Alfa Romeo Racing edition Giulia and Stelvio celebrate F1 return at Goodwood

An aero package developed with help from Sauber adds a unique front splitter, more prominent rear spoiler and wider side skirts. Inside the cabin, unique stylistic details include Sparco racing seats with red stitching and carbonfibre shells, and carbonfibre inserts in the gearknob and steering wheel. Just ten Giulia and three Stelvio models will initially be made available for UK customers, with prices starting from £89,500 for the Giulia saloon and £96,500 for the Stelvio SUV. Both cars will be taking part in the Goodwood hillclimb at this year’s Festival. The Alfa Romeo Racing edition cars were first revealed at the Geneva motor show earlier this year alongside the Stelvio Ti, equipped with a 276bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, and a Giulia Veloce Ti in Misano Blue featuring extensive use of carbonfibre. Alfa also used that event to announce trim level revisions and a rejigging of the engine range for the 2019 Alfa Giulietta: the Super, the Speciale and the Veloce. There is now a choice of three different Euro 6D-compliant engines – a 1.4-litre 118bhp turbo petrol and 1.6-litre 118bhp diesel in manual or automatic, plus a 2.0-litre 168bhp diesel available in TCT automatic transmission only. The entry-level Super comes with cruise control, dual air-con, front foglights and rear parking sensors as standard; side skirts, sports seats, tinted windows and an oversized exhaust come with the Speciale; and the top-of-the-range Veloce includes 18in dark alloy wheels, twin exhausts, Alcantara and fabric seats, electric mirrors, auto headlights and wipers, and Uconnect
Origin: Alfa Romeo Racing edition Giulia and Stelvio celebrate F1 return at Goodwood

Bentley rounds off centenary trio with Continental Number 1 Edition

Bentley has paid tribute to its 1929 Blower race car with the new Continental GT Number 1 Edition by Mulliner. Based on the Continental GT Convertible, the Number 1 can be had in either red or grey and features a number of bespoke styling elements that, the firm says, “celebrate some of the pioneering individuals from the marque’s first 100 years”. The Number 1 is equipped with a Centenary trim package that adds commemorative badges to the bootlid and wheels, unique LED lighting patterns and bespoke interior elements. The number 1 is painted on the grille, in reference to the brand’s historic motorsport markings, and a carbonfibre body kit is fitted as standard. Further styling upgrades include 18-carat gold badging, jewel-encrusted oil and fuel filler caps, and 22in alloy wheels finished in dark red or gloss black. The Continental’s rotating infotainment display now features a miniature replica of the Bentley Blower’s distinctive wheel spinner, formed from a piece of piston taken from the original car. The special edition is powered by the standard model’s twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 engine, with power sent through a dual-clutch eight-speed gearbox. The Number 1 Edition completes a trio of limited-run models Bentley has unveiled as part of its centenary celebrations. Last year’s Mulsanne W.O. Edition celebrated company founder Walter Owen Bentley, and the recently revealed Continental GT Number 9 was styled after the firm’s 1930 Le Mans racer. As with the earlier cars, just 100 Number 1 models will be made. The Bentley Blower, named for its prominent supercharger, set the Outer Circuit lap record at the now-closed Brooklands race circuit in Surrey in
Origin: Bentley rounds off centenary trio with Continental Number 1 Edition

Bentley rounds off centenary trio with Continental Number 9 Edition

Judgy-Pants: The Hot-Wings Edition

From the RCMP in Manitoba comes the idea for a Judgy-Pants we can all get behind. What excuse will get you out of a ticket? For this 16-year-old lad clocked doing 170 k/hr in a 100 k/hr zone, nothing was going to get him out of it short of being driving while engulfed in flames. He wasn’t. He ended up with fines totalling over a $1000, including a couple of hundred dollars for being at that stage of his graduated licence where he was supposed to have a grown up in the car. In Ontario, they would have seized his Camaro. Much as I hate that law, ya’ know… He may be new to driving, but he had a perennial excuse: he had to go to the bathroom. It was probably the truth; he told the arresting officer he’d had too many hot wings. I hate it when that happens. Cops have heard everything, and I still say your best bet is to shut your mouth and take it up in court if you need to. But the Hot Wings Defence is pretty good, even if it didn’t pan out. Zip up your Judgy-Pants and let’s see what excuse you think might work: Take Our Poll Feel free to add in the comments anything that’s worked for
Origin: Judgy-Pants: The Hot-Wings Edition

Put on Your Judgy-Pants: The Tetris edition

A Subaru with an improperly loaded trailer in Huntsville, OntarioCentral Ontario OPP / Twitter Today’s Judgy-Pants is brought to you by the Huntsville OPP! We’ve all seen it. An underpowered car towing an unsafe trailer towards cottage country, bungee cords futilely trying to contain a cooler, a barbecue, a stack of lawn chairs, a mattress begging the rain to hold off. Trailers are tricky things; we don’t use them often, so tend to forget the tires on them get old whether you are running them or not, and that disuse and nibble-happy rodents can do quirky things to electrical connections. There are expert ways to pack a trailer. It starts with the trailer itself. It is not cool to take an old axle from your brother Bob’s Chev, some plywood from behind the shed, and rig one up. Are you kidding!! Think about the risk to others before you hit the road. Great work by OPP in Huntsville!! #HvilOPP ^JG pic.twitter.com/lxXJ8KuS8c OPP Central (@OPP_CR) June 4, 2019 In Ontario, trailers have to be plated and registered, but they aren’t inspected. That’s a problem, as we can see from today’s Judgy-Pants entrant. Who knows what’s underneath the contents of a house that’s been shoelaced to a skateboard? Everybody on the road is in danger when trailers are used improperly. The fine for an insecure load in Ontario is just $130; that’s about what it would cost to get a U-Haul, so maybe it’s time to up the fine and crack down on the Clampetts. According to Staff Sargeant John Paul Graham with Orillia OPP, the driver was charged with having an unsafe load, and charges related to documentation of the trailer. But, let’s judge! Take Our
Origin: Put on Your Judgy-Pants: The Tetris edition

Jaguar unveils ultra-limited edition of the ‘world’s fastest production sedan’

Jaguar has announced a Touring version of its XE SV Project 8, which it says is the world’s new fastest production sedan. It says it’s making just a limited run, and the company isn’t kidding: only 15 of these four-seater sedans will be offered worldwide, turning it into the most exclusive of Jaguar’s XE SV Project 8 models. The biggest difference with the Touring is that it has a small, fixed trunk spoiler in place of the massive, adjustable carbon-fibre wing on the XE SV Project 8 (and there are 300 of those—practically mass production compared to the Touring). The Touring also has a fixed front splitter for aerodynamic balance. That more ordinary styling is less likely to tip people off to the fact that there is a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 under the hood, churning out 592 horsepower, and with a top speed of 300 km/h. The zero-to-96 km/h run happens in 3.3 seconds. The Touring will come in one of four signature colours, including British Racing Green, Corris Grey Satin, Valencia Orange and Velocity Blue. The decals from its winged sibling are also missing, although buyers can option them on if preferred. “Project 8 has received outstanding critical acclaim since its launch, demonstrating the Special Vehicle Operations team’s ability to create a compact Jaguar sedan with supercar-rivalling performance,” said Jamal Hameedi, engineering director of Jaguar SVO. “Touring specification extends the appeal of Project 8 to performance car enthusiast and collectors who prefer a more discreet appearance, without compromising its driver-focused on-road
Origin: Jaguar unveils ultra-limited edition of the ‘world’s fastest production sedan’

BMW welcomes the M5 into mid-life with the M5 Edition 35 Years

Major anniversaries and milestones in the automotive world are celebrated in any number of ways. You can market Champagne like Bugatti did, or turn an old race car into vinyl records like Porsche, or you can do what most automakers do when the occasion is grand enough and release a special edition. And in the BMW family, one of the members is celebrating a relatively significant birthday this year: The M5 is turning 35. To honour the beginning of what would become an iconic car for the brand, BMW has christened a dark and dashing special edition: the M5 Edition 35 Years. The anniversary car is based on the M5 Competition, with the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine making 617 horsepower and 553 lb.-ft. of torque. That grants it the same sprint time of zero-to-100 km/h in 3.3 seconds; and top speed of 200 km/h, which it hits after 10.8 seconds. But BMW Motorsport GmbH got BMW Individual to make sure people would be able to tell that this was no ordinary extraordinary M5 Competition saloon. Well, some people. The Edition model comes in a special matte finish called Frozen Dark Grey, with grey 20-inch alloy wheels and brake calipers in gold or high-gloss black. The interior gets black leather seats with contrast beige stitching; select surfaces finished in a shimmering “aluminum carbon structure gold anodized,” and door sills and a centre console engraving that reads “M5 Edition 35 Jahre,” or “35 Years.” We’re just going to say it: middle age looks good on the M5. The production run will total just 350 examples, with 35 allocated for the United States. BMW Canada says it’s still working out its distribution strategy on this side of the border, but that it’s likely we’ll get at least a few. We’d put our money on 3.5
Origin: BMW welcomes the M5 into mid-life with the M5 Edition 35 Years

BMW launches limited-run M5 Edition 35 Years

BMW will celebrate 35 years of its M5 super saloon with a limited-run reworking of the 616bhp M5 Competition. The BMW M5 Edition 35 years features the same tuned version of the 4.4-litre V8 twin turbo engine as the M5 Competition, which produces 553lb ft of torque and can achieve 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155mph. The all-wheel-drive model also features the lowered and stiffened suspension from the M5 Competition, along with ball-joined rear suspension mountings and upgraded front anti-roll bars. The 350 examples of the M5 Edition 35 Years that will be produced feature a number of design changes, including a new metallic grey paint, and new 20-inch alloy wheels. The brake calipers are finished in high-gloss black, while the calipers on the optional M carbon ceramic brakes are available in a golf finish. The interior features a number of trim finishers made from aluminium carbon structure gold in the door trim, instrument panel and centre console. The door sills and cupholder covers feature M5 Edition 35 engravings. The M5 Edition 35 Years will go on sale in July. No pricing details have been revealed, but it is likely to be above the £96,205 of the standard M5 Competition. The first M5, which featured an in-line six-cylinder engine taken from the mid-engined M1, was launched in late
Origin: BMW launches limited-run M5 Edition 35 Years

News Roundup Auto Show Edition: The most popular reveals from New York

2020 Toyota HighlanderDerek McNaughton / Driving The 2019 New York International Auto Show hasn’t been a record event in terms of bombastic reveals. There’s the Shanghai Motor Show happening at the same time; Genesis revealed its tiny, futuristic EV in NYC before the auto show for some reason; and BMW didn’t even bother attending at all this year. Well who needs BMW anyway?! Not only did our editors find plenty of new rides to nerd out on (and some to make fun of) down in the Big Apple, they also picked up on a handful of new vehicles that are, for one reason or another, considerably important in the grand scheme of things. Here are five of the most significant reveals from the 2019 NY Auto Show. VW forays into small-truck territory with the Tarok Concept The Tarok Concept is part SUV, part small truck and all gamble for Volkswagen. And as a concept, it’s a gamble they’ve yet to fully make, but we’re kind of hoping they do, because this functional unit with a reconfigurable cargo bed with more capacity than the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger or Jeep Gladiator, is bound to have its share of use cases. The powerplant is the same 147-hp turbo’d 1.4-litre 4-cylinder the Golf uses, and a solid rear axle is an unlikelihood at this point, but if you’re looking for a way to ease into a pickup truck, this segment-defying concept from VW could show you the way. The 2020 Toyota Highlander takes the high road with a full redesign Picking up on what the newly restyled RAV4 recently put down in terms of design language, the fully redone 2020 Toyota Highlander debuted in NYC looking fresh and ready to carry the next generation of North American middle class families wherever it is they need to go. The Highlander is riding on Toyota’s New Global Architecture Platform (TNGA-K), and contains a 295-horsepower V6 that’s paired to smooth 8-speed automatic. The new hybrid variant is more efficient than ever; 17 per cent more efficient than its predecessor, in fact, and it comes with the option for AWD or FWD. The 2020 Subaru Outback takes centre stage Subaru displayed its new 2020 Outback in a sort of terrarium it set up within the Javits Centre, showing off the car’s new style, new engines, and updated platform and tech. It may not be the main breadwinner, but the Outback epitomizes Subaru in many ways, and is an important vehicle for the brand in that sense. Power for the sixth-gen Outback comes from either the new direct-injected 2.5-litre Boxer four-cylinder, or a 2.4-litre turbo-four, the latter of which makes 260 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft. of torque. Other new tricks in the Subaru bag include its ability to send power to side-to-side with its new active torque-vectoring system; new modes for Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud; and Subaru’s DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System that searches driver facial cues for signs of fatigue. Mercedes brought a rare and noteworthy product: a hot sedan 2019 Mercedes-AMG A35 Derek McNaughton / Driving The 2019 Mercedes-AMG A35 is a sedan. Remember those? But its rarity as a four-door car is just the hook here. It’s also something of a limited edition, and pretty speedy too. Inspired by its 2.0-litre turbo-four making 302 horsepower and 29295 lb.-ft. at just 3,000 rpm, the AMG A35 will do 0 to 100 in 4.8 seconds with Race Start launch activated, which is a tenth of a second quicker than the hatchback variant for some reason. Coming early 2020, but there’s no price yet, so maybe wait to place your order. Nissan honours the 240Z with the 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition Fifty years ago the Datsun 240Z debuted in New York. This year Nissan is celebrating the anniversary with a limited edition coupe featuring retro racing stripes a la BRE (Brock Racing Enterprises), a 332-horsepower 3.7-litre V6 engine, a 6-speed manual or 7-speed auto, and a bunch of unique badging and suede-trimmed details. We’re the Nissan 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition a bonafide future collectible right off the bat, especially with only 50 destined to arrive in Canada. And finally, here is our take on the best and worst of the New York Auto Show from our Editors:
Origin: News Roundup Auto Show Edition: The most popular reveals from New York

Nissan reveals retro-inspired GT-R 50th Anniversary edition

Nissan has celebrated 50 years of the GT-R sports car line with the launch of a special 50th Anniversary Edition at the New York motor show. The GT-R 50th Anniversary Edition celebrates the anniversary of the GT-R (Gran Turismo Racer) badge, which was introduced in 1969 as a variant of the Skyline. The GT-R became a standalone model in 2007. The special edition will be offered in three ‘heritage-inspired’ colour schemes, which are all based on liveries from Skyline GT-R cars that competed in the Japan GP series. That includes ‘Bayside Blue’, a colour retired since the R34 GT-R model. The interior features a special grey colour, and features unique steering wheel trim, Alcantera headliner and sun visors and seat trim. The 50th Anniversary Edition, along with other 2020 model year GT-Rs, retains a hand-built 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 powerplant, which produces 562bhp and 467lb ft, and Nissan says new turbochargers help improve low rpm response and improve efficiency. There is also a revised six-speed dual clutch transmission, which also features a reworked ‘R mode’ performance setting with more aggressive downshifts. Nissan has also tweaked the electronically controlled suspension in a bid to improve ride comfort and cornering stability. Nissan has also unveiled the new race-honed GT-R Nismo, which uses a turbocharger from the GT3 race version to boost output to 592bhp and 481lb ft. It also gets the revised transmission, R mode and suspension from the regular GT-R. The GT-R Nismo features revised bodywork, with greater use of carbon fibre to save weight and new downforce-generating front bodywork based on the GT-R GT3. The model features a new carbon-ceramic braking system to improve reaction times and durability. It sits on 20in wheels, and uses new Dunlop tyres which offer an increased contact patch with the road. Nissan has yet to confirm pricing for either model, but an increase from the current starting price of £76,875 is anticipated, particularly for the 50th Anniversary Edition. The current NISMO model costs £148,820. Nissan has also launched a limited edition variant of the 370Z to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Z performance
Origin: Nissan reveals retro-inspired GT-R 50th Anniversary edition