If Ford first introduced the GT90 Concept at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show next month, we would probably consider it one of the coolest cars on the show floor. Incredibly, Ford unveiled the GT90 nearly 15 years ago. Even by today's standards it is a supercar of supercars. The quad-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 puts out an estimated 720 horsepower, the body is constructed completely of carbon fiber and top speed is somewhere in the 250 mph range. The only hints that it's not a modern supercar are the all-blue interior and wheels that are decidedly not from this decade.

So why are we talking about the GT90 Concept now? RM Auctions has just announced that it will be offering the car at its Arizona sale. That's right, this is your chance to own one of the coolest concept vehicles of all time. This is the first time that the GT90 Concept has ever been publicly for sale at auction, and RM claims that it is in "excellent running condition, having been properly stored and maintained over the year." No estimated price is given, but we're guessing it will take a significant chunk of change to take the car home. Hit the jump for a detailed description and history of the GT90 Concept, or adorn your desktop with 1990s supercar glory using one of the photos in the high-res gallery below.



[Source: RM Auctions]

Read more →

There's something magical about 200 mph. The double century has become a benchmark for modern supercars, although it takes just as much courage as pavement to do the deed. As we found out at World Class Driving earlier this year, sometimes that isn't even enough. Techart, the well-known German Porsche tuner, recently headed to the Nardo test track in Italy to see if they could break the 200 mph mark in one of its more unlikely speed demons: a Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

Obviously, an SUV isn't exactly the ideal vehicle to reach terminal velocity, but it seems to be a popular trend lately. Just last week we told you about the Brabus GLK V12 that reached 200.3 mph at Nardo thanks to its 750 horsepower twin-turbo V12. The Techart Cayenne Turbo with just 680 horsepower wasn't quite as fast -- 321.2 km/h or 199.5 mph, but seriously impressive nonetheless. Techart is still declaring a world record, though, claiming the title of the planet's fastest "full size" SUV. Trivial? Yes. Pointless? Undoubtedly. But wealthy soccer moms that rejoicing during their daily commute on the autobahn. Learn more about the Techart Cayenne Turbo and its record-breaking top speed run after the jump.




[Source: Techart]

Read more →

It's hard not to be skeptical when a company that no one has ever heard of announces a brand-new supercar. A few have managed to last more than a few years, like Koenigsegg and Pagani, but most seem to disappear just as quickly as they appear. Russ Wicks, founder and CEO of Kepler Motors, is evidently undaunted by the statistics and is launching his new supercar, the Motion, this week at the Dubai International Motor Show.

To their credit, Kepler Motors seems to have all right pieces to the puzzle. The Motion features all the makings of a 21st century supercar like a carbon fiber composite monocoque chassis and body, active suspension and aerodynamics, and a seven-speed sequential transaxle. The all-important horsepower rating is an impressive 800 thanks to the combination of a modified Ford 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 that drives the rear wheels and a 250 hp electric motor that sends power to the front. Yes, it's a hybrid.

While we remain skeptical, we wish Kepler Motors the best of luck. They will surely have their hands full filling their proposed production limit of 50 cars that are set to be delivered to customers at the start of 2011. We will be sure to bring you any updates regarding the supercar startup, but until then check out the gallery below or read more about the Motion in the press release after the jump.



[Source: Kepler Motors]

Read more →

January is just a short few weeks away, and along with the Detroit Auto Show, that means classic car auctions to us automotive types. The televised circus of Barrett-Jackson and the more reserved auction houses of Russo and Steele and RM will be hoping to empty the pockets of those automotive aficionados who still have money left to burn after more than a year of tough economic times.

With most of the lists of cars being finalized for each auction, the highlight of the weekend will likely be a 1964 Shelby Cobra 427 that will be offered to the highest bidder at RM's sale at the Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. While just about any Cobra merits attention, this particular one is the actual prototype for the legendary 427 Cobras. Nicknamed the "Flip-Top" for its clam shell design, the car actually competed at tracks like Riverside, Sebring, and Nassau, and has an extensive vintage racing history.

RM doesn't provide an estimate, but we wouldn't be surprised to see the final bid easily reach seven figures. You can read a short description of the car after the jump or browse the high-res gallery below provided by RM.



[Source: RM Auctions]

Read more →

Edo Competition is no stranger to modifying Lamborghinis. Its unique touch has graced the Gallardo Superleggera and Murcielago LP640, along with a limited edition Christian Audigier edition Murcielago, among others.

Now the German tuner has taken the Gallardo LP560-4 and given it what it likes to call a little "added spice". The output of the Italian supercar has been bumped to an even 600 horsepower thanks to a new stainless steel exhaust system and an ECU tune, resulting in a claimed top speed of 211 mph. Other upgrades include an adjustable sport suspension system, 19-inch three-piece wheels, and a new front spoiler lip. You can read more details in the press release after the jump and check out the high-res gallery of photos below.




[Source: Edo Competition]

Read more →

It's been a meager LA Auto Show this year for exotic cars. Many didn't even show up, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bentley. Aston Martin wasn't on the list as well, but to our surprise their full line of cars was on display. Apparently Galpin Motors decided to pick up the slack and brought a decent selection of the inventory from the Van Nuys, CA showroom. We generally don't think of Aston Martin when we hear about Galpin, but the world's largest Ford dealer also has an impressive showroom for the British marque. In fact, it's where we were able to get up close and personal with the Aston Martin One-77.

Beau Boeckmann, Vice President of Galpin Motors, told us that they considered the show important enough for their Aston Martin sales to make the investment. This makes us wonder how the absence of Ferrari, Lamborghini and the like will impact local dealers. If so, we can see many following Galpin's lead and bringing cars next year like many of the regional shows. Only time will tell, but we can't imagine the exotic car manufacturers staying away from the auto show in one of their most important markets for too long.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

We can't figure out exactly what the name Autobiography is supposed to convey, but Land Rover seems to think it's a fitting name to put on its top-of-the-line Range Rover models. Last year, they pulled the wraps off the Range Rover Autobiography at the British Motor Show, and this week at the LA Auto Show the Range Rover Sport Autobiography has just made its official debut.

Most of the appeal of the package is inside. All of the seating surfaces are covered in beautiful two-tone leather, and the Autobiography logo can be found in the wood door inserts and the embossed headrests. The exterior gets a few special touches as well, including body-colored lower door panels, an extended roof spoiler, and special 20-inch alloy wheels.

Just 250 examples of the Range Rover Sport Autobiography will be built, all in Santorini Black with the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 as standard. Pricing is listed as an imposing $88,545, but we can see that in its exclusive circle, enough Land Rover buyers will likely be willing to cough up a $14,000 premium to have their own Autobiography, even if it's only a leather, wheel, and trim package. Hit the jump for full details, or check out our high-res gallery of live shots below.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Read more →

So often, the tag of "Special Edition" comes with a not-so-special price increase. Fortunately for Subaru fans, the newly-introduced Impreza WRX STI Special Edition is actually less costly. At $32,995 it's actually $2,000 cheaper than the base price of the standard STI.

Of course, buyers of the Special Edition will have to go without certain features, namely HID headlights, premium audio, and automatic climate control. It's not just a de-contented package, though, as the car also comes with the suspension from the spec C model in Japan that includes a thicker rear stabilizer bar, stiffer bushings and stiffer springs.

Initially, each car will be painted in Aspen white with the charcoal-colored 14-spoke wheels also cribbed from the spec C. Just 125 examples will be built in the first quarter of 2010, although Subaru says that more will be available later in the year in additional colors. High-res gallery below, pricing press release available after the jump.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Read more →

You would think that with all of the new powertrain improvements to the 2011 Mustang V6 that Ford would be making a big deal about the car here at the LA Auto Show. Not so. While the Fiesta display took up nearly a third of the West hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center, a sole V6-powered Mustang sat alone on the show floor. We can understand why Ford would want to turn the spotlight on its new B-segment small car, but thought that its legendary pony car deserved a little more love.

What's the big deal, you ask? For starters, the new 3.7-liter V6 is putting out 305 horsepower and 280 lb-ft torque, a significant improvement over the aging 4.0-liter engine that it replaces. As a bonus, the new engine will net an expected 30 mpg on the highway thanks in part to new 6-speed transmissions, available in both manual or automatic. The updates were a long time coming, and we fully expect them to put the Mustang back in the lead of the pony car sales war.

Hit the jump for full details about the 2011 Ford Mustang V6, or check out both official and live photos in the high-res galleries below.




Live photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Read more →

We've been hearing about the 2011 Ford Fiesta for so long that it's hard to imagine that the U.S. version of the car was just officially unveiled today. We gave you all of the official details and photos late last night, but we can now give you our first live impressions of the North American-spec version. Ford's own Mark Fields officially introduced the car along with numerous Fiesta agents on hand who helped pull the sheets off the various Fiestas on the show floor.

Although just 60 percent of the parts on the U.S.-spec Fiesta are common with the European version, it seems that most of the charm of the car remains. Up front the grille has been revised to include the three-bar design (at least on the sedan), and the fog lights have been replaced by LED light strips surrounded by chrome. The interior design is relatively the same as well, although it's been tweaked to conform with U.S. crash standards and features soft touch materials, a four-inch LCD display, and available SYNC, auto climate control, leather seats, moon roof and more. Power comes from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder putting out a respectable 119 horsepower and 109 lb-ft torque. A 5-speed manual or new 6-speed PowerShift electronic dual clutch automatic will be the transmissions of choice, though the automatic goes without any manual controls.

There's plenty of more details in the multitude of press releases after the jump, and we've included all of our live shots of the 2011 Fiesta in the high-res gallery below.




Live photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Read more →