John Cooper started the mid-engine trend for Formula 1 racing 50 years ago when he won back-to-back world titles. His close friend and business partner, Alec Issigonis was starting his own car company called the Mini the same year. Both are now icons in the world of motoring and both are co-celebrating their golden anniversaries, with the Mini Cooper John Cooper Works World Championship 50. Dressed in Connaught Green with white stripes, it evokes the original colors of John Cooper’s F1 winners. Moving the new Mini is 211 hp turbocharged four-cylinder. Naught to 62 mph takes just 6.5 seconds. An electronic differential comes standard for a livelier drive. Several carbon fiber parts are also incorporated in the car to give the “racing” look. Only 250 samples will be built. Price and availability will be announced in the following weeks.
The MINI First aims to be the most attractively priced on the British market. The MINI First will be available only in the hatch body style and will be equipped with the 1.4-litre petrol engine that develops 75 hp and 120 Nm of torque. The engine of the MINI First is coupled with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard.
Some of the systems that equip the MINI First include Auto Start-Stop, Brake Energy Regeneration, Variable Valve Technology and Shift Point Display.
[Source: Mini]
50 Cent’s chrome Lamborghini Murcielago was sold on ebay for $310,000 in August of 2007. Black leather with contrasting gray stitching, black carpet, and E-gear.
Outside features an Alsa Corp. MirraChrome paint job. The car had 1,060 miles.
Why did he sell it? Who owns it now? So many questions, so little answers.
View the rest of the PHOTOS and the VIDEO of his car being painted
Although Christmas is still about two and a half months away and Lexus has yet to officially release the high performance IS-F sedan, Neiman Marcus is going to offer a very special edition for the holiday season.
Not long ago I chose my favorite movie cars of all time, and needless to say, not everyone agreed with my choices. Now I want to know about your favorite TV cars ever! First, though, here are my choices:
Forget the Mustang GT500 in the pitiful remake of the classic “Knight Rider” - the original KITT was cooler on so many levels!
Remember how Luke and Bo would leap into the car right through its open windows? Or jump the car through barn walls? In this case, the car wasn’t just part of the show, it MADE the show!
Jim Rockford lived in a trailer and drove a gold Firebird. Could he have solved his cases without the car? Maybe. But I don’t think as many people would have watched him do it!
Stair car, ”Arrested Development”
Driving a portable staircase is plain funny, especially when it’s the family’s main mode of transportation. Here’s a nod to an under-appreciated classic!
Mach 5, “Speed Racer”
Hey, I never the said the cars on this list were all going to be real. The Mach 5 has been around since 1967, was the star of a recent movie, and was even put through a “road test” by Road & Track magazine. Zero to 60 in 0.6 seconds!
Which do you think are the best cars ever featured in a TV show?
-tgriffith
At our recent New England Concours d’Elegance, we featured several categories of cars, including Packard and Maserati, two storied and elegant marques. While taking the two classes in and reflecting on the various tie-ups throughout each company’s history, we started to think of just how the two could be related, in six degrees or less, and came up with a few different paths. Can you?
The rules, as before, are simple: A connection consists of one company owning another, merging with another or sharing another’s parts. Explain your connections, and as before, the point isn’t necessarily to do it in the least number of connections, but to do it with style and with obscure connections. If you need examples, check out our previous Hemmings Six Degrees of Automotive Separation Challenges.
Lumma Design has released a follow-up to the CLR 600 body kit for the BMW 6-series that lightens the bold and bulky moldings for street use. The CLR 600 S (yep, S stands for Street) is a road worthy body kit that ads a more aggressive stance to a drivers car. With the open air-vents in the front for cold air and brake cooling and a rear defuser and rear spoiler to keep the back-end planted, the CLR 600 S widely improves the intimidation factor from the BMW.
There is also an engine kit to go along with the CLR 600 S body kit. The engine kit includes 2 air intake plenums and a carbon fiber air filter housing. Just a little dressing to go with the street hulk exterior.
For more photos of the Lumas Design CLR 600 S head to Fast-Autos. To a Lumas Design body kit for your BMW check with your BMW dealership.
Source[Fast-Autos]
When we last left Geoff Hacker’s Bill Burke re-creation bellytank racer, Geoff had just dropped it off with Ted Kemgens and Tom Bambard of Creative Motion Concepts in Tampa, and left them with instructions to replicate one of the most important historic land-speed racers – and to do so before August. That was in May, and Ted and Tom have made significant progress in the last couple months. As for the Ford flathead V-8 engine, Geoff trusted the build to Jon Phillips, who has tried to make it look as authentic to 1946 as possible.
Also, if you have a few minutes, a local TV station visited Ted and Tom to find out what they were doing with the car. I wonder if the anchorwoman always tells the audience she doesn’t care about the subject matter of a segment?
When they said they were going to cruise around Italy in their Maserati, they meant exactly what they said. According to an article in today’s edition of the Italian newspaper La Stampa, two people were discovered yesterday in their floating, outboard-motor-equipped Maserati (looks like a Biturbo?) in the harbor of Forte dei Marmi, Lucca, Italy. The authorities took a dim view of the proceedings, and started issuing fines. According to the banner on the hood, the autonauts planned on sailing all the way around Italy to arrive in Venice. Our Italian is not so good, so here’s Babel Fish’s translation, which is too amusing to clean up:
They were being annoying in waters Hard of Marbles [Forte dei Marmi] on a Maserati car transformed in boat and fortified of motor outboard motor. To discover them, yesterday, it has been the Harbor Master’s Office of Viareggio, allertata from some citizens who said to have seen a car in sea. The two persons to singular edge of the floating one have been fined.
Passed the astonishment, the men of the Harbor Master’s Office, taken part fearing also that the occupants of the boat were in difficolta‘ because of the moved sea and dell’ now it is late, have stated l’ nonexistence is of documents that attested the conformita‘ of means to the laws on navigation it is of the minimal equipments of emergency: the floating one e’ state cosi‘ escorted in the port of seized Viareggio and.
Can you have a sentence ending with the word “and” in Italian? Anyway, this seems to be saying that they lacked the right paperwork and life preservers. Kids, don’t try this at home.
I’ve often wished cars had a driver-to-driver communication system built right in. Something where I could type in the license plate number of the car I accidentally cut off and talk directly to the driver.
“Whoa, sorry, red Honda - that was totally my fault.”
Of course, a system like that isn’t likely, and would probably end up creating a heck of a lot of road rage and distracted drivers.
This is what I was thinking about when I read about a new concept car that EDAG is showing at the Geneva Auto Show. Called the Open-Source Light Car, it’s truly an example of forward thinking and advanced technology.
With an all-electric drivetrain that packs motors into each wheel, a chassis built from melted basalt rock that has been turned into fibers, and polycarbonate and OLED (organic light-emitting diodes) surfaces for the body, this is car is exceptionally strong and light. Not to mention futuristic.
The headlamps, brake lights, and turn signals are built into the OLED surfaces and are completely invisible when off. The dashboard is similar and lets the driver position the gauges wherever he or she chooses.
Here’s where things get even crazier (or smarter, depending on your point of view): The rear of the car also serves as a large gauge alerting drivers behind it to the car’s current speed, braking force, any upcoming road work, etc. It’s like a traveling highway safety sign that communicates to other drivers without actually having to talk to them.
While this concept is way more visionary than practical, it shows the possibilities of what could happen as the automobile evolves.
Do you think a large display in the rear of a vehicle would contribute to safety or become a safety hazard?
-tgriffith
Filling the gap between their 865cc cruisers and 2294cc touring bikes is this 1600cc Thunderbird. Triumph listens to their customers and they have complied with their wish to have this “in-betweener” bike. This new bike will still feature the classic Triumph design lines, with the 1600cc parallel twin engine. For the first time since 1922, the Thunderbird will be belt-driven, with a reinforced rear pulley that will last three times longer than the industry standard. A six-speed transmission coupled with a supple but firm suspension guarantees a comfortable ride for miles. Get on the Thunderbird, the open road beckons. $13,000.
