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Undoubtedly one of the weirdest BMWs the world has ever seen, this one of one 1969 BMW "Spicup" Convertible Coupé sold last week for €460,000 ($615,986) as part of Bonham's auction at the BMW Museum. More »
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Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! I walked into an East Bay self-service junkyard a few weeks back, and look what they had for sale! More »
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Pete Vack of Veloce Today wrote this compelling summary of one of the coolest books written about Alfa Romeos. We love Alfas, so we couldn't resist. Hell, even if you don't love Alfas, you should probably buy it. —Ed. More »
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With their compound eyes, multiple legs and silk-weaving antics, arachnids are pretty complex creatures. Now Nice Price or Crack Pipe wonders if an equally complicated Mitsubishi Spyder can lure you into its web. More »
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Little miss muffet may have suffered from arachnophobia, but today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a fly-yellow Alfa that can sit on our tuffet any time it wants. More »
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Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's coolest... and most hellish! Look how well the trio of Alfas did at Lemons New England- great cars, obviously! More »
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Want to drop serious dime on a tuned super car, yet still look like a trashy reality TV celeb? Well, then, the Novitec Rosso Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M is the tuner car for you. And look, it's yellow! More »
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Since most mere mortals can only imagine what it's like to sit at the carbon fiber helm of the Ferrari F430 Spider Scuderia 16M, this flash visualization provides the next best thing. More »
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This strange looking Maser may appear to be a coupe, but sources say this is actually the upcoming Maserati GranTurismo Spyder, or as some are calling it, the GT-C. Whatever they end up calling it, expect a power-folding drop-top when the convertible hits showrooms around March. Of course, all that fancy auto roof origami means extra weight, so the car will likely use the extra muscle of the GranTurismo S' 434 HP 4.7-liter V8. More »
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Italian cars have been mighty rare in this series, so I was pleased to run across this '85 Alfa Romeo Graduate parked in the island's East End. I see this car moving under its own power on a regular basis, so it's a genuine driver (not just someone's hopeless Hell Project). More »
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Let's say you have a 1983 Pininfarina Spider Azzurra, which is a Fiat 124 built after Fiat handed production over to Pininfarina for a couple years (go here for the story), and you know it's something special. How do you show the world? Why, you convince the world it's actually a Ferrari, by dressing up the Fiat Twin Cam under the hood and then adding a great deal of body modifications. Hey, Fiat, Ferrari, what's the diff? They're both Italian, right? Don't forget the headlight shields and Von Dutch shift knob! Thanks to LTDScott for the tip. More »
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Here are some more DOTS Bonus Edition photos that have been waiting for quite a while; Benson2175 spotted what appears to be a very nice early-60s Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider up there in British Columbia and had camera at the ready. Which was pretty cool and all, but then he went and found a La Forza SUV. A what? Yeah, that's what we said, too. Make the jump for more photos More »
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It's not often that I quickly look past blonde and presumably Italian (or maybe Swiss) "booth professionals," but the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider has that affect on a man. Yes, friends, the highly anticipated Geneva debut of the Spider is finally here. This car has the same 450 HP 4.7-liter V8 as its brother, the 8C Competizione, which earned its own Very Special Jalopnik Day and still makes Ray twitch nervously. If you haven't already noticed, the Spider features a fully automatic electro-hydraulic convertible top that has been engineered with the same aerodynamic and performance precision as the rest of the ride. Much to the dismay of anyone with eyes and a pulse, only 500 of these will be manufactured. Pretty much ensures that you won't be getting one (Fiat scion, exec and world-class playboy/recovering 12-stepper Lapo Elkann, on the other hand...) It matters not. The live pictures of this Chariot of the Gods are here to be drooled over. More »
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Now that we're in an 80s mood, let's keep our Members Only jackets and Vuarnet shades on for one more day! By 1989, Alfa Romeos just weren't flying off the showroom floors (though we can assume they were limping into the dealerships' service bays). In what appears to have been a desperation move, the Alfa marketing wizards decided to capitalize on that really popular Dustin Hoffman movie, swapping out the "Spider" emblems for "Graduate" ones on their North American cars. After all, while the Alfa in the film runs out of gas, it doesn't actually experience any mechanical problems. More »
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Alfa Romeo doesn't want you thinking that, like most manufacturers, the important changes come in the face. To prove the point, they've released photos of their revised 2008 Alfa Romeo Brera and Spider without releasing photos of the nose so as not to confuse those of us who consider the Brera to be one of the best looking cars on the planet. For 2008, the exterior changes include the introduction of a new color (Ice White) and new 18-inch wheels. On the inside, the models get seats adjusted to be more ergonomic and sporting as well as updates to the controls and dash surfaces. Mechanically, weight has been saved by switching to aluminum in certain places. Huge changes? No. But why mess with near perfection. Pictures and press details below. More »
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Craftsman and metalworker extraordinaer MOLTENSTEELMAN debuted his 23-foot long and 12,000-lb. mechanical spider walker at Burning Man and I have to admit, this is the kind of machine that gives me nightmares. It is an eight footed walker that is powered by a 454 Chevy V8.
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One of the coolest cars at the 24 Hours of LeMons race at Altamont was #99, the 1971 Alfa Romeo Spider built and operated by Team Ecurie Ecrappe. This aerodynamically optimized Italian machine did very well at first, leading the pack for a while on the first day, but mechanical woes put it in 52nd place by the time the race ended. But that's not all there is to the story- it turns out Ecurie Ecrappe entered the car in the prestigious Concorso Italiano car show, where (we hope) it scandalized the date-coded, numbers-matching crowd. More »
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Good news for the SPF-zero set. That concept version the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione sans top, shown at the Pebble Beach Concourse back in 2005, will debut in production for in 2009. That from Automotive News, which reported on a Wall Street preso in New York by Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. The coupe, which went on sale in Europe earlier this month, will hit US shores in mid-2008. That, to coincide with Alfa's return to the states — where it's been absent since 1995. The spider convertible will meet the coupe in production volume — that is, 500 units. That's far too low to satisfy all the world's Alfisi. Expect unrest. [Automotive News via Motor Authority] More »
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That's what the UK's Car magazine say these spec images are all about. Sketches of the coming R8 Spider and A1 entry hatch were purportedly procured from Audi's Ingolstadt design headquarters. The images show the R8 targa, reportedly as it will appear in 2009, and the A1, Audi's Europe-only answer to the Mini Cooper. Car says the A1 will get Quattro AWD and that spanky new seven-speed DSG we've been hearing about. Click through for A1 action. More »
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Oh good — Fiat's so flush, it's sending Alfa to the states earlier than expected. In fact, the UK's Just Auto says we'll start seeing launch activity by the end of 2008. The mag's also making with new details about the lineup. We already knew the 8C Competizione and its Spider sibling will be the halo cars — as if we could get our mitts on one (the first run of 500 each are reportedly accounted for). For us plebes, Alfa will bring the Alfa Romeo Brera and Spider. And in 2010, the new 159 sedan will take on Audi and BMW. Look for the first rumblings midyear '08 as Maserati gears up to ride Alfa in on its back. – Mike Spinelli More »
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The latest in Hamann's Ferrari-tarting kit focuses on the F430 spider. The tuning Swabians say their aero components for the droptop are both cosmetic and functional, and come in kicky carbon-kevlar or fiberglass. A sports exhaust reportedly adds 48 horsepower, some suspension trickery adds lowness and a range of tire-wheel combinations will satisfy even the most cocaine-addled discerning footballer. Collect 'em all. – Mike Spinelli More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=264038&view=rss&microfeed=true Okay, so it's not really a car per se, but neither was the Concept 2096, and that didn't even have a drivetrain. Semantics aside, how could you go wrong with an open top, hydro-mechanically driven, eight-legged roadster? Sure, the performance may not be quite as tight as a car's, but let's see an Accord climb up the wall. Rollout of the spiderbot occurred at this year's Burning Man festival, where it appeared to make a long, strange trip toward a crowd of besotted flower children, apparently as a flautist blew the theme to "Shaft" in waltz time. Groovy. – Ben Wojdyla More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=223099&view=rss&microfeed=true Most Alfa watchers believe the 8C Spider and its coupe sibling will be among the first Alfa Romeo product to hit these shores when the brand returns to the states sometime in the next few years. Now, we hear the two slinky sexpots will make an appearance at the Paris show next month, the meaning of which has been largely interpreted as "coming soon to a forecourt near you." As a kind of countdown to Paris, check out this Google vid of the 8C Spider at the Villa d'Este Concours d'Elegance, where it won both the Villa d'Este Design Award and BMW Group Design Award, and consider what might be imminent. [Thanks to Stephan for the tip.] More »
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How close is Maserati's new, 2+2 GT Coupe from an official reveal and launch? We're just not quite sure — some say 2007, others 2008 (we're going with the latter). But prototypes keep popping up hither and thither, like this one spies caught on the N rburgring. The voluptuous (we hope) new model will replace the current coupe and spider units, sporting a retractable steel roof and a more potent Ferrari V8, possibly in the 5.0-liter range. More »
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Regular Lamborghini-style scissor doors weren't enough for the customization wonks at Germany's Hamann tuning house. In working up their worked-over version of the Lamborghini Gallardo Spider, they created their own, proprietary version of the portals, which open outward like the wings of a black-tailed platyaciferous (right, totally fake bird). Other trappings include a chipped-out engine computer — boosting horsepower to 550 and increasing top speed to 199 mph — aero kit, eight-piston brakes, 19" and 20" wheels and a silk shirt open to the navel. Sorry, that last one's an option. More »
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AutoWeek bares Alfa Romeo's plan to return to the states in time for the company's centennial in 2010. As has been reported, Alfa is teaming up with Maserati on development — sharing parts and to save costs, and leveraging Maserati's US sales network to sell Alfas. Models on the way? Glad you asked: More »
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Our sincerest hope, after world peace and Coca Cola with actual sugar in it, like Europe has, is that the Alfa Romeo Spider will be one of the models chosen to grace the US when the company finally returns. (As an aside, in our humble opinion, there's not a single model among Alfa's new line that couldn't stand up to a similarly priced Audi in the US market. Not one.) The new Spider, which Alfa unveiled with a flourish in Geneva, is a hottie. We'd take it with either the 2.2-liter four or optional 3.2-liter V6. Hell, we'd take it with a Briggs and Stratton four-stroke. More »
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Holy Veloce! Months following its surprise unveiling at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance last June, Our Euro connection at Eurocar Blog clued us in on the release of an official photo of Alfa Romeo's new Brera Spider, the ragtop version of the coupe released last year. We're expecting to see it in the sheetmetal at the Geneva show. More »
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When Fenomenon Design decided not to bring the open-top version of its Stratos concept to the Frankfurt show last month, we were deeply saddened. Well, not that deeply (what are we, crybabies?) — more like rather saddened. Instead, they focus on bearing news that the Stratos was the object of a feasibility study, conducted with motorsports firm Prodrive, which could mean a production version of the Lancia-inspired concept might be in play before the next Frankfurt show. While we cross and uncross our fingers — we think this is one promising design house — check out Italiaspeed's gallery of images of the Stratos roadster, straight from designers' desktops. More »
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Hoo ha. Japanese Car Fans has uncovered a spider variant of the Lexus LF-A concept first shown at the Detroit show earlier this year (and, more recently, in Tokyo). Just weeks ago we found out the LF-A's 5.0 liter, 500hp engine was a V10, now we hear the LF-A (look out Nissan GT-R Proto) droptop concept could premiere at the 2007 Tokyo motor show, possibly to highlight the production LF-A coupe that'll be a reality by then? Hmm. More »
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At the 2001 Tokyo motor show, the weird geniuses at Japan's Mitsuoka Motors showed off the radical Orochi concept, based on the Acura (Honda) NSX, appearing to be the result of a botched George Barris experiment involving a late-model Mercedes-Benz SL, a Lamborghini Murci lago and five or more hits of brown acid. This year, the company unveiled a spider version of the Orochi, literally "nude top," in Tokyo this week. We're not sure if it still rides on the underpinnings of the discontinued NSX, but it sure is, er, something. More »
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Yesterday, Lamborghini rolled out its new Gallardo spider, to the ecstatic cries of 500 star-struck members of the worldwide press corps. With elbows sharper than the point on chief designer Luc Donckerwolke's head (psych! "pencil" was way too easy), they pierced each other into a frenzy. And no wonder: It took two years following the launch of its hardtop sibling, the Gallardo coup-ay (sorry, the European stuff is starting to rub on) for Lamborghini to launch the Spider here in Frankfurt. The pent-up desire alone could have nearly outpowered the Spider's 5.0-liter 10-cylinder engine, which produces 520 hp at 8,000 rpm. The company says the spider is a completely new model, sharing more of its structure with the Concept S it introduced in Geneva, than the Gallardo Coupe. We had heard development of the roof unit, rife with complexity creep, held up the roadster's production, but the black-fabric top seems to work flawlessly, retracting into the engine compartment, like a contortionist on a double-dosage of muscle relaxants, in 20 seconds. Adding elegance to surgery is the rear window, which raises and lowers via electric motor. What's more, it can hit 190mph with the roof down, without air pressure sucking the driver through the top as if he was 42,000 feet over the North Atlantic (195 with it closed). More »
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It's as if Lamborghini thought it had to get clever to make us rise from the couch long enough to consider what its Gallardo roadster will be like when it's introduced next month. Still, the company's marketing people have to stay busy, so they've posted a couple of teaser clips, one of which draws on an old US Air Force test film about fighter plane ejector seats, the other features a sky boarder in mid descent, to illustrate the feel of the drop-top when it finally hits the road. Near the end, you get a few architectural details of the spider, but no real view. Expect to wait another couple of weeks for that rush. More »
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As a featured marque at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Alfa Romeo again showed up with a viciously sexy concept in tow. It was at the 2003 show that Alfa introduced the US to its 8C Competizione coupe, which had debuted that year in Frankfurt. This year, the company carted over a spiderized, drop-top version of the Competizone, which according to lore, began life as a sawed-off coupe, but was abandoned when the company put the project on hold. The finished Spider, however, looks less like an afterthought than a polished study in modern roadster creation. We admit we're smitten, and wouldn't be a bit surprised if the Spider became a halo car for the brand's 2007 US return. More »
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It's an automotive spy shot cage match, Hans Lehmann vs. Brenda Priddy. Subject: The upcoming Lamborghini Gallardo roadster — Lambo's 522hp, V10 ragtop scheduled to appear in Frankfurt in September. And the winner is... Well, considering the difference in the two shots is about 15 degrees in depth of field, we'll call it a draw. Maybe next month we'll get the rear view. More »
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Auto spy photographer Hans Lehmann caught a lightly disguised test mule of the long-awaited Lamborghini Gallardo Roadster — apparently during track testing at Germany's N rburgring. (Did we just refer to a Lamborghini as a mule? Shame!) The V10-powered ragtop, which is expected to be introduced at the Frankfurt motor show this September, will be hyped along with a limited production run of the Concept S, which was introduced in Geneva this past year. More »
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German auto mag AutoBild has published some new spy shots of Alfa Romeo's upcoming Brera droptop, which will likely debut at the Frankfurt motor show later this year. According to AutoExpress, buyers have a choice of engines, including Alfa's 3.2-liter V6 — which could be most orgasmic-sounding motor even built for the street. [Thanks to Daniel for the tip.] More »
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