All posts in “Convertible”

Alfa Romeo teases million-dollar supercar debut for August 30

The long-rumored and limited-edition Alfa Romeo supercar will see its debut August 30. The brand teased an intake grille on Twitter with the line, “The courage to dream. It’s time to seize a game-changing moment with more passion than ever. Be prepared to enter the dream.”

We’re also informed that the happening will be livestreamed from the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, Italy. The location was foreshadowed by brand CEO Philippe Imparato in February, when he said, “We are working on something that I could put aside the 8C in the museum of Arese, being proud of our contribution to the history of Alfa Romeo. That is what we want.”

Reports say the something could be called either the 33, a call to the original Tipo 33 race car and Stradale of 1967. Both versions of the T33 are legendary in the brand’s history, although both were powered by the 2.0-liter V8 in the competition variant. The 6C name that’s been bandied for years would recall six-cylinder Alfas from the late 1920s to the early 1950s, and slot between the here-and-gone 8C Competizione supercar and 4C sports car.      

This new beast will be a V6, that much we know. Reporting agrees that the Maserati MC20 Cielo roadster will provide the bones. Maserati’s flagship is built on a carbon tub sprouting front and rear aluminum subframes, same as the 4C’s construction, the Maserati built in the same Modena facility as the retired 4C. The Alfa Romeo-branded Formula 1 team might be contributing chassis tweaking suggestions; the supercar reveal happens the same weekend as the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, making for a natural crossover showcase.

Sources differ on the engine. Some believe the entire MC20 Cielo package makes the jump, including the twin-turbo 3.0-liter Nettuno V6 making 621 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. It’s said engineers will add at least one electric motor to bump output to around 800 hp. Others believe it’ll be the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 from the Giulia Quadrifoglio, tuned up to 539 hp and 443 lb-ft in the limited-edition GTAm.

Production and price guesses are all over the map. Autocar says only 33 examples are coming out of Modena. Autocar believes each will cost more than 1 million euros ($1.1M U.S.), and each will reach a top speed of 333 kilometers per hour (206 mph) — although the supposed name will be 6C. Italian mag Quattroroute thinks “a few dozen” will see life. Either way, the run is gone, a state of affairs the CEO warned everyone of in February when admitting the automaker was taking deposits before the car got the green light, saying, “It will be sold out before I unveil the car.”

July 25, 2023 / Comments Off on Alfa Romeo teases million-dollar supercar debut for August 30
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Every McLaren 600LT in the U.S. recalled over fire risk

McLaren has issued a recall that applies to every example of the 600LT and 600LT Spider registered in the United States. Built during the 2019 and 2020 model years, the cars included in the campaign are fitted with a faulty joint in the cooling system that could cause a fire.

Assigned recall number 23V-484 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the campaign includes 652 units of the 600LT built between July 4, 2019, and July 16, 2020. McLaren estimates that the defect is present in 100% of the recalled cars. It explains that the “outboard right-hand radiator joint between the temperature sensor housing and the hose running from the outboard radiator to the housing can potentially leak due to inadequate sealing of the joint.” The leak can occur while driving at “high vehicle loads,” like on a track.

If the joint fails, coolant can come in contact with hot components in the engine bay and cause a fire. McLaren’s engineers looked into the issue and traced the problem to the joint’s basic design. Luckily, it sounds like the fix is fairly simple. Owners will be asked to bring their 600LT to an authorized dealer so that a technician can replace the coolant hose, the temperature sensor housing, and the clamp. McLaren adds that the redesigned clamp will ensure the joint doesn’t leak, though it hasn’t explained how the new design differs from the existing one.

The company hasn’t decided when it will notify owners of affected cars.

July 21, 2023 / Comments Off on Every McLaren 600LT in the U.S. recalled over fire risk
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2025 Lamborghini Urus to drop gas-only model, go PHEV-only

After introducing the first hybrid to the brand this year in the Revuelto, Lamborghini’s transformation takes two more big steps next year. Autocar reports that toward the end of 2024, the Urus will switch to a PHEV-only powertrain. We’ve known for a while there was an electrical cord headed to the Urus’ flanks, but we didn’t expect Lamborghini would give up the pure ICE variant. Brand honcho Stephan Winkelmann confirmed to Autocar the engine will be a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, but didn’t give output figures. A 2021 report in Car magazine — back when the purported Urus PowerHybrid was due in 2022 — predicted the engine in question is coming from Porsche and would produce about 660 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque. The horse count would rise with help from a 168-hp electric motor in the transmission. However, the gearbox’s internals wouldn’t allow any more than 660 lb-ft. That’s still a perfectly fine number; the 6.5-liter V12 and three electric motors in the new Revuelto “only” throw a combined 783 lb-ft.

Today’s Urus romps with a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 making 657 horsepower and 627 lb-ft. in both S and track-focused Performante trims. Theoretically, the Urus PHEV could crank that to about 830 hp and 660 lb-ft. The additional power would be partially offset by additional weight, as much as 551 pounds if Car is correct. This SUV would carry on until 2029, when an all-electric version ushers in a second generation.

The Lamborghini Huracan successor is expected to debut before the PHEV Urus but go on sale about the same time as the Urus. Since that successor will use an adapted version of the engine headed to the Urus mated to the transmission in the Revuelto, we expect the release of vital details to begin as soon as the new baby coupe makes its introduction, thought to be around next spring. 

To hear Winkelmann talk, we’re ruminating now on the last hurrah of old-school, visceral, ICE-powered Lamborghinis. The brand has a high-riding battery-electric 2+2 GT penned in to debut in 2028 with about 300 miles of range. That will be the next big sign of things to come. He told Autocar, “You go with the most difficult legislation, which is the US, and is really California. Other states adopt California’s rules — typically big cities and that’s where we sell cars. …

Even if it [legislation] is not banning EVs, taxation will be a killing factor. Then mega-cities are talking of abolishing non-EVs before 2035 regardless.” And despite the work of sister brand and collaborator Porsche, Winkelmann’s not sold on synthetic fuels yet. For him, they’re “more about keeping alive the current car parc,” not creating new ICE-powered models using said fuels.

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June 26, 2023 / Comments Off on 2025 Lamborghini Urus to drop gas-only model, go PHEV-only
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Kode61 Birdcage unveiled at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este

As the man who penned contemporary masterpieces such as the Ferrari Enzo and Maserati Quattroporte V, Ken Okuyama knows a thing or two about modernizng the classics. As such his latest creation, the Kode61 Birdcage, is a tribute to one of the most innovative race cars in Maserati’s storied history.

Debuting at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este show on the shores of Lake Como, Italy, the Kode61 pays homage to the Maserati Tipo 61, built from 1959-61, nicknamed the Birdcage. Its unofficial name derived from the fact that its frame was built from approximately 200 tiny steel tubes, sections of which were exposed in the cockpit, rather than a conventional undercarriage.

Without a heavy chassis, the Tipo 61 was about four minutes faster at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans than its main rival, Ferrari. Unfortunately, issues with the drivetrain and its low windshield during a rainy race denied it a victory.  

The Kode61 references the Tipo 61’s unique architecture with elements such as a trellis-like center console. The low-slung open-top two-seater also features arched fenders like the original, though the new car’s body is shaped by carbon fiber. Beneath those tall arcs are three-spoke wheels that appear to be borrowed from the Maserati MC20 supercar. The Kode61’s blue-on-white paint scheme is a nod to American racing team Camerodi, known for campaigning the Birdcages (the Maserati MC12‘s paint scheme is a tribute to the same team).

This isn’t the first time the Tipo 61 was honored. Back in 2005, the Maserati Birdcage 75th concept was shown at the Geneva Motor Show to celebrate both the race cars and Pininfarina’s 75th anniversary. As it happens, that concept was also overseen by Okuyama, who headed Pininfarina at the time. 

Technical details have not been disclosed, but Okuyama says he will produce the Kode61 in limited numbers from his coachworks in Yamagata, Japan. 

May 24, 2023 / Comments Off on Kode61 Birdcage unveiled at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este
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Goodbye Chevy Bolt, hello baby Ram and electric Chrysler 300 replacement? | Autoblog Podcast # 779

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. They kick things off this week with some news. The Chevy Bolt and Bolt EUV will be discontinued. The McLaren 750S gets revealed and a four-door new flagship McLaren are rumored. Did Chrysler show dealers an electric 300 replacement, did we spy a new compact Ram, and are we closer to a production version of the Genesis X Convertible? Also, Greg recently visited Michigan Central Station, which Ford is revitalizing.

In this week’s fleet, your hosts discuss driving the Genesis Electrified GV70, Chevy Tahoe RST Performance Edition and the Polaris RZR XP. Finally, they take to Reddit for this week’s “Spend My Money” segment.

Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com.

Autoblog Podcast # 779

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May 5, 2023 / Comments Off on Goodbye Chevy Bolt, hello baby Ram and electric Chrysler 300 replacement? | Autoblog Podcast # 779
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Lamborghini shows off 2023 Huracan 60th Anniversary models at Fashion Week

As promised, Lamborghini pulled back the covers on its run of 60th anniversary Huracans. The three trims, Super Trofeo Omologata (STO), Tecnica, and EVO Spyder each come in two fashion-influenced colorways, and each will come in a run of 60 units for a total of 180 produced. The STO is inspired by sportwear and the athletic team kit. The first version comes in various shades of blue over black, the second version in gray over black. The Huracán Tecnica looks to motorsports liveries and the Italian flag, one variant in gray over black and red, the other in white with green stripes over black. The droptop EVO Spyder is a remix of the other two, available in either blue and white over black, or green with white strips over black.

Of note, CEO Stephan Winkelmann said “The special editions of the Huracán not only celebrate the 60th anniversary of our brand, but also give our customers maybe the last chance to purchase an otherwise sold-out V10-powered Lamborghini.” We think “maybe” is an important word in this sentence. The high-riding Sterrato only got 1,499 units that disappeared faster than wet cotton candy. The standard Huracan is sold out through 2024, as is everything else coming out the Sant’Agata Bolognese factory. Yet the Huracan successor isn’t due until the end of 2024, according to a Road & Track report. Eighteen months that will include the afterglow of a huge birthday year is a long time to go without one-third of the lineup, especially at a company that loves — and succeeds so well at — special editions.

As for that successor, about the only agreement among rumors is that the chassis be a modified version of the platform created for the flagship Revuelto. Car magazine says the hybrid V12’s carbon-heavy “monofuselage” will be reworked with aluminum to lower the price. As recently as last November, some pubs said they expected Lamborghini to stick with a V10, Auto Express writing about Lamborghini technical officer Rouven Mohr saying, “[the new car is] not a range-oriented hybrid and there will be no kind of downsizing,” the mag saying Mohr conveyed the sentiment “that it’s against Lamborghini’s philosophy to reduce the engine size and then ‘compensate’ with electrification as some rivals have done.” 

A twin-turbo hybrid V8 has come up more recently, this engine being of Lamborghini’s design. No longer having a corporate sibling in the Volkswagen Group stable to share V10 hybrid costs and upkeep with, a hybrid V8 makes much more sense. The Group is awash in V8s and will be using hybridized versions in models from several brands. The scuttlebutt on this engine alleges about 850 horsepower of total output, turbos that don’t spool up until 7,000 rpm, and a 10,000-rpm redline. 

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April 28, 2023 / Comments Off on Lamborghini shows off 2023 Huracan 60th Anniversary models at Fashion Week
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2023 Lamborghini Huracan celebrates 60 years with 180 special-edition cars

A person’s 60th birthday is the diamond jubilee, considered one’s entry into the golden years and the autumn of life. Lamborghini’s blowing out its 60 candles this year, the new Revuelto proving the Sant’Agata Bolognese automaker plans no such dissolution. The next phase of the party involves the 2023 Huracán 60th Anniversary Edition, three limited-run specials numbering 60 examples each put together with custom color combinations and badging. Dicing matters further, each limited edition comes in two color configurations, making a total of six across the range, all embellished with “1 of 60” plaques in carbon fiber and the “60th” on the bodywork and seats. 

Both versions of the hardcore Huracán Super Trofeo Omologata (STO) are said to be inspired by vibrant sportwear and the iconic two-tones of athletic team kit. The first version is all kinds of blue, something like the Squadra Azzurri Italian national soccer team. This one gets Blu Aegeus bodywork with Blu Astraeus contrasts, and can hit the hat trick with exposed carbon fiber trim in Blu Mira. The interior is in Nero Cosmus (black) and Grigio Octans (gray) Alcantara, offset by Nero Ade (another black) trim and Blu Amon (another blue) embroidery. The second Huracán STO does its showing off inside. It goes for a muted Grigio Telesto (gray) and Nero Noctis (yet another black) with traditional carbon fiber accents. This cabin comes in Nero Cosmus and Grigio Octans Alcantara, the leather accents and stitching in Rosso Alala (red). A set of 20-inch forged aluminum Hek rims in matte black complete both.

The Huracán Tecnica looks to motorsports liveries and the Italian flag, called the Tricolore. One variant wears Grigio Telesto (another gray) bodywork with Nero Noctis and Rosso Mars (another red) details. Opening the door reveals a Nero Ade Alcantara cabin with Rosso Alala accents. The other variant comes in Bianco Asopo (white) bodywork with double stripes in Verde Viper (green), the cabin in Nero Ade Alcantara and more Verde Viper. 

Finally, the Huracán EVO Spyder remixes the arrangements on the other cars. Going back to the blue well, one version’s dressed in Blu Le Mans bodywork adorned with Bianco Isi (another white) details. The cockpit sticks with the popular Nero Ade Alcantara, this time punctuated by Blu Amon embroidery and piping in Bianco Leda (another white). The alternative is a Verde Viper droptop with Bianco Isi stripes, its interior lashed up with Nero Ade Alcantara plus Rosso Alala and Bianco Leda accents.

The Tecnica and EVO Spyder both sit on 20-inch Damiso shiny black rims.

All three cars will be unveiled in full on Friday, April 21, at the Segheria in Milan.

April 19, 2023 / Comments Off on 2023 Lamborghini Huracan celebrates 60 years with 180 special-edition cars
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Gordon Murray Automotive announces the V12 T.33 Spider

Gordon Murray has had a career that most people can only dream of, and at age 76, he’s still creating some of the world’s most desirable supercars. Murray designed Formula 1 cars for several years before turning to McLaren Cars, where he headed the design team for the McLaren F1. Recently, his company showed off its T.33 supercar, a V12-powered monster that howls like an F1 car, and now, Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) has a droptop in the works.

Though it looks like the company’s upcoming V12 supercar, the Spider features unique bodywork from the A-pillar rearwards. It’s the company’s first open-top supercar and features two removable roof panels that can be stowed in the front trunk. The body shape is surprisingly restrained for a wild supercar because GMA said it focused on aerodynamics “without resorting to the ostentatious ducts, skirts, and splitters that are typically used in other supercars.”

The heart of the car is its naturally-aspirated 3.9-liter Cosworth GMA.2 V12 engine. It makes around 608 horsepower and weighs less than 393 pounds. It’s paired exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission, which sends power to the rear wheels. Interestingly, GMA used Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires instead of a bespoke solution to offer more convenience for owners when the car is due for new rubber.

GMA made a point to include an analog tachometer, and the 11,100 rpm gauge is flanked by a climate settings display and the display for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The carbon fiber steering wheel is wrapped in leather, and many interior parts were machined from aluminum. The seats are carbon fiber wrapped in Alcantara, and GMA said the interior is “perfectly tailored to its owner.”

It’s unlikely any of us will see either version of the T.33 in person, as both are limited to 100 units. Beyond that exceeding rarity, the price starts at around $2.3 million, so unless you’ve got a billionaire neighbor, the T.33 Spider won’t be a popular choice in the school dropoff line.

April 5, 2023 / Comments Off on Gordon Murray Automotive announces the V12 T.33 Spider
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2024 Ford Mustang interior, and we drive the BMW X7 M60i | Autoblog Podcast #771

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. They kick things off with a discussion about the 2024 Ford Mustang’s interior that Zac got to spend time in this week. Then, in the news, the pair run through news of a CT5-V Blackwing refresh by way of spy shots, the reveal of a new AC Cobra, rumors of the 911 GT2 RS going hybrid for its next generation and hit on the start of the Formula 1 season. Next, they discuss the cars they’ve been driving as of late, including our long-term 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line, the 2023 BMW X7 M60i and the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross. Finally, our hosts field a Spend My Money question for someone looking to go electric for their next vehicle purchase.

Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com.

Autoblog Podcast #771

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March 10, 2023 / Comments Off on 2024 Ford Mustang interior, and we drive the BMW X7 M60i | Autoblog Podcast #771
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Lamborghini Invencible and Autentica are its final NA V12 cars

A few months ago, we wrote that the final production units of the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae represented the end of the reign of the naturally aspirated V12 in Sant’Agata Bolognese, and the last Aventador Ultimae meant the end of an NA V12 Aventador. Seems we were mistaken. Lamborghini now tells us these two one-offs are the proper and (maybe) final end of the NA V12. Created for a customer who worked with Lamborghini Centro Stile from inception, the duo are the Invencible (the Spanish spelling of “Invincible”) coupe and Auténtica roadster.

They’re not only farewells, they are greatest-hits compilations said to combine design features from the Reventón from 2008, the Sesto Elemento from 2010, the Veneno from 2013, and the 830-horsepower Essenza SCV12 track-only coupe from 2020. Lamborghini didn’t mention the Sián FKP 37, but the headlights are a match, and the side vents are a mix between the Sián and the Sesto Elemento.  

Both are based on the Aventador’s carbon fiber tub, and both feature a 6.5-liter V12 making 769 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque.

The Invencible wears carbon fiber panels in Rosso Efesto, which is Hephaestus Red, Hephaestus being the Greek god of things like fire and volcanoes. The paint’s accented with carbon-look elements that glint with red flakes, brake calipers in Rosso Mars, and pure carbon. The hexagonal Tricolore on the door fits in with numerous other six-sided elements like the DRLs, three-part taillights, and exhaust. A tidy, angular swan-neck wing hovers over the rear fascia, its stanchions anchored beside the backlight.   

Inside is a mix of Rosso Alala leather, Nero Cosmus Alcantara, and contrast stitching in Rosso Alala and Nero Ade. Rosso Efesto is used on the steering wheel and for the shift paddles. Designers removed the Aventador’s infotainment screen, moving all readouts to the digital gauge display and leaving twin hexagonal vents to dominate the open space over a pocket trimmed in red.

The Auténtica roadster is painted in Grigio Titans with details in Giallo Auge (Yellow Peak) and Matte Black. Instead of the Invencible’s rear wing, a pair of fins highlighted by a yellow line channel air over the rear spoiler. Inside, occupants sit on Nero Ade leather and Giallo Taurus stitching, and can ogle two-tone Nero Cosmus and Grigio Octans Alcantara.

This is really it for the V12. We think. The next engine out of the Sant’Agata gates will be the Aventador’s V12 hybrid successor, which Lamborghini says it only a few weeks away.

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February 6, 2023 / Comments Off on Lamborghini Invencible and Autentica are its final NA V12 cars
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Lamborghini applies to trademark V12 hybrid sounds in EV mode

Lamborghini is sprinkling various European intellectual property offices with bits of its future V12 super sports car it wants to protect. The internet continues to dig those bits up. After a couple of spy specialists found line drawings of the hybrid V12 coupe filed with the World Intellectual Property Office in North Macedonia, CarBuzz dredged up a sound clip of the V12 in pure electric mode filed with the European Intellectual Property Office. Spy shots have showed the car will come with a City Mode that’s expected to enable battery-only motivation. The audio clip appears to present three modes of the electric driving sounds required of all electric-capable vehicles to warn pedestrians of the EV’s approach.

CarBuzz believes the first sample was made under steady-state driving. It sounds a little like dark ambient ASMR with some wind in the background, like something from Atrium Carceri or Metatron Omega. The second would be under acceleration, the sinister electric symphony rising in pitch then fading as the unheard V12 internal combustion engine takes over. The last clip would be the reverse, as the V12 gives way to the battery again.

There’s nothing amiss in any of the sounds, but we find ourselves thinking there’s nothing especially Lamborghini about them, either. That’s not a slight against the crew from Sant’ Agata, that’s a statement about what the future of hybrid and electric supercars could mean to us everywhere outside of a highway or Cars and Coffee. It could make Dodge’s Fratzonic Exhaust that much more interesting assuming the production sonics match what we’ve been told, and a recent Ferrari patent shows a rival group of Italians trying to forestall roads full of computer monitor noises with a “sonority current.”

January 23, 2023 / Comments Off on Lamborghini applies to trademark V12 hybrid sounds in EV mode
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2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray prices top out at $122,245 before options

GM Authority dug up the price list for the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. As with the performance specs and base price we reported earlier, the trim walk stays in sight of the enthusiast special Z06, but the MSRP gap grows the further one climbs the six-figure ladder. The spec recap is: A 6.2-liter V8 powering the rear wheels with 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, and an e-motor turning the front wheels with 160 hp and 125 lb-ft. Combined output hits 655 hp, a tiny stable shy of the 670-hp Z06, combined torque around 595 lb-ft, at least 100 lb-ft more than the Z06. Instant torque, an E-Ray-specific tune for the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and four scrabbling tires mean the E-Ray beats the Z06 to 60 miles per hour by 0.1 second, doing the deed in 2.5 seconds.  The E-Ray’s quarter-mile takes 10.5 seconds at 130 mph, another 0.1-second improvement over the Z06.

We’re not sure which tires GM used for the tests, but the differences could be larger even though the E-Ray weighs 274 pounds more than the Z06. Both cars get the same sizes of rubber, the Z06 coming on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, the E-Ray coming on Michelin Pilot Sports, with the 4S versions optional. 

MSRP’s for the E-Ray including the $1,395 destination charge applied to all 2023 Corvettes is:

  • 1LZ Coupe: $104,295
  • 1LZ Convertible: $111,295
  • 2LZ Coupe: $109,795
  • 2LZ Convertible: $116,795
  • 3LZ Coupe: $115,245
  • 3LZ Convertible: $122,245

The same bracket for the 2023 Z06 starts at $106,695 for the 1LZ Coupe and maxes out at $127,545 for the 3LZ Convertible before options. As the marketers would say, the more you spend on an E-Ray, the more you save compared to the Z06. 

Yet, consider what might be a better example of Corvette progress: When we tested the then-new C6 Corvette ZR1 in 2009, that car’s base price after destination was $102,450, which paid for a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 making 638 hp and 604 pound-feet of torque that could hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and do the quarter in 11.3. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator tells us that $102,450 in May of 2009 is $142,309 today. The bad news is that the inflation figure is the most upsetting stat in this post. The good news is that for the equivalent of $38,000 less, a Corvette buyer can get an all-wheel drive coupe that is quite a bit better in every way than the 2009 ZR1, and when considering the interior, massively better than any previous Corvette. It’s good times for those who can afford it.   

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January 21, 2023 / Comments Off on 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray prices top out at $122,245 before options
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Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate is a little more powerful, different looking

Aston Martin is bringing this iteration of the DBS sports car to a close, so of course it’s doing so with one more special edition: the DBS 770 Ultimate. It is one of the most powerful versions of the car, and has a selection of unique features. And like so many other special high-end sports cars, every example has been sold.

The headlining feature of the 770 is its extra power. It makes 759 horsepower, 44 more than the standard version, and basically the same as the DBS GT Zagato. Torque remains the same, though. A tweaked intake and ignition system plus 7% more boost pressure is responsible for the extra power. Top speed has not increased, though, sticking to 211 mph.

There are other light upgrades both performance-wise and design-wise. Additional vents have been added to the hood and a new splitter added to the front; both modifications are meant to improve cooling. More carbon fiber trim on the outside along with side sills, a diffuser, and unique wheels make it look more aggressive. The steering column has solid mounts for better steering feel. The front end is 25% stiffer than before, and the whole car is stiffer by 3% thanks to a redesigned front subframe and rear undertray. The transmission and adaptive suspension have been retuned, too. But it has the same carbon ceramic brakes and mechanical limited-slip differential as the regular car.

The interior gets some attention, too. The standard seats are Sports Plus units with more aggressive ones available. A special strap and buckle have been added to the center console. Of course, the interior and the exterior can be further customized with different colors, materials, graphics and more.

As previously mentioned, every DBS 770 Ultimate has already been sold. Only 499 will be built, 300 of which are coupes and 199 are convertibles. Aston didn’t give a price, which is understandable when it’s not even really on sale in a traditional way. But we’re sure each one will go for a fair premium over a standard model. Production starts soon, with deliveries coming in the third quarter of this year.

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January 18, 2023 / Comments Off on Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate is a little more powerful, different looking
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Aston Martin will celebrate 110 years with a special car

Aston Martin turns 110 this year, and of course it’s going to celebrate the way any car company would: creating a special car. But this is, presumably, not the Aston Martin DBS 770 that was teased just recently.

Unfortunately, what this special Aston is, is wide open for speculation. With Aston’s anniversary announcement, it gave absolutely no details nor even a shaded teaser image. And the time frame is “later this year.”

So let’s speculate. Certainly a way to really wow fans and wealthy customers with a special anniversary car would be to do a version of the company’s halo car, the Valkyrie. After all, it’s so important that Aston used it in the anniversary announcement photos along with the 1923 Razor Blade race car. Maybe it’ll be a higher-output Valkyrie with extra slippery body work as a throwback to the Razor Blade. Or not! Like we said, it could be almost anything.

And in trying to narrow down a reveal date, there are a few key events for supercar builders to reveal machinery. The first would be the Geneva Motor Show, which is sort of happening this year. It’s being run by the same organizers, but the location is in Qatar. Then in the summer is the Goodwood Festival of Speed. If the car hasn’t been revealed before then or during, it would be a great opportunity for Aston to run a camouflaged version of the car up the hill.

At the very least, we’re sure we’ll see this special Aston no later than the Pebble Beach Concours. And with how the show effectively turned into the successor to the Geneva show last year, it would be a great location, as well as about the last big wealthy car show of the year, if it isn’t shown sooner.

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January 12, 2023 / Comments Off on Aston Martin will celebrate 110 years with a special car
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McLaren 720S is officially dead

Reports of the McLaren 720S‘s death are not greatly exaggerated. In fact, they are completely correct. Following a report from Automotive News, we reached out to McLaren directly, and a representative confirmed that the supercar is no longer in production. The official statement is as follows:

“We are not taking further customer-specified build orders for 720S, but cars are available through our retailer network.”

With the discontinuation of the 720S, the remaining car in the “Supercar” line, as McLaren calls it, is the recently introduced Artura hybrid. It makes 671 horsepower, a fair bit less than the 710 of the 720S. But it seems the Artura will not be a de facto successor, as there’s something else coming.

The McLaren representative couldn’t say anything about that new car, but the Automotive News report went into some detail, citing McLaren’s president of the Americas region. He makes it sound like the follow-up will still be somewhat derived from the outgoing 720S. We’ll be curious if it utilizes the Artura’s hybrid system, but coupled to a more powerful gas engine. We’ve actually seen 720S testers specifically labeled as hybrid test cars, so it seems quite likely.

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January 11, 2023 / Comments Off on McLaren 720S is officially dead
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Hybrid Corvette E-Ray teased in ‘Stealth’ mode, will debut January 17

It’s almost time for the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray to be revealed! Chevy just released its first teaser for the hybrid Corvette, allowing us a few glimpses of the exterior styling and revealing that it’ll feature a new “Stealth” mode. The official reveal date is set for January 17, which is one week from today.

The exterior shots do a decent job of confirming what we already knew about the changes from the configurator leak last month. Body-colored panels replace some of the regular C8’s contrast-painted bits, and we get a super-quick partial view of the E-Ray badge on the side of the car.

What’s most interesting in this teaser (above), though, is the presence of a “Stealth” mode. In Chevy’s video, the mode switcher is being used to swap between “Normal” and “Stealth” startup modes. This suggests that you’ll be able to put the E-Ray into a friendly neighbor mode of sorts to start the car up and leave the neighborhood in the morning. We don’t expect the E-Ray to be a plug-in hybrid with any extensive electric range, but like a typical hybrid, there should be enough battery power to back out of the driveway and get far enough away from the windows of your sleeping neighbor before the V8 is required to fire up.

Footage of the E-Ray driving around the city making a whirring electric sound suggests you may be able to put it into Stealth mode for brief periods of time when you want to drive on electric power, too. If it’s anything like the hybrid Acura NSX, this electric motoring will be a brief and neat party trick for the hybrid Corvette.

The last few bits of info we picked up from the video is the presence of what looks like a regenerative braking mode button on the interior, carbon ceramic brakes, and of course, snow. The E-Ray is confirmed to have all-wheel drive, which will make it the first production Corvette to send power to all four wheels. We’ll learn everything there is to know about the E-Ray in a week’s time, so buckle up for January 17.

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January 10, 2023 / Comments Off on Hybrid Corvette E-Ray teased in ‘Stealth’ mode, will debut January 17
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2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 production numbers increased

The headlines say Chevrolet has re-opened order books for the 2023 Corvette Z06 after closing them in July. Those headlines should come with asterisks. What the small print explains — and should have always explained, even here — is that GM gatekeepers lowering the drawbridge means practically nothing for anyone who didn’t get on a dealer list a long time ago. When GM stopped taking orders in July, it stopped taking names off of dealer’s lengthy lists of reservation holders. The production process seems to be going better than planned, so “re-opening the order books” means GM has increased the number of cars it plans to build for the 2023 model year and has asked dealers to submit more names for orders to fulfill. A GM spokesperson told Motor1, “We had previously shared with dealers and the public that we had accepted enough Z06 orders to fill the number of Z06 production slots we had for calendar year 2022, so we stopped elevating dealer orders to accepted orders that the plant would build. Now we are saying we’re going to accept more dealer orders to continue filling the pipeline of Z06 production through the end of model year 2023.” 

We don’t have any details to explain any of this nor put it in context. GM didn’t reveal its initial production estimate, and it hasn’t said how many orders it will add to the previous mysterious number. It was thought GM’s conservative production window had to do with a supply constraint, but even that’s not clear. We don’t know how many reservations there are, either, although a thread at Mid-Engined Corvette Forum lists more than 100 dealers and suggests just eight of them have easily more than 6,000 reservations combined. One dealer would only say its reservation list was “out to 2025.”

GM built 39,940 of the C7 Z06 from 2014 to 2019, averaging a touch under 8,000 units per year. Dealers know this, so for one to say they’re booked until 2025, the order rolls must be relatively staggering. There’s no reason for dealers to be in a hurry to get cars built, either, with some charging anywhere from $35,000 to $100,000 over the base $106,395 MSRP per vehicle according to posters.

As for verified production, Corvette Blogger wrote a week ago that 41 customer Z06 orders have been built as of the end of October, 22 of them the 70th Anniversary Editions. On top of that, it’s said 216 Z06s have been built for GM’s Captured Test Fleet used for proving and data capture. The first customer deliveries have been made, including Rick Henderson acquiring the first one off the line, a Carbon Flash 70th Anniversary Edition he bought for $3.6 million at a charity auction in January of this year.

November 7, 2022 / Comments Off on 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 production numbers increased
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Buy a Ferrari like the one driven by the Sultan of Brunei. It ain’t cheap

A video featuring a very blond blonde and a very red Ferrari? That’s certainly one way to attract some attention.

We don’t have the skinny on the lady, but the Testarossa Spider is straight out of the annals of wretched excess. It goes on the auction block in London next Saturday with opening bids at $1.6 million. The video is a teaser tweet for the event.

According to documentation offered by the auction house of RM Sotheby’s, this 1990 stunner, a “Special Production” Pininfarina-engineered convertible, was part of a custom lot of Ferraris commissioned by a high-roller in the Brunei royalty household. In 2021, when, according to Sotheby’s, it was “revived from its life-long state of static display,” the car was shuttled to two factories in Italy for “restoration.”  The cost was 94,300 Euros to repair the top’s latch and repaint the machine.  Another 83,170 Euros was budgeted to fiddle with a new clutch and “refresh” the interior. Lay those numbers on your local garage.

It’s believed, the press release goes on to say, that, in the end, Pininfarina made seven almost identical but ultimately unique “Spider” adaptations, “each finished in a different exterior and interior color combination.”  And, in addition to these Brunei cars, a very small number of Testarossa Spiders, like the one to go on auction, were built for important clients, including the current consignor, who ordered his (or hers) in 1989. There are a reported 413 kilometers on the clock.

But wait: apparently maestro Pininfarina — perhaps in the throes of an eccentric mood — rebelled back in the Eighties against the convention of assigning just a common 17-digit vehicle identification numbers to his creations, and so identified the car described above with the VIN of “EFG092.” Go figure.

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October 30, 2022 / Comments Off on Buy a Ferrari like the one driven by the Sultan of Brunei. It ain’t cheap
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Driving the GMC Hummer EV and Mercedes-Benz EQS, EQE, EQS SUV | Autoblog Podcast #750

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. This week, they talk about driving Mercedes‘ fleet of EQ electric vehicles, including the EQE Sedan, the AMG EQS Sedan and the EQS SUV. They also talk about piloting the Acura NSX Type S. Next, they discuss the reveal of the 2024 Maserati GranTurismo, including the all-electric Folgore trim, as well as the Ferrari SP51 roadster. Finally, they talk about some of the best (including some unusual) car features for kids.

Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com.

Autoblog Podcast #750

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October 7, 2022 / Comments Off on Driving the GMC Hummer EV and Mercedes-Benz EQS, EQE, EQS SUV | Autoblog Podcast #750
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Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae Roadster ends non-hybrid V12 production

To quote Hall & Oates: “She’s gone,” the “she” here being the Lamborghini Aventador. The last of the scissor-doored supercars with a naturally-aspirated V12 rolled off the line in LP 780-4 Ultimae Roadster form colored an Ad Personam light blue, headed for a quiet life in Switzerland. That also closed the chapter on the 350 coupes and 250 roadsters made in Ultimae spec. This is a belated end-of-life, the Italian concern restarting production lines after 85 Lamborghinis, 15 of them Aventador Ultimaes destined for the U.S. market, got torched on the cargo ship Felicity Ace in March of this year. The final tally for the latest V12 spreadsheet counts 11,465 cars delivered in 11 years, more than doubling the entire sales count of its predecessor, the Murcielago, and exceeding the combined sales of every one of Lamborghini’s V12 models since the 3.5-liter V12 in the 350 GT in 1964. 

What began with the 6.5-liter 12-cylinder with 691-horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque in 2022 ended with that engine making 760 hp and 531 lb-ft in the Ultimae. The official 0-to-62 mile per hour dash came down a tenth of a second in that time, depending on where you look, from 2.9 seconds to 2.8. Top speed rose from 217 mph to 220. Plenty fast then, plenty fast now. Between those yardposts there have been more than 10 one-offs and limited editions. The former group includes the Jota, SVJ Xago, and the SC18 Alston track car. The latter group counts the Anniversario, Veneno, Centenario, and Sian FKP 37. There were also innovations like the enclosed carbon fiber monocoque supported by “flying doctors” that traveled the world to help diagnose and repair damage that benefited owners. There was the pushrod suspension that turned a heavyweight into a flickable canyon runner, benefiting all drivers. There was the Independent Shifting Rod (ISR) single-shift transmission, which Lamborghini says was “chosen for lightweight compactness and the most emotive shift.” Given its tidal shifting motion and occasionally clumsy changes under partial throttle or when trying to figure out what the driver wanted in changing conditions, we never figured out who that benefited.

What comes next will be a hybrid V12 powertrain wrapped in looks that, based on spy shots, will evolve the latest design language with details like new lights, bladed B-pillars, and high-rise exhaust. Shouldn’t be long to wait now. But no matter what comes, to paraphrase Hall & Oates on the Aventador again: There can never be what she was to us.

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September 28, 2022 / Comments Off on Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae Roadster ends non-hybrid V12 production
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