It’s been 40 years since the first Alfa Romeo Montreal debuted at the Geneva motor show of 1970. The interesting granturismo coupé was designed by the Bertone style centre and was called Montreal because it was based on a 1967 prototype presented at the Montreal show. To celebrate the Alfa Montreal birthday, designer Davide Varenna has produced this drawing of a possible future Montreal for the Young Italian Style competition.

Varenna has kept some of the original Montreal aspects, including the NACA air intake at the front and the six side slits. The modern Alfa Romeo bonnet style lends itself well to the rendering, although Varenna has had to make some adjustments here. The rear looks almost like a muscle car with a hefty tail end and twin exhaust pipes in the centre.

The original Alfa Montreal had a 2.6-litre V8 engine with about 200 hp (230 hp according to SAE measurements), and a five-speed ZF transmission. The weight of the car was under 1,300 kg and it proved to be a powerful, agile sports car. However, the Montreal had too much roll and braking problems, which is a hair-raising prospect at a top speed of 220 km/hr. After seven years Alfa Montreal production stopped after 3,925 vehicles.

Continue reading: New Alfa Romeo Montreal design: 40 years of the Alfa Montreal

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We all know Alonso drives a Ferrari, but this is the Alonso 458 Italia, not the F1 version. Alonso will debut for Ferrari F1 on Sunday, and this is his official 458 Italia in a beautiful Bianco Fuji pearl white. The man has style - and his personal logo stitched onto the seats. Some people can just do these things…

Fernando Alonso Ferrari 458 Italia

Source | Automocionblog via Autoblog.it

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Here are more motor show babes with the second instalment of our galleries on the 2010 Geneva Motor Show girls. Once again, these are high class motor show girls: check out the first gallery here and see the rest below.

Girls from 2010 Geneva motor show: part two

Continue reading: The girls from the 2010 Geneva Motor Show: part two

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A bunch of very sophisticated girls are at the Geneva motor show this year, strutting their stuff… or rather, leaning on cars. They do sometimes sit in them too, making me wonder if this could be a possible career choice - it’s about as close as I will ever get to a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin etc. Check the first installment of the ladies from Geneva below.

Girls from 2010 Geneva motor show

Continue reading: The girls from the 2010 Geneva Motor Show: part one

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The new Audi A1 premium compact will be present at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, but a rumour has emerged that we could see an A1 electric model, too. In Audi’s press invitations for the show, we learn that the new A1 will be presented by Justin Timberlake, the RS5 will also be on show, and the A8 hybrid, and that a “surprise” is also in the works.

The idea for an A1 electric has come from an analysis of the recent presentations of the Audi E-Tron, when we first saw the E-Tron as an R8 electric version at last year’s Geneva show. The next E-Tron presented was a smaller model labelled as the fore-runner to the R4, while now bets are we could see a third E-Tron based on the A1 platform.

Whether this is a logical conclusion or not, you can decide, but with only a few days to go before the 2010 Geneva show kicks off, we won’t have long to wait to find out what this new Audi surprise is.

Source | LeBuzzAuto

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This is the first Lamborghini Mustang we’ve ever seen although plenty of Ferrari and Lamborghini replicas are built in the US. The technical base of the car is a Gallardo, but with the bodywork of a 2007 Mustang. The strange looking car is called a Tractorri and has an intriguing mix of the Italian and the American.

The wheels and brakes are true to Italian roots, as is the V10 central-rear engine and overall supercar specs, but externally this is all American muscle car. Lamborghini purists won’t be impressed, but this Gallardo-Mustang is not just a one-off, with the possibility available to anyone who might be interested of turning their Gallardo into a Mustang.

Continue reading: Tractorri: Lamborghini Gallardo with Ford Mustang body kit

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The Mercedes Benz fashion week presents the SLS AMG and supermodel Julia Stegner, together for a photo shoot with a futuristic touch. A tad like Star Trek’s gone beserk for me, this is described as “cutting edge” work from the photographer Nick Knight. The SLS AMG is certainly of perfect enigmatic style to be used in this avant garde piece, and whether you like it or not, you’ve got to admit the final effect is dramatic. Julia Stegner discusses the work in a video after the jump.

Continue reading: SLS AMG and Julia Stegner: Fashion as Performance in Mercedes Benz fashion week

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There’s plenty on offer from Mini in 2010, with a new petrol engine range for all Mini First, One, Cooper and Cooper S models in the hatch, covertible and clubman ranges. The Mini First and Mini One will now have a 1.6-litre engine which replaces the 1.4-litre, and will have more power and torque with better fuel consumption.

A new Mini Rainbow colour option is available, and the Mini Graphite Special Edition model range will now include Clubman models. The Mini Rainbow series will offer three different paint options of Sunlight Metallic, Asteroid Metallic and Nightlife Metallic, and will be available in March/April 2010.

A Mini One Covertible car will also now be able, providing an entry level model in the open air range that previously included just the Cooper, Cooper S or John Cooper Works models. The Mini One Convertible will have a 1.6-litre engine with 98 hp and 153 Nm of torque, and should cost less than 15,000 pounds. Check out the new Mini Rainbow paint job in the gallery!

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Italy’s famous Mille Miglia vintage road race, to be held from May 6 to May 9 next year, has already collected a record number of entrants, with more than 1,400 registrations from all over the world so far. It seems the romantic image and excitement of the race is capturing the interest of an international audience, and 2010 should prove a great year for the cars on offer.

According to Mille Miglia organisers, many precious and rare cars will be participating this year, with more models represented than previous editions, including vehicles from past races. The 2010 Mille Miglia will pass through the town centres of Bologna, Assisi, Spoleto and Rieti, and will also pass through Viterbo, Siena, Florence, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma and Cremona on the return. The success of the uphill trial at Terminillo in 2009, will be repeated again in 2010.

Source | Autoblog.it

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Some car trivia for the weekend was required as we get down to the business of Christmas cheer, and in this gallery we take a look at all the Car of the Year models from 1964 to today. This year, the humble Volkswagen Polo took out the title, marking the 47th since the award was incepted. The Car of the Year award is judged by seven European car magazine titles: Autocar in the UK, Stern in Germany, Vi Bilägare in Sweden, Autovisie in the Netherlands, L’Automobile Magazine in France, Auto in Italy, and Autopista in Spain.

The first Car of the Year back in 1964 was the Rover 2000, and things have come a long way since then. The Car of the Year must be a new vehicle that is available to at least five European markets in the year in question. Criteria such as design, comfort, performance, safety, practicality, ecology and economy, price and overall driveability are considered.

Perhaps surprisingly, the brand that has received the most awards in the history of the Car of the Year is Fiat, with a total of nine models, and that’s not including other Fiat Group brands such as Alfa Romeo or Lancia. Following Fiat, the company with the most success has been Renault, winning six times. The Volkswagen Polo for 2010 marks only the second time that Volkswagen has won the prize. After the jump is the full list of Car of the Year models from 1964 to 2010.

Car of the Year 1964 to 2010

Continue reading: Pics: Car of the Year 1964 to 2010

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