Jaguar working on C-Type successor, new roadster coming in 2012

Word on the street is that Jaguar is working on the car every Jaguar fan is dying to see - a rival to the Porsche Boxster. According to AutoExpress, Jaguar is hard at work on a compact two-seat roadster, which will be a successor to the Jaguar C-Type.

Insiders say that Jaguar is looking to compete in a market mainly dominated by the Porsche Boxster, Audi TT, BMW Z4 and the Mercedes-Benz SLK.

Taking styling cues from the XF and driving dynamics from the XK, the new addition to Jaguar’s lineup will feature rear-wheel-drive, stunning design, a fabric roof and an impressive engine lineup.

The entry level model will feature a 3.0L V6 making 235-hp while the range-topper will feature a 5.0L V8 making 380-hp. Sources say that the European market will also get a 3.0L twin-turbo diesel making 272-hp.

You can look out for the new Jaguar roadster in 2012 at the earliest.

Source: AutoExpress

AutoCar interviews Ulrich Bez about the Aston Martin One-77

Dr. Ulrich Bez has the job every auto enthusiast can only dream of - being CEO of Aston Martin. Bez, 66, received his doctorate in engineering from the University of Stuttgart, but had to create a resume with other impressive credentials than that to become the boss of Aston.

He has previously held positions at Porsche, BMW and Daewoo Motors where he’s been responsible for product design and development. Even standing next to Bez is a privilege in itself (and we say that only because he’s the main man behind the idea of the Aston Martin One-77).

The folks over at AutoCar recently had the lucky opportunity to interview Bez about the new Aston Martin One-77 and even had him fire it up for the cameras. Of course, AutoCar did what every other auto journalist would do after hearing the sound coming from the 700-hp One-77 - they asked Bez if they could drive it. Did Bez say yes or no? Find out in the video posted after the jump.

Tesla delivers 500th Roadster to New Jersey man

From the first to the 100th and now to the 500th, the story of Tesla Motors and their first offering, the Roadster, has been pretty heavily documented. The trend is unlikely to stop any time soon and, in that vein, Tesla is making sure to note its latest milestone, the delivery of the 500th Roadster.
The lucky recipient is New Jersey's Martin Tuchman, who Tesla describes as chairman of The Tuchman Foundation and a board member of The Parkinson's Alliance and Parkinson's Disease Foundation of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Tuchman is apparently a car fan, with a 1967 Mercedes 250 and a 1993 Jaguar convertible in his stable. Those cars will get even less of a workout now that the Roadster is around, as it is scheduled to become Tuchman's main commuter car. Interestingly, Tuchman will reportedly use solar power to charge his new toy whenever possible, which ought to make for a clean getaway.

The Future of Hyundai Sports Cars - Car News

Over the past few years, Hyundai has marched upward with the all the drive, ambition, and brashness of Eva Peron. Since 2007, we have seen Hyundai augment its line of plebeian automobiles with the upscale Veracruz crossover, the impressive Genesis sedan, and the surprisingly talented Genesis Coupe.

As part of its second so-called “24/7” plan, during which Hyundai will launch seven new vehicles in 24 months, the company will revamp its line of core products. (The first 24/7 plan started in 2005 and ended in 2007.) Most interesting to us among those products is a compact sporty coupe based on the Accent platform and styled much in the vein of the well-received Veloster concept car that debuted in Frankfurt in 2007.

In a recent interview withCar and Driver, Hyundai product PR chief Miles Johnson confirmed that the little Honda CRX-like 2+2 is on track for launch sometime during the 24/7 2.0 program, which technically started with the introduction of the Genesis Coupe and continues late this year with the next-generation Tucson crossover. We imagine that it would be offered in the States with a range of four-pot engines ranging from 1.6 to 2.0 liters, possibly including the high-output (i.e. turbocharged) version of the 2.0-liter seen in the 210-hp Genesis Coupe 2.0T.

Keep Reading: The Future of Hyundai Sports Cars - Car News

Gaplin Auto Sports brings U.S. Air Force technology to the Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger

Galpin Auto Sports (or GAS) is an automobile repair shop in Van Nuys, California. GAS is better known for its TV show on USA otherwise known as Pimp My Ride on MTV. The group responsible for KITT in the 2008 Knight Rider series (and for embedding in 7-inch TV screens into bumpers on MTV’s Pimp My Ride), has now teamed up with the United States Air Force to create two customized cars for the 2009 Super Car Tour.We have to say; both vehicles have blown us away - literally.

The first vehicle, known as the ‘X-1,’ is based on a Ford Mustang. It has been painted in matte-pearlescent and features a single-driver ejections seat in the center. It also features a short shift flight stick, an advanced instrument panel that will confuse the heck out of you, a motorizes steering wheel, a GPS transponder, and a touch screen monitor that displays night and thermal vision. Power comes from a 4.6L V8, which features 3-valve Ford Racing heads, a cold air intake, hot rod cams and long tube headers. All that gives the X-1 the ability to throttle 500-hp.

Click through for more info and the high-res image galleries.

Next up is the stealth-black Air Force ‘Vapor’ based on the Dodge Challenger. On the outside, Vapor features one-off carbon fiber wheels, shaker hood, radar-absorbing paint, proximity sensors and a 360- degree camera with a ¼ mile range. Open the vertical doors to the Vapor and you’ll see an interior complete with aircraft style controls, a passenger side steering wheel, GPS tracking, night and thermal vision on the front windshield.

The best part? The ‘Vapor’ actually features a custom stealth exhaust mode that allows you to drive the Challenger in complete silence. If that’s not enough to get you jumping out of your seat, the Vapor also carries an advanced computer system with remote control UAV-type access from anywhere in the world using the internet. The Vapor also comes with two custom flight helmets.

Both vehicles will be used during a marketing campaign by the U.S. Air Force to educate young people on the mechanical and technical career opportunities available within the Air Force.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport (Targa)

Hmm ... $2 million ... why not?

If you’ve been asking yourself, “what sort of convertible or targa-roof car can I get for this $2 million burning a hole in my wallet?” Have we got the car for you! It’ll do 224 MPH, and it probably won’t suck your face off at that velocity with the roof off. (Probably.) Bugatti’s long awaited (by the 2 people on earth who can afford it) targa is finally here, as the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport enters production in July.

Looks pretty nice. Fourth mortgage time?

But act now, as only 150 of the beauts will be produced … so head on over to Crazy Dan’s Auto Emporium for a low low low financing and the best deals in town, or my name ain’t Crazy Dan! (Press release from Bugatti below.)

PRESS RELEASE

Production start for the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
Media and customers complete first test drives

Cannes, May 2009 - Last year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California was the setting for the very first public presentation of the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport. The response was extremely positive and now production of this roadster – limited to 150 units – is to begin at Molsheim. At the same time, the media and customers are taking their first test drives.

The new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport confronted the marque renowned for impeccable automotive solutions, aesthetics and driving dynamics with a whole new set of challenges. In response to customer demand, significant modifications have been made to the vehicle’s complex structure so as to enable open-top driving, thereby adding a new dimension to this high-performance sports car. Incorporating a host of new and innovative safety and equipment features, it is the world’s fastest and most exciting roadster. It is immediately recognizable as a result of its slightly higher windscreen, stylized daytime running lights, and lightweight, transparent polycarbonate roof.

The main challenge in developing the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport with its removable roof resulted from the unique structure of the fixed-roof Bugatti Veyron. An optimum combination of rigidity and lightweight engineering ensures the monocoque passenger cell of the original model is extremely strong, while weighing an absolute minimum . As the roof is an integral part of the vehicle’s structure, removing it meant the load paths had to be completely redesigned to maintain the vehicle’s rigidity and crash safety, and to offer additional protection from side impacts and rolling.

As a result, the monocoque structure has been reinforced around the side skirts and the transmission tunnel. The B-pillars have been cross-stiffened using a carbon fibre support, and a central carbon plate has been positioned beneath the transmission tunnel to ensure the vehicle suffers from less torsional flexing
than any other roadster.

The doors of the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport are made of carbon fibre, and house an integrated longitudinal beam. In the event of an accident, this transfers the load from the A to the B-pillar, thereby dissipating impact energy. Furthermore, the two redesigned air intakes for the 16-cylinder mid-engine
now feature 10-centimetre wide carbon-fibre elements to offer protection in the event of a roll.

Along with moisture-resistant, backstitched leather, a range of new equipment features has been added to the interior, including a reversing camera with 2.7-inch monitor integrated in the rear-view-mirror, and the “Puccini” sound system with digital signal processor.

When the roof is closed, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport can reach 407 km/h, while speeds of up to 360 km/h are possible with the roof off. Should it rain, an innovative soft-top roof, like an umbrella, stored in the luggage compartment, can be opened up at any time. With this soft top in place, the car can
travel at up to 160 km/h.

More than just an open Veyron

“When I had the chance to test-drive the new Grand Sport for the first time myself, I was filled with excitement”, said Pierre Henri Raphanel, Bugatti’s Pilot official, “as soon I shifted into second gear, I knew this was a completely different car. I could immediately feel the difference. Even with the roof still on, in the tips of my fingers and at the base of my spine everything was more present, more intimate. More precise with less understeer, almost as if you had taken away some filters from the suspension and the steering.” The former Le Mans winner has probably driven more kilometres in a Veyron than anyone else, presenting the car to numerous customers and the press. Taking off the roof “the excitement comes directly from the engine – giving you the feeling that you had a horsepower factory just thirty centimetres behind your head, trying to suck you up and swallow you,” he raves.

Assembled by hand at the company’s headquarters in Molsheim, Alsace, the Grand Sport will be delivered from July 2009 onwards at a price of 1.4 million euros (excluding taxes and transportation). Just 150 units will be made, with the first 50 of these going exclusively to registered Bugatti customers. So far 30 Grand
Sports have been ordered. The Chassis Number one auctioned at the Pebble Beach Auction by Gooding and Company last summer and sold for 3.19 million Dollar. The additional revenues of 900.000 Dollar were donated by Bugatti to the Pebble Beach Company Foundation Charity.

[Source: Autoblog]

Supercar Features Air Force-Tuned Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger

Recruitment is at an all time low for the Air Force. But what to do? How do you embellish a job that involves flying multi-million dollar crater-makers for a living? Answer: You bring it down a notch, and put cockpits in muscle cars!

The USAF hired Galpin Auto Sports to transform a Mustang and a Challenger into two serious supercars in hopes of attracting gearheads to Air Force recruiting events. And boy did Galpin deliver. The “X-1″ Mustang and the “Vapor” Challenger are totally unique interpretations of two of the most widely popular tuner cars in the world.

The X-1 comes decked out with an ejection seat and a full instrument panel with enough gizmos to make the GT-R’s readouts seem restrained. We are curious about the joystick. I mean, we know it works on Gran Turismo but how does it work on the way to Costco? And the Vapor sports a two seat layout-a pilot and copilot sort of arrangement–complete with two steering wheels. We’re not sure we like the idea of our girlfriend’s or mom’s having potential control of the vehicle, but it would probably be ideal for Driver Training courses.

Which brings up the biggest issue: while these rides are totally sick, the Air Force isn’t any closer to getting me in a pilot’s seat than they were the last time I faked colorblindness. That is, unless I could obtain the keys to one of these sterling beauties. (Hint, hint: you hear that USAF? I can be bought!)

For those of you who have been swayed and intend on in enlisting, the Air Force would appreciate you showing your patriotism and reading the entire press release:

Galpin Auto Sports PARTNERS WITH U.S. Air Force TO CREATE

Two “SUPERCARS”

Built for the 2009 Recruiting Tour: the ‘X-1’ Ford Mustang and ‘Vapor’ Dodge Challenger Feature Hyper-Advanced Technology and Design

NORTH HILLS, Calif. (June 1, 2009) – Galpin Auto Sports collaborated with the United States Air Force to create two customized vehicles for its 2009 Super Car Tour – a new U.S. Air Force recruiting initiative that kicked off in May. The white Ford Mustang ‘X-1’ and black Dodge Challenger ‘VAPOR’ are Air Force-inspired designs that will travel across the country this year as part of a mobile marketing campaign to educate young people on the mechanical and technical career opportunities available within the Air Force.

Southern California based Galpin Auto Sports is widely known for its corporate and one-off vehicle designs, through its involvement with various movies and TV projects, including the 2008 “Knight Rider” series’ KITT car, the upcoming movie car in the thriller “The Red Mist” and the acting-home base of MTV’s “Pimp My Ride”.

“For Galpin Auto Sports to be commissioned by the most technologically advanced organization on Earth is truly an honor” said Beau Boeckmann, Chief Designer for Galpin Auto Sports. “This is one of the most extraordinary and important projects that we have ever done.”

The Air Force looked to Galpin Auto Sports to create two unique hyper-styled vehicles with the most technologically advanced features available. The vehicles are a combination of form, function and futuristic entertainment all fueled together. To see the entire build of the X-1 and Vapor, please visit: http://www.airforce.com/supercar/.

Representing the muscle of the Air Force, the ‘X-1’ Mustang is a heavenly matte-pearlescent painted supercar with a jet cockpit that includes a single-driver ejection seat in center of vehicle, short shifter, flight stick, and advanced instrumentation panel. The ‘X-1’ also has a concealed motorized steering wheel, custom foot pedals, GPS transponder and the innovative dash is equipped with a touch screen monitor and sensor pack that displays night and thermal vision. The 4.6 liter engine includes 3-valve Ford Racing heads, cold air intake, hot rod cams, and long tube headers creating 500hp and is maintained by a custom Ford Racing Tuning Program. The Vertical doors feature interior panel fabrication to complete the ‘jet-like’ feel of the ‘X-1’, which will appear on the East Coast portion of the Air Force recruiting tour.

The stealth-black Air Force Challenger ‘Vapor’ features a biometric access to open the Vertical doors, a custom Stealth body kit with Jet enhancements and a carbon fiber exterior trim. Other exterior components include one-off carbon fiber wheels, a custom stealth exhaust mode that allows the vehicle to run in complete silence or you can open up the headers to facilitate the aggressive sound of the engine, shaker hood, radar-absorbing paint, proximity sensors, and a 360-degree camera with ¼ mile range. The interior of the ‘Vapor’ is complete with aircraft style controls, a passenger side steering wheel, GPS tracking, night and thermal vision via a film on the front windshield, and the most technologically-advanced computer system with remote control UAV-type access from anywhere in the world utilizing the internet. The ‘Vapor’ also comes with two custom flight helmets in line with the Air Force theme of the vehicle.

The vehicles recently debuted in Austin, Texas under Brigadier General AJ Stewart, commander of Air Force Recruiting Service as well as 60 U.S. Air Force marketers and GSD&M Idea City. Galpin Auto Sport’s Lead Customizer, Mad Mike, was present for the unveiling and felt a personal connection to this project having started his career in the Air Force. “If it was not for the U.S. Air Force, I would not have the knowledge and skills that enables me to stand where I am today.” said Mad Mike.

“We’re looking for hands-on people to serve in critical Air Force jobs and we’re fortunate to be working with exactly those kinds of professionals at Galpin,” said Daniel Elkins, U.S. Air Force Recruiting Services. “The Super Car Tour is illustrative of the kinds of opportunities available in the Air Force where technology knows no limit.”

The 2009 Super Car Tour will primarily visit high schools and a variety of Air Force sponsored events including the DUB magazine auto show, Hot Import Nights, Battle of the Imports, Formula Drift, International Hot Rod Association and local community events.

About Galpin Auto Sports

Galpin Auto Sports, located at 15600 Roscoe Blvd. in Van Nuys offers customizing and personalizing services on all new and pre-owned vehicles including collector and classic cars and is the official garage for MTV’s Pimp My Ride. For more information on Galpin Auto Sports’ unique products and services, please contact G.A.S. General Manager, Steve McCord (smccord@galpin.com), at (877)-GO-GAS-GO or visit the website at www.galpinautosports.com.

About Galpin Motors

With over 60 years in business, Galpin Motors is the world’s largest volume Ford dealership for the 19th consecutive year. Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, Galpin is comprised of a family of quality automobile brands including Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Honda, Saturn and Volvo.

About the U.S. Air Force

The mission of the U.S. Air Force is to fly, fight and win … in air, space and cyberspace. This is achieved through a vision of Global Vigilance, Reach and Power accomplished by extraordinary men and women coming together to make a difference in the world. To learn more about Air Force opportunities, visit www.airforce.com.