Ferrari Readies Bi-Colore California Special for Goodwood Festival

A special version of Ferrari's California will make its first public appearance at this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed. Set to race in the Sunday Times Supercar Run, the California special features a two-tone finish with the body painted in Argento Nurburgring (metallic silver) and the roof and A-pillars in Nero (black), a theme that the company claims echoes its bi-colore berlinettas of the 1950s and 1960s.

The hardtop roadster also features several items from the Genuine Ferrari Accessories range, such as forged 20-inch matte-black wheels with titanium wheel bolts, as well a host of factory-fit options from the Carrozzeria Scaglietti Personalisation Programme, including diamond-stitching on the rear seats and Cavallino stitching on the headrests.

The California special will be joined at Goodwood by the 458 Italia and the 599 GTO as well as the Italian firm's 2009 F1 car that will driven by Marc Gené, throughout the weekend.

Mazda MX-5 Miyako

Mazda must be very keen to commemorate the 20th birthday of its MX-5. Not satisfied with having just the 20th Anniversary Limited Edition that’s already on sale in the UK, the range is now being joined by the Miyako special edition which, according to Mazda, ‘continues’ to celebrate the occasion.



So what are the differences? Well, the 20th Anniversary Limited Edition is available only as a soft top, powered by the 124 bhp (92 kW / 126 PS) 1.8 litre engine. Costing £17,300 on the road, its specification includes unique finish 17" alloy wheels, front fog lights, a strut brace, individually numbered Limited Edition scuff plates, special floor mats, body-coloured dashboard decoration panel, aluminium pedals, manual air con, leather steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake lever. Paint choices are Aurora Blue, True Red and Crystal White Pearlescent.



Similarly, the Miyako special edition also features 17" alloy wheels, front fog lights, a strut brace, and special floor mats. Additionally, though, it gets unique Medici premium perforated black leather trim with a red underlay and stitching, climate control air con and the obligatory special badging.

Unsurprisingly, the extra equipment makes it a bit more expensive than the 20th Anniversary Limited Edition. Mazda is charging £18,385 for the 1.8i Miyako soft top, which comes in either Aluminium Silver Metallic or Velocity Red Mica.



For the first time, a special edition of the MX-5 is also available as a roadster coupe (the one with the folding powered roof). However, that version of the Miyako can only be had with the 157 bhp (117 kW / 160 PS) 2.0 litre engine, and it costs £20,885. Colour choice is restricted to just Aluminium Silver Metallic.



To put those prices into context, a standard 1.8i SE soft top with air con is £17,795, while the 2.0i SE roadster coupe would set you back £20,295. Given that leather trim and metallic paint alone come to £1,115 on the Mazda options list, the £590 premium being charged for the Miyako looks like good value.



The MX-5 Miyako special edition is on sale from the beginning of July, with 500 examples of each version being produced for the UK market. And, in case you were wondering, they are named after the Japanese holiday island of Miyako-jima.

2011 Hyundai Elantra / Avante Interior Teased with Rendering

At this year's edition of the Busan Motor Show in April, Hyundai gave us our first look at the rakish new Elantra sedan, known as the Avante in its home market. However, the South Korean company only showed us its outer parts as the display model's windows were all blacked out.

Now, Hyundai is teasing us with a conceptual rendering of the Elantra's interior that, like the exterior, promises a dramatic revamp relative to the current model Judging from the sketch, the 2011 Elantra's cabin design will continue the same "sculpted" theme seen on the new Sonata's interior.

The Elantra is expected to go on sale in the automaker's home market as the 2011 Avante with a new 140HP 1.6-liter direct-injection gasoline unit before the end of the year.

While Hyundai has yet to confirm U.S. availability, recent reports from South Korea claim that the new Elantra will be built at the firm's Montgomery, Alabama plant starting from April, 2011.

F1 Champs Button and Hamilton to Race McLaren MP4-12C at Goodwood Festival of Speed

The upcoming McLaren MP4-12C will make its first public outing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place from Thursday 1- Sunday 4 July 2010. Event goers and enthusiasts alike will also get the chance to see McLaren's new supercar in action as reigning F1 champion Jenson Button and 2008 F1 champion Lewis Hamilton will drive the MP4-12C up Goodwood Hill on Saturday and Sunday respectively in the Supercar Run

Following their test of an 'XP Beta' 12C prototype at Goodwood Motor Circuit in March this year, Jenson and Lewis will now get behind the wheel of the newer (as in further developed) VP9 Validation Prototype car.

McLaren said that the latest prototype version will be finished in a 'traditional' orange hue and ride on lightweight forged alloy wheels in a Stealth finish, adding that the car will feature a carbon fibre splitter, diffuser, engine covers, engine bay panels and seat backs.

Powered by a mid-mounted 3.8 liter V8 with 600HP, the new MP4-12C will go on sale in Spring 2011. McLaren has not yet released pricing on the MP4-12C, but the company stated that it will compete with cars in the 'core' high performance sports car sector, priced between £125,000-£175,000.

2010 Lamborghini Supercar Cnossus Concept - Lamborghini Sports Car

This here is the Lamborghini Cnossus. The Lamborghini Cnossus Concept was designed by Russian student Victor Filipchenko with the help of his Portuguese colleague Nelson Simoes as part of their final thesis project at Italy’s Scuola Politecnica di Design.

2010 Lamborghini Supercar Cnossus Concept

Every Lambo needs a bull theme, and this supercar design study for a supercar concept named after the ancient Greek city of Cnossus (Knossus) on the island of Crete. The designers claim to have been inspired by the Lamborghini Countach, though it is evident that the edgy styling of the limited production Reventon special also played a role in the design of the Cnossus Concept.

 

Presenting a bold vision of what the firm’s future flagship could look like, the concept takes inspiration from Lamborghini models past and present, including the Countach and Reventón.

 

It boasts many classic cues such as telephone-dial wheels lifted from the Countach, scissor doors and gaping air intakes in front of the rear wheelarch. At the rear, the thin strip of LED lights with inverted arrows at the end is a clear nod towards the Reventón’s jet-fighter theme, while the diffuser looks more like something you’d find on a Le Mans prototype racer than a road car.

Mini gets mini revamp

Details of the 2011 Mini range have been announced. Visually, the changes aren’t that radical, the main alterations being revised bumpers, LED lights at the rear, five new colours and five new alloy wheel designs.

On the inside the centre console, steering wheel and air conditioning and audio controls have all been modified to improve the quality feel and work better ergonomically. Other changes include new upholstery and fascia trim choices. DAB radio is now standard on all models across the range, except for the entry-level Mini First.



The big news though is under the bonnet. Following the introduction of new petrol engines back in March, it’s now the turn of the diesels. Available as either a Cooper D with 110 bhp (82 kW / 112 PS) or One D with 88 bhp (66 kW / 90 PS), the new diesel engines feature light weight aluminium construction, common rail direct injection and turbochargers with variable turbine geometry.



Amazingly, both the Cooper D Hatch and One D Hatch both achieve 74.3 mpg (3.8 l/100km) on the combined cycle, while producing just 99 g/km of CO2. That means they’ll be eligible for the 100% Greener Vehicle Discount, if proposed changes to the London Congestion Charge are approved. Adding to their green credentials is the standard fitment of a diesel particulate filter and oxidation catalyst.



The 110 bhp unit will also feature in the Cooper D Convertible, the first time ever that a Mini soft top has been available with diesel power. Meanwhile, the Clubman line-up will include the One D and Cooper D. However, it’s worth noting that only the Hatch achieves sub-100 g/km CO2 emissions:

Mini	0-62 mph	Top Speed mph	Combined mpg	CO2 g/km
One D Hatch	11.4	115	74.3	99
Cooper D Hatch	9.7	123	74.3	99
One D Clubman	11.8	114	72.4	103
Cooper D Clubman	10.2	123	72.4	103
Cooper D Convertible	10.3	121	70.6	105

The 2011 Mini range will be go on sale this September, which also sees the launch of the new Mini Countryman. Prices have yet to be confirmed.

2011 BMW 5-Series Sedan with M Sport Package: First Photos

The first real-life photos of the 2011 BMW 5-Series sedan [F10] spiced up with the new M Sports Package were leaked on the web today. Previously seen on the 5-Series Touring through some brochure shots, the package adds numerous bits such as a typical M style front bumper, more aggressive side skirts a subtle boot lid spoiler, rear diffuser finished in a dark shade, chrome tail pipes and satin-finished chrome door sills.

Buyers also appear to have the option of two different alloy wheels, the 18-inch multi spoke 350Ms with 245/45 R18 tires and the 19-inch double spoke 351Ms shod in 245/40 R19 tires.

The M Sports treatment also adds sporty touches to the interior, including a three-spoke steering wheel with a thicker rim, roof lining in anthracite, sport seats in cloth and alcantara, M-branded automatic and manual gearbox knobs, and special decorative trim for the dashboard and door panels.

We're still short on the full details package, but some chassis upgrades such as a sportier suspension for better handling and stability should part of the package.

Photos: 5post