Filed under: Alfa Romeo, UK

Audi celebrated itself at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last year, and the sign it hung out front as advertisement was a 135-foot statue with a 1937 Auto Union at one end and R8 V10 at the other. This year Alfa Romeo will be doing the major celebrations, blowing out 100 candles for its centennial soiree, and it has unveiled its statue on the Goodwood lawn. If tradition holds, the statue was designed by Gerry Judah and according to Motor Trend, called “the most stylish and memorable sculpture ever crafted for the event.” Hmmm…

On the left is one of the only two P2 racers left, and this particular example won the 1925 Gran Prix World Championship. On the right, an 8C Competizione. In the middle is… well, something red and swoopy, which we’ll suppose is a fitting enough representation of 100 years of Alfas.

[Source: Autocar]

Alfa Romeo unveils its statue at the Goodwood Festival of Speed originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari, UK, Racing

Ferrari always shows up big for the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and this year will be no exception as a roster of factory and private entries fill out the Prancing Horse stables on the run up the Earl of March’s front yard.

Both the 458 Italia and the 599 GTO will be making their British debuts at the event, but arguably more intriguing is the specially-prepared California that will be joining them. The two-tone roadster is decked out in a Argento Nurburgring hue, offset by a black roof and pillars similar to the treatment which Ferrari gave to various versions of the 599, including the XX, GTO, HY-KERS and China editions. Other optional extras like 20-inch matte-black rims and special interior stitching set this example apart from the standard model, but the question is – with some saying the body-toned roof helps the California’s unwieldy shape – does the blacktop treatment do it any favors?

Along with the 458, 599 GTO and California, the Scuderia will also be fielding last year’s F1 car piloted by factory test driver Marc Gené, while a range of vintage road and race Ferraris will also be on hand, all of which you can read about in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Special two-tone California to lead Ferrari fleet at Goodwood

Special two-tone California to lead Ferrari fleet at Goodwood originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Wagon, Mercedes-Benz, UK, Luxury

With 460 horsepower on tap, nobody was accusing the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG of being a slouch. But when you’re winning the horsepower wars, do you lay down your arms? Of course not. That’s why Mercedes‘ Specialist Products Division, headquartered at the legendary Brooklands race track in England, has released the new limited-production DR 520.

Why the name? Because it’s dyno-rated at 520 horsepower, meaning that the Benz studio has given it a 60-horse boost over stock. The result is a 0-60 sprint in 4.1 seconds for the sedan, or one tick more for the wagon, with the special edition available in either body style. The AMG Performance Pack Plus – complete with upgraded brakes and engine internals – is also fitted as standard. Buyers can choose between white or black matte-finish vinyl wraps, offset by titanium-finish brightwork and the requisite special badges.

Additional upgrades have been carried out on the interior, but unfortunately only 20 examples of this bahn-stormer will be made available exclusively in the UK. Full details and pricing in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG goes to the matte with DR 520 special from Brooklands

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG goes to the matte with DR 520 special from Brooklands originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Ford, UK

Ford has started offering vehicles for direct sale via the internet for United Kingdom customers. Ford conducted its own research and found that almost 40 percent of buyers don’t even care about a test drive; they just want what they want with the click of a mouse.

Ford has set 50 dealers up to sell new and used cars and commercial vehicles on the web, and sales swung into action on June 29th. A new call center has also been opened to close the deal for customers that seek an alternative to the online purchase. The cars will be delivered to regional delivery centers; Ford has set up 12 facilities where customers will collect their cars and drive off.

The 550 traditional Ford dealers in the UK might understandably be miffed at this direct-sales move, but they’re still the preferred choice of sixty percent of buyers. Haggling is possible with either outlet, and cutting out a level of complexity and cost would make life easier and possibly more profitable for Ford. For now, all statements support both efforts running in parallel.

[Source: Telegraph.co.uk]

Ford begins online car sales in the UK, 40% of buyers approve originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Classics, SUV, Etc., Land Rover, UK, Celebrities, Luxury, Off-Road

We’ve got sad news for the auto world – Autocar reports that Charles Spencer King, the father of the modern Land Rover, has passed away. The 85 year-old King died as a result of injuries he sustained during a traffic collision between his bicycle and a van almost two weeks ago. The man is most known for heading up the team that brought the iconic 1970 Land Rover to life, sparking a movement that would have the world clamoring for high-riding, comfortable off-road cable vehicles that continues on today.

King was so instrumental in Land Rover’s development that the company honored him with a special edition model in 1990 called the Range Rover CSK, limited to 200 individually-numbered units. But over his career, King also spent plenty of time working on a number of other interesting projects, including the Rover JET1 prototype and the wildly successful (if not reliable) Triumph TR6.

Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

[Source: Autocar | Image: Michael Dunlea/AFP/Getty]

Report: Spen King, father of the Range Rover, dead at age 85 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Europe, Chevrolet, GM, Opel, Vauxhall, UK, Rumormill, Electric

Whoa. Color us shocked and awed if this rumor from The Telegraph is accurate. According to the UK paper, General Motors is set to make some drastic changes to the Chevrolet Volt‘s European Opel Ampera twin. Specifically, the report suggests that the extended-range-electric-vehicle’s powertrain is being redesigned so that the gasoline-fueled engine can and will power the wheels under certain high-speed conditions.

If true – and we’re filing this firmly in the rumormill folder for now – this change would completely alter the entire ethos of the Volt idea. GM has gone to great pains to ensure that its green halo vehicle can be called an electric vehicle with a range extender, not a hybrid.

Semantics perhaps, but the distinction has been made clear and driven home by The General. Further, we know that the machine is well into its final development phases, and any changes of this magnitude this late in the game would be darn near impossible to implement in time.

The reason cited by The Telegraph for the recalibration is that Europeans require more power during high speed use. We find that explanation highly suspect as well, unless GM of Europe actually believes the Ampera will spend more time than normal on Autobahns in the far-left lane… which we doubt. Consider too that Europeans are known to embrace vehicles with much smaller and less powerful engines than Americans and the report continues failing to add up.

In any case, the report cites Andreas Voight, an Opel project engineer, who is quoted as saying that we can expect an announcement on the matter this autumn. We’ll see, and we’ll be pestering GM for a comment in the meantime.

[Source: The Telegraph]

Chevrolet Volt to be powered by engine at high speeds? Seems unlikely. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupe, Budget, UK, Design/Style

After hinting at doing so for a couple of years, Gordon Murray has finally revealing his new T.25 city car at an event at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment in Oxford, England. The 1,212-pound car is just over four feet wide, less than eight feet long and seats three adults in a 1+2 layout. Like Murray’s McLaren F1, the driver sits front and center and the passengers sit behind on either side.

The whole front section of the body is hinged at the front and flips forward for access in a manner not dissimilar to BMW’s Isetta microcar of the mid-Fifties. Power comes from a 51 horsepower, in-line three-cylinder engine mounted in the back to propel the T.25 to 62 mph in 16.2 seconds while achieving 61.9 miles per gallon. The diminutive size allows it to turn in just 19.7 feet and park perpendicular to the curb and the design’s hinged cockpit and narrow width allow three T.25s to be parked in a single parallel parking space.

[Source: Gordon Murray Design]

Continue reading Officially Official: Gordon Murray’s T.25 city car revealed

Officially Official: Gordon Murray’s T.25 city car revealed originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Auctions, Hatchback, Audi, UK, Celebrities

Elton John puts on auctions throughout the year for his AIDS foundation. The latest auction fete, held at Elton’s manor, included an Audi A1 “spin painted” by British contemporary artist Damien Hirst. The A1 is still so far off that it hasn’t even been priced yet, but one hopes the MSRP will be a scant fraction of the £350,000.00 ($527,205 U.S.) that the Hirst-hued model took home. Art may be dead, but apparently it is more expensive than ever…

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading 2011 Audi A1 sells for over $525,000 at auction… and it’s pink

2011 Audi A1 sells for over $525,000 at auction… and it’s pink originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, China, Plants/Manufacturing, UK, Design/Style

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. has done a stand-up job evangelizing the MG brand with the MG6 and the Zero Concept (the latter slated for production as the MG3). Now, the automaker has added an $8.2 million design center to its Longbridge site.

Antony Williams-Kenny, MG’s design director, says the studio “gives us superb tools and facilities to go further forward on projects such as the MG Zero concept and beyond.” An MG spokesperson adds, “The designing of new cars and the engineering and technical aspects of the cars is all happening here in the UK.”

Along with MG6 production moving back to Longbridge later this year, the forthcoming Zero/MG3 is expected to offer 1.3-liter and 1.5-liter engines when it’s finalized for retail. That kind of news gives folks in the Midlands (and sporty-car folks everywhere) something to look forward to from The Octagon. Finally.

[Source: BBC, Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

SAIC opens design center at MG’s Longbridge site originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Hatchback, Subaru, UK

This is the Cosworth Impreza STI CS400, the car Cosworth said would “humble” supercars. With a 0-to-62 sprint happening in just 3.7 seconds it’ll be quicker than a whole bunch of exotics, and at £49,995 ($71,368 U.S.), it’ll be a whole lot cheaper as well. If that sounds like a boatload of cash for a warmed-over WRX, well, it is. But bear in mind that thanks to factors like the 17.5 percent Value Added Tax, UK pricing is rather different than what pricing in the States would likely look like were Cosworth to sell the CS400 here.

The 395-horsepower, 398-pound-foot Cossie Scooby benefits from a thorough rework of its boxer-engined details, boasting new pistons, con-rods, turbocharger, exhaust and ECU mapping among its many modifications. Aiding the Impreza‘s all-wheel drive get power to the ground is a lowered suspension with components from Bilstein and Eibach.

Looks-wise, a different front bumper fitted with mesh inserts, a rear spoiler, a track widened by 12 millimeters, and 18-inch alloys over bigger AP brakes will make sure Subaru cognescenti don’t confuse you with anything else. Identification will also be made easier by the fact that there will only be 75 made for the UK market only, and available it’ll be available in red, silver, and dark gray. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: Cosworth via Autocar]

Cosworth puts the spurs to Subaru’s Impreza WRX STI originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 May 2010 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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