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19 Oct

The Porsche Mission E Concept

Many folks are saying Porsche stole the Frankfurt Motor Show this year with its very promising Mission E concept, a sporty and fully electric sports sedan.

While it previews a rival to the Model S, it looks closer in size to a Model III, the upcoming smaller Tesla sedan – but given that the latter is said to start from around $35k the Model S will be its target when it materializes into a production car down the road.

Back of Porsche Mission E

Source: Computer World

However, it’s not the fact that it’s electric, all-wheel drive and retro-futuristic on the inside. It’s actually all about the styling. The front mirrors the well-styled 918, while the back is all 911 in a way never thought possible on a four-door sedan.

Porsche’s Concept Study Mission E also has its share of futuristic features. For example, the dashboard is divided into two levels with the upper layer containing the driver’s display. In-between the two levels is a holographic display that extends far into the passenger’s side. It shows individually selectable apps, which are stacked in virtual space and arranged by priority with a three-dimensional effect. The driver – or passenger – can use these apps to touch-free control primary functions such as media, navigation, climate control, contacts and vehicle. The desired symbol is activated by gestures that are detected by sensors. A grasping gesture means select, while pulling means control. Moreover, driver or passenger can use a touch display on the center console to control secondary functions such as detailed information menus.

Read more about Porsche Concept Study Mission E and watch the video below:

11 Oct

Ferrari Unveils 488 GTB Spider

Ferrari 488 GTB Spider Ugo Colombo The Collection

Source: Auto Express

The new 488 Spider was unveiled at the recent Frankfurt motor show and there was plenty of fanfare.

The open-top, V8 supercar arrives only six months after the GTB was first introduced, and it becomes the most powerful drop-top ever to come out of Maranello. As with the 458 Spider that went before it, the 488 uses a two-piece retractable hard-top. It’s 25kg lighter than the fabric roof used on the old F430 Spider. Like every drop-top Ferrari, the 488’s roof can only be operated when the car is stationary for safety reasons, but it can then be neatly and electrically stowed under the new flying buttresses in 14 seconds.

The added strengthening required to make up for the loss of a fixed roof means the Spider is 50kg heavier than the 488 GTB, but it’s still 10kg lighter than a 458 Spider. However, the aluminum chassis and body construction means the new car’s retained the same torsional rigidity as the coupé.

Also carried over from the GTB is the new 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 and seven-speed F1 dual-clutch transmission. Developing 660bhp at 8,000rpm and 760Nm of torque at 3,000rpm, the Spider has a claimed 0-62mph time of three seconds flat. That’s identical to the hard-top GTB’s time, and 0.4 seconds faster than the old 458 Spider powered by the 562bhp 4.5-litre naturally aspirated V8. Roof up or down, the 488 will top out at 203mph, yet Ferrari claims 24.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 260g/km.

The manufacturer has also fitted an electric glass rear wind stop, which can be adjusted to three positions. Even when the roof is in place, the glass section can be lowered so that the driver can be exposed to the full V8 soundtrack.

As well as being Ferrari’s fastest-ever Spider, the 488 is claimed to be the most aerodynamically efficient drop-top from the brand. This is due to aerodynamic features such as the active front bumper and blown rear spoiler carried over from the GTB.

Learn more about the Ferrari 488 GTB Spider

04 Oct

Ugo Colombo and THE COLLECTION Support Children’s Miracle Network

Ugo Colombo – and his entire team at THE COLLECTION – were proud to support Children’s Miracle Network through their “Miracle Jeans Day” campaign.

ugo-colombo-miracle-jeans-day

Miracle Jeans Day has encouraged groups and individuals alike to trade their traditional work attire for jeans and help raise funds for kids treated at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in their area since 2009. Miracle Jeans Day has raised more than $4 million to help fund life-saving medical needs in Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals since its’ conception.

One in 10 kids in North America is treated at a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital each year. Every single day, nearly 16,000 children visit the emergency rooms of their 170 member hospitals. Wearing jeans may lead to a more comfortable day in the office for you, but on Miracle Jeans Day it also generates hope for families relying on the services of a CMN Hospital.

25 Sep

The Porsche Cayenne GTS: Sportiness in an SUV

Porsche Cayenne GTS Ugo Colombo The Collection

Source: DurhamRegion.com

Porsche has earned its reputation in the automotive world by building high-performance, high-end sports cars, yet interestingly, its bestseller is the Cayenne, a sport utility vehicle. Porsche obviously understood the market and the Cayenne has proven to be a huge success. In 2014, the Cayenne accounted for about one-third of all Porsche sales worldwide with deliveries of 65,941 units.

Porsche builds sportiness into its SUVs. The manufacturer has also continued to expand the SUV portfolio over the years with new models that appeal to a different buyer. In fact, Porsche offers seven models in the Cayenne lineup, including the high-performance GTS. The GTS is not the most powerful Cayenne in the stable, but it perhaps offers the best combination of performance, athleticism and panache with its 440 hp, high-performance chassis and melodic engine sound.

Porsche likes to brag that every Porsche is a sports car and this is quite evident in the Cayenne GTS that has turned an 8:13 minute lap time at the famed Nurburgring circuit in Germany.

The interesting thing here is that the powerplant in the GTS has been downsized for 2016 with a 3.6-litre V6 twin-turbo replacing the previous V8. However, the result is an increase in power with 20 extra hp and 63 lb/ft of added torque. Fuel economy has also been improved with the new engine.

Porsche quotes a 0-100 time of 5.1 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono Package, which our tester had, and 5.2 seconds without. This makes it about a half second faster than the previous model. In the Cayenne lineup, the GTS sits between the Cayenne S and the Cayenne Turbo. Not only is the GTS quick, it has the sound to go with it thanks to a sport exhaust system and sound symposer that creates what Porsche refers to as a “passionate engine sound.”

The GTS differs from other Cayenne models in ride height. It has been lowered 20 mm and comes standard with air suspension and the braking system from the Cayenne Turbo, featuring 390 mm front discs and 358 mm rear discs, both highlighted by red brake calipers.

All models come with an eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. In this system, power is transferred to the rear wheels and then routed to the front wheels as needed.

The GTS has many of the Cayenne Turbo design cues including the front end with large air intakes. There is a GTS logo on the lower section of the front doors. The SportDesign Package is standard equipment and it includes more powerfully contoured side skirts, and wheel arch extensions as well as the Turbo front end. Wheels are 20-inchers with a black satin finish.

Inside, the cabin is beautifully finished, particularly with our optional GTS package in Carmine Red.

Read more about the Cayenne GTS on DurhamRegion.com

17 Sep

Meet the Maserati Ghibli S Q4

maserati fhibli s q4 ugo colombo the collection

Source: Sport360.com

The name, Maserati conjures up expectations of Italian passion, a racing heritage, performance, and iconic style. The modern Maserati now has a strong foothold in the luxury market after an impressive comeback.

Maserati’s Ghibli is a fabulous mid-size luxury four-door sedan which made an instant impact when the modern incarnation of a Maserati first seen in 1967 was introduced to the world in 2013.

Ghibli is everything a prestigious executive sedan should be. It looks great, has an aggressive attitude, makes all the right noises, offers high-end luxury inside, is compact and when needed can go like the wind it is named after.

It’s as good as most of its German rivals in an extremely competitive market and now it is even better as it comes equipped with all-wheel-drive in the form of the Ghibli S Q4.

To look at this Ghibli is not different from its stablemates. It has powerful aesthetics, the signature Maserati concave front grille sporting the Trident logo, sleek side appearance and classy rear with twin exhausts, all adding up to a very sophisticated aura.

The interior is what you would expect from Maserati, with lashings of posh leather, polished metals, and carbon fiber trim. The instrument cluster is simply but classic and there is a very good infotainment system with 7-inch TFT screen.

The real genius of this Ghibli is the Q4 system itself which has been designed to maximize traction when road conditions get a little hazardous. In normal driving conditions the system puts all the power down via the rear wheels, thus retaining the traditional Maserati transmission. In just 150 milliseconds the Q4 system is capable of altering the torque split from 100 per cent rear wheels to 50-50 between front and back wheels and will retain AWD while conditions require maximum grip, only returning to RWD when things are back to regular.

All this, of course, is linked to the rather impressive 3-litre twin-turbo V6 engine built by Ferrari which powers this machine through an equally good eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. This new-generation engine is a real beauty with 410bhp and huge portions of torque at 550nm.

Learn more about the Maserati Ghibli S Q4 on Sport360.com

08 Sep

Introducing the Jaguar XF 2.0

2015 Jaguar XF 2.0D Ugo Colombo The Collection

Source: Auto Week (photo by Jaguar)

The second-generation XF goes on sale this autumn, launching with rear- and all-wheel drive. The same platform sits beneath the upcoming F-Pace SUV and features double-wishbone front suspension, an Integral Link multi-link rear and a 75/25 percent split of aluminum/steel.

At launch, you’ll choose from the F-Type’s 3.0-liter supercharged V6 with 335 or 375 hp. Less familiar are the new-generation 2.0-liter four-cylinder Ingenium engines, both gas and diesel.

At first glance, you’d guess the XF was longer than its all-steel predecessor. At 195 inches, it’s actually 3/4 of an inch shorter, the roofline 1/10 of a millimeter lower. If you’ve ever sat in the back of the first XF some say it’s short on head and legroom compared with rivals. Jaguar claims class-leading legroom, there’s plenty of headroom and the entire rear-seat experience is airier, less claustrophobic. That’s partly down to the six-light glasshouse, but it’s also the packaging opportunities afforded by a 2-inch-longer wheelbase compared with the old model. The only thing that doesn’t grow is the trunk; it still holds the same 19 cubic feet.

Read more about the Jaguar XF 2.0 on Auto Week

01 Sep

Casa Ferrari Carmel at the Monterey Car Week

Source: Cavallino.com

Ferrari debuted “Casa Ferrari Carmel” during California’s Monterey Car Week and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance last month. Injecting Maranello flavor and history to Monterey Car Week, Casa Ferrari Carmel marked the epicenter of the Prancing Horse for the long weekend.

Serving as home base for everything Ferrari related, Casa Ferrari Carmel was modeled after Enzo Ferrari’s house at the marque’s Fiorano Circuit racetrack in Maranello, Italy. Attendance was free and open to the general public. Vintage favorites, such as a 250 Monza and the 250 LM, were on display alongside all of Ferrari’s current models, including the FF and the new Ferrari 488 GTB. Visitors were able to buy select merchandise and enjoy treats like Grom gelato and Italian espresso.

Learn more about the Monterey Car Week

24 Aug

The Aston Martin DB11 Rumors

2017 Aston Martin DB9 Successor picture - doc636791

Source: Top Speed

It has been rumored that the 2017 Aston Martin DB9 successor will arrive in late 2016 with a turbocharged, 4.0-liter V-8 developed by AMG. Some are now suggesting that the grand tourer will borrow more from Mercedes-Benz. According to one source. the DB11 (name not yet official) will feature 2014 Mercedes S-Class -sourced instrument dials, a rotary controller for the infotainment system, as well as switches for the air conditioning system.

Some believe the pictures of the interior are proof that Aston Martin is getting plenty of electronics from its new partner in Stuttgart. Until further details surface one way or another, all we know is the DB9’s successor will get both V-8 and V-12 powerplants, with some rumors claiming Gaydon will turbocharge the V-12 as well in order to reduce the brand’s carbon footprint. As previously mentioned, the DB11 will also ride on a new platform and feature new styling, likely based on that of the 2015 Aston Martin DB10 movie car built for the upcoming James Bond “Spectre” film.

12 Aug

Introducing the McLaren 675LT

Source: Auto Blog

McLaren has officially started production of the new 675LT. It was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show and some suggest it is the ultimate expression of the company’s essential Super Series.

The McLaren 675LT is based on the same underpinnings as the 650S that forms the core of the McLaren range, but upgrades with a more powerful version of the company’s ubiquitous 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, now producing 666 horsepower and breathing through a titanium exhaust system. As a result, 0-62 is now quoted at a scant 2.9 seconds, with a top speed pegged at 205 miles per hour. It’s also got revised bodywork inspired by the Longtail version of the legendary McLaren F1, offering improved aerodynamics and its LT designation, along with a more hardcore, track-focused setup.

McLaren will only make 500 examples of the 675LT. With assembly now kicking off at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, England, those 500 fortunate customers will soon be getting their hands on their new toys.

Ugo Colombo’s THE COLLECTION Named Best Auto Dealership

Best of Miami 2015 The Collection Ugo Colombo

Source: Miami New Times

THE COLLECTION is proud to be named the Best Auto Dealership for the fourth consecutive year in the Miami New Times’ “Best of Miami” list.

THE COLLECTION was selected as a reader’s choice and we are honored by all loyal clients and fans. Ugo Colombo’s THE COLLECTION will continue to strive for the best and to always treat our clients as invited guests in our home.

Read the full 2015 Best of Reader’s Choice List