the first is to think that it’s a shame that a car that performs so spectacularly well looks so strange; the second is to overlook the oddness and appreciate the drive, which I most certainly did.

You can’t even complain about the price. Sure it starts at a fraction under $90,000, but when put into perspective, a Carrera S will run you $80,000 and the Panamera delivers the same quantity of thrills… which you can now share with not just one, but three passengers.

GALLERY: 2010 Porsche Panamera S

Earlier this week Hyundai announced that it would launch the company’s Korean market Equus flagship right here in the U.S. And to help promote the car, Hyundai decided to show-off a few examples of its top-tier luxury sedan at one of the world’s most high-profile automotive events: the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

While in town to cover the concours, Hyundai invited AutoGuide along for a ride to experience some of what the Equus is all about. Test drives aren’t allowed as the cars on display are Korean prototype models (complete with Korean navigation systems and gauges in km/h) so we had to settle for being chauffeured around, which one could argue, is really the best way to experience the Equus.

Designed to compete with the world’s best, the Equus is based on the Genesis Sedan platform but is a good deal larger.

At 74.8-inches wide, it’s thicker than an S-Class or Lexus LS. The wheelbase is relatively short for this type of vehicle at 119.9-inches and with an overall length of 203.1-inches (just slightly longer than the long wheelbase LS460), don’t expect it to handle like a BMW 750i. Then again, that’s not what vehicles like this were meant for.

Inside is where the real treats are, with every imaginable luxury available. Yes, we’re talking about massaging and reclining rear seats, seat-back mounted flip up tables, LCD screen DVD players and even a fridge. The Equus also gets heated and cooled seats and privacy shades for the back and side-rear windows. One feature we particularly liked was that the side window shades pop up by pulling on the power window switch a second time – which reduces the overall number of buttons and switches in the cabin. In fact, we were surprised by the limited number of cabin-cluttering switches. Another notable feature is the fact that the front passenger seat can be adjusted from an armrest console in the rear – presumably for the comfort and convenience of executive types riding in the back.

The interior materials are definitely high quality, although not quite what you might find in a Lexus LS. Then again, the interior of the BMW 750 isn’t quite what you’d find in a Lexus either. The excessive amount of wood trim certainly isn’t one of our favorite parts, but the genuine Suede headliner is.

Equus drivers will be able to appreciate high-tech features like a back-up camera (and front-facing camera), a blind spot monitoring system, active cruise control, a 528-watt 17-speaker Lexicon audio system and an adjustable air-ride suspension. Hyundai marketing boss Joel Ewanick said that by the time the Equus makes its way to the U.S. the suspension will receive a few tweaks. Normally this means “softening,” but Ewanick surprised us by saying that it will actually be made slightly stiffer than what is offered in Korea.

Under the hood the 2011 Equus gets the same 4.6-liter V8 found in the top-level Genesis Sedan. Making 375hp it should deliver a 0-60 mph time of just over six seconds, with a quarter mile time in the low 14s.

That’s definitely off the pace of both the German and Japanese competition, but you can be sure the Equus won’t cost like a German or Japanese luxury sedan either. Official pricing won’t be released for a while yet, but with the Lexus LS starting at $63,000, you can be sure the Equus will come in under that. A sub-$60,000 price tag isn’t out of the question.

When asked about the possibility of the U.S. Equus being offered with the (rumored) 5.0-liter V8, Hyundai PR boss Jim Trainor said that the focus for now is going to be on the 4.6.

Set to hit the market as a 2011 model, the Equus will go on sale in late 2010. Look for an official debut next April at the 2010 New York Auto Show.

So with the future of the Equus in the U.S seemingly set, there are a few remaining question marks. For starters, the name. Hyundai says it is considering a name change and we wouldn’t be surprised to see one.

Another question you might have is: what about that hood ornament? Sorry to say, the brand-focused marketing folks have decided to axe the ostentatious winged creature (or whatever it is) in favor of a flush-mounted symbol. Those interested will, however, be able to get the hood ornament as a dealer installed option.

The final question for both Hyundai and the Equus is: how will it be received? Quite well, we think.

Trainor says the company has humble goals of just a few thousand units and with changing perceptions about the brand (thanks to the Genesis sedan and coupe) the Equus now offers Hyundai the chance to leapfrog established luxury brands, like Acura.

GALLERY: 2011 Hyundai Equus

As promised Infiniti gave a “virtual” preview of the upcoming 2011 M today at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Using state-of-the-art 3D video mapping technology, an image of the new M was projected onto a molded styrofoam shape, revealing the third-generation of the sedan that is both sporting and luxurious.

The new design is a big step for the M as it gets design cues from the Essence Concept that was launched at this year’s Geneva Auto Show.

Infiniti is keeping tight-lipped about most of the details, but we do know that both an M37 and M56 model will be offered. The M37 will use the 3.7-liter V6 as found in the current G37 and make roughly 330hp. As for the M56, as the name suggests it will get a 5.6-liter V8 and deliver in excess of 400hp!

One technology highlight of the car is a new blind spot alert system that will not only detect if there is a vehicle in the next lane over, but it will also then help bring the M back into its lane.

Both models will be available starting in the Spring of 2010 as 2011 models in 32 markets around the world.

GALLERY: 2011 Infiniti M37, M56

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Volkswagen continues to call it an “integration”, but the company’s business relationship with Porsche is undeniably a takeover. Today VW agreed to buy a 42 percent stake in the sports car maker, paying $4.7 billion for the huge chunk of Porsche.

Not satisfied it’s a takeover? Well, how about the fact that Volkswagen’s Chairman Dr. Martin Winterkorn was appointed CEO of Porsche.

Winterkorn, sounding more like a conqueror than a merging partner said that, “Porsche is a real enrichment for our company’s portfolio.”

By adding Porsche to its “portfolio” VW will be made up of 10 automakers including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Skoda, Seat and Lamborghini.

Porsche’s last CEO Wendelin Wiedeking was recently ousted by the other executives at Porsche after his failed attempt to buy the significantly-larger VW company. Wiedeking opposed the sale to Volkswagen and was removed in order to clear the way for today’s deal.

[Source: Automotive News]

With the V8′s of both the Camaro and Challenger far out-pacing the one found under the hood of the 2010 Mustang GT, it’s no surprise that rumors have begun about the return of the 5.0.

Several months ago we reported on a story that Ford’s Australian branch had confirmed a 5.0-liter V8 (code named “Coyote”) was in development.

Now the folks over at Car & Driver have evidence to support the theory that the 5.0 will return for 2011. While out at GingerMan Raceway in Michigan the C&D folks came across Ford engineers testing a more serious Track Pack than the one currently offered by Ford, which included a set of Pirelli P Zero Corsa r-compound tires – a step above the Pirellis currently offered. This led them to surmise that the added grip might be needed due to all the added horsepower.

The Coyote 5.0 V8 is rumored to make as much as 400hp and 400 ft-lbs of torque, a significant increase from the current output of 315h and 325 ft-lbs of torque.

[Source: Car & Driver]