Lamborghini Gallardo Invidia edition by Amari Design

Lamborghini Gallardo Invidia edition by Amari Design, 863, 31.01.2011

Almost compulsory for any self-respecting tuning firm of supercars, the Lamborghini Gallardo has been chosen as their first conversion.

Amari Supercars, one of the largest pre-owned supercar dealers in the UK, has branched out into the tuning/lifestyle scene with Amari Design.

Almost compulsory these days for any self-respecting tuning firm of supercars, the Lamborghini Gallardo has been chosen as their first conversion. Dubbed the Invidia edition, the Gallardo features a restyled front bumper fascia, carbon fiber front lip, complete front fenders, quarter panels, side skirts, rear bumper fascia, carbon fiber diffuser, carbon fiber rear spoiler and stainless steel exhaust system.

The interior has also been made over with carbon fibre trim which is available in a range of different color weaves plus the carbon fiber racing seats trimmed in Alcantara.

Under the hood power output for the 5.0-liter V10 is increased from the standard 513 bhp (382 kW / 520 PS) up to a massive 740 bhp (552 kW / 750 PS).  Although no details are given on the performance upgrade, Amari Design emphasizes that all engine tuning is performed in-house by their own Amari Service garage headed by master technician John Greatorex who Amari states is in the UK’s top 5 supercar mechanics.

Development work is already underway for the first prototype and is expected to be launched end of April.

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2012 Ford Focus

We should no longer be surprised by the notion of a compact car with big-sedan features and eye-popping fuel economy. New creations like the Hyundai Elantra and Chevrolet Cruze have gone about making the compact segment one of the most hotly contested arenas in the market, rankling the chains of long-time fighters like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla in the process. But while the Cruze and Elantra have proven that big content can come in small packages with smaller price tags, there’s a growing sense that the fun-to-fling small car may be on its way out in favor of commuters that have inherited the soft-riding genes of their bigger brethren.

In a way, the change was all but inevitable. Whereas the compact segment once served up a cornucopia of rides that were low on power but big on handling, the market has proven that above all else, buyers in this neck of the woods want value. In an effort to pinch every last copper cent, both Hyundai and Chevrolet have scrapped the independent rear suspension in their respective compacts in favor of the considerably cheaper torsion-beam design.

So when Ford announced that American buyers would finally be able to get their hands on the global Focus, our ears perked up. The last Euro-Focus had built a reputation for being a smart handler, and if this latest version could make it across the pond without becoming too watered down in the process, compact buyers would once again have a vehicle that’s as fun to drive as it is responsible to own. Now we get to find out if Ford pulled it off.

 

 

Source:Autoblog

Bizarre recall mandates 2010 Volkswagen New Beetle models be replaced with… older cars?!

Government safety regulations are put in place to, you know, actually keep us safer. But sometimes, it seems the loopholes are big enough to drive a truck through. Okay, maybe not a truck, but definitely aVolkswagen New Beetle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has determined that the certain examples of the aging Volkswagen Bug (both the coupe and convertible) manufactured in September 2010 failed to meet new Federal crash test requirements that went into effect that month. Reasonable enough, we suppose, as the regulations are there for a reason.

The fix? To replace the non-compliant vehicles with ones manufactured before September 1, 2010. In other words, the replacement cars still won’t meet the new safety regulations, but didn’t have to at the time of their manufacture because the rules had yet to come into force. Seriously.

The end result may not make occupants of the 27 affected units any safer, but at least they’ll be on the right side of the red tape. Follow the jump for the full recall notice.

Source:Autoblog

Lamborghini Reventón drops by Jay Leno’s Garage

Jay Leno today gives us a rare glimpse into the Lamborghini Section of his Big Dog Garage, where his two Miuras share space with a Countach and an Espada. Must be nice, eh? As much as we love those Italian steeds, the subject of today’s visit to the garage is the awesome, flat black, fighter jet-inspired Reventón.

Specifically, we’re ogling number 007 of 20 Reventón supercars that Lamborghini produced after the tremendous reception the car received after being introduced at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. All 20 of these cars were delivered to paying customers, so the only way to get one now is to go out on the open market… and, for what it’s worth, 007 is for sale.

Because this car is privately owned (and not by Jay), the late night comedian and automotive enthusiast went a bit easy on it, eschewing burnouts for rolling full-throttle starts. No matter, the sound from that 650-horsepower 6.5-liter V12 engine is plenty intoxicating, and judging by how it jets away from the camera car, it’s plenty fast. See for yourself in the video after the break.

Source:Autoblog

eBay Find of the Day: 2000 Ford SVT Cobra R still in the wrapper

In the world of Hot Wheels collecting, there are two types of people: those who open and those who don’t. We tend to fall into the third, more populous category of those who demolition derby.

Clearly, we could never have demonstrated the kind of self-restraint it takes to purchase a brand-new 2000 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra R and leave it in its original factory wrapping. Fortunately, there are people out there like the seller of this particular machine. According to the eBay Motors listing, there are a mere 11 miles on the odometer, and the plastic you see on the hood and fenders is the same garb that the meanMustang wore off the production line.

Even the front splitter and brake cooling ducts are in their original bubble wrap in the trunk, and the interior is swaddled in plenty of FoMoCo plastic. That means that this pony is as close to a factory-new Cobra R that you could possibly buy today.

Ford famously minted a mere 300 examples of the Cobra R in 2000. The cars were bare bones, street-legal racers, and while the 5.4-liter V8 under the hood was supposed to churn out 385 ponies, owners typically found the engine to return those numbers at the wheels, not the crank. When launched, Motor Trend found the car capable of 0-60 mph runs in the 4.4 second range and a skid pad effort of over 1.0 g.

So, what’s it worth? Hard to say, but the auction has a Buy it Now price of $70,000, though the seller is also entertaining offers.

Source:Autoblog

Chrysler wants ‘S’ branding to appeal to youth market

The average age of those who buy new Chryslers? Sixty-two. That’s not good for a brand that’s looking to expand into new markets and thereby increase sales. Invariably, such a strategy means younger buyers will need to be lured into the showroom.

In order to entice younger buyers, Chrysler reportedly plans toenhance its so-called ‘S’ sub-brand, starting with the refreshed200 sedan (the old Sebring) and the more heavily revised 300, that Chrysler says will appeal to those who want something a little more “edgy.”

Exterior chrome will be blacked-out, interior wood will be replaced with carbon fiber and traditionally staid interior colors will now be offered in brighter red hues. There won’t necessarily be any modifications to the car’s driving characteristics, as this is intended to be a styling exercise only.

Source:Autoblog

This is not your typical review of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt

 

Gene Weingarten is not an automotive journalist. He is, however, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer forThe Washington Post. And yet, despite limited automotive knowledge by his own admission, he’s written an excellent review of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Weingarten admits he was predisposed to hate the Volt (and American cars in general), but his time behind the wheel didn’t jibe with those expectations. And it wasn’t even because the car apparently made him more attractive to members of the opposite sex (though we doubt that hurt its chances any). Trust us on this: Go and read all five pages of Weingarten’s review of the Chevy Volt, then come back and tell us what you think.

Source:Autoblog