Ruf Porsche 911 Roadster

 

The Porsche 911 is one of those iconic cars that seems to just get better and better with time. In 1967,

Porsche launched its first Targa variant of the 911. This incredible and oh-so-stylish vehicle had a removable fabric roof panel above the front seats and a convertible-like folding rear window. In a matter of seconds it could be transformed from a pseudo-hardtop into a convertible with built-in rollbar.

RUF Automobile, a well-known Germany company that focuses on the Porsche 911, has just released their newest creation, a 911 Porsche Roadster. Called the Ruf Roadster, it features two removable roof panels made of carbon fibre and a folding rear window. It even has the stainless steel-effect rollbar of the original Targa.

The Ruf Roadster will be available with either a non-turbo 400 h) or a turbo 450 hp six-cylinder boxer engine and a six speed manual gearbox. A dual clutch ‘box and four-wheel drive are also available as an option, Ruf is also planning a limited run of eRuf Roadsters, which will be electric powered.

Bentley GT Supersports

Anderson Germany is introducing a modification kit for the  Bentley Continental Supersports (we’ll remind you that Bentley has unveiled the 2011 Con
tinental GT at the Paris Auto Show). The tuning package brings engine, exterior and interior tweaks.

Thanks to a ECU remap, the valve controlled sports exhaust system (lowering the weight by 38lb) with racing cats and sports air filter an improvement of the serial power from 630hp up to 695hp is achieved. Bentley GT Supersports is dressed in a special body kit that includes a new front bumper, fresh side skirts with air intakes, a modified rear bumper and a rear spoiler.

Bentley GT Supersports has also received a set of 22 inch black alloys wrapped in high performance tires, while carbon interior packet consists of garnish mouldings, center consoles in front and rear and carbon fiber made interior light bordings. All this is topped by an Alcantara equipment in combination with black leather and piping in car color.

Audi e-tron Spyder

Audi keeps on growing its e-tron family. The automaker pulled a fast one by unveiling yet another electrified monster at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, only this time, the low-slung hybrid came sans-top. The concept is powered by two electric motors and a 300-horsepower twin-turbo TDI V6 that comes to the fight with 479 pound-feet of torque. Audi says that despite the hefty 9.1 kilowatt-hour battery mounted up front, it managed to keep the weight low and distribute the pounds evenly across the chassis. As a result, this e-tron should be plenty flingable if it ever makes it off of the stage and onto a public road.

 Audi says the e-tron Spyder hits the scales at 3,196 pounds and that the drivetrain can be driver-controlled to operate on electric power only at speeds up to 37 mph for a total of 31 miles. The manufacturer says that in city driving, the capability is more than enough to hang with traffic. If not, there's always that juicy diesel V6 to play with.

Ferrari California with HELE System

 

One theme we have seen so far at this years Paris Motor Show, is automakers showing off vehicles whichdon't seem to flow with past company history. Ferrari just added a vehicle to the growing list. Have a look at the Ferrari Calfornia fitted with the HELE System. HELE stands for High Emotion Low Emissions and is a system designed to reduce C02 emissions without taking away from the joy of driving a Ferrari.

The HELE System works by utilizing a variety of technical measures including a start/stop function that can restart the car in 230 milliseconds, intelligent engine fan and fuel pump control, electronically controlled variable displacement air-conditioning technology and adaptive gear shifts. The result is a 23 percent reduction in C02 emissions.

 We joke about automakers moving away from their traditional vehicles, but it's these types of cars that allow them to continue to build the ones we love. There probably would be no Porsche GT2 RS without the Cayenne, for example. The Ferrari California fitted with the HELE System shows that the purveyor of the Prancing Horse understands the world is constantly changing – and Ferrari is doing its best to continue to build the cars it's known for while staying in tune with the current climate of the world.

First Factory-Built Fisker Karma

Staying true to its concept form, the factory-built Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid that hit the stage at the Paris Motor Show retains the concept's massive 22-inch wheels (Fisker says it'll be the first production car equipped with standard 22s), sensuous styling, 403-plus horsepower rating and the company's promise of achieving 100-plus miles per gallon in regular use. So, what's exactly different about the factory-built version? Well, the most notable exterior modification is the addition of a (blacked-out) B-pillar, which was apparently required to increase the vehicle's structural rigidity.

Aside from the added pillar, we can't really pick out any differences between the gorgeous concept that we laid eyes on a few years ago and this production-ready version that hit the stage in Paris. Fisker still lists a base price of $88,000 and anticipates that deliveries will begin early next year, or so it says. We hope to get up close and personal with the Karma at the upcoming LA Auto Show .

 

2011 Audi R8 GT

In terms of supercar hotness, the Audi R8 is indeed something special. And though we have our disagreements about Audi's R-Tronic manu-matic transmission, the R8 never ceases to impress us with its purely awesome style and dynamics.

 For this year's Paris Motor Show, Audi brought out its limited-production R8 GT. Held to only 333 units retailing for €193,000 (about $256,000 USD), the R8 GT features a more powerful version of the automaker's 5.2-liter V10. In addition to the boost in horsepower (560, up from 525), this hotter R8 uses carbon fiber in place of aluminum on some of the body panels. This, in addition to thinner windshield glass and polycarbonate rear windows, drops the R8 V10's weight by 220 pounds. Slim and slender, fast and furious.

 

2011 Mastretta MXT

Mexico may be known as a hub for automotive production in the Americas, but it isn't typically identified as a hotbed of design or engineering. The folks at Mastretta are out to change that with their new MXT sports car.

 Powered by a Ford-sourced 2.0-liter Duratec I4 engine mounted amidships and plumbed with a turbo for 250 horsepower and 257 pound-feet of torque, the MXT is a simple, lightweight proposition designed to resonate with the Colin Chapmans and Gordon Murrays of this world. 

 The overall shape of the car is perhaps derivative but quite appealing in person, with better-than-expected fit and finish for a small-volume prototype, though the interior still needs some modest refining (even for an elemental track day car). The aluminum semi-monocoque construction features a carbon fiber belly pan and a steel subframe, and suspension is via double wishbones front and rear. The body is comprised of fiberglass reinforced plastic, which should help with both ease of manufacturing and updating.

Thanks to Mexico's low labor costs, the folks at Mastretta (a company that cut its teeth building kit cars and commercial buses) are optimistic that they can sell the 2,050-pound MT for just $50,000-$60,000 for European audiences, with the goal of eventually bringing the car north to the States. That strikes us as an ambitious target for a car with over 1,800 unique pieces and a handful of major carbon fiber components, but with virtually no costly electronics to develop (there's no stability control, ABS, or what have you) and no airbags (at least in this prototype stage), it's possible that they could be on to something. 

Mastretta officials we spoke with are going for UK certification shortly in order to sell the MXT across Europe. Plans for any U.S. sales will require passing a more stringent homologation process, however, so the company will likely need to build sales momentum before it attempts to set a foot in the North American market. Volume targets are modest at present, with initial production plans calling for one car a week, ramping quickly to about 150 units per year, with a longer-term goal being 500 units.

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

Making the swap from a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 to a direct injection, twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 hasn't at all reduced the Mercedes CL63 AMG's brawny beauty. The standard version gets 544 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Opt for the AMG Performance Package and you boost that to 571 hp and 664 lb-ft. All that power doesn't come with a bigger fuel price, either: at 22 combined miles per gallon with the help of stop/start and the AMG Speedshift MCT seven-speed sport transmission, the new car posts a 25 percent increase in fuel economy over the 6.2-liter beast.



The AMG Performance Package that throws in all that extra gumption also comes with double-spoke wheels in titanium gray, extra carbon fiber trim under the hood and in the cabin, as well as a leather and Alcantara steering wheel. With it you get a 4.4-second 0-60 time, without you'll have to make do with 4.5 seconds.



Helping you keep things composed while on the move are crosswind stabilization added to the Active Body Control, Direct Steer and Torque Vectoring Braking, which brakes the inside wheel when necessary to maintain crispness when things go curvy. If you're looking for a bit of green, you'll find it in the regenerative braking. The rest better be in your wallet.

Jaguar C-X75 Concept

Built to celebrate the Jaguar's 75th anniversary, the C-X75 Concept looks forward to the future while honoring marque's heritage and design. It seems like the design team has collected DNA from Jaguar's long list of period supercars including the C-Type, D-Type and E-Type, as well more recent speedsters like the XJ220, and put it all together in the C-X75.

Boasting of an electric/gas turbine power source that generates 780 hp, this car is all set to redefine the future of supercars. A powerful machine, the C-X75 can reach speeds of 62 mph in 3.4 second. What is more, the batteries have enough charge to carry the C-X75 68 miles on electric power alone. The C-X75 can also refill its electric power with two micro gas turbines, paired midships, that generate 94 hp each, offering nearly 500 miles of additional range. The turbine can operate independently as well.

In the cabin, Jaguar has designed a series of new touchscreens, including one that can mimic the dash of a D-Type. The center dash also sports a Bremont-designed clock, and instead of speakers, the Bowers & Wilkins sound system uses transducers lining the doors and bulkhead in a honeycomb pattern, creating a system that can actively cancel some of the noise from the mini jet engines behind the passengers' spines.

If it can put some of the C-X75′s technological bounty into a real vehicle, Jaguar could craft a few more years as glorious as any from the previous 75.