Detroit Electric SP:01 launch delayed by at least a month

Startup EV-maker Detroit Electric is having a little trouble getting out of the gate, according to a report in The Detroit News. The (obviously) Detroit-based automaker says production of its SP:01 sports car (pictured) will be delayed by at least a month, citing problems with securing a manufacturing facility.

When the SP:01 debuted in early April, Detroit Electric executives told members of the media that a facility in the metro Detroit area would be used to produce the SP:01. The Detroit News reports that the company is currently in talks with a partially occupied space in Plymouth Township and that it hopes to reach an agreement soon. Production is now scheduled to begin in September, with an annual production capacity of 2,500 units. The facility will also employ more than 100 new workers.

Detroit Electric is hoping to sell 999 of its SP:01 sports cars at $135,000 a pop. The company, which has largely been funded by private investors, also plans to launch sedan and hatchback models in the coming years, thanks to a partnership with China's Geely.

Porsche 918 Spyder shows its production body

We've seen it (in concept form, in officially rendered form, in flat black, and in Martini Racing livery), we've heard all about its 4.6-liter V8 with 608 horsepower, buoyed as it is by twin electric motors, its sophisticated all-wheel-drive system and carbon fiber monocoque chassis. We've even taken a ride in one. What we haven't had, up until now at least, is had all of these details about the Porsche 918 Spyder in one convenient press blast. And we also now know that it will be a introduced as a 2015 model.

Along with the official specifications, Porsche has seen fit to release a new batch of images showing its production body from all angles. We get a good look at the car's interior bits and pieces, including a few shots showing how people fit underneath the removable hardtop panel.
Porsche sums up its baby with the following words: Maximum driving fun with minimal fuel consumption. We like the sound of that, and we think it's cool that the 918 can travel up to 18 miles on electricity alone, with performance statistics that aren't far off what we had from sports cars from a few short decades ago.

Range Rover Evoque convertible unlikely to see production

From the time when all we had were rumors of a Range Rover Evoque convertible, to the grainy spy shots of said topless SUV in some English alley, to the time it rolled out on the floor of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, nothing could keep people from asking, "Is this really happening?"

To be fair, there were a number who asked in anticipation, enthused about the prospect of getting both a commanding driving position and wide open sky in a more toothsome package than the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. Nevertheless, the number wasn't enough to recommend the concept for production: A report in Car and Driver says the prospects aren't "as bright as we were led to believe when the crossover cabrio debuted," and that instead an Evoque with a panoramic roof that opens is a better bet.

Elsewhere in the rapidly evolving Land Rover line-up, platform harmonization and more cowbell aluminum is the way forward. From the recent use of four platforms supporting six vehicles, there will soon be only two: the EUCD architecture for the LR2 and Evoque; all else will be built on a modified version of the D7 platform created for the new Range Rover. That puts not only variants like the Chinese-market long-wheelbase Range Rover in the aluminum game, but also models like the next Defender and LR4. That latter model is expected to bow next year, the Defender might need more time while the design department moves on from the DC100, which wasn't warmly received.

Fiat builds one-millionth 500

by: Zach Bowman

Fiat has constructed 1 million new 500 models. The company says that the milestone model rolled off the line at the manufacturer's Fiat Auto Poland facility. The one millionth 500 is a Lounge model with optional three-layer Bianco Perla exterior paint.

While the quirky little European runabout touched down on US shores for the 2011 model year, the hatchback has been on sale in the EU since 2007. In fact, Fiat sells the compact in more than 100 countries. While the North American model features a few aesthetic differences, including a revised front fascia, the car retains much of its European flair.

North American buyers have responded by dragging home a full 70,000 units since the model debut on our side of the globe. Each of those vehicles were manufactured at the Fiat plant in Toluca, Mexico. You can check out the brief press release below for more information on the Fiat 500 and the company's production achievement.

Land Rover to offer 16 models by 2020

 by: George Kennedy

The Range Rover Evoque was a bold new direction for Land Rover that proved successful, but if reports are to be believed, it is only the beginning of an onslaught of new products. According to a report from Autocar, the brand associated with both opulent motoring and rugged off-road capability is embarking on a massive lineup expansion, with the goal of producing 600,000 vehicles annually and 22 million vehicles by 2020.

In order to accomplish this, a flurry of new modes are planned, including the expansion of the Freelander (LR2) lineup and the unveiling of a new Defender family. The former will include five-seat and seven seat models, while the Defender will also roll out five-seat and seven-seat editions, but also a crew-cab pickup model. Consider our interest piqued.

The Evoque family will also grow, including an Evoque XL, Evoque convertible, and a "baby Range Rover" that would slot underneath the Range Rover Sport. This amonts to a goal of expanding the Land Rover lineup to 16 new vehicles.

Jaguar/Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth has claimed "40 new JLR product launches in the next five years," according to the report. To accomplish this, JLR is throwing 2 billion pounds a year behind this expansion. Roughly 1.8 billion pounds will go to a new Chinese production facility capable of producing 130,000 vehicles per year. The strategic location of the plant can feed the Chinese and Russian markets, which have voiced a demand for more specialized, limited edition models.

This all may seem ambitious, and perhaps even present an overlapping of models. However, if the automotive marketplace has taught us anything in the last decade, it is that there really is no such thing as too many CUVs.

Production-ready Lingenfelter LTA Camaro debuts in Vegas

 by: Seyth Miersma

Following the well-received concept version of the Lingenfelter LTA at SEMA all the way back in 2009, the specialist tuning company has finally brought along a production version of the car this year. Surprise... it's a convertible!

Ken Lingenfelter himself says that "overwhelming response after displaying conceptual versions of the LTA at previous SEMA Shows" has forced the company to offer up the real deal. Great news for enthusiasts of retro-themed performance cars, and Camaro fans in general.

Each LTA begins life as a model year 2010-2013 Camaro (including convertibles, obviously) and is then modified completely by Lingenfelter. The company will not be selling pieces of the body kit, for instance, as separate pieces. Lingenfelter will only deliver "...a complete, finished vehicle that's been re-done inside and out."

The LTA will be available in three grades, though the Level 3 LTA seen here would seem to be the one to have. This package includes a V8 engine tuned to produce some 655 horsepower, Brembo brakes, 20-inch "Honeycomb" wheels and a completely custom interior.

Neiman Marcus Christmas Book McLaren special editions sell out in two hours

by: Chris Tutor

Apparently, despite the global economic downturn, some people out there still have large sums of disposable income. We know this because Neiman Marcus sold through a dozen special edition McLaren 12C Spiders in less than two hours Wednesday. At $354,000 each, this single offering grossed Neiman Marcus a staggering $35,400 a minute. Not that we should be surprised. Last year, the retailer sold 10 brand-new Ferrari FF specials out in a mere 50 minutes and in 2009, Neiman Marcus cleared out 50 special Jaguar XJ sedans in four hours and four minutes.

The retailer's annual Christmas Book extravaganza offered the supercar packaged with first-class travel to the UK, two nights at a five-star hotel there, a tour of the McLaren Tech Center and dinner with McLaren chairman Ron Dennis. Each car also includes matching luggage and a numbered stainless-steel badge. One of NM's high-rolling catalog shoppers will be able to say they own the very first McLaren 12C Spider sold to the public.

Neiman Marcus says customers should have their Spiders in time for unwrapping Christmas morning. Let's hope the fortunate recipients live some place warm and that their roads are clear enough to enjoy a truly happy holiday.

Mercedes-Benz exec promises C-Class convertible

by: Jeffrey N. Ross

 
Mercedes-Benz is already at work on the next-generation C-Class sedan, but USA Today reports that the automaker promises to add a convertible model for to the mix as well and will offer it in the US. The new C-Class is expected out next year as a 2014 model, and it will be the first time the C-Class has ever directly offered a drop-top model, likely to be called the C-Class Cabriolet.

Previously, the CLK-Class acted as a convertible based on the smaller C-Class, but it was sized and generally thought of as an E-Class model. There are no concrete details about this new car, but it's almost certain to be the most affordable convertible in the Mercedes lineup, slotting in under the $42,900 SLK-Class roadster well below the $59,070 E-Class Cabriolet. Cars such as the C-Class Cabriolet and the all-new CLA-Class are an attempt to draw younger buyers into the Mercedes family, according to Steve Cannon, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA.

Bugatti brings Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse "Gris Rafale" to Brazil

 by: Seyth Miersma

Bugatti's Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse is downright well-known around these parts. Not only have we reported on the 1,200-horsepower Veyron selling for a pretty penny at Pebble Beach, we've seen a funnyman Leno take one for a pleasure cruise in SoCal.

Apparently, Bugatti believes that the Grand Sport Vitesse is likely to be just as popular in South America as it has been elsewhere in the world, as the company has officially announced that it will be bringing the model to Brazil. Not wanting to merely send out a press release, the French supercar maker has gone and created a one-off Grand Sport Vitesse "Gris Rafale" to mark the occasion.

The new car has been finished in a fetching light shade of gray called Gris Rafale (French for "Gray Burst", with accent pieces done in striking blue carbon fiber. The interior treatment is a reversal of that motif, with blue leather and gray stitching. A special edition that only features a new colorway might seem like a weak effort for any other car, but on one of the most expensive, highest performance road-going vehicles of all time, we'll take it.

Opel Cascada is Europe's Buick convertible

by: George Kennedy

As we reported earlier, there has been much speculation regarding a Buick convertible of sorts. The most ringing endorsement of this conjecture comes today from General Motors Europe, as the new Opel Cascada has debuted on the interwebs. Opel calls the four-passenger Cascada an "athletic, glamorous midsize convertible." With a length of 4,697mm (185 in.), the Cascada is as long as an Audi A5, to which GM has said it would be slightly larger.

The Cascada, which is Spanish for waterfall, features a cloth convertible top that retracts in 17 seconds and at speeds up to 50 km/h (31 mph). The Cascada features a 1.4-liter turbo gas engine, 2.0-liter turbodiesel with 165 horsepower and a range-topping 1.6-liter turbocharged Ecotec engine that puts out 170 horsepower and 280 Nm (207 lb-ft). Power is sent through either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

According to GM, the Cascada will also come rife with luxury and tech features. In addition to adaptive forward lighting and ergonomic heated front seats, the convertible will feature Opel Eye, which is a front camera that can recognize traffic signs and incorporates lane departure warning and forward collision alert.

Given GM's propensity for re-badging Opels as Buicks, it's not far out of the realm of possibility that we could see this vehicle Stateside wearing a Buick badge. Though the Cascada's design takes some cues from the Insignia sedan, which we know in the US as the Regal, the platform on which it rides is shared by the Verano, so what it would be called in North America is anyone's guess. How about Velite?