Lexus LFA 2012

A little over a month after its world debut at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show, Lexus' most ambitious — and most expensive — car ever, the $350,000 552-hp-V-10-powered 2012 LFA, made its first appearance at a major North American auto show in Los Angeles.

Here's what editor-at-large Arthur St. Antoine, who had the chance to sample the supercar at the famous Nurbugring Nordschliefe thought about the LFA's on-road behavior:

First impression: The LFA rides hard. Really hard. No variable shocks; the chassis is chef's choice only. On smoother stretches of autobahn, the stiffness is largely irrelevant, but it's not hard to imagine the LFA growing tiresome during extended drives on brittle roads. The V-10 is scintillating: It pulls hard, flaunts seemingly hidden torque (that light package), and propels the car ferociously (Toyota claims a 0-to-60 of 3.7 seconds and a top end of 204 mph). At 6000 rpm it's just screaming away — with 3000 rpm left! The sound is racy, but nowhere near as arousing as a flat-plane-crank Italian V-8.

Full-bore on the track, shifts are quick enough-but, again, the superstar blueboods with their dual-clutch boxes fare far better. Steering feel is solid, though when teasing out the limits the chassis is nervy. The LFA lacks the easy, "organic" feel of, say, the SLS AMG. In contrast, the Lexus is very much a "digital" car — it brandishes all the requisite high-tech weaponry, yet it feels distant. It's the difference between a car from a company that's been making supercars for decades, and a car from a company that's making…well, it's first supercar ever.

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Las Vegas Limousine | Find A Hummer Limo Party Bus or Sedan in Las Vegas Nevada

Congratulations to Lil Wayne lollipop video making the #1 MTV video of the year! lollipop features Big Blue Limousine - The worlds largest limo part of the fleet at NTS Limousine of Las Vegas.

NTS Limousine of Las Vegas - Home to the Worlds Biggest Limo Once again history is made in Las Vegas with "Big Blue" The Worlds Biggest Limo! A 45 Passenger King Of SUV's! Pictures can absolutely not describe the massive size of this vehicle! This Gigantic Limo located right here in Las Vegas makes the Hummer, Escalade, Navigator or even the previous record setter (our very own "Hummer Daddy") appear like toys. Once again, history is made in Las Vegas as now Las Vegas is home to the Worlds Biggest Limo.Driven exclusively by Mr. Thomas Walker a 10 year veteran world renown chauffeur to the stars. Amenities include 3 seperate VIP rooms on 3 different levels (Yes there are steps inside) 11 Flat Screen T.V.'s, a Surveillance room with multiple interior and exterior cameras, a 5,000 watt Dolby Surround Sound stereo system to allow our music stars to listen to their recordings in studio quality and best of all, the Worlds Biggest Limo rides better then most luxury cars and has 6' of interior height (yes you can stand up and walk around inside just like you would in a Party Bus!). Whether you call it the worlds biggest limo or the worlds biggest party bus in Las Vegas, riding in Big Blue is a once in a lifetime experience. To experience the ride of your dream in the Worlds Biggest Limo contact our 24 hr reservations.

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Striking all-LED headlamps for new Audi R18 sports prototype Striking all-LED headlamps for new Audi R18 sports prototype

Striking illuminations may be the norm at this time of year, but as the spectacular light clusters marking out the latest Audi sports car ably demonstrate, distinctiveness is for life and not just for Christmas where Vorsprung durch Technik is concerned.

The uniquely shaped LED daytime running lights belong to the Audi R18, the all-new sports prototype created to campaign in the Le Mans 24 Hours marathon in 2011, and to hopefully secure the brand its tenth victory in the gruelling endurance classic. Their design isn’t simply a flight of fancy by Audi light designers – each light forms the shape of a “1”, which is intended to inspire associations with one of the first iterations of the Audi brand logo dating back to 1922.

The daytime running lights form part of the Audi R18’s new all-LED headlamp units, which not only provide an exceptional breadth and intensity of illumination but also operate considerably more efficiently than conventional units, reducing the draw on the alternator and consequently cutting fuel usage even further. Developed through close cooperation between Audi Sport and the Technical Development (TE) division of Audi AG, these latest generation units will be prepared for future use in Audi production vehicles.

Since its debut in 1999, Audi has won the world’s most important endurance race nine times with the R8, R10 TDI and R15 TDI models, equalling Ferrari in the race’s roll of honour in the process. In its bid for a tenth victory Audi Sport will field a closed coupe for the first time since 1999, profiting from the significant efficiency benefits this more aerodynamic format brings.

Diesel continues to be the fuel of choice for Audi Sport, and has been proving its worth since the Audi R10 TDI became the first diesel-powered sports prototype ever to win at Le Mans in 2006. In 2011, though, new regulations have necessitated a substantial reduction in engine power, and as a result the 5.5-litre ten-cylinder TDI powering the Audi R15 TDI has been replaced by a 3.7-litre V6 TDI.

In the same way that many valuable advances in engine, chassis and construction technology have been honed on the race circuit before filtering through to Audi road cars, so the numerous lessons learned this time by Audi engineers in ‘downsizing’ while maximising performance and efficiency will also inform future projects. Audi Sport is based ‘in-house’ at the brand’s Ingolstadt production facility in Germany, facilitating a two-way transfer of knowledge and expertise between road and race divisions.

The positive effects of these close ties have a bearing on everything from the unanimously praised chassis of the R8 sports car to the advanced construction processes that give the new A6 saloon an impressively low 1,575kg kerb weight and contribute to its remarkable 129g/km CO2 performance.

Source: Audi

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All-new Ford Focus on first public display

Essex shoppers will get the UK's first public glimpse of the new Ford Focus when it goes on display at Lakeside next week.

The retail park in Thurrock will display Ford's exciting new model in its Debenhams flagship store for four days from February 17.

Lakeside visitors will be introduced to the new Ford Focus almost two weeks before its national on sale date of March 1, which coincides with the new "11" registration plates.

First shipments of the all-new model destined for dealerships are arriving this week. Ford will prioritise the pre-delivery inspection of the five-door, candy yellow-coloured 1.6 diesel Titanium model ready for its Lakeside debut.

Jon Wellsman, Ford Britain sales director, said: "UK motorists are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new Ford Focus, replacing the model which was top selling car for 10 years. Essex is the Ford brand's spiritual home, so putting our newest car on display to Lakeside shoppers will please our local Ford fans."

An estimated 7,500 people will visit Lakeside on each day the new Ford Focus is there.

Priced from £15,995, the car is loaded with hi-tech features including automated parallel parking, a lane keeping aid to keep the car in between lane markings and traffic sign recognition, which displays the last speed sign passed on the instrument panel.

Source: Ford

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First photos of all-new Kia Rio released

Kia Motors has revealed the first photos of the next generation Rio, to be unveiled at Geneva Motorshow alongside the all new Picanto.

The Rio is the latest car to be revealed by Kia, boasting a bold and distinctive personality, bringing the newcomer in line with the rest of Kia’s striking design-led passenger car range.

The Rio will be on sale in the UK from September as a 5-door version and a 3-door will be available from early 2012. Pricing and full range details will be announced nearer the on-sale date.

New Rio has its own interpretation of Kia’s signature grille, integrated with the headlamps to give a new twist on the Kia family look. In profile, the body to glass ratio and its strong wedge form give new Rio a dynamic stance.

The new model features a wheelbase extended by 70 mm (to 2,570 mm) and promises greater passenger space and comfort, together with increased cargo capacity to 292 litres for the hatchback. Exterior dimensions changes include: +55 mm (overall length), -15 mm (height) and +25 mm (overall width).

Inside, the new model will deliver a high level of quality previously associated with larger models – together with a wide selection of trim options.

Kia’s B-segment newcomer will be offered with an extensive range of fuel-efficient and low-CO2 petrol and diesel engines, depending on market – including a 1.1-litre diesel unit generating 70 ps, with CO2 emissions from as low as 85 g/km. An all-new, high-performance 1.2-litre Turbo Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) will also be available from 2012.

Soon-Nam Lee, Director of Overseas Marketing, Kia Motors Corporation, commented: “This new model is a big step forward. The Rio has always been successful, and with this new incarnation we have a car that people will want to buy for its looks.” Since its launch in 2005, global sales of the current-generation Rio have totalled more than 860,000 units. It was the company’s third best-selling vehicle in overseas markets during 2010 with sales of more than 219,000 units. UK sales from launch total 52,626 units.
(Source: Kia)

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10 Most Beautiful Cars of All Time

Our search for the most beautiful cars was primarily guided by one criterion - undoubtful and unmistakable beauty, as much as it is possible to use that term when referring to cars. It is a rather ungrateful theme, since beauty is very subjective and impossible to generalize. For some, there can be no match to old timers, while on the other side there are car enthusiasts who believe that car design has never been more perfect than today. Just think of the Rolls-Royce, Pagani Zonda, McLaren F1, Ferrari Enzo and many other. How can they be compared to Ferrari Dino, Talbot-Lago, Jaguar, Porsche Spyder, Duesenberg etc.? We hope that you approve of our choice and feel free to add your personal best in the comments.

Jaguar E Type
The Jaguar E type, also known as the XK-E, was launched in 1961 and immediately became a major hit on the market. It combined not just performance and engineering excellence, but also a stunning design. An aerodynamics engineer, Malcolm Sayer, is the man to blame for this beauty. Many consider it probably the most beautiful production sports car.

 

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1930 Mercedes-Benz Count Trossi SSK

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This elegant design is a result of a combined effort of Count Carlo Felice Trossi, who bought the chassis of the SSK in 1930, and an unknown English body worker, Wiilie White (coach-builder), who put Trossi's vision into reality. It has surely earned its name, the Black Prince. This magnificent car is in the famous Ralph Lauren car collection.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4

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It is one of the fastest, the most expensive, the most powerful and the most beautiful cars of our time. Veyron holds the Bugatti car making tradition, which never failed in creating beautiful and stylish cars. Its aerodynamically structured body expresses a perfect union of luxurious and sportive elements. Bugatti, or Volkswagen-Audi Gruppe to be exact, wanted to show the world the capacity of automotive industry with Veyron. Such an engineering and design jewel is a phenomenon whose characteristics will not be available in any everyday car, but with its existence, Veyron makes the world a much better place for any automotive enthusiast.

1938 Talbot-Lago T150 C SS Teardrop Coupe

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When first describing it, the press used a special expression for this car - goute d'eau, a drop of water. Later it was translated as 'teardrop.' Goutte d'eau was a new term, an acknowledgment that the automobile's speed had crossed an invisible line where aerodynamic drag and stability began to influence performance as much as weight and power. Jaguars William Lyons once said: 'That car is positively indecent.'

Pagani Zonda

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It is the beauty and the beast at the same time. The provocative and futuristic Zonda design is the creation of Horacio Pagani, and is a result of the intense search for aerodynamic and ergonomic aesthetics linked to the need to create a sensational and exceptional car. It is wild and raw, and surely won't leave you indifferent. It is interesting that Horacio used his wife for a model during designing this car. And actually, when looked from above, Zonda really has the figure of a supermodel.

1967 Shelby Mustang Eleanor GT500

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This car became more famous than ever after the Gone in 60 Seconds movie, where it got its name - Eleanor. The car in the movie was a modified version of 1967 GT500 and featured extensive external body upgrades. Since it became so popular, and it is obvious why, Shelby started production of Mustang GT-500Es. Everyone just went crazy for it. Even a couple of years after the movie, Eleanor is still exceptionally popular. In USA, there are a couple of workshops that offer outstanding Eleanor replicas with even more power than the original version had.

Ferrari Dino

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The name "Dino“ honours Dino (Alfredo) Ferrari, the son of Enzo Ferrari, who suggested his father developed a V6 racing engine for Formula 2 in the early 60s. He died before the car was finished, and Enzo, for the memory of his son, put the V6 into a mid-engined sports car and named it "Dino." Like all beautiful Ferraris, the Dino was designed by Pininfarina. The chief designer, Leonardo Fioravanti, gave Dino a very sexy, low shoulder body which was different from previous Ferrari designs and influenced the future models. By many, it is still the most beautiful Ferrari ever built.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Coupe

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The Mercedes-Benz 300SL is a two-seat, closed sports car with characteristic gull-wing or butterfly wing doors, which, when opened, resembled a bird's outstretched wings. This car definitely attracts attention and has a distinctive and unique appearance, but is not very practical or comfortable. Still, beauty comes first, and this one deserves its' title.

Rolls-Royce Phantom

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The list wouldn't be complete without the legendary Rolls-Royce. It is massive (the Phantom’s aluminium space frame is the largest of its kind ever built for automotive use) and every line and detail on this car screams power and elegance.

Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

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The DB4 Zagato appeared in 1960, and was produced for only two years. During that time, only 19 cars were built and all are still existing in the hand of Aston Martin enthusiasts. It was basically a DB4 GT improved by the Zagato factory, by Ercole Spada. Aston Martin wanted a series of DB4 GT's that would be lighter and more competitive racing against the Ferrari 250 GT's. In 1960 it contracted Zagato to build bodies for 19 chassis. What they have come up with is the most desirable Aston Martin ever - beautiful, yet aggressive. This car marked one of the most memorable chapters in Aston history.

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2010 BMW M3 GTS - an AW Flash Drive

What is it?
The most extreme factory-built, road-going BMW M3 yet--the new GTS. The final act for the current M3 (the E92) prior to the arrival of an entirely new (F30) model set to reach North America in early 2012, it is essentially a track car that just happens to be street-legal. Unfortunately, BMW says the M3 GTS is not coming stateside.
Still, it occupies rarified performance ground. At 3,373 pounds, it is 165 pounds lighter than the existing M3. The weight loss comes thanks to a carbon-fiber roof, titanium exhaust system, 19-inch alloy wheels, polycarbonate rear, side and back windows, and lightweight interior components. Though sound deadening is reduced, buyers can choose a radio and air conditioning as no-cost options--something the BMW M division says is a direct result of lessons learned with the earlier M3 CSL, the majority of which were ordered with such luxuries despites its similar circuit-bred nature.
The aero package includes a modified version of the standard M3's front bumper with an adjustable front splitter that can been extended by 30 millimeters. It is offset by a large, adjustable trunk-mounted rear wing borrowed from BMW's World Touring Car Championship 320Si race car. It's not pretty, but it gets the job done, with zero lift at speeds in excess of 100 mph.
The M3 GTS's added performance stems from its engine, built on a race-grade block with a longer stroke than the standard 4.0-liter V8, resulting in an overall capacity of 4.4 liters. Power tops out at 450 hp--30 hp more than the standard M3--at 8,300 rpm, while torque jumps from 295 lb-ft to 324 lb-ft, available 150 rpm earlier in the rev range at 3,750 rpm.
Channeling the new car's added reserves is a beefed-up version of the M3's optional Getrag-engineered seven-speed M DCT (dual-clutch transmission).
How's it drive?
Fire the M3 GTS's new V8 and you're immediately made aware of all the underhood tinkering as the engine catches and settles into a lumpy idle overlaid with a pulsating exhaust note that is full of purpose and is fantastically naughty.
At launch, it's the added torque that makes its presence felt more than anything else. At lower revs, the M3 GTS feels more muscular than the standard M3--not a lot but enough to make you think the engine changes have been worth the effort. The acceleration is clearly stronger and not so heavily weighted toward the business end of the rev range, something that provides the car with added flexibility and a more determined feel.
The response is something else. BMW's M division has retained individual throttle butterflies for each cylinder and full variable valve timing, endowing the new V8 with sensational acceleration.
The dual-clutch transmission makes light work of the engine's added reserves, providing rapid shifts in manual mode without the startling clunk you got with the old sequential-manual unit.
The overall effect is that this hardcore M3 goes faster, feels faster and, most of all, sounds faster than any road-going versions of Munich's legendary coupe that have come before it over the past quarter-century.
BMW's M division says the car hits 62 mph from standstill in 4.4 seconds--0.3 second inside the time quoted for the standard M3 fitted with the same gearbox. With the splitter and rear wing in neutral settings, the car will also hit 190 mph at redline in seventh gear.
But what sets the M3 GTS apart from the standard M3 is its sharpness. Everything is carried out with greater immediacy, added response and heightened accuracy.
The steering is heavenly--heavier than the standard power-assisted hydraulic setup, but the added effort required is more than offset with precision. Turn-in is instant. There's no slack as you come off center, just eager, linear response and loads more road feel as a result of reductions in the amount of rubber in the suspension.
Even at high speeds the M3 GTS remains wonderfully flat and neutral during cornering, and with the DSC (dynamic stability control) switched into M-mode, there's rarely any intervention. The Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires are super soft and offer a seemingly endless amount of grip.
The upgraded brakes are also up to the job, providing firm and solid retardation without any obvious sign of fade.

Do I want it?
The M3 GTS possesses a singularity of purpose that is utterly intoxicating. Though we've yet to sample it on a public road, it'd likely be quite firm, even with the manually adjustable suspension dialed back to a nontrack mode.
Just what effect the changes have on the handling remains unknown right now, although it's safe to say it will be uncompromising in terms of comfort. Even so, with BMW M division is set to produce no more than 150 examples of the M3 GTS in both left- and right-hand drive, it's apparently too late to lodge an order. Word is every one has been sold.
http://www.autoweek.com

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Mercedes-Benz C-class coupe's cover blown

Mercedes-Benz C-class coupe.

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Mercedes-Benz C-class coupe.

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Mercedes-Benz C-class coupe.

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The first official photographs of Mercedes-Benz's new C-class coupe have been published in Germany, breaking ahead of the car's planned public premiere at the Geneva motor show early next month.
Three published photographs reveal the new coupe that was conceived to go head to head with the popular BMW 3-series and the Audi A5.
Although the new two-door is set to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show, U.S. customers will have to wait until September for the successor to the CLK to go on sale in the States as a 2012 model. Mercedes-Benz sources suggest pricing will fall between those of similarly powered versions of the C-class sedan and the larger and more comprehensively equipped E-class coupe.
Based on the same mechanical package as that of the C-class sedan, with which it shares its 113-inch wheelbase, the new C-class coupe retains the same basic styling cues as its four-door sibling. But the coupe adopts a more sporting two-door layout and a 1.6-inch-lower roofline, complete with B-pillars, a feature Mercedes-Benz has dispensed with on the more uniquely styled E-class coupe.
Two standard versions of the C-class coupe are planned for sale in North America. They include the entry-level C250 CGI running a 201-hp turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, and the C350 CGI with a 302-hp naturally aspirated V6 engine--the latter of which is claimed to boast 0-to-62-mph acceleration in 6.0 seconds, an electronically limited 155-mph top speed and combined cycle consumption of 34.6 mpg on the European cycle.
The performance C63 AMG coupe, set to debut at the New York auto show in April, will join the other models at launch. Details are scarce, but AutoWeek sources suggest that the C63 AMG coupe is in line to receive a new 422-hp naturally aspirated version of AMG's new 5.5-liter V8 featuring cylinder shutdown and automatic stop/start. By contrast, the facelifted C63 AMG sedan continues with AMG's older 457-hp naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8.
Also planned for sale in North American but not scheduled to arrive in showrooms until April 2012 is a four-wheel-drive version of the C350 CGI coupe wearing Mercedes-Benz's familiar 4Matic badges.

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