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Relatives of eccentric Newcastle doctor Harold Carr found the rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante in a garage after he died.
After collecting dust in the garage for some 50 years, the classic car - thought to be one of just 17 built - is now to be sold by Bonhams in Paris next month. Especially with the remarkably low mileage of just 26,284, this rare 130mph Bugatti is thought to be worth up to £6 million at auction.
Dr Harold Carr left the contents of a lock-up garage to his nephews and nieces when he died in June 2007. Next to the Bugatti, his nephew also discovered a classic Aston Martin, and a Jaguar E-type.
[Source: Telegraph.co.uk]
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January 5th, 2009
In the AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s 2008 All-Stars Awards, the Audi R8 supercar has been chosen as the ‘top winner’. Please read the editorial assessment of the R8 below:
“This year’s list is one of the broadest we have compiled. Our 2008 Automobile of the Year Audi R8 is joined by stalwarts such as the BMW 3-series, newcomers like the Ford Flex, and repeat winners Chevy Malibu and Volkswagen GTI,” said Jean Jennings, president and editor-in-chief of AUTOMOBILE Magazine. “These 10 cars are the year’s fastest, most exhilarating, ingenious, awe-inspiring, accomplished, and compelling cars available in the U.S.”
Each year, the editors of AUTOMOBILE Magazine convene to test, evaluate, and debate the performance, significance, and pure enthusiast appeal of the cars that make the biggest impact. Award winners will be featured in the February issue of AUTOMOBILE Magazine.
Audi R8: AUTOMOBILE Magazine calls the R8 the kind of iconic sports car that comes around once or twice a decade. Dramatic inside and out, the R8 is wide, low, and purposeful-it is a luxury grand tourer as much as it is a pure sports car.
[Source: Jacksonville.com]
January 4th, 2009
It has now been admitted that nearly half of all speed cameras are switched off. Many cameras installed in the UK during the 1990s failed to meet the new guidelines of 2001 and were switched off. However, the empty boxes were left along the roads to deter motorists from speeding.
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that 323 Gatsos - named after their inventor Maurice Gatsonides - were inactive but remained in place. A spokesman for the Met said: “In 2007-08, 323 speed safety camera housings were not subject to enforcement deployment. They are there but there is no camera inside, or they are turned off. However inactive sites continue to play a role in deterring speeding.”
Motorist groups demand to have the inactive devices removed, citing them as a dangerous roadside distraction. The Government’s transport advisers, however, come with an even more drastic report, which says that cars should be fitted with speed-limiting devices.
[Source: Daily Mail]
January 2nd, 2009
- click picture for more photos of the GTbyCitroen -
A French outlet has indicated that Citroen is planning to build a limited number of production cars based on the amazing GTby Citroen concept supercar. This car was revealed at the Paris Motor Show earlier this year, and was a major attraction there.
The car has been co-developed with the creators of the Playstation game Gran Turismo, as part of the promotion for the 5th title of the racing game. Caradisiac reports that Citroen will make 20 production models of the concept. As this car was purely a design study, no further details have been provided yet.
Gallery: GTbyCitroen Concept
[Source: Motor Authority]
December 17th, 2008
We all know by now that many car manufactures around the world are having monetary problems and see their sales plummet in 2008. This doesn’t count for BMW’s M Division, because the German tuning team of BMW has sold 50% more cars during the first 11 months of 2008, compared to last year. From January to November 2008, BMW has sold 22,340 M-Model cars worldwide compared to 14,092 vehicles in the same period in 2007. Already by August 2008 BMW M’s sales figures reached 16,150 units, exceeding last year’s total figure of 16,128 units.
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December 14th, 2008
Reuters reports that despite the fact that General Motors, Ford Motor, and Chrysler requested some $34 billion of federal aid, a deal has been reached between the Democratic leaders and the White House to help the US car industry with a sum totalling between $15 billion and $17 billion.
Democratic leaders and the White House reached a deal to provide billions of dollars in relief to the ailing U.S. auto industry, a senior congressional aide told Reuters on Friday.
The package, which Democratic leaders hope to win passage of next week and send to President George W. Bush, totals between $15 billion and $17 billion, the aide said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The amount is far less than the $34 billion requested this week by General Motors, Ford Motor, and Chrysler, but Democratic leaders believe the money will keep them going until Barack Obama replaces Bush as president on January 20 and a new effort can be made for a rescue plan.
[Source: Reuters]
December 6th, 2008
The German car magazine Autobild has reported that Mercedes-Benz is looking to replace its V12 engine by a new twin-turbo V8 engine. The M295 V12 was the replacement of one of Mercedes’ most powerful engines: the M275, which has powered the super-saloons S600 and S65 AMG.
Three months ago, BMW also announced production of the V8 engines would be stopped, in order to focus on smaller and more efficient engines. This has been a development of the past few years, in which car makers are moving towards being as ’green’ as possible. Mercedes’ new V8 turbo will be available with four different power levels, and it’s expected that the engine will be used in several of their models.
[Source: BMWBlog]
December 4th, 2008
The new Volkswagen Scirocco has been named ‘Car of the Year’ for 2008 by the road test team and journalists from Top Gear magazine. Judges were mainly impressed by the Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC) feature that lets the Scirocco alter its suspension, steering and throttle response.
“The standard ACC system allows you to swap between soft and scythe at the touch of the button, giving you a spread of abilities far beyond what we’ve come to expect from the average car,” said the journalists from Top Gear. Judges called the new Scirocco ‘a common man’s exotic’ saying that it is a car that many can understand, appreciate and afford.
[Source: eGMCarTech]
December 2nd, 2008
In the past few years, big, bold SUVs have become almost synonymous with the success of entertainment and sports stars. You make it big, you buy an Escalade. Or a Hummer.
Hopefully, there’s money left over to hire a full-time driver who can watch over the car, because these two vehicles are among the most likely to be stolen.
The 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV, a full-size luxury SUV, has the highest theft-claim frequency of any vehicle by a long shot. It’s 15 times more likely to end up in the hands of thieves than the least-stolen car, the luxurious Mercedes E Class sedan, according to the theft-claim frequency report for 2005-07 model year cars, SUVs and light trucks, produced by the Highway Loss Data Institute (an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). The E Class, Buick Rainer and Subaru Forester have the lowest theft-claim frequency reports.
Read more: Forbes.com
December 2nd, 2008
Ford is actively considering to sell Volvo, and says the review could be finished in a couple of months. For the time being, Volvo’s operations and activities will continue as planned.
Cash strapped Ford has announced plans that it intends to re-evaluate their relationship with Volvo, which in non-PR speak translates into a possible sale of the brand. If the company were to sell Volvo, it would mark the end of the last remaining member of the company’s once strong Premier Automotive Group which included Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Jaguar.
Given the downturn of the global economy and strong declines in sales, especially in the last three months, Ford considered the review of Volvo brand necessary. Ford’s CEO, Alan Mulally, stated that “Volvo is a strong global brand with a proud heritage of safety and environmental responsibility and has launched an aggressive plan to right-size its operations and improve its financial results. As we conduct this review, we are committed to making the best decision for both Ford and Volvo going forward.”
Volvo has been quite active lately. The car company currently features a fresh product lineup that includes the new XC60 and recent redesigns of the XC70, V70 and S80. The company is scheduled to show a new S60 concept at the North American International Auto Show and has also announced plans to introduce seven low-emission models in 2009. - Read the Press Release after the break -
[Source: worldcarfans]
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December 1st, 2008
