2011 Pagani Huayra

In the world of supercars, you have many different players. Ferrari is the technological wonder child, while Lamborghini is that school bully that developed a bit of common sense with age. Aston Martin is the sophisticated gentlemen spy that can charm any living thing with a single word. Then, you come to Pagani, the new boy. These cars don’t feature any sophistication or old world charm. Yet, their radical designs and outrageous performance have placed them in the top tier of the supercar tree and now, we have a new version, the C9.

In the world of follow-ups, this one is massive. Sort of like the Godfather II following the Godfather. The Zonda was the car that made Pagani into the company you see today. Automotive journalists loved it and the base version spawned many different special editions and one-offs like the Zonda F and Cinque. It was like nothing ever seen before. The Zonda’s development was evolutionary, but the C9 that will replace it will be revolutionary.

PHOTO GALLERY

Advertisements 

Read more In Cars

VW Launches 180HP Transporter in the UK

A new trim level that brings sportier looks and enhanced equipment features has been added to the UK range of the latest Volkswagen Transporter. The Sportline specification is available on the panel van and kombi models, in both short and long-wheelbase versions, with prices starting at £28,220 (€32,000) for the panel van, and at £30,100 (€34,150) for the kombi.

Motivation is provided by a 2.0-liter BiTDI engine, which develops 180 horsepower and is paired to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. The Sportline is also available with the seven-speed DSG transmission, which is an optional extra priced at £1,400 (€1,590).
The Sportline trim adds some sporty exterior touches such as a glossy black grille with chrome detailing, smoked headlights, plus a revised front bumper that incorporates fog lights and a smaller grille. Additional elements include polished stainless steel sidebars and unique 18-inch “Sportline 5-spoke” alloys, finished in silver or satin black. At the rear, the van features smoked tail lamps and a roof spoiler. There are three colors available: Reflex Silver metallic, Deep Black pearlescent or the optional Candy White with a contrasting gloss black roof.
Inside, all Sportline models feature two-tone leather upholstery and additional equipment including semi-automatic air conditioning, a multimedia system with a seven-inch color touch screen, satellite navigation with full Europe map, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity and electric windows.

GALLERY

Advertisements 

Read more In Cars

2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Grand Edition

A year after Mercedes introduced a ’Grand Edition’ model for the ML-ClassSUV, the German automaker is welcoming their second SUV that has been given the same ’Grand Edition’ badge.

This, of course, is the new Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Grand Edition, an intimidating special edition SUV that has been given plenty of new exterior and interior features that emphatically promotes its exclusivity or, in Merc parlance, it’s "Grand Edition-ness".

Similar to the ML-Class Grand Edition, the GL-Class version packs plenty of wonderful new features on both its exterior and interior. All these additions should make up for the fact that despite its designation, the German automaker still opted to keep the powertrains untouched.

That’s a bit of a bummer, if you ask us. But if you’re prepared to let that slide, then all the aesthetic improvements given to the SUV should prove to be enough for this particular special edition GL-Class to warrant some serious attention.

The “Grand Edition” GL-Class comes with a number of engine options, namely a V6 and V8 version. For the entry level GL 350 BlueTec 4MATIC, the engine is a V6 diesel version with 211 horsepower and 398 lb/ft of torque at 1,600 RPM. For the GL 350 CDI 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY, the V6 engine produces a more powerful output of 265 horsepower and 620 lb/ft of torque.

The two more powerful versions comes with gas V8 models, including a 4.6-liter V8 engine for the GL 450 that produces 340 horsepower and 340 lb/ft of torque with a 0-62 mph time of 7.2 seconds. Rounding out the engine options is a 5.5-liter V8 engine for the top-of-the-line GL 500, which comes with 388 horsepower and 390 lb/ft of torque with a 0-62 mph time of 6.5 seconds.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class "Grand Edition" will come in four special models each with its own price tag. Check out the list in the table below:

Model	Price
GL 350 CDI 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY	€80,206 ($112,335)
GL 350 BlueTEC 4MATIC	€81,396 ($114,000)
GL 450 4MATIC	€91,868 ($128,675)
GL 500 4MATIC	€99,127 ($138,852)

GALLERY

Advertisements

Read more In Cars

2013 Ford Taurus

Long relegated as a mid-tier, mid-size sedan, the Ford Taurus was one of those cars that needed a refreshed styling, especially considering the growing number of competitors coming out on the market these days.

Fortunately, the people at Ford seem to have taken the challenge to task by introducing a refreshed and much-improved 2013 Taurus at the New York Auto Show.

Suffice to say, it was a tough task for Ford to shed some of the negative stereotypes given to the Taurus. A lot of people said it was chubby while some had pointed words on the car’s overall design.

For the 2013 model, Ford seems to have addressed a lot of these connotations, giving the car a more appealing look to quiet down its naysayers. While the styling refresh certainly gave the Taurus a more palatable appearance, its the addition of a new engine - a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo engine - that seems to have given the Taurus the right kind of buzz.

The styling package for the 2013 Ford Taurus remains largely the same as that of the current generation, although there are a few styling tweaks done to differentiate it from the existing model, including restyled headlamps, a new trapezoidal grille, a new front bumper, modified taillights that now come with larger LED lights, and a set of new allow wheels.

Inside, changes were also done, albeit in a subtle and discreet fashion. The dashboard has been redesigned to go along with a new steering wheel and a number of new technological additions, including the new MyFord Touch system.

Despite the new details on the car, the pricing for the 2013 Ford Taurus has not yet been announced. If we were to make a guesstimate on the tag, we’ll peg it at somewhere around $25,995, the base price given to the recent Taurus types, including the 2010 model.

PHOTO GALLERY

Read more In Cars

Fast 5 Movie Goers Cause Automotive Mayhem Outside of Theater in Detroit

Fans of all kinds and sorts of the much talked about Fast 5 film went “fast and furious” at a theater parking lot in Detroit before and after a midnight release of the movie on Thursday. Steven Pham, a professional photographer and automotive enthusiast, happened to be one of those early moviegoers and filmed some of the hoonery that went on up until the boys in blue showed up to put an end to the tire-burning games.

We came in contact with Steven and here's what he told us:

"After seeing the trailers for Fast Five, there was a lot of hype in the automotive community. I'm pretty sure every car enthusiast is a fan of the series, if not, then there is something wrong with them. Sure each movie has some sort of unrealistic scene, though I think it adds to the movie in a "wtf, did that really just happen?" kind of way.

Everything that went on in the parking lot outside of the theater before and after the movie was hysterical. Cars revving it up, dozens of people doing burnouts and donuts and to the one guy that was playing the Tokyo Drift soundtrack with his subs. It was like a short film in between all of the Fast and the Furious movie series, except without girls walking around and dancing in bikinis."

So, what do you say? Watch the video and head over to the comments section below to express your thoughts. 

VIDEO

Read more In Cars

Lexus Loses Big In the U.S.A

It took eleven years for Lexus to earn the title of top dog of the U.S. luxury car market, and roughly the same amount of time for it to lose it. As a result of parent company Toyota’s accelerator pedal recall saga and the fifty percent drop in production capacity caused by the Tōhoku earthquake, old guard automakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz have left the Japanese upstart gasping for air in third place.

According to automotive forecaster IHS,Mercedes-Benz will most probably sell 254,100 cars and SUVs in the States topping BMW’s estimated deliveries of 250,400 units. Lexus is projected to drop to third place with 192,900 sales.
Eric Noble, President of automotive consulting firm The Car Lab, recently told Bloomberg news: “The house was on fire at Lexus before the earthquake hit. If the current situation wakes them up to that, then some good may come from it.”
Though it has sunk a lot of money into the LFA supercar and CT 200h hybrid batch, Lexus’ supposed mainstay models – the IS, GS and LS ranges of sedans – have all been stagnating. Its rivals meanwhile have been ramping up U.S. production, developing new or refreshing older models and sinking hundreds of millions in improving its stateside manufacturing facilities.
Bill Visnic, an analyst at Edmunds says: “Lexus is in a sort of lull in their product cadence. [The Lexus GS] is aging and doesn’t hold a candle to what BMW and Mercedes are doing.”
Though Lexus has long held a strategic position in the U.S. market, its sales outside North America have been lacking. As was the case with Volvo and safety, reliability is now pretty much a given and excellence in customer service has become integral to the vast majority of the world’s luxury automakers. With Lexus’ current woes, the result is, as you’d expect.
As Alexander Edwards, President of consumer research company Strategic Vision says: “For people who were sitting on the fence about Lexus, we saw them remove the brand from the shopping list.”
Take Audi for instance, a long-time market leader in both Europe and China. The brand’s recently revamped A6 model is doing well overseas, and the German automaker hopes it’ll have similar success stateside. Alexander Edwards again:
“The most interesting change hasn’t been with those three, but with Audi. Audi has seen very strong movement forward, capturing some aspirational [sic] interest among Gen-Y buyers, the younger consumer group that everyone wants to attract.”
The battle lines have been drawn, and three titans are ready to fight for the number one spot in 2012. Unfortunately, it looks as if Lexus will not be one of them.

GALLERY

Read more In Cars