Convertibles

2014 Corvette Stingray IVERS Prototype at Nat'l Corvette Museum 21

Video: 2014 Corvette Stingray IVERS Prototype at Nat’l Corvette Museum is Rare Snapshot of C7 Pre-Production Engineering

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The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky was a brilliant way to spend a Friday morning last week. This museum is huge and stocked with some of the most unique Corvettes ever made. But more likely — not ever made. America’s Sports Car has undergone seven drastic re-births in its 61-year lifespan. In order to ensure the next-gen Corvette’s success through the years, hundreds (if not thousands) of one-off prototypes and concepts were crafted to evaluate big ideas before series production. The museum charmingly covers the entire Corvette story since 1951 or so when Zora sent his famous letter …

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The Curious Case of the BMW Z4’s 90% Sales Drop Since 2003 – Near $70k Pricing and German Assembly Both Big Factors

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The BMW Z4. Yesterday we explored the Zagato restyles of the 2012 Z4 Roadster and Zagato Coupe – which are not exactly gorgeous and arguably look much worse than even the OEM BMW Z4. This is a major problem for the Z4 when its new prices, positioning and German assembly are taken into account. In the 10 years between 2003 and 2013, sales in the U.S. and Canadian markets for the Z4 have logged a calamitous 90-plus percent drop. The Z4’s sales stats from GoodCar-BadCar.net paint the picture very clearly. We prepared the above chart based on the GoodCar-BadCar data …

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2014 MX-5 Club (32)

2014 Mazda MX-5 Club Brings New Colors, Dark Wheels, Gloss Black Accents and Power Hardtop Option from $26,000

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The next MX-5 is in the home stretch of development in Japan ahead of an expected debut some time in 2014 or early 2015, with deliveries to America set to start shortly afterward. The next MX-5 will spawn an Alfa Romeo Spider twin, with both built to quality standards Fiat could not dream of achieving without Mazda’s Hiroshima-based talent. Development of the MX-5 is the cornerstone of Mazda’s sports car teams these days – and for good reason! The MX-5 is the ultimate track-day thriller: with enough power to feel the rush but also enough playfulness to really test your …

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Concept Flashback: Zagato Draws A Blank Trying to Make 2012 BMW Z4 Roadster and Z4 Coupes Sexy Again

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The 2012 BMW Z4 faced a real crisis of confidence. While overall roadster sales have fallen off a cliff since 2009, the Z4’s problems are even more severe.  From an all-star BMW style icon … into a niche-within-a-niche model that tallies sales in the hundreds per year? But was the styling of the fourth-gen car partly to blame? The original Z3 was such a smash hit – I can clearly recall being smitten with this humdrum four-banger roadster. Even on steel wheels, it look fantastic. Even with just a 20-second James Bond Goldeneye cameo its only claim to fame at …

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Jaguar Makes a WINNER! 2015 F-type Coupe Debuts Three Gorgeous Flavors, Pricing, Up to 550 HP!4

Update: Jaguar F-TYPE – British Villains – #GoodToBeBad Super Bowl Commercial – World Debut

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I love this new #GoodToBeBad campaign. It allows Jag to vamp up its image in full 1080P glory, but closes with a relatively lighthearted ‘flip.’ The creative insight of trusty — slash —evil Englishmen is right on the mark. My only thought: beware of Vampire creativity along with the new dark-themed shots. The Super Bowl ad environment is *very* fast, so perhaps more car time? Who knows. Every creative shop is scrambling to debate re-edits. But Jaguar, if this “ISCI” code and traffic instructions are already sent — well done. [tv jargon=] Final well-wishes: This campaign seems right on the …

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Powerkit for Porsche 911 Carrera S

Powerkit for Porsche 911 Carrera S – Sport Classic Engine Upgrades Bring Rumble Exhaust

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For many Porsche 911 owners, the rumble from out back becomes one of the car’s most loved and central features. Far more than a gimmick, the 911 breathes directly from the wind ‘backflow’ at the rear of the car at high speeds.   Ideally, the Carrera S Powerkit will sound much like the Sport Classic below: Like it’s own pressure chamber, the spoiler’s effectiveness is required to channel that cold air directly into this once-air-cooled engine setup. 430HP is on tap, a jump from 400. Classic 911 RS Wind tunnel Image credit: Stuttcars.com Sidebar: found this on Pinterest yesterday via …

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2014 Porsche 911 Targa4 and Targa4S - Roof Animations of 400HP Surf 'n Turf Supercar 3

2014 Porsche 911 Targa4 and Targa4S – Roof Animations of 400HP Surf ‘n Turf Supercar

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Any readers recall the flip-book from Mitsubishi when launching the 3000GT Spyder in 1995? Such a simple idea: 100 pages of roof in sequence while retracting. But that little red flipbook made the 3000GT Spyder the star of the year’s auto shows. If there were ever a car whose features would benefit from a CarRevsDaily animation, it must be the new 911 Targa. The 911 Targa and Porsche’s 360-degree spinners are perfect inspirations for a modern-day “moving picture” of the Targa’s showpiece. Far more than just the elaborate moonroof of the most recent previous-gen Targa models — this is a …

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1939 Delahaye 165 V-12 Cabriolet at Mullin Auto Museum18

Iconic Classic Car: 1939 Delahaye 165 V-12 Cabriolet at Mullin Auto Museum

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Only at the Mullin Automotive Museum could a car as brilliant, unique and influential as this Type 165 Cabriolet be summed up as “Car 30.” Amid the world’s finest collection of all-things pre-war and coach-built, the Oxnard, California Mullin Museum is a must-visit for all car fans. Those with a special passion for classics will find none other than 90-plus completely one-off models in the astounding collection. Housed in a glamorous stage-type museum building, the mood is right for period flashbacks with a recreated LeMans pit area real enough to be a fire hazard. Everything is magnificent about the museum, …

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2014 Q60 IPL Convertible

2014 Infiniti Q60 IPL Coupe and Cabrio – Specs, Pricing and Trim Details

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The hotshot executive sport coupe market is always fun: the Lexus RC F and BMW M4 are already stars of the Detroit show – months and months ahead of their arrival to buyers. The Lexus RC F in production form this week in Detroit ups the ante quite a bit. So what’s missing?   Well, the Cadillac ATS Coupe – which is coming tomorrow – has room under than hood for some huge power, as well as a rear-drive platform that is already very performance-focused.   What else? The Infiniti Q60 IPL is absolutely worth considering when in the $40,000-plus …

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RM Auctions Paris 2014 - 1953 Gordini 24S GIF1

HD Video – 1953 Gordini 24S Blasts Around Its Favorite Tracks Before RM Auctions Paris Sale

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 This car defies logic. On one hand, it looks adorable and cute. So narrow and low, with the blue bodywork peeled back around the exhaust manifold and the straight-cut pipes. Watch the below… The Gordini starts to howl at about the half-way mark of this video preview. Kudos to its bold driver, who is not shy with the loud pedal. Firing up the 24S takes a prod onto an organ-stop switch – included as the fuel cutoff for racing. This very car won the Tour de France (a car race at the time…) and also traded paint with Porsche and …

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2014 VW Beetle Turbo, TDI and Cabrio – Buyers Guide and Photo Galleries

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It’s VW Saturday here at CarRevsDaily! After sharing my first car stories in the previous VW ads article, I’m almost back on board with the 2014 Beetle. Three engines are available, and a fourth with the tuned power of the 2014 GSR. 2014 Beetle Coupe – Exteriors 2014 Beetle Coupe – Fender Edition 2014 Beetle Cabrio – Exteriors 2014 Beetle Cabrio – Interiors

Caterham Coming to America! 620R to be sold by Superformance (Without An Engine

Caterham Coming to America! 620R to be sold by Superformance (Without An Engine…)

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Caterham just announced a U.S. distribution deal for its track-only car line via Irvine-based Superformance. Superformance is best known for its amazing Le Mans GT40 re-creations and other exotic sports cars, so the Caterham deal seems like a good fit to add some lightweight track racers to its customer brochures. The sales of rolling Seven 480 and 620R models will not include an engine, but Superformance retailers or their teams are likely to complete most assemblies for customers after the car is sold and titled. How great would a small-block Chevy V8 be in this tiny machine!  A Shelby Cobra …

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©McLarenAutomotive www

Voracious 12C Spider Demand Propels McLaren to Add 5 New Dealerships

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Updates for the 2014 McLaren 12C Spider include a wider variety of Special Ops customization choices, a new Android operating system for infotainment, and dealerships a bit closer to home. McLaren is hot on the heels of Ferrari in the battle to monetize their racing pedigree with high-dollar sports car purchases. This track battle is much less about lap times – and more about huge cash flow. McLaren recently announced the addition of five more official retailers, taking the total to 20 dealers across Canada and the U.S. by mid 2014. This is still much less than Ferrari’s 49 total …

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Financial Windfall? Dow 16,000 Car Shopping? Porsche 911 Carrera C4S

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What a year! As the world turns, 2013 has been a doozy on almost all counts. In any other market, bonuses doled out in early January would be modest at best. Typical golden handcuffs of some kind… like future equity, etc. But not this year. Not with a stock market more bullish than — cue the announcer voice-over and drumroll — Your Very Own, ChicagoBULLS! So in this year, hopefully your numbers are moving in the right direction. 2014 is set to be a major global comeback period, with big bets already placed. Who are we betting in? The last …

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Buyers Guide to Audi RS5 Cabriolet for 2014 12

Buyers Guide: 2014 Audi RS5 Cabrio Sets Phasers to SUN!

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Joining the R8 and the new RS7, the RS5 Cabriolet brings enough horsepower and visual aggression to break glass with just one stare. The metallic honeycomb grille is gigantic and looks capable of deflecting a whole family of birds at its 174 mph top speed. The atmospheric V-8 produces 450 horsepower via an optional sports exhaust and Black Optics package hiding the twin coffee-can oval exhaust outlets under the diffuser panel.These cans are so large that they define the lower rear graphic of the RS5, and look really incredible with the sharp bumper corners up top. Dark wheels bring standard …

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Buyers Guide to Audi RS5 Cabriolet for 2014 12

Buyers Guide: 2014 Audi RS5 Cabrio Sets Phasers to SUN!

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Joining the R8 and the new RS7, the RS5 Cabriolet brings enough horsepower and visual aggression to break glass with just one stare. The metallic honeycomb grille is gigantic and looks capable of deflecting a whole family of birds at its 174 mph top speed. The atmospheric V-8 produces 450 horsepower via an optional sports exhaust and Black Optics package hiding the twin coffee-can oval exhaust outlets under the diffuser panel.These cans are so large that they define the lower rear graphic of the RS5, and look really incredible with the sharp bumper corners up top. Dark wheels bring standard …

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The FIAT brand partners with Condé Nast for the limited-edition Fiat 500c GQ Edition

Best of Awards – Most Playful Sport Compact – Fiat 500C Abarth

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Hey, can you pop that top off? Ahh, being yelled at in Italiano. Is there anything sexier? Charming and sexy, a fast-talker who never breaks eye contact. If that seductress with the Abarth Scorpion tattoo does not prove it conclusively: this car is a little slice of Italy. Sweet and nice, but ready to give some kiss bites. And like most hot Italian romances, all this might happen in public! Whatever happens, the Abarth 500C is always packing a body by Speedo, and ready for a dip to cool off. Oops, you forgot your bathing suit? That’s okay.   2014 …

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Best of 2013 Awards – Tail-Out, Balls-Out Supercar – $70,000 Lotus Exige S

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What a pivot for Lotus Cars in 2013. While still reeling from ownership changes and a variety of management re-alignments, Lotus Cars shines its green and gold flags through any fog. This is a racing company at its core, and the Exige S arrives to American buyers with all the power, prestige and class of true exotic cars. While sharing a vaguely familiar silhouette with the Elise and previous-gen Exige, the looks are very modern and fresh up close. All the race-ready Exige S styling elements really work together with its ultra-low, ultra-wide footprint.     Where the previous Exige …

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CarRevsDaily - 2014 Bentley Continental GTC V8 and V8 S 11

2014 Bentley GTC V8 S – The Best-Handling, Best-Looking Flying B?

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Bentley is currently enduring a bit of ‘blowback’ response from auto critics regarding its new styling direction. The new Bentley look is growing on me, however. Even the new Conti GT models look wider than the gulf between rich and poor between those huge tail-lamps, while the Flying Spur looks simply gigantic.   Sales are still excellent across the board, but the Conti GT is not quite the ‘coolest car on Wall Street’ that it once was. Comprehensive updates now offer the coupe and cabrio in four trims: V8, V8 S, W12, and GT Speed. Shock of shocks, when preparing …

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RM Acutions 64 Hemi Charger Mont2011

Concept Flashback: 1964 Dodge Hemi Charger – Speedster Prototype

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Can you guess who hates Camaro and Mustang news? Dodge. This one-off concept’s HEMI engine gurgles and rocks the car as it revs with indignity at the 2.3-liter turbo four heading to the 2015 Mustang. No cubes = no pubes, the Hemi Charger growls to itself. Packing a 7.0-liter V8 engine with a quoted 600 horsepower, the Hemi Charger concept is part Batmobile part race-car and part street fantasy The proportions of this machine are hilariously retro. Clearly converted from a much longer sedan platform, the back deck of the Hemi Charger is a few feet longer than even the …

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CarRevsDaily - Supercar Showcase - Hennessey VENOM GT 18

Best of 2013 Awards: 265MPH Hennessey Venom GT is Reigning Supercar King

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If there is one Yankee hypercar that can really run with the bulls from Europe, it is the Hennessey Venom GT. WHat the Texas-based crew from Hennssey has proven since 2010 is nothing short of remarkable. In fact, this is the ultimate American exotic. The real thing. Refined and fine-tuned over the last seven years, the Venom GT is nothing short of: The Fastest Car in the World. Forget the NARDO for ultimate Vmax runs in the next generation of hypercars. Too bumpy. (Porsche may be working on this issue, but a resurfacing project visible from space should give advance …

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CarRevsDaily 2010 Caparo T1 Showcase 13

What Happened to Caparo? Brilliant T1 Seemingly Doomed from the Start

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You remember Caparo. Their breakout T1 model from 2008 was huge news for any car lover. It takes the track-attack ethos of similar English charms like the Lotus 2-Eleven, Ariel Atom and others, then fast-forwards the technology by 100 years. While the legendary 1950s-designed Lotus Seven continues forward with even more new Caterham models for 2014, it seems that the actual future of these race cars is in a rut. A deep rut, followed by a speedbump in the road. Too low to pass over it, the Caparo T1 now appears to be stuck. Here is a mini timeline of …

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CarRevsDaily Supercars 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish 30

Supercar Showcase: 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Centenary Edition

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The new Aston Martin Vanquish is looking mighty tempting these days. Fresh styling outside, fresh tech inside, and sprint performance finally worthy of its pricing. That pace is 4.1-seconds to 60mph, officially, in case you were wondering. This low-rev quickness is a huge improvement versus the previous drag times for the DBS thanks to a host of changes to the V12 engine to liberate more ferocity. The new paddle shifters for the automatic add versatility, letting drivers instantly blip down a gear or three or max exhaust bellow. The new styling is actually quite memorable and distinctive, particularly in one …

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HD Video: 918 Spyder in Hot Track Session + Latest Yellow Photos

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  Headlight Detail 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder – Interior 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder – Engine Compartment Record Run – Official Video HD Video: 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder High Speed on Track 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder – Technical Data Drive Combined system Maximum system power over 887 hp at 8500 rpm Maximum system torque of 944 lb.-ft. (utilizing 7th gear) Maximum system torque over 590 lb.-ft. from 800 rpm to 5,000 rpm Combustion engine V8 high-revving engine with a displacement of 4.6 L Maximum power output of 608 hp at 8700 rpm Maximum torque over 398 lb.-ft. at 6500 rpm Maximum …

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2014 BMW 428i and 435i Make Beautiful, Practical Convertibles

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BMW’s long, low and wide new 4-series is hitting its stride. Of course, the 4 drop-top replaces the previous 3-series convertible line as BMW links its sportiest models with even number badges. Overall convertible sales have fallen off a cliff in the American market in the last few years. Even so, it is not immediately clear if this is a structural change in buyer preferences, a short-term economic side-effect, or if there simply were not the same volume of cheap and dreadful Chrysler Sebrings to prop up the sales numbers. Even “the hot girls” like Jillayne from my high school …

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2015 Audi A3 Cabrio vs 1997 Toyota Paseo 9999

2015 Audi A3 Cabrio Seeks Cheer Team Leaders (Video and All Interior/Exterior Photos)

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My bad jokes aside, the A3 Cabrio will be very popular with all types of sun-seekers. The cute A3 Cabrio joins the U.S.-bound 2015 A3 line-up that also includes an all-new compact sports sedan and plug-in hybrid Sportback body styles. The little A3 Cabriolet has been quite a hit in Europe in its current generation, where it brings (some of) the classy and expensive-looking style of its larger A5 and S5 Cabrio siblings. While the display model wears the full S-line body kit, far more humble A3 Cabrio’s should start with pricing in the low $30,000 range when arriving stateside …

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Iconic Classic: 1938 Dubonnet Hispano-Suiza H6C Xenia

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Iconic Classic: 1938 Dubonnet Hispano-Suiza H6C Xenia If it seems like we have an unhealthy fascination for the Mullin Automotive Museum, you might be right. The cars inside this collection just… write their own stories. I have a dozen more that I would like to feature, but we must start at the true nexus – or “Xenia” perhaps – of the art of French coach-building by Jacques Saoutchik and his contemporaries. How all these cars got to sunny California is no accident. In many cases – the cars in the collection were painstakingly built – sometimes from only drawings – …

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