Aston Martin has finally taken the wraps off the production V8 Vantage at the 2005 Geneva International Motor Show. First shown as a concept at the 2003 NAIAS in Detroit, the V8 Vantage will be built at Aston Martin’s Headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK, and completes the current Aston Martin line-up. This now comprises the flagship Vanquish S, the elegant DB9 and the agile V8 Vantage.  Read More

UPDATED IMAGES Sixteen years after Mazda first showed what was to become the best selling two-seat sportscar in history (the MX-5), it has taken the covers off an all-new, third-generation MX-5 at the 2005 Salon International de l'Auto in Geneva. Mazda has thoroughly reworked every aspect of the MX-5’s design, mechanical function, and dynamic response with a view to infusing more fun and driving satisfaction. The new MX-5 is more powerful, more capable, more comfortable, offers better occupant protection yet its curb weight has increased by just 10 kg. In addition to saving weight, the torsional rigidity of the body structure has been improved 47% and a true 50:50 weight distribution has been achieved, significantly reducing the MX-5’s moment of inertia about the vertical (yaw) axis. The most notable change to the MX-5’s shape is the elimination of the "Coke bottle" shape of the contours. The nose and tail are smoothly tapered, as before, but now the surfaces wrap smoothly between the wheels without narrowing. The functional benefit of this change is a wider cockpit with additional hip, shoulder, and elbowroom. In addition, the space needed for side air bags is available.  Read More

Umberto Todero , one of the best known and most respected designers on the world motorcycling scene has passed away at the age of 82. Todero spent 66 years in the employment of Moto Guzzi, originally as a race mechanic on the World Championship winning single cylinder Grand prix bikes of the fifties, and from there onwards, he worked with the likes of Carlo Guzzi, Cesare Carcano, Enrico Cantoni, Lino Tonti, and Dr. John Wittner and played a hand in the design of every Moto Guzzi from the legendary 500cc V8 racer of the fifties through to the transverse V-twin engines that have become the marque's unmistakable signature.  Read More

On February 28, the Koenigsegg CCR broke the production road car speed record, achieving a new official top speed of 388 kmh at Italy's Nardo Prototipo proving ground. The Koenigsegg CCR raised McLaren's previously unofficial mark of 372 kmh set at Nardo/Prototipo in 1993 by over 15 kmh. On top of this the CCR broke the official McLaren F1 record of 386.7 km/h, which was set on the 9 km straight line VW Ehra facility in Wolfsburg Germany. The Koenigsegg CCR is already the most powerful production car in the world and now adds the speed crown, beating out the McLaren F1 (372 kmh), the Ferrari Enzo (355 kmh), Porsche Carrera GT (334 kmh), McLaren Mercedes SLR (334 kmh) and Lamborghini Murcielago (330 kmh).  Read More

The Bertone Villa originates from the desire to break the rules, to rebel against the homogeneity of the contemporary car, to search for a new balance between design and emotion. And the risk of breaking a consolidated balance transforms itself into a creative opportunity. So the Bertone Villa interprets the concept of the car of the future in an original way, and proposes a surprising perspective to the exterior design, focusing attention on the side, in particular, the access into the vehicle, and on a new concept of interior luxury. Developed on the basis of the Cadillac SRX, the Villa was shown for the first time today at the Geneva Auto Show.  Read More

History repeated itself today when, in a surprise move, Morgan released the new Aero 8. It was five years ago exactly that saw the surprise launch at Geneva of the then new Morgan Aero 8. Now, with over 300 examples in customer's hands comes the latest version, fully approved for the American Market.  Read More

Morgan has released images of an extraordinarily beautiful one-off design. The Morgan Aeromax is a unique Morgan commissioned by Prince Eric I. Sturdza, President of Banque Baring Brothers Suisse. Based on the requirement for a comfortable long distance Touring Coupe, drawings by Matthew Humphries were discussed with the customer to define the total concept. Particular requirements such as the "gullwing" boot openings, hardwood and traditional pleated leather interior and a large flat load area behind the seats were particular requirements.  Read More

Sony Ericsson today kick-started its entry into the mobile music market with the announcement of the W800, the first Walkman branded mobile phone. It will now be possible to listen to music, handle phone calls and take great pictures and video, all with one device and with no compromise on quality. The Sony Ericsson W800 is the first product to combine a mobile phone, a high quality digital music player with up to 30 hours' battery life, and a 2 Megapixel camera. All of this is packaged in a slim, lightweight device with ultra-stylish design.  Read More

2005: Nespresso and Miele, have announced the launch of a new built-In Miele/Nespresso coffee machine. Gizmag tested a Nespresso coffee machine 15 months ago and we were knocked out by the quality and range of the sealed Nespresso coffee cartridges. The Miele/Nespresso CVA 2000 machine also represents a new generation of kitchen appliances offering a sophisticated design and cutting edge espresso machine technology that integrates into modern kitchen environments.  Read More