Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from May, 2015

2016 Chevrolet Camaro

SPECIFICATIONS: year: 2016 make: Chevrolet Model: Camaro price: $ 25000 (Est.) Engine: inline-4 Transmission: 6-speed manual Horsepower @ RPM: 275 MPG(Hwy): 30 Torque @ RPM: 295 @ 3000 Displacement: 2.0 L 0-60 time: 6 sec. (Est.) Top Speed: 155 mph (Est.) It’s been only five years since the Chevy Camaro returned to the market after an unfortunate eight-year hiatus, and GM has already came up with a redesigned version of its iconic pony car. With development likely pushed forward by the arrival of the sixth-gen Mustang, which Ford showcased in late 2013, the new Camaro is finally here to brag about its many improvements inside and out. After months of speculation it’s finally confirmed that the new Camaro is far from revolutionary design-wise. However, the pony car has adopted a fresher look and numerous enhancements under the skin, which should put it on par with the significantly revised Mustang. Lighter and more nimble than its predecessor, the new Camaro also gained

1969 BMW Spicup Convertible Coupe

In the early 1960s BMW has unveiled the 3200CS - a coupe developed in cooperation with Carrozzeria Bertone. But Giorgetto Giugiaro wanted to prove he can do even more than that. The result of this desire was the "Spicup" concept. The concept was unveiled at the 1969 Geneva Salon and in the same year was exhibited at the Concorso d’Eleganza in Allassio in June and finally at that year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. After that it is believed that the concept was sold to a private owner and in the mid-1970 it has been spotted at the German mega-dealer Auto Becker in Düsseldorf. After that the car has been registered in the Netherlands and used as a ’daily driver’. Now the concept has been restored to concurs condition and has been auction at the Bonhams auction for an impressive €460,000 or about $600,000 at the current exchange rates. Hit the jump to read more about the BMW Spicup Convertible Coupe. Standard Concept The concept unveiled in the 1969 was powered by a 2.8-litre vers

1967 Lamborghini Marzal

The Lamborghini Marzal is a concept car unveiled by Lamborghini at the 1967 Geneva Motor Show. It was designed by Marcello Gandini of Bertone, and like any other Lamborghini models, it was named after a strain of fighting bull. The Marzal was never put into production, but some of its design cues were used in the future Espada. As this is a one-of model it should not surprise you the fact that it was auctioned for an impressive €1.512.000, or about $2,100,000 at the current exchange rates. The Marzal is powered by a transversely mounted 175 HP in-line six-cylinder which was essentially half of the Miura engine, the V-12 was cut in half lengthwise, and was mated to a standard five-speed transmission. The concept was built on a modified Miura chassis, extended by 120 mm in order to accommodate the extra two passengers. A very impressive feature of the concept is a pair of long gullwing doors that were used instead of the usual four-door layout. But Ferruccio Lamborghini wasn’t very ple

1963 - 1966 Lamborghini 350 GT

The first Lamborghini to ever be made is the 350 GTV, which was later sold as a production model known as the 350 GT. It all started when Ferrucio Lamborghini decided to bring his Ferrari for a simple repair. At the time Ferrucio was manufacturing tractors out of demilitarized equipment and had no intention in building supercars. However that day he approached Enzo Ferrari with a complaint about the clutch of his latest Ferrari. Enzo’s response to the complaint was, “What does a tractor maker know about super cars? Go back to your farm and leave the supercars to me”. In rage and insulted, Ferruccio took his Ferrari home and fixed the problem himself using a tractor clutch. This little repair would be his first step in a long journey in the automotive world. 350 GTV Lamborghini’s biggest issue with Ferrari’s supercars was the lack of quality. To avoid that, Lamborghini hired the best designers and car engineers. With a strong team behind him, Lamborghini created his first prototype

Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo

To mark the 15th anniversary of the iconic Gran Turismo racing game series, Mercedes-Benz developed a concept super sports car which was added to Gran Turismo 6 via an online update. The physical version of the car, a 1:1 scale model was unveiled at the opening of the new Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Center in Sunnyvale, California on November 19th 2013. The origins of the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept come from Kazunori Yamauchi, Producer of the Gran Turismo series and President of Polyphony Digital Inc. He called upon the world’s leading automotive manufacturers and design studios to look forward into the future. Using the theme “Vision Gran Turismo”. Gorden Wagener, Vice President Design Daimler AG said of the concept: “By virtue of its proportions and expressive appearance, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo embodies the brand’s defining design philosophy of sensuous purity in a unique way. The design of this concept car reflects to extreme effe

McLaren LM5

Make: McLaren Model: LM5 Concept year: 2009 Production year - Engine: V10 The McLaren LM5 is a concept created by Matt Williams, a graduate of Coventry University's Transportation Design degree program. The LM5 was produced as his final year project. The LM5 was designed as a vehicle which could rekindle the drama and sophistication of the legendary McLaren F1. And while McLaren have since revealed the MP4-12C supercar, it's not exactly in the same league as the technological tour-de-force which was the original F1. The styling of the F1 was primarily dictated by function. However it also retained a unique sense of character and presence. Williams thought it would be interesting to develop the brand identity of McLaren - but more specifically the F1 model - and bring it into the 21st Century. And while the LM5 concept was designed to offer a similar personality and overall stance to the F1, it was also designed to utilize more extreme and race-influenced bodywork. The M

Mazda Takeri Concept

The 2011 Takeri concept was essentially a fairly standard four-door family sedan, but one which looked incredibly good. Mazda’s designers came up with something that looks sleek, stylish and also practical for the real world. Underneath the Mazda Takeri’s taught bodywork is a economical SKYACTIV drivetrain, and also Mazda’s first regenerative braking system. This technology converts kinetic energy to electricity during deceleration, stores it in capacitors and then uses it to power the car’s electrical equipment – reducing load on the engine and in-turn saving fuel. The Mazda Takeri is powered by the company’s latest SKYACTIV-D diesel engine which includes start-stop technology. There’s no word yet on power output or performance figures, but Mazda’s engineers were tasked with keeping the Takeri’s weight to a minimum in order to improve the car’s dynamics and keep fuel consumption to a minimum. Have more information about this car than please comment us or email us at roadstrikersIN@g

Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turismo

The Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turimo is Mazda’s virtual race car for the driving game Gran Turimo 6. The LM55 concept pays homage to the rotary-engined 787 B race car which Mazda used to win the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1991. But as well as taking a cue from the past, much of the LM55 Vision Gran Turismo concept’s styling is inspired by Mazda’s Kodo design language used on their current range of cars, including the all-new Mazda MX-5. The Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turismo features a lightweight construction, with carbon fibre components, including a monocoque chassis clad in an eye-catching “atmospheric-white” paint. The drivetrain, which Mazda hasn’t gone into detail about yet, is said to offer “power, efficiency and durability”. The Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turismo racer can be obtained in GT6 by one of two ways. After the latest update has been installed, the car can be won by completing a lap (regardless of the lap time) in the new Seasonal Event – but this option is only available only f

Lamborghini Concept S

Make: Lamborghini Model: Concept S Concept year: 2005 Production year: - Engine: 5.0 litre V10 The Lamborghini Concept S would be a radical car for any manufacturer, except Lamborghini. Cutting edge extroverted style has long been associated with the Lamborghini badge and the Concept S car is no exception. Looking like two wingless fighter jets strapped side by side the Concept S is the brain child of Lamborghini's design chief Luc Donckerwolke. The original design was for a single seater however Lamborghini bosses dictated that the driver of a Lamborghini should always have a spectator. A full size clay model of the concept S was first constructed at the start of 2004 however work on the car was overtaken by the need to get the Lamborghini Murcielago Barchetta and Gallardo Spyder into production. Early 2005 work resumed on the concept S supercar and the car was unveiled at the Geneva motorshow in march. The car is based on the Gallardo Spyder chassis with a modifie

Lamborghini Canto – What the Murcielago could have been?

Back in the late 1990s, when Lamborghini were starting to realise they needed a replacement for the ageing Diablo, they started reviewing design proposals from various automotive design firms. Zagato’s offering was the Zagato L147 SuperDiablo, or as it was to be later known, the Lamborghini Canto. The Lamborghini Canto first appeared in 1998, it arrived only two years after another Zagato designed Lamborghini concept had been unveiled, the Diablo-based Raptor. The cars shared a number of similar features, including the wraparound windows, triangular lateral air intakes, and trademark double-bubble roof. However of the two, the earlier Raptor was probably the better looking. Clearly Ferdinand Piech – head of the Volkswagen Group – thought so too. After VW bought Lamborghini in 1999, one of his first decisions was to review the Canto’s development and redesign the concept. The car was re-engineered and the rear extensively restyled to include smaller air intakes. The engine was also up

Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni

Because the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 isn't quite enough for everyone, there's now a less-is-more version. With no front driveshaft and all the power from the 5.2-litre V10 going to the rear wheels, this is the limited edition LP550-2 Valentino Balboni, and a chance to help shift a few more cars, deflect attention from the new Ferrari 458 Italia, and finally silence those whingers who claim that Lambos aren’t real drivers cars. Wonder how many have actually driven one? So what’s the Balboni bit about in the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni name? Valentino Balboni is Lamborghini’s recently retired test driver, a man who worked under Ferrucio Lamborghini himself when the company was still knocking out Miuras. Just 250 units of this special Gallardo will be made to honour Balboni’s 41 year association with the firm. And since much of his time was spent wrestling with lairy rear-drive supercars, Balboni the car fittingly does without the standard Gallardo’s front

Lamborghini Burlero: The Hypercar

The Lamborghini Burlero is a supercar concept created by the Armenian designer Tigran Lalayan, a graduate of the Masters Transportation and Car Design course at the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Italy. The Lamborghini Burlero concept was designed during his time at the university and developed in collaboration with Lamborghini. The Lamborghini Burlero concept is designed to be a track-focused vehicle, lightweight and simple in its construction. Tigran’s goal for the styling was to create a Lamborghini sports car with what he calls a “slightly softer” appearance. It looks good, but with all those pointy bits, it can hardly be described as soft. Like almost all Lamborghinis, the Burlero is named after a bull. In this case Burlero refers to a famous fighting bull of the same name who killed the Matador Jose Cubero in the summer of 1985. Being a track car, complete with tow ring and slick tires, the Lamborghini Burlero concept has no bad weather protection or roof. Only a thin wraparo

Maserati LaMaserati Concept

The Maserati LaMaserati is a hypercar concept created by Staffordshire University transport design graduate Mark Hostler. His previous works include the very pointy Lamborghini Ferruccio conceptfrom 2012. The LaMaserati concept was created as a conceptual flagship for Maserati, to take-over where the MC12 left off. And just like the MC12 – which was based on the Ferrari Enzo chassis – the LaMaserati would be based on, yep you guessed it, the LaFerrari chassis. Yet while the two cars would share the same underpinnings, visually they would be worlds apart. Even the drivetrain is radically altered, with the KERS system from the LaFerrari being ditched, and the 6.3 litre V12 being re-tuned to make up for the power reduction. The result would be a car which is lighter and more back-to-basics than the technologically advanced LaFerrari. The LaMaserati would be a car designed for drivers who appreciate a more analogue feel to their supercars. Design-wise, where to start. It looks like no

Koenigsegg RAGE Concept

Koenigsegg supercars are at the pinnacle of automotive engineering. Since 2002, when they exploded onto the hypercar scene with the CC8S, right up until their latest model, the Agera R, they’ve always pushed the limits and been a little different from the typical Italian supercar. Their previous models are certainly a tough act to follow. How do you stand out when the previous model is a carbon-fiber bodied, V8-powered supercar with a 273 mph top speed? Designer Maher Thebian’s answer is to create a car with even more over-the-top styling. But also one which is readily identifiable as belonging to the Swedish manufacturer. From the front, the Koenigsegg RAGE concepthas a similar nose, and the wraparound windscreen is also familiar to previous Koenigseggs. The wheel arches are more pronounced than previous models, and there is less ventilation for the mid-mounted engine due to smaller lateral air intakes. But the smaller air intakes would tie in nicely with Koenigsegg’s plans to build

Kia Kee Coupe

Make: Kia Model: Kee Concept year: 2007 Production year - Engine: 2.7 litre V6 The Kia Kee was revealed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Kee is a sports coupe concept based around a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive platform, with the possibility of an all-wheel-drive layout. The Kee is powered by a 200 hp V6 with the possibility of AWD The styling of the Kia Kee is intended not only to gather interest in the concept itself, but also to preview a new styling language for the company, and raise the profile of the South Korean marque. Kia Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer said of the concept: "Kee has to communicate a design language that will be seen on all future Kia products. That language has to be stated in certain elements of the visual representation – lines, shapes, details. But it has to be consistent and easy to understand. It must be visually strong and purposeful but it must be capable of being transferred from this sports coupe concept to a city runabout, a

Kia Sidewinder

Make: Kia Model: Sidewinder Concept year: 2006 Production year - Engine: Natural gas The Kia Sidewinder was one of the entrants into the 2006 Los Angeles Auto show's 'LA Adventure' design competition. A competition in which the participants chose an activity available in the southern California area, and then designed a vehicle for that purpose. Designed at the Kia America Design Center by Marc Mainville, the Kia Sidewinder concept is intended as an environmentally friendly vehicle for drift-racing, a California adventure because Los Angeles was the scene of the first officially sanctioned American drifting event. Power for the Kia Sidewinder comes from a compressed natural gas turbine, which supplies electricity to a series of in-wheel, high torque, electric motors.

Kia Cross GT Concept

At the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, Kia pulled the covers off a luxury SUV concept which is designed to hint at the brand’s design direction for future large vehicles. The company says the car uses influences from the 2011 Kia GT concept, however these seem to be limited to fairly standard Kia traits like the tiger-nose grille and, well… That’s about it. The Cross GT rides on the same chassis as the GT, however it is taller, and instead of being rear-wheel drive it features an all-wheel drive system. Peter Schreyer, Kia Motors Corporation President and Global Chief of Design, said of the concept: “The debut of the GT in 2011 heralded a new frontier for Kia, both from a design and a business perspective. It beautifully illustrated to the world that the brand was ready to explore the possibility of perhaps one day offering a full-size rear-wheel-drive luxury saloon. The Cross GT, with its raised stance and large cargo area, allows us to envision the GT in the form of a full-size luxury cros