Chassis Topic Hub

5.0s, 380HP 2017 Jaguar XF-S V6 – USA Media Drive Gallery + Visualizer

Check out this stunning new design via 100 media drive photos from Sedona, Arizona. The best part of the new design? Bringing the XF-R’s visual heat to all four engines in the US lineup. Yep: two V6 tunes and even a brand-new turbodiesel for 2017. The 2.0-liter turbo four is expected back in the USA offering for 2017, sliding a few grand cheaper than the $52k base of the new 2016 XF V6s. Both the XF 35t with 330HP and the XF-S with 380 are available with rear or AWD. All scream to 60-mph in 5.2-seconds or quicker, too. Mighty impressive. The …

Jan 12, 2016 Read more

Concept Flashback – 2001 RINSPEED Rone – Single-Seater Debuted Dynamic Cockpit Control

This is a pretty cool one from the RINSPEED back catalog: the Rone, or R-one. Racing One is the name, and also the ethos of the single-seater with origins in the Audi TT. Ultra-low and lean is the name of the game for this sporty vision: the Rone is is just 38-inches off the ground at its highest point. This is a cool 15-inches below the roof of the Audi TT — and it gets even better. The single-seat layout in the center of the Rone is part of a very innovative Dynamic Cockpit Control Concept — a flying center …

Dec 19, 2015 Read more

1955/56 Mercedes-Benz 300SC and 300S Roadster Set To Stun RM NYC 2015

The RM Sotheby’s auction this week is actually a pretty select group. The total list of items is barely 100 pieces, with actual cars about a third of that! But what a group of cars. Some trading carports locally, and some coming and going from abroad. This duo is most likely to head home to Germany. An exceptional 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SC Coupe, plus its roadster sister from 1956. The pre-sale estimates for these two could not be further apart. Care to guess which will earn double? $1.2M vs $600K? It is the roadster. De facto classic car auction rules definitely …

Dec 06, 2015 Read more

The Evolution of BMW xDrive – 325iX to 2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e – PHEV M Sport from $70k

THe BMW eDrive X5 is officially in the USA! This huge advance in AWD tech for BMW is being celebrating with a look back at the first 30 years of BMW four-paw models. We still remember the special body-color aero kit and special wheels from the US-market 325iX. Was just a tiny bit cooler than even the very-chic 325i sedan and coupe of the era. The honor that original look, we spec’ed out a 2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e in M Sport guise. The truck looks very, very nice on its available 20-inch alloys. Particularly so with the $1,100 adaptive LED …

Dec 02, 2015 Read more

2015 BMW M4 by VOS-CARS.de Adds 120HP, Clubsport KW Chassis and Akrapovic Exhaust

Another stunner from the German custom car scene! 2015 BMW M4 by VOS-CARS.de BMW-M4-PROJECT by VOS The word might have spread that the term standard is missing from the vocabulary of VOS company seated in Neckarwestheim. Even for assumingly perfect vehicles of euphonic names the Baden-Württembergers and their head Michael KELLER do have improvements at hand, may it be regarding the casing or the engine. Perfection is always priority in Neckarwestheim without restricting road capability in any way. This time the VOS-team picked a BMW M4 to let it shine with all its qualities with their VOS-Performance. First there is …

Sep 09, 2015 Read more

2016 Jaguar XF R-Sport and 380HP XF-S: Prices, Options, Colors and Wheels

The 2016 range will be Jaguar USA’s freshest ever! The all-new XE, fresh XF and tweaked XJ will finally align nicely against BMW. The XE is certainly an exciting contender, and XJ LED updates more than welcome. Atop all that slinky style and hotness? The 2017 F-PACE crossover that should arrive mid-year for autumn 2016! The real volume player, we predict, will continue to be the XF. And this vehicle is massively new for 2016. There’s barely a part carried over, despite the familiar look. Headlining the changes is a partial swap to aluminum for key underbody sections, with a …

Aug 17, 2015 Read more

2016 Chevrolet Colorado Adds DuraMax Diesel Option + Trail Boss and Midnight Packages

Go Chevy! Usually, the larger a company is, the less nimble they are to market wants. Subtle trends like gloss black details and chrome delete started in the aftermarket, went to supercars, and are now going mainstream. The look of the new blacked-out Colorado Midnight and the seriously cool Trail Boss offroaders are absolutely perfect to snag style shoppers. Yes, you could do most of these upgrades post-sale as a DIY, but it’s much simpler to have a factory upgrade available. This ensures your DIY skills won’t come back to bite you in the ass a year later if things …

Aug 05, 2015 Read more

RM Monterey 2015 – 1960 Chevrolet CERV I – Zora’s F1 Dream Prototype

If there were two words more taboo than ‘racing’ at General Motors in the 1950s, they would be: open-wheeled and mid-engine. Despite all evidence to the contrary, the world’s largest automaker was a big prude when it came to racecars and production exotics. Safety pressure from DC was woven into the product planning and board rooms with an iron lock. But the late 1950s opened many doors. A total ban on racing sponsorship or factory participation was fading fast. Moral leaders and crazy think-tanks of the day were losing their grip on culture thanks to mass media and tectonic advancements …

Jul 23, 2015 Read more

RM Monterey 2015 – 1938 Adler Trumpf RennLimousine – LM ‘Racing Sedan’ with Airship Aero

The fantastic convergence of aerospace and supercars has a glorious history! This Adler Trumpf Rennlimo from 1938 represented a fascinating view of automotive aerodynamics in a time before effective wind tunnels or computer simulations. The learnings and design principles of aerodynamics were far more theoretical in the pre-jet age. Yet Adler designers brought great insights from airship and Zeppelin design into the car world to great results. This ‘racing sedan,’ as the Rennlimo translates, was the first closed-cockpit racer to take on LeMans. Just six were produced for sale, all with unique spindle and wing tweaks to the bodywork. The …

Jul 20, 2015 Read more

RM London 2015 Preview – 1950 Aston Martin DB2 Vantage

What to say about this extra-special DB2 Vantage — with its stunning primer whitewash and flat black spokes screaming 2015 loud and clear! 1950 Aston Martin DB2 Vantage RM Sotheby’s London 7 September 2015 1950 Aston Martin DB2 Vantage Chassis no. LML/50/19 Engine no. LB6V/50/240 Photo Credit: Tim Scott ©2015 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s 125 bhp, 2,580 cc DOHC inline six-cylinder engine, twin SU HV6 carburettors, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with trailing link, coil springs and Armstrong lever dampers, live Salisbury rear axle with coil springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 2,515 mm. The very first Aston …

Jun 08, 2015 Read more

Racing Icons Series – 1970 Alfa Romeo TT3 Spider Was Lightweight Short-Tail Special

Part Three of Six – Alfa Romeo Racing Icons Series 1970 saw the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 Spider evolve into a much shorter and much more brutal track attacker. Switchable noses include the lamp-free style shown here. A fairly brutal and chopped style appears at the front and rear of this Alfa racecar, with less of the glamourous design of the Sports Racer 33 that came before it. The changes worked on the racing circuit – with this Spider earning numerous race wins and ranking between Porsche and Ferrari in the top three points for the Le Mans season. …

May 11, 2015 Read more

1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SLS Racing + Exclusive SLS-R Speedster Renderings

This is a cool one. As you may know, Mercedes had a spotty record of hanging on to rare classics among the hundreds of models the company has produced. This applies double for the racecars – which are often either lost to track damage or to privateer teams. Either way, gone from the safety of the MB Museum. Such was the case for a pair of American-commissioned racing overhauls to a pair of 1957 300 SL’s. While Mercedes retired from racing for 1956-forward, the SL was still a plum basis for a race-winning track car. A priciple named Jim O’Shea …

May 03, 2015 Read more

RM Monterey 2015 – 1969 Lamborghini 400GT Islero S by Marazzi

If there is one car that truly defies what we call the “Lambo GT curse,” it would be this stunning 400GT Islero S. Somehow escaping the frumpy style decisions of the earlier 350GT and too-large 1970s GT cars, the 400GT is a fantastic coupe style statement with V12 power up front and a leather-wrapped 2+2 cabin with real trunk out back. You can tell that the 400GT Islero S is a real timeless classic because its style almost directly previews the designs of 1980s sports coupes from around the world. The Ferrari 400i and 412i from the early 1980s would …

Apr 11, 2015 Read more

All-New 2016 Scion iA Poised to be Best Subcompact 4-Door With Sporty Chassis and Upscale Cabin

Scion’s littlest car in history is also set to be one of its most chuckable and sporty handlers! This new four-door compact sedan will be priced around $16,000 with just one well-speced trim level and choice between six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. The 106-horsepower four-cylinder sedan is closely related to the new 2016 Mazda2, but offers a sedan bodystyle not available on the Mazda. The style is quite fresh from nose and profile angles, with shapely creases and an overall lean and sporty look. The roof is fairly low, which is refreshing versus the too-tall Ford Fiesta and Chevy Spark. …

Mar 31, 2015 Read more

Gooding Amelia 2015 – 1951 Lotus Mk IIIB Was First-Ever Customer Lotus

The first car Lotus ever sold, and the first car to wear the revered yellow crest of the brand?! Yessir! Colin Chapman’s stylized initials formed the basis of the emblem, but it was the most designed piece of the machine. The rest of the car is ruthlessly functional — with giant bulges in the hood exploding from the metal like some giant hematomas. Along with the twin lamps forming nostrils at the tip of the narrow hood, the ONK license plate is more than a little tongue-in-cheeck. Oink, oink… like a pig…. But this car sung at auction. The sale …

Mar 30, 2015 Read more

1956 Maserati 200SI by Fantuzzi – Longnose Factory Race Team Prototype

The first-ever Maserati 200 SI made, a works development prototype and raced by a dozen of the biggest names in 1950s racing? Yes, yes and yes! This 200 ‘Sport Internazionale’ is one of the most special cars ever to wear the Maserati trident. The one-of-a-kind works racer is most distinctive due to its unpainted exterior. The aluminum and alloy panelwork is on proud display, along with racing history from every angle. Chassis #2401 did not meet its (unknown) reserve price in the 2015 Gooding & Co. Amelia Island auction. Rumored to bring more than $5-million, it looks like the bidding …

Mar 17, 2015 Read more

Renault ALPINE Vision Gran Turismo Racer on Video and 70 Photos!

Welcome to the future of racing, courtesy of the racing boffins at Renault ALPINE and Gran Turismo! Sony’s PlayStation GT6 just got a bit more exciting today, with a mid-mounted, 4.5-liter V8 pushing this new prototype to a Vmax of 199-mph. We have two versions of the Alpine Vision GT here, one with the dual boattail venturi tail and one with a LeMans-style rear wing. On both, there is a cool active aero air-brake functionality in the sides of the rear end. These square-shaped flaps snap open to keep the rear end planted under braking, and slow the vehicle by …

Jan 28, 2015 Read more

Lotus Motorcycles C-01 Aiming for Late 2015 Production Start

Lotus Motorcycles C-01 Lotus Motorcycle C-01 Road Ready Following two years of careful planning and intense development, Kodewa is delighted to announce that the prototype of the world’s first motorcycle to bear the legendary Lotus marque is now road registered and ready for action. Kodewa has been granted a license to produce the motorcycle by Group Lotus plc, the world renowned sportscar manufacturer and engineering consultancy. The C-01 combines ample power via a V-twin engine with a distinctive body designed by Daniel Simon integrating carbon fibre, titanium and aerospace quality steel. The C-01 motorcycle is not designed, …

Jan 11, 2015 Read more

RM Paris 2015 Preview – 1982 Lancia 037 Stradale Directly Influenced F40, 959 and GT-R

The Lancia 037 is a legend to the core. The rally version and its AWD traction were a benchmark for Audi, Ferrari and Porsche when those firms were designing cars as legendary as the Sport Quattro, F40 and 959. No small praise! The “zero-three-seven” innovated up and down its chassis – with the tech specs below reading like a hypercar must-have list for the 1990s, far after this car was retired from sale for road use. Gas shocks, supercharged four-cylinder engine, ZF box slung out behind the mid-mounted powerplant, dry-sump-lubrication, kevlar-reinforced fiberglass panels, dual fuel tanks, magnesium and titanium components, …

Dec 04, 2014 Read more

2016 Acura ILX Adds Power, Excellent 8-Speed Twin-Clutch Automatic and Classy LED Headlamps

After a quick spin in the new TLX 2.4-liter with Acura’s outstanding new eight-speed twin-clutch automatic, we fell hard and fast for the often-chastised Honda luxury brand. The TLX is a revolution in funtionality, style and performance dynamics — and hopes to shine some of its new skills on the ILX sedan forming the entry to the Acura range. For 2016, we have a finessed ILX lineup that no longer includes a hybrid but does bring a standard jump of 50 horsepower and 40 pound-feet of torqye versus the previous cars. The 201-horsepower total might not win many headlines …

Nov 20, 2014 Read more

Citroen C1 Urban Ride Concept Adds Crossover Height and Style Atop Supermini Chassis

Crossover mania is sweeping France and the wider world this year! Citroen is joining the fun with a butched-up suupermini concept called the C1 Urban Ride concept. With a taller ride height and chunky bumpers and sills, it promises to be tougher than a standard C1 for light off-roading. It will also be unstoppable across any parking lot of pot-holes — with the extra ride height making speedbumps a non-event! The fabric roof rolls back to give those in back an al-fresco safari experience; all the better for going wild down the main streets of Paris! Citroen C1 Urban Ride …

Sep 23, 2014 Read more

AMG GT Starring in New PS4 Racing Game DRIVECLUB from October 8th

The relationship between PlayStation and Mercedes-Benz has been very strong since the AMG SLS was the cover car for GranTurismo 5. That relationship is a three-way affair: among AMG, Polyphony Digital as the GT game developers, and Sony itself in extending the reach of PS4. The new DRIVECLUB game seeks to be a new type of social racing experience — where friends battle one another for track glory both in real-time and as part of championship leagues. Sony hopes to leverage the PS4’s social features in ways that many GT6 drivers do not prioritize. So the AMG GT being …

Sep 19, 2014 Read more

3.7s 2016 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT S Brings 503HP, Alloy Chassis Arriving to USA in Spring 2015

Huge news today from AMG! The eagerly-anticipated AMG GT supercar has arrived in full: 100-plus photos and full launch details below. Two trims will come on the AMG GT: the standard with 463-horsepower and a 3.9-second sprint to 60-mph, or the top-line AMG GT S — which is packing the headline 3.7-seconds from its 503-horsepower slugger. The twin-turbocharged V8 lives in an alloy chassis with a very clever diff setup in back. The transaxle layout mounts the seven-speed auto on the back axle — but does not include 4Matic AWD at this time. Style-wise, the AMG GT is a huge …

Sep 09, 2014 Read more