Fiat’s racing division, Abarth, has worked it magic on the recently crowned European Car of the Year and will go public with the results at the Geneva Motor Show.
Designed to evoke the spirit of the legendary Abarth version of the classic 1960s Fiat 500, it’s powered by a 1.4-liter 16-valve turbocharged gasoline engine. It delivers a maximum of 135 hp at 5500 rpm and peak torque of 152 lb-ft. The unit is linked to a five-speed manual transmission sending power to the 16-inch front rims. Larger wheels are available as options, along with a host of decals for the roof and body panels.
The most obvious change over the standard 500 is the performance body kit, which helps to make the car a more aerodynamic shape. Inside, the Abarth model gets special instruments, including an analogue gauge to measure turbo pressure. An LED light on the dash to tell the drive when to change gear is also fitted for the first time.
More details of the car will be released at the Swiss event in two weeks.--Richard Yarrow
What's so special about a special edition Corvette Z06? You could argue that it doesn't have to be much, given that the Z06 is already a starkly wonderful piece of machinery. But 'Vette fans don't want their 'Vette to be so much like your 'Vette, you see--which is why Chevy's producing a limited run of Z06s with some cosmetic touches meant to hark back to the days of the big-block 427.
The new 427 Limited Edition Z06 pays homage to that big-block 427--otherwise known as the engine that gave the Corvette its performance cojones in the 1960s. Each one will get a dose of that special paint, along with hood graphics like those on the '67 'Vette, special chrome wheels, a rear spoiler and a distinct interior with new 427 badges.
The new edition also is numbered and signed by Wil Cooksey, the manager of the Corvette assembly plant who is retiring after 15 years at the Bowling Green, Ky., plant.
The new special edition took a bow at the Cleveland auto show (hello, Cleveland!), with word that only 505 copies would be made. Out of that total, just 427 copies will be sold in the U.S. and Canada. Each one will retail for an astonishing $84,195 in U.S. dollars, with every possible option other than navigation built in (the nav's a $1750 option).
Chevy reminds us this is the second limited-edition Corvette thus far in 2008, which means that by December, we'll probably have another 10 new versions to tell you all about.
BMW’s version of the double-clutch transmission--an idea pioneered by Volkswagen/Audi and Borg Warner--gets seven speeds and a U.S. debut in May in the new M3 Convertible, BMW execs confirmed at a national press drive for the new sportscar.
BMW’s “Double Clutch Gearbox” is also the only gearbox of its kind designed specifically for high-powered engines, the company says.
In the U.S., the new transmission will be an M3 exclusive for the near future. After the DCG arrives in the Convertible, it’ll spread to the M3 sedan and coupe later in the summer.
BMW’s spin on double-clutch technology gives M3 drivers an alternative to the standard six-speed manual available on the vehicle--and effectively replaces BMW’s old SMG transmission, which was roundly criticized by enthusiast mags for its shift quality in past editions of the M car lineup.
Like similar transmissions, the DCG uses twin sets of clutches to engage gears sequentially, so that there is little to no perceptible shift lag. Effectively two transmissions in one, double-clutch gearboxes also can improve acceleration times (by up to 0.2 seconds in the M3) and in BMW’s case, fuel efficiency as well. It can be shifted in manual mode (though there is no clutch pedal), or left in a drive mode to shift automatically.
The DCG will sport a console-mounted shift lever and a set of shift paddles on the steering column. It will also be twinned with Drivelogic software, which sets five separate shift programs in “D” automatic mode, and six shift programs in “S” manual mode, which in turn allows the driver to choose a quicker shift response or a smoother one, for example.
You might have missed it in the hoopla surrounding the Detroit auto show--and for some reason, we were focused more on the M3 Convertible pictures that made their way public this week. But at the Detroit show earlier this week, BMW announced the prices for the new M3 coupe and sedan, which go on sale in March.
BMW says the two versions will carry price tags substantially below $60,000, less than our estimated price from our early M3 test drive last year. When it arrives in showrooms, the Coupe will be priced from $57,275; the sedan starts lower, at $54,575.
Both versions sport BMW’s lasciviously powerful, 414-hp 4.0-liter V-8 and a six-speed manual transmission. The user-programmable “MDrive” feature allows owners to choose suspension, steering and throttle settings, while the cabin sports a version of BMW’s iDrive infotainment controller and lots, lots of leather trim.
With the V-8 power, the M3 claws away at the pavement until it reaches 60 mph in about 4.8 seconds. By custom it’s limited to a top speed of 155 mph.
BMW sold its first M3 Stateside in 1987 and since then, the M two-door has been joined by the four-door and convertible versions.
Stay tuned this spring as TheCarConnection.com brings you more news on the M3 Convertible and with any luck, gets behind the wheel before this winter drives us stir crazy.
In yet another sign of the redneck apocalypse--and an excuse for Gen Xers raised on CBS’ formidable lineup of the Dukes of Hazzard, Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk to get all sarcastically teary-eyed--one of the General Lees used in the filming of the TV series and owned by “Bo Duke,” actor John Schneider, is hitting the auction block.
Schneider’s ’69 Charger is up for grabs at January’s Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., and will be sold at no reserve after it had been offered online through eBay for $9.9 million, in a bidding war where (surprise!) the winner backed out. The car sports a 725-horsepower, 511-cid V-8 and carries the lot number #1321. Part of the proceeds of the auction will go to Schneider’s favorite charity, Cure Autism Now.
Schneider, billed in a press release as a “true Renaissance man,” hasn’t been seen designing futuristic flying machines or crafting works of perfectly balanced chiaroscuoro, but he has appeared in a bunch of Broadway plays, along with F/X’s Nip/Tuck, and is Billy Flynn in the current production of Chicago.
What the hell - go on over to Cooter’s place, then reminisce with Schneider about the filming of the series:
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Marty Padgett February 20th, 2008
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