Autoblog

UK-based CAR magazine teased over the weekend that super secret photos of a mystery car would be published on its website today, and that car has turned out to be the McLaren P11. While P11 is just a code name, the actual car and its real name are still around 18 months away. CAR's photos show a styling buck of the new McLaren, which is said to be a volume supercar to compete with the likes of the Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari F430. Recent job listings for McLaren suggest that its body will be made of lightweight composites and the engine will likely be sourced from the company's most visible partner, Mercedes-Benz. Expect a version of Merc's 6.2L V8, possibly turbocharged, to produce upwards of 500 bhp behind the P11's seats. Ex-Fiat designer design chief Frank Stephenson is leading the styling charge for the P11, or will be any day now, and as you can see, it mixes a little Ferrari with some Lotus and throws in a dash of McLaren F1 for the sake of continuity. A 200+mph top speed and sub-4-second trip to 60 are likely performance targets for McLaren's new baby, which could be produced in relatively large numbers for such a small company, around 5,000 units per year or so. Click the source below to check out all three pics of the McLaren P11.

[Source: CAR]

IF you're in Europe and hoping to get your name on a list for a Toyota iQ, now's the time. Toyota has opened up the order banks for the cleverly packaged microcar prior to its January availability date, while also giving up the goods on available specs, options, and pricing. The iQ comes in only two trim levels, iQ and iQ2, and pricing starts at £9,495 for the manual, and £10,495 for the multidrive CVT transmission. All iQ models come with 15-inch alloys, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, air conditioning and six speaker audio system with auxiliary socket. Checking the box for the iQ2 adds another £1,000, but for the money you receive high-gloss wheels, fog lamps, auto headlights and rain sensing wipers, smart entry and start system and climate control.

The iQ is pretty damn small, but Toyota is stuffing the tiny coupe with plenty of standard safety features, including ABS, Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control and nine airbags, including the world's first rear window airbag. Toyota also offers five different option packages including leather seats, navigation, and iSport, iUrban and iStyle packages. The iQ may be small, but after looking at the specs, it looks like Toyota went out of its way to give you just about any option you can dream up for a bargain basement price. You just can't get one if you live in the US, at least not yet. Hit the jump to view Toyota's detailed press release.


[Source: Toyota]

Bernie Ecclestone has three daughters -- four if you count Formula 1 -- and the one you see above is Tamara, posing with a checkered flag. Why? To help PETA fight the fur trade, of course. Under the slogan "Going fur-free is the winning formula," Tamara has done a series of print ads in Europe that appear to say "If you really care about animals, not only will you not wear fur, you won't wear any clothes at all. And you'll be hot. Like Natasja Vermeer and Eva Mendes hot. Or Steve-O." Vive l'Europe.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Click above for high-res gallery of the BMW X1 Concept

In a move that marks a significant departure from its current direction, BMW will offer both all- and rear-wheel drive versions of its upcoming BMW X1 model. Up to this point, consumers have only been offered all-wheel-drive mechanicals under the skin of the BMW X6, BMW X5 and smaller BMW X3. The German automaker cites weight savings and gains in efficiency as the reason why its newest and smallest SAV loses its front driveshafts, but be assured that it's also a cost-saving maneuver as automakers squeeze to keep prices down. As the models will appear virtually identical from the outside, BMW will offer the rear-wheel-drive version with a special "sDrive" badge to differentiate it from the xDrive-equipped all-wheel-drive model (of course, you'll have to squint to discern the badge differences between a rear-wheel-drive "BMW X1 sDrive28i" and the all-wheel-drive "BMW X1 xDrive28i"). Built on the 3 Series platform (and set for production at the same Leipzig plant), the showroom version of the X1 is expected to look much like the X1 Concept shown in Paris last week. There has been no word on when we'll see it on this side of the pond, but those in Europe should look for the X1 to appear in showrooms sometime in 2010.

[Source: Autocar]

The GT-R/911 schoolyard scuffuffle continues, with Nissan looking at Porsche's test and basically saying "yer doin it wrong" to the German automaker. Chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno has graciously offered remedial driving classes to the driver for Porsche's lapping session where a GT-R was reportedly 25 seconds off Nissan's torrid time of 7 minutes, 29 seconds. Porsche had concluded that special tires must have been quietly fitted in a quest for 'Ring primacy. Porsche has yet to say anything other than "Ve don't sink zee car can do it in schtock form."

Not so, says Nissan. While a claim to the fastest production car on the Nürburgring might help prospective customers froth up some money, and owners are unlikely to try verifying the claim, Nissan is not interested in wasting time on one-offs, according to Mizuno. "For us, testing the car in standard production specification is far more relevant", says the engineer. The very tires that carried driver Toshio Suzuki on the 7:29 run are in the hands of Sumitomo, and Nissan would encourage interested parties to STFU and go look at the rolling stock. It seems Nissan thinks Porsche needs a little help figuring out the GT-R, to which the company will be happy to help. "We are aware that several automakers have purchased the GT-R for their own testing and evaluation," Nissan says in its most recent rebuttal, "we would welcome the opportunity to help any auto manufacturer with understanding the full capabilities of the GT-R." Nissan's statement is after the jump.


[Source: carsguide]

British mag Autocar just got through driving a 2010 Mazda3 prototype and the author seems to have come away impressed. The mag got the chance to sample the new 3 in gas and diesel variants while driving them around Iceland's coastline. They were very impressed with the new 2.2L diesel, but we'll likely just get the equally new and impressive 2.0L direct-injection gas engine here in the former colonies. They described that DI engine as "impressively smooth, refined and torquey" while routing its power through a "very slick" six-speed manual. Mazda has apparently also kept the spirit of Zoom-Zoom alive in the handling department, producing a car that is more "pointable... than is common in this class." Autocar went so far as to compare it to a Mk IV Golf V5. High praise indeed. We'll have to wait until later next month at the LA Auto Show to see how the U.S. version turns out, but for now we'll take Autocar's word on this being "a big improvement over the current car," which many of us already love.

[Source: Autocar]

We see rear-engine, 6-cylinder sports cars from Europe every day. They always have a Porsche badge on them and usually "911" in their name. Whether in Carrera, S, Targa, 4, 4S, GT3, Turbo, GT3 RS or GT2 trim, they are great cars but so common that they barely stand out anymore. The occasional 356 is always a pleasant surprise, but especially in Southern California, those too are almost every-day sights. So when we saw this particular rear-engined European sports car, we were quite thrilled. It's a 1980 Alpine A310! And not just any A310, this one had a full on Fleishmann Group IV body kit plus a massive rear spoiler that must make this puppy stick like glue as it approaches its 130+ mph top speed. While several thousand A310s were built between 1971 and 1984, none were officially imported into the States. Seeing one "in the wild" is such a treat, even if it happens to be at a dealership that specializes in rear-engine European sports cars.

Alpine was affiliated with Renault a bit like AMG is with Mercedes. They started out as tuners and racers but were eventually bought and incorporated into the Renault operations. They had a pretty good racing record with the older Alpine A110, particularly in rallying, where they won the Monte Carlo Rally and World Rally Championship in 1973. The A310 was their follow-up. It started life powered by a tuned Gordini four-cylinder engine with up to 125 hp, but eventually featured the PRV 2.7L V6 later used in the De Lorean. Even with just 150 hp, these little fiberglass flyers could keep up with a contemporary Porsche. Think of it as a Lotus Exige built by the French, with a back seat, and the engine hanging in back of the rear axle. Okay, maybe the Exige analogy is a bit of a stretch, but with its tubular steel backbone chassis and fiberglass body, it was light, quick and a good handler, which makes it a fun sports car and a delight to see in person.


All photos copyright © 2008 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

Volkswagen has made getting behind the wheel of a Scirocco just a little bit easier... in the UK. When the low-slung three-door was launched it was only available in up-level GT trim, but now it's available in base form, starting at £18,790. For what it's worth (not much, sadly), that converts to $32,600 at current rates, but the Scirocco still isn't offered in the States anyway. The new standard engine is VW's 1.4-liter TSI engine rated at 160-horsepower and nearly 43 miles per gallons in the combined EU cycle. The Base trim still includes a six-disc CD changer, air conditioning and exclusive 17-inch alloys.

A second engine is now offered in both Base and GT trims, and it's a diesel. Displacing 2.0-liters and offering 140-horsepower, the common rail oil-burner gets over 55 European miles per gallon, with a choice of either a six-speed manual or DSG gearbox.


[Source: Volkswagen]

What recession? Ferrari just confirmed that the Ferrari California is officially sold out through 2010. The 179,000 Euro supercoupe/cab is scheduled to be produced in batches of about 2,000 per year and has been a runaway success for the Maranello manufacturer. Company President Luca di Montezemolo was recently quoted as saying, "In 2008 there was the success of the Scuderia. 2009 will be characterized by the California. It has been an incredible success. We have already sold all of the 2008 and 2009 production. You have to now wait until 2011 for one."

Rather than act as a replacement for anything in the current lineup, the California was intended to be an eight-cylinder car that would compliment the F430 and be a vehicle with a lot of flexibility according to Ferrari. While some say it isn't the most beautiful Ferrari they've ever seen, the performance should be pretty spectacular for those lucky souls with a signed contract already in hand. The new direct-injection, 460-hp 4.3L V8 should be more than adequate for propelling this prancing pony down the road with gusto. We'll keep our fingers crossed that someone listening will loan us one for a short stay in the garage so we can confirm our suspicions.



[Source: la Repubblica via Eurocar Blog]