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Posts tagged convertible roof
Official: Hyundai drops the top on Veloster C3 Roll Top concept for LA
Nov 28th
Filed under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Convertible, Budget, Hyundai
Hyundai has pulled the wraps off of a unique take on the company’s three-door Veloster. the Veloster C3 Roll Top features a convertible roof stitched from repurposed industrial truck tarps. The roof can be slid either forward or back to make room for taller cargo in the rear or let more light into the cabin as see fit. Engineers also gave the concept a tailgate instead of a traditional hatch, and the vehicle’s floor features salvaged skateboard decks to protect the cargo area.
Designers say the concept was inspired largely by fixed gear bikes with a focus on low-cost modification. That’s why the vehicle bows with two pairs of contrast color wheels instead of a matching set.
Under the hood, the Veloster C3 Roll Top uses a turbocharged 1.6-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine to crank out 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. There’s also a larger, more free-flowing exhaust on hand to give the car a little more bark. You can check out the full press release below for more information.
Continue reading Hyundai drops the top on Veloster C3 Roll Top concept for LA
Hyundai drops the top on Veloster C3 Roll Top concept for LA originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: Lamborghini to debut Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder for one last hurrah?
Nov 8th
Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Lamborghini
Italian automakers have a knack for stretching a two-model line into a full range. Just take a look at what Abarth has done with just the Punto and the 500. Or what Maserati has with the GranTurismo and Quattroporte. And Lamborghini certainly fits the same with the Gallardo and the Aventador (or the Murciélago before it).
The Gallardo itself has spawned a good dozen variants, distinguished by their roofs, drivetrain configurations, states of tune and other parameters. Soon enough they’ll all be replaced by an all-new model, but before they are, word on the street (or chat boards) has it that Lamborghini has one last variant in the works.
That variant is tipped to be the LP550-2 Spyder, a derivative previously mooted but now claimed as confirmed, apparently. So what will make it special? The combination of simplicity and open-air motoring. The powertrain is borrowed from the Balboni edition – meaning slightly less power than the standard model, but lighter in weight and driving just the rear wheels – but with the Spyder’s convertible roof.
More intriguing still would be if Lamborghini were to nix the roof altogether and carry the Gallardo out as a fair-weather purist’s dream, but at this point, we’re just grasping at straws.
Lamborghini to debut Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder for one last hurrah? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Official: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster unveiled
May 29th
Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster – Click above for high-res image gallery
After the endless parade of rumors, conjecture, spy shots and even official information, Mercedes-Benz has finally dropped the full batch of details and photos of its latest flagship: the SLS AMG Roadster.
The new droptop loses the gullwing doors of its coupe counterpart, but those German engineers have gone to great lengths to ensure it loses nothing else in the process. Chopping the roof, fitting conventional doors, and stiffening the body as required results in a convertible that only weighs 88 lbs more than the coupe. The roof-available in black, red or beige-can be dropped or raised in just eleven seconds at speeds up to 31 mph.
Top speed is electronically limited in either position to 197 mph, while officially quoted acceleration times, for some reason, drop from 3.8 seconds in the gullwing coupe to 3.7 in the Roadster. Along with the convertible roof, Mercedes has also packed in a new electronically-controlled Adaptive AMG Sport Suspension, AMG Performance Media system to track and display vehicle telemetrics, and an AMG Drive Unit to control it all.
The Roadster – which beats the anticipated convertible versions of the Ferrari 458 Italia, McLaren MP4-12C, Pagani Huayra and Lamborghini Aventador to market – will be officially unveiled this fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show, around the same time that deliveries are set to begin Stateside. In the meantime, you can follow the jump for all the details and check out the extensive photo gallery for a closer look.
Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster unveiled
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster unveiled originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 May 2011 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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