First completed Aston Martin One-77 wins Concorso d'Eleganza Design Award

Aston Martin finally took the wraps off the first completed One-77 this past weekend at the Concorso d'Eleganza on the shores of Lake Como and came away with the top design prize at the event. Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez was on hand to show off the car that we saw in skeletal form at the Geneva Motor Show in March. While the aesthetics of this new Aston have drawn decidedly mixed reviews, there is no doubt that it is a striking machine. The huge grille flanked by large air scoops is a departure from the classically beautiful Astons of the last 15 years and even goes well beyond the DBS. However, when considered in the context of its functionality, the appearance makes much more sense.

[Source: Aston Martin]

Bugatti unleashes four-door Veyron

It's the Veyron for all the family! This is our best look yet at the stunning Bugatti Royale – a four-door four-seater that’s set to take the famous firm into a new market.

With the £900,000, 253mph Veyron 16.4 already crowned the world’s most expensive and fastest supercar, Bugatti is seeking to go a step further: it will celebrate its 100th anniversary by unveiling this hyper-saloon at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Inspired by the legendary 1927 Type 41 Royale, the new model would be as expensive as its brother and be available in a very limited production run for the company’s most loyal customers. As you can see, the exterior echoes the Veyron’s, while inside the cabin will offer unparalleled luxury, with the finest leather, suede and metal trim in addition to seating for four people and a luggage compartment at the rear.

Bugatti won’t be embarking on the project alone, though. It’s rumoured that the firm will team up with fellow VW Group luxury manufacturer Bentley in developing a new front-engined limousine platform. As well as underpinning the Royale, the chassis would be used on the next Arnage. However, the new Bugatti will keep much of the technology seen on the Veyron, such as its four-wheel-drive set-up and 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine, although this will be mounted at the front.

With the same 987bhp and 1,250Nm of torque, the Royale should cover 0-60mph in three seconds and hit a 250mph top speed, making it the fastest four-seater in the world. It will also feature the same seven-speed twin-clutch transmission – developed by UK firm Ricardo – along with that Haldex clutch-equipped all-wheel drive. There will be active aerodynamics, a Veyron-style hydraulic rear wing that rises at speed, huge carbon composite brake discs and adaptive dampers, too.

The current economic downturn means the Royale is still some way off. But with McLaren Automotive boss Ron Dennis predicting a return to growth in 2011, just in time for the launch of his company’s P11 supercar (see Issue 1,060), expect the four-door to go on sale in three years’ time.

In further celebration of its 100th birthday, Bugattiis also planning to launch a 1,350bhp ‘super’ Veyron later this year, along with additional special editions.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Ferrari releases more pics, details on experimental 599XX

Road cars have laws to contend with, and racing cars have regulations to uphold. But for track cars, the sky is the limit. Unfortunately for track enthusiasts, purpose-built track cars built from the ground up with a blank sheet of paper and a limitless sky are few and far between. One example comes from Ferrari with its XX-rated development program that creates a series of cars that bridge the gap between road and track. First up was the FXX, an Enzo with some extra kit. That was followed by the even more extreme FXX Evoluzione. But at the Geneva show last month, Ferrari took the wraps off the 599XX, a rolling laboratory based on the 599 GTB Fiorano only unbound by the rules of governing bodies. And while the 599XX's debut was accompanied by only limited details and even fewer photos, Maranello's finally released more of each to salivate over.

Over the course of its ongoing development – that is, after all, the point of the XX programs – the 599XX will receive all manner of new features and technologies. There's even word it may serve as a test bed for the adaptation of Formula One's KERS regenerative braking system for future road cars. But in the meantime, Ferrari's engineers have started with a host of aerodynamic and engine modifications. Added aerodynamic elements abound, some more visible than others. Little black winglets protrude from the C-pillars (which themselves were already aerodynamically optimized on the road car), and the wheels integrate F1-style "donuts" to channel the air for optimized cooling and clean airflow. Underneath the bodywork, a new Actiflow system employs a porous diffuser and two fans in the trunk to channel the airflow for increased downforce at cornering speeds or reduced drag at higher speeds. All that and more adds up to 617 pounds of downforce at 124 mph or 1,389 pounds at 186 mph. Reduced mass inertia in the engine compartment helps the V12 produce 700 horsepower at the XX's stratospheric 9,000 RPM redline, the shift program has reduced gear changes to just 60 milliseconds, and the carbon ceramic brake pads are gripped by experimental carbon-fiber calipers to keep it all under control. All that new tech helps the 599XX lap Ferrari's own Fiorano test track in 1 minute, 17 seconds... faster than any road car the company has ever produced, a tick under the FXX's lap time, and faster than some of the company's modern race machinery

Chrysler planning second Fiat-based compact sports sedan

For Chrysler, the cornerstone of its proposed alliance with Fiat is for the Italian automaker to supply its domestic partner with smaller, more fuel efficient platforms and drivetrains. It's been assumed that the Fiat 500 would be one of the vehicles Chrysler plans to market in the U.S., but according to a the Wall Street Journal, it may have more than a subcompact up its sleeve.

According to the report, Chrysler showed its (troubled) dealers the automaker's future products today in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and along with the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a revised Chrysler 300, a "sporty little sedan" produced by Fiat was in attendance.

Chrysler's head of design, Ralph Gilles, told dealers that the automaker intends to have its own version of the car, with Fiat providing the chassis and Chrysler designing the exterior.

Although the WSJ's source didn't specify which Fiat was shown, informed speculation says that it was likely the Fiat Bravo, which would make a killer Dodge Caliber replacement and would finally provide Chrysler with a true successor to the Neon after its demise in 2006.


[Source: WSJ]

Bugatti celebrates 100 years with four Centenaire specials at Villa d'Este

Although decades have separated the modern Bugatti from its heritage, the Alsatian exotic marque is one that prides itself on its racing pedigree. So to bridge that gap and celebrate its 100th anniversary, Bugatti rolled in to the Villa d'Este auto show on the shores of Lake Como in northern Italy, as promised, with a quartet of special edition Veyrons.

Each of the four one-offs bares a different color to contrast with the chrome fenders, and each honors a different driver from Bugatti's glory days by taking their names. To more clearly emphasize the cars historical linkages, the four Veyrons arrived in Italy accompanied by matching historic Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix racers.

One of the most successful race cars in history, the Type 35 racked up some 2,000 race victories over the course of a decade of competition in the inter-war period. Thanks to its advanced lightweight construction and pioneering client-racer availability, the Type 35 was one of the most popular and indomitable racing machines of its day. Alongside its identically-colored historic counterpart, the Bugatti Veyron Jean-Pierre Wimille edition appeared in bright blue, the Achille Varzi in dark red, the Malcolm Campbell example in dark green and the Hermann zu Leiningen in off-white. No official word so far if these specials will be for sale or if they'll remain at Bugatti's headquarters in Molsheim, but if they do find their way to market, you can expect them to be marketed at a considerable premium.

The presentation at Villa d'Este is the second of many celebrations which Bugatti has lined up to celebrate its centenary this year, following the Bleu Centenaire edition presented at the Geneva show and ahead of Pebble Beach in August and the grand finale in Molsheim on September 12.

[Source: Bugatti]

Rolls-Royce may sue Geely over Phantom clone

A Rolls-Royce spokesman admitted that the company may take legal action against Chinese car maker, Geely over the similarities between its Geely GE model and the Rolls-Royce Phantom. The 5.4 metre Geely GE sedan prototype was unveiled at the Shanghai motorshow, painted in black and given a raised plinth in the middle of Geely’s huge stand.

It made obvious reference to the Rolls in the shape of its cabin, windows and sloping down rear deck. However, its nose is considerably shorter than the Rolls's and houses a 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine.

The 'Grecian temple' grille is close to being a Rolls copy, though, and it is topped by a figure which seems to draw much influence from Rolls-Royce's traditional Spirit of Ecstasy, except that the figure slopes backwards. Although Rolls-Royce spokesmen were initially reluctant to comment on the similarities, a spokesman has now said: "Rolls-Royce is currently keeping its options open and is in consultation with its legal advisers."

Toyota planning hybrid RAV4

In Shanghai, Toyota’s managing officer Mr. Koei Saga said that Toyota is planning to produce a hybrid version of the RAV4 SUV, which is due for MY2013. Although no exact dates were given, Toyota plans to introduce 10 new hybrids globally by 2012.

Mr. Saga also added: “I believe Toyota needs to accelerate the 2020 goal to hybridise all the Toyota models.”

The RAV4 hybrid would use Toyota’s third-generation hybrid system. Toyota RAV4 SUV was introduced first in 1996 and during 1997-2003 it was also produced as an electric vehicle. Around 1,500 RAV4 EVs were ever produced. The vehicle had a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 80 mph.

Oddly, most were destroyed but 328 examples made it to customers. At the time they were priced from $42,000. Nowadays, the RAV4 EV can be picked up from $65,000.