2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster sell for a combined £1.1 million

If you have a spare £1.1 million, you've just missed your chance to own a 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Coupe and a 2006 CLK GTR Roadster.

The rare sports cars - only 20 coupes and five roadsters were built - were sold at a recent RM Auction in London. Managing to beat earlier estimates, the coupe went for £522,500 while the roadster sold for £616,000.

Built by HWA, the GTRs were powered by a monstrous 6.9-liter V12 engine with 612 horsepower. The cars also featured a six-speed sequential manual gearbox, a dual independent double-wishbone suspension, and carbon-fiber brakes.

Other notable sales at the auction included a "1950 Aston Martin DB2 Team Car with Le Mans and Mille Miglia provenance" for £550,000, a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet for £308,000, and a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio for £440,000.

Source: RM Auctions










Ford Motor and Canadian Auto Workers reportedly reach a deal


Ford Motor Company and the leadership of the Canadian Auto Workers union have reached a tentative agreement after a marathon four-day wrap-up to negotiations. Union membership needs to approve the deal, which will guarantee a Great White North presence for Ford until at least 2012. Voting is underway this weekend, and if approved, the CAW will be responsible for building 10 percent of Ford's North American production, down from the current 13 percent, which the union had been trying to hold on to.

Workers did agree to time off reductions, and pledged that new employees will have to pay into their pensions. Ford's given its word that the company will build as many vehicles in Canada as it sells there, and the union deemed the pledge good enough to grant GM- and Chrysler-style concessions to Ford.

The Panther platform has been given its last rites; the St. Thomas Assembly plant is the only Ford location currently building the body-on-frame biggies, and that plant will close in September 2011. The 1,600 people in Ontario who build Town Cars and Grand Marquis are understandably unhappy about word that Ford intends to shutter the plant, but the Panther has cheated death more than once. This time, it may stick.

Better news for CAW members is that Ford's Oakville assembly complex, also in Ontario, has the go-ahead to add a third shift when needed. Ford also says it will manufacture a new vehicle at Oakville, which currently builds the Edge, Flex, MKX, and MKT crossovers, but that will likely come after the current labor agreement expires.

[Source: CBC News, Photo: Ford/CC]

2009 Porsche Boxster Cayman price list in Norway

Norwegian imported for Porsche cars, Autozentrum Sport AS, has decided to decrease the output of the Boxster and Cayman, in exchange for reduced import taxation.

According to BilNorge, the entry-level Boxster will only produce 211 hp instead of 255 hp. Likewise, the Cayman will also be detuned to 211 hp (down from 265 hp).

While this sounds tragic, there is a logical explanation behind it. Norwegian import taxes are partially based on a car's horsepower and CO2 emission ratings. With the reduced output, the Boxster receives a stunning 88,000 Norwegian crown ($15,621 USD / €10,524) cut while the Cayman costs 106,000 crowns ($18,819 USD / €12,677) less.

Oddly enough, Porsche is claiming the weakened cars are just as fast as the usual models. A manually equipped Norwegian Boxster can run from 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, while the Cayman can do the same task in 5.8 seconds (cars equipped with the PDK transmission are 0.1 seconds faster). The company also says the top speed remains unchanged (263 km/h for the Boxster, 265 km/h for the Cayman).










McLaren MP4-12C U.S. launch delayed, not coming to LA Auto Show

According to InsideLine, McLaren is having issues setting up distribution in the U.S., resulting in a delay of the MP4-12C's Stateside launch and its plans to show its newest supercar at the LA Auto Show this December.

Late last month, McLaren appointed Anthony Joseph, former regional manager for Porsche, Ferrari and Maserati, to setup the automaker's dealer network in the U.S., but over the course of the last few weeks McLaren has apparently hit a few roadblocks and it's expected that the creation of retail outlets will be delayed until sometime next year. With the economy in its current state, that may be a blessing in disguise, but that does little to stave off our desire to see the MP4-12C on the show stand.










2010 Saleen S281 Mustang at the SEMA Motor Show.

Several pictures of Saleen's 2010 S281 Mustang have been released ahead of it's unveiling at the SEMA Motor Show.

While details are limited, the S281 features a unique body kit with a new hood, grille, front fascia, side skirts, and rear window louvers. Out back, the car boasts a sleek spoiler, a rear diffuser, and an aggressive four-tailpipe exhaust system.

Like the current model, Saleen will likely offer a variety of engine tuning packages for the 2010 S281 Mustang. These will probably include a naturally aspirated 4.6-liter V8 with 335 hp and 345 lb-ft of torque and a supercharged 4.6-liter V8 with 465 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque.




2010 Kia Forte SX continues string of hits from South Korea

It's not that there was much wrong with the Forte's predecessor. In fact, the last time we drove a Kia Spectra, we walked away wondering if anything more might be overkill. The Spectra was good but tended to blend in with a crowd, and Kia's not into playing the role of wallflower anymore. In contrast, the Forte boldly saunters into the middle of the dance floor, comfortable in the hot glow of the pin spot, with the confidence of Tony Manero after a trip to the tailor.

Clearly, the Kia Forte looks remarkably better than the econobox it replaces and attracts the right kind of attention to the brand. Everywhere it goes, the Forte is a surprising conversation piece, though many aren't sure exactly what it is. With Kia's value pricing, you also get a lot for your dollar. So does it have the hat trick of style, value and performance? When the key to this black Forte SX tester was pressed into the palm of our hand, we were ready to find out.

Despite what some believe after only seeing photos, the Forte doesn't bear much resemblance to the Honda Civic. A thick swage along the top of the flanks gives the windows a chamfered, machined look. The Forte's face is bolder than its supposed Civic doppelganger with deeper shoulders formed by the fenders, and the rest of the sheetmetal is carefully creased to look pleasant and stylish, even a bit upscale. Since it doesn't aim to break new styling ground, the Forte has withstood accusations of being derivative, but its clean, precision-milled looks are more unique than that kind of critique might suggest. The lines will age well, and the bodywork grabs and bends light tastefully.

Our SX tester's dapper Ebony Black was set off by just the right amount of brightwork. Lesser trim levels get 15-inch steel wheels, but the SX gets 17s with creative fluting around the lugs, and, thankfully, no chrome. The Forte sits just right on its wheels, and the SX package dresses up the exterior with foglamps in the lower front fascia. This is not a body that carries extra strakes or adornments – there's not even rub strips along the doors. And while the looks are the better for it, we'd take to parking in the far spots, especially with a dark finish that will prominently display blemishes.

Interior styling is clean and simple, but not without flair. Just like the outside, tasteful is the order of the day, and the Forte's cabin isn't overly swooped-up. Dash-strokers will find that the Forte has its share of hard plastics, some may even find the sheen objectionable. But despite any nattering about materials quality, the Forte is right in there with its class contemporaries. The Focus is chintzier, the Civic is plain weird, and the Forte's interior is on par with the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla. The SX leather package fits perforated leather seats that look upscale and add an air of luxe inside, tacking on $1,000 to the $18,195 MSRP.

The seats could benefit from more support and adjustments, particularly with the lumbar. The seat bottom, too, was impossible to get positioned and tilted how we wanted. Although overall comfort and bolstering was good, without much adjustment, drivers might feel that the Forte was designed for some kind of mutant body type. Rear seat passengers don't have to duck and squeeze to enter and exit, with ample space for four full-sized humans, and the trunk is surprisingly large, too. If three people are comfortable with each other's company and personal grooming habits, they'll find the back seat pleasant enough for short jaunts around town, and if things get stuffy, the $600 power moonroof is worth the extra couple months of payments.

Functionally, the Forte's ergonomics are above complaint. Big, clear knobs operate the climate system, and the radio has genuine knobs for tuning and volume; two areas that can be troublesome for manufacturers to get right. Bluetooth is standard on the Forte, and the steering wheel carries controls for operating the telephone, as well as the audio system and cruise control. During its time with us, the Forte never annoyed us with hidden buttons or incongruous menus – it's a pleasantly simple car to operate – and the gauges follow the same pattern, providing clear, legible information for the driver.