TopSpeed Daily Update |  |
- Dodge Challenger
- 2012 Dodge Viper can double as an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
- Citroen Lacoste Concept
- Rumor: Porsche prepares GT3 RS Limited Edition
- 2011 Volkswagen Passat headed to the Paris Motor Show
- Video: A ride in downtown Chicago on a Red Bull Nascar taxi with Scott Speed
- Audi sticks Quattro models in Toronto as part of new ad campaign
- Audi R8 GT
- Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale
- Video: 2011 Ford Explorer is introduced to the Dubai desert
| Posted: 20 Sep 2010 04:00 PM PDT  We have to hand it to those successfully clumsy or disloyal auto execs. Every time we need some juicy information on a car that hasn’t exactly been fully unveiled, one of those guys always comes through to provide us with information that we would have to have waited to see. A leaked document from Dodge revealed a few more details on the 2011 Challenger. Apparently, the muscle car will be offered in four trim levels: Challenger, Rallye, R/T, and SRT version. The standard version will be powered by a 3.6 liter V6 engine that develops 305 HP. It will get touring suspension, dual exhaust, leather on the interior, and a 6 speaker audio system. The Rallye version will add heated front seats, Satellite Radio, and more. The R/T version is powered by a 5.7 HEMI engine with 379 HP and 410 lb-ft (555 Nm) of torque. This version will hit a top speed of 160 mph. Of course, the most powerful version will be the SRT. It is powered by a 6.4 liter HEMI engine with 475 HP and 460 lb-ft (623 Nm) of torque. Dodge will be also offering a 392 Inaugural Edition that will be limited to only 1000 units. It will get unique exterior colors, SRT wheels, a four-tailpipe exhaust system, leather seats, brushed metal trim, and a serialized dash plaque. Sales will begin at the end of 2010. Dodge Challenger originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 20 September 2010 16:00 EST.
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| 2012 Dodge Viper can double as an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Posted: 20 Sep 2010 03:00 PM PDT As you already know Dodge has already showed a concept version of the next generation Viper to selected dealers about a week ago and, although previous statements were devoid of any criticism, rumors are now flying that the next Dodge Viper may be looking into its Italian heritage. Okay, so Dodge doesn’t exactly have an Italian background, but rumors have stated that the concept looks to have shared a face with the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. Apparently, the future Viper will not only share design elements with the Italian model, but it will also be built on the same platform. Ralph Gilles, Dodge CEO said when talking about the 2012 Viper: "We had been debating this particular nameplate for a long time, and every time I just could not get there. And then one morning the product committee went into the dome and saw it, and we all knew we were in front of something magic, unique. It took less than five minutes for the committee to fund the initiative. Not a negative comment, not a remark, not a single question. And so I leave you with this. The 17th car in the lineup, in select dealers in 2012." 2012 Dodge Viper can double as an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 20 September 2010 15:00 EST.
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| Posted: 20 Sep 2010 02:30 PM PDT What would a major international motor show be without a quirky concept vehicle in attendance attracting a strong following? And given that this is the Paris Motor Show, we shouldn't be surprised that Citroen is bringing with them a concept vehicle that they collaborated with French clothing brand Lacoste. Predictably enough, the concept is being called the "Citroen Lacoste Concept". The buggy-looking concept certainly has a lot of reference to the image of Lacoste, one that promotes a colorful, vibrant, and sporty lifestyle. Look more closely and you'll notice a number of allusions to sports, including the golf ball-inspired alloy wheels and tennis net parts you can find scattered around the car's unique body. The concept's interior is also replete with Lacoste references including t-shirt-inspired seat trims that hits close to the French clothing brand's overall style. Suffice to say, the Citroen Lacoste Concept looks nothing like a standard vehicle. Suited more to be described either as a futuristic buggy or a door-less sporty off-roader, the concept vehicle is powered by a three-cylinder engine that comes with sufficient performance numbers to power a vehicle of this size and weight. Although the vehicle is nothing more than a concept, we have to admit that we're digging the whole quirky and sporty look to it. It may not hit production blocks anytime soon, but we're still looking forward to seeing this vehicle hit the showroom floor of the Paris Motor Show. If for nothing else, it should add some color and energy to the multi-day auto event. Citroen Lacoste Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 20 September 2010 14:30 EST.
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| Rumor: Porsche prepares GT3 RS Limited Edition Posted: 20 Sep 2010 02:00 PM PDT  The rumor mills are spinning again, and this time they are moving in the direction of another Porsche special edition. Adding to the countless number of special editions Porsche has given us recently - such as the 911 Carrera GTS - the Stud from Germany will also be introducing a special edition GT3 RS at the Paris Motor Show. No official details have been released yet, but we do know, that if these rumors are true, the GT3 RS will only get to be appreciated by 500 Porsche lovers. While a standard Porsche GT3 RS develops a total of 450 HP, this limited edition is said to go up to 500 HP, going a bit closer to the turbocharged GT2 RS that develops 620 HP. We expect a top speed closer to the 200 mph barrier (up from the standard 193 mph) and a sprint from 0 to 60 mph made in less than 3.8 seconds. Next to the engine upgrade, Porsche will also be making aerodynamic improvements and adding a series of features specific for this limited edition. Stay tuned for more details! Rumor: Porsche prepares GT3 RS Limited Edition originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 20 September 2010 14:00 EST.
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| 2011 Volkswagen Passat headed to the Paris Motor Show Posted: 20 Sep 2010 01:30 PM PDT
For those of you who have been waiting for the facelifted 2011 Volkswagen Passat to be unveiled, you'll be happy to know that the Paris Motor Show organizers have confirmed the car's attendance at this year's event. Even better, Volkswagen is bringing a sedan and an estate version of the Passat, which should bode even better for those who have been pining to see the re-tooled version of the car for a quite some time now. While we haven't seen the new Passat in all its glory, we're expecting to see a wholesale of changes on the model, including some modifications to the front and rear end, a new hood grille, and redesigned front and tail lights that should give the facelifted Passat a refreshed aesthetic appeal. In addition to the exterior upgrades, the new Passat model will also undergo an interior metamorphosis that includes a newly installed navigation system. We expect more information from Volkswagen and the new Passat on the days leading up to the Paris Motor Show so until then, sit tight, kids, we'll send along new developments as soon as they come out. 2011 Volkswagen Passat headed to the Paris Motor Show originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 20 September 2010 13:30 EST.
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| Video: A ride in downtown Chicago on a Red Bull Nascar taxi with Scott Speed Posted: 20 Sep 2010 01:00 PM PDT
Public transportation in Chicago can be a time-consuming experience, especially during rush hour traffic. Never fear, Scott Speed is here. The Red Bull Racing Team Nascar driver took his race car to the Windy City recently and, for one day, used it as a licensed taxi. Yup, it even had its own city permit and driver's ID. Speed played the role of taxi driver and picked up unsuspecting passengers and took them for the ride of their lives, including Dallas Mavericks forward Caron Butler. Imagine that, huh? You're late for work so you flag a cab, but instead of a regular taxi showing up, a Red Bull Nascar racer shows up with Speed, a former Formula One driver, behind the wheel. You'd be stupid not to take him up on his offer in taking you where you need to go, even if it means a few detours, a couple of burnouts, and racing around the streets of the Windy City at speeds that would make you scream to high heavens. And as you can imagine by the looks on the faces of those who hopped on board, they probably didn't regret sitting shotgun to Speed and the Red Bull Nascar race car. Video: A ride in downtown Chicago on a Red Bull Nascar taxi with Scott Speed originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 20 September 2010 13:00 EST.
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| Audi sticks Quattro models in Toronto as part of new ad campaign Posted: 20 Sep 2010 12:30 PM PDT
Audi cooked up quite a stir at the Toronto International Film Festival recently when they, together with communications agency Company Lowe Roche, decided to pull a little guerilla advertising by attaching hundreds of Audi Quattro scale models in various locations in and around the city. The 1:43 scale models came with magnets and a sticker that read, "Nothing sticks like Quattro" and were stuck to a number of objects, including lamp posts, newspaper stands, and TIFF barricades. Needless to say, the whole stunt attracted a lot of attention from bewildered passers-by, most of whom stopped to get their one scale model. According to Geoggrey Roche, chairman of Lowe Roche and the proponent behind the campaign, ""We wanted to give people a real demonstration of how great the quattro all-wheel-drive system is." If Audi's objective was to grab some attention with the new campaign, they obviously struck gold with it. After all, it wasn't only about educating the local Torontonians on what the quatto all-wheel-drive system is, but in Roche's words, "it’s also a great way to get the brand into the consumer’s hand." Audi sticks Quattro models in Toronto as part of new ad campaign originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 20 September 2010 12:30 EST.
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| Posted: 20 Sep 2010 12:30 PM PDT Remember those rumors about a more powerful and lighter Audi R8? Here’s the car we were talking about: the Audi R8 GT, a special edition limited to a total of 333 units and priced at €193,000 ( or $256,000 at the current rates). There are no official details yet on whether or not the car will make it to the US market, but with our luck, the U.S. won’t see the spare tire of this beauty. As we mentioned earlier, the Audi R8 GT is a lighter car. In fact, it dropped about 220 lbs from a total of 3,582.51 lbs. In order to accomplish this weight reduction Audi added a windshield made of thinner glass and a bulkhead between the passenger cell and engine compartment. The window located in the rear hatch is made of strong, lightweight polycarbonate. Other additions that make this vehicle more lightweight are a fixed rear wing, thinner sheet metal and additional cutouts, a long rear hatch, a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) rear bumper and sideblades, lightweight carpeting accounts, and the glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) chassis in the bucket seats. Another change to this skinny Audi R8 GT is the added power. The 5.2 FSI V10 has been tricked out to deliver a total of 560 HP and 540 Nm (398.28 lb-ft) at 6,500 rpm. The result is a sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, from 0 to 124 mph in 10.6 seconds, and a top speed of 198.8 mph. This spicy engine comes with a sexy exterior body that comes in 4 different colors: Samoa Orange metallic, Suzuka Gray metallic, Ice Silver metallic, and Phantom Black pearl effect. We are so thankful that the rumors were true because this car ended up being everything we anticipated it would be. Unfortunately, we think the closest the U.S. will get to having a peek at this car is through the online configurator which we hope they will produce. UPDATE 05/05/10: Nine new photos added to the gallery. Check them out! UPDATE 09/20/10: Audi has released new images of the most powerful R8 in the line-up. Check the gallery to see them all! Press release after the jump. Audi R8 GT originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 20 September 2010 12:30 EST.
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| Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale Posted: 20 Sep 2010 12:00 PM PDT Maserati may err on the side of of caution when choosing between luxury and speed, but eventually speed-loving fanatics have no choice but to reveal their road-gripping, fire-breathing side. Alas, we now have evidence of Maserati’s wild side. Just a couple of weeks before the Italian luxury brand was set to unveil their new special edition Gran Turismo at the Paris Auto Show, the company has jumped the gun and released the first official details of the fastest, lightest, and most powerful Maserati in the line-up. We hope everyone is just as intrigued as we were because this is a side of Maserati that should come out more often. The special edition is called the GranTurismo MC Stradale and is due to go on sale in Europe in the first quarter of 2011 with a U.S. launch shortly thereafter. It is powered by a 4.2 liter V8 engine that delivers 450 HP - an improvement over the standard 405 HP - while still offering the same fuel consumption as a standard Gran Turismo. It also comes with an improved aerodynamic down force and will brake the 186 mph barrier. Inspired by the Trofeo GranTurismo MC and the race-winning GT4 motorsport models, the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale special edition has been tweaked and modified as a direct result of the lessons learned from Maserati’s three racing programs. But what makes this vehicle even better is that it’s road legal. More details about the car will be released closer to its official unveiling. Press release after the jump. Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 20 September 2010 12:00 EST.
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| Video: 2011 Ford Explorer is introduced to the Dubai desert Posted: 20 Sep 2010 11:30 AM PDT
Ford has taken great lengths to promote the 2011 Explorer, and it seems that there's no end in sight as to how far these guys will go just to answer the question of how the Explorer stacks up to its 'SUV heritage'. To prove that the Explorer is all that and more, Ford decided to travel halfway around the world to the deserts of Dubai to give the new Explorer a trial run in the one of the world's hottest locations. So how does Ford's new SUV handle the atrocious conditions in Dubai, one whose temperature skyrockets to 120-something degrees on a good day and has sands so fine that cars are known to sink just by standing still? Well, the automaker was kind enough to document the whole experiment with the Explorer's chief designer, Donald Ufford, outlining the uniqueness of the sands in the Dubai desert – it's finer than any sand you can find anywhere in the world – and commenting on how it provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to test the SUV's Terrain Management System. We have to admit, after going through a myriad of weird teaser photos of the Explorer, we're a little relieved to finally see the SUV in action as opposed to looking at bits and pieces of it with all those Ford executives mugging in front of the camera. It’s about time, Ford. Video: 2011 Ford Explorer is introduced to the Dubai desert originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 20 September 2010 11:30 EST.
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