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The Goodwood Festival of Speed (GFoS) is an amazing event (in case you missed it, you can check out our preview here, and watch a replay of Sunday’s live coverage on YouTube here. Click “Photos” to see all the images.) This annual orgy of hot-blooded machinery spans the entirety of the four-wheeled spectrum, bringing together like-minded adrenaline junkies to revel in the wonders of stuff that’s fast. No matter where your gearhead allegiance may lie, it’s definitely worth a spot on your bucket list. The problem is, those of us living across the pond will never, ever see anything like it here in the states.
This year, the fastest time up the hill was once again set by Olly Clark and the “Gobstopper II,” a 780-horsepower time-attack-tuned Subaru Impreza WRX STI built specifically for domination at events like Goodwood. Clark posted a time of 46.29, crossing the finish line at over 140 mph.
In a close second was former Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack and the McLaren P1 LM, posting a time of 47.07. Yes, a Subaru beat a McLaren!
For more information on the top 10 FoS hill climb results, click here.
There was also plenty of star-spangled influence on hand, like Mike Skinner in his NASCAR Toyota Tundra, and Ken Block in his Gymkhana 8 Ford Fiesta.
But beyond quintessentially ‘Merican pastimes like race trucks and burnouts, the GFoS won’t see a parallel in the U.S. More than that – it can’t. But don’t worry – we can still have our own FoS, it just might look a little… different.
Continue reading for the full story.
Bentley has made no bones about expanding its lineup. What was once a company that only had the Continental as a model, Bentley has slowly built up a lineup that now includes the Mulsanne, Flying Spur, and the recently launched Bentayga SUV. With all four models already in the market, the British automaker is looking ahead to a fifth, and possibly sixth model. The only question, which one is going to come first. Autocar caught up with Bentley chief Wolfgang Dürheimer to discuss which of the two models – a sportier version of the Bentayga, or a production version of the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept – is Bentley preparing first.
According to Dürheimer, no decision has been made on that front but he did indicate that both models could be developed one after the other. For a long time, it was believed to be that the sporty SUV was the next model up for Bentley. But the success and overwhelmingly positive reception the EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept received at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show has given Bentley a good problem on its hands.
Fortunately, we won’t have to wait too long for an answer as Dürheimer promised an answer “by the end of the year.” And for what it’s worth, the automaker is already working on both, but finances and manpower prevent them from doing both models at the same time. Still, it’s good to know that Bentley isn’t making an “either-or” choice on the matter. It plans to build both; it just depends on which model it wants to do first.
Either way, expect both the sporty Bentayga SUV and the sports car, reportedly named the Barnato, to both arrive by 2020. That timetable ties into the company’s plan to grow its sales volume to 20,000 sold units per year by 2025. Likewise, the timetable for both cars figures into Bentley’s other plan of investing £840 million in infrastructure, processes and technical equipment by the end of 2018.
The wheels are definitely spinning over in Crewe, U.K. as Bentley continues to ramp up its long-term plan of becoming a bigger player in the premium markets of the auto industry.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
The Mercedes-AMG GT was introduced in 2014 as a successor to the SLS AMG. The second sports car developed entirely in-house by AMG, the GT is the first vehicle to wear the "Mercedes-AMG" nomenclature and the first to use the brand-new, twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8 engine. Although it replaces the SLS AMG, the AMG GT is actually smaller and aimed at a different market, with the Porsche 911 being its most important competitor.
Now that the coupe has already hit the streets and Mercedes has launched the hotter GT R version, a roadster version is expected to arrive sometime in 2017. Although at some point it was rumored that Mercedes will skip on building an AMG GT Roadster in order to protect its slow-selling SL-Class Roadster, the new spy shots we just received from our paparazzi confirm that a GT Roadster is well underway.
This isn’t surprising though, mostly because Mercedes-AMG developed the GT with the Porsche 911 Turbo in mind. With Stuttgart also offering a drop-top version of its range-topping model, Mercedes is compelled to do the same in order to remain competitive. When the Roadster arrives, count on the same greasy bits to be under the bodywork, including the twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V-8. Like the coupe version, the roadster would likely share the two distinct outputs, allowing for model separation and an extra level of prestige for top-tier buyers. But more on that in my speculative review below.
Updated 06/29/2016: The upcoming Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster was caught testing for the first time.
Continue reading to learn more about the Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster.
Smart took the automotive world by surprise when it unveiled the ForTwo Cabrio at the 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show. A year later, the Germans launched the smallest production cabriolet, taking the micro car industry into a new era. It’s been 15 years since then and Smart has revealed the third-generation ForTwo Cabrio, which is set to break cover officially at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Based on the third-gen 2015 Smart ForTwo we already saw in 2014, the ForTwo Cabrio has been redesigned from the ground up. The styling is all-new inside and out, the chassis has been rebuilt for greater comfort, while the drivetrains are both more powerful and fuel-efficient.
"Our new smart cabrio really exudes joie de vivre in the city – which is what our brand stands for", said Dr. Annette Winkler, head of the Smart brand. "I am sure that we will delight our present 220,000 cabrio customers and win lots of new fans with this successful lifestyle icon."
The micro convertible will arrive on U.S. soil in the first half of 2016, a few months after it goes on sale in Europe. By the time it hits showrooms on this side of the Atlantic, it will join the ForTwo coupe, set to reach U.S. soil at the end of September 2015, and the 2015 Smart Fortwo Brabus Tailor Made program the brand announced earlier this year.
Update 06-29-2016: Mercedes has announced pricing for the 2017 Smart Fortwo Cabrio. Check out the prices section below for details.
Continue reading to learn more about Smart ForTwo Cabrio.
It’s no secret that Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has some sway with Mercedes-Benz. After all, the British Formula One driver and reigning World Champion has won two world championships for the German automaker. So if Lewis Hamilton expresses his desire to develop an “extreme version” of a Mercedes-AMG sports car, Mercedes has to listen.
In a recent conversation with Motoring, Hamilton admitted that he wants to have a hand in building the car, projecting it as a limited edition model under the “LH Series” name. It’s quite obvious what the “LH” stands for, so it does appear that Hamilton wants to have his own line of cars at some point in the future. Talks are apparently already under way between the driver and the automaker and Hamilton promised to be hands-on if and when the development of the limited-run sports car begins.
The news comes a few days after Mercedes unveiled the AMG GT R, a more performance-oriented version of the AMG GT S. According to Hamilton, he had some ideas on how to improve the car, but Mercedes had already designed it by the time it was shown to him. So with that opportunity missed, the two sides are now working on something to give Hamilton an opportunity to be involved in the design of a more extreme sports car.
It’s still unclear how this arrangement will play out but you can be sure that Mercedes will listen to Hamilton’s ideas and consider his input with the seriousness it deserves. That’s one of the perks of not only being a Formula One driver for Mercedes, but one who is primarily responsible for winning the Silver Arrows’ first two F1 world titles.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
Porsche just dropped details on the 2018 Panamera, a four-door that supposedly combines the comfort and practicality of a luxury sedan with the speediness of a thoroughbred sports car. All opinions aside, that kind of combination requires a good deal of technology to make it work correctly, and of course, Porsche says the new Panamera brings the goods. But the question is – does it really?
When it comes to innovation in the pursuit of lap times, Porsche certainly knows what it’s doing. But the Panamera is supposed to be more than a track monster. It’s also supposed to be a mile-munching GT car with some semblance of practicality, which can make for a rather tricky balancing act. Throw in a price tag of $101,040 for the base-model Panamera 4S, and you’re left with one very pricey jack-of-all-trades.
So then – what’s the new Panamera bring to the table in terms of technology, both in the cabin, and under the hood? Read on to find out.
Continue reading to learn more about the technology in the new Porsche Panamera.
The current Civic Type R isn’t old – having been released in 2011 – but Honda is already working on the next iteration. Our spy photographers snagged several revealing photos of the next-generation Honda hot hatch as it powered around the Nürburgring and the surrounding area.
So let’s cut to the chase: the best news surrounding this (presumably) 2017 Type R is its availability in the U.S. Yep, Honda has already promised the turbocharged, front-drive Civic will be sold Stateside. That announcement happened at the 2015 New York Auto Show.
What we don’t know are all the details. These spy shots give some indication as to what changes are coming, but only visually. The important drivetrain details an interior design remain a mystery. But there’s still plenty to look at.
Updated 06/29/2016: The upcoming Civic Type R was caught testing around the Nurburgring race track. Hit "play" to hear the engine of the Type R in all its glory.
Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Honda Civic Type R.