Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Bentley

Click above for a gallery of the Hamann Bentley Continental GT

No stranger to tuning supercars like the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, Hamann’s most recent addition to its parts catalog is the Bentley Continental GT and and GT Speed. There’s no word on what will exactly be available for the brawny two-seater, but judging from the photos it looks like pretty standard Hamann fare. A new body kit consists of a more aggressive front fascia, side skirts, rear wing, and a lower rear fascia that makes room for a new exhaust system with quad tips. Inside, carbon fiber replaces the carefully crafted wood trim. We’ll be sure to bring you more details and plenty of photos as soon as Hamann releases them.

[Source: Hamann]

Coming soon: Hamann tuning for the Bentley Continental GT and GT Speed originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Trucks/Pickups, Toyota

Click above for a high-res image gallery of the Toyota Tundra TRD

We don’t do much performance testing of the vehicles we review here at Autoblog, partly because we don’t have the resources and also because our seat-of-the-pants-meter usually gives us the pertinent information we need about how a car (or truck, in this case) performs. There are times, however, that we do get the urge to get real, actual numbers. Take, for instance, this 2008 Toyota Tundra TRD. Last month, Motor Trend put it to the test and claimed it could muscle its way from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. While we have no doubt that this time could theoretically be achieved assuming unlimited amounts of traction, we called shenanigans and vowed to get our hands on the truck to record our own numbers. Fortunately, Toyota was game and provided the same exact Tundra TRD used in Motor Trend’s test with a fresh set of rear tires. We’re not here to debate the point of a performance truck or argue with those who think vehicles like this are the cause of global warming. We just want to see what it’ll really run. So along with our pal Mike Levine of PickupTrucks.com, we set out to play drag racer for a day and find out. Read on to see the results.

Photos copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Performance Test: 2008 Toyota Tundra TRD

Performance Test: 2008 Toyota Tundra TRD originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sports/GTs, Auction Action, Ford, Shelby

As has become the tradition in recent years, Barrett-Jackson will be auctioning off various “firsts” of upcoming production cars. Last year, the very first Corvette ZR1, Dodge Challenger, and Shelby GT500KR all went across the block, and earlier this month it was announced that the first retail 2010 Camaro would be available to the highest bidder. Not to be outdone, Ford has announced that a trio of their new offerings will be up for auction, the highlights of which will be the very first 2010 Mustang GT and Shelby GT500. This announcement all but confirms that the car will make its debut a few days earlier in Detroit. Also up for grabs will be the first 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. Proceeds for the auctions will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, providing more justification for collectors to bid on the vehicles.

[Source: Barrett-Jackson via MustangBlog.com]

First 2010 Shelby GT500 being auctioned at Barrett-Jackson originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Supercars, Lamborghini

Click above for a gallery of the Reiter Engineering Gallardo GT3 Strada

Turning road cars into race cars and then back into road cars seems to be Reiter Engineering’s new specialty. The factory-supported Lamborghini race team, which also recently built a street-legal variant of their Murcielago R-GT that competes in the FIA GT1 and European Le Mans Series, is now offering a road version of their Gallardo GT3 racecar. Based off the standard Gallardo with the 5.0L V10, the “Strada” features carbon fiber bodywork including fenders that have been widened 60mm, a new front fascia with “shark” style air ducts, side skirts and a large carbon fiber wing at the rear. A single large center-mounted exhaust system reduces weight by nine kg and added an extra ten horsepower, while new three-piece alloy wheels are wrapped with ultra sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 2 rubber. The interior stays relatively stock, although the stock seats have been replaced with leather-covered racing units. While we wouldn’t say the result is subtle, it’s definitely one of the cleaner designs we’ve seen.

[Source: Reiter Engineering]

One more for the road: Reiter Engineering builds Gallardo GT3 for the street originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Sports/GTs, Etc., Videos, Hatchbacks, Subaru, Humor

We all have our embarrassing moments. Most, however, aren’t quite as public as Petter Solberg’s mishap last week at the Bettega Memorial Rallysprint in Bologna, Italy. The 2003 WRC champion was taking some parade laps and waving to the crowd when he decided it was a good idea to get on the roof of his car. He managed the task with relative ease, but quickly found that getting back into the car posed much more of a problem. With Subaru pulling out of WRC in 2009, let’s hope this isn’t our last memory of Solberg piloting a rally car. Watch the embedded video after jump.

[Source: YouTube via TheCarFanatic]

Continue reading VIDEO: Petter Solberg gets a Subaru boo boo

VIDEO: Petter Solberg gets a Subaru boo boo originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Supercars, Lamborghini, Earnings/Financials

The current economic conditions may be wreaking havoc on the Detroit Three, along iwth Toyota and Honda, but Lamborghini is apparently impervious to the global financial crisis. The House of the Raging Bull posted record sales and profit records for the fourth straight year and has followed through on its promise to introduce a new model every year during that time period. The company has no intentions of reducing funding for R&D, and plans to expand its global presence and dealer network throughout the next year. Here at Autoblog, we’re all for Lamborghini’s continued success, especially if they continue to let us drive their new models. More details on Lamborghini’s current status and future plans in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Lamborghini]

Continue reading Lamborghini running strong with record sales and profit in 2008

Lamborghini running strong with record sales and profit in 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Supercars, Lamborghini, Lifestyle

What happens when you combine a flamboyant Italian supercar with celebrity fashion designer Christian Audigier? You get… this. German tuner edo competition has teamed up with the clothing icon for a limited run of Murcielagos that feature custom design themes chosen by each customer. This ensures that each car is a one-off while simulaneously proving — yet again — that taste and income are mutually exclusive.

On the positive side, the Lambo’s been fitted with a completely new exhaust system along with more aggressive camshafts, upgraded cylinder heads, and a high-flow air filter that bumps output above the 700-hp mark. A new single disc clutch helps transmit the power to all four wheels, although edo also offers a conversion to rear wheel drive that shaves off nearly 90 pounds. Pricing gets a cue from the designer clothing industry, coming in at just over $690,000, nearly double the MSRP of a standard LP640. Full details on the Audigier Edition Murcielago in the press release following the jump.

Continue reading edo competition and Audigier combine for limited edition designer Lambo

edo competition and Audigier combine for limited edition designer Lambo originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc.

Click above for a high-res gallery of Autoblog’s top 50 photographs of 2008

Here at Autoblog we’re big fans of photography; nice, colorful, high-resolution photography of our favorite cars to be more specific. We make it a point to post galleries every chance we get because we like looking at them just as much as you do. Over the last year we have worked especially hard on providing you with original photography from our own cameras, whether it’s snapping concept cars at auto shows, capturing the action at an ALMS race, or shooting a car for the Autoblog Garage. Heading towards a new year always elicits a look back at the previous 12 months, and in this case it involved going through our hard drives to dig up our favorite photos from the past year. We have put our 50 favorite together in a high-res gallery with most pics available in the extra large 1920×1275 format (just click on the “Hi res” button above the photo to view in full size) to accommodate even the biggest computer screens. So, without further ado, we present to you Autoblog’s top 50 photographs of 2008. Let us know which ones are your favorite in the comments.

All photos copyright (C)2008 Autoblog / Weblogs, Inc.

Autoblog’s Top 50 Photographs of 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Sedans/Saloons, BMW

For all the hype about supercars’ top speeds, the statistic is generally good for nothing more than bragging rights. The likelihood that your Bugatti Veyron will ever meet up with an SSC Ultimate Aero on the street is next to none, and even if you did, good luck trying to find a place to safely exceed 250 mph. Peak velocity seems even less important when it comes to sedans, but that doesn’t stop various tuners from chasing the title of world’s fastest four-door. Brabus has long held the title, first with E V12 that hit 206 mph in 1996 and most recently upping that mark to later upping the mark to 227.23 mph with the CLS “Rocket”. With that number set in their sights, BMW tuner G-Power took an upgraded version of their M5 Hurricane to the ATP High-Seed test track in Papenburg, Germany last month hoping to set a new record. That they did, eclipsing the Rocket’s top speed with a best run of 228.4 mph. Lest Brabus seek to take back the title, G-Power claims that they can improve on the number by increasing the boost from the twin superchargers mounted to the BMW’s V10. More info on G-Power’s new record following the jump.

Continue reading G-Power takes 4-door sedan top speed record with M5 Hurricane RS

G-Power takes 4-door sedan top speed record with M5 Hurricane RS originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sports/GTs, Ford

At the 2010 Ford Mustang debut in Santa Monica, Mark Fields told us that the Blue Oval would reveal “another chapter in the Mustang story” at the Detroit Auto Show next month. If the camouflaged Shelbys running around Motown were anything to go by, the “next chapter” would come in the form of the new GT500. While Ford has yet to officially announce the car or when it will make its debut, a leaked order guide posted on MustangBlog.com confirms that the car will be produced as a 2010 model and reveals new details about the updated Shelby.

In addition to the new-for-2010 sheetmetal, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 benefits from a set of 19-inch wheels (the convertible gets new 18-inchers) and comes equipped with a new aluminum hood with a power dome and a single functional heat extractor. The supercharged 5.4L V8 remains, and although specific power output is not listed, the new model will offer “increased performance.” A 3.55 axle ratio is now standard, and the suspension has been tuned by SVT. Inside, an optional Electronics package provides a voice-activated nav system and dual climate control. The leather seats will feature a stripe that color coordinates with the exterior stripes as well as Alcantera accents. New exterior colors will correspond with the standard 2010 Mustang and include Grabber Blue, Kona Blue, Sterling Grey, and more.

[Source: MustangBlog]

Continue reading 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 cometh, order guide leaked online

2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 cometh, order guide leaked online originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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