2010 Cars for the Cure Photo Gallery Featuring 2 Bugatti’s

The 6th Annual “Cars for the Cure” Auto Show extravaganza was held this weekend at beautiful Colonial TownPark in Heathrow/Lake Mary Florida. This charitable event, with proceeds going to support the American Lung Association of Florida, was an auto enthusiasts dream! Some of the most powerful and highly-tuned cars from around the world were on display: International and American Customs, European Exotics, High Power Racers, custom bikes and more. The streets were lined with great shops, restaurants and attractions as well as a variety of sponsor and vendor booths including Luxury Auto Direct Magazine.

Take a look at the full photo gallery below.

First Images of the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas

The 2009 SEMA Show , the largest after market show in the world, began today. Here are some of the first photos, with many to follow I promise you.

The custom Lamborghini Gallardo in the GH Wheels booth is a work of art. Luxury Auto Direct Magazine spoke with the owner and we hope to feature this car in an upcoming issue.

The Pagani Zonda R in the Pirelli display was attracting crowds as soon as the doors opened. With the horse power to do 0-60 in less than 2.7 seconds, this car not only has the looks but the performance of the world’s finest exotics.

Gila Wheels which was featured on the cover of Luxury Auto Direct Magazine’s October/November ‘09 issue had an impressive display of there current 2009 wheels as well as their upcoming 2010 line.

Keep checking www.LuxuryAutoDirect.com these photos were just the beginning.

Mission Motors All-Electric Motorcycle Breaks Bonneville Land Speed Record

We knew the Mission One all-electric motorcycle by Mission Motors was special when we featued it in the April/May 2009 issue of the Luxury Auto Direct Magazine but who knew it would be breaking records this soon.

Mission Motors, a San Francisco based company redefining the world of performance motorcycles, announced today that its zero-emissions Mission One electric superbike has claimed the national AMA top speed record for an electric motorcycle, achieving a record 150.059 mph two-pass average run sustained for one mile at Bonneville Speedway on September 1st, 2009. Lead up to runs for the record saw one-way speeds across the mile stretch at 161mph.

The record-breaking top speed was achieved at the annual BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at the Bonneville Speedway, approximately 90 miles west of Salt Lake City, UT. This event offers world and national record setting opportunities to top contenders in many classes. The Mission One achieved a top speed higher than 70% of the gasoline powered entrants.

“I give the credit for this achievement to our extraordinary engineering team. We set this record on our first visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats on poor salt conditions and in high cross-winds. And to set it with our production prototype vehicle, not a custom Bonneville bike is truly amazing,” said Edward West, Mission Motors Founder and President. “We’ve all known what was possible for the Mission One for some time, and to set this record is very gratifying. It’s a watershed moment for electric vehicles and further proof that the era of the electric superbike has begun. Electric is no longer the future of high-performance motorcycling; it is the present.”

Since returning from the TTXGP, Mission Motors’ engineering team has been working hard to improve the Mission One, resulting in this performance milestone. Its top speed puts the Mission One into a category all alone: the world’s fastest street-legal pure-electric motorcycle, and adds to the list of firsts that the young company has already achieved.

“The Mission One is just an incredible motorcycle,” said Jeremy Cleland, the AMA and AFM racer who shares duties as both Product Manager and Test Rider at Mission Motors. “This is a bike that can rip up the track at Infineon Raceway, do power wheelies at 80 mph, and then come out here to Bonneville and dismantle the prior electric world speed record. It pulls hard all the way from 0 on up to 161mph, all in one gear, with incredible torque. It’s a riding experience like no other. The important thing to understand is this is not a one-off race vehicle, this is a production prototype. It is the same bike that we raced at the Isle of Man and features the same powertrain that we will be delivering to our customers in 2010.”

Mission Motors has targeted high performance and iconic design in the development of its first vehicle, the Mission One. With a top speed of over 150 mph, a 150-mile range and unparalleled access to torque, the Mission One surpasses the performance of other production electric motorcycles and rivals gas-powered incumbents. The Mission One’s design, created by Yves Behar and fuseproject, blends traditional racing elements with a modern pioneering sensibility. The motorcycles are produced in San Francisco, CA with a radical commitment to environmental sustainability.

The company is selling 300 Mission One electric motorcycles in the 2010 model year, with the first 50 Premier Limited Edition models available for reservation now.

About Mission Motors:
Mission Motors is building the fastest production electric motorcycle in the world. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company combines innovative technology, iconic design, and superb performance with the freedom of a zero emissions riding experience. Mission’s elite team of engineers is creating the first motorcycle company built on the innovative spirit of the Silicon Valley. The concept is simple: Redefine the world of performance motorcycles. For more information on Mission Motors, visit www.ridemission.com.

Drop-Top Revenge R/T Challenger is Ready for Vegas Baby!

With the International Motor Show taking place this week, leaked photos and debuts from Frankfurt are common place. Here is the first of 2009 SEMA Show photos to be released. LuxuryAutoDirect.com is proud to be the first to get our hands on the images of the “Drop-Top Revenge” R/T Challenger by Droptop Customs (A division of Convertible Builders, LLC) that will make its debut at the 2009 SEMA Show. If it is anything like its 2008 sister car which won the Chrysler Design Excellence Award, it will be the Crown Jewel of the 2009 SEMA Show taking place in November at the Las Vegas Convention Center .

2009 represents a year of financial turmoil that spread like a wild fire across the globe. Chrysler, not unlike many other organizations was not immune to the chaos and soon joined GM as both giants were ushered by our Congress into bankruptcy. With a change of leadership and forced intervention by the US Government, Chrysler reorganized and quickly moved out of bankruptcy. Those faithfully following the recently reintroduced Challenger saw rumors of introducing a 2009 convertible crushed and the masses watched intently for signs of Dodge pulling out of further production and ending what will likely be this generation’s last great pony car war. Instead, America and the rest of the world got a glimpse of better times and witnessed the resurrection of a Mopar icon!!

Special ordered from the Brampton factory by Chrysler of Cortland, N.Y,  Drop Top Revenge represents 1 of only 450, Deep Water Blue Pearl, 2009 Challengers built with a 6 speed manual Tremac  transmission. The basic design that comprised the early Project N96 concept actually occurred months before the order was placed.

Using scrap paper during hospital visits and later, the time associated with the many sleepless nights that followed a life threatening motorcycle accident; from the Shaker Hood and the custom graphics, to the Hurst Shifter the intent up to this point was to bring back the Classic look of a 1970 Dodge Challenger, with an eye for new and modern electronic technology. 

As a S.E.M.A. attendee for numerous years, the research associated with building Project N96 brought forth a certain show stopping car that won the Chrysler Design Excellence Award and had become the talk of the 2008 show.  It was a Snake Green Creation that the Chrysler Corporation commissioned to be built by a company called Coach Builders Limited (now called Drop Top Customs) A company who has the reputation of being the oldest convertible conversion company that specializes in OEM look, fit, and finish. This car was also featured in the February/March 2009 issue of Luxury Auto Direct Magazine.

What happened to this award winning show machine? After S.E.M.A. this car was quietly scrapped by the Chrysler Corporation! 

And so the final piece of the build fell in place…to cut a perfectly good roof from the car…and re-create the legendary look of the Dodge Challenger Convertible!  The factory order was changed….the car was re-routed to Gainesville Florida instead of to his hometown dealership in Cortland.  Having flown down to Gainesville to witness the first “cut”, here this build took its second and final turn!  Hidden in the corner of the shop, under cover and away from prying eyes…the wheels!   The wheels that were from the Original Drop Top Convertible of the 2008 S.E.M.A. show car.  They sat on a pallet.  You see, Chrysler did not own the wheels…so they were saved from the crusher! 

It was decided then, between the owner and the builder, that this was to be more than a convertible, this would become a tribute to a car whose life ended just as it had begun to live.
The Foose Challenger Classic “shoes” and the addition of Snake Skin Green highlights as well as the custom Katzskin Leather Seats are a tribute to the “Big Brother” of this little Hemi that there is nothing little about.

The addition of Green Halo effect lighting creates an effect that catches onlookers by surprise.  As though it stirs from within.

As though something lives within it.  Perhaps the spirit of Drop Top has been re-awakened.

This vehicle represents all muscle car enthusiasts who are aware of the story of Drop Top,  and it fills their need for…..REVENGE!

Photography and Graphics by Eyespike Design

Rare Bugatti’s to Appear at Festivals of Speed

The FESTIVALS OF SPEED sponsored by Luxury Auto Direct Magazine is proud to continue the 100th Anniversary celebration of Bugatti. On October 25th at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida some of the most rare Bugatti’s will be on display. This will be the first time ever the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport, Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir, Bugatti Veyron Sang Bleu, Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang & the Bugatti Veyron will all be displayed simultaniously at one location.

Along with over 100 other rare and exotic automobiles, this truly will be a FESTIVALS OF SPEED. For more information visit www.festivalsofspeed.com

Below are more photos and information on some of these rare Bugatti’s.

The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu has ventured into new areas. Instead of applying two paint colors or paint and material to highlight the two tone design, the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu exclusively concentrates on materials – carbon fiber and aluminum – an innovative combination never realized before. This unique approach opens a new dimension of « Art – Form – Technique », the company’s core values.

The color combination is blue carbon fiber with polished aluminum. The visual carbon fiber is tinted in royal blue to emphasize the refined volumes and surfaces of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. The rear air scoops are tinted in the same night-blue – offering a dramatic view from above – and thus fluidly integrate into the overall design philosophy of this unique model.

The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu is the latest in a line of centenary Bugatti models which have won worldwide acclaim in 2009. This unique car stands – like the others – for the commitment of the Bugatti of today to carry the values and the philosophy of Ettore Bugatti, the founder of this unique marque, into a successful future.

The Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir is a special edition, created for the true automotive connoisseur. While its entirely black exterior may initially appear subdued, upon closer inspection it becomes clear that a select number of visual accents make this special Bugatti Veyron just as vividly colored as its brighter counterparts.

Similar to its thoroughbred predecessor, the Type 57S Atlantic, the Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir exposes a raptor-like DNA that is reflected throughout the entire model history of the marque.

Even the hand-stitched, all-leather interior of the Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir plays on the theme of a ‘harmony of extremes’. The light and confident Tangerine is offset by a black-piano lacquer finished center console; both available exclusively to this edition. This striking and unparalleled harmony between luxury and sportiness is complemented by alloy-colored details in the form of the chromed Bugatti grill and door-mirrors, as well as polished wheel surfaces and roof-rails. All-black front lights, air intakes, filler caps and door-handles naturally heighten the stunning effect of the racing-blue brake calipers.

The B-pillars have been cross-stiffened using a carbon fibre support, and a central carbon plate has been positioned beneath the transmission tunnel to ensure the vehicle suffers from less torsional flexing than any other roadster.The doors of the new Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport are made of carbon fiber, and house an integrated longitudinal beam.In the event of an accident, this transfers the load from the A to the B-pillar, thereby dissipating impact energy. Furthermore, the two redesigned air intakes for the 16-cylinder mid-engine now feature 10-centimeter wide carbon-fiber elements to offer protection should the car roll.

Along with moisture-resistant, back-stitched leather, a range of new equipment features has been added to the interior, including a reversing camera with 2.7-inch monitor in the rear-view-mirror, and the “Puccini” sound system with digital signal processor.

When the roof is closed, the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport can reach 252.91 mph, while speeds of up to 223.70 mph are possible with roof off. Should it rain, an innovative folding roof stored in the luggage compartment can be opened up like an umbrella at any time. When this folding roof is in place, the car can travel at up to 80.78 mph.

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