Category: Sports Cars (Page 10 of 28)

Spy Pics of the 2013 Dodge Viper!

August 16, 2011 / Staff

InsideLine.com has spy photos of the 2013 Dodge Viper!

Well look what we have here. We already know that the 2013 Dodge Viper is getting stability control and that the Viper will have cruise control but haven’t had much more to go on that that.

Now, though, we’ve got a rough look at what the front of the car is going to look like. the headlights come to a distinct point where the hood meets the bumper which has a double-bladed cross-bar as well as a double-bladed bar completing the Dodge Crosshair grille.

The new front also looks wider than the last-gen body it’s attached to — we’re okay with that. The exhaust also still appears to flow out the side-pipes.

Thoughts on how this new Viper is shaping up?

IB4 “Hey look, Dodge built a really wide Corvette.”

Check out the full gallery.

Dodge, New Cars, Sports Cars

Ariel to Start Making Motorcycles

July 28, 2011 / Joe Gustafson

British manufacturer of the banzai, “road legal” Ariel Atom are set to produce a limited run of motorcycles. I use the term road legal in quotes, because the Atom is little more than some scaffolding and a seat with a screaming Honda inline 4 in the back, but is still street legal. You can even have it supercharged if you are the type of person that fights bears for fun. The car has been a sales hit since it is the purest driver’s car on sale today.

This is not the first time Ariel has produced bikes. The first incarnation of Ariel was in 1902 and produced only motorcycles. In 1970 they were purchased by BSA, but operations stopped shortly thereafter. In 1991, current president Simon Saunders bought the rights and began producing cars in 2001, namely the Atom.

The bike is set to be produced in limited number and will not be an all out superbike, but “more fun” in Saunder’s words. Like the Atom, the new motorcycle will also use Honda engines. Since the bike will be produced in small numbers, customers will have the opportunity to modify the bike to their own tastes. These type of bespoke bikes do not come cheap, so expect this new Ariel to be priced around $25-30 thousand dollars. Quite a price to pay for exclusivity.

If Ariel can bring the same type of magic that turned Jeremy Clarkson’s face into pudding to their motorcycles, the result should be a riot.

Source: MCN

News, Sports Cars

Ariel Ariel Atom Ariel motorcycles Ariel news Jeremy Clarkson Ariel

Porsche 550 Revival

July 22, 2011 / Joe Gustafson

Reports from British car magazine Autocar state that Porsche is inspired by the 550 Spyder for their newest sports car. This will be the new entry level Porsche, and slot in under the Boxster. The 500 Spyder is one of Porsche’s most iconic models, and was incredibly important in putting Porsche on the map with gentleman racers and celebrities, including James Dean, who died in one. Its successor was non other than the 911. It is a strong claim then to affix such a lofty target for the entry level Porsche.

Porsche boss Matthias Mueller goes on further to explain the type of engine we will see when this car debuts:

The Porsche is expected to be based on a new mid-engined aluminium and steel platform being developed by Audi which will also be used for the proposed Audi R4 roadster.

The Porsche will probably from £35,000 slotting in underneath the next-generation Boxster, which will grow notably in size and cost. The car will get a new four-cylinder boxer engine that will also power the Boxster, the Cayman and potentially even the 911. Sources say the flat four motor is sized at 2.5-litres and has been producing around 360bhp in turbocharged form.

Let’s hope this project is a larger sales success than the last Audi engineered Porsche, the 944. However, if they are shooting for the 500 Spyder as a spiritual target, my bets are on Porsche getting this car right, even with a turbo-4.

For the full Autocar article, follow this link.

Audi, Porsche, Sports Cars, Volkswagen

James Dean Porsche 550 Porsche Boxster Porsche Spyder

Vintage Rally Goodness

July 18, 2011 / Joe Gustafson

Make sure to take a peek at the video above to see the cobwebs being shaken off some historic rally stars. Shot at this year’s Vintage Acroplois Rally in Greece, the video features everything from old Porsches to Group B rally monsters.

10th Historic Acropolis Rally

Classic Cars, Fiat, Ford, Porsche, Sports Cars

historic race cars racing rally racing vintage rally

Hyundai SuperCar

July 11, 2011 / Staff

From InsideLine.com:

SANTA MONICA, California — There’s a rumor running around the auto industry’s hallways that Hyundai, the South Korean automaker that recently began kicking everyone’s butt, is working on a V8-powered supercar that would cost between $80,000 and $100,000 and take on some of the most storied performance machines on the road, including the Nissan GT-R and the Porsche 911.

It would be a coupe, according to the rumblings, and its owners would get the same perks as buyers of the Equus sedan, including an iPad owners manual and pick-up and delivery service when the car needs servicing.

But Hyundai CEO John Krafcik says there is no supercar in the works. “No, no,” was his response when we asked him about the rumor, which he called “scurrilous nonsense.”

Still the rumors persist. We hear front engine and midengine designs are being considered, but the only engine in the plans is the company’s new all-aluminum Tao 5.0-liter V8 that is now powering the Genesis R-Spec and will soon be under the hood of the larger and more expensive Equus sedan. It’s a bored-out version of the 4.6-liter V8 bolstered by direct injection and a higher compression ratio. In the Genesis R-Spec sedan the engine is rated at 429 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque.

If the supercar becomes real, the V8 will power the rear wheels only. Because of cost and weight, all-wheel drive probably isn’t being considered. But the real question is: What transmission would Hyundai use?

Read the full article.

Hyundai, New Cars, Sports Cars