Alfa 8C Competizione

Car enthusiasts and Alfisti wanting to be among the first to view an Alfa 8C Competizione in the UK should head to this year’s Canary Wharf Motorexpo (11-17 June), where this remarkable and much coveted Alfa Romeo sportscar makes its UK public debut.

Blessed with head-turning good looks and dramatic performance, all 500 of this limited edition model were snapped up long before the first customer cars turned a wheel, including the 42 examples destined for UK owners early next year.

Priced at close to £110,000, the all-carbon-fibre 450 bhp 4.7 litre V8 powered two-seater is expected to be the star of Motorexpo, before it goes on to make its mark on the Alfa Romeo stand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month (22-24 June).

Managing Director of Alfa Romeo UK, Christopher Nicoll, says: “This is a perfect example of the new direction for Alfa Romeo on the international stage. The fact that we long ago sold our UK allocation is testament to our rich heritage of producing emotive and exotic performance cars.”

Alfa Romeo will also showcase its brand new Alfa 159 TI at Motorexpo. The TI designation comprises a unique body kit, lowered sports suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels, leather sports seats, aluminium sports pedals and a leather-clad sports steering wheel.

Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo’s widely acclaimed Spider convertible will be in attendance to tempt sun worshippers.

Finally, Festival-goers visiting Goodwood this year can look forward to a wide selection of historic Alfa models. In true Goodwood style, Alfa Romeo will be celebrating its long lineage of beautiful high performance cars with the inclusion of classics including the Alfa P2 Gran Premio and Tipo B, plus the Alfa 33 Daytona

Alfa Unveils 159 Turismo Internazionale

Only a small number of Alfa Romeos have ever carried the famous two-letter designation, TI. Now it’s the turn of the Alfa 159 saloon and Sportwagon to carry the famous TI initials. Short for Turismo Internazionale, the TI badge now appears on several versions.

The range-enhancing Alfa 159 TI line-up benefits from a unique body kit, lowered sports suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels, red Brembo brake callipers all-round, plus chrome effect door mirrors and exhaust.

Inside these TI models, electrically adjustable and heated leather front sports seats top the list of interior changes, along with new sports dials, aluminium sports pedals, kick plates and trim inserts. A leather-clad sports steering wheel and gear knob are also included in the sporty specification list.

Drivers can choose from three powerful yet flexible engines. There are two petrol units: a 2.2 JTS and 3.2 JTS V6; and one diesel option: a 2.4 JTDM plus a choice of manual or QTRONIC gearboxes. In addition, Alfa Romeo’s Q4 4WD system, standard equipment on the 3.2 JTS V6, can also be specified on the diesel version.

And, by offering only three body colours – Alfa Red, Stromboli Grey and Carbonio black – Alfa Romeo is planning to keep the Alfa 159 TI models distinctive and exclusive.

Prices are also suitably attractive, with all this extra equipment costing just £750 more than the top spec Lusso models

New BMW X5 3.0sd

World’s most powerful production six-cylinder diesel engine comes to the X5. M Sport specification available across the range BMW’s class-leading Sports Activity Vehicle is now available with the world’s most powerful production six-cylinder diesel powerplant. The award-winning twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre diesel engine has been brought to the BMW X5 range to cater for a growing demand for performance SAVs.

The BMW X5 3.0sd provides the driver with 286hp and a flat torque curve with a peak of 580Nm from a lowly 1,750rpm to ensure rapid performance. The X5 3.0sd is capable of accelerating from zero to 62mph in 7.0 seconds before going on to a top speed of 146mph.

The drivetrain in the BMW X5 3.0sd is unique in its segment as it utilises two differently sized turbochargers operating in sequential stages depending on driver inputs. The key to the engine’s smooth power delivery is that, despite the mechanics of two turbochargers providing variable power, they deliver a consistent 2.85bar pressure to the intercooler at all times.

One smaller turbocharger provides near instantaneous power at low engine speeds, while a larger turbocharger provides the mid to top end power. The boost of both turbochargers is regulated by an ECU and three control valves. This arrangement ensures optimum performance delivery from just above idle speed through to the red line and makes for impressive performance figures and an absence of turbo lag.

Power in the X5 3.0sd is transmitted to the road via a standard six-speed automatic gearbox and BMW’s renowned xDrive four-wheel drive system. Complementing xDrive technology is the use of Dynamic Stability Control+ including Dynamic Traction Control.

DSC+ is the most advanced stability control system currently available on a production car and comes with four additional features above and beyond the original DSC system. DSC+ adds Hill-start assistant, Brake pre-tensioning, Brake fade compensation and Brake drying. Dynamic Traction Control, when engaged, allows for a degree of wheel slip to permit forward motion on slippery surfaces such as ice and snow. It also allows the keener driver to revel in the handling characteristics of the X5 without the DSC+ interrupting the flow unless the situation becomes critical.

Diesel power accounts for more than 90 per cent of X5 sales in the UK and the new X5 3.0sd is being introduced to satisfy the wishes of some existing X5 owners who asked for an even greater level of performance. To cope with this the X5 3.0sd features uprated brakes compared to a standard 3.0d and comes fitted with thicker and larger diameter disc brakes for greater retardation. For a subtle and discreet visual differentiation between the two diesel X5 models the 3.0sd also has a chrome kidney grille with titanium vertical slats.

The BMW X5 3.0sd is on sale now and costs £42,630 OTR for SE versions and £47,675 OTR for the M Sport.

The announcement of the X5 3.0sd coincides with the news that the M Sport trim level is now available on the rest of the BMW X5 range. Launched initially on the 4.8-litre car only, M Sport allows customers to further personalise their vehicle.

Standard M Sport equipment includes 19-inch light alloy M V-spoke wheels, M Aerodynamic bodystyling, M leather steering wheel, Sports suspension, Sports seats, Nevada leather upholstery, Anthracite headlining and Brushed Aluminium interior trim.

The BMW X5 3.0si M Sport costs £44,690 OTR while the X5 3.0d M Sport costs £45,265 OTR. The BMW X5 4.8i M Sport tops the range and costs £53,440 OTR.

Rolls-Royce Bought At Auction For $1.6 Million

A Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé has been bought at a charity auction for £800,000 ($1.6 million). The successful bid was made at the 9th Annual White Tie and Tiara Ball held to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Overall the event raised in excess of £6 million, with £3.1 million raised at the auction alone.

The Rolls-Royce was bought by a private buyer who will take delivery of his new car later in the summer. The event took place at the private residence of Sir Elton John and David Furnish.

Rolls-Royce unveiled the new Drophead Coupé in January this year. The two-door, four-seat convertible is hand made at the company’s manufacturing plant at Goodwood, and combines the latest aluminium technology and engineering with the very best in hand craftsmanship. The result is a car that many have already hailed as the ultimate in convertible motoring. Rolls-Royce has now begun full production of the new car.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chairman and CEO, Ian Robertson, said, “We were delighted that the Phantom Drophead Coupe raised such a significant amount on the night and that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars had the opportunity to support The Elton John AIDS Foundation in their continued fight against this global epidemic.”

Castagna Aznom

One of the most exciting recent developments in the industry, by this writer’s account at least, is the re-emergence of the coachbuilding industry.

Cars like the Fisker Latigo and Zagato Ferrari 575 GTZ have heralded a revival of the long-lost segment that inherently gives birth to some of the most unique automobiles on the road. It was only a matter of time until the Italians picked up where they left off by crafting unique Corvette-based sportscars.

Italian coachbuilder Castagna Milano, originally founded way back in the 1850s and revived in the 1990s, has created a number of bespoke models, including the Imperial Landaulet concept and a slew of custom Minis.

The carrozzeria’s latest offering, the Castagna Aznom, was previewed in skeletal form back in April at Monaco’s Top Marques show, and the firm has now released further details and images.

Based on the Corvette Z06, the Aznom also draws on retro Corvette styling elements, blended with thoroughly modern design features to create a heart-stopping supercar. The egg-crate grille is drawn from the original ‘53 Vette, slab-sided flanks from the ‘58 Stingray and fenders from the ‘56 SR-2 Sebring race car.

On the contemporary side of things, LED rear lights, retracting rear wing, three-section rear diffuser and F1-style fender-mounted carbon-fiber wing mirrors round out the design.

Those sharp five-spoke wheels measure 20 inches, shod in 285/30 and 335/30 Pirelli PZero rubber front and rear respectively, housing 356mm cross-drilled discs with six-pot calipers fore and 340mm discs with 4-pot calipers aft. The cockpit even features a Google Earth-powered sat-nav system.

Whether you love or hate the unique styling, the Aznom has the “go” to back up the “show”. Castagna has thoroughly massaged the Z06’s 7-liter V8 from 500 horsepower to a whopping 750, and with the use of carbon fiber, aluminum and magnesium bodywork, has trimmed the weight down to 1,400 kg.

With that magical formula of more power and less weight, the carrozzeria puts the performance figures at 0-60 in a scant 3.4 seconds on its way to a claimed top speed of 217 mph.