The Most Expensive Cars of 2007 – The Lamborghini Reventon Isn’t One Of Them...

Yes that’s right; the €1 million (approx $1.48 million with the current exchange rate) Lamborghini Reventon didn’t even come close to making it in Business Week’s list of the 15 most expensive cars sold in 2007. Heck, the least expensive car in the magazine’s list, the 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Corto, was sold in June this year for nearly double the price of a Reventon, at $2.8 million! The honor for the most expensive car sold in 2007 falls to a 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM Testa Rossa which changed hands in May for a record $9.3 million, making it the most expensive Ferrari ever sold. Ferrari’s seemed quite popular this year as eight models are included in the “top 15”. Follow the jump to see the comprehensive list. -Continued

The 15 Most Expensive Cars of 2007

$9.3 million - 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM

$5.7 million - 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM

$5.5 million - 1966 Shelby Cobra

$4,950,000 - 1959 Ferrari 250 GT

$4,510,000 - 1931 Bentley 4_-Liter

$4,455,000 - 1959 Ferrari 250 GT

$4,400,000 - 1935 Duesenberg SJ

$3,740,000 - 1933 Delage D8S

$3,564,000 - 1970 Ferrari 512S

$3,520,000 - 1884 DeDion, Bouton et Trepardoux

$3,267,000 - 1966 Ferrari 206 SP Dino

$3,118,500 - 1953 Ferrari 340 MM

$2,970,000 - 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Double Pullman

$2,821,500 - 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Competizione

$2,819,000 - 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Corto

Via: Business Week , Image: Sports Car Market

Video: Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster Replica

Here’s your chance to impress any gal… «smart» enough not to realize that this is not a $300k Lamborghini Murcielago and that the grunt from the dual exhaust pipes is not from a wild Italian V12 but from a provincial Chevy 5.7L V8 Vortec engine. However, for the $60k that the eBay seller is asking for the replica, you do get a remote controlled opening scissor doors, air suspension and rear wings. -Pics after the jump

Link: eBay

2008 Mercedes C-Class Estate by Carlsson

Even though the 2008 C-Class Estate (see video here) hasn’t been officially launched yet, Mercedes-Benz specialist Carlsson, has come out with a tuning kit that promises to enhance the new Estate in both visual and dynamic terms.

First of all, the diesel-powered Estate models receive a 20 percent increase in power and torque thanks to Carlsson’s ECU kit. Specifically, the C 220 CDI’s four-cylinder diesel unit generates 204 instead of 170 bhp and a torque of 480 instead of 400 Nm. The result is a second off the time for the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) dash and a reduction of 7 seconds in the 80 – 180 km/h (50 -112 mph) time. -Continued after the jump

The tweaked 6-cylinder C 320 CDI produces 269 bhp instead of 224 bhp while torque rises to 612 Nm, which is available from 1,600 to 2,300 rpm. According to Carlsson, performance figures are improved by around a second for the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h.

Finally, for the 3.5-litre petrol engine in the C 350, Carlsson’s offers a performance kit that rises output to 295 from 272 bhp and presses maximum torque of 385 Nm. The top speed of the tweaked C 350, which Carlsson calls the CK 35, is 168 mph or 270 km/h while the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes six seconds, four tenths faster than the standard car.

All versions of the C-Class Estate can be fitted with Carlsson’s suspension kit that uses sports springs. The Merc sits on 19-inch, 11-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres (front: 225/35 ZR19 , rear: 255/30 ZR19).

In terms of appearance, Carlsson offers an aerodynamic kit that consists of a front apron, a diffuser-look apron at the rear, side mouldings and a rear spoiler that stabilises the car at higher speeds. The kit also includes an electro-polished grille insert and double-headlight units with fog and driving lights.

Via: Le Blog Auto , Source: Carlsson

New Honda Fit - Jazz Named Japan Car Of The Year 2008

Honda's all-new Fit (known as the Jazz in Europe, Australia and other markets) has won the 2007-2008 Japan Car of the Year Award. It is the fifth time in the last 10 Car of the Year awards, including one for the first-generation Fit in 2001, that Honda has managed to grab the title in Japan. -Continued after the jump

Mr. Takeo Fukui, President and CEO, Honda. said, "We are honored that the new Fit has been chosen as Car of the Year Japan for 2007-2008 from a range of models from Japan and overseas. We are happy that so many people see the Fit as the ideal small car. We also appreciate the efforts of many people including the suppliers who supported our development and production. We will continue providing better satisfaction for our customers”.

Volvo Recalling 56,000 Cars Due To Material & Airbag Problems

Swedish carmaker Volvo has announced that it would recall 56,000 vehicles due to two different problems. The first recall involves 38,000 diesel cars in Europe of the S60, V70 XC70 and XC90 models made in 2006 due to a fuel injector plants material fault that could cause the motor to catch fire. The second recall, involving 18,000 of Volvo’s latest V70 and XC70 models, relates to an air bag problem in the side of the car. The cars have mainly been sold in Sweden, Britain and in the U.S.

VW Joins Consortium To Develop A New Generation Of Batteries

Volkswagen has joined forces with German companies BASF, Bosch, Evonik Degussa, Li-Tec and STEAG Saar Energie to develop a new generation of high-performance batteries for stationary and mobile operation. The project was presented during the Innovation Congress in Berlin with the theme "One Year of High-Tech Strategy - New Perspectives for Germany" which was initiated by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research.

The goal of the German alliance is to increase substantially the energy and performance density of the batteries and to accelerate the possible use in production. The participating industrial partners will invest around 360 million euros in this project in the coming years while the Federal Ministry for Education and Research will support the initiative with an additional 60 million euros. -Continued after the jump

Dr. Juergen Leohold, Head of Group Research at Volkswagen AG said, "In the future, there will be parallel use of various automotive drive systems, all the way to purely electric drive. A high-performance lithium-ion battery as the energy carrier will be a key technology. Therefore, it is sensible and necessary to combine the potentials for the research and development of this battery in an alliance for innovation. This way, synergies can be exploited and the development accelerated. For Volkswagen, this initiative is an important step on the way to zero-emission operation of vehicles."

Aston Martin To Build New Model Outside Britain

According to internal documents seen by the Financial Times, it is almost certain that Aston Martin will build a new model outside the UK for the first time in the company’s 93-year history. FT reports that a person close to one of the potential partners said Aston Martin will most likely choose the winning company in the next few weeks. Among the companies included in Aston Martin’s list are Italy’s Pininfarina group; Magna of Austria; Germany’s Karmann group; and Valmet, a Finnish group which builds the Boxster for Porsche.

New KLEEMANN Mercedes-Benz Chronographer

German tuning specialist KLEEMANN has created a new line of chronographers inspired by the company’s tuning and styling products for Mercedes-Benz. The WR338K Black Edition and White Edition Chronographs will be produced in a limited series of 338 handmade units referring to the 2003 KLEEMANN world speed record of 338 km/h at the Papenburg circuit in Germany. -Continued

Both watches are fitted with a crocodile grain black leather strap and come in a KLEEMANN gift box. The WR338K Chronographs are sold exclusively at KLEEMANN dealers at an MSRP of €675 (+ VAT) per watch. With the current exchange rates (Nov. 22) that translates to $1,001.

Blast From The Past: 2001 Volkswagen Nardo W12 Coupe

It’s not all about new or future cars here at Carscoop, we also have a never-ending love affair with the past. The Italdesign Giugiaro study of the W12 Coupe, also known as the Nardo was the final evolution of VW’s supercar project which started out in 1997 with the W12 Syncro Concept and continued with the 1998 W12 Syncro Roadster. The mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive Nardo was equipped with a 6.0-litre W12 engine delivering approximately 600 HP.

The Nardo had a top speed of 217 mph (349 km/h) and reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 3.5 seconds. Interestingly, VW prototype twice broke the world 24 hour speed record. In February 2002 it covered a distance 4,819.3 miles (7,749.4 km) at an average speed of 200.9 mph (322.89 km/h).

UK Workers Union Backs Tata In Jaguar – Land Rover Sale

India’s Tata Motor Company’s bid for Jaguar and Land Rover has received support from Britain's largest manufacturing union that represents Ford. Though the union backing is not essential for the sale, Ford will take it in consideration as the company will remain one of the most significant employers in the UK even after it gets “rid” of the two British brands. -Continued

As we speak, there are three main bidders for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands, two Indian companies, Tata and Mahindra & Mahindra and, One Equity, a JP Morgan-owned buyout group led by former Ford chief executive Jac Nasser. The three bidders made their presentations to representatives of the British union at Land Rover's factory in Solihull. After the presentation, Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of the manufacturing workers' union Unite, said: "Based on serving the best interests of the union members at Jaguar Land Rover, the stewards agreed that Tata best fit these criteria”.

Via: InidaTimes

Land Rover Reveals 60th Anniversary Defender Special Edition Model

Land Rover will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a new special edition of the iconic Defender – the SVX. Unveiled for the first time at the British Red Cross Ball in London on November 22, 2007, the SVX is considered by Land Rover as the most stylish and feature-packed version of the Defender ever produced. Of course, don’t expect any miracles as the Defender remains a working tool. -Continued after the jump

Dressed in metallic black paintwork and subtle satin black graphic decals, the Defender SVX will be available in both 90 soft-top and 90 station wagon versions. Distinctive exterior features have a contrasting silver finish, such as the unique 'Defender' and 'SVX' badges, tubular side-steps, and the bold surround for the front grille and new, clear-lens headlamps. All SVX models feature new, 'diamond turned' five-spoke alloy wheels, a reinforced aluminium front undershield and clear LED rear lights.

Inside, the limited edition model is equipped with custom-designed Recaro front seats, distinctive alloy gear knobs, a new audio system (with subwoofer and USB socket), iPod cradle and Garmin satellite navigation. The soft-top models also get a metallic silver tubular cage that supports a tailor-made, removable black fabric hood. Each SVX model for the UK will also come fitted with an individually numbered plaque, e.g. 001.

Land Rover will produce a total of 200 Defender SVX vehicles in the UK – 140 two-seat Defender 90 soft-tops and 60 four-seat 90 station wagons. Production of the Defender SVX will start in spring 2008, with deliveries to customers starting from early summer for soft-tops and later in the summer for station wagons. Prices will be announced in December, 2007.

Buy A SEAT Get Free Helicopter Lesson...

Other dealerships offer you a set of floor mats when you buy a car; others throw in a couple of accessories to sweeten up the deal, but not Parkstone Motor Company in Leigh-on-Sea, UK. The Essex Seat dealer is offering… a free trial lesson in a Robinson R44 helicopter lesson to customers purchasing anything from an Ibiza through to a range-topping Leon Cupra between now and the end of December! And those who don’t feel like taking the controls can opt for an hour long flight over London instead. -Continued after the jump

The promotion – believed to be the first of its kind in the UK – was the brainchild of Parkstone Sales Manager, Robin Hutchins, who is very pleased with its early success. He said: ‘We’ve been trading for 37 years and are the longest established SEAT dealer in the UK, so we’ve run dozens of promotions down the years – but this one has really taken off!

‘Flying a helicopter is something lots of people dream about doing but, for one reason or another, many of them never get round to it. For that reason, many of our customers have been really excited by this special offer.’

2010 Fiat Panda III Rendering

Ever since its world preview at the Geneva 2003 Salon, public demand has been high for Fiat’s versatile and spacious mini car. However, unlike its 3door predecessor which remained in production for… 23 years (1980 to 2003), Fiat will not wait until 2026 to present its successor. According to Fiat’s current product plan, the third generation Panda will be unveiled in early 2010. -Continued after the jump

The folks at Infomotori took the liberty to present a design proposition for the new Panda combining styling cues from the current model and Fiat’s latest design trends. The result is an eye-catching mini car that we’d have no problem at all seeing going into production.

Via: Infomotori

2018 Mazda3 Concept Taking Shape At The LA Show

As Mazda promised us, Mallory McMorrow's rendering that won the “2018 Mazda3 Design Challenge” is taking shape in the form of a life-size clay model at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show. According to Mazda, the clay model will be finished by the time the auto show comes to a close, on Sunday, November 25. We’ll have the full story as soon as the Japanese carmaker releases pictures of the finished vehicle later on this week, but in the meantime, follow the jump and check out our image gallery of the clay model being meticulously scraped into shape by the Mazda folks. -Continued after the jump

1973 Volkswagen Micro Bus Cabriolet

Talking about the Transporter’s (Micro Bus) production milestone in our previous post (click here), we dug into our photo gallery from the official event for the celebration of 60 years of Volkswagen vans held in Hanover, Germany. Among the selection of over 5,000 Transporter vans, we found a 1973 Bus which had been transformed into a… Cabriolet! Apparently not the coolest or safest Bus around, but if anything else, it does get heaps of attention. -More images after the jump