Renowned photographer Michael Muller just dumped a brand new Mercedes Benz GL450 into a swimming pool. And then he sent actress Eva Mendes in after it. In a dress. Now lest you think Michael a heel, understand that Eva was all for it. In fact, she seemed to quite enjoy it. You see, it was all done in the name of art. And it was done for a worthwhile charity to boot. Continue reading Mercedes GL450 goes swimming for art’s sake
With a 1-2 victory in the finale of the American Le Mans Series at Laguna Seca (California), AUDI AG yet again has written a piece of motorsport history: The Audi R10 TDI is the first Le Mans Prototype to remain unbeaten in its debut season. The revolutionary diesel sportscar competed in eight races since the debut in March, crossing the finish line eight times as the outright winner. Continue reading Audi R10 TDI Ends Debut Season Undefeated
Sheer sportiness, a genuine driving experience plus high power reserves – cue the new TT Roadster from Audi. The open-top sports car retains the distinctive lines of its tremendously successful predecessor, but instils them with even greater emotion, performance and dynamism. Continue reading The New Audi TT Roadster
It is a genuine treat to be surprised by an automobile. Case in point is the all new Audi S6 which we had pegged for Audi’s continuing trend of overt understatement. Untangle that oxymoron for a moment: in our opinion Audi has been dangerously close to the just-too-darn-conservative precipice in many of its latest high performance offerings. We’re not asking for “Pimp My Audi†from the factory, but we are most certainly part of the chorus of Audi owners calling for greater differentiation between the well designed (but ultimately more utilitarian) base models and their more exclusive Sport brethren. Continue reading Road Test: 2007 Audi S6
34,000 spectators witnessed the successful debut of the DTM around the Circuit Bugatti at Le Mans and yet another thrilling race, in which Tom Kristensen was the best Audi driver. The Dane had put himself in an excellent position, to possibly take the championship fight all the way to the Hockenheim finale on 29 October, after securing a front row slot in qualifying. However, at the start the Dane lost three positions and the title chances as a result. Continue reading Le Mans Witnesses Exciting DTM Debut
Dave Schembri, tapped by Roger Penske to lead smart in the United States, sat in on Autoline Detroit recently and shared some info about the models we can expect to see when smart debuts here. There will be three models initially, a base, a top-of-the-line coupe, and a cabriolet, all versions of the smart ForTwo. Schembri also hinted that the next-generation smart lineup is slated to debut in Stuttgart with more information in mid-November. Continue reading SMART will debut in the U.S. with three-model lineup
In Europe, Volkswagen just unveiled three new “Tour” editions. The package, done in partnership with the travel agency, TUI, is available on the Golf, Golf Plus, and Polo. The program is straightforward: purchase any of the VW Tour models and you get one free day on TUI vacation packages of 7+ days (no flight) or 14+ days (including flights). To qualify for the deal, the reservations need to be made between Nov 1, ’06 and March 31 ’07. Continue reading Volkswagen Euro-models go on Tour
Per usual, as the year draws to a close, new car buyers are in a position to pick up outgoing 2006 models at discounted rates. Chrysler is no exception, but with huge supplies of pickups and SUVs laying stagnant on dealer lots, cash incentives began to go through the roof last week. The newest mound of bennies persuading would-be buyers is $1,000 on vehicles that have a dealer invoice before April 1, 2006. Since these vehicles have been the slowest to sell, DaimlerChrysler is looking to do anything to unload them as quickly as possible. Continue reading More cash on the hoods of 2006 Chrysler products
At the 1977 Geneva Auto Show, Porsche introduced the world to the 928, a – gasp – front-engine GT car that would compete with some of the great touring cars of its day. The portly Porsche achieved limited popularity over its 17-year run, but served as a sign of things to come when the Cayenne was introduced seven years later. Porschophiles the world over decried this latest offering as another bastard product that would water down the heritage of the automaker. No matter how much profit may have been generated by the Cayenne, or the Boxster for that matter, respect from Porsche’s die-hard fanatics waned. Continue reading 2012 Porsche 928: Images and speculation
The weekly New York Times Automobile section is always a good read, with articles written by people who clearly like cars, and topics that you just don’t often find in the buff mags. Take this week’s gem, a piece by Peggy Minnis on her daughter’s search for a new vehicle. Now, you may be thinking that car shopping isn’t exactly the most newsworthy topic, and for the most part, you’re right. The Times piece has an angle, though. Continue reading A musician looks for the perfect hauler
According to an article in Italiaspeed, it seems you may be able to equip your next prancing horse with all-wheel-drive. What’s being called “insertable 4×4” can be equipped in both Ferrari’s mid-engine and front-engine vehicles and will only be activated if the computer senses a loss of traction. However, unlike systems utilized by Lamborghini, Ferrari drivers can choose between traditional rear-wheel- and the four-wheel-drive when and where they wish.
Continue reading Ferrari develops 4WD system
Back in June, BMW released all the details about their new M6 convertible, except one – price. Well, the mystery has been solved and those of you who want to own what could possibly be the fastest production drop top in the world can get it at the bargain price of $105,095, including shipping. As a comparison, the carbon fiber, fixed roof model will only set you back $96,795, with shipping and the highfalutin Neiman Marcus Individual M6 will liberate $139,000 from your corporate expense account. Continue reading BMW M6 cabrio details and pricing