3/17/15

Aston Martin Vanquish V12 by Henrik Fisker



Henrik Fisker's own automotive company may have gone under, but his love for design persists and after the Galpin 2015 Mustang, he's back to what he knows best with the Thunderbolt study.

It's the former Aston Martin designers one-off coachbuilt take on the Vanquish V12 coupe and it was revealed today at the 2015 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in Florida. 

"I wanted to create an elegant beautiful GT sports coupe, with pure emotional sculpture, that would stay timeless," said Fisker, who pointed out that the Thunderbolt was "in no way affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Aston Martin". 

The prototype has a completely redesigned body made out of carbon fiber featuring Fisker's signature lines, while the interior was redone with new materials and details, including the world's first application of Panasonic's 11.6-inch Curved Control Screen in a car that is designed to reduce reflections and glare. 

The only performance-related upgrades mentioned are the lowering of standard car's ride height by 15mm and the 21-inch alloy wheels with sport tires.

Fisker said that, while there will be no commercialization of the prototype shown at Amelia, "based on initial response, an extremely limited number of additional cars could be made on a special order basis, available exclusively through Galpin Aston Martin". These cars would not get the prototype Panasonic screen and would features some minor styling adjustments to the front end with a different grille and bumper, as seen in the red rendering.













3/16/15

2016 Nissan GT-R


Another year, another model year update (the ninth, since its launch in 2007), for Nissan's GT-R supercar that is now available as a 2016MY in the USA. 

Prices remain the same as last year for the three 2016 GT-R models at $101,770 for the Base Premium, $111,510 for the Black Edition and $149,990 for the NISMO. 

The Base and Premium GT-Rs benefit from a 5hp increase to 550PS or 542hp through some fine-tuning of the VR38DETT 3.8-liter twin turbo V6's electronics, while peak torque is unchanged at 463 lb-ft. Fuel economy is rated at 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.

Power ratings for the GT-R NISMO remain unchanged for the 2016MY at 600PS or 592hp. 

The only other updates are the new 20-spoke alloy wheels for the GT-R Premium and a new limited-availability 45th Anniversary Gold Edition with special exterior paint color named "Silica Brass" that harks back to the 2001 Skyline GT-R M-Spec (R34 Type) and which is offered exclusively as a $1,000 option on the Premium model. 

Nissan said that fewer than 30 examples of the Gold Edition are slated for the US this year, adding that the limited model will also get a special gold-tone VIN plate located inside the engine compartment and a special commemorative plaque on the center console inside. 






VW Sport Coupe Concept GTE


The Sport Coupe GTE from VW isn't just another flight of fantasy, but a car believed to preview the firm's next four-door coupe model in the mid-size category.


From the more snazzy styling to the grander exterior dimensions and the advanced tech, it looks like VW wants to push it above the current CC and closer to other premium sports saloons like the Mercedes-Benz CLS and Audi A7 Sportback – albeit not too close in pricing. 



VW itself said that it portrays a styling exercise for a new model to bridge the gap between the Euro Passat and the Phaeton



At 4,869mm (191.7 inches) long 1,407mm (55.4 inches) tall and 1,864mm (73.4 inches) wide, the Sport Coupe is longer and wider than the current Passat, while riding on a 50mm longer wheelbase at 2,841 mm (111.9 inches) for improved rear legroom - Note: VW's US press arm mistakenly noted that the wheelbase was 118.9 inches or 3,020mm, something we repeated in our original article on the study.



For power, VW chose a 295hp 3.0-liter V6 turbocharged gasoline engine that operates in combination with two electric motors, one in the gearbox housing and the other at the rear, delivering a system output of 274hp (380PS), good enough for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in 5.0 seconds and a 250km/h (155mph) top speed. 


The GTE can run on battery power for 50km (31 miles) and has an overall range of around 1,000km or about 620 miles, returning a combined efficiency of 2l/100km (117.6 mpg US or 141.2 mpg UK).