Rumors have been running around the Internet for some time concerning a SLS Roadster being unveiled soon by Mercedes-Benz. Images from a patent filed for the car reveal most of the car’s details. The SLS Roadster will likely employ a fabric convertible top and not a folding hardtop like the SLK and SL. With the absence of a roof, Mercedes will have to reinvent the way the SLS opens its doors. It could use a conventional door design or use scissor-type doors like those used on the SLR McLaren. Beyond the doors and the convertible top, the SLS Roadster should be very similar to the SLS Gullwing. Power will come from a 6.3-liter V-8 engine making 571 hp and 479 lbs.-ft. of torque. That power will be transmitted to the rear wheels using Mercedes seven-speed Multi-Clutch Transmission.

[via Carscoop]

Aston Martin’s golf cart premium commuter car is based off the Toyota iQ minicompact—think Smart car. Like the Toyota, the Aston Martin concept may see production over in Europe but not in the United States. The Aston Martin Cygnet, as it is called, will utilize Toyota’s 1.3-liter four-cylinder motor to provide the car with 97 horsepower. The Smart FourTwo has a 70-hp engine.

Aston feels that its Cygnet may fill its normal clientele’s “need for a small car for urban and city use.” The car will be proverbially Aston by its restyled front and rear, which will mimic the design cues of the iconic sportscars (including the hood vents from the V-12 Vantage). The inside will also showcase such premium features as hand-stitched leather, Alcantara, and aluminum. Price will be between two to four times that of the Toyota version of the car, or approximately $45,000 to $75,000.

[via Aston Martin]

Yes, this is a Bentley station wagon, or shooting brake, which in Euro talk makes it sound so much cooler. The car is called the Bentley Continental Flying Star. Interestingly, it was built off a Continental GTC and not a Flying Spur. It was engineered from a company called Touring and comes with permission from Bentley. The car can be built from any Continental GTC or GTC Speed. The car comes equipped with a power tailgate, hand-crafted rear fenders, and folding rear seats. So, do you want one?

[via InsideLine]

The Porsche 918 Spyder does have a shot at production, despite the car being so outrageous it borders and even steps into unbelievable. Follow the link to read details on the Porsche 918 Spyder concept.

Bugatti has unveiled two new derivatives (we refuse to call these special-edition models because there is nothing “special” about them) of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The Veyron Grand Sport Grey Carbon already has an owner and was sold for 1.65-million Euros. This car stands out because of the dark-gray carbon fiber doors, hood, and fenders that contrast nicely with the polished aluminum quarter panels, rims, grille, and rear of the car.

The other special-edition customized Veyron that was given a unique name is the Veyron Grand Sport Royal Dark Blue. This car’s owner paid 1.75-million Euros. This car’s hood, dashboard, center console, seats, and rear section are painted in Royal Dark Blue. The color circles underneath the doors and around the car and fills in the intakes and grille surround. The grille itself is finished in a polished aluminum. The doors, fenders, and some interior bits stand out because of their Arctic White color.

Besides the tailored Veyrons, Bugatti also provided some information on how it has been doing under the current economic conditions. To date 255 people have order a Bugatti Veyron. 230 of those people have received their car. Fifty of those deliveries were in 2009. Out of the 26 Grand Sports ordered, nine have been delivered.

[via Bugatti]

After Telsa was successful in marketing a $100,000 electric sports car based on the Elise, it is easy to see why Lotus has decided to venture into the hybrid car market. Based on the Evora, the concept car shown at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show replaces the 3.5-liter Toyota-based V-6 with a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine. The gasoline engine does not put any power to the pavement, but is designed to replenish the centrally located lithium-ion battery pack. The battery pack is connected to two electric motors; one at each rear wheel. Each motor churns out 204 hp and 295 lbs.-ft. of torque for a whopping total output of 408 hp and 590 lbs.-ft. of torque. Because the electric motors operate separately, Lotus will be able to mimic a limited-slip differential/stability control system by simply modulating the power that each wheel receives.

The Evora 414e Hybrid can run up to 35 miles without using a drop of gasoline and has a full range of more than 300 miles. Like the Tesla, the car can be plugged in at home to refill the battery. Keeping in line with the rest of the lineup and despite the extra weight of the battery pack, the Evora will be able to squirt to 60 mph in less than four seconds. Because electric cars can be a safety hazard to those that do not hear them, the electric Evora will come with a sound generator to create an artificial driving sound. The driver has four choices to scare warn pedestrians with: a V-6, a V-12, a futuristic car sound (?), or a combination of futuristic and gasoline-engine sounds.

The most interesting and disturbing part the concept car is the fake transmission operation. The car utilizes a single-speed geartrain for each motor but the car comes equipped with steering-column-mount shift paddles. Press for an upshift and the car will imitate a normal car by jumping forward by increasing torque to the rear wheels or press for a downshift and the car will mimic engine braking by throwing the transmission into regenerative mode, the severity of which is dependent on what gear you came from and went to. The car's fake sound will also work with the car's fake gear changes to give driver the sense that he is driving a normal sports car. If you want you can turn the whole fake seven-speed F1-style gearbox off.

To round out the concept, Lotus painted the Evora in a nice black-and-copper scheme (think Duracell battery) and even painted on some sort of circuit-board-based (resistors?) geometry.

[via Lotus]

Porsche has unveiled what looks to be a better-looking version of the Carrera GT to the motor-head public at the Geneva Motor Show. The mid-engine 918 Spyder concept is a plug-in hybrid that also utilizes a 3.4-liter V-8 for propulsion. The electric motors at both the front and rear axles (yes, that means all-wheel drive) provide a combined output of 218 hp. The engine’s power will be routed solely to the rear wheels via a seven-speed PDK.

With more than 500 hp on tap and a curb weight of a mere 3,285 pounds, performance is nothing short of extraordinary. Zero-to-60 mph is a scant 3.2 seconds, top speed touches 198 mph, and the car is said to get 78 miles to the gallon. Does it sound like Porsche is trying to sell you on a pyramid scheme? The lithium-ion battery pack that powers the electric motors, three in total, is squeezed between the back of the passenger cabin and the engine. You can plug the battery in and it is also recharged via regenerative braking.

The 918 runs in one of four driving modes:

The E-Drive mode is for running the car under electric power alone, with a range of up to 16 miles. In the Hybrid mode, the 918 Spyder uses both the electric motors and the combustion engine as a function of driving conditions and requirements, offering a range from particularly fuel efficient to extra powerful.

The Sport Hybrid mode uses both drive systems, but with the focus on performance. Most of the drive power goes to the rear wheels.

In the Race Hybrid mode the drive systems are focused on pure performance with the highest standard of driving dynamics on the track, running at the limit to their power and dynamic output. With the battery sufficiently charged, a push-to-pass button feeds in additional electrical power (E-Boost), when overtaking or for even better performance.

[via Porsche]

Pictures of the Ferrari 599 Hybrid that will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show have hit the Internet early. The green machine (literally) uses a electric motor on the rear differential to add an estimated 100 hp and 110 lbs.-ft. of torque. A battery pack for the electric motor is located under the floor.

The hybrid setup is rumored to add an additional 220 pounds to the weight of the car but the newfound power will increase the car’s power-to-weight ratio. No word what effect it will have on the car's handling and front-to-rear balance.

[via CarScoop]

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled an overview of the 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 that will be replacing its current 6.3-liter naturally aspirated AMG offering. Power for the 5.5-liter will be 536 hp and 590 lbs.-ft. of torque. In comparison, the current 6.3 makes 518 hp and 465 lbs.-ft. and the last 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 made 510 hp and 531 lbs.-ft. of torque. In a car like the S63, the new engine is capable of reducing fuel consumption by 25 percent.

Unlike our initial prediction when we first heard that Mercedes was going to offer an all-new 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8, the new engine will be connected to the seven-speed MCT and not the old five-speed automatic. The new transmission uses more gear ratios, and works in conjunction with the new start-stop function that will cut off the engine when the car is at a long stop, to increase fuel efficiency.

Through an AMG Performance Package, customers can increase the power to 563 hp and 664 lbs.-ft. of torque; leaving little need for AMG’s 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-12 engine. The C-class, CLS-class, E-class, S-class, and CL-class will all utilize the new engine.

[via Mercedes]

Bugatti Veyron easily wins a side by side race against the new Danish super car Zenvo ST1 by over 8 car lengths. It was a rolling start street race on a roadway in Abu Dhabi.