24hcar: Rumors

Showing posts with label Rumors. Show all posts

Viper-based Maybach Exelero replicas set to go on sale

Posted by Mr Dung Tuesday, June 1, 2010

The awesome Maybach Exelero concept of 2005 received so much attention on sites like WCF that we thought Daimler would build it. Unfortunately that did not happen. Instead as soon as it had finished its mission of testing Fulda's new high performance tyres and appearing at certain auto shows, the Exelero was retired to the company museum.

Now a report says a Swiss company has bought the rights to it and will start manufacturing replicas for sale. While it will not use the original V12 AMG engine, it will make do with a Dodge Viper 8.3-litre V10, which means costs will be saved, but not at the expense of good old fashioned power. Expect to pay around US$670,000 (€544 600).

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BMW Z Spyder Stradale, Z8 successor rumored for 2014

Posted by Mr Dung Saturday, May 22, 2010

[e90post.com]

Posting to bulletin board e90post, BMW inside source Scott26 says the German automaker is developing a new "high end luxury" concept car said to be a pet project of company CEO Dr. Norbert Reithofer. The BMW Z Spyder Stradale was first pitched five years ago before being quickly pushed into research & development.

Then the economy collapsed, and the new premium roadster was shelved. However, with the economy slowly starting to get its grip, BMW looks poised to bring out a car that harkens back to the BMW 328 Mille Miglia.

If the posted sketch looks familiar, that's because the bottom half was already published in the August 2009 issue of Automobile Magazine as the BMW California Spyder.

The car features an elongated hood with a driver seat set just in front of the rear axle. The shortened rear certainly ties in with the Z car lineage. As seen in the new image, the car could potentially get scissor-doors, but this is not set in stone. Scott26 says the doors could also open either from a rear hinge, or more conventionally.

The California Spyder was rumored to have the same V10 engine that the BMW F1 team used at the time. That engine kicks out 700 horsepower (522 kW, 710 PS), though Scott26 says the car may get a V8 or V10 producing 592 hp (447 kW, 600 PS). A kinetic energy recovery system and other hybrid elements could make their way onto the car.

Like the Z8, the Spyder Stradale would keep an aluminum frame, but lightweight carbon fiber panels would be produced through a partnership with SGL Carbon. Steel and magnesium will also be used at the front, as well as the rear suspension, while a carbon fiber tub will be the basis for the passenger area. The speculation suggests that this car could also be the backbone for a new two-seat Rolls-Royce Roadster,

Intriguing exterior features include a two-piece folding hardtop made from carbon fiber, active aerodynamics, LED daytime lighting, regenerative braking, stop/start, and BMW's first-ever automatically-extending rear spoiler with an extra lip for added downforce. Inside, the car will have a minimalist angled dash with an iDrive screen and large vents, as well as lightweight bucket seats and a sharkskin interior.

If produced, the BMW Z Spyder Stradale might not hit the market until 2014.

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Honda’s NSX Could Be Revived—We’ll Be Lucky To See A 2011 Debut

Posted by Mr Dung Tuesday, March 30, 2010

[Autobid]

The Honda/Acura NSX could be revived as early as 2011, according to Auto Bild. In an unsourced report, the German magazine says that a road-ready version of the HSV-010 GT racecar is being developed to fight the Lexus LFA.

A new version of the supercar was officially cancelled by Honda during the peak of the economic crisis. At that time, the company announced that they would be eliminating many of their niche market models in favor of vehicles that are broadly accepted worldwide, and can be produced in large volumes.

The magazine says that the production NSX would come with a 5.0-liter V8 engine. The production version would likely be both narrower and less defined than the race model, and be sold without a rear spoiler.

The Honda HSV-010 GT uses a 3.4-liter V8 engine generating 493 horsepower (500PS, 368 kW). The race car had its debut earlier this month at Japan's Suzuka Circuit, where two of them crashed out .

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Bugatti 16C Galibier Saloon Slated for Production in 2013

Posted by Mr Dung Thursday, March 25, 2010

[Autocar]

Bugatti will start production of the 16 C Galibier Concept hyper sedan in 2013, so says a report from Autocar. The report quotes an unnamed source who claims that because of the recession, Bugatti, being the smallest but most exclusive in the VW Group, had not taken priority at high-level discussions.

But that is about to change, thanks to a positive reaction to the 16 C Galibier during select motor shows and customer events. Apparently it is just a matter of time before authorisation papers for its manufacture are signed and the wheels to full production start rolling.

Like the mind-bending Veyron, this four-door über-luxury car will have a limited production run of only 300 units. Prices are expected to be around £900,000 (US$1.3 million).

Technical specifications currently available are based on the concept car which has an 8.0-litre 16-cylinder engine. Speculation is that 800 horses (588 kW) are on the cards and the drive will go to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Managing Director of Bugatti Engineering Wolfgang Schreiber has been quoted as having said he wants the 16 C Galibier to "be the world's fastest, highest accelerating and powerful four-door."

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Three Stillborn MG Sports Car Development Sketches Uncovered

Posted by Mr Dung Friday, March 19, 2010

[Aronline]

Images of three never-before-seen MG sports cars have surfaced on the net. Dug up by Auto Express and aronline.co.uk, the sketches show a trio of vehicles that were being developed in 2005.

The images show a new coupe, a redesigned Midget, and a new TF roadster each to use an updated engine producing 120-180 horsepower (89-134 kW / 122-183 PS). Automotive designer Lee Mitchell created the vehicles, all meant to use next generation TF architecture.

Mitchell tells the two sources that the biggest problem was that the same driving position in the TF would have to be used on the other two cars. Still, Mitchell has faith in his design, saying that the vehicles were conceived with the idea of an all-aluminum tub. "For relatively little investment, we would have had an amazing mid-engined platform that cured the packaging problems," he said.

The aluminum tub would have required a total £52-million, but the project only had a £50-million budget. He says a Chinese investment firm could breathe new life into the five-year old plan, created just before MG went bankrupt.

"There was every intention to take the brand back to the US as MG Rover really needed to find new markets for its products," he said. If new investment comes through, there is no guarantee MG would return to North America.

"I felt we were making history and it's a pity it never came to fruition."

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Maybach Brand to be Shut Down

Posted by Mr Dung

[ autoexpress]

British mag Auto Express is reporting that Daimler executives have a plan in place to close the door on Maybach. The ultra-luxury brand, purchased by Daimler-Benz in 1960, was restarted as an automotive brand in 2002 following the 1997 introduction of the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept in Tokyo.

Maybach was founded as a heavy-duty engine production company in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach, a former technical director at Daimler. The company's first concept car debuted in 1919, and began assembly of extravagant vehicles two years later. The company halted automotive production in 1940, when they began building engines for German tanks in World War II. Car manufacture stalled for 60 years.

Sales at Maybach have flatlined since 2007, and were made worse by the global economic downturn. Further, Daimler may be looking to block Maybach from cannibalizing sales within their house brand, as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is scheduled for release in 2014. The S-Class is set to be a top-shelf car with an impressive touch screen that lets the user control most interior functions with hand gestures.

As we previously reported, Maybach's short-term plans include a facelift only, and no new engines. A redesign will include LED daytime lights, new grille, freshened bumper, and a hood with a new look. The facelifted Maybach could get a debut in April at the Beijing Auto Show.