Autoblog: March 2013

Thursday, 14 March 2013

Porsche 911 GT3 wows the crowds in Geneva

Porsche 911 GT3 wows the crowds in Geneva Exterior modifications include unique front and rear fascias, a massive rear wing and a body that's 1.7 inches wider than the regular Carrera to cover the massively wide 20-inch rear wheels. Scroll down below for the official release info from Porsche, but not before scrolling through our high-res gallery of live images above.

Porsche 911 GT3 wows the crowds in Geneva

Porsche 911 GT3 wows the crowds in Geneva

Porsche 911 GT3 wows the crowds in Geneva

Porsche has a long and storied history of taking its range-topping 911 sportscar racing, with an enviable record of achievements in tow. The latest machine with which the automaker will take to the track can be seen above: the fifth-generation 2014 911 GT3.

With 475 horsepower strumming through the 3.8-liter six-cylinder boxer engine, this is the pinnacle of naturally aspirated performance from Porsche. It can go from 0 to 60 in just 3.3 seconds, hit a top speed of 195 miles per hour and has lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than seven and a half minutes.

Porsche 911 GT3 wows the crowds in Geneva

A dual-clutch PDK transmission (no standard manual gearbox will be offered) with shorter gearing than lesser 911 models sends power to the rear wheels. Providing forward motion isn't the only thing those rear wheels will be doing – Porsche says the 2014 911 GT3 is fitted with the manufacturer's first active rear-wheel steering.

Porsche 911 GT3 wows the crowds in Geneva

2014 Bentley Flying Spur makes its Swiss debut

2014 Bentley Flying Spur makes its Swiss debut Ever since the two-door Bentley Continental GT debuted in 2010, we've wondered how the coupe's new design and technology would carry over to the four-door Flying Spur model. We received official details and images a couple of weeks ago, but we've now had the chance to see the Spur in person here on the eve of the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

2014 Bentley Flying Spur makes its Swiss debut

2014 Bentley Flying Spur makes its Swiss debut

2014 Bentley Flying Spur makes its Swiss debut

2014 Bentley Flying Spur makes its Swiss debut foxlight

It's a handsome sedan, this 2014 Flying Spur (which has officially ditched the Continental nomenclature, for what it's worth). And even more handsome in the metal. The stock photos don't do this big beast justice – especially in the rear three-quarter and profile views, where aspects of the car (namely its newly horizontal-shaped taillamps) can look a bit awkward.

More impressively, Bentley says that the new Flying Spur will be the "fastest, most powerful four-door" it has ever produced. Makes sense to us, especially considering the fact that the sedan borrows its twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 powertrain from the Continental GT Speed coupe. This twelve-pot mill is good for 616 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, able to propel the 5,451-pound, all-wheel-drive sedan to 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds. That's quick.

2014 Bentley Flying Spur makes its Swiss debut

Of course, what's inside the Flying Spur's cabin will be just as impressive as what's under the hood, with every single luxury amenity you can think of available inside the leather-laden cabin. Both four- and five-passenger seating arrangements will be available, and like all Bentley models, the individual customization options will no doubt be endless.

Have a gander for yourself in the high-res image gallery above, and look below for the official press blast.

2014 Bentley Flying Spur makes its Swiss debut

ItalDesign Giugiaro Parcour is a rough-and-tumble Lamborghini Gallardo

ItalDesign Giugiaro Parcour is a rough-and-tumble Lamborghini Gallardo The Volkswagen Group had one final trick up its sleeve to unveil at the Geneva Motor Show, a daring concept car from ItalDesign Giugiaro called the Parcour. We're thinking this one is going to be controversial, but that's fine by us – a little conceptual shake-up never hurt anybody.

ItalDesign Giugiaro Parcour is a rough-and-tumble Lamborghini Gallardo

ItalDesign Giugiaro Parcour is a rough-and-tumble Lamborghini Gallardo

ItalDesign Giugiaro Parcour is a rough-and-tumble Lamborghini Gallardo

From what we can tell, the Parcour is a rough-road-ready take on the Lamborghini Gallardo, with a mid-mounted 5.2-liter V10 engine sending 550 horsepower to all four wheels. The version shown at VW's pre-show event is a hardtop coupe, but the design house has also created a roadster that you can see in the gallery below.

According to ItalDesign Giugiaro, the Parcour weighs in at around 3,400 pounds is capable of a 0 to 62 run of 3.6 seconds and it boasts a top speed of around 200 miles per hour. Ride height is adjustable from the cabin, ranging from 8.2 inches all the way up to 13 inches. A kind of terrain dial can be used inside with settings for Comfort, Off-Road, Ice and Track modes.

ItalDesign Giugiaro Parcour is a rough-and-tumble Lamborghini Gallardo

We don't entirely understand the suspension system, but the company says it uses a pushrod arrangement, minus the pushrods, which have been replaced by a second set of shocks. That means there are eight shocks in total, two at each corner. In Track mode, which lowers the car as far as possible, just four of the shocks are used.

Inside, the Parcour features a Plexiglass central dashboard with touch controls. The seven-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission offers Auto and Sport modes. Check out the complete press release below for all the details, and be sure to peruse both our live image gallery above and the stock shots below.

ItalDesign Giugiaro Parcour is a rough-and-tumble Lamborghini Gallardo

Koenigsegg Agera S Hundra is a carbon fiber and gold leaf party

Koenigsegg Agera S Hundra is a carbon fiber and gold leaf party A one-off creation, the commemorative edition delivers hand-laid 24-karat gold leaf along the exposed gel-coated carbon body. Various other bits of the hypercar get the precious metal treatment as well, including the exhaust, rear deck struts and even the coil springs themselves. How much is all this insanity worth? A cool $1.6 million. Money may not be able to buy you happiness, but it can surely put your tail in an Agera S. Check out the full press release below.

Koenigsegg Agera S Hundra is a carbon fiber and gold leaf party

Koenigsegg Agera S Hundra is a carbon fiber and gold leaf party

Koenigsegg Agera S Hundra is a carbon fiber and gold leaf party

Koenigsegg took to the 2013 Geneva Motor Show to celebrate a milestone in the company's history. The Swedish supercar manufacturer has officially built 100 units over the past ten years, and to mark the occasion, designers whipped up the Agera S Hundra. Swedish for – you guessed it – one hundred, the Hundra heralds the arrival of the latest flavor of Agera. While the standard Agera S features a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 engine good for 1,040 horsepower, carbon fiber wheels that tip the scales at around 14.5 pounds and a total dry weight of 2,821 pounds thanks to a full carbon fiber body, the Hundra offers up a few additional tricks.

Koenigsegg Agera S Hundra is a carbon fiber and gold leaf party

Chevrolet Captiva looks mildly refreshed and ready for family duty

Chevrolet Captiva looks mildly refreshed and ready for family duty We showed you Chevrolet's major debut yesterday, the 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible, but General Motors is making a big push for Bowtie consideration in Europe, so it's also introducing the updated Captiva crossover here at the Geneva Motor Show.

Chevrolet Captiva looks mildly refreshed and ready for family duty

Chevrolet Captiva looks mildly refreshed and ready for family duty

Chevrolet Captiva looks mildly refreshed and ready for family duty

Chevrolet Captiva looks mildly refreshed and ready for family duty taillight

Chevrolet Captiva looks mildly refreshed and ready for family duty headlight

While still based on the same platform as North America's fleet-only Captiva Sport (which is effectively a rebadged Saturn Vue), the Captiva is available in both five- and seven-seat iterations, and it looks far more modern. That's particularly the case with this updated model, which features revamped front- and rear ends that include restyled bumpers, grilles and LED taillamps, among other changes.

Chevrolet Captiva looks mildly refreshed and ready for family duty

As before, the midsize Theta-platform CUV will be available in both front- and all-wheel drive, and is expected to carry a range of four- and six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. Important US programming note: Chevrolet sources tell us that America's Captiva Sport will not receive these updates.

Chevrolet Captiva looks mildly refreshed and ready for family duty

Subaru Viziv is a diesel hybrid crossover we could learn to love

Subaru Viziv is a diesel hybrid crossover we could learn to love With the 2013 XV Crosstrek, Subaru reaffirmed its interest in niche crossovers, and early signs are that it's selling well, so will parent Fuji Heavy Industries green-light another one? That's the question begged by the new Viziv concept just unveiled here at the Geneva Motor Show.

Subaru Viziv is a diesel hybrid crossover we could learn to love

Subaru Viziv is a diesel hybrid crossover we could learn to love

Subaru Viziv is a diesel hybrid crossover we could learn to love

Of course, this is a pure showcar, and the four-seat crossover coupe's drivetrain is suitably next-generation as well. The plug-in hybrid drivetrain system features a 2.0-liter diesel boxer engine mated to a CVT, and a pair of electric motors drive the rear wheels for a through-the-road all-wheel-drive system. By going with motor-driven rear axles, Subaru says it has been able to provide larger rear-seat footwell and lower load floor. More excitingly, Subaru says its control systems allow for side-to-side torque vectoring for improved handling, and the system actually apportions more power to the rear wheels when the Viziv takes a corner.

Subaru Viziv is a diesel hybrid crossover we could learn to love

In typical concept car fashion, the Viziv features flashy butterfly doors that provide access to both the front and rear seats, along with oversized 20-inch wheels and cutting-edge lighting. We like the Viziv's overall design direction – it looks more organic and all-of-a-piece than we're used to seeing from the Japanese automaker.

Subaru Viziv is a diesel hybrid crossover we could learn to love

McLaren P1 proves yellow doesn't have to be mellow

McLaren P1 proves yellow doesn't have to be mellow We know, we know – we've seen this car before. But now it's yellow. And we have performance data. And we can see the interior. And most importantly, it's no longer a concept. Did we mention it's pretty? Yeah.

McLaren P1 proves yellow doesn't have to be mellow

McLaren P1 proves yellow doesn't have to be mellow

McLaren P1 proves yellow doesn't have to be mellow

Feast your eyes on the P1 – McLaren's new flagship supercar that's ready to storm the United States, as well as the rest of the world. Under its hood is a twin-power hybrid powerplant, which uses both a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 and an electric motor to crank out a total of 903(!) horsepower and 663 pound-feet of torque. What does that mean? Hitting 62 miles per hour will take "less than three seconds" and shooting up to 124 mph will take "under seven seconds." The most impressive thing, however, is that hitting 186 mph will take "no more than 17 seconds," which shaves 11 seconds off the time originally set by the famed McLaren F1. In other words, this thing is hella quick.

McLaren P1 proves yellow doesn't have to be mellow

Now's your chance to have a look at the production P1 in our brand-spanking-new high-res image gallery. And if you like what you see, just remember, salvation is only $1.15 million away.