Alfa Romeo 4C Headed to America, But Why Should You Care?
August 8, 2014 Eric J. Leech
The Alfa Romeo 4C is being packaged up for shipment to the United States. However, some of us are still not completely convinced of why we should care. The 4C will feature a stout 1.7-liter turbo engine with 240 horsepower and 260 lb-ft or torque. This power will be controlled via a snappy 6-speed dual clutch transmission which will also be enhanced via a very light and nimble chassis.
So in other words, its performance should actually be quite brilliant. However, there are a few other problems we can see with it. Continue reading Alfa Romeo 4C Headed to America, But Why Should You Care? →
Bugatti Veyron Replicas and Clones
A $1 million supercar is a bit expensive for the average Joe or Jolene. However, the cost of a Suzuki Esteem, Ford Cougar, Toyota MR2, Honda Civic, Nissan 350Z, or Porsche Boxster plus a little paint and body work is another option.
Just don't hold your expectations too high, as not all Bugatti Veyron replicas… actually look all that much like a Bugatti Veyron. See if you can decipher the make and model of each car hiding underneath the faux $1 million sheepskin.
Continue reading Bugatti Veyron Replicas and Clones →
BugattiBugatti Veyronclonescustom carsexotic carsreplicas
Brabus E63 AMG 850 6.0 Biturbo Boasts 850 Horsepower
When it comes to the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG, we understand that there is only so much power you can squeeze out of a 2.0-liter turbo. This is why Brabus has switched it up to a 5.9-liter V8 for their current project car. 5.9-liters may be a bit smaller than the 6.3-liter V12 that Brabus introduced at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. However, I don't think anyone will be disappointed by the 850 horsepower and 848 lb-ft of torque.
Continue reading Brabus E63 AMG 850 6.0 Biturbo Boasts 850 Horsepower →
BrabusMercedes BenzMercedes-Benz AMG
Saleen Gets Their Hands on a Tesla Model S P85
Saleen may be best known for their upgraded muscle cars, like the Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger. However, there is a new kind of electric muscle emerging, and Saleen appears to be embracing it with both hands.
"I have admired their craftsmanship," commented Steve Saleen on the Tesla brand. "We share a desire to also produce vehicles that are not dependent on fossil fuels and which accomplish this fuel independence with a tremendous assemblage of grace and technology."
The Saleen Model S is on the way, and Saleen already has several drawings that hint towards the direction they would like to go. There is no word on the power increase we'll be looking at, but they do suggest they will need carbon ceramic brakes in order to handle the additional torque boost.
Beyond performance, Saleen also plans to update the exterior with dual air dams, carbon fiber lip, side skirts, rear diffuser, trunk mounted spoiler, and some slick alloy low profile wheels. The interior won't be left out either, gaining some nice Alcantara upholstery with red-contrast stitching.
To wrap up this report in just one sentence, this will be one of the most compelling Tesla's ever to hit the tarmac, or Steve's last name isn't Saleen!
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Name The Mystery Jaguar
March 4, 2014 Eric J. Leech
An autozilla reader sent us this photo of a Jaguar and we're stumped.
On the read it says "Vanden Plas" but we have not found any info on this model.
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Fisker is Back!
February 25, 2014 Eric J. Leech
Fisker is back, and the Atlantic Concept has been confirmed for 2015. If you have not been paying attention to the saga at Fisker, they have been in trouble since the day the company was formed. They started in 2007, spend too much money on parts, ended up losing $35,000 per $100,000 Karmathey sold, and spent a total of $1.4 billion on one single car.
To make matters worse, they put less than 2,000 Karma's in driveways across North America over five years of production, even though their plan was to have 15,000 sold per year. This week we discovered that the Wangiang Group had purchased Fisker for the sum of $149.2 million, and has plans to resume production of the Karma within one year.
The Chinese auto parts company also has aspirations to finish the Atlantic Concept in 2015, which was slated to be Fisker's more affordable hybrid:
Wanxiang, according to Ni, also wants Fisker to complete the half finished development of a second model called the Atlantic, a mid-size gasoline-electric hybrid sedan that was to be positioned as a more affordable "volume model" under Fisker's previous management and was slated to go into production in 2015.
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Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision on Gran Turismo 6
February 5, 2014 Eric J. Leech
Normally here at AutoZilla we wouldn't published video games.
But we had to show you this image of the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo Racing Series, par of Gran Turismo 6 game.
We can only hope they make this vision into a reality.
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Kia K900 is $60,000: How Can a Kia Be So Expensive?
What you are looking at above is the most expensive Kia that has ever launched in North America—period. While it may look like a decent car, we wanted to know what makes it so much more valuable than all the other models that have come before it.
Well, for one, none of them have ever offered a 420 horsepower V8 with power to the rear wheels. Neither has there been a Kia with an eight speed automatic featuring the performance and quality this one has. However, according to reports of what buyers are really looking for in a luxury vehicle, some of the Kia's best features can be found in its gadgets and luxury upgrades.
Starting with the luxury aspect of the Kia K900, it will come with real wood trim, a panoramic sunroof, and heated seats. On the technology side it will come with a big 9.2-inch high-definition center screen, rear cameras, blind-spot detection, lane departure alert, and an incredibly impressive 900-watt sound system that comes with no less than 17-speakers.
For just $6,000 more ($66,000) buyers can opt for the VIP treatment, which includes soft close doors, surround parking monitor, a TFT instrument cluster, reclining (16-way) front seats, and a complimentary maintenance program.
However, we did not believe any of this either, until we heard it during the Super Bowl from the Matrix man (Morpheus) himself:
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Tesla Model S P85 Kills A Dodge Viper SRT10 And 2014 Corvette Stingray
January 30, 2014 Eric J. Leech
We've heard a lot about the build quality of the Tesla Model S. Consumer Reports raves about its 300 miles distance capacity, 4.4-second 0-60 launch, and its supreme ride comfort. However, where were we during the briefing that laid out its ability to kill such American muscle legends as the Dodge Viper SRT10 and the 2014 Corvette C7 Z51/Stingray?
In these two videos you will witness the true rampaging capability of a Tesla Model S P85, which is the high performance edition featuring an 85-kWh electric motor. If there was ever a good argument for buying green, this would be the one we might actually listen to.
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Leopard 2 Tank Brake Test
There was a time and age when brake tests were performed with striped orange cones. Today, those cones have become pretty expensive in the Netherlands, negating the necessity to begin using live cones in MIB suits.
This is the brake test of a Leopard 2 Tank, which began production back in 1979. Since then, these tanks have undergone some improvements, which you are about to see in this video.
These tanks found motivation through the will of its massive 47.6-liter turbocharged 12-cylinder engine, which is just as heavy as it sounds. They had a top speed of 42 mph, and your about to see how quickly that can be transformed to 0 mph.
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