Ridiculously Cool Roadsters Arrive in Geneva by Roding and Artega

Roding and Artega are corning the market on masterful roadsters at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The Roding Roadster 23 and Artega GT are gaining plenty of attention at the Geneva Motor Show, and for good reason too. The Roding Roadster 23 features Audi R8 side vents paired to aggressive styling while the Artega GT looks clean in white with a new removable panoramic roof.
Beginning with Roding's latest endeavor into excellence, the Roadster 23 will be produce in, fitting enough, 23 units and run on a BMW-sourced 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six rated at 320hp and 322 lb-ft.
For a Roadster with a curb weight of only 2,090 lbs, we expect performance to be equally as impressive as its aggressive styling. We have heard a claimed 0-62 mph sprint of a hair-drying 3.9 seconds.The Artega GT Roadster runs on a Volkswagen-sourced 3.6-liter V6 rated at 295hp and coupled with a six-speed DSG. Maximum performance is a rumored top speed of 167 mph. The Roadster looks almost identical to its hard-top counterpart, however it features a slick removable panoramic glass roof. The roof fits in the trunk for easy storage. Photos courtesy of Noah Joseph/ Autoblog.

Ridiculously Cool Roadsters Arrive in Geneva by Roding and Artega

Volkswagen Golf GTI Convertible Goes to Geneva

VW is planning an open-top Golf GTI for debut in March at Geneva.

Volkswagen will arrive at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March with an open-top variant of the Golf GTI. According to a report by AutoExpress, the German automaker will be unveiling its Golf GTI Convertible at the Swiss Show.The last time a VW Golf GTI Convertible was available was all the way back in the 1980s. That was during the Golf's first generation. Now in its fourth, the Golf GTI Convertible will mark its generation's 'last hurrah,' of sorts, as the next generation model will arrive in 2013.

In terms of power, the Golf GTI Convertible will run on a 2.0-liter turbocharged plant rated at 208hp.This same powerplant is currently available in the Eos and regular Golf Cabriolet, so this particular model will serve as the 'official' GTI Cabrio.What sets the new model apart from its stock counterpart is its suspention complete with Adaptive Chassis control and a slew of minor perks. Those come in the form of sports seats, GTI upgraded interior and a sportier body kit. Te Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet sits on a set of 17-inch alloy wheels.The Volkswagen Golf GTI Convertible is expected to price around £27,000. A more powerful R version could also be making its way out eventually, though nothing has been confirmed so far. If it does, it should price around £35,000.

2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Debuts at Chicago

Hyundai’s new hatch is rated at 148hp and boasts efficiency.

The Elantra Touring-replacing 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT has made its official debut at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. The South Korean hatchback features some impressive styling and should give the VW Golf, Mazda3 and Ford Focus a run for their money.
The 2013 Elantra GT runs on the sedan variant's 1.8-liter inline 4-cylinder, good for 148hp and 131 lb-ft of torque. Mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, the efficient motor returns an EPA rated 28mpg in the city and 39mpg on the highway.

A combined 32mpg is quite impressive and is helped by the Elantra GT's makeup, built from ultra-high- and high-tensile steel. As the lightest hatch in its class, it weighs in at 2,784lbs.

Featuring Hyundai's "Fluidic Sculpture" design language, the hatch boasts such amenities as automatic headlights, leather seating, heated front seats and a cooled glovebox. The Elantra GT also claims better passenger and cargo volume compared to its rivals the Mazda3, Focus, Golf and Toyota Matrix.

"[The] Elantra GT is a fun-to-drive, functional, five-door compact hatchback," said Mike O'Brien, Hyundai VP of Product and Corporate Planning.

"Elantra GT is the latest example of how Hyundai is redefining the compact car and setting new standards in automotive design, efficiency and functionality."Set to go on sale this summer, the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT is currently on display at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. Pricing is expected to fall somewhere in between $16-20K.

2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe Revealed in the Windy City

The Elantra Coupe has just arrived in the Windy City.

The 2013 Elantra Coupe has just made its debut at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. Hyundai's latest version of the industry-leading Elantra was an eye-catcher to say the least and shows the maturation of the South Korean automaker's "Fluidic Sculpture" design language.The two-door coupe version of the Elantra features a slightly redesigned front fascia and is just a skosh longer than the sedan. It measures 0.4 inches longer, yet maintains its same height (56.5 inches) and width (69.9 inches).
The Elantra coupe also takes the sedan's engine as well, meaning the 1.8-liter inline-4-cylinder engine carries over. It is rated at 148hp and 131 lb-ft of torque.The 2013 Elantra Coupe practically shares its efficiency ratings with the sedan, which is not surprising given all the similarities mentioned above. It returns 28mpg city and 39mpg highway with its six-speed automatic, while the six-speed manual returns a slightly more efficient 29/40mpg.

Ferrari’s New Ugly Duckling Might Turn Beautiful with Wins

After a disappointing 2011 season, Ferrari launched the F2012 to challenge for the F1 world title.

Amid heavy snowfall and arctic weather conditions (and probably driven in a red Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 from their hotel to the Ferrari factory) the two Ferrari drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, unveiled the Ferrari F2012.The F2012 is Ferrari's 58th contender for the F1 World Championship. It made its debut in front of a massive world audience who watched the live stream online from Ferrari HQ in Maranello, located in Northern Italy.

A few weeks ago, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo (who missed today's proceedings) said that he prefers a winning car to a beautiful one and that winning turns an ugly car into a beautiful one. Montezemolo knew in advance why he said it and after taking the wraps off the car, Massa described it politely as 'aggressive.' Ferrari's press release appropriately described it as "not aesthetically pleasing."

That description refers to the stepped nose, a result of Ferrari's interpretation of the new technical regulations that requires a lower front-end and a raised back-end.

These changes were made in order to raise the bottom part of the chassis as much as possible for aerodynamics purposes.The car was exposed from all angles as it stood on a rotating platform. When the back of the car was exposed, the diffuser area was blocked from view by a black bulkhead.The 2.4-liter V8 engine is an evolution of the one that powered last year's car. Much effort has gone into improving the engine's installation in the new chassis, so as not to penalize the aerodynamics of the car.

Ferrari engineers worked on improving the engine's performance drop off in order to maintain good characteristics even toward the engine's three race life-cycle.The engine's electronic management has been revised based on the modifications to the rules regarding the use of exhaust gases.The kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) maintains its low central location in the car (a choice also aimed at maximizing safety) and has undergone an update directed mainly at reducing its weight and improving the efficiency of some of its components.
Because of the arctic weather conditions, Ferrari had to cancel not only the media event but more crucially the F2012's first run on the Fiorano track in order to assess the car's system before testing starts in earnest next week in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.There are only 12 days of testing, said team boss Stefano Domenicali, and in this period Ferrari's new ugly duckling will go through the beauty salon and if the treatment proves successful by winning a few races, the F2012 will surely be considered a beautiful car.

Fiat Previews the 500L Ahead of Geneva

Fiat is bringing back the iconic 500 for the U.S. market.

After a 30-year hiatus from the North American market, Fiat is bringing the 500L back for a momentous return at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The redesigned 500 has been cruising the European market since 2007 and the Italian automaker has decided that it is time to bring it across the pond.The five-door 500L (L stands for 'Large') MPV looks great in its preview photos and comes with either a 1.4-liter gasoline engine and the brand's award-winning TwinAir engine.
A 1.3-liter turbocharged MultiJet II diesel powerplant will also be available.The Fiat 500L is scheduled to make its debut in March at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show and will begin sales in Europe during the 4th quarter of this year. The U.S. market 500L should go on sale early next year.

The Car That Could End Red Bull’s Grip on the F1 Title

The most technical-minded team in Formula 1 has launched an evolutionary car for the 2012 F1 Season.

Today McLaren revealed the MP4-27, its challenger for 2012 F1 world title in a media event that took place at the team's headquarters in Surrey, England, at the McLaren Technology Center.The team's pair of drivers, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, were on hand to discuss their expectations for the forthcoming season as the design team explained the new car's appearance.Per tradition, both Hamilton and Button took the wraps off the new car.
The car was painted with all the expected sponsors' logo with a dominant silver color (a reminder of the Mercedes V8 engine that will propel the car, perhaps). Beneath the surface of the MP4-27, there is a car that has been adapted to the new technical regulations of F1 (though they weren't extensive).The exterior of the racer resembles last year's model quite a bit. The chassis, however, was substantially revised from the ground-up with all major systems updated or redesigned for the new season. The most evident visual differences include more tightly-designed rear bodywork.

It was developed to improve air flow toward the rear of the car along with a revised cooling system which re-directs the gearbox oil-cooler. Last year's U-shaped sidepods have also been re-designed - a legacy of the FIA's new exhaust regulations that redefine the shape of the rear bodywork."We've changed the sidepods," said Lewis Hamilton. "We had the L-shaped sidepods last year. The front of the car is generally the same. Obviously the nose dips down a little bit different to last year; we've changed our wing mirrors a little bit, so hopefully we'll be able to see a lot better, which is something that I was pushing hard for.""Felipe [Massa] will be very happy with that."McLaren is proud of its drivers' line-up, which the team claims is the best in the field. This could be seen as a slight affront at the no. 2 drivers of the Ferrari and Red Bull teams, though it is a correct assertion. "Between them, they have scored 22 grand prix victories for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and are the strongest and most consistent driver line-up in the sport," the team said in a statement."For sure we are massively motivated for next year," said Hamilton after he helped Button taking the wraps off the car.

"We have a good-looking car; I think generally when the car looks good, it generally is good, so hopefully that reflects on the circuit."

When asked about their respective winter breaks, Hamilton replied: "I was over in the cold, in the mountains in Colorado, I wasn't missing the car too much."

Button responded "I've had a pretty good winter, spent quite a lot time away somewhere nice and warm to chill out and recharge my batteries but also to do a lot of training. I was back on 5 January, been spending quite a lot of time in the simulator and also just getting back to the way of life of -- of a driver, and then spending time here at the MTC."

The Formula 1 teams will launch their 2012 racing machines during the next fortnight.Stay tuned to Carbuzz.com for full coverage of the build-up to the 2012 F1 racing season. Check out the full unveiling of the McLaren MP4-27 below.

Ford Focus ST-R to Make its Racing Debut at Daytona Grand-Am 200

After a year in development and nearly five months after its public debut at the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show, Ford’s Focus ST-R will make its racing debut this Friday at the Grand-Am 200 that takes place at the Daytona Motor Speedway.
Competing in the Continental Tire Sport Car Challenge ST class, the racing version of the production Focus ST is a fully prepared competition car. It sports a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, a new suspension specially tuned for track use, updated brakes and an FIA-approved roll cage.
The Blue Oval of course, is keen to stress the similarities between the production car and the racer.
Ford’s global motorsport activities Jost Capito said: “The road-going Focus features best-in-class handling, powertrains and brakes and has helped us develop a global technical specification for teams wanting to race the new Focus cost effectively.”
For the time being, the Focus ST-R is homologated for American and Canadian touring car racing series only and is available to order from Ford’s North American dealers.
However, Ford expects that customer teams will participate in a variety of series worldwide, including endurance races such as the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.