Motoring news in brief
Mercedes tests SLS soft top
WHILE OFFICIAL shots of the new SLS coupé have found their way online, here's the first evidence that a hard-topped version is not the only one in the pipeline.
The retro-styled hard top is due to launch at the 2010 Geneva motor show, complete with gullwing doors.
However, the convertible, caught here during initial testing, will be a more traditional entry with a soft-top roof.
Sources suggest it will not be launched until 2011 at the earliest, with powertrains ranging from V8 to V10 and outputs of up to 650bhp.
2010 Ferrari F450 breaks cover
THIS IS the new F450 in all its glory. The replacement for the F430, it has only previously been tested with a “mule” body on it. This is the actual styling the new car will take, with the exception of the black cloth camouflage.
Evident from the test car is Ferrari’s decision to give the new car LED light strips running vertically away from the headlights. The car will also feature a new triple exhaust arrangement at the back, designed to give the car some real growl.
The car is powered by a new 4.5-litre V8 that is expected to be more powerful than the 520bhp F430 Scuderia and will come with the same seven-speed dual-clutch transmission now fitted in the recently launched California. The car is due to be officially unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in September, with sales starting next year.
Irish cannonball run for children’s charity
AN IRISH cannonball run – complete with high-end sports cars but without the police chases – will run from September 11th-13th in aid of Barretstown children’s charity.
Launched at the Residence Members’ Club in Stephen’s Green last week, several cars that will take part in the event were in attendance, including a collection of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, Mercedes AMGs and Porsche, all of which will travel in convoy with a Garda escort through Ireland in the three-day event.
The route will take participants from Dublin to Barretstown, then to Kinsale for lunch before crossing to Killarney for the first night stop. The second day takes the cars up the coast roads of Kerry and Limerick to Killaloe for lunch, then on to Moran’s on the Weir in Galway, where a small group of helicopter participants will meet up with their four-wheeled colleagues.
After a night in Galway, it’s back across the country to Dublin. Each car must donate €500 to Barretstown, while the entry fee – to cover accommodation, meals and entertainment – is €350 per person sharing.
For more information, see cannonball.ie.
New Lexus RX hybrid arrives in showrooms
THE NEW Lexus RX hybrid arrives in showrooms this week, boasting road tax of just €302, the only vehicle of its kind featuring such a low tax bill. The reason for this is its improved hybrid system that Lexus claims can run solely on electric power for up to 4km when driven at less than 45km/h.
The RX hybrid falls into tax Band C with emissions of 148g/km and a 6.3l/100km fuel economy, a 22 per cent improvement on the outgoing model.
Those official figures are bolstered by claims from Aiden Connolly, marketing manager at Lexus Ireland, who said: “Test driving the new RX hybrid in Dublin this week, I was able to drive from Heuston Station to O’Connell Bridge on electrical power alone.
“Customers can now enjoy all the benefits of driving an SUV or crossover without any of the social or financial pitfalls normally associated with these vehicles.”
Prices start at €62,000 for the Executive grade and €68,400 for the Sports version. Eight orders have already been taken for the new car.