Tuesday, 10 November 2015

Iconic Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Racecar Restored to Full Glory

Iconic Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Racecar Restored to Full Glory

Iconic Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Racecar Restored to Full Glory

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The Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Le Mans Homologation Special has been fully restored after an extensive six-month process.

Making its debut at the 2015 Dubai Motor Show, the Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Le Mans Homologation Special was originally created so that the iconic front-engine Esperante GTR-1 could compete in the 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans and other endurance racing events. The racecar went on to capture 20 podium finishes with five overall wins and nine class victories while being powered by a 6.0-liter Ford-based V8 engine.

For the street version, Panoz outfitted the Esperante GTR-1 Homologation Special with a front-mounted, fuel-injected 6.0-liter V8 engine with over 600 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. The powerplant is mated to a six-speed ZF transmission and the production car weighs a scant 1,980 pounds. Braking performance comes in the form of Brembo eight-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers in the rear, while 18×10.5-inch OZ Racing center-lock wheels are bolted on all four corners wrapped with 285/40/18 tires.

SEE ALSO: 2015 Panoz Esperante Spyder Revealed for 25th Anniversary

It also sports a full leather interior, is street legal and is driven on occasion, according to Panoz, which owns the car. Throughout its entire existence, it has remained in the Panoz collection at the company's headquarters in Braselton, Georgia.

Although Panoz has no plans of parting with this particular Esperante GTR-1 Homologation Special, it did say it could create a near-exact carbon fiber replica or a modified version using alternate composites and lightweight technologies for an interested customer. It comes at a price though, starting from $890,000.

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Audi R8, RS7 Performance and S8 Plus Debuting in US this Month

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Audi has confirmed that at least three models will be making their U.S. debuts at the 2015 L.A. Auto Show later this month.

Headlining its U.S. debuts will be the second-generation Audi R8, while the new RS7 performance will make its auto show debut in Los Angeles. Strengthening the brand's position in the luxury sedan segment will be the S8 plus, boasting new exterior design elements and a powerful 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that breaks the 600-horsepower barrier.

The 2017 Audi R8 is the fastest and most powerful Audi of all time, developed in close cooperation with Audi Sport engineers, race drivers and developers. In fact, the Audi R8 and R8 LMS race car were developed together and share approximately 50 percent of the same parts, including the V10 engine. When the 2017 Audi R8 goes on sale spring 2016, it will be powered by a 5.2-liter V10 with either 540 hp or 610 hp.

SEE ALSO: 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show Coverage

The new Audi RS7 performance will pack 605 hp, a noticeable improvement over the current RS7 with 560 hp. It also features striking RS design changes that gives it a higher level of sportiness and refinement.

"The Audi Sport and performance models have always been an essential part of our brand's character," said Filip Brabec, director of product management for Audi of America. "The Audi R8, RS 7 performance and S8 plus represent the maximum of Audi performance, premium design and technology for our customers."

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Production Hyundai Genesis G90 Pretty Much Revealed Under a Sheer Blanket

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The Hyundai Genesis G90 will make its debut next month in Korea, but we're getting a pretty good look at what the production model will look like.

Recently teased by the Korean automaker, the Genesis G90 will make its U.S. debut at the 2016 New York Auto Show, but only after it bows in Hyundai's home market as the EQ900. The G90 will be the Korean automaker's first model for its Genesis luxury sub-brand, serving as a replacement for the Hyundai Equus.

The new sedan has been teased under a thin cloth, looking like the renders Hyundai recently released. It appears that the luxury sedan will feature a prominent grille up front, stylish headlights and a sleek four-door profile.

SEE ALSO: The Genesis G90 is the Next Hyundai Equus

Following the Genesis G90, Hyundai will introduce a G80 on the market as a 2017 model year, replacing the current Genesis sedan. A year later, Hyundai will launch a third, smaller sedan sporting the G70 nameplate before diving into a coupe, crossover and SUV to round out its lineup by 2021.

Expect more information on the Genesis G90 and the Genesis luxury sub-brand once the sedan is fully unveiled next month in South Korea as the EQ900.

[Source: The Korean Car Blog]

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Toyota Could Be Making the Hardcore FR-S of Your Dreams a Reality

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Toyota has filed a patent hinting that the Subaru STI Performance Concept will head to production, which means we could also have the hardcore FR-S of our dreams.

Filed in Japan, the patent was approved earlier this month with the application crediting Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru, as the creator. Considering the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ is the result of a collaboration between Toyota and Subaru, it's no surprise that both automakers would be used in the patent filing.

Ever since the Subaru STI Performance Concept debuted earlier this year at the New York Auto Show, rumors have been stirring that it would become a reality. The big question is whether or not Toyota and Subaru will find a way to eke out more performance, especially since the concept sported 350 horsepower

SEE ALSO: Subaru STI Performance Concept Makes 350 HP

The more interesting part is that much of the STI Performance Concept features parts from Subaru's STI division. If Toyota was to offer its own version, it appears that it will borrow styling from the STI Performance Concept but Toyota could go the route of outfitting it with TRD performance parts instead.

Recently, Fuji Heavy Industries' president confirmed that a next-generation BRZ and FR-S will be developed and perhaps a high-performance variant is being considered to hold enthusiasts over until the second-generation model is available.

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Subaru Teases Impreza Sedan Concept, But We Already Know How It Will Look

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Subaru has released a shady teaser image for its Impreza sedan concept, which will be unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show next week.

Luckily, we already know what it will look like because the Japanese automaker unveiled the hatchback version at the Tokyo Motor Show recently.

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The sedan will share the same front end as the hatchback version, but we can see from the teaser image that the roofline will have a sportier silhouette than the current Impreza sedan. Subaru has a habit of unveiling sweet-looking concepts and then toning them down too dramatically with the production models, but Subaru needs a style injection both inside and out, and this new look could be the ticket to making Subaru a more mainstream brand.

The redesigned Impreza sedan is planned to go on sale mid to late-2016. Stay tuned for more information, as AutoGuide.com will be in L.A. for the concept's official reveal.

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Hydrogen-Powered Honda Clarity to Launch in the US Next Year

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Honda's next-generation fuel cell car is coming to America soon.

The automaker has confirmed to AutoGuide.com that the new Clarity fuel cell model, which debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show recently, will be made available to customers in the U.S. next year. Honda did not, however, confirm if the car will be available for purchase or, alternatively, as a lease offering, like what is being offered in Japan.

The Clarity marks Honda's second production fuel cell model, with the FCX Clarity produced from 2008 to 2014. During that period, Honda leased just 46 of the cars to customers. The low take-rate is attributed mostly to the lack of hydrogen fueling stations.

ALSO SEE: Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Promises to be as Easy to Own as a Gas-Powered Car

"Certainly there is an infrastructure challenge," admits Jeff Conrad, senior VP and general manager of American Honda Motor Co., who said Honda is working to combat that by joining other automakers in the H2USA initiative that works to advance fuel cell adoption. The goal is to develop a proper hydrogen fueling infrastructure in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas.

Still, Honda isn't putting all its eggs in one basket. "We don't believe that in the future there is one vehicle that will define where the industry is," he said, but he did re-confirm Honda's position that hydrogen fuel cells are a part of it. "We're at the forefront of leading that charge."

The second-generation Clarity makes use of a fuel cell stack that's 33 percent smaller but 60 percent more efficient. Roughly the size of a conventional V6 engine, it can fit under the hood rather than under the seats or in the trunk. "This is a car that will meet everybody's needs," said Conrad.

Honda claims the emissions-free Clarity can travel up to 435 miles on a tank of hydrogen and be refilled in roughly the same amount of time as a conventional gasoline car: three minutes.

The Clarity will make its U.S. debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 18th.

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