The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG's retro design evokes the 300 SL.
(Credit: CNET)
With all the very expensive new cars being unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show, you would think the economy never went into recession. It did, and yet here they are, a parade of new automotive objects of lust from the likes of Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, and Rolls-Royce. Some emphasize sport, some luxury, but all have way more of each than your standard economy sedan.
Leading the parade is the spectacular new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a monster of a supercar with retro styling evoking the gull-winged 300 SL. Porsche shows off a couple of 911s, the styling only slightly updated but big improvement where it counts: in the engine, transmission, and suspension. Ferrari comes up with a replacement for the F430, managing to improve on that already fantastic supercar. And then there's Abarth, which offers up a tribute to Ferrari in the form of a heavily modified Fiat 500.
A number of convertibles follow, the tops chopped off of an Audi R8, Lamborghini Reventon, and Maserati GranTurismo. And finally, a couple of stately sedans from Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce take the floor.
No, the Goldmund Eidos Reference Blu-ray player is not made of gold.
(Credit: Goldmund)It sure looks expensive, and at $135,000, the Goldmund Eidos Reference Blu-ray player is definitely in the upper crust of Blu-ray players in terms of cost.
Hand-built in Geneva, the Eidos Reference Blue is a truly rarefied design. Limited in production to 50 units, dawdlers will be left having to make do with a plain vanilla Denon or Sony Blu-ray player.
Will the Goldmund outperform the Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player we raved about a few days ago? I have no idea, but I do know that a $20 Casio watch keeps time just as well as a Patek Philippe Ref. 5102G that costs, gasp, $181,650!
My point: buying decisions for ultraexotic products aren't based solely on performance; they're more about a company's long heritage of building luxury designs and backing them up with extraordinary service.
The rich and famous still buy Ferraris that are no faster than a Corvette that sells for a fraction of the Ferrari's price. But Ferrari buyers want more than just speed--they want to be, well, special. They buy it for its looks and how it's made. It's the same deal with uber hi-fis.
(Source: Ultimate AV Web site)
Wrecked Exotics posts photos and video of very expensive cars in less than pristine condition.
(Credit: Wrecked Exotics)Whether as cautionary tales or perverse automobile pornography, Wrecked Exotics covers crashes of the most expensive cars in the world. Now the site is getting ahead of itself, sponsoring a contest in which entrants can win $500 for predicting the date of the first crash of Ferrari's new 458 Italia, to be unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt auto show.
The site has gathered statistics on previous Ferrari crashes, noting that of the 17,300 Ferrari 360s made, there have been 403 documented crashes, or 2.3 percent of the total. For the more recent F430, 96 crashes have been recorded of the 10,000 cars produced.
Here's a video of six Ferraris accelerating on down the street. Watch the four Ferrari 458s (preproduction prototypes), a 430, and a 360 zoom away.
(Credit:
Ferrari)
While you wait for the newly unveiled Ferrari 458 Italia to be revealed in the sheet metal at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, you can enjoy the sounds of the Italian supercar every time you receive a call or text message on your mobile phone. That's right, Ferrari has released official 458 Italia ringtones.
We'd call the automaker vain if the 458's 4.5-liter direct injected V8 didn't sound so mouthwateringly good.
Available sound bites include overtaking, acceleration, on board, and off the mark clips. Download the ringtones in MP3 format for most mobile phones or M4R format for your iPhone at Ferrari's 458 Italia microsite. While you're there, grab one of the mobile phone or iPhone-size wallpapers to complete your Ferrari fanboy package.
The new 458 Italia is a mid-engine sports car that should replace the F430.
(Credit: Ferrari)
It's a rare and good day when Ferrari announces a whole new car. Today we are treated to the 458 Italia, a new model mid-engine two-seater, which looks to replace the F430. Rather than the Ferrari California unveiled last year, which Ferrari had to defend as fitting into its GT tradition, the 458 Italia fits perfectly into the Ferrari stable, with front-end and cab elements that borrow from the Enzo and FXX. The car also shows a particular good-looking design from the front, with a uniqueness that hearkens to the Dino. Ferrari has had somewhat of a renaissance over the last decade, and the 458 Italia continues that trend.
Bringing in the modern tech, the headlight casings have stacked LEDs above a high-intensity projector. The 458 Italia uses technology Ferrari developed for its F1 racing efforts, a tradition with the company. Winglets around the grille are designed to deform as speed increases, covering portions of the grille to reduce drag. The car gets a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the F1 type Ferrari developed for racing and has been offering in the F430 and 612 Scaglietti. Other race technology appears in the form of the electronic rear differential, which gets integrated with Ferrari's traction control system, resulting in a claimed 32 percent better speed out of corners.
Ferrari says the 458 Italia uses "a new kind of steering wheel and dashboard that is the direct result of racing practice." Ferrari has incorporated a lot of controls on the steering wheel, along with the Manettino, the dial used to select driving style. As with previous Ferraris, the tachometer takes center stage on the instrument cluster, and a new color LCD on the left shows vehicle operating information.
The car's model designation, 458, indicates its engine, a 4.5-liter V-8. This is a new engine developed by Ferrari that uses direct injection, increasing power and fuel economy over the smaller 4.3-liter V-8 in the F430. The new engine puts out 570 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque, expected to drive the 458 Italia to 62 mph in less than 3.4 seconds. Ferraris have never been about fuel economy, but concern over climate change has Ferrari attempting to cut its carbon dioxide emissions, and the 458 Italia should get a little better than 17 mpg.
The Modulari Reference is a two-piece system.
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)Well, not exactly weep, but while I was reviewing these incredible speakers an executive from a respected American speaker company dropped by my apartment. To say he was bowled over by the mighty Krells is an understatement; he couldn't take his eyes off them. Then he ran his fingers over the exquisitely machined metalwork and asked to play a couple of tunes. Talk about shock and awe; he said, "They're $65,000? [EXPLETIVE DELETED], they're really good!" I've never seen one manufacturer so visibly shaken by another's wares.
The Krell Modulari Duo Reference has that sort of effect on people. Even folks who couldn't care less about high-end audio "get" these speakers. The sound all but reaches out and grabs your most sensitive parts and shakes them. My full review is in Home Entertainment magazine.
... Read more
GT cars, the stuff that posters on the walls of high school boys' bedrooms are made of, made a strong showing at the 2009 Geneva auto show, with new examples from Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Lamborghini, among others. The variety we found at the show included standard gas engines, hybrids, and full electric versions, and all boast astounding performance figures.
The Acer Ferrari 1200 (pictured with Bluetooth mouse) gets the look right, but what's under the hood?
(Credit: Acer)Its unique ventilation design echoes the exhaust pipes of an F1 car and the anodized-metal interface resembles the gas and brake pedals of a high performance supercar. A tasteful wave pattern embellishes the exterior, while the soft-touch coating and the velvety texture of the interior ensure ergonomic comfort. It has a carbon fiber hood that's lighter, yet stronger than magnesium alloy, which is finished with an iconic yellow prancing pony badge.
No, I'm not describing a special edition of the Ferrari 599 GTB, rather these floury descriptors are paraphrased from a news release announcing the next Acer laptop, the Acer Ferrari 1200. Due in early 2009, the laptop is bundled with a Bluetooth wireless mouse and optional Xpress VoIP phone, both also emblazoned with Acer and Ferrari Racing Shield logos.
The Ferrari influence is only skin deep as the Ferrari 1200 laptop seems to be an only fairly average machine. At the heart of the Ferrari 1200 is an AMD Turion X2 Ultra dual-core processor, chosen rather obviously because AMD is one of Ferrari's Formula One sponsors. The final specifications haven't been released yet, but here's what we do know: the 1200 is equipped with Wi-Fi (spec not stated), an LED-backlit 12-inch screen, integrated Bluetooth wireless, fingerprint security, up to 4GB of RAM, and a SATA hard drive of "large capacity." (Whatever that means.)
MSRP is yet unstated, but we expect it be priced somewhere in the neighborhood of too expensive for a middle-of-the-road laptop with Ferrari badge on the lid.
(Credit:
Matt Hickey )
The calendar rolled over to 2000 eight years ago, though it doesn't seem like it's been that long. We had many jokes then about moving into the future, the most tapped being those of flying cars and jet packs.
Personal transportation in the air hasn't taken off yet (if you'll forgive the pun), but it's about to, at least if Moller International has anything to say about it.According to the Telegraph, the "air car" company known for the Moller Air Car has taken a Ferrari 599 GTB and made it airworthy, giving it Back To The Future-like hovering abilities for vertical take-off and landings, as well as wings and stabilizers for forward flight.
Not only that, the machine runs green with a hybrid engine that can propel the vehicle forward at an expected 150 mph. While Moller predicts it could have production vehicles ready within two years at about $800,000, we're still skeptical. Having seen how most people drive on the ground, is it smart to let them go into the air?
