With 300,000 visitors in 10 days, the Toronto International Auto Show is a testament to the unwavering popularity of the hottest and latest cars, irrespective of gas prices or state of the economy. With an impressive roster of sleeker, greener, and more tech-integrative vehicles, this year’s top trends forecast a consumer that is more environmentally conscious and tech-savvy.
Autos
Autos is home to everything with an engine, wheels, and a reason to make life more interesting. We cover cars, motorcycles, bikes, boats, performance vehicles, automotive technology, concept vehicles, road trips, reviews, previews, and the machines that make men want to take the long way home.
Transformers 3 – Bumble Bee As Datsun 510
Word on the street is that in the upcoming Transformers 3, Bumble Bee might be disguised as a Datsun 510. I’m a big Datsun fan and have my own little Datsun 260Z project going at the moment. The Datsun grease monkeys should be pretty excited about this. Check out the pictures below of a scene being shot. Pictures also include hottie
Restored Maserati 250f Photo-Shoot by Bernd Kammerer
Photographer Bernd Kammerer takes us on a ride in a beautifully restored Maserati 250f, through the streets of Hamburg, Germany. While he was at it, he took some pictures too (because that’s what photographers do). The pictures remind me of the simpler times of the 1950’s (I’m assuming they were simpler) and the simple cars that were so much more than the cars we drive today.
Now a little more about the beautiful Maserati 250f, the car pictured by Bernd Kammerer is one of only 26 cars produced and was built to win races, in style. The Maserati 250f is powered by a 2.5 liter Maserati A6 straight-six engine, producing 220 bhp at 7,400 rpm. The 250f won eight grand prix races and was once piloted by Juan Manuel Fangio.
Shelby Cobra Replica: Factory Five MK4 Roadster
The iconic Shelby Cobra combined British styling with American muscle, the little roadster is one of the most famous cars in the world and if you were to ask any man to name their top 5 classic cars; 90% of the time the Cobra will be on that list. Unfortunately for 99.9% of those men, they’ll never own a real Shelby Cobra, fortunately for them (and us), there is the Factory Five MK4 Roadster – Cobra replica.
Factory Five has been manufacturing Cobra replicas since 1995 and this latest version is the company’s fourth generation of the Cobra roadster replica. The MK4 Roadster comes in two options; the basic kit ($12,900) requires a donor ’87 to ’93 model year Ford Mustang or the complete kit ($19,995). The “complete kit” isn’t really complete as it still requires powertrain, paint, wheels and tires. Still not a bad price, in my opinion, for a very sweet ride that’ll surely get you laid
Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4
We followed it through the development stage, and now we would like to introduce you to the finished Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. With a 700 hp V12 of 479 lb feet of torque and a 0-60 in under 3 seconds to top out at 217 mph, the $350,000 Murciélago successor is more than bullworthy.
Europe Only: Nissan 370Z GT Edition
The Nissan 370Z is one of my favorite affordable sports cars; it comes with decently good looks, lots of power, and comes with Nissan’s racing pedigree. To celebrate that racing pedigree, Nissan has launched a special edition 370Z GT Edition based on the European model. The car will only be available in the European market; we don’t know whether Nissan will bring it to North America.
The special edition 370Z comes in three body colors, Kuro Black, Pearl White, and Black Rose. The cars feature retro inspired stripes on the rocker panels, much like the Z cars from the 1970’s (click here to see Unfinished Man’s RB25DET powered 1974 Datsun 260Z).
2012 Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S
To the average guy/girl, most of the models of the Porsche 911 look like the same cars that were first introduced 48 years ago, but true car fans know that while the main lines of the car keep true to the original design, it’s the fine details in the designs that make each of the 911 models different while looking the same. At first glance, the 9th generation 2012 Porsche 911 (code named 991) looks like the previous generation (997), looking closely at the car reveals it’s a totally different animal.
The main difference is, the new for 2012 911 is a lot bigger than its predecessor; the wheelbase is 4 inches longer and the roof height has been reduced. Combine that with a wider body and you get a sporty new design while still retaining the classic Porsche 911 lines.
