Spada Codatronca headed for Monaco debut

Spada Codatronca is the name of the car designed by Spadaconcept – the Italian design studio founded by Paolo Spada (former designer at Smart and Honda) together with his father Ercole (former chief designer at Zagato and BMW). The car is going to be unveiled in Monaco at the Top Marques show. It sure does look different from what we’ve been used with, but we at carblog love it.

The specs of the new Spada Catronca are impressive, too:

• a supercharged LS7 V8 engine
• base TS version sports 600hp and does 0 - 60mph in 3.2 seconds (will be launched by the end of 2008)
• the TSV version will output 700hp and 0 to 60mph in 2.7 seconds

It looks a little like the Batmobile right?

2008 Lamborghini Reventon - wordless

When it comes to a brand new Lamborghini is there anything that words can summarize better than a bunch of pictures? We’ve managed to get our hands on some pictures of the new 2008 Lamborghini Reventon. I am glad I have to type these for you and not talk because my jaws are blocked. Take a look at the 640hp Demon as it fights its way into your heart. We already love it!

Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir

I don’t exactly know what introduction I could come up with for a new Bugatti ‘vehicle’ so I’ll be straightforward. Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir (black blood) is to be expected, with an all over black livery, new and special designed alloy wheels and front grille and an orange interior. As if the original Veyron wasn’t enough, we’ve seen different versions like the Veyron FBG by Hermes or the Veyron Pure Sang, I am extremely curious to see what the price for the Sang Noir model will be, because I know the quality will be at its best.

The new McLaren

Next year the McLaren SLR is not going to be produced anymore. The two companies, Mercedes and McLaren decided to split and take their own paths with their own SLR successor. Rumors say that Mercedes will name their new model, SLC, while McLaren only has a project so far, project P11.

The same rumors said that McLaren P11 will be powered from a 550bhp V8 engine built by Mahle in Northamptonshire, England, and will probably be based on the current Mercedes unit. There will also be a McLaren P12, inspired from the famous McLaren F1 supercar and should be powered by a 600 bhp V10 engine.

It will be very interesting to see the new McLaren P11 live, but not before March 2010.

Mitsubishi RA concept

The Mitsubishi RA concept epitomizes the meaning of sport coupe. The two seater concept has a striking body that sits neatly on a set of 21-inch wheels. The concept RA is said to be built on a lightweight aluminum space frame with high impact resistance resin body panels which turns out to be environmentally friendly as it is fully recyclable. It features a four cylinder 2,2 litre turbo diesel engine boasting a maximum output of 150kw. This power will be grounded with Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) and the twin clutch SST automated manual transmission taken from the Lancer Evo X which debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show. The S-AWC allows for improved braking and control over drive torque which ultimately results in all round better cornering, traction and vehicle stability on road. Based on looks alone this is a masculine car with its matte black hood and sharp looks.

Suzuki Kizashi Concept 3, revealed in NY

Not sure if you knew but Suzuki started a beautiful series of their Kizashi concept in 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. First they released concept 1, then concept 2 and now in New York they’ve unveiled what could be “a final version” of the Kizashi. In Japanese, Kizashi means prelude and rumors say that the company is working on releasing a sports sedan by 2010 and will have a lot in common with Kizashi 3.

We are not certain about the specs yet, but the market is expecting a 3.6L DOHC V6 engine that will sport 300hp. Waiting for it.

Ford Focus RS Concept

No, we don’t know much about the new Ford Focus RS or what it’s going to have under the hood or how is going to look but we can speculate a little bit. TopGear managed to come up with a picture and said that the new RS could hit in London, this July. As to rumors, it’s supposed to be a 2WD not a 4WD and the engine should output at least 280hp.

Ford is probably going to take on Subaru’s Impreza STi or Mitsubishi EVO X but, let’s face it, they won’t be able to do it without a 300+ hp turbo engine and a four-wheel-drive system (that will not only make it heavier, but it will cost more). Five months till July so there’s plenty of room to have it changed … We should have the model shipping in 2009.

Seat Bocanegra Concept

The only way Seat managed to get the attention this year during the Auto Show in Geneva, was obviously their Seat Bocanegra Concept, which is saying a lot about the new Ibiza announced for the Auto Show in Madrid and the new Seat saloon we’ll be seeing next year. In Spanish, Bocanegra means “Black Mouth” and I guess the large front with LED lights and the aggressiveness are saying a lot about it.

“The SEAT SportCoupé ´Bocanegra´ is a sporty, design oriented prototype, with which we want our brand´s position to stand out. At the same time, the ´Bocanegra´ is an outlook of the future design language of SEAT” said Erich Schmitt.

It does look powerful, but I am a little disappointed to see that it’s going to be powered by a 1.4L twin turbo TSI engine and has a seven speed DSG transmission. At least it does come with 19-inch alloy wheels and Seat’s Agile Chassis for a sportier drive. At last it’s rumored to come in FR-style with a 1.4L turbo (150hp) and a Cupra version with a 1.8L turbo. Sounds about right.

Renault Megane Coupe Concept

Today was the day of the concepts with the new Seat Bocanegra and SAAB’s 9-X BioHybrid, but there’s room for one more. The new Renault Megane Coupe Concept is damn beautiful and as expected it has a very futuristic interior.

But I’ll start with some tech specs because this baby is powered by a 2.0L turbocharged petrol engine that develops 200hp and delivers 280 Nm at 2,600 rpm. It has a manual 6-speed transmission and does 0 to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds which is not bad at all. CO2 emissions are pretty low at only 154 g/km while the mixed fuel consumption is 6.5L/100km.

On the outside the new Megan Coupe Concept shows off with distinctive (sporty) looks, has an “unprecedented door opening kinematics” that makes car access easier. “The juxtaposition of headlamp modules with aluminum-finish air-intakes also conveys an impression of fluidity and movement” (they say in the press release).

Oh and I mentioned the futuristic interior right? Well it has a central multimedia control coupled with a display that is divided into three zones : navigation in the middle and cameras in the other two.

Geely GT Concept, goes to Beijing

It’s been a while since I haven’t seen such a concept, not to mention that this one comes from a Chinese manufacturer. Apparently the 2008 Beijing Motor Show is going to have a pretty special guest in the name of Geely GT. They don’t have any spectacular models so far, so I presume this is a marketing move to get some attention their way.From what I see it has a few lines from well known models including Ferrari’s 612 or the Nissan GT-R, all packed in a beautiful Peugeot 607 theme. This is definitely something I’d love to put my behind in, but need something more than just these teasing renderings.

BMW 3-Series Sport Sedan Concept

Here’s yet another design proposal from an independent artist who wishes to capture our imagination. The BMW 3-Series Sport Sedan Concept is the work of Benedetto Bordone who graduated from Coventry University in 2005 and is currently a freelance Designer/Illustrator. The artist’s previous working experiences include BeeStudio Torino, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and Honda Advanced Design.

With this proposal, Bordone wanted to explore a possible future design language for the Bavarian brand, and in particular for its core model, the ultra successful 3-Series sedan. "The car's surfaces are inspired by the torso of an athlete, to give an impression of lean muscle. The detailing of the grilles communicates precision and attention to details,” said Berdone. Our opinion? Overall, the design is a bit too complicated for our taste and we think that the front-end styling needs to be reworked from the beginning.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance Study

The usually articulate German folks over at Volkswagen revealed this mystery Golf GTI Performance Study at the annual GTI meeting at Wörther Lake in Austria without giving any information whatsoever apart from the car’s elusive name. We’ve no idea whether or not VW performed any performance upgrades on the GTI’s 2.0 TFSI engine, but they did fit it with Lambo style doors and an extreme wide bodykit along with a bi-color paintjob which is also continued in the cabin that features 2+1 seating.

Nissan GT-R Scale Model by Tamiya: A GT-R We Can All Afford

Even though the $70k that Nissan is asking for the all-new GT-R in the U.S. is a steal considering the car’s capabilities, how many of us have that kind of cash lying around? Well, Japanese model hobby manufacturer Tamiya has the next best thing: a 1/24 scale model of Nissan’s new supercar that will hit Japanese stores on Saturday May 24, 2008 with the rest of the world following shortly after. Prices in Japan are set at 3,990 Yen which is approximately $38.5 or €24.5.
Even though the $70k that Nissan is asking for the all-new GT-R in the U.S. is a steal considering the car’s capabilities, how many of us have that kind of cash lying around? Well, Japanese model hobby manufacturer Tamiya has the next best thing: a 1/24 scale model of Nissan’s new supercar that will hit Japanese stores on Saturday May 24, 2008 with the rest of the world following shortly after. Prices in Japan are set at 3,990 Yen which is approximately $38.5 or €24.5.

Marble Stone Audi S5

Looks like this Russia lad was in a hurry to turn his Audi S5 into an instant classic by applying a film imitating a marble stone. Well, either that or someone was quite handy with photoshop as you never know these days…

VW Passat R36 Variant Styling Study Debuts at Worthersee Tour

Following in the footsteps of sister company Audi and the A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro, Volkswagen unveiled a concept version of its Passat R36 Variant model at the GTI Meet at Wörther Lake in Austria. While retaining its 300Hp naturally-aspirated 3.6-litre V6 engine, the R36 Variant Study has been beefed up with the addition of 20-inch alloy wheels that come straight from the Touareg R-Line.

Moreover, all chrome parts of the standard version have been painted in the car’s "Moonlight Blue" color while the R36 looks more menacing thanks to its lowered suspension. Other changes include the 6-piston Brembo brake system and the sport exhaust with the large tailpipes.

The Passat R36’s interior has been enhanced with the addition of a set of bicolour Recaro bucket seats and a matching steering wheel along dark blue chrome trim on the dashboard and the doors.

Audi TT Clubsport Quattro: Pre-Production Model Revealed

This is Audi’s second iteration of the sporty TT Clubsport Quattro model that we first saw at last year’s Wörthersee Tour in Austria and from the looks of it, this is the actual model that will enter a small series production in the second half of the year. Just like the first TT Clubsport Quattro, this one too was unveiled at the Audi and VW enthusiast event “Wörthersee Tour” that takes place in Austria from May 21 to 25. Compared to last year’s concept, the roofless TT Clubsport Quattro has obtained a bigger windshield with thicker A-pillars, production-like mirrors, a slightly redesigned rear-bumper that houses what looks to be a fog light and larger safety bars. Inside, Audi’s designers removed the aluminum trim from the steering wheel (for safety reasons) which now hosts stereo controls while they also replaced the pedals and the S-Tronic gearbox with production parts.

Other than that, there are no differences with last year’s prototype with the relatively extreme TT Clubsport Quattro featuring a supped up version of Audi’s 2.0 TFSI engine that breaks the 300 Hp barrier combined with the dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox and a permanent all-wheel drive system.

The track was widened by 66 millimeters (2.60 inches) versus the production TT while stopping power is provided from the brake system from the new Audi TTS. Its ventilated discs measure 340 millimeters (13.39 inches) up front and 310 millimeters (12.20 inches) at the rear