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Topless Bugatti Veyron Already Sold Out

It appears there will be a new Bugatti model gracing the stands of car shows around the world from next year onwards, a new Targa or Spider version with a removable roof. Only 80 models are expected to be produced and according to latest reports the entire production run is already sold out.

According to AutoGespot, Bugatti has ordered 400 units of the mammoth quad-turbo W16 engine but only 300 Veyron hardtops are planned for production, leaving officials with 100 extra engines.

Without the roof the car will require added reinforcements and under body changes to maintain torsional rigidity. These changes will come at a minor cost to performance, and top speed is said to be limited to 340kmh (211mph). The other downside is the fact that the removable roof can’t be taken with you on the drive.

First deliveries are expected to start next year.

Courtesy of Motor Authority

Project Kahn Bentley Continental GTS

Project Kahn’s latest custom kit is the new GTS styling package designed specifically for the Bentley Continental GT ultra-luxury coupe. When creating the new kit, designers were looking to improve on the sporting image of the GT but at the same time conserve the bespoke look of the car.

The kit includes a two piece spoiler that wraps around the edges of the front bumper, plus a three piece rear lip that contours around the exhaust and provides a clear starting line for the new side skirts. To fill the massive wheel arches are a set of Kahn’s RS-D diamond cut alloy wheels, measuring up to 20in diameter. The RS-D wheel is diamond cut along the inner spokes to create a mirror finish, which also contrasts with the matt look of the rest of the wheel.

The project Kahn GTS also sports a complete interior upgrade, featuring quilted Nappa leather, available in a variety of colors and combinations. The leather is used on the seats, door panels, steering wheel and gear shift. The final touches are the tinted windows and fully adjustable electronic lowering kit.

Courtesy of Motor Authority

Saleen’s Patriot American Flag Edition Ford Mustang

This has got to be the first time we’ve seen a car tuner build a custom vehicle to honor its country’s servicemen and women, with Ford specialist Saleen building a unique pony car dubbed the Patriot American Flag Edition. Saleen, in fact, built the cars, as a way to say welcome to troops arriving home from abroad.

Only 24 cars will be built, each based on the S281 Supercharged Mustang and available in red, white or blue. Under the hood is a 4.6L V8 engine with 465hp (347kW) and 575Nm (425ft-lb) of torque available. The bump in power over the standard Ford mill is thanks to uprated fuel-injectors, a twin-screw supercharger, intercooler and high-flow intake and exhaust system.

A five-speed manual transmission comes as standard, mated to a 6.6in differential with a final drive ratio of 3.31:1. Handling is improved with a Racecraft suspension set-up with new coil springs, sway bars, shocks and bushings.

Stopping power comes from 12.4in vented discs in the front and smaller 11.8in discs up back. These reside within 20in chrome finished alloys wrapped with Dunlop tires.

Courtesy of Motor Authority

BMW May Offer Two versions of the Next 6-series

For a car maker that prides itself on being the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ BMW spends quite a lot of time making sure passengers also have an excellent experience. Some of BMW’s customers think they’ve gone to far, complaining that even the sport-package equipped version of the current 6-series just isn’t sporty enough. But others think the 6 is just perfectly luxurious. So BMW has decided to take the middle route and appease both camps - the next 6-series, due out in 2010 or 2011, will come in two versions: sport and luxury.

What exactly the difference will be has yet to be revealed, but it will reportedly be a ‘marked’ difference, unlike the current line-up. Whatever BMW ends up doing to make the 6-series home to a truly sporty grand tourer, there’s a good chance the idea could spread throughout the luxury world. Makers like Mercedes and Lexus face similar dilemmas with their line-up and a similar solution would make sense. Audi has already adopted and incorporated this method of design throughout its line, offering its standard A Series, the improved S Series and the totally insane RS Series, all of which are variants of one core line-up.

More details on the new 6-series itself are lacking, but the word on the street is that the new car will be a two-door version of the CS concept shown in Shanghai. The uber-sexy flagship concept speaks volumes about BMW’s future design direction, and even if the CS itself never makes it to production, it’s sure to inspire elements of BMW’s future line-up.

Courtesy of Motor Authority

Another Record Year of Sales for Bentley

It’s never been easier to get behind the wheel of a new Bentley, well, at least if sales numbers are anything to go by. Last year Bentley’s worldwide sales reached 10,014 vehicles, a new record for the ultra-luxury manufacturer from Crewe, and this year is expected to be even better. Overall volume grew by 7%, with increases in almost all major markets including both established markets like the UK and North America as well as new markets such as Russia and China.

The key reason for Bentley’s success compared with its closest rivals is due to price, the Continental GT coupe and Continental Flying Spur sedan, for example, sell for roughly half the price of a Maybach 57 or Rolls-Royce Phantom. However, Bentley exec Stuart McCullough believes money is not the issue, claiming customers choose the Bentley because they find the Rolls-Royce Phantom too ostentatious, while the Maybach looks too much like a Mercedes.

With this level of sales, Bentley is also on the verge of losing significant brand-cachet. Numerous reviews have derided the Continental GT for being little more than a VW Phaeton with a bigger engine, while many critics have applauded BMW’s hands-off approach with Rolls Royce.

Courtesy of Motor Authority

Review: BMW 135i M-Sport Coupé

A little over thirty years ago BMW introduced one of its most fervently worshiped cars of all time: the 2002 Turbo. Packing the company’s first production turbo engine into a lightweight body, the 2002 Turbo was an instant hit among enthusiasts. BMW wants us to believe the new 135i M-sport coupe is derived from the same formula, and at first glance, they seem to have hit the mark - but only rigorous testing will prove whether they’ve managed to capture the magic of past models.

On paper, the numbers look good. With 302hp, 296ft-lbs of torque and a length of “only” 436cm (172in), the BMW 135i sounds like it has all the ingredients to make for a zippy little package. The car is just 22cm (9in) shorter than the 335i Coupe, but slashes 0.2 seconds off the 0-60mph time, bringing it down to just 5.3 seconds - not bad considering the price.

The real gem in this car is the six-cylinder, 2979cc twin-turbo engine which is exclusive to the coupe in the 1-Series but also installed in various other performance models in the BMW lineup. Where most forced-aspiration engines need you to keep within a certain rev range in order to extract the most power from them, the BMW twin turbo has an abundance of torque from as low as 1300rpm (but the real jolt hits at 2500rpm), allowing you to push the car without being uncertain about the power band. The engine itself is not very loud, but the noise that it creates once you hit 5,000rpm is so delicious yet refined, you’ll want to as wind the engine up (and the windows down) whenever you get a chance.

The interior of the car is pure BMW, with much of the same features seen in previous 1- and 3-series models. The only complaint we could think of was the cheap plastic feeling of the driver’s side door arm-rest - otherwise, the interior was well put together. In terms of sitting room, the front two passengers are afforded much the same luxury as the 3 series. It’s in the back, where the rear passengers sit, that the coupe loses some points as the room is a little tight for any trips longer than an hour. On the plus side, the rear seats can be folded down giving almost the same utility as the hatchback when transporting awkward or large objects.

In terms of safety devices, there are six air bags (front, side and curtain for both rows of seats), Xenon headlights, run-flat tires with air-pressure sensor and brake lights which vary in brightness according to the intensity of the braking. The run-flat tires are much improved from the first generation, and ride comfort is fantastic even though the car sits on low-profile tires. There’s also the traction control and stability control systems, as well as a system that stops the car rolling back on hills and brake fade compensation. One of the more interesting features is the “dry brakes” which, in case of rain, remove the film of water to maintain optimum braking ability.

While the car has a fantastic engine, we were disappointed to find it still weighs in at a hefty 1560kg (3430lb), only 40kg (88lb) less than its big brother, the 335i Coupe, and as a result is less agile than you might imagine. Nevertheless, the 135i is still extremely effective and satisfying when you put it through its paces. The six-speed manual gearbox is also a beauty and provides a solid, engaging feel while never feeling stressed or slow when swapping cogs.

Unlike the new M3, the 135i isn’t designed to be a hybrid road and track machine and thus the suspension is a little bit soft allowing for some body roll that slows transfers during violent direction changes. Disabling all the electronic safety systems and trying to hoon around will have you still encountering the electronic nanny, which uses the braking system to try to control the car at the rear wheels and keeps any small slides at bay, although if you were ham-fisted enough you could get the car swinging its tail around. The car instills a lot of confidence in the driver with its direct steering, so much so that one almost feels as though the front of the car is an extension of one’s arms, although the initial understeer at a hard turn in can be a little disconcerting.

While the ‘M Sport’ 135i Coupe doesn’t have what it takes to be a true M car, BMW has achieved what it set out to create – a small sporty coupe with excellent performance and foolproof handling. When you consider it’s only half a second slower than an M3 to 60mph the 1-series makes an excellent value. Enthusiasts might be slightly disappointed by the lack of rawness, but only the most demanding of track-day oriented buyers could be disappointed with the performance of the car. And they’d be better off with an Ariel Atom or KTM X-Bow anyway.

Preview: 2009 BMW Four-door Coupe

Following the trend of spacious coupes with more than the traditional two doors, we expect BMW to release an all-new super luxury car to cap its line. The new range-topping four-door coupe will target Mercedes-Benz’s CLS and Porsche’s Panamera, both also four-door coupes. The car will most likely come as a 2009 model year, and shares exterior similarities with the CS Concept revealed at Shanghai earlier this year.

BMW is expected to bring the new car in as the 8-series, although the new car shares very little in common with the long-gone 8-series that roamed the globe from 1990-1999. One of the few similarities that is likely will be the V12 powerplant under the hood - although the original 8-series’ six-speed manual will likely be replaced with a dual-clutch gearbox. The new CS-based 8-series is also expected to be targeted even further up-market than the original.

As the photos show, the lines of the car give a sense of purpose and speed, and also work to minimize the rather large stature of the car. The styling certainly aligns well with rumored M-variants or possibly even a Z-badge for the car, although BMW has yet to stick the sports-car reserved Z-badge on anything larger than the Z8, which is comparatively diminutive. Huge intakes and aggressive sheetmetal certainly indicate the car will be intended for performance as much as luxury, no matter what moniker the car receives.

Prices for top-of-the-line models should exceed BMW’s highest-end 7-series, which can run up to $150,000. And although it’s expected to be available as a 2009 model year car, there is no word on actual release dates or specs yet.

Courtesy of Motor Authority

MTM Audi Bimoto on Top at Nardo High-speed Face-off

The Nardo test track is a perfectly round, heavily banked ring that allows extremely high-speed testing with a minimum of fuss. Located in the eponymous town of Nardo, Italy, the ring plays yearly host to a tuner showdown that serves to sort out the best from the rest. This year the MTM Audi Bimoto came out on top, achieving a speed of 390.6km/h (242.7mph).

With 1000hp on tap, the speed is right in line with the similarly powerful Bugatti Veyron - but the MTM Audi Bimoto is based on the Audi TT, which costs roughly $1.5 million less than the Veyron. Of course, the MTM-tuned TT is anything but stock, equipped with not one, but two four-cylinder turbo engines (hence the Bimoto appellation). Each engine has its own transmission, effectively making the Audi a dual two-wheel drive car, for an end result of all-wheel drive. The second motor is mounted behind the front seats, and the passenger compartment is divided by a carbon fiber barrier. The rear windows give a great view into the interior of the rear motor compartment.

Also on hand for the high-speed runoff were Porsches, Mercedes-Benzs, BMWs and even a Volkswagen, all tuned by various specialty shops. The second fastest of the bunch was the Sportec SPR1 Porsche 997 with a speed of 378.4 km/h (235.1mph) and the Techart GT Street Porsche 997 rounded out the top three at 358.2km/h (222.6mph). The top ten through the speed traps are listed below.

Mercedes and BMW Deal Expected by Year End

Mercedes-Benz and BMW are expected to make an announcement before the end of the year about a new partnership in regards to the development of four-cylinder engines for the next-generation B-Class (codenamed C412) and Mini.

The information comes from an inside source, who revealed to Automotive News Europe that the partnership could be extended within the near future. Germany’s carmakers are worried about development costs for a new range of low-emissions powertrains. BMW and Mercedes also want to increase the number of shared drivetrains to match the level that Audi enjoys by being partnered with Volkswagen.

There’s no plan for platform sharing as yet because BMW doesn’t need one, but Mercedes needs a new design for its next-gen A and B-Class models due around 2010/11. The source explained that the cost-savings from the co-development of engines and transmissions will be enough in the meantime.

BMW currently has an engine deal with PSA Peugeot-Citroen for its current Mini and the Munich-based carmaker is also in talks with several Japanese carmakers. Mercedes, meanwhile, is investigating using its C-Class components in its future small cars to create internal economies of scale.

Courtesy of Motor Authority