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James Bond's aquatic Lotus Esprit goes up for auction

James Bond’s Lotus Esprit submarine car from the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me is widely considered one of the most iconic film automobiles of all time, often topping polls conducted amongst movie fans. Now you have the chance to own this truly unique piece of movie history.

Despite the wide use of special effects today, the Lotus - lovingly nicknamed “Wet Nellie” on set – was a truly functional submarine. Built by Perry Oceanographic, based in Riviera Beach, Florida, the Esprit was piloted in the film by Don Griffin, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL. The construction of the one-off aquatic Lotus was reported to have cost over $100,000 at the time, well above the equivalent of $500,000 today.

After its 007 cameo, the Esprit was kept in a storage unit in Long Island, New York for a decade. After the storage account went delinquent, the unit was auctioned off in 1989 to an unsuspecting local couple who, after having the car positively identified, kept the car mostly under wraps only displaying it occasionally.

That will soon change, however, as James Bond’s aquatic Lotus will hit the auction block at an RM Auctions event in London between September 8^th and 9^th.

In 2010 James Bond’s DB5 from the Goldfinger and Thunderball movies sold for $4.4 million. No doubt the Lotus should, too, fetch a hefty price.

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Chevrolet to offer 69 built-to-order 2013 COPO Camaros

Chevrolet to offer 69 built-to-order 2013 COPO Camaros

The COPO Camaro is slated for new life in 2013 with just 69 examples to be built.

Named for the Central Office Production Order at General Motors from the 1960s that spawned the original 1969 Camaro ZL1 – complete with an all-aluminum 427-cubic-inch engine developed for the race track – the 2013 COPO Camaro will start at $86,000. None, however, will be issued with a VIN and therefore will not be road legal.For 2013 the limited run racecars are offered with three normally aspirated racing V8s and two transmission options. Buyers can choose a 350-cubic-inch engine rated at 325 horsepower, 396-cubic-inch engine rated at 375 horsepower, or a 427-cubic-inch engine rated at 425 horsepower. Bolted behind the Holly HP EFI-powered V8s will be either a new manual transmission or a Powerglide automatic.

Available in five colors; Black, Summit White, Victory Red, Silver Ice Metallic and Ashen Gray Metallic, the 2013 COPO Camaro will feature a “heritage” grille, a racing wiring harness, a revised racing suspension, and an integrated transmission cooler. Additionally, each COPO Camaro comes with a factory installed NHRA-approved roll cage. Sending all the power to the tarmac will be a solid axle rear-end with gearing to match the engine and transmission combo. At all four corners, Chevy will include lightweight Bogart racing wheels and Hoosier racing tires.

Making the COPO Camaro even more special, buyers can opt in to help in the assembly of the racing engine of their choice. Should they feel it necessary, owners can also order a second numbers-matching engine for their 2013 COPO..
Production of the 2013 COPO Camaros is set to begin in April in at Chevrolet’s Performance Build Center, in Wixom, Michigan. Deliveries are scheduled for early summer.

2015 Ford Mustang to get four-cylinder power, but only in Europe

2015 Ford Mustang to get four-cylinder power, but only in

Europe

Ford will sell a version of its next-generation 2015 Mustang with a four-cylinder engine, but not in the United States.

According to Edmunds, Ford has green lighted a plan to equip its 2015 Mustang with a punched out version of its 2.0L EcoBoost four-cylinder motor, but the smaller mill will be reserved for the European market where gas prices are high.

Ford announced late last year that it would market its next Mustang in Europe.

Inside sources have revealed the base-model Euro-spec Mustang will come with a 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder developing 300 horsepower, roughly matching the output of the current V6-powered car. However, the EcoBoost Mustang should trump the V6's 31mpg rating.

Ford will also offer the European Mustang with a V8, but that model will likely be subject to much higher taxes.

Those longing for an SVO revival in the U.S. Should blame costs for Ford's decision not to sell the boosted Mustang on these shores. The turbocharged four-cylinder is more expensive to produce than the Mustang's naturally-aspirated V6, making it unlikely that a U.S. buyer would recoup their initial investment in fuel savings. However, in Europe, where gas is expensive and the Mustang will be sold in low volumes, Ford will be in a better position to pass those higher costs onto the customer.

The 2015 Ford Mustang is expected to debut sometime next year.

MCLAREN GENEVA-BOUND P1

McLaren has fully unveiled the production-spec P1 supercar ahead of its world debut at next month's Geneva Motor Show.

Outside, the P1's overall shape is reminiscent of the company's MP4-12C but its details are far more exotic. The P1 features a truncated front end with a highly-stylized front fascia melding into an aggressive front splitter.  Uniquely, the headlamps mimic McLaren's boomerang-shaped logo. In profile the P1 reminds us of the Pagani Zonda, with flowing character lines giving the car a look of motion even when it is standing still.  The back of the P1 looks race-ready with a high-mounted center exhaust and large diffuser.

Inside, the P1 features a glass roof and a windshield that is taller than it is wide, giving the car the feel of a fighter jet cockpit.  The P1's interior is also extremely driver focused, with all switchgear kept to a minimum.  However, despite that minimalist approach, the P1 still comes equipped with climate control, satellite navigation and a bespoke sound system.

Featherlight

In order to keep weight down, nearly every piece in the P1's interior is made from carbon fiber, including seat shells, door cards, headliner and center console.  McLaren was so obsessed with weight-savings that it removed the top layer of resin from the P1's interior carbon fiber, saving an additional 3.3 pounds.

To further shed weight, the P1 will come from the factory sans carpeting.  Carpet will be offered as an option, but even that will come with a special lightweight backing.

Each P1 will be custom fitted for both the driver and passenger, but owners will be able to make a few adjustments on their own.  The driver's seat of the P1 is typically fixed at 28 degrees from vertical, but can be moved to 32 degrees for track days when extra headroom is needed to accommodate a racing helmet.

As with the car's interior, the so-called mega-Mac will lean heavily on carbon fiber for most its body construction and will utilize a pushrod suspension like the system first seen on the Lamborghini Aventador. Hydraulic anti-roll control, adaptive dampers and an advanced traction control system will also be part of the car's handling package.

Under the hood

As previously reported, McLaren has scrapped plans for a new 5.0-liter V8 as the P12 is powered by the same twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8 used in the smaller MP4-12C. However, McLaren has pair that powerplant with a KERS energy storage system that will boost power to 903 horsepower and 660 lb-ft. of torque.

That kind of power means the reborn F1 will be able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds and from 0-100 mph in just 5.5 seconds. Amazingly, the car will be able to go from a standstill to 200 mph in 20 seconds.  McLaren says all-out speed wasn't a top priority for the P1, but we expect the car to arrive with an eye-popping top end.

"Our aim is not necessarily to be the fastest in absolute top speed but to be the quickest and most rewarding series production road car on a circuit," said McLaren Automotive Managing Director Antony Sheriff. "It is the true test of a supercar’s all round ability and a much more important technical statement. Our goal is to make the McLaren P1 the most exciting, most capable, most technologically advanced and most dynamically accomplished supercar ever made."

McLaren will cap production at 375 units, with prices reflecting that exclusivity.  In the United Kingdom, the P1 will start at £866,000, a figure which converts to roughly $1.3 million.

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Fisker Karma

Vaporware no more! The Fisker Karma is finally, truly on-sale. The Karma is the first vehicle from the Fisker brand, arriving as a coupe-like four-door sedan boasting a range-extending gas engine and an electric motor in a configuration not unlike that found in the Chevrolet Volt.

Karma was officially awarded a 52 MPGe rating from the EPA, falling short of projections. When driving the vehicle beyond stored electricity levels, the Karma's 2.0-liter General Motors-sourced Ecotec engine (acting as a generator) returns just 20 miles per gallon. Should the Karma come with a full charge, however, expect to travel 32 miles without using a single drop of gas, according to the EPA.
Q-Drive is the heart of the Karma, a plug-in hybrid powertrain that uses a 20 kW/h lithium ion battery with Nanophosphate technology paired with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection and turbocharging, which powers a 175kW generator.

The net result is a very respectable 403 horsepower coupled with a jaw dropping 951 lb-ft of torque - available at zero rpms! This translates to a zero-to-60 time of 7.9 seconds and a 95 mile per hour top speed - in electric-only "Stealth Mode."

Not impressed? Don't worry, Sport Mode can be activated and the Ecotec kicks in to boost performance, recording a zero-to-60 sprint in 5.9 seconds and bumping the top speed to 125 mph. This unprecedented level of driver control enables conversation of either electricity or gasoline, depending on driver needs and preferences.

Recharging the battery can be done with either 110-, 220- or 240-volt plugs, taking as little as six hours to provide 32 miles of pure-electric range.

Other advanced technology employed by the Karma includes the world's largest spherically curved, monolithic solar panel integrated into its roof - an industry first and a standard feature on all Karma sedans. Fisker says the panel will allow for up to five additional electric-only miles of driving per week.

Inside, the Karma is filled with natural and recyclable materials that continue the thorough "eco" approach to the car's design. There are multiple trim levels that will determine the types of materials used, including the EcoChic trim level which uses an advanced sustainable animal-free approach that replaces leather with a high-grade textile and EcoPremium Suede trim. Certified Rescued Wood trim is sourced from Walnut Burl and Red Elm trees reclaimed from forest fires in the hills of southern California - providing both beauty and form in an environmentally conscious manner.

Information is displayed on one of several LCD screens, used both to replace traditional gauges and with a 10.2-inch Fisker Command Center, located in the center console. This command center controls climate, audio, navigation, telephone, as well as other various vehicle systems. Inputs into the center are met with instantaneous tactile feedback that enables drivers to confirm their commands without looking away from the road.

The Karma's styling is modestly tweaked from the concept car the automaker first showed the world, and the interior is considerably better finished. Every surface is covered in hides with a rubbery finish - good for cornering, bad for entry/exit. Fisker showed the Karma with two sets of golf clubs in the trunk, further illustrating its no-compromise intent.

The Karma features speakers — both inside and out — that simulate a sound "like something between a Formula One car and a jet plane." The feature is being implemented for pedestrian safety and added novelty.

Key Competitors
As the Karma is currently the only full-size plug-in luxury sedan on the market, it doesn't have any true rivals. However, environmentally-conscious buyers in search of a large premium sedan can also consider the BMW ActiveHybrid 7, Lexus LS 600h L and the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid, though none are as green as the Karma

ALFA ROMEO GLORIA CONCEPT LEAKED

A batch of leaked low-resolution images has prematurely revealed the Alfa Romeo Gloria concept ahead of its scheduled debut at the 83rd annual Geneva Motor Show.  Finished in an eye-catching shade of dark red, the sedan is the work of 20 students from the European Design Institute (IED) of Turin.

When the project began, Alfa asked the students to design a four-door sedan that could be sold in North America and in Asia as well as in Europe.  The Gloria stretches 185 inches long, 75 inches wide and 51 inches high, dimensions that are roughly on par with those of the 166, Alfa's range-topping sedan from 1998 to 2007.

The leaked pictures reveal that the concept reveals that it borrows styling cues such as its rounded fenders and its triangular grille from current members of the Alfa lineup.  It is equipped with suicide rear doors and it sits on 20-inch alloy wheels that were designed by the students and built by OZ Racing.

The Gloria is not functional but Alfa says that either a V6 or a V8 engine can be mounted under its long hood.

Like most other student-designed show cars, the Gloria will likely remain at the concept stage.