Auto car sports

As absurd as it may seem to spend $75,000 for what is essentially a luxed-up edition of the forthcoming mass production 2011 Camaro Convertible, it took only three minutes earlier today for 100 people to put their name down for the Neiman Marcus special edition cabrio. The new owners claimed their 2011 Camaro SS ragtops through a special telephone reservation process, a few hours after the car made an appearance on NBC's Today Show. All 100 examples of the special edition Camaro Convertible (see video here), which was prepared exclusively for the annual Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, will be SS models with a 6.2-liter, V8 engine hooked up to either the 6-speed manual gearbox or 6-speed automatic transmission. Unique feature include an exclusive Deep Bordeaux exterior color, accented by subtle, "ghosted" rally stripes, a matching color fabric top, windshield frame finished in matte silver and 21-inch polished alloy wheels with red detailing that are wrapped in beefy Pirelli...

Four years after it hit the market, Volkswagen is giving the Eos coupe-cabriolet its first cosmetic makeover. The facelifted model, which will have its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November before going on sale in January 2011, receives an updated design and a host of new features. The exterior restyling brings the Eos in line with VW's latest models such as the new Touareg , Passat B7 and Jetta . At the front, there's a new, and less prominent, upper grille which is now completely separated from the lower. Also new are the headlamps that incorporate horse-shoe shaped LED running lights, the bumper design and the more chiseled side mirrors. Out back, the changes include a revised bumper housing a diffuser and new, rectangular-shaped tail lamps with LED technology. Inside the cabin, the changes are really rather difficult to spot, being limited to some fresh colors, new controls for the air conditioning system and additional features such as the keyless ...

After the auction of the first publicly available production model of the 2011 Camaro Convertible that sold for $205,000, and the release of a single official press image last week, Chevrolet continues to drum up interest for its new topless Camaro with the announcement of a new special edition version that will be showcased in the annual Neiman Marcus "Christmas Book". The General plans to build only 100 examples of the Camaro Convertible Neiman Marcus Edition, each priced $75,000, with first deliveries set to take place in the spring of 2011. All Neiman Marcus Editions are based on the Camaro Convertible SS model and come equipped with a 6.2-liter V8 engine that delivers 426HP and 420 lb-ft of torque when paired to a six-speed manual gearbox, and 400HP and 410 lb-ft, when combined to a 6-speed automatic. The cars are finished in an exclusive Deep Bordeaux exterior color, accented by subtle, "ghosted" rally stripes. The body paint is complimented by a color-match...

Taking a short break from our Paris Motor Show coverage, General Motors surprised us this morning with the release of the first official picture of the production 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. The soft-top iteration of GM's muscle car will make its world debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on November 17, and arrive in Chevrolet showrooms in February 2011 with a starting price -yes, we have that too- of $30,000, including $850 destination, for the base V6 model. Full pricing details will be released later this year. "The Convertible will make the all-new Camaro, already a smash-hit, even more desirable to a greater range of drivers," says Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. Not surprisingly, the Convertible model will be available in the same model and engine offerings as the Camaro Coupe . The base model will have a 3.6-liter V6 with direct-injection pumping out 312-ponies and returning 29 miles per gallon on the highway, while the SS m...

Here are some snapshots of the next Saab vehicle to help justify the brand's survival, the 9-4X crossover . Seen here in production guise before its LA Auto Show debut in November (unless Saab surprises us in Paris...), what we've got is a nice, safe, smart step in the right direction for the brand. While nothing is official yet, the 9-4X engine lineup should include a ~180-hp 1.6-liter Turbo, a ~220-hp 2.0-liter Turbo, and a 2.0-liter turbo diesel. A 300-hp 2.8-liter V6 may also show up, and we can expect transmissions to be 6-speed manuals and automatics in a front- or all-wheel drive layout. From the pics, the new Saab crossover looks to stay fairly true to the 9-4X BioPower concept by showing off Saab's new rear end styling; we can clearly see its full-width taillight setup and hockey stick C-pillar. Up front is more of the same, with the only concession appearing to be smaller front fog light openings. Also, the propeller-inspired rims are a nice touch that symbolize ...