We won’t be strolling the aisles of this year’s EICMA show in Milan, and that’s nothing short of a crying shame. There’s going to be a wide selection of fantastic machines on display, including a very interesting project built on the bones of the Yamaha Vmax. Yamaha Europe has released a teaser for the custom bike, and as it turns out, the project has called upon some of the most renowned builders in the world. Roland Sands, Marcus Walz and Ludovic Lazareth have all thrown in a bit of expertise on the project, and the result should be nothing short of stunning.

The crew calls the project the Vmax Hyper Modified, but details are scarce beyond that. We don’t even know if each of the guys on the crew is responsible for an individual bike of their own or whether they’ve pooled their talents for a final concept. Either way, we can’t wait to see the final product. Hit the jump to take a look at the teaser video.

Continue reading Yamaha calls on big-name talent for Vmax Hyper Modified project

Yamaha calls on big-name talent for Vmax Hyper Modified project originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’d be forgiven for thinking that Gullwing America was all about the classic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and its modern-day successor, the SLS AMG. But disregarding the name, the company has stepped out of Stuttgart’s shadow for its latest classic recreation.

GWA calls it the Ferrari 340 Competizione, as it pays tribute to the original 1952 Ferrari 340 Mexico. Only three of those racers were made, and they were designed specifically
to tackle the legendary Carrera Panamericana where, fittingly, Mercedes’ 300 SL dominated.

The modern interpretation takes a Ferrari 456 GT as its starting point, retaining its 470-horsepower 5.4-liter V12 and six-speed manual transmission, but upgrading the aerodynamics, suspension and brakes, draping fresh aluminum bodywork over the mechanicals. The interior likewise pays homage to the 340 Mexico, but packs modern touches like carbon fiber seats.

It’s a work in progress, and only one example is reportedly set to be built. Which is just as well, because knowing how keenly Ferrari likes to protect its property, any prospects of serial production – however limited – would likely be kiboshed by Maranello. We’ll look forward to watching the project unfold, but for now, you can check out the renderings in our image gallery for a closer look.

GWA spreads its wings to Mexico with Ferrari 340 Competizione project originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reports of Volvo and Polestar collaborating on road car offerings appear to be coming to fruition. Following rumors that Volvo had solicited the racing garage’s services to increase the output on the S60 and XC60 R-Design models came word that a new line of Performance Concept Prototypes were in the works. Now, Volvo’s Australian unit has teamed with both Polestar and Heico Sportiv to produce the prototype you see here.

Called the S60 Performance Project, it’s based on the new R-Design model, with the upped 325-horsepower output. So what else have Polestar and Heico squeezed out of the S60? A new exhaust, for starters, and a substantially revised suspension that’s been lowered by 15 millimeters with monotube damping and stiffer springs, mounted to new 19-inch alloys wearing Pirelli rubber.

Nothing earth-shattering, then, but Volvo Australia says if there’s enough demand, it could offer the sportier sedan through its own dealership network, instead of making customers source parts from aftermarket suppliers. Which would also, of course, have the added benefit of landing under warranty, which in turn makes us wonder if this could be another Australian touring-car-for-the-road we could stand to see here on American roads. Find the details in the press release after the jump and the high-res images in the gallery for more.

Continue reading Volvo teams up with Polestar and Heico for S60 Performance Project

Volvo teams up with Polestar and Heico for S60 Performance Project originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The image of wafting around the Italian countryside in an open-air cabriolet is inextricably intertwined with our typical notion of Italian motoring. It’s somewhat surprising, then, that there wasn’t a single four-seat convertible on offer from Italy’s automakers until the relatively recent introductions of the Fiat 500C, Ferrari California and Maserati GranCabrio. But there nearly could have been, if only Alfa Romeo had given this project the green light.

This one-of-a-kind cabriolet prototype based on the Alfa GT was only recently revealed by Bertone. The relatively simple chop-job would have given Alfa a four-seat convertible in its range, and given Carrozzeria Bertone the lifeblood it so desperately needed. But instead, Fiat passed on its production and ended up buying Bertone’s coachbuilding operations as the latter comprehensively restructured.

In its place, Alfa opted to go with the Spider as a two-seat convertible version of the Brera, designed by Giugiaro and built by Pininfarina – Bertone’s two greatest rivals. And while that model may be the handsomer of the two, both its driving dynamics and performance in the marketplace never managed to keep up. From 2005 to 2010, Alfa sold less than 22,000 examples of the Brera, and from 2006 to 2010 only 12,000 Spiders, while the GT coupe has sold over 80,000 units from 2003 to 2010. Would a GT Cabrio have proven more successful? Impossible to tell now, but Carrozzeria Bertone might still be around if it had.

[Sources: AutoWeek, OmniAuto.it]

Alfa Romeo GT Cabriolet unearthed as the project that could have saved Bertone originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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