Apart from the doors and basic styling, this new SLS AMG has nothing in common with it’s predecessor as you’d expect after more than 50 years in age.  “The SLS AMG was never conceived as a retro car or a reinterpretation of the classic 300 SL Gullwing” says Mr Wagner from Mercedes Benz AMG Head of Design. The cars body shell is predominantly made from lightweight aluminium at weighs in at an impressively light 241kg bringing the complete car weight to 1620kg.

The engine is Mercedes 6.3 litre V8 that pumps out 420kw/571hp with 650 NM of torque pushing this car from 0 -100 km/h in a staggering 3.8 seconds sat lower in engine bay thanks to it’s dry sump configuration for better weight distribution. The engine also sports custom developed forged pistons and an aluminium crankcase for further weight reduction.  Fuel consumption was quite reasonble considering the performance of this car producing a combined fuel consumption of around 13.2 l/100 km.

The interior comes with some nice additions and it’s not short of safety with a total of 8 airbags and a spaceframe crumple zone designed to keep the occupants inside the car safe in the event of an accident by assorbing the impact. The interior design has a distictively aircraft style with modern intelligent lightweight design with aesthetically pleasing details. The interior trim is avaiable in a number of colors and an all leather option including the dashboard for a total leather look.

Whatever your thoughts are on the SLS AMG Gullwing, it doesn’t come cheap with a hefty price tag of around $200000. If your short on change you can always take a virtual test drive in the upcoming Gran Turismo 5.

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The Aston Martin Rapide is designed to seat four adults with a beautifully hand crafted interior and full length front to rear center console whilst still keeping with the same driving experience that you would expect from the rest of the Aston Martin model range.  The Rapide essentially looks very similar to the other models keeping with a coupe look and feel but a little more stretched in the middle with two extra doors and the removal of the B pillow. All panels on the Aston Martin Rapide are new except for the front doors and bonnet and even with the addition of two extra doors and space for another 2 passengers, the Aston Martin Rapide still only tips the scales at just a little over 2 ton. The Rapide comes with adequate luggage space with a 301 litre capacity with access from the passenger compartment.

Powering the Aston Martin Rapide is a hearty 6.0 litre V12 with 470 bhp and should get the Rapid from 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds. The V12 engine is backed by a six speed automatic gearbox with manual override fully controllable from the F1 style paddles mounted in the rear of the car. The Rapide comes with a sports mode if you feel like letting your hair down and driving more aggressively with sharper gearshifts and a more responsive engine to match and the suspension being stiffened up by the Adaptive Dampening System to the maximum levels. When you’ve had your fun simply pressing  ‘D’ control to go back to full automatic and the standard performance and damper settings.

Much of the Rapide performance and mechanics have been inspired by Aston Martins experience with other models such as the DB9 and the DBS which have somewhat influenced how the Rapide would be developed. With those beautiful coupe feel and low roof line, we think the Rapide is a great addition to the Aston Martin lineup.

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This “Ferrari 458 Italia” movie is made in collaboration between “Gran Turismo” and Ferrari, that explores the allure of Ferrari’s newest V8 Berlinetta.

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For several decades, Valentino Balboni has had a distinct influence on the character of the super sports car bearing the sign of the bull. With his fine-tuning and testing work, he has helped to shape many automotive legends, from the Lamborghini Miura of the 60s through to the current Gallardo and Murciélago models. Balboni was hired in 1967 by company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini himself. From early on, it was evident that the young Balboni had a special feel for cars, that most sensitive of all instincts that connects to the ‘life blood’ of an automobile and defines the soul of a test driver.

“A Lamborghini must always combine the precision of a race car with the reliability of a good friend,” says Balboni. Since 1973, he has sat at the wheel of every prototype built by the brand, and even most production cars have passed through his hands before being delivered to their customers. This has turned Balboni into one of the most important representatives of the brand, with an outstanding reputation and status among the brand’s fans and customers worldwide.”

Lamborghini hasn’t neglected the visual portion of the LP 550-2 package. The Balboni model is available in eight color schemes, each with a single racing stripe running down the center of the car. The stripe theme continues inside, where the black leather cockpit is interrupted by a white center stack and console.

As you may have already guessed, the “2″ means the all-wheel drive system has been ditched in favour of rear-wheel drive thus making it the only current Lamborghini that delivers its power to the road via its rear wheels alone. It has a 45% limited slip differential on the rear axle, a new stability system allowing for better drifing, new dampers, springs, and tires. The car features lightweight alloy wheels covered with specially designed tyres. The wheels feature carbon ceramic disc brakes with rotors and piston calipers.

With slightly less power than the LP 560-4 – 405kW compared to 412kW – and only two wheels to transfer power to the asphalt, the sprint from zero to 100km/h is marginally slower at 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 320km/h. Although with a dry weight of only 1,380 kilograms – compared to 1,500 kilograms for its all-paw sibling – the LP 550-2 is sure to be far more nimble around a track.

The Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni price starts at 162.000 Euros in EU, at 137.900 GBP in the UK and at 219.800 USD in the United States. The Italian company will only build 250 units of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni. The rear-wheel drive supercar comes with a 5.2-liter V10 engine.  The 550 hp unit propels the car from 0 to 100 km/h in just under four seconds, on its way to a 320 km/h.

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Bugatti says the Galibier, which should hit the streets sometime in 2010 is set to be “the most exclusive, elegant, and powerful four door automobile in the world.” The interior of the 16 C Galiber concept reflects the pure and simple design of the exterior, because after all there is something beautiful about being basic. Between the front seats and running through into the rear is a large central bench, topped by a beautiful maple-wood veneer, which at the front houses simple, push-button controls for the eight-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive transmission. The dash been reduced to include only the essential. Two centrally located dials keep even the rear passengers up to speed about the details of their experience.

Beneath the bonnet, which folds back from both sides, there resides a 16-cylinder, 8-litre engine with twostage supercharging. What makes this engine special is that it was developed as a flex-fuel engine and can optional be run on ethanol. Four-wheel drive, specially developed ceramic brakes and a new suspension design enable the agile, always-sure handling of a saloon of this size. The wings and doors are formed from polished aluminium with the basic architecture picking up on the torpedo-like character of the Type 35, which has already been revived for the Veyron.

According to Bugatti, the Galibier is one of several concept studies with which the company is considering for the future of the Bugatti marque.

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“The LFA’s sporty styling is distinguished by coherent lines that flow from roof to sill in a seamless convex-to-concave line for sophisticated aerodynamics,” the company said. “Its front-mid engine layout, long wheelbase, short overhangs and snug, low-slung cabin identify it as a supercar.”

The driver’s seat is positioned near the LFA’s center of gravity. The centralized seating concept (with the seat between the front and rear axles and closer to the left–right center) is made possible by the use of a rear transaxle and vertically stacked torque tube and exhaust pipes reducing the width of the center tunnel. The driver placement is aimed to provide maximum car-to-driver feedback, especially under sport or high G-force driving conditions.

The Lexus LFA will be powered by a bespoke, high-revving 552bhp 4.8-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine, matched to a rear-mounted six-speed sequential automatic transmission. Maximum power is an assuring 412kW (560hp) made at a screaming 8,700rpm while summit torque is 480Nm at 6,800rpm. Ninety percent of torque is presented between 3,700rpm and 9,000rpm and it will achieve 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds and be capable of a top speed of 202mph.

Lexus has replaced the conventional single throttle body with independent electronically controlled throttle bodies that dramatically enhance intake efficiency by creating a minimal body of air between each throttle body and its respective combustion chamber. This effectively halves engine response time, with the response of the LFA so fast that when the accelerator is released, the revs drop too quickly for a traditional analog tachometer needle to keep up. Therefore, Lexus has used a full-color TFT LCD panel graphical tachometer that features a rev peak-hold function, lap timer and a variable redline display.

Lexus has sought to refine every aspect of the LFA – right down to the sound of the engine, which it likens to a precisely tuned musical instrument. In fact, the resonant frequency of the surge tank has even been tuned to a richer intake harmony to give the LFA its signature note. Unfortunately only a privileged few will get to enjoy such a symphony in person – Lexus will only be producing 500 of the cars and each will attract an asking price of US$375,000. As expensive as that sounds, apparently Lexus expects to make a loss on each one.

Toyota’s luxury division will begin production of the 552-horsepower LFA two-seat coupe in Japan in December 2010, and just 500 of them will be made, the company said.

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In terms of its fundamental concept, the entire Boxster family is the successor to the legendary 550 Spyder built back in 1953, both models sharing the same mid-engine roadster concept, low weight, back-to-the-roots lifestyle, and supreme agility combined with equally outstanding driving pleasure.

Weighing in at just 1275kg, the Boxster Spyder is Porsche’s lightest model built to date. It is low-slung and its light soft top, when closed, creates a stretched and sleek silhouette reminiscent of the Carrera GT. It will also be the quickest roadster in the Porsche range, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 4.8 seconds, when fitted with Porsche’s optional dual-clutch transmission and launch control.

Power comes from a 3.4-litre six-cylinder with Direct Fuel Injection mounted in front of the rear axle. Maximum output is 320 bhp, 10 bhp more than in the Boxster S.

Like its racy exterior, the interior of the Boxster Spyder is stripped-down and focused purely on driving pleasure. Automatic climate control and a radio are optional, while the standard sport bucket seats feature a lightweight design with carbon-fibre shell and larger side bolsters. Fabric door pulls, like in the 911 GT3 RS, replace the traditional door handles.

In 2004 and 2008 Porsche dedicated a limited edition of special Boxsters bearing the additional name Spyder to these legendary racing cars. By contrast, the new Boxster Spyder is a regular, specially developed and upgraded production model with far-reaching modifications versus the Boxster and Boxster S.

Market introduction of the new Porsche Boxster Spyder will start worldwide in February 2010. The base price in the Euro countries is 53,100 Euro. Including 19 per cent VAT and national specifications, the market price of the new Porsche Boxster Spyder is 63,404 Euro.

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Even when you see it from a distance, you are instantly electrified. As a BMW M enthusiast, every step you take towards the orange painted  BMW M3 GTS with its numerous matt black applications raises your adrenaline level a little more.

Power output of the BMW M3 GTS is estimated to have around 450bhp with a power to weight ration of 300bhp per ton. Powering the M3 GTS is M divisions 4-litre V8, which is enlarged to 4.4 litres with the power going through BMW’s twin-clutch seven-speed gearbox. Other changes include a larger carbon fibre inlet manifold, reworked throttle body butterflies, cast aluminium pistons, a stiffer crankcase and revisions to the sump to provide more reliable oil scavenging at high cornering speeds as well as a titanium exhaust system.

Suspension is M3’s aluminum intensive MacPherson strut (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension and upgrades include the utilisation of yellow springs for a threaded suspension while the rear axle support is said to be bolted in place. There’s also the adjustable front splitter and big rear wing which generates high levels of downforce for increased cornering precision and handling. The BMW M3 GTS rolls on the exclusive 19-inch aluminium wheels come wrapped inside 255/35 front and 285/30 rear tyres.

Despite the factory car having weight-saving pieces like the carbon fibre roof, BMW saw it fit to reduce body mass even further by employing light body-contoured seats, a new titanium rear silencer as the removal of air conditioning and the rear seat. Rollover protection mounts were bolted on from the B column while a fire extinguisher and a battery master switch/emergency shut-off preparation ensure safety.

BMW will only manufacture the M3 GTS to order and sell it at about €115,000 (US$170 614) per unit. German deliveries begin in May 2010 while other countries are scheduled for the summer.

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The car was decorated with Song Dynasty Ge kiln pottery pattens. For extra authenticity, the artist used a “cracked glaze”pattern, with raised ridges designed to simulate cracks in the surface of rare ancient porcelain. This represents an exclusive version, thanks to a very special exterior finish which draws inspiration from Ge Kiln porcelain of the Song Dynasty. Only a few hundred pieces of Ge Kiln porcelain exist today, all of which are naturally priceless treasures, so it’s a case of the rare being the inspiration for the rare.

“I am extremely honoured to be the first Chinese artist working with Ferrari. This work embodies my understanding of the essence of Chinese culture and the Ferrari brand,” said Lu.

The 40-year-old Lu is one of China’s most influential contemporary artists. His works have been collected in many museums around the world, including the Museum of the University of Cambridge, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, and the Singapore Art Museum.

The first Ferrari was sold in Beijing in 1993, when the first Chinese customer decided to get the car he had dreamt of since he was a child when he saw the picture of a Ferrari. The Company’s real commercial entry happened in 2004 with a joint venture and in a short time China became the second biggest market in the Asian-Pacific region with more than 200 cars sold in 2008, with a two-digit growth over a year with more than 500 owners and a dealership network in ten of the most important cities: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dalian, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Nanjing.

Ferrari luxury car unit expects China to become one of its top five global markets in five years due to the growing ranks of wealthy Chinese, a senior company official said on Tuesday. China is currently among Ferrari’s top 10 markets.

The auction was held at Red Gate Gallery in Beijing. It was attended by Ferrari owners and collectors, as well as Ferrari Asia Pacific CEO Marco Mattiacci, artist Lu Hao, Professors Cen Zhangzhi of Tsinghua University Cen Zhangzhi and Bruno Pizzigoni from Politecnico di Milano University.

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