Video: Paolo Pinifarina on Ferrari 458 Italia's Form & Function

Form versus function - it's a classic debate, and one with strong arguments on both sides. As much as sports cars are tools for going fast, they are dynamic works of art as well. In the case of the Ferrari 458 Italia, it is both, and in this video Pininfarina president Paolo Pininfarina explains why.

Along with the glut of new information and interior shots released this morning, Ferrari has also released a new video of the 458 Italia, explaining how the car's elegant styling and close attention to detail also perform real aerodynamic functions.



Though we'll take any excuse to get more close-up looks at a well-executed Italian supercar, it's also an object lesson that form and function aren't always mutually exclusive.

Check out the video to see for yourself, and pay attention around the 1:00 minute mark to see how F1 technology may have trickled down to the front wing/intake area, allowing the aerodynamic surfaces to deform under load to increase the angle of attack and improve downforce.

Rendered: 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia Spider

In just a few weeks Ferrari will show to the world for the first time its stunning new 2010 458 Italia supercar, which is set to replace the outgoing F430 at the end of the year. Like the F430, which also came in a Spider convertible version, Ferrari will eventually launch a new open-top version of its latest, which has been previewed here in this latest computer generated rendering.



Likely to be called the 458 Italia Spider, the new model is expected to be launched one year after the hard-top, which pegs its release for sometime late next year as a 2011 model. While Ferrari has a adopted a folding hard-top roof for its most recent convertible model, the California, the 458 Italia Spider is likely to retain the lightweight soft-top roof seen on the F430 Spider and high-performance Scuderia 16M.



Apart from the roof and some chassis reinforcements, the 458 Italia Spider should be identical to its hard-top sibling, which means power will come from a 4.5-liter V-8 engine rated at 570 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque and sending torque to the rear wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Dimensions should remain at 4,527 mm in length, 1,937 mm in width, and 1,213 mm in height, though weight will almost certainly be higher than the hard-top's 1,380 kg measurement.

2011 McLaren ‘P11’ Supercar

When the McLaren F1 first hit the streets it almost immediately catapulted to the top of the performance car scene, taking home the title of world’s fastest production car in 1998 and holding it up until 2005. Building a car better than the original F1 was always going to be a difficult challenge, and perhaps that is why for its successor McLaren isn’t setting its sights too high.



While the original F1 competed with the best supercars of its time - cars like the Ferrari F40, Jaguar XK220, and Porsche 959 - its successor will be competing with more ‘entry-level’ models. Rather than chasing Enzos and Veyrons, the McLaren F1 successor will go up against cars like the Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo, and as such it will be priced accordingly.

Prototypes for the new model, which is currently going by its ‘P11’ project name, have been spotted testing recently near McLaren's factory in Surrey, UK, as well as at Germany’s Nurburgring for the first time. Spy shots of the prototypes reveal that the new P11 will feature a much more chiseled appearance that its McLaren F1 predecessor. Though heavily masked, the prototypes also reveal a mid-engine layout, a tall, squared-off tail, short overhangs, and tapered back headlights. The car will also sport a pair of vertically-lifting scissor doors.



Expect an advanced carbon-composite chassis, a lightning quick F1-style paddle shift gearbox and carbon-ceramic brakes. While Mercedes’ partnership with McLaren will soon come to end, the German automaker is tipped to be supplying its 6.2-liter AMG V-8 engine for application in the P11. McLaren engineers, however, are expected to work over the engine to the tune of 550 horsepower.

With an estimated kerb weight of about 1,250kg, the new P11 should easily accelerate from 0-62 mph in less than four seconds and reach a top speed in excess of 200 mph. First deliveries are expected to start in late 2010, and in the following years a Spider convertible and high-performance GTR version could eventually be launched.

First Bentley Mulsanne sells for $550,000 at auction

Getting your hands on any Bentley is generally a sign that things have gone well for you, but for one lucky buyer at the recent Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, things are going swimmingly. That's because the person - whose identity is being held secret - has taken home the Chassis Number One 2011 Bentley Mulsanne.

That's the very first Mulsanne built, and it went for a price of $550,000 according to Gooding & Company, the auction house that sold the car. There are no plans to release the identity of the buyer, though it will be rather difficult to slip out in public with the Mulsanne while staying under the radar.



The new Mulsanne was sold alongside cars that dwarfed its price, however, including a 1962 Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spider that brought in a tremendous $5.115 million, a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Drop Head Coupe that sold for $4,180,000, and numerous others that sold for prices between $1 and $3 million, including a 1953 Aston Martin DB 2/4 Drop Head Coupe.



Total combined haul for the sellers of the 129 lots: $50,759,350. And for those that missed out on the action, you can keep abreast of future Gooding & Company events with their custom iPhone app, which you can download from their homepage at the link below.

Gumpert Apollo Sport Posts 7m 11.57s Nurburgring Lap Time

German automaker and motorsports company Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur (yes, that’s how you spell it) manufactures some of the most extreme vehicles on the planet and has recently proven the merits of this claim with a new Nurburgring lap time for its supercar. The Sport is a mid-tier option for the company’s Apollo line of supercar models and for the run the car was optioned with a 700 horsepower version of its regular Audi-sourced 4.2-liter V-8.

The time set by the Apollo Sport is an independent recording noted by German magazine Sport-Auto and comes in at 7m 11.57s. Gumpert is claiming the 'road car' record for the ‘Ring but it’s well known that the Radical SR8 in road legal trim has clocked a blistering 6m 55s lap time.



The Apollo Sport was piloted by 26 year-old driver Florian Gruber on August 13, edging out the Donkervoort D8 RS06, which posted a time of 7m 14.89s back in November 2005, as well as the more recent Nissan GT-R and Corvette ZR1.

As for the car itself, the Apollo Sport comes with a tubular space frame of chrome-molybdenum steel with an integrated safety monocoque structure fabricated in carbon-fiber. The huge air intakes on the roof and side panels feed cold air to the twin-turbo mid-engine powerplant.

The Sport edition is differentiated to the standard Apollo thanks to the addition of a full racing aero package with a huge GT wing and lower front spoilers, while the interior gets comfort mod-cons not usually found in such vehicles. The list includes Alcantara trim, air-conditioning, a CD player and sat-nav, and even a reversing camera as standard. The list price for the Apollo Sport is €299,500 ($423,167) plus taxes.

Bugatti Will Display Concept In September, But It's Not Bordeaux

This year is an important one for Bugatti. Not only does 2009 represent the centenary of the legendary marque but in September Bugatti’s management will reveal the future plans of the company, which will include the announcement of a brand new model. Why September? Because that is the month in which the company was founded back in 1909 by Ettore Bugatti. After two teaser images were revealed last month, hinting at a possible Bugatti super-sedan or even a new 'super-Veyron' and then news that the Bordeaux wouldn't be making a Frankfurt debut, the latest news may come as a surprise.

According to Bugatti chief Franz-Josef Paefgen, speaking with Autocar, there will be a concept on display this September - though probably not at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show - but it won't be the Bordeaux. It will, however, be one of three proposed designs for the next-gen Bugatti. This latest news mates well with what Bugatti officials told TheCarConnection in July, which is that the prototype/concept car that is currently being teased is in fact a design model being shown to clients and dealers.



A private showing at Bugatti's centennial celebration in Molsheim, France just ahead of the Frankfurt show is likely to generate some more photography of the design proposal, though whatever Bugatti decides to do with the car's eventual styling, it won't likely see production until 2011 or 2012.

The teaser image above is a digitally-manipulated composite sourced from Pistonheads, and like the original, it's a grainy, dim view of the new car's broad haunches, innovative rear lighting scheme and octuple tail pipes. Yes, you read that right, eight of them.

According to AutoExpress, the new model will be a four-seater supercar titled the Bordeaux, though other sources peg the name as 'Royale'. The vehicle will reportedly feature a shooting-brake style body and come powered by the Veyron’s quad-turbo 8.0L W16 engine, but mounted up front. The engine should maintain is 1,001hp and 1,250Nm rating, which means the new Bordeaux is likely to be the fastest four-seater in the world.

As part of its centenary celebrations, Bugatti will also be releasing its new special edition Bleu Centenaire Veyron, which was revealed for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show. While the Bleu Centenaire was not the much anticipated super-Veyron that was on everybody’s lips, Paefgen revealed in March to AutoTelegraaf that there are several projects in the works. Paefgen also ruled out the possibility of a cheaper model than the Veyron, explaining that Bugatti’s next car will be every bit as extreme and just as exclusive.

As for the introduction of the rumored super-Veyron, Paefgen said if anyone tries to build a car that can dethrone the Veyron then Bugatti will be prepared. The American-built SSC Ultimate Aero TT currently holds the title for the world's fastest production car (something that Bugatti has never attempted to attain with the Veyron) but the Veyron is arguably the better technical achievement due to its dual-clutch gearbox and ease of driving.

Paefgen also confirmed that there will be more special editions based on both the Veyron and the open-top Grand Sport.

In the meantime, Bugatti has its hands full filling current order lists. The company only has 50 spots left for the Veyron, of which the total build will be 300 units. The Grand Sport model, which is limited to just 150 models, has already received several dozen orders.

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Breaks Cover

Following the release of the facelifted Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera 4 models late last year, as well as the new Targa and GT3, and then just earlier this month the new 911 Turbo, comes the first details and images for the updated 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Porsche has continued its tradition of only implementing minimal changes to the styling of its race-bred GT3 RS, opting to focus on changes taking place under the revised sheet metal instead.

Described as the ““the most sporting 911 yet”, the new 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS comes into the world with the same 3.8-liter naturally aspirated flat six as the regular GT3 but with a healthier 444 horsepower – 35 horsepower up on the outgoing model.



The high-revving engine has a specific output of more than 113 horsepower per liter and comes mated to a low-ratio, short-shift six-speed manual gearbox.

Some of the other important changes for the new GT3 RS includes a wider track, both front and rear, as well as an oversized carbon-fiber GT wing with exposed aluminum supports. To reduce even further than the already lithe 2009 model, Porsche engineers have fitted a lithium-ion battery, resulting in a 10kg weight saving.

Porsche is yet to reveal full details for its latest addition so stay tuned for an update.

Can we still afford a good car during the recession?

Oh NO! the recession is upon us, wait does that mean we cannot buy new cars anymore?

Of course we can!. If you are one of those people whose wallets have been drained by the recession and now you think you cannot afford a new car, fear not as this post might just help you.

Of course cars like in the posts below, Rolls Royce, Bentley's, Ferrari's and other super car companies they are out of the question, forget the average person even some rich dogs cannot afford these at the moment.



It all depends on what kind of car you would like to buy, a coupe, convertible, sedan, 2 seater, 4 seater, 6 or 7 seater. Some of you might want new cars but your wallets won't agree, that is fine because i feel that you can get better second hand cars than newer first hand cars, for e.g. last week i saw a 2008 Volkswagen Golf for less that $10,000 USD which is extremely cheap especially when i tell you this, get ready it had 10 miles on it, but it was second hand. Therefore never give up searching for second hand car, as you never know what you might find. After you have decided whether you want a second hand car or a new one and ofbcouse the type, which i have mentioned before;here's what to do:

1) If you are brand loyal or you prefer some company as you have been an owner of previously then there is not a problem. You can ring up the company and ask them for any special deals, if you go directly to the showroom, it won't help. Hyundai and Ford are best known for special deals, they will not entertain you on the topic of special deals, as showroom are not made for special deals as at the factory they only have about 10 cars per month that go on special offers as they have been in stock for a while.

2) For some of you insurance will be a major issue, especially if you have a second hand car, especially if you are lucky enough to find a Jaguar or some similar type of 'Luxury car'. If so you do not always have to speak the truth on the phone with the agent, a friend of mine got off by saying that he was a full time blogger and hardly went out of the house. Which got him $5000 USD off the price of the insurance, these small things help a lot.

3) My advice: Look for GM make cars, as we know they have been deeply affected by the recession. Therefore they are currently selling their cars for 1/4 of their original price here is a list of cars and their price range:



$1000- $5000 USD = Subaru R1, Hyundai Atos, Smart Car
$5000- $15,000 USD = Ford Focus, Golf GTI, Nissan TIDA, Toyota Corolla
You can get a lot of cars but these are what i remember being the cheapest.

Also check out these sites, you can then inquire about them.

Of course gas mileage does matter and these makes i have listed below are paying a lot of attention to fuel efficiency.

GENERAL MOTORS - http://www.gm.com/vehicles (check out the Summer Deals section.)
FORD MOTORS- http://www.ford.com
VOLSWAGEN GROUP- http://www.vw.com
HYUNDAI- http://www.hyundaiusa.com/index.aspx
NISSAN- http://nissanusa.com
SUBARU- http://www.subaru.com



Last but not least also try contacting local dealers, they will give you the best deals for sure.

Hope this helps and if you guys need any advice you can contact me on ultimateturbo@gmail.com or just comment below. Thanks a hope this helps. Keep checking back on my upcoming post 'Today's ignored, tomorrow's classics"

From Pebble Beach: 2010 Bentley Mulsanne

With the all-new 2011 Bentley Mulsanne, there's reason to believe that Bentley has a little grudge against its former sibling Rolls-Royce.

The new Mulsanne had its world debut at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours, and Bentley makes no veiled references to challenging Rolls-Royce's Phantom with the new sedan. The're saying it outright, calling the Mulsanne the "pinnacle" of luxury cars.



With the Mulsanne, Bentley's designed its first all-new car since the 1930s. (The Continental range shares some minor pieces with other Volkswagen Group products.) Most technical details are being withheld for a 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show appearance, but Bentley does say the new 6.75-liter V-8 in the Mulsanne is a complete redesign of the existing engine.

The design's a blend of a traditional silhouette with some modern detailing, less so than the smaller Continental range. Some similarities exist in the treatment of the front fenders, but the Mulsanne's grille and D-pillar are more tailored to the Phantom and Maybach crowd.



Named for the 90-degree turn at Le Mans, the Mulsanne arrives in mid-2010 with a pricetag likely approaching $300,000, before any custom finishes or materials are specified. Bentley promises the new sedan's wood, leather and brightware will be among the industry's finest.

2012 BMW 3 Series Touring

The current E90 BMW 3-Series has been on the market since 2005, so it's only fitting that details about the next-gen model are beginning to circulate. Most agree that the next model will feature styling lifted, at least in part, from the Concept CS, though also expect to see a healthy dose of the new corporate styling debuted on the latest 7-Series.

Due in 2012, the next BMW 3-series will pay special attention to efficiency and it will achieve that goal through extensive use of the automaker’s EfficientDynamics technology. Low drag aerodynamics, smaller engines, and high-tech electronics will combine to make the next 3-Series a step above the current car.

Aesthetically, designers will attempt to address criticisms of the current car's awkward styling and lack of interior space. The bonnet will likely sit much higher than on the current model to improve pedestrian safety, while the sides will be marked with a prominent character line and high beltline. Proportions will remain much the same as the current model but weight will be reduced thanks to the increased use of aluminum and other advanced materials in its construction. This computer generated rendering of the Touring wagon variant provides a glimpse as to what the new model will likely look like.

A huge change for the 2012 car could be the addition of three-cylinder engines to the lineup. Though these wouldn't likely be seen in the U.S. during the first half of the next 3-Series’ model life, they could eventually make their way across the pond if fuel efficiency and emissions regulations continue to tighten past 2016.



With a single turbo and 1.5-liters of displacement - effectively half of the current twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine - the cars would be good for anywhere from 150 to 170 horsepower and between 150 and 220 pound-feet of torque, with the gasoline models weighing in lower on the torque scale than the diesel models. Paired with an ultra-efficient 8-speed transmission and more efficient auxiliary systems such as heating and cooling, the next-gen 3-Series is expected to deliver some seriously impressive economy.

One of the new advanced EfficientDynamics technologies to make its way into the next 3-Series will be a so-called 'air curtain'. Using a special series of ducts and vents, the system directs air in a manner such that it slips neatly over the wheels, which are normally an area of high turbulence, and therefore energy-sapping drag.

In addition to making the car more efficient overall, BMW is looking to make the next 3-Series less expensive to build and therefore to buy as it aims for larger volumes. Whether that will mean compromises in terms of total feature set or simply a lower-end range of models to entice entry-level luxury buyers is not clear, but pushing the 3-Series so far down-market could step on the toes of the 1-Series range and any future city cars coming from the Project i initiative.

Finally, as yet another measure to enhance efficiency while still delivering a BMW driving experience, expect to see the hybrid technology debuting on the X6 and 7-series to eventually make its way to the 3-Series, albeit in somewhat reduced form. This technology will likely be especially targeted at U.S. buyers, since even by the car's mid-cycle revamp in 2016, there isn't likely to be widespread adoption of diesel-engined cars.

Of course, all of these details are still speculative at this point, but it's clear that BMW is pushing its mainstream offerings in a more efficient direction while still trying to maintain their engaging, driver-focused character. It is a difficult balancing act, but one that enthusiasts will enjoy seeing played out over the years to come.

Leaked Video of Rolls Royce's newest, Ghost

Rolls-Royce is currently developing a brand new model positioned below the Phantom for launch in the second quarter of next year. The new model is the 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost sedan, which is expected to double the number of vehicles built by the ultra-luxury automaker each year and is revealed for the first time in full production trim thanks to this leaked official promo video.

In the short clip, Rolls-Royce product manager Dan Balmer takes us through a short ride in the upcoming model, giving us a clear look at the car ahead of its expected Frankfurt Auto Show debut. While its official reveal is still over a month away, we already have plenty of details on the new car.




I know that it will come with a 6.6-liter turbocharged V-12 engine matched to a ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox. Output at the crankshaft will be rated at 563 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque, which makes the Ghost more powerful than the Phantom despite being positioned below it. This will be enough to accelerate it from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds and see it easily reach its electronically governed top speed of 155 mph.

In keeping with its ‘entry-level’ positioning, the Ghost will be smaller all around when compared to the Phantom. While the Phantom's dimensions stretch to around 5,834 mm, the Ghost will measure in at 5,399 mm in length, 1,948 mm across, and stand 1,550 mm in height. Its wheelbase will stretch 3,295 mm and inside there will be generous seating for five adults.

Rolls-Royce has also revealed that the car will make use of the very latest developments in chassis engineering, including a new four corner air suspension system matched to multi-link aluminum front and rear axle geometry. A new chassis management system will also be fitted and is designed to control the car’s anti-roll stabilization and the suspension stiffness to ensure the best possible comfort for occupants.

The new air suspension system is so sensitive that it can detect even the smallest of changes. For example, the movement of a single rear passenger from one side of the seat to the other can be detected and system modified to compensate. The on-board computer system reads multiple inputs from sensors around the car - the dampers alone making individual load calculations every 2.5 milliseconds. The air suspension system also incorporates a lift and kneel function, raising or lowering the car by 25mm for those steep driveways.



Customer deliveries of Ghost in Europe will begin late in 2009 with pricing from £165,000 (approximately $271,106) excluding taxes and delivery charges. Customer deliveries in other markets including the U.S. and Asia Pacific region will begin from the second quarter 2010.

Next-gen C7 Corvette Coming In 2012

Rumors of the next Chevrolet Corvette, the C7 generation, have been circulating the web since the debut of the C6. But yesterday's General Motors new-model extravaganza in Detroit brought with it reports that the next-gen Vette will indeed be on the market by 2012.




Earlier word out of GM had put the C7 Corvette on indefinite hold pending the company's rough financial state and uncertain CAFE regulations as of late 2008. With both of those issues now resolved, the green light has been given, according to a report from Corvette Blogger.

The report only gives a production start date of April 2012 for sale as a 2013 model. That's an improvement over the indefinite hold status, and the estimated 2014 debut that was proposed before that, but it's actually just a return to the original pre-market-crash plan.

Despite the production confirmation, few details on the car itself are known. That leaves the board open for speculation, of which there has been no shortage.



One thing that's not on the table, however, is a rumored switch to a mid-engine layout. The C7 will stay front-engine just like it's been for 57 years, according to the report. Like the current car, the C7 will also make extensive use of materials like carbon fiber, aluminum and magnesium to help cut weight while retaining rigidity.

In terms of exterior appearance, it's likely that the Corvette Stingray Concept (pictured) shown at the Chicago Auto Show is a likely indicator of the styling directions being investigated behind the closed doors of the GM Design Studio. Don't expect a carbon copy, but do expect thematic elements, like the gills at the grille area and the fin-like structures at the rear, to make an impression on the final product.



On the rumor side of things, a smaller, forced induction engine - most likely a supercharger, like the one found on the CTS-V's LSA, not the ZR1's 638-horsepower LS9 - is possible to help the car meet fuel economy targets. A dual-clutch gearbox has also been talked about, and would be the next logical step in keeping pace with the likes of Porsche's 911 and Nissan's GT-R.

Like the C6, which was an iterative development of the C5 before it, the C7 will likely be an incremental improvement and redesign of the already proven and fantastic Corvette platform. Don't expect anything radical, but do expect a seriously impressive performance package. The one caveat will be keeping an eye on price as more high-tech elements, materials and machinery get added to the car.

Expect to see more of the car in the coming year or two as Corvette engineers begin to roll out test mules and prototypes, and you can be sure I will be there to bring the latest all along the way.

2011 BMW 5-Series Touring

With the 2009 Audi A6 facelift now on sale and the 2010 Mercedes Benz E-Class just arriving in showrooms all around the globe, attention now turns to the next-generation BMW 5-Series. A class leader since its inception, the 5-Series Sedan and Touring wagon remain crucial vehicles in BMW’s lineup and with the next-gen versions now just months away speculation about the final design has been heating up.

The new 5-Series Sedan is set to arrive in late 2009 for the 2010 model year and heavily disguised prototypes have already been seen testing around the streets of Munich. The most recent shots gave us a look at the Touring model, which is expected to arrive roughly 12 months after the launch of the Sedan as a 2011 model. While heavily camouflaged, this latest computer generated rendering gives us a clear indication as to what to expect for the new executive wagon.



Most of the planned changes are skin-deep. Under the new sheet metal, BMW will continue with its new found love of turbocharging. The new 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 from the X6 is expected to appear in a range topping model, while more turbo-diesel variants are expected to join the lineup as well. BMW is currently developing its second generation common rail system for its diesel powerplants, which will operate at greater pressure for improved performance. The transmission systems will include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed Steptronic semi-auto gearbox, however a new 8-speed unit from ZF is also expected to be available.

Performance will also be improved thanks to the extensive use of lightweight materials including carbon-fiber and aluminum. The car’s construction will be a hybrid of an aluminum spaceframe for the front section, and a traditional steel monocoque for the passenger compartment and rear. This will ensure a favorable front-to-rear weight distribution and improved handling. Up front will be an independent suspension with MacPherson struts, with a multi-link layout for the rear. High-performance models will include carbon-fiber body panels to shed even more weight.