Mini Kills the Rocketman?

Mini is suspending work on the Rocketman, the United Kingdom’s Car magazine reports. The company has a load of new products debuting, but the mini Mini won’t be one of them.

This isn’t too much of a surprise. Last June, Mini told Automotive News that it feared that a Smart competitor wouldn’t be profitable.

Combine that with the fact that the mini Mini would require some investment from parent company BMW to meet current regulations. Crash performance in particular was a challenge. Stability and handling problems also played a part.

 

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120124/CARNEWS/120129935#ixzz1kPV4RtVU

 

1910 Flying Merkel Motorcycle Here

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Auctions America by RM enjoyed a successful debut in Las Vegas this past  weekend, selling more than $4.1 million worth of vintage motorcycles, with an  impressive 82 percent sell-through rate of all lots offered.

The event at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino Jan. 12-14 had strong  attendance, with thousands of enthusiasts gathering to see 490 motorcycles and a  range of bike-related memorabilia cross the auction block.

The top seller of the weekend was a beautifully restored 1910 Flying Merkel,  resplendent in the company’s bright orange coloring, that garnered $86,800.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120118/CARNEWS/120119827#ixzz1jqahs3i0

My dad used to live in Merkel, Texas. Thought I would to this post in tribute to him. He passed away over a year ago in Abeliene.

Cool Finds at The Curiosity Shop

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Found this site on Ebay. Sorry for the wee photos. Go to the sight for the real deals!

http://stores.ebay.com/TheCuriosityShop524

2013? Acura NSX Detroit Reveal

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The Acura NSX took on an aura of immortality the moment it died in 2005. Its legend only grew when a potential replacement was killed in 2008 amid the global financial crisis, dashing the hopes of enthusiasts everywhere. Finally, the return of the NSX was confirmed last year, and it will become production reality sometime in the next three years.

 

The Detroit auto show marks the coming-out party for the NSX, which was revealed in concept form with a number of many true-to-life features—some of which stand in stark contrast its forerunner. Namely, the concept is all-wheel drive, unlike the iconic rear-wheel original. This employs Acura‘s latest technology, using a two-motor electric-drive unit that can vary torque to the front wheels during cornering. There’s also a dual-clutch transmission with a built-in electric motor that’s said to aid acceleration.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120109/DETROIT/120109890#ixzz1j03gwZ8N

AC Schnitzer’s Takes on Mini Cooper coupe

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The Mini Cooper  coupe is still fresh–it hasn’t been out for more than a year. Now, German tuner  AC Schnitzer has taken it into the shop for some upgrades.

The company is working on performance upgrades for both the diesel- and  gasoline-powered cars, starting with a front limited-slip differential. The AC  Schnitzer diff can lock up to 75 percent, making corner exits both faster and  more accurate.

Schnitzer offers a high-performance brake system with four-piston calipers,  slotted discs, new brake pads, new  caliper holder and steel flexible brake lines. Elsewhere underneath, a  height-adjustable racing suspension is offered, or just a spring kit. The  company also will have an aluminum strut brace and antiroll bar to keep the  coupe even more planted in the corners.

Exterior and interior upgrades are available. Schnitzer offers a décor set  with different designs. They come with a sticker reading, “Technology &  Design.” Inside, the company will upgrade the pedals, gearshift, foot rests and  floormats with brushed versions or versions with logos applied. Bigger wheels  are also available with corresponding tires.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120105/CARNEWS/120109948#ixzz1icfApOLK

Lexus LF-LC Photos

Fresh photos of the stunning Lexus LF-LC  sports car were released on Wednesday ahead of the live debut next week at  the Detroit auto show.

Clad in a blazing shade of blood red, the LF-LC suggests a future sports car  for the luxury brand.  The concept has a 2+2 configuration and a hybrid powertrain. It was designed at  the company’s Calty studio in Newport Beach, Calif.

The shots show an angled, angry grille evidenced on the LF-GH concept at the  2011 New York auto show, which closely previewed the 2013 GS sedan.

The LF-LC concept also has blinged-out wheels, futuristic three-bulb  headlights and curvy fenders. More details will be revealed on Monday.

The Detroit auto show promises to be a sports-car shootout, as Acura has  confirmed that the NSX will bow there and Chevrolet is bringing two athletic  design concepts.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120104/DETROIT/120109973#ixzz1icWe2icj

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120104/DETROIT/120109973#ixzz1icQeilBp

 

Christmas Music Downloads 4/U (and more)

http://castleqwayr.wordpress.com/

Lexus sport-coupe concept slips out

Lexus had given us the heads-up that it was bringing a sports-coupe concept to the Detroit auto show. A teaser photo was released, but a full reveal was supposed to wait until the show in January.

That plan is toast, courtesy of the Internet. Road & Track magazine touted its next issue with a video on YouTube–since pulled–that revealed the Lexus LF-LC. Another photo of the car has shown up on the Web site of the U.K.’s Car magazine.

The LF-LC is another salvo in Lexus’s bid to boost the excitement level of its styling. The grille builds upon the nose that debuted on the LF-Gh concept that previewed the redesigned Lexus GS sedan. And the coupe styling makes us believe that Lexus is thinking that it might be possible to release a successor to the now-departed SC coupe, which was based on the platform used for the LS sedan.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20111221/DETROIT/111229981#ixzz1hCEjVE5v

BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe @Geneva

The 2013 BMW 6-series Gran Coupe, pictured here in production guise for the first time, arrives just 20 months after it was previewed as a concept car at the 2010 Beijing motor show. It joins the existing coupe and convertible in an expanded range of 6-series models aiming to attract buyers who place greater emphasis on outright style than sheer practicality. It will make its public debut at the 2012 Geneva motor show.

Stylistically, the Gran Coupe is identical to the second-generation 6-series coupe and convertible, from its forward-leaning kidney grille to the upper trailing edge of its windscreen. However, the car adopts a longer roof structure, shorter front doors, more substantial B-pillars and two conventionally front-hinged rear doors, providing it with added levels of everyday practicality. But to maintain a degree of coupelike style, all four doors are frameless.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20111211/GENEVA/312119999#ixzz1gMKBngEl

Euro Audi A1 Coming to the States?

Likely Not, Unless You Request