FEATURES: Eight Great Volkswagen-Italdesign Collaborations(1970)

1970 VW-Porsche Tapiro

The notion of an entry-level Porsche roadster -- built with some help from Volkswagen -- wasn't a horrible idea, but the blocky styling used on the 914 was divisive, to say the least. Giorgetto's solution was simple: take one 914/6, strip it down to the floor pan, and replace the awkward bodywork with a sleek coupe body.


The "folded paper" look may have been commonplace in the 1980s, but a decade prior -- when the Tapiro was unveiled at the Turin motor show -- the result was rather groundbreaking. Gullwing doors provided access to not only the interior, but also the engine compartment and luggage bay -- a subtle nod to the DeTomaso Mangusta which Giugiaro himself styled during his tenure at Ghia.

Unlike many concepts, which are little more than large plaster models, the Tapiro was a fully functioning automobile. After two years of touring the auto show circuit, Italdesign sold the car to a Spanish industrialist. Legend has it the Tapiro served as his daily driver until it was bombed by a group of striking workers. The remains - which were never reassembled -- currently rest in Italdesign's corporate museum.

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source by automobi

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Mercedes-Benz Crafts GT3 Racing Car Out of SLS AMG

Mercedes-Benz Crafts GT3 Racing Car Out of SLS AMG

Mercedes-Benz’s legendary 300 SLR was explicitly built for racing, not the street.  So perhaps it’s fitting that its spiritual successor -- the new 2011 SLS AMG -- will also be offered in a track-ready version.

The car, likely dubbed the SLS AMG GT3, is designed to compete in the FIA’s GT3 racing class alongside competitors like the Audi R8 LMS, BMW Z4 GT3, and the Aston Martin DBRS9. Overall, the car looks largely stock, although it is treated to taller side sills and bumper fascias for aerodynamics, a gigantic rear spoiler, and sliding Plexiglas window inserts.

We’ve yet to see an official release on the racer, but expect it to be much lighter and somewhat more powerful (i.e. 600 horsepower from the 6.2-liter V-8) than the roadgoing model.

AMG says it should have cars delivered to customers before the start of the 2011 GT3 season.

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Mercedes-Benz Anticipates No U.S. CAFE Penalty in 2010

Mercedes-Benz Anticipates No U.S. CAFE Penalty in 2010
In previous years, Mercedes-Benz occasionally has had to pay penalties because its corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) figure fell beneath standards set by the U.S. government. That will soon change, as the automaker expects to meet the 2010 CAFE standards.

Starting this summer, all of Mercedes-Benz’s six- and eight-cylinder engines will use direct injection, which covers every car the automaker sells in the U.S. According to Dr. Thomas Weber, Mercedes-Benz’s head of research and development, this development played a large part in helping the automaker meet the U.S. standard.

 “Even for 2009, we aren’t likely to pay much in the way of penalties,” Weber told Automobilwoche. “From 2010 on, we won’t pay anything. That is clearly our goal.”

Vehicles like the new S400 and ML450 Hybrids will certainly help, but Mercedes-Benz is moving towards using forced-induction engines with smaller displacement. For instance, the new twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter destined for its AMG line is reportedly 25-percent more fuel-efficient than the 6.2-liter V-8 it replaces.

We’re not surprised this is a major focus for Mercedes-Benz. In 2006, the company faced a record $30.3 million fine, and a similar $28.9 million fine in 2007. If Weber’s estimations prove correct, Mercedes-Benz has come a long way to reduce fuel consumption while offering customers the power they’ve come to expect.

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Audi's Stronghold in China Threatened by BMW, Mercedes-Benz

For the last 20 years, Audi has been top dog in the Chinese luxury auto market. Now its reign could be threatened as BMW and Mercedes-Benz begin to gain traction in the emerging market. 

"Mercedes and BMW have more up side than Audi in emerging markets, so it will be difficult for Audi to achieve its target," London-based automotive analyst Arndt Ellinghorst told Automotive News.

As the world's single largest automotive market, Chinese customers are increasingly important to BMW and Mercedes. As a result, both have crafted vehicles specifically aimed at the Chinese market. Tomorrow at the Beijing auto show, BMW will unveil an extended 5 Series, while Mercedes is set to debut its new longer E Class. The reasoning for extended wheelbases is that the wealthier Chinese population is typically chauffeured. 

Earlier this month, Audi posted its first quarter sales figures. With a strong start to 2010, Audi was able to secure the second place spot in global luxury sales, bumping Mercedes down to third. The Ingolstadt based automaker hasn't fared so well in China lately. Over that last 6 years, Audi's market share has slipped from 66 percent down to 46 percent. BMW has climbed from 16 to 23 percent, while Mercedes more than doubled its share, from 7 to 16 percent.

Audi had 159,000 deliveries in 2009, but has a goal to sell 200,000 this year. On track for that target, it sold 51,449 in the first quarter this year. Last year BMW sold 90,500 vehicles, but is on track to surpass that mark, with 34,179 sold through March. Mercedes sold 24,100 vehicles in the first quarter of 2010, and should meet its 100,000 sales goal. BMW is investing $749 million in a new Chinese factory to double capacity to 100,000 units annually. Mercedes already has a 100,000 unit production capacity in China.  

"The potential of the Chinese market remains enormous, and our targets are correspondingly ambitious," Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said last week.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)

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