eBay Find of the Day: Sole remaining 1995 Ford Thunderbird SVT prototype

It might not be the very first production Thunderbird ever made, but it is a pretty special T-Bird nonetheless, and it is up for auction, not at Barrett-Jackson, but rather on eBay Motors. Item number 190283235126 is a rare, 1 of 4, 1995 Ford Thunderbird SVT Concept prototype.


The description tells us that the other three were crushed by the Blue Oval, making this the sole survivor. What makes this SVT concept special is the engine. It features a turbocharged 4.8L V8 instead of the supercharged V6 that went into the production Thunderbird SC. Black with a gray leather interior, it appears to have aged well, with nearly 70,000 miles on the clock.


The car has been with one owner for the past ten years and was featured in Makes & Models Magazine in 2005. Unfortunately, it has a few non-stock "upgrades," including a racing fuel cell and a fiberglass hood with an airbrushed bird on the underside. Check out the gallery and click over if you feel its worth at least the $30,000 starting price.
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Event Alert: February Calendar of Automotive Events

Thanks to your suggestions, we added a Google Calendar after the jump so you can bookmark it and constantly receive updates as we add them. We appreciate all of your input and hope you find our calendar a useful tool. We also appreciate your comments listing events we might have overlooked or that are just near-and-dear to your hearts. Event cancellation notices are also greatly appreciated.

Highlights for February include the Chicago Auto Show, which we will be covering obsessively from McCormick Place; the kickoff of the NASCAR and NHRA seasons with the Daytona 500 and the Winternationals, respectively; and the RetroMobile show in Paris. There's plenty of other fun stuff scheduled all over the country and indeed around the world.

Read more

Bee Four revives BRM brand, reveals in-wheel motor source

It's been announced that the electric race car we were telling you about from Bee Automobiles Ltd will now contend for the British Speed Hill Climb Championship in 2010 as the BRM Bee Four ERV.

This revives the BRM (British Racing Motors) brand that was born 60 years ago and has a rich and proud history. This also delays the original plan by a year, but should give them the necessary time to introduce a car that is fully tested and ready to win. There is hope that we'll see it before then as it is rumored that it may make some cameos at events this year.
more detail. ...



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New Ford Focus RS Video

The Focus RS is a serious performance machine, all indications point towards this. But on this video a more somber, normal Focus RS shows itself proving that there's more to this spicy lime hatch than mere numbers.


Pushing the car forward is a 6-speed manual gearbox that helps the RS reach the 100km/h target in second gear. For certain engine frequencies a �sound symposer' is used to transfer certain pleasing sounds the car makes as it goes along into the cabin. Those bonnet louvers are there to help with idle cooling especially after heavy runs on a track so they aren't just there for aggressive looks.


For the longest time Ford wasn't even breathing a word related to the Focus RS. Then suddenly a flood of information came through, including confirmation that the RS would make a return after a six year hiatus. When details burst out, few really believed that the RS was to be driven through the front wheels, given its power figures of 300bhp (224kW) and 440Nm of torque from a 2.5-litre turbo.


After all, front-wheel-driven cars with slightly less power than the RS are known to have excessive torque steer. Nevertheless Ford had an answer to that in a hi-tech system called RevoKnuckle, a specially design steering knuckle containing two ball bearing sets which help compensate for torque steer. Additionally an LSD is fitted for extra traction.





via:World Car Fans



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PREVIEW:2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Gullwing Hybrid

Mercedes-Benz clearly wants to revive in style those beautiful rising doors that made history in the 50s. That's why a little brother for the yet-to-be-unveiled SLC supercar is on the way.


The future mini supercar could use the underpinnings of the 3rd generation of the SLK-Klasse, which should hit the streets in 2011. The rumoured SLK Gullwing will feature a hybrid powertrain:a 3,5 litres V6 internal combustion engine(probably, the current one, which boasts a 305 BHP output/360 Nm max. torque and an electronically-limited max. speed of 250 km/h) and an electric unit coupled to Li-Ion batteries.

Specifically, those state-of-the-art technology batteries are the reason for planning such a dramatic SLK version. Mercedes-Benz intends to install them in the side sills, so there would be no room for the conventional doors.

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Gullwing will try, as best as it can, to protect the environment:regenerative brakes and START/STOP function to be fitted, a 150 g CO2/km gas emission, an average 5,9 l/100 km fuel consumption, 193 km of all-electric autonomy. However, the car won't forget its main objective as a sports car, so it will ensure a 0-100 km/h sprint in approximately 5 seconds.


Source:WorldCarFans

Copyright � 2009, fastfivecars. All rights reserved.

Metrobus project in Istanbul wins a USA award

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Jan 30, 2009

* Sustainable Transport Award in Washington D.C. in recognition of the sustainable transport concept of the city of Istanbul

* Mercedes-Benz CapaCity offers solutions for innovative transport concepts

The Metrobus project of the Istanbul administration authority was recently given an award during the presentation of the Sustainable Transport Awards in Washington D.C. This award is presented to projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the quality of life in the inner areas of major cities worldwide.


In its award citation the jury emphasised that Istanbul has played a pioneering role versus other, comparable major cities with its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) concept, which went into operation in 2007. The BRT line originally ran from the suburb of Avcilar in the north-west of Istanbul to Topkapi in the city centre, and in 2008 a further connection was added between Topkapi and Zincirlikuyu in view of the service�s widespread acceptance. This additional stretch extended the originally 17-kilometre long route to a length of 29 kilometres. The buses travel on their own roadways at an average speed of 40 km/h, and shorten the daily travel time from 1.5 hours to 40 minutes. Each day the BRT system carries more than 530,000 passengers, which means 70,000 to 80,000 fewer individual journeys in the dense city traffic of this major Turkish metropolis. Per passenger, a regular service bus such as the CapaCity consumes between 0.3 and 0.4 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, and thereby makes a significant contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions. The much-discussed level of CO2 emissions directly depends on fuel consumption.

Mercedes-Benz CapaCity offers solutions for innovative transport concepts

150 CapaCity buses supplied by EvoBus GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG, from the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim have so far formed the backbone of the Bus Rapid Transit line in Istanbul. A further 100 CapaCity buses were ordered for the city of Istanbul by the transport operator Istanbul Elektrik Tramvay ve T�nel Isletmelerie (IETT) at the end of 2008. As in Istanbul, the CapaCity is able to provide answers to many urban public transport problems in other regions as well. It concentrates the transport capacity on the major routes, while reducing fuel, driver, workshop and capital costs. As a high-capacity vehicle not restricted to on-rail operation, the CapaCity combines the typical advantages of the series production city buses, i.e. great flexibility and high cost-effectiveness, with the attributes of a tram system. By virtue of its cost-effectiveness, high passenger capacity of 193 and low infrastructure costs, it is an ideal component for innovative BRT transport systems.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) was founded in 1985 for the encouragement of environmentally and socially compatible transport concepts worldwide. It cooperates with urban authorities and local interest groups to implement projects aimed at fighting poverty, environmental pollution and dependence on crude oil.

" The mobility requirements of a major metropolis such as Istanbul are enormous. Only an optimal combination of the infrastructure and the vehicle fleet is able to guarantee the best possible transport performance, as the BRT project is already demonstrating today ", says Holger Suffel, Daimler Buses Vice President, Service & Parts.

Copyright � 2009, fastfivecars. All rights reserved.

Decision to establish joint venture between Daimler (AG) and Beiqi Foton (Motor Co., Ltd.) is affirmed in letter of intent

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Berlin, Germany, Jan 29, 2009

In the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Gou Zhongwen, the Vice Mayor of Beijing, Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. and Daimler AG signed a letter of intent to form a 50:50 joint venture to produce medium and heavy-duty trucks and exchange technology in China. This is the foundation for the next step of the process, which is to gain the approval of the Chinese government.


Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, was also present as Dr. R�diger Grube, Daimler AG Board of Management member responsible for corporate development, and Ulrich Walker, Chairman and CEO of Daimler Northeast Asia, signed the agreement together with their Chinese partners, Mr. Heyi Xu, Chairman of BAIC, and Jinyu Wang, President of Beiqi Foton.

The joint venture will benefit from Daimler�s technology leadership, especially in the area of diesel engines. Together, the joint venture partners will use Foton�s Auman truck brand as a platform for international growth in the lower-end commercial vehicle segment.

�This joint venture is another step in realizing both our long-term commercial vehicle strategy and our China strategy,� said Dr. R�diger Grube, Daimler AG Board of Management member responsible for corporate development. �Foton is the right partner for us. This cooperation is a win-win situation for both companies and, most importantly, for our customers."

With this new joint venture, Daimler will now have two commercial vehicle joint ventures and one passenger car joint venture in China, in addition to its financial services operations there.

�At BAIC we are very happy to expand our business relationship with Daimler to include commercial vehicles at Beiqi Foton, in addition to our cooperation for passenger cars at BeijingBenz-DaimlerChrysler Automotive,� said BAIC Chairman Xu. BAIC is the primary Chinese shareholder for both Beiqi Foton Trucks, Ltd. and BeijingBenz-DaimlerChrysler Automotive Ltd. (BBDC).

�Today�s agreement is a milestone in the history of the Chinese commercial vehicle industry,� said Ulrich Walker, Chairman and CEO of Daimler Northeast Asia. �The joint venture of Daimler and Foton will benefit from the outstanding strengths of the two companies. Daimler�s technology expertise, global scale, and market leadership in the high-end truck segment ideally complement Foton�s broad sales network in China and its market leadership in the lower-end truck segment. This joint venture will be an excellent starting point for growth, profitability, and expansion, not only in China but in international markets as well.�

Copyright � 2009, fastfivecars. All rights reserved.

Berlin dealership celebrates centennial: 100 years of Mercedes-Benz sales in Germany

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Berlin, Germany, Jan 29, 2009

* Ceremony in the Mercedes World on Salzufer marks centennial of the Berlin company-owned sales and service outlet

* Curtain-raiser for four more anniversaries of company-owned outlets opened in Dresden, Hamburg, Frankfurt and D�sseldorf in 1909

* Historic basis of the present Mercedes-Benz Sales Organisation in Germany

The Berlin company-owned sales and service outlet extended invitations to a ceremony which took place today to mark its 100th anniversary. Some 800 guests attended the function at the Mercedes World Berlin on Salzufer. At the same time, this event is the start of a series of jubilees at the Mercedes-Benz-owned sales and service outlets established in Dresden, Hamburg, Frankfurt and D�sseldorf in 1909. The founding of these outlets is the historic basis of the present-day Mercedes-Benz Sales Organisation in Germany.


Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: "The connection between Daimler and Berlinevolved historically and now dates back even more than one hundred years."

The first car registered in Berlin in 1902 was a Daimler, and the factory in Marienfelde, set up in the same year, is the oldest Daimler factory in the world. "Today and in future, too, Berlin retains its central significance for us on the way to the automobile of the future: last year we took an important step towards emission-free mobility with our 'e-mobility Berlin' project." Berlinalso is the site of the first European service station for emission-free fuel-cell-powered vehicles of Daimler AG.

January 1st, 1909 is considered the official founding day of the Berlin sales and service outlet of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG): it was created from the existing showroom at the prestigious Unter den Linden 78 address and a separate repair shop. Just a few years later, DMG inaugurated a house-cum-showroom in Berlin which already then combined sales with the brand world and entertainment.

The tradition of making the Mercedes-Benz brand a tangible experience for customers and visitors lives on to this day in the capital city. At the Benz & Cie. site on Salzufer, in use since 1915, the new headquarters of the Berlin sales and service outlet was erected in 2000. The Berlin outlet has a total of 1400 employees at nine locations to make it one of the capital's biggest employers. The vehicles of the Mercedes-Benz brand find a befitting stage for presentation to customers and visitors in the brand and event world on Salzufer. The Mercedes World can boast more than one million visitors to around 200 events annually, including model premieres, receptions and public viewing of sports events. It has again become one of the city's social meeting points.

100 years of Mercedes-Benz sales in Germany

Dr. Klaus Maier, Manager Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars: "The founding of the first five company-owned sales and service outlets forms the basis for the present-day Mercedes-Benz Sales Organisation in Germany. With a total of 34 company-owned branches plus around 600 sales and service partners throughout Germany, we have an efficient nationwide network at our disposal today. At 1200 locations in all, 60,000 employees provide optimum care and support to our customers." As a part of Daimler AG, today the Mercedes-Benz Sales Organisation Germany with its staff of 1200 bears responsibility for the national sales of the brands Mercedes-Benz, smart, Maybach, AMG and Mitsubishi Fuso.

In the outgoing 19th/early 20th century, sales of Mercedes and Benz automobiles were still fully in the hands of independently operating agents. The best-known example is the Austrian businessman Emil Jellinek, who resided in Nice and was the creator of the brand name Mercedes. When car sales declined in 1906 and 1907 as a result of the troubled world economy, DMG relied on a separate sales organisation to enable it to respond on its own to market happenings. At Benz & Cie. in Mannheim, almost simultaneously similar reasons led to the establishment of Benz-owned sales and service outlets.

1909 thus saw the establishment of five company-owned sales and service outlets at once: in Berlin, Frankfurt, Dresden, D�sseldorf and Hamburg. In 1926 Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie. merged to form Daimler-Benz AG, carrying on their business from then on jointly. Vehicles are sold both through the company-owned outlets and through independent agents and dealers. This system ensures that all car customers � those outside the big cities too � can be reached and creates a service network affording comprehensive coverage. In 1914 DMG already had around 70 sales outlets and agencies worldwide, in New York, London, Cairo, St. Petersburg, Bangkok and other cities.

From 1939 onwards, the Second World War brought car production and sales practically to a standstill. Factories and branches of Daimler-Benz AG were destroyed and had to be rebuilt after 1945. During the "Economic Miracle" period in the 1950s and 1960s car sales boomed. Sports cars like the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing symbolised the freedom of the road. Simultaneously, truck production expanded as goods traffic increasingly shifted to the highway. Buses, vans and the Unimog complemented the product range. The extended product offer caused the demands on the company-owned outlets and the dealers to grow. Daimler-Benz AG responded by setting up the Mercedes-Benz Sales Organisation Germany for the purpose of concerted, brand-adequate marketing of its vehicles. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification, the German sales organisation relocated from Stuttgart to Berlin in 1998.

More information about the Mercedes-Benz Sales Organisation is available in the internet at www.mbvd.de .




Copyright � 2009, fastfivecars. All rights reserved.

Tazio Nuvolari - Targa Florio 1932

Pen & ink and Prismacolor pencils on Strathmore Steel Gray archival stock, image 10"x 22"
� Paul Chenard 2009

Tazio Nuvolari was a driver of great passion, and drove with his heart and his head.

For the 1932 Targa Florio, he drove an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza, prepared for him by the Alfa Romeo racing team manager Enzo Ferrari.

The diminutive Nuvolari wanted riding mechanic smaller than he, so enlisted a new and inexperienced Ferrari mechanic Paride Mambelli to ride with him. He told the young mechanic to duck down low for tricky turns. For the race, Nuvolari drove as Nuvolari always drove and they won.

After the race, Ferrari asked the young man how it went, and he told him that he stayed ducked down for the whole race and basically missed it.

Private collection
Limited editions are vailable.

Geneva Debut _2010 Porsche 911 GT3 Official Details & Video

Porsche has revealed the updated and slightly more powerful 2010 911 GT3 ahead of its official debut at Geneva Motor Show in March.


The Euro base price of the new GT3 is �98,100, in Germany the retail price including value-added tax and specific national features is �116,947. In the USA the GT3 will be at dealerships in October at a price of $112,200 (MSRP without taxes). Porsche fans in the UK can expect the new model to be in dealerships this fall with a starting price of �81,914.


The new model receives many of the subtle exterior updates as the rest of the 911 family but adds a unique racing flair to the mix. Up front there is a new bumper with a lower spoiler, larger air intakes with mesh inserts, and modified bi-xenon headlights. Other changes to the new GT3 include a redesigned rear spoiler, rear LED taillights, and a new rear bumper.


Helping to keep all that power on the road are updated stability and traction control systems which aim to keep Porsche's legacy of offering outstanding vehicle dynamics while providing an enhanced measure of safety. The new version of Porsche Stability Management offers drivers the option of deactivating stability and traction control in separate steps, allowing for a custom tailored driving experience. Should the new safety systems fail to keep you on course, the larger carbon ceramic brakes will be there to help bring you to a halt.


Power comes from an enlarged version of Porsche's naturally aspirated flat-six engine which now comes in at 3.8-liters and boasts 435 horsepower and 317 ft-lbs of torque. This allows the GT3 to sprint from 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 194 mph. Compared to the current GT3, the new model features an additional 200cc in displacement which helps to create the extra 20 hp.
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First time on video for New 2011 Porsche 911 Coupe and Cabriolet

Our spies showed up on the scene while three prototypes were at a fuel stop. They took full advantage, capturing over two minutes of raw video, showing the much-loved car from many different angles. Engineers have been looking into winter performance capabilities of the 998 in the north of Sweden, where extreme weather pushes cars to their limits. Two cabrios and a coupe were being road tested.


Generational improvements will include raised headlights, new side mirrors placed on the doors, with LEDs expected at both the front and back. Inside, more room will be made at the back, requiring the car to be stretched a bit longer. Power should come from direct-injection engines, with a possible 3.0-liter version coming standard. Customers will have the choice of upgrading to an all-wheel-drive version, or keeping the standard RWD. Transmission choices include a manual transmission, or the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch currently seen on the 2009 model.


The drivers looked to be doing some reconnaissance work of their own, snapping several photos of the spies as they headed back to the highways.


The new 2011 Porsche 911 Coupe and Cabriolet have been caught on video for the first time. This is the new generation of Porsche's flagship sports car, internally referred to as the 998.
via:World Car Fans



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2010 Renault Megane Sedan Spy Photos

Today we have first pictures of the new Megane Sedan with heavy camouflage that was spotted in snowy Sweden doing winter testing.


Renault has already officially introduced the third-generation Megane Hatchback and the Coupe. Just recently we brought you spy shots of the Grandtour version.


Just like the new Megane hatch, power will come from a range of gasoline and diesel engines. Gasoline engines range from 1.4-liter to 2.0 liter(225 hp when turbocharged) and diesel engines offered are 1.5-liter and 1.9-liter dCI turbodiesels with power from 89 hp to 178 hp.



Built on the same platform as the Nissan Qashqai, it will go against the Peugeot 308, Fiat Bravo and VW Golf VI, and will obviously be much more than just a mature evolution of the current Megane.

Source:globalmotors



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Geneva: Wiesmann GT MF4 Roadster BMW M3 with heart

If the speculation will correct Wies Mann Geneva unveil the roadster version of the GT MF4. And therein, in addition to the already known 367 hp 4.8 liter V8 from BMW, the block of the BMW M3 (4.0 V8 420 hp) are available.


In his dense brother, the GT MF4, the M3 block all at once become available. It is not confirmed, but the appearance of a roadster version of the MF4 probably means the end for the MF3 Roadster. Because in this model is the 3.2 six-in-line BMW M engine that recently went out of production. For the Roadster MF3 Wies Mann has no engine and therefore will be stopped with this model.


For the people by the letters and numbers no longer know the different models, below a small overview:

Roadster MF4 (4.8 V8, 367 hp, induction in Geneva)
Roadster MF4-S (4.0 V8, 420 hp M3 engine, introduced in Geneva)

GT MF4 (4.8 V8, 367 hp, all available)
MF4 GT-S (4.0 V8, 420 hp M3 engine immediately available)

GT MF5 (5.0 V10, 507 hp M5 engine, already available)

And next year Roadster MF5?

via autoblog.nl



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Vauxhall's hot new Insignia performance car previewed by Opel OPC

Power is not yet disclosed but the twin-turbo V6 is thought to produce around 320bhp. Expect to see this styling model at the Geneva show in March, with the production version making its debut at the Frankfurt show in September if not before.


Running OPC Prototypes have lapped the N�rburgring in a little over eight minutes, according to Opel managing director and engineering guru Hans Demant. With its four-wheel drive and 255/35 R20 tyres it's said to be very grippy, very stable and very benign in its handling. Wheels have five concave spokes, are painted in dark metallic grey and have polished rims and spoke outlines.


This is the OPC version of Opel's Insignia, to be known in the UK as the Vauxhall Insignia VXR. This prototype styling model, a saloon rather than a hatchback, shows the vertical front air intakes that were a striking feature of the Opel GTC Concept coup� that previewed the Insignia's design language at the 2007 Geneva motor show.
Source: evo.co.uk



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Reports say problems with new Renault

Jan.28 (GMM) The opening test of Renault's 2009 car did not proceed as planned for the French team, the Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell reports.

Although the Portimao test was badly marred by the weather last week, it is suggested that Renault struggled with the early performance of the new R29.

The aerodynamics of the unique-looking racer is apparently the culprit, and at the end of the only dry day in Portugal last week, Fernando Alonso was easily the slowest of the four new cars.

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Copyright � 2009, fastfivecars. All rights reserved.