Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Design/Style

SSC recently teased us with shots of their new would-be Bugatti assassin, the Ultimate Aero II and Shelby Supercars has allowed Top Gear to provide the world a new angle with which to view their exotic road warrior.

The SSC Ultimate Aero II is designed by skilled artisan Jason Castriota, who his now putting his pen to paper for Saab. The design of the front is a beautiful mix of flowing lines with subtle, hard creases. The rear end seems much more alien, but equally stunning. The previous SSC vehicle, the Ultimate Aero TT, bested the Bugatti Veyron in the all-out speed competition at 256 miles per hour. This all-new Ultimate Aero II looks like it already beat that mark while simply posing for pictures. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if someone handed us the keys then told us "where we're going... we don't need roads."

Our one nitpick? The eventual damage to the exhaust area. It already looks like that rear pod is sitting on the deck so it's unlikely the SSC will make it through the local Wal-Mart parking lot. Oh well, time to put the checkbook back in the drawer. We'll just wait for the Saab equivalent.

SSC Ultimate Aero II flashes backside for Top Gear originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Japan, Technology, Mazda

Mazda has big plans for the future of its rotary engine. According to GoAuto, the company is currently hard at work on improving the powerplant's fuel economy by a full 50 percent. If it can pull it off, the new mill will proudly wear the same "Sky" designation as its traditional four-cylinder counterparts. The site quotes Seita Kanai, Mazda's director of R&D and program management, as saying that upping the rotary's fuel economy is essential for the engine's survival.

From the sound of things, Mazda is wholly committed to keeping a rotary in its stable. In the report, Kanai says the company is investigating every possible aspect of the engine's design to look for ways to increase efficiency, down to the very principles behind the design. Even so, he stopped short of saying whether or not the company is toying with an electric turbocharger as part of development.

Even with word that the Japanese automaker is stoking the rotary flames, GoAuto reports the company currently has no plans for a legitimate RX-7 successor. While designers and engineers within the company may be itching to jump onto a new sports car, the company's decision makers are currently more occupied with slimming its corporate average fuel economy.

[Source: GoAuto]

Report: Next Mazda RX-8 to use Sky G rotary originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Paris Motor Show, Bentley, Luxury

The all-new 2011 Bentley Continental GT was recently revealed online. Initially we only had pretty pictures to look at, but information comes fast and furious on the world wide web. We have gotten our hands on a video of the luxurious grand tourer doing what it does best.

The video (located just beyond the jump) is a bit low on action but high on design and style. These pictures and videos only serve to whet our appetite for some (heated leather) seat time in the new Continental. The car is set to make its world debut at the Paris Motor Show so be sure to tune in to our coverage of the entire event. We can't give this Bentley our stamp of approval just yet but details such as the 567 horsepower W12, a top speed of 198 miles per hour, climate-controlled seats and an updated (finally!) touchscreen have us leaning towards "huzzah!"

Click over to the jump to check it out for yourself.




[Source: Bentley via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: 2011 Bentley Continental GT out on the road

Video: 2011 Bentley Continental GT out on the road originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Spy Photos, Coupe, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Paris Motor Show, BMW, Rumormill, Specialty

Yesterday we brought you a few strange images and even weirder videos showcasing an odd BMW. Today, more images have hit the web, proving this is more than a BMW 6 Series with skinny tires and a missing tailpipe. The car may be wearing 6 Series skin from the a-pillar back, but the front is a different animal. It appears to be similar to the face found on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept vehicle.

There are a lot of ways these "spy shots" can be perceived. The above image and the extremely quiet running sound from the clips certainly led us to believe this car is utilizing a new EfficientDynamics powertrain. This would mean the above mash-up mobile is powered by a 1.5-liter inline three-cylinder diesel as well as a pair of electric motors set on the axles.

A viral campaign complete with dark photographs of a mysterious vehicle? It must be auto show season! The Paris Motor Show is right around the corner and we hope someone BMW will be ready to spill their precision-engineered beans.



[Source: dontblogaboutthis, e90post forums]

BMW's dontblogaboutthis.com car revealed on forum originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Hatchback, Kia, Humor, South Korea

We like to think of ourselves as pretty determined folk here the United States. After all, our forebearers forged our country out of a wild and unsettling terrain, fought off tyrants, cooked up some of the most amazing inventions of the last century and helped populate a symbol of diversity and freedom renowned the world over. That doesn't mean that we'd willingly subject ourselves to the DMV 960 times, however. Yet that's exactly what a Korean woman, Cha Sa-soon, did on her quest to obtain her driver's license. Despite copious studying, the 69-year-old Cha just couldn't manage to get past the written portion of the exam.

In April 2005, she began taking the 50-minute, 40-question test once a day, five days week, failing each time. Eventually her pace slowed to taking the test twice a week, but on the 960th try, she managed to get enough of the questions right to pass.

Local news outlets ran with the story, and it wasn't long before the tale caught the ear of Hyundai-Kia. The company asked people to post congratulatory messages online, and after an overwhelming response, Kia handed her the keys to a brand-new Soul.

We like her style.



Photos Copyright (C)2010 John Neff / AOL

[Source: The New York Times]

Woman gets Kia Soul after passing drive test on 960th try originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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