First Alfa Romeo 4C Promo Touts Brand's Return to the U.S., Configurator Launches in June

There's a lot to like about the production Alfa Romeo 4C, from its ultra-lightweight construction that uses carbon fiber components to keep the dry weight at a surprisingly low 895kg or 1,973 pounds, to its nicely crafted body, and one thing to hate: those spider eye-style headlamps that look like a bad afterthought.

Of course, it could be just us and a bunch of other gearheads we talked to and who said the same thing, so if you disagree, don't be shy to share your feelings in the comments.

Now, the reason why we're coming back to the 236HP (240PS) Alfa 4C that was unwrapped earlier today at the Geneva Auto Show isn't to talk about its lights, but to tell you that the Italian brand has released the first promotion videos of the mid-engine sports car, and launched a primitive online configurator.

Alfa tells us in one of the videos that the full-spec configurator will be available in June. The one that's online now, only gives the chance to choose from two colors for the body and interior trim.

At Alfa Romeo's Geneva motor show press conference, the Italian company's CEO Harald Wester confirmed the 4C's North American premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, with first deliveries before the end of the year.

While Alfa won't reveal pricing for the United States until the LA show, Wester did say that the 4C Launch Edition shown in Geneva will be priced at €60,000 (US$78,000) in Europe where it goes on sale in September.

Articles Source : Carscoop

 Video Source : Youtube

Category › Alfa Romeo , Alfa Romeo 4C , Video

Lamborghini Veneno and Its Huge Rear Wing Officially Revealed, See it on Video

While we can't really call the Aventador or the Gallardo 'conservatively styled', they definitely are compared to Lamborghini's Geneva showstopper – the Veneno, a car made to celebrate the Italian firm's 50th anniversary.

They call it a racing car for the road, and while that concept may have morphed into a cliché over the years, we can see where they're coming from, because the Veneno looks like a stylized LeMans prototype with turn signals.

Its elongated aerodynamic profile, long overhangs and massive rear wing show that this car was designed in a wind tunnel, in order to achieve a very low coefficient of drag, while also providing a lot of downforce. Just look at that comically large front splitter, the racecar-like open rear end purposeful-looking diffuser – they really wanted to make a statement in an age when all supercars are going green.

It is predictably powered by a large naturally-aspirated V12 engine, which displaces 6.5 liters. Based on the unit that powers the Aventador, the V12 has been tweaked to the tune of 50 extra horsepower, pushing the total output figure to 750 hp.

However, while that is a colossal power figure by regular car standards, it's not really that much, in an age when the most powerful supercars are nudging and even surpassing the 1,000hp barrier. Nevertheless, the car has a claimed top speed of 355 km/h (221 mph), and it can crack the 100 km/h (62 mph) barrier in 2.8 seconds, which is blisteringly fast no matter how much horsepower a car has (or doesn't have, in this case).

The impressive figures are due partly to the clever aerodynamics and partly to the car's lightweight construction. Made out of CFRP (carbon-fiber-reinforced-polymer), the car tips the scales at 1,450 kg (3,190 lbs), which is some 125 kg (275 lbs) lighter than the Aventador on which it is structurally based.

However, don't let the racy looks of the exterior fool you, the Veneno is well-appointed inside, featuring leather as well as Lamborghini-patented materials like 'Forged Composite' and 'Carbon Skin'.

Only three of these flamboyantly-styled supercars will be built, all of which have already been sold at a cost of €3 ($3.9 / £2.6) million a pop.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Video Source : Youtube

Category › Geneva Motor Show , Lamborghini , News , Video

First Live Look at the New McLaren P1 from the Geneva Motor Show

Officially, the 83rd Geneva International Motor Show won't be opening its doors for the press until Tuesday, March 5, but that doesn't mean you can't get in the Palexpo – Arena, as YouTube user and Carscoop reader Tim a.k.a. Shmee150 proves with these two videos he dropped into our email-box.

Besides getting a quick look at Ferrari's stand that will host the world premiere of the Enzo-replacing hypercar, currently known under its internal codename F150, Tim also filmed the actual, production version of McLaren's 350km/h (218mph) P1 hybrid hypercar.

You can watch both videos right below the break, and don't forget to keep checking back on Carscoops for all the latest news coming out from the Geneva Auto Salon.

Articles Source : Carscoop

 

 Video Source : Youtube

Category › Geneva Motor Show , Mclaren , P1 , Video

Renault Itself Test Drives the New Clio RS 200 EDC

The all-new Clio RS 200 EDC is a very important car for Renault, and the French manufacturer is keen to point out the improvements over the previous generation car with an in-house test drive of its hot hatch. It is of course a biased review of the Clio, but since the first customer cars are set to be delivered in mid-March, this is all we have to go on until the car becomes available to the motoring press.

The Renault “reviewer” talks about how the new car is a more practical, economical and usable compared to the car it replaces. It is now bigger, has two more doors and its 1.6-liter turbocharged engine has more torque at low revs and some 20 percent more fuel-efficient than the outgoing model’s screaming naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter unit.

The car has also been fitted with an intake resonator, like the one found on the new Ford Focus ST, which amplifies engine noise, without making it overly-intrusive. In addition, if the owner opts for the optional R-Link touchscreen infotainment system, a wide assortment of engine noises can be chosen, and the sound will be piped through the car's sound system - we say that's a bit of a gimmick, which will most likely not be appreciated by hot hatch purists.

Following in the footsteps of the VW Polo GTI and the Skoda Fabia vRS, Renault has ditched the six-speed manual gearbox used in the old model, in favor of a modern dual-clutch setup with paddle shifters they call EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) - a manual version is not offered at all. This coupled with the engine's flat torque curve should make the Clio a more relaxing car to drive when not in ‘hoon-mode’.

For the full detailed “review”, check out Renault's video after the jump.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Video Source : Youtube

Category › Clio RS 200 , Renault , Video

Audi R8 V8 Versus Porsche 911 Carrera 4S on the Track

Take a look at the Volkswagen Group's vast lineup of cars and you will be hard pressed to find two vehicles competing for the same buyers that are so different to each other.

On one side, you have the recently updated Audi R8, which sports a 424hp (430PS) 4.2-liter naturally breathing V8 engine positioned right behind the driver linked to an all-wheel drive system.

It’s rival from Stuttgart, continues the tradition of the Porsche 911 with a flat-six engine sitting on top of the rear axle, and which in the case of the all-wheel drive 4S, has a displacement of 3.8-liters and an output of 394hp (400PS).

British magazine Autoexpress brought the two rivaling sports car together to see which one is faster and better on a racing track. See what they came up with in the video after the break.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Video Source : Youtube

Category › Audi R8 , Porsche , Video

New Audi RS Q3 Proves that it’s Faster than a Dog Sled in Promo Video

If there's one thing future owners of the new Audi RS Q3 can be sure of, it is that the high-performance SUV can outrun and out-handle a pack of Siberian huskies pulling a dog sled on the snow - or at least that's what we understand after seeing Ingolstadt's first commercial for the Geneva motor show-bound model.

What makes the RS Q3 faster than a pack of blue-eyed pouches is a petrol-fuelled 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine that generates an output of 306hp (310PS) and peak torque of 420Nm (309.8 lb-ft).

A standard seven-speed S tronic dual clutch transmission and a quattro permanent all-wheel drive system take that power and channel it to all four wheels.

If you live in Europe, you'll be able to get your hands on Audi's first ever RS-badged SUV this autumn.

Articles Source : Carscoop

 Video Source : Youtube

Category › Audi , Audi RS , RS Q3 , Video

Watch a Ferrari 458 Spider Stalk a McLaren P1 Hypercar in Traffic

After watching this video, we can’t but feel for the McLaren engineers trying to do their work testing or simply driving the P1 under normal conditions and having to deal with all the (justified) attention that comes along with the job.

On the other hand, we're also grateful for supercar-spotter and YouTube channel owner Shmee150 and his friend in a deliciously sounding Ferrari 458 Spider for tracking down and filming the pre-production P1, without making any inherently dangerous moves in the process (or at least none that we saw in this video).

"We were out for a drive today in a brand new Ferrari 458 Spider and stumbled into a McLaren P1, with the new 903hp engine and electric motors as announced this morning," Shmee150 told CarScoop in an email. "It looked like a perspective buyer was out for a test drive, but great to hear the sound of the car and some clips out on the roads in the UK."

Earlier today, McLaren spilled the beans on the P1's hybrid powertrain revealing that the car features a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 petrol engine and an electric motor delivering a combined system output of 903HP (916PS) and 900 Nm (664 lb-ft) of torque.

Articles Source : Carscoop

 Video Source : Youtube

Category › Ferrari , Mclaren , Spider , Video

Lykan Hypersport is the Arab World's First Supercar, Costs $3.4 Million and has 750hp

With a voracious appetite for all kinds of supercars and plenty of wealth to sustain it thanks to its oil-rich real estate, it shouldn't come to as a surprise that the Arab world has finally managed to produce its own hypercar in the guise of W Motors's Lykan Hypersport, which was introduced at this week's Qatar Motor Show.

Lykan Hypersport

Lykan Hypersport

Lykan Hypersport

Lykan Hypersport

Lykan Hypersport

Lykan Hypersport

Lykan Hypersport

While many questions remain unanswered, what we do know about the Beirut-based company's edgy-looking (some may say, Lamborghini-esque) Lykan Hypersport is that only seven cars will be produced, each carrying a base sticker price of $3.4 million (about €2.4 million at today's exchange rates), which includes a $200,000 limited edition Cyrus Klepcy watch.

The Lykan Hypersport comes with a twin-turbocharged flat-six engine (likely sourced from Porsche) with 750-horsepower positioned behind the driver and can reach 100km/h (62mph) in 2.8 seconds before topping out at 395km/h (245mph) – yep, you're not the only one thinking about 'hagwalah' right now…

Other notable features include a world first diamond-encrusted LED lights, gold-stitched leather and what the company describes as a Virtual Holographic Display for the instrument panel.

Articlea Source : Carscoop

 

 Video Source : Youtube

Category › Lykan Hypersport , News , Qatar Motor Show , Supercar , Video

BMW's 4-Series Coupe Promo Sounds Conspicuously German to Us

There's a new BMW coming our way next year: the successor to the two-door 3-Series Coupe and Convertible models, the newly named 4-Series. But you already know that since the Bavarian carmaker brought a thinly disguised concept of the coupe to last month's Detroit auto show.

So, what's the deal with this new video released by BMW over the weekend? Well, it's a promotional clip made to keep the buzz going around until the reveal of the final production version, though, unless you're fluent in German, you won't understand a word that's said in the video...

For what it's worth, this is the Google-translated script from YouTube:

"The Ultimate Driving Machine. When will she start? When the engine starts, you feel the power, the precision. It begins when the speed goes up and the heartbeat follows. If you accelerate. Only degrees, curves, centrifugal forces. If one leaves everything else? No, it starts at the first glance."

You'll find the promo clip, along with a "making of" video and a relevant short film dedicated to the first 3-Series model code-named E21, right past the break.

Articlea Source : Carscoop

 

 Video Source : Youtube

Category › 4-Series , BMW , Detroit Auto Show , Video

Super Silly? Chevrolet SS NASCAR Team and Red Bull Racing do The Harlem Shake

There's no end to The Harlem Shake videos popping up right and left on the internet, and as one would expect, the new viral phenomenon has caught the attention of advertisers and marketing people in the auto industry as well.

Following in the footsteps of so many others, Red Bull Racing Australia and even four-time champion NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon (with the help / push of sponsor Pepsi) and his team who will run the new Chevrolet SS, joined in on the “Harlem Shake” silliness and posted their own videos.

"It was one of the best times I've ever had, certainly the best time I've ever had in my race shop with my guys in there," said Gordon during NASCAR Media Day. "Luckily it was quick, so it didn't take them away from their jobs for too long — because there's a lot going on at the shop. It turned out fun. I'm a little embarrassed at my dancing, but it was still worth it."

Race through the break to watch both clips along with two more, one made by professional stock car motorsports team, Michael Waltrip Racing, and another one from a Texas car meet.

Articles Source : Carscoop

 

 Video Source : Youtube

Category › Chevrolet , Racing , Red Bull , Video

Latest 2014 Corvette C7 Video Reveals New Digital Gauge

The painstakingly slow teasing of the Corvette C7 continues with one more artsy trailer, this one talking about the calibration of the car, but without really saying anything…

However, what this video does give us is our first glimpse at the next Corvette's digital gauge that occupies the center and the right side of the instrument panel incorporating the revolution-counter that goes up to 7,000 rpm and a central status screen depicting the outline of the car.

This new clip comes only a day after GM announced that fans can now download for free and drive a camouflaged prototype version of the 2014 Corvette on the PS3's Gran Turismo 5 racing game.

The actual Corvette C7 will be officially revealed on January 13, 2013, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Video Source : Youtube

Category › Video

Steve Sutcliffe Tests Past and Present BMW M3s to Find Best Recipe for the 2014 Model

Oh, the lengths motoring journalists will go to in order to hit the track on the driver’s seat of a rear-wheel drive car. Then again, it’s all part of the job and to be frank, no one aspires to the profession in order to test Chinese compact cars…

Autocar magazine editor Steve Sutcliffe at least had a good excuse, though, for gathering three examples of BMW’s M-division finest on the Brands Hatch circuit.

With the new turbocharged M3 sedan and M4 Coupe (the name is still not confirmed) spotted quite a few times already making the rounds at the Nürburgring track, he wanted to give his opinion on how the perfect M3 should be like.

Sutcliffe picked the original E30, the CSL version of the E46 (which, by the way, wasn’t available in the U.S., nor was it ever offered with a stick shift…) and the current E92 coupe.

These are all different cars separated by a quarter of a century since the first one was launched in 1985 and the current in 2007, a gazillion changes in safety and emission regulations and giant leaps in automotive technology.

Nevertheless, they all share the same genes that made the M3 such a joy to drive – and which, at the same time, could explain the absence of the unloved E36.

You can watch Sutcliffe give his opinion on which elements of each of the past M3s the dear old chaps at the M-division should retain in the upcoming model, along with a lot of sideways action, in the video right after the break.

Articles Source : Andrew Tsaousis

Video Source : Youtube

Category › Video