If you’re an avid car enthusiast, the brand BRM might ring a bell to you. The French timekeeper, known for its deep-rooted history in the world of motorsport, has released a special edition version of its titanium-cased V12-T-44 chronograph that features car manufacturer Abarth. The limited edition watch comes with Abarth-inspired elements including the brand’s logo on the watch face to the Nomex strap that has red stitching on it. Each watch is individually numbered – there are only 49 pieces made – making it a sought-after collector’s piece. If you happen to fancy one, the price tag for each watch goes for an astronomical $7,300, and can be purchased through the BRM website.
We’ve always been believers of practicality over lavishness but we have to admit it, this is one of those times where if you’re going to splurge on one item, buying the BRM Abarth V12-T-44 for $7,300 is as good an investment as you’re going to make.
We haven’t reported anything lately on the Saab-Koenigsegg merger, thinking that the deal would be made sooner or later. But now, reports have been pouring that Koenigsegg has done a complete about-face and has decided that it would not be purchasing Saab anymore.
In a statement it made moments after announcing its decision to drop talks with GM (Saab’s parent company), Christian von Koenigsegg said, "We regret that after six months of intense and goal-oriented work we have come to the painful and difficult conclusion that we are not going to be able to carry out the acquisition of Saab Automobile”.
As you can expect, GM took the news rather hardly with a great deal of disappointed. While no tears were shed, GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson didn’t exactly mince his words in explaining the failed Saab transaction. “We’re obviously very disappointed with the decision to pull out of the Saab purchase,” he said. "Given the sudden change in direction, we will take the next several days to assess the situation and will advise on the next steps next week."
Among all of the states in the US, California holds the distinction of having the most exotics and supercars roaming around the streets. After all, the glitz and glamour that comes with being in California affords most people the moolah to get their hands on one.
So it comes with a tinge of irony that three of the biggest exotic makers – Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bentley – have all decided to skip the LA Auto Show
The news that three of the most prestigious manufacturers have decided to pass on LA when a spokesperson for the event told the Detroit Bureau that the decisions by Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini to skip LA hinged on the fact that they’ve decided to ‘put their resources to better use’.
Translation: “We don’t want to incur any unnecessary expenditures, like showing up for an event like the LA Auto Show.
In an effort to douse the growing fear that the Lexus LF-A’s price tag would be too much to spare, Lexus has decided that they will lease the cars to prospective owners and not sell them outright. According to Automotive News, Lexus will be offering two year leases of the LFA to interested parties at a fixed price and, after the two-year period expires, will give these people the chance to buy the car outright.
This development should come as a welcome relief to those interested in getting one of the 500 LF-As Lexus is set to build. This allows people the opportunity to go home with one of the most sought-after supercars in the world without having to pay the full price tag for the privilege. In the event that they’d want to let go of it after two years, they won’t have to pay for the outstanding balance of the car. But if they want to keep the LF-A in their garage, they would only need to pay the remaining balance.
Ever since the car was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, the buzz surrounding the car has grown exponentially with more and more people salivating at the thought of owning a limited edition model. But while the price tag has yet to be released, people are still expecting the LF-A to come with a six-digit price tag, which, given the signs of the times, might be too much for their wallets to bear.
Lexus’ decision to lease the LFAs instead of selling them outright allows people to enjoy the car’s glorious 552 horsepower without having to sell all their appendages in the black market.
Sure, it wasn’t necessarily a cure for cancer but judging from the elaborate celebration Kia hosted after rolling out production car no.1 in the US, it sure looked like one.
The 2011 Kia Sorento made history of sorts in the US after it became the first ever vehicle to be rolled out of the Kia Motors Manufacturing plant in Georgia. The occasion marks a milestone achievement for Kia as the Sorento likewise became the first-ever Kia vehicle to be built in America.
Kia’s vision to become a major player in the US took a huge step forward after the Korean automaker officially opened the 2,200 acre facility in Georgia. As it stands, the plant has over 2,500 employees and, more importantly, has the potential to produce 300,000 cars per year.
According to B.M. Ahn, president and CEO of Kia Motors America and KMMG, “The start of production at our first manufacturing facility in the United States further demonstrates our commitment to growth in North America and we are proud to be adding 2,500 jobs to the local economy.”
With the opening of the KMMG, Kia has spiked its global production capacity to over 2.56 million units year after the Georgia plant joins other production plants located in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Relatively speaking, this occasion is monumental given the circumstances surrounding the auto industry over the past couple of months. Opening a state-of-the-art facility amidst strenuous times shows that Kia is moving on to become one of the major players in the industry now and in the future.
Pontiac will shut down as soon as the calendar turns to 2010 so if you’re the sentimental type and would hate to see Pontiac ride off into the sunset, now’s the time to buy your own Pontiac before stocks run out.
According to Pontiac’s Twitter page, the car brand has a little over 3,600 units left in the US with the Pontiac G8 GXP having the most limited of supplies with only 16 remaining. Stocks of the Pontiac Solstice are also running low with only 139 of the base model still remaining and 160 of the higher-end Solstice GXP coupes available.
We normally wouldn’t advise anyone to purchase a car, but if you’re a Pontiac fan, now’s your last chance to buy your favorite car before, well, supplies go kapoot.
In piecing together a reality TV show, producers have to find a way to attract the TV audience’s attention without turning them off immediately. One tried-and-tested method is to feature people whose backgrounds are completely detached from what they do for a living.
Now that we think about it, that’s exactly what TLC is doing with their new reality show “Family Armor”. In so many words, the show is about two Mormon brothers-in-law whose jobs involve making bulletproof cars. That’s right: Mormons making bulletproof cars, everybody!
If that isn’t enough to capture your imagination, consider the fact that these two guys are just about as ordinary as any two Americans can be, devoting most of their time on their families, their jobs, and their...religion.
So when they’re not at home being the ‘greatest dads in the world’, Trent and Jason – the names of the shows protagonists – are at their factory cocking their shotguns and thinking of new and ingenious ways of blowing up cars just to test how tough their bullet-proof creations are.
You can’t tell us that you’re not at the very least slightly curious now, because quite frankly, the whole plot of the show - "Cars, guns, and God" - is too crazy to be true, which, if you think about it, is precisely why we have reality-TV in the first place.
Now, it seems that a BMW-Rolls partnership is something that we wouldn’t have thought of, but these guys have proven time and again that nothing is impossible for them.
According to Autocar, the ‘Rolls Mini’ is likely to come with added features unique to itself, including the commission of genuine coachbuilt features such as new interior fittings.
Details behind the partnership have yet to be released but sources have said the program will be announced sometime in the next year. If we can use history as a precedent, we can go back to the 60’s when bespoke coachbuilt MINIs became such a hot item, a number of celebrities like Peter Sellers and the Beatles commissioned tuners to make them luxury MINIs that had high-spec wood and leather-trimmed interior.
John Surtees holds the distinction for being the only man in history to become world champion in two-wheel and four-wheel racing competitions by achieving this feat with a Grand Prix motorcycle road race championship and a Formula One championship.
And now, decades after his racing career ended, Surtees has achieved another distinction to add to an already impressive resume: becoming the first man to drive an electric sports car through the Channel Tunnel.
Surtees’ feat occurred as part of the 37th annual Beaujolais Burlington Run, which coincides with the 15th anniversary of the opening of the tunnel that connects the United Kingdom with France and the rest of the European continent.
Surees’ car-of-choice was a Ginetta G50 EV electric sports car and he began his 31-mile run at the Folkestone terminal in the UK all the way to Calais terminal in France. Surees’ momentous achievement also marks the first time a production sports car – electric or not – has been given the opportunity to drive through the Channel’s service tunnel.
For anybody to accomplish that feat is remarkable enough, but for a 75-year old man - never mind that he’s a former F1 champ - to do it without even breaking a sweat is simply awe-inspiring.
BMW has secured the rights to become the exclusive automotive sponsor of the 2012 London Olympic Games. As part of the partnership, BMW will be tasked to provide over 4,000 low-carbon vehicles to be used during the Olympic Games to transport, athletes, officials, media members, operations staff, Olympic committee members, the ISF, the IOC, and all of its other marketing partners.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games’ (LOCOG) choice of BMW as the official automotive partner for London 2012 came down to BMW’s capability to provide vehicles with low-carbon emissions, which coincides with the Games’ central theme of ‘healthy living’.
LOCOG Chairman Sebastian Coe stressed the importancfe of securing an automotive sponsor this early so that they could put forth a shared vision of staging a green and eco-friendly Olympics. “Operationally, an automotive deal is vital for any organising committee and so I’m thrilled BMW is on board,” Coe said. “They share our vision to stage a sustainable ‘Games’ in 2012 and will be a valued partner. We welcome BMW on board and look forward to working with them over the next three years.”
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