Latest news with #MarcelloGandini
Motor 1
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Prices Gone Mad: VW Wants $32,000 for a Hatchback With 94 HP
The Polo turns 50 this year. Hardly breaking news. Well, Volkswagen is giving the baby Golf a special edition to mark half a century since the original model, penned by Bertone's Marcello Gandini, came out. It goes on sale today in Germany, but the price tag reminded me just how expensive cars have gotten in Europe in recent years. The Polo Edition 50 starts at €28,200, equivalent to approximately $32,500 at current exchange rates. Sure, it's a generously equipped version with heated front seats and whatnot. However, it's still not a fully loaded configuration. VW charges extra for niceties such as two-zone automatic climate control, keyless functionality, and the panoramic sunroof. More importantly, it's far from being a GTI in terms of power. Photo by: Volkswagen In its most basic form, the special edition makes do with a turbocharged 1.0-liter engine hooked up to a five-speed manual transmission. The three-pot produces just 94 horsepower, but you can upgrade to more potent versions of the 1.0 TSI with up to 114 hp. The slightly more powerful versions can be ordered with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Opting for the DSG increases pricing further. The Edition 50 may cost about as much as a Golf GTI in the United States, but it's not even the most expensive Polo available in Germany. The GTI kicks off at €35,450 (nearly $41,000). Step up to its bigger brother, and VW will charge you €45,710 (almost $53,000) for a Golf GTI . Pricing for the Golf R begins at €55,000 ($63,400), and there's also an R Black Edition for a staggering €59,645 ($69,000). We're not done yet. In the Polo and Golf world, the most expensive model was a German market-only Golf R 333, priced at a whopping €76,410 ($88,000). It was even more expensive than an Audi RS3, but nonetheless, VW sold all 333 cars in just eight minutes. Imagine how successful a five-cylinder Golf R would be with the 2.5 TFSI engine. Rumor has it Audi refused to lend its inline-five a few years back. Volkswagen Polo Edition 50 7 Source: Volkswagen But these crazy prices are not an isolated case. Cars sold in Europe are generally more expensive compared to the US. The discrepancy largely stems from the value-added tax. VAT is 19% in Germany, but it can be as high as 27% in Hungary. The EU's average standard VAT rate is 21.8%. Aside from VAT, extra local taxes based on emissions result in ridiculous prices for some performance cars. That's why a Honda Civic Type R is over $100,000 in the Netherlands, while a Toyota GR Yaris is also a six-figure car in France . Europeans may have a greater variety of options than Americans when it comes to choosing their next car, but they're paying dearly. The Baby Golf: Volkswagen Has Made A Car For Farmers, And No, It's Not A Truck VW Polo GTI Edition 25 Marks A Quarter Of A Century Of Hot Superminis Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Source: Volkswagen Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Qatar Tribune
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar Auto Museum, QA host winners of Shell Eco-marathon
Tribune News Network Doha The champions of the Shell Eco-marathon Asia-Pacific and the Middle East 2025 were treated to an unforgettable experience in Qatar as part of their grand prize, celebrating their innovation, teamwork, and commitment to sustainable mobility. As strategic partner for Shell Eco-marathon in Qatar, Qatar Museums gave the winning team from Indonesia a private tour of the iconic Qatar National Museum, immersing themselves in the rich history, culture and heritage of Qatar. From ancient artifacts to futuristic exhibits, the museum offered a compelling narrative of the nation's journey. Accompanied by members of the Qatar Auto Museum, they also got a glimpse of this upcoming state-of-the-art museum that will explore the past, present and future of the automobile industry, as well as the museum's current exhibition: Ultraleggera: A Design Journey with Marcello Gandini Between Italy and Qatar. As part of Qatar Airways' partnership with Shell, and its sponsorship of the Shell Eco-marathon winning prize, Qatar Airways (QA) gave the students exclusive access to their world class flight simulator, where they stepped into the cockpit of its aircraft simulators. Guided by professional pilots, the students experienced the thrill and precision of aviation, gaining insights into the advanced technology and training that powers the world's best airline. The 2025 edition of the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East Shell Eco-marathon event was proudly hosted in Qatar under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in collaboration with Qatar Auto Museum, underscoring the nation's commitment to fostering innovation, education, and environmental stewardship. Norman Koch, Global General Manager of Shell Eco-marathon, remarked: 'This experience is about more than just rewarding technical excellence. It's about inspiring the next generation of engineers and innovators by connecting them with world-class experiences that broaden their horizons and fuel their passion for sustainable progress.'
Motor 1
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Someone Save This Alfa Romeo Montreal Barn Find
When it comes to 1970s Italian sports cars, the Lamborghini Miura and Ferrari Dino get all the attention. And rightfully so. Ferrari and Lamborghini were responsible for some of the most beautiful cars of the era. But don't forget about the Alfa Romeo Montreal . The Montreal was arguably one of the most underrated Italian sports cars of the 1970s based on looks alone. It was sculpted by iconic designer Marcello Gandini while working at Bertone , who, ironically, also created the Miura just a year earlier. The Montreal debuted in 1970, but it wasn't nearly as well-received as its counterparts. Production lasted just seven years, and collectors haven't thought much of it since. Photo by: Craiglist These days, you can buy a drivable Alfa Romeo Montreal for a reasonable $60,000. Compare that to the Miura and Dino, which regularly go for six or seven figures at auction, and the Alfa is an absolute steal by comparison. This particular one is an interesting example. Hidden away in a garage in Astoria, Oregon, it meets our definition of a "barn find"—or a "garage find" if you want to be more specific. It's a 1972 model with a rebuilt twin-cam V-8 and a five-speed manual. When new, the Montreal's 2.0-liter engine made 200 horsepower. That's not to say it's perfect, though. The wheels are aftermarket, there's some obvious paint and body damage, and the original interior could probably use a deep clean—although, the cabin is still in surprisingly good shape. Photo by: Craiglist The seller is asking $60,000 on Craigslist , and the car is fully drivable. Even at that price, though, it's a screaming deal. Still, you will need to source the original wheels and spend some money on bodywork. So, hopefully the seller is willing to knock a few bucks off the final asking price. Either way, it's a beautiful and oft-forgotten piece of Italian motoring history. More Barn Finds These Abandoned Ford Escort Cosworths Are Rotting Away in a Barn Someone Saved This BMW E30 After 30 Years in a Barn Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Source: Craigslist via BarnFinds Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
The Drive
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
The E39 BMW 5 Series Could've Looked Much Different, Early Sketches Show
If you were to poll a group of BMW enthusiasts about the best-looking 5 Series of all time, the E39 generation would likely snag the most votes. I would cast mine for the original E12-gen car that was co-created by the two legendary designers, Paul Bracq and Marcello Gandini, but what do I know? There's no sense arguing against the claim that the E39 5 Series was a beautiful sedan, one that's aged like wine three decades on. However, it almost had a very different look, one that would have been far more futuristic at the time. BMW Classic just shared some different, but ultimately rejected, design sketches for the E39 5 Series, penned by Joji Nagashima. Nagashima would eventually go on to create the finalized E39 design we've come to know and love. But it's interesting to see what his original vision for BMW's fourth-generation 5er was long before it went on sale. BMW Classic via Instagram Nagashima's original design—the white sedan at the top of the page, dated 1989—was vastly different from the one we eventually got. It was far more streamlined and had a bubbly, wraparound front end reminiscent of Italdesign's gorgeous Nazca M12 and C2 supercar concepts that followed. It wasn't quite as pretty as the Nazcas, and frankly reminds me a bit too much of the first-generation Dodge Intrepid, but there's an '80s-futurism to it that I find interesting. I also dig the big disc wheels. As we move to the sketch of the burgundy car, we can see shades of the eventual production model begin to appear. The kidneys, for example, are similar, as is the squinty nature of both the grilles and headlights being the same height across the front end. And while the hood lines are far curvier in this artwork, you can see how Nagashima eventually got to the finalized design. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BMW Classic (@bmwclassic) At the time of the first sketch, the E39's predecessor, the E34 5 Series, was only two years into production, with its ultra-boxy silhouette. So, what we're seeing from '89 was already radically different than anything BMW had previously made. Back then, BMW's design language was sharp and wedgy, but the company's artists were already looking well into the future. Chris Bangle is largely credited for BMW's drastic aesthetic departure of the mid-to-late '90s and early 2000s, for better or worse, but he didn't become chief of the brand's design department until 1992, three years after Nagashima drew up this swoopy sketch. I wonder if the E39 would still be considered the classic it is today if this look had been chosen instead. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@ Nico DeMattia is a staff writer at The Drive. He started writing about cars on his own blog to express his opinions when no one else would publish them back in 2015, and eventually turned it into a full-time career.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Meet the Lamborghini Espada, One of Italy's Most Influential—and Controversial—Grand Tourers
Our alphabetical excursion through the world of collector cars in this column has revealed some true gems from the latter half of the 20th century. Some are as reliable as Old Faithful; others pose challenges for owners not wholly committed to their care and feeding. Anyone with an eye for beauty and an appreciation for V-12 engines, though, has been seduced by two Italian marques ending in 'i,' and it's no secret that Lamborghini's V-12 engine is an engineering masterpiece and a brilliant runner. That original 1963 power-plant design grew from 3.5 liters to over 6.5 liters in the Murciélago, powering everything from now-multimillion-dollar Miuras to a couple of far more accessible models. Both of the latter are classic front-engined GTs that were styled by Marcello Gandini, author of the fabulous Miura. And both also have bodies built at Bertone. Lamborghini's Espada and Jarama are twins under the skin, sharing identical drivetrains and unibody platforms, the Jarama with a wheelbase shorter by 10 inches and featuring two cramped rear seats. The Espada, by contrast, was the first true two-door, four-seat 'supercar.' More from Robb Report This 1965 Ford GT Prototype Roadster Raced at Le Mans. Now It Could Fetch $10 Million at Auction. How the Jaguar XK120 Put the Marque on the World Stage These 6 Barely Driven Porsche 911s Are Hitting the Auction Block Powered by Lamborghini's 325 hp, 3.9-liter V-12, the Espada has a top speed of 155 mph—highly impressive when introduced—and is as happy loafing along in high gear at 1,500 rpm as it is snorting off from a standstill at a respectable clip. But while there' s no arguing the merits of the mechanical underpinnings, the Espada's looks—like the gustatory attributes of oysters or escargot—are an acquired taste. Those enamored of the flat-as-a-cockroach styling love it, while others are not so taken. A total of 1,217 examples—spanning three series—were produced over a 10-year period, from 1968 through 1978, making the Espada the longest-running and highest-production Lamborghini model up until the Countach. From a distance, all Espadas appear nearly identical, though the rare Series I, with 186 made through 1970, is for purists who want thin bumpers, a hexagonal-inspired dash, and other 'teething' eccentricities of the earliest cars. The Series II (575 made through 1972) and the Series III had more powerful 350 hp engines, and feature small improvements. Cars made from 1975 and brought stateside have unsightly impact bumpers (which some subsequent owners remove or replace). A three-speed automatic Chrysler Torqueflite transmission was available from 1974, with 55 examples so equipped. Slower off the line than Lamborghini's five-speed manual version, the three-speed Espada presents a performance difference that is far less meaningful today. The Espada is a complicated car, and any aspiring owner not versed in wrenching or fettling is advised to stalk less challenging game. A 50-year-old automobile with six Weber carburetors and an Italian electrical system demands attention. As with many collectibles, Espada values have softened a bit, and it's possible to acquire one for well under six figures. For decades, these were 'poor-man's Lamborghinis,' suffering deferred maintenance and any number of indignities caused by man or nature, including rust. If so afflicted, one recalls the cartoon vulture saying to the thirsty prospector in the desert about to drink from a poison lake, 'You'll be sorry.' Espada aspirants are advised to buy the best example affordable, as body panels and trim pieces can be as rare as unicorns, and a full restoration is a fool's errand, unless one is skilled and wants a multiyear garage project. Finding a complete, well-running car in good condition is the only way to fly, and that should be handily accomplished for under $150,000. Patience will be rewarded, and Europe is a happy hunting ground, as most examples never left the Continent. The sight of an Espada on the highway going full steam is as inspiring as it is rare. More inspiring still is to be tucked low in the wraparound-leather cockpit and savoring the sounds, smells, and sensations of driving a Lamborghini of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
