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Mercedes-Benz Motor Shows Video

“It’s a proper AMG”

Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG

Chris Harris interrupts the bad news from Volkswagen to take for a spin in the updated and softer Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG. Don’t worry, that’s softer in a good way, as he explains.

You lot obviously don’t watch Harris’ motor show videos enough so he has spliced his A45 review in among his walk around the Frankfurt Motor Show.

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Honda Motor Shows

Geneva 2015: Honda Civic Type R

Honda Civic Type R

This is it! You’re looking at the production-ready Civic Type R. At last!

Its numbers, then, what are its key stats? Power from the 2.0 litre VTEC mofo engine is rated at 310PS (228kW) at 6500rpm, while peak torque is 400Nm at 2500rpm. A lot for a front-wheel drive hot hatch, yes, but it’s what we’ve come to expect these days.

The 0–100km/h sprint is all over in 5.7 seconds and the new Type R has a v-max of 270km/h. Thankfully that’s all done via a proper 6-speed manual transmission as well.

The marketers have triumphed with the naming of the magic +R button. When that button is pressed the lab coats have ensured the car becomes more responsive with a more more aggressive torque-map, reduced power assistance for the steering and stiffening up the Adaptive Damper System by 30 per cent.

Marketing very much triumphs over engineering with the GT pack, which is nothing more than a collection of frilly options. There’s no extra power or suspension beefiness to be found here.

And speaking once again about marketing, Honda has published a video of the Civic Type R lapping the Nürburgring in 7 minutes 50.63 seconds. Take that Renault!

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Ford Motor Shows

Detroit 2015: Ford GT wins design award

Ford GT

The Ford GT has edged out the Honda NSX and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe to win the EyesOn Design award for the best debut production vehicle at the NAIAS in Detroit.

Moray Callum, Ford Motor Company vice president, Design, accepted the award and said: “Ford and its employees are honored to receive this recognition. The great thing about the all-new Ford GT is that we were able to maintain the essence of the original GT40, while making it into a 21st century car. The GT’s cutting-edge technology and engineering demonstrate Ford’s commitment to performance and innovation in every aspect of our business.”

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Motor Shows Porsche

Detroit 2015: Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS

Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS

What do you get if you cross a Porsche 911 Targa 4 with a 911 Carrera GTS? Well, a 911 Targa 4 GTS, of course!

This variation will stand at the top of the Targa model line and gives you a cool retro roof and 316kW to play with. It’ll spit you out to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds (ugh, that’s slower than the Cayenne Turbo S) and has a top speed beyond 300km/h.

The Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS goes on sale down under in the second quarter of 2015 and is priced from $305,300.

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Motor Shows Porsche

Detroit 2015: Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

Just in case anyone cares, Porsche has launched a Turbo S version of its Cayenne behemoth at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The super SUV boasts 419kW/800Nm thanks to its 4.8 litre biturbo V8, which is rather impressive. Even more so is the fact (or claim) that it can lap the Nordschleife in under eight minutes.

If you want to buy one in Australia, start getting $284,700 together and turn up to your local Porsche dealer sometime after March.

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Ford Motor Shows

Detroit 2015: Ford GT

Ford GT

Ford surprised a few by rocking up to Detroit with this very rad looking GT. Awesome, another iconic V8 from the masters of V8 making. This is gonna be good.

Well, you see, here’s the thing, this new bad ass looking GT isn’t actually powered by a V8 at all. Rather its power comes from a nancy boy hippy loving EcoBoost V6. A vee-bloody-six.

I don’t care if they’ve stuck two turbos on the damn thing, or that it produces 600hp+, it’s a GT and it should be powered by a V8 and that’s all there is to it.

Gee, it looks good though, don’t you think?

It’ll be a long burn with production not commencing until late 2016. Deliveries should just sneak out in time to catch the 50th celebrations of the GT40’s epic 1966 win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Henry famously triumphed over Enzo by taking all three steps on the podium.

Of course, the original GT40 had a fair dinkum 7.0 litre man’s man V8 so it deserved to win at La Sarthe. This chai latte sipping hipster model is just taking the piss, right?

You reckon it will be any good?

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Honda Motor Shows Video

Detroit 2015: Honda NSX

Honda NSX

Honda, or more accurately Acura, has taken the covers off the production-ready NSX. It’s sharp, refined and looks pretty good, we think.

While we have new pictures giving us a good look at the latest “new sports experience” from the boffins at Honda we can’t bring you a lot of technical detail.

Power from the twin-turbo 75° mid-mounted V6 engine? No.*

Power from the independent electric motors driving the front wheels? No.

We can tell you the NSX has a 9-speed dual clutch transmission. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 gears. Overkill perhaps?

The Sport Hybrid system—which has three electric motors in all, two at the front, one mounted between the engine and transmission—uses its electric power to provide “zero delay” launch performance. We don’t know how fast yet, but this is going to be a fast car. It will handle well and it will reset benchmarks from what you can expect from the iconic NSX nameplate.

The new NSX will be assembled at a dedicated plant in Marysville, Ohio by 100 specially trained workers. Production commences in the third quarter of 2015 with initial deliveries before the year is out.

We’d like to know more about this car and we’re guessing you would too. For now, you’ve got everything we can get our hands on waiting for you after the break.

*We’ve been told total power is beyond 550hp/410kW during the car’s presentation at Detroit, which you can see in the videos below.

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Alfa Romeo Motor Shows

Detroit 2015: Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

Here, now in full high resolution detail, is the all-new Alfa Romeo 4C Spider. Looks pretty nice, don’t you think!

It’s powered by the same 1750cc turbocharged four cylinder from the hardtop, which means it has a peak power figure of 177kW (240hp). Torque has been beefed up a little, now up to 380Nm, up from 350Nm.

In race mode and with its 6-speed dual clutch transmission the 4C Spider can reach 100km/h in 4.1 seconds.

Alfa Romeo hasn’t declared the weight of the 4C Spider, at least, not in the material we have seen. So it will be interesting to see how much heavier this model is compared with the 895kg kerbweight of the regular 4C.

Of course, you’re going to want your 4C Spider with the special Track Package, which means you’ll get special forged aluminium wheels (18×7″ front, 19×8.5″ rear), uprated suspension, grippy Pirelli P Zero tyres, a flat bottomed steering wheel and a few carbon fibre highlights around the cabin.

You can read all about that and more after the break.

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Motor Shows Volkswagen

Paris 2014: Volkswagen XL Sport

Volkswagen XL Sport concept

This is the Volkswagen XL Sport concept and if there’s a cooler car on show in Paris, we can’t wait to see it. So what makes this new concept so appealing?

Firstly, it’s based on the quirky carbon-fibre XL1 city car, which we like a lot. But sealing the deal is the Ducati 1199 Superleggera V2 engine stuffed inside that funky body. The “world’s most powerful two-cylinder” is good for 147kW and screams its nuts off all the way to 11,000rpm.

The XL Sport weighs just 890kg and if you can’t put that in the same sentence as 147kW and come up with a massive smile then you’re just no fun at all.

Surprisingly, though, those numbers, along with a 7-speed DSG, only yield a 0–100km/h time of 5.7 seconds. Although, with that low slung body it would likely feel a lot faster. So too the 270km/h top speed.

What a cool thing this is. Bravo Volkswagen, bravo!

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Motor Shows News

Stunning photography from Silverstone Classic

Photo by Nat Twiss for Petrolicious

The annual Silverstone Classic event is one likely to have revheads salivating the world over. In the word’s of photographer Nat Twiss: “The Silverstone Classic is a massive gathering of classic car lovers from around the UK, and I don’t think there’s a better introduction to the spectacle of vintage metal anywhere else in the world.”

Like us you probably didn’t get there this year either. So we can thank Nat for compiling a wonderful portfolio of images from his visit to Silverstone. Thanks also to Petrolicious for bringing these images to the world, make sure you follow the source link below for more.

[Source: Petrolicious | Pic: Nat Twiss]

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BMW Green Machines Motor Shows Video

BMW i8 tackles Goodwood FoS hillclimb

BMW i8

Now that the BMW i8 is on sale in Australia this video from the car’s first “dynamic” UK appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed takes on new meaning.

So what is this three-cylinder jobbie with electric sparkles really like? Watch this video to find out. It won’t give you a definitive answer, but it’s still worth watching, even if just to see the impressive line up of supercars the i8 followed up the hill.

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Motor Shows Porsche Video

Mark Webber in the Porsche 911 GT1-98

Mark Webber in Porsche 911 GT1-98

We’d been waiting for video footage of Mark Webber driving the Porsche 911 GT1-98 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and now here it is.

There’s two clips and the second one from Goodwood TV has some good banter from Mark comparing the 911 GT1 to the Mercedes CLR-GT1 which he originally raced in competition against the Porsche.