Not So Pretty In Pink: Paris Hilton's Custom Bentley Continental GT

This is just wrong. The ever outspoken Paris Hilton just dropped $200,000 on a Christmas present for herself -- a custom-built Bentley Continental GT. Because Paris wouldn't have it any other way, the whole car is finished in pink -- the sheetmetal, grille, wheels, and most of the interior, too. This one-time-only Continental GT was created by West Coast Customs, who are famous for being able to do endless modifications on just about any car that comes through their shop.

When speaking to television network E!, Paris said, "I've just always wanted a pink car. I think when you're a little girl and you have the Barbie Corvette you're always like, 'Oh, I wish I had a car like this one day,' so I think it just comes from being a fan of Barbie for so long."

Be sure to scroll through the gallery for full detail shots of Paris' pink Bentley,

+ Global Motors: WTF? Bentley Continental GT in PINK!

Not So Pretty In Pink: Paris Hilton's Custom Bentley Continental GT

This is just wrong. The ever outspoken Paris Hilton just dropped $200,000 on a Christmas present for herself -- a custom-built Bentley Continental GT. Because Paris wouldn't have it any other way, the whole car is finished in pink -- the sheetmetal, grille, wheels, and most of the interior, too. This one-time-only Continental GT was created by West Coast Customs, who are famous for being able to do endless modifications on just about any car that comes through their shop.

When speaking to television network E!, Paris said, "I've just always wanted a pink car. I think when you're a little girl and you have the Barbie Corvette you're always like, 'Oh, I wish I had a car like this one day,' so I think it just comes from being a fan of Barbie for so long."

Be sure to scroll through the gallery for full detail shots of Paris' pink Bentley,

+ Global Motors: WTF? Bentley Continental GT in PINK!

Spy Shot: Merccedes-Benz R-Class Facelift Spotted

Mercedes-Benz hasn’t exactly racked up design accolades for its minivanesque R-Class crossover (much more on that in our spy shooter’s hilarious comments below), despite its being rather competent to drive. Bearing that in mind, the German automaker has set about doing a redesign of the R, seen for the first time in this set of spy shots.

From the placement of the camouflage on this test car it seems apparent that M-B is primarily working to update the front end of the R-Class, hopefully devising a face that is more in-line with the rest of the attractive Mercedes lineup. Have a closer look at the mule in our gallery above.

Mercedes are giving their R-Class a major make over, but will that help to make the ugly duckling to a beautiful swan? 

The R-Class was never a bad car; it was just too expensive, too big and hmm…too ugly. And the market didn’t want a car that was more of an ugly four-wheel drive, S-Class van, at least not that many customers. So the first step was to offer the R-Class in a two-wheel drive version as well to make it cheaper, didn’t help. Second step, make the AMG exterior package standard to make it look better, didn’t help either.

So that leaves us to this step, try to make it less ugly with more radical methods. The rear was never the problem, but the front…. the current R-Class has a face only a mother could love.  Hidden under this camouflage is now the new and face lifted version testing, a version that hopefully will give the R-Class the face it deserves. With a little luck it gets a face similar to the new E-Class. The rear will only get smaller changes, like a newly shaped bumper with new exhaust pipes and rear lights with a new graphic. 

Engines will also be updated to the new standards and we will see the face lifted R-Class at the Frankfurt Car Show in September as a 2010 model.

Spy Shot: Merccedes-Benz R-Class Facelift Spotted

Mercedes-Benz hasn’t exactly racked up design accolades for its minivanesque R-Class crossover (much more on that in our spy shooter’s hilarious comments below), despite its being rather competent to drive. Bearing that in mind, the German automaker has set about doing a redesign of the R, seen for the first time in this set of spy shots.

From the placement of the camouflage on this test car it seems apparent that M-B is primarily working to update the front end of the R-Class, hopefully devising a face that is more in-line with the rest of the attractive Mercedes lineup. Have a closer look at the mule in our gallery above.

Mercedes are giving their R-Class a major make over, but will that help to make the ugly duckling to a beautiful swan? 

The R-Class was never a bad car; it was just too expensive, too big and hmm…too ugly. And the market didn’t want a car that was more of an ugly four-wheel drive, S-Class van, at least not that many customers. So the first step was to offer the R-Class in a two-wheel drive version as well to make it cheaper, didn’t help. Second step, make the AMG exterior package standard to make it look better, didn’t help either.

So that leaves us to this step, try to make it less ugly with more radical methods. The rear was never the problem, but the front…. the current R-Class has a face only a mother could love.  Hidden under this camouflage is now the new and face lifted version testing, a version that hopefully will give the R-Class the face it deserves. With a little luck it gets a face similar to the new E-Class. The rear will only get smaller changes, like a newly shaped bumper with new exhaust pipes and rear lights with a new graphic. 

Engines will also be updated to the new standards and we will see the face lifted R-Class at the Frankfurt Car Show in September as a 2010 model.

Spy Shot: Mercedes-Benz S-Class Mule Spotted!

Our spy shooters have just reported in with a few images depicting the newly updated Mercedes-Benz S-Class, showing the lightly disguised car in trims ranging from the storming AMG-tuned sedan to the all-new S400 Hybrid. The facelifted cars feature new headlight treatments with LED daytime running lights, revised front and rear bumpers, and a gently updated look for the car’s grille.

Have a closer look at the upcoming range-topping Mercedes in our gallery above, or read on below for the spy shooter’s own words.

Here are some fresh photos of the Mercedes S-Class facelift, while the drivers took some lunch. Optical changes are rather small, with a new graphic on the front lights and integrated LED-daydriving lights. Rear lights will also get LEDs.

Bumpers in both front and rear will get a new shape, with new foglights in the front bumper as well. We also notice a new grille.  Interior will also be slightly different, because these prototypes where covered inside.

Engines will be more fuel efficient, and there also will be a S400 Blue hybrid in the program.

As you can see, the AMG version also gets a facelift.

Spy Shot: Mercedes-Benz S-Class Mule Spotted!

Our spy shooters have just reported in with a few images depicting the newly updated Mercedes-Benz S-Class, showing the lightly disguised car in trims ranging from the storming AMG-tuned sedan to the all-new S400 Hybrid. The facelifted cars feature new headlight treatments with LED daytime running lights, revised front and rear bumpers, and a gently updated look for the car’s grille.

Have a closer look at the upcoming range-topping Mercedes in our gallery above, or read on below for the spy shooter’s own words.

Here are some fresh photos of the Mercedes S-Class facelift, while the drivers took some lunch. Optical changes are rather small, with a new graphic on the front lights and integrated LED-daydriving lights. Rear lights will also get LEDs.

Bumpers in both front and rear will get a new shape, with new foglights in the front bumper as well. We also notice a new grille.  Interior will also be slightly different, because these prototypes where covered inside.

Engines will be more fuel efficient, and there also will be a S400 Blue hybrid in the program.

As you can see, the AMG version also gets a facelift.

Mercedes-Benz Gullwing Mule Caught In The Cold Spy Shots

It looks like the Mercedes-Benz engineers are still moving forward with the SLC Gullwing project, as our spy shooters recently caught the car testing in some bone-chilling weather. (-15 degrees Fahrenheit! Brr!)

According to the folks at CarPix, we can expect a twin-turbocharged V-8 under the hood producing roughly 600 horsepower. This engine will be mated to a seven-speed transmission and the car's body will be made of carbon fiber and aluminum to reduce overall weight. Look for a more production-ready version of this car to hit around 2010.

Scroll through the gallery of images above, or click through the post to read our spy shooter's own thoughts about the SLC Gullwing.

There is something about winter testing, it’s almost always dark, snowing or foggy. In this case dark and foggy, but we still want to show you these new photos of the Mercedes Gullwing while driving in the snow, at -26 degrees Celsius.
It’s not clear yet if it will wear the Mercedes symbol, the AMG badge or both but we can agree that it will have a tuff market when it’s time for presentation. Hopefully the financial crisis has calmed down until 2010 when the Gullwing will be official.
Expect a twin-turbo V8 with roughly 600 horsepower to find its place in the aluminum spaceframe, connected to a 7-speed gearbox. Body will be made of carbon fiber and aluminium to keep weight down.

Mercedes-Benz Gullwing Mule Caught In The Cold Spy Shots

It looks like the Mercedes-Benz engineers are still moving forward with the SLC Gullwing project, as our spy shooters recently caught the car testing in some bone-chilling weather. (-15 degrees Fahrenheit! Brr!)

According to the folks at CarPix, we can expect a twin-turbocharged V-8 under the hood producing roughly 600 horsepower. This engine will be mated to a seven-speed transmission and the car's body will be made of carbon fiber and aluminum to reduce overall weight. Look for a more production-ready version of this car to hit around 2010.

Scroll through the gallery of images above, or click through the post to read our spy shooter's own thoughts about the SLC Gullwing.

There is something about winter testing, it’s almost always dark, snowing or foggy. In this case dark and foggy, but we still want to show you these new photos of the Mercedes Gullwing while driving in the snow, at -26 degrees Celsius.
It’s not clear yet if it will wear the Mercedes symbol, the AMG badge or both but we can agree that it will have a tuff market when it’s time for presentation. Hopefully the financial crisis has calmed down until 2010 when the Gullwing will be official.
Expect a twin-turbo V8 with roughly 600 horsepower to find its place in the aluminum spaceframe, connected to a 7-speed gearbox. Body will be made of carbon fiber and aluminium to keep weight down.

Five Cars that Should/Could Be Better with New Parents

With great cars can sometimes being products of an inspired idea, a singular vision, or a focused effort from a few dedicated people, it’s far too often that we see mismanagement or a loss of focus dim an otherwise bright star. For those vehicles (or sometimes whole brands) we can’t help but imagine what they would be like under more synergistic management conditions.

With that in mind, we’ve taken five automotive properties—all of which have shown frustrated promise on some level—that we believe could shine given the opportunity, and a new parental figure. We’ve ignored the burden of real feasibility here, going more for what makes sense on paper than what makes sense in real life. It’s more fun to dream big anyway.

Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger by Brabus

Though a fair hit both critically and with the public, when they debuted in 2004 and 2005, the Charger/300 twins have suffered from a lack of attention and funding from parent Chrysler. With potential enough to have led American sedans back to their former place of glory, the powerful and handsomely styled pair would ultimately fall flat thanks to poor interior quality and rubbery chassis/steering tuning.

Brabus has made a mint by creating hooligans using Mercedes-Benz raw material, so a product of the Daimler Chrysler days should be chicken soup for the tuning house. By tightening up suspension components and fitting a properly premium interior, the Charger and 300 could take on the entry luxury segment from a powerful, niche prospective. Certainly a better fate than awaits the car under Chrysler’s falling star.

Smart Fortwo by Honda

The diminutive Smart is certainly not without its vocal proponents as currently constituted, but we (and a slew of other reviewers) have voiced plenty of reservations regarding the Fortwo. A horrible transmission does a lot to destroy the fun of piloting the cheeky city car and fuel economy (though very good) has never been in line with expectations for such a small vehicle.

Honda, with some of the best-shifting manual transmissions in the business, might very well have a solid solution for the Smart’s gear-swapping duties. The Japanese automaker’s engine range also seems like a natural fit for the Smart’s frugal pretensions—Honda has always been an MPG leader in the U.S. and also has a venerable range of motorcycle powerplants to draw from.

Stay with us here. Lamborghini, for better or worse has, at various points during the past two decades, tossed around the idea of reviving its utterly bananas LM002. Meanwhile, General Motors is just desperate to be rid of the money-sucking, image-damning, ultimate off-road brand. The Lambo Hummer certainly wouldn’t be a populist proposition but as a completely balls-out super SUV aimed at the ultra-rich, it might have some legs. The bored progeny of oil barons need something to drive across the desert at heinous speeds right?

Dodge has made it public that the Viper brand is on the block, though a true suitor has yet to be sourced for America’s supercar. India’s Tata may seem like a bizarre choice on the surface—being best-known for creating the world’s cheapest car, the $2500 Nano—but a deeper look could find the company worthy. Tata is seemingly already making fine progress with its new stewarding of Jaguar, claiming that it would like to restore the tradition of the sporting cats. What’s more, Tata chairman Ratan Tata has got a serious jones for performance machines, saying at one point that he’d like to buy a stake in Ferrari. We think that Tata would have the drive and the resources to make sure that Viper not only survives, but thrives in the new world order.

So, Apple doesn’t build cars. We know. But that deficit in manufacturing experience hasn’t stopped persistent rumors of the stylish tech company going 50/50 on a project with various automakers, nor a burgeoning modern folk tale that Steve Jobs would be the perfect government appointee to one of the bailed out Big Three CEO spots. Why wouldn’t Apple want to take over the current crown jewel of automotive tech?

Jobs and Co. would immediately become the motoring world’s best secret keepers, styling mavens, and quality leaders. The iCar (or whatever) would also luxuriate under perhaps the most loyal consumer group on the planet, and one that is already known to be well-fixed financially. A good thing, since Apple’s influence would likely make the already pricy Tesla even dearer. Small price to pay for such coolness.


Take a moment to look through our list in the gallery above and then tell us where we went right or wrong, in comments. 

Five Cars that Should/Could Be Better with New Parents

With great cars can sometimes being products of an inspired idea, a singular vision, or a focused effort from a few dedicated people, it’s far too often that we see mismanagement or a loss of focus dim an otherwise bright star. For those vehicles (or sometimes whole brands) we can’t help but imagine what they would be like under more synergistic management conditions.

With that in mind, we’ve taken five automotive properties—all of which have shown frustrated promise on some level—that we believe could shine given the opportunity, and a new parental figure. We’ve ignored the burden of real feasibility here, going more for what makes sense on paper than what makes sense in real life. It’s more fun to dream big anyway.

Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger by Brabus

Though a fair hit both critically and with the public, when they debuted in 2004 and 2005, the Charger/300 twins have suffered from a lack of attention and funding from parent Chrysler. With potential enough to have led American sedans back to their former place of glory, the powerful and handsomely styled pair would ultimately fall flat thanks to poor interior quality and rubbery chassis/steering tuning.

Brabus has made a mint by creating hooligans using Mercedes-Benz raw material, so a product of the Daimler Chrysler days should be chicken soup for the tuning house. By tightening up suspension components and fitting a properly premium interior, the Charger and 300 could take on the entry luxury segment from a powerful, niche prospective. Certainly a better fate than awaits the car under Chrysler’s falling star.

Smart Fortwo by Honda

The diminutive Smart is certainly not without its vocal proponents as currently constituted, but we (and a slew of other reviewers) have voiced plenty of reservations regarding the Fortwo. A horrible transmission does a lot to destroy the fun of piloting the cheeky city car and fuel economy (though very good) has never been in line with expectations for such a small vehicle.

Honda, with some of the best-shifting manual transmissions in the business, might very well have a solid solution for the Smart’s gear-swapping duties. The Japanese automaker’s engine range also seems like a natural fit for the Smart’s frugal pretensions—Honda has always been an MPG leader in the U.S. and also has a venerable range of motorcycle powerplants to draw from.

Stay with us here. Lamborghini, for better or worse has, at various points during the past two decades, tossed around the idea of reviving its utterly bananas LM002. Meanwhile, General Motors is just desperate to be rid of the money-sucking, image-damning, ultimate off-road brand. The Lambo Hummer certainly wouldn’t be a populist proposition but as a completely balls-out super SUV aimed at the ultra-rich, it might have some legs. The bored progeny of oil barons need something to drive across the desert at heinous speeds right?

Dodge has made it public that the Viper brand is on the block, though a true suitor has yet to be sourced for America’s supercar. India’s Tata may seem like a bizarre choice on the surface—being best-known for creating the world’s cheapest car, the $2500 Nano—but a deeper look could find the company worthy. Tata is seemingly already making fine progress with its new stewarding of Jaguar, claiming that it would like to restore the tradition of the sporting cats. What’s more, Tata chairman Ratan Tata has got a serious jones for performance machines, saying at one point that he’d like to buy a stake in Ferrari. We think that Tata would have the drive and the resources to make sure that Viper not only survives, but thrives in the new world order.

So, Apple doesn’t build cars. We know. But that deficit in manufacturing experience hasn’t stopped persistent rumors of the stylish tech company going 50/50 on a project with various automakers, nor a burgeoning modern folk tale that Steve Jobs would be the perfect government appointee to one of the bailed out Big Three CEO spots. Why wouldn’t Apple want to take over the current crown jewel of automotive tech?

Jobs and Co. would immediately become the motoring world’s best secret keepers, styling mavens, and quality leaders. The iCar (or whatever) would also luxuriate under perhaps the most loyal consumer group on the planet, and one that is already known to be well-fixed financially. A good thing, since Apple’s influence would likely make the already pricy Tesla even dearer. Small price to pay for such coolness.


Take a moment to look through our list in the gallery above and then tell us where we went right or wrong, in comments. 

Ford Announces Pricing for 2010 Fusion Models

Just a few days after Ford debuted the all-new 2010 Fusion, official pricing has been released. The Fusion can be had in five different model trims: S, SE, SEL, Sport, and Hybrid, with a choice of four- or six-cylinder engines and manual or automatic transmissions, depending on the model.

The base Fusion S rings in at an MSRP of $19,270 while the top-dollar Fusion Hybrid can be priced from $27,200. Rounding out the middle of the range we have the SE at $20,545, SEL at $23,975, and Sport at $25,825.

Click through the post to see a more detailed list of some of the features found on each model.

FUSION S -- $19,270
- 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with six-speed manual transmission
- Sixteen-inch aluminum wheels
- Four-wheel ABS
- Electronic stability control
- Cloth seats with manual adjustment
- Power windows, locks, and mirrors

FUSION SE -- $20,545
- 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with six-speed manual transmission
- Seventeen-inch alloy wheels with silver paint
- Six-way power driver's seat with manual lumbar
- Side curtain airbags
- Optional 3.0-lier V-6 and Ford Sync

FUSION SEL -- $23,975
- 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with six-speed automatic transmission
- Sirius satellite radio
- Ford Sync
- Seven-color ambient lighting system
- Seventeen-inch machined aluminum wheels
- Leather-trimmed, heated seats
- Automatic on/off headlamps
- Eight-way power driver's seat
- Six-way power passenger seat
- Optional: 3.0-liter V-6, AWD, reverse sensing system, navigation, Moon and Tune package

FUSION SPORT -- $25,825
- 3.5-liter V-6 engine with six-speed SelectShift transmission
- Sync and Sirius satellite radio
- Red, blue, or black accented leather seats
- Eighteen-inch premium aluminum wheels
- Chrome trim
- Decklid spoiler
- Optional: AWD, electronics package, reverse sensing system, navigation, Moon and Tune package, Driver Vision package

FUSION HYBRID -- $27,270
- 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine
- E-CVT automatic transmission
- Regenerative braking
- Dual-LCD instrument cluster
- Eco-friendly cloth seats
- Seventeen-inch aluminum wheels
- Reverse sensing system
- Optional: leather/heated seats, navigation, Driver Vision package, Moon and Tune package

Ford Announces Pricing for 2010 Fusion Models

Just a few days after Ford debuted the all-new 2010 Fusion, official pricing has been released. The Fusion can be had in five different model trims: S, SE, SEL, Sport, and Hybrid, with a choice of four- or six-cylinder engines and manual or automatic transmissions, depending on the model.

The base Fusion S rings in at an MSRP of $19,270 while the top-dollar Fusion Hybrid can be priced from $27,200. Rounding out the middle of the range we have the SE at $20,545, SEL at $23,975, and Sport at $25,825.

Click through the post to see a more detailed list of some of the features found on each model.

FUSION S -- $19,270
- 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with six-speed manual transmission
- Sixteen-inch aluminum wheels
- Four-wheel ABS
- Electronic stability control
- Cloth seats with manual adjustment
- Power windows, locks, and mirrors

FUSION SE -- $20,545
- 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with six-speed manual transmission
- Seventeen-inch alloy wheels with silver paint
- Six-way power driver's seat with manual lumbar
- Side curtain airbags
- Optional 3.0-lier V-6 and Ford Sync

FUSION SEL -- $23,975
- 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with six-speed automatic transmission
- Sirius satellite radio
- Ford Sync
- Seven-color ambient lighting system
- Seventeen-inch machined aluminum wheels
- Leather-trimmed, heated seats
- Automatic on/off headlamps
- Eight-way power driver's seat
- Six-way power passenger seat
- Optional: 3.0-liter V-6, AWD, reverse sensing system, navigation, Moon and Tune package

FUSION SPORT -- $25,825
- 3.5-liter V-6 engine with six-speed SelectShift transmission
- Sync and Sirius satellite radio
- Red, blue, or black accented leather seats
- Eighteen-inch premium aluminum wheels
- Chrome trim
- Decklid spoiler
- Optional: AWD, electronics package, reverse sensing system, navigation, Moon and Tune package, Driver Vision package

FUSION HYBRID -- $27,270
- 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine
- E-CVT automatic transmission
- Regenerative braking
- Dual-LCD instrument cluster
- Eco-friendly cloth seats
- Seventeen-inch aluminum wheels
- Reverse sensing system
- Optional: leather/heated seats, navigation, Driver Vision package, Moon and Tune package