La Dolce Veloce

The Aston Martin Project One-77 was officially unveiled in Italy over the weekend (a rolling chassis, and pictures, were shown in Geneva in March). This very limited production car (77 will be produced) won’t be cheap, expect a sticker price of close to two million dollars. A 700hp V12 will propel this beast to 60mph in around 2.5 seconds, with a top speed of more than 200mph. (via AutoWeek)

Bugatti is joining Maserati, Porsche, and Aston Martin in going after the extreme-luxury four door car market. The Bugatti Royale will be shown at the Frankfurt show this fall, and will not be on the market for some time yet (maybe 2011 model year?). Power will come from the Veyron’s W-12 motor, though it’ll be mounted up front in the Royale. (via AutoExpress)

If the show Seinfeld were still airing, they’d probably find a good way to make fun of this Bertone’s name, ‘Mantide’. Alas, Seinfeld has run its course, so all we can do is step back and admire this beautiful Italian creation. Bertone created this carbon fiber supercar using a Corvette ZR1 as a starting point. As such, performance is stellar (slightly improved from the ZR1, with 0-60 in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 217mph). The story might end there, except that this isn’t your typical concept car. Being based on a production car, this show car can and will be sold once it’s done making the rounds of the shows, and more importantly, if there’s sufficient demand, Bertone will produce additional copies. The price? Well, if you have to ask…you can’t afford it. More pictures and info can be found at AutoExpress, Top Gear, and Pistonheads.

AC Cars is launching a new version of the well-known Cobra. This modern interpretation breaks away from the racing heritage in favor of wider appeal, featuring a new fast-back style hardtop with gullwing doors, air conditioning and a luxurious leather trimmed interior. No word yet on whether these will be exported outside of Europe. Read more over at Pistonheads.

It seems that open wheel street-legal cars are all the rage these days for the true automotive purists. The latest entry in this niche segment is this beautiful machine, the Deronda G400. Originally developed in the UK, the G400 features a mid-mounted Corvette V8 in a tubular steel chassis, cloaked in beautiful bodywork. When originally designed, it used an Audi four cylinder powerplant, but when US based Autosport Development obtained licensing rights to it, they reengineered it to accept the large Chevy V8 (which led to a longer wheelbase, modified suspension, and larger brakes). Needless to say, the result is blindingly fast! Read more about it over at Autoblog.

Aston Martin officially unveiled the four seat, four door Rapide today (well, they released the first official picture, the actual car won’t be shown to the public until later this year). Power comes from the DB9′s 6.0 liter V12, driving the rear wheels (naturally). Deliveries will begin in 2010. (via AutoExpress) Continue Reading »

Now THIS is what a Corvette should look like! This bold coupe is a modified C6 Corvette, receiving this beautiful body and power upgrades as well (up to 999hp, if you so desire). The bodywork alone will set you back almost $70k, with engine modifications an additional charge, but you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a unique, fast vehicle as a result. More pictures over at Pistonheads.