Next Ferrari Enzo will be hybrid

When it comes to the successor for the Ferrari Enzo we’ve heard all kinds of rumors. However, we can now clear some of those up as Ferrari S.p.A. Chairman, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, himself not only talks about the future car, but also about the company’s future.

The next Enzo will be revealed in 2012 and it "will incorporate the state of the art of our knowledge in terms of increasing performances while reducing fuel consumption and emissions. It will then influence all Ferraris that appear after it." Under the hood there will be the same gasoline-hybrid technology that is found in the Vettura Laboratorio HY-KERS concept that was unveiled in March at the Geneva Auto Show. As for the car’s design language, it was previewed in 2007 by the Millechili concept.

Luca Cordero di Montezemolo also confirmed that Ferrari will be about "fast cars and fast trains – and no politics", and that despite his 63 years of experience in life, he will continue working for Ferrari: "I want to shape the next product cycle at Ferrari to assure a bright future at a company that has been inextricably intertwined with my life."

Ferrari bringing fuel-efficient California prototype to Paris?

Ferrari has plenty in the pipeline, and not just off in the distant future, either. There's a 599 roadster that was shown in secret during this year's Pebble Beach festivities, as well as a handful of 458 derivatives on their way. And that's just the start. Now comes word that the automaker has something big planned for this year's Paris Motor Show.

According to reports coming in from Italy, Ferrari is preparing to unveil another environmentally friendly prototype, similar in concept to the 599 HY-KERS displayed in Geneva earlier this year. This time, though, it'll be a different car and won't use hybrid technology.

Early speculation indicates we'll be seeing a prototype based on the California, but how it differs from the model currently on sale remains to be seen. Instead of a hybrid or start-stop system, reports suggest that Ferrari could be tinkering with such innovations as reducing internal engine friction, cylinder deactivation, streamlined aerodynamics for lower drag and the further use of advanced composites to reduce weight.

Whatever Maranello has in store, we'll find out soon enough when the show opens at the Porte de Versailles later this month.

[Source: OmniAuto.it]

2011 Bentley Continental GT arrives with new design, optional V8

The 2011 Bentley Continental GT is just the second generation of the blockbuster coupe that rumbled ashore eight years ago. And frankly, this new one looks a lot like that ancient one, but Bentley would have us believe that this is actually a completely new car. Outside, the bodywork gets all kinds of massaging: prominent front fender lines that roll over the headlights and into the more-upright grille, a more pronounced grille treatment that asserts itself into the lower intake, LED running lamps surrounding the main headlight elements, a double-horseshoe rear-end treatment inspired by the Mulsanne and taillights that curl into the rear fenders. For a start...

More substantively, the 2011 Conti gets a boost in horsepower from its 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine, hitting 567 horsepower and 516 pound-feet. The engine swipes a page from the Continental Supersports playbook and gains flex-fuel capability, accepting any combination of gasoline and E85. To keep you in touch with that power, Bentley's six-speed Quickshift transmission swaps cogs more quickly and does double downshifts. To keep that power in the right place, the rear track is wider, front-to-rear bias of the all-wheel-drive system is now 40/60 front-to-rear, and the coefficient of drag has been reduced to 0.33. 0-60 mph? 4.4 seconds? Top speed? 198 mph.

As of next year, the nominally eco-conscious will be able to get their Continental GT with a 4.0-liter V8. Numbers haven't been released yet, but you can expect it to register high on the horse and torque while getting significantly better gas mileage than its big brother.

Perhaps the best upgrade of all: the interior accoutrements that now boast an eight-inch touchscreen interface, dynamic navigation and Google Maps. Joining that are a sleeker dash, climate-controlled "Cobra" seats sculpted to provide more rear legroom, and leather-lined door pouches with water bottle holders. It's everything the current Continental GT is.

[Source: Bentley]

Lamborghini teases new supercar ahead of Paris debut

Step-by-step unveilings of new car models can be a painfully slow affair, but when it's something as exciting as a new Lamborghini, chances are that it'll be worth it in the end.

Following the barely-a-teaser shot released three months ago, this new image just released by the Italian factory gives us a glimpse at a section of what looks like the taillight on what is expected to be the company's new Murciélago successor. The Murci has served admirably in its range-topper role, having carried on in numerous variants since 2001.

What you're looking at is the first in a series of six teasers slated to be released by the Bolognese exotic automaker ahead of the car's expected debut at the upcoming Paris Auto Salon. The rest of the shots will undoubtedly follow in a timely fashion, so stay tuned.

[Source: Lamborghini]

BMW announces end of M6 production

Like it or not, it's officially time to say auf wiedersehen to the potent M6. BMW has just announced that it has ceased production of both the M6 coupe and convertible. The uniquely styled GT cars primarily found favor here in the U.S., with a total of 3,528 of the hardtops and 3,247 convertibles sold on American soil. In total, the company managed to sell 14,152 of the cars since production of the M6 started in 2005. As you may recall, the drophead version didn't hit the assembly line until 2006.

We're sure the loss of the M6 is a heartbreak to some out there, but we know that there's a replacement model on the horizon, and we're more morose over the news that BMW is also sending the muscular V10 at the heart of the car to pasture at the same time. That's right, kids. BMW is no longer planning to shoehorn a 10-pot into any vehicle it makes, opting instead for forced induction and eight cylinders. The 5.0-liter engine with its astronomical 8,250 rpm redline is the stuff of mechanical daydreams. Or at least it was.

[Source: BMW]

Dodge Charger saves life of suicide jumper

A 2008 Dodge Charger played the role of lifesaver on Tuesday when a man fell 400 feet and amazingly lived to see another day. The New York Post reports that 22-year-old Thomas Magill allegedly tried to commit suicide by jumping out of a 39-story New York high-rise when the aforementioned Charger broke his fall. Witnesses said that Magill flew through the air at "like 100 miles per hour" and landed on the Charger's rear window.

The man's impact sent glass flying everywhere and even knocked his tennis shoes clear off his feet and onto the windshield of another vehicle. After Magill hit the vehicle, witnesses claim the young man screamed that his legs hurt. Understandably.

While Magill lived through the tremendous fall, he's not out of the woods yet. He is reportedly listed in critical condition at a local New York hospital.

[Source: The New York Post]

Maybach Not Dead Yet

Conventional wisdom would say that 200 to 300 units of worldwide sales is far from sufficient to keep a car marque alive, and rumors of Maybach’s demise have been circulating for months. If Automobile is correct, the brand will not only soldier on, but will see a focus on growth through new models, thanks to Daimler’s Joachim Schmidt. Schmidt sees opportunity for the high end brand in China, North America, Russia, and the Middle East, but only if the product line is revised and updated.

All new Maybachs are expected to be built on the upcoming Mercedes S-Class platform, scheduled for launch in 2012. The Maybach range is expected to add a four door coupe and a long wheelbase convertible, while the 57 and 62 models continue in their present configuration on the new platform. A hybrid Maybach is also said to be in the works, but it’s expected to have a modest battery-only range and will only produce some 20 supplemental horsepower.

Let’s be honest, though: Maybach buyers don’t really care about fuel mileage or gasoline prices, and hybridization is just Daimler’s way of making the Maybach appear more green to EU regulators. With a base motor that cranks out about 545 horsepower and an uprated motor good for 630 horsepower, current Maybachs get a fuel economy rating of just 12 mpg; even a hybrid drivetrain won’t increase that substantially.