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25/06/2011 | By: Jason Siu

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Abflug has made a reputation for themselves for having some of the most extreme body kits in the world. Some may call their creations outlandish, but there’s no denying that they push aggressive designs to the edge. Their widebody Nissan GT-R is one of their craziest kits yet, even up against some of their insane Supra creations.

What is just really odd about the kit is how mild the front bumper styling is – and rather attractive – but once you get to the rear of the car, it’s sensory overload sporting Audi R8-style ducting that really looks out of place on the GT-R. The widebody fenders themselves flow well with the rest of the body, but we’re left scratching our heads on the addition to the rear of the side skirts.

Abflug is currently selling the kit piece-by-piece with fiberglass or carbon options (when available). The high-mount rear wing is also a straight replacement of the OEM wing, utilizing the stock side base mounts.

GALLERY: Abflug Widebody Nissan GT-R

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[Source: GTRBlog]

24/06/2011 | By: Colum Wood

With Top Gear America failing to meet the expectations of bloggers across the nation, it’s time to put your hope on Adam Carolla’s “The Car Show.”

Without having to live up to the expectation of finding another Clarkson, “The Car Show” instead focuses on Carolla’s love affair with the car and appears to include an ESPN-style discussion format. Let’s call it “The View” for men.

Along with Carolla, it includes John Salley, The Wall Street Journal‘s Dan Neil (the only man to win a Pulitzer prize for automotive journalism), and AutoGuide contributor and host of The Smoking Tire, Matt Farah.

The Car Show will premiere Wednesday, July 13th on SPEED at 10 p.m. Eastern.

Watch the promo video after the jump:

Continue Reading…

24/06/2011 | By: Blake Z. Rong

Mulliner, Bentley‘s long-suffering Ministry Of Coachbuilding, has introduced a new “styling specification” for the Continental GT. Because calling it a body kit would be too crass.

But that’s what it is, essentially: a new front bumper, a rear diffuser, a little spoiler on the trunk, smaller side mirrors, and side “extension blades” with the Bentley logo carefully painted by wizened artisan craftsmen (or robots). And it goes without saying that the entire package is made from glorious, silky-smooth velour carbon fiber—high-gloss, black, laminated, and guaranteed to give your 5,115-lb. 12-cylinder luxury cruiser some much-needed performance cred.

Customers get an array of personalized options from the factory (as is expected at this lofty price range), including a selection of 21″ wheels in contrasting black and brushed silver. The Mulliner Styling Specification was designed in-house, by Bentley’s head of exterior design Raul Pires.

GALLERY: Bentley Continental GT Mulliner

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Click here to Read AutoGuide’s 2011 Bentley Continental GT Review

24/06/2011 | By: Blake Z. Rong

There’s no punch line needed for this story: if you’ve always wanted a lavishly expensive backgammon set and pieces made from the wunderkind material, carbon fiber, than look no further than Lotus.

For $1,536, you can lose gammons and raccoon the beaver (this is apparently a real thing) on a sleek green and grey board wrapped in burlwood and layered in brushed steel. World status, indeed. When Colin Chapman said “simplify, and add lightness,” he was really talking about the nack blitz.

No word on whether its lap time around the Nürburgring is faster than that of the Ferrari chess set.

[Source: Lotus Originals]

24/06/2011 | By: Harry Lay

Lotus has officially confirmed the use of its own V8 engine which will first be featured in the 2013 Esprit. Lotus is following its ‘New Era’ plan to launch five new models with less reliance on Toyota engines.

Lotus decided last Christmans to design and develop its own V8 engine. Chief executive of Lotus, Dany Bahar understood the reoccurring frustrations of customers asking ”how can you justify a £100,000 car with a Toyota engine?”.

Bahar also would not comment on how much the development program cost. “I’m not going to tell you whether it cost £40m, £60m or £70m, but the engineering result will be worth it.”

The V8 powerplant was put together in less than a year and the first test drive with the engine will take place on August 18,2011. The engine will power the 2013 Lotus Esprit, however it could be used for racing before then. The engine will be built in Norfolk, England and will be quite powerful. The 90 degree, 4800cc V8 will produce 562-hp at 9000rpm and the turbocharged R model will crank out 612-hp.

Gallery: Lotus Esprit

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[Source:Car]

24/06/2011 | By: Blake Z. Rong

Miss the Pontiac G8? Hate getting stuck in traffic? Or if you’re like me, do you have an unnecessary Blues Brothers fixation? (“Fix the cigarette lighter.”) Well, has a Maryland Chevrolet dealer got a deal for you!

You gotta get the luck of the draw, however. A Maryland dealer is eschewing GM’s rules and selling the Chevrolet Caprice to civilians—but just 13 of them. The Caprice was Chevrolet’s continuation of the Holden Commodore, the Australian-built sedan that was last seen here as the Pontiac G8. It’s sold to police departments as a squad car only, but there’s no formal regulations in place to prevent this dealer from selling them to the general public.

The 13 cars are detective’s models, which means that they feature such conveniences as chromatic paint colors and alloy wheels, and the dealer has added power windows and seats. They are listing for anywhere between $31,000 to $37,000—and for Chevrolet’s only rear-drive, V8 sedan in production, it’s not too bad.

The cars are all US-certified and meet emissions and safety standards. If other Chevrolet dealers pay attention, maybe those 13 buyers won’t be the only ones in America with cop cars—and maybe it’ll motivate GM to release the Caprice for the civilian market in general.

[Source: Jalopnik]

24/06/2011 | By: Blake Z. Rong

“B-Spec Rally Fit” and “Desert Pilot” sound like the names of Steven Seagal characters, but they’re actually Honda’s attempt to tackle the 89th annual Pikes Peak International Hillclimb.

The Rally Fit is a modified version of the Fit that aims to keep things as stock as possible, while the Desert Pilot makes no pretentions about its purpose-built roots.

The Fit is designed for rallycross and stage rallying, and features a roll cage, new suspension, 205/50R15 BFGoodrich R1 tires, and camber adjusters. It debuted at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill last year and will feature parts available from Honda Performance Development available at dealers.

The Desert Pilot stems from Honda’s CR-R stock Honda Ridgeline entries in the Baja 1000, which won in its class twice. It features a tubular space-frame chassis built around a modified version of Honda’s 3.7-liter V6, churning 400 horsepower behind the drivers. Widened bodywork, four-wheel independent suspension with King shocks, and 35-inch BF Goodrich tires turn the Pilot into something a little cooler than your aunt’s Home Depot shuttle.

Both are expected to race at Pikes Peak on July 26th. After that, the Desert Pilot will race in Class 6 in a variety of off-road events, finishing with the Baja 1000. The B-Spec Fit will be raced in more rallycross events.

Click the jump to see what the Fit looks like.

Continue Reading…

24/06/2011 | By: Blake Z. Rong


Mercedes isn’t the only company with a hold on the “four-door coupe.” Like trickle-down economics, the luxury and prestige of the swoopy CLS might come down to the Hyundai Veloster, available to the huddled masses with zero down and low APR.

One of its executives has revealed that they’re looking at a four-door version of the Veloster. The current Veloster has one long door on the driver’s side, and two shorter doors on the opposite side. It’s as if a Saturn SC2 and an AMC Pacer walked into a bar, and promptly started playing with each other’s pivot hinges. But if this unique egress configuration wasn’t enough (remember, the Veloster also features a hatchback), they’re also working on one with four conventional doors.

If a four-door Hyundai with a hatch makes you think of the Accent, then that’s a perfectly normal response. “Hyundai is very focused on the ’1+2′-door Veloster as an exciting and innovative car for our customers,” said Ben Hershman, a senior manager. As such, the company is denying any statements on a conventional-doored Veloster.

But if a four-door Veloster comes to fruition, expect some cannibalization of the product line. Not all-out spit-roasting, but maybe a nibble.

[Source: Carsales.com.au]

24/06/2011 | By: Blake Z. Rong


Remember, it’s not a computer monitor. BMW’s hi-po M3, the CRT, gets an introductory video showcasing its array of carbon fiber and suspension enhancements.

If the regular M3 is too boring, the CRT (which stands for Carbon Racing Technology) should liven things up: it gets a carbon fiber hood that’s a quarter of the regular steel’s weight, carbon fiber seats, a titanium exhaust, lighter wheels and brakes, and less sound deadening. The new suspension gets stiffer springs and adjustable coilovers, and the 450-horsepower V8 is attached to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

The result? An M3 sedan that’s 100 pounds lighter, but still features the comfort and convenience of the regular M3—like keeping its high-end audio system that you won’t be able to hear anyway. There will be only 67 units produced, each at an eye-watering price of $185,000. In that case, the video below (after the jump) will be the closest any of us will get to owning, or even driving, an example.

Continue Reading…

24/06/2011 | By: Blake Z. Rong

Volvo’s corporate overlords Geely will open a second plant in China, citing that Chinese production is a key factor in the Swedish company’s growth.

The current Chinese plant is located in Daqing, an oil-rich region in northeast China that provided Geely with a majority of the $2.7 billion needed to buy Volvo from Ford. Now, Geely is seeking to open a plant in Chengdu, in the center of China—a decision that has been approved by the Chinese government.

Volvo has a research and development center in Shanghai, rounding out its Chinese connections. In addition, Geely chairman Li Shufu suggests a closer connection to Sweden: “Daqing and Gothenburg are located more or less at the same latitude, so they share the same weather and temperatures, and air quality is also very good in Daqing,” he said. “Swedish people would very much like this place.”

[Source: Left Lane News]

 

Filed under: CHINESE Geely Swedish Volvo
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