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Category: Highlight

  • A speedster is the next one-off supercar from Lamborghini Squadra Corse

    Lamborghini Squadra Corse has provided a first look at its next one-off creation, an Aventador-based speedster similar to 2012’s much-loved Aventador J.

    Lamborghini Squadra Corse is the official motorsport division of Lamborghini, though in recent years it’s been testing the waters with one-off creations developed using lessons learned from racing.

    The first was 2018’s SC18 which was followed in July by the Essenza SCV12, both track-focused machines (track-only in the case of the Essenza) based on the Aventador.

    The new speedster, shown here during a recent test at Italy’s Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit, is also Aventador-based. The front hasn’t been shown but judging by some of the lines at the rear, the car is most closely aligned with the Aventador SVJ.

    The 6.5-liter V-12 in the SVJ spits out 759 horsepower, though Lamborghini Squadra Corse has pushed the engine as high as 830 hp in the Essenza SCV12.

    Written on the flanks of the car in Italian is a warning that we’re dealing with a “fast open car.”

    Unfortunately, Lamborghini hasn’t provided any further details on the new speedster. We can’t even say when it will be launched or how many are planned.

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  • Bueller? Bueller? Liftmaster’s latest commercial would ruin Ferris’ day off

    It’s not easy to make a memorable commercial for a garage-door opener, but LiftMaster found a way.

    The company on Monday released a 30-second ad spoofing the 1980s cult-classic movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” If you’re not familiar, the plot centers around the titular high schooler (played by Matthew Broderick) skipping school. At one point, Bueller and friend Cameron Frye (played by Alan Ruck) borrow Frye’s father’s 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder (a replica was used in the movie).

    LiftMaster recreated that scene, complete with the glass-walled garage, but swapping the Ferrari replica for a 1966 Jaguar E-Type. Ruck even makes an appearance as the father, showing off the new LiftMaster Secure View garage-door opener’s noteworthy feature—a built-in camera that will let you know if anyone is “borrowing” your car.

    One of three cars used to film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” one crossed the block at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, earlier this year, netting $396,000. Built by Modena Design & Development, the car is officially known as a Modena Spyder California.

    It may look reasonably close to a real Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder, but the replica has fiberglass bodywork and a steel-tube frame. Under the hood sits a 427-cubic-inch V-8 making about 500 horsepower, which is admittedly more than the 275 hp produced by the 3.0-liter V-12 in the genuine article.

    In addition to the car sold at Barrett-Jackson earlier this year—chassis number GTC001—a second car is known to exist. The third car was sacrificed for a scene in which the “Ferrari” takes a nose dive out of the garage. Thankfully, the Jaguar E-Type remains safe in the LiftMaster commercial.

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  • Preview: 2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible is a conspicuous drop-top

    The reveal of the redesigned 2021 BMW 4-Series coupe in June was, for lack of a better word, a bit jarring due to the radical new look introduced for the car’s grille. (BMW also shook things up by making the 4-Series longer than the 3-Series sedan, with which it shares a platform and powertrains.)

    Now that the same look has been applied to the redesigned 2021 BMW M3 sedan and M4 coupe, we’re starting to become accustomed to it, so much so that it almost looks entirely normal on the redesigned 2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible unveiled late on Tuesday. The new drop-top is due at dealerships in March 2021.

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    BMW has gone with an evolutionary look for most of the vehicle, though up front is that now familiar oversized grille with the iconic kidneys stretched vertically instead of horizontally. The design actually links the 4-Series with sporting BMWs of the past like the pre-war 328 and 3.0 CSi of the 1970s.

    The new looks extend to the roof which is now a soft-top instead of a retractable hard-top like on the previous generation. The simpler, sleeker soft-top not only improves the way the 4-Series Convertible looks but also makes it lighter and takes up less space both when stretched over the cabin and folded in the trunk. BMW said the soft-top is approximately 40% lighter than the previous generation’s hard-top. It also results in 0.2 inches of extra headroom in the cabin when up, and 1.2 cubic feet of extra storage in the trunk when folded.

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    The interior will be familiar to anyone who’s been in a modern BMW. A fully digital instrument cluster with a 12.3-inch screen is available (an analog cluster with an integrated 5.1-inch screen is still standard), and next to this sits a large infotainment screen (8.8 inches standard and 10.25 inches available). Sport seats and a leather-lined sport steering wheel are standard.

    Standard electronic driver-assist features include forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with steering correction, blind spot warning, and rear cross traffic alert. A worthy option is the parking assistance package which adds a surround-view camera.

    At launch there will be 430i and M440i variants, with rear-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive available from July 2021. The sole transmission is an 8-speed automatic.

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    2021 BMW 4-Series Convertible

    The 430i packs a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 delivering 255 horsepower and 294 pound-feet of torque. The M440i has a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 and mild-hybrid system good for 382 hp and 364 lb-ft. The mild-hybrid system temporarily boosts output by 11 hp. It consists of an integrated starter motor and generator that is able to recover energy under braking.

    The M440i is the quickest of the bunch, needing 5.0 seconds to reach 60 mph and topping out at 155 mph (electronically limited). Performance fans can look forward to an M4 Convertible which will have a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-6 with as much as 503 hp.

    Pricing starts at $54,095 for the 430i Convertible, and at $64,995 for the M440i Convertible. All-wheel drive is a $2,000 premium. Sport-tuned suspension and adjustable dampers can also be added at extra cost.

    The expansion of BMW’s 4-Series family isn’t over. A redesigned 4-Series Gran Coupe is in the works, and it may spawn an M4 variant this time around. There will also be a new battery-electric sedan dubbed the i4, and it will offer up to 523 hp. Both of these 4-Series members are due in 2021.

    For more on the BMW 4-Series, read the in-depth reviews at The Car Connection.

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