Ferrari to Restore Steve McQueen's 275 GTB4 to its Original Coupe Body

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A rare Ferrari 275 GTB4 that originally belonged to fabled American movie actor Steve McQueen, who took delivery of the Italian sports car in San Francisco while filming the 1968 movie Bullitt, has been sent to Ferrari Classiche for a complete restoration.

Ferrari Classiche is an official arm of the Italian brand that provides restoration and maintenance services, technical assistance and Certificates of Authenticity to owners of classic Ferraris

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2014 Volkswagen Jetta Alltrack Rendered for Your Speculative Pleasure

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Not too long after Volkswagen officials admitted that they are warming up to the idea of a Jetta Alltrack crossover built around the successor of the current Jetta SportWagen (estate), and we have our first speculative take on the high-riding station wagon model, courtesy of Khalil Bouguerra.

Naturally, the inspiration for the Jetta Alltrack comes from the existing, European market Passat Alltrack.

The artist used the latest Jetta sedan as a base, initially transforming the car into to a station wagon model and then beefing up the body with all the usual soft-roader fare.

These include the front and rear underbody metal skid plates, chromed roof rails, plastic cladding around the bumpers, wheel arches and side sills along with a new set of alloy wheel designs.

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South Korean Video Alleges Chevrolet Accident Caused by Brake Failure

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Here's another automobile accident caught on camera in South Korea that is being blamed on a mechanical failure.

Whereas the two previous (unrelated) incidents from the country involving a BMW and a Hyundai Sonata YF were allegedly linked to a sticky accelerator pedal issue, this one is claimed to have occurred due to brake failure.

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Renault to Race Alpine A110-50 Concept at Goodwood Festival of Speed

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The upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed will see Renault performing the UK premiere of its new Alpine A110-50 concept car, built to celebrate 50th anniversary of iconic A110 Berlinette. Read more »

When the Sounds of a Lamborghini Murcielago's V12 Piss Off Pedestrians [NSFW]

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As strange as it may sound –pun intended- to us gearheads, there are some normal people out there that are not only indifferent about the acoustic properties of a Lamborghini Murcielago LP-640's screaming V12, but will also throw a fit if someone dares to rev the engine on a public street…

This episode took place on the busy streets of London when a by-stander asked the driver of Lamborghini Murcielago LP-640 to rev the V12 engine for the camera.

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Ford Announces New F-150 Special Service Vehicle Package for Fleet Customers

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Ford is now offering a new Special Service Vehicle (SSV) Package for its F-150 truck targeted at government, municipal as well as commercial fleet buyers across various types of businesses. Ford says the option package is available at no extra charge. Read more »

Mercedes-Benz G500 "Lang" Pickup Truck is Larger than Life

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An extended wheelbase, pickup truck conversion of a Mercedes-Benz G-Class is something you expect to see in the land of infinite highways and not in the land of chocolate, beer and streets so tiny that a Toyota/Scion iQ is used to collect imagery from streets that were too narrow for Google's regular camera cars… Read more »

BMW 325i Targa is One of the Most Useless Pickup Truck Conversions Ever

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Possibly inspired by likes of the Chevrolet SSR (Super Sport Roadster), the German owner of a 1990 BMW 325i Cabriolet turned the E30 into a targa-topped pickup truck by discarding the rear seats and building a metal structure behind the passenger compartment. Read more »

SCOOP: First Photos of Mercedes-Benz SLC AMG Prototype, will Rival the 911 and F-Type

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What we have here are our very first spy shots of a test mule for the upcoming Mercedes-Benz SLC AMG, which will be a lighter, smaller and more affordable sports car proposal than the flagship SLS AMG GT.

The SLC AMG, the name of which was recently confirmed by Mercedes-Benz design boss Gorden Wagener, will compete more directly against the Porsche 911 and the future Jaguar F-Type.

The German firm's new sports car model will be based on a shortened version of the larger SLS AMG GT's platform. However, unlike the prototype seen in these pictures that uses body panels from the SLS GT for testing purposes, the production SLC will get its own bespoke design.

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SCOOP: Alfa Romeo Test Mule Hides New Jeep Liberty's Underpinnings

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For those of you wondering what an Alfa Romeo Giulietta prototype with a raised ride height, a bulkier shaped front end and Michigan manufacturer plates is doing in the States, the short answer is testing.

The more detailed answer is that the Chrysler Group's engineers are trying out the platform that will underpin the next generation of the Jeep Liberty or Cherokee for overseas markets.

Like the new Dodge Dart as well as the replacement for the Chrysler 200, the next Liberty will use the Chrysler Group's new Compact U.S. Wide (CUSW) platform, which itself is a longer and slightly wider version of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta's chassis – hence the use of the Italian hatchback as a test mule.

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Shelby GT500 and Camaro ZL1 Battle it Out on the Test Track

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Whichever way you crunch the numbers, the new 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 owns the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 when it comes to sheer power.

According to their respective manufacturers, at the flywheel, the $54,995 Camaro ZL1's 6.2-liter supercharged V8 produces 580hp at 6,000 rpm and 556 lb.-ft. (754 Nm) at 4,200 rpm, while the $54,200 Shelby GT500's 5.8-liter supercharged V8 delivers 662hp at 6,250 rpm and 631 lb.-ft. (856Nm) at 4,000 rpm.

In a recent dyno test from Inside Line, the Camaro ZL1 delivered 497hp and 497 lb-ft (673Nm) on the rear wheels, while the Shelby GT500, 595hp and 602 lb-ft (815Nm) respectively.

So, how do these numbers translate on the road? Well, after drawing their swords on the dyno, Inside Line took the two cars to the track, and the results are both expected and to some extent, surprising.

Naturally, the more powerful Ford was faster than the Chevy recording a 0-60mph (96km/h) time of 4.0 seconds and completing the quarter mile (400m) in 11.9 seconds with an exit speed of 123.5mph (198.7 km/h).

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Saab Bought by Chinese-Japanese Consortium to Build Electric Cars

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Never say it's over with Saab as the Swedish automaker seems to have more lives than the proverbial cat…

Bloomberg News reported today a consortium named National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB, which is led by Japanese investment firm Sun Investment and Hong Kong-based renewable-energy power-plant builder National Modern Energy Holdings Ltd., has agreed to buy Saab and turn the company into an electric carmaker.

The National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB consortium was recently formed with the sole purpose of acquiring Saab.

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BMW Opens its First Dedicated i Store Worldwide in London

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The introduction of the new "i" sub-brand for BMW's upcoming pure electric, plug-in hybrid and other alternative fuel vehicles was only the beginning as the Bavarian carmaker is taking the project to a whole new level with the opening of the first dedicated i Store worldwide in London's Park Lane. Read more »

BMW Shows i3 Concept with Recolored Interior

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The opening of BMW's first dedicated i Store in London was accompanied by the presentation of an updated version of the i3 Concept.

While some have been spreading the word that this particular i3 Concept features a newer interior that is closer to the production model, this is not true.

What BMW's designers did is simply change the colors of the cabin and add different materials on the seating surfaces and eucalyptus wood trim on the dashboard, nothing more, nothing less.

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U Report: Another Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 'Gullwing' Wreck

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Less than a month after we reported about the most recent Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG crash that occurred in Poland's capital city of Warsaw, we have a fresh incident involving Stuttgart's 'Gullwing' door sports car.

According to Carscoop reader Joel K., who emailed us the above photograph, this latest incident took place in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

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Toyota Gets Playful with Customizable Camatte Concept for the 2012 Tokyo Toy Show

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In case you didn't pay much attention to our title, that's the 2012 Tokyo Toy Show (…and not the Tokyo Motor Show), which will open its doors to the public on Thursday, June 14, and continue to Sunday, June 17.

Toyota will be represented at the event by a very playful concept model called the Camatte that was designed as a big toy for the family with customizable body features that even children can drive.

"The Camatte aims to convey the joy and dreams of motor vehicles to current and future drivers, by providing an opportunity for parents and children to experience together the fun of driving, car customization and car enthusiasm," the Japanese automaker said in a statement.

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New Audi RS4 Avant Priced at £54,925 OTR in Britain

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Pricing for the all-new, third generation Audi RS 4 Avant will start in the UK at £54,925 OTR before buyers check any options, with first customer deliveries to begin in the autumn. Read more »

New 2013 Buick Verano Turbo Comes with 250HP and a Choice of Manual or Automatic Transmissions

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GM surprised us today with the unveiling of a new version of the Buick Verano that not only sports a much more powerful turbocharged engine but for the first time, also gives the option of a manual transmission.
While its understated looks make it seem like the regular 180hp Verano with the only giveaways being a discreet "T" badge, the dual exhaust outlets and a barely visible decklid spoiler, the Turbo is actually faster than the 270hp Regal GS.
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MINI and British Olympians Save the Day in The Britalian Job

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In celebration of the rapidly approaching London 2012 Olympic Games and its partnership with Team GB and Paralympics GB, MINI has created a new short film that reimagines the classic 1969 movie “The Italian Job” on some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament and the Olympic Stadium. Read more »

Mercedes-Benz Reportedly Confirms A45 AMG Details, gets 330HP 2.0-Liter Turbo and AWD

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While we have yet to see the hottest version of the new A-Class hatchback in production guise, Mercedes-Benz has reportedly confirmed to Autocar magazine the basic details of the upcoming A45 AMG, which was previously thought to be named A25 AMG.
The A45 AMG will be the first series production AMG model with a transversely mounted engine.
The report confirms that power will come from a heavily modified version of the A250's 208hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine tuned to deliver 330hp (335PS) and "maximum torque significantly above 295lb ft (400Nm)".
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Brit Wants Help Identifying Thieves who Stole Audi S3 from his House

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A Manchester man has posted video footage from a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed in the entrance of his house capturing the dramatic moments when two robbers equipped with crowbars burst into his home on June 7, demanding the keys to his £25,000 Audi S3.
At the time the burglars broke into his house, the man, whom the Daily Mail identified as Chris Rustage, 38, was watching TV with his wife and three sons aged 13, 11 and 3.
The footage show the two young men stopping outside the house in a Vauxhall Corsa, which was driven by a third person. The two robbers swiftly enter the house from the front door and less than 20 seconds later they exit with the car's keys in their hands and take off in the black Audi S3 hatch.
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Peugeot Launches New Design Lab for External Clients

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Borrowing a page from Porsche Design and the BMW Group's Designworks USA, French carmaker Peugeot has launched its own design studio with the goal of offering its expertise to external clients.
The newly formed Peugeot Design Lab is located in the PSA Design Centre but will make use of the experience and facilities of the Peugeot Design Centers in the cities of Paris (France), Shanghai (China) and Sao Paolo (Brazil).
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Nissan Brushes Up Pixo for New Model Year, Drops Under 100g/km of CO2

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Nissan has introduced a new model year version of the Pixo in the UK. The subtly revised city car features a fresh assortment of exterior colours, some interior improvements and a drop in CO2 emissions to 99g/km .
While reducing CO2 levels by 4g/km to 99g/km may not sound like a big deal, but it is crucial for tax and toll savings as it allows the Pixo to enjoy tax benefits and makes it exempt from the London congestion charge.
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2013 GMC Terrain Denali Priced from $35,350 to $38,600

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After its New York Auto Show debut in April, GMC has released pricing for the luxed-up Denali editions of its revised 2013 Terrain SUV.
The Terrain Denail is available with two engine choices, a 182-horsepower 2.4-liter inline four priced from $35,350 for the front-wheel drive model, and the new 301-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 that starts at $36,850, again with FWD, with both MSRPs including an $825 destination charge.
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Spied: New Maserati Quattroporte Shots Reveal that it Won’t be a...Hunchback

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Maserati engineers have toned down a notch the camouflage on their latest Quattroporte prototype that was nabbed by our scoop photographers while undergoing tests at the Nürburgring race track.
It may not seem like a lot, but it's enough to provide us with a better look at the rear window styling, which in previous spy shots, was disguised to give the impression of a fastback body style.
The new photos confirm the more conventional styling of the car's roofline and rear end.
This new Quattroporte will be the Fiat and Chrysler Alliance's flagship sedan model and as such, will sport the latest technologies including a new 8-speed automatic transmission from ZF combined with a start and stop system to will help reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
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Irina Olhovskaya Proves that Russian Car Videos Can be Racy

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Truth to be said, the vast majority of the car related videos from Russia making headlines around the internet depict crazy incidents and accidents. But that's not all "mother Russia" has to offer us gearheads.
Case in point, Russian Playboy bunny Irina Olhovskaya who is the host of a video series from Blond Drive TV – no seriously, that's the name.
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BMW's New 1.5-liter Three-Cylinder Petrol Engine for i8 to be Built in Britain

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During the SMMT 2012 International Automotive Summit in London on Tuesday, the BMW Group announced that its brand new 3-cylinder petrol engines for the upcoming i8 plug-in hybrid sports coupe will be produced exclusively at the firm's UK engine plant at Hams Hall, near Birmingham. Read more »

CFC's Vividly Colorful Volkswagen Polo Tune

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While the auto industry utilizes various types of camouflage patterns on their prototypes to hide or confuse casual and professional spy photographers, German vinyl wrap specialist Car Film Components (CFC) is using similar forms to make the Volkswagen Polo stand out like a...nudist in a black suit convention. Read more »

Watch Sebastian Vettel Hoon an Infiniti Coupe in New Jersey

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Sebastian Vettel interrupted his regular schedule today to become the first F1 driver to sample the recently announced Grand Prix Circuit in New Jersey, due to take place in 2013.
As the official "Infiniti Global Brand Ambassador", the German-born two-time Formula One World Champion drove the street circuit in an Infiniti IPL G Coupe, which is a slightly more powerful version of the G37 with a 348hp V6.
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Hyundai Tweets Pricing of 2013 Elantra GT 5-door, Starts at $18,395

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It won't be long before Hyundai comes out with full pricing on its new Elantra GT five-door hatchback, but for now, the South Korean carmaker posted a note on Twitter saying that the base model will start at $18,395, most likely excluding destination and handling charges. Read more »

Lamborghini LP 700-4 Aventador Dares 950hp Porsche 911 Turbo by Switzer


With 691-horses (700PS) on tap from its 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine, the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 has a substantial power advantage over any stock Porsche 911 Turbo.
But put Ohio-based Switzer Performance into the picture and then the table turns around with the Porsche sports car gaining the power lead.In this case, the Switzer Performance-prepped turbocharged flat-six engine of the R911 is rated at 937-horsepower (950PS).
To watch the outcome of this race, hop over the break for the video.

VIDEO


Unsuspecting Motorcyclist Drives Through a Patch of Black Ice...


Driving a motorcycle -even more so a big and heavy tourer like the Victory Vision- on a mountain road demands your full attention as the slightest mistake or error in judgment can cost you dearly.
And one of the things you should always be alert about on a mountain road is black ice as you can find yourself slipping suddenly out of control like this motorcyclist that recorded his painful fall on a GoPro Hero HD helmet cam. The incident happened last year on Mt Lemmon in Tucson Arizona and from the looks of it, the rider wasn't seriously injured.

Video follows right after the break (fast-forward to 1:40 for the slip).


VIDEO


Georgia Department of Transportation to Reject Ku Klux Klan's Offer to Adopt a Highway


A local chapter of the white supremacist group Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in Georgia made headlines this week when it was revealed that the International Keystone Knights of the KKK filed an application to "adopt" a one-mile stretch of highway in Union County.
But now we learn from a state official who talked to CNN on condition of anonymity as the "official was not authorized to speak on the record", that KKK's application will not be accepted.
Under the "Adopt a Highway" program, private individuals or organizations volunteer to clean portions of a road for a specified period of time and in exchange, they are allowed to have their name posted on a sign.

The news outlet said that KKK's chapter has not yet responded to the news but it had previously said that if its application was rejected, it would approach the American Civil Liberties Union.
"We're not doing it for publicity. We're doing it to keep the mountains beautiful. People throwing trash out on the side of the road ... that ain't right," April Chambers, the local chapter's secretary, told CNN on Monday.
"We're not racists," she continued. "We just want to be with white people. If that's a crime, then I don't know. It's all right to be black and Latino and proud, but you can't be white and proud. I don't understand it."
This is not the first time that a Ku Klux Klan chapter has applied to adopt a highway, though in case of a similar request in Missouri, the matter went to federal court, which ruled that the state could not block the KKK from taking part in the program.
Nevertheless, the Missouri Department of Transportation later on removed the KKK from the program on the grounds that its members were not picking up the litter.
Photo Union County, GA from Google Maps

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