Rare Ferrari 599 GTO Bites the Dust

While we are happy to see that at least some owners of the rare Ferrari 599 GTO (of which only 599 examples will be built) take their cars out to their natural habitat on the racetrack, it’s always a sad sight when one of those exotics ends up like this.

The Youtube poster of the video says that the driver lost control of the car “at the end of the straight at 250km/h (155mph)”, but given the relatively modest damages to the 599 GTO, we reckon that he either had a lot of space in front of him or the crash occurred at much lower speeds, perhaps even both.

 source: carsmagazineonline.com

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Audi RS3 Sportback Takes on BMW 1 M Coupe in Quarter Mile Duel

The Audi RS3 Sportback and the BMW 1 M Coupe represent two very different approaches on the compact sport model segment.

Ingolstadt’s proposal is a five-door model that looks more like a hotted-up small station wagon than a hatchback. It features a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five producing 340-horsepower and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) linked to Audi’s all-wheel drive quattro system and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Munich’s proposition on the other hand is a more traditional take on the category boasting a coupe body style and a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six pushing out an identical 340-horses (in EU-specification) and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

UK car magazine Autoexpress brought the two Germans sport models to the track to see which one is the king of straight-line performance. Even though their mechanical layouts should give you a hint about the winner, we won’t spoil the surprise. Scroll down to watch the duel for yourself. 

 

source: carsmagazineonline.com

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2012 Audi A5 Coupe, Convertible and Sportback Receive a Mild Facelift

Audi today unveiled the facelifted versions of its A5 range which includes the Coupe, the Sportback and Cabriolet models. The company’s goal was to freshen up the A5’s exterior looks and to improve both their driving dynamics and fuel economy.

The 2012 Audi A5 range is available exclusively with direct injection engines featuring forced induction and stop-start and energy regeneration system as standard. As a result, Audi says fuel consumption has been decreased across the range by 11% on average and CO2 emissions by as much as 22%.

The base engine for all body styles is the redesigned 4-cylinder 1.8-liter TFSI petrol, which produces 170HP and 320 Nm (236.02 lb-ft) of torque. The revised four-pot is more frugal with the Coupe returning 5.7 liters/100 km (41.27 mpg) on the combined cycle, or 21% lower than its predecessor, and CO2 emissions of 134 gr/km.

The 2.0 TFSI with 211HP remains unchanged, while a new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 with 272HP has been added to the A5’s line-up.

The diesel range comprises of four engines, one four cylinder and three V6s. The base 2.0 TDI has an output of 177HP and, in the Coupe, consumes 4.7 liters/100 km (50.05 mpg) with CO2 emissions of 122 gr/km.

Next in line is the 3.0-liter TDI with 204HP. In the A5 Coupe with the Multitronic auto transmission, it consumes an average of 4.9 liters/100 km (48 mpg) and emits 129 gr of CO2 per km. The second diesel is a more powerful variant of the 3.0 TDI with 245HP, while later on, the A5 will also be offered with a new low-emissions diesel engine that will make the A5 the first coupe to meet the Euro 6 diesel standard.

Audi has made chassis tweaks across the range to improve the driving dynamics of the A5. These include a new electromechanical steering, new damper settings and revised rear suspension bearings for more precise handling as well as greater comfort. The base models come equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, while buyers have the option of fitting their cars with alloy wheels up to 20-inches in size.

Exterior changes are restrained with the re-sculptured “wave” LED headlamps that have become a signature of recent Audi models being the most noticeable upgrade. Other revisions include the modified front grille, the redesigned front bumper with larger air intakes, a new rear bumper and tweaked rear lights with optional continuous LED light strips.

On the inside, the most significant upgrade is the introduction of an available three rear-seat configuration for the A5 Sportback. The new steering wheel and auto gearbox lever designs, the different finishes on the instrument panel and console, the new trim options and an available MMI system with 3D imaging, Google Earth navigation and a WLAN hotspot, complete the changes for the 2012MY.

Despite the improvements, Audi says the new A5 is only marginally more expensive than its predecessor is. For example, in Germany the price increase for the A5 Coupe 2.0 TFSI is just €200, while the base A5 Sportback 1.8 TFSI starts from €33,350.

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Video: Rare Ferrari 599 GTO Bites the Dust

While we are happy to see that at least some owners of the rare Ferrari 599 GTO (of which only 599 examples will be built) take their cars out to their natural habitat on the racetrack, it’s always a sad sight when one of those exotics ends up like this.

The Youtube poster of the video says that the driver lost control of the car “at the end of the straight at 250km/h (155mph)”, but given the relatively modest damages to the 599 GTO, we reckon that he either had a lot of space in front of him or the crash occurred at much lower speeds, perhaps even both. 

source: carscoop &  youtube

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Ever see one of those stupid competitions where a group of people try and see who can keep their hands on a car or a truck the longest, and the person who does actually wins that car or truck?

If you haven’t, there’s a documentary called Hands on a Hard Body that covers this in detail, but suffice to say it’s like watching American Idol if all the contestants were unemployed hicks and weren’t required to do anything but stand up there on stage.

So French carmaker Peugeot, never being one to shy away from reinventing something old for the internet age, took the concept and turned it into an interactive webpage.

Swedish ad firm Volt Stockholm was responsible for the campaign, which has rapidly taken off thanks to the ability to post your best time on Facebook. All the while, the site is pumping out facts and figures and advertising spin for contestants to read.

The winner gets their selected car for one week, and so far the longest time anyone’s clocked is 15 hours. And it’s not like you can just tape down the mouse button either: every so often the site will prompt you to press a random letter key on the keyboard to keep the contestants honest.

You can check out the video below, as well as the trailer for Hands on a Hard Body for those who are curious.

source: carscoop.blogspot.com & youtube

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Former U.S. Ford Police Interceptors find New Life in Britain as "Rare American Muscle"

You know what they say: “One man’s trash is another man's treasure”. While police forces in the U.S. are rapidly replacing their Ford Crown Victoria Interceptors with the latest batch of patrol vehicles from Detroit’s Big 3 including the Ford Taurus, Chevrolet Caprice and Dodge Charger, the Blue Oval’s geriatric model is finding a new life in the UK as a quirky alternative to those who want to stand out from the crowd.

The perpetrator in this case is a UK-based company named “USA Cop Cars Ltd”, which has recently started bringing fully refurbished 2009 and 2010 Ford P71 Police ‘Interceptor’ law enforcement cars into Britain.

The British firm describes the Crown Victoria as a rare “muscle car with a difference”. If that hasn’t put a smile to your face, maybe this will: the used Ford Police Interceptors carry a price tag between £23,000 and £29,000 or about US$37,000 and US$46,700!

USA Cop Cars Ltd says all vehicles come complete with all the usual police goodies including roof-lights, PA systems, and even detailed recreations of US law-enforcement liveries to individual customers’ requirements.

The company also states that the Ford Interceptors are not sold to the public in the U.S., though to our knowledge, this does not appear to be true as we’ve seen plenty of alleged ex-police cars available in the secondhand market. Perhaps the firm means not directly. In any case, if any of you can elaborate on whether or not this is true, we’d appreciate it.

Here’s what Mr Lindsay Groves from USA Cop Cars said on the matter:

“Neither Ford or US Agencies are allowed to sell ‘Interceptors’ to civilians – most see post-police service as cabs or with other US agencies. There are also many other hurdles to overcome before they are legal to drive here in Europe, which explains their rarity here.”

“You don’t need to be a fan of Americana to own one,” Groves continued. “They are tremendous fun to drive – the reactions from men and women, young and old alike is amazing – they love them! They are also very safe - the only car in America that withstands a 75mph rear impact, whilst the civilian version received the maximum 5-star crash resistance rating from the American federal road safety organisation for 14 successive years,” he added.

source: carscoop.blogspot.com

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New Exclusive and M Sport Editions Join BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible Range

You didn’t think BMW would leave its bread-and-butter 3-Series untouched for the new model year just because it’s actively working on a replacement, did you? Of course not. The changes to the 3-Series range are of far less importance than on the 6-Series and 5-Series lineups, and are mostly limited to the presentation of new special edition models and packages.

These include a Special Edition package for the 320d EfficientDynamics Edition Touring, M Sport and Exclusive Editions for the 3 Series Coupé and 3 Series Convertible plus an BMW Individual hardtop option for the cabrio.

The Exclusive iterations of the coupe and convertible are offered with bespoke exterior colors including a Mineral Grey shade combined with exterior mirror caps in Oxide Silver and 18-inch V-spoke light-alloy wheels painted in Space Grey. The interior is distinguished by the Dakota leather upholstery in Pearl Grey with darker grey contrast stitching, or in Black with white contrast stitching, plus Bamboo Grain Anthracite trim strips.

Moving on to the M Sport Editions, aside from the aerodynamic package with new front and rear bumpers, there’s a Silverstone paint finish familiar from the M3 and 18-inch Ferric Grey light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design, black-painted exterior mirrors and in the case of the Coupe, an optionally available boot lid spoiler.

On the inside, there are sports seats with M detailing and blue contrast strips, an M Sport steering wheel, stainless steel pedals and an M aluminium driver’s footrest plus Model-specific interior strips in Aluminium Glacier Silver dark and floor mats with blue piping.

For the 3-Series Convertible, the company offers a new BMW Individual hardtop in contrasting in contrasting Black or Titanium Silver metallic that can be combined with a total of 15 different body colors. 

source: carscoop.blogspot.com

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Report: Owners Leasing Cars May Be Able to Make a Profit

With the recent surge in used car prices in the U.S., many people leasing vehicles have discovered the surprising fact that the market value of their automobiles is greater than the dealer’s quoted residual (buyout) price.

All a would-be lessee needs to do is buy the car from the dealer and sell it on privately. The dealer gets the residual amount and the former lessee pockets a tidy sum.

Take the example of a 2008 Volvo XC90. With more than twelve months left on the lease, the dealer’s buyout price was a quoted US$18,500. Compare this to the amount the lessee was likely to get by selling the car privately: a far more substantial US$27,000. That’s a profit of US$8,500!

Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) describes the situation thusly:

“What’s likely to happen now is [dealers have] underestimated the value of the car. So the residual price is low, and [lessees] have more incentive to purchase it. Or, buy it and then sell it.”

It’s all thanks to the undersupplied, overinflated used car market in the U.S. at the present time. Add to that the fact many lease contracts are agreed on months or even years in advance, there’s nothing the lessees can do about it.

And owners are taking notice. 21.8% of lessees now buy their cars, up from a historical average of 16.4%. Additionally, 40% of those who do buy their cars resell their cars within six months, up from 27.3%. We are living in interesting times, indeed.

By Tristan Hankins

Via: NY Times

source: carscoop.blogspot.com

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Audi Q3 RS Rumors give Birth to Rendering

The latest news from Audi is that the Ingolstadt automaker is working on a high-performance version of its new Q3 compact SUV. According to inside sources quoted by Auto Motor und Sport magazine in its most recent issue, the brand with the four rings has even decided on the powertrain, which is none other than the 340HP 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five found under the hood of the TT RS and RS3 hot hatch.

Power of course would be transferred to all four wheels through Audi’s quattro system and a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission.

These yet to be officially confirmed rumors have lead photoshop resident and Carscoop reader L il-k Amaru to use his talent on the creation of two renderings depicting the possible styling of the Q3 RS.

The artist’s proposal includes all the usual design cues of Audi’s RS models such as the prominent front bumper with a honeycomb grille, side skirts, five-spoke alloy wheels, aluminum trim accents and a rear apron with a diffuser. 

Thanks go to L il-k Amaru from Virtuel-car!

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