Maxxd.com

Category: Highlight

Kevin Hart paid $825K for this 1959 Chevrolet Corvette convertible restomod

Comedian Kevin Hart is a fan of modified muscle cars, and this week we found out how much he’s willing to pay to indulge that passion. At the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, late last month, Hart drove away with a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette restomod, paying $825,000 for the privilege.

The winning bid was added to the auction listing on Barrett-Jackson’s website, while the auction house confirmed that Hart was the buyer in a separate Facebook post. The listing describes the car as a Pro Touring build, meaning it has a long list of modern upgrades to improve all-around performance.

Under the hood sits an LT1 6.2-liter V-8 from a C7 Corvette Stingray, producing 460 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. The engine drives the rear wheels through a 4L75E 4-speed automatic transmission.

Art Morrison C7 independent front suspension, with Strange coilovers and fully-adjustable ride height, is mounted to a frame powder coated in Cadillac Gray. Stopping power is provided by Wilwood brakes with C7 6-piston front calipers, 14-inch rotors, and stainless-steel brake lines.

1959 Chevrolet Corvette restomod bought by Kevin Hart (Photo by Barrett-Jackson)

The Corvette rides on custom EVOD wheels with a modern size and a retro look, which continues with whitewall Nitto tires.

The body is all original, according to the listing, but the paint certainly isn’t. The Corvette currently wears PPG Franny Green, with a Chocolate Brown convertible top. The underside of the car was covered with a black ceramic coating, according to the listing, a sensible move if this car is actually going to be driven and enjoyed.

The interior features Dakota Digital gauges, LED lighting, and a modern audio system made to look like a 1959 Wonder Bar system, but with subwoofers and Bluetooth connectivity.

This Corvette won’t be the only restomod in Hart’s garage. He recently took delivery of a 1970 Dodge Charger from Wisconsin’s SpeedKore Performance Group. That car sports a carbon-fiber body and Hellephant V-8, so it’s even more hard core than this beautiful Corvette.

Source

April 1, 2021
2023 Ferrari Purosangue spy shots: Get ready for a Ferrari SUV

A new tester for Ferrari’s Purosangue crossover SUV has been spotted again, and this time we have a video.

It may look like a Maserati Levante that’s been slammed, but there are a number of clues that reveal it as a test mule. For instance, the rear doors are dramatically shorter than on the Levante. The interior is different, and the section from the tester’s A-pillar forward looks to be wider and longer. We also spot large carbon-ceramic brake rotors and headlights similar to those on the Ferrari Roma. Previous test mules used modified Ferrari GTC4 Lusso bodies to hide the new mechanicals, the model the Purosangue will directly replace.

Ex-Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri revealed the Purosangue name for the SUV in 2018, which is Italian for “thoroughbred.” He said at the time the vehicle won’t reach the market in 2020 like his predecessor, Sergio Marchionne, had envisaged. Instead, Camilleri stressed the need to make the controversial addition to Ferrari’s lineup absolutely “perfect,” meaning its development won’t be rushed.

[embedded content]

Underpinning it will be a new front mid-engine platform Ferrari is developing for its future grand touring models, like replacements for the Portofino, Roma and 812 Superfast. The platform complements the new mid-engine architecture that debuted in the SF90 Stradale.

Both platforms incorporate hybrid technology but the front mid-engine platform will also allow for the possibility of a non-electrified all-wheel-drive system and two rows of seats for a maximum of four seats. The front mid-engine platform will also feature a transaxle transmission, specifically a dual-clutch unit, for better weight balance and packaging.

A V-12 engine, likely with some form of electrification, is expected to be offered in the Purosangue in addition to a base V-8 that’s also electrifed. Interestingly, there are rumors Ferrari’s first battery-electric car due around 2025 will also be an SUV, perhaps a variant of the Purosangue.

2023 Ferrari Purosangue test mule spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

It isn’t clear what the Purosangue will look like but we’ve previously heard it will come with four doors. The rear doors might end up as suicide-style doors similar to those used on the Mazda RX-8 sports car, which would allow Ferrari’s design team to preserve a sporty coupe-like side view.

Since we’re only at the test mule stage, it could be another six months to a year before the first prototypes wearing the Purosangue’s actual body hit the road. The reveal should take place in 2022, meaning the vehicle will likely end up on sale as a 2023 model.

The Purosangue is just one of several models Ferrari will introduce by the end of 2022, some of which will be powered by a new V-6 engine. Beyond this date, Ferrari will finally introduce its successor to the LaFerrari—which may already be out testing.

Source

March 31, 2021
Genesis X Concept: Maybe this time?

Concepts are supposed to hint at what is coming from an automaker, but Genesis doesn’t seem to follow that rule. The last three Genesis Concepts, including the Genesis X that the brand revealed on Tuesday, have been battery-electric coupes. The last two Genesis vehicles to be chosen for production? Two SUVs: the mid-size GV80 and the compact GV70, and coming after them will be the GV60, which is rumored to be an even smaller battery-electric SUV as well.

However, a few elements of the Genesis X that the South Korean brand showed journalists in California recently have us feeling a bit more bullish that this concept will finally portend an electric-powered touring or sports coupe. Its predecessors, the Essentia and Mint, which debuted at consecutive New York Auto Shows (remember those?) in 2018 and 2019, were more out there in terms of styling. The Genesis X feels firmly planted in what Genesis is currently producing, with the brand’s signature parallel lines found in the headlights, taillights, and a pair of metal strips on the rear side windows. In fact, the new metallic badge seen on the concept will also make its way onto every redesigned Genesis going forward after the GV70.

Genesis X concept – March 2021

Details on the car are extremely thin at the moment. We know the powertrain will be fully electric and feature inductive charging, the same technology used to wirelessly charge smartphones just on a larger scale. We know it’s meant to be a 2+2 grand touring coupe in the vein of the Lexus LC and BMW 8-Series, even though this particular concept does not have an interior. Apart from that we’re left guessing, though Genesis representatives did say in hushed tones that a more fleshed out version of the concept was currently somewhere in Asia in an ambiguous state of completion but with an interior. Stay tuned.

So, we’re left with a lot of questions about the Genesis X, the biggest of which is what platform it would potentially use. Sharing its underpinnings with the forthcoming GV60 would make sense; it’s Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform that will also provide the basis of the Ioniq 5 SUV and Kia EV6. Other questions include: Will it be rear- or all-wheel drive? Will Genesis join Audi in the long-term battle to get camera side mirrors approved by American regulatory agencies? Will a production model also look this good?

Once again we’re stuck in the waiting game. Even when Genesis insisted that the Essentia would spawn a production coupe in 2021 or 2022, it didn’t make sense to build a halo car without the rest of the Genesis lineup fleshed out. But there have been no such promises this time, and with the lineup soon to hit three sedans and three SUVs, the time is ripe for a sportier coupe. Hopefully, the third electric coupe concept from Genesis is the charm.

Source

March 31, 2021