Car Obsession - All the automotive news you desire

Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on the 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder convertible. Here is an excerpt from Road & Track with some of the newest details:

"The world debut of the 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder at the Los Angeles Auto Show is designed to build on the success of the coupe version, which was launched in early 2008.

According to Lamborghini president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann, "With the Spyder, we are now unveiling a car that is quite simply a new dimension of the latest Gallardo range."

Underpinning the car is the same mechanical package of the coupe — a brawny V-10 engine that produces 560 bhp, delivered to all four wheels. In addition to delivering 40 more horsepower than the previous-generation Gallardo, the new generation model is also lighter, further improving the car's power-to-weight ratio. The drivetrain includes Lamborghini's e.gear automated manual that has an automatic mode or can be shifted manually via steering wheel-mounted paddles. Improvements to the e.gear transmission have reduced shift times by 40 percent.

Lamborghini claims a 0–100 km/h (62mph) acceleration of just 4.0 seconds and 0–200 km/h (124 mph) in 13.1. Top speed is listed at 201 mph.

Unlike the trend toward retractable hardtops, the Gallardo LP 540-4 Spyder employs a soft top that when in place, nicely integrates with the lines of the car. Although the styling is similar to the coupe's, the Spyder looks slightly more aggressive and muscular thanks to its more prominent haunches that house the convertible mechanism. The power top takes just 20 seconds to open or close. One unique feature of the top: The backlight functions as a wind blocker when the roof is stowed."

Labels: 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder, Gallardo pictures, Lamborghini specs

This video is over two weeks old now, an eternity in Internet time, but in case you haven't seen it, here is the best garage you will ever see.

Labels: rising Lamborghini garage, Ultimate Lamborghini Garage, underground garage

An excerpt from Road & Track:
"Lamborghini says the Estoque is more than just a roomy Maserati Quattroporte. The Estoque's front/mid-engine layout, all-wheel drive and low center of gravity virtually guarantee superb handling and ideal traction — they would be needed, given the car's 560-bhp Gallardo-based V-10, which makes for a top speed of 190 mph. There could be a turbocharged V-8 option, as well as a turbodiesel. Lamborghini chief engineer Maurizio Reggiani points out: 'Diesel and downsizing are very interesting topics. A mild hybrid could be possible, as well.'"

Labels: Estoque Pictures, Lamborghini Estoque Concept, Lamborghini Estoque Specs

Happy belated Halloween! To continue the spirit, here is an article about the top ten scariest looking cars of all time, including the Mercury Marauder, Buick GNX, and the infamous Rolls Royce Phantom Jonckheere.

Click here for the full article.

Labels: Buick GNX, Mercury Marauder, Rolls Royce Phantom Jonckheere, Ten scariest cars of all time

Honda fans, feast your eyes on the S3000 concept:



quoted from Raod & Track

"A typhoon of rumors has been swirling around Honda's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, about the company's next generation of sports cars. While we have already seen spy photos of the future NSX, we have not seen anything about the next-generation S2000. A source close to the company revealed that Honda is indeed in the process of building such a car, but wouldn't disclose specific details.

The OSM (Open Study Model) concept car definitely raised some eyebrows recently at the London show, but that car was just a convertible version of the CR-Z hybrid sports car shown at the Tokyo Motor Show last year. The OSM was penned by Honda's European design team, and our people tell us that the real S2000 successor will have much more influence and input from Japan. Also, the CR-Z and OSM have been engineered as front-engine/front-wheel-drive models, and the S2000 successor will no doubt be a rear-wheel-drive car. So apparently the OSM has nothing to do with the S2000 successor. Or does it...?

There's the possibility that the OSM may very well be a design study of the next S2000, wearing the veil of an open-top CR-Z to throw us off. There was also a sighting of a mysterious prototype sports car near Honda's R&D headquarters in Japan that seemed to share the OSM's proportions, yet looked completely different. Could this be another design study of the S2000? We think so, so we took pieces of that car, melded it with the OSM and came up with this image, a handsome car with an Audi R8-esque face, a long hood and a profile reminiscent of the current S2000.

As for what will go under the hood is still unclear. There have been rumors that Honda may equip the car with a V-6, perhaps a new 3.0-liter or the 3.5-liter in the Acura TL, thus the name S3000. In the U.S., this makes sense because it would give the car much more low-end torque (something we Americans love), not to mention improved smoothness and quietness for freeway driving.

With such an engine, you can expect power to be in the 280- to 300-bhp vicinity, enabling a 0–60 run in the sub-5-second range. The more probable choice is a 2.2- to 2.5-liter inline-4. Honda, which has traditionally shied away from big-displacement powerplants, may feel that a 4-cylinder engine makes more marketing sense in this age of high gasoline prices. There's also talk of a simple hybrid system.

Only those directly involved with the next-generation S2000 project know for sure what the car will be like. We'll know for sure in 2011, after Honda releases the NSX and CR-Z."

Labels: Honda S3000, Honda S3K, Next Gen S2000, S3000 news, S3000 pictures

Why would the cancellation of a car make headlines? Because we are talking about the beloved Toyota Supra.



The concept for the next gen Supra, shown above, will not make it into production unfortunately due to "the high mpg requirements in the US."

Labels: Next gen Toyota Supra, Supra cancelled, Supra concept, Toyota Supra

You are looking at the new Ferrari California, which Ferrari claims to be "aimed at owners who desire a car which embodies everything the Prancing Horse represents in terms of sporty design and innovation, but also seek a car with greater versatility than ever."

To start, the California will feature a fully retractable roof, with the rear deck completely flat when the top is down. The 4.3L V-8 produces approximately 460 BHP, and features Ferrari's first dual-clutch gearbox which features 7 forward gears.

Labels: Ferrari Cali, Ferrari California, Ferrari California pictures, Ferrari California specs