Take a new VW Scirocco, build it to 627 horsepower, add VW’s 4Motion AWD drivetrain and go find a frozen lake. Bonus points if you use studded snow tires, but that really won’t matter since you’re still going to have a hard time getting all that horsepower translated into forward motion. There’s disturbingly little information available on the car (other than the 627 horsepower from a 2.0 liter, turbocharged inline four), but the driver is Tommy Kristoffersson. Kristoffersson began his career driving for Audi in Rallycross competition, but formed his own Touring Car team in 1998. He ran the Touring Car series from 1998 until 2009, finishing as high as 4th overall in 1998 and again in 2001. As amusing as the video is, it would have been even better if there was a “moose slalom” involved.

Source: Streetfire

Image: Alfa Romeo

Take a good look at the car in these renderings: it’s called the Alfa Romeo 4C, and it will see production. Better yet, it will be produced for global sales, which means it will makes it’s way to the United States, probably in 2013. Like all good Italian sports cars, the 4C will be mid-engine, rear drive; in the interest of fuel economy, power will come from a 1.75 liter, direct injection, turbocharged four cylinder engine good for “over” 200 horsepower and mated to a dual, dry clutch gearbox. If the horsepower seems less than noteworthy, consider this: thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber and aluminum, the car’s weight will be “less than” 1,870 pounds. That’s over 200 pounds lighter than a first generation Mazda Miata.

Image: Alfa Romeo

Let’s look at those specs another way. A 2011 Nissan 370Z puts out 332 horsepower and weighs 3,232 pounds; in other words, each horsepower has to move 9.73 pounds of car. In the case of the Alfa Romeo 4C, each horsepower has to move 9.35 pounds of car; if the Nissan can get from zero to sixty in just over five seconds, it’s a good bet that the 4C can as well. Granted, a whole lot of factors come into play (such as gearing and torque curve), but you get my point. If there’s a potential flaw with the 4C, it could be the price. Autoweek reports that the car will start at €45,000 in the EU, which translates to about $62,500 in the United States based on current exchange rates. Cars are typically more expensive in the EU, so it’s entirely likely that the 4C will sell for less when it does make it to this side of the pond. Let’s hope so, because I see it selling well at base-Corvette prices. Price it much higher than the Corvette Grand Sport’s $55,000 starting price, and I see it as a tough sale.

Source: Autoweek

Pagani named their replacement for the Zonda supercar after Huayra Tata, the Andean god of wind. To most of us, the Huayra will be just as ethereal, and equally unlikely to be encountered in person. I can’t come close to pronouncing the new car’s name without sounding like I’m coughing up a hairball, but that doesn’t diminish it’s appeal in the least. In fact, Pagani could have named this car the “Snuffaluffagus”, and it would still give me serious wood. Enjoy over seven minutes of pure Pagani porn, set to a soundtrack of Ravel’s “Bolero”, below.

I seriously doubt I’ll get the chance to drive a Huayra, and I’m reasonably certain I won’t be purchasing one in the near (or distant) future. Still, I have immense respect for manufacturers like Pagani and Koenigsegg, who are more than happy to build the cars that corporatized Ferrari and Lamborghini no longer do. If you’ve got serious bankroll, but never bothered to learn to drive a stick, Ferrari’s got a car that’s perfect for you. If you’ve got even bigger bank, and care more about how fast something goes than how it makes you look, give Pagani a call instead.

VW's Bulli Concept. Image: Volkswagen

Say what you want about the old VW Microbus, but they built character. Dangerously slow, prone to snap oversteer in all but dry conditions and about as unsafe as you could get without using the driver as a bumper, VW sold the same basic design from 1950 to 1979. The formula was simple: the engine (and most of the weight) went in the rear, the steering wheel, driver and passenger went up front and everything else went in the middle. They were good on gas, mainly because the air-cooled four only made up to 70 horsepower. They were lightweight, and as far as I remember power steering wasn’t even an option (which made tight corners an aerobic exercise). Utterly terrifying to drive in snow, they were equally bad in crosswinds, which generally required about ninety degrees of steering input to keep the van pointed in a straight line. Despite this, I actually miss them.

Image: Volkswagen

For starters, they were as mechanically complex as a box of hammers, and just about as reliable. A tube of JB Weld, some duct tape and a few hand tools could keep the microbus running when even “reliable” Hondas and Toyotas had gone to the great junkyard in the sky. They rarely failed to start, and if they did, a compression start (courtesy of a nearby hill or a friend’s bumper) was all you needed. I especially miss the cramped and claustrophobic Camper variant, because the appeal of a cheap place to live on the road never gets old.

That’s why I’m so put off with what VW is showing in Geneva. Called the Bulli, it’s supposed to be a modern interpretation of the storied microbus, but all I see is epic fail. To begin with, it’s way too small: that may be a selling point in the EU, but that’s not going to fly here in the land of supersized big gulps. In fact, I’m not even sure a large drink would fit inside the Bulli, let alone in a cup holder. It looks as if someone re-skinned a Golf to make it less aerodynamic, then inserted seats designed by Torquemada during the Spanish inquisition. They don’t look comfortable enough for a cross-town trip, let alone a cross country trip.

Image: Volkswagen

Which leads me to my next rant: The Bulli shown in Geneva is battery powered. How, exactly, is one supposed to follow Ratdog or Phish cross country, when the range of your eco-friendly VW bus is about 100 miles per day? Sure, VW tells us that a range of underpowered and fuel sipping engines could be used as well, but I’d have built the prototype as a TDI, myself. Given the fuel economy of most TDIs, you could follow an entire Ratdog tour for the profits made on sales of a half-dozen tie-dyed t-shirts.

Maybe I’m needlessly romanticizing the Microbus, but the Microbus was a friend of mine and the Bulli is no Microbus. I now have my own handful-to-drive-in-a-crosswind vehicle, the Toyota FJ Cruiser. It’ll get me to places a Microbus never could, and it’s about as comfortable to sleep in. It gets reasonable fuel economy, as long as you leave it parked or draft a semi-trailer at every opportunity, and so far it’s been bulletproof reliable. Perhaps Toyota’s FJ Cruiser should be nominated as the Microbus of a new generation, because the Bulli just doesn’t do it.

Source: Volkswagen

Name the sex act worth a Bentley. Wait: there isn't one...

I’m not a fan of the tabloids, and I frankly couldn’t care less what Charlie Sheen does. Still, when a guy spends $470,000 on cars for porn stars, plus another $320,000 on cars for ex-wives and current girlfriends, I’ll have to admit that it catches my attention. In the month of January alone, Sheen bought Porn Star 1 a $320,000 Bentley, Porn Star 2 a $150,000 Porsche Turbo, his ex-wife Brooke Mueller a $160,000 Mercedes Benz CL600 and current girlfriend Natalie Kenly a $160,000 Mercedes Benz S64. And to think that most of us just send flowers when we screw things up.

Speaking for guys everywhere, this sets a really, really bad precedent. Are we now expected to tip porn stars in high end sports and luxury cars after days long, cocaine fueled freaky sex? Is there a guide somewhere listing the expected car based on the performed act? Because I’ve got a pretty vivid imagination, and I can’t think of a single sex act that worth a $320,000 tip, even if it’s performed multiple times. With multiple partners. And trained circus animals.

And why does one porn star get a car that’s worth more than double what the other one got? Is it a length-of-service thing? And what about the ex-wife and current girlfriend, who both got cars worth the same amount of money? Do you want to be the guy who tells his current girlfriend that she means as much to him as his ex wife? Luckily for me, I’m married and broke, because all of this etiquette stuff just leaves me baffled.

Source: Autoevolution

Call me a freak, but partially clad women do more for me than naked ones. I mean, we’ll get to the naked part soon enough, but in the mean time there’s something to be said for unwrapping the present, if you know what I mean. Cars, on the other hand, are best viewed completely naked, so you can see what’s going on under the skin. Take this pure-car-porn image of Lamborghini’s upcoming Aventador, for example: if this doesn’t quicken you pulse, you may not have one. There’s so much carbon fibery goodness and race bred engineering going on that my eyes don’t know where to look next.

Take the inboard mounted shocks, for example. They reduce weight at the corners of the car and allow for more precise damping, as with a formula car. They’re a thing of beauty, and it’s a damn shame that they’ll be covered up in the production car, because I’d love to see them in action from behind the wheel. Now take in the carbon composite monocoque, which is both incredibly light (under 200 pounds, if I remember correctly) and incredibly strong. No matter how much power the Aventador ultimately puts down, you can rest assured the carbon fiber structure won’t deform. It’s too bad that we don’t get a rear view of the naked chassis, because I’ll bet the birthday-suit-Aventador has an ass that puts J-Lo to shame.

When the Aventador does hit the streets, rumor has it that the 6.5 liter V12 will be good for around 690 horsepower. Using AWD for traction, the Aventador should be capable of sprinting from zero to sixty in under 3 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 217 miles per hour. That’s impressive, but I’ll bet that a buck-naked Aventador would be even quicker. I wonder how much Lamborghini would charge for the “Ultra Super Leggera” version you see here…

Source: Automotive Addicts

Image: KTM

I’ve had a thing for the Katoom 990 SMT ever since the bike was launched on the other side of the pond. Back then, I had the kind of job that made $14k supermotard bike attainable, and I even had a BMW K1200RS in the garage. Then the U.S. economy collapsed, I changed careers and KTM decided to import the 990 SMT into the States. No one ever said that life was fair, and in the words of Mick Jagger, “you can’t always get what you want”.

The 990 SMT is back for 2011 (although I’ll be damned if I can find a KTM dealer within 200 miles of Jacksonville who’s got one in stock), and KTM has just announced pricing. This year’s model, which features a few cosmetic tweaks but now includes a Bosch developed ABS system, starts at $13,999. Like all proper two wheel hoonmobiles, the Katoom 990 SMT allows a rider to turn off the ABS for maximum performance off-road, but KTM wants us to know the ABS is smart. Per their press department, who’ve dubbed the 990 SMT the “queen of negative acceleration”, the bike has a “sensitive ABS braking system that lets the 990 SMT stop safely and with pinpoint accuracy on any surface and from any speed. Equipped with rollover detection, the functions of the KTM-Bosch system have been purposely designed not to interfere with an aggressive riding style. Deploying only in truly extreme situations, it will keep out of your way as long as the surface is dry and provides sufficient grip.”  

If you’ve got the money, the only question to ask yourself is do I want white, black or orange? As for me, I’m still hoping someone else is willing to take the new bike depreciation hit, because a used 990 SMT is my best shot at owning one.

Source: Autoevolution

Image: © GM Corp.

Chevy Volt sales began in select markets last December, and through January the automaker had moved around 670 units. The low sales are related more to supply than they are to customer interest, which remains high even in states where the Volt has yet to hit the market. Chevy’s original plan was to build 10,000 Volts in 2011, but they’re doing all they can to increase that number to 25,000. They’re also ramping up distribution, and the Volt will be on sale nationwide before the end of this year. That hasn’t stopped dealerships from attempting to price gouge on Volts in stock for delivery today. No one ever said that being an early-adopter of technology was inexpensive, but some dealerships are out of their minds with the prices they’re asking.

Ebay auctions have seen Volts with “buy it now” pricing around $47,000, roughly a $5,000 markup from the car’s sticker price. I wouldn’t pay it, but plenty of customers in line for a Volt would, since that’s about the going price over sticker for an in-demand car. A North Carolina dealer is asking $49,000 for a Volt on their lot, but that’s understandable since they bought the car at retail price from a dealership in Maryland. One Florida dealer, on the other hand, deserves to be run out of business for their price gouging; the asking price for the Volt on their lot is $65,590. Good luck with that, and I personally hope that GM loses all of your purchase orders from this point forward.

GM wants to prevent price gouging on the Volt, but there isn’t much they cay do. Manufacturers can’t set pricing, they can only suggest what it should be. Since the Volt hasn’t been released for sales in Florida, the dealer in question isn’t even authorized to sell the car. While that can’t make GM happy, short of cutting off supply, there isn’t much action they can take. As justifiable as it sounds, no manufacturer is going to refuse to sell inventory to a greedy dealer, as long as their checks keep cashing.

Source: Motor Trend

Being a man, it seems, has fallen out of style. On television, we’re portrayed as bumbling idiots, incapable of functioning in society without the help of our wives or girlfriends. Even our long-suffering kids know more than we do, and not buying the latest, bland SUV-wannabe crossover with the heated, vibrating rear seats, the Dolby surround sound cinema and the rear refrigerator / microwave package constitutes child abuse in most states. That’s why I like these ads from Dodge so much, because they’re a single digit salute to society from men everywhere. Videos after the jump.

I don’t need a full sized, four door sedan (even one with a 5.7 liter Hemi V8), but if I did the Charger would definitely be on my short list. It’s as politically incorrect as serving barbecued spotted owl to your PETA-chapter-president neighbor, and just as emotionally satisfying. If the soundtrack of a Hemi V8 winding up doesn’t touch your soul on some primeval level, you should just burn your man card now. I sense a Toyota Prius in your soon-to-be-yoga-filled, tofu-encrusted life. If you wife lets you out of the house, that is.

Let’s say you had a Ferrari 430 sitting in the garage, and your 2010 performance bonus was particularly lucrative. You could spend that $405,000 on a Ferrari 458 Italia and a clean used Ferrari California, but both cars are so… common. Besides, the 458 has a nasty habit of spontaneously combusting on hot days, and the California uses faux rear-exit exhausts. You could buy a clean Lamborghini Murcielago, but everyone knows they’re just blue collar Ferraris from that tractor company. If you want something distinctive and you’re tired of seeing a Ferrari 430 in every other driveway, why not hit up Pininfarina and have them build you a new Lancia Stratos. German multi-gazillionaire Michael Stoschek already did the heavy lifting, and Stoschek and Pininfarina estimate that the tooling will be good for roughly fifty copies. They’re willing to build you your very own Stratos, if you’ve got the coin. The price? Your $405,000 bonus check, plus your donor Ferrari 430.

In return you’d get a car that goes like stink and is absolutely merciless at the limit. Make a mistake at speed in the Stratos, and the short wheelbase uber-car won’t slap your wrist; it’ll tear your arm off, chew it up and spit it back in your face. On the plus side, I seriously doubt you’ll find another one in your zip code, ever, so it may be money well spent. If I had a Ferrari 430 and $405,000 waiting to be burned, I know how I’d spend it.

Source: Autoblog