Category: Car News

An interesting sculpture by RoboSteel will be getting unveiled at the 2010 MPH The Prestige & Performance Motor Show. This sculpture will be crafted from recycled steel and will be shaped to look like a unique supercar. The sculpture will be unveiled at Earls Court, London, between November 4th-7th, 2010 and at the NEC, Birmingham between November 11th-14th, 2010. At the end of the show the supercar sculpture will be auctioned off in order to raise money for charity.

The ‘alien-like’ supercar of the future will weigh more than 500kg and will be more than one meter tall. Built using thousands of individual parts, the sculpture took approximately750 hours to finish and will be shipped to the UK in four different pieces. When those pieces get to their destination, workers will have to reassemble the sculpture before it goes on display in Earls court.

“This is the first time we’ve used our design concept to create a supercar. The initial design for the car was created by our art designer Toonrama. The RoboSteel concept supercar is based on the complex designs and structures of south Indian temples and the Kirtimukha sculptures that are positioned at the entrance to these temples. Dave Murphy from Dublin Ink has added an Alien theme to a second design drawing. RoboSteel will use both drawings to craft the Alien Supercar and we are really looking forward to this project.”

Press release after the jump.

Unique supercar sculpture under construction for MPH originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 2 September 2010 22:00 EST.

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Chalk this one up to a twist put on a legal contract as Ben Collins has won his fight against BBC to release his memoir revealing The Stig.

In case you don’t know what we’re talking about, our favorite mystery test driver has been in the headlines recently after BBC took offense to his plans of publishing a memoir and thus took legal action to block the publishing of the book. According to BBC, publishing something as revealing as that would violate the terms of his contract, which specifically includes a confidentiality agreement to keep his true identity under wraps.

But, as it turns out, the network’s efforts were all in vain after a judge decided to reject BBC’s injunction to keep The Stig from publishing his written masterpiece. The reasoning behind the judge’s decision hasn’t been given, and we would find it quite interesting to know how BBC couldn’t win this fight. If a legal contract was signed, then how can it be ignored. Don’t get us wrong, we love that the cat is finally out of the bag, but the legality of the issue is quite perplexing.

In the days leading up to the hearing, a lot has been made about Ben Collins being identified as The Stig and while no confirmation has been made, the proof that Collins is, in fact, the mystery driver wasn’t any more evident after the man was spotted leaving the courthouse after the ruling was made. Collins kept mum on whether he was the man BBC wanted to put its shackles on, but you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to put two and two together.

As of now, though, The Stig, or Ben Collins, doesn’t have anybody – not even the BBC – impeding him from releasing his book which is set to launch on September 16th.

Judge decides against BBC on "Stig-Gate"; Ben Collins allowed to release book originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 2 September 2010 09:00 EST.

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Ferrari has finally issued a safety recall of the 458 Italia. Yes, finally.

After a disastrous few months that featured no less than five 458s inexplicably catching fire, the Italian supercar maker has finally conceded that there may, in fact, be something wrong with their new pride and joy.

Ferrari finally issued the recall after discovering that a certain adhesive material they used to attach a heat shield under the car’s rear fender has the potential to catch fire when subjected to high temperatures, which, in turn, could lead to a fire in the car’s engine. From all the photos we’ve seen of the burning 458s, each one of them looks to have taken place in the rear end of the car, which could indeed point to the adhesive as the main culprit behind the 458 barbecue fest.

To fix the problem, Ferrari has designed a new heat shield material that can replace the use of the defective adhesive by attaching it with rivets thereby completely removing the adhesive material that has caused all of these fires. So, if you happen to own a still-to-catch-fire 458 Italia, it’s absolutely a-must to contact your dealer as soon as possible and have this egregious problem fixed. You never know; if you don’t act quickly, that fire just might catch up to you and your beloved supercar.

Ferrari officially recalls the 458 Italia originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 1 September 2010 20:00 EST.

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After unveiling the Police Interceptor Concept, Ford has unveiled today the official details on the Police Interceptor production version, both sedan and utility versions.

The new Interceptor is powered by a highly efficient 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers a total of 280 HP and E85 compatibility, is mated to a unique six-speed automatic transmission that combines lowered initial gears for improved off-the-line acceleration and higher gearing for improved efficiency at lower engine rpm when cruising.

The new police car will be equipped with a water-cooled power transfer unit that guarantees capability in all conditions, Ford SYNC, BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System), cross-traffic alert, rear view camera, Reverse Sensing System, remappable steering wheel controls and Standard AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™).

“The combination of both the sedan and utility versions of the Police Interceptor allows Ford to deliver a complete, diverse and efficient solution to all of law enforcements’ pursuit needs,” said Ken Czubay, vice president of Marketing, Sales and Service. “These vehicles were developed step-by-step with our valuable Police Advisory Board, so we have had customer feedback throughout the development process and provided an efficient solution for fleet managers.”

Press release after the jump.

Ford Police Interceptor originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 1 September 2010 05:36 EST.

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Bentley is all about elegance and luxury, and those that know the name well understand that the brand takes good care of its reputation as one of the auto industry’s most esteemed car brands.

If you’re a young designer looking to make a name for yourself, creating renderings should serve as a good way to not only hone your skills, but also – if they’re good enough – to get some attention for your work.

Alexander Kotlyarevsky’s rendering of this Bentley R-Type certainly fits that bill. Keeping true to the British marquee’s reputation as a luxury automaker, Kotlyarevsky’s rendering comes with an elegant styling that’s also infused with some aggressive, modern touches that highlight the concept’s classic yet modern look.

More than the aesthetics, the young designer also gave this concept quite a powertrain featuring an 8.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces a mind-boggling 800 horsepower and 1600 Nm of torque with a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 240 mph.

Judging the book by its cover, we give a lot of credit to Kotlyarevsky for the cutting-edge look of the R-Type concept. It’s certainly something we’d endorse to the folks over at Bentley.

Bentley R-Type Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 18:00 EST.

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Tata Motors has confirmed that there will be three new models developed for Jaguar: a small sports car, an entry-level sedan, and a station wagon. They will be the first new vehicles to be fully developed under Tata since they purchased Jaguar from Ford a few years ago. The only problem is Tata won’t be getting these three ready for several years. Their plans are to focus on the XJ for now, and reveal the three new models plus restylings of a couple of current models between now and 2014.

The first new model to be released under Tata is a new generation X-Type. This will be a small sedan priced under $40k that will compete with models like the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The platform and architecture will be shared with the next-generation XK coupe and convertible and a new small 2+2 sports car. It could go on sale in 2014.

After that we will see the long rumored small sports car. This model is supposed to be called the XE, and it will be taking on models like the Porsche Boxster.

Following the XE will be the XF, which will be redesigned in 2014. Not only will this car be offered in a standard sedan, but Jaguar will also be offering a long-wheelbase version for China and a station wagon for Europe. A coupe is possible in 2013 and is likely to be sold in the United States. The XK will also be restyled in 2013.

However, until then, Jaguar will be focusing on the new XJ, hoping to boost sales to 75,000 cars.

That’s the future, in a large nutshell.

Jaguar confirms three new models originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 30 August 2010 23:00 EST.

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The BMW M5 is a very normal car; a car for everyday use and one of the best performance sedans on the market. However, with a push of a button – the M button to be precise – the M5 turns into an animal. A finely tuned sports machine that can rival Corvettes and perhaps even some Ferrari models.

The largest community of M5 owners, M5Board, had a chance to talk with Dr. Kay Segler, the managing director of the new M5. In the interview, he confirmed that an M5 is on the way, but not for another one to one and a half years. We should get most of the information next year in Geneva.

The car will put out 25% less C02 than the current model and will feature a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that will put out around 555 horsepower. That will make it more powerful than the old version.

“It will be a brilliant car,” said Dr. Segler.

M5Board Talks With Managing Director Of New F10 M5 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 30 August 2010 16:00 EST.

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After a year of having its share of ups and downs – more on the latter, actually – Chrysler is in the middle of reinventing itself with the hopes of returning to its former place as a competitor in the auto industry. As part of their efforts, the US brand is aggressively marketing both its Jeep and Dodge brands with a series of carefully-planned commercials to ensure consumers that the rough patches have passed, and that the company has come back better and stronger than ever before.
As part of this campaign, Chrysler has released a number of commercials featuring the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the latest one being appropriately called, “Stronger”.

In the ad, Chrysler details the painstaking lengths that go in building Jeep’s new flagship SUV while carefully pointing out the importance of the vehicle in the company’s attempt to restore the brand’s image and reputation. As the ad ever-so poignantly says, Chrysler isn’t “building just a car, it’s building a company.”

Video: Crysler’s reinvention continues with new Jeep commercial originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 29 August 2010 23:00 EST.

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Transformers 3 is currently filming in Chicago, and when you are in the right place at the right time, you sometimes get the chance to see things such as this.

In these video you will see a Corvette Stingray Convertible Concept, a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, a Ferrari 458 Italia (no, it’s not on fire), some NASCAR vehicles, and a new, upgraded Bumblebee Camaro. If that isn’t enough to get the testosterone flaring, then we might as well let you know that there is also racing, shootings, and a few fights! Hopefully this is enough to make you forget that the beautiful Megan Fox will not be returning to Transformers for this edition.

Transformers 3 will be out in theaters starting July 1st, 2011, so we’ll have to wait about a year to see these beauties in action, but we’ll keep our eyes out for any trailers or pictures that will give us an insight on the latest vehicular heroes.

Hit the jump because there is a lot more to see!

Videos: Transformers 3 in Chicago originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 29 August 2010 12:00 EST.

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