La Dolce Veloce

Mazda has released pictures of its new Mazda 3 hot hatch which is due to be unveiled at Geneva. You can expect a similar turbocharged powerplant with somewhere around 260-270hp. (via AutoCar)

Pistonheads reports that Aston Martin will be bringing a couple new gems to the Geneva Motor Show next month. First up in a convertible version of the DBS, no surprise there. The other will be a Vantage with a V12 under the hood! This was shown in concept form previously, but appears to have been given the green light for production.

Without a doubt, my favorite commercial from yesterday’s Superbowl had to have been the Mr. Potato Head commercial by Bridgestone. Check it out below.

Hulme. Yes, Hulme. From New Zealand. Ok, so they don’t quite have the brand recognition of a company like Ferrari, but they DO have a very capable design team and grand ambitions, as evidenced by their latest creation, the Hulme SuperCar (they don’t, apparently, have much of a Marketing department to work on new product names). The specs are what you’d expect for, err, a Supercar….V8 (from BMW), 550hp, rear wheel drive, AP brakes, carbon fiber and tubular steel construction, 2643lbs. Don’t expect to see this on US streets though.

The Italian company UK Garage has built one interesting Exige hybrid. Starting out life as an S1 Exige, the chassis was modified to provide a wider track and longer wheel base…so that a turbocharged General Motors 2.8 liter V6 could be installed. Well, that’s just one option. I expect many people will instead opt for the optional V8s (again, from GM), among which the options include the Corvette ZR1′s 638hp supercharged LS9! Yikes. The car also receives a modified front clamshell with styling lifted from the S2 Elise/Exige. (via AutoBlog)

These CAD images show the production version of the Aston Martin Rapide, due to be released this fall. It’s quite similar to the concept first shown at Detroit in 2006, with some minor difference to the front fascia being the most apparent. Performance will suit its looks (and price), with 0-60 taking around 4.5 seconds and a top speed in the neighborhood of 180mph. (via AutoCar) Continue Reading »

Photographers caught a near production-ready McLaren P11 (codename) testing recently. The mid-enginged sports car is expected to be powered by a Mercedes AMG-tuned 6.2 liter V8 producing 550hp, weigh around 1250kg, and be designed to compete against the Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo. So, perhaps not as revolutionary as the McLaren F1, but still a formidable machine. (via AutoExpress)