Early Reveal for Corvette-Powered Spada Codatronca Monza Speedster

Thanks to these leaked photos, we won’t have to wait for the high-end Top Marques Monaco show in mid-April to get our first taste of the new Spada Codatronca Monza. Loosely based on the Spada Codatronca TS coupe that was revealed at the same show in 2008, the Monza is a hardcore speedster model aimed primarily for weekend track racers with a very fat bank account.

According to reports, the Monza makes use of the Corvette Z06’s 7.0-liter V8 supercharged to develop around 700-horsepower. Spada Vetture Sport’s latest creation will be built in limited production run with pricing estimated to start at around €250,000 or about US$355,200 at today’s exchange rates.

We’ll have more on the Spada Codatronca Monza as soon as the Italian company comes out with the official details.

Source: Autobild via Worldcarfans

PHOTO GALLERY

Rumors: Kia to Reveal New Rio Sedan at New York

The word on the street is that Kia will lift the covers off a sedan version of its new Rio series in a world premiere at the upcoming 2011 New York International Auto Show in mid-April. The new generation of the Rio was recently unveiled in hatchback form at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month.

The new generation of the Rio hatchback has grown in size over its predecessor and, at least in Europe, it will also be offered in a sportier looking but less practical, three-door body style. The upcoming sedan model will most likely differ from the B-column and back, featuring a longer rear end with a more spacious boot.

The European version of the Rio Hatch will be offered with a choice of three- and four-cylinder engines with outputs ranging from 70-to-109HP. No word yet on what type of engines will be available for the North American market model.

Source: Autoblog

PHOTO GALLERY

Toyota May See Production Diminished by 500,000 Cars because of the Earthquake

The shortage of parts and electricity problems in Japan in the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake may delay the production of at least 500,000 Toyota vehicles, according to market research company Advanced Research Japan.

The world's largest carmaker may subsequently see its operating profit drop by at least 100 billion yen ($1.2 billion) in the 2010 fiscal year (ending March 31 2011) and up to 200 billion yen in the 2011 fiscal year. Auto analyst Koji Endo says any impact on production destined for export will affect earnings even more. “Hardly any cars will be built in April and a very low level of production will continue from May,” Endo was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.

Toyota said it lost 140,000 units of production from March 14 to March 26, when it closed all 18 plants in Japan due to a shortage of electronic parts, rubber and plastics. The carmaker resumed building three models at two factories on March 24, with the company giving priority to hybrid vehicles, including the Prius best-seller. Toyota was able to resume hybrid production using remaining inventory and parts from suppliers who have recovered.

Starting this summer, Japanese manufacturers will see their power supply cut by around 15 percent, as the earthquake knocked out generators, with production to be further affected. Toyota built 3.28 million cars in Japan in 2010.

The other two major Japanese carmakers also admitted production delays, with Nissan saying it couldn't build 55,000 units this month, while Honda estimated a loss of 46,600 units between March 14 and April 3.

By Dan Mihalascu

Source: Bloomberg

PHOTO GALLERY

Audi Teams up with Renovo Design to Create Wooden Frame Bicycles

Audi is joining a long line of car manufacturers that have reached out to bicycle specialists to create their own range of two wheelers. Being that the brand with the four rings is renowned for the use of aluminum in its cars, you’d expect Audi to employ the lightweight metal on its bicycle series. But that’s not the case as the Ingolstadt automaker teamed up with Renovo Design, a firm famous for its wooden frame bikes.

The all-new Duo bicycle from Audi sports a monocoque frame made of hardwood. According to the automaker, wood offers “the smoothest ride of any bike frame material thanks to its superior ability to absorb shock and vibration”. Audi says that the weight per cubic inch of wood is about one-fourth the weight of aluminum, meaning that the duo is lighter than most bicycle frames, adding that it also offers "equal or superior stiffness, durability, and toughness to an aluminum frame".

Other highlights of the Audi Duo bicycle series include a belt drive, aluminum and carbon fiber components, disk brakes and LED lighting, as well as woods selected to match the look of Audi vehicle interiors.

The series comprises of three bikes, the Duo City, Duo Sport and Duo Road, all of which are hand-made at Renovo’s Portland, Ore., studio. As you'd expect, none come in cheap as pricing for the three models (including shipping & handling) are set at $6,530, $7,350 and $7,460 respectively.

PHOTO GALLERY