The Ferrari California represented a lot of firsts for Ferrari. It was the first prancing horse to possess a front mounted V8 engine, the first 2+2 convertible from the brand and also its first metal folding roof. It entered into a market where Ferrari had not been before, despite this it became very popular and for good reason. As brilliant a car the California is, there comes a time when a replacement is required. New Ferrari California 149M Ready for Geneva.
The 2014 Ferrari California will reignite the Italian’s association with turbos for the road. Coded 149M, the project will make its debut on 12th January at the Geneva motor show. The new convertible is expected to be powered by a 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8, an engine Ferrari recently produced for Maserati. Styling is to be heavily influenced by the F12 and FF as Ferrari’s baby is the last car in the stable to receive their new design language.
Turbocharging its engines has a dual purpose for Ferrari. Whilst other manufacturers are adding turbos to their range to reduce emissions and increase fuel economy, Ferrari have the added incentive that their F1 cars are now turbo powered thanks to new 2014 regulations. As the old saying goes… Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.
The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante is undoubtably handsome. In fact there is a strong argument for it being the most beautiful car of this year with its blend of elegant lines and muscular details. Aston Martin are launching a special edition of this car at the LA motor show in celebration of the cars American launch. You could say it is something of a royal affair…
Inspired by the Prince of Wales’ Aston Martin DB6, last seen at the royal wedding, this Vanquish Volante Neiman Marcus Edition sports the same Seychelles Blue paint. Only 10 of these V12 GT cars will be built by Aston Martin’s Q customisation division. The cars interior feature a steering wheel from the One-77 and a walnut dashboard.
If you are fast enough to nab one of these limited edition cars it will set you back £214,300.
Every car no matter its shape, size or price has a lifecycle that must come to an end. When a manufacturer brings a models production to a close it is often to make way for the next generation, as is the case with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. We have seen several version of this excellent gull-winged GT from special editions to the properly mental Black Series. 2015 will see this cars successor making 2014 its last year of production. The Mercedes-Benz SLS Final Edition is the machines last Hurrah before driving off into the sunset.
Powered by that mighty 6.3 litre V8 engine, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Final Edition produces 583BHP. This special car receives new alloy wheels and interior tweaks. Externally it can be differentiated from the standard SLS via its black bonnet, carbon fibre front splitter and huge carbon rear wing. The Final Edition will number just 350 and is available in both coupe and convertible.
“The most beautiful car in the world” proclaimed the great Enzo Ferrari. Compliments from “the old man” were few and far between, but almost non-existent when pushed in the direction of competitors. Gracious, proud and drop dead gorgeous the Jaguar E-Type is not just a very pretty car, it is a British icon.
1961 saw its introduction to the world as a car built on Jaguars success in motorsport. The Jaguar E-Type was in fact the worlds fastest road car when new and promised stunning performance to match those good looks. Powered by a 3.8 litre six-cylinder engine, 0-60MPH was achievable in only 7.1 seconds and the car could go onto a top speed of 150MPH. Both coupe and convertible variations proved popular and with the introduction of a 4.2 litre engine in 1964, that offered more torque, the E-Type was well and truly at the top of its game. A more practical 2+2 Coupe was added to the range in 1966. Back then new a Series 1 model cost £2,097 but today these cars are worth up to and over £100,000.
1968 ushered in the Series 2, a machine that improved upon some areas such as cooling over its predecessor and also was fit for US consumption. The symbolic headlights were now open and the ovular air intake had grown wider. Though only on sale for three years, the Series two still clocked up 18,809 sales.
The Series 3 was to be the last example of the Jaguar E-Type. A brand new engine in the shape of a V12 was offered with a displacement of 5.3 litres. The wheelbase for this car was much longer than the Series 1 and 2 with the car only being offered as a 2+2 coupe or convertible. The last Series 3 Jaguar E-Type rolled off the production line in 1974, 13 years after the very first.
Its long production life is a testament to the cars popularity and today collectors fall over each other to get their hands on an early example. A true British sports car through and through, the Jaguar E-Type more than deserves its place on this list.
Do you know what a Kei car is? Well, for those who don’t, it is a particularly clever solution to a big problem in Japan. Congestion in the land of the rising sun is a real issue and so larger cars are taxed and regulated quite strictly due to the amount of space they take up. Enter the Kie car. These pint sized vehicles must be less than 1.49 metres wide and 3.4 metres long as well as have an engine with 660cc or below. This innovative solution results in some fantastic engineering involving turbos, to ensure these machine have enough power, and the latest tech to appeal to buyers. The Honda S660 Concept is one funky pocket sized sports car.
One famous Kie car that made it to the UK was the Daihatsu Copen, something that we are told is set to make a return soon. Honda’s new concept car is just that for now, a concept, but it does look like a rather enticing package. Full details on the car will not be released until the Tokyo motor show but it is clear to see from these images that the up and coming NSX has influenced the clean design of the S660.
BMW’s shake-up of model names has brought some big changes to much loved icons. The legendary 3 Series will now only be sold as a saloon with the coveted coupe model becoming the 4 Series. New models branching off of the 4 Series Coupe are being revealed one by one with the Cabriolet now taking the spot light.
Making its debut at the LA motor show, this is the BMW 4 Series Cabriolet. Three engines are available from launch consisting of two petrols and one diesel. The 420d is powered by a turbocharged 2.0 litre engine with 181BHP, the 428i makes use of a 2.0 litre four cylinder twin-turbo engine producing 241BHP, the top model 435i uses a 3.0 litre in-line six that is also turbocharged for a total power output of 302BHP. 0-62MPH in the 435i takes just 5.6 seconds. Prices start from £36,675 and go up to £44,970. All models get the choice of either a six speed manual or eight speed automatic gearbox.
The Ferrari California represented a lot of firsts for the Italian company when new. It was the prancing horses first front engined V8 road car, first metal folding top and enabled Ferrari to enter a new market. The California is currently the oldest model in the Ferrari stable, but some interesting information leads us to believe that this won’t be the case for much longer.
Recently discovered patent drawings show a new front engined coupe from the Italians. Resembling the 458, FF and LaFerrari this new car is almost certainly the next generation California. Sources also suggest that the new car will be turbocharged and potentially have KERS much likeFerrari’s new flagship supercar. The California’s bonnet scoop has been replaced with prominent clusters of grills for cooling and to aid aerodynamic flow. We could see the new car next year dependent on how Ferrari plans to continue with the lifecycle of the current model.
Porsche’s new 911 Turbo and Turbo S have gone down a storm with the media singing the cars praises for being a very potent and complete super car. The 911 has always had a cult following but the models equipped with turbocharged flat-six motors have often been ones of note. As it is with every car from Porsche, the Turbo is to be offered in a variety of flavours including cabriolets.
Set to make their debut at the LA motor show, this is the Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S Cabriolet. These drop-top speed machines put the alfresco into performance motoring via a 3.8 litre flat-six producing 513BHP for the Turbo or 552BHP for the Turbo S. 0-62MPH is history in 3.5 seconds and 3.2 seconds respectively. In both cars you can feel the wind in your hair at a terminal velocity of 198MPH. The roof completes these cars transformations in 13 seconds at speeds of up to 37MPH thanks in part to a new lightweight magnesium frame.
It is ironic how we in the UK are one of the biggest markets for the convertible considering how biblically bad our weather can be. That said it does urge manufacturers to come up with faster and more practical ways for the consumer to complete the transformation from open-top to closed cabin. The all-new Audi A3 Cabriolet reveals itself for your consideration.
This rather good looking machine is the new Audi A3 Cabriolet and with its bold chiseled jaw looks, it is quite the fashion statement. Cozy warm to sensational sunshine comes in just 18 seconds thanks to an electrically operated fabric roof. Power is provided by one of three engine options; a 1.4 TFSI, 1.8 TFSI and a 2.0 litre diesel TDI. This A3 also has the option of 4G connectivity for those who can’t bare to be away away from the internet. Audi also say that a Quattro system shall also be coming to the A3 Cabriolet in the near future.
After having Aston Martin’s Vanquish Volante as my desktop background for a little over a day now, I have had to remove it. It is just too much of a distraction! What a gorgeous machine it is with its perfect balance of elegant curves and muscular body lines. Future classic? Maybe… Here in this official video Aston’s latest model is in action.
