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New Ferrari California T gets new twin turbo V8 with 49% more torque (+video)

The new California T (pictured) revealed ahead of a Geneva debut It’s been a long time since Ferrari gave one of its cars a turbo charged engine, not since the late ’80s and the Ferrari F40, but that all changes – and no doubt points the way to the future – as the Ferrari California T gets revealed ahead of a debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show. Based on the V8 Ferrari build for the Maserati Ghibli, the California T’s new engine is a 3.8 litre twin turbo with 552bhp and a mountain of torque, 557lb/ft, a massive 49 per cent more than the current California produces. That improves performance marginally – 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 196mph – but has a big impact on economy; the new California T improves on the current California by 15 per cent, recording official figures of 27mpg and 250g/km.

McLaren 12C Spider: Official

After a tease last week McLaren Automotive has revealed the convertible MP4-12C – the McLaren 12C Spider. We did think there was a chance McLaren would try to steal Ferrari’s thunder by revealing the convertible version of the MP4-12C at Goodwood this last weekend, but they didn’t. But today the McLaren 12C Spider (not the MP4-12C Spider) is officially revealed, and by the look of it no one will be buying the MP4-12C any more.

Michelin Challenge Design 2007: The not so ugly truth about rising vehicle safety standards

Can cars be safe and beautiful at the same time? That may not have been the case a few decades ago when automakers were forced to hang those big, ugly so-called federal bumpers off the ends of their vehicles.  With vehicle safety standards on the rise around the globe are designers today feeling a little '70s deja vu when it comes to meeting the challenges of making cars safe as well as more fuel efficient? "(Back then) we said it was the end of automotive styling," says Patrick Le Quement, senior vice president for corporate design at Renault and one of the world's most influential automotive designers.