MINI’s new Goodwood model was unveiled at the world-famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California this week. The MINI Goodwood is an exclusive special edition which has been produced in close collaboration with the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars design team.

This is a car that drips of automotive luxury and exclusivity in its highest form. The Goodwood has been priced at $52,000, making it the most expensive MINI ever. Only 1000 will be produced with only 140 will be coming to the US. The Goodwood features an interior and exterior design cragfted from the same fine materials and workmanship as the ultra-luxurious Rolls-Royce brand.

Two of the most beautiful features of the exterior design are the body finish in the exclusive Diamond Black metallic Rolls-Royce colour and 17-inch multi-spoke light alloy rims. The interior features seats covered in Lounge leather, Lambswool floor mats, a cashmere headliner and fascia and front door grab handles in burr walnut veneer and a sports steering wheel in Walknappa leather and Piano Black controls.

The MINI will be powered by the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine featured in the 2011 MINI Cooper S. The powerplant will have Twin Scroll turbochargers producing 181-hp. The MINI can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 6.6 seconds.

Deliveries are scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2012.

GALLERY: MINI Goodwood

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is in full swing, and Lotus has just unveiled the Exige Matte Black Final Edition, a special model reserved exclusively for the North American Market. The Exige Matte Black Final Edition will premier within the Lotus exhibit on Peter Hay Hill on August 18-21. Lotus will only produce twenty-five Exige Matte Black Final Edition cars, as a farewell model to the lightweight sports car that sold for the last ten years. The Exige will feature a more powerful 257-hp engine, a stealthy black paint job and black Alacantara sport seats.

Check out the photos and tell us what you think!

GALLERY: Exige Matte Black Final Edition

Singapore billionaire Peter Lim has made a “significant investment” in British sports car maker McLaren, the company said. With his contribution, Lim has joined McLaren Automotive’s board with immediat effect. Forbes ranked him the eighth richest person in Singapore, with an estimated fortune of 1.8 billion.

“Peter Lim’s track record in Asia as a highly respected business leader adds further quality to our board in this highly competitive business environment at an exciting time for the company,” Ron Dennis, executive chairman of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group, said in a statement.

Part of the reason Lim invested in the company is because demand for its new MP4-12C sports car, is strong in the Asia Pacific region, with orders that will take eighteen months of production to fill.

Interestingly, Lim put in a bid of $525.5 million to buy the Liverpool Football Club, but later withdrew the offer after the club changed ownership.

[Source: Reuters]

Maybe you can’t choose between the 23 different Porsche 911 variants currently listed on the German automakers website. Maybe none of them suit you perfectly. Well there is some good news, add a twenty-fourth variant to that list. Brumos Porsche of Jacksonville, Florida, confirmed today that five rare, factory-built 911 Carrera GTS B59 Edition Coupes will be produced. It’s a tribute model to Hurley Haywood, who the Daytona 24 Hours four times in the 1970s and once again in 1991 while driving for Porsche. Since only five examples will be produced, costing a whopping $133,540 a pop, buying one will be tricky.

The five special edition 911′s will all be finished in Carrara White and feature a Black leather interior with Alacantara trim. The 408-hp Porsche looks the part and comes with several performance goodies including:

- Brumos Red/Blue stripe design for the front hood and rear deck
- Brumos Red/Blue stripe “PORSCHE” door decals
- Exterior mirrors in Black
- 19″ Sport Classic Wheel (Fuchs style)
- Interior limitation badges
- Door entry guards in Stainless Steel with “Hurley Haywood” engraved signature
- Deviating (dual stripe) stitching in Red/Blue on steering wheel and gear/brake lever
- Carrara White painted interior accents including Adaptive Sport Seat Backrests

GALLERY: 911 Carrera GTS B59 Edition

Chevrolet is very excited about the futuristic Miray sports car to say the least. The Miray was first unveiled at the Seoul Motor Show in May this year, and the futuristic looking Chevy merges a jet-inspired exterior with advanced hybrid powertrain technology. The Miray will get its first European unveiling at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

Outside, the Miray has an aerodynamic fuselage reminiscent of the modern fighter jet. The front and rear fenders evoke Chevrolet Corvettes of the past and express the concept’s sports car spirit. Carbon fiber spoilers at the corners help control downforce and airflow. The Miray has 20-inch front rims and 21-inch rear wheels made of aluminum carbon-fiber composites.

On the interior, the car features an assortment of brushed aluminum, natural leather, white fabric and liquid metal surfaces. The wrap around twin cockpit has drawn inspiration from the iconic Corvette. An interesting detail is the centrally located start button that when pressed, the column mounted retractable meter cluster rises like the canopy of a single seater plane.

The Miray’s “mid-electric” propulsion system, located behind and beneath the driver, has been engineered to maximize performance and fuel efficiency. The two front mounted 15-kW electric motors are powered by a 1.6 kWh lithium-ion battery that is charged through regenerative braking energy. Interestingly, power can be switched from front-wheel to rear-wheel drive. The hybrid system is also powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine positioned behind the cockpit. The powertrain is mated to a dual-clutch transmission, that has been tuned for improved top speed in performance mode.

Gallery: Chevrolet Miray Concept

Click here to read AutoGuide’s Chevy Volt Review

Maserati is recalling 2009 model year Quattroporte and GranTurismo vehicles, over inadequate rear tie-rods that could fail. The recall is affecting 763 vehicles that were built between July and September 2008. A failed tie-rod could lead to a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. Maserati dealers will replace the poorly installed tie-rods, install a tie-rod kit and perform a wheel-alignment, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during September 2011. Owners may contact Maserati at 1-201-816-2600.

Austrian-based KTM, best known for producing motorcycles (not to mention the lightweight X-Bow racer), has teamed up with the Austrian Institute of Technology to create an electric vehicle called the E3W.

The E3W (Electric 3-Wheeler) can carry two passengers for up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) using a 15kW motor and lithium-ion battery, not to mention a body that is primarily built of plastic. As a result, the E3W weighs just  500 kilograms (1,102 pounds).

The E3W also features Lamborghini-type doors that open to allow the two-seater to fit in small parking spaces. KTM hopes to build 50,000 of the E3W units in 2013. The price has not been confirmed for the vehicle, but estimates fall somewhere in the $7,000- $11,500 range.

GALLERY: KTM E3W

Aston Martin has officially confirmed the American debut of the One-77 and V12 Zagato, which will take place during the Pebble Beach automotive week in Monterey from August 17th to the 21st. The British automaker will commence the celebration on the evening of Wednesday August 17 where the V12 Zagato will have its official American debut.

The V12 Zagato was first unveiled as a concept car at the famous Villa D’Este Concours in Italy earlier this year, where the car experienced tremendous success among the show goers, and won the award for Design in the Concepts and Prototypes class. Aston Martin will build the V12 Zagato in a very limited production which will commence in the summer of 2012.

As for the One-77, it was on display in the Monterey area several years ago, but as a concept. Now the flagship Aston Martin will get a more official unveiling, boasting a 7.3-liter V12 engine with over 700-hp.

Julian Jenkins, Vice President Aston Martin the Americas said, ”We are very excited about the program this year including the debut of the V12 Zagato, and we look forward to welcoming current owners, new customers and automotive enthusiasts to share our celebrations at The Aston Martin Estate.”

AutoGuide will be on hand, so look for live pictures and video late next week.

GALLERY: Aston Martin V12 Zagato

Next year, the UK’s National Motor Museum will stage the largest exhibition of James Bond cars ever displayed. The exhibition will run at the museum through 2012 and will include some of the most famous vehicles from the movies, to celebrate fifty years of the film franchise. Some of the heavy hitters will include the 2002 Jaguar XKR with SFX weapons from Die Another Day, the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from Goldeneye and the 1937 Rolls Royce Phantom III from Goldfinger. In total, fifty James Bond vehicles will be present at the museum.

2012 also marks the 40th anniversary of the National Motor Museum, so it works out well that in this special year, both the franchise and the museum can celebrate monumental anniversaries.

GALLERY: James Bond Cars

This is it for SUV lovers, the piece de resistance. Bentley is working on a design and engineering project to launch a very high-end  £150,000 SUV by 2014, according to CEO Wolfgang Durheimer.

Design chief Dirk van Braeckel and engineering boss Uli Eichhorn are spearheading the project with Durheimer to get the SUV ready.

“I have great faith in the SUV market and it’s here to stay” says Durheimer, who counts the launch of the Porsche Cayenne during his tenure at Weissach as “one of my proudest achievements”.

The Bentley SUV will have hallmark styling with luxury wood and leather interior that will place it above the Range Rover in terms of quality. Bentley’s launch will coincidentally overlap with Aston Martin’s Lagonda 4×4. Bentley is unsure of what platform to use but may lean towards utilizing a version of Volkswagen Group’s new MLB setup. Interestingly, Durheimer was a key figure in the early platform enginnering of the MLB while at Porsche.

Durheimer has suggested using a diesel engine for the SUV. The company may lean towards implementing the immense Audi V12 TDi, and Durheimer has suggested that 738 lb-ft of torque is a suitable amount of power. A gasoline powered W12 will also be available for markets where diesels aren’t as popular.

The go-ahead has not been given to start production on the SUV as Bentley is still waiting to hear from the VW Board. However the British automaker is confident that the project will be given the green light.

[Source: Auto Car]

Ferrari will offer a special winter driving course in Aspen, Colorado, with the goal of elevating driver skill and enhancing appreciation for the all-season FF GT, which hits dealerships this fall.

The program stems from the “Pilota on Ice” program recently offered in Italy, and the all-new and all-wheel drive FF will be the star of the program. Sessions will begin in January, and will run for 6-7 weeks, exclusively for Ferrari owners. The program will allow owners to experience the FF’s AWD system in snow and icey conditions. The 4RM all-wheel drive system was designed to retain the sporty dynamic driving characteristics of a traditional Ferrari, in low grip situations. Aspen offers a beautiful setting to test out the vehicle on a custom-made snow and ice course, where the FF truly comes to life.

More information on the winter driving program will become available in late summer.

[Source: Team Speed]

Ford’s Australian high performance FPV division Black Concept sedan has been given the green light for production after their a concept version was unveiled last month at the 2011 Australian Auto Show.

Following the excitement and positive feedback received at the show, the company decided to produce the car. The concept is based on FPV’s existing Falcon-based muscle sedan. The production carwill be sporting a unique version of the Mustang Boss’ 5.0-liter V8, mated to an Eaton supercharger, producing 449-hp and 420 lb-ft of torque.

The FPV GT Black Concept sported a black paint finish, 19-inch black alloy wheels, black tailpipes and a track-tuned suspension. Stopping the GT will be easy because it comes equipped with six-piston front and four-piston rear brake setup. On the inside, there’s a display screen with a reverse camera and, you guessed it, black leather. Unfortunately only 125 of these stealth bombers will be made, so Aussie buyers will have to act quickly. It has not been confirmed as to whether all of these performance accessories will make it to the production vehicle, but FPV has said that some pieces will appear on the production vehicle.

Gallery: Ford FPV Black Concept

[Source: Motor Authority]

It looks as though Lamborghini maybe working on a very fast Aventador prototype. Spy shots have been taken of an Aventador sporting camouflage, fitted with Bugatti Veyron rims and tires.

The only other explanation is that Bugatti is preparing to use the Aventador’s platform for a new supercar of its own but this is quite unlikely. A stock Aventador features 19″ wheels in the front and 20″ wheels in the rear wrapped in 255mm and 355mm tires. The Bugatti is outfitted with 20″ in the front, 21″ in the rear with 265mm and 365mm tires.

This leads us to believe that the Aventador is using this type of hardware because the Lambo is being prepped for more power and needs the extra grip from the larger wheel and tire package The Aventador spotted is also sporting a modified rear end and a new dual exhaust, further strengthening this theory. The stock Aventador is powered by a new 6.5-liter V12 engine that cranks out 700-hp and tops out at 217 mph. The Aventador that was spotted with the makeover is believed to deliver up to 1000-hp and may be capable of hitting 400 km/h or around 248 mph.

[Source: Top Speed]

The  Land Rover Defender concept is set to make its debut at the 2011 Franfurt auto show next month as Land Rover decides whether the vehicle will be produced or dropped. With ever tightening emission requirements and a need to broaden market appeal, it may be difficult to produce a new Defender.

Land Rover and Indian-owner Tata understand that the Defender is an iconic member of the family but the vehicle is at a crossroads in its life cycle. The current defender meets emissions standards through 2016, but Colin Green, managing director of Land Rover UK,  said that building a new Defender will be a tough act to follow. “If we get it wrong we are messing up one of the industry’s biggest icons, and in that sense it’s a tremendous responsibility.” Land Rover would need to sell between 60,000 to 80,000 units annually to meet target sales and to be worth while. Regardless of the final decisions, the concept will be present at the show. Land Rover will most likely gauge how effective the model is and whether it garners any popularity.

Gallery: Land Rover Defender

[Source: Autoblog]

Infiniti may develop its own version of Nissan’s famous GT-R sports car. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan was asked if Infiniti would tap into the existing products through Nissan and use the brilliant GT-R sports car platform for a high- performance Infiniti.

‘Are we going to do that, I would say “no”, I don’t think so,’ said Ghosn. ‘If your question is “could we do that”, I would say “yes”. The idea of using existing technologies on the body of an Infiniti, yes. All the technologies developed for Nissan are available to Infiniti.’ Ghosn basically beat around the bush leaving the question unanswered. A GT-R type sports car is unlikely to be a priority because the company is busy prepping for the 2014 release of a small car that will rival the BMW 1-series and the 2013 release of an electric car.

‘Will we do it?,’ added Ghosn. ‘I think we need to go step by step. We have positioned the FX, the M, the G. Then we have the QX in the US, which is a big success over there – it’s a high-end 4×4. We have the EX. We have the electric car, we have a sub-G smaller car coming and we have a lot of people saying “why don’t we use the power of the GT-R and give it an Infiniti body?”

‘The idea makes sense. The technology is here, the platform is here. It’s a great car, the GT-R. Is it a project now? No. But I don’t want to give you the impression we’ll never do that. But I don’t want you to think that it’s coming in the next two to three years either.’

[Source: Car]

Fans of the Batman movies or car enthusiasts in general, may be interested to know that the Tumbler, which debuted in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, has been spotted prowling the streets of Pittsburgh.

The latest addition to the franchise entitled ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has yet to be completed, and the production crew for the film have been spotted cruising around the streets of Pittsburgh with a collection of Tumblers. The Tumbler features an 8.7-liter Chevrolet V8, a truck axle in the rear and heavy duty Hoosier tires in the front. The rear off-road tires are supplied by Interco and the suspension components are derived Baja racing trucks. Overall, the design and development process took around nine months and cost several million dollars.

Check out the videos after the jump!

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Technology has significantly impacted the automotive sector especially when cars are produced in the factory. Computers and robotic platforms assemble engines and build the cars without much help from workers. However Ferrari has a different take on production, with their engines being entirely hand-built.

This video shows the buildup of a 458 Italia engine starting with assembling the crankshaft and ending with the installation of the cam covers. The 11 minute video is a walkthrough of the Maranello facility, with interviews from many members of the Ferrari team. Each of the workers explain their task to produce the 4.5-liter V8. It’s nice to see something made by hand for a change.

Check out the video after the jump!

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The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the most successful race car the German automaker has ever offered. Porsche has sold 2,200 GT3 Cup units and is the most popular choice amongst racing teams all over the world.The GT3 Cup currently competes in 19 Porsche brand trophy series worldwide and runs in various GT race series and at long distance events. The GT3 Cup is based on the lighweight 997 911 GT3 RS sports car and features a 100-liter FT3 safety fuel tank.

The tank is now suitable for an even wider range of endurance races thanks to the increased capacity. Power levels remain almost identical to that of the GT3 RS with 450-hp and a racing exhaust system. Different rims are available to suit several different types of racing and blade-type anti-roll bars are standard at the front and rear of the car with seven adjustable positions.

Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes are also featured on the 911 Cup, that reduce the weight of the car by approximately 20 kilograms. Inside the cockpit, the controls for the info display are positioned on the steering wheel which contains six switches.

The GT3 Cup will be delivered to racing teams in September for 2012 and 2013 racing seasons, and will cost 161,750 Euros ($230,235).

Ferrari announced today that the first six months of 2011 have been the best in the company’s history. The Italian automaker posted a record revenue of $1.1 billion for the first six months of this year and delivered a record 3,577 units or 11.8 percent more than the first half of 2010. Sales also increased in the U.S by 23.9 percent to 939. Chinese sales have increased 116 percent to 378 vehicles.

“These results come thanks to the success of the two 12-cylinder limited editions – the 599 GTO and the SA Aperta – and the strong performance of the 8-cylinder models with the California the standard-bearer in the GT sector and the 458 Italia the benchmark in the sports car area,” Ferrari said in a statement.

With the launch of the all-new Ferrari FF underway, the vehicle will most likely contribute to even better sales results in the next few months.

The Audi R8 is nearly five years old, which is amazing because the sports car still seems relatively new, however the first details are emerging regarding a facelift for the model.

The details regarding the possible facelift include a tweak in power. Sources suggest the 4.2-liter V8 will produce 444-hp up from 430-hp and the 5.2-liter V10 will produce 533-hp up from 525-hp. The R8 may also receive a seven-speed S-tronic transmission which would replace the current R-tronic unit.

Styling changes will include  revised headlights, modest tweaks to the fascias and different rims.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Hennessey, the famous Texas tuner of Corvettes has just created the Frankenstein of Cadillacs. It’s called the V1000, and the 1000 stands for 1000-hp.

The twin-turbo CTS-V Coupe is fitted with a 427 cubic-inch LS V8 featuring upgraded internals like forged low compression pistons, forged steel connecting rods, forged steel crank and ARP main studs and head bolts. The Cadillac is also fitted with a set of dual ball bearing turbochargers packs compressed atmosphere into the combustion chambers, assissted by high-flow cylinder heads.

Additional goodies include 15-inch carbon ceramic brakes, a fortified transmission, lowered suspension and Hennessey’s CarbonAero widebody kit. The turbos will boost torque to 950 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. Hennessey has stated the V1000 can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 230 mph. It will run an outrageously impressive quarter mile time of 10.9 at 136 mph.

Only 12 of these cars will be built and the lucky buyers will also receive a one day track experience with retired General Motors test driver supreme John Heinricy.

[Source: Autoblog]

The eagerly anticipated 2012 Porsche 911 has been spied with almost no camouflage, which is a big change.

The new 911 will be a little longer than the last one, by 2.2 inches, but with 4 inches extra between the wheelbase. The growth of the car has been linked to accommodate a possible hybrid system. The base 911 while come with a 3.4-liter flat-six and 350-hp. The Carrera S will pack a 3.8-liter cranking out 400-hp. The car is also believed to be offered with a seven-speed manual transmission.

Performance numbers will be somewhat similar to the current model, with a 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds for the base Carrera topping out at 186 mph. Impressively the 991 will be 12-15 percent more fuel efficient and weigh 55 pounds less. Porsche has stated the the Carrera completed the Nürburgring in 8:04, and the Carrera S in 7:50.

The Porsche 911 will makes it’s official debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September.

GALLERY: Porsche 991

Check out the video after the jump!

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A 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six often referred to as the Ghost Car is to be auctioned July 30 at the RM Auctions St John’s sale in Plymouth, Michigan. This unusual car’s exterior is made of Plexiglas body panels making it transparent. Plexiglas was a relatively new material in 1939, and supplier Rohm & Hass replicated each of the car’s body panels by hand.

Interior structural metal parts were copper washed and other parts including the dashboard  were chrome plated. Rubber moldings and tires were manufactured in white, adding to the cars ghostly appearance. The ghost car featured an 85-hp six cylinder engine coupled to a three-speed manual transmission, has four-wheel drum brakes and the odometer reads 86 miles. In 1939 the Pontiac Deluxe Six cost $25,000, which is $397,000 when adjusted for inflation. The pre- auction estimate is somewhere between $275,000 and $475,000.

GALLERY: 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six

[Source: Wall Street Journal]