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Motor Authority - blog Tag: France

  • French stylist Jeremie Paret turns his hands to the Porsche Cayenne

    French stylist Jeremie Paret turns his hands to the Porsche Cayenne July 28th, 2009 ByJeremy Weber Jeremy Weber, Author, July 28th, 2009 Jeremy Weber 4 Comments

    French stylist Jeremie Paret turns his hands to the Porsche Cayenne Last year we revealed the first major work of former French tuning magazine editor Jeremie Paret, who had dubbed himself as a car stylist rather than a tuner and set up shop with studios in Paris and Dubai to woo the wealthy and tasteful into handing over their cars for some style treatment. While his work on the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 was rather handsome indeed, we thought it would be difficult for even a French car stylist to make the aesthetically-challenged Cayenne look any good - and we were right.

    With a front end that looks more like an upset fish rather than a stylish SUV, the development of the Porsche Cayenne 'Balrog'... Last year we revealed the first major work of former French tuning magazine editor Jeremie Paret, who had dubbed himself as a car stylist rather than a tuner and set up shop with studios in Paris and Dubai to woo the wealthy and tasteful into handing over their cars for some style treatment. While his work on the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 was rather handsome indeed, we thought it would be difficult for even a French car stylist to make the aesthetically-challenged Cayenne look any good - and we were right. With a front end that looks more like an upset fish rather than a stylish SUV, the development of the Porsche Cayenne 'Balrog' apparently took eight grueling months of research. With work undertaken on the exterior of the car, along with some performance upgrades, a new interior and a number of new wheels, the Jeremie Paret Porsche Cayenne Balrog may not be up our alley but it has already won acclaim from rising French hip-hop star Kennedy, who has had a number of his cars modified by Jeremie Paret. The Balrog features a new front bumper with cooling vents, a new front grille and bigger fenders to give the car a more aggressive appearance. Meanwhile, the original Cayenne lights are retained. A new diffuser at the rear helps keep the Cayenne glued to the road, while side skirts join the front and back neatly. For the interior expect a generous helping of leather and custom Jeremie Paret badges to let passengers know that this is no ordinary Porsche Cayenne - not that they wouldn't be able to tell from the exterior. Performance upgrades include bigger brakes from Brembo, while a number of engine modifications can lift power in the Cayenne Turbo Balrog to a heady 601hp. For some other attempts at making the Porsche Cayenne look decent, you can check out this Cayenne Diesel from Techart, or Gemballa's more performance oriented modification - and don't forget Status Design's version of the SUV, which may just take the prize for the ugliest Porsche Cayenne to come out of Russia.Jeremie Paret Porsche Cayenne Balrog Read More

  • Bugatti reveals more photos of Veyron Grand Sport as production ramps up

    Bugatti reveals more photos of Veyron Grand Sport as production ramps up June 18th, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, June 18th, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 6 Comments

    Bugatti reveals more photos of Veyron Grand Sport as production ramps up Few cars carry as much prominence as the Bugatti Veyron, famous for its ultra-high price tag, striking looks and other-worldly speeds, but there will always be demanding customers wanting more. For them, Bugatti is offering an even more exclusive ‘roofless’ version labeled the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, which recently entered production at the company’s high-tech assembly facility in Molsheim, France.

    To mark the production start of the new model, which will be limited to 150 units, Bugatti hosted a special day for enlisted buyers to test drive some pre-production versions at Cannes, in northern France in May and now that... Few cars carry as much prominence as the Bugatti Veyron, famous for its ultra-high price tag, striking looks and other-worldly speeds, but there will always be demanding customers wanting more. For them, Bugatti is offering an even more exclusive ‘roofless’ version labeled the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, which recently entered production at the company’s high-tech assembly facility in Molsheim, France. To mark the production start of the new model, which will be limited to 150 units, Bugatti hosted a special day for enlisted buyers to test drive some pre-production versions at Cannes, in northern France in May and now that production is fully underway, Bugatti decided a tour of the countryside was in order. The new photos show the car touring the vineyard-draped hillsides of Napa Valley. Close-ups reveal some of the details both inside and out, while the car's white paint contrasted against the dark interior does a great job of highlighting the Grand Sport's topless nature. We’ve been following the car for some time now as it first appeared on the auto scene last August at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The very first build slot for the car, incidentally, was auctioned off at the Pebble Beach event to a wealthy buyer who paid $2.9 million for the privilege. The other 149 cars are priced at €1.4 million (approximately $2 million), but the first 50 cars have already been reserved for registered Bugatti customers. Despite being labeled a roadster, the Grand Sport actually features a removable targa style roof that must be stored away manually before setting off for a drive. According to Bugatti’s communication chief, Georges Keller, the roofless targa option was the only one available because there was no other solution which could fit with the Veyron’s safety cage. Most low-volume supercars use targa panels because of the low cost of development and to retain the structural integrity of the chassis. With the roof in place, the Grand Sport will reach speeds of up to 252mph (407km/h) just like the hard-top. Speeds of up to 224mph (360km/h) are possible with the roof stowed away, which will ensure the Grand Sport remains the world’s fastest roadster for some time to come. For the full details check out our previous story by clicking here. Furthermore, Bugatti has previously released a number of special edition Veyrons, including the Pur Sang, the Sang Noir, the Pegaso, and the Fbg par Hermès.Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport2009 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport in CannesBugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport roadster in Napa Valley Read More

  • U.S. satellite listeners to get live broadcast of entire 24 Hours of Le Mans

    U.S. satellite listeners to get live broadcast of entire 24 Hours of Le Mans June 10th, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, June 10th, 2009 Kenneth Hall 0 Comments

    U.S. satellite listeners to get live broadcast of entire 24 Hours of Le Mans The battle for the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans is already heating up with Peugeot protesting Audi's R15 race car, and things will only get hotter as the weekend approaches. If you don't want to miss a minute, then you'd better have satellite radio, because Sirius XM will be covering the event from green flag to checkered.

    Broadcasting every minute of the event from the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France, Sirius channel 126 and XM channel 243 coverage will start at the flag drop at 9:00am ET Saturday and run through the finish Sunday morning.

    With Aston Martin also returning to the fray in an all-new LMP1 machine. This year marks the... The battle for the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans is already heating up with Peugeot protesting Audi's R15 race car, and things will only get hotter as the weekend approaches. If you don't want to miss a minute, then you'd better have satellite radio, because Sirius XM will be covering the event from green flag to checkered. Broadcasting every minute of the event from the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France, Sirius channel 126 and XM channel 243 coverage will start at the flag drop at 9:00am ET Saturday and run through the finish Sunday morning. With Aston Martin also returning to the fray in an all-new LMP1 machine. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Aston's historic 25-lap lead and 1-2 at the 1959 race, with Carroll Shelby at the wheel of the winning DBR1 car. Despite the fact that most U.S. racing fans are more interested in seeing cars turn left, Eve Hewitt, managing director of the unit covering the Le Mans race says the show gets lots of interest in the U.S. "We have always enjoyed great support from U.S. based enthusiasts," said Hewitt. For those tuning in via television or lucky enough to attend in person, keep your eyes peeled, for you may get a glimpse of the impressive GTbyCitroen supercar concept that will be making an appearance before the race starts.2009 Aston Martin LMP1 Le Mans race carAudi R15 TDI Le Mans Prototype race car Read More

  • Fiat may turn to PSA Peugeot-Citroen should Opel bid fail

    Fiat may turn to PSA Peugeot-Citroen should Opel bid fail June 1st, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, June 1st, 2009 Kenneth Hall 1 Comment

    Fiat may turn to PSA Peugeot-Citroen should Opel bid fail Fiat's sudden interest in Chrysler and Opel highlight the Italian auto giant’s desire to build a large scale global manufacturing operation, but now that a deal with Opel appears to be far from certain there’s speculation as to where Fiat's interest will fall next. In top contention, it’s been revealed, is France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen group.

    With a freshly inked deal with Chrysler, many analysts are speculating that without the stability of Opel backing up the allaince, Fiat may find itself on shaky ground. Equity analysts have described Chrysler as the weakest link in Fiat's current expansion strategy and an... Fiat's sudden interest in Chrysler and Opel highlight the Italian auto giant’s desire to build a large scale global manufacturing operation, but now that a deal with Opel appears to be far from certain there’s speculation as to where Fiat's interest will fall next. In top contention, it’s been revealed, is France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen group. With a freshly inked deal with Chrysler, many analysts are speculating that without the stability of Opel backing up the allaince, Fiat may find itself on shaky ground. Equity analysts have described Chrysler as the weakest link in Fiat's current expansion strategy and an alliance with PSA could help Fiat find its feet again, reports Automotive News. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne's eagerness to gobble up as many companies as possible isn't surprising, considering his theory that the global economic crisis will wipe out all but six automakers, leaving just a few major European brands. This largely explains Marchionne's desire to swallow companies like Opel, but if PSA and Fiat were to team up, the results would be even more grand than the potential Fiat-Opel tie up - with possible sales for the combined brand reaching as high as seven million units. But forging an alliance with PSA might turn out to be more difficult than originally thought, especially considering the French government's recent cash stimulus of €3 billion to the struggling PSA. Additionally, other companies have sought alliances with PSA with little success, partly due to PSA's desire to remain independent. Should both the options of Opel and PSA fall through for Fiat, then Marchionne may find himself at the negotiating table with another GM brand - the small volume Swedish brand Saab. Failing to strike a deal with Opel and PSA would leave Fiat in a precarious position, and absorbing Saab's struggling business may not be the best manoeuvre for Fiat but it may have no other choice at that point. Read More

  • IKEA Leko turns out to be new car sharing program

    IKEA Leko turns out to be new car sharing program March 30th, 2009 ByAlex Kaufmann Alex Kaufmann, Author, March 30th, 2009 Alex Kaufmann 5 Comments

    IKEA Leko turns out to be new car sharing program While it never turned to be the April fool’s day joke we had all thought it to be, IKEA’s mysterious ‘Leko’ has turned out to be a new car sharing program launching in France next month. The new program is an online car-sharing service that will allow motorists to book vehicles via the Internet then pick them up at one of 26 IKEA stores located around France.

    The program is being run together with Comuto, a more established car-sharing business already in France, and is similar to the one already operating in Austria.

    While other car-sharing programs, like Daimler’s new car2go, are aimed at reducing the... While it never turned to be the April fool’s day joke we had all thought it to be, IKEA’s mysterious ‘Leko’ has turned out to be a new car sharing program launching in France next month. The new program is an online car-sharing service that will allow motorists to book vehicles via the Internet then pick them up at one of 26 IKEA stores located around France. The program is being run together with Comuto, a more established car-sharing business already in France, and is similar to the one already operating in Austria. While other car-sharing programs, like Daimler’s new car2go, are aimed at reducing the number of vehicles on the road, IKEA’s new Leko service will likely feature a fleet of compact vans to provide customers with an easy way of taking their bought goods home. If the program proves successful, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it pop in other markets, including the U.S. Read More

  • Renault Sport Experience: touring Europe with hot hatches

    Renault Sport Experience: touring Europe with hot hatches March 11th, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, March 11th, 2009 Kenneth Hall 1 Comment

    Renault Sport Experience: touring Europe with hot hatches The best way to make a small fortune in motorsports? Start with a large one. Yes, the old adage is true as ever, but it need not always be, at least in a few cases. The Renault Sport Experience is one way to get some track time on the cheap, and it's getting ready to hit some of the most famous tracks throughout Europe.

    The 2009 Renault Sport Experience merges the Renault Sport Enthusiast Days, which has been going on each year since 2005, with the Twingo Renault Sport Driving Tuition Days. The end result: you can get on track in a Clio Cup car for just €30 ($38.50).

    Existing Renault Sport owners can drive during the track days as... The best way to make a small fortune in motorsports? Start with a large one. Yes, the old adage is true as ever, but it need not always be, at least in a few cases. The Renault Sport Experience is one way to get some track time on the cheap, and it's getting ready to hit some of the most famous tracks throughout Europe. The 2009 Renault Sport Experience merges the Renault Sport Enthusiast Days, which has been going on each year since 2005, with the Twingo Renault Sport Driving Tuition Days. The end result: you can get on track in a Clio Cup car for just €30 ($38.50). Existing Renault Sport owners can drive during the track days as well, while those who don't own an RS vehicle can rent rides, including the Megane R26.R hatch, as part of a coached lapping opportunity. Sixteen track days are scheduled, plus an additional four Driving Tuition Days. The tuition days offer a chance not just to drive the open track, but to learn and improve your skills. There's even a chance to drive a Formula Renault 2.0. One of the four days is reserved for women only, to help draw in participation from females. Six additional dates are scheduled to offer a chance to see the Renault-Alpine plant in Dieppe, where Renault Sport's motoring tradition was founded. Famed circuits on the track schedule include Brands Hatch in the UK, Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans in France, and Zolder in Belgium, among many others.Renault Megane R26.R Read More

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