luxury

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Caviar had its way with the Samsung Galaxy S20 series and the results are amazing

Last time we gave everyone a preview of how people can turn an expensive smartphone into something even more luxurious. That was the Galaxy Z Flip which came from Russian Luxury brand Caviar. We saw several versions of their work on the clamshell foldable. The sheer opulence of the final product is impressive. With the release of the Galaxy S20 series, the company is at it once again. The goal is to turn the handsets into functional pieces of jewelry.

Caviar is offering its services to turn the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra into something even more exotic. Let’s start off with the collection that draws inspiration from a deck of playing cards. For the ace of clubs and ace of spades, the stock glass rear panel of the device is replaced with black composite onyx. The surface features intricate engravings that add to its mystique.

Then there’s the ace of hearts and ace of diamonds. These two pay homage to their color with a red composite stone panel. Just like ones before it, the stylish patterns give each Samsung Galaxy S20 from Caviar a unique aesthetic that looks premium form every angle. Colors aside. All four variants flaunt a golden frame with the elements also crafted from the precious metal.

While each of the suits are rightfully jaw-dropping in their own right, the Joker variant is where things get a little crazy. This one comes with a back panel made of composite kirinite with engravings of all four suits. A relief of image of the fool juggling cards is fine gold and features sapphires and rubies to represent the suits. The script and frame are likewise fashioned from gold. Caviar is only offering 21 examples of each Galaxy S20 model in the collection.

Exclusively available: here

Images courtesy of Caviar

March 6, 2020 / Comments Off

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Roland Gumpert Nathalie is a methanol fuel-cell supercar because why not

Roland Gumpert launched his Apollo more than 10 years ago, eventually losing his fearsome coupe to insolvency and Consolidated Ideal TeamVentures. Gumpert, however, was working on more models, one of them called the Explosion, shown in Geneva in 2014. Based on looks and power specs, our best guess is that Gumpert took the Explosion with him into a new partnership with Chinese automaker Aiways, which owns the carmaker now known as Roland Gumpert, and slowly turned it into the Nathalie supercar meant for debut at this year’s ill-fated Geneva show. Gone is the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder with 420-horsepower. In its place, a methanol-fueled powertrain that combines a fuel cell, a buffer battery, and four electric motors. Combined capacity of methanol, fuel cell, and battery is 178 kWh, combined system output tallying 536 hp and more than 730 pound-feet of torque.

It starts with a 17.2-gallon tank that holds the methanol, which takes three minutes to fill. In a process that reverses the laboratory creation of methanol, the alcohol is heated to between 572 and 752 degrees Fahrenheit, separating the liquid into carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The hydrogen gets sent to a 15-kW fuel cell to produce electricity, which is not sent to the battery, but straight to the electric motors located at each wheel, those four motors coordinated by two, two-speed gearboxes. All that chicanery is said to propel the 14-foot-long coupe from standstill to 62 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds, on to a top speed of 190 miles per hour, and a range of 510 miles at 75 miles per hour. When driven in Eco mode, range extends to about 745 miles.

The Nathalie looks mild on the outside, like some JDM-only coupe found in Gran Turismo that spent a little time in the tuning shop getting a huge wing. Yet the Nathalie’s made of supercar build techniques — a chromoly tube chassis overlaid with a skin made of flax and carbon composites for light weight, plus a full FIA roll cage behind the cabin seats. The doors open in the scissor fashion Lamborghini has made famous. A McPherson front suspension and double wishbone rear handle the dynamism. The front brakes are enormous, and so are the rears. Thin lights front and rear, large intakes, and conspicuous ground effects complete the look. The Nathalie’s lines can be seen in another product from Aiways, the U6ion concept (traditional) electric crossover coupe also intended for debut in Geneva, both breathed on by Aiways lead designer Ken Okuyama, who penned the Ferrari Enzo and led Pininfarina design for a spell.

RG will build 500 of the Nathalie, which includes a small number of the First Edition example shown, with deliveries scheduled to begin next year. Each one will run €407,000 ($455,000 U.S.) before taxes. Where is an owner expected to get methanol if he doesn’t live near a race track or commercial depot? Gumpert said, “An overnight delivery service has been installed for the exclusive customer base for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and is currently being expanded throughout Europe. The North America and Middle East regions are also currently being developed.” What’s more, RG will pay for the methanol supply for the first year after delivery.

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March 5, 2020 / Comments Off

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The Aston Martin V12 Speedster looks stunning even without a roof or windshield

We at Men’s Gear just love to showcase some of the most insane products that we happen to see online. One of our favorite subjects is high-performance vehicles that just break out from conventional designs. For some of you who could remember, we previously had the pleasure of highlighting the McLaren Elva. It was a $1.7 million supercar without a roof and windshield which hardcore automotive collectors would die for. Aston Martin probably hopes to shock the industry by following the former’s footsteps with the jaw-dropping V12 Speedster.

It appears another British Luxury marque was thinking of the same thing. A few days ago, Bentley and Mulliner likewise presented a similar concept with the Balacar. Nevertheless, it’s not stopping us from admiring what the V12 Speedster is bringing to the table.

Unlike the Bacalar, which opted to keep its windshield, Aston Martin is presenting an open-top high-performance luxury machine. Powering this sleek beast is a 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 power plant with an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. Its intimidating engine boasts a 700-horsepower output with 555 lb-ft of torque.

To optimize its weight for superior handling and performance, Aston Martin uses carbon fiber for the body. The driver and passenger sit in two cockpits with what the company calls a spine separating them. Meanwhile, even the interior is notably lavish with the combination of leather aluminum, chrome, and 3D-printed rubber elements.

It sports a set of 21-inch center-lock alloys with a ceramic-carbon brake system for superior stopping power. The V12 Speedster comes from the automaker’s “Q” division which somehow explains the unique aesthetics. Finally, Aston Martin will be offering only 88 examples of this magnificent $950,000 beauty.

Check out the press release: here

Images courtesy of Aston Martin

March 5, 2020 / Comments Off

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Aston Martin V12 Speedster is a $950,000 exotic dream that’s wild as the wind

The roofless, windshield-less, ultra-rare, ultra-expensive supercar space is getting busy. We had the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2; then we got the McLaren Elva, and now the Aston Martin V12 Speedster is joining the ranks. McLaren will let you add a windshield to the Elva, but there’s no mention of glass when it comes to the Aston. Invest in some sturdy goggles.

Revealed at Aston Martin’s Gaydon HQ (instead of the canceled Geneva Motor Show), the V12 Speedster is designed to provide the most visceral driving experience in the Aston lineup. There will only be 88 of them, and pricing starts at $950,000. That’s an absolute bargain compared to the Elva, which has a base price of $1.69 million. But if you’re considering buying one of these, its price is likely the last question you’ll have.

Aston says the V12 Speedster is powered by its 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12, making 700 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. That’s mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic, sending power to the rear wheels. It’ll hit 62 mph in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph — get some heavy duty headgear for that trip. The platform itself is made by combining elements of the DBS Superleggera and Vantage. It has 21-inch forged, center-locking wheels, huge carbon ceramic brakes and adaptive dampers. But the design is what really caught our eye.

It’s billed as “a living show car,” and we completely agree. The body is made almost entirely from carbon fiber. Miles Nurnberger, director of design at Aston Martin, detailed the design’s inspiration in a statement.

“There’s clear lineage from the 1959 Le Mans winning DBR1 to our Centenary celebratory CC100 Speedster Concept in 2013,” Nurnberger says. “There is also a bit of 1953 DB3S in the mid-section, so it really is our latest incarnation of the Speedster concept. It’s also inspired by fighter jets as much as it is by our history, and it has been created to deliver an incredibly visceral experience, hence why it is a V12, rather than a V8.”

The front hood nostril is especially eye-catching. Aston hasn’t implemented this design touch on a car in a long while, and we love seeing it on a new vehicle like this. Nurnberger says it allowed for some extra space under the long hood that it needed for the V12, too.

That interior is similarly stunning. It’s separated into two distinct cockpit areas by a slab of carbon fiber, but it still allows for interaction between the two people in the car below that piece. The design, like so many supercars and sports cars before it, is said to be inspired by fighter jets. This specific spec is a special F/A-18 spec that Aston says will be available to order. It features a number of fighter jet touches throughout. You’ll get to hear the car’s roar better than other Aston’s, too, as the company developed an especially loud stainless steel exhaust system for the V12 Speedster. Its lack of a roof should make it even more audible for those in the cockpit.

Aston Martin says its order books are open now for the V12 Speedster, so it’s not completely sold out yet. Deliveries are slated to begin in the first quarter of 2021. All 88 cars will be hand-built and made to the spec you desire.

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March 4, 2020 / Comments Off

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Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport: born to speed (and drift) through the twisties

Bugatti made automotive history in 2019 when it built a long-tail variant of the Chiron that was still accelerating when it smashed through the 300-mph barrier. With the speed record broken and set, the French company wants to prove it also knows a thing or two about handling with a new Chiron version named Pur Sport.

“It’s a lot of little details that add up to a very different driving experience. You immediately feel the car is nimbler and more agile,” explained Frank Heyl, the company’s deputy design director, in an interview with Autoblog.

Heyl’s team worked directly with Bugatti’s engineering department to create a front fascia with wider air intakes, a redesigned splitter, and a bigger grille. Out back, it’s impossible to miss the 74-inch long wing that unlocks quicker cornering speeds by adding downforce. Below it, a pair of exhaust tips 3D-printed in titanium are integrated into a taller air diffuser made with carbon fiber. There’s no way to miss the Pur Sport if it passes you on the highway.

The rear wing is fixed, and its mounts form an X-shaped insert. Heyl told us Bugatti deliberately sent the Chiron’s hydraulically-operated spoiler back to the parts bin to save as much weight as possible. It shaved a total of 110 pounds, which is far more impressive than it sounds. “You have to consider this: we’ve done everything we could to save weight on the base Chiron. We’ve put the most expensive materials inside this car, and used the most expensive solutions already. To gain another [110 pounds] was quite a challenge,” he pointed out.

The wheels received attention, too, and we’re not just talking about the design or the -2.5 camber angle. “[The two rings] suck air from the inside of the wheel to the outside, which creates downforce and improves the brake cooling by increasing airflow through the wheel,” Heyl explained. The 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels are made of magnesium to reduce unsprung mass by 35 pounds, and they’re wrapped by Bugatti-exclusive Michelin Sport Cup 2 R tires manufactured with a stickier compound. All told, the tweaks made at the Chiron’s four corners increase its lateral acceleration by 10%. Heyl’s equation is beginning to add up.

Alcantara upholstery largely replaces leather in the cabin. It’s lighter, and it does a better job of ensuring the driver’s butt doesn’t slide around when racing up a mountain road. Model-specific stitching on the seats and on the steering wheel, trim pieces, and miscellaneous accents further set the Pur Sport apart from the Chiron.

Bugatti then turned its attention to the chassis. The front and rear springs are 65% and 33% firmer, respectively, and the braking system is lighter thanks to the use of brake pads with a titanium base panel and different brake discs. Owners will be able to exploit the Pur Sport’s full potential by engaging a new driving mode named Sport + that wards off the traction control system’s intervention to allow a controlled drift — on a race track, of course.

“This mode enables the car to be placed on the throttle, so you can steer on the throttle a little bit more. It will allow you to go into a drift, and it will still catch you if things go wrong,” Heyl told Autoblog. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the gyro-based technology is similar to what Lamborghini offers in the rear-wheel drive Huracán.

Finally, let’s answer the question trotting through your brain: no, you won’t find more power in the engine bay. It’s the same quad-turbocharged, 8.0-liter W16 engine found in the regular Chiron, meaning it delivers 1,500 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque, but it’s bolted to a new seven-speed automatic transmission with shorter gear ratios. Engineers raised the 16-cylinder’s redline to 6,900 rpm, an increase of 200 rpm, and these seemingly small changes (along with the weight reduction) make the Pur Sport nearly two seconds quicker from 37 to 75 mph than the Chiron. Elasticity improved by 40% across the board, so it should feel strikingly quick in a straight line. The trade-off is that engineers had to limit its top speed to 217 mph due to the shorter gear ratios and the huge wing.

“Everything works together beautifully for the car to handle much better,” Heyl summed up.

Bugatti will make 60 examples of the Chiron Pur Sport, and each one costs €3 million before taxes, a sum that represents $3.3 million. Autoblog asked the company how many units are already spoken for, and we’ll update this story if we learn more. In the meantime, the French firm is preparing to deliver the first examples of the Divo.

March 3, 2020 / Comments Off

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McLaren GT by MSO has a cashmere interior and next-level paint job

Because the 2020 Geneva Motor Show is canceled, McLaren declared it will digitally host a McLaren Motor Show on March 3, 2020. The main focus of the livestream will be the “world premier of the next chapter in the McLaren LT story,” but a secondary car will also show for the first time. Although it’s not a new model, the GT Verdant Theme by MSO gives another example of what bespoke options can look like.

The McLaren GT Verdant Theme has a unique paint job that’s unlike any other MSO released before it. It’s satin, it’s tri-color, and it blends in a way that gives the GT an entirely different attitude. Verdant means “green with grass or other rich vegetation” or “of the bright green color of lush grass,” and McLaren is 100% on the nose with this one. McLaren says the Verdant GT “revels in a feeling for the verdant landscapes and fresh horizons that the GT has been designed to explore.” The exterior combines Horsell Green, Arbor Green and Steppe Green, all colors bespoke to this vehicle. To accomplish the ombré look took 430 hours of prep and paintwork.

Further building on the exterior look, MSO added hand-painted Napier Green pinstripes on the body and the front splitter. The brake calipers match with Napier Green paint, and the MSO Black Pack darkens the wheels, the upper window surround, and the exhaust tips.

Inside, McLaren claims the first manufacturer use of cashmere in a supercar. The charcoal grey cashmere covers the center tunnel, the door inserts, the lower dashboard, the sun visors, the head restraints and the upper rear back of the seats. The rest of the seats and cabin are covered in Dark Green, Laurel Green and Jet Black leather, and Laurel Green piping adds an extra layer of contrast.

For those who prefer the GT to have a quieter presence, MSO previously customized one with MSO Defined Flux Silver paint and a Flux White interior. Either route, the options are there, and the $15,000 bespoke GT luggage set will be available to match.

March 2, 2020 / Comments Off

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Automobili Pininfarina unveils its next vehicle (sort of)

TURIN, Italy — Today, at its headquarters near Turin, Automobili Pininfarina unveiled for an exclusive group of reporters’ eyes only, a concept that very firmly presages its next production vehicle.

The boutique electric automotive subsidiary of famed coachbuilder and design consultancy Pininfarina Spa wowed attendees at the Geneva Motor Show last year with its $2.5 million, battery-powered hypercar, the Battista, and promised, back then, that more models were forthcoming. This concept, the Pura Vision, is an ultra-luxury, ultra-potent, four- or five-passenger SUV that is meant to combine the sportiness of the Lamborghini Urus with the five-door grand-touring shooting-brake practicality of the Porsche Panamera SportTurismo at a price that slots in above both of them but below that of more extortionate high-riders like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. It thus has in its competitive SUV sights on offerings like the forthcoming Aston Martin DBX and Ferrari Purosange. Pricing wasn’t revealed, but we’re expecting something in the mid- to high- $200,000s range.

The Pininfarina’s unique selling proposition is two-fisted. First, as one would expect from an Italian company that spent many decades as the designers for Ferrari, is design. Though we were strictly forbidden from sharing images of the vehicle, we can attest to its stunning and unique shape. More than 16.5 feet long, and quite broad, the aluminum-skinned SUV features a blunt and grille-less front end, minatory slits of narrow headlamp, a surprisingly long hood given its engineless-ness, tucked-in Coke bottle flanks, rear-hinged “suicide” rear doors, extremely muscular haunches that mimic the flared and spatted rear wheels of the Battista, a fastback rear, and protruding razor thin taillights.

“We wanted to get rid of designs that are messy, and go back to basics with great proportions,” says Automobili Pininfarina head of design Luca Borgogno, referring to the elongated GT-inspired dash-to-axle ratio and short rear overhang of this sporting form. “And the SUV shape is great because, when you think of the EV platform, with the battery pack down low, it’s simpler to integrate in a higher riding vehicle. You can still be super-fast, and deliver some all-terrain capability with the ride height. It’s a perfect mixture.”

True to the second half of its name, the Pura Vision also has a fully glass roof, inspired in part by the bubble-topped Superflow concepts Pininfarina created for Alfa Romeo in the middle of the past century. Of course, in the contemporary case, the glass is ultra strong, undergridded by supports, and self-darkening. “It encloses you so much while surrounding you in this glass teardrop,” Borgogno tells us. “It links you with the environment, connecting you with the idea of sustainability.”

In fact, sustainability, or something like it, is the Pura Vision’s other significant attribute. Built on a new platform that will also underpin future Pininfarina automobiles, it hosts a battery pack large enough to produce 1,000 hp, powering what promises to be a hefty chunk of vehicle from 0-60 mph in fewer than 3 seconds on the way to a top speed of over 180 mph, whilst providing a claimed 550 km (340 miles) of range. Putting all of this power to the Pura’s Pirelli P-Zeros — mounted, to stunning effect, on gigantic 26-inch wheels — is accomplished with a quartet of torque vectoring electric motors. And, in case you were still wondering about its sporting, go-anywhere, grand touring intentions, it has carbon ceramic brakes and a 46/54 front/rear weight distribution, just like the Ferrari GTC4Lusso.

The vehicle’s interior also shines with distinctive materials and material usage. A wooden prow surrounds occupants above and along the dash and along the tops of the doors, kind of like in a Riva speedboat. Echoing this Italian nautical heritage, the fully flat floors can also be spec’d in unvarnished wood. This trim, though probably not the floors (?) can alternately be ordered in carbon fiber for a more technical effect. The rear seat can be configured in a two-place, first-class-esque arrangement with the de rigueur recline feature, or as a more conventional bench. Either way, the passenger compartment is sealed off from the cargo area, and the seat doesn’t seem to fold flat, so don’t plan on carting home sheets of plywood. Not that you’d want to risk getting splinters in all the sustainably tanned leathers, processed with (what else?) olive oil.

Pininfarina plans to build at least three other vehicles on this same platform, and some veiled, ghost-like images in the presentation the executives showed us suggested to our eyes that these would be: a smaller SUV-like thing; a grand-touring coupe of indeterminate number of doors; and a two-door convertible. The Battista hypercar is going to be hand-assembled in an atelier, so in order to build these slightly higher-volume exclusive supercars, Pininfarina is seeking out an existing factory nearby to their headquarters in Italy’s famed Motor Valley that they can convert to a production facility. In addition to vehicle assembly, it will also host prototype, product development, purchasing, supply chain management, testing, training, customer experience, and delivery services. Fortunately, one of the areas into which the Italian design house has recently expanded has been architecture, so they’ll handle the conversion of said factory in-house.

Borgagno warns us that the concept that we saw was not precisely production ready, but that it is “very close.” He says that we should expect to see the wheels decrease in diameter to “just” 24 inches, and the rear suicide doors to be replaced with traditional front-hinged ones, but didn’t specify much else that would change. We don’t typically get too worked up about SUVs, but this one promises to be a bit different, should it retain its current form. “It’s almost romantic,” Borgogno says wistfully, glancing again at the Pura Vision’s glass bubble-top. “To look around at the sky, the sun.”

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March 2, 2020 / Comments Off

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The 2021 Aston Martin DB11 Shadow Edition Is A Stunningly Dark Grand Tourer

With No Time To Die just barely a month away, James Bond fever is on an all-time high. Just recently, an exclusive Adidas Ulraboost 20 was making its way online, confirming a collaboration with the upcoming movie. No one can confirm it just yet, but insiders speculate that Daniel Craig might wear one in the film. Perhaps the most iconic item in 007’s arsenal aside from the gadgets is his trusty Aston Martin. While our favorite protagonist has his choice, the 2021 Aston Martin DB11 Shadow Edition is for the bad guys.

While color does not necessarily dictate good and evil, we can’t help but feel like a villain in this sleek machine. If you likewise fancy its devilish good looks, time is of the essence unless all available units are spoken for. The manufacturer confirms that there will only be 300 units in this special production run. You can be sure that others are already reserving their as we speak.

Aston Martin Lagonda’s Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, had something to say. “We have carefully selected the Shadow Edition design elements to subtly yet noticeably alter the DB11’s appearance.” He also adds that the designers are, “moving it further towards a more assertive and purposeful GT style.”

Clients can choose between the Coupe or Volante version of this Luxury grand tourer. The 2021 Aston Martin DB11 Shadow Edition flaunts several tweaks that add to its alluring beauty. It sits on a set of 20-inch directional alloys in black. Furthermore, the steering wheel features black Alcantara in addition to the obsidian black leather. Overall, this is a vehicle that calls out to our deepest desires for something absolutely jaw-dropping.

Visit Aston Martin for more details

Images courtesy of Aston Martin

February 27, 2020 / Comments Off

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Czinger releases full specs on 21C hybrid hypercar

A week ago, LA-based Czinger teased its 21C hypercar with a video and a promise of “dominating performance.” Now that all the specs are out before the coupe’s reveal at the Geneva Motor Show, on paper at least, it appears “dominating” was the correct choice of words. We’ll start with the performance: Zero to 62 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds — making 0-60 perhaps faster; the quarter-mile in 8.1 seconds at 170 mph; zero to 186 mph and back to zero in 15 seconds; zero to 248 mph and back to zero in 29 seconds, which would eclipse the Koenigsegg Regera’s record of 31.49 seconds set last September.

Assuming the 21C can bring those numbers to life, how does the coupe do it? There’s a 2.88-liter twin-turbo V8 with a flat-plane crank stowed amidships driving the rear wheels, good for 950 horsepower. (To get a sense of the march of progress, the 2.855-liter twin-turbo V8 in the 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO produced 350 hp.) Each front wheel gets a high-powered electric motor, serving up all-wheel drive and a combined output of 1,232 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque at 10,500 rpm, 500 rpm short of redline. The 21C in standard road guise without the big rear wing has a curb weight of 1,250 kilograms (2,756 pounds), and with a metric horsepower rating of 1,250 hp, we’re talking about a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. The 21C Lightweight track-focused car with the big rear wing weighs just 1,218 kg (2,685 pounds). Shifting through a seven-speed automated manual transmission, the road car maxes out at 268 mph, the track car produces more than three times the road car’s downforce so its top speed comes in at 236 mph.

The e-motors get juice from a lithium-titanate battery, the same pack composition used by the Mitsubishi i-Miev and Honda Fit EV, an integrated starter-generator helping to deliver power where needed. Czinger says the entire powertrain was designed and is built in-house, and it’s flex-fuel — owners can fill up with Vulcanol, described as “a renewable methanol made from captured carbon dioxide,” assuming they can find it.

Czinger is only making 80 examples of the 21C, using its proprietary “vertical assembly,” 3D-printed build processes that combine carbon fiber, high-performance alloys, and other materials, topped off with book-matched carbon fiber bodywork. Road & Track has a good writeup on the production system. Company founder Kevin Czinger explained that the 3D-printed parts are expected to last the lifetime of the car, but if any need to be replaced, they can be dissolved into their original powder and reconstituted to serve a different purpose.

Each 21C comes with a reported price of $1.7 million before the obligatory options and fripperies. We look forward to checking this one out in Geneva, and we’ll take the one with the wing, please.

February 21, 2020 / Comments Off

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Glickenhaus SCG 004C gets its first track shakedown in Italy

It can be hard to keep track of the various Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus vehicles on the way because we read about them for years before seeing them. No matter, when they do show, they are welcome sights. The SCG 004C, hardcore racer that’s successor to the Nürburgring pole-sitting 003C, is the next to make the transition from text coverage to track footage. Developed to ultimately serve as a platform for GTE, GTLM, GT3, and GT4 categories as well as Germany’s NLS series, SCG put the first example to test on Italy’s Cremona Circuit. Years ago, SCG’s plan was to have Nissan’s 3.8-liter twin turbo VR38DETT V6 from GT-R placed amidships. That plan morphed into using a 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated pushrod V8 based on GM’s LT4 block, developed by Autotechnica Motori.

Fellow Italian company Podium Advanced Technologies is helping with overall vehicle engineering, SCG saying the 004 chassis — which will get an 004S road version, 004CS road/track version, and the 004C track-specific car — has already been through 35,000 hours of development work. As to the engine, James Glickenhaus told Sportscar365, “It can’t rev very high, but GT3 engines can’t rev very high anyway with the restrictors. You get a very low center of gravity and it’s a very compact engine, so there’s a tremendous amount of space around it to blow air around and keep it cool.” The 003C used a 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged Honda HR35TT V6 built for IMSA’s Daytona Prototype category. Glickenhaus said the change in philosophy with the 004C meant that “with the low-end torque, we’re going to be able to be faster coming out of the turns than we were with the 003C.”

On the first shakedown and improvements compared to the 003C, the owner explained that two more inches of suspension travel in the 004C would translate into softer landings on the high-flying Nordschleife, and the new nose results in improved downforce and better aero balance. The 004C is also about 220 pounds lighter than its 2,976-pound forebear.

The 004C will of course be restricted to series power limits. Since the road-going cars won’t be limited, customers will get about 680 hp out of the V8 in the 004S, and around 850 hp out of the 004CS with the help of a supercharger bolted to that V8. Estimated price for the hand-built, carbon-fiber bodied 004S is $485,000, the 004CS will start around $650,000. As with the racer, all versions will employ a three-seater cockpit with a central driver’s seat, the choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission; the race car fits an Xtrac sequential transmission.

After its first test at Cremona, the 004C heads to Aragon, Spain, for a 30-hour endurance test. Its first race comes next month in the Experimental Class in the NLS series, before racing again in April, and a tilt at the Nürburgring 24 in May. Check out the sound from the outside in the clip above, and the on-board views below.

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February 21, 2020 / Comments Off

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Koenigsegg bringing a new hybrid 2+2 to Geneva?

Koenigsegg hosted its global dealer network for a shindig at its Angelholm, Sweden, headquarters last month. During the event, the hypercar maker tweeted an image of employees standing next to five Koenigsegg models under black sheets. It was thought these represented the cars Koenigsegg will bring to next month’s Geneva Motor Show. At least one of those five is rumored to be the Jesko-based Mission 500 concept, the rocket that CEO Christian Koenigsegg will use to challenge the top speed record. The Supercar Blog credits sources for information on another of the five, it supposedly being a hybrid 2+2 called the KG12.

If the rumors are close to true, the extra two seats — and we use the words “seats” generously — wouldn’t be the only break with Koenigsegg tradition. TSB‘s insider says the heart of the KG12’s hybrid powerplant will be a 2.0-liter, three-cylinder engine engineered with the carmaker’s camless FreeValve system. Combined with an electric motor or motors, total output is thought to be around 1,500 horsepower. If such a thing shows up at Geneva, predicted to be on display under a glass engine cover, it will be in the running for the wildest and most innovative propulsion system at the show.

Design standards like the wraparound windshield and dihedral synchro-helix doors are expected to make the cut, but those doors might be longer than usual so as to provide better access to whatever fits in the back seat. TSB writes that the KG12 will cost around €1.4 million ($1.5 million U.S.), with deliveries to begin in 2022 and production limited to 300 units.

One big question is whether the KG12 is, or has anything to do with, the affordable Koenigsegg supercar that’s been on simmer in the background for a few years. A year ago, reports said the car would come to this year’s Geneva show. However, the least expensive Koenigsegg has been imagined with the firm’s naturally-aspirated V8 paired with hybrid assistance, getting something like 1,050 hp, and a price tag of anywhere from €600,000 to €800,000 ($650,000-$850,000). We’ll have an answer in two weeks.

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February 18, 2020 / Comments Off

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Flaunt fashion using the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition

Despite the series of leaks ahead of its official reveal, the Galaxy Z Flip still manages to draw people’s attention. During a secret meeting with its partners and mobile service providers at CES 2020, Samsung presented a new smartphone. Moreover, the manufacturer confirmed it was a foldable handset with fashion in mind. Now shortly after its reveal at Unpacked 2020, the South Korean consumer electronics giant presented the Thom Browne Edition.

As with most of its high-profile product collaborations, Samsung hands over the designing responsibilities to the capable hands of its partners. This time, it just so happens that this tie-in grants a stylish vibe to an already attractive mobile device. The regular version, already touts a premium build with three eye-catching colourways: Mirror Purple, Mirror Gold, and Mirror Black.

Most would classify the latter as the only masculine option for those who don’t fancy the former two. Now, the Thom Browne Edition of the Galaxy Z Flip gives consumers with deep pockets to flaunt an exclusive look. Just like some of the brand’s high-class menswear, the clamshell phone sports a business-like classic grey finish.

In addition to the new shade is the fashion house’s signature colours on the Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6 exterior. Just like a three-piece suit, the Thom Browne Edition comes in an elegant box with two more gadgets to match your smartphone. There’s a Galaxy Watch Active 2 and the latest Galaxy Buds+ wireless earbuds. Please note that the latter two are also in theme with the overall design. Unlike the original Galaxy Z Flip which costs around $1,380, the special edition commands a $2,480 cost of ownership.

Own this exclusive handset now

Images courtesy of Samsung

February 15, 2020 / Comments Off

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Czinger preparing 21C hybrid hypercar for Geneva debut

Kevin Czinger — with a silent C — has spent the past 11 years that we know of trying out various automotive concepts in Southern California. The Yale Law School graduate who built hot rods as a youth in Cleveland co-founded Coda Automotive in 2009, which tried to get off the ground with a re-engineered Chinese sedan converted to an all-electric powertrain. Coda went under in 2013. In 2014. The next year, Czinger started Divergent 3d, which revealed the Blade supercar in 2015. Czinger’s point with the Blade was to convert automakers to novel production techniques, the Blade’s chassis and body created with 3D-printed aluminum alloy. In 2019, Czinger formed an eponymous company taking the Blade as the inspiration for the Czinger 21C hybrid hypercar. In a previous interview with Road and Track, which deserves a read, Czinger said, “We’re looking to combine computing power, science, and additive manufacturing into one system.”

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The 21C could be that blend, having clearly come a long way from the Blade. We don’t know much about the coupe, Czinger preferring to wait for details until its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The moody reveal video shows off the suite of hypercar cues like diminutive overhangs, the fulsome fenders, angry LED headlights, plenty of vents, center-lock wheels twirling around giant carbon ceramic rotors and beefy calipers, a serious wing hanging off the back, and what looks like a top-mount dual exhaust. Tandem seating — passenger behind driver — carries over from the Blade, and the copious exposed carbon fiber bodywork hides plenty of 3D-printed components. The brace connecting the carbon fiber steering column housing to the instrument panel, for instance, looks a prime culprit for additive manufacturing. The full-width roller coaster brake light ensures everyone behind the 21C will remember what they’ve just seen.

The powertrain is an unknown beyond the descriptive that it’s a “strong hybrid” developed in-house to deliver “dominating performance.” Strong would be the correct word if the video can be trusted; at the 0:28 mark, the digital rev counter shows a redline beyond 10,000 rpm. We’ll know more come Geneva.

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February 14, 2020 / Comments Off

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Aston Martin Vantage Roadster finally doffs the cap

Two years after the hardtop Aston Martin Vantage redefined the Vantage nameplate yet again, the coupe has dropped its top. Below the shoulder the Vantage Roadster holds true to nearly everything that compelled us to label the coupe “a significant milestone.” Above the shoulder, a fabric top envelops an “ultra-compact” Z-frame that drops in 6.7 seconds and unfurls in 6.8. The carmaker says it’s the fastest fully electronic mechanism out there, and operates at speeds of up to 31 miles per hour. Thanks to the frame’s compact design, the car’s lines don’t differ much from the hardtop. Nor do the performance specs: The convertible gains 132 pounds over the fixed-roof, needs 3.5 seconds to hit 60 mph instead of 3.5, and maxes out at 190 mph, five miles per hour less than the coupe. Losing the rear hatch takes a bit out of luggage space, though, which declines from 12.4 cubic feet to seven. Aston Martin says the cubby will still swallow a full-sized golf bag and related paraphernalia.

The Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 delivers the full 503 horsepower and 505 pound-feet of torque. Engineers tuned the suspension, differential, driving aids, and driving modes specifically for the convertible. The carmaker has made its seven-speed manual transmission newly available on the coupe this year — it was offered previously only on the Vantage AMR — but the droptop is barred from the row-your-own party. The Vantage Roadster sticks with the ZF eight-speed automatic. Convertible buyers can avail themselves of other additional kit introduced this year to celebrate 70 years of the Vantage name, said first applied to a more powerful version of the 1951 DB2 called the DB2 Vantage. The potential extras include Aston Martin’s historic vane grille as well as new wheel designs.

Deliveries begin in Europe during Q2, U.S. shoppers can expect summer delivery. Pricing starts at $161,000, an $8,000 premium over the coupe.

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February 12, 2020 / Comments Off

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First production 2020 SSC Tuatara unveiled at Philadelphia Auto Show

Last summer, SSC North America announced that the first production Tuatara was introduced to its owner during Monterey Car Week, yet no photos of the handover were provided. The Washington-state-based carmaker was oddly low key about the event, having spent 10 years getting the Tuatara into production and delivering chassis #1 at America’s glitziest auto event. Now we know why. Dr. Larry Caplin wanted to debut his car in his hometown of Philadelphia. Caplin founded CF Charities, a nonprofit that supports underserved students interested in health and STEM careers, and CF Charities is sponsoring a supercar pavilion during the Philadelphia Auto Show. The star car is the doctor’s Pearlescent Black Tuatara with Gloss Black and Red accents, dressed in SSC’s high-speed configuration. There’s a chance it’s sharing the stage with its predecessor, a white 2011 SSC Ultimate Aero that also forms part of Caplin’s collection.

Ex-Pininfarina designer Jason Castriota drew the exterior shapes. SSC says the skin and carbon fiber monocoque below are fashioned from aerospace-grade carbon fiber, the company tapping the manifest aerospace materials suppliers in the Pacific Northwest for the glossy stuff. Castriota says that lots of wind tunnel tuning has resulted in a 0.279 drag coefficient, and active aerodynamics means the Tuatara exhibits “identical aero balance from 100 mph to well over 300 mph.” We’re looking most forward to seeing if the Tuatara has the gumption to hit 300 mph, never mind go “well over” that mark.

It’s been given the powerplant to do so, on paper at least. Developed with Nelson Racing Engines, the 5.9-liter twin-turbo V8 with the flat-plane crank and 8,800-rpm redline produces 1,350 horsepower on 91 octane, 1,750 hp on E85. Torque maxes out at 1,280 pound-feet at 6,800 rpm, all to move a car that weighs 2,750 pounds dry. A CIMA seven-speed automated manual gearbox manages shifting, swapping cogs in less than 100 milliseconds in Track Mode before sending power to the rear wheels.

Daily driver intentions are fulfilled by push-button dihedral doors, a large, vertically-oriented infotainment touchscreen with controls and readouts for the expected mod-cons as well as vehicle data and telemetry, rear and blind-spot cameras, and a Front Lift Mode that raises the nose 1.6 inches when traversing obstacles. The flat-top-and-bottom steering wheel and digital cluster look properly slick. The adjustable suspension flips between the default Sport Mode and Track Mode, a 1.25-inch ride height difference between the two; at the track, the Tuatara sits just 2.75 inches off the ground at the front, 3.25 inches at the rear. SSC also says tall drivers are invited to the Tuatara party, claiming that occupants as tall as 6-foot-5 will fit comfortably, “even sporting a race helmet.”

Assuming all goes well, SSC plans to build only 99 more examples before shutting down production. The company still hasn’t revealed a current price — last we heard, in 2013, MSRP was $1.3 million. That plus a touch of inflation should get a buyer well on his way to what’s being billed as “America’s Hypercar.”

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February 10, 2020 / Comments Off

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The Luxurious Caviar Cyberphone channels the Tesla Cybertruck

Elon Musk is full of fun and crazy ideas and Men’s Gear just loves it when he occasionally goes overboard. Last year, the debut of Tesla’s first all-electric pickup truck was a jaw-dropping experience. As the futuristic tank rolled on the stage what immediately caught our attention was the sharp angular design. The company claims the machine is not only a capable workhorse, but it can likewise withstand extreme abuse. Russian Jeweller Caviar pays homage to this awesome ride with the aptly named Cyberphone.

Don’t let the quirky name fool you because at its heart is Apple’s latest smartphone models. Caviar’s customisation services might over-the-top for regular folks, but for the brand’s affluent clientele, it is a small price for superior luxury.

Buyers can choose between an iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max. Furthermore, it is available in three storage options: 64 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB. Both variants receive the same treatment with their size as the only contrast.

Pricing of the Caviar Cyberphone ranges from $5,960 all the way up to $7,140 for the range-topping combination. What makes these deluxe smartphones different from their standard versions is the complete rework of the housing.

Experts strip off the original enclosure of the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max and replace it with a titanium body. Gone are the rounded aesthetics as a new angular frame with geometric surfaces adorn the handset.

Just as the Tesla Cybertruck promises outstanding protection, the Caviar Cyberphone flaunts one of its own. It comes with a titanium screen protection panel that uses a hinge mechanism to fold into an integrated stand. The company is only offering this lavish mobile phone in limited numbers.

Only from Caviar

Images courtesy of Caviar

February 8, 2020 / Comments Off

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Try to spot the new Porsche 911 GT3 in this Super Bowl commercial

When Porsche chose YouTube for the reveal of its Super Bowl commercial, the biggest news was the Stuttgart sports car maker returning to The Big Game after 24 years away. Depending on whether you’re more interested in the annual commercial-palooza or the products therein, Porsche hid even bigger newness inside “The Heist:” A sneak peek of the 992-series 911 GT3. As far as we can tell, Motor1 was first to catch the trickery, a Porsche rep confirming the subterfuge to Motor Trend. The presentation begins at 43 seconds in the video above, ending at 49, the culprit being the blue coupe on the lift above the yellow GT2 RS.

What can we tell from these snapshots? That the prototypes haven’t lied. It’s real busy in back, with a high-rise wing above a ducktail spoiler. The current 911 GT3 uses a pair of solid supports at the base of the engine cover supporting the wing from the bottom. Prototypes we’ve seen of the new GT3 fit a pair of thick stanchions set higher up on the body, next to the backlight, that clamp the wing top and bottom. Our guess is engineers needed to make room for the ducktail spoiler across the width of the car. We can’t quite make out the arrangement on the GT3 in the commercial, but it looks like the prototype plinths have been shaved down to a pair of thin braces next to the rear glass. Beneath all that, the rear bumper shows the same recessed section across its width. And an inordinate amount of the coupe’s flanks is taken up by big, 10-spoke, center-lock wheels fronting giant rotors.

Curiously, the GT3 Touring prototypes spotted at the Nürburgring lack both the big rear wing and the ducktail spoiler.

Don’t be surprised at a Geneva Motor Show reveal in March. Technical specs have homed in on a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six with up to 550 horsepower, the choice of a manual transmission, and a speculated ‘Ring lap time of around seven minutes, which would take about 12 seconds off the current car’s time.

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January 28, 2020 / Comments Off

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Ferrari SF90 Stradale shows how it was made in new video

Supercar geeks! Stop what you’re doing and watch this, preferably somewhere quiet where you can listen to the ambient, ethereal music. It’s a nearly 10-minute video Ferrari released titled “Manufacturing the SF90 Stradale,” and it offers a dream-like look at the production of its first-ever plug-in hybrid ahead of its launch this year.

What we see isn’t exactly sequential — 3D digital modeling and virtual reality are shown at the end, after we’ve seen the physical car being built — but it’s nonetheless an interesting look at the artistry side and painstakingly detailed preparation of manufacturing a 986-horsepower Italian supercar.

The video opens with a visit to the foundry, where molten aluminum is poured into molds and we see gloved hands and robots assembling parts for the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, its most powerful V8 yet at 769 hp. Ferrari says its engineers increased the capacity on the F154-heritage engine to 3,990 cc from 3,902 cc via a larger, 88-millimeter bore. There’s also a new, narrower cylinder head with a central injector, a Ferrari V8-first 350-bar GDI and a larger intake and redesigned exhaust system.

From there, there’s lots more eye candy, as we’re taken through body assembly, the paint shop, digital and clay modeling, interior parts assembly, and so forth. It finishes with a shot of the completed car in red against a dark background.

Other notables in the SF90 include four powertrain modes controlled by buttons on the steering wheel, including up to 15 miles in all-electric with front-wheel drive relying on the two front electric motors. The hybrid modes activate a third e-motor located at the rear axle, between the engine and the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The SF90 is also the first Ferrari to use all-wheel drive, which the company says was necessary to fully exploit the hybrid power.

The video can only mean that we’re getting close to launch, and it’s sure to whet the appetites of those privileged enough to afford one.

January 23, 2020 / Comments Off

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Top 5 most expensive cars at the 2020 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction

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January 20, 2020 / Comments Off

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Koenigsegg reportedly bringing ‘Mission 500’ concept to Geneva

Koenigsegg has a thing for the Geneva Motor Show, introducing its first customer car there, the CC82, in 2002. Since then, the Swedish carmaker has trucked wares like the CCX and CCXR, Agera, Regera, and Jesko from Angelholm to greet the world in the Romandy region of Switzerland. According to a report in The Supercar Blog, the ritual takes place again this year, with Koenigsegg supposedly debuting a concept called Mission 500. The concept, so the story goes, will preview the vehicle the hypercar maker plans to use to crack the 300-mile-per-hour barrier. The “500” in the name refers to 500 kilometers per hour, which equates to 310.6 miles per hour. There are rumors of two more cars on display, but the Mission 500 concept is the centerpiece.

Getting any production car to reach 300 miles per hour is a stellar feat, one accomplished last September by the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+. The task is so difficult that every extra mile per hour beyond 300 could be considered its own Herculean conquest of several categories of physics. The Molsheim coupe ran 304.77 mph (490.48 kilometers per hour) at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien track. If Koenigsegg can hit the magic 500, that additional 6 mph represents a gargantuan achievement.

It’s not clear if the Mission 500 concept is a new vehicle or based on the Jesko. Company boss Christian von Koenigsegg has said he has a 300-mph variant of the Jesko in mind that only needs some extreme aero to manage the task. The CEO has practical math to work with for his claim, his company having got the Agera RS up to 277.87 mph in 2017 — that speed averaged after runs in both directions, unlike the Chiron Super Sport run that was timed in one direction only. If the Mission 500 is Jesko-based, we’d expect to see the 5.0-liter V8 amidships that makes 1,577 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque on E85, or “just” 1,262 hp and 941 kW on 95-octane pump gas.

Top Fuel NHRA racer Brittany Force set a national record last year at 338.17 mph through the speed trap, using a 500-cubic inch (8.19-liter) supercharged V8 with 10,000 horsepower to do it. The idea that we could see a passenger car with navigation and two cupholders get within 30 mph of that speed is outstanding. Even better is the idea that, assuming the Swedes pull it off, Hennessey or SSC might attempt to beat it. Come on, Geneva.

January 15, 2020 / Comments Off

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