Roadster

The superb Tesla Roadster EV

By Mike Hanlon

July 21, 2006 It looks kinda like a Lotus Elise, tops 130 mph, has a range of 250 miles on a single charge, and is capable of 0-60 mph in about four seconds. Those are impressive figures and put it in the supercar acceleration class but the biggest thing the new electric Tesla Roadster which was unveiled overnight has going for it is cred. The kinda cred that comes when names like Elon Musk (PayPal founder and Tesla Chairman), Jeff Skoll (eBay), Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Google) invest and when California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger calls past for a photo session. The kind of cred that earned it the headline such as “Electric sports car ready to challenge Porsche?” in C/NET and lots of ink in highly credible magazines such as Newsweek, Red Herring, Business Week and Wired before anyone knew anything about their product other than that it was an electric sports car. The superstar team seems to have lived up to the hype though as the Tesla Roadster is impressive (see details inside). Deliveries of the Tesla Roadster are expected to begin mid-2007 and though no price has yet been announced for the vehicle, the indications are that it’ll run somewhere between the US$80,000 of the Tango and the US$120,000 of the Hybrid Technologies Mullen GT and somewhat less than the US$580,000 of the Venturi Fetish. Read More

Mazda MX-5 Miata Roadster Coupe – full details

By Mike Hanlon

July 19 2006 At the 2006 British International Motor Show which opens today, Mazda has unveiled a new version of its motoring icon, the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe, and it opens up a new dimension of fun and versatility for people who love open-top sports cars. The Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe is a brand-new counterpart to the third-generation MX-5, which launched in 2005. It has the same responsive performance and emotive styling as the soft-top model, but is equipped with a Power Retractable Hard Top—an electrically retractable hard top that doesn’t sacrifice any boot space. The roof retracts in three sections into a space behind the seats, leaving the boot completely unaffected and it does so very quickly in just 12 seconds (Mazda claims this is the quickest of any electrically retractable hard top on the market today), so it doesn’t interrupt driving enjoyment for long. And the entire mechanism has only marginally added to the weight at just 37 kilos more than the ragtop. Read More

BMW 328 MM Roadster Wins Mille Miglia 2006

By Mike Hanlon

May 29, 2006 Seventy years after its launch, the Giuliano Cane’s BMW 328 has continued its remarkable run of success in one of the world’s most premier automotive events, the Mille Miglia. The 60-year-old entrepreneur from Bologna has won the Mille Miglia nine times, eight with his wife Lucia Galliani as navigator, and once with Marino Auteri in a Ferrari in 1999. The husband/wife pairing has dominated the event since first combining to win it in a BMW 507 in 1992, taking it out again in a Lancia Aurelia B20 in 1994, then using the BMW 328 to win in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006. This run of alternate year wins must go down as one of the oddest records in history but looked certain to be broken this year after the couple got off to a poor start. They had worked their way back to fourth at the end of the second lap in Rome, but such was their knowledge during the six time trials around Vico Lake, that they managed to get to the top of the table and strenuously defend their position to the finish. BMW obviously banked on the couple winning as it unveiled the gorgeous BMW Mille Miglia Concept Coupe for the event. Read More

The Roadster F - 1230 kilogram, 650 bhp limited edition Pagani

By Mike Hanlon

March 1, 2006 Any list of the ten most desirable sports cars in the world would include a Pagani Zonda – it is one of the fastest, most exclusive and technologically advanced automobiles available. This time last year, Pagani unveiled the Zonda F - a high performance version of a vehicle already amongst the fastest road cars in the world created to honour Manuel Fangio. Weighing just 1230 kilograms, the Pagani Zonda F has a top speed of 345 kmh and a 0-100 kmh acceleration time of 3.6 seconds! At the Geneva Show yesterday, Pagani Automobili pulled the covers off the Roadster F, a new jewel in the Zonda family. Hand built in a limited run of just 25 cars, the Roadster F offers the outstanding driveability and performance of the F Coupe, enhanced by the pleasure of driving with a gentle breeze in your hair. Thanks to an original roof made out of carbon fibre and cloth (removable in a few seconds) and due to the use of carbon fabrics for the construction of the central chassis, bodywork and interior, it was possible to maintain the dry weight of 1230kg, which translates to a stellar weight/power ratio of 1.89kg/bhp for the Clubsport version. Read More

Freestream T1 roadster produces 480 bhp and weighs just 465 kilograms

By Mike Hanlon

February 7, 2006 The Freestream T1 is ultra lightweight 2-seater with wind-tunnel aerodynamics, a composite construction, a 480bhp 2.4-litre V8 and one of the lightest weights of any road car in existence - just 465kg. Built by a team of engineers who were part of the elite team that designed and developed the iconic McLaren F1, the T1’s 1,000bhp/tonne power-to-weight ratio will offer 3g cornering, and braking and acceleration performance approaching that of a Formula One car. Though it could well be the ultimate track day car, the T1 will be road registerable and is expected to cost in the vicinity of UKP150,000 when it goes on sale later this year. Read More

BMW's new Z4 M Roadster

By Mike Hanlon

October 27. 2005 BMW will redefine the benchmark for two-seater soft-top sportscars when the much-anticipated Z4 M Roadster arrives early next year. The M version of the Z4 will use the 3.2-litre straight-six powerhouse previously seen in the E46 BMW M3 Coupe and Convertible. Voted the World’s Best Engine in its class five years in a row at the international “Engine Oscars”, the 252 kW and 365 Nm straight-six M3 engine rockets the two-seater Z4 M Roadster to 100 km/h in just 5.0 seconds, and on to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. Due to bow in at the Detroit Motor Show next January 2006, the ultra-sports version of the BMW Z4 Roadster has been long-awaited by keen open-top drivers. The Z4 M Roadster follows in the wheel tracks of the 1997 BMW Z3 M Roadster which became a sportting enthusiasts favourite for its dynamic performance, agility, and sportiness. Read More

VW shows a carbon fibre combination coupe, roadster and speedster at Tokyo

By Mike Hanlon

October 25, 2005 Volkswagen presented a new prototype that could well make history as the most economical sports car of its time at this week's Tokyo Motor Show. Its basic data: average fuel consumption of 3.4 litres for 100 km, a top speed of 230 kph. Its name: EcoRacer. Thanks to its carbon-fibre (CFP) bodywork, this sports car with its centrally located engine weighs in at only 850 kilograms, and accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in just 6.3 seconds. Powered by a newly developed 100-kW turbo-charged diesel of the next generation, it offers a forward-looking synthesis of austere economy and impressive performance. 230 kph, 6.3 seconds, 3.4 litres – these vital statistics are as unusual as they are fascinating. But the objective of development was not to break records. With the EcoRacer, the intention was rather to create a research vehicle that united the elements of economy and performance under a very emotionally styled “roof”. Read More

Vanwall name lives again in a 1950s F1 replica roadster

By Mike Hanlon

March 11, 2005 One of the most famous names in motor racing history is to be reborn in the form of a roadgoing 1950s Formula One racing car replica. The famous Vanwall marque was in existence for just four years during the 1950s but in that time it won nine F1 victories, the F1 Constructors title in 1958 and was driven by the likes of Stirling Moss. Now the name will resurface as a high performance V12, aluminium bodied single seat racing car for the road. And a twin-seater is planned for later in the year. Read More

Third-Generation Mazda MX-5 Roadster at 2005 Geneva Auto Show

By Mike Hanlon

February 7, 2005 The Mazda MX5 has been one of the most popular open top sports cars of the modern era since the public first glimpsed its distinctive shape at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show. Despite a meagre 90 bhp 1600cc four-cylinder engine, the car became a best seller and despite only one major redesign, has remained so for a decade and a half. Now comes the news that Mazda is planning to breathe new life into the evergreen favourite with a third generation of the MX5 to be unveiled later this month. Read More

Smart roadster - schizophrenic automobile on test

By Mike Hanlon

In the case of the smart Roadster, the word Smart is both a brand and an adjective. The global automotive industry is a voracious user of global resources. This year it will create 60 million cars and consume around 50% of the world's oil production, 50% of rubber production, 25% of glass production, and 15% of steel production. If everyone drove a smart car, we'd make a massive shift towards smart sustainable living. The feel-good Smart Kart is two cars in one - a ballsy sportster and a good citizen with modest consumption for everything except fun. Read More

New Lamborghini Murci'lago Roadster

By Mike Hanlon

The production version of Lamborghini's Murci'lago Roadster was shown for the first time last week at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show, once again the work of Belgian Audi stylist Luc Donkerwolke. Though Gizmo featured the beautiful roadster as a concept car twelve months ago, when we saw the official pics we couldn't help ourselves. Read More

smart roadster hits Australia

By Mike Hanlon

The smart roadster two-seater convertible will launch in Australia next month promising purists the chance to sample an "intensive open-air motoring experience". The diminutive roadster has an engine output of 60 kW, weighs only 790 kilograms and can accelerate from 0 - 100 kmh in 10.9 seconds. Read More

Petronas FP1 Roadster

By Mike Hanlon

Sunday November 9, 2003: One of the most exclusive road motorcycles in the world went on sale recently when Petronas' highly-publicised FP1 roadster was released at GALERI PETRONAS in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Read More

KTM 1000cc v-twin roadster

By Mike Hanlon

Friday October 10, 2003: For the last thirty years, the Austrian KTM brand has been known for outstanding dirt bikes. Light weight, usable power and fantastic suspension were the hallmarks of the brand which has won numerous motocross and enduro titles across the world over the last 30 years. Read More

Nissan previews new 350Z Roadster

By Mike Hanlon

Tuesday July 1, 2003: Legendary automobiles were once the sole domain of the European and American industries, but as the history of the Japanese automotive industry is now getting some longevity to it, we are seeing a legend reborn with the famous Z series being reintroduced in Australia. Read More

GT40 Race Replica Roadster to go into production

By Mike Hanlon

On February 19, 2002, Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford delivered the news that car enthusiasts around the world had been waiting for: Ford will build the GT40 to help celebrate its 100th anniversary.

The production announcement came on the heels of the 2002 North American International Auto Show debut of the GT40 concept car less than 45 days prior, and public response had been so overwhelmingly positive that the announcement was, if anything, overdue! The GT40 concept and production car was inspired by arguably one of the most recognized and loved cars in automotive history.

The remarkable history of the GT40 is detailed elsewhere on theis web site. GT40, the modern version of the historic, two-door supercar, will help breathe new excitement into the Ford brand and support Ford Motor Company's promise of 20 new or freshened products each year. Read More