Mercedes-Benz and Ducati joined forces a little over a year ago, and the two brands have chosen the Bologna Motor Show to mark the anniversary. The companies are showing off an SLK 55 AMG and a Streetfighter 848, respectively. Both machines are painted in eye-melting Streetfighter Yellow, and Mercedes-Benz says that AMG may permanently add the color to the personal option list if there’s enough demand. The SLK 55 AMG also wears custom yellow contrasting stitching on interior pieces like the sport steering wheel, seats, and dashboard, and a set of yellow-illuminated door sill plates further reinforces the theme.

Neither the SLK 55 AMG nor the Streetfighter 848 boast any performance modifications, which is just fine, since both vehicles offer plenty of giddyup right out of the box. The Benz is the most powerful SLK manufactured to date, with 422 horsepower from a naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter V8. The Streetfighter 848, meanwhile, is a 132-horsepower machine that weighs less than 500 pounds. Hit the jump to check out the full press release.

Continue reading Mercedes and Ducati highlight partnership with pair of matching vehicles

Mercedes and Ducati highlight partnership with pair of matching vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last year, RM Auctions held a special Ford-themed sale during the Monterey car week, offering a unique chance to buy various Ford concept cars built in the last decade. While that was a one-time event, RM is once again be working with Ford to auction off a select number of concept cars for this year.

First up is the Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept, first introduced to the public at Pebble Beach in 2004. Built to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the legendary Shelby Daytona Coupe, the car features a silver paint scheme with blue stripes and 12-spoke 19-inch wheels. Unfortunately, the car is not a running example, unlike the polished aluminum version that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show a few months later.

Next up is the Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster Concept that was first shown at the 2001 Detroit Auto Show. A precursor to the Ford Thunderbird production car, the Sports Roadster is set apart by a molded fiberglass tonneau that’s neatly integrated into the rear decklid.

As is custom for Ford when auctioning off cars, proceeds from the sale will be donated to charity. The sale of the two concept cars, each valued between 5,000 and 0,000, will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Pair of Ford concept cars to be auctioned in Monterey originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s rare enough to find one Lancia Delta Integrale for sale in North America. It’s rarer still to find an example of one of the special edition cars Lancia made over the last two years of the Delta Integrale’s life cycle. This week, though, Bring a Trailer is featuring two such cars from one Canadian seller.

The first car is one of 400 1992 Lancia Delta Integrale Martini 5 Special Editions, built to commemorate Lancia’s fifth World Rally Championship. The Martini 5 also marked the first run of special edition Integrales. According to the seller, this one has been upgraded with Martini 6 decals, 17-inch Speedline wheels and a catalytic converter-less Group B exhaust system.

Inside, there’s an aftermarket OMP steering wheel, Alcantara trim and a pair of delicious Recaro buckets. The seller says he still has the original wheels if the 17s are a bit much. Though the car is apparently street legal in Canada, it will need a catalytic converter if it’s going to pass a smog test in Vancouver. Those of us in the States will have to make do with a show and display exception, or wait until the car is 25 years old before it can be registered.

The second car is one of 250 1994 Lancia Delta Integrale Edizione Finale cars made specifically for the Japanese market. Like all Edizione Finales, this example wears Rosso Amarento paint, and carries a laundry list of the Delta’s most desirable options. That means a set of anthracite gray 16-inch Speedline wheels, push-button start, carbon fiber trim, aluminum pedals, a passenger footrest and the same Recaro furniture that graces the Martini Delta. On top of all that, the Edizione Finale received a bump to 250 horsepower, thanks to revised engine management.

Both cars are available exclusively through BaT, though we doubt they’ll be sticking around too long given their rarity and desirability. Unfortunately for us, they’re priced accordingly. The 1992 Martini 5 car is listed at a heady ,000, while the 1994 Edizione Finale is “just” ,000. Head over to Bring A Trailer for more.

[Source: BringATrailer]

Online Find of the Day: BaT bags a pair of Lancia Delta Integrale specials originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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