Monday, November 1, 2010

No Mr. Bond, I expect you to buy: 007’s DB5 fetches US$4.6 Million at auction


Well, it's done. The world's most famous Aston Martin was sold last week for a whopping £2,912,000 (US$4,608,500) by RM Auctions of London. The price includes a £30,000 tailored suit by Gieves & Hawkes of Savile Row (who dressed Sean Connery from Dr No to Diamonds are Forever) and a 7 night stay for 10 guests at Ian Fleming's former estate in Jamaica, valued at £40,000.

The new owner is an American business man by the name of Harry Yeaggy, who plans to put the car on public display in Ohio. Don't feel too sorry for the Aston's seller and only other ex-factory owner, Philadelphia radio broadcaster Jerry Lee, though. He's got a good return on his original investment of $12,000 in 1969 (equal to around US$71,400 in today's money, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics), all of which will be going to his self-named charity.

The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 should need no introduction. It was driven by Sean Connery's James Bond in Goldfinger and Thunderball and is probably one of the most iconic cars to ever grace the silver screen. This particular example comes with the trademark Silver Birch exterior and dark grey (not black) interior trim and a 282 bhp (210 kw) 4.0 L inline six mated to a 5sp manual transmission.

Read more »

SEMA Show: Corvette Jake Edition and Z06X Track Car Concepts


After the two Camaro concepts (see here), it's Corvette's turn to show up in style at the SEMA Show. Behold the Corvette Jake Edition and Z06X Track Car concept models.

First up is the Jake Edition Concept featuring the skull mascot known as Jake, which started off as a discrete logo on Corvette racing cars back in 2005. GM considers that it embodies the determination and triumphs of the Corvette Racing team, so it built a special concept vehicle to honor it.

Read more »

Nissan Clones the Renault Twizy EV


Nissan has unveiled a two-seater electric city car concept named the New Mobility Concept or NMC for short. If it reminds you of a recently seen model, then you've got a good eye, because the NMC is nothing more than a rebagded version of the Renault Twizy, which made its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show last month.

Read more »

Hyundai Equus Receives the VIP Treatment and 450HP Turbo V8 by Mummbles Marketing [Updated]


[*Updated with photo gallery] And yes, we have a third tuned Hyundai Equus ready to take the ride to Las Vegas for the 2010 SEMA show - see the other two proposals here and here. This time the culprit responsible for the tune is Mummbles Marketing, which created the 450-horsepower-strong, VIP themed "Elegant Equus".

Read more »

Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s 1969 Mustang RTR-X to debut at SEMA Show


Back in June, Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Mustang RTR teamed up with Need for Speed to create the 1969 Mustang RTR-X. This classic build with modern-day hardware will make its physical debut at this week's SEMA Show and its "virtual" premiere in an upcoming Need for Speed video game.

Read more »

Bad Boy 2011 Hyundai Sonata Turbo by Rides and 0-60 Magazines


In what is surely a sign of the times, Hyundai will be represented by a slew of customized cars at the 2010 SEMA Show, which runs from November 2 to 5. For the creation of this nicely done example of the 2011 Sonata Turbo, Hyundai teamed up with RIDES and 0-60 magazines. According to the South Korean automaker, the customized Sonata Turbo's styling was inspired by Ferrari, Mercedes and Porsche models.

"The Sonata Turbo is an ideal platform for us to bridge the worlds of performance, aesthetics, luxury, technology and style," said Ben Harris, executive publisher, RIDES and 0-60 magazines. "The design we've chosen will accentuate the car's lines and style, using influences from exotic supercars."

The designers claim to have used styling cues from the four-door Brabus Mercedes CLS Rocket for the car's exterior modifications, which combine a matte pearl white paint with a set of blacked out 20-inch wheels, custom LED fog lights, and a slew of carbon fiber parts including the roof, grill, side mirrors and rear diffuser.

Read more »

Chevy to Premiere New Synergy Series and Concept Versions of 2011 Camaro at SEMA


Chevrolet will use this week's SEMA show to display two new special edition models and two concept versions of its 2011 Camaro. The new production models are the Camaro Synergy Series and XM Accessories Appearance Package, both of which will be available for order in the 2011.

The 2011 Synergy is a follow up to last year's Synergy Green special-edition car, which proved popular enough for Chevy to make the series an annual affair. The 2011 model gets a Cyber Gray exterior finish with an exclusive gray interior featuring red accent stitching throughout, along with a combination of parts that are not available on the normal production models.

The second special edition model is the XM/Accessory Appearance Package, which will be available with the V6 engine only. It comes in an Imperial Blue color sporting several standard goodies such as 21-inch wheels and cold air intake system.

Finally, the two concept models are the Camaro Red Flash and SSX Track Car, each crafted with a blend of original Chevy accessories and new concept parts that could be made available in the near future. Hit the jump for detailed info on specs and a high-res photo gallery.

Read more »