Bristol Bullet Set for Salon Prive Debut

With Uk economy and manufacture experiencing a very healthy period, some of the old sports car brand which we thought were gone for ever are coming back. TVR is one of them, and now also Bristol, who is bringing a new speedster model to this year’s Salon Prive in form of the new Bristol Bullet.

Designed to reflect the traditional look of a Bristol with a little bit of vintage flavor, Bristol Bullet has rather a peculiar look about it which some will find utterly fascinating and some younger audience distasteful. The car’s got all the features of a proper speedster, though, with a short windscreen, sloping long bonnet, and an exquisite but rather cramped leather interior.

The oldtimey looks of the Bristol Bullet are somewhat deceiving because what’s underneath is pretty modern. The construction is largely carbon fiber, and the powertrain is a BMW V8 which is like the iPhone of sports car engines. The car can reach a top speed of 155 mph which is okay for a speedster, but of how it handles we know nothing at the moment. We’re going to have to wait for Salon Prive to find out more.

Julian Ramshaw, General Manager of Bristol Cars Ltd, said: “The BULLET celebrates 70 years of design and innovation at Bristol Cars. This unique speedster sets the tone for the future of Bristol Cars – with a focus on luxury, performance and elegance it really is the ultimate driver’s car.  We are delighted that the first public showing of the Bristol BULLET will be at Salon Prive.’’

Hyundai IONIQ – UK Prices and Specs

It looks like a simple and down to earth car, but the new Hyundai IONIQ is actually one of the most complicated cars to get right in terms of trim level and powertrain. You see, the IONIQ comes with a choice of three electrified powertrains and like seven different trims. So good luck picking the right one!

Well, we’re just kidding. You just need to know what sort of options you like best. The car is available in Hybrid, Electric and Plug-in Hybrid (to be launched 2017).

The base Hyundai IONIQ hybrid launches in the UK starting at £19,995 with a 1.6 GDi hybrid motor. The standard kit on this model include  15” alloy wheels, DAB with Bluetooth, Cruise Control and Rear Parking Sensors with Rear View Camera. Standard safety features include Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS) and individual Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

The same engine also comes as Premium (£21,795), adding keyless entry with push button start, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, Bi-Xenon headlamps with LED rear combination lamps and a driver’s supervision instrument cluster with 7” LCD display, as well as TomTom navigation and Apple Car and Android Auto. After this you have the Premium SE (£23,595) which is more luxurious with eated/ventilated front seats and heated outer rear seats, heated leather steering wheel and a driver power seat with Integrated Memory System, Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Front Parking Assist and optional 17” alloy wheels.

As for the Hyundai IONIQ Electric, prices start from  £28,995 for the Premium specification, mirroring Hybrid Premium, with specific equipment including Automatic Windscreen Wipers with Rain Sensor, 16” alloy wheels, LED headlamps and rear combination lamps and Advanced Smart Cruise Control. Integrated satellite navigation is standard across the IONIQ Electric range. For £30,795 you get the Electric Premium SE featuring heated/ventilated front and heated rear seats, heated leather steering wheel and a driver power seat with Integrated Memory System, Blind Spot Detection, front Parking Sensors and EV specific 16” alloy wheels.

Supercharged Lamborghini Huracan on Sale for $400K

Lamborghini Newport Beach has just added a heavily tricked-out supercharged Lamborghini Huracan to its inventory which must be one of the most menacing examples of the Italian super car anywhere in the world right now. This beast packs a ridiculous 805 horsepower and sports a price tag of $399,888 which is our book is 400 grand.

That’s a helluva lotta money, but then this supercharged Lamborghini Huracan is a helluva lotta car. Aside from the fact that this Arancio Borealis beauty with its Nero Ade leather is a 2015 model with only 1,266 on the clock, the car comes with a bespoke carbon fiber body kit consisting of front spoiler lip with side flaps, side skirts, custom rear diffuser and fixed rear wing. It is almost there to look like an Aventador SV.

And there is the VF800 supercharger kit with an Eaton TVS2300 Roots-style blower set at 7.5psi, working in tandem with aluminum intake manifold, air-to-water intercooler system, and ECU remap to give this car 805 horsepower. It’s a good thing, then, the supercharged Lamborghini Huracan is equipped with lightweight ADV1 CS Series forged wheels, SPARCO 4-point harness and a roll bar. The tuning treatment has not cost the car any of its luxury features such as air con, heated seats, cameras, and…

Purple Aston Martin Vulcan Set to be Auctioned by Mecum

Mecum Auction’s August sale in Monetery is shaping up to a sick event. Besides the one-off green McLaren P1 they are bringing along the lot also includes this Midnight Purple Aston Martin Vulcan, one of only 24 cars worldwide.

Sporting chassis number 11, the Purple Aston Martin Vulcan is a special item on a number of levels. First and foremost, it’s a Vulcan which means it’s a bespoke hyper car designed to be the ultimate track car. Then there is the custom paint job it is sporting which makes it quite possibly the only car of its kind in the world in this shade, unless of course someone else has ordered their Vulcan in the same exact color which is unlikely.

There is definitely going to be an auction fight over this one and we’re keen to see how much it will go for. But the closest you and I can get to this thing is in these images, so…

Purple Aston Martin Vulcan #11 of 24 Highlights:

• Track only Aston Martin supercar
• Build number 11 of 24 cars
• Carbon fiber tub based on One-77 technology built by Multimatic
• Integrated FIA-compliant high strength steel roll cage subframe to package the transmission, suspension and increased loading from rear wing
• Aston Martin Racing-built 7.0 liter V-12 engine
• Factory rated at 820 horsepower
• Xtrac 6-speed sequential gearbox
• Sachs competition clutch
• Cosworth electronic control unit
• Engine features 3-position adjustable power outputs
• Iconel and titanium side exhaust
• Magnesium casing Torque Tube driveshaft with carbon fiber propeller shaft
• 4-way adjustable pushrod double wishbone suspension
• Anti-dive geometry on front suspension
• Anti-squat and anti-lift geometry on rear suspension
• Brembo Carbon Ceramic Racing Disc brakes
• Bosch M4 motorsport driver-adjustable 11-position anti-lock-braking system
• APP-Tech 19-inch 10-spoke Satin Black forged alloy wheels
• Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires
• Recaro full carbon fiber frontal head restraint compatible racing seats
• Schroth 6-point racing harness
• AP Racing adjustable pedal box
• Adjustable steering column
• Bespoke carbon fiber steering wheel with starter button, neutral, pit lane limiter, indicator, flash-to-pass, adjustable ABS, traction control, wipers and paddle shifters
• Cosworth Omega dash and data acquisition system with data download port
• LED headlamps with Daytime Running Lights, Directional Indicator, Main Beam and Side Lights
• IsoClima hard-coated heated polycarbonate front wrap-around and side screens
• Four on-board air jacks

Auction Find: Porsche Carrera GT with 152 Miles

It is kind of sad that some people buy super cars like Porsche Carrera GT, lock them away and never use them. But it also means that when they finally decide to sell, the cars are basically brand-new and ready for an enthusiast to enjoy them.

Granted, the enthusiast in question here is going to have to pay a whole lot more than he would for a properly used example, but then again you can really put a price on happiness can you? And what can make a car guy happier than a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT with 152 original miles on the clock?

This CGT, which is said to be the most pristine and showroom-fresh example in the world, will be auctioned next month by Mecum Auction at their Monterey event which also includes a very special McLaren P1 and an equally impressive Aston Martin Vulcan. If we were a millionaire, though, we’d go right past those Brits and bid unwaveringly on this black GT. FYI, they only made 1,275 units of this car and it has an original MSRP of nearly half a million dollars.