Spy Shots: Swanky Rolls Royce Ghost Coupe Visits the 'Ring for Some High Speed Laps

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The Nürburgring track is one of the last places you would expect to see a Rolls Royce, but if the rumors turn out to be true, the new Ghost-based Coupe may feel at home even here.

You see, the new two-door model, the name of which remains a mystery for now, is said to be the sportiest, fastest and best handling model ever to wear the "Spirit of Ecstasy" ornament on its hood.

While utilizing the platform and mechanical hardware of the Ghost sedan, itself related to the BMW 7-Series, the new Coupe will benefit from a shorter chassis with several upgrades including sportier suspension, brake and steering systems as well as a tuned version of the saloon's 6.6-liter twin turbo V12 engine believed to produce 600-horses or more.

The shortening of the platform together with a series of other measures should also reduce the Coupe's weight over its saloon counterpart that tips the scales at a hefty 2,360 kg / 5,203 lbs.

The styling of the Coupe is not yet clear from these photos due to the extensive use of swirly wraps, but it is evident that the car sports a low and sleekly shaped roofline, most likely front suicide-style doors (two of the three door handles on the prototype are surely fake…), and a similar face to the Ghost sedan.

The new Rolls Royce model should debut next year, possibly as early as the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, either in pre- or final-production form.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoop

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2012's Neiman Marcus “Special Christmas Gift” is Limited-Edition Version of McLaren MP4-12C Spider

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The great F. Scott Fitzerald summed it up perfectly: “Let me tell you about the rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them… unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand.”

Apparently, Neiman Marcus understands all too well, no matter if they were born rich, married into money or made their fortune by themselves. That’s why every year its Christmas Book catalogue includes, among other things, a limited edition of an automobile, which is priced accordingly.

Of course, it doesn’t pick just any car: in the past, models that have received the Neiman Marcus treatment include the Lexus IS-F, the BMW 750 Li and the Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible.

Topping last year’s US$395,000 Ferrari FF was always going to be a difficult task.

The 2013 McLaren MP4-12C Spider, though, is not a bad choice at all for this year’s customers. The luxury retailer will offer just 12 examples priced at US$354,000 – a paltry US$85,750 more than the stock version that you can purchase at McLaren. And that’s excluding taxes and destination charges.

What you get for your $354k+ is a “volcano red” Spider with matching Neiman Marcus luggage set and a three-day trip to England in February where you will have a tour of the McLaren factory and get to dine with the company’s chairman, Ron Dennis.

Neiman Marcus will also donate US$3,000 to national charity Big Brothers Big Sisters for each sale.

You can order your “special” McLaren by phone starting October 24, but don’t expect to delivery before early 2013.

You had better hurry, though, because last year it took only 50 minutes for the 10 Ferraris to sell out...

By Andrew Tsaousis

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New Tesla Model S Stuns 2013 BMW M5 in 100mph – 160km/h Drag Race

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Just like cars powered by conventional, internal combustion engines (ICE), electric vehicles or EVs have their pros and cons.

While most people wouldn't consider speed as a strong point of electric cars, truth is, under certain circumstances and depending, of course, on the setup and several other factors, EVs can better their ICE counterparts, one reason being that electric motors produce all of their torque instantly.

The people at Automobile magazine wanted to see what one of the fastest production EVs today, the Tesla Models S, could do against one of Germany's finest gasoline engine-powered sports saloons, the 2013 BMW M5, in a 0-100mph (160km/h) run on the drag strip.

The battery-operated Tesla Model S Signature Performance edition makes do with a rear-mounted electric motor rated for 416hp and 443 lb-ft (600Nm) of torque, while the BMW M5 is fitted with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine delivering 560-horses and 500 lb-ft (677Nm) of torque

The magazine says the M5 used in the test carried a sticker price of $106,695 (after destination) and tipped the scales at 4,387 lbs (1,989kg), while the Model S was priced at $102,270 and weighed in at 4,640 lbs (2,105 kg).

Watch the run in the video that follows right past the break.

Story References: Auomobile via Autoblog.com

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Aussie-Based Carbon Revolution Creates the World’s First One-Piece Carbon Fiber Rim

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Companies all over the world seem hell-bent on bringing carbon fiber and its weight and strength advantages into the hands of the everyday motorist.

After Ford’s display of a prototype CFRP bonnet earlier this week, Australian-based company Carbon Revolution launched the CR9, the world’s first one-piece production carbon fiber wheel.

Carbon Revolution says that this is the result of “nearly a decade” of research and development. The benefits in weight and rigidity have been established both by its own testing as well as with premium European OEMs.

Company CEO Jake Dingle says that the carbon wheel is not only 40-50 percent lighter compared to conventional aluminum wheels, but in testing, it has also proved that it exceeds OEM standards.

“Thanks to the laws of physics, the outcome is a performance step change of breathtaking magnitude”, said Dingle, who added, “Drivers will experience a significantly improved vehicle”.

Brett Gass is Carbon Revolution’s engineering director as well as one of its founding members. He has been involved in the project right from the start and in the past decade, he and his team have used a development strategy similar to those used by NASA and the Department of Defense.

Gass says that carbon fiber wheels are the next major evolution in automotive as well as aerospace wheel development.

“Creating a composite wheel that is made entirely in one piece from continuous fibers is particularly challenging given the significant geometric complexities”, Gass explained. “We have successfully developed an architecture that optimizes the outstanding properties of continuous carbon fibers through the complex range of operational loads that are seen on a vehicle.”

Fitting the CR9 to existing vehicles can improve fuel consumption by 2-4 percent and reduce CO2 emissions accordingly. Moreover, aerodynamic wheel designs can increase efficiency up to 5 percent, and a full integration, in cooperation with the vehicle manufacturer, can yield an improvement of 6 percent or more, according to the company.

Carbon Revolution says its radical design meets all known OEM and Certification Body requirements, including SAE 2530, TUV German Aftermarket and German OEM AK-LH 08 standards.

The carbon wheels are initially available in sizes 19x8.5 & 19x12 and are designed to mount directly on Porsche’s 911. The company says they are compatible with factory tire pressure monitoring systems, adding that in the following months, a wider range of sizes and fitments will be released on the market.

By Andrew Tsaousis

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Pagani Zonda and Subaru BRZ to Star in "Fast and Furious 6", New Videos from Film Sets

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Not that we weren't expecting at least one of the sports coupe models that came out of the relationship between the Toyota group and Subaru to feature in the sixth chapter of the Fast and Furious franchise, but U.S. magazine Motor Trend says it has learned that the car will be the Subaru BRZ.

In particular, the publication says Subaru has reportedly supplied as many as five BRZ's for the "Fast and the Furious 6" film that is scheduled for release on May 24, 2013.

In related news, we looked around and found a handful of videos from the London filming set as well as a scene of a bridge being blown up while the "Fast 6" crew was shooting in Tenerife, the largest and most populous of the seven Canary Islands.

There's also a picture of a full carbon fiber-bodied Pagani Zonda that was released by the Fast and Furious crew.

The sixth installment of the series will see Vin Diesel returning as Dominic Toretto, Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner, Michelle Rodriguez as Leticia Ortiz, Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker, among other stars.

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Experts Warn Security and Privacy Issues Must Be Resolved Before Autonomous Cars Can Hit the Road

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On September 26, California Governor Jerry Brown signed law SB 1298, which will allow self-driving cars on the Golden State’s roads. The Governor, as well as Google that has been testing the technology for some time now, announced that, under the new law, “science fiction becomes tomorrow’s reality”, to quote Brown.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, however, whose members account for 77 percent of all passenger car and light-truck sales in the U.S., believes that even though many carmakers like GM, VW and BMW are jumping on the autonomous vehicle bandwagon, there are still many unresolved issues.

“If the state’s intention is to promote autonomous vehicles, all the concerns –like liability- need to be properly addressed in advance, or we can expect a bumpy road ahead”, read a statement released by the Alliance.

It points out that the law doesn’t offer any protection to the manufacturer of a vehicle that has been converted into a self-driving car without prior consent or even knowledge of said manufacturer.

Moreover, there is the danger of outside interference with the vehicle’s autonomous driving system – intentional or not. A year ago, computer security company McAfee released a report named “Caution: Malware Ahead”.

The report had studied vehicles electrical systems and equipment such as airbags, electronic stability control, multimedia and autonomous cruise control.

Stefan Gross, a professor of automotive technology at Germany’s Ostfalia university and a member of McAfee’s researches, warns against the possibility of hacking into vehicles’ advanced systems.

“Each interface serves as a motivator and means for an attacker to access the vehicle”, he told Wards Auto, adding that he expects “a new chapter of car security in the next two car generations.”

McAfee senior vice president and general manager Stuart McClure makes a valid point: “It is one thing to have your email or laptop compromised, but having your car hacked could translate to dire risks to your personal safety.”

Then there’s the issue of consumer privacy that’s raised by nonprofit advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. California’s SB 1298 legislation “gives the user no control over what data will be gathered and how the information will be used”, said CW’s privacy project supervisor John Simpson.

To sum it up: there are liability issues, Big Brother will intrude more into our lives and, what's probably worse, cyber terrorists will have a brand new target. Even if you're not an avid car fan and use your vehicle as a means of getting from point A to point B it all makes you feel great about this new technology, doesn't it?

By Andrew Tsaousis

Story References: Wards Auto

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Former City Councilman in Smart ForTwo T-Bones a Ford Crown Vic Interceptor

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A red light camera caught an accident between a 2008 Smart ForTwo mini and a Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor that occurred on September 12, 2012, in Palm Coast City, Florida.

The footage shows a Flagler County Sheriff’s Ford cruiser driven by Deputy Darrell Butler, 26, making its way through the traffic with the car's emergency lights activated.

Being that he had a red light, Butler proceeded rather carefully and slowly through the intersection but that wasn't enough, as a Smart ForTwo driven by William Venne, 80, a former member of the Palm Coast City Council (from 2000 to 2007), came speeding from the west bound lane and t-boned the police car.

According to a report from Flagler Live, both men suffered only minor injuries and were released from the hospital on the same day. The two cars are said to have sustained $10,000 in damages each.

Photo Credits: Flagler County Sheriff’s Office

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