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Novitec N-Largo McLaren 720s boasts big presence to match big power

If a carbon tax referred to a penalty based on how much carbon fiber were used to build a car, specialty tuner Novitec Group would be looking at a hefty bill for its most recent creation. The Novitec N-Largo adds not just a styling kit, not just a performance upgrade, not just a suspension adjustment, but all three to the already massively talented 720s supercar.

Based in Germany, Novitec has made a name for itself tuning elite performance and luxury cars, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces, Maseratis, Teslas, and McLarens. In the past, Novitec has offered its takes on McLaren’s 540C, the 570S, the 570GT, and even a different example of the 720s. But this new build has a much more assertive personality than the previously subtle makeover.

Limited to just 15 examples, the N-Largo gives the 720s a look similar to that of the McLaren Senna. Using molded carbon fiber, the N-Largo ditches the soft and suave curves of the stock car for a more aggressive demeanor. The car can been lowered 1.3 inches with sport springs, and it sits on staggered Vossen MC2 forged center-lock wheels, 20-inch in the front and 21-inch in the rear, wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero rubber.

Novitec notes that the new bumpers completely replace the original McLaren parts and bolt to the secure original connection points. The styling kit was not devoid of practical thought, either, as the kit maintains the aerodynamic and cooling bits that help make the 720s such a deadly performance vehicle. The N-Largo also adds a new rear airfoil attachment that is claimed to increase downforce.

Most importantly, Novitec crafted three different levels of performance tunes for the 720s. According to Vossen, an auxiliary control unit plugs in and adapts to the electronic engine controls on the car. In the most powerful stage 2 configuration, which includes a performance exhaust, the N-Largo shows up to the tune of 794 horsepower and 648 lb-ft of torque, 84 more horses and 80 more lb-ft than the standard 710 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque from the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. According to Novitec and Vossen, this gives the N-Largo a 0-62 time of 2.7 seconds, a 0-124 run in 7.5 seconds, and a top speed of about 215 mph.

There’s no word on pricing or availability, but we can tell you this: Novitec is already working on an interpretation of the McLaren 600LT. We have a feeling it might be even more braggadocious than the 720s.

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November 28, 2018 / Comments Off

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Automobili Pininfarina teases the PF0 electric hypercar

Automobili Pininfarina isn’t at the L.A. Auto Show, but the Italo-German carmaker didn’t want to skip the reveal-happy festivities. From its headquarters in Munich, execs showed off the rear aspect of the coming PF0 in genuine carbon fiber. We saw a drawing of the twin rear wings in August not long after Monterey Car Week. This is the first time we’ve seen what the electric hypercoupe will actually look like.

First impressions are of a giant diffuser with a little bit of car attached. We shouldn’t be surprised that a car with 1,925 horsepower, 1,700 pound-feet of torque, a sub-2-second 0-60 time and a top speed beyond 220 miles per hour would feature bodacious air management. Above the diffuser, an LED sits at the rear edge of the tail flaps. We look forward to seeing how they’ll operate, since we can’t make out any other lights on the back of the PF0 — not even reverse lights. In a shaded rendering of the front three-quarter aspect, we get another glimpse of the full-width LED, some steep headlights, and a lower intake underlined by a deep front spoiler.

Automobili named the design language inaugurated by the PF0 “Pura” and has contracted with design house Pininfarina to turn Pura into a range of vehicles. The car company invested more than 20 million euro ($22.6M) in the design concern to create an electric, luxury performance lineup. So far, we’ve heard that three SUVs will arrive in the next five years.

First, a clarification: Indian conglomerate Mahindra bought the Pininfarina styling and engineering firm in 2015. In April of this year, Mahindra founded Automobili Pininfarina as a wholly separate company, with head offices in Munich, to develop and sell Pininfarina-branded production cars. Hence, the two companies are related by name and ownership, but with separate corporate structures. That explains how the automobile side makes a show of investing in the design side, with the automaker CEO saying, “It is a pleasure and a privilege to partner with the world’s greatest car design house, Pininfarina SpA. This agreement brings us together and marks the beginning of two exciting chapters in our very different histories.” It also explains why the PF0, which was designed by Automobili Pininfarina designers, will be hand-built in the design firm’s Cambiano, Italy, home base.

With nearly 75 percent of the North American allotment of 50 cars accounted for, the PF0 has gone on a European tour for prospective buyers. The electric demon will debut at next year’s Geneva Motor Show, and make first deliveries toward the end of 2020.

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November 28, 2018 / Comments Off

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Lamborghini SC18 Alston is a ferocious first from Squadra Corse

Lamborghini has worked up a number of limited-editions and one-offs over the past decade, from the run-of-20 Veneno to the one-of-one Egoista and Aventador J. The standard production-car division worked up those previous efforts. Now, Lamborghini’s racing division, Squadra Corse, has dreamed up a one-off for the first time as a commission for a client. Called the SC18 Alston, the Aventador-based coupe starts at the marker laid down by the SVJ and takes a few barbarous steps beyond.

The point, apparently, was a road-going car with maximum track performance. Squadra Corse designers, working with the customer and Lamborghini Centro Stile, penned an aero package that borrows elements from Huracán race cars. The front hood air intakes were derived from the Huracán GT3 EVO, while the side and rear fenders, the fins and the scoops take inspiration from the Huracán Super Trofeo EVO. The three-stanchion wing hearkens to the Veneno, the rear taillight pattern and valance curve reference the Centenario, and the way the rear wing endplates rise from the fenders suggests the Bugatti Vision GT.

The power unit comes untouched from the Aventador SVJ, meaning a 6.5-liter V12 with 759 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque, shifting through the seven-speed ISR gearbox. An engine cover with 12 vents, also derived from the racing programs, keeps the fury cool, and a new exhaust design produces a new sound.

Lighter carbon fiber bodywork drenched in Grigio Daytona hides the internals and reduces weight. Screenprinted red accents on the body panels coordinate with accents on the center-lock wheels — 20 inches in front, 20 in back — and specially developed Pirelli P Zero tires. The cabin’s been dressed in Nero Ade Alcantara with red cross-stitching, and a pair of carbon fiber buckets.

There’s nothing not to like here, and we suspect this won’t be the last unique effort we see from the Squadra Corse brand.

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November 19, 2018 / Comments Off

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McLaren Speedtail prototype says you can call it Al(bert)

Automakers so frequently refer to their cars, both in production and in development, by boring old alphanumeric codes. McLaren in particular does this, with such unmemorable names as MP4-12C and 650S. Its new Speedtail, still in development, does have a boring code name of MVY02, but it also has a real name. It’s called Albert.

According to McLaren, the reason for this is that the test prototypes for the old McLaren F1 supercar were also called Albert. The location where the F1 was designed was on Albert Drive, too. So this is a nice throwback to the last top speed demon from the British car firm. And of course, it’s a fun name for a car.

Aside from the name, the prototype is distinguished by a nifty vinyl wrap, as well as a unique nose. Instead of the super slick fascia of the Speedtail production car, the nose of the 720S has been grafted on. According to McLaren, underneath those panels are the actual Speedtail components. It actually doesn’t look as out of place as we would have imagined. The car is being used to test the production hybrid engine in real-world driving, as well as finalizing suspension brakes, ergonomics and more. Testing will continue over the coming year until production begins at the end of 2019.

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November 9, 2018 / Comments Off

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Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus to build factory in Connecticut

Specialty sports car and race team Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus is planning to build a new assembly plant in Connecticut for its upcoming 004 and 006 road-going sports cars.

The new facility would add to its factory in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., where SCG restores its personal collection of cars and conducts final assembly of the 003, but only has capacity to build around one car per month, said Jesse Glickenhaus, managing director and son of founder and film producer James Glickenhaus. The firm expects to close on the new property at a small airport in Danbury, Conn., a 45-minute drive from Sleepy Hollow, by the end of this week.

In an email to Autoblog, Glickenhaus adds “we are building out this space so that eventually it could build 15 cars per week (although we won’t be at the capacity for several years), and we are building the factory to scale 50 cars per year.”

Clients will easily be able to land a plane and taxi straight to the factory to park. “The main building is a round building that was originally built to manufacture giant revolving turntables for restaurants in skyscrapers or also for railroad stations where trains needed to turn around,” he wrote. “There is also a smaller 4-bay garage that will display vehicles, and contain offices and conference rooms.” He said the company plans to make the facility environmentally friendly and is researching powering the building entirely with solar panels and batteries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration earlier this year granted the company status as a low volume manufacturer, meaning it will be allowed to produce up to 325 cars in the United States and be exempt from certain regulations that larger, volume automakers must contend with. The company currently builds most of its cars in Turin, Italy.

The 004 is the mid-engine, central-seat sports car available in road-legal form as the GT 004S, a carbon fiber-bodied three-seater, and the 004CS, the road-going version of the 004C race car that will be powered by a tuned version of the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 from the Nissan GT-R. It’s expected to launch from the new plant in late 2019 with an optional 800-horsepower LT5 engine along with the base 650-hp LT4 engine, both available in manual or automatic transmission with paddle shifters, according to Motor1.

The 006, meanwhile, is a retro 1960s-style two-door roadster that will produce 650 horsepower and start around $250,000. The company first showed off the 003 supercar at Geneva in 2015, and it’s also planning to re-animate the Baja Boot off-roader with a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8, reportedly in California.

Here’s a little more color that Jesse Glickenhaus shared with Autoblog:

We are a small company that is a passion more than anything. Jim and I dream up dreams that seem crazy and impossible to the world (let’s make a pure race car for the road that is better than anything else on the market, let’s build a car in the United States to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for 1st Overall, let’s build a road legal car that can drive to from California to the Baja, race the Baja 1000, and drive home, let’s build a car from the ground up to race the 24 hours of Nurburgring and be competitive for first overall). Then we both go and make that happen. My main job is working together with my dad to figure out how to make these dreams and adventures happen.

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November 5, 2018 / Comments Off

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Ford GT Carbon Series is the lightest version of Ford’s supercar

Following up on the announcement that it will build 350 more GTs, Ford revealed another version of its supercar that will be available to customers. It’s the 2019 Ford GT Carbon Series, and it’s the lightest version of this GT model.

Visually, it’s recognizable by its gray paint and the standard exposed carbon fiber stripe down the middle, which showcases the perfectly reflected carbon weave on either side of the car. This stripe can be accentuated with a contrasting color stripe down the middle, along with mirror caps the same color. The accent color choices are restricted to silver, orange, red and blue. Inside, upholstered parts get unique silver stitching, and matte carbon fiber is used for the air vent pods, side sills and center console.

While the visual upgrades are nice, the real appeal of the Carbon Series is that it’s the lightest current GT. Total weight loss is 39 pounds. This is because it includes as standard the optional carbon fiber wheels, titanium exhaust and titanium lug nuts. It also gets a unique rear hatch with lighter glass and additional ventilation. We suspect that Ford could have shaved off a few more pounds if it removed the climate control and radio, but Ford said that GT buyers didn’t want to sacrifice those features.

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October 30, 2018 / Comments Off

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2018 Audi R8 V10 Plus Competition Package is a hardcore, ultra-rare R8

While the the Audi R8 RWS was a pretty rare beast when it was revealed, Audi has released yet another, even rarer R8. It’s the 2018 Audi R8 V10 Plus Competition Package, and only 10 of them will be sold in the United States.

There are a few things that differentiate the car from a regular R8 V10 Plus. Immediately noticeable are the various aero aids appended to the Audi. They include a front splitter, canards, rear diffuser, and a big rear wing. They’re very functional, doubling the regular R8 Plus’s downforce at 93.7 mph (150 kph) for a total of 114.6 pounds. At the car’s top speed of 196 mph, the aero parts provide 220.5 pounds of downforce.

The Competition Package R8 is lighter than a normal V10 Plus. Audi says it’s 28.6 pounds lighter in total, with 2.2 pounds coming from lightweight carbon ceramic brake pads with titanium backing plates, and 26.4 coming from the milled aluminum wheels. To flesh out what is basically an extreme handling package, Audi also gives this model three-way adjustable coilover suspension.

All 10 of the R8s will be painted Suzuka Gray, which looks like white to us. The interior is kept plush with full leather trim, an Alcantara steering wheel, carbon fiber shift paddles and even a 550-watt Bang and Olufsen sound system. It’s certainly a different approach than the ultralight R8 RWS.

Also different from the R8 RWS is the price. While that rear-drive special was the most affordable R8, this Competition Package model is more, a lot more. It rings in at $238,750 with destination fee, which is a $43,100 premium over the standard V10 Plus it’s based on. It’s also $98,800 more than the R8 RWS.

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October 18, 2018 / Comments Off

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ATS introduces Launch Edition of its rare GT supercar

The reborn Italian sports car maker Automobili Turismo e Sport has announced a special Launch Edition of its new GT model after showing the car at events in the United States, both on the West and East Coast. Like the original ATS 2500 GT, the 2018 car will also get a 12-unit production run as the Launch Edition. The new GT is the first production ATS in about 50 years.

ATS says the car is “built on one of the best carbon fiber chassis and powertrains available on the market today,” which we have taken to mean the car is in fact a carbon-fiber rebody of something existing, most likely the McLaren 650S. The company explains that interior and exterior are its own design, and the car has new electronics, infotainment, engine calibration and headlights, among other custom features. The twin-turbo V8 engine directs our thoughts in that direction, too, even if the ATS release doesn’t call out McLaren as a technology partner. Still, ATS could choose worse when shopping for a running gear for the GT, and depending on customer needs, the power output of the GT Launch Edition ranges from 730 to 830 horsepower, which is plenty for a supercar. Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes are available as an option to keep all those horses in check.

There is a custom three-muffler “Sistema-Trio” hand-welded titanium exhaust system, the sound of which can be adjusted by selecting different drive modes, Viaggio, Sport and Corsa; from daily driving to track use. Those modes also affect the engine, suspension and gearbox responses, toggled from a CNC machined module. ATS also lauds its open-linkage gearlever setup, the feel of which can be fine-tuned to match the driver’s requirements. The transmission is likely to be the McLaren seven-speed dual-clutch unit with automatic and manual modes.

The development has included a comfort-oriented cockpit design, with emphasis on soundproofing and a relaxing long-distance driving atmosphere — part of that is a bespoke planar-magnetic sound system ATS calls “Prima Orchestra.” And in addition to that, buyers of the Launch Edition — ATS says there are three so far — can get their names carved on the car’s steering wheel. Prices start from $850,000.

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October 17, 2018 / Comments Off

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Holden Time Attack Concept is a vision of a 1,340-horsepower electric race car

When you think of crazy, over-the-top supercars with wild powertrains, you probably think of Koenigsegg or Rimac. But in this case, we’re talking about Holden, the Australian brand synonymous with big rear-drive sedans with equally large V8s. For the 50th anniversary of the brand’s first victory at the Mount Panorama racetrack in Bathurst, it decided to imagine a concept car, simply named the Time Attack Concept, meant to set a blistering lap time around the course. The designers really let their imaginations loose, to say the least.

The Holden, which only exists in virtual form for the time being, uses four electric motors, one for each wheel, that produce a total of 1,340 horsepower and an even more jaw-dropping 2,389 pound-feet of torque. Each motor is coupled to its own three-speed planetary automatic transmission. Combined with a lightweight carbon fiber chassis, Holden estimates it could hit 62 mph in just 1.25 seconds. The company also says it would be capable of a top speed of roughly 300 mph.

Of course, this car is designed for more than just outright speed. To that end, it has fairly conventional double-wishbone suspension made from carbon fiber components. It’s backed by a hydraulic system that actively eliminates body roll, dive and squat to keep the car level and provide optimum contact with the road. Each corner has carbon brakes and 310-mm wide slick tires. The car makes extensive use of aerodynamic aids, particularly fans that run air through venturi tunnels. These help make sure there’s downforce at low speeds, and helps improve it at higher speeds.

The estimated results of all these technologies are pretty amazing. The company claims a maximum lateral force of 6.5g, and maximum braking force of 6g. The electric motors are able to provide 2.0g of that just with regenerative braking. Holden further ran a simulation of the car on Mount Panorama, and calculated it could run a time of 1:29.30. To put that into perspective, the fastest lap at the track was 1:48.8 done by Jenson Button in a 2011 Formula One car. As pointed out by Wheels, this time was not technically official since it didn’t happen in a race, but we feel safe in assuming this concept’s simulation time was not with competition on the track.

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October 5, 2018 / Comments Off

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McLaren upgrades 720S arsenal with a Track Pack Specification

Two years ago, McLaren Automotive permitted owners to sharpen the 570S coupe with a new Track Pack, which brought the added benefit of lopping 55 pounds off the already svelte two-door. The carmaker says 10 percent of buyers choose it. Earlier this year, the Track Pack migrated to the droptop 570S, eliminating 73 pounds of performance-blunting mass. With the 720S GT3 customer race car testing throughout Europe as you read this, McLaren has announced a Track Pack Specification for the 720S road car.

McLaren made the announcement in the UK, but the circuit bundle is certain to make its way here, following the previous two. When it does, you can also expect it to cost roughly the same as a decently powered track car. That’s because to get to the Track Pack, you first need to option the Performance Pack, which appends hood and rear fender intakes, carbon fiber exterior mirror caps, and ambient lighting in the engine bay.

Outside, the Track Pack combines the so-called “MSO Defined Gloss Finish Visual Carbon Fiber Active Rear Spoiler” with a sports exhaust and “super-lightweight” forged 10-spoke wheels. Inside, a pretzeled titanium bar spanning the cabin secures six-point harnesses for the driver and passenger lightweight carbon fiber racing seats. The driver grips an Alcantara-rimmed steering wheel, and the bespoke division puts its 18th-century-novel naming scheme to work again with the “MSO Defined Satin Visual Carbon Fiber Extended Gearshift Paddles.”

No changes are made to the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. Nevertheless, when it’s time to win the track-day trophy, the properly equipped 720S driver can make best use of that engine with the McLaren Track Telemetry (MTT) system, which marries data-logging software to three video cameras around the car.

When it’s all assembled, adding equals subtracting: the £28,360 price (about $37,000) is less than the price of optioning Track Pack components individually, and returns a 47-kilo (53-pound) drop in curb weight. (And pushes total cost to about $293,000.) For our purposes, the 570S Track Pack added $20,615 in cost in 2016. Escalate that with a respectable premium for the march of time and the fact of the superior 720S. Or rather, have your private banker do the escalations, eh?

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October 5, 2018 / Comments Off

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Mercedes-AMG One name gets officially official

The vehicle we’ve all been referring to as the Mercedes-AMG Project One now has an officially official name: Mercedes-AMG One. A bit anticlimactic, perhaps, but it makes sense because once the 1,000-plus-horsepower machine actually goes into production, it will no longer be a project.

Mercedes also confirmed today that the One will feature active aerodynamics. That helps the automaker explain its moniker: Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsports, and since the AMG One borrows a great deal of its high-performance technology from the company’s forays into F1, including its turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 engine and electric motor combination, borrowing the One name feels credible.

At least it’s easy to remember. And can we all agree that we’re glad it’s not called the Mercedes LaMercedes?

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September 27, 2018 / Comments Off

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John Cena Ford GT to be auctioned — again: Here comes owner No. 4

The saga of the 2017 Ford GT that was famously and briefly owned by John Cena and subject to a lawsuit from Ford over flipping the car for a profit has become the automotive equivalent of a hot potato, heading once again to the auction block, this time in Dallas at Mecum in October.

We last heard about this GT, which is stamped with the VIN number 77 for the year of Cena’s birth, last month when the wealthy California farmer who had bought it from Cena put it up for auction. Auctioneer Russo and Steele confirmed the supercar sold for $1.4 million during its Monterey Car Week auction on Aug. 25. Since then, if records are accurate, its third owner has put exactly 1 mile on the odometer, which now reads 626 miles.

It’s not clear what the minimum bid is for the upcoming Dallas auction, which takes place Oct. 3-6. Autoblog left a message Friday with a Mecum spokeswoman.

Ford sued Cena late last year for flipping the car for a profit shortly after he bought it for $466,376.50, citing its clause barring any sale of the first 500 models for two years. The two sides later settled the case for an undisclosed amount.

The infamous Liquid Blue GT comes with a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 rated at 647 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque, with a top speed of 216 mph. It has a carbon fiber monocoque with an integrated steel roll cage and an aluminum substructure.

A Russo and Steele spokesman said the firm had to ensure it was free and clear of any litigation prior to its sale at Monterey last month, so the latest seller might be eager to flip it before that 2-year window expires and the other Ford GTs begin hitting the market.

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September 21, 2018 / Comments Off

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Dozens of supercars amassed in alleged $364 million Ponzi scheme

Federal prosecutors in Baltimore have issued a 14-count indictment against three men accused of using a Ponzi scheme to defraud investors of more than $364 million, saying that two of them diverted the money in part to amass a jaw-dropping portfolio of 28 mostly luxury automobiles, supercars and motorcycles, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Rolls-Royces — and one Ford Explorer.

The indictment, unsealed Tuesday but filed Sept. 11, identifies three defendants: Kevin B. Merrill, 53, of Towson, Md.; Jay B. Ledford, 54, of Westlake, Texas and Las Vegas; and Cameron R. Jezierski, 28, of Fort Worth, Texas. In addition to the cars and motorcycles, it accuses them of diverting and concealing $73 million of investors’ money intended for consumer debt portfolios to purchase and renovate high-end homes in several states, jewelry, boats, a life-insurance policy and a share in a jet plane.

Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of the following cars and motorcycles from Merrill:

2014 Ford Explorer
2014 Lamborghini Aventador Roadster
2014 Mercedes-Benz S63
2015 BMW S1000R motorcycle
2015 Harley Davidson VRSCDX Night Rod Special Edition motorcycle
2016 Ferrari 488 coupe
2017 Audi R8 5.2 Plus coupe
2017 Lamborghini Huracan convertible
2017 Range Rover
2017 Range Rover Sport
2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S
2017 Rolls-Royce Dawn convertible
2017 Rolls-Royce Wraith coupe
2018 McLaren 720S coupe
2008 Bugatti Veyron
2013 Ferrari California convertible
2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe
2014 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
2014 Pagani Huayra
A pair of 2015 Mercedes-Benz S63s
2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV
2017 Lamborghini Aventador
2018 Ferrari 488 Spyder
2018 Lamborghini Huaracan

Prosecutors also seek to recover the following vehicles from Ledford:

Prosecutors say that starting in early 2013, Merrill and Ledford persuaded investors to join them in purchasing “consumer debt portfolios,” which are made up of defaulted consumer debts to banks, credit card issuers, student loan lenders and other entities, sold in batches to third parties that try to collect on the debt — so yes, this already sounds super shady. The defendants allegedly falsely claimed they would use investors’ money to invest in the portfolios and make money for them by collecting on payments people made on their debt or selling the portfolios for a profit to third-party debt buyers.

Instead, the government says, the defendants falsely represented who they were buying the debt portfolios from and how much they were paying for the portfolios, whether they were investing their own funds and their track record of success. Prosecutors say that at times, there wasn’t any underlying debt portfolio purchased with investors’ money and that the defendants “created imposter companies with names similar to actual consumer debt sellers or brokers and opened bank accounts in the names of those imposter companies.” They also allegedly created false portfolio overviews, sales agreements with names and forged signatures of actual employees of the portfolio sellers and other falsified records.

According to a related civil complaint from the SEC, victimized investors include small business owners, restauranteurs, construction contractors, retirees, doctors, lawyers, accountants, bankers, talent agents, professional athletes and financial advisors in Maryland, Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, Las Vegas, Texas and elsewhere. There are believed to be more than 400 victims across the country. “Most of these investors are just learning that they have been victimized,” U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur said in a statement.

Anyone who believes they may have been defrauded is urged to contact the FBI at MerrillLedford@fbi.gov. You can read the full indictment here.

September 20, 2018 / Comments Off

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Aston Martin confirms its third mid-engine hypercar

Consider the rumors confirmed. Aston Martin will build a third mid-engine hypercar that’s currently codenamed 003, following the Valkyrie (code 001) and track-specific Valkyrie AMR Pro (code 002). Aston Martin says 003 will borrow lots of technology from its forebears, including hybrid electric propulsion and carbon fiber-intensive construction. But there are some significant changes being baked into this third hypercar that will set it apart from the first two.

First up, Aston Martin will use a turbocharged engine in 003. Both versions of the Valkyrie used naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 powerplants co-developed with Cosworth. We don’t have any power specifications for the turbocharged hybrid drivetrain of 003 yet, but we know the Valkyrie’s V12 puts out as much as 1,130 horsepower from its gasoline-burning engine and electric motors. We can’t say for certain, but we wouldn’t bet against Aston pushing that figure further into the stratosphere with the turbo-enhanced unit that will power 003.

Aston Martin also promises “active aerodynamics” that provide “outstanding levels of downforce in a road-legal car” to go along with “active suspension systems.” Sounds like there’s a good chance double-oh-three could be more advanced than its older siblings. That said, Aston says its third mid-engine hypercar is being designed for use on the road in addition to the track, with “more practical concessions to road use, including space for luggage.” And all of that has our interest piqued.

Something conspicuously absent from Aston Martin’s latest hypercar announcement are any mentions of partnerships. Both Valkyrie models were designed with plenty of input from Red Bull Racing and its famous technical director, Adrian Newey. There’s also no mention of Mercedes-Benz or its AMG division, from which the British automaker sources its current lineup of V8 engines.

How much input will Red Bull have in 003? Will its turbocharged V8 be sourced from Mercedes-AMG? We’ll just have to wait and see. What we do know, though, is that the FIA’s Hypercar Concept racing series is sounding more interesting by the minute. And, if the sketch above is at all indicative of 003’s actual production design, this third hypercar will be quite a bit different from the first two.

Project 003 is expected to hit the road late in 2021. Global production will be capped at 500 units. Pricing, naturally, is not yet known, but if you have to ask, well, you know the rest.

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September 20, 2018 / Comments Off

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Ferrari reveals limited-edition Monza SP1, SP2 sports cars in Italy

Ferrari has revealed a pair of retro-inspired new vehicles to loyal customers at a private event in Maranello, and thanks to Instagram user Ferrari Icona, we know what they look like, and can discern a few details.

The open-topped, limited-edition sportscars are the Monza SP1 and Monza SP2, a one-seater and two-seater done in the classic barchetta (Italian for “little boat”) style of lightweight open-topped or convertible two-seaters. Per Reuters, they’re part of a new segment dubbed “Icona,” inspired by past Ferraris like the 250 Testa Rossa and based on the 812 Superfast. That car, a souped-up replacement for the F12 Berlinetta, features a 6.5-liter V12 that makes 789 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque, though there’s no word on whether the engine specs for the new speedsters have received any upgrades.

Seating in both models is snug, with the driver and separate passenger compartments (the latter in the SP2 only) surrounded by carbon fiber, a console of controls to the right of the steering wheel, a yellow tachometer, racing seats and shoulder harnesses.

We last heard the SP1 name back in 2008, when it debuted as a one-off built for a wealthy Japanese Ferrari collector. Ferrari Icona, who is not affiliated with Ferrari but was at the reveal event, reports the cars both have lightweight aluminum chassis. We’ll have to wait for more details about the cars to emerge from Ferrari itself.

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September 18, 2018 / Comments Off

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Bugatti says the W16’s days are numbered

Bugatti’s W16 engine is likely to be irreplaceable for the hypercar maker. The company’s CEO Stephan Winkelmann has stated that there will not be a successor for the quad-turbocharged engine.

Speaking to the Australian CarAdvice, Winkelmann said that there will not be a new 16-cylinder engine to replace the existing unit, but that the company will look further to the future. “This will be the last of its kind,” said Winkelmann. “Sooner or later the legislation will force everybody to take radical steps. […] If you want to be on the edge of advanced technology, it’s important you choose the right moment to change.” Currently, the nearly-1,500-horsepower engine does duty in the Chiron and the newly unveiled Divo.

However, the W16, as it stands, isn’t quite dead yet. Winkelmann stated that the company will do its “utmost” to keep the venerable engine alive, and that it will keep being honed further in the quest for more power, as the hypercar horsepower race is hot and heavy. Dinosaurs die hard, it seems.

Still, Winkelmann is eager to push the envelope for an alternate approach, saying that the company could focus on different things than getting more power from the W16 unit. According to the CEO, if there is a hybrid powerplant or an electrified solution for future Bugattis, the powertrain needs to be more than up to the task. “If the weight of the batteries is going down dramatically — as it is — and you can reduce the emissions to a level which is acceptable, then hybridization is a good thing, but it has to be a solution that is credible for the people who are buying Bugattis today.”

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September 10, 2018 / Comments Off

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Lego builds life-size, driving Bugatti Chiron out of Technic pieces

Lego recently introduced a Technic model of the 2018 Bugatti Chiron supercar. It’s impressive on its own with a functioning gearbox and a little 16-cylinder facsimile of the real thing. But Lego decided it wanted to go even farther in creating a Technic Bugatti. It wanted to build a life-size one that actually worked and drove using just Lego parts. And it did.

The final product is on display up above. It is a full-size replica of the 1,500-horsepower supercar from Bugatti, and about the only parts that aren’t made from Lego pieces are the wheels, tires and the front badge. It consists of over 1 million pieces in total, weighs in at about 3,300 pounds and took over 13,000 work hours to finish. For reference, this model weighs about 1,100 pounds less than the real car. Most impressive is that even the functional parts of the car are constructed from Lego Technic components. It’s powered by 2,304 Lego Power Function motors that together produce about 5 horsepower and 68 pound-feet of torque. Lego says it can go up to 12 mph.

It goes beyond just Lego motors, though. All of the lights, the speedometer and even the rising rear wing use actual Lego Technic parts. Even the brakes, yes, the brakes, are made of plastic Technic bits and are fully functional. Lego also says that significant structural and load-bearing parts of this model are fully made from Technic parts without any reinforcements or gluing of parts.

This is quite possibly the most impressive Lego creation of all time. It would be quite cool if Lego decided to sell such a kit, though it will likely never happen. The issue would probably be size more than anything. A ton and a half of plastic isn’t the easiest thing to transport or sell. The price of the kit might not be as bad as you would expect, though. Lego has very consistent pricing, and looking at the scale model kit of the Chiron, Lego appears to charge roughly 10 cents a piece. That would put the price of this model at a bit over $100,000. That’s not cheap, but it is just a tenth the cost of a real Chiron, and in some ways it’s cooler.

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August 30, 2018 / Comments Off

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2019 McLaren 720S GT3 race car is barely a 720S anymore

For a company with as much racing history as McLaren, it’s no surprise that it is introducing a new race car based on the 720S. What is interesting is that there’s very little in common between the 2019 McLaren 720S GT3 race car and the regular 720S. The company says that over 90 percent of the super coupe have been changed for the racer.

Among the changes are a body that is completely reshaped compared with the road car. This includes the massively enlarged front grille, wider fenders and aggressive aerodynamic parts. The engine is based on the road car’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 and retains the same displacement, but it has been rebuilt for race duty. Power numbers aren’t available. The engine is also mated to a six-speed sequential transmission, rather than the seven-speed dual-clutch unit in the road car. Other race-ready upgrades include several adjustable parts including the limited-slip differential, shocks, traction control and ABS. Those come standard, but there are some options such as a rear-view camera, parking sensors and tire pressure monitoring.

Though power hasn’t been announced, pricing has. For teams not directly backed by McLaren, the price for a 720S GT3 is $564,000. That’s roughly twice the cost of the road-going 720S, which starts at a bit over $280,000. Deliveries will begin next year in time for a number of GT3-class racing series.

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August 28, 2018 / Comments Off

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SSC Tuatara revealed with up to 1,750 horsepower, with 300 mph record in mind

Seven years after the concept made its debut at Pebble Beach, the production SSC Tuatara is finally here. And, impressively, it seems to deliver on exactly what was promised with the concept, from the exterior to the engine specs. The body looks nearly identical to that initial shape designed by Jason Castriota, the man behind the Bertone Mantide, Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina and the Saab PhoeniX concept. It has the jet-fighter cockpit, rocket-like nose, and winglets at the back that could make a ’59 Cadillac jealous. The company claims it’s seriously slippery, too, with a coefficient of drag of 0.276, which the company also points out is slicker than the Bugatti Chiron, Koenigsegg Agera and Hennessey Venom F5. The only major change seems to be at the back, which features substantially more open grille-work, perhaps to cool the monstrous engine underneath.

The engine is a twin-turbocharged V8 with a displacement of 5.9 liters that Shelby Supercars co-developed with Nelson Racing Engines, a company that specializes in high-performance versions of GM, Ford and Mopar V8s. The turbos feed into dual water-to-air intercoolers, and fuel comes via pairs of injectors to each cylinder. The engine also features a flat-plane crank that likely helps it reach its screaming 8,800 rpm redline. Two power ratings are quoted for the engine. The first of 1,350 horsepower is the same as what the company quoted back in 2011, and it is achieved on 91 octane gasoline. The other is a shocking 1,750 horsepower, which is available when using E85 ethanol. Power goes to the rear wheels through a seven-speed automated sequential manual transmission.

SSC is also promising a potential record-beating top speed. The company says it’s confident it will hit roughly 300 mph with the car, which is substantially more than the less aerodynamic Koenigsegg Agera RS’s current record of 277.9 mph. It’s also the same top speed Hennessey is targeting for the Venom F5. We have reason to believe SSC can pull this off, since the company’s previous car, the SSC Ultimate Aero, held the official world record for top speed for a while in the mid- to late-2000s, beating the Bugatti Veyron.

We imagine a top speed run isn’t too far into the future, since the company says it’s ready to begin producing the Tuatara at its facility in West Richland, Wash. It’s also taking pre-orders right now for what will be a much larger production run than initially planned. Originally, SSC planned on building just up to 40 examples, but it will now build 100. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but the company said the car would probably cost a bit over $1 million back in 2011. That may be higher now that seven years of inflation and such have passed.

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August 26, 2018 / Comments Off

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Ferrari 488 Pista Spider drops its top in the sun at Pebble Beach

Ferrari, as Ferrari does, has been moving fast. In the space of just five months, we were introduced to the new Ferrari 488 Pista at the Geneva Motor Show, had the chance to drive a Pista prototype and then a production version of the $345,300 supercar, and finally we were tantalized by the mere-mortals-can’t-have it Pista Piloti Ferrari. Now Ferrari has its latest Special Series variant at Pebble Beach, the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider concept.

Ferrari says it is the 50th convertible in company history and has the lowest weight-power ratio yet in a droptop at 1.92 kg/cv (or about 4.22 pounds per horsepower). That equation is helped in no small part by 710 horsepower, driving a car with a dry weight of just 3,036 pounds — it’s that slight if you’ve checked all the boxes for lightweighting options, that is. That’s about 200 pounds more than the coupe, but Ferrari says this car still does 0-to-62 in 2.85 seconds and has the same 211 mph top speed.

Ferrari says it maintained the aerodynamics of the coupe, and the convertible also shares the coupe’s lightweighting from gobs of carbon fiber and simplification. The driver’s door handle is a mere strap.

This species of Spider can be identified by a central stripe down its back, which, Ferrari says in its announcement, “recalls the movement of the airflow and exalts the lines of the car.” The blue stripes over a white body also happen to be traditional racing colors of the United States, another nod to the car’s debut site and America’s love of convertibles.

Assisting the car’s at-the-limits driving dynamics is a new lateral control system called the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer. The Spider has 20-inch diamond-finish alloy wheels with berlinetta rims, though you can opt for one-piece carbon-fiber wheels offering a 20 percent weight reduction.

No mention of whether the 488 Pista Spider will enter production, but Ferrari notes the popularity of its droptops in the U.S., so we’re going to assume it’s happening. And if Lamborghini can do a droptop version of its hardcore Huracan Performante, why shouldn’t Ferrari with the Pista?

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August 26, 2018 / Comments Off

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