Finished in a stunning deep yellow gloss, the 430 sits centre stage at the Ferrari stand proudly displaying its’ Enzo killing prowess for all passing the main centre walk way of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
Of course there's only one place on earth that such a unique creation could possibly call home: Abu Dhabi, the same über-wealthy gulf emirate where the obscenely wealthy built Ferrari theme parks and drive $1.4 million hyper-exotics with $14 million license plates. Where else?
Ergonomics:
This futuristic two-seater amazingly stands on just three wheels and claims to be faster than a Porsche. It can go from 0 to 60 mph (about 100 km/h) in just 5.7 seconds with a top speed of 156 mph (more than 250km/h) and boasts a 321.85 hp that matches the Porsche 911 Carrera.
The electric motor adds almost 50 percent more power to the petrol-only engine similar to the one found in the humble Aurion family car. When combined, the FT-HS has a targeted output of over 300kW - just a little more than a Prius. With its aerodynamic profile and liberal use of weight saving materials, Toyota expects a 0-100km/h dash in the four-second range.
To take the concept from design to reality the company has organized a team of innovative partners including Flybrid Systems (Winner of Professional World Motorsports Engine Innovation 2007), Modesi Design (technical studies and engineering), Fischer Motorsports (carbon fiber production and engine tuning) and Kirkham Motorsports(aluminum body and panel production). In addition, the expertise of automotive legend and former Corvette chief engineer Dave McLellan has been instrumental in consulting Ugur Sahin Design on the production management of the limited series Z03 Corvette.
In November 2007, Maybach revived the aura of the grand carriages of days gone by with its Landaulet study. The response from the public to this masterpiece was overwhelming, so much so that Maybach decided to offer the hand-built Landaulet based exclusively on the customer’s own specifications. A limited number of vehicles will be built in the Manufaktur workshops in Sindelfingenover a restricted period. The finest materials are painstakingly handcrafted by select craftsmen to meet the customers’ exacting requirements - just as the discerning Maybach clientele would expect. According to the latest Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI), a survey of 531 U.S.millionaires recently voted Maybach the most prestigious luxury automobile brand.
Lurking beneath the bonnet is a seriously capable 2.7-litre V6 twin turbo diesel, that won’t quite fly you to the moon, but it will get you to where you want to go – quickly. It’s no fat cat either. The XJ6 D like all XJ models has a body made entirely of aluminium, which keeps its weight down to a class leading 1659 kilos. That’s significantly lighter than the best from Germany. Power from this engine is a modest 152kW, which pairs up nicely with a not so modest 435Nm of torque. If you compare this engine to the 3.0 Litre V6 petrol powered car, the diesel is way out in front. Although maximum power for the 3.0 litre six is 16kW more than the diesel, that power is not on song until high up in the rev range at 6,800rpm. The diesel on the other hand is reaching the high notes at 4000rpm. Far more useable and a lot more fun!
Although we've already seen plenty of the Alfa 8C in both coupe and roadster bodystyles, we can never get quite enough, and at this year' Geneva show, Alfa will finally be showing the production version of the 8C Spider. Technical details carry over from the luscious fixed-roof 8C Competizione, and little is expected to have changed from the concept spider unveiled at Pebble Beach in 2005 to the production version being unveiled now. As with the initial run of the coupe, only 500 spiders will be produced, so this could be our best chance to get up close and personal with the hottest model this side of Scarlett Johansson.
The 1 Series already debuted in Europe earlier this decade as a four-door hatchback, but that body style's limited appeal to American shoppers prevented its journey across the pond. With the introduction of new coupe and convertible body styles, however, BMW believes the timing is right for a small car revival.
The mad-science plastic surgery is another story, however, as Gemballa opens up the Cayenne's mouth, adds a carbon-fiber hood insert, cuts open a whole mess of new vents, throws on some Ferrari-esque tail-lights and a set of roof-mounted brake lights to boot. Inside they've added fully-adjustable racing buckets front and back, separated by a strange-looking full-length center console. Maybe Gemballa was trying to prove a point when it decided to mix styling cues from the Carrera GT with its ugly step-sister the Cayenne. Whatever it is, we don't get it.
The Volvo XC60 is the new mid-sized SUV from the swedish brand, from which much is expected in terms of sales. At the moment there are no technical details available and nothing is known about when sales will start.
