Geneva Motor Show

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S at 2011 Geneva Auto Show

Aston Martin has a special edition, the V8 Vantage S be officially unveiled in early March at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show trotted. Available as a coupe or convertible, the V8 Vantage S are priced from just over $ 160,000, starting with the first European deliveries in March.

The new model every attribute of the V8 Vantage embodies and pushes the driver from experience what we have offered before, “says Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez.

Aston has massaged deliver the 4.7-liter V8 with 430 horsepower and 361 pounds-feet of torque. The company also has a new Sport Shift II seven-speed automated manual transmission with shift paddles. The transmission offers 20 percent faster than the shift six-speed Sport Shift. Top speed is projected at 190 mph.

The V8 Vantage S was tweaked inside and out. The car is quicker steering ratio 15:01, with a larger diameter brake discs with six piston calipers, new rear springs and dampers and larger wheels with bespoke Bridgestone rubber.
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First Look: Lamborghini LP700-4 Aventador in 2011 Geneva Motor Show

Lamborghini has always been known for building hairy-chest-pounding, unapologetic supercars. The kind of cars that make enthusiasts tingle and environmentalists draw on posterboard with big black markers. It was a bit of a shock when Lamborghini recently announced an initiative to increase the efficiency of its Raging Bulls, and fans of Sant’ Agata’s creations cringed at the thought of smaller, less-powerful cars. Well, they can put their fears to rest, because the new Lamborghini LP700-4 Aventador is as monstrous as any Lambo in history — and it’s more efficient to boot.

The Aventador follows the traditions of the Countach, first produced in 1974. The body is sculpted around the passenger compartment, with the longitudinally mounted 6.5-liter 690-horsepower naturally aspirated V-12 situated in the middle. The look is modern and aerodynamic, but still purely Lamborghini. Driver and passenger enter through scissor doors and the optional clear engine cover allows owners to show off the heart of the beast. The roofline is sculpted to allow for maximum headroom for passengers while tying in the character lines on the hood and minimizing the aerodynamic frontal area. Mechanically operated side intakes are carried over from the Murcielago, allowing air flow to be adjusted based on the engine’s current needs.

The heavy-breathing V-12 is a brand-new design for the Aventador. The most powerful version of the Murcielago was the 670-4 Super Veloce with 661-horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque. Lamborghini has topped that with the 690 horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque in the Aventador. Not only is there more power, but it is more usable at lower RPMs. The big news is that it does these stratospheric numbers while using 20% less fuel, translating into 20% fewer carbon dioxide emissions.

The clean sheet, aluminum block V-12 features direct injection, variable valve timing, four individual throttle bodies, dry sump lubrication, and an 11.8:1 compression ratio. The big engine has a screaming high 8250 RPM redline accomplished using lightweight internal components and a high bore-to-stroke ratio of 95mm and 76.4mm respectively. Maximum piston speeds have been reduced from almost 24 m/s at 8000 RPM, the Murcielago’s redline, compared to 21 m/s at 8250 RPM at the Aventador’s redline, resulting in fewer frictional losses. It also uses a new dry sump lubrication system that requires less power, provides better oil scavenging under high cornering loads, and decreases the size of the oil pan. The new system also allows the 518-pound engine to sit 2.36 inches lower in the car, reducing the center of gravity height.

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BRABUS Tuning for the New Mercedes CLS Coupe in 2011 Geneva Motor Show

Top dog tuner of all things Daimler, BRABUS has revealed its exclusive tuning program for the second generation Mercedes CLS-Class.

Making its world debut in Geneva next week, the four-door coupe is outfitted modestly for a sporty-elegant flavor. The wind tunnel tested kit features a front spoiler mounted to the OE front bumper, restyled air vent inserts with fitted LED daytime running, sport fenders with side gills, side skirts, rear spoiler and a custom fitted lower rear bumper apron to accommodate the four tailpipes of the BRABUS sport exhaust system. The rear appearance is rounded out with a centrally mounted reflector.

Suspension tuning is available is seveal levels from a simple ride-height lowering by some 30 millimeters via sport springs or a complete suspension upgrade with adjustable dampers all around. CLS models equipped with the semi-active AIRMATIC air suspension system can be lowered by some 35 millimeters (1.4 in.) with the BRABUS suspension module. BRABUS Monoblock wheels in sizes ranging from 8.5Jx17 to 10.5Jx20 are available as one-piece and three piece wheels in six different designs.

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Jaguar XKR-S announced for 2011 Geneva Motor Show debut

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the E-Type, Jaguar has announced plans to introduce the XKR-S at the Geneva Motor Show.

Designed to be the sportiest Jag ever created, the XKR-S features an aggressive front fascia, black mesh grille inserts, and LED-infused headlights. Other goodies include modified front fenders, aerodynamic side skirts, a prominent rear diffuser, and a massive rear wing.

Under the hood, power is provided by a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine with 550 PS (405 kW / 542 hp) and 680 Nm (501 lb-ft) of torque. It enables the car to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, 0-100 mph in 8.6 seconds, and onto a top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h).

To ensure the XKR-S can handle like a proper sports car, engineers have installed a “bespoke” suspension and a reprogrammed Adaptive Dynamics system.

According to Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar’s Global Brand Director, “The XKR-S is a bold and exciting new model for Jaguar. We expect to attract both loyal and new Jaguar driving enthusiasts who still want the comfort, opulence and class only a Jaguar can offer, combined with inspirational performance.”

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Subaru Boxer Sports Car Architecture world premiere in 2011 Geneva Motor Show

While the Toyota FT-86 II Concept car is on display at the Toyota stand in Geneva, the platform the car is built upon is featured at the Subaru stand. The Subaru BOXER Sports Car Architecture, along with the rear-wheel drive concept vehicle, were jointly designed by both automakers.

While the vehicle’s exterior design is 100% Toyota, the underpinnings are pretty much entirely Subaru, right down to the 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated horizontally-opposed Boxer engine mounted near the front. The fact that the engine sends power to the rear wheels, instead of all four, clearly comes from the Toyota side of the table.

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777-horsepower MTM Audi R8 making 2011 Geneva Motor Show debut

There’s a strong possibility that German tuning house MTM’s booth at the Geneva Motor Show will be visibile from space. The boys from Wettstetten are bringing their paint-free polished-aluminum Audi R8 BiTurbo to Hall 5 at Geneva. The company is mum on exactly how they removed all that paint, but they do allow that it took 700 hours of polishing to get the car where it is now.

If the gleaming bodywork isn’t enough to snag your gaze, MTM packed its latest R8 with 777 twin-turbocharged horsepower just to let everyone know they weren’t fooling around. The result is good for a claimed top speed of more than 217 mph, making this the fastest R8 on the block.

If the turbo R8 doesn’t whet your appetite, MTM is also hauling its 472-hp, 195-mph Audi TT RS to the show.

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Koenigsegg Agera R heads to Geneva packing up to 1,115 hp… and a ski box

When the Geneva Motor Show kicks off this week, the Lamborghini Aventador won’t be the only exotic sucking in journos like a tractor beam. The Koenigsegg Agera R is also making its global debut, wearing in a Speed Racer-inspired paint scheme (per the owner’s request) and packing so much power that you’d think an R2 unit would be a better co-pilot than, say, Chim-Chim.

Now, about that power – the Agera R’s 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 makes a ridiculous 1,115 horsepower and 885 lb-ft of torque on E85. Fill the tank with 95-octane gasoline instead of the biofuel, and figure on “only” around 940 horses and 811 lb-ft. The V8′s connected to a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The driver harnesses that power from a lavishly appointed cockpit that meets all the hypercar techno-fantasy criteria.

The Agera R’s body panels are draped over a carbon fiber monocoque whose rigidity is such that a roof is not required. Hence, it’s a removable panel that can be stowed inside the car. The owner of the example being displayed in Geneva is a skier, so the car is outfitted with a custom carbon fiber roof box developed in conjunction with Thule. It’s a single-piece system that replaces the Agera R’s standard roof entirely; when you get to the mountain, you simply swap the ski-box roof for the standard roof (which is tucked away in the cargo compartment).

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Xenatec reveals Maybach Cruiserio Coupe ahead of Geneva debut

Xenatec is using the Geneva Motor Show to unveil its one-off Cruiserio Coupe, a customer-ordered hyper-luxury car based on the Maybach 57S. The coupe was designed by Fredrik Burchhardt to a customer’s exact specs, then hand-built by the Xenatec team.

Outside, the Xenatec Cruiserio Coupe is swathed in a two-tone matte finish that’s designed to give a brassy shimmer in the light. Xenatec says the paint was hand-applied in several stages to get the look just so.

The big coupe’s interior is another Xenatec one-off, featuring hand-stitched natural, undyed buffalo leather and espresso-colored Nappa hides. To take things to the next level of ludicrous opulence, Xenatec lined the footwells of the car with blackberry Alcantara. Read more…