The Citroën C Elysée

Sebastian Loeb and Team Citroën unveiled the new C Elysée car and preview WTCC season at the Frankfurt Motor show 2013.

The Citroën C-Elysée WTCC is the very first vehicle to be designed in accordance with the new FIA regulations for the category, will be driven in the the World Touring Car Championship in 2014 by Sébastien Loeb.

The model is a C-segment saloon aimed principally at high-growth, international markets such as those in Latin America, the Mediterranean region, China and Russia.

According to Citroën, it is 30% ahead of its initial sales target, with 30,000 orders placed.

The car features 18-inch wheels, an integrated aerodynamic splitter, and widened front and rear wings.

The Citroën C-Elysée WTCC is powered by the same 1.6-litre direct injection turbocharged engine as the DS3 WRC. With a wider booster flange, power output is now close to 380bhp. The car comes with a front-wheel drive transmission, controlled by a six-speed sequential gearbox.

Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster

Following the successful launch of the coupe version of the Aventador in Summer last year,  Lamborghini is offering the Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster. The convertible version can immediately be recognized by the unique profile of its upper area, which extends along newly designed geometric lines from the removable roof to the engine hood.

This open-top luxury super sports car is powered by a 700-horsepower, 6.5 liter V-12 engine and mated to a ISR seven-speed transmission. The car goes from 0 to 62 mph in only 3 seconds. It is said to have a top speed of 217mph.

The Lamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 Roadster is listed at a cost of 300,000 euros (45,000 euros costlier than the closed version).

Jaguar launches the F-Type

This is the new Jaguar F-Type, a Two-Seater convertible sports car which was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, La Musee Rodin in Paris, France. It is the first time in nearly 50 years since Jaguar has come out with a 2 seater. Their last 2 seater was the Jaguar XK120 which was launched at the 1948 London Motor Show

Lana Del Rey with the F-TYPE

The car will go on sale in the summer of 2013.

Racing ladies

The TrueCar series focuses on an all female race car team and what it's like to be a woman in a male dominated sport. Gender does not matter.

Thanks for the links Alex.

Check out the videos:

Production model of the Invader TC-3 to be unveiled soon

The production model of the Invader TC-3 will be unveiled at this years 2011 SEMA Show. The Invader is a reverse trike with two steering front wheels and one rear drive wheel and comfortably seats two - an exciting fusion of bike and super car.

As compared to the prototype, the improved version has a longer and wider wheelbase for a better ride and handling, and we increased its width and height to make it more comfortable and easier to get in and out of.

The Invader features an enclosed cockpit complete with a roof and a tempered safety glass windshield. Its frame is constructed from one-and-a-half-inch tubular steel with a front crash zone, triangulated side protection bars and a complete roll-cage around the cockpit.

Inside there are two side-by-side fully adjustable race style bucket seats that will comfortably accommodate six foot plus occupants.

The Invader is powered by a 1,300 cc Hayabusa engine capable of delivering 197 horsepower to the 18-inch wide rear tire.According to their press release the can go from 0 to 60 mph in just under four seconds with a top speed of 150 mph. Stopping power is provided by front and rear discs equipped with four and six piston calipers respectively.

Last year's Invader prototype is pictured below:

Jaguar Reveals the C-X16

Today Jaguar revealed the production concept of their new sports car - the new C-X16 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The car's unveiling also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the iconic E-Type.

The C-X16 concept aims to set benchmarks in design, vehicle dynamics and technology for future Jaguar sports cars. The car represents a step forward from the 2010 Jaguar C-X75 supercar concept and works towards enhancing the driving experience as well as the car’s environmental credentials. It is also built and designed to a beautifully high spec, with the cabin trimmed in dramatic red leather.

The car is powered by an innovative supercharged 3.0-litre V6 producing 380PS (280kW) and 332lb ft (450Nm) of torque with an impressive 126PS specific power per litre. Mated to the engine is a eight-speed ZF gearbox with Quickshift changes. The high-performance hybrid system boosts output by 70kW and 235Nm with a top speed of 186mph, 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds and 50-75mph acceleration in 2.1 seconds. The electric-only top speed of 50mph.

The two-seater model is environmentally conscious with CO2 emissions of 165g/km. It also features a steering wheel-mounted ‘Push to Pass’ button controls the hybrid boost function. Intelligent Start/Stop for improved fuel economy.

David Coulthard drives the SLS AMG

Former F1 driver, David Coulthard takes the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG for a spin around the Isle of Man. Check out the drifts and handbrake-turns. Lucky fan, Carl Borthwick got the chance to ride along. I heard Coulthard took the car up to 160mph.

Check out the video:

Cars in your Dreams

As I was sat in my office working, a trio of exotic cars drove past my window. My colleague and myself started to talk about our dream cars and we came up with a list of cars we would like to own if we could and why. I thought that you might be interested in my selection. The five listed are cars which unfortunately, unless I win a lottery, will never be able to own. Still… one can dream…

1. Lamborghini Reventon

Driving in the Lamborghini Reventon is what I can only imagine to be the perfect driving experience. The two-seater open top is the dream vehicle of choice for many a thrill seeker. It has a luxury sleek style and with a 6.5l twelve-cylinder engine it can zoom from 0 to 62mph in only 3.4 seconds.

2. Lotus Exige S 240

This masterpiece of English manufacturing is one of the most sought after cars available today. With a fixed-roof, this sleek sports car is totally suitable for everyday street driving, but can reach top speeds of 150mph and from a standstill 100mph comes up within 4.1 seconds. Sadly, this 1.8 litre is out of reach for many, with a price tag of around £45,000, though it is still one of the most affordable dream cars around.

3. Ferrari Enzo

Ferrari is perhaps the most famous super car producer in the world and the Enzo certainly lives up to expectations. The high performance sports car has an extremely beautiful body and comes in Ferrari red. As well as a carbon fibre body, this dream machine features a V12 engine with four valves per cylinder.

4. Aston Martin DB9

No wonder Aston Martins are a favourite with 007. The DB9 is a high-class automobile with a beautifully sleek design. The Grand Tourer is a favourite among racing fanatics and those who wish to drive around feeling the ‘bees knees.’ Achieving 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, no wonder its one of the most desirable cars out there.

5. Bugatti Veryon

No surprises here that the fastest driving car in the world enters my top five. Many a man’s dream is to own the Bugatti, but with a price tag of £1,150,000 unfortunately it's not remotely affordable by many of us mere mortals. The car can reach a top speed of 253.2mph, which reflects in the price. Despite the price tag, the Bugatti has been voted one of the most desirable cars on the market, as well as being arguably, the fastest in the world.

These are my top five cars and unfortunately it is very unlikely I will ever be able to own any of them. Of course, this doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to experience the thrill of driving one. Try searching for Red Letter Days Discount Vouchers or Red Letter Days Discount Codes on the net and see what deals you can find.

Many ‘Red Letter Day’ trips include driving some of the world’s most supreme super cars. They also make good presents, just imagine how you would feel if you opened a birthday card, only to find you have been given the opportunity to drive one or more of the most inspirational and breathtaking cars ever to have been manufactured.

So what are your dream cars?

Lotus inspired Proton car

Proton, the Malaysian car company recently launched the Satria Neo R3 Lotus Racing edition. Meant to commemorate the Lotus Formula One racing team, the car wears the traditional Lotus green and yellow racing colours.

The car is powered by a retuned version of Proton's 1.6-litre CamPro CPS engine. Special features include the R3 Tuned Öhlins Coil-Overs Dampers and Öhlins DFV (Dual Flow Valve) technology. This 5 speed manual car has a maximum power of 145bhp at 7000 rpm and can go from 0-100Km/hour in 9.2 seconds.

The car is currently available at RM115,000 which is approximately around £23K. So far, there is no news of it being exported to the UK.

McLaren MP4-12C unveiled

Formula One team McLaren has unveiled a road car - the McLaren MP4-12C. This car will be built near their group's headquarters in Woking in Surrey. According to McLaren, the factories should employ some 800 people and produce 4,000 cars per year.



The cars will cost approximately £125,000 and £175,000. I don't really agree with McLaren chairman Ron Dennis, when he says that it is an "affordable sports car". I guess it is cheaper than the Ferrari and Porsches. According to news reports, the MP4-12C powered by a 3.8 litre V8 twin turbo engine can accelerate to 60mph from rest in just 3.4 seconds.

The sexy looking car features gull-wing doors.

Their McLaren Automative website is still under construction.

Audi R8 concept

Audi calls it "the slowest car we have ever built".

Well! I don't call a car with a max. speed of 187mph and goes from 0 to 62mph in 4.6 seconds, slow.



Powered by a V8 4.2 FSI engine, the Audi R8 is a mid-engined sports car which was officially launched at the Paris Auto Show on 30 September 2006.

Jeremy Clarkson thinks that it is even better than the Porsche 911 Carrera S. Read his article here.

Recommended prices for the manual version is £78,196 while it is £83,395 for the R Tronic version.



Why am I writing about the R8?

Well, take a look at their "Godfather" Super Bowl commercial.



Audi recently showed off their new R8 concept at the 2008 North American International Auto Show. The new car features the first 12-cylinder diesel engine in a high-performance road sports car - the V12 TDI engine. It has a displacement of six litres which generates 500PS and 1,000 Nm of torque.

New Turkish sports car launched

Ilker Yoldas who blogs at The Thinking Blog informed me about the launch of a Turkish sports car - the Etox. It will be available in 3 different engine versions, namely:
- 1.5 liter, 125 bhp diesel engine
- 3.0 liter, 220 bhp diesel engine
- 3.0 liter V6, 272 bhp petrol engine



The company is called Etox Zafer and is based in Ankara. The car was launched on August the 30th - on Zafer Bayramı (Victory Day).

So went over to their website to check it out. Nice to see that they have an English version page. However, I was disappointed as the site doesn't provide any more technical specifications of the car apart from the the engine. According to the site:

The company still keeps many technical specifications of this car as a secret in order to create a marketing buzz.

The site has an over all amateurish feel - I mean they could have come up with some higher resolution pictures of the car.

It was also quite funny to see Google ads plastered everywhere. Among others they were advertising Suzuki and Skoda cars. It's not everyday that you see a car manufacturer advertising other companies on their site.

I learnt later that the Etox is technically not Turkey's first sports car model. The first was the STC-16. Designed by Eralp Noyan, it was in production between 1973 and 1975.

Source: http://wowturkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11088

Here a video clip of the new Etox:



Read Ilker's post as well: Unveiled: World's First Turkish Sportscar. Thanks for the buzz Ilker.