Jaguar XJ75 Platinum Concept
Jaguar will continue its 75 anniversary with the unveiling of the XJ75 Platinum Concept today at the Pebble Beach Concours. The concept is based on the XJ luxury sedan and “is the company’s first demonstration of the design customization potential.”
The XJ75 Platinum Concept is defined by a white and black contrast theme, new ground-hugging front, rear and side sills, exterior chrome elements painted in either a dark chrome or gloss black and 22″ black wheels. The concept is painted in Satin Matte Pearlescent White.
On the interior it gets a bespoke clock developed and designed in partnership with the Bremont Watch Company. “On the inside, we played up the XJ’s combination of high-end materials and British flair to really have some fun. The XJ75 Platinum Concept is a design exercise that shows our vision of customization as an inspiration for those enthusiasts who have a taste for strong individuality and visual confidence in their luxury automobiles.”
Press release after the jump.
Jaguar XJ75 Platinum Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 14 August 2010 03:10 EST.
Mercedes CLS spied at official photo shoot
The new generation Mercedes CLS is about to make its debut. How do we know that? Well, because Mercedes has already been taking a few official photos of the four door coupe and one lucky guy just happened to be at the right place at the right time during a Mercedes press shoot.
The 2011 CLS will feature a larger, more upright grille with bold horizontal bars and angular headlights with LED lights and chrome inserts on the rubbing strips, window trim, and bootlid.
Under the hood Mercedes will place a pair of petrol and diesel engines, with the top version getting a new twin-turbo 4.7-liter V8 engine with an output of 429bhp and 700Nm of torque. That’s an improvement of more than 12% over the current CLS 500, while in the same time fuel economy is also improved to 30mpg. The CLS 63 AMG will get a new 5.5-liter bi-turbo engine that will be able to produce over 571 HP and 664 lb-ft of torque.
Stay tuned, we’ll get back with more details!
Mercedes CLS spied at official photo shoot originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 22 July 2010 21:00 EST.
Video: Aston Martin Rapide in development
The Aston Martin Rapide was debuted back in 2006 at the North America International Show (NAIS) with many people oohing and aahing over the clean and sleek design of the supercar. You would think that after such a remarkable reception, Aston Martin would jump at the chance to produce this vehicle and give everyone just what they were drooling over. That was not the case. It took Aston Martin four years to come out with a production model and now we get to see what transpired over those four years in a video that is only three minutes long.
To be honest, the video is not that great. The stages of development that are showed are not exhilarating or telling in any fashion. What the video is good for is a few shots of the beautiful Rapide as it coasts down the road. If you are looking for a Mulsanne type documentary, this video simply isn’t for you. If you are looking to see the gorgeous Rapide travel along some roads, then watch on.
The Aston Martin Rapide comes with a 6.0 Liter V12 engine lifted directly from the Aston Martin DB9. It will make the exact same 470 HP and 443 lb-ft of torque as the coupe. The fat four door will be able to go from 0 to 60 MPH in just 5.1 seconds and reach a top speed to be estimated at 188 MPH.
Video: Aston Martin Rapide in development originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 17 July 2010 23:00 EST.
Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible
The British maker Bentley will unveil the convertible version of its most powerful and fastest Continental ever in March at the Geneva Motor Show. The 2011 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible will go on sale in June (all markets) and it is expected to have a price of aprox. $300k.
As with the coupe version, the Supersports Convertible is powered by a 6-liter W12 twin-turbocharged engine that delivers a total of 621bhp 6000
rpm and 590lb ft of torque at 2000-4500 rpm. It makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 3.9 seconds, while top speed goes up to 202 mph.
The new convertible also features: ZF 6HP26 transmission with ’Quickshift’ system that cuts shift times by 50%, all-wheel drive system, Continuous Damping Control (CDC) system, stiffer suspension, lightweight, 20-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels offering 22lb weight saving per car, carbon-ceramic brakes, lightweight, carbon fiber, front sports seats, saving 99lb per car, Alcantara, carbon fiber and ’Soft Grip’ leather and of course, FlexFuel capability.
Updated 03/03/2010: Bentley today revealed the first video of the fastest four-seat production convertible car in the world. Check it out!
Updated 03/31/2010: The Continental Supersports Convertible made its North American debut today at New York Auto Show. At the event, Bentley announced the car will be available from this summer, starting at $280,400.
Press release after the jump.
Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 31 March 2010 18:00 EST.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Jaguar Daimler to be put on sale
You want to feel what it’s like to be in the presence of royalty? If you answered ‘Yes!’, then you might be interested in this one of a kind Jaguar Daimler that has been put up for sale by a private collector.
Exactly why is this car so special? Well, it’s not really about the car but more so the owner of it: no less than the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II.
Specifically built for the Queen, this Jaguar Daimler comes with a number of unique features that were included upon the Queen’s request, including a redesigned armrest to fit her handbag, a direct line to Downing Street and the Home Office (sold disconnected), lambskin rugs and soft leather seats with special stitching. The Queen began using the Jaguar Daimler back in 2001 and only ran up the odometer to 12,000 miles – mostly by shuttling between her Windsor estate and Buckingham Palace.
Continued after the jump.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Jaguar Daimler to be put on sale originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 10:57 EST.
Maybach May See the End of the Line
Cosmetic surgery is quite popular nowadays. In fact, even Mercedes’ luxury brand, Maybach, will be seeing a little bit of a facelift before its ultimate descent into the automobile graveyard. As the next generation of the Mercedes S class gets taken to the next level, Maybach will turn into a thing of the past, but not before getting some new grilles and LED lights on its current three models. After the Maybach’s debut at the Beijing Auto Show in April, sources say that Mercedes will let the brand slip away into darkness and bring to light the new, higher tech S class.
The new S class is said to debut in 2014 and are rumored to contain many of the features found in the F800. The technologies include:
Traffic Jam Assist: A cruise control system that accelerates and decelerates by itself and can even follow turns up to 25MPH.
Range on Map System: Shows about how far the car can travel as a 360-degree graphic.
HMI Control System: This unique technology will record the hand gestures of the driver so it can then interpret the applications the driver wants to operate.
Multi-Drive Platform: Can be fitted with either a hydrogen fuel cell or plug-in hybrid system.
Check back for more updates on the future of the Mercedes S Class.
Maybach May See the End of the Line originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 15 March 2010 20:26 EST.
Lexus GS
The Lexus GS luxury sedan enters the 2010 model year, in three version – GS 350 RWD, GS 350 AWD and GS 460 RWD. Next to all the latest technologies, the GS is also offered with new exterior colors: Deep Sea Mica replaces Black Sapphire Pearl and Satin Cashmere Metallic replaces Golden Almond Metallic. In addition, Parchment leather interior takes the place of Cashmere. Prices start at $45,600 and go up to $54,070.
TGS 350 is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 303 hp at 6,200 rpm and 274 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 3,600 rpm. The GS 460 gets a V8 that produces 342 hp at 6,400 rpm and 339 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 4,100 rpm. The GS 460 can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and the GS 350 in 5.7 (5.8 for AWD).
At front the 2010 GS gets a sloped, vertical grille surrounded by four independent headlamps visually connects the current GS sedans with the previous-generation models while signaling the brand’s design progression. The lower valance features integrated fog lamps, and a low 0.27 coefficient of drag (Cd) helps to minimize wind noise and maximize highway fuel efficiency.
Press release after the jump.
Lexus GS originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 19:00 EST.
TechArt Concept One
The new Porsche Panamera has, without question, received more than its fair share of attention from tuners all over the world since it made its official debut late last year. And while this isn’t TechArt’s first go-round in tuning a Panamera, popular perception seems to think that they’re not getting tired of it anytime soon because they recently announced a new individualization study for the Panamera that will make an appearance at the Geneva Motor Show.
TechArt’s new tuning package is called ’Concept One’ and features a carrara white exterior package that’s fully manufactured from high-quality PU-RIM. The exterior package includes, among other things, a new bonnet with inwrought air outlets, new fenders and side skirts, trim strips and elegant trim frames in the windows, a rear apron with integrated air openings and matching diffuser, a height-adjustable rear spoiler and 22-inch TECHART Formula III forged light alloy wheels.
As for the interior, it comes in a leather finish with a cocoa and white color combination, leather applications on trim parts in cerbero, as well as manually processed decorative stitching in phosphor green. There is also a 3-spoke PDK sports steering wheel with shift paddles, a 10.2-inch ceiling monitor with integrated DVD player, a rear center console and two high-quality folding tables built into the front seats.
Suffice to say, TechArt didn’t seem to leave any stones unturned as far as their new ’Concept One’ tuning package is concerned and if anyone is interested to know more about it, you’ll only need to wait a few more days until the package officially breaks cover in Geneva.
Press release after the jump.
TechArt Concept One originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 25 February 2010 12:15 EST.
Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept
Cadillac unveiled today at the Detroit Auto Show the XTS Platinum Concept, a preview version of a future luxury sedan. Based on its dimensions, the XTS is placed between the current STS and the DTS.
The XTS Platinum Concept features a luxurious interior and a plug-in hybrid propulsion system. We have a 3.6 liter V6 gasoline engine that delivers a total of 350 hp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque paired with a plug-in hybrid system: a liquid-cooled lithium ion pack that will use the same same lithium cells as the Chevrolet Volt.
The concept’s interior takes inspiration from the nature (the intricate layers of petals that combine to form an orchid) and uses the Organic Light-Emitting Diode (O-LED) displays in place of traditional gauges and screens.
The exterior is all about Cadillac’s Art and Science design language: vertical headlamp and taillamps with LED technology, with integrated light pipes and richly detailed lighting components and 20-inch, 11-spoke wheels.
Press release after the jump.
Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 12 January 2010 02:35 EST.
The new Audi A8 will offer Google Earth for the first time in a production vehicle
The new Audi A8 luxury sedan will go on sale in early 2010, offering a variety of Google services and information to the luxury sedan via the internet. Its multimedia interface (MMI) navigation plus features among other innovations, a highly evolved operating concept incorporating a touchpad – known as MMI touch. Also included are an integrated hard disk for navigation, phone and audio data and a graphics processor capable of generating high-quality, three dimensional images.
The user can search online with Google for points-of-interest directly from within the MMI. With Google Earth on the MMI’s 8 inch LCD display the new Audi A8 allows its occupants to discover the world from above. The Google Earth imagery and 3D terrain model are combined with the detailed street network from the onboard navigation database as well as calculated routes in a seamless integration of online and offline content.
Press release after the jump.
The new Audi A8 will offer Google Earth for the first time in a production vehicle originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 December 2009 07:00 EST.