ALPINA B7 BMW luxury Sport Sedan

Both short- and long-wheelbase models will be offered. The BMW ALPINA B7 will make its North American premiere at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show in February, and go on sale at authorized BMW Centers in Spring of 2010. Bmw announced today the prices for the 2011 Alpina B7 for US - $122,875 (standard wheelbase) and $126,775 (extended wheelbase). BMW of North America announced that the BMW ALPINA B7 sedan will join BMW’s North American product range as the most dynamic 7 Series model. The BMW ALPINA B7 represents the second generation of ALPINA automobiles based on the BMW 7 Series to be offered in the US. The first BMW ALPINA B7 was offered as a limited edition for the 2007 and 2008 model years. Newly interpreted and based on the current BMW 7 Series platform, the B7 will again set the benchmark in terms of performance, refinement, technology, luxury and exclusivity. However, Alpina B7 is slightly less powerful that the 760i, but it looks very very sporty and aggressive.

ALPINA B7 BMW luxury Sport Sedan

Yielding exquisite levels of power and torque from the twin-turbocharged 4.4 liter V8, and in conjunction with the electronically-adjustable suspension with active roll stabilization, the new B7 promises to offer a spectrum of driving experiences so broad as to be unheard of in this class of automobiles. The evolution of the traditional 20-spoke 21” ALPINA CLASSIC wheels underline the fresh design language found throughout the B7 and impart it a distinctive appearance and powerful stance.

ALPINA – a name famous in Europe and the wider world for putting a particular performance accent on BMWs, though not yet so well-known in North America. BMW – a name famous all over the world for motor vehicles of performance, quality, luxury and safety.

The two companies, both at home in the German state of Bavaria, have a long history of working together to produce special BMW automobiles. Burkard Bovensiepen, son of the founder of ALPINA Business Machines and an enthusastic racing driver/engineer, began his automotive career path in 1961 by developing a dual-carburetor setup for the just-introduced BMW 1500 sedan. It was a predictive beginning: to take an already fine-performing BMW (which also just happened to be a practical sedan) and making it perform even better.

ALPINA B7 BMW luxury Sport Sedan

By 1964, BMW had officially recognized ALPINA’s contribution to BMW performance. Not long thereafter, Burkard Bovensiepen founded the ALPINA company – ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen KG – that continues today, creating special versions of BMW automobiles that offer a particular brand of performance for discriminating auto enthusiasts. Yet outside the circle of dedicated BMW enthusiasts, ALPINA has kept a low profile in North America. In addition to racing versions of BMWs, ALPINA has developed a progression of BMW-based cars based on 3, 5, 6, 8, Z4 and Z8 models and offered them on a limited-production basis. ALPINA is located in the small Bavarian city of Buchloe, some 50 miles southwest of Munich, BMW’s headquarters city and the capital of Bavaria.

ALPINA B7 BMW luxury Sport Sedan

The B7 is the newest manifestation of the unique BMW-ALPINA synergy – once again based on the BMW 7 Series luxury sedan. Currently, BMW offers ultra-performance models of its 3, 5, 6, X5 and X6 Series developed by BMW M, BMW’s own performance subsidiary. For an ultra-performance version of the 7 Series – a vehicle defined by luxury and generous interior space – something other than “M” performance character was called for. In recent models, ALPINA has concentrated on delivering very high levels of performance with moderate rpm ranges and automatic transmission. Most appropriately, the new BMW ALPINA B7 applies this philosophy to the newest 7 Series to produce a luxury sedan of stunning performance. “A 7 Series Beyond,” one might say.

Oakley Design Ferrari 458 Italia

Following international acclaim for their finely honed Porsche GT2, GT3 and Panamera conversions, Oakley Design is now proud to announce their tuning programme for the Ferrari 458 Italia.

2010 Touring Superleggera A8GCS Berlinetta Sports Cars Concept

Touring Superleggera A8GCS Berlinetta was revealed in the flesh at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show after being previewed at the Concours d'Elegance. At the Festival Automobile in Paris last month, a panel comprised of designers, car experts and former Formula 1 driver Alain Prost awarded the Maserati A8GCS Berlinetta Touring the most beautiful supercar of the year. Television network Eurosport fielded over one million votes from viewers for the competition. Viewers’ choices included the Bugatti Sport Veyron, BMW 750i and Lotus Evora.

2010 Touring Superleggera A8GCS Berlinetta

Now this is how it's done. The Touring Superleggera A8GCS Berlinetta is a Maserati Gran Turismo rebodied with classic GT proportions and shapes. The result is classically beautiful, like a 1950s Maserati re-interpreted with 21st century technology.

Based on the Maserati Coupé GranSport mechanics, the A8GCS Berlinetta Touring represents the high performance sports car concept, with small dimensions, state-of-the-art constructive technology and perfect stylish synthesis between factory tradition and advanced aesthetic criteria.

Unlike the Bentley Flying Star shooting brake that's also from Touring Superleggera, the Berlinetta isn't destined for a well-heeled car nut. The company created it specifically to showcase its coachbuilding skills. If they have their way, they'll be turning the Maserati Gran Turismo and other exotic cars into vehicles that are even more exclusive, luxurious and personalized.

The new A8GCS Berlinetta Touring has been designed by the young Belgian designer Louis de Fabribeckers, in charge of the Touring styling department. The A8GCS Berlinetta Touring lines are not affected by time or fashion: the car is characterized by a soft aggressiveness originated by the perfect balance between the front end, directly derived from competitions, and the harmonious and fluent flanks reminding of the extraordinary Alfa Romeo, Isotta Fraschini and Lancia Flying Star of the Thirties, an exceptional series created by Touring and still considered the best interpretation of Marinetti and Boccioni’s Futurism.

The Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera style is first expressed through perfecly balanced volumes (reduced front overhang, front central engine and large rear overhang). The result is a dynamic form that doesn’t need a lowered waistline. Moreover, the horizontal development of lines create a natural elegance.

The sporty look of the car is underlined by the combination between bonnet and front grille. An element dashing forward the other volumes. Hence the lateral lines of the body: the lower line ends on the rear wheelarch and the upper line dissolves in the rear end of the car. Together they create a dynamic sail shape, as on Flying Stars.

Of course, also the most successful car design is not enough to make an alive and complete object. It must be combined with excellent dynamic qualities, derived from state-of-the-art technical solutions. For the prototype A8GCS Berlinetta Touring, Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera studied and designeda body in advanced composite materials, able to give the car lightness, structural strenght and performance typical of top granturismo and obviously respecting all international safety and environmental rules. The result is clear: the style protoype A8GCS Berlinetta Touring is able to enter small series production, gaining immediately a top place among the best sports cars.

The A8GCS is a strict two-seater, unlike the car on which it's based which features a 2+2 seating layout. Touring Superleggera have made extensive changes to the car's bodywork while still retaining similar proportions. The styling details like the minimalist chrome trim and classic wire wheels give the car a distinctive retro vibe, while also not being unnecessarily nostalgic.

"We wanted a strong project" - says the Belgian Head of Design of Touring Superleggera, Louis de Fabribeckers - "I drew from the stylistic heritage of Touring the work of surfaces and also this sinusoidal line across the side of the Berlinetta".

The Touring Superleggera A8GCS Berlinetta is 4.2 metres long and only 1.2 metres high. The engineers are aiming for a 1,500 kg (3,307 lb) weight for the finished car - 180 kgs (400 lbs) lighter than the Maserati GranSport.

2010 Sportec SP580 Porsche 997 Turbo Facelift - Porsche Sports Car

The new Sportec 997 Turbo SP580 tuning kit is now available for the Porsche 997. Engineers from Sportec have boosted power from 500 PS (368 kW / 493 hp) to 580 PS (572 hp / 427 kW). If those numbers sound familiar, it is because the Swiss tuning firm developed a package that provided the same horsepower on the last SP580. However, the torque rating is reduced on this model, but is the same as the standard Porsche 997 turbo facelift.

Sportec SP580 Porsche 997 Turbo Facelift

Now, the new model sprints to 100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds, and to 200 km/h in 10.3 seconds. Top speed on the car is 323 km/h. The sprint times are faster than the old SP580, but the previous model topped out at 338 km/h (210 mph).

New forged 20-inch wheels have been developed for the car. However, the aero kit with front spoiler, big rear wing, and side skirts seems to be carried over from the pre-facelift kit.

With the new SP580 Sportec is once more prowling in the stomping ground of the super sports car. True to the sporty understatement Sportec the Porsche 997 turbo is a real leopard in wolf's clothing - this is ensured by the full 580 PS and powerful 650 Nm torque that can be had at just 1.950-5.000 revs.

Thus equipped the Sportec SP580 achieves the standard spring from 0 to 100 km/h in only 3.2 seconds. The occupants of the SP580 are catapulted from 0 to 200 km/h in a breathtaking 10.3 seconds. Only at 323 km/h does the revolution limiter put an end to this flush of speed.

Externally only the powerful Sportec Mono7 forged 20 inch wheels and the completely new aerodynamic package that holds true to the Sportec Motto "more substance, less style", suggest that beholder isn't looking at a mass production vehicle from Zuffenhausen. An aerodynamically optimised front spoiler, discrete side skirts along with a larger tail plane - as an option also to be had in carbon - both technically and optically complete the SP580. And if that wasn't enough the exterior mirrors and the air intakes can be had in matt carbon.

The aluminium pedals and foot supports as well as the bucket seats are all further signs of its sportiness. And for those who like it a little sportier there is a lowering set that brings the chassis around 20 millimetres nearer to the tarmac. For use on the race track Sportec offers a special PASM compatible super sports suspension that can be individually adjusted to suit every purpose and all race track conditions.

Ferrari 599 GTO is an extreme V12 berlinetta

The new Ferrari 599 GTO is an extreme V12 berlinetta developed to a specific performance-oriented brief. The Ferrari 599 GTO is, in fact, the company's fastest ever road car. It is an exclusive limited edition special which, in true Ferrari tradition, is a completely new concept, albeit inspired by a production car. In fact the Ferrari 599 GTO is based on the 599XX, the advanced experimental track car, and can be considered almost a road-going version.

The Ferrari 599 GTO is reserved for just 599 clients who seek the maximum expression of high-performance driving. The Ferrari 599 GTO benefits directly from the technological transfer from racing and set a record lap time at Fiorano in 1'24".

The Fiorano lap time provides just one indication of the potential of this car. Just as significant are the technical specifications - 670 hp in a 1495kg car represents a weight-to-power ratio of just 2.23 kg/hp, and ensures a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 3.35" as well as a top speed of over 335 km/h.

Fundamental to the GTO's performance is the innovative approach to chassis development which, for the first time on a production car, saw the integration between a handling set-up tuned for a level of responsiveness that is close to the limit and highly sophisticated electronic controls. The result is the almost complete absence of understeer and a truly communicative chassis.

As is Ferrari's policy, every new Ferrari features new solutions for a road car. Thus the Ferrari 599 GTO is equipped with the latest, second-generation carbon-ceramic brakes which are lighter and offer better performance, new aerodynamic innovations, such as the wheel doughnuts which increase aerodynamic efficiency as well as improve brake cooling, and the Supersport tyres developed by Michelin include a wider front tyre for greater roadholding. The driver-car interface is also new with the adoption of the Virtual Race Engineer (VRE) which provides the driver with instantaneous information on performance.

2009 Audi Sports Car roadster/coupe TT-RS

Although the 2009 Audi TT has improved greatly on previous models in terms of general fun-factory and handling, enthusiasts still don't place it in the same league as the M Coupes, Boxter/Caymans and S2000s of the world. The S line model, which debuted in 2008, served up a big helping of improvements, but Audi fans still wanted more.

2009 Audi TT-RS

Audi is once again producing a five-cylinder engine – and a very special one at that. Arriving at dealerships this summer, the TT RS has a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine with direct gasoline injection; it produces 250 kW (340 bhp) and 450 Nm (331.90 lb.-ft.) of torque. The blazing five-cylinder engine enables the TT RS to perform extraordinary feats. In conjunction with quattro permanent all-wheel drive and a high-performance chassis, the engine makes the compact Audi TT RS a top-notch sports car – available as a coupé or roadster.

Sporty five-cylinder gasoline engines have a long legacy at Audi. The most famous is arguably the turbocharged 2.1-liter engine in the Audi quattro. The first version, which was launched in 1980, offered an impressive 147 kW (200 bhp). And the Sport quattro from 1984, directly inspired by motorsport, delivered a whopping 225 kW (306 bhp). For 25 years, turbochargers and quattro have been a dynamic formula for success.

Audi has resumed using this recipe. Designed from scratch, the five-cylinder engine combines a turbocharger with FSI direct gasoline injection to elevate the TT RS to a high-performance sports car. The TFSI delivers 250 kW (340 bhp) from a displacement of 2,480 cc (151.34 cu in): a specific output of 100.8 kW (137.1 bhp) per liter.

The power-to-weight ratio is also outstanding. In the case of the Coupé, which weighs in at a mere 1,450 kilograms (3,196.70 pounds), the power-to-weight ratio is just 4.3 kilograms per bhp.

The TT RS Coupé rockets from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62.14 mph) in 4.6 seconds; the Roadster needs just a tenth of a second longer. The limited top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph) is merely the official figure for both versions; as an option, Audi can increase it to 280 km/h (173.98 mph).

Almost even more impressive is the aggressive pulling power. The maximum torque of 450 Nm (331.90 lb.-ft.) is always available between 1,600 and 5,300 rpm. In addition, the TT RS overtakes without the slightest effort. Last but not least, its engine makes passengers’ skin tingle time and again thanks to its speedy and powerful response, its inspiring free-revving character, and its unmistakably guttural tailpipes: five-cylinder classical music by Audi!

As an uncompromising sports-car engine, the 2.5-liter TFSI is ultra-compact. Just 49 centimeters (19.29 inches) in length, it is ideally suited for transverse installation in the TT RS. And its weight of just 183 kilograms (403.45 pounds) also sets a record. The crankcase is made of vermicular-graphite cast iron. This high-tech material unites the utmost in strength with low weight; it has otherwise only been used for the large TDI engines from Audi. Perfectly placed reinforcements enhance the block’s loadability. The lightweight cylinder head, the pistons, and the connecting rod are lightweight as well as high-strength.

The ultra-powerful five-cylinder engine is extremely fuel-efficient, requiring an average of just 9.2 liters/100 km [25.57 mpg] as regards the Coupé (Roadster: 9.5 l/100 km [24.76 mpg]). Switchable flaps in the intake manifold mix the incoming air in a calculated configuration. Injected at a pressure as high as 120 bar by the common-rail system, the gasoline swirls intensely in the combustion chamber – which in turn cools the walls. This subsequently facilitates a compression ratio of 10.0:1, which is very high for a turbocharged engine. Both of the adjustable camshafts, controlled via chains, also enhance charging efficiency with respect to the air-fuel mixture.

2010 Porsche Sports Car 911 Tequipment

Porsche Tequipment has announced four new items for the 2010 Porsche Sport Car Classic 911. The new 2010 Porsche 911 Tequipment list includes sport classic wheels, a PDK steering wheel with gearshift paddles, an Aerokit Cup and a sport design front body panel. The new 2010 Porsche 911 Tequipment wheels come in 11.5 J x 19 ET 50 and are priced at Euro 5,569.20 including VAT. For the cars with tire pressure control the price is 5,866.70 EUR.

Porsche Sports Car 911 Tequipment

The 2010 Porsche 911 Tequipment three-spoke sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles is priced from Euro 940.10 and can be fitted to all versions of the 911, Boxster, Cayman, and Panamera. The 2010 Porsche 911 Tequipment Aerokit Cup is available for the coupe and is priced at Euro 4,522.00.

The Porsche 911 (pronounced as Nine Eleven, German: Neunelfer) is a 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356.

Porsche Sports Cars Press Release:

Four new retrofit highlights from Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, are dedicated entirely to the spirit of sporting performance. Particularly the 19-inch Sport Classic wheels in the unmistakable look of Porsche’s legendary Fuchs rims developed especially for the 911 Sport Car Classic built in a production run of just 250 units are an outstanding example of Porsche’s history and a striking design feature of the 911 Carrera.

Re-interpreted in individual style, the wheels in five-spoke design with the rim star painted black, the wheel hump in gloss-lathed finish, and the Porsche logo in colour on the wheel hub, are a genuine eye-catcher. Introduced by Porsche for the first time in 1966, these unique wheels are now making an outstanding come-back. The new wheels measure 8.5 J x 19 ET 55 and come together with tyres in 235/35 ZR 19 (front) and, respectively, 305/30 ZR 19 (rear) on all current all-wheel-drive models of the 911 Carrera and Targa as well as the 911 Turbo at an all-in price per set of Euro 5,569.20 including VAT (cars with tyre pressure control Euro 5,866.70).

Another particularly sporting feature is the three-spoke sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles for the PDK transmission already well known from the new 911 Turbo. Starting immediately, this unique leather steering wheel with gearshift paddles behind the right and left steering wheel spokes carried over from motorsport is available at a price of Euro 940.10 including VAT also for individual retrofitting on all versions of the 911, Boxster, Cayman, and Panamera with PDK and, starting in August 2010, on the new Cayenne with Tiptronic S.

The high-quality shift paddles are naturally made of metal. Through their stretched sickle shape, the gearshift paddles allow the driver to shift gears manually with perfect ease, from a wide range of individual holding positions on the steering wheel. The driver shifts up on the right and down on the left.

The newly developed Aerokit Cup available on all versions of the 911 Carrera Coupé shows a close and direct link to the fastest brand trophy in the world, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. At the front of the car the most outstanding feature is the new apron with its striking trim bars in the centre air intake and the characteristic spoiler lip. At the rear the unique rear lid with the wing fitted in position takes up the highly successful design of the former model. It almost goes without saying that all components have been optimised in Porsche’s wind tunnel to improve both driving behaviour and aerodynamics.

Already available on new cars at a price of Euro 4,968.25 including VAT, the Aerokit Cup may now also be retrofitted on current models of the 911. In this case the price from Porsche Tequipment is Euro 4,522.00 including VAT, plus fitting and paintwork.

While so far the Aerokit with its particularly sporting look was not available to drivers of the 911 Cabriolet and Targa (997), the new, striking Sport Design front apron now closes this gap, with the spoiler lip matched aerodynamically to the regular rear spoiler. Naturally, the new front panel also fits on all other versions of the 911 Carrera and 911 Targa in the 997 model series. Finished in the same colour as the car itself, the front apron in Sport Design blends harmoniously with the overall contours and silhouette of the 911.

The Aerokit retails on new cars at a price of Euro 2,368.10 including VAT and is available from Porsche Exclusive. It may also be retrofitted individually by Porsche Tequipment at a price of Euro 2,159.85 including VAT, plus the cost of fitting and paintwork.